The Grand Catastrophe

…

“Well, the city has been abandoned for a while now. The advance of the quagoa messed with everyone’s everything and all the people from here, were sent over to the capital city,” Gondo explained to the little girl, and she nodded her head.

That was to be expected, something like that. Or at least, that was what Momonga thought. Right now, she was invisible and right behind Aura as the dwarve described what had happened. These people, from what she was hearing, were on the back foot in some kind of race war.

“What are you doing here then, if it’s got those quagoa guys running around?” she asked, and Gondo flinched.

It seemed to be a somewhat private subject, so Momonga was going to tell Aura to be quiet and push the dwarve. Yet, Gondo spoke up anyway. His tone was dire. It was as if he had been struck. Really, it was a bit jarring.

“I’m here mining for rare metals that I need for rune crafting. Rune crafting is a dying art of my people. Most people that still use the art and do the trade drink away their sorrows. I want to make it better again. Make it what it once was,” he said, and Aura nodded her head.

“I came here to learn about rune magic,” she said with a bit of prodding from Momonga.

Gondo looked up at her a slightly suspicious gaze. The younger dwarve looking at the girl with a gaze that simply spoke of a man who had gotten his hopes up before. He also didn’t seem to believe a child, over what could have been said by an adult.

“Where are you from again kid?” he asked as he grabbed all of his stuff, and she responded.

“Oh, I’m from the Sorceress's Kingdom of Nazarick,” she said, and Gondo looked at her funny, “We’re a new nation,” she told him, and he nodded his head.

“Of course, I was wondering why I had never heard of it. Though, I’ve got to ask why you’re here all by yourself? Didn’t you bring someone with you, or were you brought along with another?” he asked, and she nodded her head.

“Well yeah, I came with my queen,” she said simply, and the man’s eyes widened.

He stopped grabbing his things, and looked to her. He seemed a bit shooketh by this. He looked at her for a second, and sighed. He spoke then. His voice was tired, and he seemed done with life for a solid second. Talking to a kid for a minute or two really sapped his mental strength.

“Well alright then, I guess heard about our nation and wants to make a diplomatic visit?” he asked, and she nodded her head, “That’s cool,” he continued simply.

“Yeah, she’s heard about your runecraft and wanted to figure out how it works and stuff. She really likes different types of magic, and wants to learn it all. She’s just outside of the cave we’re in. Come on,” she said and grabbed his sleeve, and he chuckled at her antics.

Momonga smiled at this. She decided that she liked Gondo, this little dwarve. She reached the entrance and deactivated her spell keeping from sight before the two reached the rest entrance. She only had to wait for second or two before they got there.

The rest of them, being, just Zenberu standing there, literally twiddling his thumbs. The lizardman didn’t seem all that entertained by standing in a dark cave that had been a town until less than a decade ago. She smiled in his general direction, and nodded as the other got there.

Aura soon stopped in front of Momonga. She dropped the dwarves hand, and held out her arms with a silent smile and demand on her face. Momonga let out the largest smile she could, which was rather small when compared to the average human smile, and plucked her and placed her on her shoulders.

Gondo stopped in front of the two of them in some form of silent wonder. Momonga then decided to introduce herself. He seemed stuck in a funk after all.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am the God-queen of the Sorceress’s Kingdom of Nazarick. I know it’s a bit of a large title, but I like think I’m an otherwise normal queen. Despite the undead nature of course,” she said with a chuckle.

“Did you really mean it?” he asked.

“What do you mean? I’ve come here for multiple reasons,” she asked, and he looked up at her with determined eyes.

“I mean, did you really mean what you said about the Runesmiths? Are you really interested in us?” he asked, and she nodded her head, “The rest of my people don’t really think we’re of any worth. The rest of them too, they don’t put any weight behind their craft anymore. They drink their sorrows away, as if that’ll fix it all. The focus more on becoming magic casters, rather than learning the craft,” he said and looked to the earth in a bit of sadness.

“What could we possibly give in return? Runecraft takes a lot of time. A lot more people have talents for magic casters which work better for enchants the rest of my people see no worth in our craft. What could we possibly give you?” he asked with finality.

She could tell that he was the most serious fan of his craft that she had ever met before. He loved what his people did in their past, and wanted them to do more of it.

It reminded her of her old world, how people would just walk away from whatever wasn’t needed. It reminded her of her old friends, who just left because of different life choices. She sighed in mind. Her words that she spoke were serious, like his own. They held weight.

“I like niche things. I like the magic that no one has ever heard of before. I like having all the cards in my deck, stacked against whatever I may find myself against,” she was silent for a second, “I know what’s it’s like to be the sole person carrying history, the stories of those past, on their shoulders,” she said, and looked at the dwarves with a sly smile.

“Just give me one thing. Just one little thing,” she said suddenly at last.

“That is?” he asked in return.

“Your soul,” she whispered out, and he smiled and laughed out loud as he tilted his head back.

He laughed for a solid minute. His voice became Hoarse after a minute or two, and he coughed.

“If my soul, little thing that it is, is enough. Then yes, I give you all that I am and more if it means you’re aid,” he said.

…