“What deal?” Markus asked, pulling free from Crystal and waving his wand at him.
“The King told us if we waited until sufficient time had passed and we made something important for you, then we could get the fur.” The old Gnome said this as though it was a signed contract.
Markus waved his wand over the women with the razors, “Hold off just a minute, we never agreed to anything like that. You can keep the shoes.”
Crystal stopped him again. “Markus, don’t worry. I'm fine with this.”
Markus shook his head. “I don’t know, there's something strange about this.”
Crystal grinned. “My tail might look odd for a little while, but it will grow back. Besides, these are nice shoes.” She returned to the elder gnome, “I’ll trade.”
“Not enough,” the old Gnome said, shaking his head. “The more we talked about it we realized there would not be enough fur to go around. We don’t want just this one time, we want more. MORE!” He appeared to be getting more demented as the conversion proceeded.
Markus put his hand on her shoulder. “No deal! We don’t trade people for anything in Gallenor. Especially shoes.”
The Gnomes did not like that as evident by the crowd growing more restless and murmuring louder with each word Markus uttered. A rather large mob had now congregated around the couple.
The old Gnome clicked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. I was afraid of this.” He pointed at Markus. “We want her… we will have her. You are in our way, so we will just have to kill you and take her.”
“WHAT!” Markus pointed his wand at the old Gnome.
The man seemed unfazed by the sight of the wand and snapped his fingers. “Get them!”
The Gnomes attacked unabandondedly, showing total disregard for their own safety. Crystal cried out as a razor lifted a chunk of the fur from her tail. Markus noticed, and pulled her to her feet before they could take another swipe. He pointed his wand at the two women Gnomes charging. “Hrinda!” A wave of simple force knocked a group of Gnomes over, including the two women. “Run!” Markus yelled and then grabbed Crystal with his free hand, heading for a distant part of the caves.
Gnomes came out of everything, spilling into the valley of the cave like a torrential flood, with all the madness of a stampeding horde of hogs. Their eyes were filled with rage, intent to kill anything in sight. Markus was wary of using any deadly spells on them, seeing as though for all he knew, he could easily set the entire cave on fire or flood it, killing innocent Gnome children in the process; and that would do them little good. So, all he could do was toss them around with shove spells.
“How are we going to get out of here if we can’t walk through stone?” Crystal cried out.
Markus thrust his wand at another group and then continued toward the exit. “I don’t know. I guess we'll just have to blast through.”
“Stop him!” a sea of Gnomes shouted, gathering to block their way. Some wore little bows and arrows and sent a wave of arrows at Markus and Crystal.
“VEDR!” Crystal cried, and used her hand to send a blast of wind at the incoming arrows, deflecting most of them. One hit Markus in the shoulder and another simply dove into edge Crystals clothes. Markus smiled, surprised at her. She shrugged. “Hey, I grew up around arrows, I know how to handle that much.”
“That’s….INCOMING!” He looked back to see more approaching.
“VEDR STORR!” Crystal shouted again. This time, a hurricane appeared and not only deflected the arrows but sent most of the Gnomes sprawling across the ground. Even Markus and Crystal had to brace themselves against the cave walls to keep from being tossed about.
Once the wind died, Markus took Crystal’s hand again and started for a wall in the distance. “We will go out that way, I will make us an exit.”
But the Gnomes were still gathering themselves from the explosion of wind and making up ground quickly. Markus pointed his wand at the wall and was about to use the stone dust spell he used to get out of Stillwater when Crystal stopped him again. “What?”
She looked back to the Kings residence. “The bag, the Codex is in it. We still need that.”
Markus shook his head in disgust. “Seriously! We'll manage without it. I'm not going back that way.” He attempted to cast the spell when she stopped him again.
“We can’t leave it,” Crystal stressed. “It is far too important.” She started to head back when he grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“No, if we go back, they'll get you and I cannot allow that to happen.”
Crystal smiled. “I can handle these Gnomes. Don’t worry.”
Markus did not budge, maintaining a tight grip on her arm. “No, I'm not going to face Treb having to tell him I left you behind for some old book.”
Crystal’s smile had washed away. “But, I'm not worth it. Without that book there is no hope of saving all of Gallenor and that's not an equal exchange. I can live here knowing you were equipped to save Gallenor.”
Markus looked down, ignoring the charging horde. “But, what is it worth saving the world when my world will be gone.”
“What?” Crystal’s eyes were wavering.
“You are my world now,” Markus admitted, a lump forming in his throat. “I wanted to find the Dragonwand and save Gallenor for selfish reasons until I found what I loved. Now, I have a new and just as important reason to save Gallenor, you. If I leave you behind, what will I do then?”
“Yes, what will you do?” Crystal asked.
Before he could answer, the Gnomes arrived, and it appeared that every resident of the cave city was present.
Markus blocked Crystal behind him and pointed his wand at them. “One step toward her and I will set this whole damned cave on fire.”
“No, you won’t. That would kill you and her as well,” the old Gnome said with the confidence of certainty.
Markus gnashed his teeth for a moment, then smiled and pointed his wand at the wall. “Fine, I'll take down this wall and we're going to keep running until we see light.”
“Go right ahead,” the old Gnome dared.
Markus was not sure what to make of that, but it was an opportunity and he had to take it. So he turned on the wall and shouted, “STEINN!” He cast the spell but it bounced off the wall. “STEINN!” he repeated, but it bounced off the wall once more. “What's going on?”
“You do not think we wouldn’t have methods of stopping magic at the walls. We have been hunted by imps for a thousand years, these walls are built to resist all magic. You are trapped in here until we let you leave. Give us the girl, or we will kill you and take her anyway.”
Markus stood in front of Crystal again and pointed his wand at them. “I'll take as many of you with me as I can.”
“Markus look!” Crystal put her hand on his shoulder.
He looked over to see the old King walking up to the wall. He put his hand on it and the surface rippled as if he had tossed a stone into water. “Go, now!”
Markus looked at Crystal and then at the King. Was this a trap, or was it their only chance? He had little time to think and it was the only opportunity left that did not end in a lot of death. So, taking Crystal by the hand, they ran through the wall and vanished from view.
Markus and Crystal stood in a portion of the cave that was honed out like a bubble. The tall walls rounded with the adjoining ceiling and the floors were even curved in a similar fashion. It was taller than the Gnome cave, but only about the size of a single room. There was no natural outlet, save a small opening in the ceiling that vented air in and out, but no light. In the corner of the room was a glow crystal; one that seemed to be placed there on purpose.
“Great, now what?” Markus paced around like a cat in a cage.
Crystal sat on the ground. “I don’t know. Things just went crazy in there.”
Markus let out a huff. “We’ve been had! This is just a cage and we walked right into it.”
Crystal was about to
respond when their bag slid through the wall and bumped up against Markus’ foot. He leaned over and picked it up. Looking through it he seemed surprised. “It’s full, nothing removed and a small sack of those mushrooms has been added.”
Crystal frowned. “What do you suppose they are doing?”
As if to answer her question, King Brek entered through the wall. He was met by Markus’ wand, but did not respond with the same greed as the others, offering only two passive hands as a sign of surrender. “Please, I am not here to harm either of you, simply to save you.”
Markus slowly lowered his wand, though he did not let it go just yet. “What's going on? They went insane.”
King Brek nodded and slowly sat down. “These old aching knees,” he murmured. “You must forgive my people, they cannot control the darkness in them.”
“Darkness?” Crystal asked. “I thought you said your Gnomes were not affected by the taint?”
King Brek nodded “I did say that and it is true, to a degree. Back in the days of the dark war, all Gnomes, including my own, were infected. Fortunately for us, we were not as tainted as the others and did not go mad instantly. Back in those days, Gnomes were magical, just like the faeries, imps, and other creatures of the Mystic Realms. Seeing the end of our people, King Thrame sought out a wizard to help us. He found a kind wizard that had mercy on our plight and helped craft a spell that would take away the taint, but at a price. Our souls were corrupted and that is irreversible while the darkness remains in Gallenor. So, King Thrame believed if we poured the evilness and greed into one thing, we could control it. He chose the only thing that the Gnomes treasured the most, crafting. He believed that enhancing our love of crafting would not harm us. He was wrong. It has turned a harmless way of life into an insatiable greed. But, he did succeed in saving us from the taint.”
“I don’t understand. Why did they attack me?” Crystal asked.
Brek closed his eyes. “I am shamed for what my people have done. Crafting requires tools, supplies to make things. By containing ourselves in these caves, we have consolidated the greed to a few things and maintained a relatively peaceful life. But, the sight of something we could use turns the addiction back on with a vengeance. When we first found you, I knew the sight of your lovely fur would excite and mesmerize them. I was not aware of how bad it would be. I offered them one cutting of your fur if they would simply make some shoes and let you go. I did not realize the greed would win over logic so abundantly.”
Markus was livid. “You offered them her fur! What gives you the right?”
“Master Markus, I do apologize for not telling you of this,” King Brek said. “I meant no harm, I only wanted to help you. I am so ashamed of what my people almost did to you. I hope you can forgive them. When tomorrow comes, they will wake with renewed eyes and realize the folly of their ways and feel terrible for what they tried. You must believe me, the Gnomes here are not evil. They are just cursed.”
“Are you?” Crystal asked in a soft tone. “You do not seem to be like the others.”
“Yes, I too bare the curse,” King Brek said, solemn. “But, when the first spell was cast, the Kingly line was given the most alteration, so that my family could lead and not be as blinded by the greed and longing. It is true, though, I fought within myself not to order you chained to a cage when we first found you.” He admitted this, wanting it to be clear that he was like the others, but he was worried how they would take it.
Crystal withdrew. “Oh, uh, thanks for… not doing that.”
“I wish my people could be in the sun again, could be part of the world again… make things to brighten life as we did so long ago. We simply survive here and hope for a day when the curse will be gone. But, that will never come.” King Brek wept, full of sorrow.
Markus knelt down in front of the old Gnome. “King Brek, when we find the answers we seek and finally finish this old war, I promise to be in touch with every wizard I can find that will listen until I find one that can and will do something for your people. You saved our lives, it's about time someone saves yours.”
Brek wiped away a tear trailing his cheek. “Thank you, Markus, I doubt it can be done. But, I will hold onto hope that one day my people will be part of Gallenor again, making a difference.”
Crystal asked the obvious question. “How are we going to get out of here?”
Brek held up his staff for Markus. “Take this.”
Markus was shocked. “Your staff?”
“The royal staff of the Gnomes gives its holder the ability to walk through stone,” King Brek said, somewhat rejuvenated by his own words.
Was this part of the King’s plan from the start? Markus thought. He took the small staff and was in awe. “How will you pass through the walls?”
Brek laughed. “My people always have had that ability. This staff was a special creation of ours back when we used magic like the rest of the magical creatures. The Gnome Kings would send it out to other special guests as an invite for them to come to our city. With the staff, they could come in. But, since the curse, it has only been a symbol of my title. I want you to have it, a gift of the Gnomes to help you in your quest. First thing, of course, is using it to find your way out.” He got up and walked over to the wall, studying it thoughtfully.
Markus shouldered his back pack and Crystal helped him get the straps over his arms. “How do I walk through the stone without falling down?” Markus asked.
King Brek seemed to find what he was looking for and turned back to them with a smile. “It is magic. Just walk and trust in it. Now, go through the wall here and follow a white stone vein that runs straight out. At the end, I believe you will find the location you seek.”
Markus paused, seemingly shocked by the old Gnome’s words. “You mean I will be at the Citadel?”
King Brek nodded. “I studied your map and what information you gave me and I believe I found what you were looking for. But, even if I am wrong, it will lead out of the mountain and back to where you can find it.”
Crystal knelt down and patted him on the head. She wanted to hug him but he was so small that she was afraid she’d hurt him. “Thank you for saving us. “
King Brek gave her tail a once over for the final time. “You just keep that fur nice and soft, and… please remember the Gnomes for what we used to be, not what we are now.”
Crystal kissed his forehead and his old, grey skin turned pink with blush. She stood and took Markus’ hand. “Okay, I'm ready.”
Markus looked back one last time. “Goodbye, your majesty. Tell your people we thank them for the shoes.” They walked through the stone wall, and the image rippled as if they were wading through a pond. The experience was beyond anything Markus had ever imagined, increasing his love of magic. His pulsed quickened as he held his breath, unsure if he would suffocate or not. The world around him whizzed by in shades of browns, whites, and even a few greens.
***
As the image of the two travelers faded, King Brek took a deep breath and slowly returned back through the wall, heading for his Kingdom. It would take a lot of time today to calm everyone down, but he was confident his people would understand.
Chapter 9: Ancient History
Captain Morris rode his horse through the canyon; an unpleasant expression written on his face. Beside him was the commander of the Shlan working for the King. The commander had a rather large bandage wrapped around his thick lizard tail, he wore a similar expression as Morris. Morris knew of the Shlan’s disdain for him and didn’t care one bit. He was here on a mission and any idea of making friends was quickly flushed from his mind. He was more concerned with keeping soldiers in line while demanding the utmost respect.
Morris looked at the tall canyon walls around him. “Why haven’t your people given me results yet?”
“My scoutssssss cannot find the boy with the wand or hisss girl companion. The elder Rakki are traveling without them and have evaded usss on every encounte
r. They have killed three more of my warriorssss.”
“Accusations,” Morris hissed. “Be careful Shlan.”
“I only draw the obvious line that their deaths are not on my head.”
“But more deaths could be!” Morris lashed with a snide smile. He could care less about some worthless dead Shlan, “Why are they here? Could they know where to find the Dragonwand? Are they simply hiding from us in this difficult terrain?” Morris mumbled to himself as his eyes scaled the walls, pondering the next course of actions.
The Shlan commander shared his thoughts. “My people have lived in thessse mountainsss for generationsss. We know to avoid the deeper partsss of the Barren Mountainsss. The fact they are traveling sssso far into them tellsss me they know sssomething we do not.”
Morris nodded. “I agree. If Tolen arranged this, then he gave them a purpose. Hiding from us is not that purpose. Locating the Dragonwand is and that can only mean they are searching for it here. Perhaps they just might lead us to it.”
“The Barren Mountainsss are a bad place. It would be wissse to let imps take care of these people. Ourss do not need to die ssssearching for them.”
Morris quickly pulled his foot out of the stirrup and kicked the Shlan in the head. “I will not listen to your cowardice any longer. If you say one more thing that would equate with simply giving up and letting them get away, I will pierce you through with my sword again, and this time I will not generously only hit your tail. You can be replaced, do not forget that.”
The Shlan rubbed his face. “Yessss ssssir.”
“And stop talking like that, it hurts my ears.” Morris was never one to consider other people’s feelings when he was doing his job. After putting his foot back in the stirrup, he kicked the horse into a trot. “I have a plan. One you and your people won’t be as scared of dealing with.”
Legacy of Dragonwand: Book 2 (Legacy of Dragonwand Trilogy) Page 7