Book 2: Chapter 96 (1/2)

“Your Gloriousness!” a dwarf burst through a pair of double doors and panted as he placed his hands on his knees. “Your Gloriousness! Urgent news!”

“What is it?” Vur asked, dropping the penguin in his lap onto the floor beside him. It squawked and ran into the corner of the room, covering its head with its wings. Its bare butt trembled as it shivered, its talons clacking against the tile. Vur deposited the feathers he was holding into a bag and dusted off his hands.

The dwarf looked at Vur, then at the trembling penguin before clearing his throat. “Poppy lost the fortress he was holding,” the dwarf said and lowered his head.

Vur tilted his head and furrowed his brow. “Who was Poppy again? Why do all of your names end with a Y? It’s too difficult to remember. I declare all dwarves shall drop the Y in their names. Poppy will now be referred to as Popp. Moony will now be referred to as Moon. Zappy will now be referred to as Zapp. E will … stay as E.”

The dwarf hung his head. “Our names have been shortened even further,” he muttered. His eyes widened as he remembered what he was there to do. “Ah! Poppy—err, Popp was the holder of the fortress by the human territory near the mountains.”

Vur frowned as he pulled out a map from underneath his butt. He opened it and spread it out on the floor in front of him. “Which fortress did he lose?” Vur asked, raising an eyebrow. “The one near the mountains?”

The dwarf cleared his throat and scratched his neck while shifting his weight from foot to foot. His face contorted as his voice lowered. “Popp was in charge of the fortress that you, err, specifically told us we couldn’t lose no matter what under any circumstance at all even if the world were to end and the grim reaper offered to trade our lives for the fortress.”

Vur frowned and crumpled up the map, throwing it over his shoulder. It hit the penguin on its head, causing it to cry out, but Vur ignored it and glared at the dwarf in front of him. “You lost it even after what I said?” he asked. “How?”

“We, we’re not sure,” the dwarf whispered. “All communications were cut off yesterday. We haven’t received any responses to our messages, and our scouts say the fortress looks like it’s been abandoned. There’s no lights or movements or sound coming from it. They, they say it’s like all the residents were spirited away. Even the gate and windows are wide open. One of our scouts went inside, and … he was too scared by the atmosphere that he left. Unfinished meals were still left on the tables, but there were no signs of any struggles. Opened books and uncomplete homework were found in the children’s rooms, and the stoves still had food being cooked with no one watching them.”

“Large-scale teleportation?” Vur asked. “That’s not very fair.”

“There were no traces of magic,” the dwarf said, biting his lower lip. “The men are scared. What kind of supernatural force are we fighting against?”

Vur snorted. “Refill the fortress,” he said. “If this happens again, let me know. I’ll go check it out myself if it does.”

“You’re not afraid of ghosts, Your Gloriousness?” the dwarf asked, eyes widening.

Vur raised an eyebrow. “Ghosts? I’ve eaten one. They’re not very tasty though—like bland noodles.” He waved a hand. “Go get people to refill the fortress and bring me a feathered penguin.”