I fly under the water, but before I go under I see Alby make it to a tree. He somehow already tied himself to it…like that will help. May and Jack were still in the boat holding hands and I lost Bob. Then all I saw for somewhere around ten minutes before I fainted was water. I wake up coughing out water.
“Hey Mike! You ok? Come on speak Mike.” I open my eyes to see Bob above me smiling.
“What the heck are you so happy about?”
“That you’re ok. I thought you were dead; you were out for almost a day. You were barely breathing. Oh and I fixed up your side for you.” I look to my side to see a huge bloody bunch of leafs on my side. Then it hits me like a bolder, A huge sock of pain in my side. I start coughing up blood now.
“Oh come on don’t die on me now…all I know is you defiantly broke some ribs that and there is a huge I mean huge! Gash on your side.” Bob is frowning now.
“Well…thanks but all I think you did was prolong my death.”
“Oh come on!” Bob yells at me. “I didn’t save your sorry butt so that you can die on me! You’re going to live ok snap out of it!” he hits me in the shoulder. I am so weak all I can muster out is a faint “ouch…” I try to ask what happened to the rest of us. “Wha...”
“Hey don’t talk ok? Just rest and I will answer all your questions. Ok?” I nod my head and close my eyes listening to him ramble on.
“Well for the others I have no idea were they are…I have no idea were we are either. All I know is I found my self on a beach and looked around to see if I could see any of you guys then I saw you… you were on a rock bleeding like crazy. I then found a cave brought you here and went to get food after bandaging you up. I found this really wired looking bird that I cooked up along with some odd looking dogs. As soon as you have enough strength you will need to eat but at the monument…well I don’t think you could even hold you hand still.” I open my eyes and try to pick my hand up. I get it up about an inch when I feel a sock of pain and Bob holds my arm down.
“Don’t, you need to rest.”
“No…I can…” I manage to sit up, but then pass out with pain only to see Bob shaking his head.
“I told you to stay down you stupid ignorant fool…” I am not sure how long goes by but when I wake up its night and Bob has a fire with a two headed bird with five legs and no feathers on I stick cooking.
“What in the world is that?”
“Hey, hey, hey easy” Bob comes over to me and slowly help prop me up on a rock. “Just the most delicious thing I have ever tasted!” Bob holds up on of the legs to me. At this time I can see that the leg is almost the size of my arm. I look at the bird before I take the leg and can see it is almost as big as Bob and I.
“How in the world did you take that down?”
“Well…”Bob puts his free hand on his neck and scrunches his face up. “A long and agonizing day of running and throwing rocks…”
“You took that down with rocks?”
“Yes sir”
“And you got tired from running?” I start to laugh then instantly clutch my side and wince in pain. Bob starts to laugh and thrust the leg at me. I barely grab it.
“Yes I got tired from running. Rare for me but that thing was fast!” I smile and take I bite of the leg. My faces lights up almost instantly. Bob starts to laugh again.
“Good right!” I start to stuff my face with it and only nod at him. After I finish with my leg I am so stuffed my belly aches.
“Oh my gosh that was so good! But I have one question were the heck are we!”
“Well… there is something else here that will really freak you out…” Bob bites his lip.
“Oh come on it can’t be bad just look at my side”
“Well… I don’t think you would believe me…”
“Hey…I think I would I mean look at that bird and plus were friends.” Bob hesitates to say anything else but finally starts to talk.
“Well I saw a…a Griffin…a unicorn…oh my gosh I can’t believe I am saying this… a golem and a…” with a huge sigh he says “a troll…” I stair at him for a second and then smile.
“Oh come on don’t go pulling my leg now.”
“I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Ok, ok let’s say you did see all these things then where are we.” As I start to dwell on that I move into a frown and then look up at Bob. “And where are Jack and the others…” Bob frowns and sits down.
“Oh my gosh… I can only hope they are ok…”

I close my eyes and fall to sleep. I wake up to Bob running in the cave screaming.
“Get up now! We need to get out of here now! There coming!”
“What! What’s coming?”
“Trolls!” I try my hardest to get up forcing myself to move. Bob comes and picks me up.
“You’re to hurt and slow.” I grab the bird as we pass it still on Bobs back. When we get out of the cave I here yelling and look to my left. What I see takes my breath away and I find myself gasping for breath. There are about ten to twenty trolls running at us with bows, spears and all manner of weapons with them.
“What the heck did you do?”
“I don’t know talk later ok!” My side is on fire with pain. I don’t tell him to stop for my sake and his. After ten minutes of running I can tell he is tired.
“Leave me…” he almost trips and looks at me in confusion.
“What no! I will not leave you I would never leave you…”
“Oh come on don’t try to be a hero Bob…I don’t think I can go on like this much more nor can you…leave me and save yourself” I smile “Hey I am glad to call you a friend” I jump and leave the bird on his shoulder. A huge shock of pain runs through my side. I am about to pass out when I see that the trolls don’t see me at all they are focused on the bird.
“Bob!” I start coughing and then Bob looks at me I point to the bird. He automatically gets it. He grabs the bird and chucks it off a small cliff. The trolls veer like they are about ready to hit a wall and run towards the bird. Bob comes and sits next to me and starts to cry.
“Come on man I am still here…”
“Oh that’s not it… I loved that bird…” we both start to laugh and I whence in pain. We stop laughing. We both lay our head back on a rock and look at the sky. I see two moons. “Were are we…” I fall asleep and when I wake up I am laying down and swaying back and forth.
“I wouldn’t move much if I was you” I look up to see Bob hanging onto a branch. I look around and can see that we are in trees I am on a hammock. And there is a small unfinished house in one of the trees.
“Wow…how long was I asleep?” Bob starts to laugh and looks at me.
“You weren’t asleep you passed out man.” I look at my side to see that it is now coved in a strange skin.
“What is this?” Bob starts to laugh again. He is over by the house and working on some knots on one of the branches.
“You really don’t want to know” I pull a chunk a meat of the wired looking skin and threw it down to the ground. I wait till it hit the ground and look at Bob.
“Oh that’s just not right” Bob falls over he is laughing so hard now.
“Sorry man but it works a lot better then the leafs…would you rather bleed to death?” I give him a look layback and close my eyes.
“Oh man I hope May and Jack aren’t killing each other.”
“If they aren’t already dead…” we both frown and for the next hour or so it is silent. Bob just goes on and finishes the house as I try to sleep. I can’t seem to get to sleep…the thought of what might have happened to Jack and May and Alby…
“Alby!” I fling up and look at Bob terrified.
“Wow…calm down man what’s up?”
“That stupid, stupid kid before the tsunami hit he tied himself to a tree…”
“Oh my…Alby…” Bob says as he sits down and puts his head in is arms.
“That tsunami would have torn him apart if not he would have drowned…”
“Not quite” Bob and I fling our heads to the side to see Alby on a griffin right next to us.
“What…what the heck…how are you…you stupid person!” I yell at him in total confusion.
“Hey is that any way to treat a friend? I will answer all of your questions right now. As soon as I saw the…um well I guess you called it a tsunami…well what is really called it the wave of doom. Nice name right? Well if you were paying any attention to why every one was saying it was a special day then you would know it was because of that very wave. I didn’t believe it was real but I was wrong. Every one calls it a special day because a long time ago our ancestors learned about this wave and only a group of ten managed to survive it they then found a place that would save them form the wave. No one knew what the wave did to a person no remains were found. The wave only last a minute or two which is why I tied myself to the tree. I had no idea it would take the tree with me nor did I know that it would take me here. This is a truly magnificent place is it not? The wave must have tied my knots tighter and I couldn’t get myself free.” He rubs his hand over the griffin’s head not giving us a second to talk. “That’s when this griffin came and cut the rope for me. I call him John he helped me cook food and I helped him catch the food. He can breathe fire you know? Well that’s my entire story.”
“You sure that’s all?” I say
“I see that you haven’t changed at all…Mike…are you ok.”
“Oh ya totally fine…oh this” I point to my wound “just a flesh wound” Bob and I start to laugh as Alby looks ready to rip our heads off. “Sorry Alby just have to have some fun every now and then…Alby we are really glad to see you.” Alby has the griffin fly on the house and stay on one of the ledges. He gets off and strokes his main walking to his head. He pulls a small fish from his pocket and throws it in the air. The griffin catches it in his mouth swallowing it whole.
“So May and Jack with you?” Bob and I look and at each other then I look down and frown.
“We…don’t know they weren’t here when we got here.” I say playing with the skin on my side.
“Oh my…I can only hope they are ok it is a truly scary place here.”
I lay back down; Bob goes back to work and Alby try’s to help. I can only slightly here there conversation between me almost falling asleep.
“So is there anything I can do to help? Bob don’t turn me down ok I know these land somewhat well from flying.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. Could you get that griffin to bring up some wood? If so it would be very helpful, it is so hard to bring wood up here.”
“Ya I think I could do that but I may be long I am low on fish for my griffin. Maybe I could find some thing to help ease Mikes pain and maybe if I am lucky to heal it completely…rare plants and all.”
“Thank you and when you get back I will need some help making this house.”
“I have to say this is really smart of you but how did you do it?”
“The base was already made I got lucky to find it.”
“Lucky indeed well I will try to be back soon as I can.” I hear the flapping of wings then I fall asleep. When I wake Alby is tending to my wound and Bob is still working on the house, and it is almost done.
“Holy crud that hurts!” Alby smiles and Bob start to laugh.
“Oh come on you baby it cant be that bad” Bob says
“Ya you come here and try it out!” they both laughing now. I look at my side to see the huge gash in my side. It is almost the whole length of my arm. Alby is putting a strange silver substance on my wound.
“What is that?”
“You wont like it…its…” with a great sigh he says “Unicorn blood” I fling up.
“You killed a unicorn for me! No, no I won’t allow it!”
“Hey calm down it was already dead when we found it…mauled by a well I’m not sure what got it.” Alby says trying to lay me back down. I sit back down, Bob goes back to work. Alby keeps putting the blood on wound.
“Man that is just nasty” Bob and Alby start to laugh again. “Oh sure this is just so funny. How is this going to help my wound any way?”
“I have no idea…all I know is that when I just cut from the ropes John out some blood on my arm and it healed fast.”
“Oh great I am an experiment…oh and don’t laugh I think you two have laughed at my suffering just enough today ok.” They both look at each other for about a second and start to laugh again.
“Sorry man but if you were in our position you would be laughing to” Bob says.
“I would not! I am offended at one that you are laughing at me and two that you think I would laugh at your suffering as well…Just go back to your stupid house that you wont let me in. you know it rained last night…and these stupid leaves don’t help block the rain much you know!” there both laughing really hard now.
“Ok I think that’s enough Alb ok? The house will be done soon and then I will let you in… and sorry you got wet I thought that Alb finished your roof when I told him it was going to rain tomorrow.” He gives Alby a mean look and Alby laughs.
“Woops”
“Woops! Woops! I got soaked and all you can say is Woops! Oh come on guys I am suffering here!” Alby and Bob laugh again.
“Give the medicine about a day and your wound should be healed to the point that you can walk. After a week it will be fully healed. But you will need to put this on it every day ok?” He hands me a bottle of unicorn blood…or medicine we call it.
“Bull crap!” I yell he looks at me in confusion. “A Week” he nods his head. “There is no way this will heal in a week…will there be a scar?” Alby just smiles
“Yes it will heal in a week…and there will be a scar unfortunately.... not that well at healing.” Alby holds up his arms to show the deep scars in his arms were the rope dug in. I frown and Alby goes of by Bob.
“Keep him safe until he can work…I should be back in a week.”
“Were you going Alb?”
“To go search for May and Jack…if there still alive.” They both frown. Alby gets on his griffin.
“I can only hope that I make it back alive…but in case I don’t I am glad to call you two friends” Bob nods. Alby gives a big smile, and the with a huge swoop fly’s off the house only to come flying back up of to the sky.

I lay my head down and let my thoughts travel. In my sleep I see a bright light then see May and Jack running though a forest holding hands. Alby flies by them but before he can reach them three arrows fly through the sky. One hit’s Alby right through the chest and the other two hit the griffin. May tries to go and help him, but Jack just pulls her along. Two more arrows fly through the air this time Jack throws May to the ground and both pierce his chest. May lets out a loud scream and another arrow come flying. It hits her in the head.
I fling up out of my bed almost ready to scream. I can’t see Bob around, or Alby. A look at my wound the skin is drenched in silvery red blood. I take off the patch to see that my wound is healed. I can tell that my ribs are still broken though. I get up put more medicine on it and a new patch of skin. Then I go around and try to find Bob. When I walk inside the tree house it is huge. It goes on for at least three Miles. I franticly look for Bob. I find a rope tied to the house that leads to another lower house. It has a seat and a pulley tied on it. I sit down with hesitation then go down to the other tree. I look around a little bit longer in amazement at how big it was. There was no way Bob could have made this by himself. I walk back to my hammock and lie down. After falling asleep and waking back up I see Bob working on the house again.
“Bob…how the heck did you build that?” he sets down a board and sits down dangling his feet off the edge.
“You looked around didn’t you.” All I do is nod and let him continue. “Well like I said half of it was already built…and I had help”
“From Alby? There is no way he could have helped that much.”
“No, not from Alb…from my friend here Jim, he helped me.” A small pale faced kid walks out of the house and smiles. I grab Bob’s sword. He found it on the ground some time and gave it to me to defend my self. I hold it up and stay were I am. Bob jumps up in front of the kid.
“Wow! Calm down ok…were all friends here. Now let me explain. Alb and I found him in a cave when you were out cold. We were looking for food when we saw this kid. He can barely speak but from what we can tell he is one of the ancients.”
“What…that’s not possible…is it…how?”
“Well we don’t know but from what he tells us, he is the son of one of the ancients that came here. He stumbled on a River that could make you young for a long time. He took a bunch of water after finding out what it did and never could find it again. He ran out not to long ago and was trying to find it again.” The kid is cowering behind Bob I fall to the ground holding my side.
“Guess it’s not time to walk fully yet.” I frown and sheath my sword. Bob smiles and waves to the boy. The boy runs off. After about a minute the kid comes out with a wheel chair. It is made of wood and some wired sort of metal I have never seen before.
“How did you make this?” I sit down in it. It is very comfortable and easy to move in.
“I didn’t the boy did.” I look at the boy smile and thank him for the chair. Bob takes me around the house a little…I think I will start calling it a fort…seams more like a fort anyway. There are six’s beds that I have seen so far. I figure that is one for me then Bob, May, Jack, Alby, and the boy I have no idea who the others would be for…but hey we found it. Bob roles me through the fort as I see everything, it’s all I can do not to gasp in how amazing it all is. There are a couple of places with weapons, but I cant blame him. I mean I don’t know what to expect here. I notice one harpoon though it is huge and looks like it was made to take down twenty elephants at once witch really, really scars me. Then there is the weapons room…I don’t know how the heck we got all the weapons but I don’t ask. After my little tour…well I wouldn’t call it little, I went to my new bed which is way more comfortable and I love it so much.
I woke up to Bob yelling at the kid. That kind of makes me mad I grew to like that kid. I get up and see Bob choking the kid. I grab my bow on the side of my bed and fit an arrow into it. I like to be humble but its so hard. I am amazing with a bow.
“Bob! Drop the kid now or an arrow goes through your hand!” Bob looks at me and smiles he then holds the kid over the edge.
“Do it! I dare you but you will be killing the kid!”
“Bob you don’t want to do this ok! Just set the boy down and we can talk.”
“Talk!” Bob starts laughing hysterically. “You want to talk! Well this kid didn’t think about that before he took out food!”
“Food what are you mad? This is all over food!” I can see the boys face turning purple and his hands about to drop. I cant let him go any longer, I send an arrow right through his hand. Bob yells and the kid drops. Then he’s gone. I run to the edge only to veer my head away so I don’t see the impact.

“Why…he was a good kid…he was a good kid!” I shove Bob forward; he hits the ground pushing the arrow further into his hand. He lets out a loud scream and looks right at me.
“Oh don’t complain! You killed an innocent boy because he took your food.”
“If you would have let me finish… he told the trolls where we are and I couldn’t let him know that I knew. When I saw him take my food I was gonna make it look like I went crazy and tried to kill him…then I was going to lock him up and interrogate him.”
“One you didn’t need to do any of that! You could have just locked him up and interrogate him like that!”
“Just think Mike! If he thinks I am insane then he would have told me what wanted, thinking that I wouldn’t tell any one or kill every one!”
“Oh come on that is a terrible plan!”
“What would you rather me have done! Shot him!” Bob pulls the arrow out and storms off. I go down to were the kid hit. I find his body splattered on the ground and almost puck. I clean up the blood saving as much as I can and the body. I walk down to a cliff that the trolls normally go and through him off along with the blood I had gathered. I figure this will buy us some time if the trolls think we don’t know. If they think that he died on accident then they won’t suspect we know. I walk back to the fort. When I get inside Bob has cooled down. He has some of that skin on his hand
“Were did you go?”
“To make it look like the boy died on accident.”
“And how does this help us?”
“If the trolls think that it was an accident, they won’t think we know that they know where we are, and then we will have some time to prepare.”
“By doing what!” We hear wings flapping and then a creek as if something landed on the fort. Bob rushes to get his sword and I put an arrow on my bow.
“So what are you yelling at each other over now.” Alby comes from the corner with May and Jack.
“Gosh I nearly took your head off Alby! Use the whistle next time please” I say as I go to hug May and Jack.
“Oh yeah the Whistle I forgot about that.” Alby says as he rubs the back of his neck. “Well I see you are a little better, but what do you say about patching back up your wound?” I look at my side and see that my wound has split back open.
“Oh my gosh Mike what did you do?” May says holding her hands to her mouth.
“Oh you know just the usual hit a rock after going through a huge wave no bigy.”
“Oh come on don’t be so mean.” May says hitting me in the shoulder. We all laugh except for May. Bob stands up and goes to get a weird drink, it almost taste like soda.
“So what happened to you guys I see your completely unshaved?” Bob says as he hands out the drink.
“Well we found our self on the beach and walked through the forest for a long time. We found a river that we drank from and some berries to eat. Then after a long time Albert here came and got us with his griffin….what is this place?”
“Well it is…” Alby begins.
“Alby we can talk about that later…lets just say it’s an unreal place. And we shouldn’t be alive…well that’s kind of it and it’s all I can think of how to sum it up.” I say to May and Jack taking little sips of my drink.
“What is…?” I start “You know what I really don’t want to know” Bob starts to laugh.
“No you don’t.” May looks at her drink and sets it down. It makes me smile its kind of funny that in this strange place we can keep our cool. We are almost all the same as we were…except for me and Bobs misunderstanding and May and Jack….Wait.
“So May, Jack are you an item now?” Bob steals the words right out of my mouth. May and Jack being right next to each other look at one another and smile.
“Yes I would hope so” Jack says with a huge smile on his face.
“Well good for you looks like one good thing came out of this mess.” I say. We don’t really say much after that. Bob goes to give May and Jack a tour. As soon as they are gone Alby and I talk.
“So how did you find them?”
“I saw a fire in the distance.”
“Ok that’s nice…we have a problem here.” I start to whisper even though May and Jack are gone I don’t want them to here. “The little boy was working with the troll we have no idea if he trapped this fort and he told the trolls we were here…it gets worse me and Bob…well lets just say we had a misunderstanding and now the boy is dead…” Alby just looks at me, he is almost speechless.
“So I take it you met the ancient…said he died….we better go look for traps and then we can deal with the problem of the trolls ok?” I shake my head. We go to find Bob. I get right next to him and whisper.
“We need to check the place for traps get them away from the fort.” He nods his head and Alby and I run off to look for traps. I can hear what Bob says before we go.
“Um…I need some help catching and making today’s dinner could you to help?” that’s all I hear then me and Alby are off. We look through every thing trying to find traps. Were more then half way done when we make it to a room with some wood chairs. I sit down taking a rest for a monument. Alby goes to walk to the last room when I here him scream. I jump up and run towards him. When I find him he has a spear through his chest. He has one hand on his wound and one on the edge trying not to fall.

“I got you Alby hold on!”
“Yeah I don’t have much of a choice do I!” I laugh as I try to get him back up.
“Even with a spear through your chest you manage to joke around.” I grab his hand and with ease I pull him up.
“Wow you way nothing man.” Alby just smile. “Now I want you to think happy thoughts ok and look up. Before he can object I yank the spear out of his side. His yell could probably be herd from a mile away. I grab him and take him away then pot a chair in the door so I remember where we went. I take Alby to the infirmary and care for his wound. After five minutes he passes out. When I am done I sit down. I grab a bow and some arrows for safety. I sit there knowing there is nothing more I can do and the feeling is killing me. After an hour or so I fall asleep.
“Hey what the heck happened!” I wake to Bob yelling in my ear.
“One of the rooms had a trap in it” I say back. May goes and tends to Alby. Jack just passes him and take the food with Bob to the cooking room. I hear a snap in the trees and jump up putting an arrow to my bow.
“What…do you see something?” May asks me.
“Get down.” I say sneaking around to the tree. I see a little green figure. I instantly send an arrow into the tree. A high pitch screeches that pierces our ear makes us cover them. Then it’s gone, I look to see a troll lie dead on the ground. A bow in is hand and a horn. I run towards Bob and Jack.
“Trolls!” I yell and as soon as I do May comes to tell me. “There is a whole army coming.” Bob and Jack come running Weapons in hands. I hand a bow to May and run to get the harpoon. When I get to it I can here the trolls screaming as the die. I role it as best as I can but the thing ways around a ton. Soon Bob comes to help me. When we get to the edge they were attacking Jack and May have thousands of arrows laid out. We aim the harpoon down. I see that the trolls are climbing up.
“There’s no time! Get them off the edge!” I let it go and grab my bow out. I start shooting. Bob grabs a sword and starts to fight the ones climbing the edges. Soon after Jack joins in. I start to notice that they are just climbing over there dead not paying any attention to them at all stealing from some of them. The way they fight they just run right at you hoping to hit you.
“They fight like savages!” I yell then I see some going in the trees with bows and taking aim. Before any more come I mange to yell “Arrows!” we all dive to the closest room as thousand of arrows fly at us. One of them almost hits me I grab it and look at it. At the very tip there is a purple substance…poison. “The arrow there poisoned!” I yell.
“Oh great there smart savages!” Bob yells back at me. I would normally laugh at that but considering the fact that we can die stops me. I look around to find May and Jack. Jack is with Bob trying to find a way to avoid the arrows and fight. The Trolls start rolling in there part of the fort. They manage to hold them off. The arrows fly again and many kill there own. I look to find May. May is hiding behind Alby. I think were doomed. Without giving it another thought I run to the harpoon. I don’t even aim I just fire down at an angle. The shot shoots me flying back. I mange to see what it does before I hit. The harpoon multiplies and goes after everything it can see chopping down trees and killing trolls. I don’t hit the ground like I thought I would. May catches me.
“Thanks are you ok?” I ask getting up offering her my hand. She nods and takes my hand. She runs grabs a sword and stands next to me. I put up my bow and fling out my sword. I look at Bob and Jack standing right next to us we all nod and run towards the Trolls left. There are still arrows flying towards us. As we start killing the trolls sending them off the edge I see in the corner of my eye a griffin.
“Its Alby’s griffin!” Yell throwing my hand in the air. The griffin is pulling down the archers eating some and throwing others to the ground. The others do the same. The throw there hands in the air as the trolls just look at the griffin. After a couple seconds of every one distracted a troll almost takes Bobs head off and we start to fight again. We fight for what seems like hours when one manages to get me on the fort ground. The troll jumps on me about to thrust his sword into my head. Then an arrow goes right through his head. The sword falls right next to my head. I throw the troll off the edge and look at who shot the arrow. I see Alby leaning on a bow he nods at me, and I start to fight again. Every once in awhile an arrow comes by and kills a troll when Alby has enough strength to pull back the bow. Multiple times I save Bob or Jack or Mays life and multiple times they save mine. After an hour goes by I yell.
“Run back to the armory! We can rest there for a short time the trolls are slow!” Jack nods and grabs Alby, and runs that way. I shake my head at May and towards the armor then she runs that way. Bob and I stay a little giving the two time to get to the armory, after a while I yell “Lets go Bob!” Bob nods sending one more troll off the edge and turns to run. We both sprint as fast as we can towards the armory. I look back to see the trolls trying to keep up but there size stops them from going very far. When we get close enough I see Jack at the door of the armory yelling and waving us there. When we get in he slams the door shut and we put a ton of stuff in front of the door.
“That should give us a minute to rest” I say hands on my knees gasping for breath. I take a seat and look around. Bob has collapsed and using his sword to keep him up. May is helping Alby and Jack is sitting down cleaning his sword and getting more arrows. I lay my head back and close my eyes for awhile. After about a minute, there is pounding on the door. I stay there and simply open my eyes. I get up grab some arrow and a bow. I go to the roof (to high for the trolls to get to) and sit down. I stare at them for a bit then start killing them off one at a time. Jack soon joins me with more arrows.
“Hum…this isn’t so bad.” I say smiling.
“Well let’s hope it stays this way” Jack says as he sends and arrow flying. We sit there for almost half an hour shooting the trolls down.
“What did you do to the door? They should have made it in by now”
“I dint do anything just put boards in the way” I look at him then down to my sheath. It is empty I grab it and go to get more.
“Hey Bob come help and what is the door made out of?”

“Reinforced steel it is the only one that is like that it flings shut when something sharp and hard hits the door. I have no idea how it works only that the boy made it and it works.”
“Well ya it works. How come you didn’t tell us later?”
“Guess I forgot about it…but hey now we are safe right.” Bob shrugs and grabs a bow and arrows. We walk to the top of the roof. When we get up I look down to see thousands of dead trolls on the fort floor and some falling off the edge. There numbers have depleted severely.
“Why don’t they leave? This is almost too easy…there wouldn’t be any other things helping the trolls would there? I mean trolls only help themselves right?” I say. Bob and Jack look at me then we all pull out our swords and through down our bows.
“No more wasting arrows?” they both look at each other and say “Agreed” we jump of the roof and start killing as many trolls as fast as we can. After a couple minutes there are no more trolls that we can see. There were just thousands of them lying dead all over the place.
“Guess I was wrong about them getting help…” I say with a shrug. We go around tossing the dead trolls of the edge. “Oh that’s going to stink” I say as we throw them off. We don’t even get through with the edge next to the armory when we here a huge roar. “Or maybe I was right” we all filing out our swords. “Why do the trolls care that were here any way!” I yell.
“Maybe they just don’t like people in there territories we are in there territory, plus they don’t know us were new to them. They might want to know if we are a threat or not.” Bob says as we all take our stand next to each other. Then I say “Ya something like that…” we stand there shoulder to shoulder. It’s all I can do to try and not shake. Then we see it, it is far away and hard to see but we know what it is.

We all look at each other and yell at the same time. “Mountain trolls!!!!” there are three huge trolls which we call mountain trolls because they are as big as mountains. Normally they don’t help out normal trolls but I guess we did something that really made them mad. We all run to the fort. Because of the door we have to climb the roof. When we get in we grab all we can.

“May! Get Alby out of here” I yell at her.
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Mountain trolls!” Without a second to hesitate she grabs Alby and helps him up waiting for us to tell her what to do.
“Were do we go Bob.” I ask as I grab as many arrows and sheaths as I can take, a bow, two swords, five throwing swords, a dagger, a mace, and a shield that I tie on my arm.
“May you take Alby down to the ground to the cave ok? Keep moving and don’t let the trolls catch you go invisible. As soon as it’s safe we will find you.” Bob asks?
May shakes her head and runs with out hesitation. “We need to get going to lead them from May’s trail!”
“And where the heck do you think we should go Bob? Then what do we do?” Jack yells.
“I am not sure but I figure that maybe some thing in this place has to hate trolls and will help us.” I am kind of let down I thought he would have this completely flawless plan to get us out of here but he tells us this. I have my bow an arrow in my hand.
“Ok Bob…lets hope you’re right.” I say with a sigh. We hear a huge crash. It sounds like the fort tumbling into nothing, and falling to the ground. With out a second to lose, we are out of there. When we get to the ground, May has Alby in some sort of wheelbarrow: I don’t ask just nod and we run off further into the woods.
After what seems like forever of sprinting we reach a hill. From there we look back; we see the trolls still pounding the fort. I look to the direction of the cave and can barley see May and Alby running towards the cave.
“Why did you tell her to go to the cave the trolls know that that is one of our hiding places! Won’t they look there?” I ask Bob gasping for breath.
“That’s the point! The trolls may be stupid but they would think that we would never go back there for that very reason so I would hope they wont go there to look for us. Plus I saw a little troll on one of the mountain trolls that saw us run here so they will go this way and leave May alone.”
“I can only hope you’re right Bob…only hope…” I say. We all sit down to take a break. I just watch the trolls tear down that amazing fort stomping the ground and looking for us. I hope that Bob’s idea works. I hope that we find someone that can either help us kill the trolls, get them off our back, or get us home.
After a couple of minutes we get up and start walking away from the fort. We walk for hours. After a long time we stop.
“It’s almost dark we should make camp in the trees” Bob says setting down his pack.
“And how do we do that we don’t have the time?” I protest. Bob pulls out some rope and tree skin sleeping bags. “Oh there is no way I am going to sleep in skin!”
“It is super clean. We are going to find a good branch and tie the rope around you and your sleeping bag. It will keep you up. The sleeping bag is really warm and it’s all we got. Deal with Mike,” Bob says and throws the bag at me. They both start to laugh and climb the tree.
“This is so nasty…” I say as I fling the rope and bag over my back. I find a tree near the others and start to climb. When I find three branches in the same spot, I lay down the sleeping bag and the rope. I look and see Bob in the tree next to me already tied up in his sleeping bag. I try to find Jack. When I see him he is on the same tree as my just lower then my tying himself in his sleeping bag. Without another word, I slip into the disgusting sleeping bag, which happens to be very comfortable and try to tie myself up. It takes a long time but I finally get it and try to go to sleep. I can’t really get to sleep. The nooses in the forest are so weird. I don’t notice the sound of a single animal it’s so creepy. After an hour or so, I fall asleep. When I wake it is day. I look and see that Bob is not in his tree. I get out of my sleeping bag and look under me to see that Jack isn’t there. I climb down the tree and there is no one there…I look around. No sign of them what so ever. I start to walk further into the forest. I still can’t find them. I just keep going hoping that I will find someone and not something. I walk for a long time I don’t know how long, and I find a cave. I go inside there are torches all over. I get to a curve and two swords swing to my throat. I hold my hands up and I slowly walk to see who has their swords at my neck I see Bob and Jack.
“You jerks! Not only do you leave me but then you put swords to my neck! What the heck is your problem? I never did anything to you but be a friend!” I yell almost getting in a fight with them.
“Hey, sorry man we tried to get you up but you were out cold, so we planed on coming to get you later we figured you would be fine, and then we met a friend don’t freak when you see.” Bob and Jack move over and a red human animal thing twice as big as Bob with huge hands and a small tail comes out. I fling out my sword Bob and Jack start yelling “WOW” and try to get me to put it down. I keep yelling “Let me kill that thing now!”. I use all my strength to try and get to the thing, but Bob and Jack barely manage to get my weapon out of my hand and me on the ground. Bob sits on me.
“Ok! Ok! I will not hurt it! Let me go!” I yell at Bob
“Do you promise not to hurt him?”
“I promise! Now let me go!” I yell back at him. Bob gets up, and I hear the thing talk.
“He is your friend? He has Great Spirit in him. He would make a great soldier.” He reaches his hand out to me. I am hesitant at first but grab his hand and stand up. “I would rather not be called thing call me Jim please.” The thing…I mean Jim says. I wipe blood from my lip. I must have been hit somehow when Bob and Jack tried to take me down-or rather-did take me down.
“Sorry, but you can’t blame me, Jim. Ok? I just want to go home.”
“Mike…Jim says he know how to get us home,” Bob says.
“How?” I ask.
“There is a rift or rather a split in space that sent you here I know how to open one and get you home.”
“What’s the catch?” I ask, unsure if what he says is true.
“No catch, but I will need efning blood to do this though oh I mean mountain troll blood, as you say.”
“And there’s the catch!” I yell. “There is no way that you would need mountain troll blood.”
“No, I don’t. But you will the ride through the rift will kill you unless you can make a special type of armor. The armor needs to be coated in mountain troll blood. The blood…”
“Yeah whatever. I don’t care about this since you will have to get us help to take down a troll. We got three after us at the moment. At least you could tell us how to take it down. Can you?” I ask Jim.
“Yes, I can. However I will not help I need to protect my village.” We then walk further into the cave. We get to an opening with a little house there is food all over but not in a mess it’s all in nice neat piles. I figure this is a food storage place. Jim pushes some food off a table.
“I will be right back,” he says. He walks into one of the tunnels. About five minutes later he comes back with a bunch of papers. He puts them on the table and unfolds one of them. It is a picture of a mountain troll and its weak spots…wow saying that makes this seem like a video game. The weak spots are his eyes, under his feet and up his nose. What good does this do for us? The only time we would see under his feet is when he is about ready to stomp on us. I would rather not see that. His eyes and up his nose would be really hard to hit, and none of this is going to take him down.
“I know that this doesn’t do you much good, but this will.” Jim says and puts his finger up signaling one minute. He leaves and comes back with ten arrows. The tips are covered in this wired wrap.
“These are poisonous explosive arrows. Put two into one of those weak spots- preferably the eyes and the troll will fall within five minutes. Who is the best archer here?” Bob and Jack both point at me. Before I can object, Jim hands me a sheath with the arrows. “Take care of these and take down those trolls, good solider.” Jim smiles and is gone. I take off one of my sheaths of arrows and hand it to Bob. Then I secure the new one onto the open spot. I make sure that they are secured in the sheathe so I don’t drop them.
“Well, let’s go get us some mountain troll! What do you to say?” I ask. They both smile and we walk Bob hits me on the shoulder on the way out.
“And you didn’t think this would work!”
“Well it hasn’t been finished yet so no celebrating. Got it?” We all laugh and move on. We walk back to our old camp and start to mark our trail so we can get back to the cave and find Jim if-and I stress the if-we survive. After walking for what seems like forever we take a break to sleep. We climb trees and get settled in.
“Shouldn’t we have seen the trolls by now? I mean, they are huge, right?” I ask.
“Oh no…I hope they didn’t go after May and Albert.” After Bob says that we are all silent.
I wake up to what seems like an earth quake. I get out of my bag and get to the ground to the best of my abilities. I look around and see that Bob and Jack have gotten up as well and are right next to me. Looking some more, I see a troll with some rope.
“Oh no….this isn’t a hill…it’s a mountain troll” I whisper trying not to alert the troll. I grab my bow and put an arrow on the string. I shoot the troll in the head. Bob runs over and grabs the arrow before it falls off the mountain troll’s head and alerts it of our presence. I look and see the two other mountain trolls at this side of the one.
“Bob you take out the left one. Jack you take out the right. I got the one we’re on.”
“No, we don’t have that good of aim. We’ll distract them with this troll, you jump the left one and take down the right, and then well jump and you will take down the middle one”. Bob says in disagreement.
“I can’t do that what if you two get hurt? What if I get hurt? What if we die?”
“There will be no ‘what if’. Just kill them, ok?” Bob says, giving me a slight push. I nod and run towards the other troll. The jump is far. I hesitate to do it but I know I need to. I jump and just barely catch one of the branches on its head. I climb up arrow in hand. I take aim at the first troll-two special arrows-in the bow and fire at its eye. The arrow hits it directly. The troll screams so loud that it could probably be heard from miles away. I nearly fall because of the volume. When I open my eyes to see what happened the one I hit has fallen to the ground dead. The other two trolls look at each other seeing that we are on top of them, and start to hit each other on the head. I manage to jump off falling into a tree. The fall hurts very much but I mange to move on.
I look to see the trolls’ hitting each other over the head as hard as they can. Chunks of their heads are flying off, reveling there soft brains. One of the pieces nearly hits my tree. Instead it misses and hits the one next to me taking it down in a loud thunk. I can see Bob and Jack jump for safety. I don’t see if they make safe or not though. I take aim at one of the spots on the second troll’s brain. I fire then I shoot again. Both arrows hit it in the brain and it automatically falls to the ground dead. The third troll looks behind it and swings around trying to find me. It is knocking down everything in its path.
I jump out of the tree hitting the ground hard. Before I pass out I see the troll pass me. I have another disturbing. I dream that I am running from the troll and it kills Jim, and Bob. Jack saves me, and is killed. I am running from the troll I make it to Alby and May. It grabs May and crushes her in its hands. Alby stands in front of an arrow that fly’s in the cave. It hits him in the chest flinging him back. Then the trolls grab me and take me to an underground layer that looks like Hell. The trolls torture me for hours and hours.

Then as one last whip hits me in the face I wake to Bob slapping me.
“Well hello, Sleepy!” Bob says smiling.
“You’re alive! Jack! Is he fine?” I yell trying to get up, but then I look at my side and my gash has opened back up.
“Yeah, he is fine. At the last second May and Alb came in and saved us on Alb’s griffin.”

“Oh gosh, I love that griffin.” They all laugh. Then I see Jim standing over me.
“Good job, brave solider. You killed two of the trolls and severely wounded the third. We got plenty of blood for all over you.”
“I have to kill the third…I can’t let it go killing looking for me.” I try to get up but end up falling, on the ground clutching my side.
“You are too weak” Bob says, helping me back up to the bed. I don’t say much after that. Alby comes and gives me the cure and hangs around me almost every second of the day. He jumps around like crazy like he doesn’t want to be here. I laugh and look at him.
“You can go talk to him I will be fine Alby.” I say with a smile.
“Oh, thank you so much Mike! Get better” Alby says and shoots out the door, almost knocking down Jack.
“Wow slow down hot shot.” Bob says. He walks over and takes a seat by my bed. “Gosh where is he going? He looks like a kid going to a carnival!”
“He might as well be.” We both laugh. “He is going to talk to Jim about rifts and what not, what nerds.” We both laugh, which really hurts. I sigh “I really hate this place, it’s like it wants me to be in pain.” This makes Bob smile. “I have to kill that troll you know I will do it even with this injury.” Bob just smiles and shakes his head.
“I know and I would help you but I don't want you to die, plus the troll is lying down in a field because of his injuries.”
“I don’t care. I want it dead, and no one else can kill it! It’s mine!”
“Just give it up Mike stop trying to be the hero!”
“I am not trying to be the hero that thing injured and tried to kill me I take that personally!” Jim walks in.

“Is this a bad time?”
“No, you’re fine. Were done,” I say looking at Bob. Bob leaves the room.
“Ok then. The armor is done and we can get you home in a week when the rift is weakest.”
“A week?” I lay my head down and moan
“You are a good solider but you will stop being the hero. I think that is how you would say it. Think more about others.” I sit up confused to see Jim gone and that Alby is now in the door way. I lay back down. He has a look on his face which I know.
“So it’s you Alby…if you want to stay…well I can say a lot of people will miss you.” I say closing my eyes.
“But will you? Come to think of it I don’t think you liked me at all. I mean come on you probably didn’t think of me at all when you were gone.” I sit up in shock.
“What…come on Alby, we’ve been friends forever! I was scared that you and May were going to be killed! Come on man, a lot of people would miss you, including me, but if you stay I wouldn’t blame you. This is truly an amazing place, but it’s not for me. I couldn’t live like this. I will have to go to war soon. The war in the Holy Land needs soldiers, and the King promised me I could be a general. I can’t leave that…I can’t leave my people. I have my own world to worry about, not some place that shouldn’t be real.”
“I think you would be a good general Mike, but I have made my decision. I will stay.” I turn on the bed and let my legs fall.
“I would have liked to have you in battle next to me, Alby, but I think you can do more good here than there. I am glad to call you a friend.” I shake his hand.
“Stop calling me Alby.” We both laugh. May walks in then Alby leaves the room. May starts to cry, and walks over to give me a hug.
“Oh, don’t cry now. It’ll be fine. Were going home.”
“Oh, I know, but it has been so restless and when we go, Jack will be drafted to the Holy Land.”
“I will take him on my army as my right hand man, along with Bob. Bob and I will make sure to take care of him. You know we would put our life on the line for each other. You have my word.” She looks at me and smiles
“Thank you Mike. You are a good friend.” She leaves. Jack, standing at the door, gives her a hug and whispers something in her ear.
“Oh, come on! Can’t a man get any sleep around here? What’s with everyone visiting me? It’s not like this hasn’t happened before,” I say jokingly. Jack and I laugh.
“I just want to say I am sorry for yelling at you earlier, and did you really mean what you sad to May?”
“No, no I am sorry. I realized what you said was right, and no I didn’t mean what I said. Are you kidding me? I don’t like you that much.” I smile and laugh. “Just joking man, it helps keep me sane. Ok, yes I meant every word I said. Would you join my rank? I would be proud to have you in my unite.” He smiles.
“I would be glad to join you.” He comes over and we shake hands. Then Bob comes in.
“Wow, I feel so loved. Everyone is coming to visit me.” Bob and I both laugh and Jack leaves.
“No we just feel pity for you. You should have time to kill that troll in a week still want to do it?” I frown a little.
“No…I would only do it to end its misery but by the sound of it it’s gone and fine.” Bob smiles and takes a seat next to me.
“There’s the old Mike I miss and love”
“Oh I never changed you just met a deeper side of me.” We both smile at this. “I would like to have you in my unite with Jack but only if you want to join?”
“You’re a general?” I nod “Well then I would be proud to join you Mike”
“Now get out of here so I can get some sleep” we both laugh and he leaves. I lay down my head and go to sleep.
It was a calm week of sleep and eating. I had no more nightmares, and in five days I was running fine. There was a definite scare on my side but I could live with it. I think again and again about killing that troll but every time I come out with the same solution to not kill it; I think it got the idea to leave us alone. I loved this week. It was amazing calm and fine. I got to know Jim a little more and feel terrible about how we first met but I know that there is nothing I can do to make up for it. He already forgave me. He is a really cool guy that I can honestly say I will miss.
The week goes by and its time to go into the rift and say our good byes.
We walk about three miles to get to were we can go through the rift. Put on the armor. Before we go Jim gives me the ingredients to make the exploding arrows and twenty already made.
“Thank you Jim you are a good person I thank you for your hospitality.” I smile and bow. That’s how you show great respect for someone in their cutler. Then I walk over to Alby.
“Alby…I mean Albert. I want you to have this to remember us by. I will miss you, good friend.” I hand over of the ring I have on my left hand. I don't let him object to it.
“Thank you Mike. You finally called me Albert. You know, the name Alby kind of grew on me.” He puts his hand out and we shake. Then, all of us give our good byes and we jump through the rift. The rift is like being under a bunch of horses: it hurts like crazy, but none of us let go of each other. After a long and agonizing trip we make it home. We all scream with joy, hugging each other.

I won’t tell you that it ended super fantastic and we all lived happily ever after, because that would be a lie. May got a home and lived there, waiting for Jack to come home. After ten years, I let Jack retire. He went home to May, they got married and had two kids. Alby was gone for twenty years, then came back through the rift. He went and told the world of what he saw. None of us ever said a thing about what we saw. Then Alby came by. I was in war at the time so I didn’t hear about it till later, same with Bob. As for Jack and May, they moved too far away to hear about Alby coming back. No one saw them again, just their kids. Alby went to a mental institute, and broke out three times. He tried to go through the rift, but was shot and killed by an archer hiding in the trees. Some people say it was the ranger, others say a solider, and others say it was a kid. Before Alby died, he managed to send a note through the rift. I only know all of this because Jim came back to my house when I retired and visited me. He told me of the note and what happened to Alby. He also said something about a drug to cure human disease. I told him to forget it. No one would accept him here, as for the medicine it had untold reactions with humans. I found out what the reactions were when Jim came to me with a sick kid that offered to take the cure. The kid literally turned into water after a day of the treatment. The kid literally turned into water. Jim stopped it after that. We said our good byes and I never saw Jim again. I never told any one about that. As for Bob, he died in the war defending a fort. We won the war because of his actions. As for me, I made it home from the war, lived alone, and five years later was asked back to the war over our lands as a general. I went and after a year nearly died protecting the king. The king made me retire. Now I tell you this story. Like I said didn’t end good for every one Bob died and Alby went missing was found and then killed. Only Jack and May lived happily. In the end, I will die happy, only to reunite with my friends in heaven…or hell more regrettably.