The Journey - Chapter 2

Drip drop. Rain on the stone floor, echoing of the ruins, the occasional crack of thunder, and the crackle of the lit torch she carried. All of these and more filled her ears, had she been anywhere else under different circumstances she would have sensed the beast.  But she had come across the stench before she saw the cause of it.

Rounding the corner she encountered a heap of bones coupled with rotting flesh lining the side of the hall and across the floor. The bones mostly belong to wild game like deer, wild boar, and fish. However, there were a few human bones in the mix.  

Venturing just a little further down the hallway she saw it, a large dark figure huddled under an archway. She withdrew her knife and slowly approached the figure. As soon as she withdrew her knife the noise of sliding metal alerted the beast. Turning around and rising to its full height she saw what it was.

A troll, a very large one in fact. Trolls are known for being extremely territorial, strong and dangerous but not very smart or fast, and this one was no exception. This one was gray with warts and scars all over its body. Its face and hands are stained with blood from the meal it was previously enjoying. In classic troll fashion, it carried a large wooden club and wore a skimpy leather loin cloth…at least trolls have some concept of decency.  

Soka would have preferred to just leave the area and not engage the beast. By the looks of his scars, he had obviously had his fair share of battels and won. However, this was the only shelter for miles around and they could not afford to carry on without rest and restocking supplies.  

Perceiving Soka as threat, he released a deafening roar and slammed his club back and forth between the walls as a territorial display. She slowly backed away and set her torch on the floor. Then like lighting, she reached up and over her head to grab the bow and arrows that were strung across her back. The troll charged immediately, club swinging across its path. Soka quickly released 2 arrows into its leg but this did not slow him down in the slightest. Once close enough, he swiped at her head but she was already gone. She had slipped between its legs to end up standing behind him. Another 3 arrows from her quiver were loosed. One to his calf and the other 2 embedded in his back. He growled in frustration and swung his club in a full 360 turn, just missing Soka by a few inches. She stumbled back and fell to the ground. Soka quickly jumped to her feet and dogged another attack. Suddenly she heard something from down the hall.

"SOKA!"