Obscenities swirled through Aaron’s mind as he rocketed through the electric portal. It was similar to his experience when initially sent to the void, except this time, he felt like he was falling up instead of down. His body was locked and immovable. However, another exception was that his arms were not locked to on either side. This time, his free arm was locked on the Hacklett.

“Swift!” Aaron yelled futilely. The end of their conjoined arm was lost in the column of light. The dwarf could not decipher if the orc was still on the other end. Aaron desperately hoped they were being sent back home and not to another void dimension. Or better yet, maybe they could finally reach that gnome’s location.

Something pinged on the Hacklet. It was difficult to see through the blazing column of light and electricity, yet despite the dwarf’s awkward position, he was sure something flashed on the Hacklet. Since his hand was locked over the Hacklet, he attempted to tap the screen, hoping something could help. But his finger would not move. Aaron focused harder, fighting the unseen force that held him bound.

Aaron (Strength) vs. [IncOmpuTaBlEeRrOr] – 4 vs. #@ Impossible action. Aaron fails SUCCeeds.

“What the f—?!"

Somehow, he managed to tap the notification on his Hacklet, but when that happened, his column of light tore away from its original direction. Aaron’s confusion was cut short as his direction of travel made a suddenly harsh turn. The dwarf felt like the skin and flesh surrounding his hand had been torn away as well, as pain and fire shot through his armpit and up his spine. He screamed through gritted teeth as the column of light continued to pull him through its blinding unknown.

Suddenly, the side of his body crashed into something hard and flat. The column of light and electricity showered down around him and quickly dissipated, leaving Aaron momentarily blinded in the dark place he had been transported to. He rolled onto his haunches and blinked several times, adjusting his spectacles so that they sat properly on his face.

The dwarf’s hand still tingled, but the burning sensation was gone. It had a strange, green-grey mottling, but that was of little concern to Aaron because that meant he had his hand back!

Aaron kissed his cold hand, grateful to have it back and no longer tethered to another. Aaron rubbed the cold, tingling sensations out of his hand as he quickly scanned the room for Swift. Looking about, the dwarf realized he was in a room he did not recognize. The furniture was a fine blend of luxury and economy—it made the room feel homely while carrying the undertone of financial stability. Brightly colored decorations hung on the walls and cabinets. Pictures also lined the walls, and all the pictures were of individuals with smiling faces… but there was something strange about their faces…

Aaron locked in place as a successful passive check scrolled past his vision, indicating someone or something was watching him. The thought crossed his mind that it could be Swift, but why would Swift be watching him while hiding? Slowly, Aaron turned his head to scan the room, wondering where the orc was hiding and why he would be hiding. Aaron completed his one-hundred-eighty-degree head rotation and found himself face-to-face with a dark-skinned gnome sporting a huge black mustache.

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“AH!”

Aaron jumped back, startled at the face suddenly in front of him. The gnome jumped back, too, and scurried under the dinner table in the center of the room.

Both the gnome and the dwarf paused to examine each other. The gnome’s thick, black mustache covered nearly half his face and curled at the tips. He wore a faded poncho with an angular red color scheme and a large, wide-brimmed sombrero. Aaron’s eyes widened as he noted a clear liquid sloshing and dripping from the sombrero’s brim.

The dwarf hesitated, considering how to handle this situation. “You’re not Swift, are you?”

The gnome did not respond but maintained a fixed stare on Aaron.

“Are you the gnome we’re looking for?” Aaron regretted that question as soon as it left his mouth.

He opened his Hacklet to check for the gnome’s name, and as he did, the gnome jumped back, nearly folding himself into the legs of one of the chairs tucked under the table.

“It’s okay,” Aaron held his open hands out for the gnome to see. “It’s okay. I’m here to help.”

The gnome began to make several hand and arm movements, and Aaron’s countenance dropped as he recognized the movements as sign language. “For the love of chalcedony! Swift, is that you? Did you get turned into a gnome?”

More hand and arm movements came from the scared gnome. Despite his disdain for the void realm, Aaron missed the translation text box that had floated over their heads. He sighed and extended his Hacklet arm to the gnome. “Come on, Swift. You know the deal. Type in what you’re saying.”

The gnome looked about the room as if expecting a trap to be sprung at any moment. Aaron waved his arm impatiently, waiting for the gnome to type on the Hacklet. Cautiously, the gnome crawled on all fours toward the dwarf, spilling some of the clear liquid from his sombrero along the way.

Aaron frowned as the gnome carefully typed on his Hacklet. The dwarf could not see how this was Swift unless Swift had some strange case of amnesia while being turned into a gnome. Using his investigative skills, Aaron was confident this was the cursed gnome they were tasked to find—but he had to wonder what sort of luck would have him come across another individual who spoke in sign language. He glanced down at his Hacklet to see what the gnome had typed.

Aléjate si te envió el troll. Si eres un amigo, ayúdame a escapar. Necesito encontrar a mis hermanos.

“What in the depth-damned coprolite blasted lode in this?” Aaron exclaimed when he saw the message. “What language is this? Pyrite and feldspar!”

The gnome recoiled at Aaron’s outburst, and the dwarf held his face in frustration.

“Okay, let me try to figure this out,” Aaron grumbled as he looked at the message. “Did that blasted light column change the language on my Hacklet…? What a vein of fetid fluorite. Alright, I see troll. No, I am not with a troll, and I don’t like trolls. Amigo, that means friend, right? While consider me a friend. Escapar necessito, uh, yes, you need to escape with me. I don’t know who Miss Hermanos is, but I’m sure we can figure it out along the way.”

The gnome looked questioningly up at Aaron.

The dwarf sighed and looked at his Hacklet. Everything on the screen was in Spanish—at least, Aaron was pretty sure it was Spanish. He closed the Hacklet and spoke slowly, using exaggerated hand and arm movements to communicate with the gnome. “I am friend. You follow me. I keep you safe.”

The gnome frowned, prompting Aaron to wonder if he had communicated what was intended.

One of the doors in the room burst open, and a large skull-faced wolf walking on two legs entered the room. Despite its face being a skull, the wolf-like individual had a large, fanged smile across its bony face. As it entered, it spoke emphatically. “The time has come to relieve you of your curse, Jose. ¡Alégrense porque el Aquelarre de Quetzalcóatl los liberará!”

The wolfish skull face actually stopped smiling as its empty eyes looked down at Aaron. The creature paused before speaking its next words slowly and without welcome. “Who are you? And how did you get in here?”

Aaron groaned. Today was a day for the darkest depths.