Previously on Swordthunder...
“Overseer, Overseer! We got dwarf traders!”
“Thank you, son of Mitch. Captain, any sign of the goblins?”
“Nary a one, Overseer.” I do not like this. It’s too quiet!
“It was a pleasure trading with ye, “ the stocky dwarf beamed, “but we must be going if we are to make the mountain pass before it becomes impassible.”
“I understand, until next year then.”
“Certainly!” He turned to tend the caravan.
“Ahem.”
I turned to see a short dwarf, short even for a dwarf. “Yes? May I assist you?”
“I won’t be going anywhere, “ he harumphed. “That ‘expedition leader’ has yet to see me!”
“I will take care of that imminently.”
“Harumph! See that you do!”
It’s the end of the month and I have an unpleasant task upcoming. I find what I am looking for, a distressed looking workshop. McRunaka is inside making bins.
I knocked on the wall. He didn’t turn around. I cleared my throat, still no response. “McRunaka...”
He jumped, turned and was panting. “Ya scared the D’mon outta me!”
“I apologize, McRunaka, but we need to talk.”
He puts down the hammer, crosses his arms, and levels a stare at me. “Wha’ bout, then?”
“McRunaka, we now have two liaisons following you around.”
He was unmoved, “so?”
I cleared my throat. I was feeling very uncomfortable, his stare isn’t helping either.
“McRunaka, the first liaison still has yet to conclude his business with you. He has to return in order for the promotion to Barony to become official! As for the second, I have no idea what he wants, but you must deal with it all the same.”
“Why woo’ ya wanna be a bar’ny. We are doin’ fine as we are. We don’t need no fanceh nobles prancin’ bout like theh own da damn place. Nae, we gots a han’le on our fort’ess.”
“Mok dammit, McRunaka! We need this whether you think we do or not. I am overseer here and what you THINK is irrelevant! From here on out, you are expressly forbidden to perform any labors at all, ANY! Your sole job is to meet with liaisons and send them on their way. Do we understand each other?”
For several long minutes, he just stood there. He clenched and unclenched his fists, flared his nostrils, and if looks could kill, I’d be a smouldering pile of ash. Finally, he spoke, “yes.” He pushed past me, hard, and tromped down the hall.
I leaned back on the workshop, wiped my brows. I struggled to catch my breath and my heart refused to slow down, threatening to beat its way out of my chest. I know it was necessary, but I refuse to like it. He had done good by me and now I believe that bridge is burnt. They were right when they said it was lonely at the top.
McRunaka expectedly put off the meetings as long as he could. After our little throwdown, he proceeded to sleep...for 4 day! Then he felt the need to put a bolt back in its bin. After six days, he finally met with the first liaison.
It’s early in Opal, a dwarf is acting strange. Stealing furtive glances behind her, she makes her way down the hallway.
I whispered, “Erica, what do you make of this?”
She whispered back, “It’s another mood. Instead of being possessed, though, a dwarf is struck with inspiration and feel compelled to guard her secret. If we’re lucky, we might find sketches in the workshop that she claims.”
“Let’s follow her then”
She had claimed a craftworks. I picked up some sketches.
“These look like quarries.”
“Maybe she just needs stones, then. We have plenty of those.”
“Well, let’s get out of here before she gets back.”
We get further down the hall and Erica tugs my sleeve. “Did you really tell McRunaka that what he thought was irrelevant?”
“Yea. Yea, I did.”
With a look of concern, “wow.”
“You did WHAT?”
“Ya heard me, O’erseer,” he stood by the door of my office, rather smugly, too.
McRunaka had met with the second liaison. It seems we were county material. When asked who should be the count of the fortress, the bastard picked me.
“Is this payback for forcing you to deal with the liaisons?”
“Well, der, laddie. Brill’ant deduction on yer part, then?” He chuckled, evilly...no, cackled would be more accurate. He turned and left down the hallway. That cackle rang for a few minutes more before fading.
I dropped into my chair and put my head in my hands. Erica sat opposite me on the edge of the table. “When the first liaison got home, I officially became a baroness. When the second liaison make it home, you will be a count. I believe we are screwed.”
Without looking up, “royally.”
She attempted to stifle a laugh, failed, and it came out as “pfffsnerk!”
It is close to middle of Opal and the animal trainer begin his construction. I really hope it’s something useful.
Middle of Opal has come and gone. Erica comes up the hallway and waves me over.
“What is the word, ‘baroness,’ “ I smiled.
“Oh, ha ha. Joke’s on you, though.”
“Huh?”
“We got word. It’s official. We’re a county.”
“I may be a Count, but do I really count?”
Erica smacks her head with her palm, “oye!”
The next day we were all gathered in the workshop that the animal trainer had claimed.
“I am so sorry, Overseer, but as I was hauling yet another bolt to a bin, I saw a crack in the wall and just knew what I had to make.”
“Ok, so what did you make?”
“Looks ta me like it’s a mug, laddie.”
“Arg! it’s not just a mug, it’s the epitome of my artistic expression!”
Erica raised a brow, “Looks like a piece of schist to me.”
“You need to really see it. Open your mind to what it could be. Realize its potential!”
Erica picked it up, turned it around, peered at it closely, turned it over, peered closely again. Finally, she set it back down upside down. She took a moment, appeared to be in thought, and offered, “it’s still a piece of schist.”
I’ve never heard a grown dwarf wail so.
“Well, laddie, since I’m not ta be laborin’ an’ there be no bloody messenger, I’ll jes’ be throwin’ a party!”
“If you want, McRunaka. I’ll not stop you. Go ahead, enjoy yourself.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he alone would be in attendance.
There was a clamor as dwarfs go running and screaming away from the main entrance. I grabbed the closest dwarf, “What in the hell is going on?”
His eyes were wide with fear. As he busied himself prying my fingers apart off him, “Overseer, the goblins! They have come again!” I let him loose, and flailed as he fled.
“Guards! Seal the doors!”
“Sir, there’s still a dwarf out there!”
I stood at the doors, “C’mon then, hurry up in here!” He was moving too slow, and goblins were getting too close. “Forget him, if we wait for him, half of the force will have made their way in. Seal the doors, now!”
“Yes, sir. Right away, sir!” They sealed the doors, and a minute later there was a plaintive scream from the other side. “Let me in! Oh Mok, let me in! They are shooting me! Please!” There was a gurgle and his pleadings had ceased. My first death this year. Almost made it through the year, I should have known it would not be so easy and bloodless.
Another month has passed, still the goblins taunt us. And another goblin force had joined the first. Soon, this will be another’s headache to deal with. Soon, I will step down as overseer.
I walked into my bedroom, and noticed that the Book was gone.
“Is it spring already? Oh, that poor unfortunate soul. He has no idea what he is getting into. Good luck and Okspeed, whomever you are.”
I lay on my bed, the weight of the world was lifted. I breathed easy, easier than I dared imagine I ever could.
Ok, So this was an adventure and a half.
BTW, Possum?
You really need to get out more!
LOL
Also a pair of ghosts seem to be glitched:
I wouldn't worry about this one. It hadn't moved in the whole year.
This one however is actively haunting and is not in the memorializing list.
Other than those two, the entire ghostly population had been put down. Go me!
so yea good luck(click for save file)!
Author
Topic: The Community Reclaims Swordthunders - We need more lunatics to run this asylum! (Read 193456 times)