A novella.
The status quo is being upset so much it feels distinctly queasy. You
see, in the land of Goedterre, good always triumphs over evil. Or
that's how it should be. But something is wrong.
Across
the land, invincible heroes are meeting their dooms at the hands of
opponents who have clearly practiced beforehand. It simply will not do.
Too many books are closing for good in the Vault of Deeds. Too many
scribes are looking for new heroes. The spectre of invasion raises an
ugly head on which altogether too much expectancy is plastered.
Naturally,
people want to know what's going on and eyes inevitably turn to the
school that produces Goedterre's heroes. After all, without heroes, how
on earth can you possibly defeat the forces of evil?
Curiously,
Principal Kettifer seems delighted with how his academy is running but
Grincheux the Scribe is not. Something smells bad. Really bad. Worse
than the latest hero eau de toilette, that's how bad. Student
heroes are nervous and their scribes are watching the lifeblood flow
from their once very lucrative careers. Literally.
Grincheux,
with his gangly student hero in tow, decides to investigate and in a
way, he is right and courageous to take that decision. In every other
way, but principally the ones involving mortal danger and loss of bowel
control, it is a very stupid decision indeed.
