"He's a stone troll, Mistress!" Vita focused her gaze on him. Her voice caught between surprise and awe. Her eyes widened as she remembered the stories from what she considered her homeland. She had spent more time there than anywhere before joining the house of Mikoto.
It was like witnessing a fairy tale come to life.
She had lived in the Nordic areas along the sea for many generations. Norway, Denmark, and Finland, to name a few. She often lived alone or with a family and helped work the land or protect the home or village. And since she was a daywalker, a vampire who could handle the daylight. Even though she did have darker-colored skin. She could often hide among the townspeople. There were a few times she outed herself. But it usually wasn't an issue. "they were the enemy," she'd shrugged. "and would promise not to feed on the villagers. While everyone may have feared monsters of the night. She was their monster of the night.
She took in the formidable figure of the stone troll. Stronger and bigger than his smaller kin. He exuded an imposing, dark presence with his rugged and muscular frame. His skin brings to mind weathered stone that would allow him to blend into his surroundings. Not that it would help him now. Thick moss and lichen grew in patches around much of his frame. Giving him a little more protection, the intense amber glow in his eyes hinted he was not some dumb beast. That there was intelligence behind his eyes. His arms were thick as tree trunks, and his hand was just as big. His hands were adorned with sharp, jagged claws capable of tearing through rock and ripping his enemies.
"Stone hammer, "she whispered. She thought of the weapons from the legends. The memory chilled her to the bone. A colossal hammer is said to be carved from the heart of a mountain. He could swing it as easily as a man swung a baseball bat. Using his weight and heavy legs, he could stomp to send shockwaves through the ground. And despite his size, he had speed and endurance. Capable of running down deer and other prey over long distances. This one standing in front of her Mistress, he was the troll of legends. The ones the Viking warriors told tales of and feared at night. "The devourer."
And she shivered, thinking of those she had sent to their deaths. Even though she was a vampire. She represented her Mistress while she slept. And she knew her Mistress well. Mikoto Misaka would take it personally.
Vita could sense the gravity of the situation and the potential damage from the impending battle. She steeled herself now that defeating the stone troll would take more than brute strength.
"Make it quick, Mistress," Vita said with a growing smile. Her voice was laced with anticipation. She narrowed her eyes. A mischievous glint flickered within them. "And be sure and not blow up the bridge." She added, chuckling softly, knowing her Mistress had heard her. Pulling her shoulders back, she turned to face the ridge, her gaze scanning the battlefield with a determined focus. With a confident nod, she yelled, "Keep firing!" her voice echoing across the ridge.
Grommok stood near the stone bridge, his towering figure casting a long shadow over Mikoto Misaka. An air of condescension and arrogance emanated from him. He looked down at her with a haughty glare, his voice dripping with disdain. "You think to challenge me, little one?" he wiped his stone hand across his stone nose, snot clinging to his stone fingers. "a mere puny thing wielding a puny whip against a mighty lord of trolls? How amusing?"
"Have you looked around?" Mikoto asked. The voice filled with confidence. Her eyes glared across the gorge.
He chuckled dismissively, confidence from his massive size and imposing stature anchored to him. It added to his sense of invulnerability. His words carried an undertone of superiority, as if he considered her nothing more than an insect.
"the fate of those, don't matter…" The thin line of his mouth curved. His amber eyes glowed.
Mikoto flicked her wrist. The iron whip slithered across the ground. She hid the fact she could use electricity and magnetism.
"I have faced many foes, crushed them, and enjoyed their taste. Some are dead, some barely alive. But the ones I enjoy the most are screaming and pleading for their lives. Even after I have crushed their bones and chewed on their flesh." He sneered.
Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed the iron whip handle. The particles take in her anger and vibrate faster. The whip slowly sank to the surface. she thought of the one who had left the warning.
"You will be a momentary distraction before I move on to the other morsels you have brought me." His grimace stretched into an enormous smile. His stone-blackened teeth cracked and broken.
She could smell his breath from across the gorge. Stale, mustiness, like an old abandoned cave, she could smell the hints of blood.
"Arrogance suits you, But remember, there was more to a battle than sheer size and brute strength. maybe I am small…but I promise you…."
"What?" he groaned as if inconvenienced by the conversation.
"I will be the jerk hammer that breaks you into little bitty pieces." She growled, her stance lowering as she narrowed her eyes. Her fang pulsed with anticipation as she opened her mouth.
He scoffed, a condescending smirk across his face. "You are nothing more than a child of the blood goddess." He sneered, his gaze narrowing, "How can you survive in the suns?" furrowing his brow.
"There's a lot more to me than you will ever know," she interrupted, "So prepare yourself, stone troll, for I will make you crumble." Her words carried with them quiet confidence.
It was quick, nearly a blink of an eye. She crouched and charged. Grommok let out a thunderous roar, sending his voice echoing through the battlefield.
"I am Grommok!" he raged at her insult of not saying his name. He smashed his stone's fist into the ground. The earth trembled and shook. He pulled out a massive chunk of stone. "Stone hammer!" he bellowed, lifting it high and charging towards her.