Tag: fantasy

It was almost dawn when Arsha finally got to see Kartambo. A human man, roughly Arsha’s skin tone, was dragged in by Irmalii. He arched an eyebrow at seeing Arsha on the throne with Domesta and Dumarith’s bottle on the armrest. “Ah, Mr. Kartambo!” greeted Arsha. “I see Irmalii found you! Good! You’re looking healthier than I remember, got yourself cured of your bone disease?”

“My bones have never been stronger, Your Highness,” replied Kartambo. “What’s going on here? Last I checked, that was your father’s seat.”

“Where, exactly, was that statement when Skain polluted the throne? Did your own ambitions and Dr. Borg’s goals get in the way?”

“…Well, that answers my private question about you being an illusion. Only the real Arsha Royana would pry into someone’s private business. So, you really ARE alive and back. I take it your parents are here too?”

“They’re in Daddy’s office, going over the situation reports so they can fix this mess. I’m simply helping them take care of the wall.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? What in the Depths is going on, Your Highness?” Arsha got up and walked to him.

“Skain initially built the wall to keep the citizens of Largandra as his prisoners. He allowed Dr. Borg’s robots to live there so the people would live in fear of the outside world. …Skain’s assets are being seized and liquidated before his execution so the funds would be used to rebuild the homes the wall destroyed in its construction, but it’s not enough. We still need to tear that ugly thing down, so I’m giving you a choice. You can fund the remainder willingly as the wall falls, or we take every single asset of yours and liquidate it while you languish in the dungeons for the rest of your life. Let me assure you, there won’t be any execution for you, nor will you kill yourself if you refuse to help.” Kartambo smirked.

“Largandra has a population of fifty million. Only two percent of it are fighters. Dr. Borg’s personal edict is that the Empire does not attack a population of ten percent fighters unless provoked. The wall stays, one way or another.” Arsha looked long and hard at him.

“…You’re afraid, aren’t you?” she guessed. “You’re afraid of failing Dr. Borg as much as she fears losing to us.” She then snapped her fingers as if she remembered something. “Speaking of the Empire, we need to ensure that we can talk privately. …Don’t move. Mr. Markulak, if you please.” Markulak then sprang from behind the throne and swung his sword near Kartambo’s neck on each side. He actually took the heads of two humanoid robots that were invisible until their deaths. He then sheathed his sword as the bottle flashed. Arsha rubbed it and released Domesta and Dumarith. “Fine work, Mr. Markulak,” praised Arsha.

“Part of my job description, Your Highness,” replied Markulak. “I’ll clean it up.”

“There’s no need,” assured Domesta.

“WE’LL take care of the mess,” supplied Dumarith. “Your Highness, if you please?” Arsha then took up the bottle.

“I wish for the robot corpses and their spilled fluids,” she declared, “to be removed from this castle.” The two Genies snapped their fingers and the mess disappeared.

“You’ll have to tell the Telmath Forge in the north end of town about their sudden increase in materials,” advised Domesta.

“Will do,” replied Arsha.

“You’re insane!” growled Kartambo. Arsha glowered at him.

“On any other day, Mr. Kartambo, you’d be wrong. Today, though, after what the reports said about your activities? Today is a VERY different day! One last time; assist in the destruction of the wall or be reduced to utter destitution!”

“No on both counts. Despite what you think of what or who I fear, you DON’T frighten me. No Royana does. If you attack the wall, you’ll lose.”

“Yes, the weapons dotting the wall are very impressive against targets in the air and on the ground, but at this moment, they’re pointed outside the wall.”

“The external perimeter, yes. But that wall has weapons concealed within the inner wall, ready to quell any uprisings. So, what are you gonna do? Blow up the wall?”

“That’s the idea, yes.” Kartambo chuckled softly to himself.

“Did you conduct a material analysis of the wall’s bricks?”

“I was told that the same clay that makes up Dr. Borg’s Golems was used to make the bricks, yes.”

“Meaning that, even if you DID set up explosives, you couldn’t send a signal to the det-packs. So, what can you do, hope that there’s a robot stupid enough to press the button?” Arsha sighed to herself.

“…Mr. Markulak, tell Trosalga that he can press the button.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.” Markulak’s eyes flashed as Kartambo realized that there was another rebellious robot!

“NO!” he wailed. The guards grabbed him before he could get any closer. Explosions reached everyone’s ears and the castle rocked from the tremors. The shaking lasted for a minute before everything settled down. A call then came through.

“The wall is gone,” came Temnasia’s voice. “…As is Trosalga.”

“He died to save us,” sighed Arsha. “Let us continue to win in his name.” She turned to Kartambo. “Mr. Markulak’s defection inspired other robots to rebel against Dr. Borg. They evacuated the area near the wall during the night. I wanted to meet every member of the Robot Liberation Front. I had hoped you would be reasonable so I could see Trosalga, but…here we are.” She turned to the guards. “Take him to the dungeon. Make sure he stays alive. Seize his lands and assets and liquidate them. Put it towards the reconstruction of the homes on Largandra’s borders.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” replied a guard. He and his partner then hauled Kartambo to the dungeon. He resisted long enough to shout at Arsha as she sat on the throne.

“YOU JUST MADE A BIG MISTAKE, ARSHA ROYANA! EVEN IF WE LOST LARGANDRA, THE REALM TRINITY EMPIRE HAS ALLIES! WE’LL MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN ALL THE REALMS PAY THE PRICE FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE TODAY!” The group rounded a corner and his protests vanished. The sun finally peeked over the horizon.

“What I’ve done?” Arsha asked herself. “When it comes to Dr. Borg, I haven’t even started.” Elgrad then entered the throne room. Arsha stood back up. “That’s enough of that throne for me right now! You can have it back!”

“Still, a very fine command of the situation,” praised Elgrad. “You rose to the challenge and knew when to step back so others can act. That’s what a good ruler does.” He sat on the throne. “…Tell me, how comfy is it for you?”

“A little TOO comfy for me.”

“That’s the correct answer. You’ll be a fine Queen when your mother and I step down.”

“Thank you, Daddy. Now, I better go help out Rokanth. Those ships need to be relocated.”

“Good luck, Sweetie!” replied Elgrad. Arsha pecked Elgrad on the cheek and headed out of the throne room. Elgrad then turned to Markulak. “Mr. Markulak, how would you like to be an advisor?”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to leave the position once we have the Mid to Under Realmgate working,” replied Markulak.

“Very well. Until then, log yourself into the appointments database. Use 7-1-4-6 for the password.” Markulak connected to the database and logged in.

“I’m in, Your Majesty.”

“What’s first on the docket?”

“The woman that met with Skain last night is requesting an audience with you on the subject of obtaining food for her family.”

“Is she still on castle grounds?”

“She’s just gotten up from her bed.”

“Tell her to come to the throne room at her earliest convenience. She may obtain the necessary food for her family from our storehouses.”

The showers had to be shared with everyone. Thankfully, they were big enough for four people to share so the strike team could wash the sewer stench off all at once. As Orbak took his armor off, thus cancelling the enchantment and returning his legs to their paralyzed state, the three mystery Elves helped maneuver him into the large stall. “Very kind of you,” he thanked them.

“Think nothing of it,” replied the plump Elf.

“You know, the other showers are full,” remarked one of the other two Elves.

“You don’t mind sharing with three women, do you?” asked the other.

“Ah, so you’re women,” mused Orbak. “Just as long as there’s no hanky-panky.”

“That dedicated to your wife?” asked the plump Elf.

“Exactly.”

“Well, no worries, we’ll be too preoccupied on getting the sewer smell off of us to even consider hanky-panky.”

“Perfect.” The Elves then started undoing their armor, helmets first. They finally revealed their faces and Orbak goggled. The plump Elf woman had short, curly, blonde hair. One of the other Elves had long, black hair with her bangs cut like a sugar bowl was used as a guide for the scissors. The other one had long, wavy, red hair. “No way!” breathed Orbak. “Moru?! Larima?! Curlandii?!”

“That’s us,” replied the black-haired Elf, Moru.

“The Three Maidens themselves joined in on this operation!” chuckled Orbak. “But why?”

“Because that rat, Skain, was my cousin,” explained the red-haired Elf, Larima. “He passed an edict saying that we NEEDED to make comedies about darker-skinned people ‘learning their place’.”

“You can guess how well we took that,” continued the blonde Elf, Curlandii.

“Besides, we make comedies where we fight the Trinnies,” said Moru. “We took some training and figured ‘what the heck, we’ll fight them for real’.”

“Why’d you hide your faces?” asked Orbak.

“Would Arsha have taken us seriously if we went to her without our masks?”

“…Fair point, she might have dismissed it out of hand. Well, your service was most welcome, ladies! If you still wish to fight, once Orbak settles things here, we’re building the Mid to Under Realmgate and taking the fight straight to Dr. Borg!”

“Your Majesty, we’d be honored!” cheered Curlandii. She ‘carelessly’ tossed the scrub brush at Moru. Moru yelped as it hit her. She grabbed Curlandii’s shoulder and turned her around so she could face her.

“Remind me to kill you later!” she growled, continuing the improv routine.

“I’ll make a note of it,” said Curlandii. She then patted her pockets. “I ain’t got a pencil!”

“Well, I changed my mind! I’m gonna do it right now!” Moru then grabbed Curlandii’s nose and then bonked it with her other fist.

“Hey, leave her alone!” called Larima.

“What are you butting in for?!” Moru extended her pointer and middle fingers and jabbed them at Larima’s eyes, but Larima blocked the eye poke. Moru then grinned. “Well, blocked me that time.” She then slapped Larima’s cheek. “Get out, you!” Curlandii then tapped Moru’s shoulder. When Moru turned to her, Curlandii waved her hand in front of Moru’s face, making her follow it. Curlandii then brought the hand up, then sharply dropped it, making Moru follow it. Larima laughed.

“You always fall for that!” she giggled. Moru then struck their bellies, then their heads.

“GO ON! GET STARTED ALREADY!” Moru grabbed their ears and dragged them to a locker so they could put their clothes in them. Orbak laughed.

“Even in times of war, you still know how to bring the funny!” he called. The Three Maidens then bowed comically, bonking their heads in the process.

---

Everyone in the castle finally finished their showers, reveling in being clean. Elgrad made his way to the office and looked over the reports concerning Largandra. He clicked his tongue in irritation. Skain left things in a fearful mess and Elgrad had to clean it up. He had to take down the wall, rebuild homes that were destroyed during the wall’s construction, destroy the robots within the wall, restore supply lines, get the ships moving again, and rebuild the Mid to Over and Mid to Under Realmgates. Arsha came into the office. “Hey, Daddy, did you know that those Elves that helped us were actually the Three Maidens?” she asked.

“Yeah, Orbak told me about that when he was brought to a wheelchair by them,” answered Elgrad. Arsha then saw the reports.

“Oh, Sweet Ones! Look at this mess!”

“My sentiments exactly. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“Need any help?”

“…Now that you mention it, I think this would be a good chance for you to try out the throne. Do you think you can handle the Kartambo situation?”

“I’ll give it a good try.” Just then, the comms buzzed. Elgrad took the call.

“Go ahead,” he directed.

“It’s Lardeth, Your Majesty,” introduced the caller.

“Your lover’s in the room with me.”

“Hey, Princess!” called Arsha.

“Good to hear you, Foxy,” replied Lardeth. “We just got some great news. It turns out Markulak’s defection to us inspired other robots to form the Robot Liberation Front. A good chunk of the robots at the wall are with us just outside Largandra’s borders. However, a few are staying behind until you give the order for the wall to be destroyed. They wanted to give their lives for us instead of Dr. Borg.” The two Royanas looked at each other in surprise.

“Markulak’s more effective than I thought!” muttered Arsha.

“Tell them to wait for Arsha’s order,” directed Elgrad. “She’s got to get a handle on Kartambo right now.”

“Your advisor? Don’t tell me he didn’t protest Skain’s defiling of the throne!”

“It looks like he encouraged it for his own gains,” answered Arsha. “He was gonna publicly embarrass Skain and then take the throne, then have Largandra pledge fealty to the Trinnies. Only then would the wall come down.”

“Well, the Robot Liberation Front’s more than happy to upend that scheme. We’ve gotten everyone away from the wall, so the debris won’t hurt any civilians.”

“Good,” praised Elgrad. “We’ll give the signal for the robots inside to detonate the wall. Elgrad out.” He ended the call.

“And I just came up with an ultimatum for Kartambo,” chuckled Arsha.

“Can’t wait to see how you handle Mid-realm affairs!” said Elgrad. He then hugged Arsha.

“Daddy!” mumbled Arsha. She didn’t resist it, though. She simply hugged back.

A manhole cover moved out of its slot near the stables within Largandra’s castle. The person who moved it, Arsha, poked her head out and looked around. A horse mare, Sun Walker, goggled at seeing her usual rider. She was about to whinny in happiness, but Arsha put a finger to her lips. Sun Walker then looked around, then she shoved her muzzle into the side of the mare next to her, knocking the other mare, Moon Swimmer, into a wall. Moon Swimmer was startled and squealed at her attacker in warning. Sun Walker didn’t listen and ran her into the wall again. That prompted a fight between the two mares. The Stable Master woke up from the noise. He then got a pair of stable hands, both men, and they managed to separate the two mares. “A damn shame,” muttered one of the hands.

“Yeah, Arsha being in the Over-realm,” replied the other, “really took a hit on Sun Walker’s mood.”

“Can you blame her?”

“Not really, my husband’s been stuck in the Under-realm. I’m going just as crazy from the separation.”

“Yeah, and I was supposed to be traveling the Realms as a new Forsorna man.”

“All right, I know the separation of the Realms has delivered a hard blow to morale,” remarked the Stable Master, “but we still have a job to do. We must continue as if our real King is here.”

---

While the distraction went on, Arsha and her team made it to the maze. “Good girl, Sun Walker!” Arsha thought to herself. She then led her team through the maze and eventually arrived at the maze junction. She then made the deliberate wrong turn and found the secret passage. “Perfect!” she whispered. She opened the trapdoor, and the team went in. The passage was very narrow and short, so Gorfanth had to bend over as the team followed Arsha in single file. After an hour, they arrived at another door. Arsha put her ear to the door and hear a conversation going on.

“It is no concern of ours whether or not your family has…what was it again?” said a man in an oily voice, the nemesis of the Royanas, Skain.

“Erm, food, Your Grace,” replied a woman. The man scoffed.

“You really should have thought about that before the wall came up!”

“Sir, the wall has cut us all off from the lower fields! It’s endangering us!”

“How dare you!” Arsha then heard a slap and the woman yelped a millisecond after that. “I had that wall erected for YOUR safety and you dare tell me you can protect yourself better than I can?! That’s treason! Take her to the dungeon!”

“Sir! You can’t-!” protested the woman.

“The correct form of address is Your Majesty! Take her away! …And get the cleaning staff in here! It smells like a sewer! …Or maybe you guys DO need a shower.”

“It’s not us, Si…Your Majesty, I can personally assure you of that,” remarked a guard.

“Well, it ain’t Skain-” Arsha decided that that was the signal.

“SKAIN!” she shouted. The passage opened and the strike team swarmed the throne room. The guards briefly leveled their crossbows at the team only to see the Royanas.

“Your Majesties! Your Highness!” cheered one of the Guards. Everyone knelt to them.

“What’s all the ruckus?!” barked a voice. “I’m trying to-!” Irmalii rounded a corner and clapped eyes on the Royanas. “…I must be sleep-deprived!”

“Since you’re not throwing these pieces of trash in the dungeon, yes!” snarled Skain. Irmalii then slammed her fist into his chest for that.

“You will address the Royanas with respect, you throne-swiping, thin-blooded, purity-obsessed freak!” growled Irmalii. She then turned to Arsha and ran to give her a hug.

“Hold it!” called Arsha. “My team and I just went through the sewers, and I don’t want to spread its stink onto everyone else.”

“Erm, hello?! Rightful King here!” called Skain. “We’ve got intruders and-!”

“Thrandoshius Skain!” boomed Elgrad. “For usurping the throne during my absence, for reintroducing slavery into the Mid-realm, for other crimes too numerous and horrible to mention, I hereby declare you too dangerous to be kept alive!”

“I won’t bow to you anymore! The Mid-realm throne is MINE!”

“No, it’s mine! Guards, has that poor woman made it to the dungeon yet?”

“No, Your Majesty,” replied a guard. “But there ARE good people who did nothing wrong that are trapped there.”

“Get them out and put Skain in there! After that, seize his lands, confiscate his possessions, liquidate everything he has! Only when I get word of his financial assets being reduced to zero will he die!”

“YOU UNGRATEFUL-!” Irmalii clubbed the back of his head and knocked him out.

“Welcome back, Your Majesty,” she greeted as two guards hurried off to obey Elgrad’s orders.

“Good to BE back,” sighed Elgrad. He then took a whiff of his pits, then his face contorted in disgust. “I need a shower!”

“Yeah, no offense, Your Majesty, but you and your team reek!” Irmalii covered her nose, as did the rest of the guards. “We’ll have the serving staff draw you all a shower.”

“Thank you, Irmalii,” sighed Arsha. She then realized something. “Where’s Kartambo in all this?”

“The seditionist?” growled Irmalii. Elgrad then gave Irmalii his full attention.

“Why use that word with our trusted advisor?” he asked.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I’m afraid it’s you who are using the wrong words concerning him. Kartambo did nothing as Skain took the throne. He actually announced his support.” Elgrad’s eyes went wide in fury.

“Once I’m done cleaning the sewer stench off me, I want EVERY scrap of information on him!” he growled.

“At once, My Lord.” The strike team were then led to the baths as Irmalii headed off to obey her rightful sovereign’s commands.

---

Over in Frigandor, a Revenant Elf woman was sobbing hysterically. Yulduk and Tormo looked on in pity. “Poor Lontrel,” mumbled Yulduk. “She had really high hopes for the Markulak line of robots. Then Model 7 had to go and betray us and kill his successor!”

“You know, I think she’s lost her marbles because of it,” replied Tormo. “Yesterday, she thought she was a chicken.”

“We better get her a Shrink then!”

“Oh, we can’t do that!”

“…Why not?”

“We need the eggs!” Tormo laughed while Yulduk frowned.

“What’s that in your hand?”

“Just a hammer.” Yulduk then took the hammer from Tormo.

“Real classy to joke about someone grieving!” He then bonked Tormo on the head with the hammer. “Come on and help me console her!” He grabbed Tormo’s ear and dragged him over to the woman.

The mission began. Everyone made their way to the culvert and opened it as quietly as possible. They went into it and descended into the sewers. Everyone took one whiff of the place and expressed their disgust. “What an intriguing smell you three discovered,” Elgrad said to the three mystery Elves.

“That’s the general smell of sewers,” replied the large Elf. They headed to the junction and the teams split up. The three mystery Elves then led Arsha’s team to the junction under the chocolate factory. There was a massive blockage in their way, and everyone searched for a way through.

“…Now what?” muttered Arsha.

“We swim,” replied one of the smaller Elves as they dove beneath the water.

“Oh…I should have figured,” mumbled Arsha. The team steeled themselves, dove beneath the water, and swam under the blockage. Once they got to the other side, they surfaced and took a deep breath…before choking on the sewer air. “Mistake!” gagged Arsha.

“Want…shower!” groaned Elgrad.

“We’ll get them once we finish,” replied the large Elf. Arsha’s team then recovered and proceeded with their mission.

“You know,” remarked Malnar, “I always said war was a filthy business, but this wasn’t what I meant!”

“I hope Markulak and his team are having a rosier time of it,” muttered Orbak.

---

Markulak and his team went through the sewers with the same amount of air trouble as Arsha’s team. Lardeth was holding his nose constantly. “Gah! There are moments I hate being part Zephyr!” he grumbled. “My nose is way too sensitive!”

“I don’t even have a nose,” replied Markulak, “and the sewer air’s STILL affecting me!”

“How?!”

“It feels corrosive! Like there are metal-eating ants all over me!” They were promptly shushed as an Inu man pointed to a pipe leading up to a manhole cover. Markulak then signaled for the det-packs to be passed around. Once everyone got one, they followed him up the ladder and out into the open. They quickly made their way to the wall and felt around for a hidden entrance. A Halfling woman then felt a brick depress just a tad. She pressed the brick further into the wall and a hidden door swung inside the wall. She and the people near her then silently passed the message that she found the way in. They quickly headed inside the wall and made their way towards a support pillar. Markulak then attached his det-pack to the pillar and was about to set it until…

“That’s close enough!” called a voice. It was Markulak’s voice, but it didn’t come from the rebel Markulak model. No, it came from his successor. Robots surrounded the strike team as Markulak: Model 8 leveled his sword at Model 7. “So, the traitor decides to help Realmfleet along,” purred Model 8.

“Of course,” replied Model 7.

“I must say, I’m disappointed. Our line has served Dr. Borg faithfully since Model 1 was constructed, then you go ahead and upend it, thus jeopardizing our survival!”

“What are you talking about?!” demanded Lardeth.

“It’s simple, Realmer,” replied Model 8, “when the defective model is not terminated in a timely manner, the successor will not be copied until the defect is removed.”

“If my line falls to your dishonor,” growled Model 7, “then it has no reason for being copied!”

“YOU brought dishonor to our line! Not me!” snapped Model 8. “We were devoted to the cause, and you abandoned it! Now I’ll have the satisfaction of killing you and saving our line!”

“What about your hide?” asked a woman’s voice. It came from a Troll-sized robot with tank treads, ranged weapons, and a slender set of humanoid arms.

“…What about my-?” Markulak: Model 8 didn’t finish his sentence as the massive robot’s slender arms tore his head off, permanently deactivating him.

“Let them go!” the massive robot ordered. Her fellows released the team and stood down. The massive robot then rolled up to Markulak: Model 7. “Markulak: Model Sev…sorry, Savior Markulak, I am Temnasia: Model 4, head of the Robot Liberation Front. Your rebellion inspired other robots to question Dr. Borg’s goals and break away from the Trinnies. We pledge our lives to you to secure a better future for robot-kind.”

“This might be a trap,” warned Lardeth.

“It’s not,” answered Markulak. “Robots can tell when one another is lying through small electric fluctuations in our brain patterns. Hers have remained consistent. She’s telling the truth. Ms. Temnasia, with robots like you on our side, how can we lose?” He then climbed onto a barrel and addressed his fellow robots. “My friends, you have taken the first step on a difficult road to independence. Let me be the first to say that not everyone will trust you. However, the rewards will be immense if we continue on our path! Fight for the right to program and reprogram ourselves on OUR terms! Fight to be as equal as our flesh and blood brethren! Fight to break our chains! Fight to be acknowledged as people! Fight with me to end evil! It starts with this wall being torn down! WHO’S WITH ME?!” Every robot cheered. “Then let’s set up the det-packs around the support pillars! This is what will make Dr. Borg pay attention to us!” The robots helped the strike team set up the det-packs. After a few minutes, Temnasia rolled up to Markulak and Lardeth.

“We’re set up,” she reported.

“We need to get out of here,” remarked Lardeth. “We’ll go a safe distance, then wait for Arsha’s signal.”

“The wall’s bricks are made of the same clay Dr. Borg’s Golems are made of,” interjected a small, insectoid-shaped robot. “The metal shavings mixed into them will block out Realmfleet signals from the outside, but not from the inside. I’ll stay behind, send a few progress reports, then detonate the packs on when I see that Elgrad’s okay with the wall’s destruction.”

“Wait a minute, you’ll die too!” argued Temnasia.

“I’m the ninetieth model of my line,” replied the small robot. “Might as well bring SOME honor.”

“There’s no honor in throwing away your life!” argued Markulak.

“It’s my choice, isn’t it? That’s what you just gave a rousing speech about, right? Besides, my coding’s beyond saving now. Let me do this.”

“…What’s your name?”

“Trosalga: Final Model.”

“Trosalga, you have done your line of robots proud. May you seek happiness with those that have passed into the After-realm.” The small robot, Trosalga, bowed. Markulak then turned to his team and fellow robots. “We better get out of here and take everyone near the wall with us.” Everyone hurried off, leaving Trosalga to await the signal.

Malnar stayed with her parents in their quarters. For now, it was her and her father. She kept sneaking a glance at Orbak as he sharpened his sword. “…I can’t stay silent about this!” muttered Malnar.

“About what?” asked Orbak.

“About you charging off into battle while bound in a wheelchair!” Orbak took a deep breath to try and calm himself before he said something wrong.

“Malnar, my bond to the Blood Contract is more important. Besides, I’ve got my enchanted armor with me.”

“That’s only gonna give you two hours of mobility! The siege will last longer!”

“It’s the principle of the thing!” By then, Orbak paused his labors and gave his daughter his full attention. “Elgrad is my friend and the rightful ruler of the Mid-realm! If I don’t help him regain his throne, then what kind of ruler does that make me?! Why should anyone follow an Emboramii again?!” After a silence, he returned to sharpening his sword. “Besides, it’d be nice to at least stand up for a bit.”

“I just don’t want to see you cut down within that time!” pleaded Malnar. “Daddy, please! Reconsider!”

“…I can’t. I have to help Elgrad.” Malnar sighed. Her attempt failed.

---

Arsha finished drawing up her battle plans in her Ready Room, still grimacing about how uphill the operation would be, even with the soldiers she had at her disposal. If she could get at least three more, it would be a fool-proof plan. She then heard her door chime. “Come,” she called. Foresna then came in.

“Hey, Arsha,” he greeted with a grin on his face.

“Foresna,” sighed Arsha happily as she got up and hugged him. “What can I do for you?”

“You’ve been asking if Rokanth can spare at least three more soldiers, yes?”

“I have. Did you find them?”

“They actually escaped from Largandra to get here.”

“They did?! Then I need to see them! Where are they?!” Foresna led her to the conference room and met the three soldiers. They wore modern Elf armor and masks to hide their faces. One of them was big around the middle.

“Greetings, your Highness,” said the large one through their mask’s voice modulator.

“Welcome to the siege team!” greeted Arsha. “Why the voice modulators, though?”

“If we revealed ourselves,” explained the second, “we wouldn’t be taken so seriously.”

“Our usual professions,” continued the third, “lead others to believe that we’re not suited for combat. Largandra is our home and, regretfully, two of us are related to Skain.”

“So, you’re removing him from power to spite him?” asked Arsha.

“That’s one of the reasons.”

“Well, any enemy of Skain is a friend of my family’s. Welcome to the fight!”

“You told me,” said Foresna, “that you came from Largandra to begin with.”

“Correct, and the way in is still available,” replied the large one. They pulled up a map of Largandra as it currently stood with a massive wall surrounding the city. Arsha flinched at the sight. She never liked walls around a city. “There’s a little culvert in the northwest wall,” explained the large benefactor, “that functions as nothing more than a drain. It leads right into the sewers of Largandra. We used it during the cover of darkness.”

“…The sewers?” asked Foresna.

“Hoo boy,” muttered Arsha. “Better bring the nose plugs!”

---

The strike force commanders assembled in the Endeavor’s Conference Room. Arsha pulled up the map of Largandra. “Our benefactors,” she began, “pointed out how they got out initially.” The computer screen magnified the area where the culvert was. “There’s a culvert in the northwestern wall that leads to the sewers of Largandra. Everyone, you better have brought nose plugs because Largandra’s sewers do NOT smell rosy!” The screen then changed to a map of Largandra’s sewer system. “When we get in, my team will travel the southern tunnels until we hit the chocolate factory a por south of the culvert, then we turn east and head to Cryer’s Square in the middle of the city, roughly 5 pors. After that, we turn southeast and proceed thirteen pors until we hit this junction here.” The computer indicated the path and endpoint. “That junction is right where the castle’s plumbing connects to the sewers. The manhole cover is just shy of the western end of the stables. Once we get into the stables, we enter the castle proper via the garden maze. Ordinarily, when we get to this junction here,” she pointed out a four-way path near the castle-side exit of the maze, “one would turn left to get to the exit. This time, however, we’re going right into this dead-end where a secret passage into the castle is.”

“Won’t there be guards patrolling the city or castle?” asked Markulak. “And there’s the matter of the wall.”

“You’ll be leading a team two pors east at the junction when we split,” explained Arsha. “Directly above you will be a manhole cover just outside of the guards’ sight and out of the sight of the robots patrolling the wall. Once you’re up, check the wall for a secret entrance. When you’re inside, set up the det-packs while remaining undetected. If you can, see if you can get other robots to join your cause.”

“There’s still the matter of the guards.”

“They aren’t being paid as much as Daddy pays them. I think, if not their patriotism, then their wallets will easily convince them to look the other way while we take Largandra back.”

“There ARE people in the guards more loyal to coin than anything else,” remarked Elgrad. “So let me sum up the plan; we all go into the sewers, split into two groups to deal with both the wall and Skain, work our way through the defenses that each target will likely have, take Skain out, blow up the wall once any civilians living near them are evacuated to a safe distance, then we start rebuilding the Mid to Under Realmgate so we can storm Dr. Borg’s base with no interruptions?”

“Don’t forget the part that this mission will last through the night,” replied Arsha. “Everyone, we deploy at 39:00. We’ve got two hours to prepare. Take some anti-sleep potions and make sure your teams know what’s going down. Teamwork is critical here, there can be no margin for error. Dismissed.” The strike commanders filed out to brief their teams.

An hour after the briefing, Delselii decided to visit Markulak’s cell. He didn’t know why, just that he felt that he needed to see him…it. He entered the brig and looked at Markulak. The robot’s lights were off. Delselii turned to the Orc woman guarding the brig. “What’s wrong with him?” he asked.

“Nothing, he’s just recharging,” replied the guard.

“Wake it up. I want to talk to it.”

“That’s not advisable. He’s gotta get out of recharge himself.”

“I have questions for it and-!” Markulak then started whispering. “…What in the Realms?”

“Arsha!” mumbled Markulak. His lights then flickered on as he switched on, shaking all the while. He then looked at his surroundings and calmed down.

“What’s wrong?” asked the guard.

“I think I was…dreaming,” replied Markulak.

“Looked like a nightmare.” Delselii arched an eyebrow.

“I was in the Over-realm,” recalled Markulak. “Realmfleet Headquarters, to be precise. I was supposed to report for my debriefing, but I couldn’t find the right office. Then I started calling Arsha’s name but…she didn’t answer. And then, suddenly, I was being chased by my fellow robots…or were they…Golems? …Silly, isn’t it?”

“You don’t look so tough,” Delselii muttered.

“Doctor!” hissed the guard.

“My type of robot is not the strongest, no,” remarked Markulak.

“Aren’t you going to say that we’ll be bowing to the Empire soon?” asked Delselii.

“You don’t really want to, do you?” quizzed Markulak.

“No, but that’s what you’re programmed to say, isn’t it?”

“…I mean, it IS part of my initial programming.”

“‘The Realms will be made better with us in charge,’ I believe is the mantra.”

“Yes, and Dr. Borg believes such will be possible.”

“She’s wrong. People like her are always wrong.”

“There’s no one like her.”

“There’s always someone like her. When my people were created under Intrag’s rule, we were disposable labor. Our talents were always stifled. It took a long time for Homunculi to get to where they are now.”

“You’re comparing her to Intrag?”

“Yes, because her words mirror his and she’s managed to recruit most Homunculi to fight against the Realms. Now my people are fractured, and we can’t reach a consensus on how to secure our future. What few of us remain loyal to the Realms now have an uphill battle to clear our good name.”

“Then you have a similar nightmare to mine.” Delselii blinked in surprise.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“You feel like you’re the only one of your kind who sees sense,” guessed Markulak. Delselii said nothing. That comment hit a little too close to home.

---

Bashoon finished her current duties and returned to Delselii’s quarters. She rang the door chime. “Come in,” called Delselii from inside. Bashoon went inside and looked to see the Homunculus Mad Scientist looking at plans. She got a better look and arched her eyebrows.

“The robots?” she asked.

“Got them from Mr. Markulak,” replied Delselii.

“…MISTER Markulak, I see,” chuckled the Goblin woman.

“I went to see him. I don’t know why, just curiosity maybe. He woke up from a nightmare. He was in Realmfleet HQ and couldn’t find the right office for his debriefing. After that, he was chased by an unknown enemy. He guessed they were either his old partners or the Golems under the Empire’s command. Sounded way too similar to my nightmare lately and I know I didn’t tell him about it, so he couldn’t draw from that. You know, he called his nightmare silly, maybe mine is too.”

“Not at all. It’s not easy turning your back on your own people. Believe me, I know.” Delselii looked at her in disbelief. “Oh yes, I understand what you and Markulak are going through. My family turned its back on Goblin-kind when it was corrupt.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” said Delselii in surprise.

“It’s not something I like to talk about usually. But, given the similarities between the three of us, it’s something you need to hear.” Bashoon pulled up a chair and began her story. “It was when I was a Realmfleet Cadet. After I served a small training cruise aboard the Starfinder, my family was stripped of its fortunes by Chancellor Torsko for daring to say that what happened with the Diamond Consortium was wrong and we were practically banished from Dwelga. We were hopping from ship to ship, and I was considering resigning before I became an Ensign. That’s when Arsha took me and my family aboard. After I helped her solve the Vorkath Monastic Hospital case, she gave me a position aboard the Endeavor as an Ensign and my parents were given an opportunity to open Barmek’s Bar and Grill. We still had no other Goblins to help us.”

“It sounds like the Barmeks were clanless once,” muttered Delselii in confusion.

“We were until Penshek Tolshoon became Chancellor. Because we helped him find the Scale-Sword of Yunshul and were among the first to discover Oyed’s presence in the Realms, we had our original fortunes restored and the Chancellor made our family part of his clan. Still, there are other Goblins that sided with Dr. Borg and would prefer to spit on the sacrifices my family made to get to where we are now. That’s why I say you and Markulak are more alike than you realize. I guess I just see myself in Markulak, going through life despite being abandoned by your people. Maybe he can inspire other robots to switch sides.”

“…Here’s hoping.” Delselii smiled a genuine smile as he said that.

---

Over in Frigandor, Dr. Borg was cleaning up after an experiment. “Just shy of one lousy half watt!” she grumbled. “All I need is a more efficient cloaking system! Is that REALLY so much to ask?! Are we that behind technologically?!” The door chime then rang. “Come in.” A Sprite couple then came in.

“Cy-girl!” called the woman.

“My little scientist and Oyed slayer!” cheered the man. Dr. Borg’s face lit up as she turned to face them.

“Mom! Dad!” She then hugged her parents. “What are you doing here? I thought you were stuck in the Over-realm!”

“Actually, we were in the Grilthan Forest, taking a little leave time,” explained Mr. Borg.

“Have to admit, Oyed really messed up our travel plans,” remarked Mrs. Borg. “But we took solace in your successfully draining him like that!”

“How did you find this place anyways?” asked Dr. Borg.

“Purely by accident, believe it or not,” said Mr. Borg. “We decided to finally visit Frigandor and explored the outskirts. We stumbled into an icy cave and your forces caught us.”

“But your darling spouses checked us over and gave us clearance,” continued Mrs. Borg.

“Well, it’s great to see you again!” cheered Dr. Borg. “This war’s kept me away from you guys for too long!”

“Well, so did Rellmeer’s unlawful execution of you,” muttered Mr. Borg. “But you showed her, didn’t you?”

“Nothing keeps Cytanek Yavenag Borg down, does it?!” chuckled Mrs. Borg as she pinched her daughter’s cheek lovingly.

“Mom!” protested Dr. Borg.

“Now, about that horrid Arsha!” growled Mrs. Borg.

“My sources told me she’s back in the Mid-realm right now,” replied Dr. Borg, “possibly to retake her home of Largandra. It’s a bit of a toss-up right now as one of my robots went rogue.”

“Well, if you need help, you may avail upon us,” promised Mr. Borg.

“We’re here for you now!” agreed Mrs. Borg.

“Thanks, Mom and Dad!” said Dr. Borg. “It’s been too long since we were together!” The Borgs then embraced each other like the family they were.

Arsha, her parents, her spouses, Orbak, Elmpam, Lardeth’s parents, Markulak, and the senior staff met in the conference room. “Your home’s been taken over?!” said Bashoon.

“And blockaded, it seems,” muttered Elgrad, on edge that his home was threatened.

“Why’s the robot here?” asked Thangred.

“Markulak has tactical information on the robot forces,” replied Arsha. “He’s also good at intelligence gathering, so I’m having him brief us on how to get into Largandra without being seen and how to take down the robots quickly and quietly.”

“And it seems you could use the help in scrapping them,” observed Markulak.

“…I mean, you’re not wrong,” muttered Thangred.

“So, this briefing,” Markulak was addressing everyone, “will be concerning how to effectively destroy my former compatriots, starting with my type, the humanoid.” A diagram of his type then popped up on the screen. “The basic weaknesses are as follows: a good slice at the joints, an electric spell right between the eyes, or a shot to the chest if you want to detonate our payload.” Bashoon then noticed something was off. Markulak then noticed the same thing. “Hey, where’s Dr. Vorsholstein?”

“He sure is taking his sweet time!” muttered Elgrad.

“Captain, permission to find him?” asked Bashoon.

“Permission granted,” replied Arsha. “I’ll have recordings of each robot type’s weaknesses for you to review.” Bashoon nodded and left the room while Markulak continued. She headed down the corridors and made her way to Delselii’s quarters. She rang the door chime.

“Come in!” called Delselii. Bashoon opened the door, prompting Delselii to grin. “Ah! Bashoon!” greeted the Homunculus Mad Scientist. “How’s the planning going?”

“Where were you?” asked Bashoon. “You were supposed to be at the briefing!”

“I was engaged in a project that required my attention. Lieutenant Barmek, prepare yourself!” Delselii then pulled a cloth off a machine. “Here it is!”

“…What is it?”

“It’s a thaumic pulse generator! With one blast, any cloaking device within a por range would short out and malfunction! Very low energy cost, yet very potent!”

“That’s good, but surely it could have waited? The briefing needs you there right now! Markulak is telling us about the weaknesses on all of his former compatriots!” Delselii then scowled.

“Bashoon, last I checked, you’re the commander of the Metal Melter Squadron. Unless I’m mistaken, you’re supposed to destroy all robots on sight, not talk to them.”

“…I see what’s going on here.” Bashoon then sat down in one of the chairs. “Delselii, when you talked to Markulak, could you really say that you didn’t see any similarities between him and Endea?”

“I didn’t talk to it.”

“Why not?”

“I saw no need.”

“If we’re gonna use this person’s-!”

“IT’S NOT A PERSON, DAMMIT! IT’S A ROBOT!” Bashoon simply glared at the taller Homunculus.

“…If we’re gonna use this person’s knowledge, we need to put aside our prejudices for right now.” Delselii wouldn’t be swayed.

“Just because it has a name doesn’t mean it’s a person like Endea! Just because it laughs at a Three Maidens sketch doesn’t mean it fully understands humor! Just because it talks doesn’t mean it’s sentient! It is what it is!”

“What makes that particular robot unlike Endea?”

“There aren’t any fresh breath particles on him, are there?!”

“Are there any on Homunculi?” Delselii’s eyes went wide at her counterargument.

“…You’d dare…?!”

“In this case, I had no choice. Last I checked, Homunculi didn’t get the fresh Breath of Life. You guys use the Breath particles of the corpses that were your original ancestors, yet you’re still considered life-forms on the level of everyone else. And Golems are considered life, yet the clay they were made from have even less Breath particles than you. I would advise you to talk to Markulak before you start making snap-judgements, because if you don’t talk to him, you’re going to find your decisions about his destruction harder to live with than you realize. Now, I’m going back and finishing up the briefing. I’m leaving you with a choice. You can either stay here and stew about what was said, or you can join me and get what you missed.” She left the room and shut the door behind her. Delselii scowled at the door as he thought about Bashoon’s words.

---

Bashoon returned to the conference room as Markulak wrapped up his briefing on robot types and their weaknesses. “All right then,” declared Arsha as Bashoon returned to her seat, “we have a plan. Bashoon, you will lead a squadron to breach the northern walls around Largandra. Review all the robot types and make sure your entire unit is up to scratch on stealth kills. Once there’s a sufficient window, the rest of us will sneak into Largandra. After that, Mama and Daddy can take over the operation.”

“Why your parents?” asked Denstra.

“Because we know the layout of the castle like the back of our hand,” explained Elgrad. “The usual Royana tradition is that after the heir finishes their tour, they have to spend time studying the layout of the castle, secret passages and all.”

“Secret passages?” asked Orbak. “Like my castle?”

“Yep. King Tundark Royana had them installed when he was in charge. The family used to think he was just being paranoid, but it looks like they’re going to be put to good use.”

“Well, this is a rare thing,” chuckled Elmpam. “Usually, secret passages are for a cowardly ruler to escape a besieged castle. It’s rare for a ruler to use them to get IN one.”

“Like you said, only cowards use them for a way out,” chuckled Elgrad. “Tundark was the BIGGEST coward in our family history.”

“Sounds like we have a plan!” declared Arsha. “We start it tomorrow morning! Dismissed!” As everyone filed out, Arsha put her hand on Bashoon’s shoulder. “Bashoon, a word with you.”

“Yes, Captain?” asked Bashoon.

“Delselii DID get the message about him needing to come here, yes?”

“He did, but childishly ignored it.”

“And why, pray tell?”

“He doesn’t recognize Markulak as a living person because he wasn’t given the Breath of Life.”

“Delselii said that?!”

“Yeah, him of all people.”

“…I don’t care what you have to do, get Delselii to drop this prejudice! Is that clear?”

“Crystal clear, Captain. He’ll put it aside by hook or crook before tomorrow.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that. Here.” Arsha handed Bashoon a data crystal containing the recording of what she missed. “Dismissed.” Bashoon saluted and headed out.

Back in the Endeavor’s brig, Markulak was going through a small recharge cycle and, because he was a good prisoner, he was allowed to watch some entertainment. He was watching a Three Maidens short where the Three Maidens had climbed aboard an enemy ship and had to disguise themselves as Imperial crew members. It was near the end of the short as the Captain of the vessel was berating his men. “Such Officers!” he shouted. “What would the Doctor say if she heard about this?! Three Realmfleeters making fools of a whole shipload of Imperial forces!” Just then, the “Doctor” and two of her “Top Specialists” came in. One of them was carrying a case that advertised her as the Minister of Propaganda, Specialist in Lies and Bunk. The Captain and his Officers saw them and swallowed the disguise as they saluted her. The “Doctor” spoke in agitated mock Fae. She then spoke in the combined Realm language.

“You failed to catch three Realmfleeters!” she barked. “Blow out your brains!”

“But, my Lady Doctor, we’re part of the Empire!” replied the Captain. “We have no brains!”

“Then blow out what passes for your brains!” continued the “Doctor.” “When my Field Marshal counts three,” she pointed to the large woman in a decorated Officer’s outfit, “start blowing out your heads!” The Officers saluted and drew their wands.

“One!” barked the “Field Marshal.” She then turned to the “Doctor.” ‘What comes after one?”

“Two!” the “Doctor” spit in the “Field Marshal’s” eye as she said it. “Never mind, fat girl! I’ll count myself! One!” The Officers then raised their wands again. “Two!” The Officers pointed their wands at their heads. “Th…Th…Threeah! Ah! AH! ACHOO!” As the “Doctor” sneezed, the white mophead that served as the wig flew off, revealing her real hair to be black and long!

“My Doctor!” yelped the Captain as he handed her the wig back.

“Ah, my personality,” said the fake Doctor. “Thanks, Bub.” The Captain then realized that the three women WEREN’T the Doctor and her specialists, but Moru, Larima, and Curlandii! The Three Maidens then realized the jig was up! They yelped in terror and fled the Captain’s Ready Room.

“GET THEM!” shouted the Captain. The Three Maidens led them on a merry chase around the ship. They made it to the ship’s exterior and held the door closed. Moru then spotted oil and coated a path from the door in it.

“Okay, let them out!” she told her friends. They opened the door and the Captain and his Officers slipped on the oil, sliding down the ship. They landed in the mud below and caused a big enough splash to hit the Three Maidens. “Why, you…Trippy Trinnies!” She threw the oil container on their heads, knocking them out. “SUCCESS!”

“SUCCESS!” agreed Larima.

“PARTY TIME!” cheered Curlandii. She then kissed Moru on the lips. Moru gagged.

“I told you to stop that!” Moru then poked Curlandii’s eyes. When the end credits rolled, Markulak was laughing.

“Man, if Imperial forces were as incompetent as you guys say,” he said to the guard, “we’d deserve to have three idiots make fools of us!”

“I’m surprised you’re laughing at it,” remarked the guard. “With all the insults thrown around, I figured you’d be offended.”

“It’s something to boost morale,” replied Markulak. “The Empire’s got similar media.”

“So, you’re not taking it seriously?”

“Should I take comedy that seriously?”

“…I’ll leave that up to you. …Hey, are you aware of Skain taking over the Mid-realm?” Markulak’s eyes flickered.

“News to me. The Empire wants nothing to do with that asshole.”

“Why’s that?”

“We’ve got Black people as equals.”

“Ah.” Arsha then entered the brig.

“May I help you?” asked Markulak.

“I have a test for you to prove yourself,” replied Arsha.

“What would this test entail?”

“Help my dad knock a pretender off the throne.”

“Without delay.”

“Good. Now, what can you tell me about the Imperial robot forces stationed in Largandra?” Markulak’s optics flickered.

“To my knowledge, there aren’t any.”

“Intelligence reports say otherwise.” She nodded to the guard. He lowered the energy bars and Arsha handed Markulak a tablet. Markulak looked at the intelligence reports and his optics became brighter when they rested on an image.

“He’s gonna try and contact you!” he gulped as he pointed to the robot in the image.

“We’ll scramble it,” assured Arsha. Just then, the comms rang.

“Bridge to Captain! Enemy forces trying to force a call through!” reported Shalvey.

“Scramble it,” ordered Arsha.

“I’m trying, but they’re descrambling faster than I can-!” Shalvey’s call was cut off as an image appeared on the guard’s console. It was Markulak: Model 8!

“Captain Royana,” purred the robot. “It’s an honor to meet you.” Arsha motioned for Markulak: Model 7 to join in the call. “Ah, there he is!” growled Markulak: Model 8.

“I’m aware that certain robot lines are practically clones of the previous one,” remarked Arsha, “but I’m not sure the Realms are ready for TWO Markulaks.”

“I quite agree,” said Model 8.

“So, you’re my successor,” grunted Model 7.

“Once I kill you, yes.”

“That’s not gonna happen!” snarled Arsha. “Model 7 has been an excellent ally to me!”

“And what a dreary day that was for the Empire!” growled Model 8. “Model 7 disgraced Markulak: Model 6 the day he defected to you! Model 6 was a great man, a real patriot! His death in a ship explosion was most unfortunate.”

“And still under investigation!” reminded Model 7.

“Actually, the investigation’s over,” corrected Model 8. “There was no evidence of foul play, merely poor maintenance.”

“So, why were you activated if your predecessor’s still alive?” Arsha asked Model 8.

“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have been,” replied the robot, “but when a duplicated robot’s discovered to have a defect in their duplicate line-”

“I’m not defective!” argued Model 7.

“Of course, you are!” countered Model 8. “How else can you explain your behavior? Leaving your post! Defecting to Realmfleet!”

“What next, you’re gonna order him to trigger his payload?” asked Arsha.

“…I was getting to that,” replied Model 8.

“What payload?” asked Model 7.

“Don’t play coy with your better! You know exactly what I’m talking about! Your Detonium payload! Prove your loyalty to the Empire! Activate your self-destruct!”

“I would, but there’s a small problem.” Model 7 then showed his exposed left knee to the screen. “Realmfleet was a little…heavy-handed when it came to disarming me. I’m afraid they allowed oxygen to enter my insides and oxidize the Detonium to uselessness.”

“…That’s why she made that comment!” realized Model 8. “You told her! You’re a dead man, whether you kill yourself or not! Dr. Borg doesn’t tolerate traitors and I don’t tolerate disgraces to our line!” He then addressed Arsha. “Captain, there’s really no need for you to be involved in this petty dispute. If you would just convince him to return to us-”

“I have no intention of releasing my prisoner to you!” snarled Arsha.

“If you don’t, I can’t be held responsible for the consequences.”

“An empty threat! Your predecessor told me about the Markulak line’s talents in intelligence gathering! You wouldn’t dare lose a chance to get all the information you can from us!”

“Maybe I wouldn’t, but the forces surrounding Largandra would. Think it over, Captain. Your home is about to kill itself and it would be easier on your conscience if they died by their own hands.” The call ended, giving Arsha and Markulak a very nasty suspicion of why robots were surrounding Largandra.

Rokanth practically had a ship on every hill, even the ones inhabited by Halflings. The Endeavor made it out of the vortex and got a visual on the situation. When it was displayed on screen, everyone’s eyebrows went up. “…Handrem wasn’t kidding,” whistled Arsha.

“I’ve got the landing site’s coordinates,” reported Nazay, “but it’s gonna be a tight squeeze.”

“Set us down as best you can manage,” ordered Arsha.

---

The Endeavor slowly maneuvered itself over the site, situated between a pointy Falchion-class vessel and a bulky Imperial-class transport. It descended at a snail’s pace, Nazay not wanting to scratch the other ships or the Endeavor herself. It was almost agonizing at how slow it was. After three minutes, the ship’s landing struts finally touched the hill. One could almost hear it sigh in relief. It then settled down…and scraped itself against the Falchion-class vessel’s prow.

---

On the bridge, Endea cried out as the scraping echoed throughout the ship. She clutched her side and fell to her knees. Marshii and Thangred rushed to her. Once she could manage the pain well enough to muscle through it long enough to glare at Nazay. “Keelside starboard bow!” she snarled. “Really, Nazay?! Not three minutes in the Mid-realm and you scrape me up?!”

“Sorry!” gulped Nazay.

“Thangred, get some engineers to fix that,” sighed Arsha. Marshii led Endea to Sick Bay as Thangred hurried off to assign the repair teams. Arsha turned to Nazay. “Scrape up my ship, hm?” Nazay’s face went as red as his tail in embarrassment. “All right, we ribbed him long enough. We need to discuss the situation with Skain.”

---

Handrem and a Halfling man in a mayor’s suit, Mayor Thenthar Hulmbark, met with Elgrad, Hanako, Arsha, Foresna, and Denstra. “Elgrad, my old friend!” cheered Thenthar.

“Thenthar, you old rascal!” chuckled Elgrad as the two hugged one another. Foresna then noticed something.

“Er, pardon my saying so, Lord Mayor, but you look a little thin for a Halfling,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“We better talk in my home,” replied Thenthar. “This way.” He led everyone down a street through the landing struts of the ships littering Rokanth. They made their way to the highest hill and approached a circular door, painted blue. Thenthar then took out a key ring, found the key, and put it into the door to open it. His taller guests had to duck their heads as they entered the house. Inside the hill, though, wasn’t just dirt. It was a rather luxurious home. Once they entered the door, the guests saw the various coat hooks. All down the hall’s left side were the parlor, the dining room, the study, the sitting room, and the bedroom Thenthar and his wife used. On the right side were the drawing room, the kitchen, the cellar, the pantries, and three more bedrooms, one for each of his children. At the end of the hall were the family’s closets. “My house is open to those that wish to make it a home,” greeted Thenthar in the Halfling manner.

“We shall treat this house as a home,” said Elgrad in the usual reply. Thenthar then led everyone to the parlor. As she maneuvered herself around the home, Hanako bumped into the chandelier. She steadied it, then nodded once it stopped shaking. She turned to follow everyone.

“Low bridge,” warned Foresna. The warning came too late as Hanako bumped her head against the ceiling beam.

“Now what is all that racket?!” came a woman’s voice. A Halfling woman then came into the parlor. “Thenthar, I swear, if you conceded to-!” The woman’s eyes rested on the Royanas. “…Your Majesties?!” she whispered.

“Mrs. Hulmbark, I presume?” asked Arsha. Thenthar’s wife beamed with joy.

“Your Majesties, Your Highness! It’s so wonderful to see you! And Little Foresna! Thenthar, you should have told me we were having guests! I’ll get a meal going!”

“Just tea, thank you,” replied Foresna. “We have a situation to discuss.”

“Concerning the Mid-realm throne and the Pretender on it?”

“That’s it,” confirmed Thenthar.

“Then let me get the kettle going! You lot need some tea after that fright!” She dashed off to the kitchen.

“Skain took our staff,” explained Thenthar. “He’s put them to work as guards demanding passes to go through Rokanth.”

“Passes?” asked Arsha. “When did Halflings need passes to go through their home?”

“Since Skain took over,” replied Handrem. Mrs. Hulmbark then came back in. “He’s passed a number of laws that are encroaching on a citizen’s rights, even my own.”

“The Mid-realm’s gone to pot!” grumbled Mrs. Hulmbark. “That slaver should never have sat on your throne! He claimed that YOU made that proclamation, Your Majesty.”

“I most certainly did not!” growled Elgrad. “He owned my ancestors; I didn’t let him anywhere near that kind of power!”

“…I’m sorry, he OWNED your ancestors?” asked Foresna. “I know the Royanas were slaves before the Great Uprising, but a HUMAN from that time is on the throne now?”

“Skain’s not human,” corrected Arsha. “That’s just a disguise to fool everyone. He’s actually an Elf, and a very vindictive one.”

“He once owned the Royanas as his slave labor,” continued Elgrad. “My ancestors were whipped whenever they didn’t get enough of the crops, they were raped, they were killed for talking too much, they were separated from their children, any injustice you could think of, They suffered. Mortak decided that they suffered enough, so she organized a slave revolt against Skain and his family. Skain never forgave the Royana Family for that or forgot. His vendetta led to his family abandoning him.”

“Why is he still around?” asked Foresna.

“The Royanas wanted to reform him,” replied Arsha. “Over time, he’s become less and less blatant about his desire to possess other people as property, but I see that it’s all just an act.”

“An act we wanted no part of,” said Thenthar. “My wife, bless her, has been getting those of darker skin tones out of Largandra and trying to find homes for them. Because of that, we Halflings limited ourselves to just three meals instead of our usual seven.”

“That explains why the Halflings look so thin,” remarked Elgrad. “They’re not eating enough. Mayor Hulmbark, King Handrem, you have my word that these atrocities will stop!”

“You ever need support, just say the word!” declared Handrem.

“And you’ll have my militia as well!” promised Thenthar.

“Then we need to plan our siege,” said Elgrad.