Façade

Chapter Two

Hours passed as the troll trudged through the muddy woods, the girl perched on his back had long since drifted off, leaving him to his own thoughts.

The man in his arms occasionally stirred, causing blood to spurt from the wound in his face.

To the troll it seemed he wouldn't last very much longer; but if his master thought she could save him, he had to trust her...

Soon the tree line thinned into dense shrubbery as thatch huts began to appear in the distance. He could hear children playing nearby, and soon spotted a few girls and boys tossing a ball around.

They shrieked at the sight of the old troll, running off to their village like rabid chipmunks. He bent down and picked up the ball, uttering a ragged sigh before tossing it up in the air.

Bony fingers lashed out and caught the ball, followed by a hollow rasp. The troll lifted his head a bit to look at the shuddering beast perched on his back, watching him with luminescent orbs.

Dark blood dribbled between his lips as he breathed out, looking around frantically, "M-Master...?" he uttered, "W-where are you...?"

"H-hnnnng..."

The chimera froze up and scuttled onto the troll's shoulders, peering down at the man, "Master!"

The troll looked down just as the other eye of the dying man in his arms fluttered open, showing a dull maroon color glazed over in pain. His pupil was severely dilated as he looked up blankly, possibly seeing nothing.

This "Master's" companion seemed to notice, "M-Master...This one was too late to save you... So sorry..."

The man blinked, his pupil contracting slightly, "L-Lö...we...?"

"This one is here for you!" Löwe chirped, "This one lamented through the night and help has come for the Master!" he went on, "A mountain man and a little woman, like in your visions!"

"Löwe..." the man gasped again.

"Yes, Master?"

His eye fluttered shut, "Please...stifle your excitement..." his whole body jerked and blood spurted from the wound in his face, "W-we...are not out of...the woods...y-yet..."

Löwe's eyes widened in fear, "T-this one can't s-survive without...the Master..." the chimera bowed his head in shame, "W-what will this one do...? The flickering face fleshies would invade this one's night mind again...the lights and static and burning...and...and..."

The man reached out with a trembling hand, "Löwe...p-please...I won't...leave you..."

His loyal companion reached out and took his hand, curling the bony claws around the pasty hand of his friend, "Master..."

OOO

Soon the group came upon a verdant glade in the woods, where wildflowers swayed to and fro in the wind and water babbled silently along a small stream, careless to the surrounding world.

Birds could be heard twittering in the woods beyond, but the sounds of the village of Gii'on, which was less than a mile away did not pierce the hush of nature. Amidst it all resided a small wooden cottage with a water wheel turning aside it, feeding itself from the stream.

The girl clambered off the back of her giant companion and disappeared into the domicile as he followed behind. The troll ducked through the door, looking around at the cluttered insides.

Tomes sat stacked against the walls where the shelves were already full of medicinal herbs and mushrooms. In the center stood a small wood stove already crackling as the girl placed a few logs into it.

A small bed sat in the far corner behind a folding wall, away from the prying eyes of anyone who visited the home. There the girl slept, hidden from those who hunted Magick users.

She pointed to the larger bed with rough spun blankets in the other corner, "Put him there, and be gentle."

"What about grey man?" the troll inquired.

"I'll get a bed roll ready..." the girl responded as she gathered up supplies from a cabinet hidden behind some books.

He gave a nod of acknowledgement as he carried the man to the bed. To the troll it seemed that the man had already passed on, as he had not moved or made a sound in hours.

A sharp inhale broke the silence as the troll laid him down, his eye snapped open and looked up at him in silent terror. The chimera stepped forward, looming over him, "Master...? Are the light men in you too?"

Deep blue fluid trickled from the corners of his mouth as he stared at them, unblinking.

"Gottric?" Löwe asked tentatively, his eyes full of worry.

"So his name is Gottric...?" the girl mused as she came over, rolling a table of medical supplies.

He looked to her, his pupil growing thin with suspicion, "D-Diviner..."

"Actually..." she began, "The name's Blair the Wiccan...And you are...?"

"Gottric of...Rivernwood...." he replied weakly, "I am...Henker..."

The troll made a sound of interest, "Executioner...?"

Blair reached out and placed a hand against Gottric's forehead, the man's eye grew hazy and he relaxed against the bed. She sighed softly, "It's going to be a dangerous task to remove this shard..." she said aloud.

Löwe whimpered beside her.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle with your master." she said as she grasped the broadest part of the shard, pulling it out.

Gottric's eye glazed over in pain, but the spell she placed kept him from moving as she worked. Blood pooled in the gaping hole in his face, dribbling into his other eye and down his face as his pulse heightened.

Blair placed sterile cloths against the wound, applying pressure even as he started to pant and moan out in pain. Gottric grit his teeth in pain, growing rigid as his fists clenched until his knuckles grew white.

The troll brought his hands down upon the man as he began screaming, spraying blood as he thrashed against their hold, "S-stop...!" he rasped shying from them, "T-there's fire...inside...m-my head...s-stop...!"

Blair frowned and lifted the bloodied cloths away, catching sight of a ghostly glow deep in the wound. She grabbed a pair of tongs and neared him, "I think there's something still in there..."

Gottric broke the grip of the troll and soon Blair found herself being pinned against the wall by the throat! The man on the other end glared at her with an emotionless red eye, "Leave me alone...!" he snarled in a deep, rough voice that brought her chills.

"P-please let go...you're injured..." she gasped out.

Gottric's face twisted in pain and he released her, grasping his head as blood gushed from his mouth. Löwe put his arms around him as his friend lost consciousness, slumping back as more blood spilled out.

Löwe laid him out on the bed, cleaning away all the blood covering his face and chest, "Gottric...please don't let the light men in...This one couldn't survive without you..."

"It's...too late..." his friend rasped, "Löwe...They're already...h-here..."

"Don't lose yourself...This one believes in you..."

Gottric's eye drifted shut and he lost consciousness once more. The light in his wound grew dim as the flesh began to reform around it, leaving a rather large scar up the side of his fade with a mottled white and grey look to it.

The chimera looked away, going to Blair as her troll went to her aid.

She was rubbing her throat as dark bruises formed, "What's his problem...?"