Guartoon led his followers past the lifeless body of Isa, young Arc lagging behind to record the image in his memory. They passed the huge mechanisms created to raise and lower the drawbridge and entered through the golden gates protecting the inner gallery of fake tunnels. These were constructed to confuse those not belonging to the priest class, who might venture this far. Many dead ends and bottomless pits met those who dared to enter univited. None of this mattered to Guartoon, as the Pudella Quandary was humming and slightly vibrating, showing the way to the correct entrance. The procession was thus lead down the last tunnel to their ultimate destination, the hole in the Earth, that drained good from the world and gave the Etaii their strength. Guartoon was an unusually intelligent Troll and stronger than most. He had been chosen to lead the followers to this place and the responsibility fell on him to see it to its end. Joscquer and Trufla' helped to heave the now uncontrollable Pudella Quandary into Guartoon's arms. The hole below was starting to boil and brew, throwing fumes and sparks onto the followers; many cringing from their burn. Moving forward to the hole, Guartoon could barely hold onto the Pudella Quandary as it vibrated and started to emit heat. Raising it above his head with every ounce of his strength, the strength of ten mortal men, he held it high and uttered the words he was taught by the Elders. As he sang out the oath to the ancients, ending his final task and the commitment of the Trolls to safeguard the Pudella Quandary, the hole erupted in a storm of unforseen fury. Energy pulsed from the Pudella Quanary to the ceiling coils and into the fiery gale emitted from the hole. The two danced and twined, the heat of which put Guartoon, a Troll amoung Trolls, to his rest. Flesh and armour melted and fused into one and became ash in that one moment in time. His spirit rose with the Pudella Quandary's energy and that strong and mighty Troll accompanied the Pudella into the depths of the hole. For a moment all was quiet. The burnt and singed Followers, stunned into silence, no screams left for their voices, no sensible thoughts in their heads. In another instant the entire cave and tunnel system started to shake. The hole was closing and that closing was bringing down this network of tunnels, built by the Etaii. Boulders, carvings and brickwork, all falling into the abyss. Prolouge. Arc, the herbalist's son, the lone survivor of an epic to be told and retold for generations, trudged into camp during the night of the new moon. He had grown into a warrior during this journey and a good and just Troll. He would tell the tale of Isa and the bravery of Guartoon and their legends would live on. *************** Credits and comments: 3DMost troll stuff Free Dragon Lair at DAz Rmisra's Pudella Quandary Xceiverx mat on pillars **************** I hope you have enjoyed The Tale of Isa. This is the last picture in the series. Thank you all for following me as I created this tale. Have a great weekend and I'm off to have a toddy :D Nancy