The Troll King (The Bowl of Souls Book 9) (4 page)

He turned back to look at her, a grin on the human side of his face. “He recognizes me as his king. He can beat back the hunger. His is mind is good! Come, fix him!”

 “
Oh, this will be fun
,” Arcon said and Mellinda knew that he was already planning ways to distract her.

She hesitated, chewing her lip again.

“Is there something wrong, Mellinda?” asked the king.

“N-no, my king,” she said. “However, I must prepare myself mentally for this,” Mellinda continued, holding on to her composure. “It will take but a moment if you will bear with me.”

“Do as you must, but hurry,” the king said warily. “More will be born soon.”

Mellinda took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Arcon, I demand you desist your childish taunting immediately. I will need every last drop of concentration to succeed
.

“
All the more reason for me to continue
,” he replied gleefully. “
I’ll start with listing ocean animals for now. Fish, whale, eel, oyster, crab, uh . . . fish-
.”

Mellinda snarled inwardly.
Fish again? That is all you could come up with? Not pike or bass or trout?

“
My parents were farmers, not fishermen
,” Arcon explained with a mental shrug. “
Types of fish weren’t in my field of study
.”

Enough! These trollkin could kill us if I fail in this
, she suggested.

“
Not likely
,” replied Arcon. “
They have no magic. With the power of the rings at your disposal you could simply paralyze them. They could not touch us
.”

Even so, what good does it do you to ruin my plans? We share this body together. My pain is your pain. My success is your success.

“
Yeah, I don’t agree with that
,” Arcon said. “
We don’t share my body. You stole it from me. The only reason I’m still around is that you haven’t figured out a way to get rid of me
.”

Mellinda didn’t bother to argue that point.
You still cling to the hope that you can reclaim your body, do you not? Would you not want to be in the best situation possible if that were to happen
?

“
Dear Mellinda
,” Arcon replied mockingly. “
I am fairly certain that the only way I could reclaim my body is if you intentionally gave the control back to me. We both know that isn’t going to happen
.”

Then what good does your continued harassment
. . ?
She stopped herself. That line of manipulation wouldn’t get her anywhere with him. What she needed was a good threat. But in what way could she still hurt him? A slow smile spread across her face.

And what if I were to bed this King?
Mellinda threatened. She turned back and opened her eyes letting her gaze linger on the muscles of the Troll King’s body.

Arcon didn’t reply for a moment and Mellinda knew she had hit a sore nerve. The mage had still not adjusted to the fact that she had changed his body. Inhabiting a female form was uncomfortable for him and she knew that the thought of experiencing this body used in such a way would be very disturbing for him.

Arcon gave her a mental snort. “
Trolls do not have genitalia. Look at the First
.”

These people aren’t mere trolls. Have you not paid attention? Each one of them is a unique mix of beasts and thus can be male or female. Many of them could reproduce in the manner of men. Why else do you think that they wear clothing
?

Arcon did not have an answer for this.

She chuckled.
I have already scanned the Troll King’s body with the rings just to be sure. I must say the Mother made him well
.

“
If you go through with your threat, so be it
!” Arcon snarled. “
I will endure what I have to and in the meantime I will make your existence as miserable as possible
.”

“Are you ready, Snake Woman?” The king asked impatiently.

“I will be shortly,” she assured him, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice.

Mellinda sighed. No threat was going to work. There was only one piece of leverage she had left.
Very well. I see that there is no other way. I will make you a deal.

“
And what could you possibly offer me
?”

I will return control of your body to you
.

Arcon laughed. “
Lies! You would never give up control, especially not over something so petty!
”

You are correct. I wouldn’t give your body back right away
, she admitted.
However, that isn’t what I am offering
.

“
Then what is it
?”

Partner with me. We worked together before. Help me take my revenge and I will give your body back
.

“
Your revenge? On your old people
?”

Yes! I would destroy the Roo! But not just them! I would slaughter those ancient elves who defied me and burn the Jharro Grove to the ground
!

“
Riiight
,” he said dubiously. “
We do all that and then you’ll give my body back
.”

Yes!
She poured every ounce of sincerity she could summon into her words.
Everything I have done, groveling to the Dark Prophet, even enslaving myself to Ewzad Vriil, it was all to get me here! And I am so close. I just need to raise this army. Arcon, help me get the revenge long denied me and I will have completed my purpose. I swear on my soul that I will return your body to your control
.

“
And I have to help you do this
?” From his tone, she knew that he didn’t believe that she actually thought she needed him. Which was true.

I merely ask that you cease your harassment completely
, she said.

At that moment another chorus of screeches came from the Mother’s womb. Another creature, this one even more malformed than the one before it, tumbled out of the opening and hit the shoreline. It tried to stand on uneven legs and toppled over just as Omar and Trelsk grabbed it.

“Enough preparation!” the king snapped. “Prove yourself now, Snake Woman!”

“I am ready,” she said and strode over to Murtha, who was still holding the first creature.
Do we have a deal, mage
?

“
Can you fix these things even if I keep quiet
?” Arcon asked.

I have the knowledge. I did far greater things in the past,
she replied.
But I’m using your brain, which isn’t as sharp as mine once was and . .
. She raised her hands and looked at the gemstones of the Rings of Stardeon that glinted on the backs of her fingers.
I’m still getting used to the way these powers work
.

“
Very well. Prove yourself to them
,” he said. “
I will stay silent. For now. I was running out of animals anyway
.”

Thank you
, she said. Mellinda smiled with satisfaction as she went to work.

“King Demetrius Vriil?” said Sir Edge. From the way the named warrior’s eye twitched as he pondered the concept, Willum could tell that he found it both intriguing and disturbing. Willum knew the feeling. He had felt the same way when the imp had first suggested the plan.

“If things go as planned, that is,” Willum said. “I was surprised when Demetrius agreed to the idea, frankly.”

They paused their conversation for a moment to climb over the thick trunk of a tree that had fallen across the road. It was once a large leafy evergreen that looked like it had been killed by an insect infestation. The branches held just a handful of dry waxy leaves and the trunk was mottled and pitted.

“Stop!” shouted Jhonate bin Leeths, Sir Edge’s betrothed. She was still standing in front of the fallen tree and her striking green eyes flashed as she pointed her Jharro staff at her brother who had stepped over the trunk with the rest of them. “Clear the road, Qurl. We should not leave this obstruction here.”

Qurl scowled back at her. He was the Protector of the Grove’s fourth son and the highest ranking of the score of Roo-Tan warriors that were ‘escorting’ the party. He had been put in charge and obviously did not like his sister giving him orders. “This will only delay us.”

“And what would father say? You would leave this tree to hamper some poor farmer heading home with his cart?” she asked, hands on her hips. “Come, it will not take long.”

Qurl sighed. He shouted out to the score of warriors that were spread out along the road. “Clear the tree!”

Several of them gathered around the fallen tree, their Jharro weapons forming sharp edges. They began hacking the thick trunk into pieces that could be easily moved. Surprisingly, the Jharro blades cut through the wood as if they were made of steel.

Willum realized that in the weeks he had been traveling Malaroo’s roads, this was the first fallen tree he had come across. It was a miracle considering how densely forested the country was.
Xedrion must take his roads seriously
, he remarked mentally.

“
He’s the general of the Roo-Tan armies, Willy
,” replied Theodore from within Willum’s axe. “
Blocked roads slow armies
.”

“You believe that the nobles are seriously considering this?” Edge asked Willum, as the other men worked. “I mean, after what we went through with Ewzad, the name Vriil . . .”

“He knows,” said Djeri, his voice dull. Willum glanced his way, but the dwarf’s helmet hid his expression. He was wearing his uncle’s famous platemail armor, polished to a mirror-like finish, the Firegobbler insignia on his chest gleaming like a red and gold beacon in the sunlight. This was the first time Djeri had spoken to them since leaving Roo-Tan’lan. The dwarf wasn’t usually this silent. Willum wondered what was bothering him. He knew that Djeri didn’t like how many Roo-Tan warriors they were bringing back to camp, but it was more than that. He was probably worried about Tarah.

“I hope you took no offense, Willum,” said Sir Edge.

“How could I be offended?” Willum replied. He had more reason to hate his heritage than most. “As for the plan, I didn’t think it would work either, but Demetrius seemed pretty confident in the last letter he sent me. He claims he has several influential noble families on his side and that those opposing him are under a lot of pressure from the populous.” He shrugged. “But that was weeks ago. For all I know it has fallen apart since.”

“
Nonsense, Willy
,” said the imp, who was monitoring the conversation as usual. He couldn’t hear Willum’s thoughts unless they were directed at him, but the imp listened to everything. “
The plan will work without fail. Trust me. Ho! You humans are so easily manipulated
.”

“I do not understand why there should be any difficulty,” said Jhonate with her usual formal tone. She wore a slight frown on her face as she watched her fellow warriors dissect the fallen tree. “Lord Commander Demetrius is an excellent candidate for the position. He is an accomplished leader who has proven himself in battle. Is there anyone more qualified?”

“Well, uh, no. But that has nothing to do with it,” Willum said. He opened his mouth to say more but hesitated on how to proceed.

He didn’t consider himself to be close with Sir Edge’s betrothed. Jhonate seemed to respect his combat skills and allowed him to call her by her first name, but she wasn’t exactly friendly. In fact, she could be scary at times. He had felt a distinct uneasiness when she had insisted that she come along to meet Tarah Woodblade. Willum had a feeling that the two women wouldn’t get along.

“Most Dremaldrian’s would agree with you, Jhonate,” said Sir Edge, rescuing him. “At least, the peasants would. But the nobles are the ones who decide who will be king and, among the nobility, the standing of a person’s house is more important than their prowess in battle.”

“How nonsensical,” Jhonate replied.

Jhonate’s brother Qurl snorted in agreement and muttered something about, “Dry-foot politics.”

“
Pfft! It’s the way of all the nobles in all the world, Willy
,” said Theodore. Though Willum was the only one that could hear him, the imp’s voice sounded loud in his ears. “
Roo-Tan nobles aren’t any different. Look at the ribbons they wear in their braids. They denote which of Xedrion’s wives is their mother
.”

Willum’s eyes lingered on the Roo-Tan siblings. The ribbons woven into the braids on either side of Jhonate’s face were the same green as her eyes, while Qurl’s ribbons were a deep red.
So
?

“
So? Ho-ho, Willy. It’s just another way for them to keep track of status within their house
,” the imp explained. “
Didn’t you notice the color of the Protector’s braids earlier
?”

No
. Willum replied mentally. He thought back to his uncomfortable first meeting with Xedrion back in Roo-Tan’lan’s prison.
Well, the ribbons were green, if I remember right
.

“
See, Willy? Oh, how that must burn the rest of his wives! It’s a visible reminder to everyone who sees him that he favors Jhonate’s mother above the others.
” The imp giggled. “
He can shift the status of the members in his house at a whim
.
All he would have to do is change the color of the ribbons in his braids and the balance of power in Malaroo would change
.”

How do you know so much about politics among the Roo-Tan
? Willum asked. Theodore had been around a very long time. Exactly how long Willum didn’t know, but surely that didn’t make him an expert in everything.

“
Oh, Willy. Long before Tad the Cunning dug me up I spent some time here in the hands of the merpeople. Ho! I know a lot more about this country than I ever wanted to
.”

That sounds like a story I would like to hear
, Willum replied. The imp was still such a mystery to him. It was hard to get him to talk about his past unless he was bragging about something.

“
Meh, maybe later
,” the imp replied.

The tree was soon sectioned and cleared, Sir Edge’s rogue horse helping the men move the larger chunks of the tree. Jhonate ordered the wood left in piles beside the road in case any passers-by wanted it and the party continued on their way, heading southwest towards the camp where Willum and Djeri had left Tarah.

“Just over a mile to go,” Djeri announced as they crested a hill. Willum knew he should be able to make out the area where they had camped from here, but the whole country was so thickly forested it all looked the same to him.

Willum felt a heavy nudge at his hip and nearly stumbled as Gwyrtha came up close, the massive creature nuzzling his side. To his surprise, she bared her sharp teeth at him in a frightening mockery of a smile. That was a new behavior from her. He forced a smile back at her and reached out to scratch her behind the ears as he had seen Sir Edge do numerous times.

The rogue horse was a fearsome beast; a patchwork mix of horse and lizard and various other creatures, but Willum had come to know her pretty well over his time at the Mage School during the war and knew that she was sweet at heart.

“Uh, hello, girl,” he said. She huffed back at him, a throaty sound akin to a purr.

“
Oh-ho, the power, Willy
,” said Theodore, his voice full of longing. “
I can feel it coursing through her veins. There is so much I could accomplish. Why, with just a sip I could-
.”

You are not feeding on another rogue horse, Theodore
! Willum said, cutting him off.
Especially not Sir Edge’s bonded
.

“
Why, Willy! Of course I’m not suggesting such a thing. Ho! How little you must think of me
!” Theodore protested. The imp had gotten a taste of rogue horse blood during their failed attempt to save Esmine from Scholar Aloysius. He brought up the experience constantly since. “
Nevertheless, if perhaps, the beast was wounded accidentally-. Or in battle for some reason and you should accidentally drop the axe on top of her blood . . .
”

Shut up, imp
, Willum warned.

“She’s letting you know she likes you, Willum,” said Sir Edge, walking up close to him.

Willum jumped at the sound of his voice, feeling a surge of guilt about his conversation with the imp. “Uh, yeah. Gwyrtha and I are friends. Aren’t we, girl?”

“Tell me something, Willum,” Edge said, a speculative look on his face.

“Sure,” he said.

“Why all the secrecy?” the named warrior asked.

“What do you mean?” Willum replied.

“You two have been acting strange. Jerry isn’t talking at all. You’re willing to tell me about the local gossip from Dremaldria, but when it comes to the demon army or what you’re even doing in Malaroo, you’re tight-lipped.” He pointed a finger at Willum. “And you’re jumpy.”

“That had nothing to do with-.” Willum saw Djeri’s helmet turn as the dwarf gave him a warning glance. “We’ll explain everything after you meet Tarah.”

“That’s what you said earlier,” said Sir Edge.

“We’re almost there,” Willum said. “We’ll tell you everything soon.”

Edge stopped walking and folded his arms. “I want to know now.”

“Stop everyone, Qurl!” announced Jhonate suddenly. She was several yards away, yet seemed to be perfectly in step with Edge’s thoughts.

Qurl raised a closed fist and the procession came to a halt. “What is it?”

Jhonate raised an eyebrow in Willum’s direction. “My betrothed needs to have a conversation with our academy friends before we proceed.”

“
Uh-oh, Willy. Looks like that plan of the dwarf’s is blowing up in your faces
,” chuckled the imp.

“We really are close,” Willum said to Edge, ignoring the imp.

“Is that so?” Sir Edge said, his form immovable. He was an imposing figure; near a half foot taller than Willum and his short-sleeved linen shirt did nothing to hide the enormous muscles brought on by his bond with the ogre. The hilts of his swords stuck up over each shoulder, along with his quiver and unstrung Jharro bow. “Deathclaw has been scouting ahead and he says there’s nothing there.”

“Oh. Well, Tarah’s really good at hiding,” said Willum lamely.

“From Deathclaw?” Edge said. Deathclaw’s senses were sharp and he was an excellent tracker. Explaining this one away would be hard.

Djeri cleared his throat. “It’ll make sense when we get there, Sir Edge. Trust me.”

“What is this about, Edge?” Qurl asked. The Roo-Tan warrior came closer, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Do you think this is a trap?”

“I doubt that these two would be involved with such a thing,” said Jhonate. “But there is something odd about the situation.”

The rest of the Roo-Tan warriors began to gather tighter around them. Djeri tensed and his hands twitched, ready to reach for his sword. Willum prayed he wouldn’t do anything so stupid. This wasn’t worth fighting about.

Sir Edge raised a calming hand. “I’ll get this sorted out. Come with me, Willum.”

The named warrior turned and walked off of the road. Willum moved after him and glanced over at Djeri. The dwarf sighed and started to follow.