Weiss , Arc 2: Into the Game
Interlude 1 : Troll named Finn-Ger
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Few days later…
Domain Montserrat
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Giggles of children rang across the lush grass fields playing tag. The young village girl was holding onto a stuff bear grabbing it by its arm, running and laughing mischievously while her brother who wasn't so elated, chased after her. The warm but soothing sun above smiled upon the land.
"Hey give it back!"
The Boy complained, the girl just stuck a tongue out to tease him further. The chase continued as the kid ran across the calm and serene farmlands and village towns owned by the Baron Montserrat. Under his rule, despite being a small demesne it was a self-sufficient and peaceful place. Crime was low and the people lived a simple but rich life. Adventurers were rarely needed here due to the professional law enforcement of the Domain Guards. Monsters and criminals were a rare sight around here.
The chase of the kids ends at the passing under a bridge, where the girl fell over, the bear got washed into the drain of a hut hat was built under this bridge. A humble hut made of simple cobblestone with flowers placed on its sides where the sun hits, a oversized mail box were placed next the door. While the Hut was relatively small, it has erratic features like a four meter high door, bigger handles and bigger windows that was reinforced with metal bars.
The boy cried over the lost of his dolls. The girl looked a little guilty and lost. The cries attracted something big and dangerous. Heavy footsteps emanated from the giant door that got louder and louder.
Meanwhile the boy was still crying over his lost bear, while the girl was trying her best to comfort him, not minding the looming danger.
The door swung open, exited the monster that lives under the bridge. The thing was a bald bearded humanoid with a huge masses of muscle and green leathery skin, he wore a plain singlet and oversized leather pants. As he stomps, his heavy boots rattles with their spurs while the ground trembles. He bend down slightly and a grumpy frowned at the kids. Having a long nose and long ears, standing at a height of two metre.
This thing is known a Troll, the terrifying man-eater that these two kids just woke up. Even if he was shorter than his brethren, he was as dangerous.
"Which one of you woke Finn Ger, it's early in the morning, Finn Ger gets mad and hungry."
Right on cue, one of the Domain Guards appeared on scene, spear in hand with a stern look that can kill.
No sign of fear was visible on either kids' face, to top it up, the boy the rush and hugged Finn Ger's pillar of an leg then bawled onto it.
"Uncle Finn Ger! Maya stole my doll then threw it down a drain!"
"Hey I didn't mean it! Fen just didn't want to share, what do you expect me to do! You are being a meanie!"
The Troll broke into a warm smile, waddled back inside the hut and came back with two stuffed animals, handing one to each kid. And patted their head with his big but warm palms.
"Finn Ger is not smart , but Finn Ger hates kids fighting. Kids lucky that Finn Ger is in good mood, so a doll to each."
Two of kids took their gifts happily ran to their on way. Finn Ger waved and bid them goodbye.
"Finn Ger-san I got your breakfast here!"
"Good, although Finn Ger prefer going to the bakery by foot, but this make things much quicker! Finn Ger is very happy!"
The Guard brightly passed the troll a basket, inside the basket was a simple cheese sandwich, the troll's favourite.
Baron Montserrat was a tolerant one as well, Finn Ger was a curious troll that wandered into his domain. Initially people were wary of him, but overtime Finn Ger proved to be a friendly neighbour and a pillar of the community. Earning Montserrat trust by saving him from a Basilisk, and hence was offered a refuge in this domain. Turns out, he proved to be good with kids, a excellent help in labour to the peasants and he sometimes even did it for free. Finn Ger was a rare specimen in a world such as this.
While the small troll may not be brainy , big nor bad, he was a trustworthy one and a true friend to many.
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The troll took the basket from the Guard, but once they got close , the Troll leaned in. His smile evaporated and reverted to a cold neutral one.
"Thanks Jon, although pray tell, why are you really here? Guards don't show up in my doorstep unless something came up."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Boss, there's been a problem that needs your attention, the Marshals caught something … unusual ."
The Guard whispered back to Finn Ger's massive ear. The said troll took the basket and raised his eyebrow. He opened the door and gesture the Domain Guard to follow, who was actually part of the Baron's personal Marshal Guards. The two past by the innocent but humbly furnished living room and to a room, where Finn Ger twisted a Basilisk head decor slightly, the bookshelf of his reading room opened, revealing a entrance to a hidden tunnel network that snakes all around the Montserrat Domain. Finn Ger put on his black buckskin jacket, equipped himself a lantern and walked down the tunnel, the Guard followed suit. The bookshelf door shut itself behind them.
The story about this troll were … half true. While he was truthfully smaller than others , he did save the Baron from a Basilisk and the said Baron were grateful for that. The Troll was anything but dumb or soft. Behind the friendly troll was a no-nonsense man with a stone cold face, who detests it with icy violence when rules were broken. Appearing out of nowhere in the right place and right time, he was the true reason behind the high quality of the Domain Guards, the formation of the elite Marshals, the reason why this place was so free of crime and corruption. Smugglers and corrupt minor nobles usually met a nasty end by Finn Ger or the Marshals, same goes for the low presence of dangerous wildlife. Frontier justice as Finn Ger called it, the best security consultant Baron Montserrat can asked for.
Finn Ger was the Shadow Sheriff of the Montserrat Domain.
Eventually the two reached the Headquarters of the Marshals, the underground interrogation dungeons. Where in a dimly lit room with one single lantern as the main light source, a group of Marshals were grilling a tattooed Rogue for answers. This man sat or a shaky stool, judging from his twitchy , wild and drooling. Glaring everyone with sunken eyes and dishing out slurs, he was skinny and cursed with rotten gums. Clearly a junkie, Finn Ger was way too familiar with his kind.
"You all are bitches! You should have taken the bribe and buy yourself something good instead of harassing a honest business man like me! Fuck you… wait is that a troll?"
Ignoring the Junkie, he turned to the Captain of the Marshals, Naviogi Carga, his most trusted man.
"A drug smuggler, we caught tons of those already, what makes this one so special?"
Carga handed the Troll Sheriff a small pouch, inside seemed to be blue crystal dust. The Troll immediately frown and widen his eyes, his free hand tightens and his mouth was starting to form a scowl.
"Where did you find this?"
"A Border patrol, found it on a suspicious Wagon that was entering our border yesterday night. It seem like some sort of drug, but it was nothing like anything thing we saw. Unlike the black dust, our border sorcerers failed to detect it with their magic, and when they appraised it…they can't identify it. We only discovered it through guard wolves, followed your procedure and did a thorough search on his wagon then we discovered ten pouches of this blue crystal dust."
"HEY HEY, that stuff ain't controlled nor on the contraband list yet! Meaning I did nothing wrong! So just let me go and…"
The Smuggler fell silence when he realized the Troll was glaring at him with a look that screamed murder. Blaring his clenched sharp teeth that could rip him to shreds, the troll now sports an extremely wrinkled forehead and a clenching fist that could smash his head in.
"Is that all he said about this Blue Shit?"
"Yea Finn-Ger San, turns out he was just small fish who are second-hand source. These things are called "Blue Sky" and they took over the capital by storm. Looks like the Eight Fingers sold this like hotcakes, which led to this smuggler and his small posse to get their hands on it. This gentleman's posse was planning to resell it to further regions. Unfortunately, they are not affiliated with the Eight Fingers, so our information are limited."
"That all?"
The Captain of Marshals, too used to see the calm and calculative Finn Ger and worked with him for about a year now. Saw something snapped within the Troll, regardless his training under him allowed him to keep his composure.
"That's all."
As long as Carga answered Finn Ger's question, the Sheriff approached the smuggler, gently put a hand on his shoulders. Then without saying a word, Finn Ger snapped the smuggler's neck using only his thumb with one single hand. The Marshals immediately took the smuggler's body to depose it away. All this while Finn Ger took a bite of his beloved cheese sandwich.
"Tell Baron Montserrat I am taking a short vacation, there is somewhere I need to go. I trust you can hold down the fort ."
"Yes Sir!"
"Good, also never let a ounce of that blue shit into this county. That thing is bad news."
The Troll turned to leave.
"Boss, I have to ask, do you know what this thing is? You seemed to have an history with it?"
Carga asked, the Troll sighed and turned to the young man.
"Yes I do, this Blue Sky shit is bad news alright, but the sick son of a bitch that cooked that is far worse. I have unfinished business with him."
"Alright, I will arrange appropriate transport for you, whatever you are planning to do, me and this whole domain wishes you luck."
Carga saluted and headed off.
Walking back to his bridge hut, he went to his closet to pick up a white sack mask and a black Stetson hat. He then took apart a wooden board of the closet, hidden behind all those oversized cloths, reveals a secret compartment that hid his choices of weaponry, a Smith and Wesson Revolver and a M40 Sniper Rifle, alongside a box of homemade ammunition. He put the rifle in a bag and concealed the six shooter in his jacket holster. Both of these weapons were bigger than its original counterparts to fit the troll's physique, meaning they will hit like a cannon when fired.
These weapons also held a special place in Finn Ger's heart, especially the rifle carried heavy memories of his past.
He took the horse that was prepared for him by his Marshals, one with the strong build enough to hold his weight. Before he hop onto the steed, he put an hand the mare to think through all this.
He had lived his most peaceful and satisfying life for a year. Engaging in this quest means he might have to leave it all, getting back into the "game" again, but on a different side. All this when he could live his dream as a clean lawmen, something that his late son would be proud of, something he cannot possible dream of doing in his past. That was a very difficult decision to make for Finn Ger.
Then Finn Ger remembered, that egotistical , prideful , manipulative son of a bitch that ruined everything. All the work he did for his family , gone just because that bastard want to be "the man". And the blue meth had already started its invasion of his peace, who knows what kind of damage he can do if he was left to his own devices? The bastard was a ticking time bomb. Finn Ger once had a good thing, then that bastard just can't take yes for an answer and blew everything up.
With a look of determination, he tipped his stetson and climbed onto the horse and spurred it into a gallop. His six shooter shakes in his holster as he rode into the setting sun. This was not only for vendetta, but to protect his current town. The latter being his main priority. As much as he worship professionalism , he can't deny that this was very personal to him.
The Troll Sheriff rides to the Capital, and he muttered to himself.
"No more half-measures."
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