The 7 Deadly Sins - Gluttony (Book 2 of The 7 Deadly Sins Novella Series)

Chapter 1

"Talitha! Hurry up before the sun comes up!" Eira shouted to her distracted daughter.

The older troll woman scooped up metal sticks & homemade daggers into a worn brown leather satchel and threw it over her hunched shoulders.

"Have you got the clubs?" A gruffled voice asked from behind a large boulder.

It was Talitha's father, Gunnar, and he looked flustered.

"Yes, I have given them to, Hagen" Eira replied and pointed to Talitha's older brother, growling and slurping in a dimly lit corner of the cave.

Hagen looked up at his father with blood and cartilage splattered around his enlarged mouth and pointed to the clubs to the side of the decapitated body he was feasting on.

Talitha's family moved into the cave a few years ago and since their arrival, they have managed to maintain their hidden location from the humans and other mythical beings as it was in the deepest part of the forest, too dense and dangerous for many to travel to.

Luckily, for trolls, the impenetrable, rocky terrain was easy for their small, fast and nimble bodies to navigate through.

Their extra tough, tanned skin never bruised or tore, making the jagged stones that led to the entrance of the cave, a nightmare for intruders but a great source of protection, and food, for the family.

Also, their exceptional sight allowed them to hide in the deepest parts of the cave, making it easy for them to pounce on any intruder that managed to make their way into their homes, unscathed by the deadly landscape outside of their dwelling.

Whether they died from falling in one of the cave's many drops or were ripped to shreds by the trolls razor sharp claws, they would never be a threat to Talitha and her family, who would feast on their bodies to celebrate their triumph and - to get rid of the evidence.

"Father, I made this! Can we test it out tonight?" Hagen asked with excitement, wiping his bloody meal from his face with his enlarged claw.

He handed his father a jagged rock that resembled a dagger and waited with baited breath for his response.

Gunnar twisted and turned the makeshift weapon to examine his son's craftsmanship,

"It's good, Hagen! It will be good for gutting" he proclaimed and handed it back to his proud son.

"We must go now whilst the humans are getting ready to go to sleep" Eira rushed and navigated the family to the cave's entrance.

A crescent moon beamed over the forest, providing ample light for Talitha and her family to use to navigate their way through the dense forestry.

As they casually walked through the rugged terrain, they talked about their plans for the night as they ignored the calls of the forest.

"Can we take one to eat?" Hagen asked eagerly.

"Not tonight! Tonight, we only take their riches" Gunnar firmly explained to his deflated son.

Talitha rolled her eyes at her brother's endless appetite and continued to enjoy the walk through the moonlit forest, with her mother adding an array of berries and branches to her satchel to eat later.

Bird's swarked to one another from above, small creatures quickly scurried back to their homes for safety and howling echoed through the trees like the wind as the family made their way to the border of Whitechapel and stopped to assess the situation ahead.

A tall brown haired gentleman looking distinguished in a suit began walking down the street, ahead of the family, then turned round the corner and out of site as the trolls observed his movements with intrigue.

"I saw this man yesterday. He has wealth. He came from there with gold" Gunnar explained pointing to the bank at the top of the eerily desolate street.

The trio eagerly followed his extended finger with excitement in their eyes.

"Let's follow him" Eira whispered, licking her minuscule lips.

The other three nodded with excitement as their eyes glowed amber.

The fiery glow swept through their sturdy bodies as they ripped through the empty alleys to follow the dignified gentleman to his Victorian townhouse.

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