Ku-aya ran to her. “You okay?”
Sephonei laid on the ground, breathless. She sat up and nodded. “I think so.”
Abil ran to the ridge and looked down at the mess of boulders and dust. “Jeez, kid, you’re a walking disaster.” He looked to Sephonei and pretended to strum on an imaginary lute. He snorted at his own joke, turned, and stalked up the mountain.
Sephonei ignored him as she stood and dusted off her long coat and boots.
“You’re lucky to be alive,” Ku-aya said. “What were you thinkin’, yellin’ down there like that? Rule number four: Never yell at the base of a mountain.”
Ku-aya turned and pointed to her satchel that lay on the ground. “It’s pretty heavy. Be careful not to drop it. I’ve got all my gear in it… and it’s a lot.” She swaggered up the mountainside.
“Hey!” Sephonei yelled. “There were caverns under the mountain! You said—”
“Ah, ah, ah,” Ku-aya waved her finger. “I said that if for whatever reason we didn’t go through the caverns, you would carry my pack. Where am I headed now, Sephonei?”
Sephonei looked up the mountain and huffed. “Up the mountain?”
“Ai. Grab my satchel, an’ hurry up.” Ku-aya chuckled.
Sephonei lugged the satchel and threw it over her other shoulder. “Ahh kuk.” She huffed, wondering what was in the bag to make it so heavy. Slowly, she followed Ku-aya and whistled for Pery to follow.
Ku-aya yelled back, “Tomorrow you’ll teach that oversized horse to let us all ride it.”
ROEG
King Jexif
A
s Roeg entered Jexif’s chambers, the gnomish guard gave him one last poke on the backside with his spear. Roeg swatted at it and turned to the guard. “Stop it, I’m going already.”
The guard’s eyes shot wide, and he backed up. “You speak Gnomish?”
Roeg nodded then turned to Jexif, who sat in a smaller chair that shone with a similar pattern of gemstones as his throne in the Great Hall. Behind the chair was a large, wooden table with scrolls, metallic circular trinkets, and other things that caught Roeg’s eye. The mouthwatering scents of the Great Hall didn’t penetrate this room. In its place was a musty smell of dirt and stone.
The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind them, and four guards blocked the door.
Ookum looked to Roeg, then to Minnoa, who stood in front of the others. She looked back and gave a sheepish smile then turned to Jexif. “Ah. These are my friends, Father.” She was about to laugh but coughed to stifle it when she saw Jexif’s expression.
Jexif huffed and stamped the butt-end of his staff to the stone floor. “Minnoa, you know the rules. No outsiders are to come inside the cavern walls.”
Tsisa elbowed Roeg and nodded to the door. Roeg shook his head and waved his hand. He didn’t like this; they needed to stay quiet.
Minnoa stepped forward. “I know, Father. They… well, I was picking mushrooms and was attacked by Og. Then—”
“Og!” Jexif stood and looked to the guards. “What’s he doing down here at this time? He should still be up in the mountains!”
Minnoa got a gleam in her eye. “It’s okay. They saved me.” She pointed at Ookum. “Firehair saved me.”
All eyes moved to Ookum. He stood straight but fidgeted with his hands. He looked to Roeg and raised his eyebrows then darted them to Minnoa and Jexif.
Roeg looked to Jexif. “We are from the Great Spirit Clan.”
Jexif’s eyes shot to Roeg. He squinted then walked over to him. “You speak Gnomish?”
Roeg nodded. “Unn Truthsay’r sent us.”
Jexif’s stare intensified. “Unn, you say. Well, I remember a young man named Unn. He was from the coast. We were only boys when we met.”
He turned, then walked back to his chair and plopped down. Jexif was not round like Bulbus; under his thin, blue skin, muscles rippled. He had large, bare feet and thick hands that were much too large for the size of his body. Roeg eyed the guards and Minnoa. They all had similar features, but Jexif had a booming voice, while most other gnomes squeaked.
Jexif broke the silence. “How is my old friend?”
Roeg had a feeling the gnomes were holding something back; they seemed on guard. He thought carefully about what to say.
“He… well, we are looking for the Land of Darkness. Unn said you could help,” Roeg said.
Jexif’s face turned stern. His jaw clicked as he ground his teeth. His long eyebrows furled at the corners and sank to his mustache. “Humph.”
Roeg continued, “It is important that we find the Land of Darkness. Unn said a Great Sadness is coming, and—”
Jexif interrupted. “Unn said this?”
Roeg nodded.
Jexif scoffed as he pushed himself up, leaving his staff against his chair. He walked in circles, staring at the ground at his feet. “What sadness? Why the Land of Darkness? You can’t even get there anymore.”
Roeg let out a breath. “Unn had a dream—”
Jexif stopped and stared at Roeg. “Yes, yes, I know of Unn’s dreams. That is how we met. Next.”
Roeg felt a knot grow in his chest. “Uh…”
Jexif was getting irritated. What if he didn’t help them?
Roeg found his words. “A great fire from the sky comes. Unn sent us to retrieve a great stone from the Land of Darkness that he said would help stop the fire.”
Jexif stopped and looked at Roeg then snarled. “The last time someone took a great stone, a demon was summoned who now plagues our caverns. It caused us to lose contact with our kin, the nymphs. We haven’t been able to bathe in the waters of the oasis and rejuvenate our magical charms. My people and my village are dying because of you people.” Jexif stormed towards Roeg. “You look a lot like the Atlanteans who came for the Firestone fourteen years ago!” Jexif eyes flashed up to Roeg’s hair. “Actually, one of them had the same color hair as you.”
The King turned and stalked to his chair. He grabbed his staff. “You are not from the Great Spirit Clan, are you? You are from Atlantea.” He looked to the guards. “Lock them up!”
Minnoa ran to Jexif. “No! I brought them here. They are my friends, and I trust them!”
“Enough!” Jexif roared.
Guards flooded the chambers, their tiny spears directed at the group of friends.
Tsisa let out a war cry and charged the gnomes. She broke the circle and crashed through the open door. Hordes of gnomish guards jumped on Tsisa and held her down. She tossed several of them off her, but more came, and she crashed to the floor with a thud.
Jexif stood and stamped his staff on the stone floor. “Take them to the ruins! Let Ifrit decide if they live or die.”
The chambers cleared. Minnoa stood alone and watched as her friends were marched to their death. She raced to the back of the room and rummaged through the scrolls and trinkets strewn on the table. She grabbed a scroll and stuck it in her pocket. Then she raced to catch up with the parade of prisoners headed to the Gnomish Ruins.
Gnomish guards, one on either side of each prisoner, made their way through the tunnels to the Gnomish Ruins. The multi-colored stone of the Great Hall gave way to porous, black stone. It was cut and stacked into flat walls. The tunnels were larger here, and heat emanated from the stone.
The rhythmic march of the guards echoed off the stone surface. They hummed and sang to the beat of their footsteps. The songs were throaty and carried a tune of sadness.
Tsisa struggled against her guards. “What are we going to do?”
Roeg looked back at her. “I don’t know. Why do they think we are Atlantean?”
Tsisa’s face scrunched. “What is Atlantean?”
Roeg remembered Ookum and Tsisa hadn’t understood any of the conversation with the gnomes. “The gnomes don’t think we are from the Great Spirit Clan. They think we are from the same clan as the people who stole the Firestone fourteen years ago.”
Tsi
sa looked to his chest then grunt-clicked, “Well, give it to them.”
Roeg strained against the guards’ grip. “I can’t. Unn said we needed it.”
“Where are they taking us?” Tsisa said.
“To the Gnomish Ruins. Jexif said something about letting Ifrit decide our fate.” He winced as he said the demon’s name.
Roeg saw Minnoa run by. As she passed him, she looked at him and mouthed the word “Sorry.” She tore ahead, catching up to Jexif. Her arms swung in exaggerated gestures.
Her yells echoed loudly in the tunnels. “You can’t just leave them in the ruins! They’ll die.”
The guards paused their throaty tune. The rhythmic march and Minnoa’s voice were the only sounds.
“It’s not fair,” Minnoa’s voice echoed. “They are here for our help. How can you do this?”
Jexif stalked ahead. His voice did not echo, his face did not turn to his daughter, and his pace did not slow. As they turned one final corner, the dark tunnel opened up into a huge cavern.
Minnoa yelled as they entered the cavern. “STOP!” The word echoed off the high cavern walls.
“Uh, guys, you might want to look ahead,” Ookum clicked.
They stood on a ledge that abruptly fell off to a depthless pit. Steam and mist hissed and churned menacingly around them. A narrow bridge was lost to the glowing, blue mist. On the other side of the cavern, a stone statue of a gnome stood tall, almost as far as the eye could see. Gemstones lined the cavern walls and reflected the glow of the dancing lights.
Tsisa stumbled as she swung her arms, trying to rid herself of the guards. “What is that?”
Roeg turned to Tsisa and opened his mouth to speak, but the King interrupted.
“My brothers and sisters,” Jexif called out. He stood before the narrow bridge and raised his hands in the air. “By order of the King of the Gnomes, I banish these three stone thieves to the ancient Gnomish Ruins. There, they will learn the true ingenuity of our ancestors. They will be challenged with the trial of our gearworks.” He paused to laugh. “If they pass… which I’m sure they won’t, they will be left to fend for themselves in the Fire Caverns. Never again will outsiders steal from us. Ifrit can decide their fate!”
The guards roared and cheered. Jexif turned and walked the narrow stone bridge to the giant gnome statue. The line of prisoners and gnomish guards followed, single file. Bits of rock and pebbles crumbled and fell into the mist below. The mist muffled the sound, and there was no indication of how long it took the rocks to hit the bottom of the pit.
When they reached the other side of the cavern, Jexif stood before the gnomish statue, only reaching the statue’s toe. Between the legs of the statue was a set of double doors carved from the rock wall. There didn’t seem to be any handles or openings.
From under his beard, Jexif pulled out a circular metallic object. The inside of the object had metallic lines that spun and turned. It hummed slightly. He moved it to the door, and a bright light flashed. The object was sucked into the door, glowing. The stone of the doors molded to the shape of the object and clicked. The doors started to shake and rumble then slid open.
Roeg looked for Minnoa in the crowd but couldn’t see her. Ookum and Tsisa were ahead, being pushed into the open doors of the Gnomish Ruins. Roeg struggled to break free, but the guards held him tight.
As they moved him forward, Roeg passed by Jexif and said desperately, “You’re making a mistake! Unn sent us, and we need to get to the Land of Darkness.”
Jexif’s eyes flared. “You’ll find no help from me, thief.” He turned and stalked back to the cavern.
The guards threw Roeg through the open doors. He turned and watched as the doors closed behind them.
Jexif reached to the lurching door as it slid shut. “Minnoa, no!”
Minnoa skidded into the room before the stone doors closed. She stood in silence and looked at the three friends, who stared blankly at her. She had a rolled-up scroll in one hand and the circular metallic object Jexif had used to open the door in the other.
Minnoa was out of breath. “You’re going to need me if you want to make it to the Land of Darkness.”
ROEG
Gnomish Ruins
T
sisa charged towards Minnoa, grabbed her by the neck, and slammed her against the locked stone double doors. She grunted, “What is wrong with you people?”
Minnoa’s legs dangled above the floor, and she tore at Tsisa’s hands as she struggled to break free. She gasped and squeaked but no words came out.
Roeg lunged at Tsisa and pulled at her arm to let go. She swatted him away.
“Tsisa, stop!” Roeg cried. “Let go! She is here to help.”
Tsisa’s eyes met Roeg’s, and she snarled, “Her people attacked us and locked us in here. I told you I didn’t like them.”
Minnoa gurgled inaudibly, her eyes frantic. Her face turned a deep shade of blue. Roeg looked to Ookum for help. Ookum gripped Tsisa from behind in a bear squeeze and tried to pull her away from Minnoa. All four of them tore from the door. Roeg cut between Tsisa and Minnoa, knocking Tsisa’s hand away. He grabbed Minnoa and set her down.
Minnoa coughed and sucked for air as she held her throat. When she caught her breath, she spoke. “She’s strong,” she broke off for a deep gulp of air. “We… I deserved that. I am so sorry. It’s all my fault! I should have—”
“It’s not your fault. No one should be treated like that.” Roeg glowered at Tsisa. He bent down to Minnoa and rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry she did that. I won’t let it happen again.”
Minnoa raised her eyes and smiled sheepishly. “Thank you, but I am still sorry my father treated you that way. It was unacceptable.”
Ookum lost his grip on his sister as she tore away from him, elbowing him in the nose as she hit the ground. She charged Minnoa again at full speed.
Roeg leapt in front of Minnoa and braced for impact. Tsisa let out a war cry and lunged forward. Roeg’s Firestone flashed. In a split second, he noticed the fire then yelled, “No Tsisa, stop!”
Tsisa skidded to a halt just before her nose was in the flames. She teetered briefly before falling backwards to the hard, stone floor. The flame sucked back into the Firestone as suddenly as it had exploded out.
Roeg looked to the Firestone, then to Tsisa. “You… you were going to hurt me?”
Tsisa sat on the floor, stunned, staring at nothing for a moment. Ookum stood at the far end of the room with his mouth and eyes wide open.
Roeg fumed. “You are here to help, Tsisa, not to be such… such a hot head.” He turned and helped Minnoa up then looked to Tsisa again. “I can’t do this alone. I need you, but I need the Tsisa who helps, not the Tsisa who doesn’t like people because they are different.” He led Minnoa over to Ookum.
He looked to Minnoa. “How can you help us? You said we needed you.”
“I have a map.” Minnoa showed Roeg and Ookum the map. “I stole it from Jexif’s chambers after they took you. I was going to give it to you, but now I guess I’m here so…”
Roeg was confused. “What is a map?”
Minnoa’s face scrunched. “You don’t know what a map is?”
Roeg shook his head. “No, I don’t know that word.”
Minnoa opened the map then said, “This—”
“I’m sorry,” Tsisa grunted as she walked to the group. Her eyes met Roeg’s, then flashed to Minnoa’s briefly. She stood by Roeg. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I was so angry. I didn’t like being held down, and there were so many guards. I lost control.”
Roeg turned to Tsisa, put his hand on her shoulder, and waited for her to meet his eyes. “Thank you. I need you. I—”
Tsisa lunged and hugged Roeg, almost snapping him in half.
He groaned. “Okay, Tsisa, stop. It hurts…”
She let him go and grinned widely. She looked to Minnoa, and her grin faded. “Tell her I’m kind of so
rry.”
Roeg rubbed his side from the tight squeeze then tilted his head and gave Tsisa a disapproving look. “Kind of? I’m telling her you are really sorry and will not do that again.”
“Roeg, don’t you dare. I’m only kind of sorry!”
Roeg told Minnoa that Tsisa was sorry and wouldn’t do it again. Tsisa punched Roeg in the arm. It was harder than her usual playful punches.
“She doesn’t look like she said sorry, but at least her attention is on you and not me.” Minnoa smiled.
“This is a map.” She held the map up for everyone to see. “The lines and markings on it tell us where to go.” She pointed to lines on the map. They looked like a drawing of tunnels that opened up to large, square areas Roeg assumed were rooms much like this one. He scanned the room. It was square with heavy looking blocks of stacked stone as the walls. The black stones were dotted with tiny holes and were rough to the touch. The room had a high, domed ceiling.
Roeg looked at the map again. The rooms and lines were a similar black color, but after the last large, black room, the rooms changed shape and turned a deep red.
“What are those rooms?” he asked Minnoa as he pointed to the large red room on the map.
Minnoa gulped. “Those are the Fire Caverns.”
“Fire Caverns? What are those?” Roeg asked.
“Okay, before we get into that, you said you needed to get to the Land of Darkness, right?”
Roeg nodded.
“What’s going on? What is she saying?” Ookum asked.
Roeg held a hand up to Minnoa, gesturing for her to stop. He looked to Ookum then said, “Minnoa is telling us about the map.” He pointed to the map. “A map is a… well, it’s this paper in her hand. It tells us where to go. Now, she is explaining about the Land of Darkness.”
“Where are we now, though? What is this room?” Tsisa asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll tell you when I know,” Roeg said.
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