Prejudiced Duo part 1
Wheezing, huffing, and puffing, Bokun had grappled with the piercing strike he had received from the female hunter. The blow broke four of his ribs, two of which had penetrated his lungs. However, after taking a swig from his potion, the broken bones within his body began to remodel themselves, returning to his ribcage. Threads of tissue spanned over the holes in his lungs like a web of new cells, healing him in less than a second. Frustrated and humbled, Bokun mumbled to himself. That was close. That's the second time I've had to resort to the waters of "Karō"... Those damn Elders were right about this continent. First, I lost my teeth because of this brat... Then I almost lost my life to a woman... What the hell is this place?
The teeth Bokun had lost in his fight with Guhin had grown back, and he was now up and about, even though he had been struggling to breathe just a moment ago. The waters of Karō he referred to not only healed but also regenerated...
Looking down at Guhin's unconscious body, Bokun's gaze shifted towards the trail of destruction. A trail that had leveled the entire land as far as it went... He had never seen such ridiculous strength. He couldn't wrap his head around what had happened. That vast energy that seemed to have no end... That yearning for blood...
For a moment, the thought of ending Guhin's life came to his mind. Perhaps the world would be better off without someone so powerful. But if it wasn't for Guhin, Bokun would be toasting a drink in the afterlife... Hesitant at first, he swung his blade around his wrist before sheathing it on his back.
The moment his greatsword got anywhere near its short, leathery scabbard, a single rune on its stone-crafted design shone bright with a hint of blue and enclosed itself around his blade. Bokun's scabbard was imbued with magic, favored by everyone that used large weapons or was an expert in swordsmanship. An enchanted scabbard was typically used for faster drawing, sheathing, or the luxury of lightened carry weight...
BOKUN: Dammit, Etro, he did save our life after all, and that little shit has to answer for his crimes anyway... sniff
A sour odor wrinkled Bokun's nose...
BOKUN: And we can't leave him here, you smell them too, right? They must be heading this way...
Etro rustled his body with a quick shake. The sour odor of urine and feces, mixed with the iron smell of blood, was carried in the wind... Commonly known around the world, trolls shared the same scent no matter the species. They had no decency... Doing their needs in the usual loincloth that covered their genitals, trolls walked the earth bathed in their own filth, and the blood of their victims.
Not only were they vile, but they were also extremely territorial. The deafening impact that had ended the battle must've triggered their primitive behavior... The slight tremor beneath Bokun's feet changed his demeanor on a whim. He had to act quickly...
BOKUN: We have to move before they catch our scent, Etro. The earth's trembling beneath their numbers, I'd say we have about ten minutes at best...
As Bokun mounted Guhin to the front of Etro's saddle, he opened up another satchel bound to his mighty steed.
Taking out two dusty pouches, he unwrapped the cord that bound them and poured out a flaky substance. It was some sort of fine sand, one grey, the other a more earthy tone.
BOKUN: The dandruff of an imp will have them going in circles for a while. Keep your mouth closed, Etro...
The dandruff of an imp was used in the most basic recipes of witchcraft, or for brief communication with the realm of the dead. Another use of the material was diversion. Be it animal, human, or monster, one small whiff of the imp's dandruff would leave you smelling their rotten flesh for hours...
Bokun carefully emptied both of the pouches while averting his head. Etro did the same, almost digging his nostrils in the dirt to ensure none of their dead skin reached him...
After muffling the empty bags back into the satchel, Bokun made sure he didn't leave anything behind that could track their scent. In a sense of urgency, he mounted Etro as they began to ride along the immense trail of destruction left behind by Guhin.
In comparison to the whole southern region of Jhorfa, the aftermath of Guhin's attack was merely a scratch on the surface. But seeing it up close, Bokun was baffled. Hundreds of feet of pure devastation. No boulders or trees, nor any plantation. Only the trail of wallowed-up earth, like a giant serpent, had slithered the land...
At the end of the trail, between the heaps of dirt, he could see something moving but decided to give it no further attention since the stink of troll was getting worse. He already had a hunch when he was traveling through Jhorfa's rocky plains, but now he could confirm it.
BOKUN: Korfha, Torfha, or whatever they call this place, must be troll country, Etro. No wonder this land is abandoned.
Having dealt with trolls on numerous occasions, Bokun knew they had to go anywhere near water. Water as an element or in the form of spells had little to no effect on them, but a lake or a river was a different story. Being as big as they were and how much they weighed, the thought of drowning scared them... After a gentle tap of Bokun's heels on Etro's side, they rode uphill and disappeared into the lush green land of a forest at the end of the road.
A couple of hours had passed since Bokun set up camp. The full moon lit the land in its soft glow, as the crackling embers of fire illuminated the edge of a mountain, bordered by an enormous riverbank...
Glassy, yellow eyes were staring at them from afar... Darkened silhouettes stood between the trees, and on the mountains around them... Trolls... That's what Bokun hated the most about them. His blade was more than enough to cleave them to bits, but trolls at night were almost dormant. Hiding in the shadows, motionless and quiet. They would wait for hours if they had to, waiting for the perfect moment to devour you whole... Just thinking about it gave him a look of disgust.
BOKUN: ...Guess that's no sleep for us, Etro. Let's just hope the sun shines bright in the morning.
Etro was surrounded by empty bags that had been bound on his saddle, and to his liking, it seemed. The mighty steed stretched his hind legs and neighed toward his master in contentment... No wonder he was happy, the empty bags must've been filled with armor, seeing how Bokun's attire had changed.
His wild hair was now bound in a tail, and he was no longer in his bare upper body. Instead, he wore a long-sleeved, black shirt and the pelt that was around his waist had moved to his shoulder. On the other side, he was fully armored in thick, plated silver. The armor was engraved with details that ran from his gauntlet towards his heavy armored pauldron...
Picking at the burning wood with his greatsword, Guhin rolled a little too close to the breathing flames... It caught Bokun's attention, but he decided to add more wood to the fire, rather than help him again...
Amid his scheme, Fukujin dove down from between the stars and landed beside Guhin. He looked down at his sleeping body, then at the fire, and finally, he gave a long gaze towards Bokun.
Fukujin death stare
BOKUN: What, you roll him over then, you evil bastard.
The freshly added wood was catching flames, and as it took in large amounts of oxygen, a large ember shot out of the fire... Fukujin watched as the falling ember landed on Guhin's nose, waking him up with a first-degree burn and a throbbing headache.
Waking up to the laughter of the smiling giant was anything but a pleasant way to open one's eyes. Not only was Guhin surprised that Bokun was alive, but he also couldn't remember anything after he had slipped into the darkness...
GUHIN: ...He's still alive, what happened...
The jolly laughter of Bokun took an abrupt stop as he took his red-hot sword from the fire and pointed it at Guhin. He was serious, his eyes focused, his hand steady on his blade...
BOKUN: You give me one good reason why those men were after you...
Staring at Guhin from over his large testament of steel, the sound of rustling leaves and falling pebbles to the ground shifted Bokun's gaze toward the forest and the mountains around them.
The glassy eyes of the trolls were moving. Their darkened silhouettes were crawling back from wherever they came from until they had disappeared completely... They had retreated... It made Bokun wonder if Guhin had anything to do with it...
BOKUN: They can't be scared of him, trolls are fearless... Aren't they...?