Nemesis and the Troll King by Ashley Du Toit Read Free Book Online Page B

himself because he had not realised until he spoke that he had made his decision.
    â€œThen you shall have to face what you have done,” Nemesis replied. “But be very sure—there is no going back. You have seven days to save the fairy. If you fail, her fate will be yours as well,” he warned.
    Yarg slowly nodded his head. Drawing his massive wings out, spreading them over the cave’s width, Nemesis began to chant:
    I call upon the ancient dragon’s line …
    Let what was bound be unbound,
    what was forgotten be remembered,
    what was taken be restored.
    Release the hidden moments now!
    The ancient words twined around Yarg’s body and a blinding white light exploded behind his eyelids. Disoriented, he sat down as an onslaught of memories chased each other cross his mind’s eye, almost too rapidly for him to absorb. Then the kaleidoscope slowed and settled on one scene.
    He is human, standing beside a lake, proud and tall. He sees a tiny creature—could it be a fairy? Intrigued, he follows her through a shimmer, finds himself in another place. Her small body hovering in the air ahead of him, panic in her eyes, she is trying desperately to get him to return to his human world. Frustrated by her denial, he lashes out, saying cruel things to her. Watches in horror as she begins to freeze.
    The scene rolled on and Yarg saw …
    Nemesis landing beside them, seeing the tiny fairy freezing, scooping her up as he bellows his rage, fury radiating from every scale on his massive body, causing the very air to vibrate.
    Nemesis demanding he save her.
    Himself not understanding, not knowing what to do, paralysed by shock and fear.
    Nemesis, amber eyes whirling with rage, chanting over him.
    His body, no longer under his control, shifting and changing—fingers extending and growing thick black nails, bones popping and shifting, muscles contorting and expanding, skin marbling blue, nose lengthening, warts appearing, clothes and shoes tearing then shredding as his body outgrows them, sense of self fading, mind screaming that he hadn’t been used to people saying no to him, hadn’t realised the effect his anger would have, hadn’t meant to …
    The scene ended and Yarg was back in the moment. A groan escaped from deep within himself.
    Nemesis watched him. “You are not beyond redemption, troll. You have courage within you. You can correct this and save her,” he said softly.
    Yarg turned anguished eyes towards Nemesis. “I have been a member of the Guild of Immortals these three years past, have sat on your council and faced you, but you never once spoke of any of this.”
    â€œYou were not ready.”
    Yarg shoved his hand through his hair in frustration. “Then when would I have been ready? When would you have told me?”
    Nemesis tensed. He growled low in his throat, the sound pulsating across the cave’s expanse. “You dare to question me?”
    Hair standing straight on end, Yarg started to back away. Then realising that he had to face this, had to make it right, he gathered his courage to ask, “No, only to ask your help to save the fairy.”
    Nemesis relaxed his body. “Her name is Kaylin,” he said.
    Yarg moved his arms from around his knees and stood up. “Kaylin,” he said softly, rolling the fairy’s name over his tongue, testing it out for himself.
    â€œYes,” said Nemesis. “She was so beautiful, filled with the joy of life, kindness in everything she said and did, gentleness in everything she touched. As you well know, King of the Trolls, every fairy has a special quality and a special task. Kaylin was birthed from a rare line, she was the fairy of dreams and emotions. She was also guardian of the blue bells—I’m sure that you would have seen some of her work in the mortal realms. Entire forests and woodlands floors all carpeted with her flowers, a covering of blues and purples for as far as