Hidden in the depths of the dark mountains, those who were forever rejected by their fellow beings hid. The precious diamonds turned into coal. Without a place to fit in, lost for the world, they found darkness and embraced it as their friend.

Nevermore cast aside, nevermore rejected.

Buckthorn's casually said words washed away any semblance of calm that had previously settled over the gathering. Hunters, as well as Gatherers, stood frozen, their brains refusing to comprehend all the implications of his statement.

"That's impossible!" Arawn said, staring arrows at Buckthorn.

"Trolls are just figments of human imagination. It's something parents say to scare their children into obedience. I should know. I've used those stories to stop my children from investigating dark caves, to stop them from hurting themselves." Arawn went on to say.

"Trolls were as real as any other being. However, we thought they were extinct for the last hundred years or so." Toras said.

"Well, apparently not extinct enough. We've gathered from more than one source that trolls were spotted close to human settlements, stealing livestock. That's why we even heard about it. We were looking into what happened to the animals. Unfortunately, we learned that the trolls ate them. I guess there are worse things out there than the Hunters." Buckthorn said, looking pointedly at Arawn.

"If you don't stop with the provocations, you'll see, first hand, what Hunters are like," Arawn said, gritting his teeth.

"Easy boys, remember that we all want the same thing," Toras said as the air suddenly became saturated with calm energy enveloping everyone there.

"You aren't supposed to use magic on us without our permission." Buckthorn said calmly.

"And you are not supposed to spend all your time provoking each other, but here we are," Toras answered instantly.

"Excuse me, but would anyone mind explaining what are the trolls?" Leonie asked, annoyed that she was missing a crucial piece of information.

"Trolls are huge nasty beings which always cause trouble. Worse than their horrible temper is only the putrid smell that they spread around them." Arawn said as if repeating one of the stories he used to tell to his children.

"That's not exactly true," Rimar interjected.

"What do you mean?" Leonie asked, surprised by the bitterness emanating from her friend.

"They weren't as bad as the stories make them out to be. Other creatures made them seem evil. So much so that everyone forgot the truth." Rimar said.

"What's the truth?" Leonie asked.

"Toras, can you please explain? There is too much information in the collective knowledge of all dragons. I can't sift through what's important and what's irrelevant." Rimar said.

"The truth is that the trolls weren't as foul as the stories say. However, because of their physical appearance, people feared them. As per usual, to make themselves feel better about being unjust, they started making up all sorts of stories to justify their dislike of the trolls." Toras said.

"What did they look like?" Leonie asked.

It was unimaginable for her to despise any living being for its physical appearance. Thus, she was curious to learn what it took to make people so unfriendly towards them.

"They were giant and strong, which was one of the main reasons others feared them so much. Besides, they had big teeth, two of which protruded out like tusks. Their noses were enormous, and they had a great amount of facial hair. Even their long sharp nails terrified the people." Toras said.

"Did the trolls ever do anything to harm them?" Leonie asked.

"No, not at all. The trolls were even trying to help as much as they could. They carried things for the humans and chopped wood with their nails to help them prepare for winter." Toras said.

"They sound like such kind beings," Amitola said.

"They were, but humans were blind to see that. All they saw was their unpleasant exterior." Toras said.

"What happened to them?" Leonie asked.

"Since magic was prevalent at the time, people no longer needed the trolls' help. Besides, the trolls required a large amount of nourishment that humans were not willing to provide them with." Toras said.

"Because humans could no longer benefit from their work?" Amitola asked with sadness.

"Exactly. People no longer saw the advantages of keeping the trolls around and decided to chase them away. However, not everyone agreed. Many thought it would be cruel to do so just because they didn't need them. Thus, the regular humans, those who had little to no magic to defend themselves in case the trolls turned on them, came up with a lie." Toras said.

"They convinced a young maiden to disappear, and they made it appear as if the trolls took her. They made everyone believe that the trolls ate her," Toras added, looking at the ground.

"What happened next?" Leonie asked when the pause became too long.

"They were chased away with the help of those who had more magic in their blood. I am embarrassed to say, but that was also the day my cousin, Thomas, became the first village Mage.

"No longer having the protection of the trolls, and having so grossly mistreated them, the regular humans did everything possible to convince the Council of Magic to create such a position," Toras said.

"What happened to the trolls?" Arawn asked, interrupting the storytelling for the first time.

"They dispersed into smaller families and went into hiding. Mostly, they settled on tops of mountains in caves or other remote places rarely visited by humans. We believed that they had perished of hunger." Toras said.

"Have you ever seen a troll?" Leonie asked.

"Yes, I have. A long time ago. The troll was terrified of me and ran away the moment she spotted me, since humans are the monsters for them. I can't say I blame her after everything the humans did to her kind." Toras said.

"But how can they be here, now? Were they brought back to life by darkness?" Arawn asked.

"Bringing people back to life is not something many beings can do, and even for them, it's draining. Besides, it's impossible to bring a whole extinct species back to life for anyone." Toras said.

"You mean it's possible to bring people back from the dead?" Leonie asked, hopefully.

"No, not without dire consequences," Toras replied.

"What do you think is happening, Toras?" Amitola asked before anyone could ask any more difficult questions.

"I think the story my friend Hogget told me about a slumbering troll he claimed to have seen somewhere in the mountains was true. The trolls must've gone into hibernation, hoping to wake up in a better world." Toras said.

"How is that possible? We are talking about hundreds of years!" Leonie asked, deciding to postpone the topic resurrecting the dead for another time.

"You forget that it was the time of magic, and trolls had magic in them although humans tried to deny the fact. Trolls didn't have any active powers, but it was part of their physical structure. Perhaps that part of them had kept them alive." Toras said.

"Why are they awake now? Why do they steal from humans?" Buckthorn asked.

"I think the darkness might have called out to them, tapping into their resentment towards the rest of the world. I am not sure," Toras said.

"What do we do now?" Arawn asked.

"What we do best. Gatherers will gather more information, and we will work on adjusting our hunting style to hunting trolls." Leonie said.

"And I shall work on a potion that might help us become immune to the reaching fingers of darkness and maybe even free the people," Toras said.

"That sounds like a powerful potion. Can you make it?" Leonie asked.

"I have no idea, but I will do my best," Toras said honestly.

Thus, they concluded the meeting and went their separate ways after arranging to meet soon.