Toby and Jim slammed into the ground in a tangle of limbs. For a moment they just lay there gasping for air and shaking then Jim managed to untangle himself and pull off the werewolf mask. He gasped in another breath before turning to Blinky.
"We almost… I almost… Bular… He almost killed us!"
"Almost: a very important word," Blinky said, way to cheerful for how close they had just come to death. "A life of almost is a life of never!"
Jim shot him a rather incredulous look that Toby agreed with.
"Also, why did the armor shut off? I've been stuck in in for like 4 hours and then, when I'm finally in actual danger, then it comes off…"
Blinky patted him on the shoulder.
"As I said you must expect the unexpected. Hopefully you will adjust to the armor quickly."
Blinky began walking away from them and to the right. He took a step down and suddenly blue light filled the room as a massive spiral staircase of blue crystal lit up. Toby's mouth fell open.
He followed warily behind Jim as Blinky began to lead them down the stairs. He reached for his phone wanting to take a picture and bumped into the cloak.
"Hey Blinky?"
"Yes Tobias?"
"Should I keep the mask on or take it off now?"
Blinky glanced back at him for a moment before his gaze shifted forward again.
"A good question," He said tapping his chin. "I would say take it off. The population of Trollmarket is not going to be terribly happy about having not one but two humans present, but an unfamiliar cloaked figure is only going to generate curiosity. So it would be for the best that people knew you were a human from the start, otherwise they be even more upset that we snuck a second human in and didn't tell them."
"Okay," Toby said reaching up to take the mask off.
"Besides," Blinky continued. "We wouldn't want people to mistake you for a changeling."
Toby's heart skipped a beat as his fingers froze curled around the edge of the mask.
"What's a changeling?" He heard Jim ask through the roaring in his ears.
"They are trolls… of a sort… that can take on human form… In the old world Gum-Gum's stole our young and did something unnatural to change them. Their sole purpose: to spy on the world above."
"Are those something I should be worried about?" Jim asked.
"Of course not," Blinky said with laugh. "Changelings haven't been seen in centuries."
"Okay."
"You okay?" Aaarrrgghh asked from directly behind Toby.
Toby yelped and almost fell off the side of the steps. Aaarrrgghh caught him, his large hand resting on his shoulder to hold him steady.
Jim and Blinky both turned back toward him.
"Sorry," Toby said. His voice surprisingly gave no sign of his inner turmoil. "My braces just snagged on the fur."
Jim winced, familiar with his dental troubles.
"Careful, long fall," Aaarrrgghh rumbled, giving him a very gentle pat.
"Do you need help getting that off?" Jim asked taking a step back toward him.
"No, I've almost got it. Let's just keep going," Toby said quickly.
"Okay, let me know if you change your mind."
Jim gave him a last concerned glance and then turned back toward Blinky. Toby drew in a shaky breath and took off the mask. He decided to leave the scent masking pendent on. It would hide any residual goblin odors he might be carrying.
That sorted, he squared his shoulders and continued forward, pushing the feeling of unease to the back of his mind. It was okay… they had no reason to suspect…
"So Bular can't make it down here, right?" Jim was asking warily.
"He cannot. The incantation forbids entry to Heartstone Trollmarket by Gum-Gums, such as Bular, for they are the most fearsome of trolls…"
Toby wondered if the incantations could sense that he had changed sides or if they simply didn't count him as a troll and therefore a Gum-Gum.
They rounded the final bend of the staircase and stopped.
"This is the world you're bound to protect," Blink said, gesturing grandly with pride in his voice. "This is Heartstone Trollmarket!"
The conversation of the last few minutes fled Toby's mind along with his ability to breathe. In front of him was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. In the center of the massive cavern was a glowing orange crystal the size of a skyscraper. It pulsed with warm light and Toby could feel his own heart joining in its rhythm.
"What is that?" He whispered.
"That is the Heartstone," Blinky said, Aaarrrgghh softly repeating the word behind him. "The life force of trollkind. The means that keeps us from crumbling to stone and a source of light and sustenance."
"Incredible," Jim breathed, raw wonder filling his voice.
Toby nodded wordlessly. He had heard of heartstones. Gunmar's throne in the Darklands was supposedly carved out of one, though he had never been close enough to feel anything from it, but this…
The closest thing he could think of was being in the sun for the first time in human form, but that wasn't even close to what he was feeling now. It was as if some aching empty hole in his being, that he didn't even know was there, had been finally filled…
The others had continued forward, so Toby quickly scrambled to catch up, stealing glances at the massive crystal.
As they wandered through the market other things drew his attention. TVs full of static flickered in large piles, thousands of scents, appealing to both his forms, wafted through the air, gems and minerals of a rainbow of colors were everywhere…
Unfortunately trolls were also everywhere and they did not seem particularly happy to see him or Jim.
"Fleshbags?" One of them muttered.
"What are humans doing here?" another demanded.
More and more drew near, surrounding them.
Blinky halted and turned to address them.
"Friends, there is no need to be afraid," He started to say.
"What is this?!" A voice roared.
The crowd parted and a huge blue troll, about the size of Bular, came stalking toward them.
"Human feet have never sullied the ground of Trollmarket," He snarled, drawing way too close to Jim. "Who are these fleshbags?"
"Believe it or not…"
"Stand down, Draal," A tired voice said. "I've been expecting them."
Draal let out an irritated snort but stepped to the side to allow the newcomer to approach. He tilted his head respectfully. This troll was of a more upright build then Draal. His features were goatlike and his shaggy mane was dull. His clouded grey eyes looked over them before settling on Toby.
"I wish to meet the fleshbag supposedly chosen by the Amulet."
The crowd broke into shocked murmurs at that. Draal's eyes widened for a moment before he snarled.
The old troll ignored them and leaned down toward Toby.
"I am Vendal, son of Rundel, son of Kilfred."
He paused clearly waiting for Toby to return the greeting.
"I… I'm Toby, grandson of Nana..." He trailed off and shot a helpless look at Blinky. What was he supposed to do now?
"Produce the amulet, Trollhunter."
Wait… Vendal thought he was the Trollhunter. He let out a yelp as the troll picked him up by the back of his sweater.
"I think I'm the fleshbag you're looking for," He heard Jim say weakly from somewhere to his right.
To his relief Vendal dropped him and turned to examine Jim.
Jim had produced the amulet from his pocket and gave an awkward wave.
"Hi… I'm Jim, son of Barbara… Nice to meet you?"
"I see." Vendal did not sound particularly impressed.
He let out a low huff and turned away.
"Follow me, we shall see what the Sooth Scryer thinks of you."
The crowd of gathered trolls murmured. Blinky's eyes widened and he darted forward to catch up.
"Please, Vendal," He said, trotting to keep up with the older troll's longer strides. "Master Jim hasn't had even an hours training. He's…"
Vendal turned and gave him a pointed look. The six-eyed troll quieted and followed, still wringing his hands nervously. The elderly troll led them through the market to an archway in the cavern wall with a glowing sign depicting the sword Daylight hanging over it. They followed quietly though the passage and into another large cavern.
"Woah," Jim breathed and Toby was inclined to agree.
The cavern before them looked like a palace
"Welcome to the Hero's Forge, young Trollhunter," Vendal said gesturing at the arena around them. "This is where your predecessors trained and were you shall as well… should you prove worthy."
Jim swallowed loudly.
"Now come."
Vendal indicated to a point on the ground beside him. There were two giant footprints in the stone. Jim stepped forward and stood in them, their large size emphasizing just how out of place he was.
With a low rumble a large stone pedestal rose out of the ground. On top of it was a statue that resembled an eagle on a totem pole, except with six eyes and more trollish features. There was something like spinning teeth in its open mouth and the whole thing glowed an ominous orange.
"Behold the Sooth Scryer, it will judge your true spirit. Now insert your right hand," Vendal instructed.
"I'm going to get it back, right?" Jim asked nervously.
"That is part of the test."
Vendal's smile was not at all comforting.
"Tobes! Tobes," Jim waved him over. "Give me a hand."
Toby complied. He was honestly impressed and very concerned that Jim was going to put his arm in that thing.
He bent over and Jim scrambled up on his back. For a few moments he could just feel Jim shifting around, then Jim let out a shriek and kicked him in the face.
Crap! It's actually taken his hand! Toby thought in a panic trying to dodge Jim's rapid kicks.
Before he do anything Jim scrambled off him. Toby quickly straightened up and let out a sigh of relief when he saw his friend still had both hands.
"So did I pass?" Jim asked, hopeful.
Vendal stared at the Sooth Scryer for a moment.
"Inconclusive," He said with a huff.
"What does inconclusive mean?"
"It means, Trollhunter, that there's never been a human to bear the mantel before. The Sooth Scryer needs more time to render its judgement."
"Or perhaps it needs an opportunity to observe our new fleshbag Trollhunter in action."
Draal strode forward, a vicious looking smirk on his face. Toby was immediately on edge.
"And what do you propose?" Vendal asked.
"A friendly sparring match, between me and the fleshbag," Draal said, still smirking. "It will give us a good chance to see what our new Trollhunter is capable of."
Blinky quickly moved forward.
"Hold on," He said, waving all his hands. "Master Jim hasn't had a chance to learn the Rules of Trollhunting yet and he's only just learned how to don the armor. It wouldn't be…"
"I will allow it," Vendal interrupted.
"But…"
"If the Trollhunter hopes to stand a chance against Bular, he needs to start learning to fight as soon as possible."
Blinky opened his mouth to protest but Vendal cut him off with a look. Blinky's ears drooped and he began to retreat toward the side of the arena. Jim chased after him.
They exchanged some words and Jim returned to the center of the Forge looking very nervous.
Aaarrrgghh led Toby over to where Blinky was standing while wringing his hands. Draal and Jim faced each other in the center of the arena. Toby clenched his fist hard enough for the nails to bite into his flesh. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all.
"Began," Vendal said.
Draal roared and slammed his fists into the ground then charged. About half-way to Jim, he curled into a ball and began rolling. Jim dodged out of the way and Draal shot by were Toby was standing, narrowly missing him. The blue troll continued up the wall and then unrolled and dropped from the ceiling. The shockwave from him hitting the ground raised a wave of dust and sent Jim stumbling.
While Jim was still disoriented he charged forward and rammed him with his horns. The armor released a burst of blue light protecting Jim, but he still hit the ground hard.
Toby, drew in a sharp breath. He attempted to rush forward but Aaarrrgghh restrained him. He watched helplessly as the giant troll grabbed the human from the ground and began viciously beating him before chucking him away like a volleyball.
Draal was going to kill Jim, Toby realized with dawning horror as the troll stalked toward his friend. He glanced up at Blinky and Aaarrrgghh. They looked anxious, but made no move to help. They were just going to let it happen.
Toby snarled quietly and took a step back toward Aaarrrgghh. As the behemoth's hand loosened, he ducked under it and charged forward. The two trainers yelled for him to stop but he ignored them.
Draal was just leaning down to pick Jim up again but turned at the commotion. Toby didn't hesitate. He lunged forward and drove his foot into Draal's gronk-nucks as hard as he could. It felt about like he imagined kicking a rock wall would feel, but it had its intended effect as Draal dropped to the ground with a snarl of pain.
There wasn't time to dwell on his own pain. Taking advantage of the warrior's moment of incapacitation, Toby grabbed his horns and managed to pull himself up onto his head. Hopefully from there he could get access to Draal's eyes or throat. Unfortunately, Draal recovered quickly. He stood up and whipped his head back and forth violently dislodging the changeling. Toby scrambled to his feet and saw Draal charging toward him with murder in his eyes. He turned and hightailed it toward the entrance. If he could reach there, he could maybe drop the gate down on Draal. If not, there were other things he could try to climb at least and Draal's maneuverability would be cut down in the tight space.
Draal caught up to him before he made it. Toby tensed and flailed as he grabbed him by the shoulder. Draal ignored the lashing limbs and slammed him into the ground hard enough to knock the air out of him. Toby stilled as the large blue troll towered over him.
"Let this be a lesson for you," He snarled, leaning in close as he pinned Toby down with his right hand.
Shaking, the changeling tilted his head up, baring his throat, and averted his eyes. He really hoped that Draal wouldn't go too far. Toby ending up in the hospital would attract far too much attention... If he survived that was…
Before Draal could do anything else, there was a raw throated yell that Toby recognized as Jim's and Draal bellowed in pain. He stepped back and grabbed at his arm, which was now sporting a new gash. Not very deep, but apparently painful. Toby barely had a moment to register what was happening before Jim was between them. He was holding himself like his ribs were hurting. His eyes were wide and his breath was fast, but there a stubborn set to his jaw Toby hadn't seen before.
"Are you okay?" He asked without looking away from Draal.
"Yeah…" Toby said, still in shock.
He struggled to his feet. His toes ached abominably and he was definitely going to have bruises.
Draal let go of the cut on his arm and dropped to all fours with a snarl. Toby tensed, he had no weapon and didn't dare shift, but he could at least serve as a distraction. Maybe if he threw his cloak over Draal's head…
Before either of them could act Vendal's voice rang over the arena.
"That's enough!"
Draal snarled again but stepped back.
"You're lucky your friend has more guts that you, fleshbag," He said to Jim before turning away from them to exit the Forge.
Toby bit down on the urge to snarl at him. Jim wasn't the one walking out of this with a large scar on his forearm. He didn't have much time to dwell on the insult because Jim's armor vanished with a flash of light as he surged forward to hug Toby.
"I can't believe we just did that!" Jim said, laughing a little hysterically.
Toby burrowed into the hug ignoring the pain.
"Me neither," He said shakily.
His fingers curled into Jim's cardigan and as he tried to process what had just happened. He wasn't sure how he felt about it all, but there was a hint of hope there. Maybe he was wrong about Jim becoming Trollhunter. Maybe they could survive this.
Aaarrrgghh watch with quiet relief as the younglings celebrated. He knew Draal wouldn't kill them, but it had still scared him to see the aggression with which Kanjigar's son attacked two inexperienced humans. Blinky jogged over to join them.
"Tobias," He said, turning to the smaller fleshbag when he was done congratulating Jim. "You must not jump in like that. You don't have any protection or weapon, Draal could have seriously hurt you."
The youngling snorted at that. Aaarrrgghh could see bruises on him and suspected he was more injured than he was letting on.
"Look," He said in an irritated tone. "I'm not going to just stand back and let someone try to…. Let someone wail on my friend…"
Blinky laid a hand on his shoulder with a frown.
"I admire your loyalty, Young Tobias, but…"
"Could train him," Aaarrrgghh offered, causing everyone to look at him.
Blinky was still frowning slightly, but Toby looked hopeful. Aaarrrgghh paused brows furrowing as he tried to force his thoughts into words.
"Toby will join fight… because Jim fighting…" He glanced at the boy in question, the fleshbag nodded, so he went on. "Better to give weapon and training. Better for Jim too… Toby makes Trollhunter stronger."
Aaarrrgghh nodded to himself satisfied. Blinky looked thoughtful. Toby's eyes were wide, but Aaarrrgghh noted that he had straightened up and looked a little less defensive.
"He's right," Jim said giving his friend a smile. "I wouldn't have been able to strike back against Draal if Toby hadn't first."
Blinky looked at them for a moment then nodded.
"I see… Yes… Okay!" He clapped his hands together. "Very well then! We shall take you to the armory and find a suitable weapon for you. Then you shall start training with Jim."
"Really?!"
"Indeed. Aaarrrgghh is right, just because he and I are not fighters doesn't mean we should expect you to stand on the sidelines, but be prepared: A warrior's training is not for the faint of heart."
"I'm fine with that," Toby said bearing his teeth in an eager grin.
Aaarrrgghh didn't doubt it. Unlike his friend, the boy moved as if he had been in fights before. As Blinky and the two boys talked some more, Aaarrrgghh watched the smaller one carefully. There was something about him, something important, he could feel it in his horns. He might not be bright and quick of tongue like Blinky but his instincts were seldom wrong.
Author Notes:
Whew! This was a busy chapter.
Poor Toby, it's just one scare after another for him. He needs a nice long vacation. Unfortunately things are only getting started.
This chapter borrows a lot of dialogue from cannon, but changes are in affect.
Question for y'all: What day of the week do you think I should update on?
(I'm sticking with the every third week schedule)
Well, that's all for now... Thanks for reading and be sure to tell me what you think!
