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With Lorik by my side and Aznai watching our backs, I was ready to face whatever lay ahead.
The tang of danger was a taste I was getting used to.
I knew I was capable of holding my own.
And for the first time, I was eager to prove it.
14
RURDRAX
We arrived at the mouth of the mine, the entrance obscured by a towering slagheap of machinery.
It seemed as though the mine had vomited out its mechanical innards, creating an obstacle course of rusted metal.
I inhaled the stale smell of the machinery, its metallic tang tainted with the earthy undertones of the mine itself.
“Our current estimates suggest there’s about fifty thousand tons of the Anto’skar down there,” Onshev boasted, spreading his arms wide as if to emphasize the enormity of his claim.
But his enthusiasm seemed forced, his sales pitch rehearsed.
The lie was clear in his voice.
The sweet smell of the mine was overshadowed by the stench of his deceit.
It hung heavy in the air, the stench clinging to my nostrils, making my stomach churn with unease.
“I’d like to go down and see for myself,” I announced, trying to mask my suspicion.
The mine had an eerie allure to it, a siren’s call I found difficult to resist.
But it was not just the lure of potential riches; I felt an inexplicable need to validate Onshev’s claim, to make sure I wasn’t being led astray.
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Onshev said, waving off my request with an airy gesture.
His smile was tight, a veneer of cheerfulness barely masking his anxiety. “We wouldn’t want to alarm the locals. They’re already on edge about losing their jobs. Plus, I sent you extensive documents earlier detailing the running of the mine and the kind of profits you can expect.”
His words fell flat, the insincerity seeping through his jovial demeanor.
It was clear as daylight that he was trying to steer me away from investigating further.
His claim of protecting the locals seemed farcical at best, a thin excuse to divert my attention.
I could feel the tension mounting in the air, the tangible undercurrent of unspoken truths and hidden agendas.
He was pushing too hard, too fast.
The warning bells in my head were clanging loudly, signaling that something was amiss.
No doubt Madison’s earlier scribbled warnings were coloring my perception.
The sight of the mine, its shadowy entrance promising untold treasures, reminded me of the deceit I was being served.
The touch of the cool wind on my skin was a welcome respite, the soft murmur of the breeze whispering through the rusted machinery.
But the mine, with its darkened entrance and unexplored depths, was a beast lurking in the shadows, its secrets shrouded in a veil of deception.
As I stared at the mouth of the mine, I couldn’t help but wonder what lay beneath the surface.
