172. About Tia'Zula

Our Captain understands a little more about Tia'Zula and the reason why she's still chasing him. 
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The dark cavern glinted at the solitaire rays of light that snuck in from above from between the cracks in the rock-built roof. They were in place, so there was no fear of a cave in or of giving away the vault of treasure that the pirate captain had stored there for years. 
It was in that cave that two voices, though hushed and whispered, echoed faintly against the cavern’s walls. 
“If she is such a threat, why don’t you kill her?” The male voice lingered on the walls a bit longer before the female responded.
“Joo have had da chance ta kill her, and yet joo have not. Why is dat, captain?”
A soft chuckle murmured throughout the cavern. “She did so much for me and for the captain prior to me. I would feel ungrateful, I suppose, but I don’t dare tell that to anyone.”
“We all have our reasons, Wolf,” the female troll said as she leaned against her staff. She sat upon a rock and looked up at the red haired elf. “She is my family, but I do know she is dangerous.” A heavy sigh followed. “She killed her own mother.”
Cris raised an eyebrow at La’Toya’s comment. “Her mother? But doesn’t that mean she was your mother as well?” 
The troll shook her head. “No, we share fathers, but no mothers. She be older…much older than what she appears ta be.”
“That much I figured,” Cris said, “but how? Why?”
“I do not know specifically,” Toya said. “She told me that she communes with da spirits. She is not fel tainted, that much I know. I would have felt that. No, it not be dat. Perhaps it be the voodoo she learned while she was following those trolls in Stranglethorn, but that be…” She stopped talking. Cris could tell that she was struggling to maintain her words in proper orcish, but once in a while she would shift to her broken troll accent. “…That was before I was born. I know her as the Tia she is now.” She stopped and took a deep breath. She moved her red braids away from her face and seemed lost in thought. Cristianno leaned back against the rock wall as he examined a few gems in his hand. 
“So, she killed her mother. How did that happen?”
“The details are not too clear, but from what I remember, her mother was one of her first sacrifices. I think it be when she was starting and wanted to remain young.” Toya shivered slightly and Cris noticed. He was about to tell her to stop, but she continued.
“Her face never aged, but her eyes did, becoming more and more wise…no, not wise. I do not call what she be doing wise. However, there be a form of attained knowledge. She was not always bad, no. She once loved me; she took care of me like a mother. My own mother did not like having her around too much, but father thought it was best that I know who my sister was.” Toya chuckled and shook her head. “He didn’t know what his own daughter be up to I do not know if he ever noticed that she didn’t grow older. And so she was around for a long time. I think she thought she could convince me to join her. The older I be gettin’, the same she would remain. My mother would pass in battle, but our father, who practiced druidic arts, such as myself…” She lowered her head a little and sighed. Cristianno lifted his eyes off the gems to look at the troll. She was smiling faintly and shaking her head, “Father would be killed by an arrow as he soared through the skies in his animal form. He know betta than to get hit like dat, so I know it was Tia’s doin’. She seduced someone to shoot him. This be after he found out she was working for pirates.” Toya looked up at Cris and smiled. “It’s a good thing he not be here to see me, eh?”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Cris said softly. He dropped the gems back into a golden pot nearby, except for one. “So why hasn’t she killed you yet?” Cris softly asked. He knew she wouldn’t be offended at the blunt question. 
“I be wondering that each day, Wolf. I think dat if she knew I was working for you, she would.”
“You think she doesn’t?”
Toya sighed and nodded. “You’re right. She knows a lot more than we think. I do not know, Wolf, but I train so dat she won’t get me. I will not allow her to kill me.”
Cris smiled and tossed a gem at Toya, who promptly caught it. “Good. You’re the best guardian I have.” He rose and walked toward the troll, planting a kiss on her cheek. 
“Protect yourself, Wolf. She’s wicked, but I fear that she is gathering forces. Keep this in mind: she is not after you because she still wants you. She is after you because she just wants you dead.”
The elf nodded and bowed deeply before the troll. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.” 

As he left, Toya took a deep breath and sighed, remembering her sister and wondering the captain’s words. Why hadn’t she killed her yet? She had already killed her own parents, why not her sister? With those questions in mind, she shifted her form to that of a cat and ran off the mountain.