A dim light. That was all I had in these abandoned hallways. Relics of a time long past, but still holding strong to the present. These were no natural formed passages either, its angles were too sharp, the stone too smooth, and its constant rectangular shape were all telling signs of the civilization that created it. The corridor was at least 6 meter tall, way over what either kobolds and dwarves would ever use. There were no carvings on the walls, no patterns, no reliefs, so both orcs and Taurus were discarded. A quick sniff, told me it had been ages since anyone had passed, the air was too stale and humid. And the coldness of the stone under my paws was not something the elves would allow, and the freedom-loving gnolls would never let the sky out of their sight for more than a few hours. I kept on walking, letting my senses take in everything they could, looking for a clue out of this place.

I saw it then. The sparkling in the walls. It came and went with every step I took, with every movement of my head. For a brief moment the hallway would dress in a gown of silver and green spots, then they would be yellow and blue, another step made them green and orange, and a shake of the head would turn them yellow and blue. They moved with me, changing positions like dancers in the tales of Tars’ellan. But there’s no tale without a song, and possessed by the beauty in front of me, I took out my flute. The notes came on their own, like they always do, guiding my hands as the sounds reverberated across the empty corridors. The fear of death was gone, the crushing loneliness as well, there was only music and sparkles, putting on a show for me.

I don’t know how long I was caught in the trance of music and light. Minutes? Hours? It all blurred together, as the arcane threads weaved into a spell. One that led me to a wide room, with a host of clear crystals decorating the ceiling. To the left there was a pond that took up a quarter of the room, its surface reflecting a cyan blue color, the same as the mushroom that had claimed the wall. The right corner, had a large slab of black polished stone. Like a perfectly round semicircle, it held a set of linen bundles, stacked into a vague pyramid shape. Opposite to my stood a huge boulder, easily two times as wide, and three times as tall. Its rough brown surface, contrasted heavily with the grayish walls, yet it never felt out of place. Bits of pale purple crystals gave its exterior a mystical air, and for a moment, I felt like I had intruded into a sacred glade.

With trembling legs, I ventured inside the room, my tail lazily swashing with each step. Only my pants and the clicking of my claws on the stone could be heard. A sharp breezed grazed my tail, and a loud thud filled the room. A quick glance confirmed my fears, where the entrance once stood, there was only a stone wall. A sense of dread filled my stomach. I threw myself against the wall, searching for a button, a fissure, a lever, a cranny, anything that would open the door. However, I found nothing. There was nothing odd, about the wall, the stone was the same as the rest, and its edges bled perfectly with the rest. If I hadn’t walked through it just seconds ago, I would never suspect there’s a hallway beyond.

A soft rumble came from behind me. The grinding of stones could be heard, and as I looker over my shoulder, I could see the boulder start to break. No, not break. Open. Like an armadillo, a pair of stout arms and thick legs came into view, lifting the crystal covered torso with ease. The crystals changed colors with each move, a dark red first, then a deep blue, a swift flash of pink, and a lazy showing of yellow. I watched fascinated the movement of the creature. Despite their obvious weight and thickness, their movements were fluid and precise. They stretched their limbs, like one would do after a long slumber. Loud cracks came from their neck when they shook their head. Their four eyes, arranged in an arc, shined with an intelligent silver glow. They settled on me, growing slightly bigger, with a bit of...surprise or aprehension. They were hard to read. Their eyes were fixed on me for a while, without moving a single part of their rocky body. Their crystals changing colors rapidly, until it settled on a bright white.

"H-hello, I’m sorry to disturb you" I said with a raspy voice, the best my parched throat could do. "I’m Dalean Refar, the- ahem- the Curious. And you?"

Their crystals shined a funny orange, then turned to a royal blue, shifting to a stark ivory and finally settling, in a warm light coral. They looked at me expectantly, their crystals turning equal parts gray and forest green. I muttered a curse, regretting not taking that troll language course at the academy. This was going to be harder than I had first thought. Walking forward slowly, I made sure to appear as small and harmless as I could, thanking the gods I was born a kobold.

"Do. You. Understand. Me?" I asked them, accompanying every word with an exaggerated gesture. They looked at me again, maroon and red tinting their crystals, their hands clenching tightly into fists. A stream of colors came next, too fast for me to even take note. Holding up both hands, I signaled them to stop, adopting the most pitiful and repentant posture, like a beggar asking for coins. This seemed to calm them down, as their crystals turned back to their gray and green.

"I fell here. I fell. And I don’t know how to go back home. Can you help me?"

The troll stared at me for a few seconds, their crystals turning a bright yellow. They went to the pond, the earth shaking under their feet, and with surprising skill, gathered water in their huge hands. Only a few droplets hit the floor, before they kneeled next to me, and offered me the crystal clear liquid. My tail gave the floor a flick in annoyance, and it took many years of acting not to glare at the helpful, if condescending troll. But the dryness of my throat made it easier to push aside my pride, and drink from the offered watered. I don’t know if it was the thirst, or the water itself, but as I felt the liquid going down my throat, my body shook with pleasure, a low humming expressing my gratitude.

The troll’s crystal took a lavender pink hue, with soft ripples of white and orange showing every few seconds. I drank and drank water, taking as much of the blessed liquid as I could. All the while I could feel their eyes on me, watching me closely, but I couldn’t guess if it was worry or distrust that drove their actions. It was always hard to tell with trolls. Once I had my fill, I watched them take the rest of the water to the pond, and elegantly let the water return to its home. There were no unnecessary movements, no ticks, no changes in their expression. It’s what made trolls so hard to read, let alone understand, yet, that was also the reason so many wanted to meat them. The mystery, the adventure, the chance to see the world in a way none of us who bore flesh and blood could understand.

By now I was sure, talking would get us nowhere. Writing, was next. I delved deep inside me, searching for the connection to my magic. The warmness coursed through my arms, focusing on my fingers as a thin layer of white gathered there. Then, I guided it to my throat, my words carrying power across the room. Thin red lines started to form on the floor. Curves, points, straight lines and arrows, soon became words, sentences, in all the languages I knew. once the last letter was formed, I let go of the magic. The well of power having diminished by my act, but hopefully it would be enough. The troll’s pupil-less eyes were focused on the writing. tinges of gray, silver and blue swirled in their crystals. They shortened the distance between us, leaving only a few steps between them and the writing. They rested their weight on one knee, and with dexterous fingers, scratched the rocks to form symbols. The symbols were weird, made of mostly curves and straight lines that crossed them from time to time, but they were all part of the same flow, no part was left unconnected, and from my position, they would have fit as decoration in a temple’s wall. The troll kept writing, and writing, until a interconnected square of was form. They stood up once more, her crystals showing a beautiful greenish silver, with purples lines, and once more she waited for my response. I gave her work another glance, determined to make sense of it, It was beautiful, complex and I had no doubt that it would be the envy of many of my peers at the Academy. However, as amazing as they were, there was no way I could read them.

A frustrated hiss left my snout, followed by a flick of my tail to the ground. The room was soon filled with the clicking of my claws as I paced around the room, hoping the movement would help my mind to think. Talking was down, and now writing was out too, the realization brought a heaviness to my gut. I was quickly running out of methods, and for a moment I cursed myself for never learning the comprehend languages spell, for laughing at the very mention of it, and taking the history of art, instead of troll at the academy. How foolish I had been, learning only to transform songs into magic, to remember long forgotten tales, and to weave illusions from thin air. I came to a stop them, euphoria almost bursting from my chest. A loud and high pitch whistle leaving my snout. With quick hands I fished out my flute, a swift movement from my tongue made sure my lips were ready to play. A deep breath later, and I was ready. The tune began slow and low, a mere murmur that begged for attention. Then came a crescendo, bringing life into the song as shapes of light appeared all around the room. As the song entered the chorus, with hurried notes that spoke of adventure and treasure, the illusion showed how I had found a cave, and I entered its dark hold seeking treasure. The notes turned sour and desperate, as they showed how the earth broke under me, and I fell into the unknown. The scene shifted, showing me wandering aimlessly through the empty corridors, a low but hurried tune telling of the dread that filled me.

The song turned bright and hopeful, when the images shifted to show how I had found the room, with high playful notes showcasing my joy, soon followed by a sudden drop, as the illusory wall was closed forever behind me. Long mournful tones followed, as the illusory me realized he was trapped, lost and alone. A jumble of notes came next, chaotic and demanding, to tell of the surprise and fear as I met the troll. Finally, the notes turned hopeful once more, rising in strength and pitch, as the illusions shifted to the troll taking me out to the edge of the mountain, the edges of a village could be seen on the illusory horizon. Illusory me turned to hug the troll, good bye and then ran away gleefully in the direction of the village, as the song came to an end. The images blurred and faded, the magic having run its course. I turned to look at the troll, their crystals shifting from purple, to silver and lavender. They set their silver eyes on me, points of golds flashing in them, as their crystals turned silver. They approached the wall, the same one that had laid behind them when I entered the room. Their hand touched it softly, their fingers tracing invisible shapes on its surface. A small tremor coursed the room, as the stone folded into itself to make a hallway that arched upwards. They turned to me, and with a wave, invited me towards freedom.