Free Rise of the Blood Masters (Book 5) by Kristian Alva

citizens of Mount Velik tried to carry on as they did before, but it became impossible, and the kingdom tumbled into chaos.
    Instead of conceding their mistakes and trying to set things right, the dwarf council argued even more. None of the clans wanted to do the lowly jobs the Vardmiters used to do. They went back and forth for months as their society crumbled around them. Skemtun himself had argued against his clan picking up garbage, as it had seemed unthinkable at the time. With no one willing to step up, the catastrophe only worsened.
    Near the caldera, where sunlight allowed some crops to grow, the abandoned fields became overgrown. Blight spread in the neglected soil, and all the crops perished. Their already limited farmland suffered great damage as a result. Drains became clogged and ceased to operate, and many caves were inundated with contaminated water.
    The livestock went next. None of the higher clans wanted to touch farm animals. With no one to feed and care for them, all the chickens died. Then the rabbits.
    Incredibly, their goat herds survived, but only because they were left outside to roam and graze; usually with no one attending them. When the Vardmiters left, they took their valuable sheep dogs with them, so many goats were killed by wolves. Some were stolen by human farmers who lived in the valley below.
    All the while, the dwarves’ once-massive grain stores dwindled to nothing.
    The population became desperate, which caused them to act recklessly. Outbreaks of violence occurred, and there was rioting inside the city. People fought, property was destroyed, and two dwarves were killed in the chaos. Only then did the council finally decide that the situation was critical. They were forced to admit the truth. The labor of the lowliest dwarf clan had been vital to the kingdom, and without the Vardmiters, their carefully structured society could not survive. 
    As riots consumed the city, the council swallowed their pride, and for the first time in recorded history assigned their clan members to menial work. Skemtun wasn’t happy about it, no one was, but what else could they do?
    The reassigned dwarves were skilled craftsmen who considered their new jobs incredibly demeaning. They complained bitterly about the physical labor, especially farming and cleaning, which the kingdom desperately needed to continue functioning.
    After some negotiation, the clans forged a compromise. Every clan agreed to rotate their workers, with the majority of the extra labor coming from Marretaela, the mining clan, now the largest clan in the mountain. As Skemtun was leader of Marretaela, most of the additional labor fell to his people. He became responsible for delegating twice as much work as before. Skemtun had to push his clan members to take up where the Vardmiters left off.
    The task was difficult, and it certainly wasn’t pleasant. No one wanted to do all this extra work, but it was necessary. It was the only way to make the city function properly again. Eventually, his clan agreed to do as he said, but the new responsibilities were a constant burden, and the additional stress almost crippled him.
    Finally, after several years, things were getting better. But nothing was as it had been before. Most dwarves worked two jobs. Everyone was exhausted. Women and children took over the cultivation and planting of the mushroom fields. And even with everyone working, it was still hard to get everything done.
    There was simply too much work to be done. Old men and women, long retired, were forced back to work. Most worked unpaid, but they simply didn’t have a choice. Everyone had to pitch in and help, or there wouldn’t be enough for everyone to eat. And what would happen then?
    Once the clans resigned themselves to their new roles, the situation at Mount Velik improved. They stripped out the diseased crops and replanted their fields with healthy plants. The new crops grew quickly now that they were being tended properly.
    The