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.
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