Chapter 20

Sighing, the troll brought a smaller version of itself forward. “This is my son. Yesterday he returned from hunting for herbs. He collapsed soon after. He screams and moans at times. His mother nor anyone in the family can wake him.”

Tom reached out. Moving in and out, he delved into the young troll’s mind. The deeper he went, the stranger it got. He was deeper than he’d ever been when he felt what seemed like steel doors closing behind him. A moment later, he could also feel Malamon. Snapping out, he caught the doors and flung them away towards Malamon. The satisfying crunch and scream of Malamon that came back a few minutes later made Tom smile. Reaching the bottom of the boy’s mind, Tom found all the bad thoughts that had been planted. Destroying those, he suddenly noticed the small figure that was watching him.

“Are you here to hurt me too? The other man promised me a lot of things, then he put those things here. They hurt so much I had to hide so they wouldn’t hurt me anymore,” the small figure asked.

“No, I’m not here to hurt you. I am here to take all of the pain away. Is that okay with you?” Tom asked, hoping he could lead the boy back out.

“If it makes the pain go away, then sure. Who are you? You look like a mage, but Papa says that mages and most other races are afraid of us,” the boy said.

Drawing close, Tom replied, “Yes, I am a mage, but many of the races have said I am different. I don’t know; I am the same as I have always been. Do you want me to be like the others?”

“Oh no! I like you. You really are different from the others. Does this mean I can go out now?” the young boy asked.

“Yes, as soon as I put a happy thought in the front and hide away the bad, so that they are more like bad dreams, then you and I will go out, okay?” Tom said, to which the boy nodded.

Finally finishing up, they moved toward the top. Tom told the boy he’d be out there when he woke up. Tom exited and looked at the boy’s father. “He should be okay now. He was coming to the surface when I left.” Within moments, the boy’s eyes opened. Looking at his father, he leaned over to whisper in his father’s ear. The adult troll looked up at Tom, tears streaming from his eyes.

“I didn’t believe many of the stories I heard about you, healing the minds of different races. Now I am glad my wife convinced me that you are different. I am sure you have heard this before, but I also owe you a life and that of my family,” the adult troll said. “For this, you have the loyalty of all the trolls.”

Though not that surprised, Tom was a little taken aback. He didn’t think that the trolls ever would pledge themselves to anyone, not even each other. Shit! What the fuck was going on? He had over half the races pledged to him, and he felt he hadn’t even done anything. Waiting for the trolls to go, he told them he’d follow. After they left, he cleared the room and told Frilly he was going to the trolls’ territory. Though she’d seen what had passed, she was still afraid for him. She too knew that the trolls were loyal to no one. Tom assured her that he’d be fine and to let the council know where he was going.

Flashing into the bog area of the trolls, Tom waved his hand and any stench that would have reached him was gone. Several trolls were waiting for him and pointed to a cave nearby. Advancing, he could feel Malamon deep within the cave. Drawing his power in, Tom took a deep breath and walked into the mouth of the cave. Malamon felt Tom as soon as he entered the cave. Drawing his shields up, he waited, nothing but hatred on his face. Sixty of his strongest cronies were also waiting. Tom entered, feeling each man in the room. He’d already removed three of the men’s power, and they weren’t even aware. The second three were done as soon as he rounded the corner, the third set as soon as he saw Malamon. Still trying, he had twelve powerless when the other forty-eight attacked.