Several moons, at least half a year, have passed since Galizur left the camp near the portal. After reporting everything he saw and heard there to the heavens, emphasizing the Emperor’s demands, he was relieved of his task. With nothing better to do, he spent his days roaming the heavens, trying to find anyone who could know something more about the portal and anything related to it.

To his surprise, the information was very scarce. His fellow diplomats were oddly clueless about the subject. That was a new one, since the heavens were always very knowledgeable about what was going on in Greadinall. All its races would gladly share the information with the heavens, hoping to earn their favor. However, this time, everyone was eerily silent. It seemed as if every nation had a plan of its own, and wasn’t willing to share it. Some were even so arrogant to claim there’s no need for them to tell anything since the heavens see everything anyway.

That was hardly the case, but it was an elegant way to get the mortals to confess their sins. Making them think that somebody is always watching made them much more talkative. However, it seemed as if the mortals got wiser about it.

And what made it so strange was that all of them got wise about it at the same time. In other words, someone had a hand in it.

The logical culprit would be the high elves. Seeing themselves as superior to every other mortal race, they never liked that they needed permission to do anything. They’ve been doing their best to undermine The Timkik Empire for centuries, with the excuse being that the timkiks were too selfish and incompetent to rule Greadinall.

The heavens agreed. After all, the high elven logic made sense, and their arguments were solid.

It all started slowly and in a small way. Creating special, minor tariffs for the timkik merchants who wanted to sell outside of their homeland. Making it slightly harder for the timkik church to project its influence outside the Empire’s borders. But, with each new century, the high elves got progressively more aggressive. Not directly, it never got to the point where the high elves would directly challenge The Timkik Empire, but every century they’d find a new way to chip away a small piece of timkik strength.

Sensing that the Empire’s strength was slowly waning, the hosagian kingdom rose, demanding that the land that timkiks took from it a few millennia ago be returned. So, the war started, which lasted for several centuries now.

The high elves joined the hosagians but were unwilling to send their own to die in a war. So, they supported the hosagians from a distance, with coin, resources, and a few of their highly-skilled, veteran mages and Pegasi knights. Their navy also played a significant role, especially during the siege of Qalo, supplying the city through the port.

Their involvement stabilized the war, making it impossible for any side to win, draining both timkiks and hosagians in the process. The heavens realized what the high elves were doing but didn’t seem to care about it. After all, the mortals have every right to play their games, just how the heavens play their own.

And now, with their biggest mortal competitors exhausted, it seemed as if the high elves were trying to limit the influence of the heavens, the only force remaining in their way to dominate all of Greadinall. At least that’s what some angelic diplomats have concluded.

However, the others disagreed, with Galizur being one of them. Cunning as the high elves are, there was no way they would ever trick timkiks into opening a portal to hell. Yes, the high elves are cunning and unforgiving, but they’d never risk another fall just to obtain more power. They aren’t fools, far from it. What would be the point of spending centuries carefully navigating through the obstacles, only to have the demons ruin everything when they pour through the portal? In Galizur’s mind, the high elves have invested way too much to make such an uncertain, stupid gamble. After all, they’re known for their meticulousness. Taking risks is simply not their style.

So, someone else was pulling strings in this case. And what concerned Galizur the most was that whoever was behind the portal could also be behind the discord the high elves have created among the mortals.

In other words, the portal could be just a tiny portion of a much, much bigger plan.

But, putting that thought aside, the mortals have finally reached an agreement. It took them many moons to do so, but they did it in the end.

The agreement was that there would be no agreement. The Timkik Empire has rejected the heaven’s proposal, hosagian and high elven kingdoms have rejected the timkik proposal, while the rest of Greadinall couldn’t care less about what was going on.

And, what that meant was that at least three-quarters of its people weren’t interested in opposing the demonic invasion at its early stage. While timkiks, hosagians, and the high elves had a major influence over the continent, that didn’t mean they were the most numerous. They were just the loudest and the most aggressive.

The situation would be alarming if not for the fact that the timkik Emperor didn’t come crawling on all four during this time, begging for help. Expecting exactly that, the heavens have created a plan where the hosagian army, with some high elven and angelic support, would swoop in to contain the demonic hordes. The idea was that, once the demons have started invading, the other nations would realize the danger they’re in and would mobilize their armies. The plan also counted on the fact that the remnants of the timkik military would also join the fight. After all, their own homes would need some liberating.

But, the moons passed, without any news of the demonic hordes reaching the heavens. Not only that, there were no further requests from the timkik Emperor. You’d expect the ruler in such an epic pinch to be far more vocal and concerned about it but, instead, the timkik government went completely silent.

So, since no information was reaching the heavens, Galizur was sent once again to examine the portal. The excuse was very simple. Officially, he was to report how the interracial summit went to the portal-garrison commander. That way, even if timkiks were to complain about the unannounced visit, Galizur would present it as a goodwill gesture from the heavens. After all, one doesn’t share useful information with enemies.

---

Galizur didn’t have to land to realize that things have changed dramatically. First of all, there was no camp anymore! In place of the small camp with shaky palisade and ragged tents now stood a small town! Even from above, he could see its streets bustling with activity. Not wanting to spook the people, he landed some distance away, deciding it would be more prudent to approach the town on foot.

Before he has reached the town itself, he noticed two familiar faces approaching him, the dark-skinned military commander and his lighter-skinned knight companion.

“Ahoy!” The commander said heartily while raising his hand in greeting. Galizur gave him a deep nod as an answer, “I take it you want to speak with the royal archmage?”

“Indeed, can you please take me to her? I have some information she will find useful.”

“Please, come with us.”

Taking a better look at the commander, Galizur noticed that he was wearing some strange armor. It glittered in the sun, meaning it was made out of metal, but it wasn’t the plate armor he was used to. As strange as it sounds, it appeared as if the small pieces of metal were weaved together into an armor piece. However, he decided not to comment on it yet.

“Just the two of you came to escort me? I would expect you to have some more soldiers with you.”

“You didn’t come here to cause trouble, didn’t you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then, the two of us will do.”

As they approached the town, Galizur realized that most of the houses were made in a very simple manner, from wood. He couldn’t notice a single solid structure.

“Where did all these houses come from?” He asked, “I wasn’t here for a long time, but not so long for the houses to just pop up all over the place.”

Heartwell barked a small laugh: “The dwarves are to blame. Once they saw the trinkets the other world has to offer, they rushed to settle here. Most of the people in the town are dwarves.”

“Trinkets?”

“As it turns out, these demons are as good at creation as they are in destruction. But, Hazelmere will tell you more about it. I’m just a simple grunt, entrusted with your safety.”

Looking around, Galizur realized that what Heartwell was saying was true. Almost every second person he saw on the street was a dwarf. And it looked like all of them were busy, going about their business in a rush, not paying much attention to an angel who has descended from the heavens.

“We even have a market here now,” Heartwell said, “if you follow the clamor, you’re bound to find it. A lot of merchants from all over the Empire come here to trade. Dwarven merchants too.”

“So, people aren’t worried about the portal? About the demonic invasion?”

“Not at all.”

“I take it there are some good reasons for such enthusiasm?”

“Yeah, there are several of them. But our commander will explain it much better than I can. She’s far more eloquent than a simple peasant like me.”

They continued along the dirt-paths which acted as the streets, connecting the houses into neatly arranged rows. Even though everything about the town was simple, the orderly arrangement made it clear the dwarves have had a significant part in its construction.

The town was tiny, so it didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. It was a warehouse-sized building, looking far sturdier than the buildings surrounding it. It wasn’t made from stone, but the wood was clearly of the far more durable sort. It also had two floors, making it resemble a decently successful tavern in a way, putting aside the difference in size. Galizur noticed some very interesting details on it, like the Empire’s coat of arms, surrounded by several dwarven ones. He was also surprised to see that such a building, made from wood, had glass windows on it.

With perfectly transparent glass at that. Something Galizur hasn’t seen on the biggest, most luxurious mansions.

Entering the building, Galizur was greeted with more strange sights. There was an unfamiliar big, round object, high on the wall, with numbers arranged on its edges. Some strange, vertically placed, white tables, with all kinds of differently colored words written all over them. A big mirror with a perfect reflection, so perfect Galizur had to stop for a moment to check if another angel is in the building.

And, the strangest of it all were the people rocking in their chairs, everywhere around him. Some of them rocked themselves back and forth as if possessed, while the others would spin around. After some time, Galizur realized the people were perfectly fine. They were just sitting in some weird chairs.

“Oh …”

“Oh, no …”

Galizur realized what that meant but maintained his composure. He remembered Hazelmere warning him about this, and he did his duty reporting that to the heavens, stressing the logical argument the timkik mage has presented him with.

However, while the heavens were too busy sorting out the mortals’ disagreements, the demons have clearly opted not to waste any time and act as soon as possible.

“That explains why the dwarves got so invested in this place. And why they aren’t afraid of the portal,” he thought, “as long as their greed is satisfied, they are fearless.”

Heartwell and Vukasin led him to the upper floor. The stairs didn’t creak as they climbed them, confirming that this place was built with durability in mind.

“So, they are here to stay.”

Passing through the corridor, his escort led him into a very spacious, bright room decorated with a lot of furniture.

The furniture looked quite alien. The table and the chairs were too thin to support their own weight, let alone anything else, while the two sofas left the impression of elegant …

… nothingness.

Two white tables stood vertically, with all kinds of scribbles on them, identical to those on the ground level.

“Welcome! Welcome!” Cheerful Hazelmere greeted him, not giving him the time to take a better look around the room, “I was eagerly awaiting your return!”

“Ahoy,” Galizur responded politely, “I am glad for such a warm welcome, but I feel bad for making all of you take the time of your day just to greet me.”

There were quite a few people in the room. Not counting Hazelmere, Heartwell, and Vukasin, four archmages, an archpriestess, and three dwarves were also present.

“Oh, we would be here anyway! We are here all day, every day, examining the things from the other side!”

“So, the demons aren’t sending just the books now?”

“Yes! They became far more generous. Of course, we are sending some of our own gifts in return, like you have suggested we should do!”

“No, I didn’t…”

Galizur remembered, how he was the one to encourage Hazelmere to send some books to the demons as a sign of goodwill, saying that the goodwill the demons have shown should be returned.

It has certainly bought the heavens the time they desperately needed, but he never expected it to backfire like this.

“Is something wrong?” Hazelmere asked.

“No, I just … I am just surprised by how the things are playing out.”

“We are surprised too! We can’t believe it! For a bunch of frost-dwelling demons, these people certainly have a lot to show! And teach!”

“Teach?”

“Yes! The dwarves are obsessed with their mathematics! Especially the ones that calculate the behavior of objects! I heard that the dwarves have a racial affinity for math, but it looks like these demons have them beaten.”

Galizur looked at the present dwarves uncertainly.

Wyvernshield just shrugged: “Just like the lass says. They have a far better numerical system based on tens and have far superior logical operators.”

“They can even calculate the trajectory of celestial beings!” Another dwarf couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

For the first time, Galizur’s face showed the slightest of frowns. His big wings rose slightly.

“What did you say?”

“Don’t take it the wrong way, the lad is just too enthusiastic. We aren’t sure about that yet. We’re still experimentin’ with those equations.”

“Need I remind you that the demons are famous for their deceit?”

“Aye, which is why we’re testin’ everythin’ they claim.”

Hazelmere jumped between Galizur and the dwarves, an uneasy smile on her face.

“Anyway, I take it you bring us some news? What is going on with the other nations? Will they be coming to help?”

The joyful enthusiasm in Hazelmere’s voice made it easier for Galizur to forgive the insulting implication.