…
Tartum awoke in the middle of the night; roaring screams pulling him from his slumber. He immediately recognized the sounds of battle, and at first, he was terrified. Was the village under attack? Did the villagers have enemies or a rival tribe that was attacking them for plunder? Was it just a random incursion by the local wildlife? He had no way of knowing, no one had mentioned such enemies, even in passing. Rolling out of his bed, Tartum picked up his staff and cautiously crawled towards the door. He wasn’t sure, but it almost sounded as if a crowd was cheering. Looking through a crack in the doorway, Tartum tried to determine what was going on.
It didn’t take him long to see the source of the commotion. Surrounding the pit Tartum had seen just before he had met with Bazerk, was what looked to be every man, woman, and child in the village. The semi-transparent containers were ablaze with the light of huge lightning bugs. There were three or four in each container, and the light they gave off lit the pit as clear as day. Inside the pit were two warriors Tartum remembered seeing guard the entrance to the village, and they were tearing each other apart. The rest of the village was standing along the outside of the pit behind the bone perimeter yelling their encouragement and insults. The combatants were stripped naked and savagely attacked each other using their claws, fists, and teeth. Huge strips of flesh were torn from their bodies with each swipe of their hands to land on the fine sand that covered the floor of the pit; which he could now see was a fighting arena. Blood flowed from the men like waterfalls, saturating the ground so throughly that it splashed as the men stomped around trying to obtain a better position on each other. The amazing part wasn’t the fact that they kept fighting after suffering such terrible wounds; it was the rate at which Tartum saw their wounds heal that had his jaw hanging open!
Tartum couldnt believe what he saw! The horrible gashes and jagged rents in their flesh were growing back almost as fast as the injuries were being inflicted! The revelation hit him like a bullet from a dwarven fire arm. Now it all made sense, now he understood why Bazerk and Tremendous had been so unwilling to share the location of the troll’s lair with him. So unwilling to let him kill one of those creatures and harvest it’s fluids.
“Of course!” Tartum thought to himself, “These aren’t just some tribal humans. They’re some sort of cross breed! Like a half-elf or Friian! These people’s ancestors must have mated with a species of troll at some point, and the resulting offspring now reside in this village. With their, incredible height, great strength, long arms, dangerous claws, and hunched back; these people weren’t human. They were half-trolls! Here, in the middle of nowhere, was an entire race of half-trolls! It all made sense! He hadn’t failed to find the troll’s lair, he had failed to recognize his quarry when he encountered them.
It was then that the answer to another mystery dawned on him. The was no fire in this village! No candles, no cooking fires, no torches! It was why Tremendous and Smash wouldn’t approach the fire that night they had stumbled upon him. According to the stories he’d heard, the only way to kill a troll was with fire. It was said trolls couldn’t regenerate burns! The Oath on the pain of fire! It all made sense! Tartum had stumbled onto the solution he had been desperately looking for ever since Bazerk had refused to help him. The first emotion he felt was embarrassment for not putting it together sooner. The next, was excitement! He was surrounded by the component he had sought after for weeks, possibly months now! All he had to do was figure out how to harvest it without being torn apart by the rest of the village.
“Keep your secrets from me, eh Bazerk?” Tartum said to himself; “That’s going to cost you, my friend…that’s going to cost you dearly.” With a plan forming in his head, Tartum quietly crawled back to his bed to finalize the details of his plan. It did not take him long to become satisfied with his plan to obtain the blood he needed and get away with it. Content with his plan, Tartum rolled over onto his side and allowed sleep to take him.
…
The next morning, Tartum packed his belongings and made his way to the throne area. The pit was dark and empty, just like the first time he had seen it. There were a few new blood stains but nothing to indicate the level of carnage that he saw taking place within it last night. The huge lightning bugs were now dormant inside the containers that hung over the pit. Now that he knew what he was looking at, Tartum had no problem seeing their faint outlines inside. When he reached the throne area, there was no where to sit except on the throne itself. Not wanting to insult the Over Tyrant, Tartum decided to sit against the wall to await Bazerk’s arrival. As he waited, he went over his plan again just to make sure he had worked out all the kinks.
Just as the sun reached its zenith, Tartum saw Bazerk leaving one of the larger huts just behind the pit and begin heading his way. As he got closer, Tartum stood up as a sign of respect. It was crucial that Bazerk didnt expect anything.
“Good morning, well actually good afternoon, Bazerk. I came to say goodbye before I left your village. As you can see, my leg is fully healed, and I would like to be on my way.” Tartum said, trying to sound as sincere as possible.
“I’m glad to hear your leg is better, Tartum. I know how disappointed you must be over my unwillingness to give you the troll’s location…”
Tartum, expecting this, interrupted him. “Bazerk, I may not understand why you wish to keep the troll hidden from me, but I do understand and respect that it’s your right to do so. I understand that you fear for your people, like a good leader should. It is I who should apologize, favoring my own desires over the well being of the many. You’re a good man, Bazerk, and I apologize if anything I’ve said offended or insulted you. I was being selffish, and for that I can’t apologize enough.” Tartum had been rehearsing that speech all morning, now that it was finished, he felt very proud of himself for thinking it up. Bowing low, he waited to see Bazerk’s reaction. Judging by his demeanor, it couldn’t have been recieved any better.
With a huge toothy smile, Bazerk began to speak. “I am glad you understand, Tartum, and your apology is apprieciated but unecessary. I understand you’ve been talking with Tremendous a good deal during your stay. Please allow him to escort you back to the outskirts of Yucoke. We have never been to the town, ourselves, but Tremendous is familiar with the woods and will keep you on the correct path as you make your way home. I think he’d like to see you off anyway.”
Rising, Tartum couldn’t help but to grin. “That would be wonderful. I would very much like the opportunity to spend a few more days with Tremendous.” he said. Tartum couldn’t believe how well his plan was working. After a few more quick goodbyes, Tartum was dismissed.
Tartum forced himself to walk calmly to Tremendous’s home, when what he really wanted to do was run. He knew to do so would be rude and possibly get someone to start asking him questions, which he wanted no part of. As it was, it didn’t take him long to reach his hut. It was a crude structure like all the others. The difference was that Tremendous’ home was covered with shells, bones, and other trash that Tartum assumed he had found in the forest during one of his many excursions. The mismatched decorations gave his home a rustic look that made it stand out from the others. Tartum wondered if its appearance brought evny or irritation to his neighbors.
Knocking on the door, Tartum waited for the lummox to answer. When he did, Tartum explained what Bazerk had said and that when he was ready, to meet him at the entrance he had been brought through before. It seemed to Tartum that Tremendous was saddened by the news that he would be leaving so suddenly, but the opportunity to venture out so far from Strong Rock was enough to keep him in a good mood.
It didn’t take long for Tremendous to meet him at the entrance to the village. After one more feigned fond look at Strong Rock, mostly for Tremendous’ benefit,Tartum patted him on the shoulder, half jumping to reach, and they began their journey to Yucoke.
…
A week into their journey, Tartum had some luck with his hunting and had been able to
bring down three well fed, adult rabbits. As he cleaned the rabbits, Tremendous began setting up their camp. He arranged Tartum’s bed roll near where the camp fire would be and began gathering up rocks and twigs that he would use to fashion his own. He placed his own sleeping area far from the fire. Every night when they made camp, Tremendous would insist on setting up camp, he would even gather wood for the fire, but the moment Tartum approached to light the fire, Tremendous retreated from the camp and would sleep with his back to the flames. It was all Tartum could do to not burst at his seams! He had planned to implement the last stage of his plan the moment Strong Rock was out of view, but it dawned on him he had no idea where he was. He decided to wait until he had his bearings and knew how to get home before the final part of his plan could be completed. The waiting was difficult.
Seeing Tremendous watching him prepare the rabbits, Tartum smiled “We eat good tonight, brother!” Tartum said cheerfully.Tremendous licked his lips at the prospect of the meal and made his way over to where Tartum was working. Picking up one of the unskinned rabbits, Tremendous went to work gutting it using his claws. After removing the head and tearing off the pelt, Tremendous gutted the rabbit and started eating it raw.
“Uhh, I can start a fire and cook these for us. They will taste a lot better that way.” Seeing the look of terror in Tremendous’s eye, Tartum became annoyed, “Oh, come on! You don’t have to be around when I cook them. Just go take a walk or something. Keep an eye on the light. When it goes out, you’ll know the food is ready. What is it with your aversion to fire, anyway?” Tartum finished. He already knew the answer to the question, but he had to keep up the act for now. Soon enough, he would be able to drop his charade; soon enough he would have what he truly needed from him.
Tremendous didn’t say a word. Standing up slowly, he dropped the rabbit he had been gnawing on and sadly wandered into the woods. Tartum rolled his eyes as the big half-troll went away, after a week of his sullenness and the pouty way he dealt with anything that didn’t go his way, Tartum’s patience was at its end. Tartum wasn’t surprised when he began to feel a small twinge of guilt worming its way into his belly. Angrily, he forced the emotion away; the big oaf was just a means to an end. His pleasent demeanor was nice and all, but his poor hygiene, inability to cope with difficult situations, and his self-pitying ways were more than enough reason for Tartum to dislike him. There was no reason for him to feel guilty in the slightest for what he had planned. As the feeling of guilt dissipated, Tartum began to feel more like himself. For good measure, he reminded himself that he had killed Elizabeth for coming between him and his magic, Tremendous was no different.
Starting the camp fire, Tartum finished cleaning the rabbits and put them on a spit. After roasting them, he was about to extinguish the fire when he saw Tremendous approaching. Fear was rampant in his eyes, but determination was there as well.
In only took Tartum a second to realize that Tremendous was trying to overcome his fear of the flame. Curious to see how this would pan out, Tartum picked up one of the roasted rabbits and offered it to him. He held it out like he would to a wild animal he was trying to befriend. The big man moved to take the proffered food with short, timid steps. When he was just a few paces away, some of the sap in the wood sizzled and snapped, sending embers dancing into the air. Tremendous froze instantly, and Tartum knew that was as far as the big man was going to make it. It amazed Tartum just how terrified he was of such an simple thing. He had heard of animals being afraid of fire, it was one of the main reasons to start a fire when spending the night outdoors. However, to see a humanoid, especially such a large humanoid, possessing such an irrational fear disgusted him. If it hadn’t been for his need of the half-troll, Tartum would have created a fireball and torched Tremendous right then and there. As it was, he could not afford to lose his guide just yet. Instead, Tartum picked up the spit with two rabbits on it and walked over to where Tremendous stood frozen in terror. Opening himself to the magic, Tartum focused for a moment.
“Uush!” he commanded. The fire went out immediataely. Holding the spit out for Tremendous to take, Tartum forced a smile, “Consider this a consolation prize. You did well, Tremendous. You have nothing more to prove.” With the fire out, Tremendous regained his senses quickly; he took the spit from him gratefully but still kept half an eye on the now dark camp fire. It was all Tartum could do to not scoff at the man’s discomfort. Tartum went back to his seat and retrieved the other spit with his rabbit still sizzling on it. After a moment, Tremendous joined him and together, in the silence, they ate their meal. Afterwards as they lay there preparing to sleep, Tremendous broke the silence.
“I wish I could explain to you why the fire has such power over me. I wish the Over Tyrant had trusted you like I trust you and gave you the secret. I wish the world was a better place so that we could join it rather than seclude ourselves from it. I’m sorry, Tartum, I just wish I could help you to understand why it is that we are the way we are.” Tremendous said, his voice overcome with emotion.
“Do not worry about it, my friend. You’ve helped me more than you will ever know. Now sleep, we’ve got a long walk ahead of us tomorrow.” Tartum said warmly. His words seemed to be exactly what Tremendous needed to hear, and it wasn’t long before he heard his breathing become steady. Smirking, Tartum closed his eyes and fell asleep.
…
Another week passed, and Tartum’s patience was almost spent. He couldn’t believe he had gone so far from Yucoke, he knew he had wandered for a long time but for half a month to pass without anything looking even remotely familiar was beginning to get to him. The traveling itself was easy; Tremendous seemed to know his way through the forest very well, and as far as Tartum could tell they were making good time. He just wished he would see something that looked familiar already so he could move on. Having to keep up this farce was killing him. In order to pass the time, they traded stories of past exploits. At one point, Tremendous mentioned he would be interested in visiting the city of Saroth if Tartum wouldn’t mind taking him. Tartum promised that after they arrived in Yucoke, he would arrange a visit to the city for him. He would have promised him one of his spell books as long as it kept the big man happy and unsuspicious.
A few days after his promise, the surrounding forest began to look familiar to Tartum. The trees, the land marks, the animal trails, and the feel of the forest let him know he was getting closer to home. Tartum knew the time to put the final part of his plan into action was approaching. The voice in the back of his head urged patience, and Tartum took a deep breath to calm himself. The voice was right; it would all be for naught if he moved too soon and became hopelessly lost in the wilderness. He must be absolutely positive he could find his way back before making his move!
That afternoon they stopped in a small clearing to have lunch. The walk was easy but still took a toll on their strength. Sitting down against a tree, Tartum allowed his mind to wander as he relaxed the muscles in his body. Tremendous went off to hunt, and Tartum was grateful for the solitude. As he sat there, his eyes rested on something just outside the clearing. Standing up Tartum walked towards the object to get a closer look. There, on the edge of the clearing, was the remains of a campfire he and Keves had made months ago when they had first set out to find the troll’s lair. There wasn’t much left, but Tartum recognised it immediately. Looking around, Tartum got his barings and knew exactly where he was. He knew he was about a day’s march from town. His excitement over this discovery threatened to overwhelm him. For the first time since he had left on this journey, Tartum felt completely in control.
Tartum walked back to the tree he had been resting against and prepared for Tremendous’s return.
It wasn’t long before he returned. Tartum saw he had even been able to catch a couple more rabbits, which he now carried with him. One was plump, the other looked young. Probably the offspring of the adult.
“I found us lunch! Do you mind cooking it? I’m still not very comfortable around f
ire, as you know.” Tremendous said, grinning.
Without a word, Tartum took the rabbits and walked a short distance away, pretending to set up the area to clean them. Tartum knew his silence would confuse him, it didn’t take long for Tremendous to confirm this.
“Is something wrong?” Tremendous asked.
Tartum said nothing. He was bent down with his back facing him. Opening himself to the magic, Tartum heard Tremendous take a step towards him. He heard the man’s step falter as he began to rethink his decision, something else Tartum had counted on. Tartum grinned when he heard Tremendous’s footsteps slowly heading away from him.
“So, how long were you going to stay with me until you told me you were a troll…or, I’m sorry, a half-troll.” Tartum asked, with acid in his voice. He stood up to face Tremendous who was now a good twenty paces from him.
Tartum’s words froze Tremendous midstep. “I…I…I…how…why do you…I couldn’t…how…how did you find out?” Tremendous said, without turning around. So shocked by his question, Tartum could tell the man didn’t know what to do. For a moment, Tartum thought he might run. He didn’t though, instead Tartum watched as his shoulder slumped and his head went down as his shame took hold of him.
The Jade Mage: The Becoming: Volume 2 Page 41
