Chapter 85: Chapter 85: The Troll Quest

Chapter 85: The Troll Quest

 

Kurt: A troll quest?

TQ: Yep. You go through levels and if you get through a level you go to the next one. There are 5 levels. If you fail, well, I guess you die. Oh, and unless otherwise stated, using magic in the games means instant failure! Let’s start!

*The whole area changes and everything, even the giant dollhouse, vanishes. The area changes to a cave with three paths. TQ is not there but they hear her voice*

TQ: Choose a path, only one is right.

*Kurt and Joe look at their options*

Kurt: I think we should go to the left path.

Joe: No, we should definitely go to the right path.

Kurt: Left.

Joe: Right.

Kurt: Left!

Joe: Right!

Kurt: How about we just go to the middle path as a tie-breaker?

Joe: No! That’s stupid! The middle path is always the wrong one! No one ever sets up a one-right-answer decision and then sets the middle option as the correct one!

Kurt: Fine! Let’s just play Rock, Paper, Scissors then!

*They start playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. Kurt chooses paper and Joe chooses rock. Kurt wins*

Kurt: Left it is.

Joe: If it’s wrong, I’m going to be angry with you…

*They begin walking through the left path and a stone door closes behind them. A sign then appears and it says “You picked correctly!”. Kurt smiles and pats Joe on the back*

Kurt: See Joe? You should listen to me more often.

Joe: Yeah, yeah… I get it.

 

***

 

*They walk farther and reach level 2. Level 2 looks like a young girl’s bedroom. There are two life-sized dolls in the room*

TQ: Punch the two dolls.

*They cautiously walk up to the life-sized dolls. The dolls don’t move so Kurt and Joe walk around them and still nothing happens*

*Kurt and Joe then lift up their fists and then the dolls form energy balls and start throwing them*

Joe: The dolls are attacking!

Kurt: We don’t know how strong they are so take care not to get hit!

*After dodging a lot, Kurt and Joe are finally able to get in close and each land a hit on one of the dolls. The dolls disintegrate*

TQ: You cleared level 2! Congrats! But it only gets harder from here!

Joe: Bring it! We’re ready for anything you throw at us!

*A door opens up at the end of the room*

TQ: You may proceed now.

*Joe and Kurt walk through the door to continue on*

 

***

 

*Kurt and Joe find themselves in a gymnasium but the room is completely empty. They stand there for a few moments waiting for something to happen*

Joe: Uh, helloooooo! Are you going to throw a game at us or what!?

TQ: *Munching sounds* Huh? Oh right! Yeah! Sorry about that! Welcome to Level 3!

*Kurt and Joe have a dumbfounded expression on their faces*

Kurt: Is… Is she eating something right now…?

Joe: Probably…

TQ: Let’s see… Got it! Flying hoops!!

*Six flying hula hoops suddenly appear in three rows with the front row having three hoops, the middle row having two hoops, and the back row having one hoop*

Kurt: Hula hoops?

Joe: I’m beginning to lose my ability to take her seriously…

TQ: Oh yeah and water filled with vicious sharks!

*The whole floor of the gymnasium turns to water filled with vicious sharks except for a small platform that Kurt and Joe are standing on*

Kurt: How fun…

TQ: And finally, some balls to throw!

*A box full of dodgeballs appears in between Kurt and Joe*

Joe: Just explain the rules to us already!

TQ: Throw the balls through the floating hoops to score points. The front row hoops are worth 100 points. The middle row hoops are worth 300 points and the back row hoop is worth 500 points. You need 3000 points to win. If you miss three times, you get to swim with the sharks. You have five minutes! Go!

Joe: Five minutes is plenty of time! Let’s just go for all the easy 100-point hoops!

Kurt: Sounds like a plan!

*Kurt and Joe then each take a dodgeball and then throw them the 100-point hoops which puts them at 200 points out of the 3000 needed to win*

Joe: See? Piece of cake!

*Kurt and Joe then continue to throw the dodgeballs through the 100-point hoops and soon get to 1400 points. Joe throws another dodgeball at the 100-point hoops but then all three 100-point hoops disappear and his ball continues until it lands in the water*

Joe: What the hell!? Where’d they go!?

TQ: Ooooooh! Looks like you have your first miss! You got less than four minutes left too!

Kurt: That’s not his fault!

Joe: Yeah, you cheated me out of that successful throw!!

TQ: Blaming me!? You’re the one who missed, not me!

*The Troll Queen laughs and Joe looks angered*

Kurt: Calm down. She’s just trying to get to you. She is a troll after all…

TQ: You now have less than three minutes left!

Kurt: We better get going! Now go for the 300-point hoops!

*Kurt and Joe each throw a dodgeball through the 300-point hoops which brings their score to 2000 of the needed 3000 points*

Kurt: Only 1000 points left!

TQ: Your time is half up!

*Kurt and Joe each successfully throw the 300-point hoops again to make their score 2600 points*

Joe: Let’s finish this!

*Joe begins to throw at the 300-point hoops again*

Kurt: No Joe, don’t!!

*The 300-point hoops disappear as the ball heads towards one of them. The ball then lands in the water*

TQ: That’s your second miss! And you have less than two minutes remaining!

Joe: Damn her!

Kurt: You should have realized she was going to pull that same trick again!

Joe: Sorry! I was just hyped to beat this stupid game! Give me that ball! I’m going to hit that 500-point hoop and end this!

*Kurt looks nervous as Joe takes another ball*

Kurt: That hoop is much farther away than the others. Your certain you can accurately make it?

Joe: Hell yeah I can!

*Joe throws the ball towards the 500-point hoop. As the ball gets close to the hoop, the hoop suddenly starts flying around the room*

*Kurt and Joe are both shocked as the hoop moving means the ball misses and lands in the water*

TQ: That’s Joe’s third miss! Into the water you go!

Joe: Damn you!!

*The part of the platform Joe stands on drops into the water and the sharks start coming for him*

Kurt: Joe!!

Joe: Forget about me! You’re still on the platform! You must get that hoop!!

TQ: Less than one minute remains!

Joe: Hurry!! I’ll fight off these sharks long enough for you to win!!

*Joe starts punching the sharks as they get close to him*

Kurt: Alright but you better not die first!

*Kurt takes a ball and watches as the hoop flies around the room*

Kurt: (Thinking) Because the hoop is moving, I have to lead my throw! Do I have the skill to pull it off!? (Now out loud) Here it goes!!

*Kurt throws the ball trying to lead the hoop as it moves. He fails to accurately lead it and misses the hoop as a result*

TQ: That’s Kurt’s first miss! Only 40 seconds left!

*Kurt takes another ball and he is sweating with nervousness*

Kurt: Let’s try this again!!

*Kurt throws the ball and once again misses the hoop*

TQ: That’s Kurt’s second miss! Only 30 seconds left!

*Joe is standing on the head of one of the sharks as it has its mouth wide open trying to eat him. Other sharks are getting close trying to chomp on his*

Joe: Hurry!! Damn it!!

*Kurt takes one last ball and now not only is he sweating, his heart is beating rapidly as well*

TQ: Only 20 seconds left!!

Kurt: (Thinking) I need confidence! Hesitation will only cause me to fail!

*Kurt takes a deep breath*

TQ: Only 10 seconds left!!

Kurt: I can do this! I know I can!

TQ: 5 seconds!!

*Kurt throws the ball as the Troll Queen counts down*

TQ: 4! 3! 2! 1!

*The ball is finally properly led and goes through the hoop with only one second left*

TQ: Congrats! You cleared the level!

Kurt: Yes!!

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*The sharks suddenly disappear as they are about to take a chomp on Joe’s legs and then the water turns back into the regular floor and he sits down. Joe looks relieved and exhausted*

Joe: That was a close one…

Kurt: It sure was!

TQ: Congrats on clearing the third level but you must proceed to level 4 now!

Joe: Level 3 was exhausting enough. I don’t even want to know what she has in store for the final two levels.

*A door opens at the end of the gymnasium*

TQ: You may now proceed.

Joe: Let’s get this over with…

*Joe stands up again and then he and Kurt continue on*

 

***

 

*Soon they end up in an area that looks like a cloud in the sky*

Kurt: The sky? And we’re standing on a cloud?

TQ: Don’t you just love clouds!? They look so fluffy!

Joe: But you can’t stand on real clouds.

TQ: Don’t sweat the details! These are my clouds and I can make them have whatever properties I want! Anyway, for this level, you must simply cross to the other end of the cloud which is a distance of about 50 feet.

Kurt: That’s it?

TQ: That’s it.

Joe: What’s the catch?

TQ: There is no catch. The only rules are that you can’t use magic and both of you must finish. Now begin!!

Kurt: Careful, Joe. We don’t know what tricks are going to be involved.

Joe: I know. Though standing here isn’t going to do us any good. Let’s move.

*The part of the cloud behind them starts to dissipate and they notice*

Kurt: It looks like we won’t be given time to plan anything. The cloud is slowly vanishing starting from behind us.

Joe: We have no choice! Start running!

*Kurt and Joe begin running. Joe steps on a button hidden within the cloud fluff. The cloud starts dissipating faster and at the same time, Kurt steps on a button that stuns him and keeps him from moving. Joe stops running to turn around to look at him*

Joe: What are you doing!? Get moving!

Kurt: I can’t move!

*Joe watches as the cloud dissipates faster*

Joe: Damn it!

*Joe runs to grab ahold of Kurt and starts pulling on him until he is able to move again. Kurt is back to full movement again and they just barely miss falling off the dissipating cloud*

TQ: That was a close one! You’re halfway there!

*Both and Kurt and Joe each step on a button and the cloud dissipation becomes extremely fast and is happening faster than they can run*

Kurt: Oh no!

TQ: You’re nearly there!

*Just as they are about to reach the end, Joe trips on a hidden piece of metal and he falls over as the cloud dissipates under him. However, Kurt has reached the end and grabs onto Joe’s arm. Kurt is now the only thing keeping Joe from falling to his doom*

Kurt: That was also way too close! But don’t worry! I got you!

*Kurt starts to pull Joe up but Joe notices something. A feather floats towards Kurt and starts trying to tickle him*

Kurt: What!? Why!? We cleared it!

Joe: Stop trying to cheat us out of— Wait! She said that we BOTH must finish! Damn it! That’s the catch!

TQ: Correct! It’s not over until both of you are up!

*The feather starts rubbing against Kurt’s chin and it’s affecting Kurt’s ability to pull Joe up. He looks like he is trying to stop himself from laughing*

Joe: Hold it in!! Don’t lose to a damn feather!!

Kurt: I’m… trying…!

*Kurt laughs a bit and loses his grip on Joe for a moment but regains it before he drops Joe completely. Joe opens his eyes wide*

Joe: Come on!!! Do it!!! Give everything you got!!!

*Kurt strains himself pulling up Joe while the feather continues its tickling onslaught. At last, Kurt finally pulls Joe up completely and the feather vanishes*

TQ: Congrats! You have cleared Level 4! You may now head to the final level!

Joe: I’m not a fan of these continuous close calls where I’m about to die but you have my thanks.

Kurt: You’re welcome. Let’s just head to the last level and put an end to this.

*A door suddenly appears out of thin air and opens up. Kurt and Joe head through it*

 

***

 

*They find themselves back in a cave*

Kurt: Are we back where we started?

TQ: Nope! You could say the final level is the end of the cave that you started in. Complete this level and you will get back to me!

Joe: What do we do now?

TQ: I will start by saying that using magic in this level is allowed. Other than that, the objective is simple. Run for your life!

Kurt and Joe: What!?

*Suddenly, the ground beneath them collapses and they land on slanted ground. They hear rumbling*

Kurt: What’s that sound?

*A giant boulder rolling towards them*

Joe: Oh shit! Run!!!

*Kurt and Joe start running down the slanted ground as the giant boulder rolls after them*

Kurt: Didn’t we just complete a level where we run for our lives!!!?

Joe: You think she cares!!? Just keep running!!

Kurt: I hate to say this but the boulder is faster than us!!

Joe: At least we can use our magic for this one!! Attack the boulder with your aura!!

*Kurt activates his Aura Magic and attacks the boulder with a lot of Aura Whips. However, they have no effect on the boulder*

Kurt: Well, that sucks!!

Joe: There’s a dead end up ahead with a right turn just before it!! Get ready to turn!!

Kurt: Right!!

*They make the right turn and then the boulder hits the dead end and stop. Joe and Kurt stop moving*

Joe: *huff huff* We made it…

*They hear rumbling again and then realize they are still on a slanted ground*

Kurt: Another one!? The ground is still slanted here!

Joe: There’s no way that a boulder comes from where we came from with this last one blocking it!

Kurt: Then where…! …Oh no….

*They see another giant boulder rolling up the slanted ground from the path in front of them*

Joe: That’s literally defying physics!!

Kurt: It’s the Troll Quest! There are no laws of physics here!

Joe: How do we avoid it!!? We’re about to be sandwiched in between two massive boulders!!

Kurt: Wait! The ceiling is higher in this path! Given that the boulder is coming from a lower point of elevation with it rolling uphill, we could technically do a running jump and jump over the boulder!

Joe: It’s worth a shot!!

*Kurt and Joe start running towards the uphill rolling boulder*

Kurt: Jump now!!!

*Kurt and Joe both jump and successfully leap over the uphill rolling boulder and land on the other side. However, the boulder stops rolling uphill and then starts rolling downhill after Joe and Kurt*

Joe: Seriously!!?

Kurt: And it’s rolling faster downhill than the first boulder did!!

*Kurt and Joe start running again but the boulder is starting to quickly catch up to them*

Kurt: I don’t have an answer for this!!

Joe: If only there was a way to use our magic to make us move faster…!! Wait!! That’s it!! I have an idea!!

Kurt: What is it!!?

Joe: I’m going to use my Weather Magic and turn this slanted ground into a water slide!!

Kurt: That’s perfect!!

Joe: Massive Downpour!!

*An extreme downpour begins in the cave and the ground becomes a water slide that knocks Kurt and Joe off their feet and they slide down the waterfall faster than the rock is rolling*

Kurt: This is actually awesome!!

Joe: Yeah, I’m sure it would be great at a water park without the damn boulder chasing part!!

*Kurt and Joe reach the bottom of the slanted ground and fall through a hole*

 

***

 

*They find themselves back in the room where they encountered the Troll Queen. She shows up again*

TQ: Congrats on completing the Troll Quest!

Kurt: I didn’t have the time to give it much during the Troll Quest but I have figured you out.

TQ: Oh? What do you mean by that?

Kurt: You use a type of Area of Influence magic. People that use that as their primary magic don’t use magic from their own bodies. You are probably defenseless in an actual fight. In addition, I know who you are. You are Sandy… Sandy Rockswell. You are a girl from my hometown who disappeared over 2 years ago.

*Sandy gives a sad look*

Sandy: So you really did figure it out…

Kurt: I don’t know why you are here, but if you are willing to come back, we could use your power to defeat Daykona.

*Sandy gives another stare*

Narrator: Kurt and Joe made it through Sandy’s Troll Quest. Will she help them defeat Daykona?

Chapter 85 END

To be Continued in Chapter 86: Udana’s Pursuers

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