In the capital of the Endless Empire, atop a massive tower hundreds of meters high, a bulky man munched on a bag of chips while reading the latest chapter of Tales of the Endless Empire. The Governor was very pleased with the Curatorâs work. Double chapters were simply the best. He couldnât wait to see what would happen in the fight between Kael and Thalion. Would Ankhet be revived? Or had the pillar been destroyed? He couldnât quite remember the story anymore.
This tower was the Governorâs private reading spot, overlooking the endless city he had to manage for the Endless Emperor. Right now, he was on a short break, stuffing his mouth with chips coated in extra spice.
âOh yes⊠that really hits the spot,â he murmured, closing his eyes in satisfaction.
Then came the sound of creaking wood, the trapdoor behind him opening. The only way anyone could get up here. Sure, teleportation circles were common, but he always insisted on using the stairs as an excuse to tell his wife he was âworking out.â So far, it had worked well. Well enough since he was still alive.
With a loud grunt, the Curator hauled himself through the trapdoor and slammed it shut. His chest heaved, sweat dripped from his forehead. Right, he wasnât allowed to teleport at all, so he actually had to climb every single stair. Unlucky.
âWhy⊠do⊠I have to⊠come up here?â the Curator panted, pausing between words just to catch his breath. He looked utterly miserable.
âItâs good exercise, donât be so negative. Builds character. With your pale skin, Iâd make you climb even more often if we didnât desperately need you to keep writing. Also, just to be clear, should my wife ever ask, the âattractive leadâ tag was there from the very start. Got it? OtherwiseâŠâ The Governor trailed off.
âYeah, sure⊠thatâs why you made me walk all those stairs?â the Curator asked, one eyebrow raised skeptically.
âNo, no, of course not.
Gu Gu Gu.
Just a side note. Totally not important... The real reason I brought you here is to celebrate. Weâre number 17 on the popularity charts this week! I salute you and your writing!â the Governor declared proudly.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
ââŠOokay. Thatâs pretty out of character for you, saying something nice to me. I really need sleep, you know. Iâve been working for days. Just
look
at my fingers. Theyâre bleeding like Iâve been tortured in some medieval dungeon!â The Curator rambled, waving his hands dramatically in front of the Governorâs face. The fingers did look terrible. Two were probably broken. Maybe he should call a healer⊠but had he actually paid insurance for the Curator? Uhh. He wasnât sure. And if not, that could cost serious money. Less money meant his wife would return early from her shopping trip. Yeah, he couldnât have that. Besides, ten fingers was a lot. Eight should be enough for writing, right?
âOh, but youâll continue the double chapters. No way around it. Look at the comments. They love it! Here, this oneâs from Pawnbarian:
âThanks for the chapter, bossman!â
Gu Gu Gu,
bossman thatâs me! Thank you for being awesome, your Governor.â He grinned while typing his reply on the glowing screen.
âOh, and one more thing. Weâll only accept comments on part two from now on. I
am
the best multitasker in the world, but even I canât keep track of two separate threads anymore.â The Governor nodded excitedly at his own brilliance.
âIâm
not
writing double chapters again,â the Curator groaned. âThe Immortal Empress will appear soon, and you know how she is! Even the best scribes were burned alive for hours just for failing to capture her beauty perfectly. And now Iâm supposed to describe her with words? Do you realize how screwed I am?â he exclaimed loudly.
The Governor frowned. Hmm⊠the Curator wasnât wrong. The Immortal Empress was nothing but trouble. Still⊠he wanted his double chapters.
âPlease, have some mercy. My fingers hurt so much. Look, this one doesnât even move anymore, and the angle definitely isnât normal!â The Curator pleaded, holding up a crooked finger.
âWell, if you donât run back down to your writerâs desk, your fingers wonât be the only thing that hurts. And remember. Itâs all for the glory of the Endless Empire!â the Governor thundered.
Besides, he really didnât want the Immortal Empressâs attention. That woman was a catastrophe wrapped in beauty.
No, better to lean back in his chair, crunch a few more chips, and enjoy the comments.
âOh, Boose101, youâre so right.
GLORY TO THE ENDLESS EMPIRE! MARCH UNTIL THE END OF TIME!
GU GU GU!â
ps: Maybe watched too much one piece. Gu gu gu is his laugh :)