“It’s coming!”

Bodalf’s body moved through the trees, the blood of the goat spraying everywhere.

Loud, earth shaking steps came from behind as the troll Hogni and Thorve had found, chased after the scent of fresh blood.

Trees sounded like they were exploding, and every Viking who stood ready in the area they had prepared, looked at each other, grimacing from the sound.

Sliding under the wire, Bodalf rolled, stood up and kept moving, slicing the rope that held the goat to his back, letting it tumble free to the soil.

“Be ready!”

A tree crashed into the ground a few hundred yards off, and then another as the steady cadence of the troll left no doubt it would soon be upon them.

Einar saw its shape and the way it looked, a pit forming in his stomach as the monster began to appear through the trees.

It had to be close to twenty feet tall. Moss grew on its body and its green skin looked thicker than any of the trolls they had faced before.

A large tree trunk was held by it, both the roots and top of the branches missing. Easily carried by a its bigger than usual hand.

Did it chew those ends off? It looks like teeth marks!

The giant gut it had and long arms looked weird on its shortened legs but even worse were the huge tusks sticking out of its maw. Teeth were on display as the troll roared, having detected the vikings by either smell or sight.

Chunks of flesh were noticeable, wedged between yellow teeth.

“Archers be ready!”

Time seemed to slow as the beast entered the area, Hallad and Starkard standing a half dozen yards apart, each with two shields and yelling at the troll.

Everyone else was hidden, hiding behind trees or little pop ups they had put together, weapons ready.

Einar watched as the troll ran, three steps from reaching the first set of wires, its wide feet creating deep holes in the soft soil.

As it came upon them, fate seemed kind, as if the Norns had granted them extra luck because the troll stepped down, its right leg pressed against the wire as it planted its foot.

Flesh was bit into by the hooks and the metal wire, holding for a moment as the beast stumbled, arms and weapon wheeling before the wire snapped.

Twisting, the troll tried to recover, part of the wire still hooked and bound to the right leg, veering toward the next trees, catching the left leg in a lower wire, this time only a little over two feet off the ground.

Its toes came down on it, catching in the hooks, sending it careening to the side and toward its back as the wire snapped, each leg pulled at awkward, painful angles.

As it fell, everyone moved, preparing for a rare chance to engage the creature while it was tangled up.

Flames burst forth from his hand, growing quickly as the power and strength of the boon of Odin filled him.

Shouts and cries came from one side, the other being quiet, using stealth to attack while forcing the troll to turn toward the five Vikings with spears.

Long, ten foot spears drove at the beast, hitting the flesh and barely piercing it more than a few inches.

Still the attack did the job as the left leg, side, arm and head took a small strike, causing the troll to turn its face toward them.

Arrows came from the trees, striking the troll and piercing its left eye, bringing a loud roar that shook the trees and bodies as its weapon swung around.

Its tree trunk was over ten feet and as thick as every man there, yet it moved like a child swinging a twig.

The sound of bones shattering was drowned out by the roar as Hallad had moved forward, shield up and legs set, trying to protect Bodalf and Thorleif.

Being further back, Einar got a full view of the man being broken, shield warping and flexing from the hit, sending the massive Viking flying across the area they were fighting, rolling for dozens of yards after he finally hit the ground.

Yet time had barely moved.

Maybe fifteen or twenty seconds had passed. Possibly thirty at the most, Einar thought as he let go of the fireball, watching it fly at the troll's face.

Flames erupted upon contact and the creature clawed at the ground, dropping its weapon and then grabbing dirt, rubbing it over the fire that was burning its skin.

“Attack it!”

Everyone who was close moved in, taking the fight to the troll as it attempted to put out the flames, somehow smart enough to know how to do so.

Skardi, and Ospak hacked at the troll from behind, their massive two handed axes cutting through the flesh of its ankles.

It jerked its legs, ripping out chunks of flesh as the barbs that had dug deep didn’t let go.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

Blood flowed like a stream, staining the moss and ground that was being trampled underneath.

Spears impaled the beast as axes came at its spine, bouncing off the hardened skin.

Varitan drove his swords into the troll's hip, each one going almost to the hilt as they penetrated with ease.

A smaller fireball came from Einar’s hand when the boss tried to defend itself with its hands, arrows pelting its face also from the trio perched in the trees.

Death came for the troll who tried to fight back, rolling on the ground, hoping to perhaps flatten someone.

The Vikings dove from the blob of flesh, avoiding the arms and legs that flailed around.

Einar charged, pulling the two handed dane axe that had been resting by his side into the air, sending his Wyrd into it, covering the head with flames.

Everyone saw him coming, saw the path he took for the troll's head and began shouting, drawing its attention.

Soft, spongy dirt and moss hid his approach and when the troll slammed its right and left arms down into the ground on its side, snapping off a spear impaled in its gut, Einar made his move.

Every ounce of power his hips and momentum could provide connected against the top of the creature’s head.

His flames burnt flesh that was already scorched, providing a way through the tough hide and into the bone beneath it.

The crack of metal striking bone and the skull losing, filled Einar’s ear.

Both hands came toward the troll’s head and where he stood.

There was no time to dodge backward, so instead Einar let go of the embedded ax and moved toward the shoulder and neck, avoiding the arms and fists as he pressed against the monster’s skin.

Pulling his smaller axe from the leather loop, Einar drew upon his Wyrd.

Flames erupted around the head and with a chop the axe cut through the neck, slicing into the windpipe before losing its momentum and stopping.

A gurgled roar came and the troll bent its neck and shoulder together, pinching Einar as its right hand grasped at its throat.

Shouts came from the Vikings who were trying to help, hacking and thrusting their weapons against the troll, trying to assist the man who led them.

Einar’s legs and hips were trapped, unable to escape the rubbery flesh that had him pinched but the troll almost didn’t seem to register he was there, trying to stop the flow of blood.

It rolled to the right, almost getting to its side, lifting the Viking up and off the ground.

Warriors unleashed their fury upon the exposed stomach and one managed to spear the groin of the beast as it rolled.

Its left arm came down to its privates, trying to protect the tender section and the movement released Einar from his prison, sliding to the ground and rolling quickly away from the large creature.

“Get away!”

Everyone fell back, watching the troll writhe around on the ground, its chest laboring to fill with air, each breath raspier than the next.

Finally it stopped moving.

They had managed to defeat it.

[ Rune Experienced Gained ]

Everyone cheered but Einar instead turned and looked to where Hallad had been sent flying.

Thorve was there, her tattoos glowing.

She acknowledged Einars arrival with only a grunt, no words needed to describe how bad it was.

Both femurs were broken, each slowly retracting into the skin as she used her Wyrd. His arms lay there twisted, broken as well.

Others began to arrive for a moment and said nothing, no longer celebrating as they watched Thorve work. Hallad made no sound, unconscious from the pain.

“Get bandages and water! Thorodd handle the corpse!”

People moved, doing what was required as Einar stood there.

Odin, Thor, Freyr, anyone… Honor his bravery please.

***

“These bumps are impossible,” Hallad groaned as the wagon made its way back toward the road.

“He complains about bumps and the fact he is alive should mean he never complains,” Thorve said, scowling at the warrior who was bound with wooden splints and ropes. “Lay still, quit complaining and rest. Two more days and you should be fine.”

Einar gave the cart a gentle bang and motioned for the driver to keep going, having felt sad for the man who was going to have to endure the constant complaints of his injured rider.

“She is right,” Thorodd said. “How he lived is a blessing of the gods. Blood loss alone should have taken him.”

“Well I’ll take it. For now let's focus on the harvesting of this thing. How many more carts are we going to need to get everything we want?”

Pointing at the corpse and the group working on it, Thorodd frowned.

“I’m expecting maybe two or three days. This kind of corpse is going to draw a lot of scavengers as well as other hunters. We need to be prepared to defend it.”

Nodding, Einar watched as their cook fileted open the leg, pointing at different joints and telling people what to do.

“We’ve got help in another day or two, which means by the time the wagons arrive, we should be ready to go.”

“So two nights of not sleeping… sounds like the usual since I’ve joined your pack.”

Einar gave the taller man a slap on his back as he started to move toward the corpse.

“It beats a ride back to the road in a cart with most of your bones broken.”

Thorodd grimaced and then started to chuckle.

“That it does.”

***

“Load those last bones up! It’s time to get out of here!”

Thorodds booming voice carried through the trees and the influx of ten elves who were willing to help, made the loading part so much easier.

“Nine miogs, thirteen standard wolves and a handful of rats. Not a bad bonus on top of the troll corpse.”

“I’m just glad we’re not in need of a healer,” Einar replied, smiling as Varitan held the troll tooth he had just been given in his hand. “I’m guessing after I told you that was from a troll you knew we didn’t have a clue how large these were.”

The size difference was about seven inches in length, and the newest addition was a lot thicker.

“We don’t worry about size here. Besides, who am I to make fun of my friend when he seemed so proud about killing a baby troll as a teenager.”

Groaning, Einar picked up the cask by his feet and handed it to Osvif who was in the wagon.

“Troll heart, brain, liver, kidneys, all this stuff. You’d think I was running a butcher shop by the amount of materials we are bringing back. I’m just glad the runes on these are still working so we can get them back to your city and stored before they go bad.”

Varitan traced his finger around the runes that were inlaid on the barrel and nodded.

“Ours are similar but a different magic. Uses a gemstone that is able to be recharged with essence from our people. Yours seems much worse since once they stop working you can’t recharge them.”

“Joys of lesser quality materials. Besides I know how much you’re planning on charging for all the casks and containers we’ll need when we head back to Midgard. Just promise me you will get a small percentage.”

The grin that always looked evil appeared on his elven friend's face.

“Me? Making money off my friend and Vikings? Why, that would be such a horrible thing to do.”