Chapter 7

Dark and Aeron were led to the main tree, and were stood before the Gnome King. "Welcome," he said in a surprisingly deep voice. "Friends, what is your purpose here?" he asked.

Aeron replied, "Your highness, we are traveling Runescape to find survivors, and offer healing and help when needed. We wanted to offer the same here."

To that the King replied with a smile, "Well, I'm afraid you're going to be short of work. Like the elves, we are well supplied and all is well. But we will offer our hospitality while you're here and help you get back on your way. Besides, though we have what we need, it is awfully boring here. Tell us news of the elves, and what you have found in your travels."

Aeron said, "Yes, you're Highness. But my companion and I are weary, so let us share news when we sup tonight."

The King then said, "Of course, of course. I shall have our maidens draw up warm baths for the both of you, and clean linens. Believe it or not, we keep clothes for humans, or in your case elves, lest travelers such as you share our hospitality.

With that Dark and Aeron were led out into another, smaller tree that housed a slightly large apartment with two bedrooms. In the bathrooms, there lay tubs full of steaming water. They were not used to such luxury. And being elves, they were not welcoming this inorganic method of washing fully. Still, Aeron hopped in after less than a second of debating thought. Dark, still a bit wary, decided what harm a bath could do and climbed into the tub as well. Then they both fully cleaned, shed their elven clothes (though packed them away, because gnome clothing was not known for its strength) for the silken clothing that lay next to the tubs. They then proceeded to walk back to the big tree.

Dark and Aeron were led by guards to the second level, which held the feasting room. The King called to them, "Friends, you are guests of honor, sit at my table." They sat side by side next to the King's advisor, who sat next to the King in high-backed wooden chairs that no doubt were older than them.

"My people! These are friends from the nomadic tribe of Isafdar. Welcome them," the King yelled, addressing the whole of the feast room.

That was when things started to go wrong. Very, horribly wrong. Unexpectedly, all the gnomes in the room wielded concealed crude weapons. It was also at that moment when Aeron and Dark realized they had none. They were left, along with their things back at the apartment.

The second thing that Aeron and Dark came to notice was that cuffs now bound them to their wooden chairs. The King slowly stood up, and walked around to face them. With a mixture of sorrow and lust in his eyes he addressed them, "My friends, I am truly sorry. But the elves were left off better than the gnomes and our lands are no longer as gifted with fertility as they once were. We do not often find travelers who travel so willingly into the Stronghold. It was all too easy to convince a pair of ignorant elves from Tirranwn that we were truly offering our hospitality. But I suppose you will end up serving your purpose. In a way…"

But Dark wasn't listening. Instead, she was frantically reciting a summoning spell, unbeknownst to the King or any other gnome. A few trees away her green robes started to twitch, but wouldn't move. Dark sensed this and knew that the trees, embedded with ancient enchantments, were interfering with her signal. Desperately she started to recite runes again, this time runes of protection. And then weird things started to happen.

Aeron was busy pleading for his life but while he was doing that, a change was coming over Dark. Her hair started sparkling with a magikal presence. She seemed to have lost any knowing of where she was, and fell into a kind of trance. Dark started whispering in a strange language, older than the Ancient Language that once governed Runescape. Somehow, Aeron knew it was the language of the Gods. He then realized what was happening and started reciting runes of protection over the two of them. He didn't know what Dark was doing, but he knew it mustn't be interrupted. He didn't even need to remember the prophecy to know that much.

Dark's and Aeron's cuffs were suddenly released, and all the gnomes within a 12 foot radius were knocked down, dead or unconscious, it wasn't known at the time. Dark seemed to have come out of her trance at the moment, but a magickal presence still lingered about her. She anxiously shouted, "Aeron, we must fight!" Using the nearest weapons (unfortunately adding up to only 5 butter knives and a fork), Dark and Aeron stood back to back, surrounded by another wave of gnomes.

They were fighting for their lives, and fighting well. Dark was more learned in magic, as Aeron was only training to be a traveling guide, so she focused on maintaining her stead flow of energy while Aeron was fighting using extremely deadly techniques of melee. Throwing silverware and whatever else was near with lightening speed, the gnomes around him seemed to drop like flies. Dark meanwhile was still focusing her energy on not only spells of protection, but fighting off the abrasive wave of vicious gnomes. With each blast that killed off a dozen gnomes, two dozen more seemed to have come in their place. Aeron was also losing stamina rapidly, and Dark slowly found it harder and harder to maintain that flow of energy.

In probably the worst time possible, Dark went into a trance again, this one deeper than the previous. It was an eerie sight and her hair once again was crackling with unnatural electricity, eyes shut with either unconsciousness or concentration. She also strangely seemed to be levitating. Then, a final decision ended the battle. Her eyes opened instantly with glowing irises. Dark yelled out the language of the gods in an inhuman voice that sounded like many and one, and then there was a flash of light. All the gnomes in the room were killed on the spot, and she fell to the ground. Dark lay on the floor, unconscious, and Aeron, suddenly realizing what had happened, flew to her side.

"Dark...Dark! DARK! Wake up! Dark! Wake up!" He started applying CPR when he was unable to wake her. Here was his little sister, someone he helped raise. Someone he grew up with. He didn't protect her. He didn't say, "No, Dark. The gnomes are up to trouble. It's not safe." Because of him, she might die.

Dark's eyes started to flicker open and she started coughing. She opened her eyes, looked up at Aeron, then at the wreckage around them. Wearily, she said, "Aeron, what the hell did you do?"

Laughing and half-crying, Aeron said, "Dark... You did this. What the hell did YOU do?"

To that, she replied with an understanding sigh, "Once again, I have been blessed and saved by the great god Guthix. But this time, I have not only been blessed, but marked. Aeron, I believe I carry a sort of god power. Something that awakens only in a time of emergency, I suppose, such as when we're almost kidnapped and killed by a hoard of cannibal gnomes. Seren. I really hope these weren't the last of them. I always did like gnome ball..."

She then quickly explained her previous encounter with Guthix, something she never told anyone before. Aeron just said, "Oh. Well, we need to pack up and get moving quickly. The enchantments are broken on the stronghold doors and looters will sooner or later make their way here." He helped her up, and together they headed back to the apartment to gather their things, still thinking and wondering about what had just happened. It was quite a lot for someone to absorb in such a short period of time, especially after they had just nearly been killed.