The Beginnings Omnibus: Beginnings 1, 2, 3 & Legend of Ashenclaw novella (Realm of Ashenclaw Beginnings Saga) (9 page)

Before them stood what could only be a gnome, with thick white hair covering his head and a neatly trimmed beard surrounding his chin and lips. Bright blue eyes peeked out from under bushy white eyebrows and he had a bit of a belly on him.

“I am Larwinckle and I assume ye’ mean us no harm. At least that’s what I be advised.”

“Aye,” Garius confirmed. “Apologies, my lord, but we have been traveling for months with no rest and sought you with purpose. Please consider allowing us to remain in your village.”

“Of course ye can stay,” Larwinckle answered, signaling for all of the gnomes to put down their weapons. They all gathered around and looked the humans and the halfling up and down curiously and then scattered back to their homes.

“Follow me and I’ll be showin’ ye where ye can bed for the eve,” stated the white bearded gnome, moving as he spoke.

He showed them to a smallish burrow, which was large according to gnome standards, and which would sleep all five of them, albeit uncomfortably.

“Many thanks, Larwinckle,” said Garius kindly, nodding to the gnome. “I am Garius Forge, warpriest to The Shimmering One.”

“Pleased to meet ye, Garius Forge,” replied Larwinckle as he backed out of the burrow. “We’ll speak on the morrow when we break our fast.”

Garius nodded and closed the door, unaware that a pair of spiteful eyes considered him curiously.

Garius removed his armor methodically over the next hour before lying down. He barely slept at all as the face of Marcus haunted his slumber.

Garius focused on the door when he heard the footsteps approach, light though they were. He was awake, but hardly refreshed. He had already refitted his armor meticulously, prayed and meditated in the cramped confines of the room and had done so quietly enough not to wake the others.

The expected knock sounded on the door, echoing in the room as his companions began to stir. Garius opened the door and beheld a hunched gnome. He looked impatiently into the room, and then stared up at Garius and began mumbling something to him. The warpriest bent to one knee before the bald gnome and placed a hand to his ear.

“I said, Larwinckle be ready for ye,” the unnamed gnome repeated more clearly and then waddled away along a scarcely perceptible path that was worn into the grassy meadow. It was barely visible now and had gone undetected all of last evening, especially after the sun had fallen into the clouds.

“I will accompany this one. You will seek me out once you are dressed and ready,” Garius called back to the others, but Divah was already up and out of her bedroll wearing a long gown made of a thin, yet durable fabric that Garius assumed was meant to be slept in. The halfling was so excited to get moving that it seemed she did not care about the state of her undress.

“I am coming with you,” she told Garius eagerly, her green eyes filled with wonder and joy at her obvious expectations of finally exploring the gnome village. With that, she snatched up her shoes and began moving hastily out of the burrow. The Paladins began to move about in the shadows of the room, donning their clothing and then their armor. Garius shook his head and a smile cracked his face as he watched the halfling, hopping forward on one foot and then the other, trying to put on her shoes while hurrying after him.

She is quite impulsive
, he thought, allowing the smile to remain until it left of its own accord a few moments later.

The gnome led Garius and the female halfling to a smallish door that appeared to be anchored to the ground. It was partially hidden by brush and foliage, Garius observed, as the gnome knocked loudly on its hard, wooden surface. Garius also noted that there was no knob to be seen or any other obvious way to pull the door open from the outside.

With that thought in mind, he saw the door open outward slowly as a gnome pushed it ajar and then waved them all in. Garius watched as the gnome and halfling strode easily through the opening, then he stooped, having to bend low in order to navigate the space. It was well lit inside by a combination of lanterns and a brilliant, magical light coming in from above them that appeared to hover and move about on its own. The warpriest wondered if the wisp of light was something sentient.

Larwinckle sat at a large table by himself and waved Garius and Divah over to join him.

“Havin’ some duck eggs, curds and bread for the breaking of our fast,” he informed them as another gnome placed a plate of food and a basket of bread in front of them. Another, a female gnome this time, came over and handed them both a mug of water and another of milk. Garius nodded and accepted them before turning his attention back to Larwinckle. He observed quietly as the gnome ate his food with a seemingly ravenous hunger until moments passed and he was gulping down the last of his mug’s contents.

“I cannot wait to see your market!” Divah said excitedly between bites of her food.

“Ye are welcome to see all of our wares,” the gnome responded. “Berengel and Zulmatten over there will certainly be happy to show you their latest inventions.” He pointed at a table where two gnomes sat alone. One had floppy brown hair all about his face and the other was bald on top, with silver follicles lining the back and sides of his head.

“No one really talks to ‘em except one another,” he laughed.

“Is your whole village present?” Garius asked him, scanning the room and noting that there were literally hundreds of gnomes milling about. This structure was one of the few that extended above ground, making practical use of the tight grouping of trees outside.

“Not even close,” Larwinckle giggled. “This is Hedgewin’s Tavern,” he continued, indicating a gnome behind the bar who hurried about, wiping mugs and giving instructions to the others under his employ. The bar itself was a massive construction of fine wood that wrapped around behind them and disappeared out of sight. “This place is the biggest building in the whole town and goes up seven more floors.”

Garius looked surprised as he peered up to the wooden ceiling but then saw a sturdy set of steps that obviously connected to the floors above and another set heading down.

“Where do those lead?” Garius asked about the stairs leading to a lower level.

“Aren’t we full o’ questions this morn?” Larwinckle answered with a smile. “Eat yer food ‘afore it gets cold and we’ll talk after.”

Garius nodded and did as he was told, with a look of curiosity upon his face. He had never really intermingled with the gnomes before and was finding their customs quite different. He looked to his right to see that Divah had already finished eating and had joined the two inventors at the other table. A moment later, the Paladins entered the room ducking and squatting under the roof. They found seating and settled themselves uncomfortably on a bench at another table as the gnomes brought them their food. Garius watched as Matthias, Bralon and Micah each gave thanks to The Shimmering One and clanked mugs in respect for their fallen brother before eating their meals.

He slowly finished his own repast in silence while Larwinckle told a story of how he and his kin came to master the repeating crossbow. Garius listened intently.

Randermotten did not leave his burrow this day for the morning meal, nor did he want to share anything at all with the gnomes that would surely gather throughout the day at Hedgewin’s Tavern. He was, however, very interested in the strangers that came calling last eve... he
and
the newly summoned demon, Zan’kuros, that is. Zan’kuros was an avatar demon from Pandemonium and servant to the demon lord, Amon. He had responded to the pleas of the warlock the day before last.

Randermotten was an ambitious gnome and habitually excluded himself from most activities enjoyed by his brethren. He had been a hermit for several decades since his wife of many years passed away from a sudden illness. He kept to the shadows and eyed his fellow gnomes with contempt. The inhabitants of Dhegg generally respected each other’s privacy and so left him alone for the most part. However, they did consider him quite strange. He walked with a limp, a defect he’d had since birth, his hygienic habits were not usually well kept and he could often be found muttering to himself. Many of the villagers would whisper about the peculiarities of the hobbling gnome and gossip amongst themselves about his unusual mannerisms. This angered the misguided gnome, and instead of pursuing help from any of the Gods of Order, he instead begged for aid in the night to the demon lords and pursued the black arts of the warlock.

From the abyss called Pandemonium emerged the fiend Zan’kuros, a demon that smelled of sulfur and brimstone. It did not have a corporeal form, but instead was a thing of mist and smoke, shimmering and fading in and out, and its eyes shone bright red in the darkness. It hovered in the shadows, whispering and planting seeds of treachery within the thoughts of the gnome, sometimes sending images into his mind's eye.

“Weeee muuuusst fiiind a host foooorrrr meeeee,” it hissed to him in a very broken tongue. It spoke to the gnome in the common trade-speak, or Wothlondian as it was called.

Randermotten had been dabbling with the dark arts in secret for a year now and was beginning to harness that magic, especially the necromantic spells associated with the Degenerative Plane.

“I’ve a host in mind,” stated Randermotten, sweeping a mop of hair from in front of his dark eyes which harbored a palpable hatred. “We’ve been set upon by a group of Paladins. You must possess one of them!”

“Yyyeeeeesssss,” it whispered, its red eyes glinting in the shadows. “Giiivvveeee meeeeeee a tasssssssste offf flleeeessssssshhhhh.”

“I’ll bring one close enough and ye should have the time ye require ta trap his soul,” Randermotten informed the creature, seeing its eyes flash a bright scarlet at that comment.

With that, Randermotten opened the door to his burrow and squinted into the sunlight, surveying the scene. He set off toward Hedgewin’s Tavern and then stopped as a fortuitous event occurred—one of the Paladins emerged from the tavern… alone!

“Help!” called Randermotten suddenly, waving to the Paladin to follow. He was able to yell it loudly enough that the knight heard him across the short distance, yet softly enough as to not disturb anyone else. Or so he thought.

“What be the problem, my lord?” asked a female gnome passing by, a neighbor to Randermotten, whose name eluded him. He ducked back into his burrow and she pursued him. She had long silver hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen, so full of warmth and hope.