Islands were usually known to be warm. This ran through Marina’s mind quite a lot as the unrelenting chilled winds passed over the barren rocky folds of the island in which she and Viper traveled on. But what really ate at her was that she knew a spell for cold resistance but had failed to meditate on it that morning, thinking spells of healing were more important for the setting. She wouldn’t be able to memorize it until a full day’s rest. they had already traveled over half a day. Viper had left his supplies in the village, so he shared off of Marina’s food.

A growl from behind the corner of a mountain wall stopped them dead in their tracks. A troll emerged, a large ugly monster with green, leathery skin and inhuman strength, emerged from around the corner. It descended upon them furiously. Viper pulled out his two-handed sword from his blackstrap and swung with all his strength into the troll. The blade cut into the troll’s shoulder, through the bone, cutting it’s left arm off and then slicing into its chest.

The troll kept coming.

Its yellowed claws sank into Viper’s face, going through Viper’s cheek and scraping against his teeth as it pulled large chunks of flesh out of his face. Pink blood flowing from the troll’s left shoulder spilled over Viper’s body. Viper’s blood-choked howl sounded more like rage than pain, but it did little to distract the troll. A battle mace smashed into the back of the troll’s head, issuing a cracking sound and causing the troll’s hard head to smash into Viper’s forehead. The barbarian fell to the ground, clutching his cheek and forehead but still holding onto his sword in the other hand.

Marina now saw that the left arm was growing back at a rapid rate and was just now regenerating its hand back.

The troll turned and lunged at her. It’s face hit the shield she brought up. Marina batted away its claw with her mace. The troll continued advancing on her. Marina back stepped, while blocking and parrying the troll’s fierce some attacks. She swung a downward arc while keeping her shield to bear, but the troll as fast. It caught her hand and made a growl that sounded grotesquely cheerful.

Viper saw that the creature could grow back its limbs quickly. He had never fought such a monster before. He figured he had to stab it in the heart to kill it, so he charged it from behind.

The troll batted Marina’s shield out of the way, forcing her to look into its disgusting face. A large blade then exited its chest, splashing pink blood on Marina. The troll attempted to turn around to claw Viper, so the barbarian started pushing downward on the blade with all his strength, trying to take out as many organs as possible. The tight leathery skin separated far from the cut, creating a gaping hole producing lots of troll blood and a horrible gut-wrenching stench. Viper then tried to trip the troll by kicking its leg out from under it. But instead of falling forward, the troll fell backwards.

Viper’s head went right through the hole in the troll’s back. The warm insides of the troll shook around Viper’s face as the troll squirmed as its stench nearly caused Viper to lose consciousness.

Viper emerged from the front of the troll, showered in troll blood. He had somehow gotten one arm buried deep inside the troll’s leg, which muscle had already regenerated over and held his arm in a tight embrace. Viper’s legs trapped underneath the troll’s weight. Claws began to rip into Viper’s back. Marina began slamming her mace into the troll’s face with all her strength, but the troll seemed to feel no pain and continued to rake into Viper’s already tenderized back. Viper tried to turn around but he was held fast in place. His sword tip stuck out nearby, also trapped inside the invincible monster.

Marina stepped on the troll’s arm and smashed it’s hand, breaking every finger bone. At least it wouldn’t be using that claw.

Bony claws grabbed her shin guard, pulling it, the bottom half of her clothes, and parts of her flesh with it. With strength she didn’t know she had, Marina smashed the arm away with her mace and then was forced to pin it with her other foot.

Spreading her legs eagle, she began awkwardly attacking the top of its head again with overhead swings. Tears streamed from her eyes as she brought the mace down again and again…..