THE GLASS UNICORN PART 5

  A QUEST WARS ADVENTURE

  YASMINE GALENORN

  A Nightqueen Enterprises LLC Publication

  Published by Yasmine Galenorn

  PO Box 2037, Kirkland WA 98083-2037

  THE GLASS UNICORN: Part 5

  A Quest Wars Adventure

  Copyright © 2025 by Yasmine Galenorn

  First Electronic Printing: 2025 Nightqueen Enterprises LLC

  Cover Art & Design: Yasmine Galenorn

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any format, be it print or electronic or audio, without permission. Please prevent piracy by purchasing only authorized versions of this book. NO PARTS OF THIS BOOK WERE CREATED OR DEVELOPED THROUGH A.I., AND NO PARTS OF THIS BOOK ARE TO BE USED TO TRAIN A.I.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, or places is entirely coincidental and not to be construed as representative or an endorsement of any living/ existing group, person, place, or business.

  A Nightqueen Enterprises LLC Publication

  Published in the United States of America

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Welcome to The Glass Unicorn

  Chapter 25: Learning To Be An Elf

  Chapter 26: The Forest Troll

  Chapter 27: Waypoints Ahoy

  Chapter 28: Lights in the Night

  Chapter 29: Will-o-the-Wisps Are Dangerous

  Chapter 30: A Helping Hand

  Playlist

  Biography

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Welcome to The Glass Unicorn, a new LitRPG novel serial that I’m writing. After forty years of gaming, I finally decided to try my hand at writing the adventures of one of my typical dungeon characters. Eventually, the serial will become a book. This is a new genre and format for me, and I’m having great fun with it. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I’m having fun writing it.

  Thanks to my usual crew: Samwise, my husband, Andria, and Jennifer—without their help, I’d be swamped. To the women who have helped me find my way in indie, you’re all great, and thank you to everyone. I’m thrilled to be among their ranks.

  Also, my love to my furbles, who keep me happy. My most reverent devotion to Mielikki, Tapio, Ukko, Rauni, and Brighid, my spiritual guardians and guides. My love and reverence to Herne, and Cernunnos, and to the Fae, who still rule the wild places of this world. And a nod to the Wild Hunt, which runs deep in my magick, as well as in my fiction.

  You can find me through my website at Galenorn.com and be sure to sign up for my newsletter to keep updated on all my latest releases! You can find my advice on writing, discussions about the books, and general ramblings on my YouTube channel. If you liked this book, I’d be grateful if you’d leave a review—it helps more than you can think.

  November 2025

  Brightest Blessings,

  ~The Painted Panther~

  ~Yasmine Galenorn~

  WELCOME TO THE GLASS UNICORN

  When Erenye Green, an editor at a small publishing company, and several of her gaming friends find themselves stuck within the fantasy world of Abarria, they must learn to navigate the realities of what it really means to battle monsters, zombies, and all manner of creatures, now that the stakes are life and death, and no longer a simple roll of the dice.

  Part 5: Erenye and the others take on the Forest Troll, then plan for their long journey to the Summer Kingdom.

  CHAPTER 25: LEARNING TO BE AN ELF

  “What do you know about forest trolls?” I asked the others, once Sen-ti had crept into hiding. He had pointed us to the direction the troll had last been seen, told us that at least ten of his fellow Wildings had been killed by the creature, who hated them, for some reason, and then skedaddled out of sight. I knew he was watching us, though. He’d be able to find us. After exiting their home, I realized that I could sense Wildings—I could feel Sen-ti’s energy.

  “I don’t know if we’ve fought one in the game,” Reggie said.

  “We did, once,” Thornhold said. “Remember the campaign where we fought MiaDia? The ghost witch?”

  I thought back. Then, like a slow drip, the memories filtered through. “Yes, I do. For some reason it just doesn’t register⁠—”

  “That’s because you were dealing with personal problems,” Brynn said, her voice soft.

  I frowned, trying to dredge up the memories. And then, they came. That was the week I caught my then-fiancé cheating with my then-best friend.

  I had decided to take the afternoon off to spend with Lucas, and when I got home, ready to make a romantic dinner, I saw his car in the driveway. Worried that he was sick, I hurried in. I heard some noise from upstairs, and—still thinking he was groaning in pain—dashed up the stairs and into the bedroom. Where Lucas was on his hands and knees, face plastered between the legs of my best friend. She saw me first, screamed, and slammed her knees together, smashing Lucas’s head.

  He let out a loud curse, glanced over his shoulder, wincing, to see me coming at him from the doorway. Lena wasn’t the only one who gave his ears a thrashing that day. So angry I couldn’t think, I popped him a good one across his face, then boxed his ears.

  After that, I turned on Lena, chasing her down the hall and out the door naked. She raced into the yard, and I slammed the door, locking her outside on the front lawn. Between her screaming for Lucas to help her, and Lucas alternately cussing me out and begging me for a second chance, I realized I couldn’t deal with anything. I grabbed Lena’s clothes and Lucas’s pants, stuffed them into his arms, and just as silently pushed him toward the stairs. He hurried down them—he probably thought I was going to push him down them—and I followed him, pointing at the door.

  “Get out of here, you asshole.”

  “Erenye—please, just listen to me,” he said.

  I gave him a cold stare. “You have ten seconds to get out, or I start destroying everything you own.” My voice felt as strong as my heart felt broken.

  He gave me a long look, decided that I meant it, and left. I locked the door, turned the deadbolt, and stood there in my broken world, trying to decide what to do.

  “Right, I remember now. I didn’t want to think, I didn’t want to tell anybody, so I showed up for the game that night. I have very little recollection of what went on, but now I remember. We fought the ghost-witch, who had conjured up a forest troll. But we managed to kill her before the troll could fully materialize. So all it took were a few strikes to take him out.” I snorted.

  I had gotten over Lucas in good time, I finally told my friends about what happened when they noticed I was barely paying attention that night, and now—now I considered myself lucky that I’d escaped a red-flag relationship. I had gone on a few dates since then, but I had no interest in getting involved with anybody on a deeper basis. I could take care of my own needs, and my friends rounded out my social circle. And now, back at base, I had Star waiting for me.

  “Okay, forest trolls. I remember we did look them up once we figured out what she was conjuring,” Ray said. “They’re vulnerable to fire, but blunt weapons won’t do much damage on them. They’re a Level 7 monster, chaotic evil, and they hate Elves, because Elves have a connection to the forest and can usually use that connection to prevent the forest troll from going on rampages.”

  I frowned. “I know I have a connection to the forest, but I didn’t realize I could use it against creatures. I usually play a Symcat, so I’m not that familiar with the Elfin race.”

  “What are their stats?” Brynn asked.

  “About nine feet tall, strength of 18+, vulnerable to fire but almost immune to blunt attacks, so use your sword,” Ray said. “And given you’re a ranger,” he said to me, “you should be able to commune with the forest to find him.”

  I hadn’t realized that. “Can I do that for more than forest trolls?”

  “I think so. Why don’t you pick a tree and give it a try?” Reggie said.

  I shrugged, but stepped up to the nearest tree. It was a huge old maple. Not sure what to do, I decided to place my hands on the trunk. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the grain of the bark, reaching out, searching for some semblance of thought.

  And there it was. But the tree was sleeping—softly resting till spring. It sighed as I reached out, like a sleeper turning in her slumber, but still she slept, lingering in some ageless, endless plane. I backed away and looked around, sending out feelers, trying to find one of the trees that was awake.

  I was drawn to a tall cedar tree. I slid between the lush branches, inhaling the cleansing scent of the wood. I pressed my hands to the trunk, and then laid my cheek against the bark. Immediately, I felt a sense of welcoming, of homecoming. The tree’s aura embraced me like a long lost friend. Then, in a communication not of words, but of images and sensations, I asked it where the forest troll was.

  The tree embraced me again, and then I saw a stand of brambles, near a boulder, and behind the boulder, the forest troll was gnawing on something that had once been alive. I had no idea what it was, and I didn’t want to know.

  I formed a question, trying to project in energy, if the trees could help us keep the forest troll from killing the Wildings. And once again, I felt an acceptance, and then I caught a glimpse of a twisted, gnarled tree and realized that we were standing right near it. The bark was gray, old and twisted, and a resin dripped out of
it. The cedar tree projected the image of me dipping my arrows in the resin, and I immediately understood. The resin was poison, and it would affect the forest troll. I wanted to ask the name of the poisonous tree, but there were no words for it, so I sent a huge thank you to the tree, and broke away from it.

  “The tree over there? It’s sap is poison. The cedar told me to dip my arrow tips in it, and that should poison the forest troll.” I thought for a moment about Elves, and how they seemed to know so much about the forest. No wonder, they were able to communicate with the woodland, and find out secrets.

  “Well, shall we try it? But first we have to find the troll,” Brynn said.

  “I know where it is, at least approximately. Let me prepare several of my arrows. Just make certain not to touch it—we don’t know if the poison can be transmitted by touch alone, or whether it needs to be injected, so to speak.” As I headed toward the tree, I thought I should gather a bottle of the sap for future use. I knelt down, thanked the gnarled ancient tree, and began to prepare for the coming battle.

  CHAPTER 26: THE FOREST TROLL

  “Well, there he is,” Brynn said, nodding ahead. We were at the edge of a clearing in the forest. Ahead, through the break in the trees, we saw the troll. He was eating the remains of a deer, like we might eat a cob of corn. Only it was a lot more bloody and gruesome.

  Unlike mountain trolls, and other variants, forest trolls were the least human looking. They were massive, with giant like proportions, and they were a greenish-gray color. Most trolls wore loincloths and the females, a raggedy tube-top like garment. But forest trolls ran around naked, the nether parts of the males hanging out of a bush-gone-wild thatch of hair. The females sported breasts that made any big-busted woman envious, because apparently gravity was no match against their chest muscles. But our boy here was truly a big boy.

  I glanced at Brynn. “He must make lady forest trolls happy.”

  “Size isn’t everything,” she said. “Totally depends on how he uses it.”

  I snorted, then abruptly stopped as he lifted his head, dropped the remains of the deer, and looked around, sniffing the air.

  “Uh oh.” I had a bad feeling he could smell us. Sure enough, he turned our way and began making his way across the clearing, a puzzled look on his face.

  “We’ve got company,” Reggie said, pulling out a spell he had prepared. “I’m casting minor protection—group up.”

  We closed ranks, while he crumbled some herbs in his hand and blew them over us.

  “Powers of safety, powers of might, protect us through the day and night.” As he incanted the spell, a sense of peace settled around us. The spell wouldn’t prevent us from being hurt, but it would give us an edge on negating some damage.

  I nocked and aimed an arrow, aiming for his heart. As my arrow flew, Brynn and Thornhold prepared their weapons—Thornhold bring out his hammer and Brynn, her sword.

  The troll did not appreciate our attention. The moment my arrow lodged in his shoulder—my aim was way off—he began striding our way, kicking rocks and tree limbs out of the way as he let out a long grunt. Crap, he was fast.

  “Hurry up—hit him again!” Ray said.

  I brought up a second arrow, hoping to hell the poison did something. This time, it lodged in his stomach. He was starting to slow down, and I took a deep breath and jumped back as Brynn and Thornhold went in with their weapons.

  The troll let out a low roar, but then began to shake. He looked around, confused, then turned his sights on us again. The wounds from my arrows were bleeding profusely—more than I expected them too—and the blood was turning a pale shade of pink, almost like it had been diluted.

  Brynn rushed forward, circling her sword over her head. She let out a shriek, startling the troll. He reared back as she landed in front of him and swung, aiming for is kneecaps. She hit, hard and deep, and the troll shrieked back at her, freezing in place as he looked down at the wounds on his body. He pulled one of the arrows out of his hide and a fountain of blood followed, again—thin and pale pink instead of the thick red that it should be.

  “Holy crap, is that what the poison does?” I wanted to prove it, so I’d know, but there was nobody else around to strike with an arrow and I wasn’t about to test it on myself or the others. I’d have to wait till later.

  “I don’t know but it helps, whatever’s causing it.” Thornhold raced forward, swinging his hammer across the troll’s left knee. On top of the damage that Brynn had done, the flesh split open, exposing damaged tendons and a shattered patella.

  Now, we were making headway. The troll began staggering from side to side as Brynn took another shot at him, aiming her sword for his ankles. She swung, then ducked and rolled out of the way, catching him right across the heels.

  Trolls might be more immune to pain, but they weren’t immune to the actual damage. And this troll might be a scourge to the Wildings, but for us, he wasn’t a massive threat, thanks to the poisoned arrows. I decided that, after we were finished, I’d go back and collect more of that resin. I wouldn’t shoot anything we were determined to eat with the poisoned arrows, but this stuff worked wonders against enemies.

  The troll swung again, but it was so random and he seemed so disoriented that it wasn’t hard to just step out of his way.

  “What level are forest trolls?” I asked as Reggie tossed a handful of dust at the troll. The creature yawned and then, in slow motion, began to fall.

  “That should knock him out,” Reggie said. “I think they’re less dangerous than mountain trolls. They’re 7th Level.”

  “Oh,” I said. I’d thought we were pulling off an incredible feat, but if he was only Level 5 or 6, then it wasn’t surprising that the five of us could take him down. “Well, at least we’re helping out the Wildings.”

  “Look—there,” Ray said.

  We all turned, keeping a safe distance between us and the now fully drugged out creature. He was stumbling around like we’d doped him up. Well, in truth, we had.

  Ray was pointing at what looked like a massive bird nest, behind one of the nearby trees. “Ten to one that’s his lair.”

  “Ten to one, you’re right.” I stopped as the troll gave one last stagger, then hit the ground like an earthquake, jarring all of us.

  I slowly walked toward the creature, ready to dodge aside at any sign of awareness, but the troll really was out of it. I bent down to check out his breath. It was barely noticeable. His eyes were open but glazed over, and he was still bleeding like a stuck pig.

  “I think he’s almost dead. We should put him out of his misery.”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” Brynn said. “That’s…”

  “Murder? We’ve practically killed him already and he’s going to die—he has to or the Wildings will continue to suffer. It’s honestly more merciful now,” I said, feeling a twinge of guilt. I still wasn’t used to actually taking lives, even if they were just Syms, and I didn’t know if I’d ever be. But I’d passed the milestone where I was struggling with my decisions. That had ended when I found out we were locked in Abarria.

  “I guess you’re right⁠—”

  “I’m right,” I told her.

  “Then, my sword will be quickest and least painful,” she said, bringing her blade up. She brought it down, tip first, plunging it right into his heart. The forest troll lurched once, and then shuddered out his last breath. Brynn withdrew her blade from his chest and wiped it against the side of the tree. “That takes care of it.”

  I glanced over at the others, who silently nodded toward the troll. It hadn’t been his fault he’d been born—or rather, created—to be an enemy of the Wildings, but that’s what had happened, and sadly, he paid for his natural inclination to hunt and kill them.

  “What now? Do the Wildings want proof?” Reggie asked.

  “I’m not sure, but let’s go through his nest and see if there’s anything there we can use.” I walked over to the massive tangle of branches and straw. I had no clue where he’d picked up the straw, but probably in some field near here.