Brans eyes lingered a moment, jaw tensing “This isn’t over, halfer” he growled before turning to run toward the sound of the closer horn as it called again. Shaking my head I followed, raising my horn and giving an answering call while hearing several other answering horns calling out in the night. Angrily I followed Bran noting that the spirit had decided on green as it followed me.

Pretty soon I saw Drummer ahead. He jogged forward a bit then slowed, bringing his horn up, a cry for help erupting from his horn. He saw Bran and I approaching, panting he pointed the direction he was running and croaked “Dancer’s chasing it.” The lanky man shook his head “I couldn’t keep up.” He gasped, gulping air, the handles of the twin clubs that earned him his nickname sheathed one at each hip their tips weaving back and forth as the weapons swung.

Following Sticks’ glance Bran glanced back at me and took off the direction pointed. I paused a moment, increasing my breathing for show reflexively. “You good?” I asked. He nodded and choked out “Go! Save Dancer!” a few steps in the way he pointed, and the thought hit me that he said ‘save’.” What was ‘it’ that made him sure someone with Dancers fighting skills would not survive. This can’t be good I thought, noting that the spirit had turned back to its normal purple again. Well, that was short lived I thought as I ran.

We were racing through the poor quarters meandering streets, but I knew we would be hitting the outskirts. Soon we would be out of the buildings and on the slope of the mountain.

Bran passed the last of the buildings and drew his sword, a longer blade than the two I carried. He stepped behind the building he was next to, disappearing from view. I turned the corner. Ahead of us a monstrosity twisted and turned, trying to get a hit in on Dancer who slid under its arms, around its side and sometimes between its legs, knives flashing scoring cut after ineffective cut on an absolute behemoth. “That thing should not exist!” My spirit raged and I couldn’t agree more. “Destroy it!” Came the spirit's imperious command. Easier said than done, I thought looking the beast over.

The thing had to stand 10 foot tall even with its torso hunched over. Corded muscle stood out over all of its body with no skin covering it. May’s body slumped over its shoulder flopping about loosely as it dodged and swung at the ever-elusive Dancer. I glanced to my side at Bran who had only advanced a few steps and stood staring at the beast incredulously. Drawing my weapons I started towards the beast as Dancer slid between its legs again. A translucent spike of spirit that I knew from experience only I could see shot down pinning Dancer to the ground by his shoulder stopping his momentum cold and making him grunt as though punched in the gut. It nimbly drew its foot over him and using the spike and its raised foot, kicked Dancer right at me.

My gut instinct was to slide under him and attack the creature. Dancers' trajectory was about three or four foot above the ground giving me plenty of clearance. I also knew the ground behind me was rocky and there was even a good likelihood that he would make it all the way to the buildings and my guess was that building corners and even their sides did not make for a comfortable landing. I was actually concerned he wouldn’t survive such a landing. A sense of focus and quiet enveloped me as it did on a good day when I wholly focused on my fighting. I knew I have always been able to push my muscles well beyond expectations and hoped it would be enough as I braced for impact and willed myself to take the shock, slow his movement and lower him to the ground safely. “Let it die, end the abomination, then release the nuisance as well!” The spirit demanded. Ignoring it I continued to focus as Dancers body impacted my outstretched hands, arms slid back as I pushed, letting my arms absorb the shock as I leaned into the impact. Once he hit my chest I slid back, my shoes scraping lines in the ground as I slid backwards a bit before losing its momentum where I let his body roll down my torso to the ground. He did not appear to be conscious, but he was not dead. Bran raced up the hill toward the creature screaming, but it had turned and raced off at an incredible speed on three of its limbs like an animal while it used its last limb to secure May over its shoulder. “You let it get away!” the spirit raged. I glanced at it almost expected little lightning bolts in it, but it was just its normal deep purple color.

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Bran and I chased the beast across the mountainside as May’s torso and face slapping against the creature’s back as it ran. It was gaining ground steadily and I could tell Bran was flagging as the creature crested hill and disappeared behind it. After that we lost sight of the beast. We finally crested the hill that the creature disappeared behind. It dipped steeply. At the bottom stood three trolls. Two were looking in the direction the creature must’ve gone but the third was looking straight at us and called to the other two. I’d never seen a troll before. They were lanky and long limbed. They were large, looking like they’d be at least seven or eight foot tall if they stood. Their craggy, crust-like skin was mottled greys and browns. The largest of them licked its lips and straightened up to what was probably closer to nine foot tall, its large, pointed ears standing out as it faced me and licked its lips.

“Behind you!” was the quick warning I got from the spirit and still I was almost tossed down the slope as Bran tried to push me and ran back the way we came. “Strike the coward down!” my spirit yelled. One of the other trolls slapped at the standing one with the sound of rocks hitting which got my attention. Then it made a sound that if I’d heard it from a human, I would assume they were choking but must’ve passed for speech for them. The larger one swatted back at the smaller, crouched one as it turned to me and said in a grating, harsh voice. “Leave flesh thing or be food.” Well, that was direct, and I suppose for them, rather kind. I glanced beyond them and saw no trace of the creature we chased.

I nodded to the troll who gave me the warning and backed away from them until the hilltop obscured my view of them. Turning, I ran downhill toward the woods and circled the area where the group of trolls were running past them to where the creature had to have gone. I caught signs of it here and there of its passing but lost the trail. After hours of searching, I found nothing.

Angry and frustrated I headed back to the village going back through the spot I had left Dancer. I figured someone would’ve gotten him by now and wasn’t wrong, still if I hadn’t checked I would’ve worried later. “Life is resilient and look out for itself.” Came the thought. I knew from the feel of it that it was in a green mood. Odd, I figured it would take longer than that to stop being angry with me. Though the thought of sleep was seductive I headed to the mayors first. Even if no one was up he or one of his elite guards would want to know what happened.