Insurance

The Troll tore into the flesh of its dead companion as Harlequin peered down at it. It looked up and sniffed the air giving a low growl and then a whimper before shuffling back from its meal.

"Run along now." Harlequin commanded, and the beast turned and fled into the night. He then knelt besides the corpse of the dead troll and plunged his hand into its chest. The creatures heart came away easily in his grasp. He travelled then, a brief flicker of shadows and a sudden lurch of reality and he was standing amidst the carnage that was the common room of the Hangmans Noose.

"Now where did I put him." Harlequin murmured tapping his chin with a bloody finger. "Ah!" A flash of movement had he stood above the corpse of Borrs. He reached down then and thrust the trolls heart into the hole in the mans chest. Nothing happened for a moment and Harlequin walked over to the bar. He reached for a tankard and dipped it into one of the open barrels.

Behind him the man that was Borrs began to stir. Harlequin took a swig of the ale and turned to see his mischief at work.

"Disgusting stuff. Do people actually pay for this?" he mused as Borrs clambered unsteadily to his feet. The wound on his chest was already closing and the surrounding skin was a mottled grey and green.

"W...what happened." Borrs asked as he peered around the room.

"I fixed you." Harlequin announced with a flourish, sending the ale flying across the room. He threw the tankard over his shoulder and walked towards Borrs. "No need to thank me."

"You... you killed me!" Borrs accused grasping at his chest where the wound was now totally healed.

"Did I? how careless of me. Well all is well that ends well that's what I say."

"You killed me and... I feel different what have you dont to me?"

"I have made some improvements." Harlequin said with a shrug. Borrs roared and it sounded more troll that man. His eyes were thick with blood and the mottled troll skin was spreading across his body.

"The inn keeper and his new friends have been given a task and now I have one for you."

Borrs roared again and this time blood and drool poured from his mouth as two nasty looking fangs protruded from the gums.

"I would like you to follow them and ensure that they follow my instructions, and if they do not."

Borrs sprang down onto a nearby corpse and began to feed.

"Oh very nice, very nice indeed."