Part 9: Royal W: Update 1

JOURNAL OF ROYAL W: SQUAD LEADER OF "THE STATIC PAINTS" SPRING, 141

When I heard about the fortress of Syrupleaf being planned, I was excited to migrate there in order to help expand our grand civilization.

Little did I know that moving from the warmth of the mountainhomes would be the biggest, and perhaps last mistake of my life.

Shortly after arriving woth little more than the clothes on my back, I heard the alarm from our leader, Vox Nihili, that "the spawn were coming!" I had only heard stories of the Great Dark Detective, but I always dismissed them as fairy tales told to keep the short-bearded children in line.



How I wish that were true... I had not even been at Syrupleaf for a season when the call came out for new dwarfs to report for military duty. I'd been drafted. We were standing at the gate, ready to charge the invaders; likely to die for the fortress and Mountainhome, when a mason suddenly rushes in front of us and builds a wall in the main hall.

Great. Instead of dying a brutal but possibly quick death at the hands of these warped abominations who once called themselves dwarfs, we were to slowly starve, subsisting on the meager rations that we brought with us.

Suddenly, as if by divine providence, we heard reports that the spawn had left the area. Perhaps they had forgotten us. More likely, they left to bide their time until we exposed our weaknesses again. SIEGE HAS ENDED

Vox, stricken with the gravity of the situation, confided in me that he was no longer fit to lead the fortress and asked that I take over our squad as well as the position of overseer. I reluctantly accepted the post. The fate of Syrupleaf now rests on my bearded head.

I immediately set to work, taking stock of our meager supplies, when I find an unsettling task being carried out.



Knowing full well our food shortage and the lack of farming and fishing, one of our cooks has taken it upon himself to take what little food we have, 3 at a time, and fashion it into lavish feasts that only one dwarf can eat. I put a stop to that.

TO BE CONTINUED