PLOT STUFF! YAY!

Lol Hello, my lovelies! Happy early Thanksgiving to all my fellow Americans. This is my Turkey Day gift you all of you. For those that aren't American, well, here's a holiday-less gift to you all lol.

This chapter is my longest for this story and the next one will probably be even longer, honestly. There's a lot I have planned for the next one. A fight scene. Wizard lore. You name it. A lot is to come.

But for now, take this nearly 5k word update and enjoy my kind-of cliff hanger.
Much love, my friends! Happy Thanksgiving!

I had always hated my birthday.

My mother and Toby tried for years to change how I felt about the specific day, but it never changed. I despised the day. Plain and simple. Nothing would ever change that.

So as I opened my eyes, I knew almost instantly by the smell of maple syrup and burning batter what day it was and it caused a sour look to take over my face as I sat up slowly in bed.

Great. You made it to sixteen, Lake. How does it feel?

I brought up my hands to look over my palms before turning them over to examine the backs of them.

Oh, right. Absolutely nothing. Why are these celebrated again? It's basically just acknowledging the fact that you're closer to your death, so what's the point?

I dropped my hands into my lap as I heard my bedroom door opened slowly. I saw the familiar soft smile and red hair that belonged to my mother as she entered the room.

"Good morning, Sunshine." I gave her a soft smile as I saw she was carrying a breakfast tray with both her hands. A question of how the hell she was able to open the door arose in my head, but I let it subside as I remembered that my mother wasn't a normal being upon this earth.

"Morning, mom." She walked over to me and placed the breakfast tray onto my lap and placed a soft kiss on the top of my head.

"Happy birthday, my boy." I gave her a soft hum in reply as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I reciprocated the feeling as best as I could with the tray still sitting in my lap but it was obvious to me that my mother was trying her best not to be too enthusiastic as she used to be on this specific day.

"Thanks, mom." We pulled back from each other to give each other happy smiles as she stood back to her full height.

"Well, even though I know you're hesitant on receiving anything on your special day I still got you something downstairs." I gave her wide eyes as she just gave me a smirk in return. "Hurry up, finish your breakfast, and get set for the day then you can come down and get your present." With that, she left the room with a smile still dancing on her lips. After the sound of the door clicking into place, I looked down at my breakfast to see that now even the once smiling pancake was frowning.

Great. Even my pancakes know that a present won't be enough to raise my spirits.

Well... Unless mom caught onto the hints I was dropping of wanting a Vespa.

I heard a slight smack on my window, but I didn't bother looking over toward it as I figured it was just another bird deciding that my window was something fascinating enough to divebomb into. Instead, I started eating my breakfast as a single thought danced through my mind.

It's from ma. Maybe it can make this day a little better after all.

"You're mom got you a wand?"

"It's not just a wand, Tobes. It's her wand from when I was her age."

"So a wand older than God damn dirt?" I looked down at the long dark oak object within my hands as a smile graced my face.

It's not a Vespa, but it's so much more.

A wand is an extension of a witch's or wizard's being. A showcasing of their power and abilities. Not all magic wielders can use wands, but if they can, it only proves just how skilled they are to the craft.

Now, wands and bracelets never worked with me, but the fact that my mom gave me her first-ever wand is something I'm more proud of than anything.

I turned the wand around to take in the extensive detail that it bore.

It was like any other wand when you glance at its pointed end, but the handle of it was curved and carved into the shape of a claw that clutched onto a small red gem. On the right side of the handle was my mother's maiden name 'Proctor' in red cursive letters. Everything about the object screamed of my mother's journey as a witch. The red gem showcasing her inner strength was the claw that possessed it showed the outer.

I couldn't help but smile at it as I slipped it into my jacket's inner pocket as we entered school property.

Again, it's not a Vespa, but it's something entirely more valuable to me.

"Hey look! It's the birthday boy!" I shot a glare at Toby as Claire, Darci, and Mary came up to us.

"Really?" My question came out as an angry mutter as I directed it toward my best friend.

"What? I didn't tell them anything beyond that!"

"Beyond what?" I looked over to see Claire giving me a curious but also worried look.

"N-." I shut my mouth before taking a deep breath.

You can't keep keeping secrets, Lake. Especially from those that you're supposed to be helping.

"I'll tell you later. Is that okay?" She gave me a skeptical look as she could obviously tell that something more was in play, but she didn't bother to bug me on the idea.

"Totally."

"Hey! I want on in on the drama."

"There's no drama to be had, Wang."

"Aw come on! You get to know all the juicy stuff!" Darci nudged Mary in the side as she gave her a smirk.

"Oh, shut your trap, Mary. The only juicy stuff going on in Arcadia is shit you already know about." The girl in question just crossed her arms as she gave her friend a half-hearted glare.

"Fuck you, Darc."

"I don't swing that way, Mar, but if you do that's fine. I would have a chat with Hank though. Don't want him getting his hopes up if that's the case."

"Alright you two," Claire gave a small laugh as she walked over to be between her two friends. "That's enough teasing for everyone, okay?" With that, all five of us made our way up the staircase and into the school building. But as we walked, I felt a gentle hand place itself onto my shoulder before it gave a reassuring squeeze. I smiled at the sensation before looking over to see it was the Trollhunter herself at the source of it. She smiled toward me as if to say that everything would be alright.

The problem was though, that something did for sure feel off. Birthday blues or not.

I knew by the way that Toby spoke to me first thing this morning that something was going to be off today.

Oddly enough though, I never thought it was because of it being Jim's birthday of all things. Honestly out of all things I thought it would be something like a weird creature sighting or something instead of a birthday. But hey, I would much rather have something from my old sense of normal instead of from my new one.

Still, didn't mean I wasn't anxious about it all though.

"Nuñez, I swear to God that if you chew on your pen one last time I'm going to push it into your face." I felt a blush appear on my face as I pulled the cap of my pen away from my mouth before giving Mary a sheepish look.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, girl. You're nervous because you want to give Jim something for today."

"I'm that obvious, huh?" Darci gave me a soft laugh as she smacked my shoulder lightly with the back of her hand.

"Girl, I think even Jim could see it if it wasn't for him being so damn oblivious." I laughed a little at that as it was probably the truest thing ever spoken. "But we'll figure it out. Maybe Bagdwella has something in her shop?"

"Maybe. We should take a look after school today."

"Definitely! We should have enough time between school ending and rehearsal to try to find something. I hope you got something of value just in case though."

"Hanging the fact that I keep having to help her with gnome infections might be enough."

"Oh, I doubt that with Bagdwella's ass. Might need the map of the fucking Pentagon to get her ass to give us anything." I giggled at that as I dropped my pen onto the table we were sitting at in the courtyard.

"Honestly, I wouldn't doubt it. Even if she doesn't know what the fucking place is."

"You got that right!"

I adjusted my school bag on my shoulder as I kept checking over my shoulder as I was walking through the main hallway of the school building.

Something's off.

I glanced over my other shoulder as I continued my way down the hallway.

Something was definitely off. I can just sense it.

"Hey there, Jimbo!" I nearly jumped out of my skin as Toby placed a hand onto my opposite shoulder. I turned toward my best friend as I pointed into his chest with my index finger.

"Don't fucking do that."

"Whoa." Toby held up both his hands in a defensive stance. A worried look swirling in his eyes. "Are you okay man?" I gave him a sorry look as I adjusted my bag on my shoulder once more.

"Sorry." I muttered it under my breath as Toby placed his hands onto my shoulders.

"Hey, it's okay. Something's got you all out of sorts. But you didn't answer my question, dude."

"Physically, I'm peachy." I glanced over my shoulder once more as I still couldn't even shake the feeling of Toby being before me. "But mentally, not all." I brought my attention back toward my best friend as I whispered out toward him. "There's something around here. Something bad."

"You're detecting an aura?"

"Kind of?" I ran a hand through my hair as he dropped his hands from my shoulders. "I didn't do a detection spell or anything, but I feel it. Something's going on Tobes. I just know it."

"Maybe it's your normal birthday blues?"

"Nothing about this feeling is normal." I gave him a serious look as my left hand's grip on my bag's strap tightened. "Something is wrong here."

"Alright, alright. We'll get in contact with Doux. Might want to do a detection spell first though."

"I don't want to do that if my magic can be traced right back to me."

"Contacting Douxie it is." I pulled out my phone as we continued our way down the hallway.

"Don't think Strickler will care if we're a little late, right?"

"Oh most definitely, but fuck it at this point."

"What does it feel like, mate?" I clutched my head with my hand as I kept my phone between Toby and me. Douxie's voice following out of its speaker with ease within the empty hallway.

"Like something is following me. Something dark. It feels-"

"Like it slithers?" Toby gave me a confused look as I gave the phone a wide-eyed look.

"How does an aura feel like it slithers?"

"Yes."

"What?" The redhead gave me a confused look before placing the back of his right hand against my forehead. "Are you okay, dude?"

"Just as I thought."

"The hell do you mean, 'Just as you thought'?" I slapped Toby's hand away as he mocked Douxie over the speaker.

"What I mean, Tobes, is that I know exactly what being this is."

"So there was something off." I could hear the smile on Douxie's voice as he spoke once more.

"Yes. Yes, there was. Like I said, my friend, you're one hell of a wizard for having such little training."

"Okay, we get it. Jim is like some kind of fucking prophet. Congratulation, bud. BUT SLITHER THING?" I shushed Toby as I checked the hallway to see if anyone was looking.

"What Jim is sensing is a Gootslang."

"Bless you?" I tilted my head to the side as I let the reply fall from my lips.

"Thank you, but I'm serious. What you feel in that aura is a Gootslang. It's a South African creature that if I remember correctly," The sound of ruffling pages was on the other line as I knew Douxie was looking within the little black creature book that he carried on him always. "It was one of the first creatures the gods ever made. A magnificent being, honestly, but also one of the most deadly."

"Question." Toby was the one to speak as he took the phone from my hands. "You said this was South African, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, this might be a stupid question, but why is it here?" Toby's voice nearly dropped an octave as he spoke into the receiver.

"I have no fucking clue." A flip of a page could be heard on the other end as he continued. "As it says here in my little black book of wonder, there only should be one left within the world. She supposedly hid from the Gods in Congo where she became the mother of a whole species of mythological creatures that the gods themselves called a deadly error. Today, the best-known Grootslang, it's said, hides in a cave in Richtersveld, South Africa. Waiting for their next victim or prey to come within its cavern."

"Could someone be controlling it?"

"Do you feel like it's being is not it's own?" I gave a small shrug as Toby gave me a confused look.

"Kind of? Kind of hard to explain?"

"I have someone I can speak to on this. I don't know if she'll have much more information than I do, but it's worth a shot."

"I can go down to Troll Market and see if Blinky knows anything in that big ass library of his."

"Brilliant idea, Tobes. Jim, I would say that you should keep an eye on this aura you feel. Do not, and I repeat, do not try to detect it. Gootslangs are very defensive creatures. When they realize that you have the ability to put up a fight, they will not hesitate to kill you before you even have a chance." Toby chuckled a little beside me as something along the lines of 'I won't hesitate bitch' came out of him in between small chuckles.

"You got it."

"Wonderful. Stay safe, the both of you. Knowing Gootslangs, they work on greed and envy. If they find anything they see as beautiful or of value, they will try to take it for themselves. With or without the consent of the owner." I swallowed dryly as I tuned in a little into the aura that I knew now was the Gootslang, I could feel it's immense desire for beauty while searching for something else as well.

"We'll ring you up when we find more information. Thanks, Doux."

"No problem, mates. Stay safe and whatever you do, do not try to fight it on your own. When I saw those are dangerous creatures, I do not say it lightly."

"No problem, Doux! We'll keep an eye out for each other. If not, we've got the Trollhunter on our side as well."

"Trust me, when it comes to this creature, it'll take more than just the five of you to defeat it." I swallowed dryly once more as I heard the serious undertone in Douxie's voice. "Please. Please be careful, my friends."

"You as well, Casperan." I grabbed my phone back from Toby as the other line went dark. I slipped it into my jeans pocket as the bell rang. Signaling for the classrooms around us to start filling into the hallway.

"So. Who wants to be the one to tell the girls of this weird Gootsling-thingy."

"I already have a lot to tell Claire in the first place."

"I'll handle Mary and Darci then." Toby placed his hand onto my left shoulder as he pulled up toward our gym class. "Everything will be alright, bud. Whatever this Groot thing is, we can handle it."

"I hope you're right, Tobes." I glanced over my shoulder once more as I felt the sensation of eyes upon me once more. Nothing looked out of the normal as I looked over the now clustered bodies of other students making their way through the halls.

But the sudden gleam of gold glowing eyes went unnoticed by me.

I looked over the shelves of Bagwella's little shop as Darci and Mary kept close behind me.

"Oh, the stress of trying to find your wizard kind of boyfriend for his birthday." I swatted at Mary as she tried to reach out and touch one of the few potions that Bagwella had sitting on the upper shelf.

"Don't fuck with those. Remember last time?" I gave Mary a knowing look as Darci placed an elbow onto the shorter girl's shoulder.

"Yeah, Mar. You turned Claire into a pint-sized Trollhunter for 24 hours last time."

"How was I supposed to know that was going to happen?! I was told to chuck things at it, not read what they were!"

"Having to not present my oral Spanish exam as a fucking at fucking gnome height would have been great though."

"I said sorry, God damn it."

"And I forgave you."

"But we won't let you live it down." Darci and I laughed a little was Mary pouted at the both of us.

"You're both cold-hearted and cruel." I looked over to the opposite shelving and Darci just laughed a little harder at Mary's reaction. My eyes ended up onto a purple silver necklace sitting in a purple box on the middle shelf. With a closer look, the pendent like structure hanging from it was in a cylinder formation with what looked like chunks of crystals floating around in a weird blue liquid within it. I pulled out my amulet from my blazer pocket and grabbed the small folded name card that sat before it. With a soft glow of blue from the amulet, the Trollish lettering that was scrawled on the card turned itself suddenly into English.

"Protection, Prosperity & Serenity Pendant. Used by witches to give themselves safety from malevolent forces. Made from Wiccan slash Pagan magic." I looked over to Darci and Mary who now looked onto the object in question before looking back at me.

"Girl, if you don't get that, I swear I'll get it myself." I reached out and grabbed the small purple box, closed the lid, and made my way toward Bagwella's makeshift counter. A smile dancing on my face as I did so.

"Bagwella! I've got a deal to strike with you."

I dropped my bag before a table backstage as I let out a heavy sigh. Toby has been texting me since he arrived at Troll Market after he took the horngazel I let him take to head down there.

THESE THINGS EAT ELEPHANTS I REPEAT. THESE BITCHES. EAT. ELEPHANTS!

T: Is it too late to say fuck it?

T: Basically, it's a snake that can coil its body around any creature and crush the life out of it in seconds while also having an elephant's face and sharp fucking tusk thingy.

T: So yeah. Fuck.

T: Big tongue thing too.

T: Basically a giant ass python with sharper teeth and more strength.

I sighed once more as I slipped my phone into my pocket.

This isn't helping my anxiety. Especially since the creature's, well, feelings, intensified. It was as if it found what it was looking for. Like it found something to captivate it as it wanted and it was worrying me more than anything at this moment.

I went into my jacket and pulled the small wand out from my inside pocket once more.

What would mom do right now? I'm too frightened to ask her. She knows nothing about what I'm all mixed up in. Douxie was just supposed to teach me the ways of a wizard since mom's magic wouldn't translate well to my own.

I chuckled nervously to myself as my thumb danced over the lettering of her maiden name.

You would scorn me to hell and back, wouldn't you? I have a feeling you would also tell me that I made you prouder than ever to be my mother.

A smile brought itself to my lips as I brought the small wooden fixture close to my chest and over my heart.

Sorry to keep you in the dark. It's for the best though. No one needs to know the line of the Lady of the Lake continues. Especially not the first daughter of the powerful being.

I felt a familiar gentle touch grace my shoulder as I looked down at the wand still clutched against my chest.

But for what it's worth, I'm doing my best to live up to your name, mom. Lake, Proctor, and all that is in between.

I turned my head to see Claire smiling at me.

"Sorry. Seems I pulled you out of some happy thoughts of yours." I presented her with the small wooden object as my smile still graced my face.

"I had a lot on my mind, but having this with me eases my mind a little." She gave me a curious look as she looked over the object.

"A wand? I thought those magical extension things don't work on you?" I chuckled a little at her as I looked down at the wand once more.

"It doesn't. But there's a tradition in a way of passing down certain artifacts within a wizard's or witch's family line once their offspring hits a certain age. For my mom, that's this. It's her old training wand from when she was my age." I brought my eyes back up to Claire who looked over the cravings of it with wonder-filled eyes. Before I knew it, I was presenting the object to her. "Care to look at it a bit closer?" Her eyes shot back up to look at me as if I said the unspeakable to her.

"With what you just said, I rather not mess with something so sacred." She brought her bag to her side and unzipped it with a small smile dancing on her lips. "Besides, I have something for you anyway." I watched her with curious eyes as she pulled out a small purple box from her bag. "I found this in Bagwella's gift shop. I figured you might like it." She handed it toward me and I couldn't help but look down at the object like a fool.

She. She seriously got me something.

I pocketed the wand once more before taking the small box from her gingerly.

I remembered going through Bagwella's on my way out of Troll Market after my first visit. I noted that the troll had a large assortment of magical items. Some rarer than I think even the troll herself understands. There was even a glamour mask which I actually thought only existed in the stories that mom used to tell me as a child.

But what caught my eye the most was the pendants she was able to possess.

Pendants play a major part within a magical wielder's way of life. They are used to protect and strengthen their wearers, most of the time, but could also tie certain beings together. Each pendant made tells a story within a magic wielder's life. How they lived. How they cast their spells.

Most importantly, how they died.

I opened the lid of the box slowly to be shown that it was what I knew as a Pagan Pendant. The carvings and language on the cylinder crystal casting told me that enough. But it was a rich royal purple with pieces of peridot and amethyst within its center. I couldn't help but reach in and wrap my hand around the pendant as I closed my eyes gently.

A witch made this. A pink aura to it. Electric magic? Never thought I would sense such a thing. Made probably around four-hundred years ago.

My grip tightened around the pendant as I suddenly felt exactly why the witch made it.

Pain. Suffering. Alone. Fire. Lost of it. Pyers. The pain. The screaming. This was made to protect someone. Someone they loved.

As they themselves became victim to what they wanted to protect them from.

"Are you okay?" I opened my eyes slowly as I looked up to Claire who gave me a sad look in return. "I didn't mean to make you cry." Her voice was soft as I unwrapped my hand from the pendant to touch my right cheek. Sure enough, tears had coated the skin.

"S-Sorry." I looked her in the eyes for a moment before looking down at the necklace once more. "It's just, I can feel auras of magic. Not all wizards can do so, but it's something I got accustomed to over the years." I gripped the box a little with my left hand as I dropped my right down beside me. "I can feel why this witch made this. Her desperation. Her fear. Her pain. All of it. As a victim of the Salem Witch Trials, it's understandable."

"Sorry I-." I looked back up toward her to smile at her.

"Don't be. This just gratifies why I do all that I do. Why I want to be the best that I can be as a wizard." I reached into the box with my right hand and grabbed out the necklace. "Whoever this woman was, her emotions for those she cared about led to her creating this. She both loved humanity but was also afraid of it and a mixture of those two led to her creating this. She wanted to protect those she loved just as I do." I slipped the necklace over my head as I felt the aura once more.

Soothed. At peace. Understood once and for all.

No longer being alone.

"Thank you." I grabbed the pendant with a smile as I looked up toward Claire once more. "Truly. This means the world to me." A smile graced her face as she dropped her bag next to mine.

"Happy that you enjoy it." She let out a small laugh before continuing. "Honestly, when I got Bagwella to trade me for it, I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction from you."

"Oh trust me, I wasn't either. But aura reading can do that to you." I felt an anxious feeling swell within my chest as I gave her a nervous smile. "Speaking of auras, actually. There's some stuff we need to talk about."

"Besides why you were grumpy this morning that Toby told us it was your birthday."

"That, we can talk about after we discuss the fact of a Grootslang being on the loose."

"Bless you?" I laughed a little at her reply.

"I said the same, actually, but I'm serious. We have a problem, Trollhunter." She gave me a confident smile as Miss Janeth called for us to take our places for our beginning scene.

"As long as I have you and the others on my side, I sure we can solve it." We started making our way toward the stage together as I gave her another nervous laugh while scratching the back of my neck with my right hand.

"I wouldn't say that just yet."

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Because this is nothing like any of us have fought before." I felt her place a hand onto my bicep as we walked out onto the stage together.

"Jim." I turned my head toward her to see she gifted me a soft smile. "We got this." I gave her a small smile in return as I started to actually believe her words. Who couldn't with that fearless determination swirling within her deep hazel eyes?

"I hope you're right, Claire." I reached up and placed a hand on top of hers.

I really fucking hope she's right.