The others had left their things with him, so he moved them into the bushes. That way no random passerby would find them, then from the small treasures they had found in the goblin cave he took one fifth of the coins as traveling fare, then among the jewels he saw a black stone. It didn’t really look like a gem but he was drawn to it, so he told himself “It might sell well!” and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he threw his cloak in among the others stuff. I don’t need this, I'm not coming back.
He thought about taking one of the horses but Rawlin had been so mad when someone stole from the military, if he took one of them it’s quite a large chance Rawlin would make the others follow him to get it back.
He also thought about writing a note… No, Pylia would understand once this madness had let her go.
Saving a vampire? Never!
And so Talos walked off.
He decided to set his path on the opposite way to Corinthia, he didn’t know what lay ahead except if he took the first left he would end up in troll territory which suited him well. There he could get vengeance for his family.
He wondered to himself if Pylia had ever meant for them to go looking for trolls, but he quickly put such thoughts out of his mind. “I’m just angry, it’s not her fault!”
He picked up the pace.
After about 2 hours of walking he was spent. So he moved just slightly up the forest next to the road and threw his things in a pile and pulled out his sleeping bag. He didn't have a tent but it wasn’t necessary, the sky was completely clear.
But before he crept into his sleeping bag he had to check from the road that his campsite wasn’t visible from the road.
He tried to forget about it, but after listening to Rawlin and Nysa discuss camp security it was hard to not apply some of what he had learned on his camp for the night.
He made sure to be a certain number of paces from the road, marked the path so only he would see and double checked the surroundings. Finally he could sleep!
It was a cold night but he was so tired that it didn’t matter.
Once the morning came around he quickly made a small fire then boiled some water and washed up before he made breakfast. When it was all done he decided it was time to leave.
He headed down the road, and chose the left offshoot on the road as soon as he found it.
It had signs of warning posted, he was now entering troll territory.
He could not understand why the military had been stopped from exterminating every last troll or why they had been given large swaths of land that they could roam.
He knew many villages that gave out cash bounties for troll ears, maybe this would be a great way to earn some quick coins.
He walked along the path for another two days before anything happened.
As he was walking on this the third day of his journey alone. A Myscar, a sort of wild cat mostly known for its fierce temper and it’s habit of avoiding humanoids. For the longest time they had been considered a myth because of this second fact.
Now here there was one sitting on a tiny path. Talos just stood there not knowing what to do.
Then the Myscars eyes shone yellow for a second and it turned and ran.
That yellow Talos had seen before, so he ran after it. It kept just out of eyeshot every time he thought he saw it, it disappeared again. Finally he couldn't see it anymore, disappointed he turned around only to notice that the path was gone. Standing there wondering how he would find his way back he heard a voice. A child's voice, it was crying out… or maybe singing. No song he had ever heard, the voice used a strange dialect.
He followed it, there in the center of a small grove sat the child. But it wasn’t human it was a troll child. He just stared for a while, it looked like it was having some kind of dream or maybe it was high on something. Barbaric he thought and walked into the groove with his hammer ready.
Killing a child wasn’t a prospect he liked but it was a monster and all monsters deserved the same fate. As he approached he realised it was a little troll girl wearing just a thin tunic in front of it was a small bowl of some black liquid that she kept dipping her finger into and then she put the finger in her mouth. This was clearly what was making her look high. She moved more like she was in a trans, her upper body moved in circles then she started swaying back and forth and left to right.
She turned to him and said: Larjana-Zazarja welcomes you. Talos raised his hammer, now he was unsure if he could do it. She looked peaceful and happy like she didn’t know what he was going to do or maybe she accepted it?
But he never found out as a golden engraved spear landed at his feet blocking his attack, it was tied with a golden rope to the wrist of a fully grown troll.
Talos made himself ready and charged. The troll pulled on the line and the spear came back to his hand. Talos attacked with a fury that surprised himself more than anyone. The troll just methodically blocked and blocked again. When the troll saw an opening it spun its weapon right after a block, this made Talos lose the grip on the morningstar and it flew far out of reach.
Talos was quick to pull his sword, now he was the one on the defencive, the troll used his spear like a stick swiping with the ends at him and the troll alternated the angle and side so quickly Talos could barely keep up he thought; this is worse than fighting Nysa.
Then the troll, right as he pulled back for a long swing changed his movement and made a stabbing attack. The hit landed right in Talos shoulder, normally his thick armor would block such an attack, but the speartip went though. Then as the troll pulled back he spun his weapon around to land a blow from right above. Talos blocked with the sword but because of the injury to his shoulder the force of the attack went through and landed on the same shoulder. Talos cried out in pain and dropped his sword.
For a moment the troll gave him a look, maybe he expected Talos to surrender.
Talos threw himself to the ground picking up his sword with the other hand. The troll let him stand back up. Talos was pointing his sword at the troll slowly backing off. His other arm pressed against his breastplate, it was useless for now.
The troll smashed his spear from below into Talos sword, Talos couldn't hold it steady but he didn’t lose it this time.
Talos was desperate; this was clearly an opponent that outmatched him; the words Linnet had said ”simply better than you” came to mind.
So Talos did the only thing that he could see would let him live. He grabbed the girl with his bad arm and placed his sword at her throat.
Now the girl was screaming. Talos tried to close his mind to it. “She is just a monster. IT, it is just a monster.”
Then from behind he got smashed in the head. He dropped her back down, making sure to place her carefully on the ground. He then landed on his knees dropping the sword. As he looked around dazed, he saw eight more trolls in the clearing now. each with wooden spears.
Everything went black for him and as it did he saw that Myscar again, it was walking right up to him and it looked like it was walking in front of the darkness as it closed in on Talos vision. The cat was the last thing he saw, and maybe it was laughing?
Talos tried to lift his head, it was too heavy. So he just lay there, he had no idea how long he had been out. He was laying on hay or some kind of cut grass. Someone was sitting next to him, he felt a grass straw being placed on his head.
Finally he lifted his head, he saw the little girl. She looked at him, she smiled at him then ran off.
Talos managed to get up, he realized his head was bandaged and so was his arm. He looked at it, there in the wound was herbs he had never seen or heard of. It was Pylias thing normally to deal with that but she had shown him a thing or two about it.
He sat up, it wasn’t easy but he managed.
Around him he saw a village of trolls, they had simple huts about a third of the trolls were just lying around relaxing while the others were working hard. No one seemed to be sad or angry most looked content. Meditation seemed a big thing here. Talos had never realized monsters could meditate. or look so happy. Their kids were all playing some game together, this village looked far happier with life than any human settlement he had ever visited.
His gazing upon the village was interrupted when a troll came over to him. It started speaking in a strange dialect.
Troll: What kind of monster kills a child?
Talos: I’m not the monster.
Troll: And we are?
Talos: You killed my parents and burned my village down!
Troll: I did?
Talos: Your kind?
Troll: Humans mass murder us, hunt us for sport. Should I place all that on you?
Talos: What? well…
Troll: Maybe you want to answer for all the times humans have forced us to leave our homes?
Talos: That’s not…
Troll: My father was hung by his feet dangling from one of your towers until dead, my mother was violated over and over again until she took her own life.
Talos: but…
Troll: If we are to take the blame for what happened to your parents, then you shall do the same.
Talos: Okay, maybe I was hasty… But your kind kills us for sport as well.
Troll: Nah. Taking a life is forbidden unless the Loa of death decrees it.
Talos: Who?
Troll: The Loa of death, spirit or demigod in your tongue.
Talos: Never heard of him.
Troll: You take lives without even knowing to whom you send them?
Talos: It’s not like that!
Troll: You attack children! You kill with no clue of whom you send them to! You interrupt sacred rituals! And you have the stomach to call us monsters?!
Talos: Wait just a second!
Troll: what?
Talos:...
Troll: The Loa has spoken, you’re to live! So I can’t kill you even if I like. But tonight you're entering the death Loas domain.
Talos: What will i face there?
Troll: The Loa himself, and your fate.
Talos: Has anyone died in his domain?
Troll: No living has entered.
Talos: What?! I thought you wouldn't kill me!
Troll: You drink this elixir. It brings you to the door, Then you enter.
Talos: And if I refuse?
Troll: Then you wander outside the realm of death forever, never being capable of returning. My tribe is Zoular you may call me that.
Talos: I am Talos.
Troll: I know The Loa told me.
Talos: Great….
As the troll left Talos noted he wasn't in a prison cell, he was just out in the open. He suspected there were guards somewhere but he couldn't see them.
After resting up a bit he decided to walk around the village, he was hoping the guards would follow him and reveal themselves.
Then he saw the little girl he had tried to kill so he decided to walk the other way but she followed.
Talos! she yelled!
Talos: What?
Girl: Why did you interrupt my ritual?
Talos: I didn’t mean to…
Girl: I can’t try again for a year now…
Talos: So?
Girl: That ritual is the first step to becoming an adult. You force me to wait a year longer than everyone else. Why?
Talos: Look I’m sorry, I didn’t know okay?
Girl: You ruin my life because your dumb?
Talos didn’t have time to respond because she ran off crying. Talos tried to follow, but a troll with a large spear appeared in his way. So he turned back. After a little bit of exploring he found an old ruin that was part of the village. There he decided to sit and meditate on his fate. He tried to meditate on Markeb the good of Justice protection and nobility. But he didn’t get an answer. All he got was a pair of yellow eyes staring at him, then darkness.
Suddenly he was snapped out of this meditation. The troll Zoular was standing in the ruins with him. dusk had come, Talos had meditated away most of the day without realizing it.
Zoular then said: It’s time.
Talos followed him without arguing, at this point he kind of wanted to see what would happen.
The whole tribe had gathered, all the warriors were standing around the town center in a great circle. Inside stood the people in a smaller circle, at the very center stood a table with a lot of colors and herbs. Zoular told him he needs to remove his shirt and stand in the middle.
As he did he noted how cold it was. Then Zoular said out loud; This stranger came to us with anger, hatred. He tried to kill one of our young, but now he is entering the domain of the death Loa. Remember if none of us do this, his path will be almost impossible, let our faith guide him.
Those of us who want to give him a chance to find the path must show our support by drawing a symbol on him. I know you do not like him but… At this point the little girl that Talos had tried to kill walked up, she put her finger in the red paint and walked up to Talos. She looked him in the eyes and said; I forgive you. Then she drew a circular pattern on his chest.
After this Zoular walked over he dipped his finger in the blue colour, he drew a bendy line from his left ear to the bottom of his throat right at the center, then back up to the other.
Soon most of the tribe's people had come over and drawn some kind of pattern on him.
Talos felt a bit silly, but he didn’t want to disrespect their traditions again though he couldn't say why.
Finally the last of the approaching trolls had drawn on him. Then Zoular approached with a bowl, in it was a black liquid.
Talos then knowing instinctively what to do, drank all of it in one sweep. He looked at the troll and he looked back. The other trolls had started dancing around in the circle. They formed two circles now, one going in each direction or was it one circle going in both?
The ground was moving like the ocean now. Except maybe not? There was a clear path away from the nauseating movements of the world around him. Talos started to walk along the path stumbling slowly, then faster. He started running, but he still heard the voices of the troll chanting and the steps of their dancing.
The road under his feet started bending downwards and he fell onto it and started sliding. In front he saw a deep dark blackness that looked like water. He grabbed a root sticking out of the side of the road. Now looking up the hole he had come down closed up behind him.
He screamed out to Markeb the good he worshiped and the only power he knew that could help him, but he interrupted himself. A pair of yellow eyes stared at him. He feared the eyes. He let go choosing the water over the staring yellow eyes, but it wasn’t water.
As he came closer it rose up to catch him. But when his foot touched he screamed out in pain, the water was burning him or maybe freezing him?
The pain spread slowly up along his foot. He looked around for an escape then he saw it, a rope, dangling in front of him. He pulled himself free, despite the darkness holding him back. but now he saw them, the yellow eyes were staring down from wherever the rope was coming from.
But the choice between the eyes and the darkness was easy, besides he wanted to face the eyes after they had trapped him here.
The rope ebbed out in a hole that he climbed through. Talos was now standing in the middle of a giant crowd of people, they were all staring at Markeb; he looked just like his statues, except more shining. In the opposite direction he saw the yellow eyes.
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Talos screamed out Markebs name hoping he would be heard but everyone in the area was doing the same. Talos tried to get closer. Then suddenly Markeb turned, Talos was relieved as he thought Markeb had finally heard him. When the god Markeb turned to look in the direction of Talos two things suddenly became clear. Markeb was called the cloven god and now Talos understood, for Markeb had only half a body his left side was missing, the clothes and everything was whole but he was not and secondly there were too many people here for him to clearly hear anyone.
Then one of the men in the crowd burst into a pool of darkness, then another one. The darkness gathered up and slowly surrounded Markeb more and more of the crowd burst into darkness as this happened. As the darkness engulfed Markeb a dark voice said: He was mine once and with him being split in two I will have an easy time reclaiming him!
And at that the darkness filled out the void of Markebs left side. Markebs new side was darker than his other and on his face it had a beastly mouth dripping darkness from its canine teeth. He also had six empty eye sockets dripping darkness. Markeb and the dark voice spoke as one. “Join me, my followers!” And so what remained of the crowd burst into darkness and swirled into him.
Then they spoke again: “Talos why don’t you join me? Aren't you my follower?”
Talos spoke with a thin voice, “I can’t, not with the darkness taking you over”
At that a tear rolled down the right half of Markebs face, and it looked like that half smiled. But then they spoke; “Then you die!”
The swirling darkness formed back into people, but this time they were hideously deformed with talons for hands. They moved towards him.
Without a weapon Talos had no choice other than to run but every step was heavy, that’s when he noticed the dark ground around him slowly creeping up his boots.
The burning sensation started to come back as well.
But then the paint on his body started glowing! It forced the darkness back and Talos noticed that with every step he took towards the yellow eyes they glowed even more.
So Talos started running towards the yellow eyes guessing they were better than what he was leaving behind. Then a yellow mouth opened, and with a calm voice it said: “Do you need help my son?” Talos screamed “Yes!” at the top of his lungs.
Then sailing down from somewhere up above came a spear, a glowing yellow spear. Talos grabbed it and turned striking each of the oponents coming at him, the instance the spear touched them, they turned back into water like darkness.
As the darkness moved away from Talos he heard the dark voices laughing; “Fine, take the hard path, we will see you soon!”
The darkness formed a sphere around Markeb and then it disappeared. Talos with the spear in his hand turned towards the eyes and started walking realizing the drawings on his skin had started glowing even stronger.
Now having come a lot closer to the yellow face he realized it wasn’t floating in the void it was situated on a giant door. It opened as he came closer and through the crack came a light as bright as the sun, it engulfed Talos.
When he finally could see again he was sitting in an all white room next to a troll that was sipping on a cup of tea.
Talos: What? Where am I? What happened?
Lord Death: I am the Loa of Death, my name is Larjana-Zazarja, but you may call me Lord death or L.Z. if you like. You're now in my domain, or one of them! You walked the path between realms. Unfortunately the darkness interrupted…
Talos: What do you want?
Lord Death: Me? No no no… No… Yes! Wait I meant no! I do want some things, but you are here because you want things…. Mostly answers.
Talos:.. Okay… but why?
Lord Death: Fine, since you visited my realm as a child.
Talos: I was here as a child?
Lord Death: Finally we get to the questions! Ah yes! You died, so I looked deep inside you and saw you had a strength that could fight the coming battles so I brought you back!
Talos: When was this!?
Lord Death: At the death of your parents of course!
Talos: What?!
Lord Death: Ya! When the humans attacked your people they killed everyone!
Talos: Okay, NO!
Lord Death: Do i need to show you?
Talos: That would help….
Suddenly they stood on a hill above Talos old village. It was evening. Around them stood men, human men. They had swords and shields. A man stood at the front and yelled to his men. “Today we do something horrid, today we attack our own people, but remember men if we do this it will allow us to fight the real terror. With this strike we will finally force the hand of the politicians hands, we will make them understand the threat of the trolls! And in doing so we can finally make this land safe once again!” At that the men cheered and the two men next to the man that spoke handed out troll spears.
Lord Death: Ya know?
Talos: what?
Lord Death: This attack is what started the extermination campaign against the troll.
They now stood in the center of the village. All around them the soldiers were killing the villagers.
Talos: Men killing men?
Lord Death: Men?
Talos: Monsters killing innocents.
Lord Death: I thought monsters were trolls and goblins?
Talos: I guess a monster isn’t a species?
Lord Death: Good, good.
Talos: Can we stop watching this?
Lord Death: They are your people? don’t you want to do something?
Talos: I do, but this is the past…
Lord Death: Is it?
Talos: Isn’t it?
Lord death: We can’t change the main story… They killed everyone, this is known.
Talos: But?
Lord Death: If you like, We can change the details.
Talos: Details?
Lord Death: Sooo many questions… The details! How many men they lost for example!
Talos upper lip twitched then a smile appeared on his lip, Yes let me do it. He said.
Lord Death: Na man, Markeb would never allow his followers to do that.
Talos: Then maybe he isn’t the god for me.
Lord Death: Changing gods? That is huge!
Talos: Will you have me as your follower?
Lord Death: Hmm…. Okay yes! This was my plan anyway!
Talos: Good!
Talos felt he was made part of events, now he could do what he always wished he could have, he smashed a soldier that hadn't noticed his magical arrival the man fell on his back and before he could stand back up Talos drove the spear into the man's chest using both hands.
Talos rage and fury for never having had time to get to know his parents bubbled up, he started screaming and killing every soldier coming his way. Despite never having used a spear before Talos showed remarkable talent wielding it. But then archers appeared. He held up his right arm to defend and as he did a shield formed, it was in the shape of the sigil of the Loa of Death. Behind it sat two swords in a cross.
Talos threw the spear and it landed perfect in a soldier's chest and he pulled one of the swords.
Talos continued the slaughter until the final soldiers decided to flee. Then Talos put the sword back behind the shield then he picked up the spear.
The Loa of Death had entered a house so Talos followed.
In the house Talos saw the Loa leaning over a dead baby in a bloody cribb. He touched the baby and it started screaming.
Lord Death: It’s time we leave. There will be people back here soon to save you.
Talos: Thank you for allowing this.
Now sitting back in the soft chairs the Loa of Death started speaking.
Lord Death: This was nothing.
Talos: What?
Lord Death: Once those soldiers returned to their captains. They get killed.
Talos: So this was meaningless?
Lord Death: No, It did a few things. Firstly you now know who you are. Second: It let you get rid of hatred that had started to fester in your heart and finally: It allowed us to finally understand one another.
Talos: Those trolls… They said they may only take lives if you deem it, so is that true?
Lord Death: What better way to make sure life is valued?
Talos: So it’s not true?
Lord Death: I won’t frown on you for killing. I will frown on needles death, in whatever form it comes.
Talos: So don’t worry about killing, but don't do it endlessly?
Lord Death: Don’t think about who you can kill, but rather who you can spare!
Talos: Okay I think I’m beginning to understand.
Lord Death: Now there is one more thing…
Talos: What?
Lord Death: I let you borrow my skill with weapons in that fight.
Talos: And I won’t get to keep that?
Lord Death: Ya got it!
Talos: So I need to start training…
Lord Death: You are getting good at this!
Talos: Right....
Lord Death: I will give you a gift though, beyond the weapons!
Talos: Okay?
Then suddenly Talos felt a burning sensation, not the kind the darkness had brought, but this was as Talos felt it a surface burning. It followed the paint from the trolls and when Talos looked at it, it had turned into thinner tattoo lines instead of the thicker crude paint lines it had been before.
Talos: Is it getting darker?
Lord Death: I don’t know what you mean…
Then there was blue. having no idea where he was Talos just took in the blue, without trying to move or even blink he just stared straight up into the sky. But slowly the world around him started to make its presence known. At first small things, the noises of the village, though he didn’t know what village yet.
Then smells, he thought he smelled dirt or mud. Then he noted food, probably a bit further off and finally grass or trees.
A shadow moved over his face, Zoular? Talos asked. The troll smiled and offered a hand out to him. Talos grabbed it, and Zoular pulled him up. Only now Talos realized that he had been lying in the mud, it must have rained recently.
Zoular led Talos over to a table and served up food. Talos dug into the food, only now realizing how hungry he was.
Once he was done eating he stared around at the village. Seeing the people for the first time. It was hard to try to shed the idea that all of them were monsters who had to die…
He shook his head and looked down, on his chest it still hung, the pendent of Markeb. It was an old thing, given to him by the brothers that had taken him in. He took it off, planning to throw it away but he couldn't. It wasn't just a pendent of Markeb. It was the first memory of anyone he had ever had… They started raising him and until Pylia came around they were his family. The pendant went down into his pocket.
Talos went deep into thought about his past, what was the point of all this? How much should he change?
A sudden noise took him out of this thought, on the table in front of him a shield, two swords and a golden spear. It was the weapons he had wielded in the vision or other world. Zoular had slammed them into the table in front of him.
Talos: I'm going to need to learn how to use a spear…
Zoular: Yes.
Talos: Can you teach me?
Zoular: To learn here you must accept the rules of our tribe.
Talos: What rules?
Zoular: Anyone preparing for work must be willing to do it as well when it counts.
Talos: Okay?
Zoular: If you're preparing to fight, you must be willing to defend us.
Talos: I can do that.
Talos still had trouble not seeing them as monsters, though it was easier than the philosophy of the monks, that they all were monsters and therefore must die. Defending them from harm wasn’t something he looked forward to but it might give him a chance to understand them better.
Zoular walked away, Talos followed after a little bit, picking up the weapons on the way.
After a short walk they arrived at the edge of the village, there was a small arena built.
Several trolls were lying around staring at the pair in the center. Their sparring was fierce, the blows so quick Talos had trouble making them out, though that might have been because he was still groggy from the potion.
Zoular made a sign to the sparing trolls and they made a gesture with their hands then left the arena. Zoular stepped in and so did Talos. He left the shield and swords on a table outside.
Talos wasn’t used to fighting with a spear, but even with his prefered weapon the morningstar, this troll had already beaten him once. Zoular started with the basics and made sure to strike both low and high intermittently allowing Talos to get acquainted with the new weapons. Having discipline in fighting allowed Talos to skip passed the very most basic of the training but he still needed to learn the forms, the stances and the thinking behind using a weapon primarily designed for stabbing. But he soon realized he had talent for it!
Talos decided to stay in the troll village for a few days as he learned the techniques of the trolls. Their fighting style was very different from what he had seen others use with the same weapons, most humans he had met had always considered the spear a very basic weapon mostly used by the lowest of soldiers in the army or the militia.
Life here was something different! A Lot more refined, the trolls also had a different way of looking at life, they worked harder than any other people he had met for about two days. Then on the third they relaxed, and it wasn’t like any other people on their off days doing their own things, most of the village shut down, everyone was just lying around doing nothing! Some people had to work on these days of course but they took another day as their relaxing day.
Some of the trolls made Talos his very own hammock just so that he could relax too, because a troll relaxing didn’t like watching someone else who wasn’t taking the time to relax too. At first Talos found this strange and a little hard to accomplish, but soon he found that in relaxing this way he could find the same kind of meditation as he did though the monks training, the difference here was that since he was doing it a whole day he felt a lot more accomplished at the end, like he reached new levels of self understanding. And once back in the fighting ring he gave it his all once again and it felt so good.
Soon he started to learn more about the trolls and their culture, Zoular wasn’t actually the name of the troll he had met but rather the clan name, every troll called themselves by the clan name until they felt a certain level of trust to the person they had met, this wasn’t just towards humans but when visitors from another troll village came to trade they all called themselves zoular as well.
Though Talos for some time now had known their real names and actually considered several of them friends he didn't realize just how deep the connection was until one day when he met some new travelers and one of the trolls introduced him as Zoular as well.
Of course with one of the prefixes that allowed the distinction between the different members of the tribe. The tribe had taken to calling him Zoular Shnane which meant the strength of the clan.
Six days later Vanatvo as Zoular was actually named and Talos was lying in their hammocks drinking something Vanatvo called it “spirit juice”, a younger troll came running over. Holding a note in his hand, he gave it to Vanatvo.
After a short moment Vanatvo offered it to Talos, he took it and just slightly annoyed that this happened on the off day he took it and read. After reading the first row he sat up,
It was a wanted poster for him. He was wanted dead or alive, the reward was 2000 silver pieces for him. It stood; He is a traitor of the guild Silver eagles, he betrayed the five silver roses group.
Talos jumped out of the hammock, I need to leave he said. The troll lifted an eyebrow, tomorrow… he said still with some sleep in his voice.
Talos: No, they know my location if this is true they are coming here.
Vanatvo: So that’s what they want.
Talos: Who?
Vanatvo: Two groups have been stalking the outskirts of the village, they haven’t attacked or entered yet.
Talos: I'm packing my things.
Vanatvo: If they respect us they won’t enter our village, so relax and you can leave tomorrow, I bet the village wants to give you a proper send off.
Talos: I can’t if a group comes around that doesn't respect our village people might get hurt or die.
Vanatvo: Fine, I guess tomorrow will be relaxation day!
As Talos was packing his things up the village prepared for a goodbye. Though Talos didn’t want to waste time he knew this was the way of the village.
So as he had put all his things together he went over to the village center, there the whole tribe had gathered. They had packed a few things for him to take with him that Vanatvo handed him while saying a few words for each.
First we hand you this, a token made by the one whose fate you changed and who allowed you to enter our homes. While he said this he handed Talos a small statuette carved in black wood, it carried a shield with two little knobs at the top representing the handles of two swords stuck in a cross behind it and it also had a spear carved. On the back it looked like it had the symbol of the five silver roses, though how the child had known what it looked like was a mystery to Talos. It was fashioned into a necklace and Vanatvo hung it around his neck.
Next up is a bottle, in this you will find a bad drink, but if you do decide to drink it know this. Three times you can use it and each time you do it will bring you to the death loas door. And once empty you can put any liquid inside and it will never poison you.
Talos took it and carefully put it into his backpack.
Finally this: The troll said and pulled out a long silver chain with links so small it looked more like a rope.
Talos held out his weapon knowing what it was. Then Vanatvo said as he fastened it to the spear: This chain will allow you to always pull back your weapon no matter how far away you have thrown it as long as you have the end, It weighs nothing and will not hinder throwing, nor will it ever be too short for one of your throws.
Then the village came over one at the time and Talos gave them all a hug before he said:
You have all changed my path forever and for the better! And I have nothing to give… So I say this! One day I shall return and I will bring gifts for you all, something to thank you for this time.
Then the trolls started moving out. Vanatvo put an arm around Talos, one of the groups are to the east he said: Shall we disable them together before you go? Talos nodded liking the idea.
Then he said: That way they know for sure that I left.
He followed his friend out of the village, then they saw one of the villages scouts sitting in a tree, he gave a nod and a wink, then he held up four fingers.
Then he made a sign and then one finger. Vanatvo said they have one scout out moving around and four of them are awake in the camp.
The two of them followed the direction the troll had pointed that the enemy groups scout was in. Soon they arrived at his location right behind him. But they couldn't get close enough to strike, they didn’t have Nysas skill for stealth. Knowing that if they made too much noise the camp would be alerted Talos looked at Vanatvo. He nodded and then he moved in a long circle around the scout. Then he made just a little too much noise on purpose. The scout saw him and it looked like he took the bait he started moving over towards the troll. Talos could now move after him, with the scouts attention focused on the troll, he didn’t notice Talos creeping up behind him until it was too late.
The scout turned around with a crossbow in his hand ready to shot when the but en off Talos spear landed right in his face, The man was thrown to the ground by the blow and before he had time to react Talos and Vanatvo jumped him and Talos grabbed his nose and mouth until he passed out.
Then they walked back to the little camp, The inhabitants had heard something but they didn’t know what. They argued profusely whether they should send out another scout or wait for the first one to return.
Talos leaned in to Vanatvo: I think it's better if I do this alone. That way there's no retaliation on the village.
Vanatvo: You truly are a Zoular.
He moved of slightly so he wouldn't be seen.
Talos moved so he was directly in between the camp and where they had attacked the scout, hoping they would send out another.
And as he had hopped they did. When the scout came Talos was lying on the ground next to the most obvious path below a bush. The man rushing out looked like Rawlin only a lot younger. Talos had a sword in his hand and when the man stepped right next to him he slashed along the path with all his might, he cut halfway through the foot. The man went down with a scream. Talos stuck his sword into the man's chest asking the loa of death for forgiveness as he did. Then he pulled him into the bush and started crawling towards the nearest large tree. Once behind it he stood up.
The three remaining men in the camp were confused as they had not seen what happened. Two of them had swords, one had a bastard sword, a sword somewhere in between a longsword and a two-handed sword. The other a short sword and a shield. The last of them was sporting a broad axe and nothing else.
Talos betted on that the man with the axe was the hardest to take down, he looked like a big strong man and even though he had no armor he most likely had some kind of training or internal power that allowed him to shrug off most damage.
The axe man yelled out: Levin, where are you? Are you okay?
Talos didn’t answer.
The man with sword and shield: I told you these monsters wouldn’t leave us alone forever.
Axe man: Get out here so I can kill you!!
Sword and shield: Shut up Vyell. That’s not going to work.
Vyell: Don’t you start.
As the one called Vyell said that, Talos stepped out as he had guessed the man had turned around to his companion. Talos let the spear fly. It landed right in the man's shoulder, Talos yanked at the silver chain and the spear returned. They hadn’t noticed him so he hid behind the tree again.
Vyell turned. Screaming in anger: Where is he?!
The man with only one sword yelled, he’s somewhere behind those trees!
Vyell started running toward the trees. The other two followed behind spreading out.
As Vyell came running Talos made himself ready to stab the spear into him as he ran past, the force of such an attack would be boosted by the man's speed. He was planning to hit the shoulder, disabling his axe arm.
The moment came and he struck, for a moment he stood there. It hadn’t hit the shoulder but the throat, his speartip was sticking out from the man’s neck.
Before Vyell fell down dead he grabbed the spear so Talos couldn't yank it back.
Talos pulled the shield and the first of the swords. He now realised that the swords were made with some kind of black metal that he had never seen before, they looked beautiful and almost shimmering.
The man with the bastard sword arrived next. Talos deflected his swing with the sword using the same technique Nysa had used on him. Not directly blocking but rather blocking at an angle making the sword continue into the ground. As he did he saw an opening and smashed the handle of his own blade in the head of the man who fell down unconscious. The last of the party seeing Talos having disabled his friends in less than five moves decided to run.
Talos regretted the death of Vyell; it hadn’t been his plan but sometimes things don’t work out as one planned.
Talos retrieved his spear before taking off, assuming the one that ran away would return; he could probably take care of the dead and injured once he did.
Talos started moving back towards the path to Corinthia having no idea where to find his friends he thought that would be the best bet to find them. He didn’t regret leaving them but if he found them he hoped that they would forgive him, he had acted wrongly. though it had taken this path for him to realise it.