Jonathan's temperature rose significantly; he was shivering so hard it seemed he had reached the end.
The Head Miner said, "Listen to me, Kai. Send someone to the forest. I need the Titisa herb. I will try to make an antidote for him."
Kai mounted his horse and rushed to the forest himself. He truly wanted the man to regain his strength and return to how he was. He kept repeating to himself: "What an arrogant person I was! This man never broke my heart with a single word, yet I treated him poorly. He must regain consciousness; I will not rest until I help this man return stronger than ever."
Fortunately, the herb was scattered everywhere. He took what he needed and rushed back to the mine. He entered Jonathan's quarters and found the Wise Head Miner trying hard to bring the fever down. The Sage had prepared a mixture of herbs and added the herb Kai had brought. He stirred the mixture well, placed it on Jonathan's forehead, and wrapped it with a towel.
"Kai, you have done what needed to be done. Now we will leave him and see what happens, but no one has ever survived the Mine Fever before."
Kai replied, "He will survive. He is not like anyone else."
Jeff appeared: "Kai, is what I heard true?"
"And what did you hear, Jeff?"
"I was told you are seeking to treat that person. Have you lost your mind, man?"
Kai said, "It is none of your business what I do here. Have you finished the work? Have the rest of the workers completed what was required?"
Jeff replied, "The work for today is finished. Everything went well. As for the situation here, I see you've lost your mind. Let the madman perish; we do not need him at all."
"Hey, Silas is here!"
Jeff said, "I heard. Silas has arrived; perhaps there are new workers."
Kai went out and found that Silas had arrived. "What is this, man? Where are the workers? I don't see that you brought anyone to work."
Silas replied, "There was nothing I could do. No one wants to work in conditions like these except someone like you and your brother, hahahaha!"
Kai said, "He is joking. Listen, load the rocks and get out of here before I show you how laughing in the mine looks, you handsome fellow."
Silas said, "Yes, I will. Listen, there are reports that a gang is targeting mines in the country. They raid mines at night and even in the morning in some areas, so I am warning you."
Kai asked, "There are fewer than fifty men here, most of them sick. How am I to face a gang? Are you serious?"
Silas answered, "I am only telling you. They targeted the mine near the valley. It is said there were over a hundred workers there, and not one remained. They raided them in the evening at the end of the workday; the tired workers had no strength left to fight. They took all the gold."
Kai said, "This indicates we are the next target. They cannot retreat toward the center of the country; there are no mines there."
Silas replied, "That is logical, Kai. But what is to be done? Will you leave the mine and depart? This seems to be the only solution. But if news reaches the capital that you abandoned the mine and fled, they will put you at the top of the wanted list. However, my friend, I will tell you for the sake of the friendship that has united us for years: leave, flee the country as soon as possible. I told them the mine needs new workers and major repairs, but they laughed at me. They told me the new king does not care about the mines."
Kai said, "And what does he care about? There are dozens of quintals of gold, silver, and much more that were extracted from these rocks. Now they have stopped caring?"
Silas said, "You have been to the capital before and you know how things work."
Kai replied, "Yes, yes, I know how things work."
Silas left with the minerals—gold and silver—and headed to the capital, leaving Kai thinking of a way out of this predicament. He knew the workers were in bad shape, and he was in even worse shape, but he wanted to maintain order and nothing more.
He walked with heavy steps toward the mine and called everyone: "Workers, work ends today. Put down what is in your hands and come here; there is something you must know."
The workers gathered. One of them asked, "Will we work extra hours?"
Another replied, "Impossible! We work the whole day; what hours are you talking about?"
Kai said, "There are no extra hours. The matter is serious. Please, give me your attention. There is a dangerous gang targeting mines. They have raided many mines in the country."
Jeff said, "This isn't new, Kai. There is nothing to worry about. Every year a gang appears targeting mines, but it ends with them being imprisoned. This isn't strange."
Kai replied, "This time there is something new. This gang leaves no one alive in the entire mine. They have managed to take control of the mine near the valley, and according to sources, our mine is the next target. They will have gathered information about us. We are fewer than fifty; how will we face them? That is why I am telling you this now. If any of you wish to leave, then go; there is no grudge. I decided to be honest with you, for despite everything, you were the best workers I have had since the start of this mine."
One of the workers said, "And you, Kai, what will you do? I tell you that I am with you if you decide to resist. This is a mine we dug ourselves and extracted from it what sustains us. This mine has fed us; we will not abandon it because of a stupid gang. I don't know everyone's opinion, but this is mine."
Jonathan appeared behind them, carrying his hammer, walking through them toward the mine. He raised the hammer high and brought it down on the rocks—Boom! A single blow turned the largest rock into small pieces of gravel.
Kai said, "Look, he has woken up!"
The Head Miner said, "Yes, his temperature dropped strangely. He seems in good condition now."
Kai said, "Listen, men, work ends today. Understood? Tomorrow morning we will see who remains, and then we will decide what to do."
Kai went to Jonathan and said to him, "Man, I am sorry."
Jonathan did not answer him.
Kai said, "I know there is something behind you. You don't belong here. At least tell me your name. It is not right that we might die without knowing each other's names."
It was the first time Jonathan stopped and spoke. "Why should we die? A gang targets a mine—why should we die and not them?"
Kai said, "How? We cannot fight." He went silent for a moment and then repeated, "You can, it seems. But look, half of these men will likely not be here in the morning. I told them because, frankly, I do not want to bear their burden. If they choose to flee, I will be very happy for them. But I am certain some will stay to defend the mine. You tell me, will you go or stay? And you haven't told me your name yet."
"I am Jonathan. My name is Jonathan."
"What is your second name? I mean, your family name?"
He went silent for a moment and said, "I don't know."
Kai said, "I won't keep a secret from you. I see that you resemble the late King; his name was Chad. I once saw him walking in the capital without guards. There is a great resemblance between you and him. Everyone loved him, unlike his brother Dirasi."
Jonathan asked, "Who is Dirasi?"
"Don't you know? He is the former king whose son is now King Shanba I, who rules the country. He has led it to destruction. In Chad's era, no gangs were terrorizing simple people and stealing from them. Now, he does as he pleases; the whole country is in a state of crisis."
Jonathan said, "I choose that we face this gang. We are protected in the mine; they are the ones who will die of cold if they attack us."
Kai asked, "What snow are you talking about? The weather is calm; there are no signs of a coming winter."
Jonathan said, "Get ready. There is snow that will fall tonight. Be ready."