"Hey Klein, thanks again for helping us out."
"Goma, you thank me every day. It's fine, but it's been over a week. Are you sure he's going to be okay?"
"Well, if he were dead, I wouldn't still be here, so at least there's that." Goma slyly replies with a chuckle.
"Riiight…." Klien confusedly remarks.
"In all seriousness, though, I am worried about him. It's been eight days since we got here, and he still hasn't shown any signs of waking up." Goma explains as his tone shifts to a more concerned pitch.
"The two-day ride here really hurt; by the time we got him here, he was practically dead," Klein states flatly.
"Klein honey, lunch is ready!" a soft, elegant voice calls from another room. This voice belongs to Ayelle Klein's wife.
"Coming!" Klein shouts in reply before glancing back at Goma. "Let's continue this over some food," he adds.
"Gladly," Goma replies, hovering behind Klein.
Klein and Goma head into the room from where the voice had echoed. Upon entering, the smell of freshly prepared stew fills their nostrils. Klein walks to the end of a long oaken dinner table, pulls a wooden chair from its place, and takes a seat. The table is finely crafted with a center area to place a large pot of sorts.
"It smells delicious!" Goma excitedly states.
"I thought you didn't get hungry? Klein asks, slightly confused.
"That doesn't mean I don't like to taste things." Goma quips back.
"You two are always joking. It's refreshing," Ayelle states through her laugh as she brings the stew pot over to the table.
Unlike Klein, who stands close to six feet with broad shoulders, she was barely over five with a slender build. Ayelle is also an Elsharen, a noble race of scholars that specialize in the study of magic. Elsharen were at one time considered the most knowledgeable on the topic. So knowledgeable in fact that a growing kingdom took great caution in its interactions with the majestic race.
The most noticeable features of Elsharen are their beautiful silvery hair, smooth emerald-colored skin, and breathtakingly radiant colored eyes. Some legends state that the flowing hair of an Elsharen shines so brightly and beautifully in the sun that it could blind a man if he got too close. Another such legend states that Elsharen have silver hair due to their obsession with magic, claiming that long ago, the leader of their race traded his kins majestic colored hair for power. The legend goes on to state that the leader of the Elsharen, drunk with the power he had obtained, waged a magical war that ravaged the lands of Maios and tormented its people. While some debate the authenticity of these mere legends, one sad fact is that over the years, Elsharen eyes have changed from breathtakingly radiant colors to a pale yellow tint more suited for the underground prison they now call home.
Her laugh brings a smile to Klein's face as he prepares to eat. She places the pot at the center of the table and begins to fill bowls for Klein and herself.
"I even brought a spoon over so you could have a taste Goma." She says as she extends the spoon towards him smiling cheerfully.
"Thank you!" Goma replies excitedly as he hovers up to meet her hand. The spoon, being close to the size of Goma, is much too heavy and brings him crashing down to the table.
"Are you okay, Goma?! Ayelle shouts, startled.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Goma replies with a chuckle. "I wasn't expecting it to be so heavy, but…" Goma pauses mid-sentence and shoots a look towards the hallway. "I think he's awake now," Goma says with a tone of relief in his voice.
Valun awakens in a warm bed, in clothing he doesn't recognize, and in a room foreign to him. "I don't recognize this ceiling." Thinking to himself before quickly sitting up in the bed to examine his surroundings, causing a sharp pain to shoot down his side.
"I take it you're awake?" Goma's voice softly bounces around inside Valun's mind. "Oh, and don't worry, we're safe here," he adds.
Two objects that appear to be similar to torches hang from the wall on both sides of the door providing the little light Valun uses to survey his surroundings. Valun is curious about the nature of these torches but decides that they are the least of his worries. The walls resemble that of a cavern, but the decorations around the room make it feel like a lovingly well-kept home. Next to the bed, Valun sees a picture on top of an end table of a beautiful silver-haired woman. For some reason, her smile makes him feel safe in this room. The smell of a freshly prepared meal begins to drift in, causing Valun to realize how hungry he is.
"Hang on, we'll bring you some," Valun once again hears Goma inside of his head. A few moments later, the door opens, and Goma drifts into the room, followed by Klein and the woman in the picture holding a bowl of stew. After passing the bowl to Valun, everyone takes a seat in the room. Klein and the woman bring two chairs they pulled across the room to be alongside the bed, and Goma gladly sits on top of Valun's head as he attempts to eat.
Klein takes a moment to introduce himself and his wife Ayelle to Valun formally. As Valun thanks them for the food, Goma and Klein explain what happened over the last few days. They take note of Ayelle occasionally gasping at the dangerous parts of the retelling and give a little added suspense. Valun laughs to himself while listening and finishing his meal.
"So you saved me then? I guess I owe you one." Valun states in an honest tone.
"Let's call it even. Without you, I would have been killed by that Vygar. Goma told me just how ruthless they can be," Klein replies, slightly disturbed at the thought of the beast.
"I take it you've never seen one?" Valun asks flatly.
"No, I've never seen anything like it before," Klein replies in a somewhat nervous tone.
"We don't have many dangerous beasts down here, and Klein usually only goes up for missions when he has to," Ayelle adds, joining in on the conversation for the first time.
"I see. Where exactly are we anyway? I don't recognize anything here." Valun asks as he looks around the room once again and fixes his eyes on the torch-like objects.
Klein notices Valun's curiosity and stands up, grabbing one of the rods from the wall and bringing it over to the bed.
"These are called ilorios, long stone rods with a glass dome fixed to the top. Inside this glass dome resides a small colony of insects known as pyrmites, which are commonly found underground and naturally emit light." Klein explains to Valun.
"Excellent, Klein, you got it right that time," Ayelle laughs from her chair behind him. "They surprised him at first too," she continues. "We had to adjust to our underground life over the years, and this relationship with the pyrmites is just one of the results of that adjustment. We enchant the glass dome, so to the pyrmites inside, it seems like an endless network of tunnels. They couldn't be happier, and in return, they provide us with the light needed to navigate our home." Ayelle pauses.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but did you say underground?" Valun asks.
"Wasn't that obvious?" Goma chuckles aloud, still seated on Valun's head.
Klein returns to his seat as Ayelle begins to explain the situation to Valun.
"Yes, right now, you are in the underground city of Maeldi, one of the last places Elsharen can call home and live safely. A long time ago, longer than anyone here remembers, there was a magical war that seemed to destroy anything and everything involved in it. From what I've been told, the Elsharen are partly to blame for starting the war. As punishment, we were sentenced to execution by the rulers of the lands. However, some of us managed to escape underground and, over time, formed the city we find ourselves in now. City may be a generous word. There are only about two hundred or so of us here. Most of us are Elsharen, but there is the occasional human, like Klein." She smiles as she looks towards Klein.
"That's awful. How could they do something like that?" Valun asks, slightly conflicted.
"Not everyone in the world has the best intentions Valun," Goma responds, hovering down to sit on the bed.
"It's okay, really most of us here can live peaceful lives. Klein tells me stories about what it's like on the surface whenever he gets back and sometimes even brings me things, so it's not all bad." Ayelle explains as her eyes begin to water.
"Ayelle…" Klein says aloud as he turns to her and places a hand on her knee, and wipes her eyes dry with his other hand.
"I think I get the gist of it. Thank you for explaining it to me. That must have been hard on you." Valun states as he stands up out of bed, nearly throwing Goma into the floor. "Oh man, it feels good to stretch my legs finally," Valun continues as he begins doing squats in the middle of the room.
Ayelle and Klein both pause and look and Valun before laughing to themselves.
"You're welcome, and I'm glad you seem to be doing better," Ayelle replies.
"So, what's the plan, Goma?" Valun asks as he continues to stretch.
"Well, I think Klein wanted to talk to you about something," Goma replies.
"Right!" Klein shouts as he stands and turns toward Valun.
"Valun, please take me with you. I want to find a way to bring the Elsharen back to the surface." Klein asks as he extends his hand outward toward Valun, Goma floating up between the two.