The Troll At The Brown Bridge

"I told you". Haze said to Elena as they watched the dead woman.

"Told me what? She replied.

"That she couldn't be trusted". He snapped.

"Oh, I knew that". Elena said. "It was pretty obvious from the start".

"So why did you insist we follow her and eat her food and sleep here?" Haze asked.

"Because we needed food, and a place to sleep". She replied. "Things she could offer us".

"I could have hunted, we could have food".

"Hunt what?" She replied and went to sit. "Incase you haven't noticed this forest is weird, we hear animals but we don't see them, it's hard to find sticks to light a fire, what were the odds that with your subpar hunting skills and this hostile forest we were going to get food?" She asked him.

Haze had no reply for that, she had a very obvious point.

"But she could have killed us, you were willing to risk our lives for food and shelter". He said.

"No she couldn't have". Elena replied. "I knew you'd be too restless to truly sleep, that once any danger arose you'd be alert. I knew you wouldn't lose your guard in a place you didn't trust".

She went quiet for a while and added. "And yes, I was willing to risk our lives for food, I'll risk anybody's life for food. Don't you see? This is how things are done in the realm of the gods, only the strong and ruthless thrive, and they crush anyone or anything that stands in their path".

Haze sat beside her silently.

"I don't feel anything". He said eventually.

"What?" Elena asked.

"Powers, I'm supposed to feel powers when I kill beings right?" Haze replied.

"Only for monsters, not anything human or god related". Elena explained.

"Oh". Said Haze. "What do you mean by anything human or related?"

"Some monsters copulate with humans or gods, their offsprings are usually monsters in outward appearance but they have human like features inwardly. If you kill them you don't get powers either".

Haze squeezed his face in disgust. "Why would anybody do that?"

"No rules". Elena replied. "My dad did it with a sea serpent once, their offspring is very popular, you may know him as flyrin".

"Too much information". Haze replied and moved away from her. "I'm going to sleep to try to forget all I've heard, when I wake up we'll continue our journey".

"Aye aye captain". Elena replied.

Haze closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

It was late in the morning when Haze woke up to a peculiar scent tickling his nose. He opened his eyes to see Elena sitting on top of him, her eyes beamed with glee when she saw that he had woken up.

"Good morning Haze". She purred.

"Why are you on top of me?" Haze asked and tried to lift her off him.

"I was enjoying the view". She replied and refused to get up. "And judging certain reactions, I'd say you're enjoying the view too".

Haze grabbed her arms and yanked her off him, she fell to the ground.

"Ouch". She exclaimed. "What'd you do that for?"

Haze said nothing, he picked his sword and hung it on his back. He left the room and walked to the kitchen, Elena was soon beside him.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she watched him rummage through the cupboards, packing almost anything that was edible.

"She's dead, she wouldn't be needed these". He replied and packed them into his bag.

He grabbed a jug of water and filled three flasks. "Put these in your bag". He said and handed them over to her.

Elena did as he said and they headed out of the house.

A few hours past noon, they reached a long narrow rickety bridge. Haze and Elena stopped in front of the bridge.

[You have a new mission]

[Mission: cross the bridge]

[Reward: +10 Exp]

"It doesn't look safe to climb". Haze said to her.

"Oh it's safe alright". A deep voice replied and a troll leaped out of the ditch. "Who dares cross my bridge?" He yelled.

"Shut up troll". Elena said with a roll of her eyes.

The troll looked offended. "You dare insult the troll, verily i say, no passage for either of you.."

"Forgive my friend". Haze cut in. "We've had a long day and she's in a bad mood".

The troll relaxed. "Very well, my riddle is such; Where shadows fall, I rise

Seek me out, with curious eyes

In the place where day meets night"

Haze thought about it, where shadows fall, where day meets night. He looked at Elena but she shrugged showing she didn't know it either.

I don't know the answer. He thought. I'll probably have to kill him to pass the bridge… so inconvenient.

He was about to give up and concede defeat when the answer popped to his head.

"A sundial!" He shouted. "It's a sundial".

"Very well". The troll said and stepped aside. "You may pass".

Haze climbed onto the bridge and started walking, Elena tried to go after him but the troll stopped her.

"The young lady must solve her own riddle to pass". It said. "Since she is so quick to insult".

"Are you serious?" Elena asked in anger.

"This goes your riddle; Follow the path, where waters flow

To the spot, where secrets grow

A place of reflection, and quiet thought

Find this spot, and inner peace will be brought"

Elena thought about it but she couldn't decipher it, finally she gave up and said.

"I don't know it".

"The lady can not pass the bridge". The troll said smugly and blocked her from passing.

Haze had removed his sword while he stood on the bridge, as soon as the troll backed him, he plunged his sword into its back. Haze pulled out the sword and pushed the bleeding troll off the bridge and into the ditch below.

Elena stared at him in amazement. "You didn't think twice". She said breathlessly.

Haze smirked. "Let's go".

They crossed the bridge, Haze got off first, Elena was about to get off the bridge when the troll suddenly leaped back to the edge and pushed her back.

"The lady will not cross the bridge!" It shouted firmly.

Haze groaned and pulled out his sword. He struck at the troll but it ducked it and the sword hit the pole of the bridge instead, cutting on of the ropes off, the ropes below it began to snap too under the weight of the bridge.

Elena tried to get off again but the troll grabbed her with one of his long arms and pushed her back to the center of the bridge. The sudden movement was the final nail in the coffin and the bridge began to collapse, then it broke into two.

"Haze!" Elena yelled as bridge broke apart with her in the center, she grabbed on the shorter half and it swung towards the end of the cliff.

Haze struck at the troll again but it ducked it and aimed a deadly blow at Haze's head, Haze jumped out of the way and the blow made a dent on the hillside.

Wow, powerful. Haze thought.

He slashed at the troll again and this time it caught its arm, the troll roared.

Meanwhile Elena was still hanging on to the broken bridge, she had pulled herself up halfway but she couldn't gather enough strength to complete the climb.

"Haze! I'm going to fall!", She cried, knowing her strength was about to fail her and she would fall anytime.

Haze heard Elena call him and intensified his attacks at the troll.

He swung his sword at the troll and pretended to aim at its arm, then at he last minute he deflected and aimed at its neck, slicing it cleanly off.

[1 kill made]

[+2 status points]

Haze immediately dropped his sword and ran to the edge of the ditch, he watched her with cold eyes, this was his chance to get rid of her.

He looked at for a minute and then made up his mind, he stretched his hand to Elena and she weakly reached for it, Haze grabbed her hand and pulled her up slowly till she climbed out of the ditch.

[Mission complete]

[Reward: +10 Exp]

Elena collapsed when she got back on land. "I didn't think you'd save me". She said, her eyes were wet with tears.

Haze blinked. "Why?"

"Cause I know you're very ruthless and I know you dislike me". She said.

Haze was lost for words. "That's not true". He finally managed to croak out. "Sure you're a little annoying but I don't dislike you".

Elena got to her feet and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, sure". She replied sarcastically. "You don't have to lie to me".

"I'm not lying". Haze replied. "I don't dislike you, in fact, I kinda like you."

"Really?" Elena asked, perking up.

"More or less". Haze shrugged.

Elena threw her hands around him and jumped with joy. "Oh you don't know how much this warms my heart".

Haze pushed her away. "That's enough, don't smother me". He looked at the troll. "What are we going to do with it?"

"We leave it." Elena replied.

"If we didn't already have food, we'd have eaten it". Haze said.

"Eww, I'm not eating troll meat". Elena said and made a disgusted face.

"Food is food". Haze shrugged and they continued their journey.