Summoner school 5 a reve.., p.13
Summoner School 5: A Reverse Portal Fantasy, page 13
“I’m not sure that I want to stay here indefinitely,” Stacy answered when she realized we were all staring at her. “But I wouldn’t mind spending a few days here. At least until we figure out how to stop Joe and Charles. Then it’ll be safer for me to go back to my own world. And Bubba has already said that I can renovate one of the tiny houses to live in, and another just for a workshop. It’s far enough away from the cities that none of my technarch friends would ever check the area, so it’ll be the best place for the long term.”
“I’ll bring that up at the meeting,” I said and ate the last of the omelet. “We should go ahead and go. Bane and Fluffy will keep watch over the two of you, so you should be safe.”
“We’re going to clean up around here,” Stacy said with a determined look around. “Sarya said that she can help burn away the cobwebs and possibly the exact boards that we need to remove.”
“Not possibly,” the fire mage said with a proud just of her chin. “I can. I’m one of the best fire mages in a generation. In all of the nine realms. Being able to burn away specific boards is practically child’s play to me. I can even heat it so much that the nails will melt.”
“Really?” the scientist asked and glanced at the floorboards. “I wonder if I can put a bucket underneath to catch the metal. It would be amazing to reuse. Of course, I don’t have a soldering iron, but I might be able to reuse some of the stuff that I found at Bubba’s. I really need to go back and get everything else. I just brought the stuff that was already complete, but some of it was too big to fit in the duffle bag. And I promised to help with that tractor. That can wait, though. First things first, we need to get to work on this place.”
I looked between Mike and Sarya as the technomage hopped up and started to inspect everything in the cabin. It was kind of cute how she lost herself in thought and forgot that the rest of us were there, and I could see that the others thought so, too. I’d been a little worried that my mate wouldn’t be able to get along with the scientist once they were alone, but the redheaded elf shook her head at Stacy the same way she did with Atlesia, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Off we go,” I said and clapped my hands together, stood, and strolled out into the clearing. “You guys keep them safe, okay?”
Fluffy glared in my direction for a few seconds, but then Bane gave a warning bark, and the other banehound rolled all four of his neon blue eyes and plopped down so he could watch the forest for threats. My own pet strolled over to boop me in the chest with his head, and I reached up to scratch behind the overgrown wolf’s ears.
“Shall we?” Mike asked and opened a portal right into the door to the foothills.
“How?” I gaped and then shook my head. “Rina must really like you if you’re allowed to enter the gnome city so easily.”
“We’re not in the gnome city,” my roommate said and led the charge. “We’re just inside the door. And yes, yes, she does like me.”
I shook my head and followed after the tree-man as he strolled through the maze of corridors like he’d lived there his entire life. Several gnomes stopped their work to stare at us, but a few of them recognized Mike and waved like they were old friends. I had the overwhelming feeling that the mad scientist would end up living in the gnome world after graduation and hoped that we’d still be able to see each other on a somewhat regular basis.
The bronze and gold doorways we passed started to become more intricate the further into the mountain we went, and the wide tunnels narrowed so that the carts wouldn’t be able to pass through with ease. It was as if the section we were in wasn’t welcome to just anyone, and most of the carved murals depicted the elders in battle with everything from technomages to dwarves.
“Are you sure that we’re going the right way?” I asked as the hall dead-ended into an onyx doorway. “This looks more like an armory.”
“I’m sure,” Mike said and did an intricate knock that reminded me of something from a kid’s TV show about getting into a secret base. “I had to come here to get the permission for the amulet. The elders are very secretive about their meeting place. That’s why it’s so far out of the--”
His sentence was cut off as Tanner opened the door and squinted in the low light at us. The elder had rebraided his beard and even changed into non-wrinkled clothes for the meeting. It was the most put-together that I’d ever seen him, and a grin spread across my face as the grouchy old gnome ushered us into the room.
The meeting room was a large oval with a rectangular table carved from onyx and inlaid with bronze designs for what looked like the gnome city. It was hard to tell if each line was one of the hallways, but it made sense with all the tunnels that I’d managed to memorize over the last few weeks. The light was provided by large chandeliers filled with fireflies like all the stringed lights that lit the rest of the walkways, and six other gnomes sat waiting for us to come in and take our seats.
An old woman with gray hair and wrinkled skin sat at the head of the table. Her nose and wide eyes reminded me of Rina, though the younger woman was nowhere to be seen. The head of the gnome elders lifted a bushy eyebrow and glanced at the seats that had been deliberately left open for Mike and me.
“Let this meeting of the elders begin,” she said in a gravelly voice once everyone was seated. “I understand that we meet today in order to discuss the gnomes help in an upcoming war with the technomages.”
An excited murmur went around the table, and more than one of the elders glanced at Tanner as if they needed the warrior to confirm it. He nodded once and then deferred back to the woman at the head of the table as if everyone else should also be listening to their leader instead of him. The elders were an almost equal mix of men and women, though the oldest definitely seemed to be the woman at the other end of the table, and soon everyone turned back to her.
“Elder Tanner has informed us that one of the technomages has, in fact, defected,” she continued when silence fell again. “And that she is now within the boundaries of our realm.”
This time a cry of outrage came from a younger woman that still had streaks of black in her gray hair. She was quickly silenced by the man next to her, but the scowl that the gnome sent in my direction was enough that another man would’ve crumbled to dust on the spot.
“She is,” Tanner spoke up. “Mr. Hall and Mike have currently taken her to the observer’s cabin. It’s far enough away from us that she won’t be able to find our city, and we can still keep an eye on her.”
“And how long do you expect us to play host to one of those evil bastards?” a man with a sparse gray beard asked. “I heard that she was the one that made them a transportation amulet. An amulet she made because you lost yours and she found it.”
“Silence,” the leader said as angry mutterings erupted. “Elder Tanner has already been reprimanded for this incident. According to his reports, and that of the technomage herself, there was only one copy made. It is my understanding that the creation of the amulet is what brought the technomage into the light and allowed her to defect in the first place. This is the first time in hundreds of years that we have been able to gather information directly from the source, and it is my opinion that the young woman will be a valuable asset in the upcoming war.”
“And we’re just supposed to leave her here?” another elder asked. “In our midst? Like a gopher gnawing on wires?”
“She intends to return to the human realm once the war is over,” I said before another argument could break out. “Stacy only wants to stop her ex-husband from bringing war to all of the realms, and then she’ll retire to the country. In the human realm.”
“And I’m supposed to believe the words of another human?” the younger woman huffed and crossed her short arms over her chest. “You could be covering for her. And don’t think that I haven’t noticed how many times Tanner has allowed all of you access to our city. It was bad enough that the tree-man was given permission to enter, and now every human in existence will be allowed entry as well?”
“Stacy would never be allowed entrance into your city,” I said. “She’s content in the forest. As content as any non-mage can be with all of the animals that want to eat her.”
The leader banged a bronze hammer on a matching anvil to gather everyone’s attention back to her. There was a power that exuded from the older woman that the others didn’t have, and I wondered if the gnome would actually be able to use arcane magic. She definitely had the confidence of a fully trained mage, but there were calluses on her hands like Rina had, and those only came from hours of tinkering every day.
“Silence,” she said and then set the hammer down. “Your concerns are valid, and the female technomage will never be allowed entry into our city. We will allow her to stay in the forest for the duration of her usefulness in this war. However, if she leads us into a trap, or refuses to share information that could turn the tides of war, then she will be executed and fed to the bog. Is that acceptable?”
All of the elders looked around at each other for a few long seconds, but then everyone started to nod to show their acceptance. More than one of them seemed to think that the execution was a guarantee, but I knew that Stacy wouldn’t do anything to get herself killed. The gnomes would just have to learn over time that the technomage really had changed her mind and seen the light, but at least they’d take her help despite their mistrust.
“So it is decided,” the leader said and banged the hammer again. “The gnomes will aid in this war. We will create the weapons to fight the technomages and the shadow creatures that continue to haunt our bogs. It is my understanding that the technomages plan to work with the cultists responsible for the recent attacks on the nine realms. Lord Kaylen will send troops to help us in our guerilla warfare attacks. This must be done well, or they will overpower us. Human, you and your friends will use glamors to gather more information directly from the source. Tanner’s spies can only go so far, so your help will be vital to our success. If you fail us, then you will also be fed to the bog. And that would be a shame because you’ve all proven yourselves as strong mages with bright futures.”
“Thanks,” I said with a reassuring smile. “We’ll do everything in our power to help. If the technomages and cultists join forces, then there’s no telling what they’ll do to the nine realms.”
“Exactly,” Tanner huffed and then glared around at everyone else. “We can’t just sit in our mountain and act like the war won’t have any effect on us.”
“You have two weeks to gather enough information for us to begin,” the leader said and then flashed a sharp smile. “Everyone is dismissed.”
I started to get up and head to the door, but Tanner put a hand on my arm and gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. The warrior glanced at the head of the table where the leader had hopped down from her chair and then nodded goodbye to the other elders as they filed out. I wasn’t sure what the older woman could possibly want to say that she didn’t want to say in front of the others, but I sincerely hoped that it wasn’t about another traitor.
“Human,” the leader said as she hobbled over to us. “My granddaughter has informed me that she and the tree-man have the designs for a new weapon.”
“My name is Andrew,” I said. “And the tree-man’s name is Mike. I’d appreciate it if you’d use our names. Especially if we’re going to be working together.”
Tanner hid a laugh in a cough and then turned away so that the older woman wouldn’t see his face.
“Fine,” she said and lifted an eyebrow. “You can call me Nata.”
“That’s short for Rinata, right?” Mike asked with a smile. “That’s Rina’s full name. She said she got it from her grandmother.”
“She did,” Nata said and looked the tall tree-man up and down. “My granddaughter seems to have taken to you quite a bit. I’ll admit that your mind is much like a gnome’s, but mark my words, Tree-man… if you hurt my granddaughter in any way, then I will chop you into tiny pieces.”
“I’d let you,” my roommate said without hesitation.
The tension in the room was so high that I could’ve cut it with a cold butterknife, but we had things to do, and Mike’s future grandmother-in-law could try to intimidate him later. Not that the tree-man would actually bow under the older woman’s glare, but she did have an air of authority that the other gnomes seemed to be missing.
“Right,” I said and stuffed my hands in my pockets. “You wanted to see us before we left?”
“Yes,” Nata said and turned her attention back to me. “I understand that you vouched for the technomage?”
“Yeah,” I shrugged. “She was tortured and risked her life to come ask us for help. I’m not sure that I’d trust her completely, but I don’t think that she’ll betray us.”
“Good,” the elder said and sighed with relief. “Tanner informs me that you’re one of the best students at Magia Schola, and that the two of you were part of the team that took down Alec Enzaron. That’s an impressive feat for any mage, nonetheless a bunch of younglings.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Is there anything else that you need from us?”
Nata reached up and ran a hand through her wiry hair as if she was trying to figure out how to word something. It was easy to see that the seasoned politician didn’t like needing to rely on anyone outside of the gnomes, but a war across the nine realms was bound to affect everyone, and the gnomes’ leader would know that better than anyone.
“I know that I said that you’ll just be gathering information,” she started. “But if possible, then I want you to destroy their computer systems. It won’t be an easy task, and I’d rather not cause needless deaths if it can be avoided. But if any of the technomages have come to the point that they’ll work with our enemy to bring us down, then we need to cripple them completely.”
“Understandable,” I said. “We’ll do what we can. Stacy knows all the systems like the back of her hand, so she’ll be able to lead us to the bases that are the biggest threats.”
“And Lord Kaylen’s troops will be instrumental in any attacks,” Tanner said. “All we have to do is create those weapons, and then we’ll be able to take out the shadow creatures and the technomages.”
“Speaking of which,” Mike said and glanced at the door. “Rina is waiting for me. We have work to do.”
“Of course, tell my granddaughter hello for me,” Nata said and then shook her head as Mike took off like a bullet to find Rina. “Tanner, I would like you to show me what your spies have found so far.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the older man said and offered his arm. “Oh, and Andrew, Tins should be in the clearing when you get back. I told him that you were about to rebuild the old observer’s cabin, and he nearly pissed himself with excitement. Pretty sure he’ll even let you pay over time for whatever it is that he’s bringing.”
“I can pay him now,” I chuckled and followed them out into the hallway. “I just hope that he doesn’t get torn apart by the banehounds.”
“Banehounds?” the gnome leader asked and looked over her shoulder.
“I’m a summoner,” I shrugged. “I have one, and his packmate has decided to be friends with us. At least, for the moment he is.”
“Interesting,” Nata said and shared a look with Tanner.
The two gnomes broke off toward the housing area while I headed straight for the door back out of the mountain. It was late morning by the time I emerged into the muted sunlight, but there were still a few wraiths active near the edges of the forest. I watched them for a few seconds before I opened a portal back into the clearing and decided to ask Tins about the ghost-like creatures’ weird behavior later.
“There he is,” the steampunk gnome said as I walked through the portal.
Tins was dressed in his usual business suit that showed off his intricate steampunk leg. It tended to give him trouble when the older man walked around too much, and especially when there was a heavy delivery that he needed to help with. Still, the shop owner could find whatever anyone needed if they had enough coin and time, and I went to him for almost all of my summoner supplies.
“Hey,” I waved and glanced at the crates that lined the front porch. “What did you bring us?”
“Supplies,” he laughed and then glowered over at Bane and Fluffy. “Your guard dogs almost took me out. Lucky for me, they realized that I’m a bigger threat than they can handle.”
Amusement flooded my mental link with Bane, and it took all of my self-control not to laugh as the banehound rolled all four of his eyes.
“I think it might have to do with my order not to hurt gnomes,” I said. “But you believe whatever you need to. Where are the girls?”
“Inside,” Tins said and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “That technomage is running around finding all of the boards that are bad, and your elven mate is marking them with little burn marks. Not exactly sure what they have planned, but it’ll probably end with the shack falling down.”
“It will not,” Stacy huffed as she and Sarya came outside. “I’ve calculated just how many of the boards we can remove. Once Sarya’s work is done, we can replace the ones that she burned away, and then continue onto the next section so that the cabin remains structurally sound.”
“Exactly,” Sarya said and lifted her chin in the air. “I would expect someone of your intelligence not to underestimate us just because we’re women.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with you being women,” the gnome said and backed up so he was right beside me.
The portal had closed behind me, but the chill from the fog still clung to me like it was the middle of the night. Every hair on the back of my neck stood on end, but neither of the banehounds seemed to be worried, so I focused on the women in front of me.
