Rodentia Adventures

CHAPTER 14: INDOMITABLE

Leonard, the wall builder stood silently, hammer in hand, as always. 

"It looks like you were right." Gabriella said with a sigh, "The wall wasn't strong enough." 

"No. I wasn't right at all. I was completely, horribly wrong."  

"What are you talking about? This is exactly what you said could happen." said the woman. 

"What I said could happen was that a weak point might be exploited along the outer wall. That isn't what happened at all, though, is it? It didn't search around for an opportunity, it simply tore right through the main gates, the most heavily fortified part of the city as though they were nothing." 

"I guess that's true. We need to get them back up as soon as possible." she replied. 

"Why bother?" 

"Look, I know you're a bit discouraged, but without the gates, the city is defenseless. We're helpless!" 

"Don't you get it? We were helpless even with the gate!" Leonard exclaimed, "Not only did the dark lord manage to breech it, it did so effortlessly! It didn't even use any fancy magic or technology or trickery, it just strolled up and ripped it off with sheer brute force. We have no reason to believe that any of the dark lords couldn't have done the exact same thing, any time they wanted. All that time we spent fortifying, convincing ourselves we were safe? We were just playing pretend. The walls, the gates, even the guards, they never kept us safe. It was all just an illusion. We aren't safe, we never were safe, and we never will be safe." 

"Guess we'll just have to make the gates stronger then." Gabriella said, looking towards the wall. 

The male mouse simply laughed. "Why? So the next dark lord that feels like attacking us will have to work just a little bit harder?" 

"If that's all we can do, sure, but you know that it's not. It's not like you to mope like this. You've spent your entire life working on this wall, like your parents did before you! If it's not thick enough, make it thicker! If it's not tall enough, make it taller! If it's not strong enough, make it stronger! That's always been the philosophy, and you know what? Nothing has changed." she said, "Okay, one thing has changed: we just got an important reminder of just how essential our work, your work is, and just how much more needs to be done... unless you planned on retiring soon?" 

"Heh, you know I don't. Getting the extra materials might be tricky, though." 

"Maybe, but that's someone else's job, and they can handle it. Our job is to make the barrier as strong and as secure as possible, and right now there is a huge, gaping hole where the gates used to be. It feels like maybe someone should do something about that?"  

"Yeah, you're right. I spent too much of my life working on this wall just to give up on it now, and the fact that there are storms that it can't weather just means our job isn't even close to finished. Well, what are you sitting around slacking off for? It's time to get back to work!" 

"Wow, it sure is sunny out here today! Almost as sunny as around the castle!" The approaching king said, "Uh oh! Whoah, whoah!" he flailed his arms around before dramatically falling onto his face. 

"King Soulcrusher!" Gabriella called to him, "Are you okay?" 

"Duh..." 

The audience erupted in wild applause, happy that for all the damage, the play stage had remained intact. It was reassuring to know that even in times of strife, that the show would always go on.