Small
Small is a character in The Metalwood Saga. Introduced as a fourteen-year-old underkid in New San Francisco, he is a core member of Shock Crew's inner circle. Despite lacking magical abilities, Small's unparalleled genius with electrical devices and his quick-thinking bravery make him one of the most vital members of the Crew. He ultimately sacrifices his life during the final war against the Twins.
Appearance and Personality
Small earns his undername because he is exceptionally short; at fourteen years old, he is described as being only "half Rylan's height". Despite his diminutive stature, he possesses a spritely, high-energy presence.
Personality-wise, Small is the smartest member of Shock Crew, though he frequently hides his intelligence behind a wall of humor, playfulness, and cheeky banter. He talks quickly and impulsively, constantly cracking jokes to lighten the mood even in life-or-death situations. He is almost always seen fiddling with wires or power cells. Beneath his silly exterior, however, he is fiercely loyal, resilient, and remarkably capable in combat.
Biography
The Power Siphon
Small is assigned by Dill to accompany Rylan on a dangerous mission to siphon electricity from the Planners' Power Storage chambers. Proving his usefulness immediately, Small uses a lock pick to bypass a high-security door, allowing them to infiltrate the massive, bottomless battery room.
When Rylan loses his balance and nearly falls to his death in the dark abyss, Small catches him by the collar and hauls him onto a lower platform, saving his life. As they are pursued by armed guards, Small demonstrates his lethal ingenuity: he jams their stolen power cell directly onto a guard's chest, electrocuting the man to secure their escape. Though the two boys survive a terrifying forty-foot drop when a metal platform shears off, Small is knocked unconscious. Rylan carries him back to Shock Crew headquarters, where Small quickly awakens and proudly presents the salvaged power cell to Dill.
Later, when Shock Crew's camp is attacked by armed guards, Small again uses a power cell as an improvised weapon. He sneaks up on a burly man who is brutally beating Grime, shoves the power cell down the man's pants, and electrocutes him, saving his crewmate's life.
Valaralda and the Receiver Site
Small accompanies Dill, Rylan, and Elanil to the Cothellon's Fennas Elenathon receiver site on Earth. When the group is trapped by the powerful forcefinder Elion, Small desperately tries to hot-wire the room's electronics while Shot uses mergemelding magic to pull the others through the forcefields.
Following the Conjunction, Small travels to the elven planet of Valaralda alongside Rylan and Dill. Because the technology on Valaralda is far more advanced than anything on Earth, Small becomes fascinated by the new world, eagerly exploring and studying the alien machinery. He also accompanies the group to the Thesserin Desert, where they meet the ancient crone Mirra (Cariel).
Mission Control and the Final War
Returning to the United Sky Cities, Small acts as a crucial right-hand technical advisor to Shot, who has assumed leadership over the thousands of underkids making up the unified Crews.
When the dark Twin Nelenor attacks, Small devises a brilliant, desperate plan alongside Dill. Utilizing his deep knowledge of the city's infrastructure, Small proposes reversing the energy flow of the sky cities' massive power storage batteries to turn the floating cities themselves into a devastating orbital weapon against the god. Working from Mission Control with Shot, Small successfully rewires and activates the Power Stations across all seven connected cities, routing the energy into the energetic rigging used by the underkid mages.
Death and Legacy
Tragically, Small does not survive the apocalyptic final battle. When Nelenor easily deflects the cities' massive energy blast, thousands of underkids launch themselves into a desperate melee against the towering god. Small is killed in the ensuing carnage alongside Shot and Spike.
Following the war, Dill mourns Small deeply, noting that the boy would have loved to see their ultimate victory and that he didn't deserve to die. During the final memorial ceremony held by the survivors, Small's name is recited with honor by Arra and the storyteller Kythaela, ensuring his heroic legacy lives on.
Powers and Abilities
Unlike many of his friends, Small is a Mundane human with no magical Talent. However, he compensates for this with his exceptional technical skills:
- Electrical Engineering: Small is a prodigy with electronics, capable of hot-wiring doors, repairing broken technology, and reprogramming massive city-wide power grids.
- Improvised Weaponry: He is highly adept at weaponizing high-voltage power cells in combat, using them to instantly electrocute heavily-armed guards.
- Lockpicking: Small easily bypasses secure Cothellon locks using simple lock picks.
Key Relationships
- Rylan: Rylan's closest partner during his early days in Shock Crew. The two boys repeatedly save each other's lives, and Small remains fiercely loyal to him.
- Dill: His Crew Captain. Dill recognizes Small's immense value, proudly telling Rylan that "no one is worth more than Small".
- Shot: Small and Shot share a brotherly dynamic filled with constant, cheeky banter. During the final war, they operate seamlessly as the leaders of Mission Control.