The Troll King (The Bowl of Souls Book 9) (31 page)

He smiled questioningly. “You mean all rigid and segmented?”

“Yeah. She could be an insect woman and you’d never know.” She snorted a cute laugh. Jhexin and Jhonate looked back at them and she placed a hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she said lowering her voice. “I wasn’t trying to make fun. I’m sure she is a lovely person.”

He chuckled again. “She is . . . I think. It’s hard to say. I wasn’t able to get to know her all that well. She sort of latched onto me towards the end of the war and then I left with Tolivar and I haven’t seen her since. So to answer your earlier question, no, there isn’t anything going on with me and Kathy.”

“That wasn’t my question, Willum,” Vannya said. “I asked if you were announcing your interest in me.”

He blinked at her. Her eyes were so blue. “I . . . don’t usually ‘announce’ my interest in women. I sort of spend time with them and figure that if they like me, something will sort of work out.”

She squinted at him. “No wonder Kathy the Plate felt she had to be so forward with you. I’ll tell you what. When we get back to Roo-Tan’lan, why don’t you ‘spend some time with me’ while I’m doing my research and we can see if ‘something will sort of work out’.”

“
Now, Willy! Say it now
!” the imp pleaded.

He ignored the imp and said, “Uh, sure. That sounds wonderful.”

“
Wonderful? Ugh, Willy. Not only are you unfunny, you’re sappy
.”

“There is a dwelling on the other side of those trees,” Deathclaw announced, startling them both as he emerged from the trees beside them. The horses shied away, and Willum struggled to keep his from bolting.

“Oh! We’re there!” Vannya said.

She thrust her horse’s lead into Willum’s hand and rushed forward to stand at Jhonate’s side. The warrior woman was pointing out a cluster of cabins a short distance away at the edge of the marshes. Willum held Vannya’s horse steady while staring after her.

“You should not be so easily surprised, Willum,” Deathclaw said. “Your heart is racing.”

Willum swallowed.
There is no way I’m saying your two syllables to that woman, Theodore
.

“
You’re so unimaginative, Willy
,” the imp remarked.

Stolz’s property was marked by three cabins at the water’s edge; a large central cabin and two slightly smaller ones. The three buildings were built in a semicircle facing a long dock that extended into the water. Several small boats were tied to it.

While they approached, there was a disturbance in the water. A tall figure emerged from the water at the point closest to the cabins. It was massive and naked, with a greenish tint to its skin and it carried a large fish in the claws of one hand.

“A troll thing!” Deathclaw hissed.

The raptoid ran towards the creature, unsheathing his sword as he went. The rest of the party ran after him, drawing their own weapons. The creature caught their approach out of the corner of its eye and turned to face them.

“Wait!” Vannya cried. “Don’t kill it! I need it for study!”

The creature raised its arms defensively and shouted, “Stay back!”

Deathclaw didn’t stop. He came closer, swinging back his sword.

“What is that thing?” Willum wondered. It was the height and coloration of a troll, but it was widely muscular and had a full bushy head of black hair. In addition, its eyes were larger than a trolls and its mouth was a good deal smaller.

“
I have no idea, Willy
,” the imp said. “
It’s like a troll, but it isn’
t.”

“No!” the creature said and threw the large fish.

It had good aim. The fish would have struck Deathclaw in the face, had the raptoid not sliced out with his sword. The fish fell in two pieces and Deathclaw ran on.

The creature held out one hand in a pleading gesture and Deathclaw swiped down, lopping off its arm at the elbow. The creature gasped in pain and bent to pick up the severed limb. Deathclaw raised his sword high to strike again.

“Stop it, Deathclaw!” Vannya shouted breathlessly, trying to keep up with the rest of them. “It’s no good to me dead! Or at the very least it’s a lot less useful!”

“I merely plan to dismember it so that it can not run away.” Deathclaw said, but he hesitated and looked questioningly at his sword. He pointed the tip at the creature. “What are you, beast?”

The door to the large central cabin slammed open and a man ran out. “Halt!”

He was an odd looking fellow. He seemed to be in his mid-fifties, with a thinning head of salt and pepper hair. What hair he did have was braided in the Roo-Tan style, though the braids were unkempt and the ribbons at the sides of his face were a dirty orange. A pair of spectacles sat on his nose. The man was gasping and hiking up his pants as if he were just getting dressed as Deathclaw had attacked.

“Stop, you vile thing! What have you done to poor Bluth?”

As the man shouted, a powerful wave of compulsion struck Willum. It would have forced him to a standstill if not for the bond. As it was, he staggered under the weight of it. Jhonate, Jhexin and Vannya all stopped running and stood there with confused expressions on their faces.

“Stay back, human witch!” Deathclaw snapped, pointing his sword at the man. “If you continue to use your magic on me I may be forced to slay you.”

The man stopped just out of the reach of the raptoid’s sword. “Bluth, are you alright?”

The creature had picked up its severed arm and was holding it back into place. Its lips were pulled back in a grimace of pain and Willum noted that its mouth was much smaller than a troll’s mouth. Its teeth were sharp, but not the haphazard razors of a troll’s.

“My arm!” it said. The creature’s voice was raspy, but perfectly understandable. “It will come back on, though. He cut our lunch in half!”

“What manner of beast are you?” the man asked Deathclaw, his face a mix of anger and curiosity.

“That is Stolz bin Hoon!” Jhonate shouted, finally shaking herself loose from the man’s bewitching magic.

“Is he? Very well,” Deathclaw said, sheathing his sword. “I apologize for threatening you. What manner of creature is this that you protect, Hoon man? My sword says it is not a troll.”

“No. He is called a thull,” Stolz replied.

“
Uh, oh, Willy
,” said the imp. “
I think I understand. Ho! Use your spirit sight
.”

Willum did so and his eyes widened. “Deathclaw, look at them with your spirit sight.”

Deathclaw let out a surprised hiss. “You are bonded to this beast?”

“Yes. I am a bonding wizard, though not many know it.” He blinked at the raptoid and the last traces of his anger faded away. “Ah! That explains why my compulsion did not work on you two. The protection of the bond.”

“Yes, we are bonded. But to different wizards,” Willum replied. “Mine is in Razbeck and his is waiting back in Roo-Tan’lan.”

“Is that so?” Stolz said. “What a very interesting coincidence. I have met so few other bonding wizards. What brings two bonded to visit an old hermit like me?”

“Stolz!” said Jhonate, running up to him. It had taken her, Jhexin, and Vannya some time to shake off the effects of the magic. Even then, their movements had remained slowed. “I am the one who brought them.”

“Oh!” he said, noticing her for the first time. The bonding wizard threw his arms around Jhonate in a quick embrace. “Jhonate bin Leeths! It’s been years. You have grown up so well! I am so sorry for that spell, by the way. Are you feeling alright? Bewitching magic mixed with a little blessing magic can be a nasty combination.”

“
Ho-ho
!” said the imp. “
That magic he used was powerful stuff, Willy. Blessing magic usually has to be cast by touch, but by adding it to his bewitching magic he was able to use it at range. He mixed a compulsion telling you to stop with a negative blessing to slow you down. Ho! Those two talents are rare to find in the same wizard
.”

Willum was impressed. He imagined the effect that such a spell would have on a battlefield. An enemy slowed like that would be easily mown down.

Jhonate gave Stolz a questioning look. “I never knew you were a bonding wizard. Does father know?”

Stolz smiled. “Of course Xedrion knows. It was his idea to keep it a secret. He said that a bonding wizard was a valuable asset to the nation.” He laughed. “As if an enemy would care to assassinate me. My bonding magic is weak at best. I’ve only ever managed two bonded at a time and one of them has always been an animal.”

“Whew! That magic was tough! It’s still hard to walk,” Vannya said. The mage was breathing heavily and sweating as if she had run for miles. She stuck her hand out towards Stolz. “Mister Hoon, sir? I am Mage Vannya. The Protector sent me here on an expedition to learn more about the new troll creatures that are roaming the swamps. I believe that your bonded here is one.”

“My dear!” he said, taking her hand. “How enchanting. I have never seen hair and eyes in those colors before. Tell me, what family are you from?”

Jhonate rolled her eyes. “She is not of the Roo-Tan, Stolz. She is from the Mage School in Dremaldria.”

His eyes didn’t leave Vannya’s. “A mage? That’s right, you called yourself Mage Vannya, didn’t you? Forgive me. I am a bit addlebrained from age and stunned by your uncommon beauty. How enchanting, did I say that before?”

“You said it, Stolz,” Jhexin said.

“A mage?” Stolz repeated. “You know, I have been telling Xedrion for years that it was time we, as a culture, gave up on that elemental magic ban. Old superstitious nonsense. Clinging to beliefs like those are what holds us back. All those poor children that have been banished over the centuries. Think of how much stronger we would be as a people if we had retained their talents?”

“Thank you, Mister Hoon,” Vannya said. “I am so glad to hear you say that because-.”

“Call me Stolz, dear.” He glanced around, gesturing at Willum and Deathclaw with his free hand before returning his eyes to Vannya’s. “All of you. Call me Stolz. This whole ‘name rights’ tradition is another thing holding us back as a culture. After all, how are other nations supposed to have a reasonable discourse with us if they don’t even know how to address us?”

“It is not all that complicated, Stolz.” Jhexin said, his tone offended. “If dry foot peoples do not care enough to understand our traditions, why should we even bother to listen to them?”

“Oh right. I forgot. You’re here, Jhexin,” Stolz replied dully. “Why don’t you go and retrieve those horses I saw you leave by the water? Elsewise, they’ll end up lost somewhere in the marshes.”

“Actually, Willum was the one who dropped their leads-,” Jhexin began.

“Just go get them, fullbrother,” Jhonate insisted. Jhexin grumbled, but trotted over to retrieve them.

Deathclaw was peering at the troll creature that Stolz had referred to as Bluth. The creature was still hunched over, holding his severed arm back in place. Surprisingly, it was no longer bleeding.

“I suppose I should apologize for attacking you on sight,” the raptoid said, inclining his head slightly. Willum could tell that such an admission did not come easily to him. “The last creature that I met like you attacked me right away.”

“It did?” Bluth asked in a raspy voice. His eyes were the eyes of a troll, but larger and more expressive.

“Pardon me,” Stolz said, tearing his eyes from Vannya. “Did you say that a thull attacked you?”

“If that’s what you call such creatures, yes,” Deathclaw replied. “We brought its body with us to show to you.”

“You killed it?” Stolz said, his face growing sad. “How terrible. They are nearly extinct.”

“Actually, Jhonate killed it,” Willum added.

Jhonate scowled at him. “Stolz, I think there must be a misunderstanding. You keep saying ‘thulls’. That can’t be what these creatures are because thulls are extinct.”

“No. No, just very nearly,” Stolz replied. “There is one village of them left. Deep in the swamp. Your father knows of it.”

“But I was told that trolls killed them all hundreds of years ago.” Jhonate said with a frown.

Stolz raised a finger. “Ah, but this particular village has been protected by powerful spirit magic. Trolls won’t go near the place.”

“Uh, Mister Stolz, sir?” Vannya said politely. She was holding her notebook in her free hand and looked a bit frustrated. “This is all very fascinating. I would like to take notes if that is alright?”

Stolz looked down. “Am I still holding your hand? How odd of me. Again, addlebrained,” he said with a laugh. He dropped her hand somewhat reluctantly. “Of course, I should be a proper host and invite you all inside.” He glanced over at his bonded. “How is your arm, Bluth? All better yet?”

The thull winced and the fingers on his recently severed arm moved. “Just about. I think the bone is back together now.”

“Good, then. Follow me and we’ll sort this whole mess out.” He started back up the path to the center cabin and waved at them to follow. “Of course my home, I must admit, is a mess. I so rarely have visitors here.”

Willum followed behind the rest of them, feeling a bit lost.
Can you make any sense of this, Theodore? What’s a thull
?

“
I have never heard of one, Willy
,” the imp replied. “
And there are very few creatures that I have not heard of. This should be interesting at least. Especially when you finally work yourself up to saying those two syllables
.”

I’m not going to
, Willum insisted.

“
You will. It was the deal
,” Theodore said, getting angry. “
If you throw out all the rules, then so will I. Ho-ho! You do not want that, sweet Willy
!”

Willum’s jaw clenched in frustration.
Look, we are no longer imp and master. We are Willum and Theodore. Friends and companions. We have no need for ledgers and we should have no need for ridiculous bets
.

“
You push this too far. Games are no fun without consequences
,” Theodore growled. “
Do not start this kind of precedent
.”

We’ll talk about this later
, Willum replied.

They had reached the door to the cabin and as Stolz opened it inward, Willum saw that the bonding wizard hadn’t been exaggerating. The place was a mess. The interior of the cabin consisted of one long room. On one end was a seating area, followed by a cupboard and sink, followed by two beds. Unclean dishes were stacked high in the sink, articles of clothing were hanging over every bit of furniture and there was a thin layer of slime coating the length of the floor.

Jhonate took one look inside and shut the door again. “I believe we can talk outside.”

The bonding wizard cleared his throat. “Yes. As I said, I don’t usually get visitors. I didn’t realize what a mess it was until just now.”

“I told you it needed to be tidied,” Bluth said. The creature had let go of his arm and was rotating his wrist. The place where Deathclaw had cut him was marked with a puckered line, but it seemed he was intact again.

“I think what it needs is a woman’s touch,” Vannya said cheerfully. “Why have you never married, Mister Stolz?”

“Are you offering, Mage Vannya?” he asked. The mage slapped him on the arm playfully, but Jhonate wasn’t amused.

 “If you cannot care for yourself, I shall have to speak to father,” she threatened. “He may decide to send someone here to look after you.”

“Do you think he would do that?” Stolz said eagerly. “That would be so nice. I would have more time to devote to my work.”

“I will speak with him then.” Jhonate said. She cocked her head. “What is it that you do, exactly? Father never was quite clear.”

“Well . . . I should show you, of course!” Stolz clapped his hands in excitement. “Follow me!”

He led them to the cabin on the left. It was slightly smaller than the central one. He opened the door and Willum saw that it was also a single large room. Stolz stepped inside and, as the others entered after him, they were hit by a distinctly acrid odor; the chemical aroma of troll slime.

Four rectangular wooden tubs of different sizes took up the center of the room, allowing just enough room to walk along either side. Each tub was filled nearly to the top with water and troll slime and shapes moved around inside them. Occasionally, some of the tubs’ contents would splash out and run down a drain in the center of the floor.

“What are in those?” Vannya said with excitement, peering inside the closest one.

“My pride and joy!” Stolz said. “This is my putrifin farm.”

“Ooh,” Vannya said. She had her notebook back out and was jotting that down. “What is a putrifin?”

“Quite plainly, it is a fish designed to clean up the Troll Swamp,” he declared. When no one asked a question right away, he continued, “For centuries after being driven from our homeland, our people tried to find ways to reclaim the swamps. All of them unsuccessful. The first attempts were controlled burns, but the fire spread too quickly. Lives were lost. Huge sections of the swamp were destroyed. But for what? The slime returned, as did the troll population.

“After that, multiple Protectors sent expeditions for the source of the slime. Most of the expeditions were lost and those that did return did so empty-handed. It wasn’t until three hundred years ago that the truth of the Troll Swamps was discovered and all attempts to reclaim it ceased.”

Vannya nodded, the tip of her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she wrote. “Uh huh! So what was the truth and how was it discovered?”

He scratched his head. “How it was discovered is a bit embarrassing. Protector Jarvis bin Tayl was obsessed with the ancient city of KhanzaRoo. He called it our birthright and the Troll Swamps our plague. Despite the protests of the ancient elves, he readied the largest expedition ever, raising an army ten thousand strong, the nation’s best warriors. He gave grand speeches to the populace, promising to find the source of the trolls and destroy it. Then, the day before the expedition left, the Prophet came.

“He visited with Jarvis bin Tayl throughout the night, explaining the origin of the Troll Swamps and why they could not be reclaimed. The next morning, Jarvis exited the council room and announced that the expedition had been cancelled. Sadly, he could never truly let go of his dream and a few years later, he mounted an expedition with a few of his closest friends, seeking out KhanzaRoo. He never returned. That was the last such expedition undertaken.”

“What did the Prophet tell him? Why is it that the swamps cannot be reclaimed?” Jhonate asked.

Stoltz looked suddenly uncomfortable. “That part is something I’m not at liberty to say. It’s sensitive information that has been passed down from protector to protector through the years. I only know because Xedrion decided to help me with my project and wanted to help me know what I was getting into.” He licked his lips. “But I was getting sidetracked. Let’s get back to the subject of my work, shall we?”