The small rebel group was entering its fourth year of existance. It was officially known as "The Mudokon Freedom and Civil Rights Movement", but as the group's numbers and morale slowly dwindled away to almost nothing, so did their inclination to call it that, until it was more like a twisted, humorless joke. Now they simply addressed each other by name. They had started out with over 100 members, enough to do a few pinpricks worth of damage to the Cartel. But over the years they had been killed, captured, injured, or otherwise lost, bit by bit, until less than a quarter of their original numbers remained. Now, disheartened by yet another loss (even though they'd all hated Flit), they had to admit to the truth: they had lost. In fact, they had never had a chance. So, with a heavy sense of defeat and weary bodies, they returned to the small strip of forest from whence they came, where various Mudokon villages were scattered. It was an extremely narrow domain, as to the west was an industrious portion of the vile Glukkon empire stretching all the way to the sickly-looking sea, and to the east stood the looming Kintosian Mountain Range, a formidable obstacle made even more dangerous by the fact that Vykker forces inhabited the deep caves and tunnels. Beyond that was a vast desert that almost seemed to be there for the sole purpose of keeping this particularly nasty part of the Glukkon/Vykker empire from spreading, and to keep the rest of Mudos away, although it was pointless anyway: the Cartel controlled most of Mudos, as it was scattered across myriad stretches and patches of land throughout the continent.
As the despairing Muds made their way back to their doomed home, they kept silent, absorbed in private thoughts. The few that had yet to give up hope and resign themselves to being slaves considered how they could possibly win their freedom now. It appeared that they would need a miracle, and, unbeknownst to them, that's just what they were going to get.
Okay, Chapter II down. Send your comments, suggestions, praise, exaltations, and money.
