[WIP] Miyoki Hitoya - Printable Version

Miyoki was born in the Twin Rivers nation of Sagaru, her father died fighting in the purges when she was little, and her mother was always between work. Her mother was abusive, alcoholic, and depressed following her father's death. The woman couldn't keep a job, and she couldn't keep her temper. She beat Miyoki, often, in angry and depressed episodes, so Miyoki wanted nothing more then to leave home and become independent. When she was little, other children would try to get her to come out and play, chasing animals or pretending to be warriors, but she never felt like she had a place in their games, always staying away from them and trying to find quiet dark places to play with string dolls and avoid her mother.

She quickly became the reclusive runt, quieter and smaller then the other children, so it wasn't long before instead of trying to get her out to play, they were picking on her. Stealing her dolls, or tossing mud in her hiding places. They'd call her names, and some of the other girls would pick fights with her. Life was hard and hurtful, and she never felt like she'd fit in with her village.

She wanted what all runts want in life, to be stronger then everyone else, too powerful to pick on and bully. She wanted to be a brave and capable warrior, not to uphold the warrior tradition, or bring honor to her mother, but to gain the acceptance of everyone else, and become strong enough to beat anyone who hurt her.

So she got a job at the mines when she was only fourteen, pushing carts and helping the prospectors. Her mother took most of her money, but everything she had left she put into getting into the local swordsman's school. She worked hard at both the mines ad the school, giving them every last scrap of her time, wanting to be strong and independent more then anything else.

The master of the sword school fought together with Miyoki's father, he favored Miyoki as his hardest working student, and often told her he saw her father in her. He was strict, but the encouragement kept her going through the hard years. At the mines, she had the simplest of jobs to start, but she saw the size of the foreman's house, and the respect people gave him, and she set ambitions for herself. She told herself she'd own her own mines some day, and she took every oppurtunity she could to learn more about the mines and try new tasks. All the work and time she put into the school and the mines made her happier, and kept her away from home throughout the day.

By the time she was fifteen, she had begun renting her own small room, taking her mother's cookbook and her father's swords on her way out. Her mother never noticed. It was very difficult for her to keep up the rent and the payments to the sword school, but she always managed. By now, the prospectors had taken notice of her hard work, and one of them took her on as an apprentice. She was doing real mine work instead of pushing carts, now. Work at the mines had made her strong, and the school had made her fast, so she wasn't picked on anymore.. But she was ambitious. She wanted to be better, always, and she felt that if she stopped now the people that abused her would just catch up.

When she was seventeen, her mom lost another job, and started visiting her to ask for money constantly. She had to give it to her, in her village you were expected to respect your parents. She was quickly getting into debt now, with her already strained source of income now having to keep up rent, school payments, AND her mother... But despite the stress, she was doing well at the school, and even better at the mines. She was starting to learn how shafts were dug and water was drained.

She kept it up for a few years, but by the time she was nineteen her debts caught up with her. The first thing she tried, was stealing and making unfair trades.. But that wasn't enough, and she was beat mercilessly ay time she was caught, until a loan shark caught up with her, and gave her the option to sell herself in ways no one ever should... Or pay with her fingers and eyes. There was no choice, it was practically rape. But she did it, and to keep money coming in with not enough time in the day to get another job.. She had to keep doing it. But at least this way she wasn't in debt, and she was able to start saving some money, a few myon at a time, telling herself if she could just save enough to move away, she could live far more happily, and honestly.

At this time in her life, she was devoted beyond measure to her work. The costs of living were great, so she devoted all of her free time and effort back into work. She became a full blown miner, and was finally allowed to carry her father's swords into the school, and practice with real steel rather then wood... But her swords master often told her she fought with too much anger and frustration. She knew where it was coming from, but it was something she couldn't free herself of.

By the time she was twenty, she was a skilled, strong, and very independent woman. Not bad on the eyes, either. A few of the local boys were interested in her... But she considered herself far too busy to talk to them, or return a letter. She'd seen enough of men by then anyways, the thought of actually dating one often made her sick to her stomach. She didn't want kids, she didn't want a man to take care of her. She wanted to take care of herself, and no one else. She still didn't feel like she fit in with her village, or Sagaru in general. She was the top of her class in school, but loathed by all the other students. She wasn't respected at the mines by anyone but the foreman, as she was the youngest skilled miner and the least social. The feelings kept adding up, the cultures of the mainlands may have seemed degenerate and immoral compared to her home in Sagaru... But she started to think perhaps she could live more comfortably if she could just get free of her home's expectations.

She found rune dust in the mines, it had little use in Sagaru and no one knew much about it, so most was sold to foreigners, but she was very interested in it, she kept some and started spending some of her time toying with it. As interesting as it was, and as much as foreigners would pay for it, she wouldn't believe it was useless.

By the time she was twenty two, she almost had enough money to leave the Twin Rivers, and she was her sword school's top student. She was proud, and she felt ready to kick a few people in the faces then run for the harbor. She was a good miner, but she always listened to the older miners, wanting to learn more and earn more, she was given harder tasks, and sometimes led the younger miners, and was making just a little bit more money doing it.

She learned more about the rune dust, even managing to buy a book on it, reading only a few pages at a time each night before bed, but eventually finishing. She started making runic torches to light her room, it was dim, yet relaxing, and saved her money on lamp oil.

Her mother found out she was saving money, and instantly demanded some for her troubles... That was the last straw for Miyoki. She kicked the woman, quite literally, out of her room and told her if she ever touched her money again, she would kill her. It was hard, and shameful, but it was necessary for her, to defend her life's work and goals. That was the last she saw of the woman, for a while. Her sword master found out about how she had been selling herself, he was enraged. Said she brought dishonor on his school.. She was beaten, but he couldn't bring himself to expell her. Instead, he just lowered her fee some so she could manage it. It was the happiest day of her life, the next time a man asked to buy some of her time... She beat him senseless, and in doing so felt she restored the honor she had lost selling herself. It felt good.

By the time she was twenty four, she had enough money to go... The problem was, her mother had stolen it. She came home from work one day, to find her room had been torn apart and the money taken, and her mother was the only one who knew about it. She was burning with rage, she kicked down her mothers door and cut off the woman's hand, then took every myon she could find in the house until she had all she had lost and then some.

This wasn't exactly lawful... It was a great shame to have struck an unarmed civilian with a sword, but Miyoki refused to lose another myon to a woman who was beating her for as long as she could remember, so it seemed it was time for her to finally leave home, under fear of punishment. She packed her things, said good bye to her master and the mines foreman, then caught a ship for the mainlands and left the Twin Rivers behind.

Life was much different in the mainlands, it was very hard to get used to. Customs and traditions were a headache, and for several years she felt like a pearl among weak and sloppy swine having come from Sagaru, but at least work was essentially the same. She felt free for the first time in her life, like she could do anything, and living wasn't hard here now that she had the skills she needed. She still didn't fit in, and she couldn't get herself to make true close friends, but she managed well enough just ignoring the odd sideways glances. She kept up odd jobs and practice with her swords, and mining, and also kept asking around about the rune dust. By the time she was twenty five, she had found an academy devoted to the stuff. The rune academy was extremely interesting to her, but the tuition bored through her savings faster then she could work to replace it. She needed to find a new job.

The school was built on an old temple, and in that temple were some ancient yet amazing rune devices. It reminded her that great power existed in the realm generations before she was even born, something that stayed in her heart forever. By the time she was twenty seven, she was an accepted and eager student, dedicated to the academy... And she had found a new job. The nearby mines where the academy collected it's rune dust was staffed mostly by students and faculty that had next to no knowledge of how to properly run a mine, so she started working there between lessons, and before long the mines had doubled in productivity and earned her enough to pay her tuition and cut a profit.

The fields nearby were home to a herd of horses, it was often that the other students would encourage Miyoki to go out with them to try and tame some. She wasn't very interested, and she didn't have the time, but eventually she went out just to get them to shut up about it. It was fun, but not much had happened that day.

She kept visiting the herd with the other students, they took turns trying to tame a horse.. And after three stubborn years of trying for the same one, she had finally gotten the thing to obey her. It was brown, and liked oats more then apples. She called it Rin. The years had passed working, learning, making a home for herself at the academy, when she wasn't stubbornly trying to break in Rin. She was thirty now, and it didn't feel good. A few academy friends brought cake and cheap beer, she smiled, ate, and drank, but the day felt hollow on the inside. Like celebrating a tragedy. She was becoming a more solemn person. She started doing more to fill the emptiness, to make her feel like her life was more successful and complete. She started investing her profits from the rune mines into other mines, traveling, and doing all she could to feel more happy.

A the age of thirty three, she had come into ownership of a copper mine not far from the academy, and it started making her a decent profit. She visited often, working there and learning what she could, while showing the miners how she wanted the work done, keeping it profitable and efficient. The academy funded a trip to an unexplored ruin they thought might contain ancient runes and devices, and other objects of interest, so she rode out with them on an errand of discovery.

The ruins were a complex and time consuming system, with a few simple traps that weren't hard to disarm and several references to other ruins and sites. It was interesting, but she never wrote to much about them, to avoid soldiers passing through in their civil conflicts from stealing her work. It was hard work making sure all the research went only to the academy, and not to some war or another, the military was always checking up on them. Miyoki didn't have too much of a problem with the soldiers or their war, but she did know that she lost any profit she'd make on her research if she let them take it.

They finished work at the ruins, discovering some very interesting runes. Miyoki loved it, she wanted to find more ruins like this. It was turning into a new trade for her. By this time, she was thirty six, and she felt propperly skilled with runes, enough to teach, even. She didn't go to classes and write papers anymore, instead she kept researching and reported to the proffesor, when she wasn't busy with her growing number of mines. The military started taxing her profits from the mines, which really put her in a rush to keep them working at a certain level, and operate more so that she could still cut a profit.

At thirty eight, she had to sell her copper mines to the military. It was either that, or cut losses because of their taxes. She sent a group of prospectors in the far opposite direction, hoping they would turn up something she could keep the military's nose out of, desperate to keep her profits. She wanted to stay on top, at any cost.

Soldiers started asking around, they were looking for skilled miners and taking them away. This made Miyoki very nervous, but she kept away from them for as long as she could. Her prospectors came back, reporting they found silver. It was a good day for Miyoki, so long as she kept it secret a silver mine could make her rich... But there was a problem with that, the chance she might not live to see it done. Someone told the soldiers about her, and not long after they made her an offer she couldn't refuse. She was offered decent pay, rank, control of her own team, and enough influence to get her copper mines back if she just put a few years in... But they wouldn't tell her what the job they needed her for was until she accepted.

So she did, she took the offer under the threat of losing everything if she didn't, and gaining everything if she did. She was taken right to the front lines, then finally everything was explained... Tunnels. The civil wars in the region had resulted in a bitter stalemate, and both sides had impressive fortifications and the means to keep them on the front lines. Her job was to assist a team of engineers in digging tunnels under walls and towers to collapse their foundations and make them crumble, move troops, even build VIP bunkers. It was a daring and gritty task, but she really had no choice. She didn't fit in with the military, she was more concerned with herself and her own goals then patriotism or the goals of the people around her. It burned at her, from the inside, and she counted days until she could go back home.

The work was hot, cramped, and dirty. Miyoki would spend weeks at a time without seeing the light of day, with dim candle light and damp air with little oxygen in it... But the work was going well, succesfull at least. When she was forty one, she had gotten enough of a hang for this work to present something truly ambitious to the commanders. What if they dug all their tunnels, for the entire battlefield’s enemy fortifications... But didn't collapse any until they were all ready, then attacked all at once? It was a daring plan, but it was approved as the only thing that might bring a speedy end to the war. They sent in more engineers, and more miners, the lead engineer was a woman named Joanne, she used to design churches, now she was designing graves. She was something of a pyromaniac, which Miyoki was confident would come in very handy.

They struck oil a year into the operation, a man drowned in it before they could contain it. Most thought it should be drained, but Joanne had the idea to barrel it instead, to use later to intensify the fires when the time came to burn the tunnels. Miyoki liked the idea, and helped as much as she could. It wasn't long after that they finished the tunnels, they lined several miles of enemy lines and would result in hundreds if not thousands of deaths all at once. Miyoki and Joanne spent a lot of time together, and shortly after they finished the tunnels they started something of a relationship, sneaking kisses and such between tasks, sharing meals when they could, and watching each other's backs. It made Miyoki happy, she'd never cared about someone so much.

But it wasn't to last, first came distant tapping noises, then voices.. Then the enemy broke out into one of the tunnels through a tunnel of their own. It resulted in a long battle, soldiers were rushed in to defend, Miyoki lost count of the number she cut down, and it didn't end until they filled the enemy tunnel with oil and burned it down, then evacuated and started setting up the rune lines to ignite the oil under the enemy lines. It all worked well.. When the enemy walls and trenches erupted into bright fires and sinking craters, Miyoki had just a moment to watch in awe before the flashes of light sparked a sensitivity she never knew she had, she had a seizure and passed out, not waking for several days.

When she woke, she was given a medal and told she could go home... They won, apparently. The battle.. No, the entire war, was over. She was given Joanne's medal too. Joanne had died in the battle, buried under the tunnels she helped build. She had no family, so her belongings were given to Miyoki. It was a harsh reminder, even after she returned home, each time she looked at that medal she filled with grief. She never loved anyone again, after that.

Over the next three years she invested in more mines, went on more expeditions... But the war was bloody, she had nightmares, depressed episodes, nothing satisfied her like before. She had plenty of money, by all standards she was rich and powerful, but she wasn't happy anymore. The only comfort she had was working, making more and more money she would never spend, because it was all she knew how to do. The work felt more meaningful then the reward, now. The region was at peace, the civil wars in her homeland ended quickly after the decisive victory the tunnels caused. Miyoki was promoted to Captain and her expeditions were sometimes funded by the military, but it wasn't enough for her. She wasn't satisfied with her life yet.

She heard rumors that there was a city of ruins with amazing rune structures in the forbidden lands, ancient and recently rediscovered. She was interested.. It wasn't the most profitable idea, and she couldn't get her usual expedition team to go with her, nor would the military fund it.. So she paid for it herself, packed her things, and left. Not really knowing why... Maybe just because work was slowing down at home, and she needed this, needed the work and the adventure to keep her from falling into depression again. So she took a ship to the city of Ravenna, at the age of forty five.

Spoiler

( Main ) Entry One, Age 12
Dear Diary,
Hello! My name is Miyoki Hitoya.. I wanted to start writing in this book, so that I can let my feelings loose and keep track of my life. One day I won’t even be able to remember where I am now, I’m sure of it! One day I’m going to be far from here, and I’m going to be strong. And rich too!... I just have to earn it.

I should probably start by telling you about me. My father died when I was little. I think it had something to do with the purging of the fire monsters everyone is talking about. All the grownups are always telling stories about them, but I was born after they had left. I am kind of a small person, and I don’t have a daddy to defend me… So the other kids pick on me a lot. They say I am weak, and I won’t ever be a brave warrior. I’ll show them. Someday I’ll be stronger then all of them.

Mom is still beating me, but it’s getting worse. I think she is angry because I remind her of father. I want to leave. They are hiring more people at the iron mines, maybe I can work there? Earn my own home? We’ll see. An old sword master just opened a school here. But I don’t know if I could afford to go there.

( Main ) Entry Two, Age 14
Dear Diary,
I forgot about you. I’ve been very busy. I started working at the mines. I don’t have my own home yet, and mom is taking a lot of my money, but I was able to start paying to go to the sword school when I’m not working. The master there is very strict, but he is a lot nicer then mom. He says he knew my dad.

The mines are hard. Most of the time I am just helping carry tools and push carts, but the foreman is making a lot of money and I can tell. He says he got where he is because he is always learning. So if I work extra hard and learn as much as I can, maybe I’ll have his job some day!

Sword practice is hard. Right now we spend half our time learning discipline and the warrior’s code. But my master is very encouraging. He says I have my father’s fight in me, all I have to do is keep studying and I’ll be a strong warrior someday too. I don’t tell anyone… But I don’t want to be a warrior for one of the lords. I just want the others to stop picking on me. I want to be strong enough to take care of myself.

Either way, all this work keeps me away from home a lot, which means I don’t have to see mom as much. I’m happy about that.

( Main ) Entry Three, Age 15
Dear Diary,
I neglect writing in you. I guess I only want to write when I really have something to say. But I didn’t forget. I started renting my own place. It’s hard to keep up rent and my payments to the school, but I manage. I don’t have to see mom anymore. She can’t beat me. I took father’s swords and an old cookbook on my way out. She never even noticed.

The mines have made me stronger, and I’m learning more and more at the school. The others don’t pick on me anymore. They know I’ll fight back. I won’t stop here though, or they’ll just catch up to me. Work at the mines is going well, they saw that I was willing to work hard, and now I am an apprentice to the prospectors instead of just carrying tools around. I’m learning a lot!

( Main ) Entry Four, Age 17
Dear Diary,
Mom started visiting, she asks for money every time… I have to give it to her, she is my mother after all. I can’t just make her leave. It is really hard to keep up my rent and school fees like this, but I’ll figure it out somehow.

I’m doing well at school, the master says I work hard, but need to work on my form. I’ll keep practicing. Work at the mines is going very well, the other prospectors say I’m a natural. I am studying more about how we build the shafts and drain the water.

( Main ) Entry Five, Age 19
Dear Diary,
I’ve had to do… Dishonorable things to keep paying my bills. I’ve had to steal, and I’ve had to sell myself in ways no one should ever have to. But I’m keeping in the positive… I’m starting to save up money to leave here. A few myon at a time. I’m going to get far away from mother and her greed, where I can live honestly.

I’ve learned so much at the mines, I’m a full blown miner now. I know what I’m doing and I’m strong enough to do it. This means I’m making a little more money, but still not enough. At school I have learned enough to start practicing with my actual swords instead of the wooden ones. Master says my progress is pleasing, and that I am one of his top students at my age. He also says I sometimes fight with too much anger. I wonder if he understands???

( Main ) Entry Six, Age 20
Dear Diary,
I think the Geruka boy is interested in me. He is about my age, and not bad on the eyes… But I don’t know. I don’t have the time, and I think I’ve seen enough of men and their habits to last me a lifetime. Besides, I don’t want kids. All I could get from a man is money, and I’ll get that myself. I’m doing well at work and school.

I found some red glowing dust in the mines. I gathered as much as I could and brought it to the foreman, he said it didn’t have any use except selling to people from out of town. I find it really interesting, though. I asked if I could keep some, and he let me.

( Main ) Entry Seven, Age 22
Dear Diary,
I almost have enough money to leave, and I’m one of the school’s top students. I can handle myself out there, I know it! I’m doing well at the mines, very well. I listen to the older miners, and I learn all I can, and now I get to lead some of the younger ones. The foreman picks me for a lot of the harder tasks. I make a little more money, and a lot more pride.

I’ve learned a few interesting things about the red dust. It’s called “rune” dust, and the foreigners who sometimes dock at port will usually buy it. Does this mean they know more about it on the mainlands? I’ve been using it to light my room so I can save money on lamp oil. It is rather dim, though.

Mom found out I’m saving money. I told her if she touches it I’ll cut her throat. She’s leaving me alone now. The sword master found out what I’ve been doing to pay for my lessons… He said if it was anyone but me he would kick me out, but instead he just lowered my fee some. I don’t ever have to sell myself again (Not that I did that often anyways, I swear!)… I am more relieved than I could possibly express.

( Main ) Entry Eight, Age 24
Dear Diary,
Mom stole my money! I came home from the mines and my room had been torn apart and the money taken, and she was the only one who knew about it! I cut down her door and took it back in full, and I took one of that witch’s hands too. That woman won’t ever steal again!

Needless to say, the guards won’t take well to this. I said my goodbyes before she could recover and packed my things. It’s finally time to go! I’m taking my money and going down to port, I hope to find a boat to take me to the mainland. Maybe if I am lucky I can learn more about the rune dust while I am there???

( Main ) Entry Nine, Age 25
Dear Diary,
The mainlands are so different from Sagaru, but in many ways the same. The customs and traditions are a headache, but life and work is essentially the same. I asked around about the rune dust when I first got here, and found a school built on the ruins of some old temple. I started there today, the lessons are amazingly interesting, but the tuition is burning through my savings at an alarming rate. I’ll need to find a new source of income.

The temple under the school has a few ancient rune devices, most of them are simple enough, but the idea that people were innovating like this that long ago inspires me to imagine how much further we can push this technology today.

( Main ) Entry Ten, Age 27
Dear Diary,
I’ve learned a lot at school, more than I could possibly explain, and there is still much to learn! But I have something even more interesting to tell you about today! I went to the nearby mines where the school gets its supply of rune dust, and it turns out most of the miners are students from the academy! Not a one of those kids knew a damn thing about mining! So I started working there between lessons, and getting them organized using the knowledge I gained back home. The mines have nearly doubled in efficiency and as a result I’m managing to pay my tuition and make a decent profit.

The other students are urging me to go with them horseback riding in the nearby fields, apparently there is a local tradition or something. It might be useful later.

( Main ) Entry Eleven, Age 30
Dear Diary,
I feel old. It’s my thirtieth birthday today. A few friends from the academy threw a surprise party. I smiled, ate the cake, drank the cheap beer, but it all felt sort of… Empty. Like I was celebrating a tragedy. I’m turning into a more solemn person, I can feel it. I plan on doing some investing, and maybe a trip or two. Something to make life feel more full.

In other news, after about two or three years of trying, I’ve finally managed to tame a horse. Damn things are stubborn.

( Main ) Entry Twelve, Age 33
Dear Diary,
I knew you must have been under the bed, but I never felt like looking for you. Sorry. I had to clean my room today, so that would be how I dug you up. I saved my profits from the academy’s mine, and I invested in another one a short ride away that produces copper for bronze works. It is earning me a rather satisfying income. The academy is funding a trip to an unexplored ruin they think might have some interesting runes, I’m going to go ahead and invest a small amount of money on that too, and ride out with the first team. Wish me luck!

( Main ) Entry Thirteen, Age 34
Dear Diary,
Who knew horses could be so useful! They make travel so much faster. The trip is going very well! The ruins are a rather complex system, so it looks like we are going to be down here for another year, the people in the nearby town are charming enough. They aren’t trying to get in the way of my work, anyways. There were a few traps at the beginning of the ruins, but they were old and barely functioning, though a student by the name of James Blighton did manage to get an infection. He cut himself on one of the rusty parts.

We found references to two other possible ruin sites. It looks interesting, but I don’t want to write too much about it in case the soldiers passing through find my diary. With the civil wars still going the number one priority for our team is to make sure our research is kept to the academy, and away from the military. I can’t honestly say I have a problem with them, but there isn’t any profit in letting soldiers trample all over my research.

( Main ) Entry Fourteen, Age 36
Dear Diary,
We finished work at the ruins, and returned to the academy with some interesting findings. I am starting to really feel skilled in this trade, I definitely know what I’m doing, and I’m contemplating becoming a teacher now. I no longer go to lessons or write papers, instead I report to the headmaster and find my own work.

There is one problem to write about though, the military has put heavy taxes on the copper mine, significantly cutting my profits. I might have to start making deals with them if I want to keep my hold on my investments…

( Main ) Entry Fifteen, Age 38
Dear Diary,
I had to sell the copper mines to the military, it was either that or cut significant losses thanks to their damn taxes. I’m sending out a group of prospectors in the opposite direction, let’s see if they find me anything good. On another note, the soldiers are looking for miners. They won’t say what for, but I don’t think I like the sound of it. Not without significant pay.

( Main ) Entry Sixteen, Age 39
Dear Diary,
The prospectors came back reporting silver. I’m going to be fucking rich. I sent out a group of miners and some others to set up a camp at the site. The only problem is I might not live to see my profits, as someone has told the military that I am a skilled miner. They made me a rather generous offer, a fairly decent pay, command of my own team, and the rank of lieutenant should I agree. I could use some pull with the military to get my copper mine back, not to mention funding for more expeditions… So I can’t refuse. The one string attached however, is they won’t tell me what the work is that they need me to do. I’m leaving my horse with the academy, I don’t trust the military to not confiscate it for war or whatnot.

( Main ) Entry Eighteen, Age 41
Dear Diary,
Tunnels. Fucking tunnels. I’m directing a mining team in digging tunnel systems under contested land, some are to move troops, some are for bunkers, some are to undo the foundations of fortifications such as walls. It’s working rather well, though I think the enemy may be on to us. The work is cramped, hot, and very dirty, and sometimes we will spend weeks without seeing the light of day. What have I signed up for???

( Main ) Entry Nineteen, Age 41
Dear Diary,
I believe this is the first time I’ve made two entries in the same year. I have little else to do down here in the mud and dark when not working or sleeping. We are working on our biggest operation yet, they sent in an structural engineer, a woman by the name of Joanne. She is a very interesting character to work with, but I’m not so convinced these designs of hers are capable of dropping twelve meters of mud and stone. We’ll see. She's a bit of a pyromaniac, that could be useful.

( Main ) Entry Twenty, Age 42
Dear Diary,
We struck oil, a man drowned in it when the shaft he was digging released the damn stuff. It’s only been a few days, but I can’t say I remember his face. We started moving in hand pumps to get it out, then we started digging shafts to drain it into… But Joanne had another idea. She's having them barrel it to add to our designs. Maybe the extra burn will help with taking down the enemy lines. I like the idea. She said she knew I would.

Something unsettling has happened though, while digging I heard a distant tapping noise, thirteen degrees up and forty degrees to the right. I stopped my work and listened for a while, it seems the noise is getting closer. Has the enemy begun digging tunnels too?

( Main ) Entry Twenty-One, Age 42
Dear Diary,
Joanne finished setting up the designs and structures in the tunnels to break the enemy walls, there are a massive number of them laid out beneath a couple miles of the enemy’s front lines, if this works it’ll end the wars in this region. I’ve been working with her very closely for the fusing for the fires, apparently simple rune lines will do, so long as we keep them dry. We plan to start the burn next month, after giving the enemy time to amass their troops right on top of our work. It’ll kill hundreds, if we do it right.

Despite the severe and harsh gravity of our work, I find I’ve been enjoying myself more than I have in years when I’m working with Joanne. We’ve spent a rather large sum of time together, and I wonder if maybe she is beginning to become more then a friend. I don’t know. It’s been a long long time since I’ve looked at anyone like that.

But to interrupt my fun, the tapping noise is practically on top of us. I’m requesting additional soldiers to secure the tunnels, we’ve put too much work into this to let them figure it out now.

( Main ) Entry Twenty-Two, Age 43
Dear Diary,
I kissed Joanne. I don’t think I can think about anything else. I actually kissed her! A WOMAN! I am so confused… She kissed me back too. She said maybe when we get out of these tunnels we can try a little more than kissing. I don’t think I can imagine what that is supposed to mean. Gods help me.

( Main ) Entry Twenty-Three, Age 43
*There is a mess of words that have been scratched out, and a few tear stains*
The tapping turned out to be an enemy attack tunnel. They ran into ours. Our team took heavy casualties. After killing the attackers we burned their tunnel down with oil before more could come.

They got her…

( Main ) Entry Twenty-Four, Age 43
Dear Diary,
I got the order to burn the tunnels. I powered the rune lines that led to the oil and Joanne's structures under the enemy lines, there was a long and silent moment while we waited… Then the walls and hills crumbled and were engulfed in the brightest and largest fires I've ever seen. We lit the earth on fire.. I can’t say exactly when I passed out or why, but the last thing I remember was the light. I think the brightness might have disoriented me, maybe? I woke up late the next day, what used to be enemy fortifications across contested land, was just rubble and craters, fire, bodies. I guess we won, because the general gave me my pay and told me I could go home. I’ve been promoted to Captain for my part in the victory. They gave Joanne a medal posthumously, but since she has no family they left it with me. Because I needed a fucking reminder.

( Main ) Entry Twenty-Five, Age 45
Dear Diary,
It’s been a few years. I invested in more mines, I went on a couple expeditions. But the war was bloody, and I can’t stop dreaming about it. Nothing seems to satisfy me like it used to… I have plenty of money now, more than enough, but I keep working on making more anyways. I don’t know why. I guess the work feels more meaningful then the reward, it’s something I can still do to keep me busy anyways.

The region is at peace now, the civil conflict and stalemate ended rather quickly after our victory, so the military leaves me alone. They even funded a few of my expeditions. I heard from some sailors there is a new town in the forbidden lands, some ancient recently rediscovered place with a few mysteries locked away… I want to take an expedition there. No one will fund it, they say there is no profit in going all the way out there, and my usual contractors don’t wish to come with me on such a lengthy errand, but I don’t mind. I’ll go alone, though I could always ask for some help to come in later I suppose... I have a ticket for a ship leaving tomorrow.