Chapter 99

Wil and Astrid traveled across the mountain range towards Aramoor, first by Marali, and then by the Clockwork Owl, once the giant swan was too tired to continue the journey.

The day passed swiftly, and despite the protection the magic of the Clockwork Owl offered to its riders, the dropping temperature made the last leg of the trip uncomfortable for the pair. The sun was soon covered by a thick layer of cloud, and Wil could see a heavy fog blanketing the ground below them.

Luckily, the sharp gaze of the magical Owl could pierce the heavy mist, and it guided them unerringly to their destination.

Their first view of the village of Aramoor was of a ghost town, completely still and silent, despite the day not yet ending. People should be out and about, doing chores or working, spending time in each other’s company.

“Something isn’t right here.” Wil commented as he helped Astrid down from the back of the Owl. With a grinding of gears and a flash of light, the Clockwork Owl shrank down to its normal size, before disappearing into Wil’s bag of holding.

“Has the whole village been taken? Are we too late?” Astrid asked, looking around at the dark homes and empty square.

“No. There are people here, I can sense them in their homes. They’re taking shelter from the fog.” Wil paused, closing his eyes, and focusing on the area around him with his mind.

“Do you feel it? This fog isn’t natural, there’s a magic to it.” Wil observed, reaching out with his senses. The fog had an oily sensation against his skin, and he could smell a trace scent of ozone in the air, indications of magic.

“So, it’s likely connected? We should speak to the villagers, assure them that we are here to protect the village and find their missing people.” Astrid said, taking the lead. Nodding his head, Wil paused, before turning to the east, where he felt the strongest magic from the strange fog.

“You go ahead, I’m going to take a look around. If you run into any trouble, send an orb of light into the sky and I’ll return. Besides, you’re much better at reassuring the locals than I am.” Wil said, flashing a grin before walking away. Soon, he was out of sight, swallowed by the fog.

With a sigh, Astrid turned to look at the largest house in the village. Plastering a comforting smile on her face, she walked forward, determined to make a good first impression with the fearful villagers.

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The dense fog cut off Wil’s sight of the village and reduced his world to only a few feet around him, the rest was a grey void. The forest around him was silent, not even the chirping of birds or the rustling of the wind through the trees disturbed the silence.

But through it all, his senses screamed of danger, of a looming threat, just out of reach. To the east, he could feel something, a primal instinct warning to stay away, or a predator watching him, while he was the prey.

The fog muddled everything, its thin concentration of magic made it difficult for him to focus on anything specific. Needing more information, he reached into his bag, pulling out the emerald gemstone that contained his contracted earth elemental.

Feeding a large amount of his mana into the stone, he placed it gently on the ground and stepped back, waiting for the summoning to be completed.

In moments, a large head breached the earth, the forest floor molding itself in a large, humanoid figure that reached over a dozen feet in height. Towering over him, Wil observed the elemental take shape, before it spoke.

“Master.” It rumbled, bowing slightly, then turning to take in its surroundings.

“We’re searching for missing people. Humans, as well as whatever took them. Do you sense anything?” Wil asked, waiting patiently as the Earth Elemental searched the area with tendrils of its magic. Wil could sense its search, like vines growing beneath the earth, stretching out into the distance in all directions.

“Sense nothing.” It said, its body as still as the earth that formed it.

“Keep looking. Astrid is speaking with the villagers, maybe they have-” Wil was cut off as the Elemental jerked upwards abruptly, its massive body already moving to protect him.

“Danger.” It shouted, its voice so loud that Wil could feel it through his thick boots. Drawing his sword, Wil had a moment to shield his body with a layer of golden mana, before something large ran out of the grey fog, charging into the elemental and slamming into it.

Wil had given the elemental enough mana to enhance its strength to Rank 5, anything more and Wil would be leaving himself too drained to be effective in combat. Whatever was assaulting the elemental, it was around Rank 3, weaker than it, but frenzied and vicious in its attack.

Knocking the elemental backwards, the creature clawed frantically at its earthen flesh, leaving gouges in its torso. Unfazed, the elemental merely lifted one of its massive arms above its head, each of its movements slow and deliberate, before smashing it down on the creature’s back.

With a single strike, the attacker was driven into the soft ground, its limbs flailing wildly. It desperately tried to lift the elemental’s fist from its body. It nearly succeeded, before another enormous fist crushed its skull, spraying blood and grey brain matter across the ground.

Wil, unfortunately, was too busy on his own opponent to notice the Elemental’s victory. Another creature leapt at him from the fog. The monster was large, taller than Wil, with greyish green skin. Its claws were sharp and filthy, its face covered by long, lank hair. On instinct, Wil disappeared into white mist, using ‘Misty Step’ to avoid the creature’s charge, before reappearing behind it.

The ‘Dragon’s Tooth’, already in his hand, made a shrill cry as it split the air, the force of the blow separating the creature’s head, and its filthy hair, from its body. It staggered forward a few steps, its momentum carrying it, before it collapsed onto the ground.

Wincing in pain, Wil massaged his shoulder briefly. The strain of lifting the sword was still a burden on his body. The blade was meant for a demigod, and his Rank 10 strength was still inadequate to wield it properly. Merely swinging it was nearly more than his body could withstand, and he was still Ranks away from actually channeling mana into the sword to enhance its attacks.

Seeing the elemental had also finished off its foe, Wil took a step towards the prone creature on the ground to get a better look at what it was, when the body began to twitch violently. Lurching to its feet, it flailed its arms violently, striking at anything within reach.

“What in the nine hells?” Wil whispered, looking at the creature’s head where it lay on the ground. Nudging it with his foot to see its face, he was shocked when the monster blinked its eyes at him. The flesh around its severed neck began to writhe and twist, and Wil could see new flesh beginning to form around the injury.

Spinning around, he saw the headless body was similar, new growth was already sprouting from its neck, slowly growing from the wound.

“God’s Bones! Trolls!” Wil cursed, realizing now what they were dealing with. He had never seen them before but had read accounts at the academy of the regenerative properties of the monsters. He had heard that even decapitation only slowed them down, soon they would regrow missing limbs, or a new head, and there would be two trolls, where before there had been one.

“Fire or acid.” Wil whispered to himself, already forming a ball of flame above his hand. The orange fire quickly turned red, then blue and finally white hot. He tossed the ball of flame onto the severed head, already forming another one.

Soon, three pyres were burning brightly in the fog, driving back the mist. The clearing around them smelled of burnt flesh, preventing the troll’s regeneration from bringing them back.

“Come on. We know what we are dealing with now. I’m afraid there isn’t much hope left for our missing villagers.” Wil said, leading the way back to the village, the elemental following closely behind.

From what he had read, trolls will eat anything living that is unfortunate enough to fall into their hands. If the villagers had been taken by the creatures, it was unlikely that they would find anything, alive or dead, to return to the village.

Feeling dread at the thought of telling the villagers what the fate of their loved ones would likely be, Wil slowly walked back to Aramoor, the elemental keeping a cautious on their surroundings. Around them, the silence was broken only by the sound of their footsteps.