The tale of Salak's escape

Salak told the tale of his escape to many of his fellow trolls in the empire.
By his own mouth this is what happened...



Salak’nor grew up amongst the Atal'ai Tribe, some of the most loyal servants to the Blood God Hakkar. Salak however was different, his whole family was different, and while their blood cursed them as a kind of link to Hakkar their loyalty lay elsewhere. For as far back as Salak can tell, his direct ancestors were always priests of Shadra, most likely he was even some sort of descendant of High Priestess Mar'li.
When Salak was 15 his father, Sal’kaz give him an amulet, on the middle of the amulet was a large engraving of a spider around the outside of the amulet were smaller engravings of a tiger, a panther, a bat and a snake. His father told him to keep it secret, to keep it safe for if any of the tribe saw it then everyone related to Salak would be destroyed.

Four years later they Atal’ai Trolls became restless, they began searching for dissent in their ranks, and for fear of his families Sal’kaz took his oldest son, his wife and his other son Sek’ri and his daughter Seril and fled the tribe.
All was going well until one day, when Salak’s father was away to the near by stream Sek’ri began muttering to himself. He then got up and walked over to Salak, two years his younger Sek’ri was still far taller and stronger than Salak. He just looked at Salak for almost 5 minutes then when Salak prompted him he spoke
“Salak, father has led us astray, we must return to our great god and beg forgiveness for what he has done to us…come cast aside that disgusting amulet and we shall return to the tribe”
Salak stared in disbelieve. Sek’ri had always been the most obedient of the three children and yet here he was, wishing to defy their father…Salak’s response was spoken with his usual smirk and hint of sarcasm
“Indeed brother, do you think Hakkar will not just destroy us, what does that fool care for mortals? He will just destroy us for the fun off it, do not be an idiot younger brother…go and help mother prepare dinner”
The order was not lost on Sek’ri in flushed and spoke angrily
“You may be the older Salak, but you are weak, even as a priest you are weak, magically, physically is that not prove enough that your disloyalty to the great god has punished you…but fine if you will not see reason then you shall die!”
Salak had no time to move his brother cannoned into him landing on top of Salak, Sek’ri proceeded to beat Salak. Sek’ri’s weight was too much and his strength to great, Salak would have died if the gods had not blessed him that day.
A rustling came from the trees to the left and a tall female troll stride out, the “twin” of Salak, they looked strangely alike apart from the obvious differences between male and female. She was as thin as Salak and as short, but was actually a bit stronger, she also had taken the same path as her twin and as she saw Sek’ri attacking Salak she threw her hand out, lightning flew from her hand as the spirits attacked Sek’ri.
As Salak watched he felt something hit his head and he blacked out…

Waking up Salak stood stiffly, he heard talking to the right, sneaking over he looked and almost screamed at what he saw, their lay his mother dead and his sister bound, Sek’ri was talking to other trolls who Salak recognised as of the Atal’ai tribe. They then spoke
“Were is your bother Sek’ri? And that fool of a father?”
“Salak is over their some where” replied Sek’ri with a gesture “as to where my father is, your guess is as good as mine”
“Do you think we can find Sal’kaz?” asked one of the tribe, a minor priest by his markings
His question was answered by a roar, he turned just as Sal’kaz’s axe took his head of his torso, Salak smiled, his father was larger than most trolls and as a Shaman knew both the ways of magic and war, as his father combated three trolls at one Salak moved up to his brother and spoke coldly
“Well Sek’ri, this time I shall destroy you, you have betrayed us, I can not let you live”
In answer Sek’ri took out his axe and smashed it at Salak who ducked and smiled
“you’re tired little brother, and I have yet to spend my strength…even a weakling like I can kill you now!”

Salak threw out a hand, lightning smashed into Sek’ri and then fire encased the troll, he fell and death came to him. Sal’kaz finished with his opponents and looked at Salak nodding slightly, there was tears in is eyes and he avoided the burning carcass that had been his youngest son.
Quickly, son and father moved to Seril’s bound form, untying her he checked her wounds healing what he could, kissing Seril with a rare showing of compassion he moved off to gather their things Salak smirked and spoke teasingly to her
“How did you let yourself get caught?”
She snorted before replying “I would of killed Sal’kaz only I was jumped by two other trolls, I managed to kill one of them…and you…how could you let a fool like Sal’kaz beat you?”
Salak shrugged smiling; neither he nor his sister had ever liked their fool brother.

Salak and Seril saw their father burying their dead mother he turned to them speaking in an emotionless voice
“We should get going my children; there is a lot of land left to travel”

And so the journey through the forest continued Salak grew depressed, his mate a female priest of Hakkar would be probably hunting him now most nights he sat thinking about it….the journey was not made pleasant.
When they were almost to safety they started to relaxed more and more every day, on a bright morning, Salak and Seril walked off for a while, chatting and laughing they didn’t see the trolls till they struck, Salak fell as the shadow bolt hit him in the back, Seril as quick as always gathered her power and struck back at the attackers. Getting up Salak saw there were three trolls, by their garb two were hunters and the leader was a priest. Seril threw a shield around herself of lighting and shouted at Salak
“Go! Tell father they have found us…don’t worry about me just go!”
Salak spun and ran back to the camp, once there he shouted for his father, out of the bushes fell the older troll, he was wounded, despite the danger Salak could not keep the sarcasm out of his voice
“I Suppose that you know about the Hakkari following us?”
Sal’kaz just nodded and breathing heavily he spoke
“We must get going, your sister is resourceful, going back for her would be suicide…and I am too injured to do much good.”
Salak was about to argue with a shout could be heard behind him…it was his sister
“For Shadra! For the Venom Queen”
As the shout echoed a massive pillar of flame burst from the area he had left is sister…not knowing if the flame was hers or another Shamans eh cursed and followed his father.

They spent half a week travelling; barely stopping for rest, the toll it took on the injured old troll was worrying, and if that was not enough, on the 4th day after the last encounter, just as they prepared dinner a young cocky shadow hunter burst forth to attack Salak. Luckily his father, despite injuries, was able to summon the elemental spirits to destroy the fool with what seemed liquid flame.
Just as the shadow hunter died a laugh came from the east, spinning they saw an old troll coming out, Salak recognised him, he was of great importance and power smiling he spoke
“Well well, you two have led us on a merry chase, why Hakkar wants you so bad is beyond my understanding, but the God wills it and so…you –must- return with us…living would be nice, but dead is just as good”
Salak spoke as his panting father lifted his axe
“Be gone old man, you can no make us return to the God of blood!”
The old priest laughed
“Indeed…perhaps someone else could persuade you?”
From behind him stepped a female troll of great beauty, she was slightly shorter than Salak, and and rather thin, she also wore the robes of Hakkar, at the sight of her Salak spoke in a voice of disbelief and pain
“Tal’ia…”
Tal’ia…his mate, the only female he had ever cared for not of his blood…and all she did was stand there watching, the old priest laughed
“Come, come Salak…not so arrogant now? Where is your usual sarcasm? You no longer smirk...are you pained by boy? How can you be, you should of known that she would not betray her god for another troll…especially such a pathetic specimen as you…now return with us peacefully or suffer the consequences”
Salak shook his head not daring to speak, as he did the old priests smile twisted into something dark, the old troll spoke
“Very well Salak, if you will not come with us then you shall die!”

Shadow surrounded Salak, suffocated him, he heard his father run past him and then a smashing noise as the troll was hurled back from the priest…however he could see nothing but darkness and just as he realised he had no chance the darkness vanished. Turning he saw his father lying on the ground staring in disbelief, looking forward he so the old troll on his knees and shocked expression on his face, as he fell forward Salak saw a knife protruding from his back.
Looking to Tal’ia he saw her just as she leapt at him and hugged him holding herself of the ground. She hung on is neck sobbing for a moment whispering to herself in a shocked voice over and over again
“What have I done…what have I done….what have I done”
Salak took her and set her on the ground kissing her slightly before speaking
“you saved me my love…you saved me…”
She looked at him and kissed him again for what, in Salaks eyes lasted an eternity, yet as she stepped back away from his it seemed that the eternity had barely been a second. She spoke quickly
“I...I must go…I must return to my god”
Salak stared and spoke just as quickly
“You can not he will kill you!”
She shook her head
“Perhaps but I must, or else he may take revenge on my family…I can’t…I can’t”
Turning she sprinted off
Salak returned to his father…still feeling shocked at what all had happened, looking at the old troll he realised how pale he was, leaning down he saw that his father had landed on a large tree splinter and had went through his back and almost out of his chest, he tried to summon some healing power but his father shook his head
“No…no my son…you must keep your strength, keeping following the way we planned and leave this place…you must live and serve her…she watched out bloodline for generations and blessed us enough so one of us could live…go serve her my boy…go..”

Watching his father die, Salak got up and slowly turned into a wolf and fled the forest.

A year later Salak found a new family…the Second Gurubashi Empire…and from their worshipped his Goddess and a new deity…Dambalah…he also found a master who helped teach him what he needed to know of the gods…a Troll known as Tziak.