Chapter 31: Loose Lips
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Reaching into his robes Thane pulled out a small metal tin that he opened to reveal a colorless opaque salve inside that gave off a heavy medicinal scent. Applying a tiny amount underneath his nostrils Thane breathed a sigh of relief, before offering the tin to Harry and Ron who quickly followed to do the same.
"Do you always carry this stuff with you?" Harry asked as his eyes watered from the sharp smell of the salve.
"Only when we have potions, you would be surprised how easy it is to make a stink bomb by accident," Thane replied before he resumed walking albeit at a much more cautious pace and with his spellblade at the ready.
Enough time had passed that the silver trail left in the air was beginning to fade but even from down the hallway Thane could see the spell had stopped right outside the girl's bathroom. Unfortunately the trail of silver glitter had gotten the attention of the very creature Thane had wanted to avoid.
Standing at least fifteen feet tall with gray callous skin, long dangling arms, a pug-like face and wide dinner plate feet, Thane watched as the troll waved its hand through the trail of glitter hovering in the air with child-like amusement. If that child was a dangerous magical beast with magic resistant skin, a taste for human flesh and a six foot long club that it wielded in one hand.
But as the spell finally dissipated a frown marred the troll's ugly mug and he grunted in apparent frustration, before glancing over and making eye contact with the three of them.
"Nobody move," Thane hissed in a whisper as he Harry and Ron froze on the spot all while the troll continued to stare at them, "Trolls are dangerous but incredibly dull as well, there's a good chance if we don't move he might think we're statues."
The troll narrowed its beady mud color eyes as if trying to pick out something far off in the distance.
"I think it's actually working," Ron muttered through clenched teeth as the troll shrugged its hunched shoulders and turned around to leave.
At that moment the door to the girls bathroom swung open as Hermione stepped into the hallway only to freeze as the troll spun around to face her. Hermione's eyes turned into saucers as she let out a high pitched scream which only served to enrage the troll as it responded with its own deafening bellow that sent spittle flying from its gaping maw.
Raising its club overhead the troll was about to bring it down on Hermione's head when a bolt of red light struck it in the back of the head. The troll let out a pained grunt but easily shrugged off the attack as it turned around to stare back at the now living statues.
Following the troll's gaze Hermione's face lit up as she saw Thane, Harry and Ron standing at the end of the hallway, "That's it focus on me big guy!"
Thane stepped forward as he sent another bolt of red light zipping at the Troll landing a clean hit against its leathery flank which showed no signs of damage. The troll roared again as it turned away from Hermione and broke out into a lumber gait looking to crush the puny human who dared to attack him.
"You know what you're doing right!?" Ron asked as he took a fearful step back but he and Harry still managed to pull out their wands.
Instead of responding Thane reached up and undid the clasp for his robes, dropping them unceremoniously to the floor before rolling up his sleeves and reversing the grip on his spellblade, "Just make sure Hermione is safe."
Then without another word Thane broke out into a spirit, running to meet the troll as his aura flared.
The ground beneath Thane's feet trembled with each lumbering step the troll took, but instead of being scared Thane felt his heart start to race as a small smile spread across his lips, 'My first time fighting outside my lessons with Elara. I better do well or she's going to make me run till I puke.'
As Thane finally entered the troll's range the creature bellowed before swinging it's club in a deceptively quick horizontal swipe that would have shattered Thane's rib cage had he not slid underneath the massive club.
Battered by the gust of wind left behind in the wake of the club, Thane popped back up to his feet with the troll practically on top of him which was fine by Thane as he thrust out his hand, "Incendio!"
A stream of fire poured forth from Thane's palm and like a gas soaked cloth the troll's skin practically ignited on the spot as it let out a roar of true pain for the first time. The troll stumbled back as it batted at the flames creeping across its body, but not before taking another opportunity to swing at Thane with its club.
Instead of dodging Thane pointed his open hand at the massive tree trunk hurtling towards his head, "Descendo!"
A pulse of blue light rippled out from Thane's palm causing the club to slam into the ground with enough force to crack the stone floor as if it weighed a ton. Not willing to let go of its weapon the troll was momentarily pulled off balance as the monster listed forward dangerously.
Taking the opportunity Thane jumped up and thrust his hand up underneath the troll's chin, "Stupefy!"
Thane's hand pulsed with a flash of red light that slammed into the troll with a viable impact as its head snapped back and the rest of its body followed. Landing back on the ground Thane watched as the trolled stumbled back a few steps before regaining its footing.
By now the fires across its body had gone out leaving a few burnt patches of skin but Thane watched as the injuries started to scab and flake off revealing new pink skin underneath.
Frowning Thane realized he had possibly underestimated the innate resistance and rapid regeneration of troll hide, 'I didn't hold back with those spells either, almost a quarter of my mana gone like that in the blink of an eye.'
With a grunt the troll walked back over to where it had dropped its club, picking up the still smoldering weapon before regarding Thane with a surprising amount of awareness. Looking into the creature's eyes Thane instinctively understood that the troll was challenging him, giving him a chance to run away or put his life on the line to fight. Thane was almost offended that the troll gave him a chance to consider.
As if seeing his resolve the troll bellowed out once more before charging at Thane again, but it no longer possessed the bumbling gait of a belligerent brute. And at that moment Thane wondered if trolls were really as dumb as everyone thought them to be.
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"Hermione, what are you standing around for, let's go already !" Ron shouted as he and Harry rushed up to her and tried to pull her away.
"What about Thane?!" Hermione asked as she glanced back down the hallway where Thane and the troll were still locked in combat, "We can't just leave him!"
"What are we supposed to do?!" Ron screamed back as he pulled on the cuff of her robe even harder, "I can barely cast a simple levitating charm remember?"
Hermione glared at Ron with red eyes as she tore away her sleeve, "Well not all of us are bumbling buffoons!"
"Why are you risking your life for this guy, he doesn't even like you!" Ron shouted, which made Hermione pause before shaking her head, "Shut up Ron, you don't know anything!"
"It's the truth, Hermione! Thane doesn't love you, he told everyone at dinner!"
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