Look at these idiots. Standing around like fools, grandstanding, trying to make connections.

Like this is the time for that!

Ravena looked around herself and saw all the factions seated. Well, not all of them. Some weren’t important enough to make the cut, because other factions decided they wanted to act like the gatekeepers of Gnosis. That being said, Ravena could understand some of the reasons why not everyone was invited. This was an important matter. A sensitive one. And not all factions were… adult.

Really glad those artsy types aren’t here, now that I think about it.

She stood with a few other Naturalists. High mages all. This wasn’t a secret to be lightly shared around. As head of her faction, she could tell anyone she wanted, but she and the others reached a mutual understanding. ‘Now that you know, be careful about who else gets to know’.

It sounded right.

There were a number of other factions in this circular hall, used only for gatherings of the highest caliber. On one side she had the Martials, Kelunad smiling at her when she made eye contact.

…I so hate you right now.

Her old friend and her had… parted. For a time. They had reconciled and they were still warm to each other, but they had grown into different people. Not always seeing eye to eye. Still, that was better than some people.

Regitris and the Ascentionalists sat on the other side of Kelunad. He had the most mages for a single faction by his side.

Figures.

Her old friend… no. She needed to be honest with herself. Her old love sat separated from her. As he should, given his latest student. As if killing one had not been enough. She knew she was being a little childish, that the dryad had been different from… Menolee. But she could have at least been given a chance. Well…

On her other side sat the Artificers, looking interested after having been informed of the basics. The Bloodlinked sat next to them, keeping to themselves, but she spotted their ‘leader’ nodding to Kelunad and Regitris, who nodded back.

Right. You probably already set up some agreement or another.

She needed to get her feelings back in check. After that horrible day… those horrible years… long after that she had tried to reconcile with Regitris. They… never really talked about what happened, but she thought they understood their feelings. Yet, without noticing, she found out that their experiences had grown them into different persons. More her than him, yet… it had been enough. They had been cordial after that, but her wish was never sated. Nor, did she think, was his.

And the string of other mates, members and students alike, did nothing to quench that thirst.

She tried to refocus on the matter at hand and focused back on the room. A couple of more factions stood at the sides and she noticed the final one, standing opposite of her. The seats there were empty. The section of the room was in the dark. Yet only a fool would think mages did not occupy those spots.

For all she knew, the shadowy fuckers had brought their entire faction along. They never did shy away from ferreting out information.

“It seems we have all gathered.” A familiar voice called out. “Everyone who should be here has already arrived. The room is currently sealed and warded and I prevail on you all not to try and leave.”

Almost instantly, a sizzling sound appeared in the darkened portion of the room and mage briefly materialized, before disappearing again. A sigh of annoyance passed through the room.

“And that truly does mean ‘all’.” Regitris pointedly insisted.

“Our apologies.” A wispy voice spoke, from nowhere and everywhere.

“You have all been informed of the purpose of our meeting. Yet to make sure we are all on the same page, Mage Kelunad will reiterate.”

“Thank you, Mage Regitris.” Kel said, standing up.

And here comes the exposition.

***

The orc looked at them all and thought that less than half knew the relevant details, even if he and Regitris made sure to inform them.

Skill and intuition.

“Some time ago, one of the Gnosian explorer teams have uncovered an interesting item in one of the upper floors.”

“How high up?” a mage asked.

“Six floors.”

“Six?!”

“Six.” He said, raising his voice. “The number of the floor is not as important. Mages have gone higher than that. I went much higher. That a normal explorer team reached it means that such a floor is not impossible with proper planning and proper mages.”

The most shocked voices immediately restrained themselves.

There. That should make you keep quiet. On this, at least.

“We believe the adequate number of floors between it and us is what had kept away any… interferences. That and the room the artifact is housed in. The explorers that found it reported that they thought the artifact to be inert.”

“’Thought’, Mage Kelunad?” the Bloodlinked leader asked. “Not observed or decided? Simply thought?”

“Yes. Because after recognizing its provenience, more from the room then from the artifact itself, they ran as fast as they could.”

Slight laughter could be heard in the room and even from his own faction came snickers. Kelunad fought with himself not to discipline them here and now.

How I wish the opportunity for Michael to cleanse my faction would come faster.

He did observe that certain mages weren’t laughing. Good.

“As I would have recommended myself.” He stated, putting some iron in his voice. “I believe you will all agree with me once I reveal the creators of the artifact. So far, I have told you that we are gathered here to discuss the future of a discovered artifact, one that has the potential to either help or harm Gnosis on a grand scale.”

He saw his dear friend frown at the mention of ‘help’, but he carried on.

“What I have not mentioned yet is who made the artifact in question. So I will tell it to you now. The artifact we are discussing has been created by the gnomes.”

The room was still only for a second, before pandemonium burst forth. Kelunad observed roughly two categories of mages. The ones who were only vaguely aware of the gnomes were milling about in fear, asking questions of their fellows and looking alert. The ones who read their histories were completely terrified and were casting personal protection Spells. A few even tried to run, bouncing back from the ward as before.

“Enough!” Regitris bellowed. “The artifact isn’t a danger now. But it may very well soon be. And this room is warded for our protection. Be seated and still! Mage Kelunad, you have the word.”

“Thank you, Mage Regitris. As I said, this artifact has been constructed by the gnomes.”

“Perhaps a word on the gnomes themselves? Not all know them as well as the others.” A ghostly voice spoke.

Of course. You wouldn’t miss an opportunity to obtain a new piece if information.

“They history is long. And dreadful. I recommend you all study on them in detail, for they are the one enemy even Gnosis as a whole would be unprepared against. But I will tell you this. The gnomes are a race that utilize both magic and technology.”

“Technology?” A Naturalist laughed and Ravena decked him.

“Technology. Think of it as industry, only superior. Our Artificers use such concepts when building their golems. Yet they considered they technology superior enough that mostly didn’t even bother with what they called ‘simpler forms’ of magic. The magic we practice. They only used magic that could work with their ‘art’ and even then, sparingly. They had raised their practices to such a high level that they looked down on magic itself. And rightfully so.”

“How dare y-“

“I dare!” he thundered, with the voice of the teacher who had once trained Nahil. “I dare because I know of their deeds. I have read of them, but also bore witness to what lay left after they were done. I journeyed the world before and saw the marks. The gnomes are a civilization like no other. The empires they made flew. Their cities governed themselves and their creations were advanced enough to start using magic by their own. There is nothing I could tell you in this limited time to drive home the point of exactly how much better the gnomes are, how much more they are than us. But I will tell you this. I, Kelunad of the Martials, am a gnat to them. All of us together, Gnosis itself, would hardly be an impediment. They. Are. Mighty!”

He saw that his words reached them.

Good.

“And now, Mage Regitris, I give the word back to you.”

***

His old pupil had managed to silence them as only he could. Regitris was grateful. As grand as he was, the orc did a much better impression than himself when it came to making these fools realize who they were up against. No one liked to think of the unbeatable Kelunad as a ‘gnat’.

“We will speak more of this and I urge you all to look into the gnomes. They, as a race, are gone. Not extinct, simply left. Magic has been unable to tell us where and that is a sign unto itself. But we must discuss the artifact.”

He saw them standing on the edge of their seats.

Good.

“Once we managed to find out what the artifact was, we reached out to our… esteemed colleagues. For we do not possess oracular Spells, but they do.”

“Our pleasure.” A voice broken into multitudes responded. “But do go on, Mage Regitris. We do not mind you revealing our findings.”

Amused, are you? Fools. This is a threat even to you.

“I thank you. What we have been able to find out is that the artifact is dormant, but slowly ‘waking up’. It being noticed might have triggered that, but we cannot be sure.”

“Who placed it there?” Ravena asked and his heart skipped a beat. “Have there been gnomes at Gnosis?”

“If they have… we could not say. I do not know of any, yet someone must have placed this artifact there.”

“What is the purpose of this artifact?” the head of the Artificers asked. “Or its abilities?”

“It seems even oracular Spells fail to work completely on their art.”

Or the mages of shadow withhold information, in which case I will burn their entire faction to the ground.

“Which is why we do not have a complete answer. As far as we can tell, it is an artifact capable of restructuring reality around it. The scale of the change is uncertain.”

“Which means…” Ravena slowly said. “That is can swallow up the whole of Gnosis.”

“Or turn it into butter.” A mage from another faction said. “Mage Regitris, please tell me, why aren’t we attacking it with all we’ve got?”

The Martials look keen on the idea. Damnation.

“I would also like to discuss protective measures.” The Bloodlinked leader said.

“Or, or! Hear me out, please, fellow mages.” The Artificer leader said, standing up. “Or, we could use it.”

“Use- Are you mad or stupid?” Ravena shouted.

Regitris didn’t see who cast the first Spell. All he saw was all out casting, three quarters of the mages gathered casting Shields, while the other were throwing around attack Spells. Kelunad was busy knocking sense back into his own mages, who had jumped into the fight cheering and Regitris distinctly heard mass laughter from the dark side of the room.

It was probably them who shot first, the bastards.

It took a long while to restore order. And more than a few bruised egos.

“It seems clear that we will need to discuss more on this matter. Perhaps faction heads only.” He snaped. “This meeting will end shortly. But there is one more thing that we have uncovered that you all need to know.”

They returned to silence again, warry, but hungry for information.

“Whatever it is we decide, we cannot dally. Because from the looks of it, no matter what we do, the artifact will activate before the end of this school year.”