previous chapter (#09) next chapter (#11)
-- 8/17/6526 --
Aristobulus heaved a deep breath, half sigh and half growl. He gave
up on any further attempts to reach a comforting, meditative state,
cursing the gnomes he was staying with. Had he not been getting
information from them about the tunnels of this great underground
domain, he would have quickly left shortly after his arrival. His
motivations for leaving the cities on the surface had been reasserted
during this brief stay, as if that had been necessary.
Even now, the gnomes could still be heard some ways away. Aristo
knew not where, but he could still hear them. Through solid oaken door
and intervening stone walls, they were still distinctly audible. Ari held
no doubt that it was because the noise of the gnomes was mostly drowned
out that he kept finding himself straining to hear them. A most
irksome trick for his mind to play upon him. His sensitive elven ears
were not always such a wonderful thing to have. If only those cursed
midgets would be silent, he might be able to meditate and gain enough
self-control to remain amongst them for a few more days. But his hosts
did not and he could not.
Aristobulus's tolerance for gnomish hospitality had already been
exceeded. He never had much cared for "hospitality." More often than not
it was an act of hypocrisy, something that someone's code of honor
required them to perform. And it was something they only did with the
barest effort and no zeal. At least elves gave the appearance of a desire
to be eager hosts, but Ari had long ago concluded for himself that it was
little more than an act. That they were often so convincing was unnerving
to him.
Besides, Aristo preferred to be left to his own ends. All he needed
by way of hospitality was a room, decent food, and privacy. Two out of
three might not be bad, were it not for the fact that privacy was the one
thing lacking from the gnomes, and it was the one thing Ari required most
from life. Alas, it was one of those things life so seldom granted him.
He had remained here with these gnomes for what passed in the
lightless reaches of the underrealm as two days -- an intolerable length
of time for a non-gnome to remain in the presence of gnomes. True, he had
a few gains to show for the stay. He had finally had the opportunity to
bathe for the first time since his forever forsaking his life in the world
under the sun. Baths were one of the rare things about civilization
Aristo cared for. Perhaps it was due to growing up as an elf. If so, it
was the only thing he had gained from an elven childhood that he could
recall as not loathing.
But moreover during this stay, Aristo had succeeded in gleaning a
fair degree of general knowledge about this sunless world from his
trying hosts. Tales of magnificent caverns, roaring waterfalls, great
underground lakes, fuming lava flows, unimaginable abysses and chasms,
chambers carved of solid veins of crystal which refracting light from
unknown sources. All of these images roused Aristo's curiosity. He had
not hoped to dream that such places as these could truly exist down here.
But if they did, he greatly desired to see them.
And the descriptions of unusual events, artifacts of earth-shattering
power, tomes of lost lore, messages from long-dead deities, riddles, wells
of knowledge, dimensional gateways to the habitations of the gods
themselves, all of these things made Aristobulus want to be away from the
mundaneness of these dreary gnomes. There were places to go, events to
observe, knowledge to recover. Having gnomes attempt to make him the butt
of their jokes was not getting Aristo any closer to these goals he saw
floating before him in his imagination.
No longer would he stay in the presence of these gnomes. Their ideas
of pranks time and again resulted in Ari having to force himself to not
fry some of the gnomes with a spell, or simply shorten their diminutive
stature even further with his sword.
Finding dead animals and large insects in the bedchamber and bed
loaned to him was not funny. These critters did not bother him, as he was
used to squashing them when staying out in the wild. But that did not
make it humorous or otherwise enjoyable. Strangling small furry rodents
and causing insects to explode with a minor spell was not altogether
pleasing to him. It only made him want to strangle a gnome or twenty.
And already he had nearly broken the wrists of two gnomes overly
curious as to the contents of his pouches. It made him want to know one
of those wonderful anti-theft spells -- one of the sort that send out
miniature bolts of lightning and electrocuted pickpockets and cutpurses
who tried to ply their art on the wrong persons. Ever since Aristo had
seen a human pickpocket, little more than a child, attempt to lift a
mage's purse only to be reduced to a blackened and smoldering corpse, he
had wanted one of those spells. Besides, he hated rugrats, and deep-down
inside he wished he had been that wizard. The thought of some foolish
would-be thief suddenly being incinerated out of his miserable existence
in such a manner made Aristo want to chuckle aloud.
But such things aside, Aristo was weary of the immeasurable nosiness
of these gnomes. It made him want to remove their nosiness. Literally,
it made him want to pull a knife and carve off their uncomely, bulbous
noses and... But he realized it would not be a wise thing to do. He had
burned all of his bridges when he had journeyed into this cavernous world.
He cocked his head at that thought in an inquisitive fashion. Too bad he
had never had the chance to do that literally as well. He had always been
something of a pyromaniac. Destruction had always fascinated him.
Ah well, such could wait. He acknowledged to himself that he had
severed too many ties that he had formed after entering the underrealm.
Though he took his own share of pleasure from killing those who irritated
him, he would have to start avoiding it when possible. These gnomes might
serve him in some useful manner at some point in the future. Although for
what he had not the slightest clue, beyond perchance providing shelter to
him should he annoy some being much more powerful than himself, as he was
wont to do at times.
Besides that, he had no intention of returning to this gnomish
guardpost. And there was also the point that if he were to kill a bunch
of these gnomes just for irritating him, he would likely be harried by
psychopathic gnomes for some time to come. That was not a pleasing
thought.
So Aristobulus had come to the blase decision that he should not
stomp these gnomes into the stonework. Now he would simply take his leave
of them in a civilized fashion and attempt to not earn their enmity.
Granted, this was something at which he had little experience, but he was
certain his love for playing with people's minds would carry him through.
And the sooner he was done with it, the better.
With this decision made, Aristo gathered up his packs, never having
unpacked them for he had never had any intention of remaining here for any
length of time. He strode out of his borrowed room without a backwards
look and made his way towards the office of Svintek, the leader of these
gnomes. Such was Ari's luck that the charmed gnome, Gnymar, forever near
at hand, saw Aristo and started after him like a fawning puppy too stupid
to realize it was not wanted. Others might call it cute. Aristo called
it a pain in the blooming arse.
In response to Gnymar's inquiries as to his business, Aristo stifled
his urge to make some caustic remark -- after all, who was to say what
might happen should he break the charm spell? -- and merely commented that
he was off to inform Svintek of his imminent departure to resume his
explorations of these tunnels.
Gnymar was taken aghast by this statement, babbling something along
the lines of, "But surely you were not going to be off without telling
me?"
"But of course not." This charm spell, if useful, was still a pain.
But Ari was not unfamiliar with manipulating minds. "However could you
think such a thing?" He added a slightly pained tone to his voice.
The gnome was instantly apologetic. "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't
mean to hurt your feelings. I don't know how I could ever think you so
ill-mannered. I didn't mean it. I'm ever so sorry..."
"That's quite alright," put in Aristo, cutting off Gnymar's continued
babbling. It did so grate on his nerves. "I'm sure you only said it
because I am an elf."
"Ye... No. No! Certainly not! I would never think that of you."
Gnymar relapsed into babbling, becoming confused. That seemed to be an
unpleasant side-effect of the charm spell Aristo had placed upon the
gnome. It appeared to have dulled Gnymar's wits. Of course, it was quite
possible that he was naturally dim-witted. Aristobulus could not be
certain, having never used this spell before. Either was a possibility,
considering gnomes were frequently about as bright as a new moon. Maybe
it was due to being so very short, and therefore were often caught in
chilly drafts that affected their brains. Anything was possible. It
might even be due to their large noses. A blast of cold air could easily
get lost in a gnomish nose. But Aristo had not the time for such
considerations. They brought him no closer to his goal of seeking out the
lost wisdom of the underrealm, however intriguing this might be.
Ari cut off the bothersome incoherent chatter of the Gnome, simply
stating, "That's quite alright. I understand. I was going to see you
after Svintek. But since I have seen you here, I shall say farewell and
may your life be a pleasant journey." And a most brief one. "Now, if you
will excuse me, I must say my farewells to the captain and be on my way."
The elf turned to continue in the direction of the office of the
captain of the gnomish guard. The gnome came jogging along after him in
order to keep up with the elf's far greater stride, looking even more like
a puppy. Aristo recalled some comment about how the long, slender fingers
of an elf were aptly suited to being wrapped around the necks of small,
furry animals. Or was that said about halflings? Never mind. Aristo
resisted the temptation again.
"Then allow me the pleasure of showing you out of our humble
guardpost." Gnymar felt a strong kinship with this inscrutable elf. He
knew that Ari was a wanderer, incapable of being comfortable when at rest.
Gnymar knew what pleasure he himself took from wandering through
heretofore unknown tunnels, examining their design, coming across a stone
column crafted by long-dead hands, a revealing bas-relief tooled ages
before, telling of the life of the one who had wrought this work of art.
Such things as these lifted Gnymar's heart, made him want to journey
onwards to discover even more of these great works of art, these labors of
the love of some nameless craftsman. As a gnome, Gnymar understood the
great pleasure one could take from performing some task. Each undertaking
was a statement of and by the one who had created it. To take such an
object in his hands, or to simply brush his gnarled fingers across it,
raised his spirits and awoke his imagination in an attempt to comprehend
the mood and meaning of the artist who had formed that timeless
proclamation of life.
Simply thinking of these things raised Gnymar's mood and lightened
his step. A thought began to form in the back of his enchantment-
befuddled mind.
Aristo uttered a word of acceptance at Gnymar's offer as he entered
the office of Svintek, paying the short humanoid no more heed than the
barest civility required of him.
Svintek put aside the list of supply shipments he had been studying,
turning his attention to the curious elf. He had yet to come to trust
Aristobulus. There was something strange about this tall elf, something
Svintek's experience could not grasp. Aristo was obviously not a dark
elf, and yet Svintek felt a twinge of mistrust, as if it would be a
mistake to place anything of great import in the trust of this elf.
To Svintek, Aristobulus seemed a decent enough person, though not
nearly as cheerful as other surface elves he had met. And the elf had
steadfastly refused to accept any participation in the gnomes' attempts at
humor, which was probably what made Svintek feel so oddly about this elf.
Most strangers disliked gnomish humor, but they at least gave the gnomes a
good laugh at their reaction to the gnomes' practical jokes. Aristobulus,
however, completely ignored the jokes and acted as if they have not even
occurred. That was quite unacceptable to gnomes. How could they have fun
if their jokes were not even noticed?
Svintek pressed such thoughts to the edge of his mind, greeting the
elf and his escort. The gnomish captain had also noticed some strange
behavior in Gnymar the past couple of days, and it was something he would
have to look into -- but not at this moment, not in front of an outsider.
"I regret to take such short leave of your hospitality," announced
Aristo shortly, "but it is time for me to be on my way."
Svintek had a momentary burst of relief. This odd elf would not well
be missed by the gnomes of this watchpost. But then, there was also some
sense of regret for gnomes were always sorry to see their guests off. The
thought of all the untold stories, unplayed jokes, and unfiltched items
were depressing. There was never enough time to realize all of the new
and demented possibilities that fertile gnomish brains could conjure up.
"Your presence shall be missed," mentioned Svintek, but both he and
the elf did not believe there to be any truth in that statement, although
for civility's sake, neither would have said as much. The gnomish captain
added a few more words of parting, encouragement for the guest to enjoy
his trip and return soon and so on.
"I have no wish to offend your hospitality," interjected Aristo, "but
I am a wanderer. I cannot long remain in one place, and your tales of the
wonders of this realm intrigue me. No words, however poetic, can truly do
justice to those wonders. I must see them with mine own eyes."
"Then again I wish you a good and safe trip. May you find all that
you seek."
"I have an idea," put in Gnymar with exceptional vigor and cheer. "I
could be your guide, Ari. I could show you all the grand sites we know
of."
Aristo fought down a mouth full of bile. Would he never be rid of
this blasted, bewitched gnome? "I would not want to take you from your
duties. A guide I do not need. I am an adventurer. A traveller. I seek
out that which I have never experienced before. I am not a simple-minded
tourist to be shown what thousands have seen before. I am here to boldly
seek the unknown, not be meekly shown the well-known." Seeing that his
words were taken grievously by Gnymar, Aristo hastened to add, "I often am
in great danger on the quests I take, and would not wish to endanger the
life of a friend needlessly." Aristo continued to fight down the bile.
His words were most distasteful to him. He only hoped he would not choke
on them.
Gnymar was gripped by distress at the rejection of his good friend.
The idea of travelling as a companion to this elf had enlivened his heart.
He had so wanted to go with Aristo. "You are certain you will not accept
me as a guide?"
"I cannot. I could not live with myself if any harm were to come to
you because of me." Rather would Ari have slain the bothersome gnome
right there, were it not for his acknowledgment that he might some day
have need of these gnomes again. Besides, he also realized that were he
to stay in the presence of this gnome much longer, his impatience would
win out and he would do something to break the charm befuddling Gnymar's
thoughts. And Aristo had no idea how dangerous that might be. Especially
if there were others present, or if word got back to the other gnomes.
There were too many reasons against allowing the gnome to join him, and
chief amongst them was that Aristo simply had no wish to suffer the
presence of a terminally cheerful gnome -- for without a doubt, it would
prove terminal to someone.
"Then you will be away now?" asked Gnymar heavily.
"I detest long good-byes." And to say good-bye was often a truly
good thing to Ari. To Svintek, "By your leave, sirah."
The captain of the gnomes made of gesture of parting with his hands,
saying, "May you enjoy a peaceful and enlightening journey."
Aristo responded with a similar gnomish phrase of parting, and left
the office with a much lightened step. His impatience bore down on him
and he could not wait to be away from these suddenly too-familiar rooms
and passages. How ever could these gnomes stand to spend years on end in
the same bland places? No matter. In moments, he would no longer see or
think about these gnomes.
With Gnymar once again at his heels, Aristo made his way back to the
wooden portal that separated the gnomes' chambers from the rest of the
underrealm. Reaching that doorway was a terribly joyful sensation, as
joyful as anything Aristo had ever experienced. Admittedly, he had never
felt much joy at anything, but this relative to others was almost as
pleasant as descending the stairs into the underrealm -- which for Aristo
had been the most enjoyable thing he cared to recall.
The elf made final words of parting to the charmed gnome. He was
hardly aware of the short humanoid or even what words crossed his lips.
He cared only for to be through that door. Once opened at Gnymar's
command, Aristo was through it and gone away into the darkness, embraced
by the cold stone passage, the light of the gnome's torches fading around
the first corner and Aristo in turn embraced the momentary darkness before
his eyes adjusted to seeing heat instead of light.
--
------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------
Dreamwalker | "I'm very dangerous when I don't
aka Morpheus Nosferatu, the Dream Vampyre | know what I'm doing..."
standish@sage.cc.purdue.edu | Doctor Who, "Destiny of the Daleks"