Secrets
Chapter 17
Fighting the Future
Blinky was now huddled in a corner shaking like a leaf rocking on his but back and forth showing a face of fear. From after witnessing of what he had seen from the book made him far more terrified than ever before. The Book of Ga-Huel had showed him his future and death was written all over it.
Everybody looked and pitied their poor frightened friend at the state he was in. Marshall brought out a big blanket to cover his shoulders and over his trembling body. Talia looked back at the book seeing the picture once more of them grieving over the shattered remains of Blinkous Galadrigal and yet still could not believe it.
"This can't be real," Talia said, refusing to believe the books power. "This has to be some kind of trick."
"Tally, The Book of Ga-Huel predicts the future," Claire reminded her. "I don't want to believe it either but-"
"NO!" Talia shouted deniably. "Don't you dare say another word."
Toby ran holding her hand and patting her back trying calm her down, "Whoa. Calm down girl. Claire didn't mean anything by it."
Talia lowered her head and sighed regrettably from her recent outburst, "I'm sorry."
Claire came up and put a hand on her shoulder accepting her apology, "It's okay. I don't blame you for being scared."
Marshall stood up pinching his chin to think for a moment, "You guys said that you all saw a flash of light coming from Stickler's office before you all fought the Antramonstrum right?"
"Yeah," Jim answered. "But all assumed it came from the book. What does that have to do with-"
Before Jim could speak any further a voice was heard interuppting him, "What's with him?"
They all turned to find NotEnrique, Jim and Gnome Chompsky entered the Library seeing the six-eyed troll at the corner still trembling.
"Let's just say that The Book of Ga-Huel isn't the feel-good read of the year. Or millenium."
Jinx's back hair spiked up, screamed and jumped clawing into the ceiling terrified upon right ?when Jim spoke of the forbidden cursed book in front of him. Then became all petrified just as Blinky. Gnome Chompsky removed his hat, revealing his roken horn, and chittered in agitation.
"You said it," NotEnrique agreed. "There's some bad juju in them pages.'
"Yes, terrible juju! The very worst juju!" said Blinky, getting to his feet. "Forgive me, my friends. But when confronted with the bleak portent of my own demise, I'm afraid I-"
"Freaked out?" Talia and Toby said.
"Went crazy-town banana-pants?" offered Claire.
"With extra side of nuts?" offered Arrrrgh.
"All of the above, I suppose," said Blinky, returning the blanket to Marshall. "It's just that, in spite of recent adversisties, these past few months have been among the finest of my long life. Masters Jim, Tobias, Talia, Claire, and Marshall - you have blessed me with your trust and friendship. And Arrrgh, to have you among the living once again."
His voice grew thick with emotion, and his six eyes welled with tears. Chompsky locked the library doors, figuring the last thing they all needed now was any more unanounced visitors.
"Believe me, I know just how you feel, Blink," Jim reassured.
"Yeah," Marshall said, "Team Trollhunters is on the case."
Jim raised and eyebrow irritatbly and crossed his arms, "You're not on the team yet, Marshall."
Marshall turned to him flabbergasted, "What?"
Jim walked up to him with his hands on his hips glaring him into his eyes, "You may have helped us in recent times. But I still haven't forgotten of what you did." Everybody stared at them sensing the bad tension between these two.
"Jim!" Marshall said. "I said that I was sorry. I mean come on! While you were in the Darklands I told Talia of your whereabouts and saved you."
"Oh, ho,ho. Says the guy who has been keeping Talia being in danger a secret," Jim snapped, making Marshall clench his hands shaking angerly with his amber aura glowing.
"You wanna go, Lake!" Marshall said, raising his amber glowing hands feeling with the urge of a fight.
Jim grabbed his amulet and summoned his armor, "You wanna go, Cadden!". Bring out the sword of Daylight to the palm of his hand.
But Talia stepped between the two boys stopping them, "Guys! Guys! Stop! Now is not the time for fighting. We can settle things from the past later. But right now we have a huge problem right now."
"She right," NotEnrique said, stepping in as Jim don off his armor. "Look I may not know much. But I've overhead the Janus Order reporting through the Fetch portals while I was livin' in the Darklands."
"The Janus Order! Of course that network of Changeling spies," hissed Blinky. "Those two-faced shape-shifters bring nothing but misery and death-er, present company excluded NotEnrique."
The reformed Changeling shrugged and said, "None taken! Those snobby twits refused my application when I tried to join 'em! And it's not like it matters anyway. The Order's kept that book under lock and key since 1937, but hardly any of the agents had enough gronk-nuks to actually go near the bloody thing. Strickler was the only one who could ever read it and not turn as white as a Blood Goblin's bottom. So when he decided to move it to his office at yer school, nobody put up a fight."
"But jus because something shows up in The Book of Ga-Huel doesn't necessarily mean it's gonn happen. . .right?" asked Toby.
With a sullen expression, Blinky took the book once again and opened it.
Jim shouted, "Blinky, no! That light blast will turn you into-"
"I am heartened by your concern, Master Jim," said Blinky. "But I believe that light only emanates once blank pages are filled with new writings. Otherwise, I would've been turned to stone when I fist encountered these accursed annals in Strickler's office, to those many months ago. Besides, if we treat the book's contents as fact- and I believe we must- then no hamr will befall me in my library. That page I saw of. . .of my own death took place in an entirely different setting. Also, Draal appears in that dreadful drawing, yet he is not present here."
Blinky licked his finger and pored through the book's earliest chapters. His many eyes took in the strange symbols and savage imagery. Turning from page to page, Blinky winced anew at each entry in this history of horrors. He saw the page illustrating Spar the Spiteful's final moments with Gunmar and Bular. Another page documented how Gunmar betrayed Orlagk the Oppressor, losing an eye in the process. And yet another recounted Arrrgh's change of heart at the Battle of Killahead Bridge, followed by Gunmar's exile to the Darklands. With a weary breath, Blinky shut The Book of Ga-Huel and felt a desperate need to wash his four hands.
"As you can see, Tobais, every event depicted within its chapters has, in fact, come to pass," Blinky continued with some difficulty. "For whatever purpose, we have been given a glimpse of the future. And its course appears rather fixed."
"We can't think like that, Blink," said Jim, as he felt the Amulet tick in his pocket like a doomsday clock. "We've faced so many other insane challenges and won each time. If we have to fight the future, then so be it."
"And since all we have right now are questions, we should start by answering them," suggested Claire. "Like, how can a book predict the future in the first place?"
"And who is the ghost writer still adding pages across time and space?" Toby added.
"I. . .I don't know," Jim confessed. "But I think I know who might-"
Three loud bangs at the library doors made everyone freeze in place. They all watched the deadbolt rattle as three more knocks thundered from the other side.
"Blinkous Galadrigal and Aarghaumont of the Krubera!" said Queen Usurna. "But the order of the Troll Tribrunal, I demand you open these doors and surrender your human Trollhunter and Silver Lion for futher questioning."
"Man, you guys really are Panama-nun-grotto around here," Toby whispered to Jim and Talia.
"Persona non grata," Blinky corrected. "It means an unwelcome person who-"
"I hear voices in there!" boomed Queen Usurna. "Enough delaying. You Kruberas break down these doors at once. So commands your queen!"
Heavy Troll fists and shoulders banged against the library doors harder than before. Claire focused her attention on the Shadow Staff and opened another black vortex. Jim, Talia, Marshall, Toby, Blinky and Arrrgh each ran through it, while NotEnrique and Chompsky lagged behind. Claire beckoned them forward as the deadbolt started to crack. But NotEnrique shooed her away with a wave and whispered, "We got this, sis."
Claire nodded at the little green imp and disappeared into her portal just as the doors crashed down. A battalion of Krubera Trolls flooded into the library, followed by Queen Usurna, her regal head upturned in disdain. NotEnrique stood before her, talking into a scroll like it was a microphone, while Chompsky rolled on the floor in laughter.
"Ah, I see we got some guests from outta town!" NotEnrique said to the Kruberas. "Speakin' of outta town, anyone here ever been to Gatto's Keep? It's more like Gatto's seep, amiright?! I mean, what's the deal with that Mountain Troll's digestive system? Pee-yew!"
Chompsky doubled over in hysterics, but Usurna seemed less than entertained.
Jinx still remained petrified from the Taboo book pieces of fur started falling off from his skin like floating confetti. Usurna sniffed and inhaled the fallen fur and then felt a tickling sensation up in her nostrils and then started to sneeze.
"Aah-aah-achoo!" she sneezed. Trolls were not known for their allergic reactions, but Usurna on the other hand out of all of them has an allergy problem with cats. Which is strange considering that they eat cats. She turned on her heels and strode out of the library, followed by her confused Krubera soldiers while she continues to sneeze.
"Gazoontite!" NotEnrique called after them as they left the library in a huff. "Drive safely and don't forget to tip yer Gnomes on the way out!"