Trylla is not a good Person and a stupid one as well. I think she came away to clean during "The Mountain King", never really having to face her crimes or the ramifications of her stupid actions.
Troll!Hilda has potential in any case. One of these Potentials I want to use to a degree in this Fanfic. This is a more deconstructive take on "The Mountain King" and it will not have Trundle, the Mountain King in it.
Have fun!
Daughter of Stone, Mother of Flesh
by
Hatoralo
Chapter 1: Flee the Forest of Stone
"SHE KNEW?!"
A stone was thrown against one of the massive pillars, with enough force to pierce a small but not very deep hole in it and get stuck.
"SHE SAW HER!"
A small stone was stomped on with enough force to pulverize it with many small stone splitters flying in all direction's pieces.
"SHE CLOSED THE TUNNEL!"
A fist punched a small boulder that had been thrown into the air with enough strength to send it rolling fast and hard far away.
"SHE LEFT HER BEHIND IN AN AREA FULL OF AGGRESSIVE TROLLS!"
Two angry feet jumped high in the air and as they landed they broke a large boulder into many smaller pieces.
"I HATE HER!"
Angry stomps and screams were heard through the entire Stone Forest.
"I HATE HER, HATE HER, HATE HER, HATE HER, HATE HER, HATE HER, HATE HER, HATE HER! I HATE YOU TRYLLA!"
Every Troll under the mountain had heard Hilda's outburst of rage at this point. Trolls knew when their kind was raging and got used to it but this emotional outburst was especially intense. They haven't heard such wrath for over 1000 years.
"I WANT HOME, AWAY, I WANT TO SEE MY REAL MUM!"
"I can arrange that but you have to be quiet right now, Hilda!"
Hildas non-existent ears perked up. "Kaisa?"
Turning around she behold a very stressed looking Kaisa with heavy bags under her eyes and exhausted breathing but also a very happy smile.
"I… Found you…. I really found you. Come with me if you want to return home."
Hilda didn't need to be told that twice. She run up to Kaisa and wanted to hug her but Kaisa stopped her with the outstretched palm of her hand.
"No time and I really don't want to risk a broken spine when a excited Troll-Girl hugs me."
Hilda winced. She really had forgotten about her own new strength yet also was surprised and wondered how Kaisa knew about this.
"How did you get here so fast Kaisa?"
"The same way I get you out of here," promised the black & purple-haired Witch with confidence and took Hilda's hand. "I was worried it would take a lot of time to locate you. It is a good thing that Trolls with blue hair are really rare."
"No, but there are surprisingly many with red hair," Hilda joked as Kaisa started to lead her away. Hilda asked then in a serious tone: "How is mum?"
"She is healthy physically but very worried about you," explained Kaisa quickly. "Seeing you returned home will heal her psychologically."
Hilda wasn't sure if that would happen immediately but her return it would help a lot without a doubt in Hilda's mind.
"Quick Hilda, I need to open the portal again," Kaisa explained while they were looking for safe hiding place.
"Can I help with that?"
"Be the lookout," ordered Kaisa. "When you see something coming just say your mother's name."
"Mum?"
"I mean Johanna."
"Oh, right."
"I just need a well-hidden place to safely perform the incantation for the magic portal."
Hilda nodded and quickly lead Kaisa to a small cave that appeared abandoned and empty. "Since I became a Troll, I explored this place a lot. This hidey-hole should I discovered should be safe."
"This is good enough," decided Kaisa. "Good work, be my lookout and may the arcane be with us."
Hilda's hope grew as Kaisa started her incantation and she kept look for any Trolls who might stumble upon them. The fear and insecurity of her first day here returned in full force. Now that a way home was so close she feared that she may lose it. She couldn't lose it now, Kaisa had to be successful. Any fear of how she would live in Trolberg in Trollform were shoved deep into the subconscious for now.
Langt hjem, langt hjem...
Kaisa's magic looked more potent than usual. Hilda could feel that, including the powerful emotions that were coming from Kaisa. Emotions that were mostly regret and determination, but also a bit of love? Hilda wondered why she could feel this and why Kaisa had these emotions.
Langt hjem, langt hjem...
Hilda wanted to shout that Kaisa should make haste but the fear was too great that this could interrupt the spell or that a Troll could hear the shout and investigate. She had no hairs on her back anymore but it still felt like they erect because of her nervosity. Phantom back hair. Hilda wished she had hair on her back again.
Langt hjem, langt hjem...
Hilda never realized how much she loved cucumber sandwiches. She would eat a dozen, no two dozen when she finally returned home.
"Hilda?"
Hilda froze. This was a voice she learned to despise, the owner of the voice who was responsible for exchanging her with Baba, the voice of Trylla, the Troll. A shaman of her people but not as wise as one might expect not coming with that position in her case. Hilda knew she had no violence to fear from Trylla but it looked very different with Kaisa.
"Quick now!" begged Hilda in a whispering tone. "Trylla, the Troll is coming, Kaisa!"
"I make as fast as I can," promised Kaisa who was looking nervously behind and around her. "Distract her, I call you when the portal is open."
Hilda did what Kaisa told her. Hilda would have done it anyway, because it was a good plan, one she would come up herself. With slightly shaking knee's she got out of the little cave inside the massive one and confronted Trylla.
"Is something wrong?"
"Other trolls told me that you were screaming with rage," informed the female troll the exchanged human. "Why did you do that? Are you okay?"
Hilda wanted to read Trylla the riot act but it was not the time. That would lead to a more serious conversation over why Trylla left Johanna behind to the mercy of some angry trolls and she had to cover for Kaisa, screaming at Trylla could be counterproductive. She needed an excuse.
"I… I miss cucumber sandwiches," told Hilda a truth. Not the truth why she was so angry but it wasn't a direct lie.
"Oh."
Trylla was silent, trying to come up with an answer to that. "We usually don't eat cucumber sandwiches here. Trolls eat their meals in less refined ways."
"Can we get the ingredients?" asked Hilda. "We can find cucumbers in the supermarket or certain transportation automobiles like a van or an LKW/Truck. Bread is also found at the same places."
"Supermarkets are too deep in the city of Trolberg, Hilda, you should now that," told Trylla Hilda something she already knew. "It would be very dangerous for any Troll to go there."
Hilda knew that well. Not to mention she didn't have any money with her and she was appalled by the thought of stealing anything from anyone. Trolls took a lot from human garbage dumps but also were willing and able to steal anything edible from them. Oddly enough Erik Ahlberg never brought up the theft from dumps and food during his Anti-Troll speches.
"But we could probably get something from a human vehicle that drives towards Trolberg," suggested Trylla. "These drivers are not armed and will flee when confronted. Until they come back with support from the Safety Patrol we will be back at home with our loot, safe and sound.
"I don't want to steal from people," made Hilda clear. "Maybe we co-"
"Hilda? HILDA?!"
Hilda froze at hearing her mother's voice. It had a distant, distorted and far away quality but Hilda would recognize this voice everywhere. The small Troll suspected that the portal was open now and that her mother was waiting on the other side.
"Hilda, the portal-door is open!" shouted Kaisa's voice next. "Make haste!"
Trylla looked to the source of the first voice, then back to Hilda then back where the source of the second voice was coming from.
"The echoes here are weird," claimed Hilda deadpan. "One even sounds like my mother. You know, the human you stole me from. The person in the world I love the most?"
Trylla, taken aback be these words for a Moment pointed at the cave and then asked: "Who is this?"
"Natural gases in combination with tectonic plates which leads to…. Oh, screw it!"
Hilda jumped forth, went under Trylla, hefted her into the air an threw her as far away as possible.
Trylla could only gasp in surprise as she was flung through the Stone Forest and careened for several seconds on her back over the hard ground like a European football.
While Trylla was still flying Hilda was already with Kaisa. She was standing before a doorway, like the one Kaisa already summoned in her library, at least Hilda assumed that. The framework was glowing from powerful arcane energy and on the other side of the portal Hilda could see the shelves of the more magical part of the library.
"Home…" Hilda whispered. "I am almost home."
A hefty stomp shook the cave. Hilda knew what would come next and started to move towards the gate. Another stomp, another mighty shook.
"QUICK NOW!" shouted Kaisa, quickly realizing the danger herself. "QUICK!"
Hilda ran but a wave of red energy suddenly appeared behind her and went over her head. The wave hit the door which started lost stability but Kaisa quickly hold against that with her own magic which came in the form of a purple beam from her wand.
"Trylla is coming!" shouted Hilda. "She uses her own magic against yours!"
"I noticed that, Hilda!" shouted Kaisa back and another magical red wave hit the door, this time it made it move several feet to the side.
"Oh, no! You stay here, Mister!"
Kaisa used a spell that dragged the magical doorway closer to her. More stomps shock the cave and Trylla was now close enough to see the portal and Kaisa. She of course roared with rage, a mistake because Kaisa slung an attack in form of a sphere full of arcane enemy Trylla with her free hand, which hit her directly in the face.
"She is not your daughter!" announced Kaisa like she was a fantasy hero of legend. "You can't have her, she belongs with another mother!"
Trylla prepared another spell in her hand. More red troll magic formed in its palm and then slithered over her body in the form of lighting. She targeted Kaisa with this lighting spell but Hilda jumped in the way, forcing Trylla with a shocked expression to stop her attack. She was hit by a seed thrown by Kaisa at the head next.
Dyrke treet!
A tree grew from the seed in seconds, the roots coiled around Trylla and the weight of the quickly growing bark forced Trylla to the ground.
Hilda made her way to the portal and wanted to jump through it but another red spell from Trylla hit it again and the portal started to move away from Hilda the Troll. Both the witch and the exchanged human raced after the escaping doorway.
"Why does she know spells to make a magic doorway move?!" wondered a flabbergasted Hilda.
"That can be studied after we reach a safe haven!" shouted Kaisa back. "Troll magic really needs to be studied!"
"LET MY DAUGHTER GO!"
"SHE IS NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" shouted Kaisa back to Trylla (Kaisa couldn't understand the Troll language but Kaisa was interpreting what the angry Troll was shouting) who was still trying to get rid of the tree growing on her. "She will return to her real mother today!"
Kaisa and Hilda ran after the doorframe again and Kaisa used magic to slow it down.
Saktere. Saktere!
The magic Kaisa slung from her wand in form of a yellow mist was slowing the magical doorframe down. Kaisa was surprised that she was able to use this spell so well, the last time she used it was many years ago for practice.
Hilda felt Kaisa's feelings of surprise and success. She wonders if her status as a familiar helped her to have a emphatic connection to other witches and magic users aside from Frida, her Witch.
"Almost there…"
They came closer and closer to the doorway. Trylla slung a few more spells herself but this time Kaisa was prepared.
Skjold, skjold!
Aethereal shields appeared in the air and they were destroyed by the spells of Trylla but it neutralized the Trolls spells as well in the process.
"Your spells will not slow us down anymore!" promised Kaisa who was filled with determination.
"LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE OR YOU WILL DIE, HUMAN WITCH!"
Kaisa and Hilda were both filled with terror as they heard this threat. Both females knew that she was serious, absolutely serious with what she was threatening Kaisa. But neither would give up now.
"I AM NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" shouted Hilda back and grabbed a large stone from the ground. "I AM THE DAUGHTER OF JOHANNA PEARSSON!"
"Regardless of appearance!" added Kaisa, slinging a few stunning spells at Trylla. "Now back off!"
"NEVER YOU KIDNAPPER!"
"Hypocrite much?" snarked Kaisa back with a raised eyebrow.
The stun spells of the Witch slowed Trylla barely down. They were made to stun humans, not trolls. Kaisa knew she was lucky that it had any effect on Trylla at all. She had learned a spell strong enough to stun a troll but that costed a lot of mana and it was a last resort.
"Almost there!" shouted Hilda. "Just a few more meters…!"
"NOOOOOOOO!"
Trylla's scream was heard in the entire Stone Forest and it was followed by shouts asking what was going on. A few seconds later the exchanged Human and the Witch Human heard many heavy steps coming towards their direction.
"HELP ME! A HUMAN TRIES TO KIDNAP MY DAUGHTER!"
Hilda wanted to protest this statement but she was grabbed by a invisible force and thrown towards the doorway. She was sure it was a telekinetic spell used by Kaisa.
"Get through the door!" shouted Kaisa." I am behind you!"
"They will kill you should they capture you!" shouted Hilda back. "I can't and will not leave you behind!"
"I will be okay, I promise!" shouted Kaisa back. "I get a lot more mana than usual thanks to my familiar!"
Hilda wanted to ask who what familiar was as she forgot her own question at seeing something terrible behind Trylla.
"No…"
Several trolls swarmed from the caves and other places, all having the same goal. Like a tidal wave of terror, they ran towards Trylla the Troll and towards Kaisa the Witch as well.
"They will not get you!" swore Kaisa and gave herself a magical speed boost with the words:
Skynd dere!
Kaisa was running faster than before and shouted: "Jump through, I am directly behind you, Hilda!"
Hilda nodded but didn't do it. She feared that Trylla might unleash something on Kaisa which only Hilda would be able to stop. She couldn't leave the woman behind who was risking everything to rescue her.
Hilda jumped but over to Kaisa, grabbed her and swung her over her shoulder.
"Hilda, what are you doing?!" asked an irritated Kaisa.
"I carry you, you shoot at the enemy," explained Hilda quickly and was already running. "Just keep them away from us!"
Kaisa, knowing that there was no time to protest targeted the pursuers with her wand and shoot from Hilda's shoulder in the direction of the enemy.
La bakken være frossen!
The next spells froze the ground before Trylla and she slipped which was made only worse by the tree that was still clinging to her and as she fell the tree fell onto several of the arriving Trolls. Several of the incoming trolls also slipped on the ice and the Trolls behind them ran into the ones that slipped, tripped over slipped or tripped trolls and it quickly deteriorated into complete chaos.
"HAH!" exclaimed Kaisa in triumph. "I wish Tildy could have seen that!"
"Is she on the other side of the doorframe?" asked Hilda her friend.
"Yes, she is holding open the door," explained Kaisa while slinging more stun spells at their pursuers. "I wish we would have considered the possibility of somebody moving the portal away."
Thanks to Hildas superspeed she had in her troll-form she was closer to the exit than ever before. She decided to risk it, bent down on her knees and jumped forward with all her power in her legs.
"NOOOOO! COME BACK DAUGHTER!"
Hilda ignored Trylla's scream. She was about to come home to her actual mother. No time to look back to somebody who wronged her.
Hilda jumped through the magical doorway with Kaisa on her shoulder. Hilda made a perfect 3-Point landing on the other side and lifted Kaisa over her in triumph and Kaisa in a triumphant pose.
"Yes!" shouted Kaisa and Hilda in triumph. "We di-"
Trylla's hand came through the doorway and grabbed Hilda around her waist.
"Wh- NO!" shouted Hilda.
Seconds later Johanna, Frida, David, Alfur, the Great Raven and Tildy were attacking the arm of the troll with everything they had. Magic, weapons and the wish to bring Hilda home.
"HILDA!" shouted Johanna who was attacking the thumb of Trylla the Troll. "I LOVE YOU AND I WILL RESCUE YOU!"
Trylla tried to pull Hilda back. The others tried to keep Hilda on their side. Hilda let her fists go down onto Trylla's fingers.
"LET ME GO, I AM HOME, I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!"
But the hand wouldn't let go, the grip only becoming stronger.
"CLOSE THE DOORWAY!" shouted Frida. "Close it Kaisa, it could force the Troll too let Hilda go!"
Lukk den arkanske døråpningen!
The doorway slowly got smaller after Kaisa spoke those words and swung her wand methodically. But it stopped to shrink as the edges reached Trylla's arm.
"The arm is too strong!" noticed a horrified David. "The Troll is holding onto Hilda!"
"Take more of my Mana!" shouted Johanna to Kaisa in desperation and anger. "Use it to force this kidnapper back!"
Kaisa looked to Hilda who tried desperately to get out of Trylla's grip while her friends and family tried desperately to help her with that. Even Tildy's magic was unable to open Trylla's iron fist of stone. Seeing this awoke something darker and more malevolent in Kaisa and she showed her teeth with a grim and angry expression. These feelings weren't fully her own, half of it came from Kaisa's familiar, Johanna.
"Curse you for what you force me to do for Hilda, curse you, you kidnapper of children!"
Den magiske kniven!
Her own determination combined with the Determination of Johanna and lead to Kaisa concentrating all her magic into her wand and around it. It formed a purple glowing mass of energy in form of a blade. It vibrated from all the energy put into it and as Kaisa looked at it in fright but that was soon replaced with grim determination.
Kaisa ran towards the arm as she swung her arcane blade into the air. Kaisa took a final deep breath before she brought the blade down.
WOW!
Cool ending, is it not? A good cliffhanger in any case.
Kaisa really needs redemption, after "The Mountain King" delivered such a weak reason from her not to help. Matilda was not even covered. Was she in her honeymoon with Ostenfeld?
I also interpreting Kaisa being a really good mage when she works outside of Witch Rules and/or is really, REALLY motivated. It is also a different kind of pressure than learning.
Anyway, this is inspired by the stories of
Pikablob of AO3, especially her stories about fixing controversial plot points and her (in my mind) best Hilda Fanfic "Nobody's Child". Though my Fanfic is aiming for a more positive and less sad tone than that story of Pikablob. My target is to bring in Hilda's many friends and allies, people who can help with the situation.
I wrote this as a one-shot but I decided to upload this in three chapters in the end because of its length.
Cover by Ziphon of Pixiv.
Hope you enjoyed the start of this Trilogy of Chapters.
Until next time!