July 17:

Rotface's whole family is super nicety-nice. They say it is their job to be super nice 'cuz the Lich King has said that bein' nice is what people should do. Runt does not know much about the Lich King, but I think that if he saying ever'body needs to be nice, then he is A-ok. Gratch and them think Temple and the Lich and all that be super dumb.

Plaguefoot is helping me find a Boss-man who can lend me some pacas. Lending is something that Runt has never heard of before, because warboys won't lend nothing to nobody. If you want something, you buy it yourself. And what's yours is yours, and what's mine is mine. That way stuff never gets lost or stolen. So no lending happens with warboys.

Later:

We didn't find no Pacas. But we found something called Mules. Mules be like super little horsies. I am not sure mules will work. But Rotface tells me for sure that they just as good as Pacas. So in four days, Rotface is gonna pick up a mule in a big four-wheel, and take me to the contest with his son Plaguefoot. Plaguefoot is sayin' he knows his idea will work for sure.

I feel like I should be paying Rotface for all the help. He says all he wants is for me to be nice to other people.

July 18

So, Runt went to the mega big contest Megacorp be holding. Runt does not think his idea is working that well. The contest is to get this whole load a stuff to the top this suuuuuper steep mountain. Like, there weren't even no paths to get up! Runt spent all day just looking for a way to get up this big old mountain. Felt so sad, felt almost like cryin lotsa times. Maybe platoon is right. Maybe Runt is just stupid, just dumb little Runt who ain't no good for nothing.

But then I remember Steelface Rockfist. Can't give up no matter what. Even if your whole body hurts. Not even if you all stabbed up and beat down and run over with horsies. Gotta keep going and gotta keep trying. Maybe somebody sees Runt trying so hard and decides to help him out. Even if Runt is stupid and small and not-cool, maybe somebody bigger and better and smarter can look at the problem Runt is trying to solve and think “Maybe I aught to help”. That way even if I am small and stupid, I helped 'cuz I made somebody better see the problem.

So I make it all the way up the mountain. And by this time it is dark, so Runt can't even get down again without fallin off some super-steep cliff. So I'ma sleep on top of the mountain with all the mules. Mules is all nice and warm and fuzzy. But I am mega hungry because I didn't bring nothing to eat. So Runt is super hungry on top of a mountain. But Mules is nice. Runt wishes he had Mules with him all the time.

July 21:

Welp, sun is up, and it is a super-nicety nice day out and it is time for me to go back down the mountain. Is soooooo cool up here on top of the mountian in the morning! So nicetey nice and pretty and Runt can see super super far in every direction! Runt felt mega sad for himself last night, but now he is thinking the whole trip was super-mega-special-awesome, just for this one morning he gets to wake up on this neat mountain!

Later:

I feel super not-cool. Runt was not supposed to spend more than one day on the mountain with the mules. Ever'body was super-super worried about Runt. Rotface's whole family is here, 'cuz they were mega scared that something had happened to Runt. Megacorp even sent a super-special person to check out the mountain. But then I make it to the bottom of the mountain and ever'body find out I am A-ok after all. And so ever'body wasted a whole lotta time and money on Runt for no reason at all!

I said sorry over and over again, and ever'body seems all ok with it. They say it is good that I am all right. Super-special megacorp guy comes over and he ax's “Why you spend a whole night on the mountain?” And I say it's 'cuz it was dark by the time I got to the top. If I tried to climb down in the dark, I coulda got killed. And then he ax's “But why didn't you turn around before then?” And I tell him it's 'cuz Steelface Rockfist would not have stopped, and I wanna be cool like Steelface Rockfist. And he ax's who that is . And so I tell him all 'bout Steelface Rockfist, because he was a super-cool warboy, and all Warboys know that if somebody is super-cool, they should be remembered forever and ever.

And this Boss-man ax's why being cool is so important. Runt cannot believe what he is hearing! How does a Boss-man not know about coolness!?! Coolness is all that matters! Like, after you all dead in the ground and the worms eat ya, how anybody ever gonna remember you if you weren't cool? Nobody ever remembers somebody who wasn't cool.

All warboys is scared of this. Without coolness, it's like life don't even matter. 'Cuz at the end of it all, you just get dumped in the ground to feed the worms, and soon ever'body forget you ever lived at all! But if you're cool, ever'body tell stories about you forever and ever! It's the whole reason Runt writes in his little book, so the book can tell stories about Runt after he is gone! All Warboys know about Coolness.

July 22:

Runt has just seen something super strange! Runt be walking down the street, and he sees this boss-man carrying something real little and all wrapped up in blankets. And Runt gets closer, and the blankets have a little pink face poking out of it! And I be all like "Whoa! What is that!?!" because Runt has never seen it before.

And the Boss-man says "It be a Bayb-E". And I says "Cool. What's it for?" He laughs and says "It's a person. It's going to get bigger and be just like me!" I don't think I am understanding this at all. So I say "How? Why? Whatcha talkin' about?" And he tells me all this lies about how boss men are made from Bayb-E's. I know this is not true, he just making fun of me 'cuz he thinks I am stupid. I be all like "Lies. People come from glass boxes. You live in a glass box filled with water, with all the tubes in you, and you watch the big screen to learn all about words, and listening, and speaking, and math!"

This one boss-man, he be real stupid or real funny, because he says he does not know what I am talking about. I am not sure if he is stupid, so I sit down and explain. When Boss Men need us Warboys, they make a Warboy in a glass box where he can learn the super-super simple stuff.

Runt remembers when he was in the glass box. It be mega-boring in the glass box. Even more boring than hospitals. So you sit and you watch the big-screen that Boss Men give you to watch Cuz if you didn't then you would just be bored as bored could be. And from the Big Screen, you learn super mega simple stuff like how to talk and how to math and what you were made for, which is fighting. And they teach you this lotsa times, so you remember. And then they take out all the water, which is a mega mega scary thing for all Warboys because if you never been outside the glass box before, you don't know what to do. Runt remembers this very well. It was so scary having all the water gone and being outside for the first time. And they take you outta the glass box, teach you how to walk, and then you go off to meet your platoon. And you is given your number. And soon, all the warboys forget each-other's numbers so they start calling each other goofy names like Runt and Gratch and Joker. But I am not telling the Boss-men about the names. We cannot have names.

Then the boss man says Boss Men are made completely different from us Warboys. I sit down and listen because I thinking "Maybe it be true. Maybe their glass box is not glass, maybe it be a metal box! What if their Big Screen that they learn from is inside their metal, not-glass box? Since Warboys and Boss-men are different, maybe they made different!"

But what I hear next tells me that this boss-man is most definitely lying! Is one of the most stupid things Runt has ever ever heard. He says that Boss-Men are made inside other boss-men! That aint even making any sense! Like, if you make a tent or something, you don't stick something in your butt to grow a tent inside of you. That is just sillyness.

But this boss-man then says they don't come from boss-men, they come from these things called Woo-men, and I be all like "See, you can't even keep your lies straight! You first say Boss-men come from other boss-men, now you saying it come from some special thing called a woo-man. See, how come Runt never seen no Woo-man before?" And this Boss-man tells me he be a Woo-man, that I been talking to a Woo-man this whole time!

Nope. It be lies. Lies, lies, lies. I walk away from the lying boss-man.

Runt still want's to know what a Bayb-E is for, if even that name be true. Maybe the name Bayb-E is lies too. Runt is so confused.

Later:

Runt has found the super-cool drummin' boss man that helped him get to the airfield. Drummin Man is all worried that he is “Come of Age” which means he gotta sign the Megacorp Contract, which is this thing all Boss-men gotta sign to say they agree with Megacorp's rules. If ya don't agree with the rules, you gotta leave. But it aint 'zactly like bein' E-Vickted, because they aint gonna tie you up and load you on a fourwheel out to the Borderlands. So that is cool. But Drummin' man still has to figure out what he wants to do, cuz he aint got no job yet and he don't know what he wants to work at.

Runt is gonna help him, best way Runt knows how, 'cuz this Boss Man was all super nice and helped Runt when he didn't even know him all that well. So Runt says “Megacorp pays for your food and stuff if you put on the super-cool clothes and go out to fight Good Guys.” And he says he knows. And I say “But you aint found nothing you wanna do, and Runt promises he be all super nicety nice if you do, Boss-man. And you can stay with us and be our Boss-Man and you can do all the super complicated stuff only boss-men know how to do.” And he say “Don't some guy in your platoon already do that stuff, just to say you don't need boss-men? Unit 216, or somethin?” And Runt has to think a minute, but then he understands and says “Oh, you mean Unit 263. Yeah, he wants to make sure we are not run by a Boss-man. But Unit 147 thinks this is a big mistake. Like, Unit 263 thinks all Boss-men are not-cool. But you is super cool, you help people even though you don't need to or nothin. Unit 263 thinks all Boss-men not be carin' bout warboys at all. But you do, 'cuz you helped Unit 147 get to the airfield and you help him with his ticket. Do you wanna meet Unit 263 and show him how you helped us with the tickets and the airfield?”

And he thinks about it. And he thinks some more. And he sits down. And stands up. And walks around in a circle a couple times. Then he says “Whether or not I become a Boss-Man, I gotta talk to ma parents first.” And I ax if I can come with, 'cuz Runt aint got nothing better to do today. And he says it's fine. And so I come with.

Drummin' Man's house is super loud. Like he got real little boss-men runnin around and they is screamin all the time. Drummin Man calls 'em Sisters. And he got two bigger boss men, but they both be super wide with big tummies. These are his Parents, and one he calls Ma and the other is Pa.

Hold up, somethin' is happenin.

So Ma & and Pa be mega angry at drummin man for not takin' care of the Sisters. Drummin man seems mega angry for Ma & Pa not tellin' him to take care of Sisters. Lotsa shouting, lotsa anger. And Runt walks away from all the shoutin', and he sees a sister in the corner, all cryin' and sad. And Runt sees this and it makes him mega-sad 'cuz he has cried before and he knows it is not fun. So he sits down and gives Sister a hug, because Rotface says hugs make ever'one feel better. And Sister-man stops cryin and hugs me back. Rotface says a whole lot of funny stuff sometimes, but I think he was right about this. Hugs make people feel better, whether you be a zombie, a robot, a warboy, or whatever.

Drummin' man ax's why I'm hugging sister-man. I tell him why. He puts him in bed so he can sleep. Drummin' man is still super cool. He makes sure sisters all ok, tries & make them smile. He then puts me in bed with Sister-man. Bed is super soft. Beds in the barracks be all hard. But this bed is all raised up. No good for cover. Is no good at all. Feels all open & esposed. Like, if somebody threw a boom-ball through the window, we all be nothin' but red pulp. Runt thinks that this will not happen. But still. Don't feel right. Like, what if some good guys see how Runt is makin' friends with super-cool boss man, and decide they gonna hit his house with boom-tubes? Runt sees this on the big-screen all the time. This is why Warboys always dig holes to sleep in. Sleepin' in holes is just sense.

So Runt does the only think makes sense. Get's outta bed, and starts fillin sandbags and starts makin' his building secure. Makin' a building secure is something warboys should always do. Like, when you first walk in a building, you check the walls. What are they made of? 'Cuz lotsa boss men make their buildins outta nothing but soft rock and a couple pieces of wood. Like, when warboys get rowdy, somebody ends up hittin' a wall and putting their fist right through the soft rock. Ain't no way it ever stops bullets or boom-balls.

When drummin' man wakes up, I'm gonna ax him why he don't make his house outta hard rock. Though hard rock may be hard to find. Like, Runt is not knowing how boss-men find these big gray rocks perfectly shaped like houses and buildings. Maybe they be super expensive. Dunno. Gotta fill sandbags now.

July 23

Ma & Pa are really angry that Runt made the buildin secure. Drummin Man says it makes sense, but Boss-men is not really worried that their house is gonna get hit with Rokits or Boom-tubes. Runt thinks this is not cool. Boss-men not seeing the big-screen, where houses get hit with rockits & bullets & boom-tubes all the time! Like, we see it every day! Big-screen says it all the time! But Ma & pa says there ain't no way it would ever happen here. And Runt says “Why not?”. But they can't find no reason, they just say “Just can't happen. Won't happen. Never Gonna happen.”

Runt thinks that if you can't find a reason for why somethin can't happen, then maybe it means it CAN happen. Drummin' man says we better go.

We goin to the barracks, Drummin man says he gonna be our Boss-Man!

Later

Gratch is super angry! I am all trying to explain why Drummin man is all super-cool, but Gratch says “no way”. Says Boss-men not be carin' bout warboys at all. He is not carin' how Drummin man helped Runt, not carin' bout how Drummin' man is super smart, not caring about anything I say. Says Boss-men are not-cool. He saying I am Mega-stupid, how I almost got killed by Boss-men, and I STILL like boss-men because I am stupid and little and not-cool. Sayin' how Boss-men are gonna kill Noog, and how it is my fault, and how Boss-men are not carin' because that's just how boss-men are.

Drummin' man says he understands. He goin' back to his house now, says he gotta take down all the sandbags.

Later again.

Gratch ax why I sent Noog to Megacorp to get killed. I tell him I didn't do it, Megacorp took him away all on their own. Kinda. Is still ma fault. If Runt had not gone to the the factory, Noog would not have been taken away. I told the robot that I get a small gun and he get all angry and come and take Noog away. Noog beat me. I did not like Noog.

But Runt remembers when he was all cryin' in jail, thinkin how he was gonna get shot and gassed just for doin' his job. Noog was NOT doin' his job. But doesn't seem cool to make an'body all scared and thinkin' they gonna die and then kill 'em so they dumped in the ground so he would never be remembered. Noog was not cool. I still want him here. Runt would not have told megacorp if it means somebody has to sit and wait to get shot. Waitin' to get shot almost as bad as gettin' shot.

BONUS CONTENT:

he Ultimate Illusion:

The Illusion of Control is the largest and most widespread misbelief among all mortals. Order creates predictability, and predictability creates the illusion of security. Therefor, mortals believe that to have personal safety, all things must have Order. To have Order, one must have Law. But if One does not wish to follow Law, he will not. And when that One decides to act against Law, it shatters the illusion of Order, and when you shatter the illusion of Order, it shatters the illusion of security. And when the illusion of security is shattered, people become anxious, become nervous. So they decide to reassure themselves with yet more Order, and to have more Order you have more Law. The more Law you have, the easier it becomes to infringe upon it. The easier it is to infringe upon Law, the easier it is to shatter the illusion of Order, shatter the illusion of security, which starts the cycle anew. It is a self-reinforcing illusion, with the result of absolute Law, absolute Order, absolute Control, governed by a single entity which is viewed as infallible and above scrutiny. In short, it is the formula for Tyranny. Thus, the reason Tyranny has not been stamped out is because of people's desire to control the wider world around them and subject it to Order. But this Order will always be flawed because those who create Order are in themselves flawed. The way to free yourself from this illusion is to not to seek the control of the world around you, for that is futile. The answer is to focus your manipulations inwards towards your own Body, your own Spirit, and your own Mind. For these three things are the only things in this world which you will ever be able to control.

Others will ask the question: How do I prevent adversity?

This is a fallacy, there will always be adversity.

But you, my child, are different. And because you are different, you will ask a different question: When adversity comes, will I be able to challenge it? This is the question you should ask.

When all the mortals of this world follow me, they will release their illusion of control and we will embrace absolute chaos. And only when the world embraces chaos will I ever return.

-The Wisdom of the Lich King

Chapter 1: Harbinger of Chaos.