As they walked, the young gnome girl guided her mount to drop from Farryn’s side and walk alongside Aidan. The envoy preferred the arrangement because it allowed him to look to the side at the person he was talking to rather than looking down.

She looked over at him with little-concealed curiosity as she munched on the wheat cake he had given her. The envoy smiled down at her and reached out with his mind in what he hoped was a polite request to speak.

He saw the girl blush with a faint rose tint to her soot-colored cheeks. She turned her gaze from his and appeared to be watching the trail in front of her, but Aidan felt that his mental connection was accepted.

I’m Aidan Steele, he introduced himself.

Nice to meet you, she shyly answered. My name is Ariza Azapazil.

Aidan wasn’t sure where the shyness was coming from, but he could feel it clearly through their connection. He tried to project calmness and certainty using his powers.

Psionics increased to level 7! You have earned 35 experience.

His efforts must have worked because he felt the tension drain from the small girl.

I’ve never met another psionic user, she admitted.

Aidan chuckled. It must be something we have in common. I think I’m the only psionic user in camp.

Really? Aliza asked. Aidan sensed some disappointment.

Really, he assured. We’ve only just moved here, so I’m sure there will be others like us in time.

The prospect seemed to make the gnome happy.

How big is your village if you’re the only psionic? Aidan hoped the girl could give him background information so his team would know what they were walking into.

There are about a dozen clans in our village. Ariza seemed to be trying to do some math. Each family has forty to fifty members, so we probably have five to six hundred people.

So we’re a pretty rare breed then, Aidan joked. Maybe one in a thousand.

Probably even less, Ariza disagreed sadly. Gnomes don’t trust psionics users. They like things that they can see and understand. Psionics seems too much like magic or religion.

Gnomes don’t believe in any religions? Aidan wondered.

No, they only care about science, machines, and gold. The gnome shrugged.

Aidan felt their conversation quickly became depressing for the small girl, so he changed the subject.

So who are we going to meet in your village?

He watched as Ariza’s ears twitched in excitement. We get to meet the council and the Lord of our village, Togim Telwubitack. Everyone in the village says he’s fantastic. He runs a caravan from our town to other gnomish settlements, but he says our home is so peaceful that he’s decided to make it his permanent residence.

The girl was absolutely giddy to talk about Togim, so Aidan assumed the merchant was a high-status individual in gnomish society.

Are all merchants as revered as Togim? He asked.

Not all merchants, Ariza was quick to correct the envoy. Ordinary shopkeepers are respected, but Togim is head and shoulders above an average merchant. He’s the lifeblood of our village. He brings things we can’t make ourselves from larger gnomish settlements. We pay for them with the materials we mine and the equipment we scavenge.

Where do you get the equipment? Aidan was excited to finally talk about one of his objectives.

All over, the gnome shrugged again. We found a ruin near our village, but it’s dangerous to go there. Only our most skilled scavengers make it out of there alive.

Aidan thought that was interesting, but he didn’t want to give away too much of his plans. The gnomes were obviously clever, and it would be a mistake to assume that because Ariza was young, she wouldn’t see through a thinly veiled attempt to take their resources. He decided to change the subject again.

What about the council?

This seemed to be another subject that Ariza was happy to talk about.

Each of the clans has a clan head and each head is a member of the ruling council. Usually, it’s the oldest member of each family. My clan’s head is my father, Azabar, the girl added proudly.

That sounds complicated, Aidan admitted. How does that work with Togim?

Well, Togim is a merchant lord. He makes the final decisions, but he’s advised by the council. Also, it isn’t wise to anger the council. We gnomes have plenty of ways to indicate our annoyance, both small and large.

Aidan chuckled at the girl’s mischievous tone. What kind of ways? He asked.

Ariza bit her lip in thought. Well, the lord might find that his wagon wheels keep falling off. Or maybe I’ll say a quiet word to the dire badgers that pull them. They can be stubborn beasts when they want to be.

Aidan could sense the satisfaction in her words.

So you take care of the animals in the village?

That’s right! Ariza agreed. I’m the only keeper in the village. Most beastmasters don’t need psionics to do their work, but I have an affinity for them. I help train the canaries that help out in the mines, the badgers that pull our carts, and the wolverines that defend our village.

Sounds like a big job, Aidan commented.

It is! The village couldn’t operate without me, the girl sounded annoyed and Aidan got the sense that she wasn’t very valued in her society.

Well, I’m happy to have someone I can talk to, Aidan mollified. Do you want to teach me more of your language? I have the linguistics skill, and it levels faster if I use our connection to train it.

He felt a wariness through their connection.

If you learn our language, the leaders won’t need me anymore, and I won’t get to meet, Togim. The girl’s plaintive tone made the envoy smile.

Don’t worry, he assured. That will be a long time in the future. Until then, I’ll need a trusted translator.

A childlike rush of joy told Aidan that he had said the right thing.

Diplomacy increased to level 2! You have earned 10 experience.

From then on, Ariza started teaching the envoy the basics of Gnomish. His linguistics skill skyrocketed through the exchange with the gnome girl. With Astra aiding him, he didn’t forget any of the words, and he knew the valuable exercise would pay dividends when they could fabricate a translation device back at camp. He could already see the value in having partners like the gnomes who lived so close to their base.

When the party reached the entrance to the gnome village, his linguistics had climbed all the way to fifteen and netted him a whole six hundred experience. In addition, with all the mental communication, his psionics skill had also leveled a couple more times. As a result, he had blown through level three and was halfway closer to level four.

Like last time, Aidan put his free points into intelligence and perception. Now all of his attributes were level twenty or higher. He was only a few levels shy of being a peak human in every regard. He was starting to realize why his much higher leveled team members had been able to dispatch the wolves so efficiently. They were probably nearing the bounds of superhuman feats in their primary attributes. He was shaken from his thoughts by the gnome armorer, Farryn.

“We’re here,” he said simply in his own language while gesturing to the mouth of a large cave in front of them.

Aidan was overjoyed that he could understand the man, but he still pretended to wait for Ariza to translate. Instead, he asked what he really wanted to know.

Gnomes live in caves?

Not quite, the girl smirked. We’re not a society of savages. Our eyes are sensitive to light and adapted to living underground. This is just one of the many hidden entrances to our village.

Aidan nodded that he understood and gestured for Farryn to continue. Ariza bolstered the gesture with a stream of gnomish to indicate that the humans understood. Aidan was even happier to realize that he also understood most of what the girl had said.

He turned to his teammates, who were eyeing the cave warily. “The gnomes live underground. This cave is just one of the entrances to get there.”

When he saw the team soften, he continued to quickly explain the situation to them. “The gnomes are a clan-based society who tend to value mining, crafting, and mercantilism above everything else. From what I can tell, they’re pretty reluctant to get into conflicts and prefer trading instead. Prestige can be gained in gnome society through such means. We will meet with a ruling council, made up of clan heads and a merchant lord by the name of Togim.”

Guzman shift uncomfortably. “When you’re talking to the council, can you try to translate in real time?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of weird to watch you stare off into space like an idiot,” Agerwall helpfully supplied.

Wang elbowed the man in the side with a beefy elbow.

“What?” the combat engineer protested, “you know it’s true!”

Aidan rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sorry. I’ve been forgetting to. I spent the last leg of the hike learning the basics of Gnomish. By the time we get back to camp, I should have a firm enough grasp to help craft a basic translator.”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Weir smiled, “That would be cool. I’d like to speak more about the equipment they’re using.”

Aidan shrugged, “If all goes well, we’ll come back with some samples.”

The gnome waited patiently for Aidan to finish his conversation. When they were done, the envoy gestured to the armorer that they were ready.

Nodding his understanding, Farryn led the way into the cave’s depths. At the mouth, there was a crate nearby that the man reached into. As the humans shuffled in, he handed each a small metal orb. When everyone had their own and was staring down at them curiously, Farryn passed instructions to Ariza.

“Tell the humans that they can activate the light by pressing the small button, but warn them to only press it once because each time, the light gets progressively brighter.”

Ariza smirked but obediently turned to Aidan.

You get all that?

Yep, Aidan replied. Press once; don’t keep pressing.

The beastmaster nodded, and Aidan passed the instructions on to his team. Soon, their dimly glowing orbs cast a pale blue shadow on the surrounding rock. Satisfied that the humans understood, Farryn continued deeper into the cave.

The path started to turn down once they reached the back of the rocky entrance. Farryn felt along the face of the stone until his hands chanced upon a protrusion. To Aidan’s eye, it looked like any other part of the wall, but the gnome evidently saw something that the human couldn’t. The armorer used his weight to pull the rock, and Aidan heard a click as something behind the wall disengaged and a human-sized door opened on silent hinges.

Aidan gave a low whistle of appreciation and could feel that his team members shared in his assessment. Had they not seen it for themselves, the team wouldn’t have believed that there was anything in the cave wall. It was lucky that the gnomes tended to build larger than was strictly needed for their size, or it would’ve been an uncomfortable journey to the village.

They headed into the passage, and as the last member of their party passed the threshold, the door started to slowly squeeze itself shut. They were some distance down the path when they heard it finally grind shut with a heavy rumble.

Aidan had assumed it would be pitch black inside the passage once the door shut, but he was surprised to find that it was dimly lit by glowing moss that periodically graced the walls. Without the moss or the globes, it would’ve been pitch black and impossible for the humans to see. Apparently, the gnomes needed at least a little light for them to navigate as well.

As they descended, the air grew warmer and moister. Aidan was glad he wasn’t wearing thick armor because it would surely be sweltering in the gnome village. Aidan occupied himself by trying to discern the different types of stone in the passage and look for signs of its construction, but he didn’t have long to wait until the route opened up into a large cavern. The envoy estimated they were approximately a mile below the surface, but it was hard to be sure, so he asked Astra.

That’s about right. Astra confirmed his estimate. We’ve been walking a little over an hour at a moderate pace with a slight decline.

Aidan nodded and informed his companions.

“Is that why it’s so hot?” Agerwal complained.

“It’s not that hot, you baby. This is beach weather.” Weir corrected him. “My visor says that it’s about ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit.”

“Fuck you, man. I’m from Chicago,” the man whined. “We get maybe one day a year where it’s this warm.”

“Stow it, Agerwal,” Guzman reprimanded the engineer, “or you’ll be our future ambassador to the gnomes.”

Agerwal looked like he wanted to complain more, but he apparently took the threat seriously because he shut up.

Aidan ignored Agerwal and focused on their surroundings. The enormous cavern was about the size of a football field and shaped like one too. The floor had been flattened and polished until it held a faint gloss. It was the exact opposite of the ceiling which retained its natural charm, including large stalactites that looked sharp enough to impale a man. Glowing moss and bright blue flowers grew from the intimidating stalactites and gave the room a cerulean glow.

At the end of the cavern was a set of stylized doors embedded into the rock wall. They depicted images of gnomes crafting fantastical mechanical objects and strange weapons. There were entire panels dedicated to gnomes trading and leading large merchant caravans. Beyond the door and the ceiling, there wasn’t much to look at.

Seeing that he wouldn’t need his orb anymore, Aidan covered it with his plate carrier and clicked the button until it shut off. His team copied the action, and when they were turned off, Aidan proffered the orb to Farryn. The older gnome shook his hand, refused the globe, and said it was a gift.

With a shrug of thanks, Aidan stored the orb in his inventory. A flashlight would be handy on any kind of adventure.

“Farryn says the orbs are gifts,” Aidan informed his team before winking at Weir. “Consider this our first free sample.”

Weir chuckled before storing his own orb, and the rest of the team followed suit as they followed Farryn to the door.

Is this the main entrance? Aidan quickly asked Ariza.

No, this is just a small side entrance. Ariza corrected. It exits close to the Azapazil compound. If I know Farryn, he’s trying to gain favor with my father by bringing you to him before taking us straight to the council and Lord Telwubitack.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Aidan wondered.

Probably a good thing. Ariza assured the envoy. My father will likely want to leverage the fact that I’m the only one that can communicate with you to set up an exclusive trade deal. If it ends well, then he could become a merchant lord himself.

Gnome politics sound complicated, Aidan commented.

The beastmaster shrugged and said, They are, with a chuckle.

Farryn walked up to the stylized door and started pressing random buttons embedded into the images inlaid to the doors. After a few moments, he stepped back, and the doors began to swing open.

Is that all it takes to get in? Aidan asked Ariza.

The gnome shot him a mischievous glance. If you enter the wrong combination of buttons for the day, hidden doors open in the chamber, and wolverines are released to chew the invaders to pieces.

Ah, Aidan said, momentarily stunned. I’ll have to remember that.

He forgot whatever he was about to say next because the gnome village lay before them. Aidan slowly advanced to get a better look at the scene. The town was nestled into a colossal cavern that likely extended to the very edge of the surface. Stalactites covered in glowing vegetation hung from the ceiling just like the room they were exiting. Some stalactites were so long that they had fused with giant stalagmites beneath to create natural columns swathed in climbing vines and luminescent flowers.

In the distance, Aidan spotted streams of water gushing from sources high in the rock wall that thundered down to deep chasms below. Flocks of snow-colored canaries wheeled around natural earthen columns and gnomish towers. No matter how grand the natural beauty was, it was rivaled by the eclectic craftsmanship of the gnomes.

A dozen stone skyscrapers—or cavern ceiling scrapers—filled most of the void. They were arranged like numbers on a clock, standing guard around a palatial central tower. Each building was festooned with a hodgepodge of metal pipes, hologram screens, and mechanized equipment. Accents of garish color were painted on ramshackle metal panels to give each building a unique character. Dark green plants covered any surface not already obscured by metal panels or industrial equipment. They softened the stone buildings and accented the sense of unrestrained vitality in the village.

The insides of the structures were illuminated from within by soft yellow lights, and Aidan noticed the same light emitted from paper lanterns hung on sprawling stone bridges. Speaking of bridges, they were practically everywhere. They connected the towers at various levels and took up most of the ground floor. They were needed because parts of the village regularly dropped into unending shadowy chasms.

Gnome villagers were going about their everyday business. Some were hawking wares on central bridges, while others were leading giant badgers loaded with cargo. Aidan didn’t spot any warriors walking the streets, but it didn’t appear that the village needed them. Everything gave off a peaceful, cheerful sort of energy. Aidan was struck by the realization that whatever the gnomes were, they weren’t the pre-industrial hunter-gatherers humans had thought them to be.

Aidan had to pick his jaw off the floor to follow Farryn further into the village. The envoy could feel Ariza’s self-satisfaction at a trick well played. She had probably known what the humans had imagined and actively chosen not to disabuse them.

As they crossed a stone bridge and headed for one of the twelve towers, Aidan furtively communicated with Astra.

How can any of this exist? He asked with a measure of awe. I accepted the idea that the System would probably alter or introduce new creatures to Earth, but this goes a level beyond.

Sorry, Aidan. Astra apologized. I’m not given much insight into the internal logic of the system. I can tell you that every species in the System has its own philosophy for why the System does the things it does.

She clearly felt the explanation wasn’t enough for Aidan, so she elaborated. Some cultures think the System returns your world to its optimal state. Others say this is your planet’s reality, and everything else is a pale simulation of the real thing. I can’t claim to know which theory is correct, but I know the System doesn’t create something from nothing. Gnomes were embedded somewhere in the collective unconscious of your world. They appeared in legends, old stories, and in your media. The System just brought them to reality.

The AI finished her explanation as the party reached the foot of a massive tower. An old gnome waited in front of the door with his arms crossed over a long white beard. The length of it was impressive. It extended to the knees of the elderly man and contrasted against the deep purple of his ceremonial robes.

“Father!” Ariza cheered as she slid down from her badger, rushed over, and hugged the cantankerous-looking man. Aidan was surprised to see the badger amble off toward the tower, but his curiosity was interrupted by the father-daughter pair. Azabar’s gaze softened at the sight of his daughter.

“Why are you acting like you never see me?” The man grumpily tried to disentangle himself from the clutches of his child.

“I just missed you!” The girl said. “It’s been an interesting day.”

“Yes, yes.” the old man patted his daughter’s back. “You can tell me about it later, but we don’t have much time now.”

Ariza nodded. “I know; I already briefed Aidan about your likely plans.” After saying that, she leaned in and whispered something in her father’s ear. Whatever it was, it surprised the man. His eyes widened, and he looked at Aidan with renewed interest.

Message delivered, Ariza disengaged from her father and smirked at Aidan.

I told him that you probably understood most of what we were saying but that the other gnomes believe I’m the only one who can talk to you.

Aidan nodded his understanding and glanced curiously at the still-waiting Farryn. He didn’t have to worry because Azabar quickly reached over to clap a meaty palm on the other gnome’s shoulder.

“Thanks for bringing them here, Farryn. I can take it from here, but be sure to tell that old scoundrel Finbadatil that your efforts didn’t go unnoticed. I’ll cut him in as soon as the ink is dry here.”

Farryn nodded in relief. “Thank you, Councilman Azapazil. I’ll be sure to relay your message to our clan head.”

Without another word, Farryn crossed the bridge and disappeared from sight. He was probably rushing to get to his clan head before the subsequent council meeting. When Azabar was sure the other man had left, he turned to Aidan.

“Welcome to Stalakmitzil,” he said as a way of greeting.

“Thank you for inviting us to your home,” Aidan diplomatically replied. “Councilman, if you don’t mind, can I translate what you’re saying to my team as we speak?”

The councilman waved an impatient hand. “Sure, but be mindful that we don’t have much time.”

“I understand,” Aidan replied before he narrated what had happened so far to his team. When he was done, he turned his attention to the gnome councilman.

“In the interest of saving time, I’ll be frank with you,” Aidan began. “We’ve just arrived some distance from Stalakmitzil. We occupy the fertile region just West of here. We’re primarily a scientific community, but we have some of the best warriors in our society to defend ourselves from threats. We’re interested in trading for technology, engrams, materials, or anything else that will give us a foothold in the region. In return, we can offer food, protection, and any technology we produce or find from elsewhere in the region. We can go to all the places topside that your people find it uncomfortable to visit.”

The councilman nodded. “Let’s start with an initial and exclusive trade agreement to exchange food for materials. Neither of those things is of extreme strategic importance to either side. Our materials will allow you to build a secure settlement while your food can be traded here in Stalakmitzil or other gnomish communities at a premium.”

Azabar waited for Aidan to communicate the terms to the rest of his team. When he was finished, Weir spoke up. “The trade for material would really help the camp. We don’t have the raw material necessary to use our fabricators. We’re already producing far more food than we need, so it seems like a good trade to me.”

Guzman disagreed. “Yeah, but I think Dr. Smith will want to get a hold of engrams too. She isn’t very concerned with a more secure camp.”

“True, but materials aren’t just for security.” Weir objected. “We’ve already found engrams for better communication and scanning equipment. We need that stuff to find more engrams.”

Aidan nodded slowly. “Think that pitch will work, Guzman?” He asked.

His friend hesitated before finally agreeing, “Yeah, I think that will convince her. Plus, we still haven’t gotten to meet with the full council. This is just one guy. The rest of the council may want to set up a separate agreement. This councilman just wants to capitalize on our interesting food.”

The envoy agreed with the point, so he turned back to the councilman.

“We tentatively accept your terms, but I’ll have to get some of our logisticians to work out the details.”

Aidan offered his hand to the councilman and smiled. “I hope we have a beneficial partnership,” he said with a smile.

Diplomacy increased to level 3. You have earned 15 experience.

Linguistics increased to level 16. You have earned 80 experience.

“Likewise,” Azabar gruffly replied. “Now, let’s get to the council meeting so the others can try and get their claws into you.”

Azabar was still guffawing as he led the humans toward the massive central building in the town.