1 Chapter 5 -Pacatus the Elf
Keiichi couldn't sleep that night. His body was begging him to succumb to the comfort of the bed cloud, but his mind was racing with thoughts of the next day. He looked about the inside of the mound where he and the others were staying were staying. It was as bare as Malaya's, the clouds the only ting occupying it.
"Psst, Belldandy," he heard Urd whisper.
"What?" Belldandy replied.
Keiichi pretended he was asleep and concentrated greatly to hear them.
"What if something happens to Keiichi or Megumi?" Urd whispered with urgency.
"Nothing will happen to either of them. We have our powers. Nothing will happen.," Belldandy answered slowly.
"But.they've never been here before," Urd seemed to almost be searching for the pessimistic side.
"Don't worry about it. I won't let anything happen to Keiichi or Megumi," Belldandy said soothingly. "Now go back to bed."
Urd did not reply and no one talked for the rest of the night. Keiichi did not sleep either. It was hours before Belfar came into the mound to wake them all up. Keiichi was suddenly extremely tired, wishing he had actually gotten some sleep.
"It's time," Belfar said. He walked out of the hole that led to the outside and the five followed him.
Outside it was extremely misty and it seemed no one else was awake. Belfar walked and walked until there were no more mounds or mossy rock, just endless stretch of lat emerald grass. He smiled at the five.
"You will first visit the Gnomes," he said simply. "You will know what to do," he said to Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld.
All five nodded.
"Good luck," he said before flying upward. It was amazing how high and gracefully he could fly for such a big man.
But there was no time to gawk any longer as Belldandy immediately began walked westward. "We will visit the Gnomes. The Faeries have helped them in the past and it should be easy enough to get them on our side," she explained as she walked briskly. The mist was still there but it had thinned since leaving the village.
"How long will it be before we get there?" Megumi asked.
"Days," Urd answered.
They continued walked, the landscape not changing one bit with each step. They didn't talk much after that, living in their own thoughts. They barely even noticed the grove of trees they had descended upon. That was until a rather tall figure jumped down from one of those trees right in front of them.
One look and Keiichi could tell this was an Elf. He had pointy ears but no wings. He was tall and lanky and wore green armor, much more suited for a war than the Faeries' vulnerable cloth attire. He smiled at them but no one returned it.
"What do you want?" Belldandy asked severely.
The Elf smiled again. "I want to join you," he said sweetly.
This was obviously not the answer Belldandy, Urd, or Skuld were expecting because they collectively opened their mouths wide in shock. "What?" Belldandy asked, confused.
Once again the Elf smiled. "I am obviously an Elf," he said. "But I have been banished for speaking out against the war," he explained.
"Who are you?" Skuld asked, looking at him skeptically.
"Pacatus," he answered.
Belldandy thought for a moment, while Urd and Skuld looked at her to make the reply. "You can accompany us," she said and Pacatus smiled greatly. "But," she added harshly. "if you are lying, you will be sorry."
"Well then," Pacatus said genially. "Shall we get going?"
They nodded and began walked through the grove of trees, Megumi looking at the branches of each tree as if waiting for another Elf to jump down.
"Where are we going anyway?" Pacatus asked.
"To see the Gnomes," Urd answered., looking at Pacatus loathingly. She whispered something into Belldandy's ear and Keiichi could just make out 'You know you can't rust any of them.'. Belldandy merely nodded and mumbled something into Urd's ear, that Keiichi couldn't hear.
This Pacatus bothered Keiichi as well. There was just something about him that he couldn't quite place. Keiichi found himself almost glaring at Pacatus, who noticed him and smiled again.
They continued walking, following Belldandy. The grove of trees lasted a surprisingly long time. By the time they reached flat grassy plains again it was getting dark.
"Belldandy," Keiichi said. "should we stop here?"
"No," she said. "We'll keep going."
They continued on, Pacatus seemed to be the only one not fatiguing which bothered Keiichi even more. They walked and walked for what seemed like hours until Belldandy stopped suddenly at the overhang of a cliff.
"Look," she said pointing to the valley.
They all looked, seeing a mass of large mushrooms and mounds. "So?" Megumi asked.
"It's the Gnomes," Urd answered, looking down at the valley with determination.
"We'll camp here," Belldandy said. "In the morning we'll see the Gnomes."
Keiichi couldn't sleep that night. His body was begging him to succumb to the comfort of the bed cloud, but his mind was racing with thoughts of the next day. He looked about the inside of the mound where he and the others were staying were staying. It was as bare as Malaya's, the clouds the only ting occupying it.
"Psst, Belldandy," he heard Urd whisper.
"What?" Belldandy replied.
Keiichi pretended he was asleep and concentrated greatly to hear them.
"What if something happens to Keiichi or Megumi?" Urd whispered with urgency.
"Nothing will happen to either of them. We have our powers. Nothing will happen.," Belldandy answered slowly.
"But.they've never been here before," Urd seemed to almost be searching for the pessimistic side.
"Don't worry about it. I won't let anything happen to Keiichi or Megumi," Belldandy said soothingly. "Now go back to bed."
Urd did not reply and no one talked for the rest of the night. Keiichi did not sleep either. It was hours before Belfar came into the mound to wake them all up. Keiichi was suddenly extremely tired, wishing he had actually gotten some sleep.
"It's time," Belfar said. He walked out of the hole that led to the outside and the five followed him.
Outside it was extremely misty and it seemed no one else was awake. Belfar walked and walked until there were no more mounds or mossy rock, just endless stretch of lat emerald grass. He smiled at the five.
"You will first visit the Gnomes," he said simply. "You will know what to do," he said to Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld.
All five nodded.
"Good luck," he said before flying upward. It was amazing how high and gracefully he could fly for such a big man.
But there was no time to gawk any longer as Belldandy immediately began walked westward. "We will visit the Gnomes. The Faeries have helped them in the past and it should be easy enough to get them on our side," she explained as she walked briskly. The mist was still there but it had thinned since leaving the village.
"How long will it be before we get there?" Megumi asked.
"Days," Urd answered.
They continued walked, the landscape not changing one bit with each step. They didn't talk much after that, living in their own thoughts. They barely even noticed the grove of trees they had descended upon. That was until a rather tall figure jumped down from one of those trees right in front of them.
One look and Keiichi could tell this was an Elf. He had pointy ears but no wings. He was tall and lanky and wore green armor, much more suited for a war than the Faeries' vulnerable cloth attire. He smiled at them but no one returned it.
"What do you want?" Belldandy asked severely.
The Elf smiled again. "I want to join you," he said sweetly.
This was obviously not the answer Belldandy, Urd, or Skuld were expecting because they collectively opened their mouths wide in shock. "What?" Belldandy asked, confused.
Once again the Elf smiled. "I am obviously an Elf," he said. "But I have been banished for speaking out against the war," he explained.
"Who are you?" Skuld asked, looking at him skeptically.
"Pacatus," he answered.
Belldandy thought for a moment, while Urd and Skuld looked at her to make the reply. "You can accompany us," she said and Pacatus smiled greatly. "But," she added harshly. "if you are lying, you will be sorry."
"Well then," Pacatus said genially. "Shall we get going?"
They nodded and began walked through the grove of trees, Megumi looking at the branches of each tree as if waiting for another Elf to jump down.
"Where are we going anyway?" Pacatus asked.
"To see the Gnomes," Urd answered., looking at Pacatus loathingly. She whispered something into Belldandy's ear and Keiichi could just make out 'You know you can't rust any of them.'. Belldandy merely nodded and mumbled something into Urd's ear, that Keiichi couldn't hear.
This Pacatus bothered Keiichi as well. There was just something about him that he couldn't quite place. Keiichi found himself almost glaring at Pacatus, who noticed him and smiled again.
They continued walking, following Belldandy. The grove of trees lasted a surprisingly long time. By the time they reached flat grassy plains again it was getting dark.
"Belldandy," Keiichi said. "should we stop here?"
"No," she said. "We'll keep going."
They continued on, Pacatus seemed to be the only one not fatiguing which bothered Keiichi even more. They walked and walked for what seemed like hours until Belldandy stopped suddenly at the overhang of a cliff.
"Look," she said pointing to the valley.
They all looked, seeing a mass of large mushrooms and mounds. "So?" Megumi asked.
"It's the Gnomes," Urd answered, looking down at the valley with determination.
"We'll camp here," Belldandy said. "In the morning we'll see the Gnomes."