The Manticore Venla’s deep voice contrasted with the Siren’s melodic tone. The massive Old One always sounded impatient. Venla Faxxine said, “Well, after you and Serena left with Rhiann and Iyaca for Cragmore. I took charge in the woods near Dry Creek. Everything went smoothly for the most part. The six Copper Dragons remained under your Charming Song. I grabbed the Gnomish Captain Longbeard, who remained under the effect of the wizard’s Hold Spell and awake.”
Young Iyaca interrupted, “He wasn’t asleep! Why?”
Rhiann explained, “It’s Magick. The Hold Spell kept Longbeard from doing anything else, including fall asleep. The spell’s duration depends on the level, the power, of the sorcerer who cast it. So Longbeard saw and heard everything.”
Venla Faxxine gruffly cleared his throat and said, “If I might continue. Yes, he was truly ‘held.’ I grabbed this Longbeard bloke and ordered Copper Dragons to carry Gnomes to Dry Creek. One grabbed the archer Dibbit. An unlucky dragon grabbed the wagon driver.”
Iyaca blurted, “Donovan Eleven-names! The wizard placed a Hold Spell on him, too.”
The Manticore grunted, “The blighter faked being held. Suppose he wanted to surprise the attackers. But he did fall asleep. The young copper dragon pinched him a bit too hard and woke him up. He played ‘possum’ and pretended to be asleep whilst the dragon carried him. When the dragon landed, the Gnome shouted, ‘No beast is going to get away with carrying Donovan Eleven-names like a sack of feed.’ The Dragon initially just tried to get away, but the Gnome fought him on the field in front of the Dry Creek stockade, beaned the dragon with his hammer, and broke the effect of your Charming Song. Then they really had a go. The other five dragons didn’t know whether to **** or go blind. Your charm commanded them to carry the combatants to their respective lairs, but they saw a colleague embroiled in conflict with a tenacious Gnome. Bottom line was the power of your charm overpowered the dragons’ instincts and they stayed out of it and just watched. It was the meanest Gnome any of us had seen. To be honest I got caught up in watching the fight. Gnomes were charging out of the gate to help their comrade. After receiving three or four knocks to the head, the copper dragon beat a hasty retreat. The wagon-driver Gnome directed his friends to gather their sleepy colleagues and started dragging them inside the walls.
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