Chapter 34: A Guh-Gnome?!?
After Star Priest Snide’s concerning proto-sermon, the crowd of young men dispersed. Just as we were about to leave, Snide spotted us and approached us with a friendly smile.
“Ah, there you are, fellow devotees! It brings me great joy that you participated in my little…”
“Sermon?”
“Sermon! Yes! What a wonderful word to describe the passing of wisdom from one to many! You truly have a knack for making new words, friend!”
Pat. Pat.
Snide came closer to me and patted my back, clearly appearing overjoyed if his face could be trusted. Ori narrowed her eyes at the sight, while it looked like Esphera didn’t know what to make of what she just heard. I myself felt uncomfortable around this man, but I couldn’t let that show here now.
Judging from what I’ve seen so far, Star Priest Snide was clearly an important figure to the town of Starfell. At the very least, he had the hearts and minds of the town’s young men firmly in his grasp. His target audience looked like a deliberate choice.
Young and easily impressionable. Men like these make up the bulk of any nation’s military force, prehistoric or modern. Control their hearts, and you practically have an army at your command. And judging by their reactions, he had succeeded at just that. And yet, something about it didn’t sit right with me…
“I thank you for the compliment, Star Priest. It is an honor to receive such praise from a man as wise and respected as you.”
I smiled just like I meant it—the mask of politeness everyone learns to wear going into adulthood.
[L-Lord Yvell, what are you–]
[Calm, Esphera. We need information right now.]
[Information?]
[This man—Snide—is clearly trying to drive the public’s perception of these so-called ‘Gnomes’ into the ground, pun not intended. But I do not think that is where things end. There is likely more to his plans, so we should play nice for now and see if we can learn more about them.]
[!!!... I see… Then…]
[Let us play nice for now. See what we can learn from this man.]
Star Priest Snide slung an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into a seemingly friendly one-armed hug.
Fuck, this guy reeks of sweat. It must be really hot under all those hides. It’s no wonder he stinks.
“Share your thoughts with me, friend, as an outsider in this town. I am told that gnomes are scarce beyond Starfell, so you must find these cursed little beings… curious.”
So, they are rare outside of Starfell? And that talk about them being born on Starfell’s holy soil… Yeah, I’m curious, alright. There’s something about this that feels off.
“Indeed. I have never met a gnome in my life, here or elsewhere, yet I feel that you speak as if they are plenty close by.”
“That is correct, friend! Those vile creatures—small and misshapen—skulk just beyond the town’s reach, in the nearby forest. Though they may resemble us in certain ways, make no mistake: they are cursed, unlovable sorts. May Esphera’s grace never reach them!”
Grip.
[Esphera. Calm. You must not make a scene here.]
[I know…]
This reaction from Esphera… could she know who these gnomes are? If they possess some aspects of a human appearance, could they be mutated humans? Or maybe they’re something else entirely?
“They… do not seem to make for very likable company, now do they?”
“Indeed! Those useless sorts, who can neither hunt nor farm properly with those stubby bodies of theirs, are a blight upon our land! They consume much, yet produce so little. I dare say their very existence stands in opposition to our divine mission, hindering the grand plan!”
Though his proto-sermon may have been a product of a calculated effort, it feels like this man’s hatred for the gnomes is real, to say the least. I can almost feel the venom oozing off his glib tongue.
“That is why I am certain our brilliant and mighty Great Chief, Nova’k, will take action against them. I have already spoken with him on the matter, and he has given it his full consideration. Oh, how I long to see those damned gnomes finally punished! Those useless wastes of grain shall find no welcome in Starfell! Hahaha!”
Unpleasant, but there’s our clue. Now, it’s time to cue for our out.
“... I must say, Star Priest, I am growing quite tired. I must still feel some exhaustion from the trip here.”
“Ah, my apologies. Night approaches, and yet I find myself taking up your time. Might your group need shelter for the evening? If you wish, I would be glad to offer you refuge within my home.”
“I am afraid that we might impose on you, Star Priest.”
“Think nothing of it, friend. Come—join me for the night. There is still time for us to share stories, to speak of the glory of our most revered Ringed Star Mother, and of the grand mission borne by all who departed the plains.”
An indoctrination attempt, is it? This man is probably planning to extend his influence to outsiders as well, to plant the seed of his schism in travelers destined to return to their homeland. I really don’t want to play his games here, but I don’t think he’ll let us go easy.
“... You must please excuse us, Star Priest.”
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Graille came forward, inserting herself between Snide and me. She wrapped her arms around mine with a bewitching smile and pressed her ch—Woah! Hey! Graille?!? You’re too close!
“As you can see, our group is comprised of mostly women, save for the tamed beast (Ramube) and him (Yvell). We would greatly appreciate the privacy of finding our own shelter for the night.”
“... Ah.”
What did you mean by that, Graille? And what is that ‘ah’ from Snide supposed to mean? I’m lost.
Snide took a glance at the high elf baby strapped to Graille’s chest. Sylvariel was busy, sucking on her thumb before she returned the old man’s gaze with a bored one of her own.
“Oog.”
Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, the Star Priest lightly slapped the bottom of his fist into his palm.
“Ahem. My apologies for my insistence on the matter. I fear I have not been sufficiently considerate toward your party.”
Wait, what?
“May you all rest well this night. And, friend, should you find yourself in need of an invigorating tonic come morning, you are welcome to visit me at my abode. I reside just there, beside the Town Chief, who lives in the largest house at the foot of the Holy Star’s Fragment. Farewell now.”
Huh? Why? What was that talk about a toni–
“Fucking pervert.”
Twist.
I felt someone pinch the flesh at my waist and twist it a full three-sixty degrees. A sharp pain rose up my spine instantly.
“OW! Ori?! What was that for?!”
“...”
“Huh?”
Why is Esphera blushing? What’s going on? Why is everyone being weird? I don’t get it.
Although I spent several minutes afterward questioning the women of the group, they all refused to give me any answers. I even tried asking Ramube, too, but it seems he didn’t understand what the problem was either. I eventually gave up and just decided to let it go.
“I must apologize, Sir Gorilla, for referring to you as a tamed beast. It was not my intention to offend. To deceive the human, it was necessary to address you somehow.”
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, claims that he was not offended by your words in the slightest. He adds that it is a fact that he was a tamed beast in life, although he may have taken some actions that were not perceived as tame, which contributed to his eventual ascension.
“Huh? Is that true?”
“Oog.” (Thumbs-up)
Come to think of it, Esphera and Graille probably don’t know he was a zoo gorilla before he became a constellation, do they? Well, if they hover around the internet long enough, they’ll probably learn about his origins eventually.
Now that all that was over, we headed to the outskirts of town to set up camp. We considered doing so closer to town, but Esphera clearly hadn’t quite shaken off her discomfort about what she witnessed today, so I thought it better to keep our distance from the place for the time being.
Once we’d set up camp, we decided to spend the rest of the evening in discussion over a campfire.
“Humans… no, the subject of societies is far more complex than I thought. I see now how easily people can be led astray. All it takes is a few convincing words and the charisma to wield them to seize the hearts of those who might otherwise have lived their days in peace. It is a frightening thing to witness.”
Graille commented, her observations likely measuring the future of her own people.
“I fail to see why most gods do not take the hands-on approach to leading their own people. I believe that this should help such a troublesome problem from ever occurring.”
“You are being naive, junior. Taking direct leadership of your own people is no different from stealing the reins of their future from them. You will make them a weaker people yet who cannot stand or live without their mother’s shade.”
“Oh?”
Esphera sharply rebuked, prompting the two to lock their intense gazes onto each other. Jeez, I can practically see the sparks flying between the two. I ought to intervene a little before someone spills some holy blood.
“Graille, come to think of it, you have yet to speak on the matter you wished to consult me on earlier today.”
“Ah, yes—that is correct. Since my senior was so eager to take the initiative and share her own difficulties first, mine have remained unattended for some time now. But it is nothing to be too concerned about, Sir Yvell. It is not a matter that demands immediate resolution.”
Now is really not the time for indirect jabs at her, Graille. If eyes could roast people alive, hers would have cooked you into charcoal by now.
Ahem.
“We have time now. So why not share what concerns you?”
“That is a good point. Then I will do as you have suggested, Sir Yvell.”
Graille nodded with a smile.
“The matter is concerning the future of elvenkind. More specifically, about what shape that future will take. I have already discussed the matter of caring for the earliest generation of high elves with Sir Gorilla. We have since concluded that I will be raising the children myself.”
“I can now see why you raised that point earlier about personally leading your faithful. Every manner of governance carries its own benefits and consequences, Graille. This excursion we have undertaken to address the issues currently plaguing Esphera’s devoted will, I believe, serve as a valuable educational experience for you.”
“I agree. Perhaps I might find my answers yet here, in foreign soil.”
“What a preposterous thing to say… Your people will not find true happiness this way.” (Whispering) ← Esphera
“What did you say?!”
It was Graille’s turn to stare daggers at Esphera. Gods. No, err, Goddesses. Can’t you two just get along?
“Esphera, do you happen to know anything about the gnomes? You seemed to react rather strongly when Snide mentioned them.”
“As a matter of fact, I do. But not too much. They are a group of small humans—no, I suppose it would be difficult to call them that now. They are a small people who were outcast from Starfell not too long ago due to a conflict in labor contributions and food distribution.”
“What do you mean by ‘it would be difficult to call them that now’?”
Esphera then pointed at the meteor sitting at the center of town in the distance.
“You recall Snide mentioning that gnomes are born here in this ‘holy land,’ yes? I believe this is due to the meteor. I have observed that since humans came into close contact with that alien object, some women have, on rare occasions, given birth to shorter people. These individuals, who now call themselves gnomes, appear to have been altered from birth and can no longer be considered human in a fundamental sense. Though they can reproduce with humans, their children are always gnomish rather than human.”
So the meteor likely mutated human babies during their gestation period into gnomes? That’s… an interesting development. That also explains why Snide seems to safely assume gnomes are rarely seen anywhere else. I was thinking that the meteor seemed strange for its oddly perfect shape, so there might still be some mysteries about it to uncover.
“Have you met these gnomes yourself, Esphera?”
“On occasion. They are quite the reclusive people. But they are still among the faithful, despite being treated as outcasts in society. It brings me great pain to see them treated so badly.”
That settles it then. We need to go visit their settlement in the nearby forests outside Starfell and learn about these gnomish neighbors.
Then, almost as if on cue, we were immediately greeted by a sudden visitor. A small bearded man with a reddish hide cap was running away from a group of angry young men. They were clearly heading our way.
“Hahahaha!”
“Get the small man! Kick him to the dirt!”
“You won’t be laughing once we catch you, little guy!”
“I’m no small man, chump! I’m a guh-nome, and you’ve been gnooomed!”
“GET HIM!”
“BEAT HIM UP!”
… For some reason, I really don’t want to help this tiny guy.
