((Just finishing up the last chapter before posting the next one.))
Gearg, Imic, Sam and Splint strapped their weapons to their backs and prepared to leave Granitebirds. The four friends enjoyed their military careers in the old Mountain Halls, but were tired of being outranked by the pompous idiots from Archcrystal. So they all decided it was time to become one of those pompous idiots and turn the tables. They knew that migrants were all given brand new equipment and sent out immediately, so they packed light and set off on the four day journey to the capital.
***
"I hate bars and live music," Livos muttered under his breath in the loud tavern called "The Wild Belly". Every part of dwarven happiness made him uncomfortable and he longed for a good seat in a quiet room. It didn't help that he was actually rather engaging in conversation and could fake interest incredibly well. These traits were poison to someone who preferred to be alone. He was a worshipper of Shin, God of the Moon and Sky which set him further apart from his underground brethren. This was also why he had come to Archcrystal, for they had the only dedicated temple to Shin in the world.
"Excuse me," Livos tapped the shoulder of a nearby patron, "Where is the temple to Shin?"
"What, Shin? That old place?"
Livos nodded, and the dwarf beside him rolled his eyes and simply pointed up. Livos stared up through the glass floors and cursed under his breath, "Of course it is..."
***
Flame the metalsmith had recently been exiled from his 7th Hillocks in 3 months for what they called "tantrums". They've all gone soft with their "manners" and "civilisation", and "basic dwarven decency to wear pants", he thought to himself. A long beard used to be the only clothing a good dwarf needed. Settlements usually welcomed a master metalsmith with open arms but Flame insisted on only working with his favourite metal: lead. He made everything out of it: lead cups, lead splints, lead buckets. Everyone always whined, "It's too heavy to use a lead cage, I don't feel good when I drink from this cup, etc." Pfft, get stronger then, he thought. He hugged all of his lead creations and packed his wagon again with all of his heavy belongings before heading to the last settlement in The Dipped Spears: the capital of Archcrystal.
***
The ingredients were as plain as ever. The three looked down at their creation for the duke of Waspwax with disdain and worried glances. It didn't take long for them to be banished by the duke's foul temper. Carfter, Sanctume, and Shimmy sat outside the gates of the city discussing their next move.
"What if we're just really bad at cooking?"
"Yeah if we were good at it, we would be successful by now."
Carfter the Cheesemaker gave them both a scolding look, "Get that nonsense out your heads! We just haven't found the right ingredients yet. Talent has to meet opportunity. And there's only one place we can find it."
***
She looked around at the glass library and let out a low whistle. She had heard this place described before but the novelty of seeing it for the first time was stunning as a scholar - all these books concentrated and and controlled in one place. No wonder Archcrystal ruled the world, they controlled the access to education and kept it literally out of reach for anyone else. The botanist had little time before she was noticed among the latest wave of new migrants. She reached into her bag and pulled out one of the many Jute Leaf quires and the "Sage of Leaves" began copying.
***
Cap the weaponsmith barely had time to register what was happening before he was pulled out of line at the latest arrival processing in Archcrystal. Most of his friends were being given weapons and armour and then sent off to war, but he was being lead down a different hallway to the north. Looking the through glass walls he could tell quite easily that they were prison cells, and not a place he wanted to be. A guard was seated and nodded as they approached. Cap and the soldier walked briskly past and the guard followed until they came to a door at the end. "Open it," the soldier commanded. Inside was a large dark cell in the corner of the fortress. Even though the glass was clear, there was very little light coming to the room making it hard to see. He could make out a dwarf crouched in the corner of a bed and a large object covered by a blanket to his right.
Flame the metalsmith looked up from his bed and spoke in an unnaturally high pitched voice, "Did you bring me the Archmage?
The guard rolled his eyes briefly, and gestured, "Yes, yes... he's right here. This is Cap...cap... Captain Archmage. He can help you."
Flame turned his back, and Cap looked incredulously at the soldier who whispered, "You're a mechanic right?"
Cap nodded slowly.
"Good, we need you tell us something."
The soldier stepped forward and pulled the blanket revealing the large metal machine.
"What the hell is he building."
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Topic: Archcrystal: 500 years in a fortress [SPOILERS] Finished (Read 494607 times)