The Rune Tapper


10,000 Years Ago…


Blind Gods wander the void, lonely and without purpose. Malcrius, The Wish Maker, and most powerful of the Gods, grants his kin the gift of hope. This is not done as a mercy, but rather as a means to control his fellow Gods, as they hope for an escape from the inescapeless darkness.

A young God steals power from Malcrius. Reality is spoken into existence using powerful runes mastered by the young God. Light and life is breathed into the dark lifeless void, and the Gods are blind no more. The Gods gather and look upon this new fabrication with awe, vowing to protect it. Upon discovering this new light in the dark, Malcrius vows to destroy the young God’s creation, declaring it a desecration to the purity of the void.

War breaks out among the Gods, but Malcrius is proven to be too powerful. All Gods are slain by the power of the dark one. While the combined effort of the lesser Gods prove to be insufficient, they manage to shatter Malcrius into numerous shards which scatter and fall upon one of the moons of the new world. The void is silent once more.


5,000 Years Ago…


Mortals begin discovering runes scattered across the planet from Malcrius’ shattering. Life is difficult on this new world, and those who struggle the most find the power to activate these strange runes. The first Rune Tappers are created and lead their fellow mortals to create organized civilizations. More spell slingers will be found as the air is thick with magic, but the Rune Tappers are remembered as the first and most powerful of their kin. Under the leadership of the Rune Tappers, a utopia is created.

A new metal known as Dreadstone is discovered. Named after the curse of suffering that afflicts all Rune Tappers, this powerful new ore is used to shape the armor and weapons of the Rune Tappers and is considered sacred above all things.


2,000 Years Ago…


The shards of Malcrius watch the creation of the other Gods thrive on the world below him. Recreating the act that shattered him. His shards betray the strongest shard among them, shattering it and scattering its raw power to the world below. Hundreds of mortals find themselves ascending to Demi-God levels of power. The first Guardians are born…

Rodentia, wisest of the guardians, gives up much of her power to ease the difficult life of her people. The Burrow is created.

In an attempt to mimic the great rat’s work, the young sphinx guardian, Prieda, attempts to create a utopia for her own people, but her spell fails and her kingdom is buried under the shifting sands. Prieda’s long self exile begins.

Malcrius whispers to the Guardians that the Rune Tappers are jealous of their power and plan to destroy them. Stealing much of the Rune Tapper’s Dreadstone, the Guardians create artificial life known as sentinels. Mountain sized war machines stalk the planet, destroying the Rune Tappers as the Guardians wage the first war, known as The War of Gods and Angels. The war rages on for another thousand years, but the combined might of the Guardians and their war machines prove to be too much…

Barrus, Dragon Lord of the Guardians, leads the war effort to finish off the last of the Rune Tappers. Rodentia allows the rune tappers to seek shelter in The Burrow. Malcius whispers to Rodentia about a small tear in reality he’s created within the Impassible Peaks. Following the guidance of the mysterious whispers, Rodentia finds the tear in reality, and uses her power to expand it. A new strange land is discovered on the other side of the rift, and the Rune Tappers flee to escape the wrath of Barrus.

The Dragon Lord seeks to pursue the Rune Tappers, but through the combined might of the Rune Tappers, Rodentia and her allies, The Iron Doors are erected, and the Rune Tappers escape from this world. The last thing Rodentia sees before the doors close is a great darkness on the other side. She tells few of what she saw, but vows to keep a constant vigilance over The Iron Doors, cursing herself for what fate she may have been tricked into leading the Rune Tappers to.

The Rune Tappers look to the sky with rage for the loss of their utopia and vow revenge. They see the world they used to love above them, acting as a constant mockery and reminder of what they’ve lost. The leaders of the old world are stranded on the moon, and the shards of Malcrius smile at their new prize. Life on the moon of Sinn is difficult, and soon the Rune Tappers are forced to go to the shards of Malcrius to make a deal.


1,000 Years Ago…


The first demons begin to appear, wreaking havoc on the world. Barrus’ only son is slain by a demon resembling a Rune Tapper rat from The War of Gods and Angels. Enraged by the loss of his son, Barrus declares all rats to be abominations. Fearing the leader of the Guardian’s wrath, one by one kingdoms begin to exile all rats back to the Burrow, declaring their mere existence to be illegal.

Demonic incursions become more and more frequent, and after several attempts on Barrus’ own life, the Dragon Lord seeks a way to stop the invasions once and for all. Malcrius whispers to Barrus that he can slow the incursions, but at the cost of one rat life a day. Barrus gives the order and slowly rats begin disappearing from the Burrow. The Dragon Lord’s genocide has begun, and the demonic incursions slow.

Part I - The Iron Doors


Current Era…


Two young rats, Tek and Iary, stare up at the night sky when the moon turns crimson and the land is cast under a blood red light. They flee as a demon attacks the Burrow. The rats escape, but Iary’s family is slaughtered in the attack. Her pain awakens a dormant power inside of her, and for the first time in over a thousand years, a Rune Tapper walks the world again.

King Zephyrus launches his war on the Ophiotaurus in The Darkwood. The skunk king leaves his four daughters in charge. The Princess of Diamonds, Serena, wishes to reopen trade with the Burrow and sends an envoy protected by soldiers to meet with the rats. Tek wants to watch the strange newcomers from the Skunk Kingdom and convinces Iary to join him. What results is a disaster as corrupt Skunk Kingdom soldiers cut down the rat’s, including Tek’s father. After stealing the goods offered by the rodents, the soldiers cut down Iary. Tek is only saved as his rune tapper abilities snap to life, and his new powers allow him to escape and become the only survivor. Tek returns home, crying and covered in the blood of his best friend. He continues to practice drawing the rune Iary once showed him in the dirt until his fingers bleed.

Far away in Acria, the Guardian’s school of magic, Barrus puts his soldiers through grueling training and torture, hoping to create a rune tapper of his own to use as a weapons. After hundreds of kobolds die, the dragon successfully snaps a Rune Tapper of his own.

Digit, a rat in Barrus’ prison, lives a life of suffering and loss. Trapped in a hidden pit where every surface is as sharp as a razor and water is scarce, the rat prays for a life outside of the endless suffering. One day, Barrus’ kobold soldiers drag away her sister, and Digit is forced to listen as they drag her away and sacrifice her in a pool of strange black ichor. She swears she can hear whispering coming from the darkness. Everyday the kobolds return and kill another rat until one day they come looking for Digit. The rat is hidden by her remaining family, hiding in a deep crevice as her family is cut down for refusing to give away her location. Digit nearly drowns as the crevice fills with the blood of her loved ones. The rodent snaps, and her Rune Tapper powers awaken. The soldiers find her, only to be betrayed by one of their own kind. Gimmick, Barrus’ own Rune Tapper, betrays the other soldiers, and stabs them in the back. Together, Gimmick and Digit escape Barrus’ prison. Using their Rune Tapper abilities, the pair sneak into Barrus personal library in Acria and learn the truth about The War of Gods and Angels. They agree to open the Iron Doors and free the Rune Tappers trapped inside. Unbeknownst to Gimmick, Digit has heard Malcrius’ whispers and is more interested in revenge.

Barrus sends dragons out to find the escaped Rune Tappers, but none can find them. Barrus orders the slaughter of the remaining rats in the prison, and thousands of innocent rodents are cut down. Together Gimmick and Digit make their way to The Iron Doors to find Tek guarding them. Unsure if they are a match for another Rune Tapper, they agree to wait until he leaves. Distracted by his siblings, Tek leaves an opening for Digit and Gimmick to reach the door. Digit betrays Gimmick and tricks her into damaging the runes keeping the Iron Doors closed. Gimmick, seeing a glimpse into the future that Digit intends for the world, resists and is able to stop the Iron Doors from opening. Using her magic, Digit erases much of Gimmick’s memory, and flees.

The damage to the Iron Doors sends a shockwave out that awakes a slumbering dragon that Tek’s sisters were trying to steal from. Tek saves his siblings, but is burned alive, surviving only due to his soul rune. Unbeknownst to the rodent, he has just unlocked his second rune.

Without the constant blood sacrifices of rats, the shards of Malcrius begin to launch consistent demonic incursions once more. As the night sky turns red, Tek finds Gimmick wandering alone and scared. The rat saves the kobold by soul splitting, a unique ability that allows Tek to duplicate himself. But is tortured until the sun rises.

After discovering that the Iron Doors have been damaged, Rodentia realizes that Tek’s training as a Rune Tapper must be hastened. She orders him to seek out the guardian Spindle, and request she sponsor him as her student, as Barrus doesn’t recognize the authority of Rodentia or any Guardians who interact with her. Tek and Gimmick set out on their journey, accompanied by the mole, Myra Mire, who intends to act as their tunneler to guide them through the mountains. During their journey, Tek discovers Gimmick is a Rune Tapper, but whenever she activates a rune, she seems to forget any recent memories. Tek is determined to find a way to cure her magical ailment. Myra attempts to draw runes of her own, but she is unable to tap into their power. The mole insists she’s not jealous of her new companions abilities, but when Tek awakes the next morning, numerous runes are seen etched into the dirt near where Myra was sleeping.

Upon reaching the Skunk Kingdom, Tek is stripped of his belongings by one of the guards. Inside he meets Penny, a young frog who lives in a fountain. She directs him to an inn where he is able to spend the night. The rat is about to fall asleep when an ominous red light fills the sky. A demon attacks the Skunk Kingdom, threatening to kill Penny. Tek intervenes at the last minute, saving the frog, but nearly dying in the process. It is only with the timely intervention of Princess Lolli’s demonology magic that Tek is saved and the demon banished.

Tek is brought before The Court of Cards, the ruling four princesses of the Skunk Kingdom, and is able to plead his case as to why a rat is in their kingdom. Princess Lita is immediately smitten by the young rat prince, and promises that no harm will come to the rodent while he is staying within her walls. Princess Lolli informs Tek that she herself is a student of Spindle and informs him that if he fails to impress Spindle, the spider Guardian will kill him. The rat is allowed to train within their walls for as long as he wishes.

One night while sleeping, Tek is awoken after having horrible nightmares of the night Iary died to the Skunk Kingdom soldiers. Unbeknownst to the rat, Digit is manipulating his memory in an attempt to turn him against the skunk princesses. The rat makes her presence known, but hides her manipulation of his dreams. She warns him not to trust anyone who isn’t a rat, pointing out how the world treats their kind. Digit shows Tek the destroyed fountain where Penny used to live and the frog is nowhere to be found. Lying to the rat, Digit tells him that Lita had abandoned her, and doesn’t care for her people. Tek goes to confront Princess Lita, but is stopped by the same guard that robbed him of his belongings. The guard accidentally reveals himself as the soldier that cut down Iary and his father. Without realizing what he is doing, Tek speaks his second rune into existence, the rune for fire, and creates a blast of fire so hot that the stone around him begins to melt. The soldier is atomized in the blast. Guards swarm his location and Digit sweeps Tek away into the shadows using her magic before the rat prince has a chance to reach Princess Lita.

Digit takes Tek to The Endless Web to complete his mission, and Tek manages to navigate the maze of webs to find Spindle. The spider Guardian is charmed by Tek, but states she will kill him if he is unable to use two forms of rune tapping. Tek is able to show off his soul rune, but is unable to duplicate summoning the fire rune. Spindle moves to eat the rat, only for Tek to inform her that a copy of the rodent was a safe distance away, robbing the Guardian of her victory. Greatly amused by this, Spindle allows Tek to leave unharmed, and informs him of the Guardian Prieda. Tasking the rat to seek out the sphinx and spend more time training. Little does the rat know, he has become a pawn in a greater game being played by both Spindle and Rodentia.

Against the advice of Digit, Tek returns to the Skunk Kingdom to find Gimmick. There he is arrested by Princess Lolli who personally traps the rodent. The truth of what happened the day Princess Serena sent the Envoy to the Burrow comes out, and the skunk princesses are horrified by the lies they’ve been fed by their own soldiers. Princess Cloe banishes the canine mercenaries responsible from the Skunk Kingdom and as a sign of trust, Tek is put in charge of protecting Princess Lita during the next Crimson Moon.

The demon known as Silence, with the ability to nullify all nearby sounds around her, attacks the Skunk Kingdom in an attempt to take Princess Lita’s life. Tek fights off the demon and several of his soul split copies are killed in the battle, sending death trauma coursing through Tek’s body. Barely able to continue fighting, he is pinned beneath the blade of Silence. It is only with the intervention of Myra, who carved as many runes into the stone floor as she could, that Tek was able to tap into his fire rune and incinerate the demon, banishing her from reality. Tek is declared a hero and is given free passage to Behemoth Bay, so he can continue on his journey for a Guardian to sponsor him access to Acria. Myra refuses to join him, stating she’d had enough adventuring, and returns to the Burrow to bring word of Tek’s progress.

Part II - Murderous Reprisal

Tek and Gimmick are hired by the Pirate Lord, Tahnee, in exchange for passage up river to the Shifting Sands, where Prieda resides. While delivering a shipment of gunpowder for the Pirate Lord, Tek is tricked into being separated by a rat named Dredge. With Tek distracted, Gimmick is mugged and beaten. The shipment and their money are lost. Tek finds Gimmick bleeding out in an alley and vows revenge. Along with the help of Tahnee’s first mate, Vivian, Tek breaks into Dredge’s underground tunnels and blows up his gunpowder supply, causing many nearby buildings to collapse. Tek’s legendary tale continues to spread as hundreds see the rodent wreathed in fire emerging from the pit. Tek hunts down Dredge and incinerates him.

After Gimmick is healed, the pair are taken up river to the Shifting Sands, but are pursued by an old rival of Tahnee’s, Pirate Lord Scarlet. A hefty bounty has been placed on both Tek’s and Tahnee’s head for the damage done in Behemoth Bay. Greyscale, Tahnee’s bodyguard, knocks Tek unconscious, and captures both the rat and Captain Tahnee, bringing them to Scarlet in an attempt to prevent the two crews from fighting. Tahnee confesses that she’d planned with Greyscale, hoping that she could talk Scarlet out of violence, and hoping to use Tek as an escape plan should negotiations fail. Tahnee tells Tek that the two were adopted sisters and that their mother was a fierce pirate captain. One day they were attacked by a sea monster, and she gave the order for the crew to abandon ship while she held off the beast. The crew was split on whether they should leave or aid their captain, but Tahnee, acting as first mate, had given the order to retreat. Scarlet and half of the crew never forgave Tahnee for this act, and still blame her for the death of their beloved captain.

Tahnee pleads with Scarlet, but her sister refuses to listen. Tek blasts a hole in the ship and escapes, but Tahnee refuses to follow. Now alone, Tek continues his journey through the Shifting Sands, barely able to figure out the riddle of the desert before dehydration could kill him.

Tek confronts Prieda, but the sphinx refuses to even acknowledge the rodent’s presence, still overwhelmed with despair for accidentally destroying her own people. The rat hurls his spear at the sphinx, doing little more than enraging her. The sphinx and rat battle, and Tek is able to lure Prieda into a trap. Using the surrounding mirrors to create a rune out of light which he shined directly onto the Guardian, Tek triggers the rune, causing a massive explosion that knocks the rodent unconscious. He awakes hours later to find Prieda is missing. Presuming the Guardian to be dead, Tek wanders into the desert, before passing out.

Much to Tek’s surprise, the rodent awakes on Tahnee’s ship. Prieda reveals herself and informs the rat that she was impressed that he was nearly able to kill her. Agreeing to aid Tek, Prieda recreates the events that divided Tahnee and Scarlet’s crew. The massive Guardian attacks Scarlet’s ship, and the captain tells her crew to abandon ship. Her crewmates disagree on whether or not they should obey their captain’s orders and the horrible realization dawns on Scarlet. Overwhelmed by grief, Scarlet drops her weapons and surrenders to Tahnee.

Prieda flies Tek and Gimmick to the Dead City of Astreth, the once capital of the Rune Tapper empire. There, Tek and Prieda get into an argument that results in the Guardian attempting to hypnotize the rat. In a shocking display of defiance, Tek soul splits and slits the throat of his hypnotized copy. Tek abandons Prieda, who is too stunned to chase after him. The rodent finds a nun who has been trying to repair a damaged sentinel. Tek is able to turn on the machine, unaware of what they were once used for, only for the machine to shoot a powerful beam of magic directly into the rodent’s chest, mistaking the rodent for a demon. Tek collapses to the ground, and thinks of Lita as his vision fades to darkness…

Gritta and Gretta watch over the Iron Doors in Tek’s absence. All but one rune has gone out. Time runs short.

Part III The Fallacy of Gods

Tek awakes to find himself in Acria. Princess Lolli informed him that months had passed and he was on the brink of death. It was only Spindle’s magic webbing sewing his wound shut and being held in the nectar of Mellifera, Spindle’s Guardian sister, that kept the rat from experiencing a permanent death. Spindle informs Tek that she had never seen Prieda so distraught since the death of her people, and that she finds her protectiveness of him to be rather curious. Having a student of her own has given Prieda a reason to live again, but she still struggles with her need to be in control.

Tek is stunned at the sight of the massive buildings floating thousands of feet up in the air. Held in place by impossibly large chains. The Rune Tapper foolishly thinks his journey is nearly over…

Lolli informs Tek that Gimmick is missing. The kobold mysteriously vanished after Tek’s feud with Prieda.

Princess Lolli, Princess Jade of the Emerald Isles, and the Ophiotaurus Daisy agree to help Tek access the library in Acria. Upon finding a sentinel that can access the information stored in Acria, the machine denies the group access to the information about The Iron Doors and the demons invading their lands. Lord Barrus has hidden all information regarding the events taking place. Upon finding out that Tek is trying to access this information, the Dragon Lord makes his presence known, informing the group that they are banned from the school’s libraries and that further violation will result in death. The Dragon Lord leaves, but not before telling Tek that the first demon was a rat that murdered Barrus’ son. Barrus does not mention the fate of the Rune Tappers or the War of Gods and Angels, leaving Tek to believe his kind is responsible for the fate of the world.

Tek learns of Prieda’s history of accidentally killing her people in an attempt to save them. Spindle tears down the doors to Prieda’s room in Acria, forcing the rodent and sphinx to make up in a way that only the spider Guardian, and her legendary immaturity, can.

Prieda agrees to take Tek back to Astreth in search of Gimmick. There is no sign of the kobold, but Tek finds the pit that once held Digit along with thousands of other rat prisoners long since slaughtered. Tek doesn’t fully understand what he is looking at, but he is too disturbed to enter…

Back in Acria, Prieda and Tek make an agreement that there will be no more secrets or manipulation between the two of them. The Guardian agrees to help break Tek into the library, but gets jealous upon learning of Princess Lita’s time with the rodent. The Sphinx adds the condition that she will help him, but only if the rat gives her the same attention. Tek leaves the room with a nip in his left ear, and a new title. “Lover of Guardians.”

With Prieda’s help, Tek breaks into the library. There he meets Honey, one of Mellifera’s bees. The rat thinks he’s been found out, but Honey confesses that she has broken into the library to try to learn magic. The pair agree to keep each other’s secrets. Unfortunately for Tek, he finds the information he seeks has been removed from the main library as well. If he wants to learn the truth, he will have to break into Barrus’ personal hoard of knowledge.

Princess Jade and Tek spend more time training together. With the help of Jade, Tek learns the basics of how to use his magic to fly. He can only float a few feet off the ground, but it is a big step in mastering his powers.

Spindle invites Tek, Jade, and Daisy to Acria’s arena. Jade and Daisy seem reluctant to join, and Tek learns that the rules of the arena under Barrus have made all spellslinger sparing to the death. The Dragon Lord has little room in his heart for the weak, let alone the strong. Upon reaching the arena, Tek is horrified to find Honey has been sentenced to fight Barrus’ favored student as punishment for being discovered in the library. Tek intervenes, knocking Barrus’ student to the ground and pinning him there with his foot. Spindle watches with great interest as Tek defies the will of Demi-Gods in front of a crowd of hundreds. With the help of Honey, Tek escapes an enraged crowd and the fury of the Guardians. Spindle smiles to herself, making no effort to prevent the Rune Tapper’s escape.

Whilst hiding out in Acria, Tek discovers another student that has been attending in secret. A canine named Devi, has proven to be extremely cunning, managing to enter the school without the knowledge of the Guardians as well as practicing binding magic, a form of spellslinging that is highly illegal. The canine has used her magic to bind Digit to her and offers her freedom in exchange for a book containing dangerous secrets that could make Devi’s magic all the more powerful. Knowing he will need Digit’s rune tapping to enter Barrus’ hoard, Tek reluctantly agrees to make the exchange.

After providing Devi with the knowledge she seeks, she agrees to take Honey to the safety of Behemoth Bay. They leave, but not before Tek tells Honey to fly her to the Skunk Kingdom to be arrested in secret.

Digit takes Tek into the prison Barrus once kept her in, explaining to him that the Guardians and other races of the world are monsters that will never let the rats be free. She calls Tek a pawn, and begs him to give up on the Iron Doors. Tek refuses to give up his quest.

Together, Tek and Digit enter Barrus’ platform in Acria. There they find his personal library. While searching for the knowledge Tek seeks, they are discovered by another of Barrus’ students, Gimmick.

Upon seeing that the kobold has been beaten by her own people for her betrayal, Digit is able to get Tek to admit that even if he fixes the Iron Doors, the world will never allow the rats to be free from The Burrow. She makes her move, and unlocks Gimmick’s memory. The kobold collapses to the ground as memories come flooding back into her. The realization that she’s the one who broke runes on the Iron Doors is too much for the kobold to handle and she breaks down. Tek refuses to help someone who is so quick to cruelty, and refuses to join Digit. After chastising Tek, Digit flees into the shadows, dragging Gimmick along with her to finish her work and open the Iron Doors.

Tek is discovered by Barrus’ student who attacks the rat, calling his people monsters. Tek responds by saying “My people aren’t monsters. Only me.” Before incinerating the kobold. Barrus arrives and captures Tek.

Tek is put on trial and after forcing Daisy to hypnotize Jade into revealing that Tek stole secrets from the Guardians, the rat is sentenced to death in the arena. Unwilling to take any changes this time, Mellifera declares it will be a Guardian that will slay the rat.

Spindle takes Tek to the arena, admitting that she has genuinely enjoyed her time with the rat, and that she truly did find him greatly amusing. The spider gives Tek back his old wooden spear, and tells him that Mellifera will try to make the fight hurt. Expecting to see the Bee Guardian in the arena, Tek misinterprets what Spindle means when she says the fight is intended to make him hurt.

The arena doors open, and Prieda steps out to fight the Rune Tapper…

Part IV - The Battle Of The Burrow

Prieda and Tek fight in the arena. With only a wooden spear as a weapon, Tek is cut over and over again, as Prieda can’t bring herself to kill him. The rat is about to bleed out, when he notices a small carving on his wooden spear. Realizing Spindle had etched the fire rune into the wood, Tek uses the last of his energy to activate the rune and blow a hole in the arena floor. Prieda takes advantage of the opportunity to escape with Tek in her arms. Barrus and Mellifera pursue, but in an act of treason, Spindle intercepts them, creating a massive web to prevent the other guardians from following after them.

Together, Spindle and Prieda flee to the Burning Ring. There Prieda begs Spindle to save Tek once more as he continues to lose blood. Spindle requires little convincing, and Prieda gets jealous as she watches the spider care for the rat. The two leave the rat in the care of the goblins, as they meet with Hilda, who has a secret alliance with Spindle and Rodentia.

Spindle explains to Prieda that she’s seen a future in which the Guardians lose their powers and become mortal once more. In order to prevent this, they cannot allow the Iron Doors to open. The spider confesses to Prieda that she’s been using Tek to get to her. If they are going to fix the broken world they are living in, they will need Prieda to kill Barrus.

Tek awakes to find himself surrounded by goblins. The nearby volcano begins erupting and the goblins explain that the three sisters are “fighting again.” Curious about who these strange beings are, Tek steps inside a cave leading to the inside of the volcano. There Tek finds the secret weapons Hilda has been keeping hidden from the world, three Guardian daughters. Tek is astounded by the existence of new Guardians and the implications this could have on the world. He learns that Guardians can only be born if they mate with other Guardians. The three daughters, Pyra, Gorra, and Truffle try to incinerate Tek out of boredom and become extremely interested in the rat upon learning he’s fireproof. Their conversation is cut short as the sky turns red and another demonic incursion occurs. A demon discovers the group and manages to possess Truffle. Her sisters panic, unable to fight the demon without hurting their sibling, and Tek taps into his soul rune to physically remove the demon’s soul that has tangled itself with Truffles. Tek banishes the demon and accidentally creates his first soul bond with Truffle.

Hilda learns that Tek saved her daughters and rewards Tek by revealing a destroyed Sentinel the size of a mountain from the War of Gods and Angels. With the help of her daughters, Hilda, the world’s best blacksmith, turns the once war machine created to slaughter Rune Tappers into the first Rune Tapper armor to be forced in thousands of years. In addition to the armor, Tek is gifted two spears, one imbued with his fire rune that remains as hot at the day it was forged, and a black spear imbued with his soul rune, that ignores armor and strikes at the victim’s very soul. Finally, Tek is given a bow, which he strings with webbing gifted to him by Spindle. Hilda asks that Tek marry her daughters in a sign of good faith, and as a sign of their kingdom’s bond in the war to come. Tek agrees, and both Spindle and Prieda pout quietly throughout the ceremony.

Tek and Prieda meet up with Nim, a trader who agrees to lead them through the tunnel from The Burning Ring to The Burrow in secret to avoid the eyes of Barrus and his dragons. Half way back, Nim hands Tek over to Myra, who takes Tek the rest of the way. The two quickly catch up and Myra agrees to fight in the war to come.

Upon returning, Tek finds an army already waiting for him, but it’s not an army of kobolds, nor bees. Princess Lolli, along with Princess Cloe, have gathered the forces not under the command of King Zephyrus to fight alongside the rats. To the surprise of all present, Princess Lita had stowed away, insisting she be present to help Tek. Tek assigns Myra to watch over the Princess of Hearts during the battle, and Myra drags Lita off to safety. Tek can’t help but smile in the skunk’s presence.

Gritta and Gretta lead Tek to The Iron Doors to find no sign of Digit or Gimmick. The rats report hearing strange whispers coming from the door. Some have gone mad and a quarantine zone has been set up around the doors. Tek warns Prieda to keep an eye out, knowing Digit will strike at the most inopportune time. Rodentia reunites with Tek, apologizing to Tek for what he’s had to go through. Tek tells Rodentia that she should be hiding in The Burrow, confessing that the life of a Guardian is more valuable than the life of a mortal. Rodentia chastises Tek, stating she would give her life for any of her children. The Guardian of The Burrow will stand among her soldiers.

As Tek looks down at the armies below, he can’t help but wonder what Iary would have done differently…

Barrus flies into view, and Rodentia orders Prieda and Tek to hide so they may continue their hunt for Digit and Gimmick. Rodentia confronts the Dragon Lord. The Vermin Queen and the Dragon Lord exchange insults, and Rodentia offers Barrus one last chance to stop the battle. Barrus refuses and attacks.

Tek is spotted by Barrus, but before he can attack, Prieda leaps out from her hiding spot in Tek’s hood and collides with the Dragon Lord midair. The armies below watch in awe as the two Demi-Gods battle in the sky above.

Chaos erupts across the battlefield as an army of bees, kobolds, rats, and soldiers from the Skunk Kingdom slaughter each other as Guardians fight in the sky above. Tek turns all foolish enough to approach him to ash. To his surprise, he finds Gimmick making her way to the Iron Doors. The kobold and rat reunite once more. Together, they begin to fix the runes.

Unable to slay Prieda, Barrus turns his rage on those he blames for the Guardian rebellion. The Dragon Lord burns The Burrow, killing millions of rats as hundreds of tunnels collapse, filling with smoke, lava, and flame. Tek watches in horror as his home is destroyed. Princess Lita breaks away from Myra and begins helping the injured rats find safety.

Gimmick has nearly finished repairing the damaged runes when she is spotted by Barrus. The Dragon Lord moves in for the kill.

Tek watches as fire rains down from the sky on a direct collision course with Gimmick. Iary’s soul manifests before Tek, telling him that she’ll die if he isn’t able to forgive the person he hates most. With tears in his eyes, Tek states that he will protect Gimmick, even if it means forgiving himself for being responsible for Iary’s death all those years ago..

An arrow the size of a spear erupts from Tek’s bow, blowing away the fire and shattering one of Barrus’ tusks. The Dragon Lord falls from the sky, humble by a mortal with an audience of thousands. Tek turns to see if Gimmick is okay, only to see Digit has made her move. Destroying the last of the runes, Digit opens the Iron Doors.

The sky turns red and demons rampage across the battlefield. Chaos erupts as the battle becomes a free-for-all. In the chaos, few have noticed the Iron Doors have opened.

Tek chases Digit inside, but he is too late. Digit finds one of the shards of Malcrius. Using the blood of the battle as an offering, Digit wishes for Malcrius to take away Prieda’s powers. Shadow pours out from the Iron Doors and constricts the sphinx.

The Guardian of The Shifting Sands is no more…

Digit traps Tek in his own memory, forcing the rat to relive Iary’s death over and over for what feels like years. Breaking the rat, Iary seeks to get Tek to give in, and allow her to erase his memory so she can make him into the warrior she knows he can be. Demanding Tek give her his burdens, Digit reaches out to finish the job, only for Tek to grab her by the arm. Shocked that Tek still has fight in him, Digit realizes that Tek was waiting for her to get close. Declaring that his burdens are his, and not for the taking, Tek uses his rune tapping to tap into Digits memories and set them all ablaze. He is unable to bring himself to kill the rat, but Digit’s memory is completely erased.

Taking Digit in his arms, Tek flees back to the Iron Doors, only to find to his horror that the doors have runes on both sides of them. They will require a rune tapper to be on either side of the doors for them to be closed.

Tek and Gimmick complete the journey they set out on by finally closing the Iron Doors. With tears in her eyes, Gimmick says goodbye to her best friend. Tek’s smile is the last thing the kobold sees before the rat is trapped behind the Iron Doors.

Letting out a cry of anguish, raw power is unleashed from the mourning kobold, disintegrating all soldiers on the cliffside with her. Barrus and his soldiers retreat from the battlefield. The day is won, but it is a pyrrhic victory. The crimson moon remains in the sky casting the world in a permanent red glow as demons run free.

Prieda looks in a puddle of blood in horror at the mortal feline that stares back at her.

Spindle weaves a web to see what fate has befallen Tek, knowing that all her webs led to his death at the hands of Barrus. The spider is confused upon hearing he’s been trapped behind the Iron Doors, as such a future shouldn’t be possible unless it was somehow hidden from her. The Guardian is horrified as her web melts into a black ichor, the laughter of an evil god echoing around her.

The End of Book 1