Hello everyone and welcome to the story! Just a quickie before you start reading. Just know that this version of the story does include course language, song lyrics, and sexual themes (without sexual content). If you guys are okay with that, you're all set to start reading. If you want to read the more explicit version, look it up on AO3 Archive of Our Own. Thanks and have fun reading!
Long ago when the trolls of old walked the earth. The wisest and smartest of them all were called Scholars due to their high intellect. These Scholarly trolls were none other than treasure trolls, trolls that were born with gems. Besides gems, these trolls were also born with magnificent talents and they were taken to a prestigious institution where their talents were harnessed, used to help the world become a better place.
One particular scholar created the strings. This invention brought color to the world as well as unity and delight through music. As this scholar ascended in his fame, a rival scholar created something far more superior to the strings. It was called…The Perfect Set.
The Perfect Set was a collection of six divine pieces that represented each genre and possessed their own extraordinary abilities. When the pieces were played all at once, they made a sound so perfect, so beautiful, that the world itself shifted in awe of its glory.
Of course, with such power came evil as well. The Strings were stolen first and the tribes battled each other savagely for the right to have their own string. Once each of the six strings was with their own relative kingdom, the kingdoms sought after The Perfect Set next for dominance.
The Scholars would not allow it. Laying their lives on the line, many of the Scholars perished in the battle, giving their all to protect The Set. The war ended in bitter defeat, but the six tribes did not find The Set. How?
The creator of the pieces snuck away and hid them before the war had begun. She had given the pieces to the outer kingdoms, the hidden villages of the wilds. She wished them farewell. She hoped they would stay safe and be careful…almost as if they were alive.
Interestingly, one of those civilizations is where our story takes place.
The quiet oriental city of Dragon Hollow used to be a small village when it was first founded. Now, it's an empire, taking up the entirety of the cave which it was built in.
The city was large and busy. It was filled with many ancient Japanese and Chinese courtyard houses, pools of water, and crevices at the roof of the cave, allowing many rays of sunlight to pierce through. As for the more dense parts of the cave, there were lanterns and candles to keep the area well lit. Because the city resided in a cave, there were many bridges and railings that kept its citizens safe.
A certain female dashed through the city, racing to get to her destination. She kept her breathing steady with a look of focus on her face. Her name was Valentina.
The troll had sparkling ruby skin that seemed to be coated with glitter. She had deep purple eyes that complimented her ample pink hair that was rather wild, ample, and straight with a few bead covered braids in her hair. Her bangs were curled upward where her blonde tips were while the back was curled downward. There were purple tribal-like markings on her arms, stomach, and legs that faded to blue at the ends. Some markings resembled flowers while others resembled the sun. What really stood out was the small purple star-shaped gem on her cheek that complimented her dark purple nose. She wore an ice blue silk Shaolin uniform top with red florals, held together with a red silk sash tied around her waist that held her sheathed wakizashi. She wore no bottoms and tied around her shins were white ankle supports, tied with red string and without shoes. The majority of her hands and knuckles were also wrapped with clean white bandages. Her sash accented her voluptuous curvy figure and unlike most trolls of her species…she had a bust. She was also very fit and defined in all the right places. However, she wore light makeup. Her lips were glossy and full and her maroon eyelashes were thick. She wore two blue beaded bracelets on her arms and a silver anklet on her left ankle. Her right ear had a purple stud that was shaped like a star. It was undeniable that this woman was very attractive.
She was aware that she was different from the other trolls that roamed the streets. The trolls of dragon hollow were K-Pop Trolls, Dragon Trolls, J-Pop Trolls, Fox Trolls, and many other variations my. She, however, was a mixture of Reggaeton and Pop. She called herself…Latin Pop.
Valentina scrambled through town, looking for certain supplies. She blitzed through the outdoor market, grabbing a number of veggies and a sack of rice. She comically tossed the money at the vendor before stuffing the food in her reusable grocery sack. After that, she zipped off again.
She decided to stop at a small restaurant as well. That's when she said, "Two large orders of dumplings, please."
The large and rather plump red fox troll behind the counter packed up her order with ease. He worked, looking over everything with kind amber eyes. He was very fluffy as well. Due to his size, he only wore a pair of patched shorts and brown sandals.
He smiled and said, "Take care, Valentina. Tell the old man I said hello…and happy new year!" He called out to the sprinting ruby troll.
"I will! Thanks, Ping!" Valentina nearly stumbled over someone. That's what she gets for looking back while running.
Noticing a few carts were in her way, she began to hop on top of each cart. The view from the tall carts gave her insight as to the traffic that lay ahead of her.
That's when she sighed and extended her hair. Her hair grabbed onto the roof of a nearby house and hoisted her up. With a flip, she landed on the roof then began jumping from roof to roof. From her much higher view, she could see her destination, a house on top of a large stone. She could also see the glorious palace laying on the top of a stone as if the area had been cut out of the cave itself.
After getting over the traffic and running up the many sets stairs, she had finally made it to the courtyard of her destination. With a bit of sweat on her brow and her arms burning from carrying all of the food, she tiredly walked up to the large doors.
Valentina deeply sighed…before she awkwardly leaned over and knocked with her foot.
After a few moments, a dark colored dragon troll opened the door, squinting his eyes and growling at her. He turned out to be a pretty built male with a lengthy body. With that being said, he was pretty tall with a long tail. His ears were pointed and nearly buried in his fluff. Speaking of his fluff, they fell down in front of his eye like long wild bangs. He was covered in back fluff with highlights of dark gray from his muzzle to his belly. However, there were thick patches of chrome silver scales on his arms and one large patch that ran from his belly and continued down the underside of his tail. The silvery leopard print pattern on his fur stood out in contrast to his dark fur as if he was a black jaguar. His horns were pure silver and went straight back only with a slight forward curve at the tips. He had the face and paws and whiskers and claws of a large feline. Half of his chest was exposed by his one sleeved silvery silk kimono. The exposed arm possessed a silver cuff that laid firmly on his upper arm muscle.
Valentina looked up at him and before she smiled and offered him the food. "…Happy new year, Master Hua."
The dragon blinked before he smiled as well. "Hahaha. Nothing slips your mind, does it, Val?" The dragon, now known as Hua, stepped to the side so she could enter.
Valentina nodded before she happily entered his cozy and elegant home. She knew exactly where the kitchen was and sat the items she bought on the counter.
"You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get here. That new year's traffic is intense." Valentina jested as she unpacked the bags.
Hua walked over with a kind smile. He looked over everything she had gathered. "You should be glad Dragon Hollow is much bigger than it used to be. It was a small village before it was a Dynasty." He continued, Valentina mocking him as he spoke.
"Throughout the years, it has grown into a great and powerful civilization and has given birth to new species of trolls. The dragon trolls birthed the kingdom and out came its spawns; The fox trolls, The K-Pop Trolls, and the J-Pop trolls. Together we expanded our civilization and live together in peace." Hua smiled at the thought, completely content…before he noticed Valentina mocking him.
Valentina blinked…then nervously smiled. "And…dragon trolls are a form of classical troll. Heh…" She added on, pretending like she was paying attention. She had heard this story many times.
However, this time Hua looked her over and growled softly. "One day in this mighty city, I saw someone who didn't belong. They were on their own and frightened, sleeping on the streets, and stealing food to survive. She was a young teenager at the time, abandoned, with nowhere to go…"
Valentina pouted at that. "I know, master. That was me. I stopped stealing. I live here now. I heard this story too." She said before she began to prepare to cook.
Hua merely kept speaking. "One day the child had gotten caught trying to steal a bean bun off the shelf of a local food stand. The citizens saw a thief. I saw a hungry child."
Valentina glanced up at him before she continued to prep the veggies.
"They told me not to waste my time with you. They told me you were an outsider, a thief, and a teenager." Hua moved over and helped her. He grabbed a knife and swiftly began to cut the veggies. "But…you are a lucky color, and you have indeed given me much luck. I am proud to have aided you in becoming the young woman you are today." He smiled to himself as he expertly chopped a radish.
Valentina glanced up at him and smiled herself. She snorted before she said, "You also taught me how to kick some serious ass." She jested with a small smirk.
"Valentina, language." The older man corrected her…before he smirked. "…And yes. I did teach you how to kick some serious ass. In fact, I still do." He spoke…before he tossed a radish at her head.
Despite their close proximity, Valentina was able to detect the radish, holding up her extremely sharp knife to cut the vegetable in half. The two pieces of the vegetable flew elsewhere, not even coming close to touching the ruby troll.
Valentina smirked at that and took a defensive stance. "Really? Are we really doing this now? I thought we were supposed to be cooking dinner?" She said in amusement, starting to circle the older male.
Hua began to circle her in return. "There's nothing that says we can't do both. Kung fu is a way of life, Val. It's not just a fighting style." He grabbed his own knife, swiftly tossed an onion up and kicked it at Valentina.
Valentina concentrated. She angled her blade, cutting the onions as well. The slices of onion fell into her wok. They had fallen on top of the sliced radish. After that, she chuckled. She sat her knife aside and grabbed a couple leaks instead.
Valentina twirled them around as if they were small staffs before she twirled and tossed them into the air. She watched as Hua leaped up and diced the leaks with his razor sharp claws. Every piece fell into the wok as well.
He had landed in a fierce pose and looked up at her. "What else do we need?" Hua asked with a wide smile.
"…Noodles?" Valentina looked down at him with a smile of her own.
"And fish." Hua added with a smile.
"And riceballs!"
"And spring rolls!"
Valentina giggled at him. "And I'll wrap it up by making the orange chicken!" She crouched down into her own stance.
That was when they both sprung into action. The two moved with grace, elegance, and skill. They used their skills in combat to expertly craft a large and delicious meal. Determined to make it even more delicious than their last celebratory meal, they seasoned it well. Even to the point where each noodle was packed with flavor.
When the two were done with their large spread, it was night and the cave was lit with a magical display of fireworks and the moonlight that seeped through the cracked cave walls above. Hua's large balcony was an accessory to his even larger home. This is what they sat on when they watched the immense parade down below.
Valentina munched on a large sweet bean bun while she watched. She tilted her head at the display and the colorful red dragon costume dancing in the street. "They are really going all out this year."
"The year of the dragon is a very special occasion. Dragon Hollow was founded during the year of the dragon. Hence the name Dragon Hollow. Because of that, us dragon trolls get all the goodies when it's our year." Hua chuckled a bit, working on his fourth serving of food while purring in contentment.
Valentina shook her head in amusement. She bit her bean bun again, looking around at everyone enjoying the festivities. The best part about having a house that was built this high up, you could see everything.
She wished she got along better with the majority of society. Valentina has always been a friendly person, but it's hard to continue to be friendly to people who clearly don't like you. There are a few here and there that are nice. However the vast majority of them take one look at her shimmering skin or her tribal markings or her desire to wear less clothing and shun her for it. No matter how many customs she adopts, no matter how many languages she learns, no matter how many fighting styles she masters, she will never be one of them. She will always be outcasted as a foreigner and a freak.
Valentina's chewing slowed due to those heavy thoughts. She swallowed before she sighed through her nose. She looked over at Hua…who was now working on his fifth plate.
Valentina silently giggled. Hua likes her. He always has. She wishes more people were like Hua and didn't judge based on petty deeds or the outward appearance. Perhaps she could find a mate like Hua, one that won't judge her. There would be any here in Koi Village.
She turned her gaze forward, looking over the village and looking at the lights and skyscrapers projecting from the city in the far distance. Valentina smiled at the large Japanese characters on one of the buildings.
Maybe she could find a mate in Kotyo. Valentina has heard that the city trolls are wild and always looking for something new, but she didn't know how she would adjust to city life. She preferred the peace of the village and a city person wouldn't want to be trapped in a small town.
Valentina sighed and hung up that idea. After finishing her bean bun and watching a bit more of the parade, she decided to head to bed. "It's getting late. I should head to bed so I can get an early start on training." She began to clean up her dishes.
Hua watched her. He knew something was off all of a sudden, but decided against questioning her about it. He merely smiled at her and nodded. "Very well. By the way, I won't be at the training hall tomorrow morning. So? I need you to take my place and train the young students in my place." He nodded at her.
"Babysit the kindergarteners. Got it." Valentina nodded, picking up all of their finished dishes. "Why won't you be there?"
"I have been summoned to the palace to see my brother." Hua said with a nod. "There has been some odd activity on the outskirts of our civilization. Inside it too. There have been reports of rebellious trolls snooping around."
Valentina seemed less than impressed. "Let me guess. I wasn't invited because the Emperor thinks I'm a disgrace?" She asked dryly.
Hua glanced away. "He just hasn't spent enough time with you."
"Because he hates me and thinks I am a disgrace." Valentina placed her hands on her hips, seeming even more dry. "I bet the other master and advisors are going. All of them are going to have their children, but once again, I can't go to the palace." She said, getting a bit huffy.
Hua sighed and fully looked up at her. "Valentina, this is a serious matter, a matter that could involve combat, a matter I don't believe you're ready for." He shook his head, already knowing he was going to hear it from the woman.
Valentina looked like she had been slapped. She scoffed and said, "I-I've been training since the moment I got here. I've…mastered all forms of Kung-Fu, Wing Chun, Tai Chi…I even mastered Mahjong and I still can't go?!"
"No, you can't. Even though my brother doesn't like you, I decided you couldn't go because you are not ready." Hua replied, still keeping a calm tone with her.
"I have been training every day since I got here…" Valentina fired back.
"And everyone else's children have been training since they were first hatched from the egg." Hua replied with a sigh and a growl. "This is bigger than you, Valentina. If they keep snooping, they'll stumble upon The Sacred Pool of Yin and Yang." His expression took a grave turn.
Valentina…merely deadpanned at him. "…The Sacred Pool of Yin and Yang? Is that what this is all about? I used to go there as a baby. It's…a tourist hot spot. Everyone goes there. I don't see how witnessing the majesty of beautiful scenery could harm us in any way." She folded her arms in bitter amusement.
Hua merely deadpanned at that. Valentina was definitely thinking he was old and crazy for sure. "Valentina, many things in life are hidden in plain sight. As for your training, we will continue it in the evening instead. For now, enjoy your rest, young one." He nodded at her before he went back to eating.
Valentina looked at him in confusion and irritation before she walked elsewhere. She was ready. She knew she was.
Oooooooo
After handling the dishes, she headed to her room. It was rather large for one person with a small balcony of its own. Her walls were decorated with a variety of items. From posters to weapons, no wall was left completely blank. The walls were a calming beige while the tile floor was an oak brown color, matching the baseboards of the house. She had her own bathroom and one side of her room looked like a small lounge with shelves, comics, beanbag chairs, and a large aquarium built into the wall.
She flipped the lightswitch that was right beside the bedroom's entrance and walked inside.
Upon entering her room, a small robotic vacuum cleaner began to make its way around her room, picking up whatever crumbs were dropped if there were any.
Not minding the martial arts pictures on her wall, she made her way to her other wall, the wall that held her weapons. That's where she placed all her equipped weapons to rest. Then, she stretched and began to make her way over to her small couch. That's where the remote was to her tv.
She didn't get to set her eyes on the remote yet due to her eyes catching something from her balcony.
"Huh?" Valentina hummed when she seemed to see a small white light in the far distance, akin to the reflection of a flashlight.
The ruby troll walked out until she was standing on her balcony. The cool hit her. She paid no mind to the temperature as she gazed out into the distance.
There seemed to actually be multiple flashlights in the distance. The faint silhouettes of trolls caught her eye as a subtle beam of moonlight poured on them. Oddly, they were on the outskirts of the cave, the portion of the civilization that was able to be hit with the full rays of the sun. The residents of Dragon hollow preferred not to live that far out. The cave was their protection and shelter from the harsh elements outdoors. So…why were they out there?
Valentina's eyebrows furrowed. "…Master spoke of trolls snooping around." That's when she turned her eyes to the much closer parade. "Why are they snooping around the outskirts?"
Looking down at the parade, she saw all of the different types of Hollow trolls gathered together, celebrating together.
"Why are they out…when everyone is distracted?" Valentina noticed where they were heading. "And why are they…heading straight for The Sacred Pool of Yin and Yang?"
Her gaze hardened.
She didn't know what these people wanted with her home, but as a resident and a trained warrior, it was her duty to protect it.
Valentina stared out into the distance with a calculating expression as the light of luminous fireworks shined down on her tranquil form.
Hope you guys are enjoying it so far! End notes are at the end of chapter 2.