Chapter Three: Home

This chapter introduces a bit more background on the world, while moving the characters to home base.

     For five days and five nights they traveled. The old man sported his poncho and strange hat, while the little boy wore newly purchased clothing that breathed well in the desert heat.

     On the first day Som learned to keep quiet. He had attempted to speak often but found himself hard-pressed to evoke noise. Travel was not something his body was adjusted to. Each breath in the arid waste seemed to sap nutrients from him, a hungering swarm of invisible mites leeching liquid gluttonously on inhale and departing reluctantly on exhale. It was not till night that the boy could speak.

     On the first night Som learned of their destination. Sir had told him that they were going home to a cave by a river. Som asked what a river was. Sir had replied that it was a great powerful flood of water that flows through the ground. Som found this difficult to imagine, but was very impressed by the implications of such a thing.

     On the second day Som learned of pain. His physical being ached from the unusual work of yesterday, though his mind continued to dance. Why does my body ache so feverishly? wondered Som. He inquired it of Sir, who responded that it was his body trying to grow stronger muscles with which to carry him farther. Som responded confusedly that it seems to be doing fine as is, just a little achy. Sir told him that that achiness was a warning as well. If he were to push harder there would be more soreness the next day, continuing on and on until his body fell apart. Terrified, Som stopped walking and started crying. Sir came to his side and gently lifted him off his feet. Whilst carrying him, Sir told Som that the pain was merely a warning to be considered. Som would know far beforehand if he were pushing too hard. Also, his muscles were growing to accommodate the need to move more. Instead of falling apart Som would grow stronger. With both comfort and logic staying his tears, Som felt ready to walk once more.

     On the second night Som learned of stars. He had of course seen them before, but it was not often that he had been allowed outside of the orphanage at night. Sir lectured Som upon various constellations and their importance. There was much to learn, and many tales were told. There was the legend of Calphious, the great pyromancer who cauterized the gate to the Netherealm after the Second Demon March. And Aloquois, Saint Knight of the Templar Order who did battle with the evil werewolf king Acard and freed all werewolf kind from his oppression. More and more stories of epic proportions were told, making Som feet a little skeptical of the whole ordeal. He asked Sir if those stories were true. Sir answered that they were indeed, though a little embellished to be sure. Calphious, for example, had the help of 50 other flame mages. Aloquois was a saint only in title, vanity being her primary sin. Som contemplated this, but shortly thereafter succumbed to sleep.

     On the third day Som learned about geology. He was capable of thinking while moving now, and observed the landscape around him. Large crevices permeated the landscape, dry canyons between them. Plant life was sparsely spread out and somehow managed to eke out an existence despite the apparent lack of moisture. Strange layering of primal stone stood out on the sides of raised earth. It had an odd rugged sort of beauty about it, and intrigued little Som. When the party stopped for a midday break he asked about it.

     “Those are where lava has flown across hardened earth. As it cooled it left a new layer of earth on top of the previous, eventually building up the surface more and more till it was the surface that we stand upon now.” Sir explained precisely, yet general enough for the child’s mind.

     “Does all ground get made like that?”  Asked Som.

     “Just about all of it.” Sir summed up.

     “What about the stuff that didn’t? It couldn’t have always had ground to cool on could it?”

     Sir contemplated this for a time. Finally he said, “No. It must not have huh… I suppose it is a mystery worthy to be perused by a great geologist.”

     Som thought quietly for a moment. “Are you a geologist?”

     “No, I’m merely someone who knows many things.” The old man smiled.

     Som stayed silent for a time longer, “What’s a geologist?”

     The senior had anticipated the question, “A geologist is someone who studies rocks.”

     “So they spend all day just staring at rocks?”

     Sir chuckled, “Basically, yes.”

     After another five minutes of contemplation Som remarked, “Then I’m a geologist!”

     “Indeed you are.” contently said Sir.

     On the third night Som continued to learn of stars, this time about their technical existence. Sir taught him that stars were truly big balls of flame that stood high in the heavens. They were really far away, but they burned so brightly that they could be seen all the way down where the two of them were. The stars circle around other celestial objects in a special pattern called an orbit. Som asked how they formed constellations then. Sir told him that that was merely how they looked from all the way down here. It was theorized that there were actually millions of miles between each two stars. Som was bewildered, but accepted it all the same.

     On the fourth day Som experienced what a river was. He had already been told, but it was only after seeing one that he truly knew what a river was. It stormed through the soil powerfully, gouging out its existence on the face of the planet. Where it tore the earth plants grew vibrantly. Green seemed the color of the ground, as opposed to the dry yellow-orange of the desert. Humidity filled the air around Som, and suddenly he understood Sirs description of clouds. The theory seemed self-evident now. The group continued its journey alongside the river till dusk fell.

     On the fourth night Som learned of courage. New creatures and sounds abounded; frogs, crickets, the sway of tall cattails in the wind. The foreignness of it all sunk into Som. He was afraid. He tried to tell Sir this, but Sir was sound asleep. Alone in the strange place Som found it difficult to rest. But then he thought of his new home, and how he would like very much to be wide awake when he got there. So it was with a great deal of will that Som fell asleep.

     On the fifth day Som and Sir arrived home at the “cave.” It could hardly be called such, as it had an elaborate front door and a wooden front wall. In the front yard there was a garden and a dog house. In the backyard (indeed there was one) was a shed and crop field. As Som approached the house an enormous mountain cat prowled out from the dog house.

     Som froze, afraid to bring any attention to himself lest he be dinner. Sir happily jogged over to the feline and picked it up.

     “Som, this is Catherine. Catherine, this is Som.”

     Som looked over Catherine. She was a big cat, with fur the color of dried savanna grasses. She had layers of powerful muscle underneath her soft exterior. Despite being well over 130 pounds, Catherine maintained the grace of a natural hunter.

     Catherine in return eyed over Som. Then, after being released from Sirs embrace, carefully plodded over. She sniffed Som and batted at his clothing with mild interest. Catherine made a motion that could potentially have been considered acknowledgement and found a sunny spot to nap.

     “Don’t mind Cathy, she’s a bit full of herself.” Off in the distance Catherine growled.

     Sir escorted Som over to the front door and let them in. The interior of the house was quite different than expected.

     Skylights let in sunshine upon a comfortable lobby-like room. There were padded furnishings at a plain carpet. The walls were painted a dark green, which resembled a pine tree’s needles. Two doors presented themselves to the left and right, as well as a hallway with five doors in front of them.

     “Let the tour begin!” Sir said enthusiastically.

     First they went to the room on the right. It contained an enormous library filled with novels and tomes. Entire eras of knowledge were represented. There was information on every different flavor of science, magic and philosophy. No expense was spared in filling out the shelves.

     The room on the left contained an office study. Rough drafts and sticky notes were attached to every horizontal surface, and a good bit of the vertical ones as well. On the desk sat a barely visible typewriter with the beginnings of a case study typed out. In one corner a model solar system sat half constructed. In another, a diagram representing the anatomy of a troll was laying out to dry.

     The hallway led to a guest room, a kitchen, Sirs room, the backyard and a dojo. Inside the kitchen was a refrigerator, and a granite countertop that lined the walls. Within the dojo was every sort of weapon conceivable. The floor was set with a thick mat to fall upon. Training equipment decorated the walls and hung from the high vaulted ceiling.

     After all the tour was done the sun had begun to set, so Som was taken to one of the guest rooms and tucked into bed. Sir was going to return with a book to read Som, but the youngster was already fast asleep.

     Thus did Somnium learn of home.