"There is another creature heading in our direction." Everyone gets ready at my warning. "Dain, are the magic traps still functional?" Teckar is taking charge of the situation. "No, as soon as the attack was over I cancelled it, as it was becoming too draining to maintain." We wait at the top of the flat hill.

Steadily plodding out of the forest and up the hill is a creature that looks vaguely familiar. It looks like a chubby shorter version of the rat eating monster I saw on the monster trail. It seems like that happened eons ago. It's lower part is almost as wide as it is tall, and it is far taller than me. It looks almost conically shaped.

"Looks like the orc's teamed up with a young troll. It will have been left behind by the orcs when they rushed over. Dain, do you have any magic that can punch through that thing?" Dain looks disheveled and uncertain. "No, best I can do is cause it some severe burns." Teckar seems to swear quietly. "This thing is tough, and don't underestimate the speed of its arms." Looking at the arms, I realize that they are much longer than you would expect and the hands are oversized even for this beast.

With its attention focused on Lak and Teckar, I loose three steel tipped arrows at its head. That must be the main weakness as it is with most beasts. It dodges the first arrow and deflects the others with the back of its left hand. In its right it holds a massive club focused on Lak and Teckar. When his left hand comes away from its head I realize that his head didn't just duck, it went into his neck. Does he have a flexible spine? With only the top of his head showing, everything beneath its nose is buried in its thick skin. Watching his nose and eyes peek out from the fleshy neck looks kind of funny, but I realize hitting this thing has turned very difficult.

Lak and Teckar tries to get close, but the club sends them in retreat. The troll steadily plod towards them until Dain uses a more active version of his trap spell to stall it. "Good work Dain, now we just need more reach." Teckar asks how many flint tipped spears I got, and I respond, as many as you need. Me, Lak and Teckar spread out around the troll. Armed with spears our reach has increased but we still need to time our attack to avoid the club.

In short succession we all dive in with our spears. All spears sink into it's wide belly, but it seems to have no effect. It is almost as the tips of the spears are swallowed. Unable to withdraw the spears we all dive for cover as the club spins over our heads. "Any ideas? I am open to suggestions." Teckar is clearly struggling to find a way to deal the finishing blow. "If I get right next to it, I should be able to drop a boulder on it from my soul storage." "That might work." Lak seems to think it will be enough. However, Teckar is wondering if the troll won't just shift the rock's trajectory. It is clearly using it's left hand to defend its head. "Do what you can, me and Lak will keep it's attention."

Slipping behind the troll at a safe distance, I watch as Lak and Teckar try to provoke the troll. Looking at its back, it just seems too tall. Even if I get right next to it, I would need to jump to summon a boulder above its head. Summoning my bow I start firing a large number of flint arrows into its lower back. Densely packed, the arrows stick out like a stiff tail from the troll. It hasn't even bothered to look back. It just keeps its head low and left hand ready.

As stealthily as possible I run up to the troll. The head ducks lower. This thing has excellent perceptions. Before I reach its back I jump up and dig the tip of my right foot into the fold in the flesh just above its new tail and springboard high above the troll. As I get in reach I summon my new great axe and swing it down with all my might.

The great axe cuts through the left hand of the troll and sinks into the top of its skull. Instantly the arms fall to its sides and the body dives forward. Landing on top of the troll I realize that the axe is a good two inches into the skull. "I thought you were going to use a big rock." Teckar's comment is just a throwaway remark, but I still feel like responding. "Rocks do more damage when they land on a wedge. Looks like the wedge did enough damage."

"I hope you have room for the troll in your storage. The baby fat on a young troll is a valuable ingredient used for healing salves. This guy will double our profits alone." I assure Teckar that I got more than enough space, as I start recovering arrows and stuff dead orcs into my storage. Eventually all the bodies are in my storage and we set off back to the farmhold.