The mood is tense as we move through the trees. We have been out since dawn and have traveled to the very edge of Kierra’s cage. The trees are less dense here as we near the forest’s edge. It seems the trolls have still been trying to get out and have gravitated toward the north, incidentally, the same direction I needed to go if I wanted to go home. A thinker might say that my confrontation with them is fated. I have no arguments with this. From what I’ve heard of trolls, it’d be doing the world a favor if we killed them.

Kierra is in her element. Even standing right behind her, I can’t hear a sound coming from her and she disappears between the trees when I blink. She truly is a ghost. How she could have lost to anything here astounds me and the knowledge that she did heightens my focus. This isn’t a game of tag where the worst I’d get is a couple of scratches. Our lives are on the line right now. I’d be lying if I said that the thought didn’t make me anxious.

Suddenly, Kierra throws out her arm, bringing me to a stop. She turns to me with a finger on her lips then points dead ahead.

At first, I don’t see anything. But then I hear it. A heavy thump as something large approaches with no attempt to hide its presence. A few moments later, the troll comes into view.

Jeez, that thing is huge. It has to be at least nine feet tall with a thick body full of well-defined muscles. It seems to be a mash-up of all kinds of animals. The upright posture is reminiscent of a man along with its five fat fingers on each hand, but its feet are thick hooves and its head is the shape of a boar. Short fur covers most of its body, except for its chest and its backside. The tusks on the side of its mouth are yellowed, the points on the ends visible even at a distance.

In one hand, it carries a thick branch while the other is holding the leg of a deer it drags along the ground. Every other breath, it growls, flashing sharp teeth.

I change my insides, getting rid of my vulnerable human organs and replacing my paltry senses with that of the wolf. My improved ears don’t pick up the sound of any others and I take that on faith. With the way this one is stomping around, I doubt I’d miss any others.

I regret switching to the wolf’s nose though. That thing stinks. It’s not so much that it smells bad. It’s more that it's pungent. Jeez. That’s how livestock pens smell but why is it so strong? The only thing I can smell is the heavy musk it gives off. Even when I take away my smelling altogether, it lingers in my mind.

“I need a shot,” Kierra whispers as she eases her bow from her back. “You must get it to face toward me.”

“I can do that.” One of my hands reaches forward and squeezes her shoulder. The gesture is meant to center me just as much as her. “Here we go.”

She nods and pulls an arrow from her quiver. I take a deep breath. Here we go.

I move away from Kierra, making a mental note of her position as I circle to the troll’s back. I don’t want it to look up as I come dashing out of the trees and see my archer.

I brought along the spare bow and a single arrow. If I was the hero in one of the stories the bards sing in the taverns, I’d simply whistle and put my single arrow through the troll’s brain when it turns around.

A hero I am not and I have no idea how my combat abilities will measure up to this mountain of flesh. No, this is just to get its attention. Then my job is to simply not get crushed while Kierra finishes it off. Preferably from as far away as possible.

I creep forward from my hiding place. Then, taking a deep breath, I fire the arrow.

It hits the troll in the back of the head and bounces off. Seriously? Kierra warned me but come on. Arrows don’t just bounce off skin. That was a great shot too. Trolls are ridiculous. Thank the saints these things aren’t on the human continent…I hope.

The troll stops, dropping the deer it was carrying. Then it slowly turns around to glare at me. I can see the way it tenses just before it charges at me.

I wait until it gets close before throwing myself to the side. The troll’s momentum keeps it going forward and it crashes into a tree, bellowing loudly. My eyes widen when I hear a crack. What the heck? Just how strong is this thing?

It turns around, baring its teeth at me. Behind it, I can see a dent in the bark of the tree it hit.

A dent. In a tree.

Saints save me.

I’m positioned so that Kierra is at my back and the troll is in front of me. This is it. Now I just need to stay alive until she gets her shot while keeping it facing this direction.

The troll bellows and comes running at me. It’s slower than before. The charge didn’t work so now it’s making a more controlled approach.

The fist that comes at my head isn’t particularly fast but the large hand still makes it difficult to dodge. I back away, sliding out of the way of the following attacks.

With a bellow, the troll's hands begin to glow with a dull gray light. The earth shakes beneath me and I stumble, falling to one knee. A shadow over my head is my only warning and I react instinctively, rolling backward. A second later, the troll brings both hands down where I was, the impact knocking up a cloud of dust.

Damn forest creatures with their damn pure affinities. I can’t even trust the ground I’m standing on. Feel free to strike this thing down any time, Kierra. How long has it been since I’ve engaged this thing? Twenty seconds? Thirty? I need to give her more time.

The creatures’ hands are glowing again. I’m already moving before the spell can take effect. But the end of it catches me, trapping my ankles in sinking dirt. I change my leg to my elemental form and pull it free but I wasn’t quick enough. The troll’s leg catches me in the side.

My new body absorbs the damage easily but the troll knocks me aside. I land face first in the dirt and spit out grass as I jump back to my feet, making sure to put Kierra at my back.

Not a second too soon because the troll is on me again. Time to change things up a bit. I pull my arm back, making it thin and long before flicking it forward like a whip. It smacks the troll’s face audibly, making its head turn as it stumbles backward.

Blood dribbles from its nose as it growls at me, staring at me with new caution. That’s right. I’m not the easy prey you thought I was. Stand there and size me up. You are a still target. An arrow should be hitting you any moment now.

But nothing comes. I am shocked when the troll comes running at me again. Why isn’t this thing dead? Amid dodging its strikes, I turn around to where Kierra is hidden away.

My jaw drops when I see her, mainly because I can see her. She has stood up from behind the bushes, leaving her exposed. Her bow is on the ground, her quiver full.

I bite down the urge to scream at her as she takes a step forward, bringing her even more into view. What in the nine hells is she doing?

My distraction costs me. The troll catches me full on and I fly through the air. My back slams into a tree and I slide down to its base. Durable as I am, the blow still disorientates me for a minute. I ignore the dizziness and get to my feet, knowing the troll will be right back on me.

But it’s not. Just like me, it's spotted Kierra. Its head is cocked to the side curiously as it studies her. Some of the tension has melted from its shoulders and the step it takes forward is slow, nothing like the reckless rush of its previous attacks.

Despite its slow movements, Kierra makes no attempt to get away. Instead, the damn elf takes another step forward. It’s as if she is under a spell. Her expression is blank as she moves forward, her limbs shaking as if she’s fighting an invisible force.

I have no idea what’s going on right now but I do know one thing. I can’t let that thing reach her.

I rush forward, switching to a full elemental form. When I get close to the troll, I throw my hands forward to wrap around one of its ankles and pull back as it steps forward. The troll is put off balance and falls forward. Gritting my metaphorical teeth, I swing. This is the first time I can feel a strain on my new limbs but I manage to lift the creature, throwing it over my shoulder and into the trees.

With it out of the way, I run to Kierra, changing my head back to human so I can yell. “What are you doing!?”

Kierra jumps and turns to me with wide eyes. Her entire face is dark green and her lips are parted to draw in heavy, ragged breaths. The look in her eyes is wild. “I…I…”

The sound of the troll’s bellows makes both of us turn in the direction I threw it. I swear and catch her arm as she tries to take another step forward. “Are you insane? We need to get out of here!”

She doesn’t turn to run. Instead, I feel her push against my hold to take another step forward. Okay. Forget this. She doesn’t want to be reasonable? Fine.

Grunting, I turn full elemental and lift Kierra over my shoulder. The weight is substantial but not so much that I can’t run. I stop briefly to pick up her bow before running back to the tree, hoping against all hope that the troll won’t chase me.