Sometimes the sweetest tale is the one you never tell.

It was impossible to go anywhere without being mobbed by gnomes begging for autographs—but Dax didn’t care. He’d upset the balance of the Trench Wars by his strategic and combat prowess, then upset the media by telling them to go suck on their question pads.

“You can’t just push everyone aside!” Nat had complained.

“Watch me, Wheels,” Dax hissed.

“Please…don’t call me that.”

The upset was so huge, variations of the fight had been playing on every news station of the city. Reporters tried to show uniquely spliced versions while giving their spin on the fight. Pictures of Dax and the rest of the Steel and Stone team were everywhere. By nightfall, Trench Wars was more popular than ice cream and candy bars…and the pilots had been summoned by their benefactor.

“I don’t give a fairy fart what Bellow’s wants, I don’t wanna go. He can drown like a turd in a toilet for all I care.”

Alhannah gently pulled the stained mug from Dax’s grasp. Höbin stopped working and stared at the elf from Chucks corner desk in the library.

The wizard scowled, “Now you’re being stupid, monkey. The last thing any of us want is to alienate those on our side. Bellows might be a money bag, but he’s also a connected person of respect in this city. If we’re going to try and find Wendell, then we…”

“BUT WE’RE NOT TRYING TO FIND HIM!” Dax roared. With a fling of his arm, the mug flew across the room and shattered against the opposite wall. Fragments ricocheted across the room, while the splatter patterns of the liquid dripped down the flat surface, leaving a grey residue behind.

Lili squeaked and buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

Dax watched the human girl for a moment. Since Wendell was discovered missing, the girl had been jumpy. Sensitive to every sound and every word around here. Anyone who lost their temper caused her to panic. He hung his face in shame.

“That’s right,” Alhannah leaned over and muttered, but only so Dax could hear her. “Scare the other people who are here to help.”

Chuck waved her away. Placing a gnarled hand on Dax’s shoulder, “My boy, we don’t know if he’s alive or dead. None of us have any idea what the Ithari’s truly capable of.” Any idea popped into the wizards head and his eyes grew wide, a huge smile close behind, “Besides, this time he had on his mägoweave! Maybe only his face got burned off!!”

Dax looked up, appalled.

“See? Good news!” Chuck beamed. “Now you get your butt out of that chair, for TGII’s sake brush your teeth, and get to the Bellow’s estate. It’s about time we tell him what’s happened and get his help. While you’re gone, I’ll ask Deloris to accompany me to a meeting with Motherboard. I have a few ideas of my own.”

Alhannah sniffed and rubbed her eyes.

“You alright, dear?” her father asked.

She nodded weakly, but it was unconvincing. Dark rings dominated her face and the gnome warrior looked like she had lost an unhealthy amount of weight. The porcelain-type sheen to her skin had faded to a sick past color, her veins looking like they were working their way to the surface. “I asked Shamas to find out what happened to Wendell. With the kid gone, our need for security doesn’t feel so important.” Gaunt hands rubbed against one another, “But Chuck’s right, uncle Dax. Bellows can still help. We can also do more damage to those responsible if we’re the top dogs.”

The elf swayed in his seat, considering. It did make sense—using fame and fortune to completely destroy an enemy. If they played their cards right, maybe even use their new connections to destroy those responsible without having to lift a finger.

He frowned.

No, he would want to use his own fingers to destroy them.

An enormous burp erupted from his diaphragm, knocking the cover papers off the desk he sat behind. Licking his lips, he stood up.

“I’ll get dressed,” he mumbled. Then, glaring at the wizard, “But I ain’t brushing my teeth.”

****

“Master Bellows is in a private meeting,” the butler said stiffly, “Please wait here.” Without waiting for a response, the old gnome turned and walked away, leaving Alhannah and Dax in the entryway.

“This place is huge!” Dax gasped.

“Yeah.”

“I wonder how rich he actually is?” Dax gawked.

“Hmm.”

The elf turned round and stared. “You don’t seem to have much to say, ‘Hannah. You ok?”

She glanced over the huge tapestries and the dozens of statues throughout the halls. Where would the cameras and listening devices be hidden. “Just don’t have much to say.”

Dax laughed, “Yeah, and beer don’t taste good.”

She shrugged.

“Hey, I wonder what’s over here?” And before Alhannah could stop him, the elf had wandered off, down the hall.

“Wait. No….don’t, uncle Dax!” she hurried after him.

One by one he rattled door knobs along the long corridor. Tall slabs of wood more than ten feet high, each with an elaborate scene carved into the center of the wood panel. A forest hunting exertion, a lakefront on a spring day with butterflies and birds dancing on the wind, and even storm clouds rolling over mountain tops. Dax stopped at a deep red door. “Woah.” The center panel was unlike the others. It stretched from the top of the door to the floor—making the entire surface a solid canvas. Carved to resemble a mountain cave, it looked like you were peering into the darkness in the side of solid stone….each crack etched with perfect detail. Dax lifted his hand to touch the closest wedge of stone.

“Cripes!” he stuttered, flinching backwards and bumping into Alhannah. “Would you look at that!”

Within the blackness of the cave, eyes peered out at them.

The elf grunted. “Now that’s just creepy if ya ask me.”

“Luckily the master did not ask you,” grumbled the butler from behind. “Now if you would please follow me, he will see you now.”

He led Alhannah and Dax to a plain looking door, which opened to the library. Bellows stood next to the fireplace, chatting lightly with another figure in one of the oversized leather chairs. The firelight flickered and danced across the dark room.

“Come in,” Bellows smiled, “please, both of you.” He walked across the floor briskly and shook Dax’s hand vigorously. “Dax. So pleased to meet you. Fantastic display of skill last night! Truly amazing. The workers in the factories cannot stop talking about your performance. You’ve become the pride of the lower districts.”

Alhannah looked from her benefactor to the shadowed figure sitting by the fire. “We…don’t mean to interrupt you, Bellows. Didn’t know you had company.” She looked up, “Deloris said you wanted to see us immediately—but we can come back.”

Bellows waved his hand, “Nonsense. I was actually calling you both here after my serious conversation with Motherboard.” Leaning forward, he lowered his voice, “He shared his information about Wendell and the unfortunate situation the other night.”

Dax growled in the depth of his chest, “Unfortunate? He was killed you pompous little…”

“Dax.” She placed a hand on the elf’s shoulder. Then to Bellows, “You seem disturbingly unaffected by this twist in our ability to fulfill our commitment to you as a sponsor. That, and the fact that President Shrub sent his goons to threaten us AND Wendell before the last fight. The government knows what you’re doing and the arrangement between us.”

Bellows seemed unaffected. “Oh, I seriously doubt that, Ms. Luckyfeller. You see, the government isn’t in the habit of collecting their own information. Too much effort, too much responsibility. Leaders at the top tend to rely on outside sources to gather the nuts and bolts of the working world around them. Which allows those who actually control the flow of information to,” he paused, a sly grin cutting across his face, “be manufactured and refined to suit other purposes.”

Alhannah was finding it hard to breath at that moment. A weight falling upon her shoulders, followed by a sudden pressure on her chest. There was more to Bellows than he was letting on. He also had more up his sleeve than he was revealing, which included connection with the G.R.R.. Suddenly, she wasn’t too certain coming here was such a good idea.

“So what do you want?” Dax flung out.

“To make your team whole once again. You lost a pilot and I still require you to win if you expect me to fund your operation. So,” he stepped aside and gestured to the figure in the chair, “I took the liberty of hiring a replacement.”

“Why you son of a…” Dax roared, palming Bellows in the chest. The rich gnome stumbled backwards, hitting his back into the antique desk.

“Ungh!”

“Dax! That’s enough.”

The elf froze. His mouth dropped open as the figure rose from the chair and walked into view. “Wendell…?”

Wendell smiled. “Hello buddy. Alhannah.”

Dax lunged forward and grabbed him with such force, the breath was crushed from his chest.

Alhannah gasped and sank down into the chair beside her. “But…I saw you…,” she shook her head in disbelief, “You fell into…”

Gasping, Wendell chuckled, giving the elf a short hug in return. “The furnace? Yeah, I did. Broke most of the bones in my body too. But,” he winked, “you know how fast I heal.”

Dax stepped back, “But how did you get out? How did you survive? H-how did you get here?” Then, seeing Bellows struggling to stand upright, he yanked one of the chairs up and helped the older gnome into it. “S-sorry ‘bout that, sir. Ya just pushed some buttons ya ought not ta have.”

Bellows sat down and waved him away. “You have an amazing friend, I’ll give you that. He managed to…,” but he stopped.

Dax looked between their benefactor and Wendell, who was sitting there, completely calm…in a plush robe. “So, why are you…naked?”

“Oh, this?” Wendell laughed, “You have no idea how disgusting it is when you have to live a week in garbage. I think every fly in the city followed me back up here.”

“Which leads back to one of Dax’s original questions, Wendell. How did you get here?” Alhannah stared at the young hero cooly.

Bellows cleared his throat, “You’re not exactly a house-hold name, but people do recognize your faces, now that you’ve upset the balance of this years Trench games. Your friend here stowed away on a mechanical truck and rode it to a lift—then took the lift straight up to a toll both. One of the employees recognized him right away and called my office when Wendell said he’d been mugged.”

Alhannah’s eyes narrowed to slits, “Mugged?”

Wendell smirked, “What was I supposed to tell them? Hello, I was knocked out and thrown into the garbage furnace, fell a hundred stories…and lived. Could you call me a cab?”

Dax shuffled over nervously and nudged Wendell. Whispering, “Keep it down kid, he…”

“I explained the whole situation to Mr. Bellows,” he replied candidly. “Motherboard had already hinted at some aspects of my being. Sooner of later everyone’s going to know that the Gnolaum is a gnome anyway, aren’t they?”

Dax and Alhannah looked at one another, then back at Wendell.

“Absolutely,” replied Alhannah.

“Sure, kid,” added Dax.

“Excellent!” beamed Bellows, “Which makes winning this competition all the more important. To think that my own representative is the one and only prophetic leader of our people!”

There was a knock at the door. The butler walked in, holding Wendell’s clothes over his arms, socks and sneakers in hand.

“Your clothes are prepared, sir.”

Wendell stood up, “Thank you, Keenan.”

The old gnome bowed slightly, handed the clothes over and left the room.

“We should lay low until it’s time for you to compete again,” Alhannah said. “Keep you safe—have Shamas stick with you, night and day.”

“No.” Wendell pulled the mägoweave on under the robe and zipped them up. “I have no intention of hiding. Not anymore. Whoever wanted me dead, wanted me out of the games because I’m causing a stir. As far as that’s concerned, I’ll take it to mean that I’m doing a good job of…what did you call it, Philburt?”

“Creating drama.”

“Right. Drama. Lots and lots of drama. Which is exactly what I plan on doing. Stir thinks up a bit more than usual.” He pulled his shirt over his chest and the yellow smiley came to life. “Though I’m not too sure I can top what Dax did today, hehe.”

The elf smiled, but it faded quickly. “How do you plan on stirring things up?”

Wendell looked between them and Bellows smiled at him from ear to ear.

“I think it’s time we made some noise.”