That evening at dinner, it was the topic of discussion among the many fire pits. Although everyone was there to kill dangerous magical beasts, nobody wanted to kill gnomes. Still, it would be unwise to arrest the gnomes and fight them once they had transformed. It might take several of us to take down one, and as soon as they transformed we would be easily overpowered with the number of lycans they had counted fled into the woods.
Over the next week, we moved through the woods, tracking down the homes and hovels, which had been built in the wilderness away from the city. They were still citizens of Glitterfalls, but these gnomes lived more reclusive lives. Some of those we found had not been infected or even seen a weregnome, but had heard howls on the nights of the full moon in previous months. They did not realize how lucky they had been, but were ordered to relocate to the city with the aid of the royal guards.
In all, we hunted down a dozen gnomes that way. A few of the rangers tracked a few gnomes to their hiding spots on our path around the territory of Glitterfalls. Including the three from the first encounter, we found a total of fifteen. There were still almost ten weregnomes unaccounted for and hiding the forest and we only had two nights left before the full moon.
“We’ll send word to Glitterfalls to sweep the city for lycans then put a forcefield around it. I have a feeling being out in the wild, we’ll draw the weregnomes toward us, but we can’t afford to risk the city.” Prince Whizzlefizz addressed the group as a whole. I raised my hand and the prince pointed to me. “Byron.”
“So you royals and your guards are planning on staying and fighting?”
“We are indeed. It is our city, we will fight to rid it of this plague.”
“Poppycock!” said Griffrod. “If you’re staying out here you’ll get turned into weregnomes too. We’ll be overrun!”
The crowd broke out into a ruckus, realizing Griffrod was right.
“Humbly, Prince Whizzlefizz, I request that you and all the gnomes you’ve brought with you return to Glitterfalls and retreat behind the forcefield. Take the lead on making sure the city is cleansed, and let the rest of us deal with the weregnomes. That’s why we’re here.”
“I agree with our cleric. It would be unwise for you gnomes to stay. In all likelihood, it would guarantee our defeat,” Allandria said.
The royals stepped aside and discussed the proposition before Whizzlefizz stepped forward again.
“We do not want to accept what you’re saying, but… it is the reality. If the purpose is to cleanse the forest of weregnomes, every gnome here should return to Glitterfalls. It is time we put our faith in all of you who have answered our call for help. Thank you. If we are to make it to Glitterfalls before nightfall tomorrow, we must make haste immediately.”
“Safe travels, friends! We’ll be seeing you in a week!
“Wait!” Princess Floramore burst. “I have to stay.”
“Are you insane, sister? We can’t leave you here.”
“I have to stay or they’ll all turn back to their normal size. I’m sure this small army of mercenaries can keep one princess safe from less than a dozen weregnomes. Either way, this was the responsibility I took on when we invited everyone here. It is my duty to see it through. I won’t be doing battle, I’m just here to support them.”
The crowd grumbled and whispered amongst themselves. Prince Whizzlefizz looked over the crowd, examining everyone’s faces. Some people placed their palms over their faces, others looked sad and cringed. Like the prince, we all knew she was right.
“Sister, I strongly disagree – ” Prince Pluffle began, but she did not let him finish.
“Your concerns are noted, but they are not appropriate. We have watched our brethren sacrifice their lives to end this plague. I will not retreat when I have a responsibility to aid those who have come to aid us.”
Prince Pluffle cringed and shook his head, then took a deep, angry breath, staring at his sister. His anger soon melted into sadness and he pouted, trying to maintain his composure.
“Brother, the Sun God has sent us a cleric. I know we will be okay.”
Many heads turned to me, and I squirmed awkwardly at the pressure she laid at my feet. The princes themselves both turned to me, then back to their sister.
“Please, sister… come back alive. As for the rest of you, please, for the love of Garl Glittergold and all the gods, please don’t let her be turned into a weregnome.”
The crowd nodded, but I drew my mace and raised it into the air. Griffrod followed suit with his ax, then the rest of the crowd drew their weapons and raised them toward the princess. Visibly moved and on the verge of tears, both princes raised their weapons toward us.
“Thank you all! I’m putting my faith and my sister’s life in your hands.” They sheathed their weapons then hugged and kissed the princess on the cheeks, saying their goodbyes. The royal guards gathered around the princes, who led them back to Glitterfalls. Before we knew it, the forest was quiet and it was just the mercenaries and Princess Floramore.
“Don’t worry princess, we won’t let anything happen to you!” said someone in the crowd.
“Yeah, we’ll protect you until our dying breaths!” said another.
The crowd roared and cheered, bringing a smile to the princess’s face as she wiped away tears. She managed to whimper an audible, “Thank you.”
“Alright everyone, listen up,” I said. Since the princess had laid responsibility at my feet, I stepped up to take charge. I had her blessing, which meant the mercenaries would actually listen to me. “We have tonight and tomorrow night to track down as many gnomes as we can before the full moon. How about we split up into groups, each with at least one ranger, and see how many we can track down hiding in the forest? Then we can meet back here at the end of tomorrow evening and come up with a plan for the full moon.”
Many heads nodded and looked around. Generally the sentiment was accepted, and so was met with verbal confirmation from all around me. We split up, with everyone forming their own groups and organizing themselves. The elves and Alfar joined Griffrod and me, with whom the princess would be traveling.
The groups split up and for the next two nights everyone hunted gnomes in hiding. My group found tracks and signs of a gnome on the move, but we never found the gnome. By the end of the second night when we reconvened, four of the groups had tracked down and executed a gnome. That still left six weregnomes unaccounted for.
With a force of over fifty, we anticipated six weregnomes to be an easy battle. Still, we had all lived as long as we did because we were not foolhardy. We picked where we would make our stand and made camp for the princess. While she slept through the day, the rest of us prepared for the following night, the first night of the full moon. Using twigs and pebbles we built fortifications. My group took responsibility for the princess’s safety while everyone else would focus on battling the weregnomes.
To protect the princess, we used magic to create a deep hollow in a tree and built fortifications at the entrance. We created a room for the princess in case we were overrun. The spellcasters prepared wands for battle and everyone made sure to get rest. Everyone was awoken before nightfall for breakfast and to prepare for battle, including donning armor and preparing spells.
Nearing the end of my prayer to Pelor, we heard the first howl in the distance. I continued my prayer without interruption. In the end, before I opened my eyes I saw the sun in my mind, its rays blooming and swirling around the bright yellow disc like they were alive, and the sound of fizzling swept through my ears. My eyes opened and I was back in the forest.
I picked up my shield, a golden lion’s head on the front, and rejoined the group. Everyone stood around looking up at the trees, heads roaming while their ears searched for sound.. After the first, we counted five more howls.
“Alfar,” I called to the blacksmith, who was shaken out of his trance of thought. “Let’s get the princess to the room.” Alfar nodded and hurried off to retrieve her. I checked some fortifications on my way around the edge of our defensive zone. At the tree hollow, Griffrod, Allandria’s group and I convened, and Alfar arrived with the princess a moment later. I approached her and bowed.
“Princess Floramore, whatever happens, don’t come out of the room we’ve made for you until we open it. If we all die, come out yourself after three nights, when the moon is no longer full, and find your way back to Glitterfalls.”
“If you all die, we’ll evacuate Glitterfalls. It was one of the possibilities my father was discussing with his advisors and my brothers.”
“That would probably be wise.” I gave her some quick, affirmative nods. A giggle burst from the princess and she backed up to curtsey to the group.
“I hope you are all blessed in the coming battle. Your dedication to our people is clear and I hope you all live to reap the rewards. Please, stay alive.”
We bowed to her and she retreated deep into the tree hollow’s second room and sealed the wood with a wand, made for her so she could get in and out without aid. We fortified the entrance to the hollow then waited out front. Our team’s specific task was to guard the princess, but Griffrod and I had skills which would be essential in battle. The princess’s group and Alfar stood guard at the entrance to the hollow, while Griffrod and I were ready to charge at weregnomes to help put them down as quickly as possible.
“I feel as if we should check in with Glitterfalls,” said Allandria.
“I do feel like the beasts should be here by now. It may be wise.” I spun slowly to take in the perimeter. Everyone was ready for battle, their ears sharp, eyes peering into the dark forest. The torches we had set up around the camp did not reach far into the darkness, and clouds mostly obscured the full moon’s light.
Allandria used her talisman to speak to Prince Pluffle. A disc appeared in the air before her with an illusion displaying for us what was happening in the Kingdom with Prince Pluffle in the foreground.
“Princess Allandria, how fares your party?” he asked.
“We heard some howls but have seen no sign of any beasts. And in Glitterfalls?”
“Glitterfalls has deployed every spellcaster to assist in maintaining a forcefield around the city. Weregnomes have been sighted on the North, West, and Eastern fronts. Some have attacked the forcefields but they seem to be searching for a weakness. Is my sister safe?”
“Let us solve two requests at once.” Allandria turned to her priestess, who ran into the hollow and returned a moment later with Princess Floramore.”
“Hello, brother! They created a safe place for me to hide in a tree during the battle. I’ll send word that we’re okay when the battle is done.”
“Understood, sister. Thank you all for taking care of her.”
“Princess, could you please draw the weregnomes to us?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Princess Floramore pranced away and cast a spell that lit up the encampment with loud, magical fireworks. The prince checked with his men, and returned to transmit the new status.
“We are getting reports that the weregnomes have fled. I believe you may have company soon,” he said.
“Princess, please hurry back inside.”
“Talk to you soon, brother!” Princess Floramore waved, then rushed back into the hollow.
“Good luck to all of you. Thank you, again.” The princess said. Allandria and the prince shared a nod then ended the spell.
It wasn’t long before we heard a howl from nearby. Then came another howl, closer this time and from the western front. One by one, the weregnomes sounded off around the encampment.