It was not a matter of whether he was set on his decision, but rather on broaching the subject. Clawed hands shivered above the half-packed knapsack as he shook his head and narrowed his eyes, glaring at the offending items left unpacked as if his very will would move them. One by one, they all were neatly tucked into the bag.

“” A pause, a moment longer he lingered in his room. Once more, his breath deepened, and he stepped through. Both his strong father with ashen-grey scales and his mother with her satin black sheen stood over their respective tasks. Father stirred the pot while his mother continued to skin some rabbit-like creature with five eyes.

“” The silence was palpable as both paused in their tasks, each reacting in their own way as they both moved to walk over with honeyed words of denial.

“” The father spoke with concern for his health.

“” His mother on the other hand worried for his mental wellbeing.

“” With everything he’d wanted to say spoken, he let the knapsack drop and moved to look up at his parents.

“” Tearing up, they both moved to embrace their son, each one wanting this moment to last forever. But their lord had just left an hour ago. And the line was ever so long to request entry.

“” The father got to work as swiftly as he could. The mother moved toward their furs and began to fashion some travelling items. A sleeping bag, their rope, a knife. Word spread throughout the burrow, each member adding one more item to his pack.

By the time Urk got to the cave entrance, it was just before midday, and he now had a spear and a ton of rare gems to trade when he got to the city. A private escort to the edge of the woods ensured he would make it safely. With a turn, he waved to his parents and paused, staring at them both as he forced himself to ingrain the moment in his memory.

“” He turned and began to head for the barrier, each step becoming more and more sure as he moved to join the long line of applicants. Many seemed shocked to see one of his kind here, especially touting his midnight scales. In fact, even the humans had taken notice.

Around night time, he briefly looked up to see his lord flying toward the mountain. A sharp pang of homesickness was fought away as he moved to eat some of the food from home, glancing around the camps that had slowly been set up in the area. The Munst weren’t worried about cutting in line, not when humans could kick them all out if they weren’t careful.

By morning, he was making his way forward once more, the front line inching ever closer. By midday, he was able to see the timid-looking man with a blue bangle on his wrist. Soon, there was only one Munst in line before him.

“Alright, so it is a requirement for entry that all Munst wear one of the collars below. Additionally, we have noticed some Munst that cannot read or write English. For that reason, we’d like you to read this page in this book. We’re only accepting literate Munst for now, we don’t have the manpower to train more.” The octopus creature in front of him blurbled out something illegible and continued to try and speak.

“I’m sorry, please feel free to come back when we reopen immigration in the future.” The creature simply nodded its head and moved aside. Urk watched as it moved over to a camp that had sprung up near the barrier by a river. While only camps for the moment, they would eventually become a town for those waiting.

“Next!” Jolting, Urk moved forward, watching the man repeat his words. The book near the box shifted to a random page, and he leaned down to read it.

“Uh...Is it not the fault of the creator that we are born flawed? That our own choices impact the greater world so little that machines have more choice than the average person? Nay, I say. I reject your world, and will build one upon which a man has the weight of a god.” Looking up, Urk was so glad Mylord had taught him to read and write. Well, he’d taught one of them, and it had become part of their doctrine.

The man continued, “Good, alright. Next up is the collar. It’s important to put it on for...” Ignoring him, Urk was already reaching into the chest to pull it out and clip it on. The time for hesitation was long gone. With a sudden sharp hiss of pain, he felt his body become laced with lead before it faded, the only reminder being the weight on his neck.

With that, he stepped through. An attendant smiled at him and walked him deeper in, past several filled stations where Munst were being asked questions. They moved into one such area, and she beckoned him to sit. The stool was a little short, but serviceable for Urk as he waited for her to get situated.

“Now we’re going to run some tests on you. Check your abilities and strengths. Then we will take you to the Munst holding area. There, you will wait until a human decides to give you a job. The normal waiting period is 1-2 weeks. If you have any goods you wish to trade, we will exchange them for money. The currency here.” There was a brief and concise explanation of what money was.

“Any questions?” The woman gave a bright smile as she leaned back in her chair behind the desk, the tent idly flapping in the breeze. Glancing around at the cold, flat ground below, and the filing cabinet that had been dragged in here, he looked back to her and nodded.

“Yes...I have many questions.”