Adeline looked at the group of trolls; they boasted impressive numbers and seemed in high spirits. The troll in front of her looked menacing and was indeed a fighter. They would all be valuable additions, especially when it came to training and battle pns. Joseph stepped forward after seeing Adeline’s mind wander off.

  “I am Joseph from the elven city, a week away from here.”

  “What brings an elf to the cruel north?”

  “We were hoping to add your people to our alliance, led by Her Highness Adeline.”

  “I am not interested in such things. Now you can turn back and leave.”

  Joseph was lost for words; he was never a skilled diplomat to begin with, but the outright rejection caught him off guard.

  “I am afraid that won’t do. We share a common enemy, and if you have any hope of winning, we should stand together.”

  Adeline spoke as her eyes nded on the troll.

  “Maybe I was not clear enough; you should turn back and leave. I have a war to fight and no time to deal with you.”

  “Now, now, no need for hostilities, or the goddess might strike us all down.”

  A female troll, who was quite beautiful and as muscur as the troll in front of her, emerged. The troll smiled at Adeline, then slightly hit the rger one.

  “Sorry about my brother; he’s just hot-headed.”

  “No need to apologize.”

  The female troll stared at her feet and saw Alfred had started to coil.

  “Would you mind telling your friend not to try killing us?”

  Adeline stared at their feet and saw Alfred.

  “Alfred, no need to attack them.”

  “He was being rude, Master.”

  “Alfred, we are practicing our diplomacy, remember?”

  Alfred slithered back to Adeline and Joseph.

  “This is my first time seeing a hydra; those before me did not paint a good picture.”

  “Alfred is actually sweet; he’s just protective.”

  “Please come inside.”

  The female troll welcomed them inside, but the other troll suddenly let out a roar.

  “How can you invite strangers to our base of operations? What about the raids? The humans will gain more of a foothold.”

  The female troll suddenly unleashed her violet mana and stared at her brother. This was the first person Adeline had met who she found frightening in terms of raw power; Melora was fierce, but she did not exude killing intent. The brother started to cower under her fierce gaze. She slowly released her mana as she pced her hand on his shoulder.

  “Brother, I admire your warrior's will, but not all things can be solved with your axe. We will raid today, but after I have a talk with our visitors.”

  The troll slowly nodded and walked off. The rest of the group followed the female troll inside as the rge gates opened. The inside looked very run-down, with dozens of trolls recovering from their wounds with the help of a few shamans. They walked deeper until they entered a candlelit room, which gave Adeline the creeps. In the middle was a rge table and some chairs.

  “Take a seat. I know it isn’t very pleasant, but we work with what we have.”

  The group quietly sat down, with Adeline not fully convinced of the structural strength of the entire castle, but she moved on nonetheless.

  “I am Adeline, a demon. That is Alfred, and the elf is Joseph. We did come with a human called Tymon, who is outside. We want to form a united alliance of all creatures in the forest under my banner against the empire.”

  The female troll simply stared at them wordlessly for a moment.

  “I am Bihse, the troll chieftain of the north. I will get to the point: what’s in it for us?”

  “We can supply better weapons, soldiers, and help you fortify this pce better.”

  “I would be a fool to turn down such an offer, but can we truly withstand the might of the empire? We are already being slowly pushed back; they have added several hundred soldiers and another strong warrior.”

  “If we can build our forces, yes, we can do more than just survive. We can create our own kingdom, a pce where every creature is safe.”

  “You’re trying to sell me a pipe dream. Prove yourself first, then we will have this conversation again.”

  “How would you like me to do that?”

  “Today, you raid with us, you alone. I don’t want you getting help from your helpers.”

  A wide smile appeared on Adeline’s face. Bihse was thrown off guard but chose to ignore it.

  “Can you let Tymon in at least? I don’t want him freezing to death or worse.”

  “I can permit that.”

  Bihse left with Adeline in tow, leaving the two behind. Her rge great sword was already on her back and she was ready for a good fight. Bihse emerged from the castle chanting; the other trolls joined in as about a hundred of them picked up weapons and marched behind her. Her brother was also there and followed suit, but he walked next to them. Adeline had read about chanting and singing as a way to prepare for war and had tried it too, but she didn’t deem it effective. Now, with about a hundred others, she could feel the effects. They stepped out of the illusion and were greeted by the sight of several trolls fighting Tymon. He effortlessly redirected their attacks as they stumbled across the snow.

  “He’s a fighter. I respect that.”

  Tymon turned to the group and instantly locked eyes with Bihse.

  “He’s a very good-looking fighter.”

  Adeline instantly turned to her, her face looking completely puzzled.

  “Let the human in; maybe he can teach the young trolls a thing or two.”

  One of the trolls peeled off towards Tymon as a pack of rge wild wolves appeared. They were two times the size of a horse and had sharp teeth and fierce snarls. A dark wolf slowly approached Adeline and started to back fiercely. She grabbed the rge wolf, lifted it into the air, and pinned it on the snow. Bihse started to ugh hysterically at the sight, with the other trolls joining in.

  “That’s one way of showing who is boss. These will be our rides; the rest of the trolls will be on foot.”

  Adeline stared at the whimpering wolf and let go of it. She started to gently pet it while asking for forgiveness. They all got up on their wolves and set off, with the rest close behind, giving chase. The wolves glided over the snow with no effort, and soon enough, a rge wall the size of a five-story building could be seen. With a small gesture from Bihse, they all stopped and stared, with the moon being the only source of light.