The sound of paper on paper was echoing throughout large halls.

One page, a second, a third and a fourth. With a thumping noise, another book was closed and another swiftly opened, replacing the last one.

One page, a second, a third and a fourth. Once again repeating the last actions, only stopping the sounds to ponder over the newly acquired informations.

One page, a second, a third and a fourth. A mountain of books was now sitting on the table and they were ready to be replaced.

Getting up from its seat, Dar'ith put the books on a nearby cart and walked off in order to put them back.

Rows upon rows of bookcases filled the room. An enormous maze of books on two floors, this, was Sanctus' royal library.

Gleaming in what it thought to be happiness, the skeleton wandered through the halls putting the books back in their places. For a week it had been reading and studying, and yet Dar'ith had not even managed to touch a tenth of the countless literatures held in the enormous bookshelves.

With the satisfying sound of a book sliding back into its original position between the shelves, the undead walked toward the exit of the library.

It had learned much from its week of furious studying: from informations on the histories and the geographies to magic researches and new spells.

Unfortunately, knowing alone wasn't going to help it cast the spells. So it decided to leave the library for a while to practise.

"Oh, great messenger, you have come out of the library. Have you found the answers needed for your great duty?" [Knight]

The moment it stepped out of the library, an overly energetic knight stopped its advance. Equipped in pure white armor that covered all but his face, the man beamed a smile while shouting praises.

The sudden surprise made Dar'ith reflexively study the man and his surroundings in search for any sign of possible danger.

The man was young looking, overly energetic and with blonde almost silvery hair, similar to the king's. Other than the almost blindingly white armor, he also held a large tower shield and a halberd, both of which also pure white with tints of azure.

While the man was certainly not short, Dar'ith's height made it so that the skeleton had to look down on the knight. This made the undead notice another person it would've definitely missed if it wasn't so tall.

That was because the person next to the knight was quite a way shorter. He just barely reached the knight's hips.

"Jack... Gah'raagh naktul... You be rude to important figure. Have not even introduced yourself, bad manner, should not do it." [Short person]

"Oh, of course, I apologize great messenger. My name is Jack Syla, a member of the holy army, I was one of the people who witnessed your glorious reveal in the holy hall. I have been bestowed the honor to be your personal guard, escort and servant.

I shall wait with great anticipation your orders and the start of your divine duty." [Jack]

Ignoring the yapping man, Dar'ith focused on the short person: he spoke in broken altrian, pronuncing the vowels in weird ways, almost growling when saying the letter 'R' and making guttural noises in general.

Other than his dwarfism, his speech and the words he spoke in another language, his long, braided and well cared beard that covered almost the entirety of his body, helped him stand out while being hard to spot.

Unlike the knight beside him and almost all of the people Dar'ith saw during its study session, the small man didn't have blonde, silvery hair. His hair was earth brown and way shorter than his beard, combed all the way to his back and tied in a tiny ponytail.

Still unlike any other guard in the palace his armor wasn't pure white. Equipped in a more silvery, grey armor that menaced of spikes in various other metals.

His gauntlets were especially interesting being darker in color and made out of a strange metal cloth and covered in rocky scales. These also menaced with spikes of the same material of the metal cloth and on the scales were engraved scenes of small men and dragons, where the small men were striking down the dragons.

"A Gudvor darvan..."

"Oh, grah'gragh darvan fuh'nahal. Drakkir grah'gragh nash? Eh Gudvor eh R'thum tah'tah?" [Small person]

"I do not speak that language."

"Ah, nash, nash. Gah'raagh kittargh Bradn... oh, I mean forgive Bradn, I mean me, I am Bradn. Oh, bad manners, should not. Let Bradn retry." [Bradn]

The dwarf straightened himself and locked his eyes with Dar'ith's sockets while releasing an aura of pride and looking like he was speaking to a mortally dangerous foe.

With his deep voice, the small man slowly and clearly declared:

"I am Bradn Darrm, 36 years old, I am a warrior from Tahrdav in R'thum that... uh... worked warrior in Valian and now I am... work as warrior for Sanctus to improve the diplomatic relationship between them." [Bradn]

The dwarf proudly smiled at the end of his speech while Jack clapped and congratulated the short man for improving the pronunciations on some of the words.

"Yes, I practise lot, I know almost all correctly now." [Bradn]

"Indeed, I still remember when you were shuffling all the words around trying to make it sound better. And now you even pronounce most of them correctly and in the right order! You've come a long way." [Jack]

"I take it you haven't lived in Altria for long."

"Fuh'nahal, four years only. Still hard language, strange sounds, but interesting." [Bradn]

"He actually means thirteen years, dwarves count time in a weird way." [Jack]

"Ah, correct, mohn'ustur count humm'th too doh'th not only. Thirteen years human, four years darvan." [Bradn]

This was a pleasant surprise for the undead, now it could also learn about another race directly from said race. Granted, it had to first understand what he was saying, but while broken, it was still altrian so as long as the dwarf didn't change language it would eventually learn something.

Just as it was preparing to interrogate the dwarf, Jack reminded the undead of the original reason it left the library.

"By the way, great messenger-" [Jack]

"Please, stop that. Just call me by my name."

"Oh, I would never do something as unrespectful as address the holy lord messenger and chosen one by his sacred name. I am not worthy of it." [Jack]

"Then stop calling me titles such as great, holy, chosen, messenger, champion or anything like that. It is becoming annoying."

"Then how would you like me to address you?" [Jack]

"Just use my name."

"As I said before, I would ne-" [Jack]

"My true name has been lost when I died, and even if I remembered, it would be impossible to know which of the many names my souls possessed would be my true one. Just use my name, I have chosen it myself so that others may call me with it."

"Understood lord Dar'ith." [Jack]

"...fine, I'll take it. Now what did you want."

"Of course, I do not wish to intrude in your sacred duty, we know that you studied for the greater purpose all this time. And so I would like to ask of you the reason why you terminated your studies.

Is it perhaps because you have found the next step toward your sacred duty? Maybe one of the librarians have offended you? Perhaps you have read all the books and need more?

I wish to assist you in your duty and to do it to the best of my abilities I need to know your needs. Of course I will not pry nor will insist if you decide to keep it a secret or simply do not want me to know." [Jack]

"None, I'm only going to practise some of the newest spells I learned."

The knight's eyes lit up after hearing this and after a brief moment of thought, the man asked for a few more informations.

"Will lord Dar'ith be practising light magic?" [Jack]

"Yes, many of the spells in your books are light spells and I learned some of them."

"Oh, glorious, magnificent! This is a sign from the holy lord! May I know where will you be practising?" [Jack]

"I... Wanted to practise just outside the city, outside the light barrier, so that my magic won't be hindered by it."

"The northern gate or the southern?" [Jack]

"The northern."

"Perfect, thank you for answering me oh great lord Dar'ith. I will apologize now because I will not be able to be by your side during your travel to the exit. I swear that I will serve you the moment I finish this job." [Jack]

"I... sure..."

"Thank you lord Dar'ith. Bradn, I leave my place to you, escort lord Dar'ith to the exit and protect him from any threat. I have to go, the sooner I start, the sooner I'll finish." [Jack]

"Fuh'nahal, can do." [Bradn]

"Great, now I'll be going. Lord Dar'ith, I'll see you outside the city." [Jack]

The knight sprinted down the hallway, the man was incredibly quick on his feet for someone wearing full armor and equipped with halberd and tower shield almost larger than him.

"Do you know why he was so excited?"

"Naktul, not know." [Bradn]

"Fair enough."

Walking through the city, using the most unused roads, a giant and a dwarf were making their way to the northern gate.

"Earlier you said you were thirtysix, are those dwarven or human years?"

"Darvan, hundrednine human." [Bradn]

"How do you count years in R'thum?"

"Doh'th one year, two humm'th then one doh'th. Mohn'ustur count all, darv count doh'th." [Bradn]

"Ok, one year every three, I got that. What are the doh'th and humm'th you speak of?"

"They 'th, they beats, they heart beats." [Bradn]

"Heart beats? Whom?"

"Whom? No, not 'Whom' they Shassathahla heart beats. Who this 'Whom'? I know not." [Bradn]

"I'll explain another time, who is this 'Shassathahla'?"

"Shassathahla is kind, Shassathahla is home, Shassathahla is ground. She earth, Shassa, and mother, Thahla. Shassathahla is darvan like Holy Lord is mohn'ustur, human." [Bradn]

"She's your goddess?"

"Fuh'nahal, good word, not wrong. Shassathahla is darvan thahla, darvan mother and home, also Shassathahla is world, Somnium is name from not darvan." [Bradn]

"You worship the world as a goddess?"

"Yes, not wrong." [Bradn]

"So there are other religions in the world... Wait, did you just say you hear her heart beats?"

"Fuh'nahal, all darv hear Shassathahla'th, she have many 'th. All mohn'ustur year darv listen ta humm'th all three mohn'ustur year is ta doh'th it is darvan one year. Year go thum, thum, thump! Thum, thum, thump!

Then all shaussi is more humm'th... Oh, shaussi is day, it is time and humm is small. All day darv hear th, th, tah! Th, th, tah! It is nahs, life r'thum." [Bradn]

Dar'ith was currently writing everything down in its diary while at the same time managing to follow the small proud dwarf.

"By the way, you keep saying darvan and I remember reading that that is the correct name of your race. Why do people call you dwarves?"

"Nash naktul. Mohn'ustur strange, I say I is darv and they say I is dwarf. Human say very ruff'nah word is in altrian. Dwarf is... uh... description: short, small, humm. Dwarf and darv sound ruff'nah they say... Ah, similar is ruff'nah meaning. And so they call dwarf and not darv." [Bradn]

"Interesting."

"But I tell you they naktul, not Bradn short, mohn'ustur is too big. Bradn is tallest in Tahrdav." [Bradn]

"Is Tahrdav a dwarv... a darvan city?"

"Fuh'nahal, it is. Waghwa Gudvor, very close, ta shaussi Bradn tah'tah Tahrdav Dar'ith and then I show you around. Tahrdav is good place, fuh'nahal!" [Bradn]

"Yes, I do plan to visit R'thum some time in the future. We're almost there, so I'll ask you one last question."

"Grah'gragh! I answer, you is very liked, Bradn eh Dar'ith drakhnahhi. Drakhnahhi is friend, mean Dar'ith and Bradn is friend!" [Bradn]

"Then I'll be asking you much more in the future. So, why do you call the humans 'Mohn'ustur'?"

"Hahaha! That is old story and very funny. Start hundrednineteen years back, darvan years, human tah'tah R'thum and Darvan show around, first time saw frail giants, very curious.

They not speak drakkir but not bad, kind look and write man look excited so we invite in thahla. Mohn'ustur warrior then shout funny:

they see drakken and scream 'mohnstahr' we calm human and explain drakken, they see torull and scream 'mohnstahr' we calm human and explain torull, they see gharr and scream 'mohnstahr' we calm human again and explain gharr.

They not understand, but write man is smart and help explain, don't know if understand but maybe he did. Write man look embarassed from human warrior, we laugh and tell worry not. Human warrior look ruff'nah puppy: they shake and are scared.

Because they always scream 'mohnstahr' we decide call human mohn'ustur, only learn later they called human. Write man very embarassed name stuck so learned drakkir and told us. Write man was very smart.

And that is name legend, also name truth, it is history, learn in nashthahla." [Bradn]

"It was indeed somewhat funny to hear. I think I'll put learning... Drakkir, was it? On the list, I think I'm going to need it when I get to R'thum."

"Haha! If need help, Bradn tiss'ahnash. Mean give knowledge, is 'teaching' in altrian. See? You learning already." [Bradn]

"Ah... Yes... I'll be in your care."

The two arrived at a suitable plain and the sound of clanking armor rapidly closing in began echoing from the distance.

"Ah, Jack, finish job?" [Bradn]

The man stomped his foot down and stopped his momentum.

"Yes, yes I did. Did I arrive in time?" [Jack]

"Yes, I'm just about to start, I'll just create a few targets and then begin."

"Ah, let Bradn do, Bradn good at shassa hum." [Bradn]

The dwarf stepped forward and began humming. Bobbing his head up and down, he made a beat with his foot creating a constant rhythm.

For every beat the dwarf made, the earth slightly trembled, then the dwarf started swaying to the sound only he heard.

And then he spoke to the beat, almost as if he was singing.

"Bradn grah'gragh, shassa grah'rakhssa..." [Bradn]

Bradn clapped his hand and then held them in front of him as if he was holding onto something.

"Bradn hum~ Tav shassa rogh, tah'tah shahha~!" [Bradn]

As he sang the last syllable, Bradn raised his hands to the sky and with them, five rock blocks came out of the earth a few meters in front of him.

"These good? Forgot asking number, mistake." [Bradn]

"They're good enough... That... wasn't magic language."

"Naktul, not magic language, drakkir." [Bradn]

"You can cast spells without magic language?"

"Fuh'nahal, just need to ask Shassathahla, she make 'th you just follow and hum to r'thum." [Bradn]

"Dwarves have the strange ability to make magic by singing and making music in general. We think that their goddess, the Earth Mother has something to do with it." [Jack]

"I'm surprised Sanctus wasn't at war with them for worshipping another deity."

"When we asked them to convert they said that there was no need as their Earth Mother and the Holy Lord apparently knew each other so he was revered as a god as well. And while they look harmless and jolly, they're incredibly hardy, powerful and their craft is nothing to scoff at. So it was decided to not wage war against them." [Jack]

"Interesting, well, the quicker I practise, the sooner I can go back to studying."

"Ah, if possible, can lord Dar'ith start his practise session with a light spell?" [Jack]

"...fine, I think I'll start with [Ray of Light] then."

"Magnificent, I thank your endless kindness for allowing me such honor." [Jack]

"Whatever can keep your mouth shut."

Dar'ith began removing the anti magic rings on its hand, the air changed for every ring the undead took off.

As the last ring was removed, all the movements around, along with the animals and their noises came to a halt.

"Oh, scary air, drakhnahhi is stronger than Bradn thought." [Bradn]

"Such overwhelming presence, on par if not stronger than the mightiest undeads. Truly worthy of being the Holy Lord chosen." [Jack]

"Shut your mouth, that name annoys me."

Dar'ith pointed to one of the rock blocks summoned by Bradn and chanted a spell. The light around its hand twisted and a magic formation appeared in front of the skeleton.

"Across the pitch black darkness, I will show the path. Follow it, my light will burn the shadows."

The formation imploded and the light disappeared from the surroundings of Dar'ith's hand, shooting forward, creating a blinding beam of light that disappeared a split second later.

The rock block the undead ponted at now had a hole in it. The rock blocking the beam's path had been melted and burning hot lava was flowing out the hole.

Looking at the finger it used to point, Dar'ith noticed that part of it was missing, burned just the same way.

That hurt like hell, I need to cast the formation a bit farther away from me...

"It was true..." [???]

The voice of someone unknown made Dar'ith turn around, allowing it to notice a crowd of people that began kneeling, praying and rejoicing.

"Forgive me my lord I did not believe." "I have sinned, I will believe everything, please forgive me." "It was true, it was true." "The chosen is real, he is real."

Words like these filled the place as more and more people prayed to the skeleton.

"What is this?"

"Please forgive me lord Dar'ith, it is the result of the job I did earlier: many of the citizens didn't believe you to be the Holy Lord's messenger as they did not see you during your reveal in the hall.

As heretics that did not believe in the holy lord's decision, we were preparing a mass purge to cleanse the holy city of the misbelievers. The purge was to be carried out a few days ago, but the princess was against it.

Since she was the one who brought the chosen one to the city, the Holy Lord obviously gave her an important role, and so we decided to accept her request. She unfortunately did not know how to address the matter though.

So she told us to wait for you to come out, it was very probable that you were going to provide a way to open the mind of the ignorant heretics. And indeed you did!

No undead can use the holy light magic as it is something that goes against the rules of the world. And so, by showing it to the populace they would finally believe in your holiness and the fact that the Holy Lord has indeed chosen you." [Jack]

"So you used me?"

"Oh, no no no! Never! If my actions have offended you, please know that it wasn't my intention. I only wished to see the chosen one's miracle... Perhaps I was a bit greedy and wanted to be part of the miracle itself but... Oh, no... I... I used the chosen one as a tool!?" [Jack]

The knight fell on his knees and put the edge of the halberd on his throath while crying for forgiveness to his god.

"Naktul!" [Bradn]

The dwarf jumped to the suicidal knight and stopped him from killing himself.

"Leave me, Bradn, I have sinned! I must atone for it!" [Jack]

"Naktul! You not thinking, drakhnahhi Dar'ith not angry, you know Holy Lord scheme, you grah'gragh with Holy Lord. Drakhnahhi Dar'ith probably know too, believe!" [Bradn]

Suddently, the weapon stopped moving, no matter how much strenghth the knight put on the halberd. A skeletal hand was holding the weapon and a skull with flames in its sockets was staring the man down.

"Is the darvan telling the truth?"

"Ah! Yes! I received a dream from the Holy Lord telling me that something incredibly powerful would arrive in Sanctus and he was very important to his goal. That was the reason why the king accepted you into his halls so easily.

Your appearances did confuse us so... Ah, I do not mean to demean you of course, you exude holiness, I was blind before but-" [Jack]

"Stay on topic, your Holy Lord knew all of that would happen?"

"Only your arrival was forseen, lord Dar'ith, but there is no mistaking it. Everything was surely just as the Holy Lord planned!" [Jack]

Gears were grinding in its head and anger was boiling in its soul.

"When I finish my practise, I want you to tell the king to prepare the... Eye... I wish to speak with your god."

"Ah! So... Am I forgiv-" [Jack]

"I have told you what you need to do, you either do it or not."

"Of course, I will follow your every order!" [Jack]

Dar'ith turned to the rock blocks and casted another spell. An enormous, bright magic formation enveloped the remaining targets.

The atmosphere made the witnesses sweat cold sweat and the clouds above began disappearing.

"Your words are not mine, your actions are not mine, I am true and I am real. You act as a god,

But I am not your slave."

The magic circle collapsed and everyone's vision became pure white. As they regained vision, the witnesses kneeled one after the other. It was hard to decide whether the scene was holy or demonic, but it was certainly awe inspiring.

A skeleton with flames in its eyes was staring them down as the targets slowly melted away in the background and flowers bloomed using the life sapped away from the area, affected by the spell, that was now slowly dying.

No more waiting, I want answers.