The Fourfold Key

It was late morning when they awoke. They saddled their new horses and set off.

On the Fairy Kingdom’s side of the bridge was a small clearing, where they had slept. But as soon as they crossed the bridge, they entered a dense forest, so thick they could see only a few feet before them. Sharp thorns lined the path—if you could call it that—catching clothing and scratching deep into their skin. The trail got so thick Tom and Ruth were forced to lead their horses and continue on foot. Strange sounds came from all directions. Tom told her the sounds were from something called a Leer Gnat.

Leer Gnats could shape shift into any living thing, he explained, but only for short periods of time. Leer Gnats fed on blood, like a mosquito. They would shift into anything they could to get closer to their victims, then latch on. Once they were on you, it was close to impossible to get them off until they were full.

“Close to impossible?” Ruth asked after he had finished his explanation. “How do you, then?”

“There is a certain bird that eats them. They’re called Sniggers. If you catch one of those, they’ll eat the Leer Gnats right off you. Many people don’t bother doing anything about Leer Gnats unless they have one. I, on the other hand, like to keep them away and not bother with the loss of blood.” Tom reached into a bush and pulled out a few dark blue berries with white spots. He took half and handed the rest to Ruth. “Here. This is a Leer Berry. Your body absorbs the smell and it works as a repellent. But it will also make you feel very itchy. Eat it.”

“Thanks,” said Ruth, popping the berry in her mouth, grimacing at the bitter flavor. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She checked herself. “Actually, I do. I’d be in the Gnome King’s Dungeon, not knowing where I was, that Dad was here, or anything else. Are we almost there?”

Tom glanced at their map - which they had borrowed from Queen Rosebud - then took a look around. “From the looks of it, we’re about two miles away. It should be only about an hour and a half.”

“Great! Wow, can you imagine? We already have the first Key, and it’s only been seven days! I’m glad we’re almost there. It’s agonizing to wait. Don’t you think?”

Tom shrugged. They began to walk.

Later, one of the horses bucked and whinnied. Ruth whirled around and began to calm him down. Tom began scanning the trees, searching for something. Ruth glanced at him, then turned her attention back to the animal. A fly buzzed around the horse, trying to land. Ruth waved her hand at it, and it flew away so fast Ruth didn’t have time to blink and it was gone. Weird, she thought, looking in the direction of the fly, which hovered a few feet away from her. I’ve never seen a fly act like that before. Then she realized what it was.

“Tom, we forgot to give the horses the Leer Berries. There’s a Leer Gnat after them!”

Tom blinked as he realized his mistake. He reached into the bushes, pulling out a large handful of the Leer Berries. “Here. Take the berries. I’ll hold their mouths open and you shove a couple down their throats.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Ruth sighed and accepted the berries. “Eww. This is so gross,” she complained as she shoved them down the first horse’s throat. “It’s so slimy. Eww.”

They moved on to the second horse.

“Careful, careful. Watch out!” Her hand slithered out of its mouth just as Tom lost hold and the horse’s mouth snapped shut.

“Thanks,” Ruth gasped, eyes still following the Leer Gnat. As it flew into the branches, Ruth could see it begin to transform. Its body was round and glowing. Its antennas were a brown-purplish color and feathery. It had small, see-through wings, and its legs were the same color as its antennas. She shrieked. “That thing is really weird looking. Have you ever see—” she was cut short by a large hand covering her mouth.

“Quiet,” hissed Tom. “I need you to stop talking—I see the castle.” He released her and she let out a shaky breath.

“Tom! Don’t ever do that again! I thought you were a—a—I don’t know, a gnome or something. Hey. Why aren’t there any gnomes in these woods, anyway?”

“They don’t like the thorns. That’s why I chose this path. This area of this woods is full of thorns, as you can see. Come on, let’s go. And no more talking.”

Tom and Ruth slipped quietly along the path, careful to stay as quiet as possible. The castle loomed above them, dark and foreboding. It wasn’t all that large, since the gnomes were small creatures, but it still sent chills down Ruth’s spine. Ruth assumed the dungeons were just underneath the castle. She tapped Tom on the shoulder.

“How are we supposed to get in?” she whispered.

“We’ll sneak in inside a cart full of supplies. They won’t check them…I don’t think.”

“You don’t think,” she muttered.

“Hrmph,” he answered. “If you have a better idea, just let me know.”

As they watched the castle, a gnome in a cart came into view. It was pulled by a pony and was full of straw.

“Come on,” Tom whispered. “That’s our ticket in. The straw is probably going straight to the dungeons.” He grabbed her hand and they raced into a bush closer to the cart. The gnome stopped the cart and unhitched the pony.

“There, there. I’ll bet you’re thirsty,” said the gnome soothingly. “Here, little one. I’ll get you a drink.”

Tom and Ruth took advantage of his distraction and dashed to the cart. They were moving to jump in when the gnome turned around. They quickly ducked behind the cart before he caught sight of them.

“All right, dear. We need to get moving.” He pulled the pony back to the cart and re-hitched her.

The gnome turned its back for a moment and Ruth sprang into the car, burying herself in the stray. Her body relaxed and she realized how tense she had been. Turning slowly toward the gnome, she saw him jump onto the cart and flick the reigns. Tom was still on the ground! She waved frantically for him to get in, but the cart was moving too fast. Even though he was running, the gnome was in a hurry and Tom’s short legs were no match for the pony’s. Ruth thought quickly. She grabbed a large bale of the straw and heaved it over the side of the cart. The gnome heard the bale fall and stopped the cart. Muttering, to himself he jumped out of the cart and picked up the straw. Ruth dove underneath the straw and froze. She felt the bale being thrown into the cart on top of her. Ruth heard the gnome walk back to the bench. She lifted her head just in time to see Tom jump in the cart while the gnome’s back was turned. The gnome turned his head just as they buried themselves under the straw. He grunted and started the pony again. They sighed with relief.

They were going in!

The cart bumped and jostled the two stowaways, bruising them from all sides. Ruth was itching from both the straw and the berry - the latter of which was incredibly irritating. Tom let out a muffled groan. “If I’d known how uncomfortable this would have been, I’d have found a different way to get in,” he muttered under his breath.

Ruth shushed him.

Just as the cart was getting really claustrophobic, it stopped. They both held their breath. Ruth heard a series of muffled voices from outside the cart. The weight of a few of the straw bales lifted. How are we gonna get out without being seen? she wondered. Her mind ran through different scenarios of how they could sneak by or overpower the gnome, and beside her Tom was tensing, ready to run. She could hear several pairs of feet at work with the bales. Thinking back to her first encounter with the gnomes, she doubted they would get past. Tom leaned in and whispered ever so softly in her ear, “Wait until their footsteps leave then we make a run for it.”

They huddled under the hay in anticipation, ears tuned for silence. After a few bales had been unloaded, all the footsteps faded at the same time. Ruth peeked out cautiously. No one.

They clambered over the sides of the wagon, and looked around. This was most certainly not the dungeon! It was the Gnome King’s dining room!

Tom slid into the shadows, motioning for Ruth to follow. But she felt frozen to the spot. On the far side of the room was a large table. Roughly one hundred gnomes sat around it. At the head of the table, sat the Gnome King. He was regular size—for a gnome—and wore a pointed hat like all the others. The only difference was there was a golden band around the base of the hat, with red rubies melded into it. He had a big, red beard, and he was eating like a pig. Bits of food and spit flew from his mouth with every bite, spraying the gnomes unlucky enough to be sitting next to him.

Ruth was jerked into the shadows and flung to the ground with such force she had the wind knocked out of her for a moment.

“Have you lost your mind?” hissed Tom, clutching her arm. “You’re going to get us killed!”

Ruth shook her head. “Sorry, I guess I froze up a little.”

“All right, let’s move. That cart did not go where I thought it was going to. Now we have to find the dungeons.”

Just as Tom was slinking out of the shadows, a voice bellowed, “COME! I’M TIRED OF EATING! LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!” The voice belonged to the Gnome King.

Tom cringed, hurrying back to the safety of the darkness. The King clapped his hands and a clanking and clattering was heard above the shouts and cheers of the gnomes.

“BRING OUT THE PRISONERS!” the Gnome King bellowed. A long line of all kinds of creatures chained together were dragged into the hall towards a stage on the other end. The prisoners were led out by five dwarves.

Why are there dwarves here? Ruth wondered. Tom said he was the only one out of the Dwarf Mines. She threw a questioning look at Tom, but he looked just as confused as she did.

The dwarves poked them into a long line and unchained the first prisoner. It was a goblin. He was smaller than the one Ruth had seen before, but was still huge compared to a human. A dwarf with a long black beard kicked him savagely to the center of the stage. Shaking, the goblin turned to face the other prisoners. The dwarves unchained the next prisoner. He was also a goblin, but he was massive. He looked down at the smaller goblin, breathing heavily. The smaller one cowered.

The two were shoved into a fenced-in area. Ruth’s gut tightened. She was pretty sure she knew what was coming next, and she didn’t want to see it.

“BEGIN!” ordered the King.

At once the big goblin lunged for the small one. He screamed and rolled out of the way, then picked himself up and rushed to the far side of the area. The bigger one rushed after. Ruth noticed he was limping heavily.

The smaller one continued to scramble away from the big one, forcing the big goblin to lurch after him. Ruth could tell he was in a lot of pain.

It went on like this for a while, the little one running and the larger limping furiously after him. Soon the King grew tired of the fight. He gestured to the dwarves, and one of them thrust one long blade into the center of the arena. Just one blade. Both goblins turned to look at the blade, then they both lunged for it.

The little one reached it first and rolled onto his back to face his opponent, swinging wildly. The big goblin dodged one of his weak thrusts and grabbed the little one’s wrist. He twisted it back behind him and the small goblin yelled with pain, dropping the blade. The crowd cheered.

The big goblin bent down and snatched up the blade. He was still holding the smaller one’s wrist. He stood slowly, surveying his prey. The little one trembled, and Ruth saw his lips move in a desperate plea for his life. The big goblin’s stoic, merciless gaze met his eyes and raised the weapon. Ruth buried her head in her hands, refusing to watch this terrible scene unfold.

A howl of anguish rose above the heads of the enraptured spectators, reverberating about the cavern. A deafening cheer followed after. Ruth risked a peek. The small one’s body was being dragged through the shadowy parts of the cavern. The big goblin was forced back into chains and brought before the Goblin King.

“YOU HAVE KILLED FOUR IN THE ARENA WHILE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE. TODAY WAS YOUR FIFTH,” the Gnome King said. “YOU HAVE WON YOUR FREEDOM. BEGONE!” He thrust a hand toward the exit, and the goblin was unchained and escorted out.

“This is horrible!” Ruth whisper-cried. “How could they do that?!” Tears stained her pale face.

“Looks as if they’re killing for fun,” he growled, clenching his fists. “I’ll bet they don’t even set those that kill five times, free. I think they must take them somewhere and kill them, making the others think they can earn their freedom that way. At least we know how to find the dungeons,” he said in an attempt at optimism. “This way.” He gestured for Ruth to follow and slid silently from shadow to shadow towards the prisoners. Ruth’s eyes burned at the thought of the small goblin’s limp body and the ecstatic cheers that had followed as she stumbled after him.

The dwarves had selected two more prisoners: a fairy and what Ruth assumed to be a tall, blonde elf. The fairy’s eyes were red and puffy from crying, but the elf showed no emotion at all; her face was a mask.

They were shoved into the arena as before, and, as before, the Gnome King ordered them to begin. The fairy gazed tearfully at the elf, her eyes wide with fright, but she did not move. The elf took a slow step forward and gently took the fairy’s shoulder. The fairy tensed, but did not struggle. She seemed to be just waiting to die, like she didn’t care, or she knew it wasn’t worth it. The elf whispered something into the fairy’s ear, then turned and faced the crowd of gnomes.

The elf crossed her arms and tossed her blonde hair in defiance. “I refuse to be bullied into torturing innocent victims for you day after day,” she declared in a clear voice. It was crisp and clear, and sounded English. “I refuse to please you by murder and violence! I refuse to stoop to serve your filth, nor will I bow to your disgusting kind! Do what you must, but I refuse!”

There was a short silence. The gnomes stared unblinkingly at this strange rebellion. Ruth was just beginning to think that the elf had gotten the best of them when the room exploded with laughter. Loud guffaws and snorts were aimed right at the stunned elf. She too, had obviously thought she had won this small battle.

“HA! WHAT IS THIS?” the Gnome King cried, snorting a bit of milk out of his nose as he spoke. “A DIRTY PRISONER DEFYING A KING? JUST WHO DO THINK YOU ARE, GIRL? TO THINK YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, COULD STAND UP TO ME?”

“I am Ramere, warrior elf. And yes, I can stand up to you. And I will win. It may not happen the first time, nor the second, but you cannot tether me down like the others you have under your control!” With that, she turned and kicked the dwarf that was sneaking up behind her squarely in the jaw. They heard a crunch and the dwarf fell to the ground, holding his jaw tightly with both hands. The other four dwarfs rushed at her in fury, fists curled tight. She turned, ready for battle, spreading her feet apart and bracing them in the dirt.

Ruth and Tom used the distraction to sneak over to the other prisoners. A few of them glanced their way but said nothing. The rest either did not see or were not willing to give them away. Once they had settled into their hiding place among the prisoners, they turned their attention back to the fight.

The dwarves came at her in a flurry of arms and legs. Ramere fought bravely, taking down one and handicapping another. But five was too much for one elf. The remaining dwarves pinned her arms behind her and looked to the king, eyes gleaming savagely.

The king glanced angrily at the woman. “I HAVE GROWN TIRED OF THIS. TAKE THEM AWAY.”

They led Ramere back to the others, chaining her hands and kicking her in line with the other prisoners. Then they turned their backs, leaving her. A trickle of blood ran down her forehead, smearing in her tangled blonde hair. She stood leaning to the side, like it hurt to stand on the other leg. She glanced back at the crowd, eyes full of hatred, but she held her head high.

The Gnome King waved his hand and ordered them away. The dwarves led them back the way they had come. Ruth kept her head down as they walked with the prisoners, hoping the dwarves would not notice that two of the people in the procession were not chained. The loud voices and laughter of the dining hall faded from their ears, and the light from their eyes. They were led down a damp corridor, lit only with lights every few yards. There were cells on both sides of the hall, and the dwarfs pushed one or two prisoners into each one as they walked by - completely at random, as far as Ruth could tell. They went down the line, unchaining the first person and depositing him or her into a cell. They had gotten almost halfway through the line when they came to Ramere. One of the dwarves made a move to unchain her, but another put a hand on his shoulder.

“She ain’t goin’ to her cell tonight, remember? His Royal Shortness ordered her to the torturing chamber.” He laughed gruffly and removed his hand. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been sent there, is it?” he asked Ramere, who looked the other way and did not speak. “In fact, I believe it was just last night.” the dwarf waited a few seconds, then shrugged and walked away when she didn’t answer.

The first dwarf unhooked her chains from the prisoner behind her and led her off, leaving the remaining dwarves to finish putting the rest of the prisoners away.

Tom ducked out of the line, keeping to the far side of the prisoners from the dwarves and Ruth followed, keeping her head down like him. Tom glanced back to make sure she was coming, then continued. Ruth wondered where he was going, then saw he was following Ramere. He probably thinks that the Key is in the torture chamber. It kinda makes sense. She decided it was too dangerous to ask this out loud, so instead she just slipped along behind him.