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The Great War
Written by Enly
Story by Enly & Roja
Edited by Annatira, Phildaburn, and Roja
Artwork by Roja
Chapter 13
The moment Nel unlocked the cell, Mortos was out of it. His original plan had been to knock out or kill the gnome and just go on his way, yet he had a vague feeling that the gnome might be useful to keep around.
"I suppose I should go inform the mayor you're taking a walk," Nel suggested nervously as he watched Mortos begin to stock off so quickly. The gnome adjusted his glasses and twitched his nose slightly, as if attempting to get them to rest just right on his face.
"That won't be necessary, as I won't be going back to my cell," Mortos smirked slightly without turning and continued to stalk proudly away. The gnome's apparant naiveté amused him.
Nel dashed out after him, thoroughly worried now, and remotely regretting his decision to release Mortos. However this turn of events was thrilling and he couldn't truly complain too much, despite the pang of guilt in his chest.
As they came out of the building Mortos sucked in a large breath of the fresh air. "Bah, what a disgusting place. I knew you mortals were filthy, but even I didn't dare imagine anything that bad."
"Well you can't just leave. They have to decide what to do with you first," Nel pointed out, rushing around to stand in front of Mortos as he spoke, for he seemed reluctant to look at the gnome.
"I am a god, gnome, remember that," Mortos hissed angrily, turning away from Nel and looking around the city. "I shall go where I please and you mortals have no right to imprison me."
"Well I didn't imprison you, I'm just passing through, actually, on my way to Melinis, you see. I have a cousin that lives there, not a friendly place for gnomes really but he loves it. Something about the salt air makes him-"
Mortos cut him off.
"Silence, gnome." Mortos sighed, reluctantly returning his gaze to the short being so as to be certain he heard what he said. "I don't want to listen to your babble."
"Forgive me, sir, but my name is Nel," he said politely, placing his hand over a red and white scarf hanging around his neck and onto his chest as he referenced himself. "Not 'gnome'."
"Very well, Nel." sighed Mortos, waving the gnome's comment away, quite disgusted by this mortal and the nerve he had. "Silence yourself. I need to plan what to do next."
"Would you like to come to Melinis with me?" Nel was forced to scramble around to place himself in front of Mortos again, as the god kept turning away. "There's a port there; you could sail nearly anywhere you wanted," Nel asked hopefully, delighted by the prospect of traveling with a god.
"I will not be traveling with you gnome," glared Mortos, staring down at the gnome. "Nel," he corrected himself, wondering why he had bothered after he did so. Frustrated, he began to walk away.
"Well, while you were in jail there for a day or so, the city received some news. Something has gone wrong in the draegoni lands, apparently one of their cities was attacked by a fleet of black dragon ships," mentioned Nel, scurrying along behind him while wringing his hand nervously, obviously quite worried by the prospects of fleets of foul creatures attacking cities, anyone would be.
"What?" Mortos had been making his way out of the city, through the gate unguarded by the mayor, but now he stopped dead. "Black ships with monsters? Where did they come from?" he demanded.
"Well I certainly don't know much, only rumors, and no one can think of where they'd come from, certainly not Seridia or Irilion." Stammered Nel, quite thrown off by this god he couldn't seem to manage to compose himself.
Mortos frowned. Of course, the mortals here don't know about Lanterra and the centaurs, they won't have known what happened, he thought to himself.
"Where did you say they attacked?" Mortos questioned, turning for the first time to show quite genuine interest in what the gnome had to say.
"Dra Leont, the rumors go that the city was completely overrun, nearly everyone in it was killed." Nel said, quite emboldened by the sudden show of interest from Mortos. He even managed to stop wringing his hands and fussing with his glasses.
"I'll have to find a ship then and head south as fast as possible," Mortos muttered to himself, briefly forgetting about Nel. He'd have to think of a way to regain his godly powers, yet for now he could extract revenge on the other gods by leading that army against the races of Irilion and Seridia. The only problem will be wresting command from Uarvan, he thought to himself. He looked down at his plain black clothes and unremarkable shoes, it seemed his transformation from god to mortal had left him with nothing but mortal clothes. Except for his height, he was nothing remarkable. Giving and inward sigh he scratched his head, he'd have to fix that before encountering Uarven. And how could he establish control even if he claimed to be a god as he was? Surely they would notice he was without his godly powers.
"Well Melinis is by far the nearest docks," Nel pointed out, oblivious to Mortos's inner frustrations and confusions. "No doubt you can find a boat that will take you south from there."
Sighing frustrated Mortos began to walk quickly to the east, there didn't seem to be a way around it really. He needed a ship and Melinis was indeed the nearest docks. And the gnome could be useful, wouldn't hurt to have a mortal around who had always lived in the lands and knew them well. Everything was so much different when he was stuck in one place like a mortal. He didn't know how they could possibly live this way.
"Very well then Nel," Mortos gritted his teeth, hating what he was about to say. "I'll go to Melinis with you, but you can keep your mouth shut all the way there."
"Oh don't worry!" Nel proclaimed excited, adjusting his small brown pack and hurrying after Mortos. It was very difficult for the short legged gnome to keep up with Mortos's long stride. "I'm not annoying in the least, you'll have a good enjoyable travel to be sure. If you were going with my mother, though, now that's a different story. There was always something about her voice..."
Mortos sighed again and rubbed his still sore forehead. The gnome's words began to fall on deaf ears as the unlikely pair made its way east through the dreary heat toward the city of Melinis.
*****
"Elandria," Unolas acknowledged her with a nod of his head as she entered his library. It was a grand hall with many books and everything any mage could ever dream of.
"Unolas," she responded with a similar nod-like bow. "Centau's condition troubles me. The already thin thread of life he clings to grows weaker with every passing moment, I fear he has little time left." She said sadly as she crossed the room to stand near him.
Unolas stared away for a moment, his mind wandering.
"Something is amiss," he said at last, looking back to Elandria, she was studying him closely, a slight frown was on her face. "I don't believe locking away Mortos has resolved our problems."
As he spoke another god joined them. Zarin looked angry and frustrated, she paced back and forth in a crimson gown.
"That beast Uarvan has led those creatures to Irilion, they're now wreaking havoc there as well. They slaughtered the residents of Dra Leont, defiling that beautiful city," she proclaimed, thoroughly enraged.
"Yes, they will cause the same destruction on those lands as they did in Lanterra," Unolas admitted, stroking his beard, something needed to be done.
"Uarvan and his armies managed to convince those dreadful dark elves on the Varesh coast of Lanterra to join with him and now they're making even more of those hideous boats. They're destroying so many beautiful things, they must be stopped," Zarin seethed angrily.
"Should we not give the races a chance to defend themselves? As of yet only a fraction of the monsters or the Varesh elves have left Lanterra perhaps the majority will remain there and those on Irilion can be defeated by the mortals," Elandria suggested. "We risk causing more problems if we again intervene."
"And if we don't? And the same thing that befell Lanterra happens to Irilion and soon Seridia? What then? Shall we all lie dying alongside Centau?" Zarin countered, glaring at Elandria.
"As I tried to suggest to Jayden, I believe we should hold council once more. We may need to free Mortos again in order to solve the problem," suggested Unolas warily, not sure of the reaction his comment might recieve.
"Free him?" Zarin asked shocked. "That will only cause more problems. You cannot possibly think that would be a valid solution? That would be madness!"
"I do not know yet, that is why we must hold council," Unolas insisted, he should have expected as much from Zarin. "Things are terribly amiss, I do not believe imprisoning Mortos has solved any of our problems. Indeed I think it has made them worse. We must meet and discuss these things."
"I will come again to council," Elandria assured him.
"As will I," Zarin added reluctantly, she at least saw the need to dicuss matters further. "Yet the others will not be so willing."
"We need Aluwen to help us convince them," Unolas mentioned. "We must go find her."
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