So Prince Diamond and his entourage arrived at the caves, and from the obvious signs (like bones around the entrance and a rather hideous smell), they had found the troll. The next plan was to decide how to defeat it.
Prince Diamond suggested that Beryl create a magical fire to smoke the beast out. She reluctantly agreed, having little choice in the matter and secretly pulled out a lighter (not a flint, but a lighter similar to the ones used nowadays). It had once belonged to the previous Sorcerer, who had worked as a young lad for the King and then for Prince Diamond when the King took his unofficial retirement, but who had been cast out by Diamond at the prompting and manipulations of Beryl. That previous Sorcerer, known as Miracle Malachite, was genuinely talented in the arts of healing and magic, in fact, he was a progeny, hence his rather illustrious nickname. The problem came with his unwillingness to bend to Prince Diamond's ridiculous will.
Miracle Malachite had been a close friend to Prince Saffir, and when Zacharoni the Bachelor was home (which was pretty seldom), they got along splendidly as well (at least until they discussed topics like loyalty. You see, Zacharoni was of the belief that it didn't matter what kind of a person the Prince was, the fact was it was all down to principle, and the oath that one took when they entered into service. Malachite, being less romantic, believed that true loyalty could only be earned if the person deserved such dedication...anyway on the rare occasions Zacharoni was in the palace at the same time Miracle Malachite was free, they would have long discussions about the matter well into the evening, only going to bed at the promptings of Mad Mina, Miracle Malachite's French wife - who was also a powerful sorceress).
So anyway, Beryl secretly whipped out this lighter that she had stolen, which had been designed and built by Miracle Malachite, and started a blaze, adding a few drops of some sleeping potion into the fire for good measure, just to ensure that the horrible creature didn't rush out and kill them all before it turned to stone in the sunshine (Beryl did not care about smoking out this creature and killing it. Beryl cared about surviving, innocent villagers be damned). The smoke was wafted into the cave, but when the troll didn't come out, Zacharoni volunteered to do some reconnaissance.
Not realising that there was a sleeping draught mixed in with the smoke, he snuck into the cave and unfortunately became exceedingly drowsy. By the time he realised that he had to get out or he would collapse, the troll had awoken (the sleeping potion was not strong enough to put a beast as huge and hardy as a troll to sleep, something any sorcerer worth his salt would have known) and charged towards him, roaring so loudly that the very stone walls of the cave quivered.
Despite his groggy state, Zacharoni, led by his instincts and muscle memory, unsheathed his hunting dagger and swung out a well timed blow and then ducked out of the way. The sudden and immediate presence of danger was enough to get some of his adrenaline pumping, and that helped alleviate the effects of the sleeping draught in the smoke, but he still stumbled, and it was hard for him to think straight.
There was a brief but desperate fight between Zacharoni and the troll, with lots of roaring and rolling away. Zacharoni was in the dark, which gave the troll a significant advantage (since everyone knows that trolls can see better in the dark. They're like cats, really. Except, much bigger, and uglier, and more stupid, and smellier, and with no fur...ok, so they're nothing like cats...) but Zacharoni had his agility and long experience of fighting in dark and unfamiliar places on his own. At one point he was able to get the beast to charge at him, only to duck away in time, with the troll hitting itself into the cave wall. At another point, Zacharoni even managed to land his dagger into the beast's thick-hided side. It was by no means a fatal hit, but it was enough to make the troll temporarily retreat, but not before it got a good swipe at Zacharoni's side. An equal match, blow for blow!
Zacharoni realised that he would not last much longer, using the troll's temporary retreat, he stumbled out of the cave, already drowsy from the smoke, and with both his adrenaline and blood leaving him quickly, he soon became truly exhausted and barely able to go on.
Unfortunately the troll could smell the tang of Zacharoni's life essence in the air, and it gave the creature confidence again, so it crawled out quickly from its nest, forgetting the pain in its side, and chased after Zacharoni.
Zacharoni could hear the huge thuds of the beast's feet as it followed him, and he made a last, final dash, giving all he had to make it out of the cave! When he finally saw daylight, his heart rejoiced and his mind went black as his body finally gave in.
The beast followed but stopped when it saw the sunshine outside and roared out at the group of people standing in front of the cave. In a sudden flash of bravery and heroism (for these are the kinds of scenarios where Prince Diamond shines) Diamond unsheathed his sword and dug his heels into his horse's side!
Beryl (who was frightened beyond her wits but smart enough to know that she had to make use of such an opportunity) started yelling out random words in various languages and wobbling her arms around, hopping on the spot in her pointy heels and looking, for all intents and purposes, like a crazed frog in a purple dress, as she pretended to incant some kind of protection spell. "Kippers, Sushi and Langoustine! Moshi Moshi! Aloha Banana Rama! Sbasebo and Fairy Cakes! Gesundheit Jaundiced Kobe Bryant! Protect the Prince, oh Magical Donkey Parts from the Fjords of Greece! Swaheeeeellllleeeeee!"
Spurred on from the false belief that Beryl had made him invincible, Prince Diamond galloped forward, sword flashing, his horse leaping over the unconscious body of Zacharoni the Bachelor, to arrive directly in front of the cave and the mighty (and already wounded) troll! With a wide swing of his heavy sword and a terrifying battle cry, Diamond lopped off the creature's head!
The battle was over! The troll was dead! Everybody cheered for the brave Prince and his powerful sorceress! Well, except for Zacharoni, who was still passed out and bleeding.
Once the cheering was done, Diamond (who did not even thank Beryl - even though she didn't actually do anything...but that's not the point,he didn't know that her spell was fake!) ordered the sorceress to check on the Royal Tracker.
Beryl rolled her eyes and made her way to Zacharoni. She took one brief look at him and then called out to her Prince. "He's dead, Sire!"
Zacharoni moaned loudly.
"Are you sure?" Diamond asked as he was being helped down from his horse by a guard. "Isn't there a way for you to test it?"
Beryl smiled sweetly at him. "Of course, Sire!" She looked down at Zacharoni and nudged him lightly with her shoe, so as not to illicit any sound from him.
As if purely to spite her, Zacharoni groaned even louder than before, and then coughed.
Beryl's pointy nostrils flared in fury.
"He doesn't sound dead." Said Diamond as he approached.
Beryl shook her head. "Unfortunately Sire, his groaning is not an indication of life. You see, while I was casting my protection spell over you, I also placed a healing spell on him."
Prince Diamond was confused. "Wouldn't his groaning suggest that your spell is working, then?"
"Ah, you would think so, your Royal Magnificence." Beryl let out a deep and dramatic sigh. "But it is not the case. His soul has already departed, it is only his body which is healing. I -" (Here she let out a fake little sob) "I was not quick enough to save him!" Beryl even managed to push out a tear (Diamond did not reach out to comfort her).
"I see." Diamond was frowning. This would be a thorn in his side indeed, good trackers were few and far between, and this one had been his best.
But Zacharoni the Bachelor was not one to give up so easily. Even though his pain and his unconscious did their very best to drag him into comfortable and oblivious sleep, he fought on bravely "I'mmmmmm...(groan)...not...(hurk!)...dead (cough, cough) yet!" He managed to moan out before sleep really did overpower him.
"There! You see!" Prince Diamond said, plainly relieved that he wouldn't have to spend time later on looking for a new one. "You give your powers less credit than they're worth!" He slapped Beryl hard on the back and she stumbled forward. "Now heal him quickly so we can get on with the chase! We have a pirate to kill!" He said with particular exuberance. "And a princess to save!" He added as an afterthought.
Beryl glared with her amber (but they were really hazel) eyes as hard as she could at the sleeping form of Zacharoni, hating him with every fiber of her very being. She had to think quickly, not many people could perform powerful healing spells, but she had claimed to be one of them.
"BERYL!" The Prince barked, now back on his horse and most impatient. "Get on with it!"
She bent over Zacharoni's body and an idea came to her. "Sire, I am trying!" She yelled out. "But it seems that I cannot fight the poison already in his system! To be counter-acted, the troll's venom needs things which I do not have available to me here."
Now Diamond was furious. "We can't afford to waste time going back to the palace and I need you on this chase with me! The pirate might have a sorcerer of his own!"
Beryl pretended to think and then stood up, "I have placed the strongest healing spell I know of over him. Let's leave him here to rest. Either he'll survive or he'll die, it's up to his own willpower. We can come back for him after we rescue the Princess Serena."
With reluctance, Diamond had to agree. "Guard, leave his belongings here and start a fire. That and the scent of the dead troll's blood should be enough to frighten off wild animals in the night. Make him a makeshift bed!" (This was a rare act of compassion on Diamond's part, even though it wasn't a very big one, I just had to acknowledge that). "Quickly now! I want this finished in less than five minutes!"
Once all was done, Prince Diamond and his entourage (minus Zacharoni the Bachelor, of course) went on their way, travelling directly north so that they could meet the ship waiting to take them along the Danburite River to the cove where the pirate ship Elysium waited.
Beryl, in particular, was in a rather good mood. Zacharoni would be dead by morning, and if all went to plan, her main rival would be dead by her own hands in just over a week. (By popular demand (and by 'popular demand' I meant 'because I liked it so much' not because anyone actually asked), the drama button, first used in chapter 4, was brought back). Press here for dramatic music.
An hour ticked by and Zacharoni the Bachelor had managed to wake up, crawl desperately to his pack, find some herbs and cloth in there, clumsily staunch the bleeding as best he could and then pass out again. A fever took hold of him rather quickly and he shivered as he slept, the fire doing nothing to warm him and yet making him too hot at the same time. His mind flitted in and out of semi-consciousness and he no longer felt the passing of time (Zacharoni, being a tracker/hunter sort of fellow, was usually perfectly in tune with the risings and settings and waxing and wannings of the sun and moon). He could feel himself creeping closer to death's door. Whether it was days, weeks or hours which flew by, he had no idea, but at some point he thought to himself "So this is how Zacharoni the Bachelor ends... alone in a forest, unloved and uncared for except by mother nature herself...Oh, what a romantic way to go, doing what I loved, in a world so beautiful and magnificent as ours... I do so wish, though, that there had been something... something more..." And with that last thought he was sure that he had died, because when he opened his eyes, it was to a loveliness so divine, (eyes as blue as the lakes and oceans that he adored so much, cheeks and lips as rosy and soft as the celestial clouds of a rising morning, and hair as dark and silky as the sparkling starry sky of midnight) that she could only be an angel of Heaven.