Disclaimer: Don't own Trollhunters or any of its characters.
Hey, surprise. I actually got a chapter done. The next two weeks may or may not have a chapter, depending on how much free time I'll have in between studying for exams and writing a paper. I'm trying to get another chapter of Twilight Hour and my Murphy's Law AU finished as well. Hopefully both will be done by summer's end. Super excited about the new season of Trollhunters coming out in less than a month!
Big thanks to Charlie for helping me with this. Hope you enjoy the new chapter.
**I used zonbiconbi's trollspeak swearwords.
- Lat fyst-il myrksta: Banish yourself to the Darklands
-Lat fys fynka: Go fuck yourself
-Trow: evil ugly spirits, but for this fanfic, it is probably akin to calling someone an old hag.
Gnome your Enemy (II)
He was dying.
A fiery heat raged against the ice in his veins.
Getting sick sucked.
Even under two blankets and a duvet he was shivering, all the while sweating out of every pore. The covers felt suffocating, sure, but the alternative was far worse.
His body was sluggish, as though he were encased in mud. His joints ached too.
Of all the times to get the flu, it had to be during spring break.
The air smelled stale, or perhaps it was simply him. He rubbed his runny nose. His mouth tasted of cough medicine, and not the good grape-flavored kind, but the cherry one he hated with every fiber of his being. Mom forgot to buy some during their last trip to the pharmacy. Again.
He was a big boy though. He could tolerate it.
Cool fingers stroked his cheek. Like a plant to sunlight, he leaned into it, relishing how nice it felt against his hot skin.
"How do you feel?" The owner of the hand asked.
"Head hurts," He mumbled, snuggling deeper into the bed. "This stinks."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." She said.
"I wanna go out and play with Toby, mommy."
The woman—his mother—smiled softly, brushing his bangs back. "I know, honey. We can't let Toby get sick too, though."
"Wanna feel better." He said.
"You will, soon, but only if you get some sleep." She turned her face away, as if readying to leave.
His sweaty fingers tunneled out from under the covers, tugging on the side of her shirt. "Don't wanna be left 'lone. Stay with me."
The bed dipped. In the corner of his eye he saw her. Blocky glasses obscured part of her face, but it didn't detract from her beauty. Out of all the school's moms, she was the prettiest in his eyes. Her auburn hair was more tussled than usual, due to working more shifts at the clinic to support them. It was only him and his mother now after all.
He frowned, anger flowing through him like a river for his no good father. It was his fault his mom wasn't able to pick him up from school anymore. It was his fault that mom was overworked and too tired to play with him. It was his fault mom and him were struggling.
But they would be just fine without him. They didn't need him anymore.
"I really wish I could, but—" Her lower lip wobbled, eyes glassy.
Though he didn't like it, he understood how hard his mom worked to keep the house and bring food home every week. It made him feel remorseful to even ask such a question.
"It's okay. I'll be fine. Is Ms. Domzalski coming over soon with soup?"
"Yes, and she'll come check up on you ever hour while I'm gone, alright? And if you need anything at all—"
"'my number is on the table.'" He recited by heart, accidently triggering another round of coughs.
She brushed back his bangs, kissing his forehead. "Before I go, how about I sing you a lullaby?"
He huffed. "But lullabies are for babies."
"Not this one. This one is made especially for big boys."
"Well, I guess I could listen a little." He said.
Her fingers weaved through his hair. He shifted closer to her, eyes half-lidded. Even though his body ached, he wanted to stay awake with her for as long as possible. He rarely got alone time with her as it was.
"Mommy?" He gestured for her to come closer.
She complied, her face inches from his own. "Yes, Jim?"
"Love you lots." He whispered into her ear.
"Love you more." She said.
He reached up to capture her fingers, giving them a quick squeeze. "Love you most."
Slowly, she began to hum. At one point it might have been a real song, but now it was merely a memory, passed on from generation to generation.
His vision began to blur.
The last thing he saw was her blue eyes looking down at him.
Atlas lurched forward, suddenly awake.
His eyes were wet; his throat raw. Blinking, he looked around, slowly realizing he was not in his bed back at the Order.
Trollmarket. He was in Trollmarket for training. Oh crap. He fell asleep during Blinky's troll history lesson.
Well, it wasn't as if Atlas didn't know their history already. Stricklander had been quite thorough in his teachings in that area. Still, he knew how rude it must have looked.
The group stared at Atlas, unnerving him. Toby appeared paler than normal for some strange reason, and both AAARRRGGHH! and Blinky were frozen in place, eyes blown as wide as they could go.
"Is, ah, everything okay?" Atlas said with a hint of cautious trepidation.
Blinky shuffled around before setting down the book he'd been clinging to moments earlier. He approached Atlas as if he were a wild animal, all hands facing frontwards as if trying to show he wasn't dangerous.
"I think the real question is, are you okay, Master Atlas?" Blinky said.
"Huh, why do you…" His cheeks burned, his mind finally connecting the dots. "I was screaming again, wasn't I?"
"Again?" AAARRRGGHH! said, scooting closer to him.
Atlas brought his legs up. "It's…not uncommon for me to get bad dreams."
"Dude, you were sound asleep for a moment and then the next you were thrashing and screaming." Toby said. "Are you sure you don't have PTSD or something?"
Atlas narrowed his eyes. "PTSD? I don't…What is—"
"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," Blinky supplied. "When someone experiences an event that they have difficulty recovering from. Even trolls are subject to it. AAARRRGGHH! too, ah…experiences it from time to time. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm fine," Atlas said curtly. "Nothing is wrong with me. I'm not sick. They're just dreams. Can we just drop it for now?"
Toby tried to engage him. "But Atlas—"
"No." he said.
His friend crawled closer. "Dude, we only want to help. I know you don't like talking about your past, but maybe if you did you would feel better."
"Toby, can you please shut the hell up? Did I ask you for advice?" Atlas strained, not looking the boy in the eyes. "Lay off, alright? I don't want to talk about it."
"I just thought—"
"I don't need your thoughts, okay? This is my problem. Not yours." He added icily, "Drop it, human."
Like the autumn leaves of a tree, Toby's face fell. Abruptly, he stood up, stomping away from the group.
Great. A ball of guilt hung low in his stomach. On instinct, he brought his knees up, resting his forehead against them.
Ugh! Why was he like this? No, he had a right to privacy, didn't he? So why couldn't Toby understand? He didn't mean to hurt his friend's feelings. He knew the boy was only trying to help. But there were some things Atlas wasn't ready to share with them (or anyone really).
"Can you go to him and make sure he's okay?" Atlas asked AAARRRGGHH!, whose eyes kept flickering between him and the direction Toby went. Even though his friend had gone past the main bridge to enter the forge, he could hear Toby's quiet sniffles.
"No need help?"
"I've dealt with this for my entire life." Atlas said. "So no, I don't need your help."
AAARRRGGHH! released a soft affirmative noise, gently getting up and walking out of the training hall to meet with the other boy. From the sound of it, both left the area not long after.
Atlas's shoulder's loosened up, though his heart did not. Subconsciously, the claws of his feet tapped against the floor, anxiety pulling at the frayed corners of his mind.
Blinky sat down next to him, placing the book in Atlas's lap.
"Troll history training might seem like a minor duty, Master Atlas, but I truly believe you would benefit from it. I know not where troll and changeling history diverges, however I suspect you have only seen one side of the story. So far, you have an idea of why the people of the Janus Order fight, but, lest we forget, a changeling is a troll as well, just as you are. We are your people too." Blinky cleared his throat, then continued, "One must understand why one fights, for these early steps will decide whether a young Trollhunter will become a Daya "the Deliverer" or Unkar "the Unfortunate."
Atlas didn't respond.
Blinky readjusted the bags on his belt, brow heavy. He reached out to touch Atlas's shoulder. "Master Atlas, I—"
Atlas jerked away, growling, "If this is about the PTSD thing again, then I'm leaving. I came to learn how to fight Draal next week. My main concern right now is for my immediate future, not my past."
"No, no. None of that." Blinky coughed, retracting his hand. "I respect your personal space. I will not ask what these nightmares of yours entail, unless you choose to do so that is, but… I would ask that you not lash out at us. We only want to assist."
Atlas exhaled deeply. His knees dropped to the sides. He cradled his face in his hands.
It hadn't even been a week since he became the Trollhunter and already he was falling apart. How long could he keep this up? Stricklander's assistant by day and Trollhunter by night left little time for rest. And as his first day of school loomed, so too did Atlas's impending nervous breakdown. How long could he pull this off?
That didn't excuse the fact that he'd been an ass to Toby and AAARRRGGHH! though. Whenever they returned he would need to apologize.
"I know, Blinky." Atlas said softly. "I'm…sorry, if that means anything. I know what I said was cruel. But you more than anyone else here knows why. My nightmares are mine alone. It wasn't even a nightmare, not really."
"Oh, a prophetic dream, perhaps?" Blinky tapped his chin, a thoughtful expression coming over his features. "What sort? I've some background in dream theory. Human sleep psychology has always fascinated me. Perhaps I could assist you in deciphering it…That is, should you decide to share."
"It's…" He paused, sparing a glance in the direction Toby and AAARRRGGHH! went. "You won't tell the others, right?"
"Not without your permission." Blinky promised.
"There was a woman, the very same woman I saw a few days ago, right around the time I found the amulet actually. In the dream, I was sick and she was taking care of me." Atlas rubbed the spot where she kissed him, the sensation still fresh on his mind. "I…I called her mom. I didn't want her to go. What does it mean? Did I just make it up?"
"Are you certain it was a dream then, and not a memory?"
His heart fluttered. A mom. His mom. Could it be true? The woman that had always lived on the edges of his mind now had a face and voice. All the Trollhunters business had distracted him from seeking her out again.
What if by meeting her I accidently place her in danger? His mind played out a thousand scenarios. It was his greatest fear: losing someone he cared about. Before, he only had to worry about Stricklander and, to a certain extent, Nomura. Now, Toby, AAARRRGGHH! and Blinky had joined the ranks. Now, the people he cared about were on opposite sides, and Atlas wasn't sure whose side he would pick if forced to make a choice.
And then there was the problem of his appearance. Would she accept him if she saw him in this form? Possibly yes, possibly no. If she was anything like that dream he had however, he believed she would.
His hands trembled. Even the notion of reuniting with her thrilled him beyond belief.
Noticing his behavior, he corrected himself, hiding his arms beneath his cloak and wrapping it around him.
He swallowed. "Do you really think so? Could she really be my mom?"
"I…Master Atlas, I cannot begin to imagine what sorts of dreams you have and whether or not it is one of your lost memories. I, along with most trolls, rarely sleep and even rarer dream. But it is certainly possible."
"Yeah, the changelings don't sleep much either." Atlas looked down at his body, chuckling humorlessly. "Why am I always the odd man out?"
Blinky put each pair of hands together into two steeples. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."
Atlas gestured widely to himself, from his horns to his talon feet. "This. Me. Why am I so weird? Why was I even born, Blinky? I'm a freaking joke, some changeling's slip up. I shouldn't even exist. You would think genetics might throw me a bone, but nooo. I need to sleep, eat, and drink regularly like a human. I'm barely stronger than one either. My body isn't even made of stone like a trolls. I can't change, not naturally, like a changeling. Not yet at least. So where the hell do I fit in this world? I'm too troll to fit in with humanity and too human to fit in with the changelings, and the rest of trollkind for that matter."
His fist smashed into the stone floor below him.
"What if I can't do this?" He said. What if the rest of Trollmarket finds out my secret and decides to kill me? What if dad was right?
"Master Atlas," Blinky began, "When I first met you, I was a skeptic. Merlin choosing a changeling, and a half-breed at that! It was unheard of. I was afraid you would turn on us, at first, that is. But you fended off Bular during our escape and lived. You fought Draal, and though you lost, you challenged him in one of the bravest ways I've seen thus far. I know you're unaccustomed to praise, but please believe me when I say that I believe you possess the makings of a great Trollhunter. So you sleep more than the average troll? So what? That doesn't make you odd. Your body was made for you. If you need sleep, then there's a reason for it."
Atlas raised his head, regarding Blinky with visible curiosity. "You think I'll make a great Trollhunter?"
"Yes, and with a great deal of training from me, I believe you could become the best this world has ever seen."
"Pft," Atlas snorted. "I knew there was a catch."
Just as Blinky was about to respond, a newcomer ran into the forge.
Atlas and Blinky immediately shot up to their feet.
The female troll's appearance was a bit jarring for someone like Atlas. Most of the changeling females in the Order were thin and spindly, as if they were starved at a young age (or perhaps it was simply the ones in the Arcadia branch, since Gabe's cooking was so terrible). On the opposite end, troll females (outside of Nomura's original tribe) were large and curvaceous, this one was particularly so.
It made Atlas wonder: did the process of making a changeling do something to them at a genetic level too? Would his mentor be shorter and thinner in comparison to those of his race?
Would Atlas be shorter and thinner in comparison to his birth father's people?
Her shoulders were tightened, her expression full of urgency and fear.
Atlas instantly became on edge. Something was wrong.
She went towards Blinky, who comforted her, remarking in a gentle tone, "Oh no…Is it the Heartstone, Bagdwella? Has something happened to it?"
"No, no!" She said in a shrill voice, gasping for air as though she'd run a marathon.
"Stalkling?" Atlas said. Bular had gotten into contact with them recently. Could one of them have gotten into the underground?
She shook her head.
Atlas persisted with another question, dreading the response if it were true. "Is Bular in Trollmarket?"
His stomach churned at the thought. If Bular had figured out a way into Trollmarket, then everything he'd done thus far will have been for not.
After catching her breath, she answered.
"No, it's a gnome!" She explained, elongating the last word with a trill of her tongue, so much so that it echoed throughout the room. "A rogue gnome!"
His shoulders slumped.
What.
They met up with Toby and AAARRRGGHH! outside the Hero's forge. Atlas apologized to both of them along the way to the main market road and, at least outwardly, they both appeared to accept it. To his surprise, Toby apologized to him as well.
"I shouldn't have pushed you, dude." Toby said. "That was totally uncool and I'm sorry."
"I…It's okay. What's done is done." Atlas said, patting the other boy on the shoulder. "As mentor likes to say, it's all water under the bridge."
Toby scratched his nose. "Ah, yeah…Speaking of mentors, dude, I can't believe Mr. Strickler's a change—"
Atlas covered Toby's mouth, looking around the market. "Not so loud."
He lowered his voice, "Your dad is my history teacher. What if he finds out I'm helping the Trollhunter?"
"Oh, well," Atlas bit down on his lower lip, eyes cast upward to the tunnel's ceiling. "He…already kind of knows about that."
"How much is kind of?"
Atlas twiddled his thumbs together. "Ah, you see, I might have let it slip out that you and Jim are best friends and that you know about trolls now."
Toby gushed, "Oh my gosh, I'm your best friend? That's so awesome sau—Wait, so if he knows that I know about it but not that I know about him knowing, then how do I know he won't come after me for knowing what I know?"
Atlas slowed down, trying to wrap his head around what just exited his friend's mouth. "I…that…What are you trying to say, Toby?"
"Is he going to come after me?" Toby said, a hint of nervousness in his manner of speech.
Noticing that they were losing sight of the rest of the group, Atlas picked up the pace, Toby not far behind.
"I don't know." Atlas admitted. "But just to be sure, don't be in any rooms alone with him."
"Gee, thanks for the great advice." Toby said.
Atlas smiled, messing with the other's hair before picking up speed to join Blinky's side. "No problem."
It was a quarter past midnight when they arrived at her store.
Socks upon socks of all shapes, colors, and sizes hung from the ceiling. The scent of damp clothes clung to the air. Atlas watched as AAARRRGGHH! licked his lips, regarding a periwinkle pair of socks longingly.
"At first, I couldn't find my monocle, then my collection of bed coils." Bagdwella threw her hands up in irritation. "Now, something disappears every minute! It's horrendous. How am I going to compete with Tilda's Treasures, or Rock-mart?"
In the corner of Atlas's eye, a fast blur scampered out from one of the holes in the wall, scurrying out onto the floor and tripping the female troll. She yelled in alarm, falling on her side. Atlas heard a faint whisper of high-pitched giggles.
"Ah, yes. Gnome." Blinky held out a hand to the lady. "Quite a nuisance, those little vagrants."
Bagdwella huffed, knocking away his offered hand. "Oh, dirty little pests. Up to last week, the glue traps were working fine."
Sinking her hand down a large pot, she pulled out one of the contraptions. Atlas blanched. The dead body was still attached to the trap.
The same gnome knocked it out of her hands, zipping upwards onto the sock line.
She put her hands together, eyes pleading. "Fix it, Trollhunter."
Atlas looked to his left, then his right, before finally pointing at himself, one eyebrow perched upwards in open alarm. "Seriously? Uh, yeah, super sorry about that, but it looks like you need a gnome-catcher. Unfortunately, that is not in my job description. Best of luck to you."
He turned away, heading from whence he came. Bagdwella cut him off, blocking his exit.
"But you're the Trollhunter!" She insisted. "You're supposed to help me."
"Excuse me? Listen," he slowly started to explain, because obviously she didn't hear him. "Jim is the Trollhunter, not me. Go ask him."
"That's not what I heard." She said, squinting down at him. "I heard there were two Trollhunters now."
"Ah, ha, Master Atlas, a Trollhunter cannot refuse the call." Blinky elbowed him sharply in the stomach. Atlas responded in kind. "And since you and Master Jim are co-Trollhunters, one of your tasks is to help a troll in need. And what better a task for you to train with than a pint-sized quarry?"
"And what the hell do I get out of this?" Atlas whispered in Blinky's ear.
"Why, another supporter of course." He lowered his voice to match Atlas's. "Trust me, we need allies, Master Atlas."
"Seriously? That's it?"
They both startled at the scuttling of quick footwork behind them. Soft guitar-like music played.
Atlas turned back towards her, arms crossed. "What will you give me if I do it?"
Her eyes bulged "What?"
Blinky smacked one of his horns, glaring. "Master Atlas, no."
"Master Atlas, yes." He answered, flicking his tongue against his left tusk, the universal troll signal for 'back off'. "I'm not doing this for free."
"But…but you're the Trollhunter." She tried to reason. "Kanjigar would never—"
"Kanjigar's a piece of modern art right now." He countered. "And me, I'm not exactly the most charitable man around. Half-trolls need to eat too."
Toby was right; Atlas didn't have much to call his own. Most of the things in his room were either bartered from another changeling or 'borrowed'. If Atlas learned anything from his brethren, it was that there was always room for deals, no matter the situation.
She narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"
He smirked. Pressing his hands together, he scanned the store, looking at all the merchandise (junk) she had.
Atlas stroked his chin. "What is it that you primarily sell in this store?"
She shrugged. "Socks are a big commodity down here, but anything and everything. What's it to you?"
"Most of these things look human-made." He cocked his head to the side. "Are they stolen?"
That got a reaction out of her. Her nostrils flared. She moved her hands to her waist, lips receding to display her sharp pearly fangs.
"Lat fyst-il myrksta, half-breed. How dare you. I am no thief."
"Lat fys fynka, trow" he cursed back. "I only asked you a question. There's no need to get offended. Are. They. Stolen?"
From across the room, the gnome stepped out from the curtains, taunting them with gestures that bordered on obscene. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared, only its high-pitched voice reminding them of its presence.
Bagdwella seemed to deflate, desperation clinging to her demeanor.
She sighed gruffly, "No, not that I know of."
"Where do you get them?"
"I receive them from a supplier nearby. One of garbage runners. Whatever the humans throw away, we repurpose. Most of it is useless, but every once and awhile there are some good finds. Why, last month, I received a most scrumptious supply of premium grade VHS tapes."
AAARRRGGHH! licked his lips. "Hmm. Remember. Yummy."
Atlas's smirk elongated. "I see. How about a deal then? I'll get rid of your gnome problem, on one condition."
"What's that?" She asked, body still standoffish.
"I become one of your new suppliers."
"Of all the…" she stopped for a moment, as if the gears in her head were slowly turning on. He could see the merchant part of her calculating the advantages. Good. "I've enough suppliers. What makes you so special?"
"Because I don't have to dig through human trash to find things. I can get you exactly what you want and more. But only if you pay me."
"You can find VHS tapes? Bed-coils?" She flipped back the long bang covering her eye, considering him with a scrutinizing look. "Anything I want?"
"Do I look like a liar, Bagdwella?" Atlas said.
Blinky interrupted. "Master Atlas, this is hardly—"
A cascade of pots fell from one of the shelves. The gnome tittered in delight.
"How much?" She said, pushing Blinky out of the way.
"Fifty-fifty on all the goods I bring you."
"Bushigal. Do you take me for a Quagawump? No, ten."
"Thirty."
"Fifteen."
"Twenty-five." He said, "and that's my final offer."
She sniffed, eyes gauging him. "You're not just a half-troll, are you? You're one of them."
Ah oh. He controlled his expression, not wanting her to see his surprise. "That's a rather wild accusation to make."
"Do not take me for a fool. The others may not be so observant, but I am. You and the human Trollhunter are never in the same place at the same time. Now, I wonder why that is?"
"Merely a coincidence," He said. "And business is business, is it not?"
"Clean this place of gnomes." She said. "If you don't, the deals off, and I reveal your little secret to everyone."
"Agreed." He said.
"Atlas, this is a bad idea." Toby said.
"I agree with Tobias," Blinky said, before quietly adding, "you've put yourself at risk of exposure. Trollmarket might not be ready for a half-changeling Trollhunter."
Atlas retorted dryly. "Will it ever be?"
The group all jumped as the off-key Spanish guitar music stopped, the creepy giggle alerting them of the gnome's nearby presence.
Blinky cautiously approached the creature. "He's trying to distract us. Hold tight to your valuables."
"Why?" Toby asked, chuckling. "He can't be that bad. He plays the guitar."
Toby lost his belt moments later.
"Oh come on! Well, at least he didn't take my Nougat Num—"
The candy vanished from his hands.
Atlas raised both eyebrows. "You were saying?"
Toby's face grew dark. "Son of a b—"
The gnome giggled evilly. After that, it was chaos. They chased the creature around the store. More than a few toes were stepped on, his included. The gnome was surprisingly quick-footed for such a small creature.
Still, no matter how hard they tried, it alluded them. AAARRRGGHH! tried to be helpful, but his pacifist position left him unable to truly stop the menace.
It wasn't until the gnome tripped Atlas that he noticed something missing from his person.
He released a string of changeling curse words, (some of which must be close enough to Trollspeak, going by Blinky horrified face).
"Master Atlas, language!" Blinky admonished.
Atlas got up on one knee, scowling. "He's got the amulet."
All of Blinky's eyes widened. "Oh dear."
Laughing, it zipped behind a cabinet. Toby tried to push it away with his back, with little success. AAARRRGGHH! stepped in, effortlessly moving it aside with a mere nudge.
Once the cabinet was completely removed, Atlas's eyes zoomed in towards a small tunnel near the bottom of the floor.
"Hole." AAARRRGGHH! stated.
"Wow, I never would have guessed." Atlas said.
Blinky nodded. "Yes, it appears the plot, quite literally, deepens."
Atlas put his hand down the hole, trying to call back the amulet. "Ah, shouldn't the amulet be coming back to me right about now?"
Blinky's eyes became downcast. "Dolefully, that rule only applies if you've rejected it. When thieved, it's another story. If you had read A Brief Recapitulation, you would have known that."
"Motherf—"
The female troll behind them scoffed. "Some Trollhunter you are. Atlas the light-fingered. Perhaps we should have gotten the human Trollhunter to do it instead."
Atlas growled. "Give me a day. That little asshole won't escape my grasp again."
"Dude, what are you going to do about rehearsal tomorrow?" Toby reminded him. "You can't transform without the amulet."
Atlas's ears lowered, his face becoming ashen. "Shit, you're right."
"Master Atlas, do not fret." Blinky said, "We shall press forward. All hope is not lost."
"But what can we do?" Toby asked.
Atlas added. "Yeah, it's not like any of us can fit in that hole."
Blinky got a look on his face that greatly disturbed Atlas. It was thoughtful. "Hmm, currently."
"Bad idea." AAARRRGGHH! immediately cautioned.
"Well, no Trollhunter has ever lost his amulet." Blinky argued, shaking his hands angrily. "We'll need time to procure the Furgolator."
"What's a Furgolator?" Toby asked. "Atlas?"
"Don't look at me. I'm just as clueless as you are." Atlas said.
Blinky smiled, arms held out wide. "Ah ha…Don't you worry about anything, Master Atlas. Go back home and sleep. We'll watch over the hole. Tomorrow you'll return refreshed to deal with this, uh…," he chuckled nervously, a pair of hands grasped together as he regarded Atlas. "Little problem."
Atlas gulped. Somehow, 'little' was not how he would describe it.
Bagdwella walked away from the group, though not before bumping into Atlas deliberately. "One day, half-breed. That's it."
Atlas glowered. Barely even a week and already he was signing his life away.
All over a stupid gnome.
Wonderful.