Gnomes of Suburbia (25 page)

"Keepers of knowledge. Keepers of Magical history?"

"Indeed. That is the idea.” Abby smiled as the faces around her took on a new glow, the glow of hope. “Before our plan is in action, you must have notified the council of it, I would get to it, if I were you."

Brynwyn craned his neck to the sky.

Abby saw the spiralling bolt of power that he sent out.

"The answer should be back presently."

"I don't know how to measure time here. What is presently?"

A bright glow centred over the communal fire, it swirled and grew by leaps and bounds. Finally a figure stepped from it.

"What nonsense is this that you spread? A disappearing village and a lost Nexus?"

"We need to bring these things to come, Lady Myfir. Tomorrow Mervyn Atur will be here and we will die at his hand unless these things come to pass."

"I just needed to hear it from you lips, Brynwyn. You have our blessing to keep the records and your village shall be charged with gathering knowledge in it's quest. Will that suffice?"

"More than you could ever know. Thank you."

"Yes, thank you.” Abby should have kept her mouth shut. The fiery creature turned to her. “And what have you to do with it?"

"I am the other Nexus. The one who will return through time.” She curtsied back and was quite pleased, considering that she was wearing jeans.

"Then make sure that all progresses as it has been foreseen or we will return to deal with you.” She leapt back into the flame with that and the sky welcomed her as she flew away.

"Wow.” She couldn't get the ring of that voice out of her head. She needed to sleep. She needed her strength for tomorrow. “Thank you for your time. Where can I sleep?"

Anwyn walked her and Seesee to one of the empty cottages. There were two beds and they were calling. “I will come get you at first light."

Abby already slept. She dreamed of Xander. His fingers, his hands, his smile and his body moving over hers. The blast of power that she woke to was no surprise.

Good thing, it was time to make war on a magus.

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The entire village had turned out to face the oncoming threat. It was going to be quite the audience.

Terranor met her and, with the charge buzzing on her, she and Strykr had just said their morning greeting. The naked kind. Tough to do with so many kids around, but Terra had said the elders were always wishing to babysit.

They stood side by side as the forest lining began to rustle. Soon horses came forward, each carrying a battle-hardened warrior. At their head was the butt-head who had caused it all.

"Mervyn Atur, I presume.” She heard gasps behind her and knew that the insult of dismissing his titles was a good call.

"What manner of ill-favoured wretch are you?” He had hair that was whitening around the sides and he simply let it flow. Not attractive, but not a spud either.

She turned to Terra. “He just called me ugly, didn't he?"

"Yes. In revenge for the insult no doubt."

"Gotcha.” She took a deep breath. Time for the show to start. “You have something that does not belong to you."

"And what would that be?"

"The magic in your weapons. It was obtained by force and drawn out of a child just to create death and destruction.” She stood and Terranor took her place at her side. “Today she will take it back."

Terranor concentrated and pulled on her magic.

Abby could see it start to flow to her, one tendril at a time. As she became more confident, the flow increased until it was a river of power that was working its way back to its originator.

She glowed with the power. It was beautiful to behold.

"No! She cannot do this. She has not been trained to do this!” Mervyn was panicking, it was a fine sight to behold.

"All weapons, which were enchanted, are no more. There is only one blade created that still has power and it resides far from here, only the most pure of heart can withdraw it. It lies beyond your grasp, Mervyn."

He was practically foaming at the mouth. “Then I shall take the Nexus and have her redo what she has undone."

"But which Nexus?” This was the show. She pulled her own magic to her, spurred on by remembering her dream last night. Power pushed at him, frightened the horses and had the army turning tail in moments. Terranor did the same on her side.

They turned to face each other and poured the energy into the pebbles they had started. The bubble of energy grew rapidly, their powers collided and swirled in a beautiful combination until a bubble covered the whole of the village. Terra and Abby inside, the army outside. Mervyn was shrieking and he ran toward them, sword upraised. And kept running, right through them. He could not touch them. They were in a bubble out of time.

They watched him flail and scream at Terranor, his fury was palpable and when he began to gather his magic for an assault, the pixies went into action. He was surrounded by a cloud of whirling wings and giggling girls in a matter of seconds. When they finished their laughing tornado, they dissipated to the point where Abby could see the magus covered with a fine glittering powder. Pixie dust.

He screamed as the magic he had summoned was now trapped inside the veil of dust.

Abby looked to Terranor and stifled a laugh when she said, “Oh, that has to hurt."

"Did you design them to do that?"

"Not particularly, but I remember wishing that he could keep his magic to himself that day.” She giggled.

It was a relief for Abby that Terra had not been broken by the experiences of her early life as a Nexus.

"I guess I put that into the pixies."

They turned from Mervyn railing and cursing at the discomfort of the confined power.

Abby smiled and hugged the first of her kind. “I guess you did."

"I do foresee one problem with them though.” They were returning to her family and the astonished villagers who were looking out through the bubble of magic to the forest beyond.

"What is that?"

"I made them all girls. There won't be any more of them."

"That is a problem. Perhaps you could make more of them?"

"But they couldn't go through the bubble, could they?"

"Of course they could. Just like the elves and your kids can. The bubble will wrap them in your magic and they will be able to come and go as long as they don't all go at once. That would tear the bubble apart and leave you to the mercies of whoever was nearby.” She tried to be matter of fact about it, but she didn't want Terra to mistake her lightness of delivery for lack of seriousness.

"I understand. And although you have not said it, I know that I will never leave this village. You are from the future, what have you seen for my children?” Her voice was choked with emotion, but she was doing what was best for her family and the friends who had taken her in.

"I don't know any specifics, but I do know that the magus who trained me looks so much like your Strykr that he could be his grandson. Your grandson. Or some form of descendent.” At the sceptical look, she continued, “Seriously, when I came to and saw him there, I could have sworn that it was Xander."

"Really? You were trained by a magus and you still have your freedom?"

The villagers were touching the barrier and murmuring to themselves. Smiles were on their faces so it wasn't all bad.

"Really. The magical council created an equally represented, um, village for me. There is a werewolf, mermaid, the gorgon you have met, a magus, a vampire, I think, I haven't met him yet and there was one human who was trying to kill me. So it was a pretty safe environment for me to learn."

"You are serious? They let you roam free?"

"Yeah. Apparently, history has shown them that if they want the magic to continue to flow, they need to keep the Nexus from burning out. Our time is short on natural magic so my appearance was a big deal for them."

"How could your time be short on nature?"

"Humanity has over developed the planet. Too many cities and not enough green spaces. It stops nature from being able to assert itself."

"I am going to have a new respect for the forest nearby if this is true."

"Well, it won't happen for a few hundred years so you have some time.” They were back at Terranor's cottage and the squealing excitement of the small girls flowed from the doorway and right to them.

Abby was shocked when the little hands reached for her as well, hugging at her legs and trying to get her to dance in a tight circle with them. The hands belonged to Elspeth, the little girl with the ancient eyes. Abby spun with her and eventually a laugh bubbled up. Power trickled from her as the other girls skipped and whirled with her.

She was so caught up in the dance and not tripping on the girls that she didn't realized they were moving to the center of the village. As they skipped and whirled, Abby caught short glimpses of Harby and the others forming a larger circle around them. There was so much laughter and giggling going on that when Abby's feet stepped on themselves and she went down, she let out a burst of energy that expanded and slammed into the inner side of the dome. “Aw, shit."

"Aunty Abby, did you do something bad?"

She was on the ground, covered in garden gnomes and had her hands over her eyes. “I don't know, Elspeth. You tell me."

"You had to do this so that when the magic fizzles, we can take it with us when we go into the world."

"Is that what I did?"

"Well, you weren't supposed to fall down. That was just funny."

Abby moved her fingers to see earnest blue eyes looking back at her.

"Really, Abby. This had to happen."

It all came slamming together. Her getting the book, it stimulating her creative drive. The gnomes having knowledge about using the book. The organization of her neighbourhood and the wise little five year old looking her in the eyes. “You did all this. You brought me here. Why?"

"To save my mom, my dad and my family. So that you could learn that history is never too far away. But mostly for my mom."

Abby sighed, absorbing it all. It wasn't too hard, she knew that someone was pulling her strings. “Then I am glad I came, but how do I get back?"

Elspeth cuddled against her, prompting her to sit up and cuddle back. “The door is still open. You never closed it. Just go back through the woods and you will hit your doorway."

"Well, aren't you just the most knowledgeable munchkin."

"I don't quite know what that means, but yes. Yes I am.” A small giggle turned to hoots of laughter.

Abby tickled her small victim into acting like a little girl again. The other little ladies started to play, too, and Abby carefully pulled herself free of the writhing tickling pile. When the gnomes joined in, she just shook her head. She made her way back to Terranor's cottage and was met with a surprise.

Anwyn was writing and Seesee was dictating. It took Abby a while to catch on, but it was
her
story that was being told. She looked over to Terranor, but she was listening to the tale with rapt attention. Heaving a deep sigh, Abby took a seat and let the tale of her last three weeks unfold.

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"Seesee, the story is lovely but we have to go home now. The gargoyles are missing their evening appearance on television.” She was trying to make light of the situation, but it fell flat. They needed to go back to their own time.

"You are right. I had to record this moment in the Eternal Archive though. It was where I first read of you, Abby, and where I knew that I must do whatever it took to be selected for Oak Point."

"Including...” The assignation with the minotaur went unsaid. “You are a good friend, Seesee, and a better baker. I am glad you came with me to this place."

"You are?"

"Your companionship was welcome as was your talent for public speaking. Not to mention the poisoned ivy.” She gave her a bright grin and watched her dusky skin flush bronze again.

Terra looked between them and then turned to ask Abby an earnest question, “Abby, is it true?"

"Is what true Terra?"

"That you came to your power less than one month ago?"

She looked at her host and thought her answer out carefully. “I came in to my powers late, I am beyond my thirtieth year. The first weeks of my power were wracked with trials and attempts on my life. It was there that I learned the tricks that I have shown you here. The more you use your talents for creation or defence, the stronger they will be."

"If I had but a third of your power, I would have done away with the magus years ago."

"And you would have been hunted to death by the council for killing one of their own. Your daughters would never have been and Strykr would either have never met you or died in your defence. Nothing would have brought your family back."

Those were the words she needed to hear. Terranor broke, sobbing in Abby's arms. Babbling about her family, the power that wouldn't come, the hate that she bore the magus and a thousand other thoughts that had poisoned her for years.

Elspeth stood in the doorway to the cottage and gave Abby a watery smile over her mother's sobbing shoulder. This was the final reason for the visit. To release her mother from the guilt that had weighed on her.

Anwyn and Seesee left them alone, conversing in low tones as they moved into the village proper.

"Terranor. Things in our past make us the beings that we are today. They shape the creatures that we create and that includes your children. Mourn for those lost in bringing you to this point, but go boldly after all that you want in this life from here on in. The past is set, even my coming was arranged, but the future is yours to shape.” Abby recognized the truth of her words as they passed her lips. “I think I am going to have to follow my own advice.” She gave the teary Nexus a kiss on the forehead. “I have to go and see to my own future now."

"Then thank you for your past.” A small jolt of magic flowed through her as their hands touched. “And blessings for your future."

The trip back through the open portal was as smooth as the first.