"Clear as crystal! To me, at least," Gravewhistle boomed while puffing out his chest over his bloated belly. "Like the Navajo Code talkers soldiers used. Confounding to the enemy."

He paced in the middle of the circle of seats Nino had snapped into existence with a high chin. "I, of course, am well practiced in such arts. Did a class with the Algonquin Inushuk clan in the north. Splendid time of frolicking and connecting with Mother through those dungy blue mushrooms."

"Mother?" Nino asked. "You meet your mother in the north?"

"Earth, my good man. Met her, cried for several days under the watchful eyes of Petunia and a rambunctious maple tree and ascended to some of my battle Skills," Gravewhistle paused to tug on his beard. "Read it again, Alex, and I shall unravel its mysteries."

"Seriously," Snu shook her head. "It doesn't make any sense at all. Are you sure that's English?"

"Sound like gibber. But again, si, read again." Francesca added. The pair had grudgingly stopped snipping at each other over Nina's wrath, who like all grandmother's, insisted on floating around, not sitting, and tidying up an already sparkling kitchen.

Alex sighed, slumping deeper in his chair from exhaustion. He wasn't going to last much longer. "I'll read it again…one more time…"

Not ten minutes had passed since the fight between Francesca and Snu, and Alex was done for. He wanted to figure out the note that ended up in his hand from Brody and hit the hay. It had to be Brody, that much was clear from the chicken scratch signature at the bottom written in company purple. It was the only part that made any damn sense. He'd summon the squirrely clone if he had any Essence left and shake the words out of him.

What are you trying to tell me?

"Barer of shado rattespawne knav mi binded fetered in hall of jeste dreams decye. Roten frute thrust mi tong cursed and treezun. Bide me break n betray. Seek mi on plas wer mirthe and dream day. Fast or mi marro turne wurrm. Bordy. He spelt Brody wrong too."

"Is he dyslexic or something?" Snu shook her head. "That makes no sense to me, but I'm awful with stuff like this. Dreams decay? Fruit? Rate-spawn? Betray and break what? I don't understand. Still…doesn't sound good, something's not right."

"You should do English class for him," Nino offered. "This make no sense. When we come, Nina and me watch TV show day and night, day and night, to pick word up."

"Aha!" Gravewhistle announced. "The emotion is clear. Dear Brody is trapped somewhere, bound and stuck. I can practically feel the emotion. Majestic writing, Alex. I did not know you were capable of such depths."

"I do not think trapped," Francesca added. "How can a copy that does not really exist be trapped? He sound like illusion. You say yourself Skill is called Illusion Copy."

"He's not me. We're connected, somehow," Alex yawned. "I used to be able to sort of direct him with my thoughts…but lately, the dude has been tossing things at me," He thought for a moment. "Well, not in Scrum Lord's Dungeon. Huh," He blinked. "I asked him to get to the front of the Dungeon during that challenge shit from Scrum Lord. He didn't try and screw me over there. He even grabbed my shoulder. Got me there to the front," he rubbed his chest. "Still fricken killed though. I hope I didn't screw up my Skills or something."

"Do you know where he comes from? Can you feel it?" Snu asked.

"No," Alex shook his head. "But this is the first time he's tried to communicate past showing off…"

"I can smell a rescue mission on the dewed air," Gravewhistle breathed deeply. "My Gnomish senses are practically tingling."

"No jump to conclusion," Francesca tsked. "For all we know, this just another Brody trick. Alex say himself he mess with him."

Alex felt his eyes closing. Sprinting through the deliveries, finishing with a grueling Dungeon, and overexerting his Core left him with nothing left. Snu's hand squeezed his leg, and he offered her a tired smile while Gravewhistle and Francesca debated the scrawl. Gravewhistle insisted Brody was trapped somewhere not readily accessible. Francesca thought it was all a trick. Emilio sat on his lap, and even allowed her to scritch under his chin, purring and vibrating in his lap. The cat offered no opinions, of course.

"Permission to allocate dedicated resources to the investigation of the whereabouts of Brody, sir. The Gnomish Tunnels can reach distant planes quickly and without sacrificing much of our positional advantages we currently hold."

Gravewhistle stood to attention before Emilio, ignoring Francesca's reasons why Brody was tricking Alex rather than earnestly trying to communicate. Blue Hawaiian shorts were all he wore, alongside his white beard and sun hat, but he looked like a warrior ready for a mission. It reminded Alex just how capable the little buff gnome truly was in the art of war.

Emilio regarded his subject from Alex's lap. The cat seemed to think deeply for a moment, looked back at Alex, before finally nodding once. What positions the Garden Gnomes help was unknown, but the cat had made it this far with a savage backing, so he didn't question it.

"Excellent. Thank you, Sir," Gravewhistle turned to Alex. "Perhaps I will query the Drone Dame and Knight Zippy and Beepy to join our quest."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I tell you," Francesca continued and leaned in on Snu. "They should trust woman's intuition."

Snu offered her a placating smile, but Alex could tell from her tense body that the Dungeon Boss was merely putting up with her, not enjoying her comments or company. The truce wasn't exactly peace. Nina's power seemed to have chilled Snu's temper over the woman, at least for the time being, and at least within the Lich's Domain.

All over me? Because Francesca is kind of flirty?

"I need to sleep, I'm dying here." Alex stretched in the chair.

"Take tomorrow off, rest your Core," Nino sucked his teeth and stood up to walk them out into the now early morning of Toronto. "Back on Thursday." He clapped Alex's shoulder, but lightly.

"We know you make it through that Dungeon. We wanted to give you food buff, but…," He threw a glare at Francesca, who looked down at her hands.

"Eh," Alex waved a hand as Emilio jumped off his lap to slink to the front with a dialoguing Gravewhistle. "It was my bad. I shouldn't have just jumped in. Francesca," she raised her head. "We're good. But I'm keeping my tips, yeah?" Francesca smiled apologetically and Snu tried not to glare at her.

His loot bag was heavy, and Gravewhistle insisted on carrying it like a giant backpack for him as Nino and Francesca saw them out the front door. The first eeks of morning were creeping in Toronto, blasting the sky with magenta and purple. Post System, the sky had adopted a magical look, and most people were used to it, but a gorgeous sunrise is still a gorgeous sunrise. Just a few civilians and Adventurers strolled, enjoying the newfound crispness of the incoming autumn.

"Ahhhhhh," Gravewhistle breathed deep. "How I love the rise of the Sun beaming down on soil."

Nino pulled Alex back as Snu and Gravewhistle chatted. He noted that she and Francesca didn't say bye to each other, and Snu kept on looking over and stealing glances while pretending to patiently wait for him to finish up his goodbyes.

The old man leaned in close to whisper. "You really stole something from Dungeon Boss? Why?"

Exhausted as he was, Alex still had energy to smile proudly. "For you and Nina of course. It wasn't even the worst part of the whole thing. Pretty easy, once I figured out a little trick. It'll work?" He placed a hand over his pocket to readily hand it over. "Do you want it now?"

The old man shuffled closer and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "It will work. Thank you, Alex. You do not need to do this thing for us. And no. Hold it for now…you never know who watch." Nino looked around the street to scope it out and glare daggers, but Alex didn't think the old lady group doing tai chi on the corner were anything to worry about. Just because one had a few extra arms didn't mean they were trouble, but Alex forgave the Nino's ignorance. Just part of getting old.

"Rest and eat plenty, Amico." Friend. The word had that System weight behind it. Such a friendly man, but after the display from Nina, and the Relic in his pocket to help grow their Domain, Alex was once against reminded of the hidden power behind their accents and delicious food. The word hit his Core and warmed it like a light blessing.

"I make it up to you." Francesca said and went to hug Alex goodbye before catching the stare Snu was giving.

Down the street they walked. Snu slipped a small hand in his as Gravewhistle led the way in a direction Alex hadn't gone, barely affected by the loot bag, thumping along and regaling her with another story of his heroics. She chatted on along with him and let Alex slump tiredly. He was grateful for that. Emilio slinked along the wall nearby, looking out for enemies.

Brody's note bothered him right down to the bottom of his belly. He agreed with Gravewhistle, but maybe not to the extent and drama the gnome was proposing. Something wasn't right. Brody had grasped his shoulder and grunted, slipping him a note to tell him something. What was that something? Some grand conspiracy like Gravewhistle was suggesting? He wasn't sure. But his belly, who had yet to let him down, was telling him something was up. He just needed to figure out what.

Maybe Gravewhistle will figure it out?

"Hey, come out of your head,' Snu squeezed his hand. "We'll figure it out. You need to rest, you're barely standing. And I need you to not be barely standing," she clenched her teeth so hard Alex heard them grind. "She thinks she can worm her way into your head? Come by after you sleep it off."

He laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not going—"

"Nope," she interrupted. "I don't want to hear it. Tonight. I'm planning a date. Something fun and easy."

"Well, since I have the day off, why not?" Alex answered and realized that Gravewhistle had taken them to a dead-end alley. There was a snoring bicycle Monster intertwined and trapped in dripping weeds, and trash everywhere.

"Ugh, Gravewhistle, where did you walk us too? I need to pass out. Let's go home please." Alex complained around and spotted Emilio sitting and licking his paw.

The Gnome dumped the loot bag onto the floor and looked around. Several loud things landed on the lesser tips. The card with the black flower on it was definitely crumpled, not that Alex minded that much. He'd pawn it off with Mary and Jemin to sell for a couple Credits if it turned out to be a dud.

"It has been determined by the Gnomish Brigade of Allen Gardens, accepted by the ruler of Sun and Shade that your safety must be taken more seriously," he turned to the Snu. "And for you, Maiden of Familiars, Marker of Alex, we will be stationing more guards at your steads." It was always strange when the garden gnome got serious.

"With the new developments and investigations involving the Tax Guild and now Brody The Troubled," Petal continued. "Sage Mistletoe, scry and shaman of Allen Gardens, eldest of the Gnomes, has accepted your use of the Gnomish Tunnels. It is how we can guarantee your safety home."

Petal finished his announcement and looked at them as if he had bestowed a great honour. Alex just stared at the little gnome. It was hard to take Petal seriously, with his ridiculous outfit and his puffy nipples, but he seemed serious. The Gnomes were going to show Alex and Snu just how they traversed every nook and cranny in the city.

The Garden Gnome turned to the brick wall, and raised his little palm. The alley whomped and a whisper of wind curled past their ankles as a golf-ball sized hole puckered open on the dirt. It looks like a snake hole. Nothing to write home about, but Gravewhistle looked over his shoulder to give them a mischievous look.

"Now you will see how we truly live." Gravewhistle said.

"Emilio and you fit in there?" Alex joked. "I'm honoured, Petal, but how am I going to fit in that 'tunnel'?"

"Ah. Like this." The gnome tapped his foot on the rim and vanished with a cork-pop sound. Emilio slinked over and stared at Alex for a moment before tapping his foot on the hole and popping away as well.

"Yeah, I gotta see this, let's go. Then sleep. Then date." Snu pulled Alex forward, who snatched up his loot bag. Even though he had an exhausted Core, he wanted to see this as well.

Together, they tapped their feet onto the little hope and popped away. The bicycle monster grumbled at the disturbance and continued dreaming of hills he would never see again.

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