THE FACE OFF
A GNOMES CHALLENGE
Dirt and dust rose from the ground with every beat of the hooves. Women screamed and children cried as they saw their family and friends cut down like wheat at harvest. The small village was defenseless from the onslaught of the horde of minotaurs.
As the village burned and people fell a solemn child sized figure appeared from the forest, waving his hand in a rune pattern jester water from underground springs began to burst through the ground. The rush of random geysers shot high into the air causing a rain like effect when the drops fell back to the ground dousing most of the fires and soaking the ground causing muddy black puddles of water.
The figure ran and moved like the wind and soon was standing in front of six towering minotaurs, the smallest being bout seven foot in height the largest had to be at least nine if not more. He took a solid stance, his feet shoulder width apart, raising his staff straight,up keeping it parallel to his body,he uttered a chant and yelled out,”land bite” and slammed his staff to the ground. At the point of impact the ground began to crack and a single small hairline crack ran straight to the beast position and under their heavy hooves.
The biggest minotaur of the group laughed,”What was that you insect” he continued to laugh until the ground under their feet began to shake and crack encircled them, huge pointed spikes began to rise from the ground as the hole opened up like a mouth. The spikes quickly began to stab and tear through the flesh of the beast and soon they were trapped in the spikes being stab stab and torn apart as the spikes kept moving. Then the hole began to close taking the beast down below the ground never to be seen again.
The little figure turned from his position as he heard a scream, he quickly ran in the direction of the scream and as he turned down an alley a whistle followed by a flash of air rushed by his head. Turning his head quickly he saw the shaft of the arrow sicking out of the side of the building. He dropped forward and rolled on his shoulder behind some old crates and dirty piles of linen. Looking around trying to locate the position of the archer another arrow whizzes by his head cutting his ear at the pointy tip. Grabbing his ear in pain he move behind the crates. Wiping the blood away he looks at his hand and winces in pain. Wiping the blood on his tunic he placed his hands together, as if he was praying, and began to concentrate soon a large wall appeared blocking the alley. Getting on his feet he began to run toward the cry of help. Nearing the end of the alley he sees the most devious and cunning of all the minotaur, it was the one known as Scar, the battle shaman that had mysterious powers of ancient dark magic, holding a small innocent looking child by the nape of the neck.
Seeing this sight the little one knew that no matter how strong he had gotten in his travels that taking down Scar may be out of his element, and at anytime he may have to deal with the huge white wolf which posed a major obstacle by itself.
Scar stared at the little fellow, but his gaze sent shivers through the little fellow and caused a sick painful sensation in the pit of his stomach. Scar laughed an pointed a huge finger at the little one,”Your life will end now and we will posses those stones you have carried for so long, I desire their power so I can rule this world.” Unable to move all the small figure could do was listen to the ramblings of this insane beast. “I have heard tales of a small creature showing up here and there stopping our forces from complete conquest, but I would have never though an insignificant gnome would be such a hinder. You Gerbo Fleetfoot will die this day and there is nothing you or anyone can do to stop this.” Gerbo felt a deep pain inside his chest as if something was trying to rip his heart out.” Scar gestured with his finger,”I can kill you quickly, but that would be no fun.” Scar moved his hand to the left and has he did Gerbo was flung across the dirt street into a tree with a great thud and fell like a brick into a patch of thorny bushes. Scar laughed in delight,”Is it going to be this easy to finish you off, I was hoping to at least break a sweat.....Your the same as all the others weak and pathetic, your no use to anyone, your just a hindrance to the world....to my world!”
Tossing the child aside, Scar took a few steps toward the thorny bushes, he opened the palm of his hand as it swatted by his side with every step, a bright orange glow formed in his hand, raising his hand he pointed straight at the thorny bush and tree where Gerbo laid. A loud roar erupted from Scar as the orange beam burst forth from his hand and striking the tree.
As the beam connected with the tree a huge blinding dome of light covered the area, measuring twenty feet in diameter, the surrounding area was soon covered in a veil of dirt, dust and debris. Scar stood there watching the destruction he unleashed. As the air cleared and the veil began to disappear, the outline of a huge hole began to appear and then it was clear Scar had left a fifteen foot deep crater in the twenty foot area, nothing could survive that, all that was within was gone and left as mere grains of dust.
Scar proudly walked to the edge of the crater and stared into it its depths. As he looked down he smile a sinister smile that would have given the bravest of adults nightmares, a chuckle left him as he reveled in this victory, yelling into the crater,”I thought you would have given me a challenge little gnome, but you never had a chance, you were lacking in skill and you pathetic concern for others lead you to this fate.” He continued to laugh as he began looking around for Gerbo's satchel that held the treasure of the gnomes. As Scar walked around the edge of the crater the ground with in the crater began to quake and tremble, a high pitch scream, such as that of a child echoed from under the ground. Scar stopped his search and turning to look into the crater a loud cracking sound filled the air and Scar felt a sharp pain run the edge of his face as his ear dropped to the ground. Grabbing the left side of his face he cried out in pain and as he looked upon the ground where his ear lay and to his blood covered hand he roared,”Who did this show your self now you coward. Turning his head looking around he saw a hole with in the crater and debris surrounding it where it appeared something had broke through the ground. Seeing this he roared and snorted and in a deep twisted voice Scar cries out,”So I see you craftier than I though gnome, well lets see how crafty you are show your self so I can end your useless existence.
The air grew thick and a breeze rolled through stirring up dust. The eerie silence was soon broken,”Scar I am up here!” a small voice shouted. Looking up Scars eyes widened as he saw Gerbo the gnome levitating ten foot in the air upon a chunk of rock. Letting out a roar he stomped his hoof as the gnome pointed to Scar,”I know your power is great but today I have reached my limit on all the suffering and chaos and if it takes my life we will end this today. If I die so be it I have been alone for years my life will not be missed but will serve a greater good, to stop you and give this land peace.” Gerbo jumped from his hovering chunk of rock pushing off with all his strength, as he does he sends it flying hard straight toward Scar, using his power of levitation.
The rock sailed fast at the minotaur, but seconds before it impacted Scar raised his hand and with a great force pushed the rock away and flying into an old building. The crash of the rock shook the building hard and crumbled its walls. Turning to face Gerbo, Scar snorted and waved his hand in a clockwise motion, “Take this you little rodent!” he pulled his hand back and quickly shot it forward. In an instant vine like tentacles shot straight for Gerbo. Reacting fast he jumped back and got some distance just out of reach of the tentacles, he quickly drew a rune symbol on the top of his staff and slammed the other end into the ground. “Scar” he called out as the earth in a ten foot radius began move like waves on the ocean. Scar wobbled and stumbled trying to keep his balance as the earth under him churned and rolled, at the same time the vine like tentacles were weaving their way into the ground slowly giving Scar more stability to ride out the moving ground.
As Scar was occupied with the spell, Gerbo quickly began to concentrate and focus his energy through chanting, for this spell required a lot of energy and time to prepare and cast. Gerbo began to emit an orange glow around his body, his eyes shut tight all his focus was on his spell. Glowing brighter and brighter till he appeared to be engulfed in red flames. Sweat ran down his face, his skin was beginning to redden and in an instant his eyes opened and the word “release” came from his mouth.
His body began to float into the air, the red aura surrounding his body grew brighter and brighter, until it burst into a blinding flash that shot into the sky. Gerbo's body crashed to the ground, a sickening gurgle came from his throat as the red aura began taking the form of a cloud high above the area they were battling in.
Scar stabilized himself as the ground stopped rolling and churning. Looking up at the cloud Scar began retracting the tentacles that held him in place, but as he did red droplets began to fall like rain. A drop hit Scars arm and began to smoke and sizzle, Scar let out a cry of pain as he tried to retract the tentacles even faster. The red rain began falling harder and faster burning and tormenting Scar. Yelling and writhing in pain Scar was able to run for shelter now that he was free, but with every step the red droplets burned and scarred his flesh to the bone. Scar took shelter under an old leather canopy, but it did no good, soon the red drops burned holes through the canopy and was raining down upon Scar once again.
As Scar ran and tried to escape the red cloud following him as it rained down fire and vengeance from the small insignificant creature know as Gerbo Fleetfoot a foothill gnome. After some time laying prone on the ground Gerbo began to move his hand and then an arm, soon he was on his feet, but was dazed and very weakened. Staggering over to a nearby tree he fell down pulling and crawling to the tree he propped himself against it. His thoughts were clear and he said to himself,”That fire rain spell almost ended me, but it took care of that vile Scar, and if he does survive for the next two hours, when the spell should end, it will be a great while before he bothers anyone again.” Gerbo sat there, his eyes growing heavy, his body weak, soon his eyes closed and the little gnome drifted off into a peaceful rest.
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