Chapter One

An Unfortunate Meeting

 

 

“Damn troll!”

I dove to the ground, narrowly missing the huge axe being swung at me. Dust stung my eyes and I felt the gritty texture of dirt in my mouth. I spit, rolled away from the ugly creature, and scrambled to my feet.

Trolls are generally found far from the borders of a town, usually living in caves or swampy areas. This troll had taken up residence in the sewers of Casem, a small town with a big dream. The Lord of the city had made it his mission to make Casem the jewel of the East. That’s not a job I would ever want.

Granted, he probably felt the same about my job. You see, I hunt monsters. Like this troll. And like most trolls, this one was obnoxiously strong. And he knew it.

The beast rushed me, wildly swinging his nicked, rusty battle axe. I brought my sword up and blocked the attack. The force of the troll’s strike made my arm go numb and the blade fell uselessly to the ground. I cursed and jumped back to avoid another swing.

Just another problem for me. Let’s just say things in my life weren’t going as planned. First, I’d recently lost my girlfriend. I don’t mean that she died. I mean that I literally lost her. In the woods. At night. To be fair, it wasn’t completely my fault. She’d wandered off from the camp and when I went searching, I didn’t see a single sign of her.

So, I left.

It’s not like she doesn’t know her way around the area. She’s lived there most of her life. Besides that, I had already taken the job to come kill this troll. Insofacto, I had to leave. I’m sure she’ll be ecstatic to see me when I get back.

I hope.

I dodged to the left and snatched my sword off the ground, then turned to face the beast. The troll was in mid-swing, so I side-stepped the blow and took advantage of the situation by hacking a deep gash along the creature’s thigh. It staggered and screeched, but otherwise seemed unfazed by the wound.

Trolls are tough creatures to hurt, and even tougher creatures to kill. Normally, I’d have at least two other hunters with me to take on one of these beasts. And that’s the second thing that went wrong. My go-to guys and I had a falling out over … well, that’s not important right now. Suffice it to say, I was on my own for this job.

The creature regained its balance and turned to face me. It regarded me with a look of utter contempt. Trolls are ugly beasts. Full-grown, they can be as tall as eight feet and a few hundred pounds of raw muscle. Their skin tone can range from light gray to a sickly green. This troll’s skin was a yellowish hue, but not as gross as some trolls I’ve seen. He also wasn’t very tall, standing only a head taller than me.

The chances were high that this was a youngster who had left his tribe and decided to get close to humans for a steady food source. Unfortunately for him, the Lord of Casem quickly realized something was wrong when people started rapidly disappearing. A growing troll can eat a lot. And since they aren’t very intelligent creatures, this one had signed his own death warrant by not keeping a low profile.

You live and you learn. Well, sometimes. Sometimes you just die.

It’s extremely difficult to kill a troll, even with a team of men. It’s hard trying to hack off limbs because that requires you to get close to them. And if you aren’t fast enough, they’ll hack your limbs off and eat them while you watch. Once you hack a limb off, you have to immediately burn it with fire. And you have to do it quickly, or the limb will start to reattach itself. Trolls not only hate fire, they fear it. So much so they don’t bother to cook their meals.

Which leads to my third problem. I didn’t have any fire. I’d brought a torch with me, but the troll had surprised me, and I had dropped the torch in a puddle of water. Or muck. It’s entirely possible it could have been piss, considering we were at the entrance of the city sewers. I didn’t want to think about that, though. Mainly because after I dropped the torch into it, the troll knocked me into it. The tunic under my chainmail was sticking to my skin and felt slimy.

Annoying, to say the least. Gross if my last guess was correct. I shivered in disgust.

The troll roared angrily and rushed me again. I attempted to side-step it again, but my foot got caught in some thick roots and I fell to the ground on my stomach, the air knocked out of me. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the tears from my eyes while I tried to convince my body it needed to breathe.

Just as I sucked in a deep lungful of glorious air, it was pushed back out of me as the troll stepped on my back. I cried out involuntarily. I felt the creature’s rough, grimy hands grab my arm. It removed its foot and lifted me into the air, turning me around so that it could look me in the eyes. It shook my violently until my sword fell from my grasp. Yet again. Someone should invent something that keeps a man’s sword from slipping out of his hands. That would be great.

It chuckled to itself and smiled. Grotesque teeth, worn and yellowed, filled its mouth. And its breath was absolutely rank. It smelled like rotten eggs dipped in … you get the point. I gagged and turned my head, expecting to vomit. Thankfully, I didn’t. I hated puking, almost as much as I hated trolls.

The troll tightened its grip on my arm and I felt my bones threatening to break. If only I had the strength of a troll. I’d be quite a hero. I kicked it in the stomach twice, which accomplished nothing. It laughed harder, then tossed me to the ground like a sack of potatoes. I grunted and managed to fall on my back. My handsome face was still safe. If I didn’t hurry up and find a way to kill this troll, how I looked would be the least of my worries.

I struggled to my feet, the thought that I might have pushed my luck too far this time buzzing around my brain like an annoying bug. Judging by the soreness in my back already, it was safe to assume I would be bruised like hell tomorrow. I shook my head. This troll was pissing me off. It was time to get serious.

“Hey, ugly!” I shouted. “Did your mother not love you? Is that why you’re out here all by yourself?”

I don’t know why I bothered. Trolls didn’t speak Common, so I was just wasting my breath. Still, it made me feel a little better. I saw my sword lay near the troll’s foot. It was too risky to try and grab it. The pain shooting up my back would keep me from moving quick enough. The blasted creature looked like he might just win this one. I was too young to die. My best days were still ahead of me. My future kids were counting on me to spread my seed throughout the land …

Seeds. Roots. Aha! I had it! If I could trip over the roots littering the area, then so could this ugly bastard. I took a few steps toward the troll, a grin plastered over my cocky face. It grunted in amusement and sprinted towards me. I back peddled, lifting my knees high so I didn’t inadvertently fall myself.

A few more steps.

Finally, something went right for me. The troll’s big feet stomped right through a wad of roots. Most of them snapped under the strength and weight of the troll, but a few held. The expression on the beast’s face turned to confusion as it fell forward, smashing hard into the ground before it realized what had happened.

“Yes!” I shouted.

I ran to retrieve my sword, then rushed back to the troll. It was yanking its foot, trying to free itself. And it wasn’t paying me any attention at all. I shook my head, almost feeling sorry for the brute. Then I lifted my sword and parted the troll’s head from its body. A spray of blood misted into the air. Obviously, something like that would kill anything else. Not a troll, though. Nope, even headless those bastards will get back up and put their head back on.

I’ve seen it happen before and let me tell you, there’s nothing more cringe-worthy than watching a troll’s severed head reattach itself to its neck. I shivered again just thinking about it. Reaching down, I grabbed the troll’s thin tuft of hair and tossed the head a few feet away. Then I began to hack the limbs free, also tossing them aside. I must admit, this was pretty gruesome, but it was a lot less gruesome than letting the creature continue killing innocent people.

During the last troll death I had taken part in, we’d found half-eaten legs of children. It was something I would never forget. And it was one of the many reasons I continued to hunt monsters down, putting an end to them before they caused anymore trouble. Getting paid was great, too, but I have to sound humble, right?

Once the beast was cut into several large pieces, I pulled some flint from a pouch at my waist and started striking it against my blade. Sparks danced into life, falling onto the troll’s filthy skin. It took longer than I wanted to spend doing it, but finally the dried fibers of the troll’s pants caught fire and began to burn.

I waited until the entire torso was burning, then I grabbed the head and held it over the flaming body. Its mouth opened and screamed one loud, final cry. It was a disturbing sight to watch as the troll’s eyes rolled around, looking this way and that before finally rolling back into its head. I set the head aside and let it burn separately. I didn’t want to risk having a flaming troll reattaching itself. I had enough problems.

The arms and legs were next. Once every bit of the creature had caught fire, I felt confident enough to let my guard down a little. I kept my blade unsheathed and walked over to the puddle of muck I dropped my torch in. I fished it out, then swung it around to try and dry it off a bit. Air drying, I liked to call it. Then I stuck it into the flames and waited for it to catch fire. The wet wood crackled and popped in protest but lit up.

The entrance of the sewer was outlined in natural stones, but the inside was crafted from sculpted bricks. I doubted there would be any survivors, for trolls rarely kept prisoners, but I had to check. I held the torch up high with one hand, my sword in the other, and stepped into the darkness. The first thing I noticed was the smell. It was worse than the troll’s breath. The next thing I noticed was the scattered bones that littered the ground. Some of them crunched under my boots as I walked.

The tunnel twisted to the right, going further under the city. I decided I wasn’t going too far into the sewer. There was no telling what I might find. Besides, I didn’t want some fool dumping anything while I happened to be standing under them. I flashed my torch from side to side and saw a small army of rats flee deeper into the shadows.

Rats don’t bother me, but you know what does? Flying cockroaches. Those things will make me scream like a woman and run. Thank the gods those things are only found on the island of Drea. I went there on a hunt once and that was all it took for me to decide never to go back. My skin started to crawl remembering those pesky bugs.

Something in the shadows moved. Something much larger than a rat. I held my sword up, ready to strike. A muffled sound echoed throughout the tunnel. I took a few hesitant steps, prepared to find another troll.

“Mmm! Mhmm!”

It sounded like a human. I brought my torch lower and saw it, whatever it was. It appeared to be humanoid, but it was covered in a thick fur. Some sort of creature I’d never seen before. Almond shaped eyed, light skin, almost pale in the torchlight. A cord was wrapped around its face, keeping its mouth constricted. Without thinking, I set my sword down, grabbed the cord, and pulled it out of the creature’s mouth.

“Oh, thank the Maker!”

As soon as the thing spoke, I realized it wasn’t a thing. It was a male. And judging from its accent, it was an elf.

“You can thank me,” I replied with a smirk. “Considering I killed the troll.”

“Thank you! Thank the Maker! I’ll give thanks to anyone who will take it!”

“What happened to you? How did you get down here?”

“That beast attacked me during the night while I was leaving the Academy and …”

“Academy? Wait, are you—” I paused and held the torch out further. The fur the elf was covered in was actually— “You’re hairy, wizard!”

“Yes, I know. This stuff is disgusting! Please, cut me loose!”

I grabbed the handle of my sword and sliced through the matted hair and another cord of rope. The elf still struggled to get free, so I offered my hand and pulled him out of the heap of grossness.

“You saved my life,” the elf said, brushing clumps of hair off his clothes. “For that, I owe you. I will devote my life to you from this day forth until—”

“Wow,” I interrupted. “No offense, but I’ve got a girlfriend back home.”

“That’s not what I meant,” the elf huffed, clearly offended. “I’m indebted to you. So, I will go wherever you go until my debt has been paid.”

A wizard indebted to me? I considered the possibilities, the jobs I could take with a magic flinger at my disposal … things were starting to look up!

“I accept your life-debt,” I said. “You won’t be needed at the Academy, will you?”

“No,” the elf answered quickly. “My time there has come to an end.”

“Excellent,” I grinned. “What’s your name?”

“Dormuris.”

That was a mouthful. “I’ll call you D for short.”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Dormuris said.

“It’s easier for me. Besides, if you are indebted to me, you should be doing anything you can to help me, right?”

“Well, technically—”

“D it is,” I said. “Now let’s get out of here. This place stinks.”

We left the sewer and stepped back into fresh air. I took a deep breath and tried to clear the stench from my nose. I noticed one of the troll’s arms slowly crawling towards its body, its thick fingers “walking,” reminding me of a spider. I skewered the arm with my blade and deposited it next to one of the legs that was still aflame.

“You hacked it to pieces,” Dormuris said, eyes wide.

“That I did.”

“How did you manage that?”

“It was easy enough,” I lied. “I’ve done this song and dance a few times before. I hunt monsters for a living.”

Dormuris looked at me. “You’re a hunter?” he asked slowly.

“That’s right.”

“Oh gods.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I don’t hunt dragons or giants. Just the smaller, less dangerous sorts.”

Dormuris breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. I was afraid … well, it doesn’t matter. Since the troll is dead, where are you headed now?”

“Home,” I answered. “My girlfriend is waiting impatiently for me to get back.”

I hope.

«—»

 

“You!”

I stepped inside the house to find my girlfriend, Pemeria, staring at me in surprise. She was in the middle of cooking something that smelled absolutely delicious.

“Pemeria, my love!” I greeted.

“You’ve got some nerve,” she sputtered. “How dare you come back here after you left me in the woods!”

Uh oh. She could get as crazy as a badger, so I lifted my hands placatingly. “I’m sorry,” I said. “You knew I took the job to kill the troll, so I had to leave. It’s not like you didn’t know how to get home.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer that, so I said, “Yes?”

The clay plate she hurled at me barely missed my head. I heard the air thrum as it whizzed by and crashed into the wall behind me.

“I mean, no,” I corrected. That answer seemed to be worse, for the next thing she threw at me was much larger.

“I almost died, woman! What do you want from me?”

“Oh, you almost died? So did I!”

“What happened?” I asked. Now I felt like a fool.

“I tripped and broke my shoe! If a bear or something would have seen me at such a weak state, who knows what could’ve happened?”

I groaned inwardly. Every time I thought Pemeria couldn’t get any crazier, she proved me wrong. “Well, I think my near-death experience was much closer than yours, considering a troll tried to crush me.”

“So, this is how you treat me?” she demanded.

“Oh gods, woman,” I moaned.

Another plate; followed by another. Now I was having to dodge them. A large expensive vase was next. It shattered, sending fragments everywhere. When she got into these moods, she could break almost everything in the house. I needed some outside help on this one.

“D! Get in here! I need some help!”

The elf came scrambling inside, looking about wildly. “What is it?”

“Angry girlfriend,” I replied, dodging a spoon. “A little help?”

Dormuris nodded and began chanting in a strange language. A green light began to glow between his hands. It pulsed and expanded, then hovered lazily across the room until it reached Pemeria. The light contracted, then burst into tiny specks and faded.

“What was that—”

The entire house rumbled for a moment, then everything went still. Pemeria was gone. I looked to Dormuris, then back to where Pemeria had been.

“Uh … Pemeria?”

“Oh no,” Dormuris muttered.

“What’s that?” I asked, starting to get worried.

“Well, what happened was … I intended to cast a shield around you, but instead …”

“Instead what?” I asked. A few steps brought me around the cabinets to find a large green frog sitting on the floor. I raised my brow and looked at Dormuris.

He smiled nervously.

“Where’s Pemeria?” I asked.

“You’re looking at her.”

“The frog?” I asked incredulously.

The elf nodded. “Yeah, about that …”

“Why would you turn her into a frog?” I demanded.

“It was an accident. Magic is tougher than it looks. And not everyone has a knack for it, so …”

“I thought you said you are a wizard.”

“I am,” Dormuris said. “Sort of.”