As Fang came over and lay at Rone’s feet, Traijen motioned for Rone to turn around. When he did, he was surprised to see they were no longer alone in the clearing.
At the edge of the trees, just a few feet into the clearing, now stood a most peculiar looking little man. Only standing just under four feet tall, and wearing clothes made of rabbit fur. That fits him loosely at best, and to the companions appeared to be a crude attempt at being a robe.
His hair was grey and gave the appearance of being made of cypris moss, rather than normal hair. That hang down long and unkempt around his shoulders with thick bushy eyebrows that nearly covered his eyes entirely.
His skin was a yellowish tan color that showed the inevitable wrinkling of age. He had a long beard that hung nearly to his waistline and seemed to Rone, to be made out of leaves.
Rone turned back towards the companions and looked at Katrina, who slowly moved to stand beside him.
“It’s a Bark Gnome,” she said softly, watching the strange little man.
Rone was amazed. He had heard of them but never seen one before. They are masters at camouflaging themselves, especially in a forest. Some say they can even turn themselves into bushes and trees at will.
After a few more moments, Rone began to move slowly towards the Gnome. Hoping he could convince him, they were no threat to the forest, or to the gnomes.
As Rone stepped forward, the gnome stepped back, drawing a small wicked-looking dagger from his belt. Rone paused and watched as the gnome pointed towards Rone’s own swords and then towards the ground. Attempting to get him to lay down his weapons.
Looking at the companions, Rone could see Traijen shaking his head not to do it, and Trisha looking more than a little worried herself. It wasn’t the nature of these strange gnomes that bothered them. It was the sheer numbers.
Just since his appearance at the edge of the clearing, the companions had noticed the dozens of eyes from before. Now looked to number in the hundreds.
The red glowing orbs of their eyes now shined all around them. Spread out in a full circle that appeared to be not only on the ground but in the very tops of the trees as well.
Rone turned back to the Gnome, who met his gaze with a calm determination. Seeing that the gnome did not appear to be very aggressive, Rone decided he would concede to the gnome's wishes.
He lay LightVein on the ground in front of him, and the swords enchanted light instantly went out. Causing Rone to pause for a moment, so his eyes could again adjust to the dim light provided by the luminous stones.
Rone didn’t like the fact that they could no longer see the eye shine of the gnomes in the forest around them.
But he unstrapped the belt at his waist anyway, and let the sword called Shadow Foil slide to the ground as well. After he had taken a few steps from where his swords lay, the strange Bark Gnome put his own dagger on the ground. Then he held his arms out to his side and turned in a circle. An attempt Rone guessed to show he too was now unarmed.
When Rone finally approached the little man, the gnome motioned for him to sit with him as he sank cross-legged onto the ground. When Rone had done the same, the gnome took Rone’s hand in his own and placed it on his beard.
At first, Rone was at a loss. He had no idea what the little man wanted from him but held onto the beard anyway. In a gruff voice and using a language Rone had never heard, the gnome began to chant something.
Rone may not have known the language, but he understood the magic, it was forest magic. He could feel the surge as it spread from the ground and up through the gnome into Rone’s hand.
The gnome was initiating a communing between himself and Rone. Something that even as a Thorn Caller, Rone had never been aware could happen.
But as he held onto the strange little man's beard, Rone realized something. This little gnome was as much a part of the forest as any tree ever could be. He was a melding of both nature and flesh.
His beard did not just appear to be leaves. They were actual leaves. His hair looked like cypris moss because it was cypris moss. He was able to commune with Rone this way because he shared the same connection to Earthera as the very forests that grew upon it.
Rone could not help but be in awe of such a creature. He had always loved the connection he had with the world through his forest magic, but this was on a level he had never known.
The images that began to enter his mind came slowly at first. He saw the bark gnome’s village, their daily duties of tending to the forest, and even their struggles against the encroaching DokalFae. Who was a constant source of trouble for the gnomes.
Then the visions changed. They now flowed down a hidden cave headed away from the forest. The image moved swiftly now and with a purpose.
At key points, when the vision reached an intersection or changed paths, it would stop and show Rone what to look for that marked the correct way.
As his mind continued to soar down the path of the cave, he came to an opening. One with a small door that Rone would have to crawl through on his knees if he was here in person. But it wasn’t the entrance that made him pause. It was what that entrance allowed him access to.
Inside, Rone found himself standing in a massive chamber. The rock walls had been smoothed and etched with an intricate design. These carvings in the stone showed the course of events that happened in some great war.
Representations of each of the races stood at the head of a vast army. So large its end was shown as nothing, but thousands of dots carved into the stone.
What interested Rone the most, though, was the fact it wasn’t just the Humans or Fae races. There were also Orcs, Hobspawn, and all the other Faespawn races. Troll’s, Ogres, and even a giant stood at the head of this immense army of the races.
As Rone stared in awe at what the carvings portrayed, his vision was shifted to the other wall. The one the army was positioned to appear as if they were marching towards.
There in the sky’s above a burning city, were the SkyFae. Massive creatures of scale and wings, ranging nearly as varied in shape and size as the mortal races.
From giant six-legged serpent type creatures on the ground. To those that had no legs at all shown flying even without wings. At the head of this terrifying army was the largest of them all.
According to the depiction, this SkyFae would have been a giant even to the other dragons. He was massive, with powerful front appendages that appeared more akin to arms than legs. And strong, almost man-like rear legs.
His wingspan nearly covered the entire city below him and did, in fact, block out the sun. Shown by the carver to only being visible as lines that were etched behind the dragons back.
Rone recognized this SkyFae immediately. For you would be hard-pressed to find a child in Earthera, that has not heard some version of its legend.
That was Dracon’Da, father of all dragons. According to legend, he was the oldest and most revered among the SkyFae. Some of the mortal races even worshiped him as a god before the enlightenment happened.
Rone was still staring at the carving as his mind's eye moved further into the chamber. Where even the great wall scene, now fell short to the awe he suddenly felt.
For there in the back of the chamber, was a golden dragon. His massive chest rose and fell with each breath he took, and his eyes scanned the room with a curious nature. As if he could sense, he was no longer alone inside his home.
His golden scales seemed as large as tower shields to Rone and twice as thick. He had two large stumps on his back that Rone felt must have been wings at one time, though for some reason were now gone.