Tales From Crashdown: Beowulf

Chapter 4: Blinded By Memories

After no noise was heard from the hall, Lord Romero entered and was informed by Joe about the situation.

"So, this thing wasn't acting on its own?" asked Romero, curiously.
Joe held up the device, "Yes. This thing was controlling her. Which is why she was such a sloppy fighter."

Beo yawned, "Well at least she gave me a nice stretch."

Riley thought for a moment before turning to Beo, who was now sitting on the troll woman's back, "When did you realize she wasn't acting by herself? You would have killed her after drawing out the fight, if you thought she was fighting on her own."

Beo's expression changed, and the feel of the air shifted as she spoke, "Troll's don't fight like that. They normally use some form of armour, and a long weapon. This one had no weapon, and all she's wearing is a burlap skirt. However, I didn't put the pieces together until she hit me."

Romero raised an eyebrow, "You could tell it was being manipulated because it hit you?"

Beo sighed, "SHE had energy. When I got hit, I could feel a thin veil of it knocking into me. It's like someone with a glove punching you with a loaded glove."

Riley nudged Romero, "You remember?"

Romero rolled his eyes, "Yes! I remember! It's enhancement! Now STOP!"

Riley laughed for a second.

Beo continued, "When I realized that's what happened, I decided to get a better look. So, I looked with my own spirit."

Romero asked, "Colours?"

Beo nodded, "Colours. The energy she gave off was pink. It was the spirit of someone who had no rage, no sizzling blood. But, I could also see streaks of red, rivers of it emanating from her, like a bloody stream."

Joe, who had been sealing the hole Beo had made in the troll's skull with his own spirit arts, stood up to speak, "The red was from the device."

Beo hopped off the back of the troll woman and crossed her arms, "And now, to find out who put the bug on her."

As they all stood around the body of the woman, they watched as her fingers began to twitch, her feet began to shift, her breathing became less hidden, and eventually watched as she pushed herself up to lay on her side.

The rusted-golden eyes stared down at the group, then to the roof, then the walls, and finally her own hand.

"Hey!" Beo shouted, causing the woman to jump to her feet, only to slip and land on her back.

The troll woman spoke, but only barely. She was drowning herself in her own tears, "Please, let me leave! I don't want to be in this cage! I won't fight you! I just-"

Beo began to walk forward, speaking softly for the first time since she arrived, "It's okay! Hey, it's alright, ma'am. I didn't mean to shock you."

The woman sat up again and looked around as she had a moment ago, and finally fixated on Beo. She breathed for a while, just staring at the small woman. Then, she spoke, still wavering a bit in her voice, "Y-You're not a troll."

Beo laughed a hardy laugh, "No, not at all! Though, I have been told I eat like one."

Joe shouted from the other end of the hall, "She tried to make me into stew once!"

Beo turned back, "Stop complaining, you lived!"

"I still have the teeth marks in my arm!" Cried Joe

Beo turned back to the troll woman, "Ignore him, he's just the emergency food."

The troll woman leaned down, getting eye level with Beo, "Ah, there you are."

Beo cocked her head, "Could you not see me?"

The woman shook her head, "No, my eyes haven't been as good since I was a child."

Beo walked a bit closer, "Do you know what just happened?"

The troll woman was quiet for a long while, but eventually spoke again, "I-I don't know.....so much is gone." She sat up again and held her hand in front of her face, beginning to move it closer and further to her face.

Romero questioned, "What is wrong with her? Is she blind?'

Riley answered, "Probably. Looks like she struggles to make out shapes, unless they're so large. She could barely see us, but something like a bear would catch her eye."

Romero scoffed, "She doesn't even know what her own hand looks like? That's just Pathetic."

Riley grabbed Romero by the jaw and forced him to look his way, "What's pathetic is a leader who can't defend his people. Either start thinking before you speak, or just go lock yourself in your private chambers. I don't care which."

Romero pulled himself out of Riley's grip and backed up a few feet to get out of range.

The troll woman put her hand down to Beo and asked curiously, "What is on my hand? Is it chalk?"

Beo was confused, but decided to help. She began rubbing the palm with her own hand to rub off whatever was on her. Beo  asked, "Other than some dust, dirt and dried blood, there's not anything on you."

The troll woman quickly pulled her hand back and started to examine it, "Blood‽ Why is there blood‽ Why am I so pale‽"

Joe and Riley made their way over to her, slowly approaching to not shock her more.

Joe waved to make sure she could see him moving, "When was the last time you had a proper set of meals? Trolls eat 5 meals per day."

The troll woman answered, "I don't know.....maybe last week?"
Beo was about to speak, but Joe cut her off, "What was last week? What was the date?"

"I.....I think it was the 5th?" Said the troll woman, worried at such a question.

Riley and Joe both shot a look at Beo before Joe went on, "What month? What year?"

The troll woman looked at Beo and barely made out a nod from the barbarian, "It's January, I think it's 2720. I don't bother with calendars sometimes."

Beo dropped her smile, "Oh....."

The troll woman responded, "What? Is that wrong?"

Beo struggled to speak, but then blurted, "It's 2850!"

Riley grabbed Beo by the shirt, "Shut up! Learn to be gentle with this stuff!"

The troll woman went silent, her expression growing blank, no real sign of rage, joy or sadness.

Riley punched Beo in the mouth, making her take a step back, she yelled "Hey! What was that for? I almost felt that one."

Riley answered, "Because you can't understand subtlety!"

"A hundred.....and thirty years.....a hundred.....and thirty years.....a hundred.....and thirty years....." the troll woman repeated to herself.

Beo turned to Joe, "What does that mean?"

Joe answered, "This device was on her for over a century. Her mind was blank that whole time, until you knocked her out and got this off of her. That's like if you took a nap and suddenly 30 years passed, all while your body was under someone's control."

The troll woman let out a bone scratching cry as she slammed both her hands down in front of Beo, her forehead on the ground.

Riley and Joe both took a step back, but Beo just stood, wanting to say something, but unsure of what would be appropriate.

The troll woman spoke so quietly that Joe and Riley could barely hear her, "Your name.....what is it?"

Beo answered without hesitation, "I'm Beowulf. The deer is Joe, the man is Riley."

Joe quipped, "I'm a MUSK, you racist ass."

The troll woman spoke again, still in that pillow-soft tone, "Please.....kill my son."

Riley and Joe both quickly tried to cover Beo's mouth, but they were unable to stop her from happily yelling, "Gladly!"