By The Will of the Gods

Not all is as it seems

From their chamber, Si Yin and Liang heard nothing of the chaos that was raging beyond the fired barrier that Mo Yuan had raised to contain the flow of Trolls that were still trying to escape, but Liang knew that war was now inevitable regardless, because Shifu had taught them the consequences of lowering the barrier that contained them.  And though Si Yin was no longer crying, he was wondering just how it had collapsed, when everything he had learned suggested it shouldn't have.  

"Liang.  When do you think they will feed us again?" Si Yin asked as the last of the fruit she had taken was swallowed down and her hands wiped all over her gown.

Turning to look at her, he tried not to show the fear that he was feeling, but annoyance instantly hit because at that moment food was the last thing on his mind.  He had tried once to open the door, only to find it blocked by a thick barrier, one he was unfamiliar with, in fact he was busy studying it when his junior asked for dinner.  Only the look on her face that still tear streaked and puffy had his eyes softening in an instant.

"Seventeen.  Listen to me." he said softly as he closed the gap between them.  Her eyes had always fascinated him, because they were exceptionally pretty and there were the odd times when they could all see a blue tinge in them, especially when she was angry, only this time there was no anger, but the blue tinge was there.

"These people are known to eat human flesh, you know that, so  we cannot allow ourselves to fall for any of their tricks.  We eat only fruit and vegetables, nothing else, and if they give us food we are unfamiliar with, we do not eat it." he said gently at the eyes that were widening by the second.

"They wouldn't........." she stammered shaking her head......." give us bad meat would they?" she asked in horror and becoming tearful again.

"These people were locked away from the rest of us for a very good reason, so we cannot trust them, no matter how kind they are.  Any food they bring us, must be cut up into small pieces and you are to use your inner sense of smell to examine every morsel because you are a fox, your sense of smell is much stronger than mine." he said in a tone that was frightening to her, because the quiver in his voice showed the state of fear he was in, something he would never have allowed her to see unless it was real.

But as frightened as she was, there was something she realized that he wasn't telling her, she could feel it, but no sooner had she thought to ask, then the doors suddenly swung wide and two guards entered followed by a tray and then hands.  And attached to them, was a girl who immediately made her way to the side table to lay their dinner down on top.

Watching her with heightened suspicion, Si Yin ducked behind Liang to stare at her over his shoulder.  Only he stiffened a little which soon had her craning her neck higher to see what he was looking at that would have him on edge.

After his warning, her eyes immediately went to the food but from where she was standing and from what she could see, there was fruit, vegetables, bread and some kind of spread that she knew she would not be eating and beside it was what looked to be tea, which she knew she would also avoid.

But Liang was not looking at the food, but the girl.  His eyes narrowed in on her face as she turned to look at them.  This was their first meeting with the females, and though she was obviously a Troll, she appeared to be oddly yet surprisingly attractive and the moment she looked at him, Si Yin felt something in the air change, something she was not liking.

"Greeting Immortals.  My name is Qiu and I am the First Princess of the Trolls.  My father asked that I be the one to cater to your every need, you have only to write down what your needs are, and I will endeavor to see that they are fulfilled." she said in the most softest of tones which was very similar to her fathers, the Overlord and despite the smile that seemed more like a sneer on her almost pale white face, Liang smiled brilliantly at her.