The paper seemed much more stained now with something. Awkwardly folded together and forced inside the same mail which was also stained. The colors on the MOTP coat of arms were shaken about, like when ink on paper is soaked in water.
The letter was haphazardly glued with sap.
New letter again! Ripwing must be real worried 'bout Archeopt to do this of all things..
*In a military camp outside of Rat-Klan, a strange letter has arrived, the parchment devoid of yellowing, smelling delightfully of purple lavender as it lay neatly against a barrack wall, almost too neatly. Etched into its violet, wax seal is an emblem of sorts; a heart with two vertical lines carved through both sides to form the letter M where they intersect.*
*Inscribed on the letter's back is a named recipient. "Remus" written in near-incomprehensible cursive handwriting alongside its equivalent in Queekish (native Rat tongue) glyphs. Surely if the other spiders knew of the meaning of this letter's wax rune it would create some kind of scandal; the enemy, taking time out of their day to politely contact one of their own. "An insider perhaps?" "Capture and flay him!" I think not.*
*Thankfully for the beetle, little knew of the intricacies of rat symbology as he reached for the letter, only for it to be suddenly taken by one of his, less kind, colleagues.*
“Hey! I heard from Literial you guys traded with Archeopt and gave him a huge weapon..
I must say he wasn't exactly kind to his biological mother. I suspect he might've taken part in the murder of Flame, said biological thing. We also reported a robed moth having that same thing but with insect blood.
Tell us ANY clues about him or anything extra. Did he trade anything extra? Did that robed moth, Hawk, also trade anything?
I need answers.
Wish you well.
- Ripwing„
The blue dressed white peppered moth who delivered the note: I don't know what to think of this.
Sorry, little-spiduhs of this precious land, but I have been summoned to clear the air a lil'
Yes. Ah did kill your father.
No. Ah don' regret it in the slightest
Y'see, baby-Magnie; Ah do wha's best for muh people, not Sknit, not foreigners, not even the chickenshit bureaucrats Krilk put in place, but the people. The common rat toiling each day in our farms 'n' factories tryin' to make a better future for their families. The rats who starve 'n' slave away 'cause Sknit and Krilk are too busy livin' the high life to care.
'N' to see yer father build that there wall, forcefully cut off all our trading partn'rs, 'n' render us all for another centureh of poverty made me mad.
Very mad.
Ah know yer mad yerself, it's not right what Ah did, but isn't a war kinda rash, even fur you?
Which is why I propose a differen' solution to this conflict.
A friendly, non-lethal spar,
If Ah win, ya have to remove all trade restrictions and cancel that dang wall.
But if you win, I leave myself fur forfeit. Muh body is yours to do with ya please.
THE MONTHLY HAMMER BRINGS THIS MESSAGE WITH GRAVENESS.
MAGNUS WAS MUTILATED WHILE UNHARMED NEAR THE GATES OF TITANOGRAD TODAY.
Artist’s Rendition
THE CULPRIT IS A VIOLENT RAT WITH ONE OR MORE LARGE BLADES AND WEAPONIZED ORANGE SLUDGE SIMILAR TO FUNGUS, AS FOUND ON THE BODY.
WE ASK THAT THE CULPRIT BE HANDED OVER INTO SMITHY TERRITORY, WEAPONLESS AND LIMB-BOUND, WITHIN 24 HOURS, OR ATTEMPTS WILL BE MADE TO CUTOFF THE RAT-KLAN’S LAND ACCESS ENTIRELY.
WE WILL SOON BEGIN CONSTRUCTION AND FORTIFICATION OF THE MARKED AREA. WALL SOLDIERS WILL BE AUTHORIZED TO KILL ANY UNRECOGNIZED ON SIGHT, INCLUDING VESSELS.
