Part I: Time is But a Circle
The old stone walls still stood, despite being almost entirely undisturbed for several years. Castle Helgarde was to be the great project of the old overseer; one of the fortress' great monuments. Yet for some reason the project was forgotten, and the dwarf turned to the caverns to construct the headquarters of the now defunct Miner's Guild. Still, what little was built of the castle managed to, ironically, out-live Helgarde himself, who died and was buried within the earth. If the rest of the fortress were to die overnight, their creations would still outlast them by one thousand years; such is the nature of the dwarves' creation.
Torvald stood against the stone wall inside of the ruins, thinking about the battle that had occurred the day prior. The goblins had sneaked in whilst the dwarves were trading, and a dragon came along as well to try its hand at the Demongate militia. All fall in Demongate; merchants fall to invaders, invaders to soldiers, and the very inhabitants of the fortress picked away at each other over the years. Torvald laid a glance on the soldiers marching outside of the barracks, some cradling broken bones and others looking forlornly at the spots where limbs were once attached. He, Torvald, took a slow, long drag from his cigar; times for relaxation came so infrequently these days that he liked enjoy every moment of his breaks.
The sudden sound of footsteps startled him, and he turned to see a familiar figure walk towards him. He was dressed all in bismuth bronze, and his prized sword was firmly attached to his belt. He too was smoking, though in his case it was a cigarette. He stood facing Torvald, though he did not look him directly in the eye.
"Are you Torvald?" he asked bluntly.
"Yessir, Captain Thanatos," was Torvald's response, "how are things going in the militia?"
"You're to follow me to the church."
"So this is him, yes?"
"Yes, your lordship. Although there is a lack of family resemblance, this is her brother."
"Then perhaps ve could be usingk him?"
Thanatos had led Torvald to a small group of dwarves. As it was comprised mostly of former overseers and founders of the fortress, many familiar dwarves could be seen there. The manager, duke, hammerer, chief medic, and commander all sat before him, exchanging glances with one another between the probing looks they gave him.
"What exactly do ya'll want with me?" Torvald asked.
"This committee is responsible for a majority of the legislature of Demongate," responded Tarmid. "You are no doubt aware of the previous year's overseer's insanity."
"I am. I suppose that did make ya'll a tad on edge."
"Correct," said Thane.
"So, this committee is really what's in charge of all 'round here. Tell me more about all of this. Was my sister on your committee?"
"No. In fact, she was quite opposed to it," said Cornelius.
"As for the committee secrets, ve do not discuss vith outsiders. Ve have proposal for you; take it or leave it."
"Overseeing Demongate has become a dangerous hassle," began Thane, "one which none of us have any interest in taking up at the moment. Seeing as you are one of the more stable members of the community, it was decided that you would be selected to take the helm."
"And what's in it for me? Why should I follow ya'll?"
"We are willing to make a deal: one year of overseeing and we will try to have your sister's remains returned to her birthplace."
"She grew quite apart from us in her late life," interjected Tarmid. "We all believe that she would have wanted to be buried as far away from Vlad as possible."
Torvald stood for a moment as he collected his thoughts. After about a minute of silence, a smile formed on his face, and he began to nod.
Torvald sat in his room with his pen and paper in hand. The committee had told him that it would not be necessary to announce himself, and that the people of Demongate would just accept that a new overseer had been selected; such is how things work in the fortress. Still, Torvald felt it was necessary to write to one person in particular. He began his letter:
Dear father,
The fortresses are now at my command. . . .
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Topic: Demongate: Wrapping up the Loose Ends. (Read 671063 times)