Alred follows the young gnome through a set of double doors. The tigress of the front of the shop did not follow suit back here. More gnomes scurry about move everything around.
Most gnomes seem to follow a same pattern in looks. Long hair, facial hair for the men, but all of them wear a some sort of hat. Most men seem to be wearing a red pointed hat while the women have a red bandana to cover their head.
They are all lean too, like a stray cat. Their pointed ears hold up their hats. In the back of the whole place, a man sitting in a chair reading a book.
"Bunir, I have a guess for you." She jumps up on to the table next to him. His back beadie eyes peers over his book.
"Thank you, Lu." She smiles at Alred and heads back to the front.
"I'm Bunir, Rune master. What type of crystals are you looking for?" He gets out of his chair, walks to the edge of the table. His eyes never leaving Alreds face.
"I'm looking for medium clear crystals."
"How many?" He twist his neck, it pops a handful of times.
"I would like atheist four. I also have two other request for you." Bunir raises his eyebrows.
"Depends on the request, I'm a busy gnome. I have your crystals." He snaps his fingers and shouts in gnomeish. A gnome half way down the hall jumps too.
"I'm looking for a Blue moon elf, guessing he was sold as a slave here? I also need to learn lig..."
"Shut your mouth boy," He looks around and sees that no is looking. "Follow me."
The gnome who he had called before, comes rushing up with four medium clear crystals. He hands them to Alred and disappear back to work.
Bunir jumps from his table and walks it a stair case at the edge of the room. He climbs half way before he pulls a lever. The floor above slowly lowers down. A chair and small table on the lift.
"Have a seat, I'll meet you up stairs." He bounds up the rest of the stairs. Alred hurries and sits in the plush red chair. Just as he does, the lift brings him up.
The floor locks in place, Bunir is sitting behind a desk with a very serious look on his face.
"Not many dragons walk into a human city and make the request you have. What are you up too? And who are you?"
"I'm not a dragon." Alred knocks on his scales. "These were a gift from a friend. My name is Alred Wooden."
"So, your is his grandson." Bunir starts yelling in gnomeish again. "I will not train you in the light element, tell me what it is you need it for and I will help. As for the elf, we will ha e to visit the slave house."
"Why won't you teach me?" Alred cross his arms.
"Cause of your grandfather. I'm not going to pass him off. You don't know do you?"
"I know he's a master mage."
"No not that, there are four life elements. Life, light, dark and death. You can only learn one of these. I'm not taking this away from you. I have spoken my mind on this and I will not budge on it."
"OK, there is a world tree in the Southwick Kingdom, Valmoch bite into the trunk with darkness. It needs to be healed."
"I see you already meet that man, shame." He holds up his finger and shakes his head. "I will not answer any questions on him."
Bunir stands up from his desk and walks over to a door. He pulls out a cloak and sword. Putting both on. The last thing he grabs is a staff about foot taller then himself.
He rings a bell and the same young lady from up front walks in. They talk in gnomeish for a few minutes. She gets up set and stomps out of the room.
"Children I tell you."
"I'm three hundred and sixteen years old." She shouts back at him. He just giggles.
He walks to the door at the back of the room and opens it. He turns and looks at Alred.
"Come on lad, I'm not getting any younger. We have a lot of ground to cover."
They climb down the stairs case, the back alley filled with many people. Dwarfs, elves, gnomes and even a few pixes fly by. One dwarf even hand a line of goblins in tow.
"I swear, he keeps bring in new people and keeps taking my customers away."
"Who is he?"
"You don't even know who is running this town? All of you Wooden are the same." He turns around pokes Alred in the chest with his staff. "You rush into things and do what you no matter what. Come here."
Alred kneels down until he's face to face with Bunir. Now that he's closer to the gnome he can see the blue in his eyes.
"A mage by the name of, Hoci runs this place. He figured out how to harness lightning and cast it too. Most slaves are owe by him."
"He also a decent rune maker too?"
"How do you know that?"
"I've seen the marks on his slaves, the dwarfs out." Bunir bops on the head, then shakes his head.
"We need to hurry. You didn't tell me you were the reason for the lock down. All the same I tell, all the same." He starts marching down the alley, stomping his staff against the ground as hard as he can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the tall black tower. A aging man looks out the window. A crystal ball under his left hand a his staff in his right. A glowing yellow crystal on top of the staff.
"Master, no one is able to get close to the building. They keep getting shot with arrows. I'm not…"
"Get them ready, we can over run them with our slaves. No one stands up to Hoci and lives to tell the tale."
Bolts of lightning shoot out of his staff, sparking against the ground right in front of the man.
"Yes my Lord. I will lead them there."