Day Seven. Morning.

Reaching the crevice opening, I looked back to see how the gnome was doing.

Her face upturned, she stared at me fixedly. Giving Saya a thumbs up, I ducked into the fissure, hoping she continued to remain calm when I disappeared from sight.

I wriggled out of the fissure as fast as I could while listening intently for signs that the wyvern was rousing. Happily, I made it all the way through without Saya panicking. Squirming out of the hole, I whipped about and hauled on the rope. I couldn’t see the gnome, but at this point, I had to trust she’d continue to keep her composure.

It was slow going as, inch by inch, I pulled Saya upwards. As nerve-racking as it was, though, I dared not yank too hard at the rope.

Eventually, my arms began to burn with the strain. The gnome was light, but Strength was not my best attribute. Still, I uttered no sound, and neither did the alchemist slowly being hauled aloft. After what felt like forever but objectively was less than five minutes, the rope went slack.

Saya had reached the fissure.

I sat back, panting in relief. While I massaged my arms, I followed the gnome’s progress through the crevice with my mindsight.

Being nearly half as wide as me, the alchemist sped through the fissure, making it look easy, and in no time at all, her head popped out of the hole. Placing a finger to my lips to remind her to be silent, I led her away.

It was time to find out just exactly who and what she was.

~~~

I didn’t let the gnome talk, not until I’d put enough distance between us and the cave below. Finding a heap of gigantic boulders, I pulled the alchemist into their shadows.

“Alright, this should be far enough,” I said. “Who—”

I got no further. The gnome flung herself forward and wrapped her tiny arms about me. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she whispered in an excited and fervent voice.

I patted her awkwardly and extricated myself. “You’re welcome,” I said. “But we are not out of danger just yet. The wyvern mother could awake at any time.”

Saya shook her head. “We have hours yet. She often sleeps past noon.”

I studied the gnome carefully. She sounded certain. “You’ve been in there long then?”

Saya nodded vigorously. “She captured me weeks ago. I’ve been trapped in that awful cave since then.”

I frowned. “The wyvern mother took you prisoner? Why would she do that?”

Saya sighed. “She figured out I was an alchemist—if a half-trained one—and put me to work.”

I blinked, not sure which part of her statement I found more surprising. “Put you to work…?” I repeated slowly.

“Harvesting mushrooms and cave moss for her,” she said with a wan smile. “Apparently, Besina considers them to be quite the delicacy.”

“Who is Besina?” I asked, confused.

“The wyvern,” Saya said simply.

Of course. Why it surprised me that the wyvern mother had a name, I wasn’t sure, but it did. More surprising, though, was that the gnome knew it. “So you’ve… talked to her?”

Saya’s face twisted in remembered pain. “Well, I’m not sure if you could call it talking.” Unconsciously, she rubbed at her temples. “Besina transmitted her demands by dropping images in my mind. At first, they were difficult to understand, but over time they grew easier to interpret. And when I talked, she understood me.”

“I see,” I said. “What can you tell me about the beast?”

For a long moment, Saya remained quiet, dark emotions flitting across her face. “Besina is old,” the apprentice said finally. “She has laired in these mountains for a long time and knows them well. Many of the tunnels below are either of her own making or have been widened by her over time.” She met my gaze, her own serious. “Don’t think to hide in them from her.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “Go on.”

“Don’t underestimate Besina either,” Saya continued. “She’s no dumb beast. The wyvern is cunning. And sadistic.” The gnome’s chin trembled, and she raised her left arm, still covered by dirty bandages. “A few days ago, I tried escaping. Besina caught me easily, of course, then proceeded to teach me a lesson.” She shuddered. “I will never forget what she did.”

I shifted from foot to foot, made uneasy by the pain haunting the gnome’s eyes. I didn’t know how to comfort her, so I did the next best thing. I changed the topic. “I take it you work with Gelar?”

My awkward attempt worked, and the melancholy vanished from Saya’s face. “No one works with Gelar,” she said, eyes twinkling. “I work for him. I’m his apprentice.”

“Ah,” I said, pleased by her suddenly happier countenance. Whatever Besina had done to the little gnome, she had not broken Saya’s spirit.

“Did he send you to rescue me?” Saya asked eagerly, her entire face lighting up.

I hesitated, then shook my head and told her the truth. “No, he didn’t tell me about you at all.” I paused. “But he did send me to kill the wyvern.”

“Oh,” Saya said, deflating. “He must think I’m dead then.”

I shrugged. I had no idea what Gelar had been thinking, but it seemed his reasons for posting the bounty were not as straightforward as I’d originally assumed. “Will you tell me how you got to be here?” I asked quietly.

“Of course,” Saya said, somewhat absently. I could see that she was still upset by the notion that her mentor had abandoned her for dead.

“I was out into the forest gathering materials—” she began.

“Alone?” I asked sharply. “Gelar sent you out alone?”

Saya hung her head, not meeting my eyes.

“Why would he do a fool thing like that?”

The gnome’s gaze flitted to mine, and seeing the look of disbelief on my face, she explained, “It’s not unusual. I’ve often gone out on my own to collect ingredients.” She lowered her eyes. “But I don’t think I’m cut out to be an alchemist. I mean, it’s not like I mind a bit of danger, but after Besina—” her word dropped to a barely perceptible whisper—“I’m not sure I can do it anymore.”

I stared at Saya with renewed scrutiny.

The gnome was scrawny, her head appeared overlarge, and her features were sharply defined, almost as if her face hadn’t grown to fit them yet.

I was no expert on gnomish physiology and had initially thought her somewhat odd appearance a result of her captivity. Now, I wondered.

“Saya, how old are you?” I asked suddenly.

The apprentice preened slightly. “I’m eighteen,” she said proudly. “I reached adulthood three months ago, achieving full player status.”

I didn’t say anything, but in the privacy of my mind, I was cursing Gelar. She’s barely more than a child and a civilian player to boot. Why had the alchemist let her loose in the valley, alone and unaccompanied?

“What do we do now?” Saya asked, unaware of the train of my thoughts. “Do we flee over the mountains?” She bit her lip. “I warn you, I don’t think we’ll get far. Besina is an excellent tracker, and I don’t think she will just let me go…”

I refocused on the gnome. “Unfortunately, Saya, my business here is not yet done. Before we can leave, there is something else I must do in Besina’s lair.” I hesitated, considering the youth again. Could I trust her? I thought so. “Alchemists are magic users, aren’t they?”

Saya shrugged. “I don’t have any spells if that’s what you’re asking.”

“But you have access to your mana?”

The apprentice nodded.

“Can you use a spell scroll?”

“If it is not combat-oriented,” she allowed cautiously, “then, yes, I can.”

I withdrew the portal scroll from my pack and handed it to her. “Then, you hold onto this. I’m going to go back into the tunnels below. If I’m not back in an hour, or you see the wyvern emerge from her lair, you use this. It will not take you out of the sector, but it should return you to the safe zone.”

You have lost a portal scroll.

Saya took the item curiously. A moment later, her mouth dropped open in shock as she realized what she held.

“Can you use the scroll?” I asked gently.

She nodded emphatically.

“Great,” I said with a grin. “Then you wait here. I’ll be back in an hour. And if I’m not, well, you know what to do.” Turning about, I began retracing my steps to the cliff’s edge.

“Wait!” Saya hissed.

I paused and swung back to her.

“What do you need to do in the lair?” the apprentice asked in a low voice.

I stayed silent for a moment, then shrugged, seeing no harm in telling her. “Do you know what the shield generator is?”

Saya nodded.

“I’m going to destroy it.”

The gnome’s eyes widened. “But Ishita’s mages are guarding it!”

I raised an eyebrow. “You know about them?”

She bobbed her head. “They arrived early yesterday morning, and since then, Besina has been in a foul mood. Their presence grates on her.”

“She knows they’re in the tunnels then?”

“Besina attacked them yesterday.” Saya frowned. “But I think the mages got the better of her, and she was forced to retreat. She was not happy.”

I smiled. “That’s good to know. Thank you.” I made ready to leave again.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Saya asked, stopping me once more.

I shook my head. “It’s too dangerous—”

“It can’t be any more dangerous than trying to escape Besina, surely,” she said with a grin.

I winced at the comparison. The truth was I could see a way for the gnome to help, but I didn’t want to entangle the youth in my own affairs. “It will be a bit more dangerous than that,” I murmured. “And you’d be helping me against Ishita’s sworn. If they discover your involvement, the Power won’t look kindly on you.”

“Pfft, who cares about Ishita,” Saya said. But despite her brave words, she sounded suddenly less enthused. “Are you sure you want to tangle with the goddess?” she asked a moment later. “She is even scarier than the wyvern.”

“Her people have left me no choice,” I replied. “But you don’t have to help. You can stay here and wait for me to return.”

Saya’s spine stiffened. “No. I want to.” She paused. “But I won’t need to fight, will I?”

“Not at all,” I assured her. “If you really want to help, I won’t stop you. This is what I need you to do...”