Flights of Fancy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Twenty six: Trolls and Trouble

Mike glanced around at the dark, dank earthy tunnels they were traveling in, for some reason it reminded him of the sewers, and of course that got him thinking about Master Splinter their father, "You think Splinter noticed we are gone yet?" he asked curiously.

"He doesn't really worry about us when we are gone. He knows we can care for ourselves." Don replied. "Besides he knows we have been gone for long periods before."

"Just because we can look after ourselves doesn't mean that he won't worry," Leo corrected.

Mike sighed a bit wistfully, and shrugged as he trudged a long behind the others. He was growing bored of traveling underground, especially as they seemed to have been walking for hours without a rest or seeing any thing of importance. Whether he was aware of it or not Mike had grown rather used to walking around out in the open under wide open skies, able to feel the grass tickling his feet, the blue sky, warm sun and gentle breezes that caressed his skin. Now banished from it, even with the nostalgic thoughts of home pervading his memory, he couldn't wait to return to the world beyond these earth tunnels. At first afraid of the threat of trolls, Mike had made sure he stayed close to the others, but by now with no sign of any other living being Mike figured it wasn't as necessary to stay with the others.

"Are we gonna eat soon?" he protested in a whining voice.

"Will you shut up about eatin' Mikey?" Raph snapped.

"WHAT? I'm hungry" Mike protested as if that was all the excuse that he needed.

"Your always hungry." Leo cut in.

"That is because I never get enough to eat" Mike insisted.

Don groaned rolling his eyes as he shot a look Leo's way, giving a slight subtle shake of his head, as if saying. 'Don't go there. Don't even touch it with a ten foot pole.'

Mike humped, as usual his brothers figured he was just complaining for the sake of griping, and that he was probably trying to be irritating as hell, which was a normal Mike attitude when he grew bored, but what his brothers failed to understand was that he was really, truly, sincerely, one hundred percent, absolutely certain that he was going die waste away and wither into nothing but shell and bones if he didn't get something soon. He knew for a fact his stomach wasn't the only one grumbling for he kept hearing a growling noise now and again, though he hadn't determined whose stomach was rumbling beyond his own because his hunger kept distracting him.

Don noticed that while the tunnels were reasonably dark, there seemed to be a soft faint glow, almost similar though not quite, like the light cast by a few candles, "These passages aren't as dark as I was expecting." He commented.

Symbia snorted, "The only beings on Necron who care for pitch blackness are the ones who are from the nether worlds, they do not care for the light. Though even dim light such as this, is more agreeable to their nature then the light of day." She had draped Marina's body across her back.

"Yes, but what exactly causes the light down here?" Don pressed curiously.

Symbia cocked her head and went over to the rocks, "Dampness from above seeps down here through the dirt and where pools, streams or rivers can be found, the lights are brighter. It is a type of moss that grows in the dark. Here if you run your hand over it you will feel it." she demonstrated.

Don went over and followed her example, out of curiosity if nothing else, he lightly ran his hand over the rough rocks and he could feel a difference of texture under his hands where the light was, it was not that the stone seemed softer, it felt more that the rock was not as rough, or sharp. As he pulled his hand away Don saw some light in his palm as if tiny bits of the moss had transferred to his hand. Don furrowed his brow, "This is really interesting I wish I had the chance to study it a bit."

Symbia shook her head and stomped her hooves, "No, it would die in pure sunlight. It grows where it is dark and damp only, it serves it's purpose as a light in the dark, for travelers such as us, and to keep the demons at bay. Though it does little against trolls." Symbia shrugged, "It is just another form of life on Necron."

"But that is just it, there is so much here I am unfamiliar with and the mysteries must be solved, answers, and comprehension of why certain forms of life do what they do is the whole basis of science." Don replied with an eager tone.

Symbia tossed back her head and laugh, "No one could solve all the mysteries of life. Solve one riddle and another waits. It is far easier to accept that there are things that can not be explained. On Necron the how and why of things are not important. There are better things to concern us." Symbia smiled, "We centaurs often play the game of the unanswered riddle, because it opens the mind to possibility."

Don grinned as he thought of Splinter often instructing them in the art of meditation, teaching them to empty their minds by asking ' what is the sound of one hand clapping?' and other philosophical questions. He wondered then if the inhabitants of Necron, lived more on the basis of these questions that had stumped others for ages. It clearly might explain why the dragon could lift off and fly from the ground, without dropping from off a height. or why Demon Wing's wing didn't seem to be in proportion to his body, at least to the point where the wings ought to carry the pegasian.

Don was fully aware that those who lived on Necron would say that it was part of their magic, but for him, well, he firmly believed that magic was merely misdirection and illusion. There had to be a logical explanation for every thing he had seen here and if he only had time to study and research all of it, he was sure that the answer would reveal itself.

Symbia dropped a hand on his shoulder "Come we best rejoin the others before they notice we are missing." She pirouetted on hind legs and headed after the others. Don quickly followed after her not wanting to be left behind and lost in the catacombs under the mountain range, "Hopefully we can find another passage up and out into the daylight again." Symbia grumbled a bit.

They quickly caught up to the tail end of the group where some of the toshe pack lingered, keeping a wary look out for any trolls or other beings who might try to hinder or stop their progress. Shea turned his head as he spotted the two stragglers, he twitched his ear, and wagged his tail a bit. Symbia laid back her ears and pawed irritably at his back end with her fore hoof. Then she surged forward. Traba never missing an opportunity to tease anyone loped toward Don.

"So did she switch her tail for you?" Traba asked slyly.

Don shook his head, "I don't know what you are talking about. She was showing me the light moss."

Traba gave a barking laugh, "Oh that is a good one, but if that is what you call it, just be warned if she is in season you'll have to look at a lot more moss." he mocked.

Shea gave a panting grin "She has many studs to choose from here. Why even Demon Wing may oblige her if, her season grows strong enough. Most stallions can't help covering a mare at that time, no matter how testy she is, they know exactly what will settle her down."

Don blushed as he realized the implications of these remarks. Of course this reaction only confirmed to the toshe that they were on the right track with their barbed words. "Better watch who that mare goes off with from now on." Traba remarked, " I doubt she'd mate the wyrm or the likes of us, but any human or equine type of male is fair game."

"Aye, and if the trolls get a hold of her and she is in season, they would have their sport with her too, whether she obliges to flick her tail for them or not." Shea remarked casually.

Symbia hearing this talk had enough, she whirled about and chased after the two bad mouthing toshe, kicking and snapping at them in a fury.

Don was just as glad that the toshe's comments had been silenced by Symbia's fit of temper, he doubted that it was all that bad and that the toshe were bored, and doing their best to relieve it by teasing and mocking what they might normally see as prey. Don glanced casually around he saw Demon and Shanza ahead, the toshe pack was as usual spread out all over ranging forward, behind and to all sides, he saw Leo and Raph strolling just behind of Demon and Shanza. Symbia was now pushing her way up towards the other equines.

"Where is Mike?" Don demanded out loud.

Leo paused and turned, "He was behind us complaining about his hunger."

"He isn't here Leo" Don insisted frantically. He tried to recall when he had last seen or heard from Mike. "I'm sure he was here when Symbia and I went off but, now..."

The toshe shrugged, " We did not see him leave the group." Lobo reported.

"Nor did we." Shea confirmed, "and we were covering the back."

"Perhaps if you hadn't allowed yourself to be distracted you would have noticed that he was not here." Symbia accused Shea.

'That does not matter' Shanza protested sharply, 'We must find him before Trolls or any demons do.' The unicorn turned around, 'Toshe spread out and see if you can pick up his scent, we will head back the way we came to see if we can pick up his trail. I hope that he has only got side tracked and perhaps choose a different path from the one we are traveling.'

"Side tracked Mikey?" Raph gave an incredulous look, "Who'd think it was possible?"

"Not any of us that's for sure." Don muttered in sarcastic reply as they started to retrace their steps.

They had gone past the place where Don and Symbia had paused to check out the luminescent moss, when Trina picked up the scent, of Mike, "Listen carefully, there is water dripping perhaps he went that way to get a drink."

"But he ought to have caught up with us if he only wanted a drink" Leo refuted, "Mike acts foolish, but he should have been able to find us from here. We weren't that far ahead."

"Yeah but Mike is an expert at finding trouble Leo" Raph reminded his brother.

'Perhaps it is that he found trouble. Or possibly it has found him' Shanza replied, For that tunnel goes deeper underground and thus it is the domain of trolls we were doing our best to avoid those regions. If a troll came upon him while he drank then...' She curled her lip and stomped her hoof.

Demon forged on 'If the trolls have him then we have no choice but to follow after.' He snorted and tossed his mane, 'It has been a long time since I last tangled with any trolls.'

The group moved on through the passages and soon found an underground stream, Lobo paused and scented the water, he nodded his head to show the water was drinkable, as the pack spread out searching for sign or scent of Mike. Suddenly Dawny bayed loudly and the others hurried to where the toshe pup stood growling at a foot print in the mud near the stream. It was large bare foot and there was a few blood droplets near the foot print.

"Trolls" Dawny barked his hair bristled on the back of his neck.

Lobo sniffed around with Trina, and Shea also scouring the area, trying to pick up the scent, but it was Noharn, who was trying to avoid the water, who picked up the next clue he scratched at a niche in some rocks that were piled up blocking the stream up, as if the stream was dammed up. He pulled loose a bit of metal and dropped it shaking his head, his tongue pistoned in and out as he yelped in pain. The others came forward Raph pointed to the metal object.

"A shuriken" he said, as he scrambled over the rocks to peer over the edge that dropped off down to a cavern below. "Mike had to have come this way but why?"

"Perhaps he was captured and trying to let us know that they are down this way" Symbia responded.

Leo glanced down what looked like a treacherous climb down hill, "Is it safe to travel this way?"

' It carries the weight of trolls, we ought to be fine.' Shanza assured them, she coiled her body up and sprang into the air, stretching out with her forelegs, she touched the rocks half way down and sprang again. Demon easily glided down, while the others stuck to walking had to travel at a slower pace to the floor below the rock cliff. Shanza trembled her ears perked up and she pawed the ground restlessly. All of them could feel the low thumping and crashing coming from one passage way that lead off from the cavern they were standing in.

'TROLLS!' Shanza informed the others.

"If they have Mike it doesn't matter" Leo growled as he unsheathed his swords with determination he headed towards the noise ahead, the toshe growled in full agreement, they were more then ready to do battle.

"Fart Face I want the tasty."

"Bah Fungoid, you lost him to me! He is mine and I will crunch his shell and devour his sweet meat."

"Ha, you have not battled for the right fully Fart Face. I want a chance at the intruder too."

There was a loud bashing noise and a thump followed that shook the ground and earth around them.

"Get lost Scuzz Bag you have no right to anything considering you lost us our last meal."

Raph snickered a bit "This sounds a lot like Casey's type of conversation" he couldn't resist saying.

The group looked at the large trolls, there were three of them, arguing loudly as they sat in a circle, there was a strange stone box behind one of the trolls.

Leo glowered at Raph, "How do we get Mike away from them?"

Shanza snorted, and almost gave an equine smile 'Speed and light is an asset for while Trolls are quick to strike they are so large that catching fast moving prey is difficult. With them it is all in speed and timing, be ready to jump and run to avoid their clubs and feet.' She warned, ' However be on your guard if they catch you they can be extremely rough and torture you quite well even by a mere pinch of their fingers, what the troll considers delicate is enough to break bones into smithereens.'

" They also don't care for high pitched noises." Lobo panted "It hurts their ears" with that said he let loose a howl that was sharp as he lunged forward to the attack, the rest of the pack following after.

Demon took advantage of the far more open tunnels that the trolls had to fly, up and over the trolls head, tickling them with his wings. So while the trolls tried to cover their ears, they were also swatting at what seemed to be a sudden infestation of pesky flies or gnats that seemed to be intent on tickling their faces. Shanza darted in and out, whirling on hind legs and slashing with her horn, and the turtles, small as they were compared to the large seven foot, thick bodied trolls picked one culprit to make attacks on. Symbia stood back and shot arrows, choosing her targets wisely and avoiding the ones who battled the trolls.

Leo dodged a beefy hand as it swung towards him, Raph jumped to avoid the wooden club swung his way, and the troll banged the club down on his own foot, before howling in pain. Shanza darted in to go after one troll but was kicked by the foot of it's companion and that kick sent her flying she landed with a thud on the ground, lying stunned and out of breath.

"Ha, ha! I got my own little sweetie now and it's better then the little bug Fungoid found" the troll chortled as it moved in on Shanza a strange gleam in his eyes.

Shanza laid perfectly still, playing dead, then as the hand came down she jumped up, using her horn to pierce through the hand. The Troll roared in fury and in sudden pain.

Fart Face, reached up and grabbed a wing yanking hard on it and pulling out many feathers, while mangling others causing Demon to lose his balance in flight. Demon landed on Fart Face's head and beat a hard tattoo with all four hooves, causing the troll to reach up with his club and bash himself in the head, Demon jumped free, at the last second then had to dodge the toppling troll body.

Fungoid the one the three turtles were concentrating on was trying so hard to reach each of his opponents all at once that he was spinning in a wild circle, thumping the walls with his club. Finally dizzy and disoriented the troll threw his club hard and it bashed into the wall. Rocks and the tunnel around them shook, as bits of earth and stone crashed down, and the turtles, as well as any near by toshe, were hard pressed to avoid the falling debris.

Raph was almost caught in the landslide of the tunnel as it collapsed around Fungoid, the turtle was covered in dirt and he could feel grit under his shell, as well as coughing on the dust that filled the area.

Scuzz Bag seeing his brother's down fall, not to mention the cave in of an essential tunnel for the trolls screamed and tried to make his escape yelling loudly in alarm "Demons. Demons. Demons in the cavern!" he bellowed as he stomped off.

Traba laughed in amusement "Demons are we now. I suppose that is why we are called devil dogs by some."

Leo huffed slightly, "Where though is Mike? I haven't seen him at all, and I don't see him now."

Symbia pranced up "Trolls would tenderize him a bit first, they would then place him in a special area." She explained to Leo.

Demon snorted from a section near where Fart Face had been sitting, before they had intruded on the trolls argument, ' Here is a troll cell, made of stone, the door is unlocked and is easy to open. That is if one has fingers or other things to use as leverage.'

"If it is open why wouldn't Mike come out?" Don wondered as he scrambled over to pry the door of the cell open. As the door swung easily aside he felt a blast of freezing cold air from within.

'That is why, a troll cell freezes meat, until all arguments or ownership has been fully decided, that way the meat stays fresh.' Demon replied.

Don shivered as the first blast seemed to dissipate, but he could already feel that the cold in this area was bad enough to possibly have killed Mike, without thought to his own health, Don rushed into the cell. He found Mike huddled in a far corner. Not stopping to check his brother's vitals Don swung Mike over one shoulder and hustled out of the cell.

"Is he all right Don?" Leo asked worriedly.

"I think he has entered a bit of hibernation" Don replied, "His blood pressure and breathing seem very low short." Don answered in a clipped tone, "But look at his shell, and the bruises on his skin he has been badly hurt."

"We need to get Mike help and fast!" Leo declared.

Shanza snorted ' Give him some unicorn water, that may help his injuries to some extent.' She lowered her horn and instantly there was a pool of water where none had been before,

Don cupped his hands bringing up as much water as possible and gently pouring the liquid into Mike's mouth.

Dawny whined anxiously as he paced, the young toshe didn't care to lose another member of the group so soon. He glanced around wanting to help but seeing no way to assist the others in their endeavour, could only sit back, watch and wait. Then the toshe pup paused in its wanderings, he raised his head and inhaled deeply, his nose twitching eagerly. Somewhere just above the collapsed troll tunnel was the scent of fresh air, the pup was almost sure of it.

"Lobo!" he barked.

Lobo growled, "Be still pup!"

Dawny hung his head, he knew to persist would be to incur Lobo's wrath, and the pup was leery of doing that. For Dawny had learned that Lobo felt he was not a suitable member of the pack due to his deformed legs. That was why Dawny never pushed his luck with the leader, for fear that Lobo would kill him for impudence. Dawny sniffed again, even more certain that he was right, there was fresh air somewhere that way, and being out in the warm air would help everyone here.

Dawny wagged his tail, and determined to find out if his nose was misleading him or not started to climb up the rubble of the collapsed tunnel toward the lingering promising scent of hope.

TBC