“I was not aware that there was another,” Zenma replied.
The Elder troll lifted her staff and brought it down twice in rapid succession on the hard-planked floor. A guard appeared at once.
“Find Dew and Elderberry, and tell them I wish to speak with them. Also, find out who else has been hunting recently,” Zenma ordered.
“Yes, Elder,” the guard said with a bow of her head.
Zenma returned her attention to Nali. “Are my trolls in danger, Empress?” Zenma quietly asked.
Nali reached over and laid her hand on Zenma’s. She would not lie to the Elder troll. The old troll's hand trembled under hers.
“There is a great danger to our Isle. I believe the same kind of alien that attacked the Sea Witch and the Isle of Magic is now on the Isle of the Monsters. Your trolls were the first to encounter the creature here. It is imperative that I speak with them,” she explained.
Zenma nodded. “The trolls will do whatever you require, Empress.”
“Elder, Dew and Elderberry are here,” the guard announced.
Nali transformed her skin back into the stone exterior of a gargoyle as she turned and faced the two trolls who entered. She searched their eyes for any evidence of the black swirling shadows that she had noticed in Magna’s. Twin sets of clear blue eyes watched her with a mixture of awe and nervousness, then Dew ducked his head.
“You wished to speak with us, Elder?” Elderberry inquired.
“Not I but Empress Nali,” Zenma replied with a wave of her hand.
“You were the ones who discovered the first stag, correct?” Nali asked.
“Yes, Empress. We planned to fish the cove. Dew was the first to notice the stag. It was struggling in the surf. We’ve never seen a stag this far north before and never that close to shore. Dew sensed something was wrong with it and cautioned that we should alert the palace,” Elderberry replied.
Nali looked at Dew. He was young, and from the way he kept looking down at the floor, she sensed that he was shy. She stepped closer to him, gently reached out, and touched his chin, forcing him to make eye contact. His eyes were clear; she was certain.
“What did you sense, Dew?” Nali gently asked.
Dew looked at Elderberry with a pained, almost pleading expression. Nali refrained from expressing a sigh of impatience. Trolls were clannish creatures, she knew, but this was no time to be keeping secrets from outsiders, so she was grateful when Elderberry silently encouraged Dew to speak with a motion of his hand. Dew looked at her with an expression of resignation.
“I… I… ca-ca-can sen-se th-th-things, like dan-danger. Th-the stag had a-a bl-blood re-re-red aura,” Dew stuttered.
“Dew is one of our most gifted trolls. His ability to sense danger has saved many of us from injury or death,” Zenma added.
Nali nodded. “There was another injured stag a bit farther north. My guard saw troll tracks leading away from it. Was there another troll with you?” she inquired.
Elderberry frowned and shook his head. “No, it was just Dew and me,” he said.
Dew shook his head. “I-I saw… Med-Medjuline in… in the woods earlier,” he replied.
Nali looked at Zenma. “Where is Medjuline?” she demanded.
Zenma started to reply when Pai and another guard entered the longhouse. Pai gave Nali a sharp look, indicating that he had found something. The guard bowed low before addressing his Empress and Zenma.
“Empress, Elder, Medjuline is missing. Her parents have not seen her for two days,” the guard said.
“Find her,” Zenma ordered, rising slowly to her feet.
Nali raised a commanding hand. “No, Pai and I will search for her. It is too dangerous for anyone to be near her until we know for sure what has happened. I will have some of my gargoyle guards come to the village in case she returns. Do not allow anyone near her. I cannot stress that strongly enough,” Nali sharply instructed.
“We will do as you command, Empress,” Zenma said.
“We will begin our search in the morning. Zenma, do you have lodgings we can use for the night?” Nali requested.
“It would be our honor for you to stay, Empress. Please follow me,” Zenma said.
Chapter 3
Asahi knelt behind a tree and watched as a troll he had come across stumbled and groaned. She was gripping her head and shaking it back and forth as if she were in pain. Then she unexpectedly twirled in a tight circle and ran head first into a nearby tree. Asahi braced his hand against the tree trunk to keep from losing his balance when the ground shook.
He watched in disbelief as she spun in a dizzying circle before her eyes rolled back in her head. She fell backward with a bone-shaking crash. Something was definitely not right. He slowly stood but remained hidden. He was glad of his precaution when, a moment later, he saw the troll’s unconscious body suddenly bow upward, and a black, liquid mass oozed from her mouth.
The mass coalesced, its size growing larger until it was about the size of an English Mastiff back on Earth. The liquid blob twisted and turned as if searching for another creature to inhabit. A shiver of unease swept through Asahi when the tar-like mass suddenly twisted in his direction. He remained frozen.
Something large passing overhead cast a shadow on the ground, and he looked up. Through the thick canopy, he saw two creatures flying above. The alien blob suddenly emitted a shriek, whirled, and took off through the forest in the opposite direction.
Asahi crouched down behind a large fan-shaped fern to conceal his presence as the unfamiliar creatures swooped down through the canopy. One, the hippogriff, landed on a thick branch with his wings spread wide to keep his balance while the winged woman landed beside the troll sprawled on the forest floor.
His breath caught when he saw the woman’s exquisite ebony features. Her skin was like shining armor, as if she were a beautiful statue cut from the purest black marble. She landed with such grace that there wasn’t a whisper of sound.
Asahi studied the female as she cautiously circled the unconscious troll. The woman’s eyes were the color of dark brown goldstone and held a shimmering light that made him want to gaze into her golden irises forever. Her face was heart-shaped with high cheekbones, a long, straight nose, and full luscious lips. She was lean, with small breasts, and a commanding stance that spoke of power and confidence.
She knelt beside the troll and gingerly touched the large knot on the giant female’s brow before lifting each eyelid. Then the marble woman rose to her feet and looked around with a frown.
“Pai, do you see anything?” she called out.
“There looks to be some fresh damage to the ferns leading northwest,” the hippogriff replied. “What about Medjuline?”
The troll softly moaned and the woman stepped back. Asahi stiffened when he heard the low whimper of pain. He watched as a sword materialize in the woman’s hand. The troll rolled onto her side and whimpered, lifting a large, trembling hand with thick, dirty nails to her head. The beautiful winged woman took a step toward the troll who was now struggling to sit up.
“Medjuline,” the woman said in a soft, reassuring tone.
“Hel-help me, please. Don’t… don’t let it take me again,” Medjuline choked out in a shaky voice.
“Who took you?” the woman demanded in the same soft voice.