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One of the things most different from Earth was Stellarterra’s roads. Instead of choosing the straightest route, they waved between hills and forests, following rivers or connecting villages and towns, big or small.

Ludwing had neglected all Beauhemia, especially what now constituted the Guild's duchy, concentrating on fighting the Mongols and trading with the Byzantines. That made about a quarter of Beauhemia almost a no-man's land. Commerce with the Celts was scarce, done by the rare individuals strong enough to brave the dangers of the road. Bandits were plenty, albeit they preferred staying in Beauhemia and raiding over the border rather than going for the poorer locals.

Yet, the Guild leaders, Irene and Raya, decided it was time to end that and open the roads and the rivers going west. Their country core was working slowly but surely to make more stretches of water navigable, connecting rivers. Egercheb, on the Ohr, was one of the towns the Guild needed to secure, and a party of more or less seasoned warriors had been assigned the task.

Barbara and Raya for the muscle, Jong for ranged damage, Jorge for scouting, Lila for healing, and Bee just because Barbara wanted to train her 'hunny hubby' with the hardships of the road. After riding the slow Zen Mounts for seventy-five miles and three days, they looked at the town south of the river through the drone's camera, projected on their smartphones.

A bridge crossed the water less than a hundred yards away, the road toward it framed by trees. A sign hung between two pillars: 'Troll toll: 1 gold/person.'

"I see no troll," Jorge said.

"The bounty's two years old," Bee said. "Maybe someone else took the monster out of the picture?"

"Believe me, if someone would have killed a troll, they'd still be bragging about it in taverns," Barbara said. "Mother killed one in her youth, and she still gets praised for that. It must be under the bridge."

"There's nothing there. Look." Jorge made the drone fly lower, passing under the bridge a foot above the water.

“OK, enough arguing,” Irene clapped her hands to make them pay attention. “Let’s make a battle plan. What is to be expected from a troll?”

“They’re very big and extremely tough,” Barbara said. “Rock solid tough. They don’t get transformed to stone by the sun, though; that’s an urban legend. Only their outer layer of skin gets petrified, like armor. They’ll move slowly. At night, the skin is softer, but they’re really fast. All use blunt weapons… and you’d better not get hit by one. Only Raya and I would survive a direct hit.”

“I understand,” Irene nodded, writing things down on her phone. “Any weaknesses?”

“Alternating heat and cold to break their armor. If the second skin shows, they bleed like any normal humanoid, and their organs are in the same place. Also, they don’t like to get far away from their bridge, so if we’re in trouble, we could retreat easily. It’s important to attract it far enough from the bridge so they’re not buffed by it, but also not so far it won’t engage in combat.”

“Trolls are buffed by the bridge?” Bee asked.

“Indeed they are. From what I heard, they could melt into the bridge and invoke either a forcefield or a pocket universe around it.”

“And the difference is?” Irene asked, still writing.

“Forcefields are mana constructs; they have a limited energy. Hit one hard enough, and you will destroy it. Pocket universes are stronger, all but impenetrable, and come in many forms. Some are visible, others not; some appear enclosed in a forcefield, but it’s their border. They are hard to unlock and master, and only the Mythical tiers can hope to obtain the skill. Yet, not even the hundredth of them succeed. So I’d bet on a forcefield.”

“Jong, what are your strongest attacks?” Irene asked.

“Explosive arrows could dent that armor,” the archer said. “Or maybe napalm arrows could melt it. There’s also a Penetrating Shot. If I hit a soft spot, like the mouth or the eyes, it’s an Insta Kill.”

“Could you hit an eye from here?” Irene asked.

“Hm… a hundred yards… Yes, if it stays still.”

“OK,” Irene’s forehead creased as she concentrated on the phone’s screen. “First, a vote,” she looked at them. “Who’s in favor of speaking to the troll first and trying to make it surrender? Fine,” she growled, taking out the option as she had raised her hand alone. “Who wants to use non-lethal damage to take the troll prisoner? Really?” Only Bee had raised his hand with her. “I didn’t think you were so bloodthirsty, Lila,” she stared a dagger at the dancer.

“Our priority is to be safe for when Vincent returns, not pampering criminals,” Lila stared back.

“Trolls are very dangerous,” Barbara said.

“If you say so,” Irene rolled her eyes. “I will send you the battle plan. I’ll put it in a macro. Once the first skill in the sequence activates, you will all have timers and orders. Keep to them. And don’t forget to activate your virtual HUD in the menu.”

“You’re a strategist now?” Raya asked.

“My Guild Deputy job has a few skills on its own. Let me check the battle plan once more…”

Zooming on her screen, she read the words there, transforming them into a specific sequence of instructions:

Irene, Barbara, and Raya approach the bridge to lure the troll out.

Irene / [Charm] (10 sec) > Troll (target)

Jong / [Penetrating Shot] > Troll (target)

Continuation if Troll (target) is not destroyed:

Irene / [Retreat]

Barbara / [Berserk] (20 sec) / [Flurry] > Troll (target)

@ sec 18 Barbara / [Backdash]

Raya / [Taunt] > Troll (target)

Raya / [Electrical Charged Shield Bash] (Stun 3 sec) > Troll (target)

Jong / [Penetrating Shot] > Troll (target)

Continuation if Troll (target) is not destroyed:

Raya / free combat (30 sec) > Troll (target)

Irene / Psychic Spear (Stun 3 sec) + Magic Missilex2 > Troll (target)

Jong / [Penetrating Shot] > Troll (target) on Psychic Spear

Continuation if Troll (target) is not destroyed:

Jorge / smoke grenade > Troll (target)

Raya / [Backdash]

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Jorge / stun grenade > Troll (target)

The group retreats and breaks the aggro. Meeting to analyze the fight.

“Jong, you will use only the Penetrating Shot, as any other will put the tanks at risk. Add it freely if a stack of Reflect Damage is activated and breaks the armor. Lila, you heal whenever necessary. We retreat early if any stack of Negate Lethal Damage is consumed. Bee, keep Brandi’s rifle at hand and shoot at the troll if it pursues the retreating group too fast.”

“Okey Dokey,” Bee cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

"Let's go," Raya sighed. "I have a headache from all that text. It reminds me of Tulstoy’s ‘War and More War’ novel… It’s a long one. Archer guy, I trust you not to hit us, right?"

"I’m Jong, not archer guy," the young man objected. "We ride together for three days, and you still don't get my name?"

"I'm not good at complicated names," Raya shrugged.

"What's complicated in Jong?" the youngster sneered.

"The Common Tongue translates name meanings instead of replicating the sounds," Lila said. "When you say Jong, it takes three seconds for you to speak your name. It must be more to it… maybe a translation error."

"Why don't you speak it on the phone? The translation app will sort it out," Bee proposed, holding his phone face to the archer.

"Jong!" Jong yelled.

"Oh," Bee widened his eyes after looking at the screen. "Yeah… it means so much more…"

"Like—"

"Nice wise person," Bee said, blushing.

"Hahaha!" Lila erupted in laughter, taking a peek at the screen.

"Give me that!" Jong wrested the phone away. "The fuck! Virtuous Virgin?"

"Yeah, we hear that," Barbara said deadpanned. "We thought it was less… humiliating to call you archer."

"I'm no virgin!" Jong screamed, his cheeks beet red. “I had two girlfriends.”

"Of course, of course," a voice said from somewhere. “Your Hentai album and your right hand."

"Who's there?" Barbara blurted, taking her greatsword into her hands.

"You and Shorty together, I see… Does he use a stool to reach for your p—"

"Come here so I can kill you!" the woman yelled.

"I think Jessica is cheating on you, man," the voice continued, changing location, the speaker still out of sight. "She's seeing a clock behind your back."

It was Jorge's turn to blush.

"Who's Jessica?" Raya asked.

"Jorge's drone," Lila giggled. “He’s like in love with it.”

"Such a cheerful lass, ain't you… You sure help the party with your laughs. Cause brains or brawn ain't there."

"Hey! Don't mock my girlfriend!" Raya yelled, conjuring a bolt of electricity in her hand. No one was visible to shoot at, so she dismissed it shortly after, growling.

"Easy, pumpkin, easy… What a nice haircut you have. Classy… My grandma had the same…"

"I like your hair," Lila fondled Raya's arm as the Amazon's eyes filled with tears. She was quite proud of her punk looks.

“As for you… I see you like to kill defenseless rats,” the troll attacked the last target, Irene. “How about Pest Control for a nickname? So, I think I covered all. Pest Control, Shorty Four Eyes, Shorty’s Sugar Mom, Jerking Virtous Virgin, Grandma Glam, Jessica’s Minion, and Cackle Queen… You're six… plus Jessica… I count your true love as a person, man… Put seven coins on the ground, and you can cross the bridge."

"It's the troll!" Lila widened her eyes.

"I sure am, sweetie. What’s your IQ again, twelve? Pay, or else… check your tags. They’re now on permanent display. Everyone could see them."

"The fuck?" Jong screamed.

"Yep, Jerking Virtuous Virgin. Pay or be the laughs of the town for all year," the invisible troll laughed.

"Guys, I think it's better to pay," Bee said. "We can't go in town like this…"

"I don't care," Barbara sneered. "I laugh in the face of sarcasm… But for you, hunny bunny, I'm willing to make an exception."

"I'll pay," Raya sighed, searching her belt purse.

"Got you!" Jorge whispered, making the drone dive

A second later, they heard a yelp, then a continuous scream interrupted by hiccups and muffled sounds. Bouncing from branch to branch, a body hit the ground and continued screaming. "You broke my leg, you mother fuckers!"

"A forest troll. That explains it," Raya nodded. The person before them looked almost human-like if not for the greenish-hued skin. It was a male, no taller than Bee and quite plumpy.

"He was hiding up in the trees, all but invisible; only Jessica has thermal vision," Jorge said, his back straightening with self-satisfaction. The drone landed near him, and he stored it in its case only after he kissed it affectionately.

"No! NO! If you kill me, you'll be cursed! Your tags will be altered forever!" the troll yelled as Barbara approached him, and her attitude didn't look anything peaceful.

"Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. I'll give you a taste of Bulgarian humor," the woman said coldly, kicking the man's unhurted leg with her boot. The troll began screaming even harder, now both legs bent at an unnatural angle.

On the other side of the bridge, a few kids playing soccer on an empty lot must've heard the commotion because they approached running.

"They got the troll!" a skinny boy exclaimed, with eyes widened. He followed by spitting on the hurt man, followed by his friends.

"My sister's fiance broke up with her because of you, scum!" a girl shouted.

"Who, sleeps-with-everyone Inga?" the downed man found the energy to bark between two screams. Barbara hit his shin again. This time, the troll fainted.

"I'll heal him," Lila said.

"Don't bother," Raya said. "We cut his legs, and they grow again. Forest trolls are like lizards. This way, he can't escape on our way back."

"Miss, the mayor would pay you good if you surrender the troll to us," a kid said. "We'll hang him together and have a party."

"Well. Pay you well," Bee corrected the boy.

"What did I say?"

"We can't surrender him," Raya shook her head. "You saw what he can do. He has a sort of super Inspect skill and sees personal stories and everything. The Guild needs him. As a vice deputy duchess or shit, I sentence him to community work. We'll use him to detect spies or traitors."

"Better than surveillance cameras, huh?" Jorge said, a bit flummoxed.

"There are no judges here? You know, separation of powers?" Bee asked.

"Hahahaha…. Hahahaha…" Barbara roared. "Hunny bunny is such a softie," she wrapped her arm around the young man's shoulders. "That's why I love him."

"Please… let me go…" the troll revived, begging. "I'll tell you where my stash of gold is…"

"Now we're talking," Barbara said, crossing her arms. "Go on."

"Under the bridge… There's a loose stone on the last pillar… the one closest to us… Please, take it all, but don't give me to them. They'll hang me!"

"Oh, you knocked out, true," Raya said. "We decided to take you with us. You'll work for our guild. For free, of course. I'll let Irene decide for how long."

“Minimum wage,” Irene said. “We do not condone slavery.”

The man lowered his eyes, defeated. "Can someone take care of my legs?"

"I can heal them," Lila proposed.

"Cutting is faster," Barbara said.

"Not if you want to carry me on your back for a week, the time I need to regrow limbs."

“We have horses tied nearby,” Barbara shrugged. “You’ll ride one… No… That’s not a punishment; it’s better to have him walk. Fine, heal him," Barbara growled, stepping back, obviously disappointed. Lila advanced and started to put the legs in the proper position and cast Heal over them. The troll wailed and moaned in pain during the procedure but ceased when she was done.

"In a day, you'll be as new," Lila said.

"My species regen is greater. Give me an hour, and I'll walk on my own feet. Thank you, miss." The troll crawled back on his elbows and pushed his torso up, resting his butt on the ground but supporting himself on a tree.

"Well… since we have an hour to kill, why don't we take that money and have a drink in town," Barbara proposed.

"We're keeping only thirty percent of it," Raya said. "The finder's reward and the guild's fee. The bounty is a separate thing."

"Yeah, yeah," Barbara waved her hand dismissively. "Hunny bunny, would you do the honors and look for the gold? I don't like soaking my feet in mud… It ruins my skincare."

"Sure, hon," Bee rushed to agree. His weapon was a staff, like most magic users, and leaning on it, the young man slowly lowered himself into the river bed, grunting while descending the bank. He disappeared from their view for a minute, but they could hear him splash into the knee-deep water. "Err… guys… there's no gold!" Bee's voice reached them.

"It's in the middle of the pillar, eyes high," the troll yelled.

The grunting began again, and Bee's head appeared over the road's edge. He raised a hand, which Barbara grabbed, pulling him up. "I meant there's no more gold. It's gone. The hole is empty."

"Where are the kids?" Jong asked in an expressionless voice. The children were nowhere. No one had paid them attention while Lila had healed the troll.

"I'll send Jessica to find them," Jorge said, unpacking the flier.

Barbara ground her teeth. "The little monsters! I'll give them the mother of a spanking. Have to train for when Bee and I will make our own snot factories."

"In a few years, hun?" Bee said in a strangled voice.

"Sooner. My biological clock is ticking, baby. I'm—"

"Let them be… They're poor kids… It wasn't much…" the troll pleaded. "Maybe fifty gold…"

"If you're lying, I swear I'll gut you," Barbara said in a lower voice, lowering her head to stare at the man eye to eye.

"Maybe a hundred," the troll blurted.

"I won't raise Jessica for a hundred," Jorge said. "I can't charge the battery anywhere else than in Krivoburg, and we need a safety buffer for the way back."

"Just a quick question: why bother to be a criminal if you earn so little money?" Lila asked.

"Crime doesn't pay," Bee said smugly.

"Hey, I earn a lot. It's not my fault good things are expensive," the troll protested.

"Like?" Bee asked.

"You know, man… Booze, gambling, and women?"

"I say we cut his legs, after all," Barbara said. "I hate pricks."

"Wait! Wait!" the troll pushed his palms forward in a stopping gesture. "I'll tell you a secret. A biggun… C'mon… You know I can see information, right?"

"Speak," Raya ordered.

"Err… Actually, I live in town… No one saw my face until today… And my skin is not so unique… there are lots of people with dryad blood… there’s a strong minority here—"

"Get to the point!" Raya hissed.

"A little over a week ago, a group came to town… A dozen men. Mongols. They rented a few rooms in the best inn… I go there every other night. One of them is a prince, the Khan's son. I've heard them talking… They escaped a big battle and got some money with them, too… Now, they plan to return home, but they can't. Something about a power vucam—"

"Vacuum," Bee said.

"Yeah, that. Struggle for power. Their allies are far away, and the closest part of Mongol lands is ruled by an enemy… his uncle or something. I guess you can make something of this, right?"

"We sure do, right Irene?" Raya said, and Irene nodded. "Archer, you come with me in town. You’ll bond with them easier."

"I’m Korean, not Mongol," Jong ground his teeth.

"It doesn’t matter what you are; they greatly respect archers. Find some common ground. We two go it, cash the bounty… Fuck; I guess we can't cash it without giving them the troll… Forget the bounty. We go to the inn and speak with the Mongols. Take the bastard and go home; we'll catch up."