Stranglethorn Vale

Elsie’s tear stung eyes made it hard for her to see. By the time she realized who had her, she was being pulled away.

A third troll with a mohawk had her by the hair, pulling hard towards some moonlight. He was chattering calmly to another troll. Her eyes flew to her brother. She could see it too clearly now. He was hurt. Bad.

“TAI!!!!” She reached for her brother only to have her head pulled back violently. Reacting fast, she kicked at the one with her hair, sending him off balance for only a moment. She tried to run to Taizen but was grabbed again before she got more than two steps. She struggled as the troll began to bind her hands. She turned and spit in his face.

Before she could move again, the fourth knocked her on the head something fierce. Her cheek hit the ground, she recoiled for a moment before being lifted up and over a shoulder.

Taizen could only watch as they brutalized his sister, but despite his anger he couldn't drive up enough magical energy to do anything about it. His father had always told him to go down fighting, and this was not the way he'd imagined it to be. As he was lifted off the ground Taizen hung his head not even wanting to look at his sister, he was weak and he shamed her and the rest of his family.

The Trolls dragged him along, easily lifting his comparably light frame. They led him through the thick jungles casually talking to one another till they reached what looked like old ruins. Taizen could only watch as they pulled him to the center of a primitive camp and tossed him into a large makeshift cage.

The camp itself had several huts centered around a large burning fire, there were several more Trolls here by the looks of it both female and children. They all watched as he was thrown into the prison, the worst part was, he couldn't tell what they were thinking. Chills ran down his spine.

Elsie was tired. All she wanted was to go to sleep. She could hear the boys out front, they talked to each other in a worried tone. Elsie looked down the backside of her mother, the wooden floors passed beneath her feet almost silently as she paced. She was humming a lullaby, and the rhythmic sway of her steps made Elsie’s eyelids heavy.

“Don’t fall asleep, Eleanor.” Her mother startled her eyes back open.
Her father’s voice was gentle; his hand was cool to the touch on her forehead.
“Be strong Elseh. Break the fevah.”
She was too tired. She didn’t want to fight. Not anymore..

“M-momma…” Elsie called out in a murmur. She was fading in and out of consciousness as she was laid on the floor of a nearby cage.

“Wake up Eleanor!” her mother’s voice sounded urgent, but fading. “Oh no… Zeno!” It echoed in her head before it was gone.

“Momma…” Elsie called again, trying to open her eyes to no avail.

Taizen watched as they put his sister in a cage nearby. She didn't look good at all and seemed to be floating in and out of consiousness. Taizen slid up to a sitting position and leaned on the end of the cage that was closest to her. He tried to reach out but was only able to gently brush her leg.

"Elsie! Don't fall asleep!...Please.", he whispered with urgency in his voice.

A commotion startled him, he looked over to see the women and children disappear into their huts. He furrowed his brow, having a bad feeling about the situation. His suspicions were confirmed when a large burly looking Troll wearing a voodoo mask left the largest hut at the far end of the camp. Taizen turned to stare the Troll down. It moved confidently to the cages sticking it's head close and examining the catch.

It spent a worryingly long time looking at Elsie. Taizen's blood boiled and he shouted what he thought was a derogatory word in Trollish. The Troll barked a sharp command, and Taizen felt a sharp pain in his leg. One of the other trolls hand stabbed a spear into his thigh.

Elsie’s eyes began to widen, her vision only slightly clearer. She was still in the throws of unconsciousness when she saw the figure come into view.
“Momma…” She repeated, confused.

The troll with the mask stood straight, laughing. He shouted a few words to the others that surrounded, they too let out a laugh.

Elsie was barely with it. She could make out the voices. She knew the language! Didn’t she? Years of study…. And… and.. Wake up! Everything sounded like it was in a tunnel.

Her blood rushing was nearly too loud for her to hear over. She rolled onto her stomach, trying to get her arms under her for some leverage. She wouldn’t be taken so easily. Or at least that was the idea. She lifted her head, trying to take note of the area. There was the raptor. THAT WRETCHED THING.

But more importantly, her suitcase was still there…

Taizen didn't say a word as the troll pulled out the spear, more out of the fact that he could barely feel anything than out of pure anger. He stared at the troll, remembering every facial feature and quirk. He'd have his vengence on that Troll, he promised himself that. The laugh cut off his thought process and he turned to look at Elsie. She was staring at something.

Taizen followed her gaze to the raptor he'd been riding on just a few minutes before. Had it been minutes? How long was he knocked out? He kept his mouth shut though, watching the chief toy with his sister. It seemed he took a shining to her. Taizen didn't like that, but he sat there silently. Gathering his strength.

Elsie shakily pushed herself up onto straightened arms. She looked from troll to troll, winding up staring back at the larger one in the Voodoo mask. He made a quick shuffle towards her; she yelped and ducked her head in defense. He laughed again. After a moment, he knelt beside her reaching in through the (what seemed to be bone) bars. He grabbed her by the jaw, trying to turn her head towards him.

She turned her head fast, moving to the other side of the cage quickly.
The masked Troll stood up again calling to two other Trolls and pointing to the cage.

They walked with haste to the door of her cage throwing open the door and dragging her out again. Dirt scraped and stuck to her abrased thigh, she winced in pain. One held her down to the ground while the other grabbed her by the hair and chin, forcing her face upwards. The masked Troll seemed to appraise her, making the other troll turn her this way and that. There was apparent confusion in their voices. He tilted his mask back on his head looking at her with glazed nearly white eyes.

“M-Mek han y-yu…” Elsie pieced together what she could remember from all those years ago. “Deh’yo… Iyaz so …zul jin…” The troll motioned to the troll holding her face, he let go. She stared straight into his eyes.

“Mek han yu?! Weh NOH, sca Dahkspeah?!” He spoke back to her, slowly. Mocking in his tone

Elsie’s eyes darted to her brother, her heart wanted to beat out of her chest.

“Im ir bwoyar. Han riva ting han, zul jin. Cyaa voodoo, zul jin.”
There was obvious disconcert amongst the trolls. The Masked one held up a hand, they fell silent. He was obviously deep in thought for a moment.

“Iman hal.” He spoke coldly. The two trolls who had been holding her picked her up by the arms and dragged her into a lifted hut.

“TAI!!! Get out and RUN!! The sui-“ There was a thud and Elsie was silent.

"What yah doin?", he shouted as they dragged her out.

Taizen wished he had spent more time studying his own language now, after hearing the exchange between his sister and what seemed to be the chieftain. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on but it didn't sound good. He nearly leaped out of his own skin when they hit her, cursing them in every language he knew.

The Cheiftain neared his cage, staring down the re-energized prisoner. Taizen didn't know if he'd ever been this angry in his life, hundreds of images of past moments in his life flashed in his mind. No, there wasn't one moment he could think of. If he could have he would have wringed the chieftain's neck right then and there. But, he held back, there was a time and place for these things.

The Chiftain scoffed at him, chuckling a he turned and left, ducking into the hut Elsie had been dragged into. A male Troll approached, unhindging the cage. Taizen didn't act surprised, he knew Elsie had struck some sort of bargain. The troll pulled him out to his feet and began to lead him out of the camp. Taizen hoped that Elsie hadn't endured any horrors at the hands of their captors as he bided his time for the right moment. His eyes glancing at the suitcase on the raptor as he was led out of the camp.

Elsie held her head and curled her knees against her chest. This hitting thing was getting really old. She had never known her father’s family, but wondered for a split second if they too were as hospitable.

She could make out just a little as the night barely began to shift into day. There was an opening in the wood and brush that comprised the hut, near the floor. She put both hands flat in front of herself and pulled herself towards it, hoping for a better view. She could see legs moving… her brother was being let go!
What? Were they just going to let him go?! It seemed uncharacteristically reasonable. Why does it take that many trolls to release a prisoner…?

Elsie sucked in a deep breath to yell, as the chief walked in through the beaded doorway. She flipped around staring up at him. It had seemed like forever he just stared down his long nose at her. Elsie was too afraid to cry, let alone breathe.

She could hear footsteps outside. Three troll women entered the hut looking down at her and chattering to themselves. The chief gave a grunt then jerked his head towards the door. The three women rushed towards her, urging her out. Elsie figured now would be a good time to go along with it. It might provide her a chance to get to her suitcase, if they hadn’t gone through it yet.

Elsie never claimed to be the best at much… But she was graceful. What had started out as some sort of novelty or routine, might be the one thing that could get her out of there… or at least take a few of them with her. Of all the silks and gold in Azeroth, nothing seemed more precious than her father’s two Dal’Rends in that old luggage, now.

Four Trolls on either side of him, Taizen could guess what was going to happen. If they were going to release him then it was quite a big party to do it. They dragged him through the brush easily, talking amongst themselves, laughing even. He resolved to see who was laughing by daybreak.

They went up a steep hill and paused when they reached what look like a makeshift pen dug into the ground. There, were two very large hungry looking raptors, staring up at their next meal. Saliva dribbled down their toothy maws and low hisses escaped them as they snapped at the air.

The captors laughed again as they heaved him backward, to get a good swing going. Then they thrusted him forward just as Taizen reached out and grabbed one of their necklaces grasping for something. The Troll lost balance and shouted as he fell foward, falling head first into the pit. The feather in Taizen's hand disintegrated as he used floating spell to glide him right over the pen tumbling onto the other side of it.

The happless troll who had fallen in the pit never had a chance, the two raptors tore him limb from limb quicker than he could let out any kind of noise. Taizen scrambled to his feet, summoning the strength to tap into the nether. One of the three trolls left reared back to toss a large javlin at him, but Taizen was quicker on the draw. The troll suddenly found itself hankering for flies as it morphed into a useless toad.

"Da Voodoo!", one of the two left shouted, pulling out a large axe and running around the pen to get at Taizen. The last Troll pulled out a bow and arrow notching it and taking aim at the escapee. Taizen ran toward the armed Troll with the axe, uncharacteristic for a binded and unarmed prisoner. It caused the Troll to hesitate for a moment, but that was all Taizen needed. Just as he was about to reach impact with the charging Troll, Taizen disappeared.

It was too late for the archer though, having thought his ally would stop the prisoner he loosed an arrow. And it lodged itself into the chest of the axe-wielding troll, who was unable to stop his momentum. He let out a loud cry of pain and stumbled to the floor. Taizen re-appeared only a half-second later ten feet from where he was. But, he was already wreathed in flames. The bindings burned off as the flames ignited all over his body, he concentrate them to a point and an explosive force shot out of his hands at the archer.

The archer was blown backwards by the sheer impact of the blast, sending him reeling into a dizzying spin. Taizen turned to deal with the other Troll, but was met with a slash across the chest, barely being able to dodge the death-blow. Taizen recovered quickly and snapped his fingers for a quick spell that set his foe alight. The panicking troll turned to flee only to fall into the pit and join his brother.

An arrow whistled past Taizen's head, he turned to address his attacker but recieved another lodge into his shoulder. Desperate to stop the attack he flung another ball of fire at him, but it missed it's mark blasting a nearby tree into smithereens. It gave him the time he needed to find respite behind some cover though, as he ducked behind a large boulder. He could hear the arrows thwacking against the rock a few more times. Taizen startled as he felt something cold at his feet, looking down he saw a toad hopping across them. With absolutely no remorse he crushed it under his heel, the squishy pop almost satisfying to hear.

However, he couldn't hear the other Troll anymore. Fearing he was sneaking up on him, he wagered a peek, only to see his back as he turned and ran toward the camp. Taizen gave chase, running as fast as he could with an arrow in his shoulder and a severely injured leg.

Elsie was led back outside and down a muddy path. She looked over her shoulder to see if she could see her brother. The camp shrinking behind her, she turned to see where they led her. There was a small stream that ran just out side of the camp and next to it a small hut of sorts.

They lead her inside through another set of beads. Inside sat an incredibly old troll woman who sat staring into a fire. Hundreds of large piercings and bones decorated the woman. Chalky white paint cracked on her face in the outline of a skull. Her speech was so thick with age that Elsie couldn’t make out anything she said. The old woman looked her over shaking her head, spitting on the ground. She motioned to the water, the three took her out again pulled her near the water.

Elsie recoiled at her feet hitting the water, she started to fight again. The women tried to calm her, petting her face and shushing. The old woman emerged, shaky, from the hut. In her hand a small wooden bowl with some foul smelling paste. Muttering something and waving a hand the troll women pulled Elsie down into the water. Elsie screamed, thrashing about. The chill water filled her mouth, and she choked.

The women dragged her from the water and brought her in front of the old woman. She nodded her head in approval, it seemed and began to rub the paste on her left shoulder, chanting something as she did. Elsie flinched, it stung… but the smell was worse. After applying the salve to her open wounds, they led her back into the hut.

The old woman entered first, approaching a shelf at the back of the meager space, she seemed to be looking for something. She waved a hand behind her, giving a grunt. One of the troll women grabbed at the lacing on the back of her shirt, pulling hard. The seams started to rip, Elsie shrieked, trying to hold onto it. The old woman turned, knife in one hand, some sort of white linen in the other.

“WHAT IS THIS?!” Elsie shouted in common. “SOME SORTA VIRGIN SACRIFICE?!”

The women stripped her down, looking curiously at her clothes as they did. One woman took the linens, pulling them over Elsie's head. It was some sort of simple white… nightgowney thing. The old lady approached her with the knife, pointed to her face, then traced a pattern in the air. She reached towards her, Elsie's eyes were wide. The old woman grabbed a chunk of her hair and sliced it off. She could deal with the indignities, the beating, the fear. Elsie glared at the woman

That’s it… she thought to herself… you’re dead.

Taizen limped desperately through the brush, pushing aside branches and vines that threatened to slow him down. He could still see his fleeing prey, meaning that the Troll wasn't at one hundred percent. It seemed that his blast had some affect on it at least, enough for him to possibly overtake him. Taizen gritted his teeth and pushed his body to it's limits hopping over logs and ducking under low hanging branches.

His opponent stumbled, and that was all the opening he needed. Taizen was able to grasp at his shoulder and using the leverage to tear him down to the ground. The Troll turned and grabbed Taizen as well causing them both to fall into a heap. The Troll rolled Taizen over and grabbed on to the arrow shaft sticking out of his shoulder. With a savage grin on his face the Troll pushed down as hard as he could on the wound making Taizen shout in pain. He reached out with his hands, grasping the dirt for anything that he could get to turn the tide. Feeling the hard rough texture of a rock he grabbed it and clocked his enemy on the side of the head.

The Troll groaned and listed a moment, but held firm keeping Taizen pinned. He couldn't move, he wasn't as strong as the other Troll. A strong hand slapped the stone out of his hand. The Troll archer reached back to grab for one of his arrows, and jabbed it into Taizens hand as he tried to block the blow. Pain shot through his arm, causing it to fall limply to the side. The Troll chuckled leaning down and growling something Taizen understood as "You will die here".

Taizen scowled, and the jutted his head forward, burying one of his tusks into the offender's eye. He let out a shout, and let Taizen's good arm go to cup the wound. Seeing his chance Taizen grabbed on to the assailant's head and jabbed his tusks again into his face. The Troll fell to the side, reeling in pain. Taizen didn't stop the advance, stabbing him again and again with the only weapon he had, his tusks. Only when the body stopped spasming in it's death throes did Taizen stop.

Elsie’s face felt like it was on fire.

She was being marched back through the main camp in only the linen dress. It was hard to tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, it might give her enough time to run at some point. When heading up the steps to the raised hut, she stumbled a little, her necklace clattered around her collar.

It seemed like there was a hundred people there, ready to catch her. She put out her hands, walking the rest of the way into the hut. The chieftain sat there, pushing around a few small bones.

Her stomach sank as the reality set in.
No, no… please no...

The trolls who escorted her in gave her a shove. She fell off balance, her knees and palms hit the floor. She tossed her hair back, now at eye level with the Troll in charge. Her breath was shaky as he slowly raised his head to look at her. The other trolls left her there, two of them standing in the doorway, spears at the ready.

She was sure she might throw up. The Troll got up from his spot across from her. Elsie held her breath as he moved towards her. He grabbed her by the arm and hoisted her up with little effort. Elsie winced, but barely resisted. Exhaustion and denial had set in hard. All she could think of was that her brother had a better chance than she did. That was good enough for now.

The troll wrapped an arm around her neck and bit down on her shoulder.
Elsie would have screamed if she could. He was too strong, and she was too weak. The best thing she could do was think of something else. Anything to keep from crying.

She just couldn’t fight any more…

Taizen stared down at the body that lay there, motionless and completely mutilated beyond recognition. A little part of him deep in the back of his mind wanted to curl up into a ball an cry, wanted to return home and never leave again. But, that only lasted a moment, the thought of his sister back at the camp, and what horrible things they could be doing to her fueled his desire for vengeance. He couldn't waltz into the camp alone though, he would be slaughtered even with his wizardry to back him up.

He would have to depend on something much more dangerous. Taizen reached into the pouch he always kept securely attached to the inside of his tunic, safely woven into the fabric. He tore it out without a second thought and stared at it, knowing what he must do. Taizen didn't often rely on the power of the Primal Lords, the old gods of the Trolls who are vengeful and angry beings. This was no time to worry about his own well-being though. He'd studied this form of magic on his own, and has the scars to prove it, at least now he was putting it to good use.

Taizen walked back to the pen, after pulling the arrows out of his body and patching them up haphazardly. He took a moment to kill the raptors, not too difficult when you could simply set the pen alight. Grabbing the large axe with his only good hand Taizen systematically chopped off the heads of his captors. Using parts from both the trolls and the raptors, he began the ritual.

He cleared a small area of grass, and set the heads of his four captors and two raptors in front of him. Starting a small fire, he pulled out the small bag and tossed it into the flames. A bitter and horrible smell filled the air, it stung at his nostrils and made his head swim. Reaching out to grab one of the heads he began to chant, the incenses and components in the bag causing him to go into a deep trance. This was the most dangerous part of the ritual, where he traveled into the spiritual world itself and pleaded with the Primal Gods.

It seemed like days for him, when in reality only a few minutes passed. Taizen had to make promises, promises to a blood hungry god who wanted nothing more than death in it's name. He didn't care, this wasn't some dabbling into the dark magics of the Primal Lords, this was surrendering himself to them in hopes of saving his sibling.

When he was roused from his trance, and slowly stood to take stock of what he had wrought. He felt a pang of fear, but it was nothing compared to the exhilaration he felt coursing through his very bones. He set out on his mission to save his sister.

When Taizen confidently strode out of the jungle's edge into the outskirts of the camp, he looked like a Troll possessed. His eyes were filled with a firey hunger for revenge, and his body was drenched in the blood of his enemies. He was barely in control of himself, and that of the two dozen twisted and hungering raptors that had followed him.

Elsie watched the bits of daylight peek through the thatched roof of the hut.
It made her think of vacation she took to Raventusk with her family as a child. She remembered the feeling of waking up in the morning trying to drag her brothers out of bed so they would take her down to the beach.

It was a fleeting thought. As far away as she tried to get, it never lasted long. Tears might have run down her face to drip off and onto the floor, but she never really cried. Not even after he left her there.

She did her best not to move at all, her breathing shallow. Moving would make it real, painful, crushing.

She pictured herself melting into the wood planks of the floor. Like it was some sheet that would just swallow her if she lay still enough.

There was a stirring outside. Movement, something... She could barely move her bruised neck to look outside. Her mouth moved a little, but there was no sound.

He could hear noises, the shouting and the screaming. He could hear the raptors that he'd requested hiss and snap their jaws, pouncing on the surprised defenders. They ravaged the camp, running wild and fighting anything that stood in their way. Yet Taizen walked calmly feeling as if he were treading on absolutely nothing, floating slightly above the ground. He could see what was happening, but it was as if he knew it was a dream he was having, and not in real life.

A roar rung true through the haze he felt all around him. A very large looking Troll was stampeding toward him, screaming in the language he didn't quite understand. He knew he was angry though, it was probably because of his village being torn apart. Taizen reached into the nether again, without fear or restraint. Most mages are quite careful when they summon the power from beyond, for it's very essence can corrupt the user. Taizen was high on the power he was granted however, and worried not about his own safety.

A blast wave ushered forth, Taizen a burning beacon at the center. Troll around him were set alight and thrown aside, all except for one. The Chieftain was made of much tougher stuff than his subordinates and strode to him, his whole body singed with flames. He grabbed Taizen by the neck and lifted him off the ground...

Gipnig the goblin limped through the jungle with jingle and click-clack of beads. The trinkets and bright beads he wore acted like a town crier, announcing his presence to any customers ready to buy. Berny, his bear trundled along behind him, with packs and saddle bags strapped all over his large frame. Red fireworks and other suspicious looking incendiaries poked out from various sacks and left the bear looking like a giant multi-colored porcupine.

Suddenly a roar and clash of metal came from up ahead and Gipnig twitched, hunkering down to the ground as he heard the sounds of battle join. With a nervous snarl he crept forward on his elbows while Berny crouched down in the bushes. It sounded like it was coming from the troll camp he'd been heading for.

Gipnig wouldn't have come to this tribe if he could avoid it. He hated these trolls. They were barbaric, and ignorant brutes who's entire vocabulary seemed to consist of 'hulk like smash'. They reminded him of some of the berserkers in the Horde army who threw themselves into the enemy like giant frogs doing the belly flop onto raised spears. Charming, really, and they had no appreciation for the fine art of well timed demolitions. But, well, what could you do, business was business, and Gipnig wasn't making army pay anymore, hadn't for years. He needed to make a few coins before he hit Booty Bay. He'd hoped the chief would be drunk enough to make a deal fro his Naked Lady Rockets. The pervy old coot had to get his joy somewhere.

tucking his beads into his leathers, Gipnig elbowed his way through the brush and over the edge of a hill, Berny following behind and making deep tracks in the ground with his claws. When Gipnig pushed aside the final leaf in his way and looked down at the camp his eyes widened comically and the color drained from his face until he was as pale as a tadpole.

As quickly as if he were still on the hordes demolition team, Gipnig took in the bloody scene. He couldn't tell who was the perpetrator of the fight, but knowing the chief troll as he did, Gipnig could take good a guess, and seeing him holding young troll up by the neck didn't leave him feeling very accommodating. Especially since the younger troll wore shaman leathers.

Quiet as a mouse Gipnig reached behind him and pulled out a Naked Lady Rocket. He aimed into the camp, just to the right of the chieftain and lit the fuse. He ducked and threw his arms over his head just as the rocket took off...

Elsie snapped her eyes open. She heard the screaming, she heard the running… Most of all, she heard the fire. She rolled over onto her stomach and pulled herself to the crack in the wall to look out side. Her heart would have lept out of her chest if it had the energy. In an instant she was up to her knees, then running on her feet. The flat of each foot slapped the wood floor as she ran to the door way. She held onto the frame, swinging her head out the door. She knew that fire… she knew it.
“MOM!”
She watched the troll chieftain rush towards… her brother?
Elsie barely spared a minute to figure it all out. The two guards who had been at the door were gone. There was a chance. She had to get to the suitcase. Elsie kept her eyes on her brother and the chief and felt around for each next step. She was doing her best to go unnoticed. She back stepped when her feet hit the dirt. When it seemed as if no one saw her, she turned and ran. She took no more than three steps before tripping over a writing singed body. It grabbed at the hem of her white dress, coughing and spurting words up at her. Elsie grabbed her dress and pulled, shuffling in the dirt. She threw out her hands and lunged at the suitcase strapped to the old red raptor. The raptor hissed and gnashed in protest.
Her hands started to shake again. She could scarcely open the latches. Her dresses, hats, and other things spilled out on the ground at the raptors feet. Her heart beat fast as she pulled out the false bottom. There, strapped into place, were the Dal’Rends. She grabbed them with both hands, suddenly feeling a wave of relief.

No sooner had she taken up arms, one of the troll women from before rushed her, hands above her head with some crude stone dagger in hand. She wailed with blood rage as she charged Elsie. Elsie never flinched. Even when he didn’t use them, her father kept the swords in pristine condition. All she had to do was hold it steady and they did the rest. She felt the steel glide onto the woman’s stomach, jerking in resistance when it hit rib bone. Elsie pulled her hand to the side with the slightest torque of her wrist and the Dal’Rend was out again. The woman crumpled to the ground. Blood dripped down her dress from where it had left the troll’s body.
Elsie knew all about stealth. She knew how to slip into the shadows and take on foes silently.
She hated stealth.
She tossed the swords a little in her hands, getting the perfect grip. Her eyes set on the Troll holding her brother. Tai looked like a rag doll. She saw the raptors moving from the corners of her eyes.
She DARED them to come for her.
Two alit troll men flailed in her path. She started in a walk, then picked up to a jog. She made quick work of the first, cutting into his back on both sides right above the kidney. It took a little pulling, sure. But vertebrae are no match for speed and sharp steel. The next was moving too much for her to get a fast kill in. A cut here, there… but the most beautiful was the last. He had faced her in his confusion. Elsie leaned in with what was almost a smile as she cut into his front and pulled up.
Her eyes were cold as he fell before her. She licked the blood from her lips as her goal was now in sight.
The rippling muscles on the back of the chief…
She took off in a sprint, arms at the ready. The Dal’Rends glinted in the light.
5 steps…
4…
Go…
She didn’t even have time to see the incoming projectile as it hit the ground and exploded.

Taizen stared down at the Chieftain with pure hatred in his eyes. What right did he have to do what he did to them? Taizen wasn't ignorant, he knew that the world wasn't fair, he'd dealt with it since he was a child. But, this was far from anything he'd experienced before, now this was personal. The singed hulk only grinned at Taizens contempt.

He gripped hard at his neck, fingers squeezing his wind pipes closed. Taizen's arms reached up and grabbed at the burnt skin of his arm reactively trying to pry him loose. The Troll was too strong, again Taizen found himself in a situation where brawn outweighed his brains. A silver lining was yet to be found, he looked up and saw his sister, murder in her eyes stalking toward the Chieftain. What horrors was she subjected to?

He watched her approach his back the Dal'rends in her hands, the swords thier father passed down to them, yearning for blood. And then everything was white. Taizen thought he was dead for a moment, thinking the Chieftain finished him off and he was just too scared to see what really happened. His suspicions were proved otherwise when he felt his body hit the ground again, thrown from the force of the explosion.

He groaned and lifted his head barely able to catch the figure of a naked woman burning brightly in the middle of the camp. The Chieftain lying a few feet from where he was a moment again, a smoking heap.

Taizen could think of only one thing, "Elly!?"

Elsie was thrown to the side, skidding along the dirt. Through squinted eyes she could see twisting tendrils of red sparks flying about the camp. There was a loud whistle that was slowly dying out as the spiraling sparks and smoke started to clear.

She searched frantically for the swords. Finding only one, she was up on her feet again. In a moment, the smoke cleared enough for her to see the large form of the Chief. She walked towards him, chin up, looking down at him. She stood there for a moment, shaking.

This was Elsie’s moment. She had the upper hand and she would not be merciful. He barely had time to twitch.
If you blinked, you would have missed it.

In a flash she was on top of him, using both hands to stab the Dal’Rend into the chief.
Her movements were fast, fueled by that little bit of troll berserker rage that was in her.
Blood sprayed up the front of her and ran down her face.

Tears poured down her cheeks. She let out a choking sob.
Elsie couldn’t hear anything but the shhk shkk ssshk of her blade.
His torso and face were swiftly becoming pulp.

Gipnig squinted through the smoke. Under the cover of haze he had slipped quietly down the hill and into the village, Berny nothing more then an ominous shadow behind him. He went from hut, to hut, keeping his back to the wall and avoiding the raptors that were devouring trolls every few feet.

They mostly left him alone but he kept one hand on his sickle; ready to hamstring anything that came charging his way just in case. One the advantages to being short in world filled with giants, nobody ever looked down to protect their knees.

He rounded the last hut and, through the sparks and smoke he started to make out the glowing red, writhing form of the Naked Lady, slowly dancing as the firework dispersed and he grinned. One of his better ones. He should aim them at the ground more often. It had proven more effective then he thought, what he'd hoped would be a distraction at best had actually blown the chief apart from his victim. He saw the young troll lying on the ground some feet away, and with a quick hand signal sent Berny over to check on him, while Gipnig stalked through the fading smoke towards the chief's burnt body.

Berny snuffled the face of the young blue troll, and started to slobber a bit on his face.

When Gipnig reached the chief though, he was impressed to find his face nothing but pulp. He looked up at the slim troll girl doing the damage, and sputtered when he got a blood squirt in the eye. Carefully, and hoping not to startle her in rage, he spoke.

“Ah think the bastid's well and truly dead missy.”

Taizen nearly jumped out of his own skin as a bear came from seemingly nowhere amidst the smoke and ash. He was too weak to move quickly, and had almost resigned his fate to a random death by an out-of-place bear when it started to sniff and nuzzle his face. He sputtered and coughed as the slobber got all over his face, slowly getting to his feet, getting his bearings.

"Elly?", he groaned, feeling every bone in his body aching.

He stumbled through the smoke to find Elsie in a rage, the body of the Chieftain, or at least what used to be, was mutilated beyond recognition. He knew immediately something had gone wrong. The Goblin there seemed to be no threat, it stood there watching her tear away at the body. Taizen frowned, walking over cautiously and putting his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"Elly please..", he whispered "Are ya okeh?"

Elsie didn’t hear the goblin. She didn’t even hear her brother, that is, until he put his hand on her shoulder. Startled, she whipped around, Dal’Rend above her head. She stared at her brother for a good moment before taking a breath, recognition slowly sinking in. Her muscles started to relax, and she bent a little at the waist, dropping the sword to her side. She started to shake again, looking down at her once white dress- now stained red and brown with blood.

“TAIZEN!!!!!!” She shot towards him, crushing herself against him. She sobbed hysterically, gasping for air. A small bit of relief washed over her as she was burying her face into him. You couldn’t pry her off with a crowbar. Elsie could only remember what happened last time she let go. There was no way in hell she would let go of her brother again.

Elsie caught a glance at Gipnig. Startled, she let out a yell and pulled Taizen away defensively. She knew EXACTLY where that sword was, and she was way faster than…whatever that was… More importantly and urgently, she knew her brother was hurt. If it was her time to protect him, then she would.
At least as long as she could.

Gipnig hopped back when the troll girl (Elly he supposed) shrieked. He tried not to be too offended at the reaction, after all, it could be a compliment, you never knew with troll. Gipnig hadn't been considered fearsome since he left the Hordes, and even then it was more respect for the giant cannons behind him. He grinned up at the young trolls staggering back, showing all his pointy teeth, and tried to stand tall and hide the twist in his his right leg.

“Ah'm Gipnig the Greatest bomb maker this side of the vale, pervayer of artilerry and balls, Ah'v got up to 12 pounders wi'me, sparkles and fireworks. Ah'm open fer business, and you mah good trolls owe me a Naked Lady.”

He leaned forward to whisper “They're very popular around the Horde this time ah year.” He winked.

Gipnig thought he cut a very dashing figure. Although he was sorry Elly's friend looked too concussed to appreciate it, Elly seemed capable of screaming enough for the both of them. At least she'd stopped making meat pies of the cheiften's head.

The effect of Gipnigs dapper stance was ruined however by Berny's appearance. The big bear lumbered up behind the trolls, following his wayward charge no doubt, and there is just no way to make a bear sporting pink fireworks look impressive. Unless he decides to stand up on two feet. Berny pulled himself up and swiveled his head around, scanning the rest of the camp for survivors to eat. Ready to protect those beneath him at the slightest hint of danger.

Taizen held his sister as close he could, it had been years since he hugged her like he did right now. He could barely keep to his feet, having exhausted all of his ability, truly he only stood because of her. He felt the slight shift as she moved inbetween him and the Goblin. In truth Taizen was too tired to make sense of it all, all of his wounds felt fresh and new.

He looked around the leveled camp, the raptors were nowhere to be found. It was as if they vanished into mid air once all the village were dead. Taizen knew there was one last thing to be done, but for now that could wait. Atleast, till he was rested a little more so he felt less like a dead Troll walking.

"Ah, need tah sit down.", he muttered, trying to take a seat. He looked up at the strange goblin and his bear, wondering what they were doing in the middle of a Jungle. "What ya mean we owe ya?"