168 Home of the Gnomes

Cafer came above ground with Alaron in a cloud of dirt. Their stops were frequent as the gnome kept having to surface to communicate with Xander via leprechaun. The messages were increasingly expensive, and Cafer was running out of coin. His frustration and greed made him decide that continuing to use magic to travel underground was his best option. The gnome had been making record time even with the extra strain from the teenage boy.

Alaron stepped away from the gnome and brushed himself off. "It is a good thing I am not claustrophobic," he grumbled. "But I will admit it is fast. How much further do we have to go?"

"A day or two if we keep up this pace."

"Will we have to go underground the rest of the way?" Alaron was obviously not fond of the idea.

"The other option is traveling via eagle." Cafer suggested. He was also tired of using his magic.

The prince scrunched his face. "An eagle? The small bird?"

"No, an eagle big enough to carry both of us across the lake to the gnome stronghold." Cafer gave a devious smile. Without warning, he took hold of the boy. "Let's go!" Together then melted into the ground aimed toward a certain faun's dwelling.

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When they finally reached the home of Polymedes, he was waiting for them. "I thought I might leave my dock today to spend some time at home. It seems like my hunch was right."

Cafer gave the faun a tired look. He got right to the point. "We need a ride, Polymedes."

"I have some excellent watercraft down by the lake," the faun teased.

"No…"

"Of course, you are a gnome. Water is not your friend. So how can I be of assistance?" Polymedes tipped his hat slightly.

"I need your hawk to call an eagle." Cafer answered. His foot tapped impatiently.

"Of course. And will your human friend be joining you?" Polymedes raised his eyebrows up and down.

"The human can talk, you know," Alaron responded indignantly. "And yes, I am going." The princely air was evident.

"Of course, young master. My apologies," Polymedes bowed his head with mock humility. Alaron turned red. With a whistle, a beautiful hawk appeared and landed on the faun's arm. Alaron had done some hunting with hawks before, but those birds were nothing like this masterpiece. It looked intelligently at him, sizing up the prince as either a foe or food. Alaron shivered unconsciously.

"Are you prepared to pay the fee?" Polymedes inquired.

"How long have you known me? Do I ever not pay my fee?" Cafer growled.

The faun pretended not to notice his anger. "Well, I do not rightly know on either count. I have met so many gnomes." Polymedes lifted his hat and scratched at his horns. Alaron choked in surprise. It was only then that he noticed the creature's legs bend backwards as he walked.

"Do not test me, faun! I will open the earth and crush you where you stand!" Cafer roared.

"Tsk tsk, you say such things with a human present?" The faun feigned shock.

"He practices magic, not that it is any of your business." Alaron spoke in the third person.

Polymedes long ears perked up. "Really? Now that is something interesting. And you look so healthy too. You must not have been practicing for long."

"What is that supposed to mean?" The prince furrowed his brow.

"Enough, Polymedes!" Cafer threw a sack, which landed with a loud clink in the faun's greedy palms. "Here is your fee and a little extra for your silence. Now get me that eagle."

"As you wish, Cafer." The faun bowed his head. Receiving Polymedes orders, the hawk spread its wings and took off silently. A time passed of awkward quiet. Alaron looked at the two males. They seemed quite content not to speak, so he kicked at stones on the ground. Polymede's words rattled around in his head. Why would magic use make him not look healthy? He was about to voice the question when a small red creature dressed in green appeared.

Polymedes leapt backwards and hid behind his house. "That creature is not welcome here!"

The leprechaun stuck out his tongue at the faun, handed a paper to Cafer and vanished. Polymedes brushed off his arms as if he were covered in dust. "If I had known you would bring that little demon to my door, I would have told you to take a swim. Those little thieves are why I moved out here in the first place!"

Cafer was not paying attention. He was gripping the paper from the messenger tightly in his hands. He was also angry.

"What is wrong?" Alaron could see the news was not good.

The gnome breathed through his nose to calm himself. "We have suffered a setback. What should have been an easy battle with your mother's troops turned into many of our allies being captured. Do not worry. We will set them free. But that makes our meeting with Baak that much more important."

The prince wanted to inquire further, but could see that the gnome would not speak freely in front of Polymedes. Just then the hawk returned and alighted on the faun's arm.

"My friend says the eagle will be here momentarily. I suggest you make sure and take care of any business beforehand. He will not wait for you if you are not ready. And the eagle says that if you empty the contents of your stomach on him in any way, he will feed you to the wyverns without a second thought," Polymedes relayed the message.

Alaron's eyes went wide. He was not sure what a wyvern was, but it sounded like something he did not want to meet. If he had known they were two legged cousins of the dragons, he might have tried to back out of the eagle's ride altogether. The beautiful white and tan feathered bird circled overhead and then landed a short way off from Polymede's house. The powerful wings pushed so much air that Alaron had to shield his eyes from the flying dust.

"That's an eagle?!" The prince was impressed and terrified. The bird was gigantic, nearly as tall as the shorter trees and with a wingspan wider than the faun's dwelling.

Cafer nodded. "That is an eagle," he affirmed. "And our ride. Now hurry!" They gathered their things and climbed on the bird's back. The gnome allowed the boy to sit in front. "Hold on tight, but not too tight. I have no doubt the eagle will dump us if you pull out his feathers."

Alaron took a deep breath and gripped the bird's plumage gently. His fists tightened as the eagle took flight. "Whoa!" The prince yelled as he watched the distance between himself and the earth widen. Closing his eyes tight, Alaron fought the urge to throw up. 'I am not being fed to any wyverns,' he thought.

When he finally opened them again, he could see a vast lake, almost like an ocean, below him. They could see dark spots swimming below the water as well as other creatures far off that seemed to glow beneath the waves.

"What are those?" Alaron asked when he finally overcame the lurch of his stomach. He pointed to the dots.

Cafer looked down. "They could be Selkies, Merfolk or one of many other creatures. We are too high to tell."

The Prince's gaze shifted to the ice barrier. He could see the lush land over the other side. "It is beautiful! It is too bad you have to live underground."

Cafer nodded. "Not for long. With your help, we will never have to live below the earth again. Now seems like a good time to go over the rules."

"Again?" Alaron moaned.

"Yes again," Cafer confirmed.

"Be respectful but not too submissive. Do not speak out of turn. Do not let the king get underneath my skin." The prince rattled off the items like a child at school.

"And most important…never disagree with King Baak. If you need to change his mind, make him think it is his idea." Cafer's smooth talk was the reason that he was still alive. Other gnomes had gotten close to the king only to find themselves executed for something silly.

"Yes, Uncle. I'll remember," the boy replied.

"Good."

The eagle descended to a spot outside the barrier and allowed its passengers to slip to the ground. The mighty bird then lifted off and disappeared over the barrier.

Alaron stared at the gaping hole in front of him, which was guarded by two smallish looking men—no they were not men. The former Chief confirmed his thoughts, "Welcome to the home of the gnomes."