"Don't worry, Zas. Lotsa dwarves do it. Tis no shame."
"But that does not make the act any better!" shouted Zas, and buried his face into his hands once more. After a few minutes of sobbing, he looked up at his friend Ducim, sitting beside him, and stammered, "a-and there were so many of them, so many that I sent to the butcher's, just like that..."
"Aye. Well, that's the life of a fortress leader, Zas, and many worse things are coming. You should not grief and despair over the lives of a few wee kittens." Ducim sidled a little closer and patted his back as comfortingly as he could, taking solace in the fact that it was not him that had to make the decisions.
"There were just so many, you know, Ducim? There were just so many o' them, all so suddenly... I just woke up and there were kittens everywhere..."
"Aye. Ye did what ye had to do."
"A-and we couldn't just let them be... We had ta get rid o' them somehow, wit' us swimming in cats. Seriously affecting productivity, and all that."
There was a loud and wet crunching sound as Solon the butcher bisected yet another kitten. Blood plattered onto the claystone chopping board and onto his face. Zas flinched at the sound, frantically wiping away the bloodslatters on his forearm as if it were poison or acid.
Solon picked up another kitten, and smiled to it at the little creture mewled and licked him playfully, unaware of its impending doom. He hugged the kitten and cradled it like a baby, before placing it on the chopping block. Solon pranced over to the tools rack and picked up a knife, and holding it one hand, stroked the kitten gently. It mewled in joy and looked at Solon, curious at what would happen next.
Slowly, Solon began bringin the knife closer to the kitten's throat, still smiling, still playful. Slowly, the dwarf drew a red line on its throat with the knife. Solon still kept that
seemingly kind,
caring smile. The kitten still mewled quietly for a few seconds, before suddenly spurting out a fountain of blood, covering him. Face unchanged, he looked up from his work at the two dwarves sitting against the stone wall, and said,
"Sorry about the mess. I'll clean it up afterwards."
Zas simply stared at him for a few minutes. Ducim however, didn't. It was all normal to him, having come from another fortress. Zas then shook Ducim, again in tears, and shouted,
"Is that normal? Is that who I have to become? You say that there are many, many worse things than
that! Tell me it's not true!"
"Well, tis' true, whether you want it or not. If ye don't know this, then you've never been to a fort before. You will do many worse things than all o' us,
includin' Solon over there, in the years to come."
Solon continued looking at them blankly, and tilted his head slightly, smiling in a faintly puzzled way.
"Trust me, Zas, there's more to come."
"No. I can't take this anymore. I'm an administrator, not a dictator and murderer! I thought... I thought I'd have a quiet life, not this! I quit! I quit, before this job blackens my soul any further! I want to sleep at night with- with a clear concience, and wake up happily hopeful of the new day, not grieving over past sins and future horrors! I QUIT!" screamed Zas, and ran. He ran as fast as he could.
"No, come back Zas, come back!" Ducim shouted after him, sprinting and running as fast as his legs could bear him, trying to chase Zas.
The two dwarves left Solon standing there, looking out to their shrinking silhouettes on the horizon, still smiling in a faintly puzzled way. Solon stood there, motionless, for a long while, before herding another kitten and returning to his work. To him, there was only the butcher's workshop, the kittens, and the job.
Turn 1 Completed
This one is completed early from narrative necessity and because I was spoiling my mods too soon and too often. The next player will be continuing my z-level, and hopefully do a better job.
MathijsBuster, it's YOUR turn!
DOWNLOAD LINK FOR TURN 1:
http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=1721