Decaying Seas

3rd POV

Toiling away in the mines, the old man no Melva W. Silvers did his best to swing hi pickaxe down in the mines, all the while keeping an eye on his grandson Pythias W. Silvers. With a huff and a puff, he got another gem excavated and put it in a large brown bag that was halfway full next to him.

Looking around to see if the Marines were watching, Melva would bend down and make sure the baby was still wrapped in the bundle of clothes he was given, didn't inhale any of the smoke, or that no rocks/pebbles were getting near his fragile body.

"I'm so sorry, Pythias, I'm so sorry I or your mother got a chance to give you a real name."

"But I promise I will protect you from this place for as long as I can."

He said as he went back to mining, along with all the others, cursed to endure this hellish mine for as long as they lived. Outside of this cave though, the bodies kept pilling up until eventually a small hill formed, and a team of black-coated marines came with dozens of carts alongside a group of enchained slaves that began to gather the bodies up and put them in the carts, rolling them up the stairs.

Soon enough a routine was formed between the two of them, Melva would mine away inside the cave gathering the natural resources for the marines and earning some food for him and Pythias. Although he gave the vast majority of it to Pythias at least the stuff he could stomach down.

Then just like that three years quickly passed, with Pythias childhood having not began and was put to work on his second birthday, given small pickaxe. He worked alongside his grandfather learning everything he could about the mines. 

*Huff* Huff* *Huff*

With tired groins both grandfather and grandchildren would sit down as Pythias leaned against Melva for support. A few of the other slaves joined them and started to rest a bit as a few slaves from outside came in and started gathering the bags already full, and bringing them outside to be transported outside the island. 

"Kid take a few minutes more to catch your breath *Huff* alright, let your old man take care of things for awhile alright."

Pythias would look up with a tired expression on his face, his eyes having a little more life to them. 

"Alright, Grandpa."

Melva would smile, giving Pythias a nice tender hug as he did, giving him all the love and support he could muster in this hellish place. Over the years, he taught him everything he could from writing and reading to mathematics and the basic history of the world, at least to his best abilities. 

Everything he could do to prepare him for his inevitable escape from this hellish place, at least he hoped he would escape. Honestly, most people hoped either pirates or the revolutionary army would raid the place, even if it was to gather some materials for financial means. But even someone like Melva who was just a plan blacksmith before all this knew places like this would be kept secret for that reason.

Even then this place was probably well defended and had a few navy ships roaming the waters. Melva mentally sighed just thinking of it all, as he shook Pythias a little as he started to drift to sleep. He couldn't have him falling asleep not until the Marines left the hole for the day. 

Getting up he made sure Pythias was always in eyesight as he began to chip away at the walls, every once in a while stepping to cough into his hands or into his rags. Until he started noticing some blood on his rags, it was;t old either no it came from his coughs. 

{No...Not yet just a little while longer body, just until he's strong and smart enough to escape this place, to wait for the right moment.}

Eventually, Pythias joined his grandfather in mining deeper into the mountain with the old man hiding his declining health from Pythias, to try and make his life a little less burdensome. With a smile on his face, or the best Pythias could smile being raised in such a place, he helped his grandfather alongside the other miners who were doing their best to survive. 

Once night time came, both individuals followed the rest of the slaves to a special resting area passing by a new mountain of corpses as more slaves came down, fresh recruits to replenish the numbers each one had a scared look on their face as they joined the evergrowing crowd of slaves, as they entered a large cavern with some blankets and items to help them keep warm. 

A few groups formed as they gathered together and used their body heat to try to survive. Unfortunately, a few people shuffled to the corner, alone and cold, being weak from today's mining they would probably not survive the night if they were lucky. 

Both Melva and Pythias were able to get a larger blanket and covered themselves with it, hiding behind the large groups near the back of the cave. While one by one both old and new slaves fell asleep, Melva stayed awake telling Pythias of his mother, of the life they had before being enslaved by the Celestial Dragons, the World government itself. 

"Your mother was one of the kindest people in our village, when people saw her snow-white hair their days were instantly brightened."

"And well I was proud to say she was one of my better apprentices when I was a Blacksmith."

"Ahhh those were better days, the sun always seemed brighter ten but I didn't know it not until those bastards came, those Damn Celestial Dragons."

"They took all of us and sent us to these mines and your mother...the less said the better."

He smile though as Pythias was now sound asleep next to him and he patted his head, gently as to not wake him up. 

"Your the only good thing to come from this, I hope you are able to escape this place one day, to smile at the rising sun."