INSTINCTS 3.2

Kkelea felt out of place. The trolls slowly escorted her into the mountain. She was not the only cub accompanying her mother. The two sons of Fizkwik the Scream and the daughter of Zeppel the Beast walked beside her. It had been a while since they had seen any light, except that which came from the crystals that adorned the trolls' bodies. They were slow, with a lurching gait, large, stony hands, and flat faces. They had no noses, but two openings, their mouths were small and always open, and their eyes were dark as two smooth stones. It was hard to believe that they were living creatures, they looked like rocks bewitched by some spell, but according to Kkrya, they had a similar origin to the orcs and hyaenids. Therefore, the three species could understand each other.

The narrow cave opened before them. Thousands of tiny lights, like the stars of the night, indicated the vastness of this dark chamber. One of the trolls crouched down slowly, muttering some unfamiliar words as he touched the ground with his long, broad fingers. Crystals of all sizes and colors glowed even more, allowing Kkelea to see that they were not in a natural formation. Columns, engravings, reliefs, and bas-reliefs similar to those found in the oldest temples of the West paled in comparison to such magnificence. Like humans, trolls loved to build. But they kept their talent for themselves.

At the center of the temple awaited the four sages, the oldest, most worn and softened trolls, who had been hidden in the mountain for generations. All around them, hundreds if not thousands of stone eyes watched them, ready to attack at the slightest provocation. Kkelea knew they were not skilled warriors, but they were very tough and could use earth magic to finish them off in an instant. They had to be careful.

The three matriarchs approached the sages and bowed. The cubs followed behind them and sat down. Kkelea caught a peculiar scent, and glanced furtively at one of Fizkwik's sons. Although he was a male, he was almost her size and had confident eyes. She didn't understand why Fizkwik had invited him, since he was male. It must have been because he had no daughters. When the cub noticed the look, he returned it. She closed her eyes, lifted her head, and focused on the sages.

"You honor us with your presence, hyenas," one of them said in a voice much more fluid and elevated than Kkelea had expected. "Though our species could not be called allies, we have managed to keep the peace."

"That peace, mighty trolls," Fizkwik replied, "is the reason for a shared hatred. As you well know, the trolls of the East have been enslaved, as have those of the West. The humans use them to mine their ore, to dig their soil, or to build their castles. Every day the humans take a little more of our beautiful savannah, until soon there will be nothing left for us."

"True," said another of the sages, one so weathered that he was half the size of the others and barely taller than Fleas. "But the hand of the one who rebels against his maker will be broken. We are stone, and stone is hard. We can mine with or without chains."

"It is not only the work," Kkrya replied, "it is the form. Slave trolls have no say in the matter. Humans mine sacred minerals, they drain the mountain of its life, its beauty, and its strength. I have heard of entire mountains collapsing at the hands of man. Or rather, by the subjugated hand of trolls under the command of men. If men were to reach these mountains, in a short time they would be nothing but empty shells."

The sages looked at each other.

The first sage was stubborn: "The earth will endure. It always does. These mountains existed before our creation, and they will exist after."

The matriarchs stood up, stunned. Before they left, Kkrya concluded:

"The liberated trolls of the Sun Kingdom will come here, I know, for this is the last glimmer of freedom in the mountains. They will convince you of the cruelty of man. When that happens, remember that we have warned you. We offer you an alliance, one that goes beyond our current non-aggression pact. One that will put us before the Great Human Wall and bring it down. One that makes it clear that our home is ours alone, and no shod foot shall tread upon it."

"Your words have been heard," nodded another sage, one who seemed younger by his height and the sharpness of his crystals. "And they will be considered to the extent that you are correct in your prediction. You may stay a while longer if you wish, but there is little on the mountain to please those who live on the outskirts."

"We appreciate the invitation. We will be leaving," Zeppel said.

On the way out, Kkelea could not take her eyes off the cub. His mother tweaked her ear and whispered to her:

"I'll talk to you later."

"Mother, why did I come here?"

"You just answered that question. You are my daughter; and you are also a warrior. There will be times of blood and times of death. You must learn to fight, but also to dialog. Observe carefully, understand how others think, how they feel, what they fear and what they desire. Squeeze with your claws, but without suffocating. Learn when to demand and when to yield. To be a warrior is to know how to fight, but to be a matriarch is everything I have told you and more."

Kkelea preferred not to think about why she told her that. Right now there was only one thought running through her mind. A thought she should ignore.