“Then you’ll have to avoid it or fight it off,” Vanessa said. “That bird is big enough to kill any of us.”
“I came prepared,” Tanu said, crouching between the wall and a large stone. After briefly rummaging in his pouches, he produced a vial. “Kendra should take a swallow of this. It will make her smell dangerous or poisonous to most animals.”
“Dogs?” Vanessa asked. “Cats?”
“Ravens?” Warren added.
“Yes,” Tanu said.
“Giant ravens?” Kendra asked.
Tanu handed Kendra the vial. “I believe it will work on giant versions of animals. The rest of us will have reasonable protection if we stay near her, leaving us free to use other potions.”
Kendra found that the potion tasted almost painfully minty.
“Will this make me smell like mouthwash?” Kendra asked.
Tanu took the vial back. “You’ll notice hints of peppermint, lavender, vinegar, citrus, and other more subtle notes. It shouldn’t bother human nostrils.”
“What other potions did you bring?” Vanessa asked.
“Some of my standards,” Tanu said. “I have some gaseous potions for worst-case scenarios. I have an augmented version of my giant potion, which still won’t make me much higher than the knee of a sky giant. I have some of the speed potions we used on Timbuli. And something new.” Tanu passed a flask to Warren. “I call it my gummy potion. Developed it with Uma. The potion puts your whole body into a gummy state. Your skin becomes almost impossible to pierce or tear, your bones will stretch or bend instead of breaking, and your sense of pain will be dulled. The cost is a reduction in motor skills.”
“I’ll keep it handy,” Warren said.
They continued along the base of the wall until they reached a wrought-iron gate. Beyond the metal bars, a wide path wound through a garden up to a manor house with broad front steps and white pillars. From where Kendra stood, she could see pumpkins and watermelons two stories tall, raspberries the size of soccer balls, and tomatoes that she would not be able to reach both arms around.
Kendra sniffed the back of her hand. It smelled like she had been sampling a multitude of essential oils.
“Want me to go in solo?” Warren asked. “I can drink this gummy potion.”
“We should stick together,” Tanu said. “We have a better chance working as a team.”
“Time is passing,” Vanessa reminded everyone.
“I’ll take the lead,” Warren said, charging between the bars of the gate. The others followed, eventually taking shelter in a patch of strawberries the size of bed pillows. Tanu used his knife to cut away part of a strawberry and stashed it in a pouch.
“Collecting ingredients?” Kendra asked.
“Why not?” Tanu said. “I’m interested in size potions.”
They paralleled the path toward the house, staying just off it, forcing their way through the greenery of the garden. As they passed a particularly large, oblong pumpkin, Kendra ran a hand across its smooth surface. “We could live inside of this,” she said.
“Good luck hollowing it out,” Warren said.
“Look at the butterfly,” Tanu said, jerking a thumb.
Yellow with black and orange markings, the butterfly’s wings looked big enough for a human to wear as part of a fairy costume. After fluttering about, the butterfly alighted on a blossoming vine.
“What’re you doing here?” shouted a gruff voice. “This is a private garden! Begone!”
Kendra whirled to face the speaker and saw a man with a gray, wiry beard and a bulbous nose. He was a few inches shorter than her and wore a bright blue coat, red pants, and wooden shoes. He shook a hoe to emphasize his words.
Vanessa hushed him, then turned to speak to the others. “Anybody understand this guy?”
“Is he a garden gnome?” Warren asked.
“Don’t shush me,” the man griped. “I don’t need no shushing on account of I ain’t no trespasser.”
“If so, he’s a big gnome,” Tanu said.
“It’s a big garden,” Warren reminded him.
“We’re not here to harm the garden,” Kendra said, speaking his gnomish dialect.
The man glared at her. “You’re fairykind?”
“You’re a garden gnome?” Kendra asked.
“Course I’m a garden gnome!” the man replied. “You’re traipsing around a private garden! You should’ve knowed better than to enter uninvited. You all need to scram!”
“We’re not here to harm the garden,” Kendra said.
The gnome narrowed his eyes. “These three got the look of berry pinchers. The big one reeks of strawberry.”
“We’re just passing through,” Kendra said.
“Passing through?” the gnome exclaimed. “Have you any notion what Madam would do to us all if she caught you trampling her private garden? We’d be fertilizing the rutabagas!”
“What’s he saying?” Tanu asked.
“He’s trying to throw us out,” Warren said. “You don’t need to speak garden gnome to know that.”
“We’re here on giant business,” Kendra said, trying to sound official.
“You’re awful small for giant business,” the gnome said. “What do you take me for? You meddlers have the aspect of root filchers.”
“We’re protectors of Titan Valley,” Kendra said. “We have to make it into the house to get help from Madam Ladonna.”
The gnome cupped a hand beside his ear. “Into the house.”
“Yes, we need to get inside,” Kendra said.
The gnome cackled and danced a little jig. “If I conduct you up to the house, you’ll be going inside? On purpose?”
“Yes,” Kendra said.
The gnome scrunched his forehead. “What’ll you pilfer from the garden?”
“Nothing,” Kendra said. “Tanu can give back the pieces of strawberry.”
“You can’t unpick fruit,” the gnome said. “What’s done is done. You have a fair manner of speech. Do you know our mistress, the Fairy Queen?”
“I do,” Kendra said. “And we need your help.”
The gnome tugged at his beard. “Well, seeing as the cats won’t come near you, and you’ve been blessed by her ladyship, I’ll take you to the house. I’ll show you a way in. Once you’re inside, it’s up to you.”
“Thank you,” Kendra said. She turned to the others. “He’ll show us a way into the house.”
“Really?” Vanessa asked.
“I think he figures we’ll die in there,” Kendra said.
“Death would be a courtesy if you’re caught indoors,” the gnome said.
“Now you understand
