Jade walked unsteadily over to collapse next to Danny, using his lap like a pillow. Danny absently stroked her hair as he struggled to find the motivation to get back up and get them out of that place.
The earth shook, and Danny’s hand paused on its path down the side of Jade’s head. The earth shook again, and the sounds of something large and laboring to breathe made their way through the smoky air. Danny looked up, too mentally tired to care, as a troll stepped over the fallen wall of the great hall. Looking around the room, the cursed troll’s head stopped when it found the group and, with labored breath, headed their way without so much as a peep.
Ivy made a strained noise as she tried to stand up, but she didn’t make it far. Phantom yowled in pain, only to lay back down. Jade made it to her feet, but the girl looked like the slightest gust would knock her back down. Brooke reached over and pulled her mace closer, but she didn’t bother to try standing as she nursed her head. Danny was about to get up when Dain ran by and chunked a large piece of debris. Everyone watched as the impromptu missile arched through the air to strike the cursed troll in between its two pitch black eyes. The troll came to a stop as soon as the stone struck, and to Danny’s bewilderment, the troll’s head continued backward until it fell off its shoulders.
The large body of the troll collapsed forward, and dust and smoke whipped around the room. Danny turned to see Dain staring down at his own hand like it could now accidentally kill him in his sleep.
“Ascendant, there you are!”
Danny barely registered the new voice and turned to find his three elven guards standing there. Jade missed them as well and jumped backwards in surprise, only to trip and fall on her butt. Danny stood up and approached the three guards.
“You three don’t know how glad I am to see you,” Danny sighed in relief.
The guard in front of him quickly moved to invade his personal space, placing its helmet inches from his face, “You would do well to not leave the safety of our protection. We are sworn to serve you and cannot do so if you keep sneaking off!”
Surprised by the guard’s anger, Danny, with eyes wide, took a step backward, “Well, yes, you are right. I just had some personal business and didn’t want to get you three ladies unnecessarily involved.”
The guard’s head turned slightly to the side, “I am male.” Jerking his head to indicate the two behind him, the guard continued, “So are they.”
Danny stood there, mouth agape, before trying to recover, “Ugh…I knew that! We should definitely all go grab a couple of beers after this. Just us guys, you know…” Flustered, Danny raised a single hand in the air for a high five and unthinkingly spoke up in English, “Bros before hoes!”
The three guards looked to each other in confusion, before raising their hands repeating in perfect mimic of English, “Bros before hoes!” Activating their camouflage ability, the guards then backed away to take up defensive positions.
*Why did I just say that? I’ve never used that phrase before, and neither have you,* Danny rubbed his temples, whining, *Is it all the smoke I unnecessarily inhaled? What is wrong with me, Cranny?*
Cranny was too busy laughing uncontrollably, *You are worse with men than you are women! You should really just give me control and save yourself further embarrassment in this life.*
Danny grumbled, *Yeah, well we need you in control like we need a brick flower bed to the back of our head.*
Danny turned to his group, “Come on, let’s get out of here. I am tired of being stuck in this room.”
One of the three elven guards returned at that moment with more elven soldiers and a few druids. With their help, everyone made it outside, and Danny sighed in relief as they passed the gaping hole where the fortress’s gate used to be. The air here was now clear of smoke, and Danny took a few extra gulps, only to bend over coughing and hack up something gross.
Elven soldiers were everywhere, searching the bodies of the fallen for survivors and clearing any remaining goblin tents and structures. Elven druids were working their way toward them from the surviving portions of the forest, pulling what little moisture they could find from the untouched trees. The nearby smoldering tree would suddenly steam and sizzle as the water hit them.
The soldiers carried Brooke and Ivy, and more than a few carried Phantom over to where some tents had already been set up in a cleared area away from any signs of goblin habitation. Dain and Jade followed after them, but Danny was halted by the sound of a familiar voice calling out to him.
General Barrow appeared out of the searching groups of elven soldiers. Walking over to Danny, he crossed his arms, “Danny, you owe me an explanation as to why you are here and what those red…”
Cranny coughed, *Horny...*
“Squirrels,” Danny supplied.
“…were and where they went,” finished Barrow, not looking the least bit pleased.
Danny debated, *What should we tell him, Cranny? If we had caught up with and killed Hadrian Diadem, I would have just made something up. Now, everyone is in potential danger.*
Cranny agreed, *Not giving the elves all the details could lead them to continue underestimating the enemy. I would wager that the elves have a greater potential to stop Hadrian than Diadem does. I will also point out that we owe Diadem nothing.*
Danny chose the easiest answer first, “The squirrels are a creation of Archdruid Wisteria. I just changed their appearance and modified them to only attack those of the goblin races. Even now, they should be chasing goblins through tunnels extending almost to Diadem and the elven capital. These tunnels contain areas where the goblins have set up small self-sufficient communities.”
The general looked greatly alarmed by these words and started to turn away to call out to a nearby soldier.
Danny sighed, “Wait, there is more. It’s the reason I rushed over here without consulting you or the queen. Unfortunately, I was too late to complete my task. About a week ago, three sets of two hobgoblins, a female goblin, and an infant left here and travelled in different directions. There was a dwarven, orc, and a dog or wolf beastman infant. We need to get these infants back, or we will someday have the same issue we had with the goblins here today.”
Barrow looked confused, “What did they do to these infants?”
“The one responsible and two of his sons transferred their souls and knowledge into the infant bodies. I am sure they have some end goal that includes the annihilation of Diadem first, then of the elves, and then what I can only presume is some form of world domination. At least, that would be the next logical progression.”
Barrow’s eyes narrowed in both disbelief and concern as he seemed to pick up on some of the things Danny had only hinted at. Turning, the general started issuing orders, and a few squads of elven soldiers quickly moved out in different directions.
Turning back to Danny, Barrow said, “Let’s head back. I would rather the queen be there when you explain your role and Diadem’s in all of this. Then, more than likely…” Barrow unhappily added, “there will be a wedding to attend.”
Confused, Danny looked at the man, “I get the impression you don't want me marrying your daughter?”
Barrow frowned, “I don't. After defeating the goblin army marching to attack Diadem, we got word that you had taken off with those three girls and foolishly attacked the goblin fortress by yourselves. I sent my son to help finish taking back Crossbark while I half-expected to rush over here only to deliver your remains to my daughter.” Barrow leaned in and glowered at Danny, whispering, “Your lack of ‘consultation’ with my wife or myself cost me seven lives, Danny. Some of my best swordsmen were quickly overwhelmed by the goblins’ sheer numbers, and thankfully, the majority were able to escape into the trees. If only the druids could have traveled as quickly as my martial forces, we could have easily pushed the goblins back. Then, I did not forsee the goblins burning the trees. That was another unnaturally smart move for their kind. If it hadn’t been for those…squirrels appearing when they did, the
goblins would have burned down most of the forest before the druids finally arrived. I would have been forced to order a retreat until my scouts could sneak back and determine your fates. All of these deaths could have been avoided if we had worked together, if I had known you had a plan. Danny Creek, I appreciate what you have done for my people, but the secrets you keep are getting too many of my troops…too many of my people killed.”
Danny ran a hand through his hair, saying, “I understand. Let’s go over here where we can have some privacy.” Danny pointed toward the mountain, away from the stronghold. When they had gone a good distance away from the elven army, Danny turned to his guards, asking, “Could you give the general and myself some privacy, guys?”
The guards paused, before looking to the general. Barrow nodded his head and sent his own bodyguards out of hearing distance as well.
*Why him, Danny?*
Danny shrugged internally, *Why not? We can’t really keep it a secret for long, and he can be our guinea pig for what to expect. He doesn’t trust us that much already.*
“First, I wish to apologize to you and your people for the secrets I kept and for the selfish actions I took. I will do my best to repay your people for their lives,” Danny said, while bowing as low as he could.
The general did not respond and only stood there just staring at Danny, waiting for him to continue.
“I need you to promise not to share what I am about to tell you,” Danny said.
Barrow studied Danny for a few seconds more before nodding, “You have my word as an elf.”
Danny was surprised there were no stipulations tacked on, but that was more than enough for him. “I am originally not from this world,” Danny began. As he continued his story, the general’s face became less stern as a look of pure skepticism crossed his face. “You are the first person I have told the truth to about who I really am. I haven’t told anyone because of the expression you are making now. Also, I feared that if anyone believed me I would be killed or imprisoned, for various unpleasant reasons,” Danny finished.
“You have nothing but this knowledge you claim you brought with you as proof of who you are?” the general asked, still quite visibly skeptical.
Danny shrugged, “Can you explain how I became an ascendant as a human and at such a young age? Can you explain why I not only have access to all of the elemental affinities, but a high level in all of them? You don’t have to believe me, just understand that this is the truth as far as I am concerned. If I was an elf, I would claim its truth on my word as one.”
This seemed to have an effect on the queen’s husband. Barrow mulled over this last bit as if it looked to have broken through some of his doubts, if only a little.
Danny decided to move things along, asking, “So, knowing that I am either a human from another world or just a raving lunatic with way too much power. Are you still going to let me marry your daughter?”
Barrow actually smirked at Danny’s jest, “I am truly the first you have told all this to?”
Danny shrugged and nodded, “Yes. Not even my family or my fiancées know.”
The general reached over to put his hand on Danny’s shoulder, “What made you think my opinion really mattered when my wife and daughter are both dead set on this marriage happening? A good commander picks his battles, and that was one I had already lost.”
Danny spoke honestly, “Your opinion and blessing matters a great deal to me. We are both going to live long lives, and I would rather not have to watch my back every time I come to visit my in-laws.”
Barrow looked a little taken aback by Danny’s frankness. He studied Danny a moment before saying, “Then, as long as you are honest with everything that happened here, you have my blessing.”
The mountainside shook, and Danny looked past the general to see a ring of druids surrounding the remains of the ancient fortress. The rest of the army had moved back and watched on as the crumbled and battlescarred walls and towers slowly sank into the earth. Danny and Barrow just stood there quietly as they watched the earth seal over the last of the time-worn structure. A seemingly unremarkable hillside was now all that remained. Danny realised that the druids had not just already buried the crude goblin huts and walls but also the goblin bodies which had littered the hillside.
General Barrow leaned over and whispered to Danny, “Blessing or not, don’t let me ever find out you hurt her, in any way. Otherwise, it will be like you never existed.” Danny’s future father-in-law spoke with a charming smile on his face. The general slapped Danny hard on the back before pushing him along back down to the waiting army below.
***
After the druids had healed the girls and Phantom, Danny left Dain with the elves before taking his group back to his nearby hideaway for the night. He needed to replenish his mana, and he wanted to get them away from the scene of that horrible battle.
With his ever watchful guards below, Danny prepared supper and thought on how best to tell the girls about who he was. His headache from before had thankfully subsided. He felt like his brain was just sore now like muscles on the day after a strenuous exercise. The girls had quickly left him to clean up and change in the bathroom. Knowing they would be a while, Danny entered his sanctuary to check out his newly acquired ability.
As he expected, the hallway in his sanctuary had expanded and now included a new room next to his library. The futuristic double doors looked generic for his sanctuary. A holoscreen above the doors read ‘Research & Development’ in a simple font. Waiving a hand over a nearby panel, the double doors opened, and Danny was unceremoniously sucked into the new room.
Danny was now flipping around uncontrollably in a dark void. The void was not empty, as he could just barely manage to discern the countless stars in the black expanse he now occupied. A nearby sun and something that looked kind of like a planet would enter his vision briefly on each revolution. Confused and disoriented, Danny tried to rationalize what he was seeing and experiencing. Danny focused as best he could and tried to use air magic to stabilize himself, only to realize his stupidity. He was, of course, in the vacuum of space. Then, Danny began to freak out as he realized he had no air to breath.
“Danny, what do you think you are doing?” a familiar voice asked nearby.
Danny swiveled his head and saw Cranny floating nearby, his arms crossed as he watched Danny helplessly spin.
“Cranny, help me out here,” Danny yelled in frustration as he waved his arms about in a futile attempt at stabilization.
Cranny shrugged his shoulders, mumbling, “Sure,” before lifting a foot and kicking Danny toward the planet below him.
Danny wasn’t sure if Cranny had meant to actually correct his spin with the kick, but he held no doubts that his alternate self had purposely sent him into a free fall toward the expanding surface below. Now that he wasn’t spinning, Danny realized that what he saw was indeed a planet, but it was only partially complete. It took Danny a moment to realize he was seeing Diadem, the elven forest, and parts of the dwarf mountains far below. The vast majority of the planet was a crosshatch with white wires representing the unknown. The planet’s pale earth-like moon was starting to peak out over the horizon of the planet. Danny remembered how that had been a big disappointment when looking at the night sky of his new world.
Danny’s body had soon reached the atmosphere and a cone of displaced air swirled around him, obscuring his vision. His robes whipped around wildly as they fluttered behind him. There were none of the red flames he expected from watching science fiction movies on earth, though there was a slight hint of a red glow. As Danny punctured through the clouds hovering high above the surface, he started to panic again. Trying to slow his decent, Danny used air magic but only managed to black out for a few minutes when he almost ran out of mana. He could now only watch as the whole of Diadem spread out below him. As he careened toward the ground, his angle of decent almost made him feel as if he was flying. He quickly passed the smaller human towns and hamlets that
dotted the human populated area of the world. His recognized Crossbark before his body continued to fall past the great forest before finally crashing into the dense woods of the elven forest.
Heart pounding in his throat, Danny screamed as trees broke and shattered against his body. Danny was surprised when he felt no pain, only a slight jarring, as he impacted the ground and continued down into it. When his momentum was finally halted, Danny struggled to move as the earth was now tightly packed in all around him. Danny instinctively lashed out with his magic, tossing tons of dirt and rock into the air. Confused, as he had already used up all but a minute amount of his mana, Danny started climbing out.
Standing up, he found that he was now in the center of a large crater not far from the elven capital. He scanned his surroundings but was only confused further when he found not an elf nor any other creature nearby.
“What the hell…,” Danny said aloud.
“It’s your new ability. I just made some early improvements. It used to just be a featureless white room. Very boring,” Cranny said suddenly from right next to him.
Danny jumped away, “Ahh, where did you come from?”
Cranny rolled his eyes as he shook his head in disappointment, “I seriously thought you would figure this place out before you hit the ground.” Without another word, Cranny started walking toward the elven capital. Danny hesitated a second before rushing after him.
Cranny paused once they left the impact site to wave a hand behind them. The ejected soil and debris from the crater rolled backwards as if someone had hit a rewind button. Soon, the forest and the area around the crater were indistinguishable from the rest of their surroundings.
Before Danny had a chance to ask, Cranny began explaining, “This is the first gift bestowed on the dwarfs upon reaching their first intelligence threshold. I don’t know how the dwarfs comprehend it, but with my understanding that these sanctuaries are just extensions granted through the source, one could say this new room is a magical simulator. Here, we can take concepts we understand from the real world and test or practice them.”
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