Authors Note: Well, real life happened and my daughter caught a cold so I wasn't able to work on Melio too much over the week. She's better now though, so I hope to make up some lost time and push out a few chapters over the next week or so. Rate and review if you like the story, opinions are welcome and questions answered!

Varith made the first move. Darting forward with his right arm drawn back, he swung at the troll’s chest, using the momentum of his forward movement to enhance the blow. The strike fell short though, as the troll perfectly timed a quick step backwards. The troll brought his spear horizontal and chest level and used the foot he had just stepped back with to spring forward and strike Varith’s chest with the wooden weapon grip.

Surprised, Varith took the blow with a grunt as he slid back a meter. Rael watched as Varith regained his posture and grinned at the scowling troll.

“Now THIS is a fight I can get into!” Varith shouted. Varith brought his gauntleted fists together with a booming sound. The troll growled and brandished its spear, bringing its right arm and hand back and above the shoulder, shifting the opposite low and forward.

Rael watched nervously as the two sized each other up in silence. he thought,

Rael scrambled some distance up a trunk and sat himself in a small recess. Just as he had ensured that he had a solid position the two combatants moved.

Varith and the troll closed the distance between each other in an instant. The troll’s spear gave it an advantage at distance and Varith was eager to take that from it. Just as he has nearing striking range the troll buried the tip of the spear into the ground and pressed down on the back end of the weapon, causing a shower of bark and dirt to shoot up and into Varith’s grinning face.

Blinded momentarily, Varith had no choice but to stop his advance and clear his eyesight of debris. Using the pause, the troll launched a vicious thrust at Varith’s right leg, hoping to hinder the big man’s movement.

Countless do or die situations had honed Varith’s instincts and he had guessed what the wily creature was after. Shifting his leg behind him he managed to avoid being wounded, but the troll’s attack didn’t end.

Seeing the strike miss the troll reversed the grip of his left hand, taking advantage of stronger muscles to slash the spear head at Varith’s other leg.

Still clearing dirt from his eye’s, Varith had no choice but to hop backwards to avoid being sliced. The troll reset his grip on the spear and began to use the length of the weapon to its full potential, sending a barrage of quick jabs aimed at Varith’s chest, head, and arms.

Varith protected his head from serious injury, but was forced to take several of the thrusts, suffering several stab wounds to his upper arms and one nasty wound to his left shoulder. Red blood began to mix with the nearly dry troll’s blood on the forest floor.

Rael thought, watching as Varith finally cleared his sight and began a dizzying display of twists and swaying motions, dodging another onslaught of spear thrusts. Rael thought, but couldn’t seem to bring his hands to act as another frightening display unfolded before his eyes.

Varith had just dodged a powerful spear thrust aimed at his throat, leaving the troll over extended and off balance. Reaching up with his left hand, he caught the spear shaft not far from the troll’s upper grip on the weapon and gave a quick tug. The move caused the already off balance troll to fall forward, right into Varith’s right cross.

The cross struck the troll directly in the jaw, sending the creature careening off to Varith’s left. The large man showed his surprising speed again, quickly following the dazed troll as it attempted to recover its posture. Closing in, Varith launched his own vicious barrage. Another right cross connected on the troll’s ribcage, followed shortly by a one two combo that landed in the center of the creatures chest. A left cross smashed into the opposite side of the trolls jaw, keeping the creature dazed and Varith drew both fists back to his hips and launched a powerful double fisted battering ram strike into the trolls gut.

The troll let out a winded grunt, digging a trench with its feet as the blows force pushed it back several meters. The troll staggered back upright and Rael saw the damage Varith had inflicted. Blood oozed from the creatures mouth and its jaw had already swelled into a misshapen and bruised mess. The creature spat out a few teeth and massaged the new bruises blossoming across its abdomen.

Varith used the lapse in combat to examine his own wounds. The bleeding on his arms had already slowed and the gash on his shoulder looked far worse than it felt, though it did hinder movement slightly. He grunted as he rotated the injured shoulder and returned his attention to the troll.

The troll was already staring daggers at the man, and had stiffly took its stance. While both parties had suffered wounds, it was clear that the troll had been effected more than Varith. The troll flinched each time it had to shift ab muscles, and even drawing too deep a breath had the creature suppressing a groan. Nevertheless, the stubborn troll once more readied its spear.

“Heh, haha, hahAHAH!” Varith laughed loudly and brought his fists together in front of his chest. “THIS is how it is supposed to be! Blood! Sweat! Pain!” Varith shouted. “So much time on a blasted boat, I’ve not had this much fun in far too long!” He laughed again and suddenly shot forward.

The troll noticed the movement and barely brought his spear up in time to parry the flurry jabs and crosses that Varith unleashed. The troll began to breathe heavily as the barrage continued, and Varith’s attack quickened. The shock of the punches caused the troll to groan under the growing pressure, and it was slowly being pushed back.

Rael thought as he watched the troll continue to twist and turn the spear shaft in front of itself in a desperate attempt to ward off Varith’s punches. The pain radiating from the broken and bruised body of the troll was apparent, yet still the creature stood.

Varith finished a brutal combination of straight punches, pushing the troll back once more and causing a violent tremor to rack the creature’s body. Not one to waste an opportunity, the huge man stepped forward, placing his left foot in front and pointed inward. He shifted his weight to his heels and rotated counter clockwise until his toes faced the troll and using the centrifugal force, launched a right straight at the troll’s battered form.

The wily creature recovered just in time to bring its spear up to guard once more. *CRACK!* Varith’s fist shattered the spear shaft, splintered shards ricocheted off and a few lodged into the unprotected portion of the trolls chest. The fist continued on, slamming into the trolls windpipe. The force of the blow sent the creature backwards two meters where it crumpled unto the ground and began to writhe, emitting horrifying gurgling sounds as it thrashed about clasping its crushed throat.

Rael thought as he hoisted himself from his perch and clambered down the tree trunk. Reaching the root below, he dusted himself off and turned back towards Varith and the dying troll.

Varith had turned away from the downed troll and was surveying the carnage of his battle when Rael noticed the dying brute grasp its necklace and tear it loose from its neck. Curious, Rael watched as a smile appeared on its face and it raised the necklace above its beaten form and began to move its arm in a circular pattern.

The troll had a hold on the strings of the ornament, with the garish baubles adorning it swinging about as the circular motion continued. A strange high pitched noise began as the speed of the motion increased. Horror and dread instantly crowded Rael’s mind as he realized what the creature was attempting. The noise was a distress call, one that would bounce off the wood of the trees and carry on for quite a distance. Varith had also noticed the commotion and had a scowl on his face as he turned back towards the flailing troll.

The troll, having exhausted what little breath it had and unable to draw more had turned a deep grey blue and dropped its arm. Varith approached and with a grimace, brought his massive right foot down on the creature’s chest, making a sickening part squelching part crunching noise as his boot caved in its chest cavity.

“We need to go, NOW.” Varith stated, turning back to face Rael. The high pitched noise had returned, only from multiple sources and directions. Distant shouts and grunts could be heard as the distress call had alerted every troll in the territory to their presence.

“Back to the Repellers!” Rael yelled, turning back the direction, sprinting towards safety in the canopy. The sounds of the pursuers crashing through the roots chased the duo as they fled the scene of Varith’s brutality.

Rael desperately pleaded as he pushed his muscles into overdrive.