Andis exploded out of the large double doors leading down the stairs. The mechanism the little mite had positioned to open the door did its job well, though it could never operate again.

Down, down, down the long thumping stairs meant for one much large than Andis, he dashed as fast and as frantically as his legs could take him. For a long moment the stairs went on for forever. Endlessly looping down like a rodent running a wheel. Finally the end of the long staircase the floor stretched out in a marble landing. The little one’s feet came out from under him and he bumped on his backside on the remaining four stairs.

He sprang to his feet and rushed to his meager quarters, throwing items into a pack and fastening the necks of bottles to his belt. The Minish quarters were empty at the moment, no doubt all the workers were in the thick of their duties. Their shift wouldn’t be over until dark… he would be long gone by then.

Andis calmed himself and spent a moment fastening a narrow sword in a leather sheath to his belt in a reliable knot. Hs placed a leather cap atop his head for protection as well, though if the artificer found him he doubted he could survive a straight on fight. What the little mite would give to be able to make the weird wizard pay for his crimes. A roar came that made the shabby fixtures of the quarters rattle.

“ANDIS! YOU UNGRATEFUL SOOT-SPRITE,” a booming voice came from upstairs. He’s found out.

Pounding footsteps rifled down the stairs, the panic of the noise bringing tears to the little Minishes eyes. He squeezed them out and focused, he darted around his room for any last thing he could bring with him. No time. He’s coming for you. Andis used the hammer he slipped into his belt from upstairs and knocked the brittle rocks covering the secret exit, cracks of light from outside the cottage reaching in to touch him with each strike. Before the artificer could reach him the little hero was gone; Slipped out and running through the tall grass by the house, to safety. Andis heard another booming yell. No doubt the giant would send the carians out to hunt him down, and this made Andis become very aware of the weight of the object at the bottom of his pack, the thing he’d taken from the wizard workshop. That was a possibility, but for now he was free.