Town of Gnawnia Chapter 1

Read Table of Content | +Kyla Sturchio
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I walked down the castle passage and stopped outside a huge oak door, with a sigh I knocked.
"Enter." said the King.

I pushed open the door and stepped cautiously into the chamber. The King looked disheveled. Ever since the mouse population took over Gnawnia things had gone downhill for the kingdom. We were fighting a losing battle, after all how do you fight a war when you are unsure what the enemy even is.
"You called Sire?" I asked the king as he slumped into his
thrown.

"You are all I have left Plankrun." He reached over the side of his throne and withdrew a battered looking book. "Inside this book are blank pages, I want you to go out into the field and collect information on our enemy." He looked tired.

Confused I took the book from him, the binding was pure black and ratty, and the inside was as he said filled with blank white pages. "Sire, you want me to leave Gnawnia? But no one has left these walls in ages."

"I understand. Plankrun I know that you will be risking your life, but this is for the Kingdom's sake."
I nodded, "Yes Sire, if this is what you ask of me, then a great adventure it shall be."
"I know that it will be hard to check back with me often, but when you do I want to read your notes, I want to know what we are up against, and of course you can receive your payment in gold."
I stared at him. Gold, I didn't know what townsman didn’t need more gold. "I will start right away."

I filled my pack with what I hoped were the basics. We didn’t know much but we did know that the mayhem of the kingdom was because of mice. Strange mice. I packed my bag with more than 100 Cheddar cheese cubes, a high tension spring mouse trap, and a wooden base, along with my many other survival essentials. The last thing I packed was the Journal given to me by the King.

The walk to the front gates was a quick and silent one. Most the Town watched in shock as I stopped in front of the bolted gate. Sealed from the outside world to protect the people, it hadn't been opened in years, there were many that wished to leave and visit old friends in Digby, but they, like us, were shut in.

I unbolted the gates and pushed them open, all seemed silent. Once I walked out men behind me quickly shut the gates with a snap. I was alone.

I walked a short distance into the meadow that lay before the town still overgrown with grasses. I'd hoped this would be a great place to start. I pitched my tent before walking a distance away to set my trap. After that there was nothing to do, but wait.

Before the sun set completely I thought I'd check my trap. I was disappointed when I reached it however because the bait was gone and the trap hadn't even been set off. These mice were crafty indeed. Setting down another piece of cheddar I went back to my camp and rested, I knew tomorrow would bring much stress. Before shutting my eyes I wrote:
"Meadow-I checked my trap but I was unsuccessful in the hunt."