Northwest of The Tear was a hundred mile stretch of nameless marshland that was infested with trolls, goblins, crocodiles, venomous snakes, and an endless variety of biting insects. It was also the only overland route between The Tear and the lizardman city state of Axis.
Zell, Agitha, captain Fargis, and the six surviving sailors had been traveling through the marshes for three days. When the ground was solid they walked, dragging their large cargo of precious goods harvested from the tear on sleds made from thunder beetle shells. When the water was deep enough they used some of the same shells as standing kayaks which were lightweight and perfect for the task. Captain Fargis didn’t go a day without thanking Agitha for deterring him from his original plan of trudging through this place at the beginning of summer unprepared.
They had encountered few enemies and even when a pack of distant goblins spotted them, one look at the heavily armed hunters and direwolf sent them scrambling away. Agitha knew that luck wouldn’t hold much longer, for the deeper they pushed into the marshes the larger and more formidable the threats would become.
A scent drifting from the north had Agitha on edge. It was sickly sweet, mixed with the smell of festering filth and rancid lard. It was the unmistakable bouquet of trolls. Proper trolls, unlike the weak troglin she had dispatched with Zell outside of Vinia City were a relentless and unflinching enemy most often found in great numbers. She warned her party to keep their eyes peeled, particularly while they were traveling over water. Trolls were known to lie under the surface like crocodiles waiting to ambush prey and were often found living beside the deadly reptiles in cooperative peace for the simple reason that neither craved the flesh of the other.
For all their fearsome weapons, trolls had a major weakness. Their bodies were covered in and permeated by a highly flammable oily secretion, and even a single spark would incinerate them in moments. This fatal weakness was why they almost always lived in or near large bodies of water. Agitha had insisted on keeping a ball of burning mammoth dung in each canoe which could smolder for several days, and made lighting a torch something that could be done in an instant.
Zell was standing in his own large thunder beetle shell kayak along with Merc and his now melon sized (as Agitha had predicted) pet doppelganger spider Goggles. The huge hairy arachnid was very content to ride on top of Zell’s pack and resembled a furry blue bedroll with his long legs tucked under his bulbous body. The kayaks were pushed along with long sticks at a consistent but agonizingly slow pace.
One thing Zell noticed the further they moved from The Tear was how incredibly easy everything felt. Breathing, walking, even relieving himself was a different process entirely. He found himself moving his arms at awkwardly unnatural speeds even when eating and scratching his nose (sometimes to quite painful effect).
“Down.” Agitha’s voice suddenly rang out firmly in command. On cue all of the sailors dropped into their kayaks and curled up defensively as Agitha had instructed. As the clients of an escort mission, their only job was to stay out of harm’s way and allow the hunters to handle any threats.
Sure enough, Agitha’s instinct proved correct. A huge form burst from the fetid water in a foul smelling shower of muddy droplets. It was a troll. Eight feet of hunched muscle, oily stinking skin, and lanky powerful limbs. It’s huge head was all yellow jagged teeth and long pointed nose. It’s tiny eyes were black and beady sunk far back in its skull. It had appeared nearest to the kayak on the left flank occupied by one of the sailors.
In a flash Agitha leaped the fifteen foot gap to land in the closest kayak, demonbone swords flashing even as she landed. Two thick furrows opened in the troll’s chest in an X shape, exposing severed ribs and pulsing organs. The troll staggered away and over Agitha’s shoulder soared a lit short handled torch into the troll’s open wound. Zell’s throw was perfect and the troll lit up like a keg of spirits. It gurgled and shrieked in its death throes, dropping backward into the water dying.
Even with the flames extinguished the wounds would not regenerate after being cauterized by flames.
“Perfect job everyone.” Agitha announced after a few moments to make sure it was safe.
“So this is what its like to be in the care of a pro.” Fargis mused.
“Just like you on the ocean, eh?” Agitha replied.
“I suppose so. I think I’ll owe you a few drinks and a non beetle meat dinner when we reach Axis.” The captain suggested.
“That’s how you ask a woman out?” Agitha teased him, savoring the flush of red that invaded the normally cool man’s cheeks. She had recently caught on that he liked her and never missed an opportunity to poke fun at him over it.
“You two are such a cute couple!” Zell shot from his kayak, savoring his own ultimate victory as both the captain and Agitha glared at him.
As he spoke, Goggles grew restless over the excitement and scurried down his back to pester Merc. He loved to rest on the huge wolf and try to match his color. The result made Merc look like he was growing a massive tumor. The patient beast simply gave the spider a look and a quick lick before putting his head back down.
“I hate that I’m starting to like that thing.” Agitha said, watching the comical behavior.
The rest of that day and the next progressed in the same way. Three more trolls rose up in ambush and were similarly dispatched with expert skill. Agitha announced that they had one more day of travel when they reached the landmark of Hydra Hill. A huge mound of dirt where a colossal eight headed dragon had once nested, terrorizing the entire area for hundreds of years before being slain by the ancestral hero of the lizardmen named Sivis the Red.
The mound held a tiny slice of civilization. A temple built of the bones of the hydra had been erected and was maintained by six honored lizardman worshipers. Powerful clerical magic repelled the nearby trolls and travelers were welcomed to rest if they provided any small donation.
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Agitha offered a tooth from the spade python along with a large helping of brine packed snake meat. Both were celebrated gifts and the green scaled clerics were overjoyed to allow the weary band to rest in the sheltered temple. They shared stories of The Tear and the lizardmen listened with rapt attention. They offered advice and insights about what the group might encounter on their final leg of the journey to Axis.
“Perhaps Olgo the Talker and his band will waylay you. He is a strange thing. A giant of a troll but he can talk. He is known to demand gifts of shiny baubles and fresh meat. Sometimes he allows those he accosts to go on their way, other times he simply slaughters them on a whim. If you choose to battle him, beware his trident. It is enchanted with disease.” One of the clerics, whom insisted they remained nameless advised Agitha over a shared meal.
Agitha thanked them for the advice and continued to drink her cup of smoke wine, a delicious cloudy beverage brewed by the lizardmen in secret. They finished the meal and enjoyed the tranquil temple, allowing their frayed nerves to rest. They all slept soundly for the first time in months that night.
The following morning came quickly for everyone. Thanks and goodbyes were exchanged and the final leg of their journey to Axis began. This side of Hydra Hill was much easier to traverse. Bridges and walkways had been erected over the years for the many lizardmen that made the pilgrimage to the temple.
The heavy and dense feeling of the marshes was lessening and the mood was light at around noon when Agitha suddenly called a halt. Far ahead in the distance, a column of smoke was rising into the air.
“Too big for a campfire.” Fargis noted. “Maybe a bonfire?” He guessed.
“Or a razed wagon.” Agitha suggested the more likely situation.
“Sailors hang back. Bait come with me.” She then gave Merc the command to guard the area before she took off toward the smoke at a jog.
“Let’s go fast.” Agitha said once they were a hundred or so feet from the others.
Agitha shot ahead of Zell, and even focusing his mana into perception barely allowed him to follow her run. Without any other options he pushed his mana into his legs and took off in a sprint himself for the first time since leaving The Tear.
The world seemed to melt into a blur around him and before he could begin to stop himself, he crashed into the back of something big and slimy. The troll was launched forward more than ten feet and landed directly onto the blazing carriage. Two desperate looking lizardmen were standing wide eyed, unaware of what had prompted the troll’s sudden suicidal leap into the flames.
“Oops.” Zell said as the flames roared high into the sky and the other twenty or so trolls gaped at him and Agitha like landed fish.
“Run away!” The female lizardman shouted to Zell and Agitha. “This is Olgo’s army and there’s no defeating them. This fire will only hold them off for so long!”
“Is the big boy here?” Agitha asked back, casually unsheathing her twin longswords.
“Not yet but he surely comes. Please flee, don’t worry about us.” The male yelled back.
“Okay Bait, here’s the contest. Whoever gets the most trolls onto that burning wagon gets to fight the boss when he gets here.” Agitha’s smile was frightening even to Zell.
“Are you sure I can win against a troll?” Zell asked doubtfully.
“You survived sparring with me.” Agitha let that be the explanation as she plunged both of her swords into one lumbering troll’s chest before easily hurling the massive body over her head and behind her to land between the two stunned lizardmen. Once again the hungry flames roared higher into the sky as the troll’s body was consumed.
Zell decided the best bet was to seek enemies closer to the carriage rather than attempt anything so crazy as throwing trolls. One of the lanky brutes had decided to brave an attack on the male lizardman. Zell dashed in, covering the gap in an instant. Once again he underestimated his own speed and crashed into the troll, sending it tumbling in a jumble of long limbs and gurgling growls. It rose and turned on Zell, raising a huge four fingered hand for a sweeping strike.
“Oh wow.” Zell watched the slow motion attack with fascination and practically walked inside the range of it before slashing the troll hard horizontally across its distended belly. The sword cut so deep and with such ease that the troll’s bowels immediately flooded the ground. Zell stepped to the confused creature’s side and shoved it hard toward the flames. To his continued amazement it left the ground and rolled right into the fire.
By now the fire had grown so large and hot the remaining trolls were having second thoughts. They began to slowly filter away toward the shelter of the surrounding swamps.
“Cowards!” A gurgling roar erupted from the line of mossy cypress trees and a huge form appeared.
Olgo was three heads taller than any of the other trolls and much wider. One look at his appearance told Agitha all she needed to know.
“Ooh!” She called in realization. “Momma was a hill giant! Bait check this out, this is actually a pretty rare one.”
She ignored the troll she had just decapitated and moved to stand before the imposing Olgo. She beckoned Zell to join her, knowing that with Olgo present the other trolls would likely not make any moves until commanded.
“Isn’t that the ugliest pair of fat green tits you’ve ever seen?” She loudly asked Zell, pointing at the massive and obese creature as it stomped toward them jiggling with each step. Olgo was indeed overweight but still radiated with strength and menace.
“Not lizards.” Olgo mused to himself. “You kill my trolls you pay. Give swords and gold and go.”
“That’s so funny that you think that’s how this works.” Agitha answered. “How many trolls did you kill Bait?” She asked.
“Two, but one was an accident.” Zell replied somewhat embarrassed.
“Guess that means I get the pleasure then.” Agitha said. “Time for an experiment. How fast can a hill giant troll mongrel regenerate?”
“Eh!?” Olgo roared in rage and disbelief. “Tiny thing insults Olgo? Squish you and bite you!” The giant monstrosity brought its trident to bear but screwed up its face in confusion for Agitha had disappeared in the middle of his sentence.
A shining black longsword sheared through his calf and severed his foot just above the ankle. Agitha laughed and danced, spinning and cutting with a speed Zell could scarcely follow. Blood, fingers, an ear, and an arm all fell to the soft mud along with a growing puddle of dark red blood.
“Okay! Give up! No more cutting! Olgo surrender.” The half troll was down on one knee, bleeding from a thousand wounds.
“This post Tear afterglow is always so amazing.” Agitha ignored the pleas of Olgo, speaking to Zell as she continued to spin like a dancer with blades flashing. “It’s like being made of lightning!”
The once arrogant Olgo was now face down, his arm still clutched his trident, but unfortunately was no longer connected to his shoulder. He would have been pleading but a sword had slashed through his thick jowls and left his mouth hanging uselessly open. He could only make guttural gurgles and pathetic moans now.
“Not really Olgo the Talker anymore are we? Settled on a new name yet? Maybe Olgo the Pile?” Agitha took a step back and looked down at her handiwork with a satisfied smirk. All around her the trolls were showing their backs, ambling away as fast as they could.
“Bait, torch time.” Agitha called over her shoulder.
“Aye teacher.” He said, dipping an unlit torch in the lowering flames of the carriage.
“Farewell Mr. Pile.” Agitha said as Zell tossed the torch on the quivering mound of blood and flesh.
“Thank you for our lives. Who are you?” The flabbergasted female lizardman asked, still coming to terms with the fact that she wasn’t going to be killed.
“Agitha Defaria, that’s Bait. We’re just hunters that happened to be passing by.” She explained. “Too bad about your wagon but good instincts to burn it. That saved you and alerted us.”
“Our livelihood can be restored, but our lives are yours, great Agitha and great Bait.” Both lizardmen went down on both knees and prostrated themselves fervently.
“No problem, why don’t you come along with us to Axis?” Agitha said as she wiped her stained blades against a mossy tree trunk.
“Of course, we are at your service for as long as you like! I am Krisa and this is my mate Sava.” The female answered, still kneeling.
“Great. Please stand there’s no need for that.” Zell chimed in, uncomfortable with the reverence toward him.
The four collected the skulls and Olgo’s magical trident and rejoined the rest of the group. No more monsters dared to cross their path and they arrived safely that evening in the great lizardman city of Axis.