Mellinda’s first instinct was to destroy her. It would have been so easy to use the rings’ power to explode the trollkin from within as Ewzad Vriil had done so many times in the past. If it weren’t for Arcon cheerfully egging her on, she might have done so. Instead, Mellinda ignored the pain of Murtha’s attack. Her voice was calm as she said, “I fixed him. Look for yourself.”
“My face!” Omar exclaimed. Touching his new features with trembling fingers. All traces of his former disfigurement were gone. He now had a proud human nose and his fangs no longer protruded oddly, but had been shortened and fit snuggly in the proper place in his mouth. “It’s different.”
“Murtha, let her go!” the king commanded.
“How many more of us will she change?” the half-dwarf replied, her grip tightening. Mellinda gasped with the pain.
“It is okay. It hurt but I-I am better,” said Omar, a smile touching his mouth. “Look at my face, Trelsk!”
“Let her up, Murtha,” the king said, placing a hand on his assistant’s shoulder.
Murtha glared at Mellinda but reluctantly released her and stood. She stomped several paces away and grumbled.
Mellinda groaned as the pressure was relieved. She climbed shakily to her feet, unused to being attacked in such a physical manner.
“How badly are you hurt, Snake Woman?” the king asked. “The wounds on your arms-.”
“I heal swiftly, my king. In that way I am not so different from your people,” she assured him. Fast healing was one of the benefits that had come from turning the power of the rings inward. She could feel the magic working. The wounds had already stopped bleeding and, though they were tender, they itched more than hurt.
“Good.” The king’s human arm shot out and his powerful fingers wrapped around Mellinda’s slender neck. “Then hear me, snake. You will not use your magic on any of my people without permission. Do you understand?”
His grip was firm, but not so tight that she couldn’t reply. “Of course, my king. I apologize. I meant no harm.”
The king glanced at Omar, who was still feeling his face in shocked amazement, and nodded. He released her from his grasp. “Come. Let us put this magic of yours to good use.”
He headed down a trail that curved along the outer edge of the swamp lake. Murtha hurried after him. Mellinda cleared her throat and followed, ignoring the lumbering forms of Omar and Trelsk that shadowed her.
What were you thinking, you fool? she demanded. That was very nearly a disaster!
“Did I disrupt you?” Arcon replied, joyfully feigning surprise. “I thought that my voice was as a mere ‘buzzing of a fly’.”
The trail led them to the north side of the lake. There they came upon the ruins of several small stone buildings that had become completely overgrown. Standing between the ruins was a single stone chair that faced the water. It was eroded and covered with moss, but there were just enough carvings on the chair’s surface that Mellinda’s memories were awakened.
They were standing in Solitude, the center of the gardens. It was a holy place, the one location in all of KhanzaRoo where the High Priestess had been able to find complete respite from the rigors of her position. When the High Priestess sat in the Lone Chair, no one was allowed to approach. None dared even speak until she stood to leave.
The last time Mellinda had been in Solitude, KhanzaRoo had been abandoned by its people. She, the Troll Queen; sole ruler of the swamplands of Malaroo, had sat in the Lone Chair herself. But unlike the Roo High Priestesses of old, she had found no peace there. The gardens had been dead, poisoned by the thick layer of troll slime that covered the surface of the water. The air had reeked from the stench of the bloated corpses of the ornamental fish that had once populated the lake and her magical control over her vast troll army had been the only thing keeping the place quiet.
Now, a thousand years later, life had found a way to re-enter the lake. Though a thin layer of slime still coated the waters and the flowers that bloomed were foreign and strange, it was lush and green. Solitude felt like a holy place once more.
The Troll King approached the Lone Chair and Mellinda began chewing her bottom lip again. As he sat in the chair there was a certain regal rightness about him that set her on edge. Despite the ragged condition of his raiment and the deformities that marked him, he belonged in this place.
“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Arcon observed, his voice smug. “You hate the thought of someone else ruling your old homeland.”
Mellinda smoothed her expression. It will be mine again soon enough.
There was a splash at the lake’s edge. A thin, lanky form climbed out of the water and rose to its feet. It was naked and sexless and at first glance Mellinda thought it a common troll. Then she noticed its very human mouth and eyes. It approached the king with easy strides, its clawed hands clasped together, and gave the king a reverent bow.
“The Mother’s womb stirs.” Its voice was raspy, with a distinctly aristocratic accent.
“Where are my cullers?” the king asked.
“They are at work in the city. It is an odd time of day for her to birth, is it not?” it asked.
The Troll King looked to Murtha. “Go and fetch them for me.”
The half dwarf glanced nervously in Mellinda’s direction, not wanting to leave him with her. “I c-can do it, k-king. I was your c-culler once.”
“Alone?” he asked.
“Omar and Trelsk-k c-can help me,” she suggested and the two bulky trollkin nodded happily at being offered such an honorable task.
“If I might ask, oh king,” said the troll with the human mouth. “Why does the Mother stir at this hour?”
“I have brought her a visitor,” the Troll King replied, gesturing towards Mellinda.
It looked at her and cocked its head, noticing her for the first time. “Ah! You have found the snake, I see.”
Mellinda ignored Arcon’s laughter and forced a sultry smile. “My name is Mellinda.” She extended her hand towards him, palm down. “I have known the Mother for a very long time.”
“Of course.” It took her proffered hand in the traditional manner of the Roo nobility, resting its forefinger just under the base of her fingers. “I am the First. The Mother has told me much about you.”
“Has she?” said Mellinda, arching an eyebrow. This creature was a mystery.
“It makes you wonder just how much they know. Doesn’t it?” Arcon asked.
“Indeed,” said the First. He bent and gently kissed her knuckles just as one of the ruling house would greet a minor priestess.
Intriguing, she thought. How does a creature such as this know proper court etiquette?
“Maybe his goddess taught it to him in the womb,” Arcon suggested. “Like the Troll King said.”
Not likely. What would she know of it? Mellinda replied. Aloud she said, “And what has the Mother said about me?”
The First opened his mouth to respond, but the Troll King grunted and he paused, changing what he was going to say. “She says that your power is to be respected.” He dropped her hand and turned back to the king. “She comes.”
As if in response, the ground rumbled beneath their feet. The calm waters of the lake rippled and shook as something moved in the depths. Slowly an enormous dark form rose towards the surface.
A dome of glistening greenish flesh rose from the slimy waters. It continued upwards until it was the size of a hill, the top of it twice the height of a troll. The width of it took up a large portion of the lake.
Mellinda’s eyes fell on a puckered spot in the side of the dome. As she watched, it twisted and opened up into a gaping cave-like hole. A musky odor rolled from the opening and a small flood of slime poured out, pooling on the grassy shoreline.
Mellinda stared with open fascination. So this was the mother’s womb. She took a step forward and peered into the darkness within. A chorus of pained screeches echoed from the opening and she flinched back. A large hand fell upon her shoulder and she
looked up to see the Troll King standing beside her.
“They will start emerging soon. Are you ready to prove your worth?” he asked.
“Of course, my king,” she assured him. “What is it exactly that you want me to do?”
“Use this magic of yours. Fix those that need it,” he explained.
“This is why the Mother allowed you to approach us,” added the First.
“This snake can do that?” Murtha asked, and this time as she looked at Mellinda her distrust faded slightly, replaced with something akin to hope.
“You wish me to fix the newly born like I fixed the others?” Mellinda asked, a confident smile spreading across her face. “I would be happy to.”
The Troll King hesitated. “The issues you fixed so far were minor. These will likely need much more help. Less than half of the trollkin birthed are able to join our people.”
“They come out broken,” said Omar.
“How terrible,” Mellinda said, sudden concern welling up within her. If the Troll Mother was struggling to create her people it would be a blow to her plans. “What is wrong with them?”
As if in answer, a creature burst from the cave-like opening of the mother’s womb. It was tall and thin. The lower half of its body was covered with a coarse fur and its upper body was that of a troll, green and glistening. But its head was a misshapen lump, as if its flesh had been half-formed and then melted. Large sections of its skull were exposed to the air and one eye wasn’t even in its socket, but instead stared out of the side of its cheek.
Murtha moved quickly, running up to the side of the mound and pulling it onto the grass. With brute strength she pulled its arms behind its back and held it still. The newborn creature thrashed in her grip, screaming with pain and disorientation. Mellinda saw both troll and human teeth in its twisted mouth.
Mellinda swallowed. Repairing a creature this malformed was going to prove much more difficult than she had thought.
The Troll King approached and placed a palm on the creature’s chest. Somehow his touch calmed it. It stopped struggling and its screams turned to whispers.
He turned back to look at her, a grin on the human side of his face. “He recognizes me as his king. He can beat back the hunger. His is mind is good! Come, fix him!”
“Oh, this will be fun,” Arcon said and Mellinda knew that he was already planning ways to distract her.
She hesitated, chewing her lip again.
“Is there something wrong, Mellinda?” asked the king.
“N-no, my king,” she said. “However, I must prepare myself mentally for this,” Mellinda continued, holding on to her composure. “It will take but a moment if you will bear with me.”
“Do as you must, but hurry,” the king said warily. “More will be born soon.”
Mellinda took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Arcon, I demand you desist your childish taunting immediately. I will need every last drop of concentration to succeed.
“All the more reason for me to continue,” he replied gleefully. “I’ll start with listing ocean animals for now. Fish, whale, eel, oyster, crab, uh . . . fish-.”
Mellinda snarled inwardly. Fish again? That is all you could come up with? Not pike or bass or trout?
“My parents were farmers, not fishermen,” Arcon explained with a mental shrug. “Types of fish weren’t in my field of study.”
Enough! These trollkin could kill us if I fail in this, she suggested.
“Not likely,” replied Arcon. “They have no magic. With the power of the rings at your disposal you could simply paralyze them. They could not touch us.”
Even so, what good does it do you to ruin my plans? We share this body together. My pain is your pain. My success is your success.
“Yeah, I don’t agree with that,” Arcon said. “We don’t share my body. You stole it from me. The only reason I’m still around is that you haven’t figured out a way to get rid of me.”
Mellinda didn’t bother to argue that point. You still cling to the hope that you can reclaim your body, do you not? Would you not want to be in the best situation possible if that were to happen?
“Dear Mellinda,” Arcon replied mockingly. “I am fairly certain that the only way I could reclaim my body is if you intentionally gave the control back to me. We both know that isn’t going to happen.”
Then what good does your continued harassment . . ? She stopped herself. That line of manipulation wouldn’t get her anywhere with him. What she needed was a good threat. But in what way could she still hurt him? A slow smile spread across her face.
And what if I were to bed this King? Mellinda threatened. She turned back and opened her eyes letting her gaze linger on the muscles of the Troll King’s body.
Arcon didn’t reply for a moment and Mellinda knew she had hit a sore nerve. The mage had still not adjusted to the fact that she had changed his body. Inhabiting a female form was uncomfortable for him and she knew that the thought of experiencing this body used in such a way would be very disturbing for him.
Arcon gave her a mental snort. “Trolls do not have genitalia. Look at the First.”
These people aren’t mere trolls. Have you not paid attention? Each one of them is a unique mix of beasts and thus can be male or female. Many of them could reproduce in the manner of men. Why else do you think that they wear clothing?
Arcon did not have an answer for this.
She chuckled. I have already scanned the Troll King’s body with the rings just to be sure. I must say the Mother made him well.
“If you go through with your threat, so be it!” Arcon snarled. “I will endure what I have to and in the meantime I will make your existence as miserable as possible.”
“Are you ready, Snake Woman?” The king asked impatiently.
“I will be shortly,” she assured him, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice.
Mellinda sighed. No threat was going to work. There was only one piece of leverage she had left. Very well. I see that there is no other way. I will make you a deal.
“And what could you possibly offer me?”
I will return control of your body to you.
Arcon laughed. “Lies! You would never give up control, especially not over something so petty!”
You are correct. I wouldn’t give your body back right away, she admitted. However, that isn’t what I am offering.
“Then what is it?”
Partner with me. We worked together before. Help me take my revenge and I will give your body back.
“Your revenge? On your old people?”
Yes! I would destroy the Roo! But not just them! I would slaughter those ancient elves who defied me and burn the Jharro Grove to the ground!
“Riiight,” he said dubiously. “We do all that and then you’ll give my body back.”
Yes! She poured every ounce of sincerity she could summon into her words. Everything I have done, groveling to the Dark Prophet, even enslaving myself to Ewzad Vriil, it was all to get me here! And I am so close. I just need to raise this army. Arcon, help me get the revenge long denied me and I will have completed my purpose. I swear on my soul that I will return your body to your control.
“And I have to help you do this?” From his tone, she knew that he didn’t believe that she actually thought she needed him. Which was true.
I merely ask that you cease your harassment completely, she said.
At that moment another chorus of screeches came from the Mother’s womb. Another creature, this one even more malformed than the one before it, tumbled out of the opening and hit the shoreline. It tried to stand on uneven legs and toppled over just as Omar and Trelsk grabbed it.
“Enough preparation!” the king snapped. “Prove yourself now, Snake Woman!”
“I am ready,” she said and strode over to Murtha, who was still holding the first creature. Do we have a deal, mage?
“Can you fix these things even if I keep quiet?” Arcon asked.
I have the knowledge.
I did far greater things in the past, she replied. But I’m using your brain, which isn’t as sharp as mine once was and . . . She raised her hands and looked at the gemstones of the Rings of Stardeon that glinted on the backs of her fingers. I’m still getting used to the way these powers work.
“Very well. Prove yourself to them,” he said. “I will stay silent. For now. I was running out of animals anyway.”
Thank you, she said. Mellinda smiled with satisfaction as she went to work.
The Troll King (The Bowl of Souls Book 9) Page 3
