Chapter 20: Chapter 20: The garden

Chapter 20: The garden

Archibald is just a normal healer. He comes home, to tend to his ailing mother. Hearing rumors that a faraway strike force is recruiting adventurers against the Trap Nation, he gets it in his mind to sign in for the war.

After all, campaign season is in full swing, and he sees greatness before him. But first, he must find someone to take care of his mother, Theona, and her prized garden.

Archibald:

This morning I made mom's tea, and left it on the table in her room, along with some toast with butter and honey. She is a picky eater, always has been. So, I grew up dining on some gourmet dishes, which were the topic of envy among all of my friends.

"And don't forget to go and weed the garden," mom tells me, and I smile at her.

"There is hardly a weed in there, mom," I tell her, but she just frowns at me.

"Just go and weed it, ok? I have to win next month's garden competition," I smile indulgingly at her, and make my way out of the room. "And Archie?"

I turn back towards her, and nod at her.

"I am proud of you, son. Most of the young men have gone off to fight the traps, but you choose to stay in here, instead of foisting me off to a neighbor," ah, and the guilt kicks in.

"I do love you, mom," I tell her, and then close the door. Now, I know she would like me to stay home. Yet, the Trap Nation is a neighboring nation. And now, the traps have a taste for blood.

Perhaps, they have always had it. There are even rumors about the leaders being slimes. Which, if it is true, explains quite a bit. I, as an adventurer, would be a good counter measure, I suppose.

As I walk to the garden, I see something zap around quickly. I am immediately on guard. Is this a pixie? There are still pixies in Edress, unlike in Trap Nation.

I hear singing then, and see, that there are little people tending to the garden. Pulling out the weeds. I blink. Just when did mom get a tribe of gnomes? I clear my throat.

"Hey, little guys, what are you doing in my mother's garden?" I ask them. A wizen old gnome comes forward. His beard reaches his knees, and is as white as freshly fallen snow.

"We are refugees from the Trap Nation. There is a ley line below this garden. Oh, please, great adventurer, let us stay," well, they are not asking for money, and I guess I can't just show them the road. Not if I want to leave them in charge of taking care of mom.

"Stay then. Do you need anything? Wood for houses?" I just know, that gnome houses will be adorable, and will win mom that garden competition. She has won it every week, for the past three years, or, so she told me.

I can see tears pinpricking from the corner of the gnomes' eyes. I guess that they have faced much. Just another reason why, I should pack up and head to the battlefield.

"Thank you, kind adventurer. We will be forever in your debt," I sort of feel bad, for wanting to use the little guys. Yet, I don't want to lie to them, that my help will come without any strings.

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"So, here is the deal. I must go and liberate Florifel from the traps. So, people like you can go back there, ok? But I can't leave my mother alone. Do you guys and gals think you could look after her? She is a picky eater, but I can leave you a list with the food she does eat, and how to prepare it," I tell them, and the chief nods energetically.

"We will take care of the lady, make no mistake. I have to say, she has a wonderful garden, so, she must be a wonderful person," I smile at the chief. I guess, he would be willing to say just about anything, in order to gain entrance to our garden. But I still feel touched.

 Archibald and many others would leave for the Trap Nation, indignation in their hearts. For, most of them had magical beings in their homes, who came from the Trap Nation.

Yet, back in the home of one Theona, a mother grieves for her son.

"He said that he would look after me," Theona wept, inconsolable. "Not march off to war."

"Lady, if he does not fight, then nothing will change. Many have been uprooted, and now that the Trap Nation has Dark Lord Dean, times will get darker," Arnold, the gnome chief, told the weeping mother.

"My son is out there, fighting your war, as you hide in here," Theona was not in the mood to be silenced, though. She had quite a temper on her, and little regard for the little humans.

Arnold had been the subject of such behavior before. The traps liked to pretend they were normal, but they kept their strange deceit by eating magical beings, of the opposite gender.

 Mostly the leprechauns, but at times, some trap would be too poor to get a leprechaun from a farm, and would go hunting. Arnold had lost more than one friend, from the strange non-humans.

"He is fighting the good fight," Arnold insisted, turning away from Theona. "But you are right about one thing. We cannot hide, while the humans deal with the traps. For, we have been the ones hunted by the traps, and we must deliver them to vengeance. No, to justice. I am sorry, lady Theona, but we will be off. Please, consider welcoming us back to your wonderful garden, upon our return."

"And if you don't return? No, I will not send you little guys off to die," Theona said, her voice stern.

"I am lucky you consider me a friend, even in your dark times," Arnold says, a happy feeling in his stomach. "That gives me hope. Yet, we must leave. Before we go, we will arrange for someone to take care of you, dear lady."

The Call, as it is later called by the historians, was brough about by a mother's spite. For, the gnomes did not march alone.

 Theona spread the word in the newspaper about the gnome refugees going back to the Trap Nation to fight, and so, many magical creatures answered the honor bound call.

For battle, for glory, for freedom.

For a bright new day, without half-slime traps darkening the horizon. 

 

 

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