This is flavor text about the book itself and is in no way needed to understand the journal. However, you like reading this.
Heinrich hid himself a few miles from the camp, and I traveled the rest on my own. As I came closer, I saw that this wasn't a settlement... This was a camp. Parasol or Ballpoint, I didn't care. Approaching what I assumed to be the front entrance, holding my hand up in a greeting, I saw a sharp metallic object shooting at me at a high velocity. Shocked by this, I opened fire with my much slower crossbow, until eventually the objects stopped coming. Calling for Heinrich first using a call we discussed earlier, I went into the camp. I hid myself quite well and began moving towards the very center, where the commander's tent would be. There was a slight clearing around it, allowing the guard to detect infiltrators much easier. The guard, however, was not properly shielded against crossbow bolts, and a single blunt arrow took him out for a while. For good measure, I hit him again.
Entering the tent, I overheard the plans of the agents to move up close to Spearbreakers, and send in a few spies to gather more intelligence. Strange, wasn't Vanya part of one of these operations? Shouldn't she be enough? As I pondered over this, the commander moved over, with his back to me. I quickly drew my sword, knocked him over and held my sword near his throat.
"A word, and you're dead." I managed to say, surprisingly secure of myself. The commander, whispering to me, said only the following:
"You? But... We... We made sure you were not in this timestream. HOW?"
"By the Order of Life and Death, I condemn thee to eternal darkness. May eternal conflict be yours in death." I repeated the words of my Order, thrusting my sword downward. I knocked down one of the those long, metallic torch-like bowls that hold glowing coals, setting fire to the tent.
As I left, the entire camp seemed to be in disarray. Then, I noticed. An entire horde of Spawn seemed to have overrun the camp. Did Heinrich call in friends? Did something go wrong with the call? Were they coming the entire time? All of these questions were raised in my mind, until I saw Heinrich before me. I got knocked down by his claws quickly, and the slashed in my skin. As Heinrich stood over me, his mouth gaping open and his teeth blinkering in the moonlight.
"Make it quick." I said.
I closed my eyes as the gaping hole approached... And closed over me, not hurting me in the slightest. I was surprised, amazed even, until I heard Heinrich's "voice".
"Sit still, don't cut yourself on the teeth. They're razor sharp. I'll get you somewhere safe."
I sat in there for days, coming out only to feed myself and Heinrich. After a week, we seemingly arrived, as Heinrich spit me out abruptly, and I appeared in some sort of throne room. In front of me was what seemed to be a throne, only made out of bones. On it, sat a HUGE Spawn. Almost three times as big as a "normal" Spawn, this 'Overlord' towered over me as if he were one of those megaprojects, only this time done by nature, not by an overseer. I couldn't say anything in amazement. My eyes were nearly double the size of a Spearbreakers mug (TM), it seemed... I got disregarded almost immediately as the Overlord turned to Heinrich, speaking in the Spawn language. I didn't understand most of it, but I did understand "Tradition... Her Will... Dwarves... Death... Life... After a bit of conversation, the Overlord turned to me.
"Dwarf. We allow you to live here under two conditions. You must, at all times, abide to Her will. If you do not, you will be turned into one of Her Chosen. If you do, you may keep your Dwarven form. You will also tell us everything about the Outsiders." I quickly glanced at Heinrich, who made a gesture that I should abide. I took the hint and grabbed the opportunity to live. I've been assigned a teacher, not Heinrich, sadly, that will teach me "Her" will. I know who "She" is, but I am not allowed to write down her name. Anyway, I managed to see how a Spawn Chosen fortress looks. It's like a Dwarven Fort, only... Different, in a way. Some things are the same, yet some things differ. Like Dwarves, in comparison to Spa Her Chosen. Yes, Her Chosen insist on the name. Journal, I'm afraid I won't be able to write for a few days now. Combat training and all that.
Combat training is hard. I have to be agile enough to keep away three different Chosen, all twice as big as me, while dodging arrows shot by automatic machinery, without armor. I've gotten wounded multiple times and I haven't even managed to succeed in keep away just one Chosen. Heinrich offered me more training, and I gladly accepted. He's the only Chosen I know around here, and seems to have some sort of bond with the Overlord. Anyway, we'll have our first raid on "Outsiders" tomorrow, the ones that are able to travel through time. Parasol and Ballpoint, as you might know, mister Journal. If I can, I'm going to ask to at least preserve one of the Mechs, so I don't have to "ride" on one of the Chosen's backs... It's embarrassing for both of us. Heinrich is leading the raid, so I presume he'll do what I asked him.
Signed,
Tomio the Chosen's Friend.