Chapter 55: The Price of Freedom

"Are you... are you really here to save us?" a young man asked, his voice a hoarse whisper. His eyes, though weary, were fixed on the two wizards with a desperate intensity. Gandalf nodded, his presence as warm and reassuring as a spring sunrise. "That is why we have come." With a flick of his wand, Kael sent the heavy iron lock on the cage door flying open. The path to freedom was clear. Seeing the door swing open, the villagers stumbled out, trembling as if in a dream. They moved in a daze, their minds struggling to accept that this was real. When only a dozen or so people had emerged, Kael and Gandalf's hearts sank. "Are you the only ones left?" Kael asked softly. A wave of grief washed over the small group. They fell silent, their sorrow too heavy for words, and quiet sobs broke the stillness of the cave. The same young man who had spoken before answered, his eyes red and his voice choked with unshed tears. "The others... they were all eaten. Today was supposed to be my turn, but my mother... she convinced the trolls to let me grow a little fatter. Then she... she took my place." He buried his face in his hands, his body wracked with grief and self-blame. Kael stood silent, the weight of the boy's loss settling heavily in the air. Gandalf walked over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "What is your name?" "Edward." "Edward, you have a very great mother," Gandalf said, his voice imbued with a quiet power. "She gave her life so that you might have a chance to live. Do not let her sacrifice be in vain. Live on, for her sake as well." His words were simple, yet they carried a profound strength that seemed to cut through the young man's despair. With the villagers freed, the wizards turned to the next challenge: getting them out of the troll cave alive. Gandalf's initial plan was for Kael to protect the villagers while he engaged the five trolls in the main hall. But Kael refused. Trolls were immense, their scaled hides almost impenetrable. Aside from their vulnerability to sunlight, they had few weaknesses. For Gandalf to face five of them alone was a risk Kael was unwilling to take. Although Gandalf was a Maiar, his power was bound by the laws of Middle-earth. He was forbidden from using his full might, lest he disrupt the delicate balance of the world. His current body was mortal, subject to pain, injury, and even death. Under these limitations, Gandalf fought as a warrior, relying on his staff and sword more than his formidable magic. Seeing Kael's resolve, Gandalf did not insist. "Very well, Kael," he said. "Do you have a better suggestion?" A confident smile touched Kael's lips as he produced a small glass vial. "Trolls are difficult to fight head-on," he said with a light laugh. "So we shall outsmart them. The smallest cost for the greatest reward." "What is that?" Gandalf asked, his curiosity piqued by the shimmering liquid in the vial. "A Shrinking Solution I brewed some time ago. A single drop can shrink a horse to the size of a man's palm. It should be more than enough for these trolls." Gandalf's eyes lit up as he immediately understood the plan. "You intend to put this in their stew?" "Precisely." Kael nodded, then pointed his wand at himself and vanished once more under a Disillusionment Charm. "Gandalf, you protect the villagers. I will go and deliver their... special ingredient. I'll give you a signal when it is done." With that, he sped toward the main cavern. He had to act quickly, before the trolls finished their gruesome meal. The villagers, seeing Kael disappear into thin air, gasped in astonishment, a renewed sense of hope dawning in their eyes. Kael arrived in the main hall just as the five trolls were squabbling over the last scraps in the cauldron. He cast a quick Levitation Charm on his feet, allowing him to glide silently toward them. As he drew closer, the sheer scale of the brutes was overwhelming. A single swipe of their massive hands could crush him; a single bite could swallow him whole. He slipped carefully between them, his invisible form moving toward the bubbling pot. But just as he reached it, one of the trolls stopped eating and sniffed the air. "Do I smell a living man?" it grumbled, its piggish eyes scanning the shadows. As the troll turned its head in his direction, Kael held his breath, willing himself to be perfectly still. He hadn't counted on their sense of smell being so keen. The troll leaned closer, sniffing again. Kael silently raised his wand. "Confundo," he whispered. The troll's expression went slack, a dazed look clouding its eyes. It sniffed once more, then turned and punched its neighbor with a furious roar. "Was that you who farted? It stinks!" The accused troll, struck without warning, roared back in outrage. "Who farted? You farted!" It returned the punch, and in an instant, the two were locked in a clumsy, brutal brawl. The other three trolls forgot their meal and began to cheer, egging their companions on with guttural shouts. Seizing the opportunity, Kael darted to the cauldron. He peered at the sticky, half-eaten substance inside, the meaty aroma turning his stomach. Forcing down his revulsion, he uncorked the vial and poured the entire contents into the pot. A single drop would have sufficed for a normal creature, but against the trolls' magical resistance, he was taking no chances. Potion delivered, Kael retreated behind a large boulder to wait. Before long, the brawl ended, and the two combatants rejoined the scramble for food. Once the trolls had licked the cauldron clean, the potion began to take effect. "Huh? What's happenin' to me?" the troll who had eaten the most cried out in confusion. "Why are you all gettin' bigger?" It soon realized it was the one shrinking. From six meters, to five, to four... then one meter, fifty centimeters, ten... The other trolls stared in dumbfounded shock as their companion dwindled, right before they too began to shrink at an alarming rate. Soon, five trolls, each no taller than a man's hand, stood trembling where the giants had been moments before. They looked around in terror at their now-colossal surroundings. A moment later, a human of immense size appeared before them. With a wave of a great wooden stick, he conjured a cage that slammed down, trapping them. "Alright, Gandalf! You can bring them out now!" Kael shouted into the depths of the cave. A moment later, Gandalf emerged with the villagers in tow. "Is it done?" the wizard asked. Kael pointed to the tiny trolls chittering in the cage. "Not quite. I'm not sure how long the Shrinking Solution will last, so we need to deal with them quickly." Gandalf peered at the miniature creatures and raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?" "I plan to clear out every troll in this forest," Kael explained. "There may be other captives. These trolls all live in the Trollshaws; they must know each other. I want to see if I can get any information from them." "Do you require my help?" "No need. I'll handle this." Kael shook his head. He pointed his wand at the five trolls and, without another word, cast a powerful Confundus Charm. Their magical resistance, now as small as their bodies, offered no defense. Their minds became muddled and pliable. "Tell me the locations of all the other troll lairs you know of," Kael commanded. In their confused state, seeing Kael as their master, the five trolls spilled every secret they had. Once he had all the information he needed, Kael's expression hardened. A small, enchanted dagger shot from his sleeve and, in a single, fluid motion, sliced through the trolls' necks as if they were blades of grass. The moment they died, the magic of the Shrinking Solution failed. Their ten-centimeter bodies swelled violently back to their original size. Dark, foul-smelling blood gushed from their severed necks like geysers, flooding the cavern floor. (End of Chapter) *** [Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All Of My Fanfics!!] [www. [email protected]/meowthtl] [+300 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]