Day 303 (281)((271)

Day 303 (281)((271)):

When Callie was awakened , she woke us all, which surprised the girl sent to get us. King Gorval and the scribe from yesterday, Lanara, met us for breakfast. The older staff woman, who said to call her Nana, laid out a respectable meal. Gorval and Lanara were both sad and distracted. The situation was laying heavily on their minds. As we ate, we talked about it. They explained how thousands of years of separation had made them nearly separate races. Over all of this time, the Duergar had become angrier, more violent, highly territorial, and more convinced that they were the "pure" race. A key event that turned the two groups against each other was ages ago when humans, gnomes, and other non-dwarfs began working in their mines. When they learned these races were not slaves, the Duergar went deeper into the mines, sealed the tunnels between the two groups, and they did not see each other for about a century. At their reunion, the difference was physical and the gray ones were calling for the expulsion of all non-dwarfs from "their" mountain. They tried to reconcile, but the gray ones eventually told them that any people other than Duergar were "inferior" and everyone was to leave "their" territory. Such it has been for generations. It has finally come to this point. The gray ones were vandalizing equipment, attacking workers, and, as we discovered, planning to invade Stahendring. We asked Gorval if he would permit us to tour the tunnels, see if there was anything we could sense to determine how close the gray ones were to actual invasion. Gorval permitted, but only with armed guards. Lanara was to go with us as well.

As we waited for the guards, I sat on a bench outside Callie's home. Set stood guard as Vanity and I felt deep into the mountain. It was amazing, the sheer number of inhabitants one mountain could hold. Deeper and deeper we felt. Around level thirty, we felt no living energies. This emptiness went on until level thirty-six or thirty-seven. That is when we started feeling the hate, anger, and hostility of the gray ones. No Foot was detected. Level forty-eight was the limit of our senses without straining. Set let us know it was time to go. We returned our perceptions to our current location as everyone assembled. We did not share our information with the guards, but told my sisters and Lanara. She quickly wrote it down, surprised at how far we reached into the mountain. 

The first dozen levels were uneventful save for the spots we crossed where the Duergar had been seen. The deeper levels, thirteen through twenty-five, had far more incursions as no sunlight penetrated this far. Here, without so much other "noise" from Gorval's people, we learned of actual instructions: what to look for, how large of an item to take, when to stop and wait for the guards, what the alarm bells sounded like, etc. 

As we passed level twenty-seven, our guards and Lanara began to grow nervous. We paused to rest and asked her about their nerves.

"These levels are said to be haunted. Equipment moves or disappears. Food and water vanish. We can find no cause or reason, thus most of this area is avoided."
We pondered such strangeness. Set sniffed, trying to not be bored. We continued with our nervous guards.
Level thirty-one felt rather strange. Devoid of any dwarf or like energy, I felt like someone was hiding, repeating, "Can't see me, can't see me," over and over. We stopped. As Set, Bo, and Dawn broke away to do their own investigating, I felt the hiders grow curious. Not actual words, I "heard" them speculating on our companions. Set took some deep breaths and launched into the darkness of the cave ceiling. The guards raised weapons, but we told them to stand down. Odd noises echoed from the darkness. From some of their reactions, I knew the guards and Lanara had heard them before. We seven heard Set ask Dawn to "light up". Dawn soared into the darkness then began to glow. As she got brighter, tiny eyes reflected the light. High above us, dozens of miniature dragons were revealed by Dawn's growing glow. Set was in the middle of them, hovering just below the ceiling. Our guards were dumbstruck. Lanara was writing furiously. Set, Dawn, and three of the little dragons descended. The little ones, nearly the same color as the stone that surrounded us, blinked wildly as they adjusted to the lights we carried. Set told me and I explained to the dwarfs.
"Their real name is difficult for non-dragons to pronounce, but they playfully refer to themselves as 'bat-dragons'. These three are fully grown. The middle one is an elder, meaning she is one of the oldest here. This is their winter home. The rest of the year, they live in the surrounding woods. This is also when they have babies.They can tell the difference between your people and the gray ones. Those things you told us about, stuff moving or vanishing, were their doing. They were playing games with you, a type of hide-and-seek. In spite of their size, they are very intelligent. The gray ones shoot them. They hate the Duergar."
The three bat-dragons chattered loudly, emphasizing their feelings on the matter.
"They want to help. Just like riding dragons can speak to each other over long distances, they can, too. If a few were in the higher levels, the ones down here could tell them when Duergar  are passing through."
"What a grand idea!" Lanara exclaimed, causing nearly everyone to jump, "Will they come up with us to speak with the King?"
Set translated. The elder stayed while the other two returned to the darkness of the tunnel ceiling.
"She volunteers," I told them.
We went up much faster than we went down, since we were not searching. Set and the tiny elder conversed in dragon nearly the entire trip.When we reached heavily populated areas, she hid under Set's wing as all the noises frightened her. The guards, sometimes roughly, parted the way for us to King Gorval's palace. Lanara took the lead inside the palace, stating she knew the most likely places to find him.
He and a few others were in the third place we tried.
"That was quick," King Gorval began as he motioned for us to find seats, "We expected you to be gone a couple of days."
Lanara went next to him, "Sire, we have discovered a great boon and a welcomed ally."
"Really? Tell me," he requested eagerly.
"Set, can you coax her out?" This is the King we mentioned," she said softly.
Set moved his wing and the small elder flew out and landed on his head. Gorval looked confused.
"A baby dragon? How can it help?"
"Sire," I began, "she is not a baby. She is an elder of her kind. This is full grown."
Gorval looked shocked. He examined the little one from his seat.
"How many of her kind did you uncover?"
The tiny elder peeped and chirped. Set translated and told me a number that was astounding and that surprised the rest when I told them. This peaked Gorval's interest.
"And how may this boon aid us?" he asked, leaning towards us.
"As with riding dragons, these are linked mentally. She can hear her fellows below, who can tell her when Duergar are moving through their levels," I explained.
"Which levels do they occupy? Will it give us a warning far enough ahead to prepare?"
"They live in levels thirty-one through thirty-three, Your Majesty," Lanara informed him.
Gorval sat back, "The haunted levels? But, Kayla, you said you felt nothing on those levels."
The elder replied for me. She flew up above our heads and vanished. A few seconds later, she reappeared in the same place.
"They can avoid detection, Your Majesty, by many means. Only the keen senses of dragons can detect them even if they are so hidden. Also, those levels are not haunted, it was these little ones playing tricks," I told him.
He visibly relaxed, a lot of confusion lifted and new ideas came to him. He asked us to begin negotiations with the little ones to become their hidden sentries. Gorval left to speak with his council about this new turn of events.
We stayed and talked with the little elder, who said to call her Echo, which was the closest human word to her actual name. She remembered old tales of her kind partnering with dwarfs and other "two-legs" to investigate tunnels and caves. She looked at all of us and went to Callie. On Callie's lap, Echo shook and removed a tiny scale. Seeing her ring, she tucked the scale between metal and skin. Lifting both scale and ring, she lightly scratched Callie's finger and quickly pressed the scale over the thin line of blood. She held the ring and scale to the wound for several seconds.
"Is the bond made?" we seven heard a small female voice ask in our heads. Callie looked at the being in her lap.
"Yes, I hear you," Callie whispered.
"Good, the old tales spoke true. Let the rest know that this can be done and the plan will work."
It took a bit to explain to Lanara what had taken place. By the time she understood, it was late evening. We returned to Callie's home for dinner. The staff took to our new addition as she became familiar with her new home. As we suspected, Echo ate very little, but it was all meat. In Callie's room, Echo found "my place", a dark corner not far from Callie's bed. As we prepared to go to sleep, I warned Callie to expect strange dreams as Echo's dreams might seep into her sleeping mind. She thanked me for the warning and we all went to our rooms to sleep.

Day 302 (280)((270))

Day 302 (280)((270)):

A little before dawn, we awoke to a glorious sound. In the large square between the council building and the rider outpost, gnomes, nearly a quarter to half of the city, were gathered and singing to the sun. Nigle and other oddlings were side-by-side with the council and other "prominent" gnomes. We quickly dressed and went down. Anna found Arkgo and his family among them. We, besides Anna, merely watched. Dawn sang with them as well, glowing brighter than the last time she sang to the sun. When the sun broke over the horizon, I felt a great weight fall off the city, replaced by a peace similar to the embrace of an old lost friend. From somewhere, I "heard" a hearty laugh and knew the gnome gods were pleased. 

The gnomes proceeded to Sourmortane while the oddlings, their morning ritual complete, went to work. I could sense that their title of "oddling" was falling away. Alice and Anna, when she rejoined us, confirmed this and told us their new title was "Gourdno", indicating they practiced the oldest traditions. Maudrin saw us and called for us to join the riders for breakfast.

The former oddlings, as expected, were in grand spirits as they worked and their food reflected their joy. Maudrin and the dwarf riders, however, did not share their feelings.

"Sisters, the grey ones are getting bolder," he told us, "No place inside the mountains is safe. Failing to get the Rod has only angered and provoked them. King Gorval is, uncharacteristically, begging for any aid."

Maudrin was not pleased when we told him they had the Master Miner's Foot, which was giving them access to every place, no matter how secure. He was glad that was the only one of his parts they possessed. We told him to inform the king we would help. He nearly cheered. He told us to tell the council and he would see to our transportation. We finished breakfast, toured the finished outpost, and waited for the council

As we waited, I could feel the peace expanding in the city. Gourdnos walked openly in the near empty streets. They hummed, whistled, and sang as they worked. We met the council before they went inside and informed them of our leaving and destination. They understood, but were still sad to see us leave. They went to breakfast and we went to pack for the trip.

We were ready in short order. Maudrin met us outside along with the council. Arkgo and some of his family, Nigle, and many from the outpost, plus a host of others were also there. Out in the square, Emerald and six other dragons waited along with their riders. I could feel my sisters' confusion. I pointed out that each dragon had a double saddle. Many of them paled when they understood how we were traveling to Stahendring. The riders took our gear and secured them. Callie and Maudrin mounted Emerald. Erik and I mounted Scarlet. Lisa was aided by a gnome onto a blue. Gretta was assisted onto a green. Alice gingerly settled onto a copper behind a well-muscled dwarf. Anna accepted help from the gnome rider and Arkgo onto a brass. Sarah took a minute to get situated on another blue behind a gnome only slightly smaller than herself. The assembled Gowgornok gnomes waved and cheered as we took off, accompanied by screams from a few of my sisters. Set, Dawn, and Bo flew on their own as we lifted into the air.

Out of Gowgornok, we headed straight for the mountains. Even in the cold winter air, the heat radiating from the dragons kept us from getting too chilled. Bo decided to wrap around Lisa instead of trying to keep up. Set had little difficulty in matching Scarlet's cruising speed. Dawn not only kept up, but circled, swooped, and played around our formation. 

The mountains, massive from a distance, grew larger as we approached. Through the dragons, I saw the specific mountain that was our destination. While not the highest, it was still one of the largest. I allowed myself to feel around us. On the slopes, the mountains looked void of dwarf life even though animals abounded. Inside, however, life teemed and thrived. I received a village name and asked Erik how deep it was. In shock, he told me it was a mile below the surface of the slope. He became stone silent when I told him how I learned its name. Scarlet brought him out of it by announcing that Stahendring was in sight. 

I saw its aura before I saw the actual city. Anna told us it was named for a "stubborn obstacle" the first dwarfs encountered while mining the mountain. This obstacle forced them to refine and improve their tools and skills, during which time a town developed near it. Finally, they discovered its composition, iron infused with veins of diamonds, and cracked it, revealing a wonder. Their "stubborn obstacle" was actually a geode holding yellow crystals that, when exposed to sunlight, became charged and held light for many hours. Also, upon being charged, they attracted deep dwelling grubs that made their own light and quickly replaced torches and other flame lights where there was a danger of gas or combustible items. The leaders of the infant city used this shining geode as their symbol: a sun inside a mountain. As other "obstacles" were uncovered, the settlement grew into a full city and the leaders named as royalty. The "sun crystals" became their prize as no other mountain revealed such a treasure.
Stahindring erupted into view as we rounded a smaller peak. While I could feel that only a fraction of the city saw sunlight, the visible portion was still a sight to behold. Also, I could see why human mapmakers only marked it as a large town or small city.
We landed on a large flat area sticking out over a sheer cliff. A group of dwarf guards met us. Callie was wearing her gifts, which caused a mild reaction. Maudrin called us together as the riders gathered our gear. He and the group escorted us towards a large building. At the door, our companions were stopped.
"Animals remain outside. Handlers will care for them."
The seven of us stepped back, away from the door.
"Then, we remain outside," I said, "They are our companions. They go where we go."
The group looked puzzled. They turned to Callie.
"Your servants are being rude, m'lady. What punishment shall we give them?" one asked as they drew weapons.
Callie was a bit surprised, wondering why they were asking her and why they wanted to punish us.
"They are not my servants. They are my Sisters," Callie told them.
It was their turn to be surprised and confused. Maudrin tried to explain, but was pushed out of the way.
"You claim kinship to these? These are not dwarfs. There are elves, humans, and ," looking at me, "strange creatures. How can these be your sisters?" the one who looked like an officer asked.
"They are the Seven Sisters of the Swords and they and their companions are not to be prevented from entering the palace," came a deep male voice from the shadowy interior.
The officer turned to confront the male then bowed quickly, followed by the other guards. An older dwarf male in regal dress walked into the winter sunshine. He bore the same symbol as Callie.
"Forgive my foolish men," he said warmly, but gave the guards hard looks, "They have been on this mountain too long and forgotten that different races and species can be companions, friends, even Sisters. Welcome to Stahendring, I am King Gorval Stormhammer."
We introduced ourselves as the guards put away their weapons. King Gorval led us inside the palace. While dwarfs average a foot shorter than the average human, the ceilings towered twenty-thirty feet above our heads. While not painted, the carvings on the walls had shadows that fooled the eyes into seeing colors. King Gorval led us to what was probably considered a small room where other dwarfs, males and females, were already assembled. Their talk stopped when we entered. Not bowing, the others did incline their heads as the King went to the head of the table where they sat. We arranged ourselves around the table. Tunnel maps were spread out over the table, marked at random points.
"Everyone, these are the Sisters.The one wearing my crest is Callie of Denar, a distant cousin of mine. It is our hope these ladies can offer assistance from their unique perspectives. They know some of our situation as they just left Gowgornok. Dularg, fill them in on the rest."
Another male dwarf stood with a thin stick.
"These maps are the interiors of our city. These marks are Duergar attacks. As far as we can tell, they are completely random. Other than some trivial items, nothing has been taken. We cannot understand the purpose of these events."
We looked over the maps. The places marked were on nearly every level below the areas that received sunlight.
"Their activities make no sense. They are there only a short time, take some trivial item, cause, no damage, and leave when confronted. What can they be doing?"
"Are there any of these nearby?" some of us asked together.
They looked at us silently for a moment before Dularg responded, "Yes, just a way down the tunnel. Follow me."
We followed him, followed by King Gorval and the rest of his council. In a few minutes, we were at an intersection of many tunnels. Dularg began to speak, but Anna started first.
"A picture was stolen, one of little importance. The gray one only moved around this small area until he was discovered, vanishing without a fight."
"But, why? What purpose did it serve?" King Gorval asked.
"They are scouting," Alice reported, "They do not have the detailed maps you have. The items they steal are for a transport spell to lock onto places inside your city. They are not satisfied with the way of travel with the Minter's Foot. They still have to physically walk from their territory to here. They are planning attacks on you and are plotting attack points."
The dwarfs began grumbling loudly. We all returned to the room. With this information, the random points no longer appeared so random.They started naming key areas that were not far from the marks. The dwarfs sat in silence, trying to think of a solution. We also batted around ideas mentally with the swords.
"This is racial," Alice told us, "The Duergar believe they are the 'true' dwarfs because they have no interaction with non-dwarfs and remain 'untainted' by other races.They want to purge the entire dwarf lands of so-called 'bastard' dwarfs and other 'inferior' races. The Miner's Rod was going to let them collapse whole mountains and crush or trap the other dwarfs to kill them. I could not tell if they knew Nurz had failed."
We were amazed that there was such a division among the dwarf race. Callie felt the most pain, not understanding how her kin could hate themselves. The King and council told their staff to bring us all lunch in the room.
We were staring at the tunnel maps when something caught my eye. I saw a mark moving over the map.No one else seemed to see it. I continued to watch it as it traveled from the lower levels to the higher ones. So intently was I watching it that I didn't notice everyone watching me. Callie, finally, got my attention.
"I am sorry. Someone is working their way up from the deeper tunnels. That is what I was watching."
I showed them the moving mark. It was still coming up, crossing tunnel walls, floors, and ceilings. Even though I followed it with my finger, the rest seemed to have difficulty following it.
"Kayla, we see nothing. Are you certain?" one of the dwarfs asked.
Looking up, I was surprised, "You can't see this? It is in level sixteen, heading northeast, slowly, like its searching..."
"The armory!" King Gorval barked as he stood.
He ran to a wall with many chords dangling. He pulled several at once, causing a cacophony of bells to sound all around us. Gorval returned to stand beside me. He looked at the tunnel maps intently.
"Where is it now? Do you still see it?" he asked tensely.
"It is still on level sixteen, but it has stopped. The bells are causing it to be confused."
"Good, maybe we can catch one of these intruders," he said, not taking his eyes off the maps, "What's happening now?"
I saw different markings converging on the intruder mark, which still had not moved. They were on levels fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen. When the intruder mark was surrounded on sixteen, it dropped to seventeen. Those on that level engulfed it. It appeared to have been captured. They were all headed back. The ones on the two higher levels met the rest as they came up towards the surface. Suddenly, they all stopped.
"Sarah, pull in now! Brace yourself!" I sent urgently to her.
 She complied just before all of the marks vanished. Gorval was most upset and confused. He sent Dularg and a few of the others to investigate. It pained me to tell him that I suspected they were dead. As Sarah reopened her senses, she confirmed she could not feel their presences any longer.
When they returned, Dularg and the others gave a sad report.
"The Duergar must of had the Foot, but someone retrieved it and replaced it with something that killed the Duergar and all of the guards. No one survived."
Gorval collapsed into an empty seat, pain shrinking his glow.
"Your Majesty, let us go down and check it out. We may get the answers," Alice offered.
Gorval barely nodded. Dularg led us to the spot. We sadly watched the bodies being carried away. Another dwarf was poised to record our observations.
"The gray ones actually wait for the guards so they can escape right through their hands. They believe the dwarfs here are too stupid to prepare for their plan of escape. This one was actually stunned that guards were below him. The guards secured the Foot. It took whomever was watching a bit before they knew they lost the Foot. They transported the Foot at the same time as a fragile bottle of an acid cloud. The guard holding the Foot crushed the bottle, releasing the cloud and killing everyone around."
The dwarfs, listening silently, nodded as they digested this information.
The scribe finished, then she asked, "Is this preparing for invasion?"
"Yes," Anna replied, "they are building transport points to put soldiers in all of those spots at the same time. They know that they can't overpower you, so they are betting on surprise."
The scribe finished while the other dwarfs fumed and fussed.
Once she finished, she sighed," There lies our dilemma.  How do we stop this?"
We all nodded. We all knew the Foot had to be taken from them to prevent any more incursions. If they could not complete their placement, they would not dare their invasion.
The bodies were gone save for the Duergar. The physical difference between the two groups was stark.Gorval and his people were tanned, robust, with hair in shades of browns and reds and eyes of all colors. This "gray one" was scrawny and just that, gray. Skin, hair, and eyes all in shades of gray. Even his clothes were gray where Gorval's people wore browns, greens, rusty reds, and muted blues.
"What of his body?" Callie asked.
"We're not sure," Dularg replied, "They've all escaped before. This is the first we've had to handle."
The other dwarfs were also at a loss. We suggested returning him to his people, not to get rid of him, but to allow them their death rituals.
"Courtesy to the enemy? You girls really do have kind hearts. Very well, but how?" Dularg asked.
We said nothing. Drawing swords, we touched the tips to the corpse.
"Return to your people so they can properly mourn," we ordered.
The body glowed, then vanished.
We all went back to the room we had left. King Gorval was still there. He read the scribe's writing. We were all seated by the time he finished.
"As I see it, we must get the Foot away from them. Since they are still scouting, we can surmise that their plan is not complete.We must prevent its completion, but how? They can call it out of our hands when we seize it. Reinforcing the tunnels will do nothing since the Foot lets them walk though walls and floors. Ladies, I do not put this all on you, but any help will be appreciated. We will let you retire to Callie's home to think, rest, and do what it is you do."
A valet was called to escort us to the home that was also a gift to Callie. All of our gear was waiting on us as well as a handful of staff people. The valet left us to them. We were each shown to a bedroom "tailored" to us. Callie, of course, had the "master suite", which also had books on building and mining and like subjects. Sarah's was very airy with religious and medicinal items. Gretta's had gem cutting and appraising items in an open but solid room. Lisa's looked like a small armory and training area. Alice's was a gallery of past kings, heroes, and important events along with books of the same. Anna's had paintings and tapestries of great battles and discoveries and all the supporting documents. Mine was all dragon: tools, books, paintings, and decor. I guess it was hard to decorate for a seer although I did find an assortment of scrying bowls and wizards' glasses. Set sniffed everything. We were all still looking them over when dinner was announced.
We made our ways to a grand dining room. Such a feast! Callie was a bit overwhelmed when she was placed at the head of "her" table and asked if she approved of everything.
Sometime during dinner, I felt Callie getting very sad.
"Callie? What's wrong? What saddens you?" I asked.
"I cannot accept this house. I can't pay these people or buy food or maintain it. I am a simple girl from Denar. I don't have a staff or a mansion. I will have to give it all back," she cried after speaking.
"Miss," one of the older staff women spoke, "there is no need to worry about all of that. We are paid by the King, who also provides the food and upkeep. As for being a simple girl, it was told to us you would have a very important job that will require most of your time. We are here to do the minor daily stuff so you can focus on your job. We chose to keep your house. I hope you choose to keep it as well."
Callie sniffed as she composed herself, "You might find me working beside you. I don't want you to think I think I am above you."
The whole staff laughed.
"Miss Callie, we would happily work beside you, when your job permits," the same woman told her, "but you may find that rarely happens."
Callie relaxed and finished dinner. It was odd to be in a room without my sisters physically present. Still, we spoke mentally as we prepared for bed. My bed was large enough and sturdy enough for Set to sleep beside me. Vanity was laid in her usual spot. 

Days 300-301 (278-279)((268-269))

Day 300 (278)((268)):

As we waited for the council to return from Soumortane, I looked over my journal. I informed my sisters that we had caught up with ourselves and were no longer in Crialas at the same time we were here. They relaxed a bit, no longer having that in the backs of their minds. I was slightly curious how the Faerie Queen got us out of Crialas, but other things were more important than satisfying my curiosity. We watched for the council to return. We followed them to the council chambers. They looked at us hopefully.

"Sisters, have you any news? Did the experts give you any answers?"

We began telling them that there were some gnomes in Gowgornok who could do the mystery part, but they insisted on keeping their identities a secret. So as not to draw attentions to them, they asked that everyone dress in identical robes with hoods, masks, and gloves. It was the only way they would agree to join in completing the plans. The council silently pondered this odd request. It did not take long for them to agree.

"They have the skill we do not. We accept their specifications."

After breakfast, we found Nigle and let him know they agreed to the plan. He and the other oddlings were relieved and excited at the same time. We had copies of the plans and they went over the steps. Word was sent to us that, by evening, all of the equipment would be in place. Robes with hoods were sent to us and our "experts" shortly after lunch. We had no illusions that the seven of us wouldn't be easily noticed. The oddlings, however, would be well disguised and, since they rarely spoke to non-oddlings, their voices would not mark them. They practiced their dance and found the item, a shell of sorts, to be ready.

We flung on the robes, gloves, and masks and met the council, similarly attired, outside the Rod's "home". As expected, most of the seven of us received looks of recognition. Anna, Sarah, the dwarf riders, and the oddlings received questioning looks that were quickly suppressed. We all filed in pass the guards and patrols, who simply watched us in silence. Inside, the four guards dropped the ineffective barrier and left.

Following the plans to the letter, we called, cast, summoned, and evoked, building quite a bit of power in the room. Finally, time came for the oddlings. When the shell was brought out, I felt anger from the council. Why would an empty shell produce such intense emotions? Then, the dance. Graceful and spry, their movements wove the magic in the room into a second, smaller, room encasing the Rod and its pedestal. The shell was transformed into a transparent dome over the Rod, pedestal, and some of the surrounding floor. With a final shout and twirl, the Rod was encased, its magic undetectable outside this room. The oddlings rejoined us for some final words and the task was complete. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The council began removing their masks. Horror shot through the oddlings.

"Now that it is safe, we would like to see whom we have to thank for this," a councilor calmly spoke, hiding the anger he truly felt. The other councilors were also angry but hiding it.

"Why?" Anna asked, putting herself between the two groups. 

One councilor snapped, "Because that shell is forbidden! No gnome would hold such a thing, let alone have one in his possession. Show your face so we know who to throw in jail."

We joined Anna in separating council from oddling. I removed my mask.

"Your own gods told you to use that shell and that dance. If they will it, how is it forbidden?" I asked them sternly.

Their anger buckled. They had forgotten the authors of the plans we followed. Now, they were uncertain. We used that as a diversion to let the oddlings sprint from the building and vanish into the night. No one followed. The council began dredging up ancient history as they tried to remember when the shell, the remains of a particular kind of tortoise, had become a forbidden item to their race. Not a single one could come up with a moment it had happened. Even Anna and Alice were at a loss. As we all walked through the dark streets at Gowgornok, the council vowed to re-examine their rules and beliefs. We hoped it might reunite the oddlings with the rest of their people.

Day 301 (279)((269)):

Upon waking, the swords told us gifts had been left during the night by the oddlings. We opened the door to find treasure. More of the spice Set liked, sparingly as too much hurt his stomach. Trinkets of all types, showing their master skills with a variety of metals and stones. Hats, gloves, scarves, all manner of cold weather garments, dyed in radiant hues.

We gathered them quickly in case the other gnomes returned and saw them. The clothes we packed away as well as the spice. Some of the trinkets we stowed while asking Aloriana to take the rest to the Faerie Realm. We hurriedly dressed when we felt the gnomes returning from Sourmortane. We met the council in their chambers.

As we all ate breakfast, the council, while not voicing it, still pondered the "experts" from last night. They knew better than to ask us, knowing we would not tell.

"Ladies," one began, "we would like you and your experts to know we have found nothing in any record that forbids the handling of that shell, animal, or any shell known. Please apologize to them for us."

As we confirmed, I relayed the message to the riders to convey to the oddlings. They were pleased. 

"We hope you can answer something for us," another posed, "Did they explain why they knew it but no one else in all of Gowgornok?"

We swallowed before explaining how they collected obscure rites and rituals that had been purged from officially observed practices and most of Gowgornok had never seen or studied. Heads bobbed as they took in our words.

"Perhaps they can be persuaded to share some of this knowledge? Another look might give us new insight or at least let us understand why they were purged?"

This I also sent to the riders who told the oddlings. I tried sending directly, but these gnomes' mental voices only worked at short ranges and the distance from the outpost to the council chambers was simply too far. I received their replies of only showing the mildest and least offensive. If those were well received, they would cautiously reveal more. 

After breakfast, the council received a package which contained these mild rituals. The council gathered tightly to pour over them, ignoring us completely. We took a walk around Gowgornok.

Some of the beings attracted by the Rod decided to stay with the gnomes. Small fire and water elements actually found jobs within forges, craft halls, and medical areas. Unicorns found the city too noisy and left once they had finished their additions to the outpost. Pixies, will-o'-wisps, and other small beings flitted around. 

We were watched as we walked. The man that was Anna's future husband was going about his daily life, which appeared to be a paper merchant or someone who made paper. Anna's eyes locked on him and she stopped. We stopped with her and allowed her to watch him. We remained silent, in respect for her and him. When he saw her, he stopped everything and ran over. As before, their auras began changing to match each other. The pair went off to talk. The rest of us continued around the city. We had no fear that we would separate now, but it was good for Anna and him to get better acquainted. 

Anna and Arkgo found us that evening with an invitation from his family to join them for dinner. Arkgo said his parents, specifically his mother, decided a person's friends reflected the person's character and judgement. By meeting us, they would get a better view of Anna.

The family, like many gnome families, was large and had many members living in the same house. We met brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and many other relatives. We had a pleasant time. I could see they liked Anna and approved of she and Arkgo together. They understood we still had some of our journey year left and a wedding was still a while before she could commit to a date. He and some of his family escorted us back to the council building as they lived well away from it. Anna was very reluctant to part from Arkgo, but they did part. We did not see any of the council on our way to our suite. Some more gifts had been left, neatly hidden from accidental discovery by any other gnomes. Also, a curious note was left. It predicted that oddlings would, soon, no longer be odd. Nigle had already met with the council, who told him they could find no ban or rule on the oddlings rituals or restrictions on their diet. We were happy for both sides.

Day 298-299 (276-277)((266-267))

Day 298 (276)((266)):

The majesty of the field was revealed by the rising sun. The closed moon flowers still shown the edges of their pale petals hidden in green capes.Snap dragons abounded, marking both dragon and rider blood spatter. The ogres were marked by tall thistles of bruise purple and deep green. In daylight, the vines were just as dark green and red as they looked by torch light. Those who had been wounded seemed connected to the plant that grew from their blood. Also, friends of the fallen told us they could feel their friend's energy in the blossoms that marked where they lost their lives. Some of the healers stayed behind to document this and catalog which plants grew from who's blood. We packed up to return to Gowgornok.

A great crowd met us as the illusion barrier opened. Family found their members and either rejoiced in their return or mourned their loss. The council was informed of the location of the field, healers, and the wondrous plants. As our "army" separated to return to normal life, the council gathered scholars, wizards, and clerics to go and thoroughly investigate the field. We seven were called to the council chambers to discuss how to cloak the Rod so it would not continue to light the way to Gowgornok.

We hashed it out for hours. Maudrin and other riders were asked for options as well. We took a break when the group from the field returned with an extremely detailed report. Samples were shown of everything but the vine. None of them could break, cut, or slice even a chip from it. Detailed drawing of it was the best they could do. Some flowers were named in honor of the fallen. The vine was named "Ogre's Folly". They decided not to name it after Nurz as they concluded he was "dead" long before the battle. The thistles were simply called "Ogre Thistles". 

We still had no solution to the Rod dilemma. It was decided to sleep on it, perhaps to let other powers guide us.

Day 299 (277)((267)):

(Dream)

I was not in Andros' home, Fate's dwelling, or anyplace I knew. Vanity was at my side as was Set. All three of us were confused. The room was gray and empty.

"Kay? Are we in trouble?" Set asked as he leaned against me in fear.

"I am not sure. What a strange place. I wonder what drew us to a cold, empty room?" I asked as I comforted Set.

A laugh echoed from the emptiness. It died away just before a male voice spoke.

"Fearless young thing, isn't she? She can even comfort her young charge while faced with the unknown. Let us test her a bit more. I do not wish to take their word for her metal."

The voice fell silent and the walls began sliding inwardly. I felt Set's attempt to enter kirlan.

"Kay! I can't pop! We're stuck!" Set yelled as he shook in my embrace. Vanity also looked fearful. I grabbed her hand and we sandwiched Set between us.

"Set, look at me. Remember your big size? This is the dreamland. You can be as big as you want to be," I told him.

His eyes looked away as he remembered. Suddenly, he began to grow rapidly. I pulled Vanity around to my side when he got too big for us to encase him. When Set grew to meet the ceiling, he folded a bit before giving it a mighty shove with his horned head. The ceiling lifted off the room and sailed off to the side. Squeals preceded the falling of the walls to crash on the floor. Small, gnome-like people fell forward to lay on the walls that were thin boards instead of the stone it was made to resemble. Behind us, two male and two female dwarfs stood, laughing at the small people's distress. Set, realizing the dwarfs had imprisoned us, faced them crossly.

"That was not funny! Maybe we should put you in a box and see how you like it," he chastised the group, flames and lightning leaking around his lips.

"Stand down, dragon!" one of the males, the same who had spoke before, ordered, "You know not whom you address."

"No," I interrupted as Vanity and I came around Set to the group, "we don't know who you are or why you have done this. So, unless you are finished with us, I suggest you explain."

The four exchanged looks. They closed up to whisper to each other. I heard, "Told Brimagor off too" among the noises they made. Finally, they turned back to us.

"We are High Fathers and Hegi Jomfru of the dwarfs. We wanted to see if the stories about you were true. And here, in an unknown place against unknown dangers, you found the solution that did the least damage and kept everyone from real harm, proving every word. Also, not knowing us or our power, you reprimand us for our behavior as you did with Brimagor. Let us put away hostility and get to the matter at hand."

I turned to Set and began calming him, which let him return to his normal size. Chairs were brought as the "room" was taken away. When everyone was settled, they began.

"We apologize for the fright. We had difficulty believing what others said about you. Also, the report of how you handled the ogre mage was hard to believe. Now that we have seen you for ourselves, we offer you aid. The gnomes cannot return the Master Miner's Rod to the dwarfs. Our dark children, the Duergar, would do unspeakable evil with it in their possession and any mountain is vulnerable. They have the Foot, which is the least of the three, but it enables them to go anywhere, even the most secure area inside the mountains. Fortunately, the Wand, the one that summons elements, is far away and safe."

A gnome returned with a handful of parchment. This was given to the dwarfs.

"Herein lies instructions to cloak the Rod. Emphasize that this is to be followed precisely. We know the gnomes will want to modify it, but it must be this way in order to work. When they argue, and they will, tell them 'Gal-tol greenakmar' . This should, hopefully, end their reluctance. Now, return to them and let them know the solution is in hand."

We took the parchment and the three of us held them together as we returned to the waking world.

My sisters were standing around me as I woke. They looked concerned and worried. As I sat up, papers rustled under my arm, on top of Vanity, and under Set's heavy tail. I moved them to lay on my lap. 

Finally, Callie broke the silence, "Where did you go? The swords said you were 'summoned', but they didn't know where. Set was growling and smoking something awful and Vanity was humming fiercely. The council is still at Sourmortane, so we are the only ones who know."

 I got them to sit as I explained. Callie thought my "test" was rather mean. Anna asked me to describe the other people in greater detail. She explained that they were not gnomes but what the clerics called "Waiting Spirits", who may or may not be reborn. They help all gods, not just gnomish or dwarfish gods.

As we sat, we looked over the parchments I had been given. The plans were rather simple. We could not see why anyone would seek to change them in any way.
A staff woman interrupted our conversation. We dressed and went down to the council chamber. Worry hung in the room like a cloud. Each councilor had their own cloud and looking downtrodden. Finally, one addressed us.
"Ladies, we are at a loss. No wizard, cleric, or any other magic users has any idea on how to shroud the Rod. Please, can you give us any hope?"
We passed the parchment to the council. They were allowed to look it over. Just as the High Fathers said, they began talking about a tweak here, a pinch there, to make it "work".
"Council, those plans do not need any changes. The ones who gave us those said the plans must be followed precisely," I interrupted them.
They looked at me questioningly. They exchanged looks with each other. The looks they gave me were like disapproving parents.
"Kayla, while these are very good plans, their skills still require refinement," a councilor told me.
My sisters held their retorts. Facing the council, I took a deep breath before responding.
"The designers gave me a message if you decided to make changes."
That got all of their attentions. After a few heartbeats, I told them "Gal-tol greenakmar."
Items crashing was their only reply as cups, utensils, and other things fell from limp hands. Staff who happened to hear my words were standing as if turned to statues. We seven looked around. Anna had told us what it meant, but we did not expect this kind of reaction.
"Why are they quiet, Kayla?" Set asked as he looked around at the motionless gnomes.
"I don't know. Those words surprised them. They should recover shortly," I assured him.
We waited for the council to find their voices as we finished our breakfast.
Finally, one of them spoke, "Ladies, you may not know this, but our deities told us that any who spoke with their words would use that phrase to let us know to believe what we were told. We shall follow these plans to the letter."
We nodded in understanding. They asked where we had gotten the plans. Cautiously, I told them. Some of the councilors and staff passed out. We attempted to aid them, but were asked, tensely, to leave so they could tend their own. We walked out and went to the riders' outpost. Some of our allies were still around, helping finish the outpost to be a comfortable living space. A pair of unicorns spotted us first. Running to meet us, they faltered just before reaching us. A storm of emotions raged within them. They snorted and pawed the ground. They cast hard looks at the council building.
"They dismissed you for trying to help? We will teach them proper respect!" their mind voices shouted.
"No, don't do that," Anna told them as she stepped between them and the building. We joined her.
"They must learn! You give them honesty and they only give you doubt and heartache. We will make them learn," the largest countered, pawing as if to charge.
I approached him and took his head in my hands. I isolated the two of us from everyone else, "Starebane, cool your anger, Some two-legs do not have open minds and do not hear as we do. They are foals still at their mothers' side. They have much to learn, I agree, but must learn on their own, not by force."
Starebane thought for a bit, then nodded, "I understand, Kayla. We will let the two-legged foals find their own way."
We parted. He told his group and they walked with us to the outpost.  The riders were curious about our face off. We told them about our morning. They saw both sides and let us know they could intervene with the council when they found dealing with us difficult or we with them. We thanked them for any help we could get. We stayed at the outpost doing little things to make it feel more like a home. We did not see the council for the rest of the morning and most of the day. The oddlings, knowing the riders did not adhere to the separation that the rest of Gowgornok shared, walked openly in the outpost and were learning how to care for dragons. They also provided helpful skills, like metal-working and leather crafts, that will be invaluable to keeping the riders' gear and weapons in good repair. Also, in the outpost, they were allowed to do any ritual they wished that did not interfere with the riders or dragons. The oddlings cooked a fantastic lunch. The gnome riders explained that most of Gowgornok avoided certain foods and spices as "uncivilized" or "barbaric". The oddling has no such restrictions. Some of their spices were becoming favored by the dragons. I was given a bag of it for Set to "spice up" his food.
By early evening, the council found us. The riders stood with us while the oddlings vanished. The council looked forlorn.
"Ladies, we have to apologize and ask your help once more. We apologize for questioning you and even attempting to change the plans and, also, for not allowing you to aid those that fainted. We realize that you were not bragging or patronizing us, even though we took it that way. We are glad you were concerned about us and should have not denied you."
We accepted their apology then asked what was troubling them. It seemed the plans required magic they did not have. Gnomes, both wizards and clerics, were excellent at illusions, but other magic was not their specialty and they were barely apprentices at them. The plans called for evocation, summoning, plus a few other skills they did not posses. We did not know how much we could help, but we would try. With the riders and dragons, we were shown the plans and walked through the steps. The council pointed out this magic and that magic that they could not perform. Some of the riders offered to do bits that they could. The dragons also offered here and there. Near the bottom, one step puzzled us all. It called for an item none of us knew and a dance done none of us had seen. Around us, I felt the oddlings and sparks of understanding.
"Nagle, do you know these things?" I asked one of the elder oddlings mentally.
"Yes, they are still in our tradition. These do not know it because it, like us, were cast out of their teachings."
Quickly, we seven worked out how to bring this news to the council. The oddlings became agitated that we might force them to openly display their private practices to the rest of Gowgornok. We told the council we would seek experts to clear this confusion. They left to confer with others about it as well.
The oddlings cautiously reappeared. Nagle looked both sad and worried. The rest also looked downcast.
"We cannot do our ritual in public. This is the reason we are oddlings. We know it is needed, but we cannot."
We talked this over for the rest of the evening and after dark. Finally, we hit on a solution that we would present to the council. After dinner, we went back to our suite and prepared to pitch the idea to the council in the morning.

Day 297 (275)((265))

Day 297 (275)((265)):

Just before dawn, we were woken by a knock on the door. Maudrin was in full armor.

"It is time, Ladies. The ogres have been seen heading this way. We ride out to meet them to keep them away from Gowgornok." 

In a blink, we were dressed and following  him to the outpost. Horses waited for us. A few of the unicorns offered to be our mounts. We thanked them, but reminded them we were to stay at the rear while they would be near the front. They agreed that it would be best for us not to ride them. We formed ranks. Dragons and riders at the front. Unicorns and other creatures behind them. We seven were placed among the gnome fighters, guards, and volunteers at the rear.

A few hours after sunrise, we saw the ogres heading not directly at us, but at an angle. Even with the magic radiating from the Rod like a beacon, they still had not homed in on it. They saw us and changed course. We began to feel them. Aside from Nurz, all we felt were ogres. Nurz, unlike the others, rode a creature that looked like a wingless dragon. At around a mile apart, Nurz's demon possession became clearer to us. We told the riders. They were not surprised, but not pleased either. At the half-mile mark, we took our positions. Nurz selected one of his men and gave him a scroll. This ogre trotted over and threw the scroll at us. He did not stay for us to read it or even pick it up. One of the gnome riders picked it up and read it aloud:

"Gnomes and allies,

This fight is not needed. Give up the Miner's Rod and we promise to no longer harm gnomes. It is a simple request to save innocent lives.

Sincerely,

Nurz, Master of Ogres"

Loud protests were the response from our side. A knot formed to pen a reply on the back of the scroll. As they did, Maudrin asked us seven to come forward and to give them a reading on the ogres facing us. We stopped a few paces in front of our group to better feel out the other side. 

Quietly, we each gained knowledge about them. Anna and Alice seemed perplexed by conflicting information. Se looked at them, shook his head, then looked again.

"What is it, Set? What do you see that troubles you?" I asked him mentally, away from the others.

"The one on the lizard is hard to look at for long. He has sparkles that don't look right. It is like he is underwater or something."

I looked at Nurz. Apparently, Set's dragon eyes saw something my eyes could not. Getting off of my horse, I went to Set. Placing my hand on his head, we shared his sight. Around Nurz appeared to be two cloaks. One was similar to the other ogres. The other was very different. Flashes at the edge wavered like light bouncing off disturbed water. This second cloak appeared unstable and forced. Through Set, I asked the other dragons to get a good look at him. With a dozen sets of eyes assisting us, we penetrated the magic and revealed the lizard rider's true identity. The dragons informed their riders as we informed the rest of our assembly.

"We are being tricked!" I called to everyone, "The one on the lizard beast is not Nurz. He hides somewhere near!"

Our side, again, erupted into shouting protests. This information was added to the response on the scroll. Once done, the scroll was handed to Dawn, who flew it over to the ogres. The fake Nurz grabbed it and read it aloud to his troops. The second cloak dropped, revealing the true ogre beneath the illusion. We seven were ordered back behind everyone as the ogres began notching arrows. Magical shields went up as a rain of large arrows descended upon us. Each bounced off and none were harmed. As the arrows were falling, the fifty or so ogres in front of us ran to bridge the gap between us. The dragons, taking several paces forward, loosened fire, ice, lightning, and a collection of various clouds of gasses. The first few ogres got hit with the full force, being burned, frozen, struck, or otherwise engulfed by these attacks. The gnomes with us began to believe the battle already over. We had to dash that hope by telling them of more ogres we felt heading our way. When less than half of the first group struggled to fall back, three times their original number came running from hiding towards us. Since it would take a bit for the dragons to "reload" their breath weapons, they, the riders, unicorns, and other creatures ran to intercept them, following gnome arrows from our side. A few ogres lost all of their courage and ran away, along with the survivors of the first lot. Arrows, horns, claws, plus other weapons met the crude arms and armor of the ogres. Many fell. We felt the demon possessed ogre getting closer, but not in the group fighting before us. The dragons regained their breaths and, after alerting the others, let loose another volley. Burning ogres ran in random directions, running into block of ice that contained their fellows or tripping over those hit by bolts or gas. Nearly all that were left ran away, leaving a few to face our fighters. The ones running plowed into another group that ran from their hiding place. Nurz was not in this bunch either, but he was getting closer, if slowly. Some in this third group, seeing bodies and the remains of some of their clan, lost their courage and fled. Over one hundred ogres charged at our fighters. Gnome arrows and other quality weapons clashed with their crude arms and leather armor. Some of our fighters fell, but far fewer in number than fallen ogres. The dragons, once again, launched their breath weapon assault. Apparently, repeated use did not diminish the power of the attacks. Some seemed to gain strength. We witnessed great teamwork as some blew great clouds of gas that, when ignited by dragon fire, became a cloud of searing vapor, burning intensely as fire but clinging like pitch. Not many survived this assault. Only a dozen or so were still moving and they were all running away. We watched for another wave. While we felt Nurz still headed towards us, he and those with him were not in a hurry. This gave our fighters time to return to where we stood and access their wounds. Our fallen were also brought back to us. Sarah and other healers swarmed over them, mending bodies and soothing minds. 

We watched Nurz and his group come into view. Evil rolled from him. His cloak made a void around him, blocking out everything behind him. None who had fought and survived were in this group. I doubt any of the runners were there either. These ogres looked older or more experienced than the three previous groups. Nurz was astride another lizard beast while everyone else walked. He looked at the battlefield and snarled. He cast his eyes to our side, looked for something. We seven rode to the front. The demon inside him seemed to recognize us. He and four others advanced to the middle of the space between us. We seven, Maudrin, and a gnome went to meet them. Nurz tried to keep a calm mask even though his emotions were churning inside him.

"So, the reports are true.The heroes of Selvis came to the aid of Gowgornok," he rumbled when we stopped in front of him, "You have made a fair mess here. Don't you realize they will hate you when your return with your dead and tell the city they have to give us the Rod?"

We looked at each other. His forces were decimated, but he still believed he was winning? Our group began laughing. That did not set too well with him.

He growled, "Enough! Let us end this here and now. A one-on-one fight. I win, I get the Rod and a host of gnome slaves. You win, we find a new home, well away from any gnomes."

"Agreed, " Maudrin barked, brandishing his axe, "let's have at it."

"Not you," Nurz stopped him, "I choose my opponent."

He dismounted and looked at our group. For a few minutes, he walked back and forth, sizing us up. Finally, he stopped.

"You, purple-eyed girl with red hair. Fight me now."

Many protested. I called for silence.

"If it ends all of this bloodshed, I agree."

Amid their arguments, I dismounted and faced this ogre who towered over me. Set stood at my side. My sisters backed the others away as Nurz's group retreated from him. Nurz looked at Set and snarled. Set did not flinch.

"Keep your pet, if it gives you hope. It will not help."

Nurz grabbed his rough sword and took a battle stance. I drew Vanity and simply stood. He snarled and growled, trying to frighten me. I stayed calm and did not budge. He posed and postured, but did not strike.

Huffing, he barked, "Well? Does the mighty Sword Sister fear to attack?"

"No, but I will not play your game. You like to play the victim. I will not give that to you," I told him plainly.

Nurz roared, denied his excuse to attack out of retribution or revenge. We faced each other in silence. One of the ogres grumbled something. Nurz turned and beheaded him where he stood.

Nurz shouted at those with him, "I will not be questioned! My will is law!"

The other ogres stepped back, leaving their fellow's body to bleed on the grass. Nurz turned back to look at me. He gave me a hard look before looking at Set.

He sneered, "As I have lost, so shall you. Your pet dies now!"

He raised his sword to strike. Nurz closed his eyes, putting all of his strength into it, and struck. Hitting resistance, he opened his eyes, hoping to see his sword embedded in Set's body. He was shocked to see his large rough sword blocked inches from Set's head by Vanity's polished, thin blade. Nurz pulled his sword back to see a clear notch in it, exactly the shape of Vanity's edge. Even the other ogres were shocked. Nurz raised his sword again and tried to strike me. His sword contacted with Vanity again as I blocked his blow. This time, his sword broke, the point landing behind me. This had some meaning to the ogres. The ones with Nurz turned their backs on him and simply walked away, even leading the lizard beast away. Nurz yelled at them, ordering them to come back and stand with him. He called after them for several minutes. The group on the hill also left. He was left utterly alone. Holding the remains of his sword, Nurz, or rather the demon inside him, began yelling in a language we seven recognized, even though we did not understand it. Six other swords joined Vanity as my sisters appeared at my sides. In counter to his demonic shouting, we began softly chanting. He tried to continue, but found his voice catching as his body spasmed. Nurz let out a great shout. A bluish blob rose from his open mouth. The ogre mage body fell to the ground and did not move. A demon face formed in the blob as it tried to condense into an orb. We seven continued. While no sound issued from it, the face screamed either in rage or in pain. Its substance was falling apart, like ice in a fire. Some of the gnomes joined us, adding to the power and making the mass deteriorate even faster. Then, like a soap bubble, it popped, leaving only the dead ogre mage as evidence he was ever there. Everyone cheered. 

The wounded were fully healed and rites given for the dead as the rest of us made camp. We determined not to try to return to Gowgornok in the dark as it was late evening when Nurz had been destroyed. The dragons and riders gathered the dead ogres and piled them in a large mass. Nurz and his broken sword were placed prominently on top. 

Maudrin explained as we helped them, "Nurz, as leader, had the best of everything. His sword was their master work, the finest of their master weapons makers. His sword breaking after hitting your's only twice told them they were  no match for us, or you, specifically. As Nurz would only choose the 'weakest' of us, they knew the fight was lost and left to both live another day and save themselves the embarrassment of losing to the weakest soldier in our company. Positioning them this way tells other ogres not to cross us unless they want to meet the same fate."

We thought that would best keep ogres out of the area. Seeing even a pile of bones years later would let them know to stay out of this place and leave the gnomes alone.

During the night, we witnessed a curious sight. Some of the unicorns had been wounded. Out on the battlefield, where their blood touched the ground, moon flowers bloomed to greet the rising full moon. Likewise, other plants appeared where some of the other creatures had bled, even the ogres. Around the mound of bodies, thorny vines grew. They did not hide them, but held them together. By torchlight, we examined this event. The vines were dark green, nearly black. The thorns, each as long as one of my fingers, were blood red and sharply pointed. None of us had ever seen the likes of this and could not name the plant. It was decided to leave its naming for others skilled at such. We left the field to find our bedrolls and put this day to an end. 

Days 289-296 (267-274)((257-264))

Day 289 (267)((257)):

It was past dawn when a great noise woke us. Magicking clothes on as we ran outside, we found the outpost being pulled apart by shouting gnomes. The other riders had not returned. Scarlet Rain and his rider were trying in vain to stop the mob. A quick look showed that this was barely two hundred gnomes and the rest of the city looked empty. Alice quickly told us that this was a single temple who's cleric had denounced the riders and called for their removal from Gowgornok. The cleric also denounced the council as "worthless" and told his congregation to take matters into their own hands. They decided, "No outpost, no riders". Unsure, we, together, could freeze so many, I felt my riding set grow hot.

"Brimagor is with us," I told my sisters, "He strengthens us."

As one, we shouted, "FRIEZE!"

In the blink of an eye, the mob stopped in mid-action. A few fell over as they had been on one leg or were jumping. Scarlet and Erik looked at the frozen gnomes is shock. We circled around to check on them and explain. Behind the frozen gnomes, the rest of the city came running from their temple, churches, and other gathering places. The council and this group's cleric arrived from opposite sides.

"My children!" the cleric shouted, "What have you done to my children?"

He looked at the council and started in on them, "This is all your fault! You gave these monsters permission to live here and pollute our great city. My own son wants to be a rider! Tell your tall pets to release my congregation so we can demolish this awful building and remove this poison from our city!" he demanded.

The council was dumbstruck. They could not believe their ears. We seven, however, had heard this spouted before. Anna, in gnomish, told him we were not pets, the dragons were not monsters, the building would blend in nicely with the rest of the city, and they would stay frozen until they decided not to tear down the outpost. Upon hearing that option, a few dozen unfroze and walked away, pledging to leave the temple if he stayed as its chief cleric. A few more unfroze when they saw we meant what she had said. The cleric continued to demand the expulsion of the riders and us or the city elect Gengans who would. The rest of the city muttered and whispered to each other. A few more unfroze. Then, the question was put to the cleric.

"How do you propose to keep Gowgornok and the Rod safe?"

All eyes went to him, waiting on his answer. He sputtered  for a few moments before telling them his idea.

"The Miner's Rod is a dwarf relic. It should go back to them to guard. We have held it for three generations. It is time for them to step up and be responsible for their own property. We have suffered enough due to that thing."

In the silence following his words, one third of the frozen gnomes unfroze and vowed to leave his temple and his "stupidity" behind. The council informed everyone of  yesterday's declaration. The cleric was appalled and took up his demands for a new council.

From somewhere, a clod of dirt hit the cleric following a shout of "Shut up!". He looked like a spoiled child who had just received his first spanking. Several more unfroze. The council, calmly, explained that, they were certain, a combined force of gnomes and dragon riders, with us at the ready, could defeat Nurz and his ogres. Erik reported that there was less than five hundred ogres in Nurz's camp. Knowing this increased the number siding with the council and decreased the muttering and frozen gnomes. 

The cleric began preaching the "wisdom of Knolwerg" to abstain from violence until all other options have failed and to cease violence when another way was opened. The city full of gnomes exchanged puzzled looks. Even the former members of his temple did not understand. 

Quite a few shouted, "Who is Knolwerg?"

The cleric was shocked. Apparently, he believed everyone knew this person. From his robes, he produced his "holy book" and showed the cover to those around him. Some laughed while others got angry. He finally showed it to us. The council grew very angry.

"Is this what you have based your Sourmoratane upon? Are these the lessons you have been teaching?" one scolded him.

The cleric went pale. Several more gnomes were unfrozen. 

As the council educated him and the city on who and what Knolwerg was, the riders returned. We got them filled in quickly. The gnome riders joined in the teaching.

One rider asked, "Did you not think it odd that no other cleric taught those lessons or quoted those passages? In there, is the 'naghle' mentioned even once? Anywhere?"

"No, but it says 'the chosen race'. That is us," the cleric answered.

Laughs erupted around him. The cleric was very confused. 

Finally, a councilor told everyone clearly, " 'Knolwerg' was a mad mind flayer who thought he was a cursed elf. He wrote many books to teach the 'universal truth' as it was 'told' to him by 'the Universe'. Each book contradicted the previous. By the way, it is not 'Knolwerg'. Part of the letters are missing. His real name is Knahverga."

Gasps went out. This name they, even the cleric, knew. The rest of the gnomes were released. The cleric handed the council his book and removed his clerical symbols and dropped them to the ground. He apologized and offered himself for punishment. Some of the council walked him to their building. The rest told the city to go about their usual business. The ones who had attacked apologized and helped replace what they had damaged. 

A calmness began to bloom in Gowgornok

The other councilors were there when we arrived and let us know that the cleric would not be causing any more trouble. Over breakfast, we talked about how best to face the ogres. While we knew little of military strategy, we told them what was done against the Baalocs. Notes were scribbled as we spoke and flashes of inspiration lit up many of their faces. By the time the dishes were being gathered, they had "a wealth of options" to pursue. They asked us to "hang around" should a point or two need clarification. We returned to the outpost to see if we could help in any way.

We spend most of the day working on the outpost. The city was accepting the riders' and dragons' presences and began treating them warmly. Some oddlings quietly let them know of services they could provide at night or during Sourmoratane. The dwarfs had difficulty in understanding why these gnomes hid from the rest as they could see no physical differences or any other reason for their segregation. The gnome riders, even though they disapproved, explained as best as they could. The riders, dwarf and gnome, vowed to treat them all equally as a new rider could be among any of them.

A few hours before sunset, strange sights appeared in the sky. Bigger than lightning bugs, but smaller than hornets, glowing bugs began hitting the illusion barrier. Some hit it once and just hovered around. Others hit it over and over until they killed themselves.Once dead and harmless, the bodies fell through the barrier. We and the riders inspected a few. The gnomes had never seen such before. Anna was able to tell us about them.

"They are bees who gather magic instead of nectar. The more they gather, the brighter they glow. The Rod is attracting them like a field of flowers attracts honey bees. No, they are not natural creatures. They were created a long time ago and set free when their maker died. I don't know how many survived to breed or how many exist. This may be all of them or only a small fraction."

 While watching, we observed that the ones who held back were physically different from the ones dying. Dawn, Bo, and Set went out to capture one of the "smart" ones. Set crushed a few before he gave up, their "blood" made his front claws swell up and itch where it coated him. Dawn and Bo got one each but had to kill it to get it through the barrier. Anna confirmed that the "smart" ones were pure bred or nearly pure bred while the "dumb" ones were half-breed or less. We seven, a few councilors, and a couple of riders and dragons went outside the barrier to get a better look at the  living ones.
Almost immediately, we had a swarm around us. The councilors ran and found none followed them. Rider and dragon were likewise ignored. The seven of us and our companions stood together with a cyclone of insects cutting us off from everything else. We drew our swords. Each gained their own mass of swirling insects.
"If we cast on them, they will only suck up the magic and want more," Anna warned mentally, as talking aloud was nearly impossible.
"Let us reverse it," Lisa suggested, "They may leave if they lose magic."
We agreed and began pulling the magic out of them. Their glows dimmed. Some went out and fell at our feet. The "dumb" ones continued to swarm until the last spark left and they fell. The "smart" ones, after even a bit was drained, decided it was not worth the trouble and fled.
As the swarm got smaller, the councilors braved them to snatch us back through the barrier one-by-one. Even protesting, they continued until Set and I were alone in the swarm. My sisters were held by many hands in spite of their pleas. I don't know which made me angrier, the gnomes or the bees. I told Set to get away from me so I did not hurt him. He whimpered, but obeyed. Vanity did not ask as she could feel my anger. In one move, I pulled every bit of power from all of the bees and directed it right at their illusion barrier. A large hole was blasted in it, revealing part of the city in the middle of an "empty" meadow. I looked at the gnomes holding my sisters.
"Release them at once," I commanded, pointing Vanity at them, my voice ringing with power, "They were not in danger. We knew what to do. We had it under control."
My sisters were released. They surrounded me, worry in their eyes. I was shaking. I felt like I was going to explode.
"Help me. It is too much too soon. My anger overrode good judgement."
My sisters, Dawn, Bo, and Set touched me, draining the power away to a tolerable level. I stepped out of a ring of dead bees. I felt so guilty for both them and the people I frightened. I looked at the hole I had made and the circle of dead bees. I fell to my knees.
"I am so sorry. I did not mean to kill them or damage the barrier. Take it! Take everything! I don't deserve any of this if I can't control it."
I sobbed. All I could hear was my own crying. Taking a breath, I heard a small buzzing. My sisters also heard it. We looked at the pile of bees. Some were moving. Then, a few more. The pile moved. Bees began flying away.
Anna gasped, "They are normal bees! They have all changed to normal bees."
We all, gnomes included, watched the pile of lifeless magic eating bees become living normal bees. A quick look inside the city revealed those, too, were alive and changed. We were all baffled. Many, if not all, of us were asking how this was happening.
From everywhere and nowhere, a voice answered, "You did it, my dear. True tears of regret undid what the wizard who changed them had done. He felt nothing when he forced regular bees to steal magic in order to live. Your tears at doing them harm broke his powers."
We all looked around. Before us, grass swirled and formed the shape of a tall woman. The gnomes fell to the ground before her as did some of the riders. She lifted me to stand before her. She brushed my tears away.
"Weep only in joy, you have done no wrong, Kayla. In time, you will understand this had to be done. As a Faerie, you are a force of nature unto yourself. The gnomes did not understand and acted to save your sisters. If they could have reached you, they would have pulled you away as well. It is easy for people to forget that a gentle breeze and a devastating cyclone are both wind. They saw only young girls in danger. Forgive their error, they meant no harm."
The gnomes nodded and verbally confirmed her words. I looked at the hole still in the barrier.
"I forgive them. It was an honest mistake."
Like a wound healing incredibly fast, the hole was sealed. The gnomes and riders rose and cheered. My sisters embraced me in a crushing hug.
Between them, I spoke to her, "Not to seem rude, but may I know who you are?"
A great laugh echoed over the meadow. The gnomes looked frightened, as if I had said something wrong.
"We have not been properly introduced. You have only met my aids and helpers. I am the Goddess Nature," she replied cheerfully.
We seven stopped as still as statues. We did not know how to react. Do we bow? Kneel? Our minds were reeling. Again, she laughed.
"Unlike my fellow deities, I am not one for personal appearances. It has been a pleasure, Ladies. I look forward to watching you fulfill you destinies."
Nature dissolved into wind-blow grass and vanished. The bees went on their ways to be regular insects. We went back inside Gowgornok. Even though it was early evening, I was exhausted. We grabbed some food and went to our suite. I don't know about the rest, but I was asleep before dark.

Days 290-296 (268-274)((258-264)):
For seven days, Gowgornok prepared for the ogres. My "attack" was forgiven and, for a day or two, was a city-wide joke. The Rod attracted some other magical creatures. Fountains in the city gained some temporary residents in the form of small water elementals. They announced their presence by splashing any who walked by "their" fountain. Likewise, pixies, grigs, unicorns, and other like creatures were attracted by the Rod's magic. Some of the larger creatures volunteered to aid against the ogres.
By the end of the seventh day, there was a fairly large group to face Nurz, his ogres, and any others he might have with him. The outpost was complete and housed many of our allies. The gnomes were quite nervous and just wanted tomorrow to be over.
It took a lot of meditation and focus to block their emotions enough to sleep.

Day 288 (266)((256))

Day 288 (266)((256)):
We awoke on our own again to find an empty building. We felt around and found the gathering places where the gnomes were attending Sourmoratane. We also felt the oddlings going about their usual activities. The riders had returned so we went to visit them while we waited for the council's return.
The gnome riders, apparently, had informed the rest about the morning meetings so they were not surprised by the empty streets. The outpost was coming together rapidly and strongly, as Callie pointed out. She showed them soft spots and places prone to have standing water. With her input, they made the appropriate adjustments.
We knew when Sourmoratane was over when people began filling the streets. The council met us at the growing outpost.
"Sisters, we have reached a decision. We cannot simply wait in hiding for Nurz and his bands to find  us. We are calling him out, challenging him to face us. His power against our's. The riders have shown us that we are not weak nor helpless. We do ask one thing of you ladies. Stand with us. We do not know this thing inside Nurz and do not know what it is capable of doing to us. You have faced its kind. Will you stand with us?"
We drew our swords and saluted them, "We stand with you," we replied in unison.
Tears of joy sprang to their eyes. It took a few moments for them to regain their voices. We seven, the council, and a couple of riders went to the council chambers to pen the  formal declaration. Outside of Gowgornok, we would meet Nurz and the ogres in battle. The winner got the Rod. The loser agreed to never bother the winner's people again. We felt that was simple enough for them to understand. We set the time of battle on the next full moon, which was about a week away. A rider was dispatched to take it to Nurz.
While we waited for a reply, the council invited us to tour the city and do "your Sister thing".
It was early evening when the rider returned. Both he and his dragon had not been well treated. At first, they thought the rider was attacking them. When they stopped firing at him long enough for the rider to announce his purpose, they let him land, but began beating him to get "the real reason" he was there. Even after they read the declaration, they refused to believe it or him. The dragon even told them it was true, but "dumb lizards" were not to be believed nor trusted. When no other "story" came from all that abuse, Nurz let him go to return to us their acceptance of the battle and its consequences. The only "formal" reply was Nurz's hand print on the rider's back in the rider's own blood.
Sarah healed the rider as he told of his ordeal. I comforted the dragon. My riding set was very warm as I stroked his head and scratched the spots where all dragons seemed to enjoy getting attention. I saw his wounds heal and life energy return to his pain-filled eyes.
"Lawnoss Kayla, I feel Brimagor through you. He heals me. I do not understand his anger, though. Did I displease him?" Scarlet Rain asked me mentally.
I felt for a moment, then answered, "His anger is not at you. Nurz and his ogres are the objects of his wrath. Any that survive our meeting will know no rest as long as they live near any dragon."
Scarlet Rain sighed and relaxed as he received Brimagor's healing. Sarah, finished with the rider, came over to mend his partner. She was surprised to find him almost fully healed. As an answer, I held my riding set for her to see. The eye "winked" at her.
"I see," she answered, "Dragon magic for a dragon. Still, it wouldn't hurt for me to take a look."
Sarah, gently, inspected Scarlet Rain nose to tail. While causing no injury, she did pull out broken arrow and spear points that could have caused irritation later on. The riders and council inspected these to get a sense of the ogre weapons and weapon-making skills. Scarlet Rain and his rider stayed at the unfinished outpost to fully heal while the rest left to get more building materials and things for battle.
Dinner was quiet as we all dealt with the emotions of the day. The council barely acknowledged us when we parted to go to our suite. We spent a good hour, nearly two, discussing both the treatment dragon and rider received and what fate the surviving ogres might expect from an angry dragon god. We, finally, laid down to sleep.

Day 287 (265)((255))

Day 287 (265)((255)):

I do not know when Callie finally settled and fully slept. It was well past dawn when we woke. Our other sisters had food laid out for us. Sarah told us she felt "something" passing between Callie, Set, and myself. The swords had explained that they were using my body's experience channelling other entities to get Callie's body healed from her ordeal. Set's dragon magic was also a great healing factor. Callie and I ate as the others told us of the gnomes' reactions to the change in the Rod. The injured guard was well and returned to his post. The magical cage around the Rod did little to dampen the power radiating from it. The barrier illusion seemed strengthened but the Rod's power was still felt nearly a mile beyond Gowgornok. Every gnome magic user was scrambling to find a way to contain it and stop the city from shining like a magical beacon. The riders had returned to begin building the outpost. They, too, were consulted on how to contain the magic.

Callie was still a bit weak, so we left her and our companions in our suite to visit the riders. Maudrin and many others  were assembling a large building at the edge of the illusion barrier. Some of the townspeople were watching, murmuring, and whispering to each other. Maudrin waved us over.

"Where is Callie? We would like her to see if the ground is stable enough to support dragons."

We explained yesterday's events. After they regained their voices, we were asked if we could provide any information. Anna told them that nothing had ever been built there before nor had that area been dug up nor plowed. Both Lisa and Sarah told them the land was clean and untainted. Through Set, I inquired about Callie, in case she was sleeping. He said she was sleeping and he would tell her about the building when she woke.

The crowd became thicker as the day went on. Most were just curious. We did detect a knot of people who were angry. We found them and walked over. They stood like they were expecting an attack.

"Excuse us," Anna began calmly, "what about this is making you angry? The council approved this outpost and all the materials are being brought in. Please, we just want to understand."

The group looked at each other. Anna repeated her words in gnomish. A female stepped up.

"Why are dwarfs building a dragon barn? Are those gnomes servants or slaves? Are we expected to feed all of those dragons and people? What are they doing here? We don't need them. Gowgornok is secure. They will attract attention and lead enemies to us. We don't need them!"

The rest began echoing her words, shouting at us. We called to the riders. A male and female gnome joined us. The crowd yelled at them to  "leave your dwarf oppressors" and to "unshackle yourselves from slavery to dragon tyrants". The pair got them to be silent and listen. Calmly, the riders explained their bond with the dragons and Maudrin's position among them. The crowd took a while to understand. It was hard for them to accept that gnomes, dwarfs, elves, humans, plus many other races worked alongside each other not only as equals but in harmony with dragons. They also had a difficulty in accepting that each race earned their ranks in exactly the same manner. They argued this for hours. Even the dragons joined in, which startled the citizen gnomes who did not know dragons had the intelligence or ability to speak. 

Around mid-day, we received a grand visitor. Falcon landed near the skeletal outpost. The whole city seemed to gasp. Falcon barely paused at the structure. He stepped to an open area.

"Gowgornok! I am Falcon-with-flaming-eyes. I am the trainer of new dragon riders. It has come to my attention that the citizens of this city have some concerns with this outpost and the presence of dragons in Gowgornok. Assemble here. I will educate you all in the ways of riders and how they are found. Knowledge will replace ignorance. Plus, I will explain why your illusion barrier is no longer enough to protect either yourselves or the Master Miner's Rod. Have lunch if you have not yet. Assemble yourselves here in two hours."

Without another word, Falcon turned back to the outpost and its builders. He began aiding them in its construction, letting everyone know that there would be no discussion until the appointed time. Those in our discussion dispersed to gather others for this assembly. We six parted from the riders to go check on Callie.

Set informed me that she was awake and they had food waiting. Callie rattled off question after question about what was going on, why was Falcon here, what was he talking about, plus many others. We answered her as we ate. We kept looking out the window. 

As the time drew nearer, a crowd grew in the open area Falcon had designated. As we were not far from there, we did not rush our meal nor did we make Callie walk too fast. She was stronger, but stumbled occasionally.  We gathered near the riders as Falcon prepared to instruct an entire city in the ways of dragon riders.

"Citizens of Gowgornok, I thank you for your attendance. We know you have many questions. Hopefully, most will be answered. Once I am done, you may ask any questions I have not answered.
"First of all, my name is Falcon-with-flaming-eyes. Every new rider is trained by me. I have trained every rider for the past 700 years. Regardless of race, each new rider must pass a series of challenges to advance in rank. Some riders take longer to advance than others. No race is favored nor barred from being a rider. Some races, like humans and mixed human races, we send rider finders almost yearly as they mature so fast. Other races, like gnomes, elves, dwarfs, and longer lived races, we only send out finders every decade or two. Plus, our queen only clutches every ten years. The last clutch has been fully matched with sixty-three new riders. Our queen is old and may not clutch again in her life that remains. Our new queen is still very young and will not clutch for about thirty years.

"We look for older children. Around twelve-years-old for humans and those who are mixed and mostly human. About sixteen for halflings and their kin. Gnomes and dwarfs are in their late thirties before they are sought. Elves are at least one hundred before they are considered. Other races vary as much, depending upon their longevity and when they reach the suitable age. I am not saying every race can be a rider. Ogres, centaurs, satyrs, plus many other races have yet to produce a single dragon rider.

"As you can see, it may seem that some races are preferred because their cities and villages are visited more frequently. Likewise, those that hunt dragons are avoided. Even if only the capital city hunts dragons, we avoid the entire land, region, or kingdom it governs.

"You may have noticed a few differences between riding dragons and so-called 'wild' dragons. While the two can and do interbreed, there are many differences. Riding dragons are smaller upon hatching. Riding dragons age and grow faster, becoming adults in thirty years instead of fifty. Wild dragons breed with the same color or type: red to red, ice to ice, water to water, and so on. The riding dragon queen is solid white. Only she lays eggs. All these dragons you see here are male.The queen is the only female and there is only one per clutch and she lays every color and all types but water dragons or sea serpents as some call them. When she is ready to mate, she chooses as many as ten males to mate with while wild dragons usually mate for life or chooses one or two males with whom to mate. Both riding and wild dragons do not always have every egg in the clutch hatch. We have found some eggs empty, where nothing lay within. We have had dead ones that never matured enough to hatch. Riding dragons in the shell can delay their own hatching until they sense their partner is near. Some, however, never meet their partner and die in the shell. If their partner is near when they are ready to hatch, the rider-to-be finds him- or herself mesmerized by the being within the shell. That does not mean riders are enslaved by the dragons. Just as your life partner captured your heart when you first saw them, so is it with riders and their dragons. Upon hatching, the bond is instant, two halves of the same soul finally united is how many riders liken the feeling of bonding.

"Over the past fifteen thousand years, we have noted a curious phenomenon. Riders, regardless of race, once bonded, find their bodies aging slower than what is normal for them. Humans have lived to nearly five hundred years of age. Elves to well over one thousand. Gnomes have also reached the one thousand year mark. However, both riders and dragons are still mortal. They can become ill and die or be killed. Riderless dragons pine away and give up living. Dragonless riders, many times, commit suicide upon the deaths of their dragons. Those who do not, they shut themselves away from the world and slowly go mad. Usually, though, both rider and dragon are killed at the same time or contract the same illness. The whole of us feels the loss when we lose one or both. It saddens us greatly.

"You may be wondering about me. I am a wild dragon. I have never been bonded to a rider. I bonded to a kingdom. A king of Selvis and I worked out a deal where I watched out for the kingdom and the royal family. For four hundred years, I kept my end of the deal. Unfortunately, I was in Demagram when I received news of Selvis Prime being attacked. Even going through kirlan, I was too late to save the royal family. I almost pined away due to my failure, but my students' need kept me going. When the youngest princess was discovered to be be alive and well, my guilt was greatly lifted. While I still wish I could have saved all of them, it still feels good to know that line continues.

"Well, that is all I prepared. I will take your questions now."

Among the great crowd of gnomes, a sprinkling of hands went up. One by one, they asked. Many were minor clarifications. One asked if dragons ate their riders when both grew too old for service, to which Falcon flatly responded, "No." Diet and upkeep were also asked. He explained that food and other goods would be purchased just like any other inhabitant of Gowgornok did. He let them know that most of the dragons' food would be wild caught far from the city. The riders would be purchasing food from them and raising some on their own. The citizens were not expected to feed them just as they were not expected to build the outpost. On the other hand, many places where rider outposts had been built experienced increases in plant growth as dragon "fertilizer" made many plants grow quite large.

The last question, which was probably the hardest to ask, was what did the citizens of Gowgornok get out of this deal. Falcon, with patience only a dragon of his years could have, carefully told them about the ogre mage Nurz and his clan's attacks upon their neighbors and kin. Some fainted when he told them how the illusion barriers had been breached. He also told them of the purging of the creature essence from the Rod and how its renewed power could guide Nurz and any other magic user right to their doorstep. This caused much fright and some panic. Falcon calmed them by reporting the lack of ogres or any grays in the area.

It was nearly dark when this meeting was concluded. Citizens welcomed the riders and dragons. They thanked Falcon for his honestly and candor. The riders told them they had more materials to bring and would return in the morning. All but one left as the sky began showing stars. We returned to our suite to find food waiting and a note to meet the council promptly after Soumoratane. Callie was almost back to her usual self. She whispered that she now understood why I passed out when visited by Fate or other entities. She did not envy me in that regard. I told her I did not mind the fainting.

"With all of you here, I know I am safe."

We discussed some of Falcon's words before settling down to sleep.