The Crystal Swordsman: Alfheim's Awakening

Leprechaun Visit

"I know Fenrir, but it's just a little bit further on." I replied.

He whined again as I walked alongside him.

"I'm sure they'll have lots of good food for you when we get there." I told him.

"How long is that gonna take?" Liz was laying in the back of one of the wagons that Fenrir and Skoll were hauling.

"Not sure. They just said follow the-" I looked ahead of us to see a clean wide stone path.

"Is that a road?" Asuna checked it out.

"Yep. A real one." Liz was over it.

"Seems to be..." Even I was amazed by it.

"Well? Follow it, goof." Liz barked.

"Obviously we follow it." I roared back.

"Get a room, you two!" Leafa giggled.

"And invite me along." Sinon smirked on Fenrir's wagon.

"You really enjoy seeing me like this, don't you?" I sneered back at my wife.

"Maybe. Maybe not. You'll have to find out." She winked at me.

I just chuckled and shook my head.

"Guys! We're here." Liz warned.

I looked ahead and there it lay before us. Tucked into the foot of a mountain peak. Prominent stone towers with connected walls created the front gate of the Leprechaun hold. We neared and the guards on the high walls recognized me, opening the gates without us having to stop. Iodized copper dome tops on each stone building, roads with steam cars, trains, and cables above that transported goods from one place to another. It was unlike anything I had ever seen.

"Ay! Wolf Boy! We're not here to sightsee. Palace is that way." Liz mushed us along.

"Hey, why don't you get out and lead?" I remarked back at her.

"Because then I wouldn't be-"

"Huh?" I interrupted her answer on purpose.

She scoffed and reluctantly got out with a huff.

"Follow the road up the hill and away from the city. You'll find the obvious entryway to the castle imbedded in the god damn mountain." Liz fumed as she stood ahead.

"Holy." I noticed.

"I did this for you last time without your regal ass. It's your turn to do the heavy lifting." She got close and poked me hard in the chest before storming off to climb back into Skoll's full wagon.

The others just looked back at me with concern.

"You really ought to put her in her place, love." Sinon giggled.

I just rolled my eyes, fighting back a toothy grin. We approached the front doors where two armoured Leprechaun soldiers held spears on either side.

"State your business." One requested.

"We're here to offer your King a business venture. We come bearing gifts." I relayed.

"The cave will lead you in thru the workshop." The soldier pointed with his head to a dark cave just next to the palace entrance.

I gave him a gracious nod and led my friends and cargo beneath the overarched stone. The further we went in, the darker it got but the more we started to notice faint lights and lanterns burning ahead of us. We started to see the ground at our feet as the chasm of lights revealed itself completely. Spires and walls of rich minerals and ores. Cable contraptions to haul things up and down. Even a parked drill machine in the corner of the chasm. A path lay ahead, turning and twisting around carts of rubble and mining supplies. We followed until we bared witness to a prominent throne at the top of a set of stone stairs. Upon that throne was a bearded king accessorized with a bejewelled crown. He was accompanied by one other man and a woman who appeared to be his most trusted. I gently bowed as the others dropped to a knee.