The Tin Mine. A fantasy adventure on another world. (standard:adventure, 3764 words)
Author: Oscar A Rat	Added: Jun 25 2020	Views/Reads: 1240/868	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
This was one of the stories I wrote about a writer named Pujal's world of Odia.    It was a world he created for a small critique site I used to own. Members would write stories according to his blueprint.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

The Council approved her request. After getting the expedition together
and supplied, they had only to wait for the new weapons to be 
completed. With the dangerous animals they would encounter in the 
Woodlands, the weapons would be well tested during the trip. 

*** 

Finally, the day came when everything was ready for the expedition. Chly
and Thna met, along with six other Groldal. The Kramshees were 
straining at their traces, also anxious to get back out into the 
wildlands. They had been taken in trade and abhorred being held in a 
small bare corral, one without leafy greenery or even fresh air. Nearby 
factories filled the "Scar," as they called their land, with often 
toxic fumes. 

Six young Groldal, three male, one female, and two midsex, were also
ready and willing for adventure. Many of the people had never left 
their town during a two-hundred year lifespan of hard labor. It was 
rumored that leaving the Scar itself diminished their lifespan. They 
had practiced with the new repeating bows and were anxious to begin 
killing with them. 

Tales had been told of wild Kishas, a kind of huge cat like-creature,
for instance. Not to mention, especially not to mention, the dreaded 
Kookoo. It was reported to be a huge lizard, large as a Bryllan, four 
times its weight, and eight times as ferocious. 

Thna was in charge, with Chly next in command. She called them all
together and the group of explorers set out on their mission, which was 
to travel through the wild of the mostly unexplored Woodlands, search 
for an abandoned tin mine, acquire a wagon load of tin, and return 
home. 

“Here they come, Jlmsy.” Hssoy called down to his partner. Hssoy sat
atop a surveillance tower at the front entrance to Water Forge. The two 
were behind a huge weathered-log gate. They guarded the town from 
unwanted visitors. It was largely an honorary job, reserved for aging 
workers, since no one had tried to conquer the town during its long 
history. 

The other races were afraid of the steep cliffs and fiery pits that
comprised the Scar. It was also thought to shelter those of the Undead 
that had avoided exile on the moon. The Undead were rumored to be 
almost unstoppable fighters. They welcomed defeat in battle, since it 
would relieve them of a painful half-life, and give the solace of 
death. It was a rumor the Groldalians tried to keep active, it serving 
to protect them from invading armies.    No army relished 
going up against thousands of already dead and thusly unkillable 
adversaries. 

“I'll unlock the gate for them. You keep an eye on the road outside,”
Jlosy called back. He sweated to remove  a large timber holding the two 
halves of the gate together. He then waited for the expedition to show. 
It took a few minutes before the extended spines of two Kramshees 
appeared at the end of the lane. Eventually, the animals strode up to 
the gate and stopped. They were pulling a large wagon containing ten 
Groldal and a mound of supplies. It sat there for about ten minutes, 
Thna and elderly Jlosy looking at each other, before Thna asked. 

“Well.    Aren't you gonna open it?” 

“Nope, course not.” 

“Why not?” 

“They's more of you than there is of me. Open it yourself.” 

Cursing under her breath, Thna ordered two of her charges to open the
gate. While they drove through, Jlosy called out. 

“Don't forget to close the gate.” 

Although they were glad to have the cart and Kramshees to pull it, the
conveyance did limit their choices in routes. It was too large for the 
previously traveled paths, which were few in the first place. 

Much of the shrubbery, rocks, and small trees could be pushed aside by
the large animals, still making for a very bumpy ride, but some had to 
be bypassed or chopped down to make way. The expedition marked and 
mapped out the route as they went on. Some sections took days to level 
with primitive tools like shovels and axes. The wagon would be loaded 
on the way back and the animals wouldn't have enough strength left to 
break trail again, so it had to be done well on the way in, building a 
road to return on. 

*** 

In the evening of their third day of travel, someone heard a loud
wailing. It came from the left side of the trail they were cutting. At 
the time, they had cut down a large tree and were chopping it into 
smaller pieces to shove aside – as well as making quite a bit of noise 
themselves. 

“Crss and Dratta, take a couple of bows and check that noise out, will
you?” Chly ordered two of the workers, “And be careful. Don't take any 
chances.” 

The two stepped into the forest ahead and were soon out of sight. A
little later, they came back, bows slung and leading a young Ariiian 
girl. She was only about a foot and a half tall, a    
quarter the size of the others, and had her hands tied behind her back 
with Dratta's belt. 

“Look what we found. We had to tie her. She attacked us and wouldn't
stop. Apparently her family was killed by some animal.    
We found pieces of them and blood all over the place,” Crss told the 
gathering crowd. “I don't know how she was missed, but here she is. If 
you want her, that is?” Crss mentioned sarcastically that, “If you 
don't, we could eat her or something.” The last remark brought forth 
another burst of anger and thrashing from the small figure, her sharp 
teeth flashing white in the dusky light. 

“Put her in the back of the cart and watch her. We can't leave her here
to starve,” Chly instructed Crss. The road was soon clear and they 
continued their trek. 

*** 

Later, they were chopping down two trees that would have taken much
longer to go around because of a cliff on one side and swampy ground on 
the other. Most of the group were out of the wagon and at work, when 
they were attacked by a pack of small waist-high animals resembling a 
cross of earth hyenas with wild pigs. Before they could get to their 
weapons, two of the group were dragged down. Three of the creatures 
even managed to jump into the cart. 

There were three people in the cart at that time, Chly, Crss, and the
prisoner. At the sight of the animals, the Ariiian child broke her 
bonds and grabbed a loose sword, found lying on the floor of the cart. 
With a howl, the child thrust the heavy blade into the heart of one of 
the invaders. Crss, managed to throw another off the cart before it 
could get its footing on the floorboards. 

Seeing Crss's actions, Chly threw the third one off and grabbed one of
the new bows. A quick cock of the loaded weapon and he was firing at 
the creatures. Crss joined in and, between the two of them and the 
people on the ground, the pack was driven off. The group suffered three 
wounded but they had managed to kill eight of the creatures. The 
auto-loading bows had done the majority of the killing. 

The Ariiian sat, snarling, in a corner. Neither Chly nor Crss felt like
approaching her at the moment, at least not while she still clutched 
that sword. 

At least they had plenty of fresh meat for a change. As night was
falling, Chly noticed that Crss was sitting next to the Ariiian. 
Probably trying to communicate, he thought. He noticed that the child 
had not been tied again after the attack. Since it apparently wasn't 
bothering anybody, he didn't mention tying it to Crss. 

The next morning, after breakfast while the overnight camp was being
torn down, Chly was surprised to feel a tug at his trousers. It was the 
tiny Ariiian girl. 

“Thanks for saving me,” she told him shyly. “My name's Allis.” With that
she retreated to the back of the cart, where Crss sat, beaming a 
smile.    He'd obviously befriended the child and put her 
up to the thanks.    Chly smiled back at them, thinking at 
least one problem was solved. Soon they had resumed their journey. 

As they traveled, the forest seemed to be getting a little thinner. The
going was easier, with more distance between the larger trees. The cart 
abruptly entered a clearing, the adventurers seeing a strange sight. A 
pack of large catlike creatures had surrounded a very large tree. Most 
of them were lying still and watching as the Kramshees pulled the cart 
into the clearing. A few of the cats continued looking up at the thick 
tree branches. 

Thna called for all her people to arm themselves. Which was a good thing
because, at some unseen signal, the Kishas rose and attacked, all in 
one fluid motion. The people were ready and hit them with a cloud of 
arrows, quickly repeated. Caught by surprise, the Kishas wheeled and 
made for the forest, leaving several dead on the way. It was a quick 
and decisive battle. 

Out of curiosity, the group stopped near the disputed tree to see what
was hiding in the branches. It must be something important, they 
thought, to keep the Kishas there waiting. 

They could see dark movement on a branch, which seemed bowed by a heavy
weight. Fearing another large adversary, Thna told her people to remain 
cautious as she called upwards. 

“You might as well come down. The Kishas are gone and we won't hurt
you,” she ordered and then warned the unseen creature, “If you don't 
answer we'll assume you're hostile and shoot you out of the tree.” 
Pausing for a few moments, she continued her bluff. “Last 
chance.    Better speak up if you're a friend.” 

“Don't shoot. Please. We give up,” an answer came in a deep voice. 

Soon, leaves began falling as a dark blob proceeded to descent from the
heights. It turned out to be not one, but two adult Bryllan, a male and 
a female. They looked comical as they clumsily descended. Soon they 
stood, somewhat incongruously among a group of relatively small 
Groldal. 

Without warning, there was a blur as the tiny Ariiian girl flew at the
Bryllan with the cry of anger that had come to typify the child. Two 
Groldal restrained her before she could cause any damage with her sharp 
teeth. Again, she was tied and deposited in the back of the cart. The 
two races were natural enemies, and had been since before anyone alive 
could remember. 

Beeeill and Ammmy were the names of the two Bryllan. It seemed that
after Ammmy had gotten with child, their beloved midsex mate Ckkkee had 
died of complications. The Goddess Lyr, in all her wisdom, made the 
role of the midsex a dangerous one – much more so than male or female. 
In this case poor Ckkkee died from her efforts, although the pregnancy 
was successful. In any case, the grieving couple felt an urge to leave 
town, takimg their chances in the wild. 

They had successfully braved the elements and wild beasts until, running
out of arrows for their bows, they had to depend on only swords for 
food and protection. The swords weren't much good for hunting. They had 
subsisted on shrubs and roots for weeks. When the Kishas attacked, the 
pair had barely had time to climb a tree. 

The Bryllan were a stoic race. The two, although thanking the Groldal
for saving them, were resigned to dying. They saw no reason to delay 
and suffer a slow death from hunger, instead begging Thna to let the 
Ariiian kill them. 

“Damn right I will.    Untie me.” Allis had heard from the
back of the cart. “Gimme a knife. Come on. Please? They want me to.” 
The cart was rocking from her struggles, spooking the Kramshee. 

“I won't hear of it. You can ride with us until you recover.” Trna
assured them. “Don't listen to the Ariiian. We have enough food and 
space for you. We can even give you weapons and supplies when you 
leave.” Beeeill and Ammmy simply stepped into the cart and sat in the 
front, as far as they could from a still-furious Allis. 

*** 

In the few days it took to get to the old mine, the two Bryllan became
indispensable in acquiring small game. Beeeill could control small 
animals with his mind.    He would have them congregate 
ahead of the cart, where they would stand and wait be clubbed. His 
mate, Ammmy, had been born with telekinetic abilities. She could cause 
objects to disappear, only to reappear where she wanted them. It didn't 
work with living things, and not for large amounts. Thna thought it 
might be possible to use her to send tin back to the Scar a little at a 
time, better than only using the large cart with its limited capacity. 

Allis, tired of being tied up like a Dnnnra – a small piglike animal –
finally agreed to behave herself and leave the two Bryllan alone. She 
continued to stare at the two much larger creatures, but at least 
didn't try to kill them. It appeared incongruous to see the little 
eighteen-inch girl glare and spit at fourteen-foot Beeeill. 

*** 

When they reached the mine, they found the area overgrown. It contained
a supply of rusty iron tools stored in one of a half-dozen ramshackle 
buildings. One of the shacks even had a small tree growing through its 
roof.    

Seeing the site, the two newest additions to the group sat talking to
each other. They were beaming when, after checking the site over, they 
approached Thna. 

“Would you mind if we stayed here after you leave? Ammmy is due to have
our children soon and it would be a perfect place for us. Much better 
than building a home from scratch.” 

“I don't see why not,” was the answer. “You could keep the buildings
repaired and the mine free of brush.” Most of the building were far too 
low for the Bryllan, but one larger one, resembling a small aircraft 
hanger, was easily tall enough. The Bryllan began cleaning in up, while 
the rest of the party were fixing the other buildings. A 
partially-collapsed wooden stockade enclosed the structures to keep 
marauding animals out.    It also needed repairs. 

It took the party another week to clear the mining area and clean the
rusty tools for use. Another few months were required to mine and smelt 
ore into rough ingots. In the end, they had at least three cart loads 
of impure tin. The cart was far too small for the load, even though 
most of the remaining supplies would be left for the Bryllan to use. 
Chly remembered the abilities of the female, Ammmy. 

One morning he and Ammmy went to an unoccupied area and experimented.
She could teleport fifty-pounds of tin at a time. Distance did not seem 
a factor, although the weight did affect her. The more weight, the more 
energy it required. Of course, she was very pregnant at the time. They 
went to inform Thna. 

“We can leave most of the metal here for now, and she'll teleport it to
the Scar after having her babies,” he informed Thna, “It will save us 
another trip back here.” 

“That would probably work out,” Thna considered. “One load is all we'll
need for a long time. At the moment, we don't require much tin. All we 
need for now is enough for the new bows.” 

“And we can keep the Bryllan supplied the same way,” Chly reminded her,
“as payment for watching the place.    She can teleport 
supplies back here from the Scar.” The agreement solved their future 
transportation problems. 

With the cart filled to capacity, containing enough metal for their
present needs, they said goodbye to Beeeill and Ammmy and started the 
long trip home. They had, of course, left two crossbows and a supply of 
bolts with the two. 

Now they had the problem of what to do with the Ariiian girl. They were
not likely to run into any Ariiians on the way back. On her part, after 
leaving her enemies behind at the mine, Allis became a much better 
companion. Although Crss kept an eye on the fiery little wench, the 
girl had become a willing associate. 

“We can drop you off somewhere, if you like,” Thna told her. “Or you can
come back with us.” With no reaction, she continued, “We have Ariiian 
traders coming to the Scar all the time.    You could go 
with one of them. Or, if you promise not to kill anyone, you could find 
a job at the Scar.” 

“I'll go with you,” Allis told them. “Can I decide later?   
Wait until we get back to decide?” 

“Sure, but I'm serious.    You can't be trying to kill
anyone. Never, under no circumstances, or for any reason. If you do, 
you could end up in jail or dead.” She looked down at the top of 
Allis's head. 

“I promise, unless they start it.” 

“No. Not at all.    No matter who starts it. I mean never,
never at all.” 

“Oh, all right. I promise.” 

“Tell me again.    This time you better mean it.” 

“All right, I promise not to hurt anyone, ever. Even if they try to
torture, and hurt, and rape, and kill me with their huge teeth and 
claws.” 

“Don't be sarcastic, young lady. I'm serious. You wouldn't like our
jails.” 

The trip seemed shorter on the way back. Although they carried a heavy
load, the trail had already been broken and they knew the route. They 
made it back to the Scar without any major problems. Some were 
satisfied to get back to their regular work, but some of the 
adventurers had come to enjoy the freedom of the trail and would miss 
it. 

The new crossbows were a best-seller across the land, far surpassing the
previous design. Although the trip was a resounding success, the new 
bows brought on an escalation of ongoing wars. Of course, that was good 
for business and increased the status of both Thna and Chly. 

The End.


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