whoa!” I moved between the villagers and Vincent, holding my hands up as if that could stop them. “Garsmith, a little help?”
“For him? Forget it!” Garsmith snapped.
“He is not like the creatures you know,” Tiki said. “Just as you once accepted me and Chase, please give him a chance.”
“He’s had his chance.”
“Is this what you call a chance?”
Garsmith chewed on his bottom lip and the crowd stopped, looking to him for direction. His beady black eyes flickered back to Vincent, who was dusting dirt from his blood-stained shirt.
“You’ll pay for that, Williams,” Vincent muttered.
“Will I?” I stepped towards him.
“Like you have no idea,” Vincent growled. “I will not tolerate being spoken down to by a dwarfed creature, and certainly not from you.”
“This isn’t our world. We’re guests and we operate under their rules. If you don’t like that, too damn bad. And last time I checked, you weren’t very welcome at your home either. Wasn’t it you who came to us, unable to stand and begging for help?”
“I’m Vincent Taryk. I do not beg. Certainly not to the likes of you.”
“No, you just grovel for us to save you and then insist on being a dick?”
Vincent’s lips parted, but no words came out.
“Exactly.” I looked back at Garsmith, who stood with a small, angry village behind him. Tiki was off to the side and when I looked to him for help, he only shrugged. I sighed. “We already did you a favor, and if you’re going to stick with us, then you act as I say. Got it?”
Vincent glared at me, his eyes glowing as the sky darkened.
“Are we good, or are you going to travel this world alone from here on out?” I asked.
Vincent’s fangs receded into his gums. “We are far from good, but for the moment, I will restrain myself.”
“What do you say, Garsmith? He’s with us, can you offer some leniency?”
Garsmith continued to chew on his lip, his black eyes unwavering. He sighed, latched his axe in its holster and nodded. “Very little leniency. If you say he’s good, fine, but it’s on you too! He better start to show some respect.”
“Then it’s on me too,” I said.
Garsmith grunted, and with a wave of his hand, all the trolls moved back to their village. “Come along then.”
Chapter 11
Vincent, Tiki, and I sat next to the bonfire. Trolls of all shapes moved around it, sloshing liquid over the rims of steel cups. I couldn’t bring myself to drink what they’d given me. It smelled worse than the food, which fell somewhere between old milk and wet socks.
“When is he going to let us talk to the seers?” I turned to Tiki, watching Garsmith on the stump across from us. The troll’s leader, Chief Sorrent, was away discussing a breach in their treaty with the goblins and whether they should go to war, which left Garsmith in charge, and he appeared to be enjoying the power.
His log sat a little higher than the rest, and the female trolls—who looked identical to the men, with the exception of breasts—continued to wait on him. His stained, toothy smile never left his face.
Tiki shrugged. “The troll’s seers cannot operate on a whim like Krulear. They do their work at night, and I imagine the moon has not risen high enough for its power to be at its fullest.”
“I’m aware you are from here, but do you know everything there is to know about the Underworlds?” Vincent interjected.
Tiki shook his head. “I am not from here. I am from Lavinos of the god Genevieve. To answer your question, no, I don’t know everything there is to know. But I spent hundreds of years wandering these worlds. In that time, I learned many things.”
“Hundreds? How old are you exactly?” I asked.
Tiki ignored the question and continued to shovel food into his mouth. “Are you going to eat that?” He pointed to the dish that sat untouched in my hand.
I shook my head and handed him the bowl, which he immediately began to devour.
“Well, let’s
“For him? Forget it!” Garsmith snapped.
“He is not like the creatures you know,” Tiki said. “Just as you once accepted me and Chase, please give him a chance.”
“He’s had his chance.”
“Is this what you call a chance?”
Garsmith chewed on his bottom lip and the crowd stopped, looking to him for direction. His beady black eyes flickered back to Vincent, who was dusting dirt from his blood-stained shirt.
“You’ll pay for that, Williams,” Vincent muttered.
“Will I?” I stepped towards him.
“Like you have no idea,” Vincent growled. “I will not tolerate being spoken down to by a dwarfed creature, and certainly not from you.”
“This isn’t our world. We’re guests and we operate under their rules. If you don’t like that, too damn bad. And last time I checked, you weren’t very welcome at your home either. Wasn’t it you who came to us, unable to stand and begging for help?”
“I’m Vincent Taryk. I do not beg. Certainly not to the likes of you.”
“No, you just grovel for us to save you and then insist on being a dick?”
Vincent’s lips parted, but no words came out.
“Exactly.” I looked back at Garsmith, who stood with a small, angry village behind him. Tiki was off to the side and when I looked to him for help, he only shrugged. I sighed. “We already did you a favor, and if you’re going to stick with us, then you act as I say. Got it?”
Vincent glared at me, his eyes glowing as the sky darkened.
“Are we good, or are you going to travel this world alone from here on out?” I asked.
Vincent’s fangs receded into his gums. “We are far from good, but for the moment, I will restrain myself.”
“What do you say, Garsmith? He’s with us, can you offer some leniency?”
Garsmith continued to chew on his lip, his black eyes unwavering. He sighed, latched his axe in its holster and nodded. “Very little leniency. If you say he’s good, fine, but it’s on you too! He better start to show some respect.”
“Then it’s on me too,” I said.
Garsmith grunted, and with a wave of his hand, all the trolls moved back to their village. “Come along then.”
Chapter 11
Vincent, Tiki, and I sat next to the bonfire. Trolls of all shapes moved around it, sloshing liquid over the rims of steel cups. I couldn’t bring myself to drink what they’d given me. It smelled worse than the food, which fell somewhere between old milk and wet socks.
“When is he going to let us talk to the seers?” I turned to Tiki, watching Garsmith on the stump across from us. The troll’s leader, Chief Sorrent, was away discussing a breach in their treaty with the goblins and whether they should go to war, which left Garsmith in charge, and he appeared to be enjoying the power.
His log sat a little higher than the rest, and the female trolls—who looked identical to the men, with the exception of breasts—continued to wait on him. His stained, toothy smile never left his face.
Tiki shrugged. “The troll’s seers cannot operate on a whim like Krulear. They do their work at night, and I imagine the moon has not risen high enough for its power to be at its fullest.”
“I’m aware you are from here, but do you know everything there is to know about the Underworlds?” Vincent interjected.
Tiki shook his head. “I am not from here. I am from Lavinos of the god Genevieve. To answer your question, no, I don’t know everything there is to know. But I spent hundreds of years wandering these worlds. In that time, I learned many things.”
“Hundreds? How old are you exactly?” I asked.
Tiki ignored the question and continued to shovel food into his mouth. “Are you going to eat that?” He pointed to the dish that sat untouched in my hand.
I shook my head and handed him the bowl, which he immediately began to devour.
“Well, let’s
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