Secrets
Severed
Part 2
Claire used her Shadow Staff to help sneak her and Toby in the Heartstone where the Tribrunal and now in a council discussing the matters and consequences of Jim and Killahead Bridge. They remained hidden, silently, and listened very carefully of their plans and situation.
"I see now reason for your impatience," Vendel speaks. "He may still be alive. There's been no other Trollhunter chosen. Why do we have to move now?"
"We cannot allow the Child's folly to endanger all of Trollkind," Usurna said.
"Foolish he was to go in alone," Wumpa said. "Should not have gone at all."
"If Gunmar finds the boy, what's stopping him from getting out?" Tribrunal leader, Bork said.
"Killahead Bridge is locked in the vault," Vendel said.
"Like a vault will stop Gunmar," Usurna said.
"Then a pile of rocks came together forming a face of Gatto the giant mountain troll.
"Tear it down and let the flesh thing perish in the Darklands," Gatto demanded. "Your toy amulet will choose another."
Toby spat at their selfish cowardice, "Those ungrateful turds! We don't have a say about Jim, but volcanoe guy does?"
"The Trollhunter's fat is not yet sealed," Vendel stated. "The amulet has yet to call another he may still return to us."
"Captured already he may be, with Gumm-Gumm horde maarching for us!" Wumpa stated.
Blinky then stepped in for Jim's defese and said, "I am astounded at what I'm hearing. Master Jim's deeds may be brash, yes, but in his short tenure bearing the sacred mantle, the Trollhunter slayed Bular the Vicious. . .rallied against Angor Rot, uncovered the changelings in our midst, and captured the very bridge you wish to make his tomb. So many times he has granted our kind mercy, saved us from ourselves. I don't merely ask that we keep the bridge standing I demand we go in after him!"
"Very moving, Blinkous, but answer me this," Gatto said. "Who's to say the human isn't a changeling who went into free Gunmar himself?"
"I am flabbergasted!" Blinky defiently gasped.
"I see no proof otherwise," Bork said.
"How dare you!" Claire jumped in for Jim's defense. "you wer the ones who said he has to answer every call!"
"He went in to hunt down Gunmar, the one troll the rest of you are too scared to deal with!" Toby supported.
"Ugh, not these two," Gatto said in annoyance. "They're always a pain in my rear!"
One of the guards grabbed ahold and try to remove them from the council.
"They have the right to be heard!" Blinky said. "If you throw them out. You can throw me out as well!"
Just when they thought that can be arranged a powerful voice creating a force of wind halted the guards to a stop. "VENTUS!"
The wind blinded the trolls and the young teenagers as the wind died down they looked up and saw the young wizard before them with electricity emanting from his hands.
"People, please!" Marshall said. "Listen to us!"
"A wizard?" Gatto's eyes widen in surprised. "Wizards in Trollmarket?!"
"Don't let him get to you all Usurna clarified. "He's only but an apprentice."
"I maybe an apprentice, Queen Usurna, but I've had more experience on the field than any other wizard's apprentice has before," Marshall said. "I know that your all scared, but sacrificing someone's life won't save you. Besides there is another key in the Darklands."
Vendel's eyes widen, Has this boy lost his mind?! Does he not know the consequences?
"What is he talking about," Bork asked.
"Another key?" Gatto asked.
"There is only one key," Wumpa said. "So do you mean?"
Marshall took a deep breath so he could continue his explanation, "Do you all remember an ancient powerful clan that your kind has faced centuries ago. . .the one whom you all believe to be dead?"
The Tribrunal all looked at one another silent yet confused, but otherwise quite curious.
"That depends on what or whom you are refering to," Bork said.
"I am talking about the Silver Lion's," Marshall said.
"That's absurd," Usurna said. "There hasn't been a Silver Lion ever since Gunmar raided their village and wiped them out."
"Well. . .there is one now here today," Marshall said. "And she's in the Darklands."
Everyone besides Vendel gasped, Usurna on the other hand looked suspiciously.
"Really? Then what is a Silver Lion doing in a place like that," Usurna asked.
"Because she risked her life for us all," Marshall said. "She helped Jim stop Bular and the changelings from freeing Gunmar, but ended up getting sucked into the portal."
"A lion? Protecting us," Wumpa asked.
"Give us one good reason we should believe you, Sorceror?" Gatto said. "Do you have any proof?"
Now he was caught in a dead end. How was he suppose to prove them about Talia's existence? Marshall didn't know what to say until his teacher came in.
"He's speaking the truth," June said passing through Blinky and the children stepping before the Tribrunal. "The Silver Lion's were more than just your enemy from the past. They used to be my kind's too."
June turned around and began slowly stripping down her sweater and unbuttoning her polo shirt, Toby eyes widen as his face was turning red, Marshall looked way with his face too turning red, Claire quickly covered her eyes, Blinky on the other hand just stared with his six-eyes dumbstruck. Once she'd unbutton her shirt she slowly pulled down her shirt revealing a large four mark scar on her back to the Tribrunal.
Everyone gasped in complete and uttershock upon of what they were witnessing. But Vendel had already seen this before, because he had helped treated her wounds back when Jim and Talia rescued her from Bular.
"When a lion reaches puberty. Their feral instincts can be dangerously aggressive and pretty hard to control," she explained, "This was from when my foster brother, Adam Sturges, unleashed his lion spirit. When he turned four-teen, a couple of bullies ganged up on him at a small alley. As you can obviously see I was there when it happened. Just when they pushed him over the edge. . .he snapped. I tried restraining him as best as I could from attacking them so they could escape but. . .he was too strong. He was blinded by his rage and instincts he ended up hurting me. The bullies ran away in fear as I lay on the ground wounded and bleeding. Then Adam came back to his senses realizing what he had done and had been conflicted with guilt."
Everyone stood there completely speechless from hearing June's story and witnessing the evidence revealed upon her back, Usurna slammed her fist on the table and said, "Unacceptable! As if dealing with a human child's foolishness is one thing. But harboring the last remaining bloodline of our enemy?!"
"Just so you know,Lady. This last remaining enemy bloodline has put her life on the line for your sake!"
"Yeah! Tally has been putting others before herself! She's not like the ones from before," Toby said.
"She's a good person!" Claire stated.
"Enough," Vendel said. "All of you wait outside. We will discuss these matters ourselves."
Blinky and the other's left the council with the Krubera guards escorting them out. June pulled up buttoning her shirt and picked up her sweater. She looked back at the Krubera Queen one last time with the squinting her eyes judging her suspicously. June put a hand on Marshall's shoulder using her telepathy to communicate," Marshall, Queen Usurna is up to something. I'm not sure what it is, but we can't trust her. We best be on our toes on this one. But right now we need to focus on helping Jim and Talia."
Meanwhile in the Darklands, Talia lead Jim through the nursery, quietly, stealthy, without letting the goblins know of their presence. When Jim jumped to the next cradle one of the babies woke up and saw him. She smiled giggling with joy. Jim hushed the little one to keep quiet. He looked up and saw Talia signaling him to hurry up. He moved the cradle back and forth like a swing and hop to the next cradle. He pulled himself up enduring the weight of his armor, but when he saw a goblin he quickly duck and hid preventing it from spotting him. He then saw a name tag on the cradle, "Eloise Stenhower. Born 1894."
He lifted himself back up and jumped to a nearby cliff.
"Jeez, what are they feeding you guys?" Jim wondered.
Jim jumped to the next baby chandelier accidently making the baby drop his bottle and started to cry.
Talia had heard him and whispered, "Jim! Calm him down!"
Jim picked up the bottle and put it back into his mouth feeding him, soothing, calming him down.
"Shh, it's okay, it's okay," he gently said looking at his name tag, "Waltolamew. . .Strickler?!"
Jim was not expecting to find the real identity of his history teacher that had been replaced by a changeling. To be a baby infact.
"You're the reat Walter Strickler?" Jim said to the baby boy. "You're so. . .small."
"Jim!" Talia whisperdly called out to him.
She picked up a baby in her arms and jumped to a nearby cliff. Jim hopped on over to get a good look at the child recognizing him right away that this was the real Enrique; Claire's baby brother. The golden blond hair, the cute, sweet, toothy smile, and his innocent blue eyes.
"We got him," Talia confirmed.
"Enrique," Jim said taking him from Talia's arms cuddling him. "I know a girl who's dieing to see you."
The echoes of the coeing children brought to their attention. They wish they could bring them all back with them if they had not lost the Cradle Stone during their survival from the battle at Skarlagk's fortress. But one thing's for sure they will come back and find another way to save them.
"We'll come back, I promise," Jim swore. "We'll come back for all you."
"Come on, Jim," Talia said. "Time to got home."
She took a deep inhale breath and exhaled concentrating by sharing some of her power with Jim granting unlocking his potential he needed. Jim was amazed when he had felt such a gift, but he remembered to stay focus.
They both jumped to the nearest platform and hid behind a rock before one of the goblins came to intend Enrique. Just when he realized the child was missing it alarmed it's bretheren.
"We gotta go now!" Talia whispered.
Enrique had the bottle he was feeding from in his little hands, but then it slipped while Jim was following Talia. Jim gasped noticing the bottle falling down, but Talia saw this in time using her quick reflexes to grab the bottle before giving them away to the goblins until. . .one of them close by spotted her.
"Sha-hooo!" cried the alarming goblin.
Now was the time for a massive action. Jim swung from chandelier to chandelier trying to get away from the goblins. Talia turned in her beast form climbed up the rocks fast assisting Jim by killing one of the goblins from reaching him and the baby.
Talia caught up with Jim struggling with one of them trying to take Enrique and killed it before it could do so.
"We need to get Enrique out of here!" Talia said.
"What do you think we're trying to do?!" Jim said.
A group of Goblins were on one of the chandeliers next to them hissing threateningly as one of them moved the babies out of the way.
Jim gently put Enrique down on the cradle they were on and summoned his glaives, tossed it breaking the chain holding the Goblins making them fall.
Talia smirked and laughed, "Heh, he, so that's why that included that in the lullaby."
But then more, dozens, thousands of them were closing in.
Jim picked Enrique back up and said, "Hang tight little guy! The bough's about to break."
He made a jump, summoned his shield breaking his fall, tumbled and rolled making a safe landing. Enrique did not seemed to be frightened. Mainly because he's still just a baby and his curiousty beats him from being scared.
Talia landed gracefully on her feet right next to Jim and reminded him, "Huh, Jim. We still got Goblins on our tail."
They looked back and saw them coming right at them, Talia quickly picked him up, and both of them made a run for their lives.
The Gumm-Gumm's sound the alarm banging the walls alerting their troops of the Trollhunter's presence preparing for their hunt.
"The Trollhunter and The Silver Lion must not escape." The hooded troll said. "We need them alive!"
Jim and Talia continued on the run for their lives desperately trying to find the bridge and getting Enrique out of here.
Jim struggled trying to remember the location of the bridge.
"Left, then right, then. . .No. Agh . . .Jim you are never good at remembering things! Tally can't you sniff out the bridge like you did with Enrique?!"
"I wish!" Talia said. But then a thought came to mind. "I don't even know it's scent."
They made another left turn and continued running. But just when things couldn't get worse Enrique was beginning to cry.
"Shh! Come on, Enrique, don't cry," Jim soothed trying to calm him down. "Come on. You want everyone to know we're here?"
Enrique's cries were then started to become louder. They both slow down to a stop, Jim tries to comfort him cradleing him in his arms, Talia's sharp senses detected that the Gumm-Gumm's were on the move, and Enrique's cries were making it more difficult for the both of them.
Talia came up to him and said, "Jim they're all closing in on us. You have to get to the bridge. I'll stall them while you get Enrique out of here." She took off her bracelet that allows her to turn invisible and put it around Jim's wrist.
"What?! No! Tally that's too risky I'm not leaving you behind!"
"You're not leaving me! I'm buying you guys some time," she said.
She pulled out another stone from her satchel attached it to her pendant, concentrated it's power creating an illusion of another Jim and Enrique. "Now go!"
Talia stalled the Gumm-Gumm's as long as she could so Jim can get Enrique out of harms way. Thanks to the stone she had given him they won't even notice them, and the one she wields right now casting illusions of her friend and the baby in his arms easily fooling them was working well as she hoped. More of them were coming right in after her, but one by one they fall by her deadly slash turning to stone.
The hooded figure watched above from the scene witnessing the girl's strength. He smirked underneath the hood as if he could see right through her trick. But time was running short and they needed to find the human Trollhunter fast. He pulled out a loaded blow dart, aimed it carefully right at the mighty lioness, blew his breath into the stick, took his shot, and hit the only open spot where she was vulnerable.
A painful needle like sting struck behind Talia's neck, she reached it and felt the weapon then pulled it out finding a dart in the palm of her hand. Talia took a quick wiff of it and smelt something was off about this one. Another Gumm-Gumm came right at her bringing down his axe but Talia reacted quickly and struck him down turning to stone. Now that there weren't anymore at the moment she had to return to Jim.
Back at Trollmarket, Team Trollhunters rushed quickly to the vault where Draal was standing guard.
"Woah there, younglings!" he said halting them. "I'm afraid the vault is off-limits until the Tribunal ends."
"Draal, the Tribrunal's going to tear down the bridge with Jim and Tally in it!" Toby gasped.
"Bushigal! They can't do that!" Draal pressed the lock opening the vault.
"They're not going to get through us," Draal said pulling out his axe.
Usurna and Vendel came down marching alongside with three Krubera carrying each of their own hammer. Vendel took notice of children attempt of protecting the bridge. He acted quickly and stopped them in the tracks.
"I'm sorry, I've forgotten my eyeglasses," he lied.
"Trolls don't wear eyeglasses," Usurna said.
She then notice something was off about the young humans and the two Trolls at the vault.
"What are they doing in there?" she asked pushing Vendel aside.
"Please, stop them!" Vendel said trying to sound convincing.
The Krubera were about to run, until Vendel used his Heartstone staff tripping them, and slowing them down.
"Oops," he said.
One of the Krubera ran up the stairs reaching the vault.
"Break the controls!" Blinky called out.
"You know, if only I had a portable warhammer," Toby said, pulling out his weapon. "Oh, wait, I do!"
Toby extended his weapon, slide down the stairs, twirled, and swung his hammer hitting the controls, slamming the door shut before they could even step in.
Toby and Draal fist bump Draal and Marshall.
"So, what now?" Toby asked.
Claire spinned her staff in the air and said, "We hold them back as long as we can."
Marshall's stepped into a defense fighting position with both of his hands glowing, Toby prepared with his hammer, Draal snapping his neck itching for a fight.
"Always had a thing against authority," Draal said.
"I just hop Master Jim is near," Blinky prayed.
Jim was far clear from the enemy, he deactivated the invisibility stone Tally had given him and made him and Enrique visible. He looked up and saw the red light beacon. It was where the bridge was when he last saw it when he first stepped into this place.
"Yes!" he whispered.
A flash of light came from his left revealing it to be Tally, but with more Gumm-Gumms.
"Jim!" she called out to him.
"Tally, the bridge is just up ahead!" Jim said.
He took her hand and the two of them ran racing against the chasing Gumm-Gumm's.
The Krubera finally were able to open the vault. The door slid down as they entered.
"The Tribunal shall discuss matters of your ousting after this, Vendel." Usurna said.
"Kiss my mossy bottom, Usurna," Vendel said.
As Jim and Talia along with Enrique in arms were closing in on the bridge as the beacon blinked shining from the Darklands the amulet reacts the same indicating their friends incoming.
As the Krubera closed in with their weapons, Draal was the first to strike with his rollout attack, but was knocked aside like it was nothing, Claire came charging in with her staff, but the other blocked and grabbed her, then Toby too came charging in but clumsily fell. Blinky tried pounding them but to them it was tickleish. Marshall rolled his eyes, You got to everything.
"Nulla Gravitatis!" He shouted.
The Krubera now where floating in the air immoblized. The weight was unbearable, but he knew that he had to hold on for Talia's sake. But then he was struck below his ribs, knocked down, his spell was undone dropping the Krubera trolls crashing onto the floor, Marshall then looked up and saw the Queen before him.
"You know tearing down the bridge won't stop Gunmar," Marshall said. "He'll surely find out Talia can control her power and use it to escape. Why take the risk?"
"It takes a leader to make sacrifices," she said as she snapped her fingers giving the command of tearing down the bridge. Then the amulet glowed illuminating the bridge.
"No! Hey, wait, the amulet! He's coming through! He's coming through!"Toby said.
The portal then began to open.
"It's Gunmar," Usurna said. "Tear it down now!"
The bridge on the otherside began to crumble and the portal was moving further away.
"No, we're here! We're right here!" Jim said with Enrique crying in his arms.
"Jim, give me Enrique I'll get to the portal and get him out," Talia said, taking the baby from his arms. "Then I'll come back for you!"
She sped up reached the portal, jumped through now inside the vault with two trolls trying to break the bridge, her friends being held back, Vendel, and the Queen before her. Usurna turned surprised with disbelief upon of what she is seeing. A humanoid feline creature with silver fur and cold blue eyes looking right into hers as if she was staring at her soul. Marshall then took notice and saw Talia in her beast form, but wearing armor.
Talia saw Claire and rushed towards her with her baby brother.
"Tally!" she said.
"Here," Talia said handing Enrique over to her. "What ever is going on don't tear down the bridge I have to get Jim!"
Talia shined bright as a star and excelerated her speed knocking the Krubera guards down before she jumped back into the portal again.
"What was that?!" Usurna said.
"Oh, you haven't seen one before," Vendel smirked. "It's called a Silver Lion."
Talia raced right back after Jim and kicked an incoming Gumm-Gumm closing in on him back.
"Enrique's okay," she said, "We need to get back home before. . ." Her vision then started to become blurry and her head hurting.
"Tally!" He said.
Tally shook her head and saw that her fur was disappearing from her skin and her claws retracted itself, and her body was reverting to human.
"Oh, no. What's going on?" she asked.
She then realized from that dart she took out from her neck earlier might of had some poison in it that was disrupting her powers. Then the bridge was getting more further way and starting to shatter.
"No! Stop! Stop! Don't break down the bridge!" Jim shouted. He picked up Talia and got back to running for their lives.
Where the Killahead Bridge is being torn down, Marshall got back on his feet ran straight to the portal. "Stop! They're coming through!" he said.
He reached the portal saw Jim with Talia but somehow back in her human form and with Gumm-Gumm's chasing after them.
"Guys!" Marshall reached out his hand towards them.
"Marshall!" Talia shouted.
As the portal moved further inches away Marshall reached for his friends, Talia extend her arm reaching her hand for the young wizards. Just when all hope seems lost they're hands finally touched. Talia smiled with joy, but then the Gumm-Gumm's grabbed her and Jim pulling them back ripping her apart from the boy's grasp.
"No! No! No!" she screamed.
"Talia!"Marshall said.
The Krubera made one last swing and destroyed the bridge. Talia and Jim used one last once of their strength freeing themselves from the Gumm-Gumm's and made one last attempt to reach the portal but. . .it was too late.
Marshall was pushed back from the collision force and was on the ground. He looked up and saw the bridge now back as it once was before in crumble.
"No," Marshall began to well up in tears. "I let them slip through my fingers."
"You've killed them!" Toby yelled blinded in rage attempting to kill the Queen.
But one of the guards stopped and restrained him from doing so.
Everyone came into Blinky's library feeling the griefo of loss and failure of saving their friends from doom.
"They were right there," Toby sniffled.
"Jim. . .Tally. . ."Claire said looking at her long lost baby brother's face. "They got you back. Jim' kept his promise."
Marshall slammed his fist into the wall in rage and grudge against the Queen Usurna's selfishness. "If only Miss Sturges could let me curse that heartless, ruthless hag. I. . ."
"It won't do you any good, Marshall," Blinky said.
He looked at Arrrgh's petrified form with grief and sorrow, "This is my fault. I could've done more."
Toby slammed the amulet on the stone table, "We can do more! There has to be a way. There has to be something we haven't thought of."
But everyone remained silent of hopelessness, but Toby refused to believe.
"You said it yourself," Toby said to Claire. "As long as the amulet doesn't call to anybody else, we know he's okay.
The amulet then began to glow and caught her attention as did everyone else. It burst into a blue flare, calling Jim's name, spinning in the air, and flew right into the Arrrgh. Then an enchantation was whispering in the trollish tongue.
"I don't understand," Blinky said as the enchantation continued. "It's not maky any sense."
"What's it saying," Claire asked.
"The troll is the key, the key to the hunter," Blinky translated. "The troll is the key, the key to the hunter. Over and over. It must be a glitch."
"Is it broken?"Claire asked examinig the amulet.
Toby took a closer look as the amulet continues clicking.
"No," Toby said. "They're helping us!"
"Who," Marshall asked.
"The voices in the amulet, the ghost council," Toby clairified
"What are they trying to say," Claire asked.
"The troll is the key, the . . ." Blinky tried to think and then it popped. "Arrgh is the key! But that's impossible. He's. . .-"
Toby jumped giving Blinky a hug "-Gonna help get us our friends back! Did you hear that, Claire? If we save Arrrgh, we save Jim! We save Tally!"
"I don't believe it," Claire surprised.
Blinky and Toby laughed with joy.
"Now that is some glitch!" Blinky cheered.
On the otherside, the Gumm-Gumm's had finally captured Jim and Talia. They tied Jim up in chains, Talia struggled to break free from their grasp, but they muzzled and restrained her in the chains as well.
The hooded figure came before the young prisoners smirking with an evil chuckle.
"At long last, here you are," he said to Jim.
He then grabbed Talia's muzzled face to make her look at him in the eye.
"And you. . .you've been alot of trouble."
Jim took a good look at the stranger recognizing his face similar's to trainer, Blinky.
"You. . .you look like Blinky," he said.
The stranger removed his hood revealing himself with a smirk, two of his arms crossed, and one holding a spear.
"You're. . .Blinky's"
"My brother has taught you well, but well not enough" he said before knocking him out cold.
"Jim!" Talia muffled.