Crimthann followed his new friend off into the tunnels. Before leaving, Kazimer shut off the lantern, dismantled it, and put it in his pack. Crimthann was interested to see that there was no flame, faerie or natural, but having some familiarity with the tinkering of gnomes, chose to wait for a different time to satisfy his curiosity.
As they left, Kazimir paused "you see in black? I from deep, see clear, see ok?"
"Not clearly, but I've been underground before, if you stay close, I'll get by"
"No fumble? Dark see light, dark find, no sneaky...but Dark hear fumble stumble, dark find, no sneaky, need light?"
Crimthann stifled a chuckle "I defer to your judgement, master of the deep. I've been underground before, had to deal with little light, but I am from the surface, I'm not as comfortable with it as yourself"
"We use little light then, but when close to dark, little light go, dark see"
The gnome pulled what appeared to be a small vial from his pack, shook it, and handed it to Crimthann
It gave off a dim, blueish glow, just enough to see his immediate surroundings.
The issue of light settled, the two headed off, Kazimir leading the way through a maze of tunnels and caves.
They travelled along in silence, using only hand signals to communicate, avoiding unneeded sound lest it carry underground and alert unwanted ears.
After some time, Kazimir stopped, motioned for the vial, which he poured out, the glow dissapating as the liquid flowed into cracks in the rock. They sat in silence, Crimthann guessed Kazimir was allowing him to adjust to the change. After a few minutes, he felt a nudge on his shoulder, the darkness was overwhelming, and even with being familiar, more familiar than most surface folk anyways, with being underground and in low light, he had no idea how his gnome friend could see much at all.
They proceeded, slowly down the tunnel, until Crimthann noticed a change in the lighting, the walls flickered with a faint glow, and voices could be heard carrying along the tunnel, muffled and echoing, but voices.
Crimthann noticed in the faint light that this tunnel was not natural, but hewn from the rock, and it narrowed as they continued on.
Kazimir stopped as they approached the end of the tunnel, motioning Crimthann, his finger to his lips, urging him to be silent, as if the motion wasn't enough, he mouthed "sneaky" as he motioned to a gap in the rock, barely the size of a small head, this was where the light flickered from, Crimthann recognized the odd glow of faerie fire torches, and the voices were clearer.
He cautiously approached, just enough to see and hear.
"......you followed your dreams brother, I followed mine, you see? We are together. Our dreams are linked, you cannot fight it, you have lost, you are wrong, accept it brother, join us! Don't be like father, arrogant that only one path is right, red is just as powerful as silver, this is not good and evil, the very arrogance, to declare 'the Source' as if all other power is counterfeit. My source of power is just as real. The red eyes have spoken to me since youth, taught me to embrace my fear, to seek my own strength, to hide from fathers arrogance, yes, even from yours, your blind faith in some noble greater good! This world is only us, what we seek, our power, our success, what we do. There is no great 'Source', no greater powers, only other beings that manipulate us as we allow. The one with red eyes taught me this, helped me be strong in myself, not in some misguided service to a being who uses us, demands innocent sacrifice...."
Crimthann stumbled back from the gap, barely stifling a gasp as realization dawned. The gap was near the top of a deep cavern, cleverly positioned so that it blended with the shadows, he guessed placed by Kazimir. He could not see clearly, but he had seen two figures, one bound and seated, head bowed in tired defeat, the other a robed figure, his back to them, but Crimthann recognized the voice, he had heard it for many seasons, he helped raise the boy!
Kazimir, sensing his distress, led him back the way they had come, after a time producing another vial and handing it to him, they travelled in silence, Crimthanns mind going wild, how could this be? How had they all missed it, how could one of thier own, a son of Detric, turn like this.
By the time they reached the cavern they started from, tears ran down Crimthann's face. How had he not seen?? What was he to do?? He knew the Source had brought him and Kazimir together for a purpose, but he knew not what to do now, were they two to try and free Aedan alone? His gnome friend seemed terrified to directly engage whoever these "dark ones" were, yet had done so to help him....and...how was he to tell Detric that one of his sons seemed to be serving thier ancient foe? Great Source, how would he tell Jaci!
Crimthann collapsed onto the moss pile the gnome had originally placed him on, exhausted and confused.
