Shakra was starting to have doubts about this mission.

Oh the day had started well enough, they had traveled to Phlax with the first group of Horde experts under the command of Force Captain Blast -upon Josephine's questioning he'd admitted to naming himself in the northern style - who was renowned for his ability in the Fright Zone mining department. The strangeness started when they asked about for the best route to Spikeheart, the ancient home of the Trolls.

First it turned out the only path between Phlax & Spikeheart was a mountain valley pass given the very charming name of Skullpath. If the name wasn't lovely enough, it apparently played host to a number of dangers. A large population of Snorters which were said to be fiercely territorial. As well as a number of criminals from both nation who were allowed to roam unchecked due to the Federation not wanting to provoke Spikeheart by sending forces into the pass & the Trolls themselves not seeming to care. The mood was lightened somewhat by a woodsman named Petro who insisted they had to be warned of the Beastmonsters that he swore infested the area. Honestly Shakra found it equal parts funny & embarrassing that a grown man would get so worked up over a myth used to scare countless children into obedience. Her own father had sworn that if she didn't finish her dinner every night the Beastmonster would gobble her up. But then he claimed his wife had been devoured by the creature & she suddenly was overcome with sympathy which caused her to purchase earplugs which he said would defend against the piercing shriek.

The mood was still a bit downcast as they set off down the Skullpath...and then they saw them.

Massive skulls carved into the very mountains themselves stared down at them as they made their way through the deep valleys. Some seemed to weeping while others had their mouths wide opened as if they'd died in the midst of a scream of terror.....or as if they were preparing to swallow the trespassers whole. Not helping was the sheer size of the works. Had they been on the ground, they would have towered over the building in the city of Phlax. That they were carved nearer the top of their respective mountains made them all the more daunting.

But perhaps the worst aspect of it all was just how severely the monoliths contrasted with the rest of the pass. Despite its ominous name, the pass was one of the most STUNNING landscapes Shakra had ever laid eyes on. A beautiful forest of mountain pine stretched as far as the eye could see, only interrupted by shimmering lakes & rivers. And while the occasional Snorter did bellow out a warning it was offset by the sight of Unilope's bounding gracefully through the trees. It somehow felt wrong that such beaut should have to exist beneath the unyielding stares of such morbid constructs.

Just as Shakra was bringing her growing unease under control, the most ungodly sound she'd ever heard assaulted her ears. A high pitch shriek reverberated across the valleys, echoing off the mountains until it reached such a cacophony that what she assumed was Scalia's question regarding the source was discernible only by her mouth moving. Thankfully they were able to secure their earplugs just in time for Josephine to locate the source of the deafening wail. She pointed behind behind Shakra who turned & nearly fainted from shock.

A river had exploded and put had burst a giant reptilian. Seven feet tall if she guessed correctly with a long neck that ended in a mouth which even from a distance she could tell was full of sharp teeth & a pair of arms ending with long claws that were reaching out towards them! She was so frozen in fear she was taken by surprise when the skiff jumped before suddenly increasing in velocity. Shakra almost had to force herself to look at the controls where Josephine had activated the emergency thrust. It was one of the upgrades Lord Adora had installed in the skiff they'd used on their mutual journey. She had warned it would last too long but hopefully it would last long enough to make the pursuer give up. Shakra looked behind them to see if the Beastmonster -by the gods how was this thing real?- had indeed given up. Thankfully the predator proved a clumsy thing, as it turned to chase them it tripped, landing with a roll. It tried to rise & continue its hunt but it proved slow as well as clumsy & finally decided to retreat to its river home after a brief pursuit.

They kept the thrust on until it petered out (thankfully they had brought another container of fuel for it) before continuing their path, eyes constantly darting from one side to the other in search of the next assailant. Finally almost without realizing it. they'd come to their destination. Spikeheart proper may have been the tallest mountain in the entire range & the Trolls who dwelt beneath it had carved its peak into their likeness as a warning to all others who dared to enter here.

They were stopped at the edge of the settlement by the first Trolls they'd seen that day & Shakra couldn't help but think in amusement to when her visit to Giant's Roost had her feeling the smallest she'd ever felt. Until you've stood before a Troll she realized, you didn't know the meaning of the word. An entire race for whom ten feet was the average & built everything to the appropriate scale. As they were led through the capital, the trio was taken aback by the sheer beauty of it all. Shakra was surprised to discover that the architecture bore a striking resemblance to Bright Moon of all places. Everything was covered in large, detailed murals. Though where Bright Moon artists tended to leave the faces of the people they drew featureless, the Trolls drew incredibly detailed faces to the point of many having the Troll in questions face be the only part displayed.

And the artistry on display didn't stop there, for all they kept themselves hidden away Trolls had over the centuries established themselves as the premier artisans of Etheria, their works combining the beauty produced in Bright Moon with the engineering found in Dryl's craftwork allowing their artworks to be functional as well as breathtakingly beautiful. Of course this pieces rarely emerged into the wider Etherian art markets ever since Sppikeheart had shut itself away from the rest of the world due to the frankly shocking number of people throughout history who had decided it was a good idea to antagonize a race of giants.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a booming declaration.

"Presenting Agho, King of the Trolls, Guardian of Spikeheart & Master of the mountains"

The Troll that entered the throneroom was a sight to behold. Tall even among the giants that made up his people, clad in prominent leather shoulderpads with leather straps crisscrossing his broad chest. In place of a crown, he wore what appeared to be a domed helmet by the straps that hung by his chin. In his great massive fist he held a walking staff that was topped by a nasty looking ball of spiked steel. He sat down with a thud & fixed the Horde emissaries with a firm, if neutral stare.

"Well you made it" he began in a voice that rumbled like thunder. "You traveled all this way, braved monsters & bandits all to become the first visitors to Spikeheart in living memory. You must have something very urgent to say little lady...so speak you piece & be on your way"

Ok Shakra you knew not to expect a warm welcome. You can still do this.

She took a few steps forward before bowing deeply. "You're majesty, permit me to first introduce myself. I am Shakra, these are my companions Josephine & Scalia, we are here representing Lord Adora to discuss a prosperous relationship between Spikeheart & the Fright Zone."

This caused the Troll king to emit a low rumbling sound that Shakra was able to identify as chuckling "Yes well my people have heard such offers before. And yet every time, without fail those who claim to seek friendship reveal themselves to be enemies. That is why we closed our border to outsiders" he put particular emphasis on that last word "And it is why we've learned to make do without the aid of smallfolk like yourself"

"We are aware of your history sir" She said showing no sign of acknowledging the slight the king had just sent her way. "and we know how you've had to go your own way in the fields of tech & magic. If i may be so bold majesty, your people have served as something of an inspiration to us over the decades"

"Is that so?" Agho's voice made his skepticism plain.

'Indeed it is, sire. The Horde knows all too well what it's like to be without allies, to have no one to rely on, to feel as though the whole world is allied against you just we dare to be different. We too have had to go our own way & have emerged stronger for it just as you have." She held her arms out wide "but we've recently come to accept a harsh truth. Even the strongest can only stand alone for so long before it becomes too much. Spikeheart & the Fright Zone have accomplished so much alone, Imagine what we could do if we work together"

This caused Agho to go silent for a moment, scratching his beard in thought. Finally the titanic royal spoke "Let's assume i bought that. What is the Horde offering exactly?"

OK, so far so good "Between building your own tech & your peoples well known talent at metal working, you must have a great need of rare metals, metals that the Fright Zone has been blessed with in abundance. We would be happy to exchange such metals for access shipments of lumber. We've never really had too many trees of our own you see"

The Troll king hummed thoughtfully "That could be arranged, but is that all you'd ask for. Speak truthfully now"

"It occurs to us that with all these mountains, you must have incredible mining potential. If you'll forgive a bit of boosting, the Fright Zone has the most effective mining operation in all of Etheria & has for generations. In fact we just agreed to lend our vast knowledge to your neighbor Phlax, we would be happy to extend the same helping hand to your kingdom as well."

"In Exchange for?" came the reply.

"Lord Adora has heard of your style of magically enhanced blacksmithing. She would love the opportunity to study such a skill."

Once again the King went silent, stroking his beard in what she was beginning to recognize as a tick the giant royal possessed. "Not many know this but Trolls pride ourselves on our cooking ability. Our chiefs are always looking for new methods to enhance their recipes. Does the Fright Zone have any spices that could add an extra flavor to our daily meals?"

"We'd be happy to engage in a culinary exchange with you sir, I believe i smelt some delightful baked goods on the way to your palace."

"I'm sure you did" the king let a smile on his face for the first time during their meeting.

"And likewise i couldn't help but notice the utterly magnificent artworks your people have crafted. As it happens, the Fright Zone is looking to revitalize its art scene. We would be delighted to use your peoples work as inspiration"

"We place great value on our art madam" The King said, his tone still serious but perhaps a touch more polite "What could the Horde offer us in exchange?"

"Sire what we lack in artistic talent, we make up for on the field of battle. Our weapons are the most powerful on Etheria. We know how Spikeheart prides itself on its ability to defend itself & would be honored to contribute in any way we could"

The Kings took a moment to respond to that, his face a stoic mask revealing nothing "Indeed we've had to get quite good at defending ourselves over the centuries...Tell me Ms Shakra, do you know the story of the War with the Spider?"

"It doesn't sound familiar no sire"

The King's voice was rather solemn as he began "Once long ago the king of Galebreath used his nation's Minor Runestone, the Spider Crystal to invade our lands. He meant to wipe us from Etheria & add our lands to his realm. Thankfully the She Ra at the time, Allegra the White Ghost arrived in our hour of need. She buried the would-be conqueror alive under the land he meant to steal before digging up the Crystal & awarding it to us. It stayed in our possession for some time before Galebreath agreed to reparations to get it back. Which is how your Horde was able to claim it as well as Galebreath"

Shakra thought she could see where he was going "Majesty if you wish the Spider Crystal back..." she was stopped mid-sentence by the raising of a massive hand.

"I have no interest in reclaiming an artifact that is too small for my people to even use. My question is this, Does the Horde seek our friendship enough to follow in the White Ghost's footsteps?" He asked fixing her with a firm stare.

"In what way sire?"

"What you said before about how even the strongest can't stand alone forever? Well it seems my people have been standing alone since time immemorial. And we are so very tired of offering our trust to outsiders only to be either attacked or abandoned. I am prepared to agree to the trade agreement we have discussed here today but on one condition. The Horde must swear that if the smallfolk attack my people again you will come to our aid"

Shakra's head spun with the magnitude of what the King was asking "And would Spikeheart return this kindness in the event we need it"

"We have received word from the few of us who have joined the Rebellion that you are in the process of ending your current hostilities so we see no point in joining a conflict just as its ending. But in all future battles, Spikeheart stands with you. What say you?"

"I say...we look forward to working with you sire"