Jintha'Alor had stabilized at a remarkable pace. Under the influence of new ideas, it was beginning to transform. Zul'ra had Cook select suitable people from among the followers he had brought along, first to take stock of the Vilebranch and Smolderthorn, then to help them get production underway.♡♢ 👌💢
The Vilebranch and Smolderthorn Trolls were no better off than the Amani. They, too, lived in a backward, semi-foraging society. But unlike the deep mountains of Zul'Aman, the Hinterlands were rich in resources, and no mountain range blocked access to the coast. There was plenty of food here. Though Aerie Peak lay nearby, the terrain was unusual, and Jintha'Alor could not be sealed off.
The Alliance had never imposed a full blockade or launched a full-scale assault, so the Vilebranch Trolls seemed to outnumber even the Amani. Altogether, they had thirty to forty thousand people—more than ten times the Smolderthorn population. Yet Hex, the Evil Priestess, had never made good use of this strength. She put her faith only in the Soulflayer, and he had failed to help her.
In short, Jintha'Alor was an immense inheritance, now in his hands. Zul'ra could hardly contain his excitement at the thought. He told Cook to get things organized at once, then turned to pulling out his own fangs.
During his close-quarters struggle with the magically enhanced Vilebranch Guards, Zul'ra had injured one of his fangs in the chaos. He had delayed treatment, wary of compromising the campaign against Jintha'Alor, and now blood seeped from his gums as they throbbed with pain.
To keep his teeth from getting worse, Zul'ra decided to pull them. He prepared some medicine to have on hand, then, without bothering with tools, grabbed the long fang in his mouth and yanked it out by the root with all his strength as fast as he could.
The two tusks, which were like ivory, had already been loosened at the roots by the impact. They came out almost instantly. Zul'ra tossed the bloodied fangs aside and immediately spat the thick blood filling his mouth into a nearby brazier.
After spitting out several mouthfuls, the bleeding slowed. Once clotted blood had plugged the wounds left by the extraction, Zul'ra rinsed his mouth with a potion to help the wounds in his gums heal faster. He cleaned out the blood pooled in his mouth, then rinsed with more medicine to prevent harmful bacteria from lingering there. The first stage of the tooth extraction was complete.
The procedure had been crude, but it had worked. Of course, that success depended on several factors. Zul'ra's roots had already been loose, so pulling the teeth hadn't torn away pieces of his gums. He also knew how to prepare medicine and had brought along potions that disinfected and promoted healing. And, of course, his body had a strong capacity to heal.
"That feels better." Zul'ra gently brought his teeth together, feeling the strength of his undamaged jaws and the sharpness of his teeth. He felt thoroughly relieved. Those long tusks had bothered him for a long time. They were always in the way, rubbing against his back teeth and making it difficult to speak. Sometimes saliva ran from their roots and inflamed his lips.
With the foreign objects gone from his mouth, Zul'ra felt wonderful. But once the relief had passed, he noticed a new problem: the canines in his lower jaw seemed a little long. Before, the tusks had kept his upper and lower jaws apart, so he hadn't noticed. Now that they were gone and his teeth closed together, the tips of his two lower canines pressed against his upper lip.
I guess I'm never going to look like a normal person. Zul'ra released his upper lip, letting the canines peek out from the corners of his mouth. He gave a wry smile, though he wasn't surprised. Trolls' teeth differed by sex, too. Female Trolls didn't have long tusks, but the two canines in their lower jaws protruded past their lips. He could only hope the other Trolls wouldn't laugh at his appearance.
No one dared laugh, but his sudden change in appearance prompted questions from Lostro, Cook, and many others. Zul'ra had to explain over and over that his tusks had first been loosened by an impact, and that he had then been forced to pull them out.
After explaining it dozens of times, Zul'ra got used to it and turned to work. First, he carefully surveyed Jintha'Alor. Unlike in Zul'Aman, where he'd needed to work alongside the farmers and laborers himself, this time he went around inspecting things and giving speeches, describing the road ahead to the Troll commoners and encouraging them in their work.
Quite a few Vilebranch Trolls showed great enthusiasm for the new ideas. They included both commoners and Witch Doctors. The Witch Doctors who had led the uprising in particular were unlike those in Zul'Aman, who paid no attention to the world beyond their own concerns. These were people who cared about the common folk and got things done.
The Witch Doctors of Jintha'Alor weren't devoted priests of any one Loa. They had been oppressed by Hex, the Evil Priestess, and lived in fear day after day. So, once the threat of the Vilebranch Guards was gone, they immediately led the commoners in an uprising, welcomed Zul'ra's rebel army into the city, and helped root out Hakkar's followers.
Having lived under fear, and with none of them devoted to a single Loa, the Witch Doctors of Jintha'Alor were relatively open to new ideas. Zul'ra was also glad to meet with these fellow practitioners. Workers and farmers were the foundation of society, but if the Witch Doctors joined him, Troll society would progress all the faster.
After a detailed discussion with Jintha'Alor's Witch Doctors, Zul'ra told them the entire history of the Trolls, emphasizing the unity of the ancient Trolls. Then he encouraged them to help build a glorious future for their people.
"We're only Witch Doctors. We don't know how to work metal or farm." One of them looked troubled. They cared about the common folk, were willing to engage with ordinary Trolls, understood their hardships, and wanted to help. But they weren't the sort who wanted to do physical labor.
"No, no. You're Witch Doctors. Why would I make you work as laborers or farmers? But I hope you'll bring knowledge to our people and heal their impoverished souls." Zul'ra wasn't surprised by the Witch Doctors' reluctance to do manual labor. A dislike of hard work was common among many intelligent beings. But given how few educated people there were, he could let it slide for now. Everyone had their own way of contributing.
"What knowledge should we teach?" one of the Witch Doctors asked timidly.
"Reading and writing. Teach the Common language and its script, starting with the easiest lessons. That's all I'm asking for now." Zul'ra smiled as he explained what he wanted. His expectations weren't high. First, he wanted the Trolls to learn to read and write and embrace new ideas. They could pursue other things after that.
The Witch Doctors looked a little less tense at Zul'ra's request. Basic literacy had little to do with magic, so it was something they could accept. Though they cared about the common folk and were open to new ideas, that didn't mean they were willing to give up their privileges.
The Witch Doctors oversaw medicine, religious rites, and many other duties in society. If this knowledge spread, commoners would no longer need to come to them for treatment or help with their troubles. Fewer people seeking them out would mean not only less income, but also less influence. Their overall interests would take a serious hit.
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