“Which races?” My chest feels tight as I ask the question.
“There was a large number of giants and goblins, no doubt the wizard made promises to coerce them to his cause. They don’t often engage in large-scale warfare. The real threat were the dark elves, though. It was said that some could raise the dead to fight on their behalf.”
That’s not what I was expecting. I thought maybe I had found the reason the trolls were hated so much. Will I ever find out the true reason?
“It’s nothing to worry about now,” she laughs. “For now, your focus should be the wyrms or else there won’t be an island left.”
21. Welcome Home
When we set off the next morning, it is a tearful good-bye. As much as she encourages his adventure, I can tell his mom will miss him dearly. I mean, who wouldn’t miss a clown like Limery. He’s like the little brother and the pet I never had all rolled into one.
His mother even gives me a hug around the knee.
“I am glad to have met you, Chod. You are more curious than the average troll. Take care of my boy.”
“I will.”
“Lillith, you may call me Lillith. Now, get going before I regret telling you my name.” She releases her embrace, and Limery and I set off towards the forest.
It’s a beautiful day and excitement fills the air. Two days from now, I’ll be back at the troll village claiming my reward. I still don’t know what I will ask for. Chief Rizza offered me literally anything I wanted. Tormara seemed to think I would want the village, but truthfully, I have no interest in ruling a small village. I want adventure. The thrill of fighting the wyrm, of exploring the dungeon, that’s what I’m truly after. Not council meetings and planning how to stay hidden from the outside world.
I want to make trolls respected so that we don’t have to stay hidden. If I can’t make them respect us, then I will at least make them fear us. Enough power and people like Glenn will think twice about attacking the village.
When we come across the river, I pull out the Aquatic Boots I won at the faerie dungeon. They’re made out of green leather with pearls sewn into the upper half. They must have some enchantment that sizes them to the wearer, because they manage to fit my giant troll feet, claws and all.
I step into the rushing river and it’s like I’m walking on sand. The water gives a small amount, but then it’s firm. Rapids form around my feet with each step until I am safely on the other side. Limery flies beside my shoulder.
Pretty cool.
Limery and I chat the day away as we travel. He tells me about some of his favorite games he likes to play with his brother. One of them is similar to tag, but they throw fireballs at one another.
“We meets you family soon, Chods?” he asks.
“I— I don’t have a family here.” I don’t know why I say it, but I start talking to him about my life outside of the game. “I have a mom and a dad where I’m from, but we’re not really close. I’m their only child, and we’re not close. How sad is that? I honestly can’t remember the last time Mom gave me a hug or Dad took an interest in any of my school activities. You’re lucky, Limery. Your mother loves you.”
“You mother loves you, Chods. You good son.” His tiny hand pats me on the shoulder.
“I don’t know about that. Maybe it’s not them. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m not the son they wanted.” I never had an interest in business, especially when it was always more important than I was. How many tournaments did I have to win for them to notice me? Not enough, apparently.
“Don’t says that, Chods. Don’ts. If they don’t likes you, then you comes and stays with me.”
I don’t know what I did to deserve his love, but I’m glad to have it. If only I had a Limery in the real world.
“It’s not all bad. I have a friend named Taryn and he’s about the closest thing I have to a brother.” He’s been there for me more times than I can count. He’s not much of a talker, but whenever I just needed some company, anything to break up the loneliness, we’d sit and play games for hours in silence. There’s a lot to be said for that. “We’re going to go see my people, though. They’re like me, but they aren’t my family. You’ll like them.”
I hadn’t really thought about whether or not the trolls would be welcoming to Limery. They live in a closed society, so they may not be accepting of outsiders, even if they’re non-human. He’s a big part of the reason they even have magic at all.
We’re making our way across the golden field when a notification pops into my vision.
Regional Event Alert! Jason Montoya and Lester Hobbes have slain a mana-infused wyrm. 17/20 remaining. 17 days remaining.
Maybe I underestimated the other players. Three days in and they’ve slain their first wyrm.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a black splotch moving across the golden fields in the distance. Straight in our direction.
I contemplate running for a moment, but then my mind clears and I realize I don’t have to. I have natural abilities to conceal me. If I simply quit moving, Camouflage will take effect.
“Limery, come here. We need to hide, nestle against my arms.”
I take a seat and Limery climbs against my chest. I cover his body with my arms until he can’t be seen, his skin is warm against my own.
The black splotches continue to grow in size until I can clearly tell they are two humans on horseback. The clop of horse hooves is all I hear as they trot towards us.
A dark-skinned man in boiled black leather armor wears a black cape that flows in the wind. He rides next to a man in a ruby red robe holding a scepter made of a dark wood that’s fitted with a piece of obsidian on the end. Several runes are engraved down its side. A gray beard falls to his chest and blows in the wind. The man in black wears a sword to one side of his hip, but I can see several daggers strapped along his leg. He must be some kind of rogue.
They pull the reins of their horses and come to a halt a few dozen yards away from me. They both wear the same emblem, a white skull with a sword and staff crossed together in the background.
“This is where I saw it,” says the rogue.
“I don’t care what you say. Doesn’t look like there is anything here,” says the wizard.
They both scan the area and I focus on them, displaying their stats in my vision.
Randy Billson
Level 17
Rogue
Human
Don Othello
Level 16
Mage
Human
“Fuck off, Don. I know what I saw. There was something big and blue moving over here right next to that giant rock.” He points to me as he says it. “I have advanced eyesight. It was a monster, I tell you. A big, ugly monster. Could have been one of those wyrms.”
“Well, like I said, whatever it was, or wasn’t, it ain’t here now. Regardless, we need to be getting back to town. Word is that Glenn attacked the damn trolls again.” Don rolls his eyes.
“Fucking Glenn. I don’t know what his fascination is with those things. There are much better options for leveling up that don’t rip your face to shreds. Trolls are so stupid that the best loot you’re gonna get is a stone club. Like we could even lift the thing to use it. He’s lost all of his items, what, three, four times now? No, I’ll stick to dungeons and finding actual loot. Glenn can have his trolls.” Randy laughs.
“Still, the mayor wants us back at town by sundown in case the trolls try to exact revenge.”
Randy pulls a dagger from his leg and spins the blade around his fingers with precision. “I’d like to see them try. Besides, if they were going to attack, they would have done it by now.”
With a quick pull of their reins, both men are off towards the other town.
That was a close call. I didn’t take into account that other players might have enhanced senses as well. I’m lucky it wasn’t a ranger or someone capable of tracking my footprints. I wait for another ten minutes before removing my camouflage and setting off again.
One day with my communication stone and it’s already paying dividends. I can’t stop thinking about what Randy said as I walk. Apparently, not everyone is out to destroy the trolls. Yes, they hate us, but they’re more content exploring dungeons.
Still, if Glenn is continually out to get us, then he needs to be stopped. Soon.
We do our best to stay away from the two human settlements that stand between us and the forest as we camp for the night. I refrain from casting horrors just in case we need to hide. If what Don said is true, and the mayor of one of those towns is recalling his people, then we need to stay as far away from them as possible.
The next day, we make it past the towns without trouble. I’m so excited to get back to the village that I don’t even spy on the humans this time. There’s plenty of opportunities to level up, but the priority is to make it back in one piece without drawing any extra attention.
When we cross into the forest, it feels like I’m back home. The vines, birdcalls, and the musty smell of the forest floor calm my spirit for the first time since I stepped out into the larger world.
I cast a Horror of Finesse and Vitality, thankful to be under the safety of the canopy and away from prying eyes. As soon as the cooldown is up, I cast another, until I’m trampling through the forest with my own personal army of forty horrors. They’re loud as they walk, gnashing their teeth and grunting as we move along. Limery zooms in and out of them, occasionally landing on one of the Horror of Vitality’s heads and holding on to their horns.
With such a large force, I draw the aggro of several woodland creatures as we walk and my army tears through them like it’s nothing. I know I’ve only scratched the surface of my power and that if I keep leveling, there could be even more summoner abilities for me to unlock. I’d like to see Glenn try and attack us now.
As we make our way to the village, nothing really seems all that different with the ley lines returned. There are a few exotic animals roaming the forest, and I’m pretty sure I spot a centaur at one point, but by and large things are the same.
I’m surprised when I come upon the boundary of the village that there are no trolls on guard. When I left, I saw several in Camouflage around the village’s edges.
Behind my army of minions, we cross the line into troll lands.
A barbaric grunt stops me in my tracks, and it’s like a veil is removed from my eyes. The empty forest I was looking at disappears and I see the translucent shapes of several trolls on guard. The troll closest to us abandons Camouflage and charges into my horrors with a club, obliterating several of them and tossing others aside.
Fire crackles next to me as Limery readies his fireballs for battle.
“Wait!” I yell as several more trolls come from the nearby area. “Wait! It’s me, Chod! I’m back.”
The troll is about to take another swing at my horrors when I hear a deep voice bellowing to my right.
“Trogden, halt!” I’d know that voice anywhere. Gord steps into view from behind a massive oak, his metal nose ring reflecting the fire in Limery’s hand.
He looks me up and down with disgust, then over my minions, and finally to Limmy.
“Blue skin. You finally decide to reveal your true colors? You are welcome, but outsiders are not permitted on troll grounds.”
I know I shouldn’t take his bait, but he really pisses me off with his smug attitude.
“Are you fucking kidding me? I look this way because of you. I risked my life for this village and actually succeeded, and now you’re telling me I can’t bring my partner on troll grounds.”
“Partner,” he scoffs. “More like vermin.” The other trolls chuckle at his joke. “Rules are rules, even for you.”
“I’m not going anywhere without him.”
“Then stay and rot.” He turns to leave.
“I’m not as weak as I was when I left.” When I check his stats, I see we are now the same level.
“Is that a challenge?” he roars.
I call my horrors by my side and they hiss and snarl in a violent mob. I still have over thirty left and hear the crackle of Limery’s fireballs behind me. The other trolls take a defensive position and I see more approaching. This isn’t exactly what I imagined my return to look like, but if I have to fight my way in, then so be it.
I twirl Peacemaker in my hand. “If you want to dance, then let’s dance.”
Gord’s lip curls above his broken tusk and he jumps through the air, club raised to attack.
A fireball hits him in the chest and then all hell breaks loose.
“You no hurts Chods!” screams Limery.
Three trolls rush me, but I send out my horde, stopping their push with the horror’s AoE slow and overwhelming them with sheer numbers. The trolls fight against the horrors, slinging them off with ease, but with every horror they remove, another takes its place as I continue to cast every chance I can.
A loud screeching caw cuts through the chaos and Jira appears on the battlefield.
“That is enough!” he yells. His dreads seem to rise from his body, an unearthly heat emanating from him.
I call off my horrors and the trolls cease to fight.
“Now, what is the meaning of this?” he asks.
“This fool is attempting to bring outsiders on tribal lands,” spits Gord.
Jira recognizes me for the first time. “Chod, is this true?”
“We completed the quest together and I want him there when I choose my reward. As for the others—.” I motion to the horrors. “—they are mine.”
Jira gives me a curious look. “What do you mean they are yours?”
I cast a Horror of Vitality in front of him. With a puff of smoke, the rotund orange creature appears at his feet. As strong and as powerful as the other trolls are, they still gasp at the showing.
“I see. As village shaman, I grant access to the imp. Everyone, back to your posts.”
Gord cuts his eyes at me as he walks away, but I take pride in the scorch marks that stain his chest.
The walk to the village center is long and quiet. There’s no parade of thanks or even any real acknowledgment for what I’ve done. Is it because I have blue skin or is there more at play than I know? Now that I’m not being attacked, I notice that everything since crossing into the troll lands is different from when I left. Evening has come upon the forest, but there are glowing flower bulbs, like light posts, lighting our way. They light up before us and when we are out of range, they shroud the forest in darkness once more. Is that the power of troll magic?
“Jira, what happened back there? I couldn’t see anything and then suddenly trolls were everywhere.”
“There is a reason that trolls have survived in the forest for so long. Using the power of the magical well, we are able to conceal our location among the trees. Think of it as a barrier of sorts, reflecting the world outside our lands back to those who pass by. Those who aren’t trolls will even have a desire to travel in other directions. Unless they cross the boundary, they will never know we are here. Even sound stays within our grounds.”
“How is that even possible?”
“All in good time. I apologize for Gord. He’s not quick to trust an outsider, and many of the other trolls look up to him. We are grateful for the journey you made, and I look forward to hearing all about it. As well as why you are now blue.”
Whispers and pointed fingers greet me as we walk into the village. All of my horrors have expired, but Limery sits on my shoulder. The village has changed too. I can’t quite explain it, but it feels more alive, like there is power running through the very trees. In the short time I was gone, the village seems to have healed itself. There are no traces of the fire to be found.
Jira leads me to the council area. The chairs carved from nature itself have blossomed and flowers adorn them, framing the council members in lilies and roses. Shocked faces gaze upon me and Limery as we kneel before the council. Even Tormara’s scowl has disappeared for the moment.
&n
bsp; Chief Rizza tells me to stand, and I feel Limery poking at my side. The chief and I stare at each other for a moment but the imp continues to poke me until I acknowledge him.
“What is it?” I ask.
He points at the foot of Chief Rizza’s throne. I’m not sure what he is showing me until something slithers and two bright blue eyes stare back at me.
22. Magic and Mayhem
“Welcome back, Chod,” says Chief Rizza.
I should respond but the only thing I can think of is, “Why in the hell is there a wyrm wrapped around the foot of your throne?” The wyrm raises its head, licks the air, and lays down once again.
“As you can see, your efforts were successful and the trolls are once again hidden away from the prying eyes of men.” She smiles, her small tusks framing her face. “I believe the undying one will trouble us no longer.”
My hand grips a little tighter on the axe handle as I force myself to look away from the creature. They had to have received the same notification that I did about the wyrms. They must know that unless they are killed, they will infest the island. These aren’t ordinary wyrms that burrow in a small area, these are mana-infused, and they will grow into the size of a barn if left unchecked.
“We are all interested in what led to the obstruction. If you don’t mind, please recount the events of your adventure.”
For the next half-hour, I have their full attention. Chief Rizza, Tormara, Guilda, and two others hang on to my every word. One of the council seats is empty, but I don’t recall who sat there. Jira stands behind me, but I know he is following every word as well.
I tell them about the wyrm, the eggs, my new abilities, the regional event, the dungeon, and my communication stone. When I am finished, it is Guilda who speaks first. Her gray braid marks her as the oldest of the bunch.
“It has been many years since we last had two magical trolls in the village. I believe this is a warning of grave things to come.”
“Hardly,” scoffs Tormara. “It was a freak accident, not some divine intervention. Now that magic is restored to the forest, I think it is time to focus on rebuilding what we lost, on building up our tribe.”
Sentenced to Troll Page 14