The trip through the start of the forest went by with little notable events. A stray goblin here and there which were easily picked off by Seralyn were about the most dangerous things we ran into. How she managed to still be so accurate was a miracle to me. She even grinned at my expression after picking off two in quick succession. Somehow, even hungover Seralyn remained a force to be reckoned with.
After a few hours of nothing, we came across the same stream as before and Draco used the opportunity to fill a canteen or two. We hadn't drunk much yet, but he wasn't going to waste the chance.
I believe I saw the same ''murder duck'' from before, judging from the way it looked at me, sitting with another duck in a nest which probably consisted of some of my hairs. Draco had asked why I stared at the duck so intently and I told him about my previous encounter with it and the horrors of it plucking out hairs of my legs.
Of course, our archer grinned at that. It seemed this hangover of hers was coming to an end.
After another while of walking and when she was somewhat sobered up Velariah decided to ask what the hell she was doing to me yesterday.
''I don't know. I was drunk, okay?'' She said with anger in her tone of voice. ''I don't even like girls!'' She added.
She must have been extremely drunk to even go that far then.
''Besides, I would never touch what's yours.''
Wait, what?
I was Velariah's now?
I mean. I kind of was, in a way. But what the hell Seralyn?
''She isn't anybody's.'' Velariah remarked. ''She is free to do as she pleases.''
Thank you, Vel. I appreciate that.
''Quiet!'' Draco whispered loudly before ducking. ''I hear something.''
I ducked with the others, well as low as I could anyway. I guessed my butt would still be visible from a distance. Maybe I should paint it with rock camouflage? That could be... interesting. That would be something to look into for later.
I moved forward carefully to see what Draco found. As I moved through the surrounding bushes, I could feel an extremely foul odor enter my nostrils. The smell almost burned through my nose. It was as if I passed a field that was just fertilized by poop times ten. Trying to suppress nausea I moved forward and looked through the bushes to what was ahead of us.
It was a troll.
Relieving itself.
Holy crap, I could never have imagined troll poop smelling this bad.
I looked at the surrounding area, but saw no other trolls nearby. There wasn't much vegetation in the upcoming area, we were quite lucky in that regard.
A large stone mace was positioned next to the troll on the ground. It would take some time for him to pick it up and bright it high for a swing.
I motioned for Draco to move the blade of his battle axe to me. I had Seralyn and Velariah and my own weapon at the ready as well. I pulled up my fangs and coated each weapon and an arrow with venom.
This would be a four on one, with our side having new and improved weapons. I liked our chances.
I had an idea spring to mind. I should have thought of it before, it could be extremely useful against enemies with tough skins like trolls.
''Velariah, jump on my back?''
''Wha?'' She asked but did it anyway.
''We're sending in the Cavalry. Seralyn, aim for the eyes. Draco, see if you can distract it and make it face the other way.''
I hoped that my speed combined with Velariah's new weapon would result in an impact that could cut off a limb. I hoped her new sword was sharp enough for the stunt I was about to pull off. With Velariah seated right behind my human body, I took good hold of her with my three free arms and waited for my cue.
Seralyn took a few seconds to aim carefully as the troll dropped another turd on the ever-growing pile of stink. The arrow flew true and hit him right in one of his eyes.
Seriously, what was with that accuracy? Did she get more accurate during and after a hangover or what?
Draco took that as his signal and charged at the screaming troll's left flank. His axe impacted the troll's side leaving a wound that was far deeper that anything I left on the other troll but it wouldn't be anywhere near fatal.
With the troll's attention turned to Draco, I decided to charge into the fray with Velariah on my back. She held her blade with both hand at my left side and I held her tight as I started sprinting towards the troll's exposed back. I passed his back and Velariah swung her blade. I didn't see the impact's effects until I turned around for another strafing run.
I saw blood pouring as I passed by again, with Velariah swinging from my right this time.
I turned to see what our attack had actually accomplished and was met with a nasty sight.
I should really get used to seeing blood if I want to be an adventurer.
The troll's upper legs had received major lacerations on both sides, reaching almost halfway into them, any deeper and they may have actually been cut right, leaving the troll without legs. There was no way he was going to survive for long.
Even as it was, he couldn't support his own body weight anymore and fell to the ground screaming in agony. His hands fell into the pile of poop he had just created. I passed by once more with Velariah swinging her blade with force behind it. After passing by, I literally saw his leg fly through the air a short distance before hitting the ground. His mace was on the ground again. He didn't even get to swing it once.
This troll was finished for sure.
I lowered myself so the elf could dismount. We carefully walked up to the troll who was quickly losing strength to keep himself up with his arms. The massive blood loss quickly drained his energy. Despite being mortally wounded, we walked over to it carefully, not wanting to be taken by surprise.
Velariah walked up to his neck and brought down her sword. The blade glowed hot-red before cleanly slicing his head off. The troll's head landed in the pile of dung and I motioned for the others to quickly move away from here back into the bushes.
''Those screams were loud. We may have drawn attention, we should be ready to retreat.'' I spoke.
''Wise plan, we should wait for a few minutes to see if anymore trolls show up before advancing.'' Draco suggested.
We moved back inside the brush and Velariah reached for her pack. She pulled out the bag of arrowheads and tossed it to Seralyn. Seralyn in turn opened the bag and took one out.
''Are you serious? You couldn't have given me this before we engaged?''
Ah, she was already back to her old self. How I hadn't missed that.
''Didn't have the time to wait.'' Velariah answered. ''We were in a prime position to ambush.''
There was no denying that.
We waited for several minutes, but no other trolls showed up. Waiting here was hell as well, the smell only seemed to be getting worse. I picked up Draco's new weapon again. I had dropped it earlier when we charged in.
The brunette was trying to replace her arrowheads with the blessed dragon-steel ones and Velariah complimented me on the plan I concocted.
''Yeah.'' I answered. ''It looked like having more force behind your new sword should result in a fair amount of damage. It seemed I underestimated how much it would do.''
''Yeah, no kidding.'' Velariah said. ''That was amazing.''
She wiped the troll's blood and some of its dung off her blade at a nearby tree.
''So, who is gonna go and get its ears?'' Seralyn said while she was still working on modifying her arrows. It seemed her arrowheads were socketed and fairly easy to replace.
''I'll do it.'' Draco said as he pulled out a knife from his bag. ''My sense of smell isn't nearly as sharp as yours, after all.''
Now that he mentioned it, he didn't really have a nose, it was just two small holes just above the end of his mouth. What a blessing that must be in this situation.
Seriously, this smell was killing me. I bet if Draco lit one of those torches here, he might just start a forest fire.
Draco pulled out a smaller bag from his bag and cut off the troll's ears with some difficulty. After that, we continued moving onward, happy to leave this smelly place.
I soon found out we were actually nearing the cave in which I first awakened on this world. Odd feelings of nostalgia and horror hit me as I started to recognize the surroundings. It wasn't much later we encountered a second troll, and with him was a third. They seemed to be on lookout duty or something of the sort.
There was plenty of vegetation to hide in currently, but I knew that once we got close to the familiar clearing, there would be none. If there were any trolls there, we may not get the time we want to prepare for traps or ambush. That was not the matter currently though.
For now, I decided to lay out a trap with my silk. I was actually rather curious how well these trolls would fare against silken constraints, they seemed to possess a fair amount of raw strength after all. That was, as long as they were not taking a poop.
I spun a net of silk between two trees that were hidden from their view. We were going to have to lure them our way, but my experience with trolls was that it wasn't a hard thing to do. My only concern was going to be reinforcements coming to aid them.
For that reason, I spun another net of silk between two trees behind the first two. It was obscured by a row of bushes and ideal to take them by surprise.
I suggested Draco to take the shield instead to provide him with more defense. We were going to need him to stand his ground against at least one of the trolls while Velariah and I charged. There was no reason not to send in the spider cavalry after it had worked so well the first time.
I even came up with yet another idea that I might as well put to work if I was going to charge in anyway.
I placed my abdomen against a tree and started a new silk thread before lowering myself to the ground to allow Velariah to step on. She noticed the thread but didn't comment on it.
I produced some more venom and coated our weapons in it again. It didn't seem to have done much work for the other troll, but if the fight was going to be drawn out, it was better to be prepared for it. I deposited some in Seralyn's quiver so all her arrows would benefit from its effects.
We all got into position and prepared to do the same thing we did before. Take them by surprise, try to take one out as quickly as possible while Draco held their attention and Seralyn attacked their weak spots from afar.
As before, Seralyn started the engagement by aiming for a troll's eye. She missed but created a deep cut in the troll's throat instead. That was as good as a missed shot could have gone. Hopefully the poison would take effect faster that way, if nothing else.
Draco charged in with his axe shield and cut into the side of one of the trolls before it was able to raise its weapon and swing. Both of the trolls were now fixated on Draco and he received a full blow from one of the heavy maces to his shield. It created a loud clanging sound but the shield glowed briefly with red light and seemed undamaged.
At the same time Velariah and I charged as another arrow flew past us. I didn't bother to check its trajectory as I was focused on the silk behind me and the troll in front of me.
We strafed the back of one of the trolls and I could see a bright red light from beside me as Velariah swung her blade. Instead of turning around in a line, I turned so that the trolls were still to the left of me, I had run a circle around them, still spinning more silk.
I shouted for Draco to step back as we charged again.
We passed by the second troll's front, narrowly dodging a swing as he brought down his mace. We were too fast for him and Velariah cut the troll's knee.
It seemed we had successfully immobilized them. I could see the first troll on one knee as the behind of his other leg had received a deep cut that was actually on fire. Deep red flames danced around where Velariah's blade had cut his lower leg.
The second troll was down to a knee as well. I was pretty sure Velariah had shattered his knee cap with that hit. I took the opportunity to run more circles around them while restraining them with silk. Soon enough, they were completely immobilized and struggling to break free. Their screams of pain sent worries through my body, but I knew that these two at least, would meet their end soon.
I wanted to move in for the kill, but another troll showed up and came running in our direction.
Before I had noticed him, Seralyn had already released an arrow and I could see it embed itself in one of his eyes. Flames erupted from his eye socket soon after it had hit and he hit the ground with his knees before his body toppled over and went still.
Did Seralyn just one-shot a troll? What the hell.
''One shot, one kill.'' The archer gloated.
We didn't even get to use the nets. I was kind of surprised, but not necessarily disappointed.
Right after I said that, I could hear a roar coming from where we hid in the bushes before. When it didn't come closer, I decided to take a look. Velariah had her blade at the ready.
What came into view was a troll who managed to get itself stuck in the net closest to our position. It was struggling wildly to break free but not succeeding.
I smiled. Was I evil for smiling?
Seemed this net had worked out, after all.
I walked up to the troll with my spear. He tried to raise his weapon, but it was completely stuck in the threads and couldn't get it in any position to swing.
I pierced one of his eyes with my spear and thrust it forward as far as I could. I was sure I had ended its life by stabbing his brain as he too, went still within seconds.
''That.'' Velariah started. ''Was pretty brutal.''
''Quite.'' I replied.
''Though, Elania, next time, if anything like that happens, try killing them with your venom instead.''
''Why?'' I asked.
''Well, you don't know yet, but if your venom is related to your inherity, killing with your venom would be the way to evolve it. Besides, this guy was an easy kill for you, you wouldn't be at risk while doing it.''
''Fair point.'' I noted.
Velariah gently kicked my abdomen while hugging my human belly.
''What was that for?'' I asked, not sure what she was getting it.
''Signal to dismount.'' Velariah grinned.
''Oh.'' I said as I lowered myself to the ground to allow the elf to dismount.
''Thanks, Elania.'' The knight said as she walked up to the troll.
She used her blade to cut off the troll's ears and tucked them away in the now empty bag the used for the arrowheads.
Seralyn and Draco walked up to us and hid behind the bushes.
We waited for several minutes again to make sure there were no more trolls making their way towards the sounds of battle. So far, everything had gone better than I could have expected.
Maybe it was the weapons? Maybe it was the fact we actually had a team working together pretty well? I didn't know, maybe it was both. Anyway, this surely made things easier than doing it alone, with a crappy weapon...
After nothing appeared we decided to take the newly felled trolls' ears with us.
''This new shield axe is really something.'' Draco told me. ''It still cuts well and its defense is beyond what I imagined possible.''
''Heh, imagine when you get your second. Does it seem to work with your inherity by the way?'' I asked.
''I don't seem to feel any different. I guess that means that it works? It's as you said, a two-handed axe is still one axe. If I feel the same now, I am curious what the second axe will give me in regards of inherity effects.''
''That's good to hear Draco. I hope we can make it work.''
''I would assume that with training, it would improve things a fair bit. You and Lady Velariah make a great team too.'' He noted.
''Thanks Draco.'' I smiled at his kindness.
''You guys about done?'' Seralyn asked.
Yeap, this was old Seralyn alright.
Draco cut off the last troll's ears and we regrouped and re-applied poison to our weapons once more.
We walked further into the forest. I had Velariah mount me again because of the lack of vegetation in this area. If we spotted any trolls here, it was likely they had spotted us as well. We had to be ready to start combat at a moment's notice.
We didn't run into any other trolls until we reached the ever-familiar clearing. There, we observed four trolls with more of their typical large stone maces. It appeared they noticed us too as they started charging at our party.
I lowered my abdomen to the ground to start a new line of silk. Seralyn nocked an arrow and took aim. Draco dropped his large two-handed axe and took the shield-axe that I was carrying. Velariah tightened her grip on her blade and I got ready to charge into to fray after fight had opened.
Seralyn's arrow took flight, initiating the fight.