by Eden Redd
The scarred troll eyed every corner and street until the prize loomed into view. With two hand signals, the force behind him picked up the pace. A troll on a nearby roof witnessed the signal and gave his own to the archers on the hill just outside of town. Archers shifted their position slightly, pulled back flaming arrows and let them loose. The flaming arrows rose into the air and fell to gravity. Flaming arrows struck buildings and roofs. Flames caught and spread, forcing knights and town denizens to flee their homes. Another volley filled the sky and another. The troll scout on the roof looked on with a devilish smile, a circle of roaring flames surrounding a certain keep.
Marching, the force made their way up the street. Weapons out, they could see their destination. A half wall surrounded the stone keep, easy enough to step over. The doors and windows on the first floor were sealed shut. The windows on the second floor remained open.
The scarred troll smiled as he lifted a thick blue hand and gave two signals. When he finished, he pulled his thick sword from over his shoulder. Three rows of trolls to the back of the force sheathed their melee weapons and unslung bows from their shoulders. Pulling arrows from quivers, they notched each bow, lifted them up and aimed at the open windows on the second floor. The scarred troll picked up his pace until he was running, a flood of muscled, thick bodies following behind.
An elf looked over the edge of the window, eyeing the troll force as they split into two. She ducked down with her own bow in her hand and eyes to the two-headed hydra cloaked in the room’s shadows.
Kara and Nara kept their stance as still as a statue, two sets of eyes staring out the window to the hints of trolls aiming in their direction.
“They don’t see you,” the elf said with a whisper.
“Let’s welcome them….”Kara said.
“….with lightning and arrows,” Nara finished.
The elf nodded and smiled.
The serpentine necks of Kara and Nara moved up for a better angle. A troll archer stared into the darkness beyond the second-floor window. Two glowing orbs of light appeared. The troll felt his instinct kick in to release his arrow but he knew he had to wait for the signal. The glowing orbs pulsed before two thick streams of lightning blasted out from the darkness. Both streams slammed into the archer ranks, and bodies went hurtling in several directions. Trolls that were not thrown gritted teeth and let their arrows fly. Kara and Nara shifted and moved to the side as dozens of arrows flew in, striking the wall behind.
Lina and Fay stayed low as six elves stood up among the same several windows, arrows notched and ready. A small whistle and they all unleashed with a twang of their bowstrings. Arrows struck trolls and their ranks broke as they moved for cover. One troll moaned as the arrow in his shoulder glowed hot and then exploded. Shattered shards slammed into fellow trolls as they fired at will.
Fay watched as her fellow elves fired, took cover, fired and took cover. The hydra moved to a nearby window and unleashed lighting attacks, one after the other. The troll archers continued to return fire with now flaming arrows. An elf took an arrow to her chest and stumbled back. Fay crawled forward, touching her hand to the elf and healing her. The archer whispered her thanks, stood up and returned fire to the trolls in the street. The keep walls provided excellent protection but Fay continued to crawl and heal any fellow elves struck.
Kara blasted out lightning with supreme accuracy while Nara shouted her lightning like she was trying to deafen the world. The force of troll archers pulled back but continued their barrage. The elves fired arrow after arrow with grim determination. Despite the skilled attacks from both sides, the attacking force on the ground had overcome the half wall and spread out along the base of the keep.
The scarred troll rushed the main doors while some of his forces broke left and right. Sword in hand, he slashed upward. The shockwave of light hit the strong doors and splintered them to kindling. Shards of wood barely touched the ground as the force charged the now open entryway.
“Slaughter everyone but bring the Rose Seer to me unharmed!” The scarred troll shouted just before he entered the keep.
Trolls stormed the entry way with swords, maces and clubs. Blood curdling shouts echoed off walls until they abruptly stopped. In the main hall stood a scantily clad gorgon in a red dress, she looked to the invading force and her eyes glowed white, as did the eyes of the snakes writhing on her head.
“Shields!” the scarred troll shouted before turning his blade flat.
Gorganna smiled as beams of light blasted out from her eyes and those of the snakes for hair. Trolls pulled shields from their backs to ward off the paralyzing gaze. Rujin pulled off to the side, the flat side of his blade reflecting the paralyzing gaze away. Several were not quick enough and stiffened when the light struck them. The trolls quickly stepped around their frozen few and stood shoulder to shoulder with shields up. They moved as one across the main entry hall and pushed toward the gorgon.
“My turn,” Petal said as she leaned against a wall twenty feet from Gorganna’s back.
Trolls pressed forward, blades over shields. Below their feet, thin brown vines moved along the crevasses of the stone floor. A troll tried to step forward when his foot wouldn’t budge. Glancing down, brown vines wrapped around their feet, holding most of the force in the hall into place. The scarred troll growled as muscles bulged and he ripped his feet free. The other trolls filled the entry hall, pulling at their feet with a sliver of panic racing through their ranks.
Gorganna turned and rushed to the dryad’s side. Taking her by the arm, she pulled Petal with her. The dryad separated herself from the vines and the two concubines raced back, past the white knight to the master bedroom.
The scarred troll stepped before his struggling troops, eyes taking in the white knight. Lance stopped walking, his sword Shatter Light in hand and grim eyes on the troll. Recognition filled the player as he stared hard at the troll’s smug smile.
“Lance Rook. It fills my heart with joy to know you are here with your fellow knights.”
“Rujin, I can’t say the same.”
Rujin stepped forward, “Did you come to face me for killing that pathetic lust slave?”
Lance continued to stare as memories washed over him of Lorn. The troll followed him and helped saved them in the middle kingdoms. He pledged his life and love to the white knight before Rujin cut him down mid battle. The player wanted to forget but deep down he knew he could never forget. The moment they shared still blazed in his heart, his grip tightening around his sword.
“Shatter Light will not save you, we will storm this keep and kill everyone.”
Lance looked at his blade and then back down the hall, “I’m not meant to stop you, just slow you down.”
Lance lifted up the blade and pointed it down the hall. Rujin’s eyes regarded him as the white sword glowed to life. Trolls struggled, breaking free from the withering vines but it was too late. Lance braced himself and activated the swords special ability. Light filled the long hallway and exploded. The shaft of white light barreled the short distance to the invading force. Rujin whipped away from the entrance while trolls looked to the shaft of light and screamed.
The light shattered them not to shards but to specs of white and green light. Bodies disintegrated in an instant and the shaft of light continued on, past the main doors and into the street. Bodies exploded and fell away as most of the force at the front of the keep was turned to broken shards.
Smoke and black scorch marks filled the entryway; weapons lay along the floor in disarray. Rujin stepped from the side, eyes calm and sword in hand. Lance sheathed Shatter Light over his shoulder and then drew his rapier from his belt. A timer appeared in his vision, showing that Shatter Light could use its special ability after twenty-four hours.
Rujin eyed the knight and nodded. Lance said nothing as he stepped forward. The troll and knight picked up their pace as they charged at each other. Blades to their sides, they came up and clashed, showering the hallway in sparks.
***
Trolls moved along the sides of the keep. The sound of screaming trolls filled the night and then grew silent. Trolls moved to shuttered windows. Clubs and maces raised, they began bashing at the thick wood. With their size and strength, they made quick work of the barriers. Sheathing weapons, big hands grabbed the edge of the windows and they climbed in. Once they were on the ground, the trolls unsheathed their weapons once again. Darkness filled the large rooms as they trickled in. Eyes adjusting to the lack of light, something big moved just out of sight.
Large bodies tensed as they moved further in. The darkness shifted and something big lashed out. A thick serpent tail struck along knees and sent every troll in the room to the floor, trying to get back up, a thick tail and then another lifted into the air and came down hard. Bodies shattered as trolls stumbled from the melee. Two lamias slithered forward, evil glint in their eyes. One end was of a beautiful woman in skimpy armor. From the waist down, a thick serpent tail moved along underneath them. Reared up, they hissed and lashed out with their thick tails. Some trolls tried to slice back, blades glancing off thick scales. Two lizard women appeared from the shadows. As the trolls tried to dodge the massive serpent tails, the two lizard women moved silently with daggers in hand. One by one, daggers sank deep into troll flesh before they burst into jagged light. A few trolls spotted the scaled rogues, only to have a massive tail come crashing down on them.
On the other side of the keep, trolls climbed through shattered windows only to be met with deep growls and red eyes. Sardyna stepped from the shadows, her pointed dog ears lying flat against her head. The trolls stayed wary as two more hellhounds moved to Sardyna’s sides.
“You can go back the way you came but you have to leave your bones here,” Sardyna said with an evil grin.
The trolls firmed up their ranks, swords out. The hellhound growled her approval. Bending at the knees, she and her fellow hellhounds launched themselves into the air. Blades went up but the three hellhounds were already opening their mouths, three streams of flames coming down. Fire burned the trolls as they tried to stand up to the hellhound attack. Once the three crashed into the trolls, claws flashed and limbs went spiraling in several directions.
“Bones are back on the menu, girls!” Sardyna laughed as she sliced through the trolls.
***
Wood and glass showered into the master bedroom. Trolls climbed in, eyeing the darkness in the room. After three stepped down, three more climbed in and then three more. Spreading out, they managed to make it a few steps before several glowing eyes appeared in the darkness. Blades up, they turned their attention to the glowing group of eyes. One troll took a step closer and beams of light flashed out. Trolls grunted as they were paralyzed. Others circled around to charge the darkness. The light from outside filtered in past big bodies as they charged.
Gorganna stepped from the shadows, eyes streaming her paralyzing gaze. So many were stunned that they formed a semi-circle of frozen bodies but trolls from the windows kept pouring in. Blades appeared in the dark for a brief instant before they flashed forward. Jayson closed the short distance, a blade in each hand. When he reached the line, he whipped around, slicing through stunned trolls. Other trolls tried to engage the knight only to be met with ghostly blades striking out from the darkness. Sonja stepped from the shadows, whipping her sword back and forth, ghost blades crossing the short distance and shattering trolls left and right.
Fire bloomed in the shadows as Dalya stepped forward. Her fire staff twirled in her hands as she charged into battle. Trolls climbed in and barely pulled their blades when the fiery ends of her staff slammed down on their heads, cracking their forms and shattering them away. The room lit up as both sides clashed.
Petal stayed by Oksuna’s side but the pink haired troll eyed the battle. Watching her lover and lord taking on several trolls at a time caused her free hand to twitch and the grip on her sword to tighten. Jayson moved easily through the ranks. Fighting trolls had become nearly too easy for him. They often employed the same tactics, using their size and power to overwhelm their opponents. Jayson knew if he simply kept moving, their size would work against them. Even if some of them wore armor, they had too many exposed spots to exploit. With each shattered troll, the knight pushed back the invading force. Sonja kept her distance, providing support to her fellow knight but the sound of heavy clashing spilled in from the hallway.
Lance and Rujin’s blades sang with deep impacts. The white knight kept moving like a dancer but the troll was nearly equal in dexterity. The only difference between them was the troll’s brute strength. Rujin continued his barrage of attacks, pushing the knight back one step at a time, neither managed to land a blow on the other as swords clashed and sparked.
“Lay down your blade and I will send you to your dead beloved,” Rujin said with a sardonic grin.
Lance grunted as he parried the trolls’ downward swing.
The troll’s eyes held a manic gaze as he threw his shoulders into the next swing. Sparks blasted out as Lance barely held him at bay. The scarred face of the troll was inches from him, grinning savagely, causing the white knight’s boots to slide inches on the stone floor.
“Trevor…..I will never stop….I will come for you over and over until you leave my world,”
Lance glared back into the troll’s mad eyes, “My name’s not Trevor. It’s Lance Rook!”
Lance bent his knees and let the troll’s power carry through. Rujin’s sword slid across the length of the knight’s blade. Tipping forward, Rujin brought a foot forward to stop himself. Lance moved with grace as he kneeled, let the troll past him, whipped around and slashed across the dark blue thigh. Rujin grunted as he regained his balance but Lance was already moving. The sharp end of the rapier was already stabbing through the air. The point entered the troll’s back, the end slicing through and exiting out the other side. Lance smiled until the troll turned his upper body and clamped a hand over the knight’s head.
“We are not done yet,” Rujin growled.
Lance was lifted into the air and before he could do anything, the troll hurtled him down the hall. The white knight hit the master bedroom doors with a “Slam!” and fell to the stone floor. Rujin reached behind him and pulled the rapier impaled in his body. With a flick of the wrist, the blade landed on the floor several feet behind him. Taking his time, he stepped to the knight as he was back to his feet, drawing Shatter Light from over his shoulder.
“His memory will not save you. Nothing will,” Rujin said and charged.
***
Jayson whipped his blades hard across. The final troll fell in three pieces before shattering into greenish light. Turning around, there was a loud clatter before Lance burst through the master bedroom doors. The knight hit the ground and rolled back onto his feet, Shatter Light in hand and shoulders heaving. Sonja was to his side and Jayson watched as Rujin stepped in with a smug grin.
“All in one place,” The troll smiled before centering his eyes on Oksuna, “I’ve come to take you home.”
The pink haired troll lifted her sword and held it before her, hands steady.
Rujin’s grin softened as curiosity filled his dark eyes, “Interesting, I assume Jayson has taught you to fight. Such a thing is forbidden, Rose Seers are not supposed to be warriors. You will be greatly punished, little one.”
Jayson took a menacing foot forward, “She’s not going anywhere!”
Rujin kept his stance relaxed, “I only needed my forces to get me to this point. I can dispatch all of you here and now. You didn’t fare to well the last time we met. Now that Lance has used up his best attack; you will not get the drop on me again. I am taking Oksuna home.”
It was Jayson’s turn to smile, “We have been out west. We have become stronger since we last met. After tonight, you won’t be hunting us any longer.”
Rujin eyed the knight and then glanced to Sonja and Lance, “Jason Booth, Rachel Conner and Trevor Foster, three people who think they can
be heroes.”
“Why does he know our real names,” Sonja asked as she kept her sword steady.
“How could I not know who you are,” Rujin said with a sickening smile. “I see beyond the veil. I see your hit points, skills, weapons and kinks. They shine as bright as the day. You three….like many of the players here…have slaughtered my people for over a year. I have seen knights fall and yet they come back, over and over again.”
Rujin turned his scarred face to Jayson, “I even killed you and yet here you stand. What sick cruel gods allowed the humans to resurrect but not my sacred people?”
The troll’s eyes seethed hatred as he continued; “Now I can see humans with skins of many races here in Lukken. Some even take troll bodies but underneath, I can still see your filth. You have brought some dark magic with you and if my leaders will not hear my words, then I will strike out on my own and kill all of you over and over again until you lose your taste for this life.”
Jayson’s swords lowered an inch as Andrea’s words swirled in his mind, “Rujin, retreat and never cross paths with us again.”
Sonja and Lance looked over to the knight with disbelief in their eyes.
“This fucker has been trying to steal Oksuna and kill us again and again. Do we really want to let him go?” Sonja said with a hard edge in his voice.
“He’s hunted us down and killed Lorn, we can’t just let him go,” Lance finished.
“He’s having some kind of code malfunction. We should leave it to GM’s to handle it,” Jayson said as he tried to think on his feet.
Rujin closed his eyes and shook his head, “No Jayson Reed. I will only leave with your deaths and Oksuna on my arm. There will be no negotiation.”
“Don’t do this,” Jayson pleaded.
Rujin opened his eyes and regarded the knight. A small smirk curved into his cheek before the troll lifted his sword and charged. Lance and Sonja charged and the room fell into a maelstrom of chaos. Rujin moved with supernatural speed, his thick blade knocking away the blue and white knight’s attacks. Jayson rushed to their side and all three slashed at the troll. Rujin kept them at bay, his sword becoming a blur. The air vibrated from metal on metal as the skilled troll continued to keep them at a distance.
