Mystic

Chapter 24, Amira

The sound of water resonated throughout the entire forest, drowning out almost everything else. There must have been a waterfall nearby, for it's loud crash droned on and on. At first, Amira had welcomed the sound. Now, however, it was so loud that Amira's ears felt like they might bleed. They had to be close.

Sure enough, Amira saw a wide stream that cut sharply through the terrain. directly in front of the group was a worn stone bridge almost completely covered with moss and mildew. A wooden sign stood right beside it, but it was far too worn and crusted with strange-colored mold to be read. Amira made her way to the front of the group, eager to see how far the stream went. Before she could reach the edge of the water, a figure took several booming steps out of it's hiding place. It had a sickly color of green skin that blended in perfectly with the mossy stones of the bridge. It's tiny black eyes were sunken into it's skull, and it's forehead jutted out, casting shadows over its face. It had absolutely no hair on its head, but a significant amount covered it's large, uncovered stomach. Thankfully, the creature was wearing a particularly worn set of leather trousers, stained and frayed with age. it carried in it's massive hands a tin bucket and a wooden club. The club was the most massive weapon that Amira had ever seen. It was taller than she was, and certainly much wider. The figure dragged the club lazily behind it, and walked in a way that conveyed extreme boredom. It stood in front of the bridge like a boulder, and addressed the group in a slurred voice.

"Ya wannna crossess the brigge, yall gotter payy up." The figure said holding out the tin bucket. 

"We wouldn't pay a cent to you!" Amira declared angrily to the horrible creature.

"Ya seee thisss sign?" The creature asked, then used the flimsy sign to support it's weight. It creaked ominously, but didn't give. "Ya aint crossess witout payy." Of course, there was absolutely no writing visible beneath the orange and green mold that covered the sign's surface.

"The sign doesn't think so." Cairo pointedly commented, and the creature looked at the front of the sign confusedly.

"Its changed its mand, but I sur aint." The creature refuted, holding out the bucket more forcefully than before.

"So you can buy more alcohol?" Farah asked disgustedly.

"This here be a toll bridge. Now gimme yo tolls." The creature grumbled.

"No." Amira decided, "And that's final."

"If I can' have yoo cash, ima get yoo flesh!" The creature shouted, dropping the bucket and lifting the club with both hands. The creature brought it down with a mighty crash, nearly hitting Pirin, who dodged to the left just in time. And to think just moments ago Amira found the creature almost comical. The troll raised the club again and charged at the group. It all happened in a matter of seconds.

Just before the creature crashed into the group, a figure dropped down from the trees holding a long coil of rope. As fast as lightning, the figure coiled the rope around the creature's neck, then dropped down and tied the beast's feet. The figure then used the troll to vault back up into the canopy, where Amira lost sight of the figure. However, she could still hear a whistle from the figure as the great mass of the beast that had threatened them suddenly ascended into the trees. There was a brief flash in the canopy, then nothing.

"What was that?" Farah asked, breathless.

"Who was that is a better question. They finished that beast off in seconds!" Cairo exclaimed. as he said that, the beast suddenly crashed to the ground. Amira looked up to see that a longer piece of rope had been cut, and was still hanging up in the tree.

"Whoever it was knew what would happen. They didn't just do all that on the spot; It would have taken a long time to climb all the way up to tie that rope. It was clearly a trap for the creature." Amira told the group. 

"How long do you think that guy was waiting there?" Gala asked, standing inches away from the beast and looking up at the rope. "Amira's right, the rope is tying several different branches together, and it must have taken time to choose the sturdiest branches." 

"That. Was. Epic." Pirin said, still staring in awe at the lifeless body of the beast.

"Hey!" Cairo shouted into the trees, "Why don't you come on out so we can thank you!?" There was no reply. Whoever had been up there, they were long gone. Though she was grateful, Amira felt something was off about the figure in the trees. How did they knew that her group would be in trouble? How long had they been in the trees? Was the figure still there, watching from somewhere high up in the canopy? There was no way the figure's appearance was a coincidence. They would have had to follow Amira and their group to be there, and she didn't like to think that she had been being watched all this time. The figure seemed to have good intentions, but what about someone who might wish to harm her? Amira knew that they had to be more careful, and she prayed that this stranger would reveal themselves soon enough. Otherwise, she wasn't safe. Who knew what else was watching her from the dark corners of the forest?