Chapter 3: Starting As a Miner
I walk into the mines and am met with an Argonian man. He walks up to me with a scowl. "Aaah. Finally, you have decided to work like a man. We had discussed tossing you out like vermin if you didn't start earning your keep." He says angrily. This made me angry. Everything would be fine if I could practice magic. That's all I wanted, was to be a student. Now I have everyone telling me I'm good for nothing! What the hell did I do before I woke up in this body? Surely I didn't just sit around? I'm not fat nor am I skinny. I have muscle, but people keep telling me I'm lazy. What the hell have I been doing all my life?
"I'm ready to work. Just point the way." I say.
"Is that right? Well here, in the barrel by the door you shall find the tools you will need. Now get to it!" He shouts.
I walk to the barrel and get a pickaxe. I also see iron helmets which makes sense for safety, but I've just never seen them used by miners in the game. I'm noticing the game is not something to go by for how the world works. I put on the helmet and take the pickaxe to an iron deposit deep in the mines. I see about twenty men working. They are all different races. There are a couple Orks, a few Nords, some Wood Elves even, but mostly Dark Elves. In this area there aren't many deposits.
"Hey, sorry I don't know your name. Where else can I go to get iron? It seems as though there isn't very much here left." I ask a Nord man.
"Just go find some! I got work to do. You can go deeper into the mine if you need to." He says Sharply.
I guess I'm not learning his name. That's fine though. I don't plan on staying in Rorikstead forever. I want to make a name for myself, but first I need to make coin. Over the next few days I have collected about three cart fulls of iron. The deepest I've gone in the mines is third level. I have been told by the Argonian that there are ten levels total in this mine. I learned that that Argonians name is Ra' tuul. I have made one hundred and fiftey gold for my work. I want to make at least fifty more before I head out on my own. I found out the reason everyone hates me is because I have spent my time practicing archery, but not actually hunting before I woke up in this body and have been living at the inn for free. In this world people become adults at the age of 14, so I have went a year without contributing at all. Now that I am working people are starting to show me a bit more respect, but I wonder how long that will last. I get the sense that they are just waiting for me to fail so they can kick me out.
This is the start of a new day and I will go deeper in the mines. I get up out of bed, go to the fireplace to make some food, put on my workers clothes, and set out for the mine. Upon arriving, I walk up to Ra' Tuul.
"Sir, I will be going to level six today. Is there anything I need to be made aware of?" I ask.
He looks at me with wide eyes. "You have only been working for almost a week. Maybe you should stay above level four for awhile until you get stronger." He says.
This intrigued me. "Why do I need to be stronger? I'm just collecting iron right? What do I need to know?" I ask.
Ra' Tuul sighs and looks down. "I don't want this getting out. the older people know about this, but everyone else just knows they are not to go down there. We have goblins and trolls down there. As long as we don't disturb them, then they don't come up here and bother us." He explains.
This sounds like an adventure. This is something I've been waiting to do since I got in this world. I start smiling and look at Ra' Tuul.
"Just give me a sword and I'll take care of them for you. I will open this mine up all the way!" I exclaimed.
"Shhhh. Keep your voice down kid!" He yells in a whisper. "I'll give you a sword if you give me 50 gold." He said.
"Fifty gold?! What kind of sword are you offering me? Daedric?" I ask shocked.
He just starts laughing. "It's a regular iron sword. It costs money to get these things made so I will be compensated for it." He says sharply. I reluctantly hand him a bag of fifty gold and he goes into a weapons closet to retrieve my new sword. "It's actually good to have this anyway. In case you ever want to go on a stroll in the country." He says smiling. "Also, I'm sure you know that I don't like you. Having said that, if you actually manage to kill a goblin or even a troll... which I doubt, but if you do. I will give you twenty gold for each goblin you kill. I will give you forty gold for each troll you kill. As proof of your killings, bring me an ear for goblins and a heart for trolls.
I take the sword and go into the mines. I get my pickaxe and grab a large satchel to gather anything I get while killing the monsters and pass everyone while on my way. People were giving me funny looks for carrying a sword in here, but they went back to work. He said to stay above level four which tell me either fourth or fifth level start having monsters. Upon entering level 5 I see my first goblin. I crouch down and move slowly so I don't make much noise. As I am walking along I accidentally kick a small pebble which alerted the goblin. It quickly turned to see me and started running at me. I swing my sword at it and miss. It rolls under my attack and pounces on me. It starts to beat me in the chest making hard for me to breathe. I can't believe this is how I die. A goblin is getting the better of me? A goblin? They are much stronger than the game Oblivion would have you believe. I can't believe that these are in Skyrim much less be this tough! I push it off with all my strength and stand up groggily. I swing my sword again and again I miss. It jumps at me and on instinct I raise my sword impaling the goblin. Short of breathe I sit down. I take a moment to rest in my bloody clothes.
"Damn, these things are tough. I was so sure I could defeat a little goblin." I say to myself. I quickly learned that this was stupid. The moment I finish my verbal thought I hear foot steps. It sounds like they are running. I then hear screeching. I look up and see three goblins running right at me. I jump up and grab my sword once more. "This will not be how I die!" I yell in anger.
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