Chapter 50: LOTR Casting

Chapter 50: LOTR Casting

(Earl Trek POV)

In all my years as chief of the Gloomstone trolls, I never imagined I'd be face-to-face with a demon in our village. Let alone one seeking me out. And not just any demon, but a Morningstar.

The name alone sends a chill down my spine. Morningstar. Rulers of the largest chunk of the Anatolia Continent. The family that has demon generals and lords at their beck and call. I've seen what one demon lord can do - the kind of power that could wipe our entire race off the map without breaking a sweat.

And now, here's one of their princes, crouching in our humble village, smiling like he's come for afternoon tea.

I grip my staff tighter, hoping the tremor in my hands isn't visible. Every instinct screams at me to run, to hide, to do anything but stand here facing this impossibly powerful being. But I'm the chief. I can't show fear. Not now.

"What can I do for you, my lord?" I manage to ask, proud that my voice doesn't quaver.

As I wait for his response, my mind races. Why is he here? What could a Morningstar possibly want from us? We're nothing in the grand scheme of things, just simple forest dwellers trying to live our lives in peace.

I steal a glance at Eli, my daughter. She looks pale, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and... is that guilt? What does she know about this?

I push the thought aside. Whatever's happening, whatever this Arthur Morningstar wants, I need to handle it carefully. One wrong move, one misspoken word, and it could spell disaster for our entire village.

The fate of our people rests on this conversation.

***

(Arthur POV)

I size up the troll chief standing before me. He's a bit taller than the others, with an air of intelligence that sets him apart. But what really catches my eye is the fear - not just on his face, but mirrored in every troll around us. It's like they're expecting me to breathe fire or something.

Time to put them at ease. Or at least, as much as possible.

"I'm here for a proposal, Mr..." I trail off, realizing I've forgotten a crucial detail. "You are?"

The chief straightens up a bit. "I'm Earl Trek, my lord."

"Earl Trek," I repeat, letting the name settle. "Well, Mr. Trek, I have a proposition for you and your people." I gesture to the crowd of wide-eyed trolls. "I'm offering you a job."

You'd think I'd just announced the sky was falling. Earl's jaw drops, and a wave of shocked murmurs ripples through the crowd.

"A job?" Earl echoes, like he's never heard the word before.

Just when I'm about to tear my horns out over this Frodo casting, the perfect candidate walks through the door. This half-human, half-dwarf guy shows up and nails the audition. He's got that innocent look with a hint of determination that Boss Arthur's been harping on about. I'm practically salivating at the thought of finally filling this role.

But before I can even open my mouth to offer him the part, a familiar voice pipes up beside me.

"What's your name?"

I nearly jump out of my skin. It's Boss Arthur, appearing out of nowhere like some kind of magical jack-in-the-box.

"Boss? You're back so soon?" I stammer, trying to hide my surprise.

Arthur just nods, his eyes fixed on our potential Frodo.

"My name is Kurt Vault," the actor says, looking a bit starstruck.

Without missing a beat, Arthur says, "You'll be having the role of Frodo Baggins. Welcome."

And just like that, it's done. Days of searching, and Boss swoops in to make the final call in seconds. That's Arthur for you – always full of surprises.

After Kurt leaves, Arthur turns to me. "How's the casting here?"

I puff up a bit, proud of our progress. "It's going well, boss."

Arthur's smile has that hint of mischief I've come to recognize. "Speaking of which, how's our human casting going in Empirica? Any good news?"

Oh, right. I nearly forgot about that in all the Frodo excitement. "Actually, yeah. Mochi and the crew just sent word. They've locked in actors for Gandalf and Saruman. Seems Eric Roosevelt's been a big help with the casting over there."

"Very good," Arthur nods, looking pleased. He claps me on the shoulder. "I'm heading back to the Eastern Province. We're fixing up a spot for the Hobbit houses there."

Wait, what? "Eastern Province? I thought you were in Gloomstone Forest, boss."

Arthur just chuckles, like I've said something amusing. "Time waits for no demon, Klein. We've got to keep moving, hit all our filming spots, get everything ready. Tomorrow, we're off to the dark province by the Ashen Plains."

Before I can ask any more questions, he's gone, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open like some slack-jawed imp.

As I watch him disappear around the corner, my brain starts to catch up. Hang on a second... Didn't he just say he came from the Eastern Province? And now he's going back? And tomorrow he'll be in a completely different part of the kingdom?

I shake my head, trying to make the pieces fit. How in the nine hells is he moving around so fast?