Skyrim? Not exactly. Jack, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just gotten swallowed by a hippo and ended up God knows where, ran around trying to shoot fireballs. The little man that had dropped from the tree was sitting besides Isaiah, explaining to them where they were as best he could, a small flute besides him. The little man was no taller than 3 feet tall, wearing a bright green, fuzzy shirt with a red collar and red cuffs. On his small legs he wore the same, fuzzy green shorts, with a Tiny brown belt wrapping around his waist, keeping his shorts from falling. Black, fancy looking shoes carried him around, with long, knee high socks coming out of them. All in all, he looked like a really out of place elf, without the hat. His pale white face was a bit dirty, with some dirt smudged on his cheeks. "So, where are we exactly?" Isaiah asked, still trying to wrap his mind around what the little man was saying. Smiling, the little man motioned around them. "You are in the world of Haradon. The horsemen of war had appointed me to wait for you here. Oh dear, and where are my manners? My name is-" what followed was a series of sounds obviously not in the english language. Isaiah stared at the little man in confusion. "Pep. You can call me pep." The little man answered after seeing the confusion on the boy's face.

"Well hello there pep. I'm Isaiah, and that's my brother jack who is trying to...I don't even want to know." Pep nodded his head. "Yes, I know who you are. I hope me playing the flute made things a bit easier for you. War was against me doing it, but I knew you would've probably been eaten by the wrong hippo if I hadn't." Pep said, his voice high pitched, like a child's. "Thank you for doing that. So, are we inside the hippo right now or what?" Pep softly laughed, shaking his head. "No no, you were teleported through the cosmos to another dimension, ours. This is the world of Haradon, a land full of magic. I won't say anymore, as it would take years to explain everything. As for where we are at the moment, we are on the outskirts of a city called Titus-vale. If I am correct, war told you to seek out big Bertha in the laughing wolf pub, correct?" Jack interrupted Isaiah before he could speak, jumping in front of them and screaming like a banshee. Isaiah would've screamed like a girl, had pep not beaten him to it. "Dammit Jack!" The red haired boy only smiled, laughing at them. "Yes, , we were told to find big Bertha in the laughing wolf pub. I don't know where that is, but if we find a laughing wolf, I'll be sure to take it there straight away!" Jack laughed. Pep sighed, a smile on his lips as he chuckled lightly. "Well than, let's not waste any time. The laughing wolf pub is a lot closer then you may think." He said. Both brothers looked a bit confused as to what he meant, and stayed silent, following pep as he got up and walked down the hill.

The trio walked for a few minutes before they stood at the top of another hill, a dirt path cutting its way through the green grass and towards a large city. Farmland stretched for miles outside the cities massive walls, windmills and barns dotting the area. The walls that housed the massive city, were a dusty gray, encircling the stores and houses inside. Large double oak doors stood as gates, wide opened as people milled about, coming in and out. "Welcome, kids, to the sprawling city of Titus-vale!" Pep happily said, motioning to the large city in front of him. Jack and Isaiah stared in awe, Jack recovering much more quickly than his brother and sprinting down the hillside. "I'm coming white run!" Jack yelled, tripping halfway and rolling the rest of the way down the hill.

"Your brother is..." Pep made a face between confused, in thought and unsure. Isaiah could only sigh and nod his head. "Yea...I know...you don't need to tell me..." Pep smiled, his small hand patting Isaiah's leg before he to made his way down the hillside, Isaiah following. As they walked down the hill, Isaiah looked towards Pep, wondering what exactly he was. He wasn't sure if Pep was a midget or some alien. Either way, he didn't want to offend the only friendly person they have met so far. But, Isaiah's curiosity eventually won over. "Umm...hey Pep? Forgive me for my rudeness but uh...what exactly are you? I-I mean, with all due respect from where I come from, I've never seen someone of your...stature." Pep didn't answer for a few minutes, his curly brown hair bouncing with every step of his little legs. Isaiah was about to apologize before Pep spoke. "My race is...difficult to explain. Our origins, who we are and what we are is something not many know. Only close friends of my people are allowed the secrets of our race. But I will tell you as much I can without breaking the sacred laws I follow by." Pep stopped talking, seemingly collecting himself before once again speaking. "My people are what most refer to as 'gnomes'. That is not our name, but it seems that is our title, so we do not change it.

Us 'gnomes' are...descendants of the dwarfs. My people chose to rise from the darkness of the underground world and climbed their way to the life giving sun. We chose to leave the tunnels, and build a civilization here. Over time, our culture changed, we became more in touch with nature. Hundreds of years later, we have built ourselves a sprawling kingdom. Like the elves in the lands of the north, we have become more peaceful and not as warlike as our brethren, the dwarves. We are a kind group of people, healers, peace makers. But most look down on us for...whatever reason. Many call us weak because we do not fight, which leads many to look down on us as pathetic. Others say we are useless, nothing more than a people meant to die." A gloomy aura now surrounded the little man. Pep sighed before continuing, both of them having made it down the hill, where Jack lay, groaning in pain. "My people are considered one of the weakest, and that is why I have left home in search of proving that us gnomes are more then cannon fodder. That, and the council told me to come here." Pep said, his gloominess suddenly vanishing, being replaced with a large, happy smile, his pure white skin getting some color back.

Isaiah didn't respond, taking in all the information. So this was a real life gnome huh? Weird, he thought they would be angrier, with a beard and pointy hats. Than again, those were just statues and myths from back home. Sighing, Isaiah decided not to think to much about it, as Pep was already in the move, and Jack had yet to get up. Wait who was the council? Isaiah would've asked but he needed to help Jack up. Grabbing his brother by the shirt, he helped him up. "That hurt bro..." Jack groaned as he stood up, wiping off his red shirt and than wiping the dirt on Isaiah's blue shirt. "Hey! Come on dude..." The black haired boy growled, pushing his brother down again, who landed in his butt, getting his shorts dirty. This went on for a few minutes, both of them getting each other dirty, falling on the ground and such before, covered in dirt, Pep walked up to them. "Pardon me but...are you going to come or should I go get married and live my life?" Pep growled snappily, eyes narrowed and mouth in a tight lipped frown. The brothers quickly got up and mumbled sorry before pep once again smiled.

Leading the way along the dirt path, pep led the trio on the walk to the city in the distance. Along the way they passed by farms, largely spread apart with wheat growing abundantly all around them. "Wow, seems like the farmers here are either really good, or the soil is really fertile. Or a bit of both." Isaiah commented, spotting a farmer sitting atop an ox, plowing the ground to make it ready for planting. Waving at him, the farmer waved back, giving Isaiah a weak smile before looking back down at the ground, focusing on his work. "That is both true and false. The farmers are skilled at their work, using old and new methods to make the wheat grow plentifully. Their children and family usually help them as well. However that is not all. The king of Titus-vale forces them to work longer hours due to the growing amount of people that enter the city. Food is needed, so the farmers-" Pep and the trio stopped as a cow walked slowly by, chickens riding it's back comfortably. Once the cow was out of the way, Pep once again began to speak. "-are forced to work longer hours without rest. This means they work all day, long into the night, sleep for 4-5 hours or so and than get back to work before the sun has risen. This makes them have little to no time with their families, makes them always tired and simply makes their lives miserable." Pep explained, his breath coming a bit quicker, as though he were beginning to get tired.

The brothers didn't say anything, their minds focused on the information they had gotten. A king was doing something so horrible to these people? But...why? A king was a symbol of power, but also a role model for his people. A king kept his people in check, focused on helping them and bettering the city. A king was supposed to be good and just, not corrupt and force his people to work. Isaiah's fists clenched angrily at this. How dare someone do such a thing! If he had the chance he would punch that piece of crap in the face! His thoughts were cut off as he was nearly run over by a speeding carriage carrying fruits and vegetables. Had it not been for Jack pulling him aside, he would've been a pancake on the floor now. "Holy crap! What's his problem?!" Isaiah exclaimed, watching the carriage barrel its way down the dirt path, away from the city. The stomping of hooves followed it as guards passed by, in heavy, metal armor with swords in hand. They had chain vest armor, shields on their backs that had a special insignia. On each shield, in the center of it, was a large, yellow eagle, twin swords crossed over it.

A large red line on one of the guards stood out, signifying him as the leader. "Those are the Titus-vale guards. Disgusting creatures really. Most of them use their power as guards to harass and force the normal folk to do their bidding or be arrested. Most charge high taxes on the poor, and either they pay, or they are arrested. Some of them, however few there are, are still good. Most of them aren't, sadly. They will probably chase down the criminal and force him to pay, letting him go and returning with nothing but the money. That or will return with him because he wasn't able to pay." Pep shook his head, sighing as he once again began to lead them towards the city's looming gates. "Hey pep, so why exactly do we need to meet big Bertha?" Jack questioned, holding a chicken under his arm, petting it softly. "Well, big Bertha...she's probably one of the only people that can help you on your journey. Let's just say she is someon you can trust." Pep said over his shoulder. Neither of the boys responded, the dull roar of a large crowd gathered at the cities gates drowning out their thoughts.

People milled about the cities gates, walking in and out, some with carts full of meats or vegetables for sell, others walking cows or goats. They all looked like...well medieval peasants. Most of them had worn down, brown or gray Raggy clothes. A few people, obviously merchants, stood out in the crowd. Some wore flashy, bright colored clothes, singing or dancing to attract people's attentions as they sold their items just at the edge of the gates. Those that weren't dancing or singing or doing something to catch ones attention, wore regal clothing. Obviously made of the finest silk, with jewels sometimes sewn on, they looked very out of place. Pep lead them through, telling them that if the people would not move, than to push them out of the way. It didn't seem very nice, but it sure helped, and no one complained, much less flinched at the pushing and shoving. Jack especially was having fun, ramming his way through the crowd forcefully, screaming that if they didn't move, he would make them move.

Suddenly, just as Jack was about to pass the gates and enter the city, a mans hand grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt and yanked him back. "Ouch!" Jack yelped, looking over his shoulder at the man that had grabbed him. The man was one of the guards, short sword in hand, not wearing his helmet. "Oy! Your not from around here!" The gourd growled, rising his sword to jacks throat threateningly. "Let go of my brother!" Isaiah growled as he rushed forward, punching the man in the face. "Stop it you two!" Pep snarled, louder and angrier than he probably should've been. Turning their attention to him, all 3 stared silently. "Isaiah, Jack, this is no way to treat the guards. Indeed they are filthy animals, but remember the power they hold. Now apologize." Pep ordered. The guard let go of Jack, looking at pep curiously. The scene didn't go unnoticed, and a large circle of people had formed around them. At Peps order, people began to howl with laughter. "A bunch of kids, taking orders from a GNOME! HAHAAH!" Laughter boomed around them. "Excuse me, but laughing at another person for their race isn't very nice." Pep said, though his small voice was easily drowned out by their laughter. The laughter only escalated as Pep tried again and again to speak, scolding them for their very rude ways. "Sorry dude, but I don't think your getting to them." Jack mumbled as the guards themselves laughed and joked. "Umm...pep? Hey, you ok? Look lets just ignore the, and get going..." Isaiah tried to say, though it didn't seem the gnome was listening to him.

Head held low, eyes closed and hat dangling off to the side of his head, Pep didn't look happy at all. "Pep, seriously, calm down. I know it doesn't feel good, but if your gonna show the world that gnomes aren't useless, you need to push past these guys. Show them your the better man, and than later, the better warrior and so on. Don't sink down to their level." Isaiah softly said, kneeling down to get closer to pep, so he could hear him over the roar of the crowd. "I...I...I..." Peps head snapped up, eyes wide with anger. "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!" Pep growled angrily, raising his hands above his head. "Pep! Dude! Calm down!" Jack exclaimed, trying to calm down the angry gnome. "NO! I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! I AM SICK OF BEING RIDICULED AND MADE FUN OF! YOU WILL ALL FACE THE WRATH OF A GNOME!" Pep howled, his hands glowing green before the ground began to tremble. The earth cracked open, vines shooting out and flailing around, smacking people in the head, gut and back. Screams erupted from the crowd as they began to fall into chaos, with the guard trying desperately to keep themselves safe.

"PEP! Please calm down!" Isaiah yelled over the sound of people screaming. Of course, Pep didn't hear him, and continued his rampage. A vine wrapped around jacks legs and lifted him up, Jack yelling as he was lifted high into the air. "WHOA! NOT COOL PEP! NOT COOL!" Jack yelled before he was thrown away, flying through the air before crashing onto the ground. "Jack!" Isaiah yelled, helplessly watching his brother being hurled away. Turning towards the gnome, Isaiah did the only thing he could do. He kicked pep in the face, knocking him backwards. "OOOF!" Pep huffed as he landed, clutching his face. "Pep, you gotta stop this. If you won't...I'll...ummm...I'll...I don't know, but you won't like it." Thankfully, the magic had left Pep, and the vines stopped the chaos, crashing down to the ground. Helping pep to stand, the gnome guiltily looked up at Isaiah, rubbing his face which was now red from the kick. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to hurt anyone...but you don't know how much it hurts to be made fun of by everyone..." Pep mumbled, sighing.

What followed was...rather easy. After Pep had settled down, Isaiah and Jack helped explain to the guards what and why this happened. Of course they couldn't really hold charges, as pep, even in his calm state, glared at them, silently warning them. The brothers helped clean up the vines, which were than taken by a few merchants to be sold. Life began to return to normal, with the crowd of people bustling around, merchants selling their things, and guards not really doing anything. Turning their attention back to the city, the trio sere about to enter when once again...they were stopped by the guards. "Hey, you three. you are not commoners." Jack snorted and looked at the guard. "Why, what gave you that idea? Could it be your brain finally started to work?" He growled. The guard, same one that had grabbed Jack in the first place, grinned. He was rather tall, around 5'7 or maybe 5'8, with a furry goatee, brown eyes cold and always judging. His mustache was full and thick, covering most of his top lip, making it seem like his mouth was hidden behind the bushy beard. "My name is Domenic, Domenic Warlick. I am the captain of the guards. A messenger has told me that the king himself would like a word with you. Why? I don't know, but unless you want to end up angering your majesty, I suggest you allow me to take you to his castle."

Pep didn't look at all pleased with this turn of events, the frown on his face clearly showing his distaste. "As much as I don't like...his highness...I admit that the best option would be to do as they say. Lead the way Domenic. I'll take you to big Bertha after your meeting with the king. Now, let's get going." Pep began to walk, but was quickly stopped by Domenic. "He wants to see them...alone..." The brothers looked uneasily at Pep. Though they didn't really know the gnome and were simply thrown into this magical and weird world, Pep was probably the only person they could trust. Than again...what he had said could be a lie. Isaiah's head hurt from all this thinking, and jacks...well he didn't think much. "Alright, fine. Let's just hurry up and get this over with..." Isaiah grumbled unhappily. Domenic nodded his head and lead them away, into the city, passed the large crowd and into the bustling city. Pep didn't follow them, simply waving before running away. "Hurry up." Domenic growled, poking the brothers with his sword. "Hey! Watch it! This is the only shirt I got and if you rip it your buying me a new one!" Jack growled, slapping the sword away. Domenic simply smirked and poked Jack again. "You have spirit, but you should heed the little gnomes words. Remember your place in this city, boy." Jack gave up fighting back and simply allowed himself to be lead deeper into the city. "You ready to face the king?" Isaiah's asked his brother, running a hand through his black hair. "You know it!" Both brothers turned to each other before high-fiving.

"HELL YEAH!"