* * *
“Boy, boy, come and wake up. The elves and men are preparing to leave the gnomes now.”
Someone was shaking Varl so vigorously he swatted them away.
“Ouch, don’t be so rough. Do you want to live with Heikki forever?”
“Heikki!” Varl’s eyes sprung open as the events of yesterday came flooding back to him. He saw the gnome clamber up from a hard fall. Heikki rubbed his reddened knee and avoided putting weight on it.
“Oh Heikki, please accept my most humble apologies. I was asleep and not aware of your presence. Can I aid you?”
“Not-a-matter. Gnome Jeuntje has a great potion for healing bruises. She does have blue hair from an experiment that went wrong, but...”
“Heikki, you said we were in a hurry.”
“Yes, we are, come along.” The gnome grabbed Varl’s hand and led him through a maze of tunnels; deeper and deeper into the heart of the hill. With tunnels branching off so many times, the young squire became disorientated and was grateful for his guidance.
The sounds of voices and grating machinery grew louder the deeper they went. Heikki led Varl around a corner and stopped him just before they would have stumbled into a yawning hole in the tunnel floor.
“Oh my!” Varl’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “What in fair Reloria is this?”
The gnome opened his mouth to answer.
“It’s my worm tunnel.” Grand Mage Nnarndam stepped up to greet the squire with a pat on the shoulder, but Varl’s furrowed brow displayed his confusion.
“I could stand upright in there. How is it possible for a worm to make this?
Nnarndam chuckled. “It’s possible when the worm is as round as you are tall.”
Fandri and his fairy joined them. The fairy shook her head, tinkling the bell on the new hat Heikki has given her. “Not even a snake could grow that size.”
“But, what if it were a magical snake?” Nnarndam winked and smiled as he saw the realisation dawn in their eyes.
“It was you? That’s incredible.” Fandri blinked rapidly as he tried to process the idea.
“I must confess, though. Dirt tastes bad and the amount of dirt I had to eat to bore out that tunnel made me sick for a month. Most of it was bedrock under the desert sands. Now the gnomes are trying to convince me that they need another tunnel off to the south west of Desolate, but I am steadying my nerves for that one. Dirt, ugh!” The mage shuddered at the thought.
Fandri gave a half laugh / half cough. “No. I don’t believe it.”
“Then, let me provide the proof you seek.” There was a twinkle in the wizard’s eyes as his neck elongated like the snake he had been on the sea. This was not a long, slender creature, but rather a thick stubby monster with a mouth almost as wide as its head. Its eyes were relatively tiny, for they had not grown with the worm, but remained the size of the mage’s own eyes.
It gave a sly little wink and its mouth spread into a wide grin. Varl and Fandri exchanged amused glances.
“What a fearsome beastie. I feel as though it will inhale me by mistake. Quick, stay out of its path.” A frightened flutter of wings followed the wide-eyed fairy that swooped and dived out of the worm’s way, as it lifted its front portion into the air.
A deep roar permeated the air and caused such a resonation that a shower of rocks came down from the roof above them.
Hairs prickled up on the back of Fandri-La’s neck. “Eeek!” She ducked in behind Fandri and hugged the back of his arm for comfort.
A warm hand enveloped her and she squealed.
“There, there, gentle sprite. Fear me not, for I mean you no harm. I seek only to protect you from your fears.” She turned to see the reassuring blue eyes of the squire.
“Varl, thank goodness. You are so brave and noble to take care of me.” He pushed her hair away from her trembling lips and she cuddled into his chest.
“The creature is large, but he remains the gentle mage we know well. Also, I still have my trusty sword, despite two inundations in the ocean. I will always protect you.” Varl’s eyes shone with warmth and love and his gaze travelled down to the fairy cupped in his hands.
She flew up and caressed a wayward curl. “I feel like you are my personal knight guardian. You make me feel safe and secure.”
She sensed amusement through the fairy-halfling bond and turned her head to see Fandri trying to conceal silent laughter behind his hand. His smile showed, causing her anger to rise. “Are you teasing me, you selfish halfling? After I went along with the whole Emina calamity, with nothing but sympathy and understanding for your ripped britches. You are so unfair.”
With a toss of her new cap, she flew away and sat on a nearby rock, her face aflame with embarrassment and ire. She refused to look at him, but Fandri felt waves of heat radiating down their bond and realised his mistake.
“I’m sorry, my sweet. I truly am happy that you and Varl get along so well. I only now realised how important he is to you. I will try to encourage you more from now on.”
“You’d better.” Her gruff tone belied the fact that her momentary anger had disintegrated like a mist and she was feeling a strange, new sensation. Butterflies swirled in her belly and her lips tingled with longing for a kiss.
Fandri smiled and turned away from the smitten couple. He tried to ignore Fandri-La’s strong emotions pulsing through their bond. “So, does anyone know where this tunnel leads?”
“Desolate Castle, the Eastern Outpost which houses the Elven Shield Bearer.” The worm had turned its mammoth head to address the halfling.
Fandri stumbled backwards in surprise at hearing Nnarndam’s voice. He tripped over a rock and sprawled flat on his back. The metallic taste of blood in his mouth made him spit onto the dirt. “Ah bith my tongue.”
Telmane leant over and pulled him to his feet. “Don’t fear the mage’s strange forms. He is a wondrous boon to our quest.”
“Yes, I know. I just didn’t expect a giant worm to start answering my questions. Anyway, we’d better start walking down the worm tunnel. I imagine it will take several days.”
Heikki shook his head. “No, no, friend Fendi. That is the beauty of our invention. Come and inspect our transportation device. You’ll be most certainly impressed.” The colourful gnome nodded with excitement as he led them into the tunnel.
The subterranean passageway extended a short distance further than they expected, ending in a rounded room which housed several gnomes. From the raised brows and crooked smiles of his guests Heikki realised that no-one understood the significance of the wheel room, so he explained it to them.
“A conveyor belts runs the length of the tunnel from here in the control room, right into the heart of Desolate Castle itself. The gnomes here are riding the mechanical horses and turn cogs through the circular motion of their feet. The cogs turn the turbine, which causes the conveyer belt to propel its passengers forward. Of course, the reverse is possible by switching the gears to the alternate position. It’s my little invention.”
Heikki looked up from the controls to judge their reaction. Rather than nods of understanding and appreciation, the travellers’ heads were tilted to one side, as though waiting for further information. He chuckled. “Never mind, the main point is the journey will take just several hours as opposed to several days. Are you ready?”
Fandri pursed his lips before giving a wry smile. “Sure, I guess. How dangerous can it be to travel underground in pitch black at high speeds?”
Fandri-La flew forward as though to offer her opinion, but Heikki grabbed Fandri and Varl’s hands and placed small packages in them. “Rub these together when you enter the tunnel and you will be enlightened.”
“Enlightened? I fail to comprehend your meaning.”
Heikki winked. “Let it be my surprise for you, Varl.”
The squire gave a slight bow, but his raised eyebrow betrayed his curiosity. He jiggled the two cloth packages in his palm, but did not yet rub them together.
“Step right up, folks. Free admission to the spectacular underground ride. Come, sit on the hessian conveyor belt and hold the guide rope. Here, space yourselves out along the passageway.” Heikki gestured with short, stubby fingers and the company made themselves comfortable on the long structure. The sailors were not accompanying them to the desert, preferring to wait for a ship home. Queen Liara-Star and her handmaidens looked elegant as they sat with their legs swept to one side. The knights sat stiff with forced bland expressions.
Antti spoke to the colourful gnomes in the control room and each began to pedal their machines. Long beards and plaits fanned out in the steady breeze they created. When their speed reached a predetermined level, Antti engaged the machinery. Whirrs and clanks filled the room, causing the companions to cover their ears from the din.
“Farewell and hang on tight.” Heikki whipped off his gaudy hat and waved it in the air. The sailors also raised a hand in farewell.
The conveyer belt lurched into action and sped them into the dark void ahead. Fandri and the others jerked backwards with surprise before grabbing the guide rope and hanging on for dear life. “Oh no, I dropped one of the packages.” His fairy looked back, but with the light rapidly diminishing, it was lost to sight.
“Do not be concerned, for mine are safe.” Varl rubbed the small items between his thumb and fingers. There was a strong smell of sulphur and they blazed an intense yellow, causing painful spots in his vision. “By Varlon’s shield, I am blinded.”
Nnarndam’s voice spoke reassuringly nearby. “Close your eyes a moment, young squire and allow them to rest. Your vision will return momentarily.” With a sigh, Varl did as he was bid. At last the burn faded behind his eyelids and he tentatively opened them again.
The light rocks, for want of a better word, had settled to a dull glow which illuminated the long worm tunnel. The wind whistling through their hair made it clear that they were moving fast, but the walls of the tunnel were so plain that it was hard to see them pass by at all.
Fandri and his fairy rode in front of Varl. Eyes wide with terror, Fandri-La wrapped her arms around the stout rope that moved in time with their ride. Her wings were folded back with the pressure of the air, and her hair streaked across Fandri’s chest. She shivered despite the warmth which filtered down from the baking-hot desert above them.
The halfling patted her shoulder to offer comfort. “Can you spare a little light, my sweet Fandy? I find the shadow from the glow behind us unsettling.”
The fairy murmured under her breath and her glow permeated the darkness more than the light rocks.
The companions settled in for their long voyage beneath the shifting sands of the Great Eastern Desert.
Hour upon hour passed this way, with the bedrock walls of the tunnel whizzing past and the travellers’ hair and clothes flapping in the wind. Heads lolled with tiredness from the long journey, but no one dared fall asleep for fear of falling off the conveyor belt.
Heikki back at the gnome’s caves could not tell the instant when they arrived at their destination, so instead of slowing down, they were unceremoniously dropped on top of each other onto a pile of cushions when the belt curved under the axle and headed back again.
“Ouch.”
“Oof.”
“Steady on.”
“Get your elbow out of my ear.”
With his fairy tucked up safe in hand, Fandri crawled out from under the jumble of bodies. He suspected he bumped a few heads on the way out, but he exhaled a large sigh of relief to be free.
“Ugh, what is that disgusting smell?” Petite Fandri-La held a hand over her nose which was wrinkled with revulsion.
“Ew!” Fandri’s soft boot was half stuck in a sticky substance on the floor. He looked around in confusion. “Fandy, can you shine a little brighter so we can see what we have landed in please?”
The fairy obliged and lit up the Western end of the tunnel.
Fandri’s gaze was drawn up to the ceiling which moved in a blur of flowing movement. As the light brightened, the dark ceiling burst downwards towards the travellers.
Piercing shrieks rent the air. Wings and claws raked through the hair of those ducking in fright. The bats circled the room, bumping into each other in their haste to escape the intruders. After circling the cowering travellers, the bats found their way up a flight of stairs and disappeared from view.
“Whew. That was scary.” Fandri-La retained her bright glow, but shook with terror inside Fandri’s closed fist.
Varl stood nearby, holding up his light rocks to aid the vision of his companions. “Where is Fandri-La, my friend? I fear she has been abducted by the flying vermin, for I cannot see her.” The squire’s brow furrowed with concern as his eyes darted this way and that.
Fandri reassured him with a nod and firm grip on the arm. “Gee, you really care about her, don’t you? Fandri-La is never far from me because of our bond, look here she is.”
He unfurled his fingers to reveal the fairy huddled up in the foetal position in the hollow of his palm. Her knees were hugged tight to her chest and she appeared unaware that she was being watched.
Varl knelt in front of her and ran the tip of his finger along an iridescent wing.
In slow motion, Fandri-La opened her eyes and turned to Varl with a smile. “Thank you, dear Varl. One day you may be my knight in shining armour.”
He gave a gruff laugh. “My armour rests on the ocean floor, but for you, fair maiden, I will commission a new set. It is my pleasure to travel with you and I would be delighted to offer any assistance you require.” He finished the last with a formal bow.
He extended his hand towards her with the palm raised. “Jump in my hand, little fairy. Here begins your tour of Desolate Castle.” Varl carried her up the red sandstone stairs.
Fandri-La stopped to admire a blue torch glowing in a holder along the wall. “Wow, I have no idea how this works.”
“Hmm…neither do I. I have visited here before, but the gnomes are quite secretive about their inventions. Perhaps after we meet the wizard we may explore the gnomes’ caves of invention.” He led the way upwards once more.
Artwork: ‘The Dragon’ in water colour by Hecate Jerrett