The Blood Of Three
1451 Words
Chapter 43
The two rock trolls stood before Gorak, Kaela, Zahren, and the warriors, their enormous bodies blocking the passage deeper into the cave.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The firelight from the warriors’ torches danced across the trolls’ stone-like skin.
Finally, the older troll stepped forward.
His voice was deep enough to make the walls of the cave seem to tremble.
“Before there were three clans…”
He paused.
“There was only one.”
Gorak narrowed his eyes.
“One clan?”
The troll nodded.
“Your ancestors were not enemies. They were brothers and sisters. The ancestors of the Gorilla, Panther, and Snake clans lived together as one people.”
Kaela looked toward Zahren.
Zahren’s expression changed. He listened carefully.
“They hunted together,” the troll continued. “They protected one another. They shared their knowledge. Their strengths were different, but they understood that those differences made them stronger together.”
The second troll stepped forward.
“Then the beast came.”
The warriors grew silent.
“The creature that lives beneath the ocean,” the first troll said. “The beast that you now fear.”
Zahren slowly lowered his head.
“The legends were true…”
“They were more than legends,” the troll answered.
“The beast rose from the depths and attacked the island. Your ancestors fought it together. Again and again, they battled the creature.”
The troll’s massive fist tightened.
“They fought with every weapon they possessed. They fought with strength. They fought with speed. They fought with courage.”
“But the beast would not fall.”
Gorak looked at Kaela.
“How long did they fight it?”
“Days,” the troll answered.
“Days of battle. Villages were destroyed. Forests were torn apart. Warriors died trying to protect their families.”
The troll looked directly at Zahren.
“And eventually, the ancestors realized the truth.”
Zahren already seemed to know what was coming.
“Strength alone would never defeat the beast.”
The troll pointed toward Zahren.
“So the ancestor of the Snake Clan turned to what he knew best.”
“Magic.”
Zahren’s eyes widened.
“He possessed mystical knowledge that the other ancestors did not,” the troll continued. “He studied the creature. He studied the ancient forces of the island. And eventually, he discovered a way to create something capable of controlling the beast.”
The troll raised one massive hand.
“The Tide Stone.”
Everyone stared at him.
“The stone was created through powerful magic. But the Snake ancestor discovered something else.”
“The stone could not be used by one clan alone.”
Kaela stepped closer.
“Why?”
“Because the island itself had chosen three.”
The troll looked between Gorak, Kaela, and Zahren.
“The Tide Stone required the blood of all three clans united.”
Zahren’s face became serious.
“The blood of the Snake…”
“The blood of the Gorilla…”
“And the blood of the Panther.”
The first troll continued.
“When the three leaders joined together and activated the stone, its power flowed through them.”
“The Snake leader received the power of magic.”
Zahren slowly looked at his own hands.
“The Gorilla leader received incredible strength.”
Gorak’s eyes widened.
“And the Panther leader…”
The troll looked at Kaela.
“…received immense speed.”
Kaela stood completely still.
“For the first time,” the troll said, “your ancestors possessed powers beyond anything their people had ever known.”
The second troll spoke.
“And together, they returned to battle the beast.”
The warriors listened as if they were hearing history come alive.
“The Snake leader used magic to control the battlefield. The Gorilla leader fought the creature with strength powerful enough to move mountains. And the Panther leader moved faster than the eye could follow.”
The troll’s voice grew louder.
“For days they fought.”
“Every time the beast struck, they stood together.”
“Every time one fell, the others protected them.”
“And finally…”
The troll paused.
“They defeated it.”
Gorak slowly exhaled.
“But they could not kill it.”
“No,” the troll said.
“The creature was too powerful.”
“So they used the Tide Stone to force it into an almost eternal sleep.”
Kaela looked toward the cave floor.
“Almost?”
The troll nodded.
“The stone did not destroy the beast. It only put it to sleep.”
Silence filled the chamber.
Zahren finally spoke.
“And that’s why the ancient writings said the beast could return.”
“Yes.”
The troll’s eyes became darker.
“But that was not the end of the story.”
The first troll looked down at the warriors.
“The three ancestors returned home as heroes.”
“At first, they celebrated together.”
“But something changed.”
“The powers given to each leader began to change the way they saw themselves.”
The second troll shook his head.
“The Snake ancestor believed magic made him wiser than the others.”
“The Gorilla ancestor believed his strength made him the greatest warrior alive.”
“And the Panther ancestor believed no one could match her speed.”
Gorak frowned.
“They became arrogant.”
“They became divided,” the troll corrected.
“They began believing their power made them better than the others.”
“And slowly…”
“They stopped seeing each other as brothers and sisters.”
“They began seeing each other as enemies.”
Kaela lowered her gaze.
“And when they became enemies…”
“The Tide Stone began to lose its power.”
Zahren’s eyes widened.
“Because the clans were no longer united.”
The troll nodded.
“The stone’s power never completely disappeared.”
“But it weakened.”
“Enough that the three leaders would never again possess the power their ancestors once had.”
“And without that power…”
“They could never defeat the beast again.”
Gorak looked toward the ancient stone hidden somewhere beyond the cave.
“So the clans split.”
“Yes.”
“The Gorilla became one clan.”
“The Panther became another.”
“And the Snake became the third.”
The troll sighed.
“Generations passed. The truth became a legend. The legends became stories. And eventually, the stories were nearly forgotten.”
Zahren looked troubled.
“What happened to the Snake ancestor?”
The troll became quiet.
“He realized his mistake.”
Everyone looked at him.
“On his deathbed, the Snake ancestor finally understood the truth.”
“He understood that their greatest power had never been magic.”
“Or strength.”
“Or speed.”
“Their greatest power was their unity.”
The troll’s voice became softer.
“But by then…”
“It was too late.”
“He could no longer reach the other ancestors.”
“He could no longer undo what had happened.”
“So he left one final command.”
Gorak stepped forward.
“What command?”
The troll looked directly at Zahren.
“He ordered us to protect the Tide Stone.”
Zahren’s expression hardened.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“We were created through the Snake ancestor’s magic.”
“To protect the stone from those who would seek to use it for selfish purposes.”
The second troll stepped forward.
“And we were given one final instruction.”
His eyes moved from Gorak…
to Kaela…
then to Zahren.
“Never give the Tide Stone to anyone.”
“Unless…”
He paused.
“…the three clans have united as one.”
The cave became completely silent.
Gorak looked at Kaela.
Kaela looked at Zahren.
Zahren slowly lowered his head.
For generations, the three clans had believed they were enemies.
They had fought.
They had hated.
They had killed.
And yet the answer to the greatest threat their island had ever faced had been waiting beneath the earth all along.
Not in strength.
Not in magic.
Not in speed.
But in unity.
Gorak finally broke the silence.
“So the only way to stop the beast…”
The troll finished his sentence.
“…is for the three clans to become one again.”
Zahren stared into the darkness beyond the trolls.
“And if the beast is already beginning to awaken…”
The older troll’s expression became grim.
“Then you have very little time.”
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