King Haribo Sweetsworth's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

King Haribo Sweetsworth kneaded the sticky sugar paste between his paws, watching it shimmer in the afternoon light. He wanted to master the ancient art of sugar crafting to create living guards. For years, he'd studied the old techniques, but the figures always crumbled before they could move. Today felt different. He pressed the paste into a small mold and waited. The sugar hardened into a bright gummy bear, clear and firm. Its tiny body gleamed like a jewel. King Haribo lifted it from the mold and set it on his workbench. The figure stood still. He frowned and tapped it with one claw. Nothing happened. The problem was clear now. His sugar wasn't fine enough. The crystals were too rough, leaving gaps in the structure. He needed a way to grind raw sugar into powder so smooth it would bind perfectly. King Haribo rolled a cart outside and filled it with chunks of raw sugar. He crushed them with a heavy stone, grinding until his arms ached. The powder that resulted was finer than before, silky between his paws. Back at his workbench, he mixed the new powder with water. A gummy scholar sat propped against a stack of books nearby, frozen mid-page. King Haribo had crafted it weeks ago as practice. He studied its joints and curves, noting where it had cracked. This time, he would get it right. He shaped a new figure with steady paws, using everything he'd learned. The guard would stand watch soon enough.