They came into the port of Yelling Atoll. It was a natural port with a series of caves to the south. It was a large port but there were only a few ships there and less of a city. Most people seemed to just gather items and then head off to the other cities of Epan.
“Is there something wrong with Yelling Atoll?” Aila asked Lothir.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Lothir said.
“They look a bit upset.” Aila went over to where Anthony was leaning against a railing.
“Well, it is Yelling Atoll,” Anthony said.
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“You saved their lives, though. Shouldn’t they be a bit happier seeing land?” Aila asked.
“You’ll see soon enough,” Anthony said.
“What do you mean?” Aila asked, getting annoyed with this mysteriousness. Although the city was small, the land around it was nice and it was warm as well. It looked rather idyllic.
They said their good-byes to the crew and headed off, taking Ramona and her two twins with them. They were all much happier to be on land.
Tommie wobbled as he stepped onto land. “This is going to take some time to readjust to.”
Aila was getting nauseous all over again. “What is happening?” “Oh, well, you could be land sick, though that’s pretty rare,”
Anthony said.
“Land sick?” Aila yelled.
“Yeah, you get used to being on the sea and then you feel weird on the land without the swaying,” Anthony said. “Come on, let’s get a hotel. We’ll use the rest of our coins there and head out in the morning.”
“Would you like some cotton?” a man asked in a strange voice. “What was that?” Tommie asked.
“Cotton.” The man held up some cotton buds.
Anthony moved his hands to talk to the man; he nodded and smiled, replying with hand gestures as well.
Anthony and the man waved to each other and the man kept going.
“What was that?” Aila asked.
“Sign language. What...hmm, well, I guess you technically did grow up under a lot of rocks.” Anthony shrugged and kept going.
They found an inn on the outside of town, making sure that Ramona and her children were well taken care of so that they would be ready for the journey the next day.
380 MICHAEL CHATFIELD
“This place is beautiful.” Tommie looked out over the bay and the rocks, and felt the warm breeze.
“I know, but everyone seems to think that.”
“Ahh!”
“What was that?” Tommie jumped as a terrifying scream filled the air.
“AHHH! Noo!!! Ahh!”
“That’d be the Yelling Atoll!” someone said, stuffing cotton in- to their ears.
“It actually yells?” Aila yelled.
They went to find Anthony, who was reading a book. “The Yelling Atoll actually yells?”
“Yeah, those caves we saw coming in—the wind goes through there and makes noises. Bit freaky—hard to sleep with, really. The port is good and cheaper because of it. Most of the people in the town are actually deaf.”
“That’s why you used sign language!” Aila snapped her fingers. Anthony snapped his back and pointed a finger pistol at her.
“Bingo!”
***
Tommie suffered through the night, working on his Gnome-inator plans. Anthony tended to Ramona and her children, using ear- muffs to keep out the noise.
As soon as they were able to, Aila and Tommie grabbed their gear and headed down to the stables, mounting up.
It was a few hours before they left the screaming and yelling be- hind.
“So, what did you think of Yelling Atoll?” Anthony laughed. “Like, it’s a nice city but I don’t think it was everything that it
was supposed to be,” Tommie said.
“The yelling make it impossible to sleep?”
“Yup! Creepy as hell after a few hours!” Tommie tightened the last strap on his bag before he clambered up his mount.
“Well, you know, you shouldn’t believe all the hype. If your ex- pectations are too high, they just get shot down. Achieve high, aim low—that is the past, young one,” Anthony said, like an age-old sage.
“Do you know what he’s saying?” Tommie asked Aila.
“Oh, I stopped listening after I woke him up.” Aila shrugged. “Maintained my sanity that way.”
Tommie nodded at her sage advice.
“No respect for elders,” Anthony muttered.
Chapter: Final Component
They travelled north and passed a few small villages. The island of Epan was made up of mostly sailors. Inland, there weren’t many people; those who moved inland raised cattle and crops.
The people were easy and carefree; the wars of the humans and the beast kin were far away and the Epan navy worked hand-in- hand with the Ilsal navy to clear away pirates and make sure that no one threatened their lands.
The other countries all had their own navy force but the Is- landers’ force was much stronger. They worked with people from all of the races, fighting together and strengthening each other.
As they went north, the trio reached the three sister cities. They ran across the neck of Epan. To the east was Sunrise Harbor. In the middle was Tamar, the capital of Epan. And to the west there was Sunset Pier. Canals ran between the two ports and trade was boom- ing. In a place with so many different races, including gnomes, Tommie was excited to find the last few remaining parts.
They went to Sunset Pier. The three cities were basically one large city with three regions. When they got to the city, they still didn’t have enough money to get a ride north. Tommie didn’t have the funds to get his parts, either.
“Once more into the depths.” Anthony sighed and jumped into the bay, wading around for a few hours before he returned with dif- ferent random objects.
He gave a few to Tommie and then took the rest with him to a jewelers, dragging Aila along, who pouted the entire time.
Tommie wandered the markets as he searched for the final part. “A rotating gimbaled power mount.” Tommie’s eyes glowed as
his face was pressed up against the glass, looking at the object in the center of the display case.
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He burst into the shop and went up to the counter. “Power mount! Gimbal, money, need!” Tommie looked up at the human at the counter, who raised an eyebrow but seemed numb to the crazed gnome.
“Rotating gimbalized power mount?” he asked. Tommie nodded.
“That will be fourteen gold,” the man said. Tommie dumped out his items on the table.
The man looked at him a bit differently now as he looked at the gem-encrusted items.
He took out a few tools as Tommie tapped his foot.
He was a trader only because he was looking for parts he need- ed for his Gnome-inator. He was a cutthroat negotiator, but when it came to something that was related to his dreams, he was impul- sive and money was no longer an issue.
The man finished examining the items and pushed some back. “I have your rotating gimbalized power mount.” He went around the counter and up to the display. There were four guards with him, all powerful existences, watching to make sure that someone wouldn’t try their luck.
The man at the counter undid different defensive measures to get to the rotating gimbalized power mount.
Do they think a dragon is going to try to raid their store with pow- erful formations like that? Tommie had wondered how they could easily display such treasures in their front window. Now, seeing their defenses, he understood that anyone would be a fool to try to steal from the store.
The man took the rotating gimbalized power mount back be- hind the counter and packaged it up. He placed the box in front of Tommie.
He let out an excited noise as the other engineers in the store looked at him with jealousy.
“With this, it will be complete!” Tommie cackled and ran to- ward the door.
The door opened, smacking Tommie in the face.
&nbs
p; He bounced back up again as if nothing had happened and ran past the hobgoblins and their goblin charges.
“I am not selling you any more boom contraptions!” The man at the counter, who had been impassive before, even with so much gold on the line, was now filled with energy and his face paled in fear.
“We just came to browse and show the little ones around.” “No! No!” the store manager said, his world crumbling around
him as the little goblins looked around in wide-eyed curiosity, eye- ing complex mechanical parts and systems as if they were their new favorite toy.
Tommie was making tracks down the street, covering the dis- tance quickly. He saw Anthony and Aila looking around. Aila was pouting and petting her mount, complaining to them as they looked bored from it all.
Tommie’s mount was bugging Ramona. Anthony looked around, spotting Tommie; he waved his hand and started up a gangway.
Tommie ran up the gangway and grabbed his mount, helping pull them onto the ship.
“He’s with us,” Anthony said.
“Do you have a large open room?” Tommie asked, butting in. “We have a few free, but they’ll cost more,” the beast kin said. “Ten silver for the trip!” Anthony interjected. He must have
seen the crazed look on Tommie’s face as he reached into his vest. “Fifteen, with another five deposit for damages,” the beast kin
said. “He has that engineering look in his eyes.”
Anthony paused and looked at Tommie before passing over the silvers.
“This way, my engineering companion.” The beast kin man led Tommie onto the ship and then down into its hold.
Fifty coppers got some help moving the different cloth-covered parts off Tommie’s mount and into the spare room that was a half- filled cargo hold.
Tommie set to work, checking on his different parts as the beast kin shook his head and went above deck.
Tommie worked day and night as they travelled along the Epan coast and crossed the Golden Channel.
Morning was just arriving as Tommie looked at his master- piece. He took the rotating gimbalized power mount and placed it into the contraption. He had to get out a hammer and tap it into place a few times.
He locked it into place and looked at the contraption.
“The Gnome-inator,” Tommie said, admiring the wonky-look- ing machine.
He activated a few different buttons and levers. The machine burbled and then faltered.
Tommie took his wrench and smacked the Gnome-inator. It took a few more coaxing hits before it burbled again and then steam started to spew forth from his machine, humming into life.
“It lives! It lives!” Tommie laughed, out of fatigue and madness, finally seeing his completed dream. He hugged his masterpiece, feeling the cold metal vibrating with power.
“El Sai ahead!” the sailor on watch yelled.
People started to wake up across the ship as they got ready to make landfall.
***
El Sai looked like a city that had been built by all of the races.
The port had different docks and multiple shipyards. The port jutted out like a half moon, with signs of expansion along the edges.
At the back of the ports, there were some flat lands before it ran in- to a mountain range.
The mountain range had been turned into a city with different homes jutting out of it. One could see elvish tree homes that dotted the mountain. On different rock outcroppings, there were a mish- mash of different homes and buildings in different styles. Instead of looking chaotic, it created a strange harmony, with one’s eyes being drawn in every direction.
The dominating combined fleet patrolled the waters. Defenses were built into the mountain, with towers that jutted out of the harbor, crewed with the Ilsal navy.
Ilsal was a land made by all of the races. Even with everyone to- gether, they only grew in strength. They were known as the land of academics. They had technology, universities, animal raising indus- tries, and more.
“You know that the beast kin and the humans are both pressur- ing Ilsal to join their side, to supply them with weapons?” Aila said.
“I’m guessing they said no?” Anthony asked.
“They disagreed but the humans and beast kin were vindic- tive—they planted spies in Ilsal. They were going to take them by force. When they attacked the different manufacturing shops, they found out that it was a trap. Ilsal trapped the spies and tracked down their accomplices before moving their fleets to face Selenus and Radal. They didn’t dare to say anything. The humans and beast kin didn’t know what was true or not.” Aila laughed.
“How were they able to root out the spies?”
“They used their police force and judiciary system. Their polit- ical system and judiciary system are their main pillars of strength. They have schools for judges and for lawyers.” Aila looked at An- thony.
“I wonder who started that.” Anthony tapped his helmeted chin.
Chapter: Meeting The Chief Justice Of Ilsal
Claire was looking over documents as a middle-aged woman with a refined air walked into the room. She looked like the kind of per- son that others obeyed.
“My lady,” the woman said, showing none of that authority as she bowed to Claire.
“I told you that you can just call me Claire.”
“I am just giving respect due to the position,” the woman said with a level smile.
Claire looked up, her eyes thinning at the woman who merely smiled with mischief.
Claire sighed to hide her amusement as she sat up fully. “You know the three that the elves said would be visiting us—the dark elf, the knight with a tree on the back of his armor, and a gnome?” “Yes, my lady.” The woman turned serious, as if receiving her
marching orders.
“They have arrived in El Sai. The elven embassy has probably sent out people to meet with them. Be ready to receive them,” Claire said.
“Do you wish to meet with them?”
Claire pressed her lips together and then looked at her hand. A flash of pain appeared in her eyes and she felt a hint of fear—an un- familiar feeling to her—as she closed her fist.
“No,” Claire said. “Very well.”
“See what their plans are, and...” Claire reached into her desk and pulled out a necklace.
She opened it. Inside, there were two vivid photos that hadn’t aged with time. There was one of a woman who was looking past
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the painting, her face filled with joy and mirth. The other was a man with flowing brown hair and elvish ears, hugging the woman from behind, as if he would never let her go; the woman was trying to struggle free playfully but one could see the way their two eyes met.
Claire closed the locket and then held it out. The lady took it.
“Make sure that he gets that, Tamarra,” Claire said.
***
Aila’s hands dropped to her daggers as three people seemed to ma- terialize out of an alleyway.
“You really need to work on your detection skills. What’s up, boys and lady?” Anthony waved to the people.
One pulled his hood back, revealing his high elf appearance. “It is good to see you, Guardian Anthony. We are due for an ap-
pointment with the chief justice. Would you care to join?”
“Sure. I wouldn’t mind meeting the person who set this all up,” Anthony said.
Aila stored her blades away as they went through the city. They reached a large building, where people were wearing funky white hats, others wearing blue ones.
Tommie was fidgety, patting his cloth-covered pieces on his mount’s back.
They passed the guards without too much trouble.
“I’ll wait with the mounts!” Tommie volunteered before they could say anything.
“Okay,” Aila said, looking at Tommie and then his cloth bags in interest.
Aila and Anthony followed the leading elf who had talked to them and the guards.
“Is something wrong?”
Aila asked Anthony, feeling that some- thing was off.
“I’m not sure.” Anthony sounded confused.
They were led into a room where a woman worked on reports. She looked up from her work and her eyes cleared as she took the glasses off her nose. She was a human with a dark complexion.
The elf bowed to her respectfully. “Chief Justice, thank you for agreeing to see us.” The elf then rose. “I will allow you to speak in private.”
“Thank you, Ambassador Ryuil.” The chief justice nodded to the elf, who quickly left.
Aila and Anthony were left in the room with her. The doors locked and a enchantment activated, cutting them off from the out- side world.
***
“Guardian Anthony, it is good to see you. I have heard about the Guardians of the past,” the woman said, her severe expression turn- ing into a smile.
“So you know something of the past?” Anthony’s heart shifted in his chest, as if he needed to do something but he didn’t know what.
“We have more complete records here. Most of the fighting was on the mainland, after all,” she said.
“What about the forces of chaos that are active now?”
“We have been gathering information. The courts on Ilsal have made sure that chaos doesn’t set in here. Agents of Chaos have tried repeatedly. We have an ongoing program with Epan, who have se- cured themselves from Agents of Chaos, while there are Agents of Chaos to be found all across Radal and Selenus. The Deepwood has been hard to infiltrate. With the elves’ high sensitivity toward
mana, they can sense the Agents of Chaos with a higher degree of accuracy.
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