The rocket ship swiftly maneuvered over the barren rocky mountain ranges, the engines roaring as it flew low near the ground. The cannons that dotted the terrain shook as the ship passed by them. As they approached the mining operation, the sound of the drill became louder and more insistent, filling the air with a constant hum.

 

In the distance, a huge building-sized drill was busy drilling into the earth's crust. The surrounding areas were riddled with craters, giving the impression of a massive mining operation. The metallic scent of machinery mixed with the dry smell of dust and earth, created a unique, sharp aroma that permeated the air. A line of dinosaur-like creatures with massive tent mounts could be seen in the distance, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground.

 

The rocket ship soared over a surreal landscape, where alien trees with bulbous leaves stretched towards the sky. These peculiar arboreal giants cast eerie shadows as they loomed over the rocky terrain

 

As they approached the center of the mining operation, countless craters dotted the landscape. The ship finally landed, the ground trembling beneath it. Everyone exited onto the site, the ground feeling rocky and uneven underfoot. Jack stumbled as he got off the ship, but he managed to catch himself before falling to the ground. Hamza helped the observer down from the ship.

 

The monocle-wearing dog asked, "Oh dear, Sir Jack, are you feeling unwell?"

 

"No," Jack replied. "I just prefer to walk."

 

After helping Observer, Hamza assisted Jack, which earned him a measly 1 GP point that amused him as a joke. Even doing useless things around Jack was beneficial to him.

 

“Ah, the rocket ship and such. Sorry, old-timer. This is our mining operation,” the monocle-wearing dog said.

 

Jack and Hamza surveyed their surroundings. The air was thick with the sound of drilling, a low rumble that reverberated through the ground, and the smell of sulfur, emanating from the machines used by the small dogs. The dogs worked tirelessly to dig up ruby-like sharp pointy big jewels the size of baseball bats. Some used pickaxes, while others used strange machines that emitted a high-pitched whine. The ruby-like objects were scattered all over the place, glittering in the bright sun like precious gems. Many dogs watched as everyone started to survey the area led by the monocle-wearing dog.

 

The city had an interesting infrastructure, with crumbling buildings and rusted metal structures. Very old, broken, and torn billboards and huge ad walls with dogs in them were scattered in the worn and torn city, with some statues of dogs as well. The dogs nearly had a similar society to humans of the modern era. Suddenly, a blast occurred, sending a shockwave through the ground, causing the earth to tremble beneath their feet, and debris to rain down around them.

 

A few dogs glared at Observer, who had a shocked expression on her face as she backed away from a machine that was now engulfed in flames. The acrid smell of smoke filled the air, and Hamza's attention was diverted as he and others rushed over to see what had happened.

 

“Quite a feisty one you got there,” the monocle-wearing dog said with a hint of amusement.

Hamza facepalmed and ran towards Observer.

 

“My machine. How will we dig the rest of sector B area?” an old dog said, his voice strained and weak.

 

“Oops, sorry,” Observer said, her face blank.

 

Hamza tried to diffuse the situation and promised to take care of her so that she wouldn't mess anything else up. He gave his assurance that he would free them.

 

“Can’t you just stay in place for a few minutes? You're like a cat. No more wandering off for you,” Hamza said, as he dragged her by the collar of her shirt.

 

As he was dragging her, she twiddled her thumbs, feeling guilty for causing trouble. Hamza sighed and held her hand to calm her down. Observer had a smile that was barely noticeable.  They regrouped with Jack and the monocle-wearing dog, who was explaining their plan to excavate the area and uncover their history.

 

The dogs continued to work tirelessly, some using pickaxes while others operated strange machines. The sound of heavy machinery and grunts of exertion filled the air. The ruby-like jewels they were excavating were scattered everywhere, glinting in the dim light.

 

As they passed the large machines with their unique and fascinating designs, the dog continued to share his story with the group. He explained how he and his people were enslaved by Aku, forced to work tirelessly in order to mine precious jewels for their cruel master. As they walked, they saw smaller dogs working with heavy breaths. Some of them were old and feeble, and it was clear that they were close to death. Jack was filled with fury at the sight, while Hamza noticed a few of the dogs had just died, being carried away by their comrades.

 

The monocle dog spoke with a note of defeat, "And if Aku's unreasonable quotas aren't met, terrible punishments are exacted upon us."

 

As they continued on their journey, Jack was shocked and angered beyond his limit at the scene that lay before him. There were huge, pointy poles where several bodies were impaled, blood gushing from their wounds as they were made an example of being skewered. The image brought back painful memories of Aku's cruelty from Jack's past. Near the poles, two black figures stood with whips, mercilessly beating some dogs to a bloody pulp as their quotas were not met. Their skin was covered in scars, and blood was everywhere. The dogs begged pitifully to be spared, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

 

The scene was appalling and atrocious to watch, Observer wasn’t bothered and Hamza was somewhat disturbed, but not as much as Jack. Jack hand trembled as he reached for his he suddenly put his hand on his sword sheath and hilt ready to act.As they drew closer near the area the air was thick with the sickly sweet smell of blood, mixed with the acrid stench of fear and desperation. The sound of flesh being struck by the whip echoed off the barren terrain with cliffs, and the sight of the helpless dogs being beaten filled Jack with a sense of righteous anger. He stepped forward, his sword drawn, ready to defend the helpless creatures and take down their cruel oppressors.

 

Hamza stopped him and said.

 

“Jack let me. You don’t need to sully your hand with scum like these” Hamza said with a glare at the two dark robbed being from a distance. The dogs just were silent and the red color dog was keenly observing everything.

 

Jack slowly let his grip loose.

“Please. You don’t need to. This is not your fight. You helped me far too much. I will repay your kindness”

 

With a dismissive gesture, he said to Jack with a smile.

 

“Don’t worry. Just think of me as a friend along the ride. You don’t owe me anything okay”

 

Hamza pointed at Jack's dismembered hand.

 

“You’re hurt as well so just rest up. We want to stop Akus as well”

 

Unease gnawed at Jack's senses, but he couldn't ignore the wisdom in Hamza's words. His fingers tingled with the memory of his recent injuries, a constant reminder of his vulnerability He was still not fully healed even though these two kind people helped him.

 

 Nods

"Be careful"

 

Hamza just smiled a little with confidence and a nod.

 

 “Are you sure? Your weak you know that right?” observer asked with a little concern

 

“Just watch me,” he said winking at observer. "Observer astutely connected the dots, recognizing the source of Hamza's newfound confidence. A subtle thrill coursed through her, intrigued by his question 

 

So did he use his ability? I wonder.

 

Hamza hurried over to the mine cart and grabbed a large crystal as long as Jack's sword. He asked the dogs for a strong fabric and wrapped it around the crystal to create a makeshift sword. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do for the moment. With a glare of hatred, he approached the two hooded minions of Aku. The display of cruelty reminded him of his own experiences with bullying in school, where he had been suspended multiple times for fighting back against those who bothered him. Seeing someone helpless being beaten up like this infuriated him.

 

Jack looked worried as he saw Hamza now getting close to engaging. Observer just consoled Jack that it was not a problem as she looked amused and delighted to see him riled up. It excited her in a way.

 

“Don’t worry. My husband is not so weak. He just doesn’t use his power because there are big drawbacks but”

 

She said with a smile. Her sapphire eyes seemed to shimmer with a faint neon glow

 

“Nobody can mess with him when he’s serious and actually uses his abilities. let's see”

 

Jack felt a wave of relief wash over him upon hearing Observer's words. He knew Observer had rambled on about their relationship back at the ship dock when he was gone just for her amusement.

 

Meanwhile, Hamza had walked a fair distance away, but he still heard Observer's teasing remark. He felt a twinge of embarrassment, but he didn't mind it too much. He was now standing near the two hooded minions, a makeshift crimson shining jewel sword on his shoulder. The minion looked cautious but did not engage. As one of the hooded minions cautiously stepped forward to confront Hamza, his words hung in the air, unspoken. In a swift, fluid motion, Hamza lunged with the shimmering crimson jewel sword, catching his foe off guard.

 

"Sup?"

 

He said, lunging at lightning speed with his sword in hand. The minion was caught off guard, and before he could even react, Hamza swung, cutting off the minion's arm cleanly. Green blood gushed out, splashing everywhere, including Hamza's face. The minion screamed in agony