The Terror of Trolls
There was a flurry of activity in the Hospital, Astrias stepped away from the raised voices as the discussion became heated yet she couldn’t help feeling responsible for the fuss. She did her best to ignore them as her thoughts turned to pin the feeling to an action that she could not recall. Suddenly the voices moved closer and she turned to see the group exiting the Hospital, she remained unmoving at the top of the stairs where she had felt the best place to be if anyone approached for aid or query. Scowling elves and a familiar troll who seemed to hover too close to a viciously smirking elf for her own comfort paused at the bottom of the steps, the heated discussion still roping them together.
Suddenly Tyverus was there, whispering something to her as he looked at the crowd with confusion, his words were lost to her as her attention snapped back on the troll who had raised his staff and began performing some kind of ritual. “Craaweh fu italaf. Craaweh fu Iyaz!” Immediately her hands moved defensively across her growing stomach, warnings from her childhood screaming in her mind as she watched the staff rattle and twisted under the direction of the lanky troll. The weight of her ears pinning back brought the rush of terror surging through to tense her muscles as she prepared to defend herself and her child, the tension visible in the tremors that ran across her skin and lighted her olive gaze with gold. A gentle touch interrupted her focus for a moment as her husband tried to comfort her, she felt the warm magics of the Light come to her silent call, the rest of the elves moved away from the stairs to leave her facing the troll whose chanting continued, “Caang ir dim wasSa ting j yudo skam fu..”
The baby kicked violently in response to her tension, ripping a cry from Astrias’ lips as the pain seared through her terror which fueled the need to defend herself. “Dim yudo craaweh iyaz weh mek!” The strange language rose higher as the troll’s incantation caught his fervor, the staff he waved coated with what appeared to be black water swung violently around him. “Sca cyaa weh skam is cyaa!” The words echoed in her mind as she watched the troll turn and climb the stairs, bile rose in her throat as he inched closer the smell of his sweat along with the unexpected scent of tundra berries twisting her stomach. “NO!” She screamed as the troll settled on top the last step, his orange gaze boring into her framed by blue and white paint that added to the intimidation she felt. The blazing energy of the Light she had reached for surged through her tense body, her olive gaze consumed by it’s brilliant glow as her head exploded with pain. Grating shards of her mental defences erupted as panic overwhelmed her and the spell was released upon the threat.
Astrias watched in horror as her fractured concentration of the spell only grazed the troll’s arm as he raised them to retaliate, she backed away from him only to encounter the pillar of the archway barring her escape. “No.” She breathed, pleading as her hands clutched her stomach. The rising warmth of the Light preparing for another assault as her thoughts writhed, struggling as they were isolated and suspended on the spikes her subconscious triggered to contain her stress. The troll leered closer and she could make out three large diagonal scars over his left eye under the war paint, she stared wide-eyed in shock as she trembled in anticipation of his attack which exploded in a cloud of sand that was blown into her face.
“Leave her alone!” Tyverus’ voice rose as she felt him move away from her. “No!” The word carried a wave of tormented agony as she slapped her face to brush away the blinding powder, "Astrias.. yah seein’ my h-aaaaan." The troll's heavy accent spoke orcish and she recognized it from one who lingered around the Hospital before the sound of shattering glass reached her ears. “Listen mon.... she was burnin up... I 'ad to be doin somtin.... She should be fallin’ soon... be sure tah be catchin 'er..” Astrias pressed herself further against the pillar, she wobbled in her uncertainty and blindness as her thoughts struggled to connect. "No." She responded as she heard Jinzah speaking as though he was walking away from her. "Tyverus." She whispered as she swayed again, fear and terror bringing tears down her cheeks as well as a shaking to her voice. "I'm not yah enemy mon..." Sounds became distant as she felt her movements slow, her hands fumbling as she tried to clear the grit from her eyes, she knew the pillar was solid and let it guide her to the ground. ~ Tyverus.. protect.. our son.. ~ She was out before her body hit the ground.
[ tyverus @jinzah darksunguardians tchospital ]
