Morning came all to grumpily. I had tossed and turned all night. It seemed every time I got comfortable, a rock would find its way in after a few minutes. I had also managed to sleep with my head imperceptibly downhill, and was suffering from heartburn as well. Even if I didn’t have a skill to radiate an aura, everyone seemed to sense I was grumpy and left me alone. Just as well, we should be entering the city today and I was looking forward to that.

The distance persisted when we all got into the cart as well. Even Elendria, who normally tried to lighten my mood as much as she could, was a bit subdued. I dropped into a mental zone, and spent the day simply playing with mana. No plan, no goals. Just making random things. That got boring after about three minutes, and I gave in.

“Aw fuck it. Anyone wanna play a game?” I asked.

“Huh?” Carrigan looked at me. “What do you have in mind?”

“Ever heard of checkers?” I asked, picking a fairly simple game. He shook his head, so I explained. “Ok. It’s fairly simple. You remove the enemy pieces by jumping over them. You can only move on the diagonal, and unless one of your pieces reaches the opposite end of the board and gets ‘kinged,’ then they can only move forward. If you have a jump, you have to take it. If you have multiple pieces that can be jumped, you can take a combination. You just have to hit the ground after each individual piece.”

“Sounds simple enough. Show us the board.”

“One second.” I said. First the board. Eight squares by eight squares. Stay on the black squares, colored with just a hint of shadow mana. Three rows, and let’s make them green versus blue.

“Nice, simple set up.” Carrigan nodded. “Mind if I go first?”

“Not at all. Just know, you can only move one square at a time.” I explained, and we dropped into an enjoyable game. I added a bit of flair to the game by giving kinged pieces a holographic crown inset with mana jewels. Bribis even got into the game for a bit, climbing into the back with the rest of us. There was plenty of cheering, though they refrained from pointing out moves. At least, until after we had made mistakes. I took it easy on everyone the first few times, swapping out after a bit. Unsurprisingly, everyone was a fast learner. Keeping the back row as long as possible as well as setting up trading pieces without leaving themselves open to double jumps.

“Look out!” Bribis cried, watching Elendria battle Carrigan. It was too late.

“What? She can only get one of them.” Carrigan said.

“Unless my piece gets kinged after its initial jump. I can still move afterward, can’t I?” Elendria asked me with a grin on her face.

“She’s right.” I nodded, and we all laughed as Carrigan paled. She serenely jumped three pieces, cutting Carrigan’s forces in half and opening up an entire half of the board for her pieces to race through and get kinged. Poor bastard didn’t last too long after that. Elendria took some pity on him, only getting three kings before demolishing his army. She was hounding his last king around the board, slowly herding him into a trap.

“Good god, now I know how a deer feels being chased by a wolf pack.” He chuckled after getting trapped. No matter where he moved, he would die. “Here, to the victor.” He said, accepting defeat.

“You gave that corner a good run though.” Elendria said. “It took me a bit to figure out how to evict you.” She was referring to the portion of the board where the black square wasn’t exactly in the corner, letting Carrigan move back and forth between two squares without risking his piece.

“Heh, I thought for sure I was going to get you to at least sacrifice one piece to get me out of there, then I was going to break for the opposite corner.” He chuckled.

“Master Bribis, we’re close.” The wagon driver interrupted.

“Alright, I’m coming up.” He said, climbing into the seat.

“Caravan masters need to greet the gate guards.” Carrigan explained to my questioning look. “It’ll keep things moving easier.” I stood and used the back of the seat for some balance, wanting to see what we were doing. There was a line of wagons sitting outside of a massive tunnel leading into the side of the mountain. The tunnel was flanked by two gnomes with smiles and welcoming arms. We slowly made our way inside, and the tunnel was surprising in its length.

“Don’t worry, we haven’t left it defenseless.” Bribis said, answering what was on my mind. “Look up.” I did, to see lines at several regular intervals.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Ten blocks, each weighing about ten tons come down and form a nigh impenetrable barrier. Each one has been enchanted so that it is highly magic resistant. In all our history, none have managed to invade through that. The side alleys each have ten gates that serpentine back and forth. The third of each gate is too small to admit anything like siege equipment. The rest is protected by the mountain.”

“That’s damn impressive.” I said. And it really was. An invading army would have a hell of a time attacking. Especially if the serpentine accesses were riddled with murder holes and other unpleasantness like I thought they were.

“Eh, we like having it. The last time we were attacked, the army took a look at the gate and turned right back around and decided they had better things to do. Especially since we are able to grow food and have a clean water source inside. There’s no possible way to lay siege to the city.”

“I like it. Make it a nut too tough to bother cracking. You would almost have to be able to destroy the entire mountain, and that would defeat the purpose if you were trying to take over the city.”

“Exactly our thoughts. Plus, we don’t really like to fight. Enough of that though, do you know what you are going to do once we get in?”

“I’ve been thinking. How positive are you that the church here hasn’t been infiltrated?”

“I don’t know.” He said with a sigh. “We keep better records than the humans, that’s for sure. But if the elves were infiltrated, I’m not ruling anything out. You worried?”

“Definitely.” I said. “But I’m also torn. Right now, the gods are likely frantically searching for me. If they are doing that, then they are probably neglecting other, important things. Like the split in Ariana’s church. At some point there has to be a bit of a risk taken. I think I’m strong enough for now that I can afford it, especially with you guys backing me up.”

“I’m sure the others would love to help, but I don’t know how much I can do.” Bribis said.

“Seriously?” I asked, nudging his shoulder. “Do you realize that I never would have made it without your caravan skills? It doesn’t matter how good of a warrior Gareth is, how good at magic Carrigan and Elendria are. Do you really think any of that would matter if they didn’t make it to the battlefield? Don’t sell yourself short.”

He stared at me for a second, before grunting. “Heh. Didn’t think you would go to the height jokes.” Smiling, he continued. “Alright. Even if I just get you there, I can help ya.”

“Appreciate….it.” I said, drawing the sentence out. Bribis laughed at my reaction, as I was frozen just staring at the beauty of the city.

The highest portions were the aqueducts, made of sparkling granite. Six, maybe seven stories in the air, they had a netting ten feet below the top. Probably to catch anyone who fell when they tried that surfing that Bribis had explained. Above that, I could see a gentle yellow glow, but couldn’t quite see the enchanted topaz. There were streaks of multiple colors across the ceiling, giving the appearance of clouds. The streets were well maintained, and had a slight curve to them. This sent any liquids into the gutter system, a system that was kept cleared and didn’t stink. The human cities could learn a lot from that! The buildings were all carved from stone, and like Bribis had described earlier hardly ever rose above two stories.

That didn’t mean they weren’t beautiful. The gnomes had painted every single one in fantastic colors, though most tended towards warm reds, oranges, and yellows. Some went with geometric fractal patterns, others mirrored nature. All had their own flair. Most even crushed glittering crystals into the paint, making bits reflective.

“Beautiful, ain’t it?” He asked, and I nodded along. “I always hated leaving, but the view coming back is always the best.”

“So what’s the plan?” I asked.

“Stop by the family compound first and unload all this stuff. It should only take us a few hours. That’ll give us plenty of time to walk over to Bruin’s church and see what we need to do there.”

“Sounds good.” I said, sitting back down to enjoy the ride. I was rather impressed with their city layout. Streets were in a grid pattern, and the largest ones had actual intersection lights. Red meant stop, while blue meant go. Instead of a third color, the blue stone would give twenty flashes before switching colors. It didn’t take long at all before we were pulling in to a walled compound along the outskirts of the city.

“Bribis! Dramitian!” An older gnome called out, walking towards us with his arms open.

“Hey pa!” They both yelled back, jumping down and embracing him. He was the same size as his sons, with straight blond hair. The major difference between them was the two greying patches of hair at the elder’s temple.

“So what brings both of my boys home at the same time?” He asked.

“We need to speak in private, after unloading. I’ll need you to go to the council for us.” Bribis said after looking at his brother.

“Sounds serious.”

“It is dad.” Dramitian said.

“Alright. You boys unload. I’ll go round up the council. Meet back here?”

“Temple of Bruin.” Bribis said. “It’ll save us a few explanations.”

“And pass the word around. Might be a good idea to take some extra care in the human lands, and probably the elves as well.” Dramitian said. “Avoid Three Rivers entirely.”

“That’s.” The gnome started, getting incredibly serious. “Is it what I think?”

“Probably.” Bribis said. “Go though. Get the council. No sense wasting time speculating.”

“Aye, ya got a point.” The father said. “I’ll meet your friends later.” With a wave, he headed out, grabbing a few younger gnomes on his way. We buckled down and started unloading the wagons, a task that wasn’t that difficult since we hadn’t tried to stock up on anything in Three Rivers.

“Your dad seems pretty smart.” I said as I dropped a box next to Bribis. “He probably guessed about half of what you wanted to tell him.”

“Yeah, he’s sharper than a Rammer’s horn.” He nodded, not that I had any idea what a rammer was. “Anyhow, we got most everything unloaded. I’ll leave the rest to the crew. Grab Elendria and Carrigan, and let’s head to the church. Dramitian will take the lead here.”

“Yes sir.” I said, heading out. Grabbing the two was easy, and we met Bribis by the gate. He led us out with a simple nod, deeper into the heart of the city. We stopped by a nearby blue sign.

“Public transport.” Bribis explained. “Should be here in a few minutes.” Sure enough, something incredibly similar to a trolley rolled up after about five minutes. We climbed on, and settled in for a ride. To my surprise, Bribis led us up to a second level, an open air one. “Didn’t want you guys to miss the sights.”

From up here, we could see the roofs of some of the shorter buildings. They were just as colorful as the ground level. Each one was a different picture. Wonderful mosaics made from colored stones. Farmers tilling fields, masons working stone, and artists painting scenes. They were all peaceful, and relaxing. Soon enough, we could see a spire rising in the distance. Made of gleaming white stone, it seemed to sit directly under the gigantic topaz. As we neared it, we noticed a massive circular window just above the door, with all three gods inside of it. The lower levels were blocked by a wall, and the entrance was flanked by two odd statues. They seemed to be armored centaurs, with slitted visors and armed with shield and lance.

“What are those?” I asked, impressed. They were as tall as the bus.

“Temple guards.” Bribis said. “Never needed them, but they are there nonetheless. All the temples in the major cities have them, though the form differs.”

“The craftsmanship is phenomenal.” I said. I felt a tug on my sleeve, and turned to see Elendria smiling at me.

“Come on my Lord. You can admire them up close, but we have things to do.”

“Lead on then.” I said with a grin. We exited the bus, and I could feel power emanating from the statues. They each had a core of divine energy in them, and I felt it fluctuate as we neared it. Were they scanning every person that came near? If all the temples had this, then the main ones might not be infiltrated yet. They let us pass, which was fine by me. The main entrance was double doors, and we entered to find a lovely space. The ceiling was vaulted, covered in reliefs of plants. Instead of a middle row with sets of pews like a Catholic church, there were instead groups of tables set around randomly.

“Greetings!” Making his way towards us was a gnome in garments that resembled a lab coat more than priest robes. “Could it be? Bribis?”

“Hello!” He called out with a smile, hugging the priest. “Lodrano, good to see you. I didn’t realize you had advanced to high priest!”

“Bruin smiles on me. You’ve been gone for far too long my brother! But come, no need to be rude, who are these guests who come with you?”

“Carrigan has been helping guard my caravan for years, a master of fire and air magics. Elendria is a recent friend, and I doubt you could find a more powerful ice master. Sean arrived with Elendria, and is the reason we are all here. If you don’t mind, I think we should wait on his story until the council arrives. Everyone, this is my brother Lodrano.”

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

“A pleasure.” We all greeted the gnome, who seemed glad to meet everyone.

“Wonderful to meet you all as well. Come, let us claim a table while we wait on the council.” He led us to a secluded table, though that didn’t mean it was in a shadowed area. Every table had a light from the ceiling shining down on it, along with several adjustable lamps as well, though these were turned off.

“This, isn’t like any church I’ve ever been to.” I said, sliding in to a seat.

“Oh? Well, we are a bit more hands on. Bruin is the god of medicine, and we do what we can to cultivate it. Every church strives to produce medicine and deliver it at prices that people may afford, no matter their station.”

“A fine goal.” I nodded. Before I could go on, the door opened and several gnomes were led in by Bribis’ father.

“Greetings, honored council.” Lodrano said, welcoming everyone.

“Well, your son dragged us all here Borean. What’s this all about then.” One of the oldest looking ones grumped.

“Don’t ask me, ask them.” He replied.

“If I may?” I interrupted what promised to be a decent argument. “I think I can answer all the questions you have. Perhaps Lodrano will confirm, but have the gods seemed preoccupied recently?”

He flinched, then narrowed his eyes at me. “Indeed. And I’m wondering how you realized this, without being affiliated with any church?”

“Because they are searching for me. I’m the hero Ariana and the others summoned, only something went wrong. I ended up in the southern forest, and I do believe that you should all listen to our tales.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

It took several hours to go through our story, and the others picked up where I couldn’t. Parts got incredulous reactions, and some outright anger, but they didn’t interrupt. Any mention of shadow had them all looking at each other in fear. Especially when Elendria revealed her lineage and what she suspected of her brothers. That got an interruption.

“Wait one moment.” The grumpy one said. “You are telling me, telling us, that you are the lost elven princess? And that you were enslaved by your brothers? Why should we believe that?”

“Because it’s the truth.” She shrugged. “Or would you prefer me to be a bit more drastic? Surely your high priest there would be able to detect outright deceptions in a story.”

“There have been no lies that I could tell.” Lodrano said with a shrug. “But I will be the first to admit that I am not quite as familiar with lying in the other races. I would be far more inclined to trust Bribis on things like that.”

“Me?” Bribis asked with a flinch.

“Of course!” Lodrano chuckled. “You spend the vast majority of your time in the company of the other races, making deals with them. If you can’t tell when they are lying on some level, I would weep for the lost profits of our clan.”

“Pfft.” The grumpy one scoffed. “He got taken in by this human’s claim of being a summoned hero. And to say that there is a false hero raising an army in Three Rivers to raid the demons? I for one, doubt his judgement.”

“You’re an old fool who can’t see the gems for the matrix.” Bribis snarled. “Count your blessings you weren’t there, or else you would find yourself enslaved with no hope.”

“Luckily for all of us there is a way to fix that.” I said. Through the entire story, I had been eyeing a statue of Bruin at the head of the hall. I could sense something inside it was divine, probably a link to him for the prayers. “Lodrano, can I assume that the statue over yonder is where you pray?”

“Hmm? Oh, of course. But I’ll be honest, Bruin doesn’t answer many prayers. It would take a lot to get his attention.”

“And you just send the spirit into the chest of the statue?” I asked. He flinched, and I smiled. “Don’t worry. I have just the thing to get his attention.”

“Sean.” Bribis warned, but it was too late. I was frustrated with the elder who was doubting our story just because we weren’t gnomes. That easily explained why I wanted to get this show on the road. Later, I would blame my frustration of being ripped from my home for my wording.

Standing in front of the statue, I used all of my meager spirit pool to create an orb. “Hey, jackass. Next time you three wanna summon someone, do two things. Ask first, and maybe work on your aim a bit.” Despite the gasps behind me, I sent the orb straight into the chest of the statue.

The reaction was immediate. The lights all went out, save for one highlighting the statue. The statue with glowing red eyes. “Who dares?!” It thundered, causing everyone but me to fall to their knees. The pressure of just standing near it was immense, though I did take the opportunity to replenish my spirit pool. Waste not, want not and all that.

“I dare.” I said. “Before you get to the smiting, I’m sure you have some sort of divine appraisal you can use. You should probably pay attention to the hidden titles. I’m sure Ariana will be happy I finally turned up.”

The statue eyed me. Actually, it scanned me like I was an item at the supermarket. I could almost hear the frustration as it resisted grinding its teeth, though it was obviously annoyed at me. “Confirmed. You are the chosen of Ariana. Stay on site, I must confer.”

“Sure, take your time.” I said, though it was pointless. The statue was back to being just a statue.

“S-S-S-Sean.” Lodrano stammered. “Bruin has given me instructions.”

“It’s ok Lodrano.” I said with a smile. “I just hope I didn’t get you in trouble with your god.”

“No, no. It’s not that. This is just, highly unusual. I am to invite you and your companions to sleep in the church tonight. While you dream, you will all be transported for a conference with the gods.”

“Excellent.” I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “I think it’s about time we had a face to face anyway. I suppose this puts your doubts of our story to rest?” I turned to see the grumpy elder nodding furiously.