Chapter 9 - The cave of elementals

Chapter 9: The Cave of Elementals

        "Naku! Elder Ookami! Where did they go?" Natami said as she ran throught he Inn. Arkin was laying down in his room trying to sleep when he heard her down the hall. Natami ran into the room and looked at him. "well, do you know?"

        "They went out somewhere a while ago when you were shopping," Arkin said with one eyes half opened.

        "What! How can they just walk off on a whim like that!"

        Arkin shook his head. "What are you talking about, isn't it you who walked off to go on women shopping therapy?"

        "Thats different!" Natami yelled. "I need this stuff!"

        "Yeah, sure." Arkin got up and grabbed his can off of the wall, leaning his right side against it. "I'll go find them."

        "Be careful."

        "heh, yeah like you care," he said as he limped out the Inn.

**************************

        "So what exactly am I going to get in here?" Naku asked Ookami, still gazing apon the silver door in awe.

        "Well it's called the Cave of Elementals," Ookami said as he pulled one of the vines off, "so naturaly, elementals."

        Naku felt a bit stupid at that comment and slumped down. After getting all the vines off, Ookami turned to him. "Are you ready?"

        "I soppose so."

        "Earth and fire rest within these walls. Be sure not to underestimate the things you see." And with that, Ookami opened the door to reveal the black tunnel inside.

        Naku slowly stepped inside. "I can't see anything."

        "Thats because there isn't anything."

        "Whats that sopposed to mean!"

        Ookami smiled. "This is a gateway to Ethia, the realm of eternity. Nothing is eternal,even the immortal gods have their downfalls, therefore nothing is here. The elementals went into hiding here long ago, waiting for their master counterparts to come fetch them."

        "Master counterpart?" Naku wasn't sure if he understood it or not.

        "You'll see." Ookami said as the door shut behind them. All was dark now, though the two of them were as visible to eachother as if they had been in broad daylight.

        Naku waited a few seconds. When he concentrated, he could hear something off in the destance. A soft noise, like a melody.

        "Here they come."

        The sound was getting louder. Suddenly Naku could make out small beems of green and brown light in the distance. Before he knew it they were swarming around him, small little chubby creatures with pointed ears and fluffy beards.

        Naku looked around at them all. "what are these things?"

        "Gnomes. Earth elementals." Ookami answered.

        "Well why are they going around me and not you?!"

        "I am already bonded to an elemental, they know it because of my aura. You don't have one, so they are drawn to you. Listen to them and see what you must do."

        Naku listened to their song.

                try and catch us if you can
                only then will we obey
                try and catch us if you dare
                or you can just go away
        

        The song wasn't very good, of course, gnomes weren't known for their musical abilities.

        "So I have to catch one of you? Alright." Naku reached out to grab one of the chubby furballs. As he was about to touch him, the gnome shot out a beam of green light that knocked Naku down and the gnomes started flying all about the place. Naku got back on his feet, chasing after them, but they were faster by far. It seemed as though hours went by as he tried to catch them.

        "Stop trying to grab all of them, single out one!"

        "Right." He saw that one of the blurred visions of the gnomes was shining more brightly than the others. He took his time studying its flight pattern. He could see that it was only flying in one cirular pattern. "gotcha!" he reached out, aiming a little ways ahead of the beast, making it rams into his hand on its own, and cupping the other hand over it before he could get away. The moment the gnome was safely in Naku's hands all the other gnomes vanished in a puff of smoke, and the door behind them flew open.

        Naku coughed a bit from the smoke filling his lungs. After it settled he could feel the tiny creature moving around in his hands. He opened them to see a gnome that was very different from the others.

        The gnome was very thin with light brown furr and no beard. The only clothing he wore was a green night cap that was too big for his head. A strange ball of light circled around the tip of his tail which was why he had glowed more than the others. It seemed that the smoke had effected the gnome also, for he was sneezing like a cat.

        Ookami walked over and blinked a few times. "A gnome without a beard? How strange."

        The gnome yelled "It just hasn't grown in yet!" and sneezed again.

        "Whats your name?" Naku asked.

        "Its Gii." Gii stood up on Naku's palm and looked up at him.

        "Gii? So your my elemental now?"

        Gii nodded. "Of course I am! And you should be thankful you caught me instead of the others cuz I'm the strongest gnome in all Ethia!"

        Naku smiled. "I bet you are." Gii reminded him of a child trying to prove his worth by boasting.

        "I am too- er, did you just agree? I mean uh, you better believe it!" Gii stood as proudly as a beardless gnome possibly could.

        "Well, lets head back to the Inn. You can get to know Gii there, Naku," Ookami said.

        "right."

        Naku was about to get up when he heard Arkin by the entrance. "There you two are!"

        He turned his head just has Arkin limped into the cave.

        "Arkin no!"

        It was too late. The door slammed tightly behind him.

        Arkin blinked and looked like a innocent kid. "did I do something wrong?"

        Naku sighed. "Great, not we have to wait till he grabs one! And he can't even run right now, this is going to take forever."

        They could already hear a noise coming closer, but them time it wasn't singing. It sounded more like a fire igniting.

        "The salamandos are coming this time." Gii said, flying up and resting on Naku's shoulder.

        The sound grew louder, Naku looked around to spot the slamandos, but he couldn't see anything. Suddenly he felt something rush past him and he looked over to see a small fiery elemental snuggling against the shocked Cilata's chest.

        "master!" The slamando said, giggling happily. And with that the door swung back open.

        "What, he didn't have to catch his thats not fair!!!" Naku exclaimed.

        The salando was fiery colored and as skinny as Gii. He also wore no clothing and had the paws of an animal and the horns of a ram. There were small patches of flames on his elbows and the back of his knees and his tail and hair looked like flames themselves.

        "What the heck is going on?" Arkin asked, still confused.

        Gii yelled out to the salamando. "Sala, you aren't sopposed to just let them have you."

        "But I like this one." Sala said as he flew up to rest in Arkin's hair. "I don't see why we have to play that stupid catch me game anyways. Besides I'm the only Salamando here, the rest are all at the sanctum."

        "And still no one has told me whats happening." Arkin sighed.

        Ookami sighed as well. "We will explain back at the Inn..."
        



        

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment