70 A Raging Troll (2/2)
Storming towards Byron's cell, the troll shouted, ”Your words mean nothing here! Look at you, on the verge of death, just waiting for your life to pass away with time.”
”That's why you're a coward,” laughed Byron. His actions were crazed as if the misery he faced had finally pushed his brain beyond the tipping point. ”I remember your words, don't you? You said you wouldn't leave this place till after you've seen me dead. Well, here I am, still alive!”
The troll's rage stifled momentarily as it remembered its previous threats. It chuckled, ”Is that what this is about?”
”OF course!” laughed Byron. ”You're a coward! Afraid to kill me because the queen wants me for a ransom, and you're too afraid to stick around and see your plans through to the end.”
”Who's afraid of the queen?” stated the troll. Popping noises echoed through the dungeon as the troll tightly clenched its fist. The fist emitted a blue glow as it smashed through the heavy wooden bars of Byron's cell.
Debris flew in every which way and some flew towards Byron, who closed his eyes and forcibly accepted the impact of the broken pieces of flying lumber.
”Say it again to my face if you're a true man,” grunted the troll, who was now on his knees and beginning to crawl into Byron's cell.
Byron's voice boomed as he replied without hesitation, ”Chraat is the most cowardly troll captain in all of Kartonia!”
Enraged by Byron's blatant taunt, Chraat cocked his fist back to squish the pesky human prisoner as easily as he had busted through the cell door.
Suddenly, the troll captain felt a slash against his calf. Forcing himself back out of the cell, Chraat noticed an unfamiliar figure store a sword and vanish instantly.
Chraat grunted loudly as he got back on his feet and began to sniff around the dungeon. In normal conditions, the troll captain's sense of smell would be able to roughly guide him towards an invisible enemy. Thanks to the overwhelming stench of rotten flesh, however, Chraat's superior sense of smell was rendered useless.
”Coward! Show yourself and fight like a man!” yelled the troll captain.
Jack was ecstatic to have successfully landed that blow on the powerful troll captain. That entire time he was a nervous wreck. Not only had his emotions almost gotten the better of him while Chraat was explaining the situation on the battlefield, Jack almost struck out when the troll threatened to forcibly take Slivia away.
If Byron hadn't intervened and created a perfect opportunity to sneak attack, Jack might've attacked recklessly. Jack felt a little more confident now that he had cleanly hit the troll with his poisoned blade.
”Jack, be careful!” Slivia shouted at the top of her lungs, now at the front of her cell peering through the bars with a cloak around her.
”You! You knew he was here!” yelled Chraat. He took a few steps toward Slivia, threatening her to not interfere.
Amid his threat, Chraat felt his right leg, the same leg that was cut, start to grow numb and limp. He dropped to one knee and groaned as he tried to forcibly use his leg.
Not wanting to waste a single opportunity to increase his chances of victory, Jack snuck through the gap between Chraat and the opening in Byron's cell. It was difficult for him to quickly maneuver in that tight space, but Jack managed to barely stay on his feet. He quickly shuffled behind the debris Chraat created and sped towards Byron.
Once he was at Byron's side, Jack took out three potions and three elixirs, placing them behind Byron.
Byron felt the glass bottles suddenly appear against his back. He reached back and immediately recognized the familiar shapes of round potion bottles and hourglass-like elixir bottles.
Without saying a word, Byron understood the invisible Jack's plan. Byron continued his charade and laughed loudly at the kneeling troll, ”If only I had my sword, then I could teach a weakling like you a lesson!”
”Shut up!” barked Chraat, who was unwilling to move aimlessly with an invisible threat loose, especially after realizing he had been poisoned.
Jack caught the hint and for a moment reappeared near Byron behind a pile of debris leaning against the wall. He then disappeared, leaving only a katana with a red hilt where he once was.
Smiling wide, Byron fell over in a laughing fit, appearing insane in every sense.