Hammer of the Gods

Chapter 15

THE GNOMES OF NOME

Chapter 9

Short and cute are the Gnomes,

Playful tricksters under Nome

Can be greedy love of gold,

And dwarf haters legends told

Heavenly Rod from World Tree,

But Gnome Chief stubborn he

The gnome put his foot up against the stone symbol and with a groan the side of the wall swung inward revealing a passage with stairs leading down.

“Even if one of you giants had ever stumbled on the secret door, you would have never been able to open it. Well not without a gnome’s foot that is,” Atungitok laughed.

He led the way down.

Amazingly, the walls seemed to absorb light from the top of the mountain and even though the stone looked dark and solid on the surface, it transferred the sun’s rays downward into the depths through quartz veins. It felt good to have the wind off of them even though the air was still cold.

The stairwell was wide enough for two people abreast, but the steps were made for short legs and small feet. So the company, other than the gnome, had to tread carefully and turn their feet sideways so as not to slip. A handrail had been carved into the sides of the stairwell as it descended down which helped as they descended.

They came to an open area where a pair of gnome guards stood. They were positioned on either side of an iron gate which was closed. Their armor was black, which reflected the dim light from the rock. Upon their breast plates was an emblem of a wave with two hands thrust above the water. One hand held a trident spear and the other a gem with rays of light shining forth. Each guard appeared to have a short sword and a small bow. The gnomes quickly drew their bows at the approach of the company. There was a table and four small chairs off in a nook and there were food stores in a room beyond. Everyone raised their hands, as Atungitok began communicating with them in a language other than Inupiaq or English. It was a fast speech, full of chirps and clicks and popping sounds. Atungitok mentioned the name Aternerk Sangliak and the guards lowered their bows and pointed to the wall opposite the table and food stores.

“They say to leave your packs and weapons here,” Atungitok stated.

One of the guards opened the gate and passed through. He then closed and locked the door behind him while the other kept a watchful eye on the strangers. A few minutes later the gnome who had left, reappeared with four more armed soldiers who carried short swords and spears. The little warriors took up positions with two in front and two behind the company with Atungitok in the lead.

Jonah thought to himself that these three-foot tall, armor clad soldiers seemed quite comical, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

They were led down more stairs which finally opened into an impressive cavern. The stone ceiling arched overhead several hundred feet in the air creating a huge dome within the earth. The stone was black with veins of quarts and gold running around the city at various points. It seemed to be a combination of a natural cave system that had been enlarged through the delving of the gnomes over centuries. Many structures were carved out of solid rock. Although there was still a faint glow from the quartz veins, they were so deep in the mountains now that braziers and torches were used as well as stones that glowed for illumination.

There were giant stalactites and stalagmites, and large opaque white crystals, which reflected the light in dazzling arrays across the walls and roof. Some of the tendrils of rock had connected from floor to ceiling over the centuries creating pillars like giant candles with the appearance of wax running down the sides. Some of them were huge, like water falls pouring from the ceiling, but not touching the floor. They passed a pool of crystal-clear water whose source and exit could only be guessed at.

An entire city of gnomes lived here. There was a hustle and bustle of activity like one might expect from a medieval town, if it were inhabited by halflings that is. Hunters and trappers returning from the surface, carried fur pelts and animal quarters to the tanners and butcher shops. There were fish from an underground river, drying on racks nearby. Children appeared and disappeared as they played jokes on the adults and one another. There was more than one tavern on the way to the center of town. These people seemed to banter like Atungitok. The guards continued to lead them towards the center of the giant cavern where the largest building in the city stood.

The elaborate palace of the Gnome Chief stood before them. In front of the ornate building stood an enormous statue of Poseidon who had been carved from solid rock. His right hand held a trident that reached from floor to ceiling and his left hand was raised overhead with his palm up giving the appearance that the god of the sea was holding up the mountain itself. A layer of smoke from the torches and cooking fires drifted lazily across the roof of the cave towards a ventilation shaft causing the smoke to swirl counter-clockwise like some dark hurricane near Poseidon’s hand.

The image of the trident appeared on the armor and clothing of the soldiers who escorted the small group from the entrance far above. The party of outsiders passed beneath the legs of the statue which were surrounded by carvings of breaking waves with sea creatures and coral reef scenes. A small entry was carved into the outer wall of the palace beyond. For gnomes, the gateway must have seemed quite impressive, but for the humans, it was only a couple of feet over their heads.

There was no roof, only the massive top of the cave under the mountains far above. Upon a raised throne of black and white marble sat Aternerk Sangliak. Carved into the wall behind his throne were the emblem of the two hands thrust above the wave, one carrying a trident and the other a mighty gem which had light rays extending in all directions.

The gnome chief bore a warrior’s helm with a gold crown about its base. His broad chest was covered in a chain mail with warm clothing beneath, but his large muscled arms were bare and hairy. He had gold fur-lined gauntlets over his forearms. His belt was wide and woven with purple and gold embroidery with a large gold buckle inlaid with the symbol of the wave and hands. Thigh high boots he wore with leggings beneath and a tall bejeweled sword leaned upon his throne. He was much larger than any of the gnomes they had seen. His jet-black hair and beard were long and braided. He wore one ring upon his right hand that was adorned by a single, large, dome shaped, ruby held upon a circle of gold. Filigree wrapped around the base of the red gem holding it in place.

The guards stopped at the entry of the chamber and awaited the signal to proceed. Atungitok took this moment to explain the history of the gnome kings.

“We may have a bit of a wait, so let me explain more about Chief Sangliak. He is half-dwarf.” Atungitok’s face scrunched up as if saying ‘dwarf’ was like biting into a lemon. “His father was named Isumatturuk Umialik, The Wise King. The late ruler was much loved amongst my people. He could trace his lineage in direct line to Zwerg, the first gnome.

“Where did Zwerg come from,” Lorne asked.

“Little is known of Zwerg. All the tales say is that he and his brother were saved by Poseidon in a ship-wreck. From whence they sailed none now remember. All of their possessions were lost, except the clothes on their backs and a large ruby which later became known as the Gnome King’s Heart amongst my people, although the filthy, smelly dwarves call it by another name. Zwerg and his brother took Inupiaq wives hundreds of years ago and at least the first generation or two of my people did so as well before coming here beneath the mountains.

“The chief’s father had fallen in love with the dwarf king’s daughter, Brezna Shied Arm. It has been the custom of her people to take upon themselves the name of their preferred weapon, armor or some other great deed or skill.”

He grumbled to himself and spit upon the floor.

Angelica and Lorne giggled.

“Very funny humans.” The gnome said sarcastically. He took a deep breath before continuing, “When their fathers refused a union between a dwarf and a gnome, the Wise King, who was but a young prince at that time, snuck into the dwarf kingdom and brought Brezna back without her father’s consent or blessing.

“Our leader was born during the dwarf wars which began over the disappearance of King Hadgrim Grumblemace’s daughter. Brezna came of her own free will, but her father was determined to have her back.

“So, I assume dwarves are larger than gnomes? Is that why your chief is so tall,” Jonah asked.

“Yes, you’re right. Aternerk Sangliak has the size and strength of the dwarves, as well as their stubborn countenance. But he also shares the abilities of gnomes in that he can turn invisible and can walk upon the snow without a trace. He has no love of dwarves, other than a fierce affection for his late mother.

“The Dwarf Wars continued until Tok and Konosak brought the Rod of God to The Wise King. After the death of the last king, not all of my people were happy with the prospect of a half-dwarf taking the throne. Some of the nobles called for one of pure, royal blood, to rule, but only Aternerk Sangliak can trace his bloodline through the eldest sons all the way back to Zwerg. Besides none dared challenge him, the ‘Strongest of All’, for that is what his name means. To appease some of my people, he took the title of ‘Chief’ rather than ‘King’.

“Despite this concession, many who opposed his kingship left Enukin Ingik or Gnome Mountain as some call it, rather than be ruled by a half-dwarf lord, and journeyed east and south. Some settled in Eagle River. Others marched further south, and live now near icy fjords and under lofty mountains, and yet others, tired of the long winters, went further still until they found the more temperate forests of the southeast, where the trees grow as tall as mountains they say. And those of our kin, were lost to us.” Atungitok looked sad when he finished the story.

“You really seem to know the genealogy of your people well,” Nanuk said.

The little gnome perked up at the praise, “It is one of the few things I am good at. I could recite to you the history of every king, and the names of their wives and children, all the way back to Zwerg if time permitted, but there are more important things to share with you while we wait.”

“It is said that after the death of his father, that our chief marched with his guard to the border of the dwarf kingdom and raised the staff and smote the ground. The earth trembled and the floor fell away creating a deep ravine separating the two kingdoms. We call the crevice ‘The Great Divide.’ Aternerk Sangliak had not realized the power of the staff, until that time, so he hid it deep in his vaults fearing to use it lest he collapse the mountains above.

“The dwarf king, who was worried over further destruction by this new-found weapon, called a truce between our peoples. In time it was determined that a bridge would connect our lands once more, but each side is heavily guarded in a watchful peace. The overpass is covered in thick ice. Legends say that the chasm is the border between the realms of Midgard, or your world, and Svartalfheim, the land of the dwarves. And so, the causeway crosses over to a realm of magic and the bridge is forever frozen between two realms. Far below, molten rock passes underneath the Great Divide and the heat rising from above, creates steam and mist within the enormous cavern separating the dwarf and gnome kingdoms, yet despite this, the ice upon the bridge does not melt. We have tapped some of those lava tubes to heat parts of our city here,” He motioned to the hearths on either side of the gnome chief. “There is trade between our peoples now. We supply things from the surface, including clothing made from animals in your world, as well as gold and gems not found in the deeper parts of the earth. The dwarves are fond of caribou, musk ox, and rabbit that they cannot hunt in their realm. They have requested that we supply a breed stock of caribou to them, but Aternerk Sangliak has so far refused, preferring to keep leverage over the dwarves in exchange for weapons and armor.