We awoke as the sun lightened the sky. A light snow had fallen and marked the edge of our shield. The rabbits and duck were well smoked and very tasty. We took a side trip to the place Set had found the truffles. With Set's aid, we had triple the amount he had carried to camp. Everyone was cheery as we continued to Gowgornok. They explained that the Duergar's aversion to sunlight was the main reason the Miner's Rod was housed with the gnomes. Their ability to hide their villages and cities was another. No one knew if the Duergar, or "gray ones" as Horbar called them, had the other two parts, but as the Rod they were protecting was the most powerful of the three, it was the one of greatest concern.
We had a moment of uneasiness when Sandorn saw our map. Ripping it from our hands, the three of them examined it closely. They demanded to know the source of it. It took most of the day to explain and return to the previous level of friendship.
By nightfall, we had made it to a small village at the edge of their territory. It was obvious they had been the victim of ogre attacks. They were so downtrodden, it was a physical pain to see. My sisters also felt their own pains from this place. We were taken to the leader, a male gnome who was still recovering from a multitude of injuries. He tried to be warm, but his pain was too great.
"Let us help you," Sarah begged, "We can fix a lot of this."
The leader was apprehensive, having been hurt so much already. Cara and Sandorn vouched for us, willing to be punished if we failed. Finally, he agreed and summoned all the villagers to a central area. Like him, the rest were leery of us. He explained what we were going to do. Most doubted we provided anything but false hope, but let us try.
We gathered in a tight circle at the village center. Dawn began by sprinkling the entire village with her golden glitter. Just this small beginning improved the feeling of the villagers. Dawn returned to our circle and Bo took off. He produced a swirling wind that, while not harsh, seemed to cleanse the village and remove more of the pain. He came back to our circle. Set stepped into the center and just stood. Around him, we began to chant, calling upon the powers and gods of this place and people. Set took to the air and hovered above his previous position. He opened his mouth and thick smoke rolled out. It expanded and filled the village. Before us all, broken walls became whole and strong. Buildings returned to their original condition. Broken roads were rebuilt. In just a few moments, no sign of attack was visible on any structure. The smoke retreated and curled around every person. Just as the buildings had been fixed, so were the people. Wounds healed, limbs strengthened or restored, missing or damaged parts made whole and healthy. When the last person was healed, it seemed the smoke disappeared. That was when we noticed crops slowly rising to fullness, trees straightening and growing healthier, and the burnt grass and other plants returning to a full, lush state. When that was done, Set settled back in our circle and the smoke dissipated. We finished with a request for protection and blessing. We closed our circle and went to the leader, who was now fully healed and strong.
"Sisters," he began with a confident voice, "we cannot repay this bounty. We have nothing that can match what you have done."
"Gengan," Anna bowed as she started, "we ask for no payment. You were in need. We have the power to help. We are guardians, it is what we do."
The Gengan did not know how to respond. Cara and Sandorn excused all of us from him and led us to the "tall house", a place for non-gnome visitors too tall for their regular homes. They were both glowing, happy that their village was whole again and that we had proven ourselves. As we were getting settled, Anna showed Cara the hair sticks she had received from her family. While she was impressed by their quality and craftsmanship, she could not name the family who made them. Sandorn thought that they looked familiar and told us he would ask around. Food was brought in for us by slightly nervous young gnome women. Cara and Sandorn said their good-nights and left.
While alone, we explored Anna's family line and retrieved several family names to inquire about in the morning. We used our mats as the beds did not look as if they had been used for a long time.
Day 281 (259)((249)):
We rose with the sun. We were walking out the door when Cara, Sandorn, Horbar, the Gengan, and an unknown female gnome approached. They were pleased to see us up as early as they. Sandorn and the unknown woman stepped ahead of the group.
"Anna, do you have your hair sticks handy?" he asked.
She drew them out of a pouch on her belt. The woman looked at them and smiled.
"You were right, Sandorn. These are Hillman made. Ebony and silver, their mark, plain and simple."
"Hillman, yes, on my mother's side, they are my kin," Anna proclaimed, clutching the sticks to her heart.
They all nodded. The woman asked, "Your father? Is he of us as well?"
"Yes, ma'am," Anna replied, "Foresttamer and Goldwright."
"I see, they are good families. Whom else is of your mother's kin? We are missing a piece."
"My mother is of Hillman and Riverman, ma'am."
The smiles left their faces. Strange looks were exchanged.
Cara took Anna's hands, "We understand why your mother's family left to be with humans. The Riverman family is notorious for being traitors. The last of that name was executed sixty-plus years ago for leading enemies to our villages. That name is a curse on our language now. Tell no one they are your kin."
"Her kinship is their last crime," Alice piped in, "The Hillman woman was raped. The kinship is not a reflection on Anna."
The darkness that had arrived fled when they heard that news. They ushered us to the middle of town. As we went, our escorts told all they met to find any Hillmans, Foresttamers, and Goldwrights that were in the village. We stood near a pole with a banner at its top. We were alone for a bit. One or two at a time arrived. Within an hour, a good twenty people surround us. Between Alice, Anna, and the woman, Fannie, a family fifty-seven strong was revealed to be related to Anna in some fashion. The Riverman incident was explained and set aside. We seven were invited to "the house", which was the home of the Foresttamer family, the largest group of Anna's kin. The others, we were told, were "centered" at other villages. As we talked and ate breakfast, we found out each village had at least one family as its "center". They were the ones who first hid the town with their magic. This was how the ogres were finding them. They kidnapped gnomes until they found a centered family. Through "blood magic", they fooled the barriers into believing the ogres were of that gnome family. This Foresttamer family lost three sons whose blood let the ogres find them. Gowgornok, we were told, was big enough to have three centered families, which is why it was still safe. The Ogre Mage had yet to gain all three family blood ties in order to breach the city. They were all furious at this Ogre Mage and could not understand why he was so determined to get the Miner's Rod. I asked if the ogres had left anything. When they looked at me oddly, I explained I was a seer and a cleric of Fate. This caused two men to run out and return with items that were obviously not gnomish. Taking some deep breaths, I took them from the men. I relaxed and let the vision happen:
The Ogre Mage was dancing around a fire. The owner of these things was watching in confusion and awe. Thick smoke rolled from the fire. A blue orb of light rose from the fire. A face formed in the orb. It told of the talisman to shape earth and stone. It promised the Ogre Mage godhood if he got the talisman from the gnomes and used it to destroy the dwarfs. A beam of light connected him to the orb as the voice said it was teaching him how to break the gnomes illusion magic. When the beam stopped, the orb popped like a bubble, but gold and gems were released as it did. The Ogre Mage called it a promise of wealth to come. The rest of the assembly roared and cheered as the vision faded.
The gnomes were silent as I blinked to return to normal sight. The items in my hands crumbled to dust, their tale gone.The Gengan broke the silence, "Now we know. It is another who funds and fuels this one. Alas, we cannot tell if it is Duergar or some other force behind their campaign. It explains how such as he could know such strong magic. What to do now? Do we focus on guarding the Rod or seeking the mage and his patron?"
"We believe it is best to guard the Rod," Lisa told them, "Force him to us rather than follow in his wake. We can repair villages as we go, strengthen the gnome nation to overcome this tragedy."
The gnomes agreed and decided that every village, no matter how small, would have at least two centered families, to make it harder for this to happen again.
We returned to our sleeping area and retrieved our gear to continue to Gowgornok. Cara, Sandorn, and Horbar met us outside with our horses. The whole village, it seemed, watched us leave.
Our guides, with our map, showed us the route we were taking. While we would only cross two or three villages, we were told they had been hit just as hard as the one we just left. Talk was light as we rode easily on what appeared to be an animal path, easily dismissed if one were searching for a "true" road between villages. Our guides told many tales of "tall fools" who dismissed both gnomes and dwarfs because of their sizes, much to their dismay.
We crested a small hill and stopped. Plumes of smoke marked the sky like dirty fingers.This came from our right, not the path we were following.We did not ask our guides, but took off toward the smoke. Our fliers took out ahead to get a look. We reached it quickly. Before us, a scene similar to the one we had seen on Vanity's blade. Horbar growled at the sight. Cara began to cry. I jumped out of the saddle and drew Vanity. My sisters and our companions joined me. We summoned a great ball of power.
"ARIESIO" , we shouted.
All motion before us stopped, including flames and smoke. We nearly drug our guides to aid us. Moving through the frozen village, we pried gnomes out of ogre clutches. As we freed them, we released them from the magic and gave them to Cara and Sandorn to console and explain. With every gnome accounted for and Sarah tending the injured, we proceeded to gather the ogres to a central area where they were tied up. Set iced the frozen flames to extinguish them when we released the magic. It took a while, but we finally got all the gnomes whole and healthy, the ogres secured, and the fires put out. With the gnomes behind us, we released the ogres. Their shouting revealed their anger, but none of us understood their words. We let them vent their hate and anger and wear themselves out before we attempted to speak with them. We selected the one with the most armor and ornaments.
"Speak so we may understand you," I politely ordered as I wrapped the magic around him.
He shook and writhed as it worked on him. His growls slowly became words, although most of it was cursing. Tiring, we stopped him.
"Where is your leader?" Lisa asked him shortly.
"No here. He wait for gnome blood. He make big magic. We take over. Gnome give us power stick. Nurz be god. We be powerful."
"You fools!" one of the gnomes yelled, "He will kill you once he gets the Rod."
"He give word. We even get name. We call 'scape goats'. We special."
We all looked at each other in confusion. They truly thought that "scape goat" was a title of honor. We shook it off.
"WHERE is he?" Lisa asked angrily.
The ogre looked off to the north, well away from both the village where we were headed and Gowgornok.
As my sisters and the villagers discussed what to do with the ogres, I felt around the area. I brushed a presence that was interesting.
"Hail, brother dragon. How fair you?"
"Eh? Who speaks?" replied a deep mental voice.
"I am Kayla, a dragon rider. I was hoping for a favor."
"What favor? What is it you need of me?"
I explained our current situation. He, Sky Thunder, laughed and agreed to "ferry" the ogres back to their leader.My sisters had stopped talking with the gnomes and explained my distraction. Some looked fit to faint. Others laughed. The children giggled at the thought of a dragon landing in their village. The one who understood us grumbled to his men as I pulled the magic back. Their growls and thrashing told us they understood what was coming for them.
In a few moments, a deep blue dragon settled in an open area, "Well, you were right in your description. I believe I passed over their camp and can place them back with the others."
The ogres fought to free themselves. We negotiated between Sky Thunder and this village a mutual cooperation and protection. When that was settled, Sky Thunder grabbed the ogres and took off. As it was getting close to sunset, we were allowed a place to camp for the night.
A simple, but large, dinner was made for the entire village and us as well. We talked and ate. Just as it was getting dark, Sky Thunder returned.
"They were not happy," he reported, "I got shot at by nearly the whole camp. They all missed, but I 'dropped' your prisoners. They only fell a dozen feet, yet cried out as if they fell from the clouds. Your Ogre Mage, Nurz, fired some magic at me. He missed as well."
He asked the sore question of how they had penetrated the gnomes' illusion magic. We told him it was blood magic. Sky Thunder's face darkened.
"Such waste. I am guessing the gnomes are killed in order to get enough blood to get ogres through the illusion barrier. If I remember, blood magic is painful, difficult, but short lived. Nurz has very little time after the spell is complete to find the village and fool the barrier. Let me go through the process so you will understand."
We got comfortable around the fire with the gnome adults. The children were taken to go to bed to spare them the disturbing details Sky was going to share with us. He waited until the last child was out of earshot and all the adults returned to him.
"I apologize, first of all, to those who lost family to these ogres. This will not be easy to hear. Now, blood magic, as I said, is a long difficult process. Once the victim is chosen and bound, he or she is brought to a table or chair where they cannot get loose. A trough, bottle, or other container is near them to collect the blood. Some powerful beings can draw the blood out without any cuts or punctures. I doubt these have that power. The main one performing the spells tells the gods, powers, and those observing what the outcome of the spell should be. Lengthy prayers, promises, threats, or other verbal comments are made. The performer works him/herself into a frenzy, which may include torturing the victim either lightly or all the way to nearly mortal wounding. At the height of the frenzy, the main or final cut is done, which can drain the victim completely, killing them. The blood, charged from the ritual, is now primed for the purpose of the spell. In this case, several ogres will be anointed with the blood to fool your barriers. As the ritual ends, they are sent out to find your villages with the hope they have the right family on whom the magic is centered. I am guessing these attacks happen only during the day."
The gnomes confirmed.Sky continued, "The rituals, usually, are performed at night as it may take all night to complete. They have from sunrise until sunset to find the village and attempt to enter. If it is the wrong one, they must move on to the next. If it is the right one, they must wait for the barrier to recognize them as gnomes. Once it does, well, you know the rest."
One of the older gnomes asked, "Sky Thunder, the Sisters have told us another gave them this powerful spell. Have you seen their patron or witnessed this power before?"
Sky thought a moment, "Now that you mention it, there was a scent over their camp that was definitely not ogre. It had a bitter edge to it. While ogres smell like dirty animals and dung, this was sharp and, to my mind, unnatural. While I cannot name it, that may be a place to start."
We all pondered this as we broke up to go to our own beds. Sky Thunder chose to stay in the village as a deterrent to the ogres returning. Set decided to stay beside Sky to talk with another dragon about a "tickle" he had begun experiencing. Our camp was in a barn as it was one of the few structures large enough to house us "tall folk". It took me a little longer to fall asleep without Set's body next to mine, but sleep eventually won.
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