Chapter 187 Troll Stank!
Dave quickly backed away from the queen.
'Shit…I think things just went off script!'
He shouted at the enraged queen, "Hey, don't start playing the blame game! The runes made you lose your mind! Jura put himself in harm's way even though you attacked him!"
"You spout nonsense, undead scum! Jura lies there dying! You struck him and you dare accuse me? I will put you in an icy prison and torment you until the end of time!"
Dave frowned, he was going to die. He thought about using [Anti-Bully] but it would be a waste.
"Your majesty!" Jura coughed, "Forgive the draugr...he aided me in releasing you from your prison. Without him and without the elf, I would not have been able to free you. Don't let your wrath blind you to the truth. My queen, the draugr tells the truth, you were bespelled out of your senses when I freed you and you attacked us. But if I had to choose between dying and letting you suffer in madness or captivity, I would gladly go through death's door."
The queen's name tag turned yellow after the old man's speech. She took a deep breath and snorted at Dave contemptuously. She turned to look at Jara and her expression softened. She returned to his side and knelt by him again.
"Can we help him, Davey?" Lone asked.
Dave stroked his beard, considering. Then he took a red potion from his inventory. He approached the old man to give him the potion.
"What are you doing?!" The queen glared at Dave.
"Just calm the hell down!" Dave burst out, "I'm trying to help him!" He extended the potion in his hand toward the old man. "Here you go old man, this should fix you up."
The queen had been startled when the draugr berated her. But her anger at the undead thing's disrespect was forgotten in a surge of hope when she realized the draugr was offering Jura a health potion.
The old man smiled at Dave's gesture and said, "Thank you draugr, but that potion is not potent enough."
Dave frowned, this was a high grade potion that could restore a huge chunk of HP, he didn't have anything more potent.
Dave thought for a moment, then he turned to address the queen.
"Where are the trolls?! Bring them back!"
"I sent them to another plane… Ahhhh, their blood! Yes!" She waved a hand and the trolls and her ice knights appeared.
The trolls hooted softly, bewildered by their sudden dislocation and relocation, not understanding what was going on. A few of them were dizzy, swaying on their feet to stay upright.
The queen snapped her fingers and a sliver of razor-sharp ice coalesced in her hand, she moved purposefully toward the trolls holding the ice dagger at the ready.
Lone's face turned white.
"Dave! She's going to hurt the fluffies!"
The red-maned troll faced the queen, pushing his tinkle back with arms spread as she advanced, knife in hand. Impatiently, the queen stamped a foot on the ground and ice grew burst up around the trolls spreading up their legs to restrain them. The entire tinkle was frightened, sensing the extreme danger, they growled at the queen, they knew the queen harbored ill intent for them.
"Filthy beasts!" the queen spoke contemptuously.
Dave ran toward the queen and the restrained trolls, intending to head off what he knew was about to happen.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Dave said, putting himself between the queen and the red-maned troll.
"Out of my way, undead perversion! The blood of these beasts will heal Jura!" the queen's expression was icy, determined.
"The trolls are allies. You're going to butcher them to serve your purpose?"
"They are just beasts! If their death can be of use then I shall kill every last one of the filthy things!"
"You are such an evil bitch!" Lone said, "To hell with the legacy quest! If you hurt the fluffies I'll put an arrow up your ass!" Lone nocked an arrow and aimed at the queen.
Dave smirked at Lone's behavior, he liked how quirky she was. Her idea of what was and what wasn't attractive, cute, or cool had always been all kinds of confused compared to the rest of the world. She thought undead were cool looking and now she was willing to give up a B rank Legacy quest and take on a high level boss for the sake of 'fluffy' trolls.
A hostile red glow began to seep into the queen's name tag.
"Both of you hold your horses. Let me talk to the trolls," Dave said. He turned back to Red-Mane. Taking an empty vial from his inventory, he showed it and the red potion to the troll.
"Hey buddy. Grumpy-Jura is badly hurt, your blood could help him get better. Would you be willing give us some for him?"
Red Mane looked warily at the queen for a second then back at Dave and nodded, he was smart enough to understand what the tiny draugr was asking him.
The queen shifted impatiently, and the trolls hooted, pulling against the ice that bound them in place.
"Hey, knock it off! You are scaring them. Not helping!" Dave admonished.
The queen frowned then shattered the sharp ice shard in her hand and made a waving gesture. The ice trapping the trolls dissipated. The trolls howled joyfully.
Jura coughed, his condition worsening.
"Hurry up!" The queen yelled in panic.
Red-Mane stomped his foot and a blade of sharply angled ice rose from the ground. Taking the vial from Dave, Red-Mane slid his wrist against the icy edge, wincing. Hot blood gushed from his wrist in pulses. The troll positioned the mouth of the vial under the freely bleeding cut and squeezed his fist, forcing more blood out. In just a few moments the vial was full and he handed it to Dave. The cut on the troll's arm was healing quickly.
"Thank you, buddy," Dave said, patting the troll on the shoulder.
He went back to Jura and offered the vial to the old man. Taking the vial, Jura wrinkled his nose.
"Gahh, that stinks!" he grumbled. But nevertheless, the cantankerous old man gulped it down in a single go.
The blood took effect immediately, the old man's too-pale face flushed, turning bright red. The part of his chest that was crushed-in was visibly mending.
"My breath's going to stink like troll for weeks!" Jura complained. "Thank you draugr, for your help in saving my queen, and my life. I owe you many times over."
The queen hmphed at the draugr but didn't say anything. She turned to the elf and said, "You, elf…" her voice muted and Dave couldn't hear what they talked about. But it was probably about Lone's Legacy quest which wasn't his business unless Lone decided to tell him about it.
The red maned troll came over to and growled softly to Dave. The troll held out his hand to Dave to give him something. When the draugr reached out the troll deposited two whistles carved out of horn or bone.
Dave inspected the whistles.
Join the Club whistle (Charm).
The troll horn whistle summons a tinkle of eight trolls to the player.
The trolls will attack a target with their ice-clubs rendering the target unconscious for 10 seconds.
The unconscious target will wake up if they receive any damage.
Does not work on Boss-Class monsters.
Cooldown 10 Hours.
"A trinket. This is a 'just for fun' item. Huh, It could be helpful in certain situations."
"Hey Davey, this part of the quest is done, the next part is gathering a bunch of resources and doing fetch quests. You don't need to tag along I can handle it okay."
"Cool. If you need my help just ask. I need to go home and revive the Boyz along with the rest of the regiment."
"Alright, call me me when you want to do some more grinding."
Jura approached Dave, "Draugr, I have told my queen everything you have done for us. She promised that she will reward you when she finishes rebuilding her kingdom. Also, I personally have something for you, here."
Jura handed Dave a piece of thin yellow paper, a map.
Dave inspected the map for a moment, then he realized what the marker on it was and he looked at Jura in surprise.
"This is the location of the Black Skull Order in the Southern Desert!"
"Yes, I have been investigating them for hundreds of years and found several of their hideouts. The base is highly fortified though, I don't think you can make your way into the base alone.
"I also know the Order is planning something big and that it will happen soon. It involves Demons and the Holy Church."
A call for help.
Quest update
You have the location of the Black Skull Order's headquarters.
Show this information to the heads of the Undead Legion for rewards and the opportunity to participate in conquering the Black Skull Order.
This is the final part of the chain quest A Call for Help.
"Nice! I can finally finish this quest and Drahma will be happy when the Order is destroyed."
Dave planned on going back to the Undead Frontier soon. He wanted to give Delvina the new information and join in on the fun. It had been a long questline, so he expected the rewards would be pretty impressive.
After finishing with Lone the queen turned to Dave.
"Undead, Venhime is weak after my long absence. When I have rebuilt it, I shall assist the undead against the Order and their wicked machinations as a return for good grace you have shown me."
The queen nodded to Dave then disappeared in a flurry of snowflakes taking Jura with her.
Alliance
The Ice queen has vowed to come to the aid of the undead when the Ice Kingdom is revived.
You have been awarded 1,000,000 CP for forging an alliance.
Dave rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Heh heh. Niiice. I needed more CP. Now I can accelerate the respawning of my undead!"
"What now Davey?" Grinning as she interrupted the draugr's evil-overlord monologue.
"I need to go back to the legion, I have some stuff to do there."
He handed her a whistle, "Here. It's from the trolls."
Lone read the description and smiled.
"What a fun item! Anyways, see ya later!" she said, then tore a teleportation scroll.
Dave turned to see the trolls hooting and doing one of their crazy tribal dances. Having a blast, as usual.
"Hey, guys. I'm leaving, hope I see you later."
Red-Mane left the dance and approached Dave, he howled a question.
The ice Trolls wish to follow you.
You can invite them to stay in your Land.
Yes/No?
Dave smiled and pressed 'yes' and the trolls disappeared.
To accommodate the preferred environment of the Ice Trolls, the King has agreed to personally change a portion of your Land into an arctic climate.
Dave chuckled at the king's generosity. He took a scroll out and tore it, disappearing from the Frozen Abyss Dungeon.