As though he sensed my doubts—which, as a sprite, he probably did—Bekkit spoke up once more.
"Your reluctance to leave is understandable. You have defended this place from enemies and made it your home. But your gnomes are no match for the forces of nature."
Three of my warriors had waded into the stream to drag away a large branch, which had washed up against the bridge, damming the water upstream. Already the tannery was ankle-deep in silty water. Goldie the tanner and Shuck the armorer were hauling as many hides as they could rescue toward the higher ground of the village. Several villagers rushed over to help.
As soon as I saw their predicament I sent a message to Gneil, who immediately ordered more warriors to help clear the blockage. They eventually managed to tie a rope around the branch—which was more of a log by gnomish standards—and drag it onto the shore.
The river could run freely once more. The water began to slowly drain from the tannery, but the sudden tide had upended most of the drying racks, and the skins stretched out on them were ruined.
For the first time, I truly recognized that we were about to lose everything. A wave of emotion hit me so hard that if I'd had a body I'd have needed to sit down.
We worked so hard!
Warm tendrils of sympathy and shared sorrow embraced me. Ket understood exactly, and she didn't need to speak for me to know that she was here for me every step of the way. That gave me the strength to do what I now knew needed to be done.
"You're right. Running away is our only option."
I sensed joy, mingled with relief.
Huh. Bekkit and I do share a bond. The rogue emotions were hastily quashed, but I'd definitely felt them.
Why is he so keen for us to leave?
"It pleases me that we have both arrived at the same conclusion," said Bekkit smoothly. "Though try not to think of it as running away. This will be a tactical retreat, not a panicked flight—but only if we act now."
Ket scoffed. "You say that like it's as simple as activating an ability."
"It is, my young friend. It is."
"What? I don't have anything like that!" None of the skills I'd gained would be remotely useful in such an endeavor. At best, I'd be able to use Divine Inspiration or Possession to show Gneil what must be done and trust him to convey the entire process accurately to the rest of the tribe.
"I told you, Corey, he's full of lies."
"Let me explain," said Bekkit. "In order to unlock it, you must first have your denizens construct an ark."
"An ark?" Ket sounded puzzled. "You mean like a big boat?"
"No, that's not what—"
"Ah. Because of the flooding." I nodded. "I see."
"It's not a boat!" said Bekkit loudly. "It's a reliquary."
"A what?"
"A box."
"A box?"
"A holy box."
"Hmm. And building it will unlock an ability that just… commands all the gnomes to pack up and leave?"
"Yes. If you'll grant me access to your Augmentary—"
"What?!" Ket screeched. "He's not going to do that!"
"—I can share with you the blueprint for the ark," he finished.
"No!"
"What's the big deal, Ket?" I asked. "It's not like he can do any harm with it."
"No, but... it's just... an Augmentary is between a Core and his sprite. You don't share it with just anyone."
Her furious glow had dimmed, as though she were embarrassed.
"Well, it seems I have two sprites now." When her glow dimmed even further, I hastened to add, "But you're still my favorite! You'll always be my favorite."
Bekkit grumbled a little at that. Ket ruffled her wings, muttering something about checking on Shanky, and flew off toward the barracks.
Great, I offended both of them at the same time. This is going to be so much fun.
A moment later, silvery words materialized before me.
Augmentary access requested ("BEKKIT"). Approve access? Y/N
I hesitated. On one hand, it did seem somewhat hasty to be giving complete access to a stranger. On the other hand, time was truly of the essence here, and refusing Bekkit's help could prove disastrous.
I selected 'Y' before I could second-guess myself any further.
"Excellent. May I?"
I grunted permission for him to go ahead. Within seconds, a blueprint materialized in front of me.
Blueprint received! "ARK"
Add to construction tab/blueprints? Y/N
Once I'd selected “Y,” I was able to view the blueprint in full.
The ark really was just a box, albeit a fancy one. I seriously doubted that the version the gnomes produced would be anything near as grand, but hopefully it would still serve its purpose.
"I've adjusted the dimensions slightly to account for the gnomes' smaller stature. If completed to these specifications, the ark should be around seven inches long, five wide, and six high including the lid. Construction should take no more than a few hours, especially if you assign carpenters as well as builders. That gives you some time to decide on our destination."
"Why are you helping us?" I asked him. He seemed taken aback by the abruptness of the question. "I mean, I'm not ungrateful. I'm just not sure why you're doing it."
"Why would I not? Yours is a noble goal. Furthermore, I am apparently part of your domain now. Since I cannot leave, why not make myself useful?"
"Why not indeed?"
I selected the ark for construction, then assigned two builders and two carpenters to the task. As I watched them trot off to the lumberyard, I pondered the sprite's words.
Bekkit's swift acceptance of his new situation, not to mention his willingness to help, was a stark contrast to my own attitude when I'd first awoken as the gnomes' god. It would have been humbling—if it weren’t so suspicious.
What's his game? Why is he really helping us?
The sprite might seem like a
