Beardy Beardingsson's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Beardy Beardingsson climbed the mossy steps to his hidden observatory. Inside, failed glass eyes watched him from a shelf. He set to work on a new one, hoping this lens would finally see through every lie. A scratching sound stopped his hammer. He turned and found a bloodstained rag pinned to his door. A grinning rat was painted on it. His good eye narrowed. Someone knew. He stepped outside and scanned the slope. On a distant ridge, a polished orb sat mounted on a stand, catching the moonlight. It was aimed straight at his dome. A spy's window. Beardy crossed the stones and smashed the orb with his hammer. Glass scattered like cold rain. Whoever watched him now saw only darkness. He pocketed the largest shard. Back inside, he burned the bloody rag in his forge. The grinning rat curled and blackened. He worked faster now, fitting the stolen shard into his newest prototype lens. The rival had shown their hand too early. Beardy had a piece of their tool, and a warning he would not forget. Tomorrow, the hunt for the watcher began.