Jeyld had been dreading this. He knew he had to do it. Everyone had a right to know. But telling his mother of what was happening to him would be the most difficult task in his short life. She had never known about Beldon, and when Jeyld had set out to find him he had seen the hope in her eyes. Hope that the young gnome was about to crush. He had lain awake all night, and the morning bells tolled the dawn. The gnome took a small amount of amusement when he heard Hayato scream and fall out of his bed in the room next to him. Jeyld had forgotten to tell them about the bells. They were a necessity in a city without the sun. The use of mirrors and even the large opening in the top of the mountain did lighten up the dark world but not enough to signal the dawn.

Jeyld sat up. He toyed with the ring on his finger. It sustained his body, giving it nourishment and rest. He had commissioned the magical trinket after finding his tastes were growing out of his control. Febrien's horse, Kiera, started looking too appetizing. He was almost sickened at the thought but he nearly salivated at it instead. Luckily he no longer needed to eat, or even drink, and he didn't need nearly as much rest as he did before. With a sigh he sat up, out of bed, and pulled his enchanted chain shirt over his head. He strapped Baritone and Azure Song on to his back and hung Soprano at his side. With a slight flourish he placed his hat on his head. He laughed at the simplicity of the thing. In all his travels only his hat had remained a constant. The black leather wasn't even enchanted. The grin faded when he remembered his task for the day and he set out to the common room.

His companions were sitting at a table. Hayato looked the worse for wear and Gurl was sitting by his side, chuckling. Jaden was talking to a comely Halfling barmaid and Jeyld laughed at the poor cleric's stumbling. Arius and Febrien were eating the cold breakfast that the innkeeper provided and Jeyld quickly ordered himself a plate. As he passed he gave Jaden's friend a wink, and she blushed and began stuttering herself. The gnome nearly laughed aloud. Perhaps the scales and eyes did not destroy all of his good looks and charms. Perhaps, in the right light, they may even enhance them. He left that alone for the moment and he sat down near the elves.

"Where is Brude? I would have thought he would be with you two." Jeyld asked them.

Arius merely sneered at the mention of the half-elves name. He had been rather cold to the sorceror since finding out about his heritage. Jeyld grinned. He did not care about the blood of his friends, merely that they were indeed his friends, and Brude, though sometimes cowardly, had proven himself in battle many a time.

"He headed out early. Something about acquiring potions for future travels." Febrien answered.

"Ah, ever pragmatic that one. Ah well, he expressed disinterest to my request last night. I do not think he will mind being left behind." Jeyld started to eat the food placed before him. He still enjoyed eating even if he didn't need to. His friends noticed that he left the cheese and bread alone and only ate the meat on the plate.

"Nor will he be missed." Arius said with a scowl. His companions ignored his dark mood and continued with their meal. Jeyld watched the rest of the group as he ate. Gurl had gotten rather large in the months she had joined them. Far too large and far too quickly for a gnome or even a human. He remembered hearing that orcs had a very short gestation time and he began to wonder just when she would give birth. Another alarming fact sprang up, orcs usually have litters. He snorted into his plate just thinking about the monk's reaction and decided that he couldn't wait for that particular birthing.

Everyone had finished the meal and Jaden had long been denied by the barmaid, although she had approached the bard and whispered a few quick words in his ear that made him grin, and Jeyld stood up and addressed them.

"Alright friends. Today is the day you meet my mother. She was once a soldier and adventurer much like us. However, she is a stickler for gnome tradition. Everyone be on your best behavior because being an outsider will only get you so far." He gave a pointed look at Hayato. "Gurl, keep an eye on him." He winked at the half-orc and she chuckled and rested her head on the monk's shoulder, though she bent far to do so. Hayato gave him a disgusted look.

"Okay. Nothing left to do now but head on over." Jeyld's voice was calm, but he had many years practice in disguising his true feelings. The turmoil he felt inside never showed on his face. And his pleasant demeanor hid the fear that he felt deep inside.

Arius waited alone outside the inn.

The cursed elf leaned casually against the outer wall of the establishment, sweating slightly beneath his many layers of black clothing, which today included the all-concealing shroud which hid the Zrentian marks upon his pale face. His foot tapped impatiently as he awaited the arrival of his companions, who were finishing up their meal and making preparations to leave. The cursed elf had been visited by an almost constant sensation of dread lately, and as much as he tried to convince himself it was due to the upcoming visit with Seerus, Jeyld’s mother, he knew better.

Something is coming…

“Very observant of you,” Daerist said softly within his mind. “I had wondered if you’d felt it or not, Arius. Yes, something is coming…” A hint of confusion suddenly colored the sword’s “voice” as he continued. “But whether it is one massive power, or many smaller ones, I cannot yet tell. We must be wary.”

Much to the enchanted blade’s chagrin, Arius hadn’t been listening. Rather than dwell upon what the sword had said, the elf’s thoughts turned instead to Seerus, and what her reaction would be upon seeing the changes that had been wrought upon her son. Arius liked to believe that he knew the woman as well as anyone, for she had been very close to Nanethiel and him during their years in the city. Still, knowing all that he did though, Arius was unsure what the former adventurer would think.

Seerus Windvoice was a woman without peer in Arius’ mind, which meant a lot coming from one who was raised among the breathtakingly beautiful and charming women of Galdria. She was loving and kind, though stern and unyielding when necessary, and had always had a moment or two to spare for Arius when his darker moods would take him, even before Tempest’s curse. Though advancing in years, Seerus had still proven to both Arius and Jeyld on a daily basis that her skill with a blade had never dulled, and that her tongue—when one or the other of them would do something stupid—was just as sharp. In fact, if Nanethiel had been responsible for culturing Arius and Jeyld’s natural talents with their respective musical instruments, then Seerus had been the one to teach them the intricacies of combat. Though Arius had some small amount of training from his father before Galdria’s fall, he knew without a doubt that any and all skill he now possessed with the blade was entirely thanks to the iron-willed gnomish woman.

“Nonsense,” Daerist snorted, interrupting Arius’ train of thought. “Any skill that you possess with a sword is due entirely to my influence. You’d have died a dozen times without my intervention, after all. Honestly, you could place me in the hands of an untrained child and in only a few days time that child would be ready to storm this very city…”

“Silence, sword, unless you wish to find out how deep the inn’s well goes,” Arius snapped, casting a quick glance toward his belt, where Daerist hung. “You have been inactive for the last hundred years, remember? You’ve done nothing to influence my abilities with a blade.”

“No, of course not,” Daerist replied, and Arius chose to ignore the sarcasm in the blade’s mental voice. “Still, she is a rather remarkable woman…”

“More than you could ever know, Daerist. More than you could ever know…”

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Ten years earlier…

The door opened slightly.

“Arius?” Seerus’ voice asked softly, her eyes peering into the darkness of the elf’s room, her vision unhindered by the thick shadows that seemed to surround him for the past several weeks. At the far end of the small chamber, barely distinguishable even to her keen sight, Arius could be seen lying upon his bed, his back toward the door. Though he didn’t answer, Seerus could sense that he was awake, and she slowly entered the room, closing the door behind her.

“Keep your distance,” Arius warned, as he had everyday since the incident. “I’ll not have your death on my hands as well, Seerus…” He rolled over and sat up, opening his nearly-glowing eyes as he stared at the small woman. His very glance sent chills down her spine, for within his eyes the dark-haired woman glimpsed a hint of ruthless madness that she had never before seen in Arius.

“There is another cleric coming tomorrow,” Seerus said, crossing the room and taking a seat near the elf’s bed. Since Nanethiel’s accidental death at his hands, Arius had refused to stay in the home that the two elves had shared for so long. In fact, had not Seerus and Jeyld so vehemently insisted, Arius would have been long gone by now, for the City of All Names now held only dark memories for him.

Arius stood up from his bed and paced the room, making sure to keep his distance from Seerus despite being completely clothed and wearing a set of new black leather gauntlets, purchased for him that morning by the gnome woman herself. Seerus closed her green eyes as Arius passed her, for she could sense the tension that emanated from the cursed elf. Finally the raven-haired man stopped in the center of the room, speaking softly over his shoulder toward Seerus.

“Why bother?” he asked, clenching his fists. “This is the third cleric to come here in the last two days, Seerus. What does that make our grand total, then?”

“Twenty-six since…” She left the sentence unfinished.

“Save your money,” Arius said, his voice softening a little as he shook his head. “That you’ve done so much to help me already means more than you can know, but I’ll not have you spend another copper on this hopelessness.” He crossed the room once again, leaning his forehead against the wall and clenching his eyes shut in a vain attempt to stop the sudden flow of tears. He continued to speak, his voice wavering only a little.

“In your own way you have been a mother to me, Seerus, as Jeyld has been a brother. Always you’ve cared for me, often despite myself, and for that I am ever in your debt…” He paused, turning to face the gnome woman, his eyes bloodshot and full of sorrow. “But I’ll not have you break yourself over me. Not another copper,” he said, his voice stern.

“What then, would you have me do, Arius?” she asked, burying the sudden desire to take this troubled, seemingly-young man into her arms. “If you meant what you said, about me being as a mother to you, then you must understand my inability to simply sit here and do nothing.”

Saying nothing, Arius returned to his bed, lying down and wrapping his arms around himself to stave off the sudden, bone-chilling sensation of hopelessness that threatened to consume him. For many long minutes he remained silent, his iridescent amethyst eyes open and staring at some point in space between himself and Seerus. When he at last spoke, Jeyld’s mother was surprised at how much he sounded like a frightened child.

“I… Remind me of how it was, Seerus. Show me how it used to be…”

“Alright, Arius,” she replied, a sad smile crossing her still-lovely features. Standing slowly, Seerus made her way to the door, casting a quick glance back at Arius before exiting. A moment later the woman returned, carrying with her a medium-sized stone bowl and a handful of fleece. Returning to her chair near Arius’ bed, Seerus placed the bowl on the floor in front of her and laying the fleece within. Lowering her hands until they hovered just above the bowl, Seerus closed her eyes and spoke a single, barely perceptible word. Instantaneously a bright flame burned within the stone bowl, igniting and devouring the fleece that the gnome woman had placed there. As a dark, pungent smelling smoke rose upward, filling the space between Seerus and where Arius lay in bed, the green-eyed woman began to chant softly, making intricate motions with her hands as the smoke began to take shape.

As he always did, Arius watched in wonder as Seerus worked magic, using her true ability as an illusionist to particularly good effect. Within the ever-thickening smoke buildings began to take shape, as did broad thoroughfares lined with beds of wildflowers. Graceful, twisting towers of white marble rose high into a sky of blue, without a cloud in sight. The illusion expanded as Seerus continued, her eyes clenched tightly shut as she recreated a city which she’d never before seen, strictly from the many vivid descriptions given to her over the years by Nanethiel and Arius. There, in the small room in the City of All Names, Galdria was returned to its former splendor. Finally finished with her task, Seerus opened her eyes, ignoring the faint sheen of sweat upon her brow.

It seems I’m getting too old for this, she thought, only half joking. The illusion had taken a lot out of her, but when she turned her gaze to Arius, the expression of rapt attention that lit up his pale features made the entire spell seem worthwhile. Distracted as he was by the spectacle before him, Arius eventually passed into the realm of dreams, where mind was filled with images of home.

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Arius returned to the present.

The door to the Inn of Loose Gears opened, and his companions came out into the street. None but Jeyld and Febrien offered the cursed elf any kind of greeting, though he’d come to expect as much. With a slight incline of his head in the direction of Seerus’ home, Arius indicated that Jeyld should lead the way. The rapidly changing gnome bard hid his nervousness—which was obvious to Arius—behind a wide grin before setting off through the city.

As Arius fell in beside Febrien, he was forced to admit that—at least in this situation—his face-covering was a blessing, for he doubted his ability to hide his own worry behind an artificial smile…

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AMdG

Hayato walked along with his companions, walking a few feet away from Gurl, seeing the two had an argument earlier. Of course, that's not important because knowing Gurl, she'll be back on his ass in a few hours. Anyway, Hayato looked over at Jeyld and Arius. He could tell the two were nervous. It was understandable as to why they were nervous, yet he felt going to see one's mother shouldn't be treated as a bad occasion. He wanted to tell Jeyld that no matter what, his mother would still love him despite his features because, well, she's his mother. But he was worried Jeyld would either call him an idiot or throw another mug at him. At this thought, hayato rubbed the bruise on his forehead and grimaced. He then started to think back to his own mother, whom he had left at home back at Hai-Lan years ago after his father's unfortunate encounter...

Five years ago...

Miyuki Sakasuki looked on at the ruined village. It wasn't too bad though, seeing as the people were already set to work rebuilding. The people of Hai-Lan were a hard working people of course. But what really concerned her was the mental state of her oldest son, Hayato. She cradled the baby she had given birth to just weeks before the incident, glancing up as her son just happened to wander by. "Oh, Hayato..." "I'm leaving." She looked on in disbelief. "You're... you're what?" "I'm leaving, mom. I'm going to find the bastard that wrecked our village, and in the mean time I'm going to trounce that traitor Keian and get back our sacred relic from the two of them!" Hayato clenched his fist as he thought back to the man who once trained with him under the guidance of his father, the man he once called friend. Miyuki quickly stood up, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You mustn't! It's suicide!" "Then who will do this!? Who will avenge father's death and right what has been wronged?" "Just... just drop it Hayato! I've already lost one man, why must I lose another!?" Tears began forming in her eyes now as she pleaded with her son. Hayato frowned abit, resting a hand on her's. "Ma..." Miyuki's eyes widened. Hayato hadn't called her that since he was a child. "Please, understand, this is a matter of honor for me. I have to do this. " He slowly removed her hand from her shoulder, only to prompt Miyuki into hugging him. Tears trickled down her cheeks as he held both her babies. "Hayato, please... at least stay one more night and have a decent meal..." She had finally caved in, knowing that, like his father, once Hayato set his mind on soemthing, he wouldn't give up. Hayato nodded in agreement, smiling to her.

The next day...

Hayato had his bag slung over his shoulder, heading towards the gates of his village. He sighed, turning to get one last look at the town, only to see his mother and everyone else standing there. "Huh? Hey, what's this all about?" Miyuki stepped up, a smile on her face, her hands clasped together in front of her. "We came to see you off... to wish you good luck." Hayato looked at allt he villagers, each one offering him a smile. He returned the smile, feeling abit bashful. His mother walked up to him, offering him one more hug. "No matter what, you'll always be my son. I love you." "I love you too, ma... no matter what?" "No matter what." "Even if I become a strange lizard creature?" "Well, sure. You know I like reptiles." "What if by some twist of fate I get, oh say, a half-orc pregnant?" "Well, odd, but at least I'd have grand kids." "What if I somehow, someway, become a living suit of armor?" "I thought you were leaving?" "Yes, mom." Hayato rolled his eyes and stormed off through the gates, takign one last look back and smiling to her. One day, mom, I'll come back and I'll be known as a legend! And I won't have some stupid nickname, either!

Today...

"Hey, Fumblefist!" Hayato snapped out of his thoughts, looking to Febrian, who had a childish grin on her face. "Hm? Oh, sorry... did you say something?" "I asked what your mother was like? Hopefully not as clumsy as you. " She laughed and gently nudged him with her foot. Hayato simply smiled, glancing up at the sky. "She's a wonderful woman... I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world..."

***Note***

Robert sometimes you make my day...

Thanks. I think.

There are some things in this world that a gnome should do alone, Jeyld thought, this is not one of them. His friends followed him as he walked along bustling streets to a large house in the craftsmen's quarter. Others would think it a strange place for a hero to reside but Jeyld's mother hated the pomp and spectacle of the noble's quarter. Even though most other races wouldn't see the gnomish nobles as pompous at all, it showed through to those of like stature.

Jeyld shook his head to clear it of the distracting thoughts. He took his first step in a long time upon the stairs to his mothers door. He shivered.

"Arius, please hand me one of your shrouds." All of his companions noticed the quaver in his voice. An alarming discalm in someone so focused upon his voice.

Arius handed him some spare cloth and Jeyld went to wrap it about his face when he noticed the color. "Black does not suit me, friend." He muttered a small spell and suddenly the color went from white, to green, red, and finally settled upon blue. He wrapped the cloth around his face and hid his hands within some spare gloves. "Now is the hard part." He slowly walked up to the door. It was fashioned in such a way as to have two sets of hinges. One large enough for humans and the like and the other cut inside the larger door for the gnomes regular use. Jeyld lifted a gloved hand and steeled his nerves. Just as he was about to knock the door flew open and he stumbled.

"Quit fooling around and get inside. Take off the shroud and gloves you pompous poppinjay and don't think you can hide your face either, Elf. I'll see my both my boy's faces despite what changes you feel you can hide from my eyes." Seerus WindVoice was a sight to behold. Resplendent in her finest enchanted robes and with a magnificent glittering blade at her side, she stood an imposing figure in the large doorway.

Jeyld was speechless. He stammered and stumbled his way inside and the others followed. Seerus closed the door behind them and walked them all into the kitchen. The room was quite large enough even for Gurl and she showed her appreciation as she stretched to her full height. Seerus gave her a knowing look and smiled up at the half-orc. Then she looked over at Jeyld and the smile disappeared. "You've been in this city for how long and you just now come to see your mother? And covering your faces no less! Do you honestly think I don't know about your scales and eye's?" She turned to Arius, "Or those scars on your face, Arius? Take them off. Now." It wasn't a gentle suggestion. Jeyld and Arius felt compelled to rip the cloth from their faces.

Seerus grasped Jeylds face in her hand and peered at his eyes and scales. She was gentle but Jeyld still felt a little put out by the treatment.

"I see. So that's the way of it, then." She let him go and suddenly she was holding his sapphire.

"Hey! Mother! What are you doing?" Jeyld reached for it but his hand was slapped away. He heard Hayato chuckling in the corner and saw Arius hide his smile behind his gloved hand.

"Can't believe what a fool I was. All those years I let this thing sit upon the mantle and not once did I tinker with the damn thing. Ah well. Such is the past." She placed the gem down and let Jeyld snatch it back up. She simply smiled at him and then finally looked up at his companions. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Seerus and you are all welcome in my home. I hope my son has been treating you all with the respect such fine warriors deserve."

"Well, yeah, when he's not stabbing me in the foot or threatening to cut me down." Hayato spoke up. With a blur of motion Seerus' hand whipped out and smacked Jeyld on the back of the head, knocking his hat off. At this Hayato burst out laughing and Febrien gave a chuckle. "I do apologize for being so rude but pressing matters and whatnot. Now, I insist you all stay with me for the day for I'd love to hear of your adventures."

"I do have a question. How did you know?" Febrien looked confused.

"Do you honestly expect me to simply sit back and let my son run off on his own? God's no. I've been scrying occasionally to get a good idea of what's going on. I watched him change into this form. And I know I'll watch it again, now that I know what Beldon truly was." A look of confusion passed among the adventurers. "Jeyld did tell you, did he not?" Another silence. Seerus sighed and glared at her son who looked back defiantly. "Well you might as well know now." She looked back towards the group. "Jeyld's father is a dragon."

"A dragon? I don't understand." Gurl looked confused and stared at the gnomes. "How would that even work? I mean... you're so... uhh... small and dragon's are... well... big." Her green skin blushed darker as she contemplated the mechanics.

"Well this particular dragon shapeshifted into a rather handsome young gnome. Dragon's can do that. I've yet to figure out how or why but I have my suspicions." Her forehead wrinkled in thought and she glanced over Jeyld.

"Grandpa's dragon, obviously. Probably I'm his 'reward'." He stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Alway's wondered why he was so quiet about what he got."

Arius chuckled. Which unfortunately attracted Seerus' attention. "As for you, elf, I've been watching you too!" Arius' pale face became even paler as he stared down in horror at the imposing gnome woman. "Always running off on your own, aren't you? No consideration for how your friends will handle your disappearance. And what if something should happen to you? You're an integral part of this little outfit and your acting like you run the whole show!" Arius cast his eye's downward and felt foolish. This is the second lecture he had received in as many days and they were both from those closest to him.

Seerus then glared at both of them and lifted a thumb towards Hayato. "And why don't either of you treat that boy any better? He's such a sweetheart and you two never give him a moments respite!" Hayato looked on in shock. No one had ever come to his defense before. It felt weird. "He may make a few mistakes but that's no reason to go threatening him or stabbing at him!" Jeyld's scales blushed nearly violet and Arius looked uncomfortable. "The poor boy just has some bad luck and is a little clumsy. He reminds me of that sweet young barbarian I used to adventure with."

"Mother, that 'barbarian' was a halfling from the next town over. And he cut you in half!"

"Well it was an accident and I'm certainly fine now aren't I? He payed for the diamonds anyway."* She looked over at Hayato and smiled and he couldn't help but grin and blush back. Then she looked over at Gurl and smiled at her too. She grinned, though she seemed uncomfortable. "And him starting a family soon no less."

"Very soon." Gurl spoke up. "Soon soon."

"Yes I can see you're rather fall along, dear." Seerus' eyes lit up.

"Uh... soon... being... now!" Gurl grunted and clutched at her stomach.

Everyone jumped up from their seats and no one had any idea what to do. But as she had been all along, Seerus took control.

"Jeyld! Heat up some water and fetch some clean linen! Arius I want you to run out and fetch a midwife!"

"Where am I sup-"

"Just go! Fib... Feb... Farb... Sword elf, go get some pillows from the next room over. The larger ones without the blue pattern if you would." Febrien ran out into the hall, rolling her eye's and thinking that her name wasn't THAT hard to pronounce.

"Hayato I want you to set her down gently. Thank you, Farbeen." Febrien rolled her eye's once more as she set the pillows down and looked to Gurl's comfort.

"Alright. I doubt Arius will find a mid-wife in time so it looks like we might be delivering them ourselves."

"Them?" Hayato asked.

"Well yes, dear." She looked up at him and gave him a broad smile. "Orcs have litters!"

"Oh." He looked down at Gurl and her wan smile and promptly fainted.

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*True resurrection requires diamond dust.