Hello mates! How are y'all today? I hope you are all doing well! Today is when shit is going to start going south for our favorite teenagers. :) Let's fucking do this, mates lol
I hope you guys enjoy this and much love, mates!
I called upon the crystal's armor as I stepped out onto the main floor of Troll Market. Goosebumps covered my exposed skin as I placed my hand onto the hilt of my blade.
Today will be the end of an era for the trolls and the beginning of both an end and a beginning for them.
I tightened my grip on my sword as I tapped the collar of my armor. My helmet clicking into place as I walked swiftly toward Vendel's old dwelling.
And I, both their protector and chosen warrior will help them through it.
Even if it means going against all their society's normalities to do so.
"Jim! Thank Deya you're here!" I turned my head toward Blinky as he joined my side. "Usurna is trying to-."
"Sorry, Blinks, but Toby already caught me up to speed. The bastard will pay for what she did to Vendel." I narrowed my eyes ahead of me as I kept my stride heading toward Vendel's old chambers.
"So you know about her trying to take over Vendel's old position as well?" I stopped suddenly as I gave Blinky my full attention.
"She's doing what now?"
"She's trying to position to the rest of the council that she should become the head of Troll Market."
"Do they know of what they did? I thought they each knew of the prophecy. Wouldn't Vendel's death be apart of it if he knew of it himself?"
"Maybe not. There's a chance that a specific part was kept from them as to who would be the cause. No one else that we're aware of would know any different." I felt my chest squeeze with a whole new scene of anxiety as I looked over the whole of Troll Market.
Besides what Toby had found, or more accurately, assumes of her, what else do we have? Do we have any actual evidence besides that?
I tightened my grip on my sword as I brought my gaze back to Blinky.
"What can we do now, Blinky? What else do we have to go on?"
"Making a trial against her before she can come up with a reason against you though is what we need. That way she'll be watched as we try our best to find more evidence against her." I nodded along to the idea as I started making my way toward the Tribunal's meeting area that wasn't too far from the Forge.
"Then let's tell them of our suspicions. That should be enough to have her under lock and key." Blinky kept himself right by my side as we started making great strides toward the Tribunal.
"Let's hope that it is, Jim." I watched him as a worried look took over his face. "Let's pray to Deya that it is."
"Everything will be alright, Blinky." I reached out with my left hand and placed it upon his upper right shoulder. "I'm sure of it. We have to have faith in destiny. Faith in the prophecy." I smiled toward him despite knowing that he couldn't see it behind my helmet. "You of all people should know that, teach." I watched as a smile took over his face before giving me a simple nod.
"Yes. Right. Of course. Thank you, Jim."
"Anytime, Blinks." I squeezed his shoulder before dropping my hand to my side. "Anytime." We kept making our way toward the Tribunal, but I felt a sudden ping in my chest as my anxiety was starting to get the best of me within that moment. A single question ragging within my head as each step I took made it even worse.
Was I saying that to reassure Blinky, or to reassure myself?
I paced back and forth in my bedroom a few hours after everyone left from the barbeque. Several hours though since Jim first left from it. My mind has been ragging with worry since I watched him walk away from me and toward Troll Market.
Toward the new den of our newest enemy. Toward the person that we believe was the killer to the elder of Troll Market.
Toward someone that knew the prophecy so much more than we will ever and who is willing to and capable of using that knowledge against us.
I sighed as I tried my best to calm the anxiety spreading through my body.
Jim's got this handled, Claire. He promised to contact you if not. Jim's keen on keeping his promises. You know this.
I closed my eyes slowly as I felt a familiar tug on my skirt. I looked down to see that Not-Enrique was standing down by my feet with a curious tilt to his head. Even though he was no longer able to switch into my brother's form due to the lack of him being in the Darklands, he was very adamant about staying near. I didn't mind it at all, honestly. Even then we weren't on the same page originally and he would get on my nerves constantly, we became close. Like true siblings, in a weird but loving way.
"Are you alright, Big Eyes? You seem as if you're about to pass out or something." I smiled down at him as he let go of my skirt and climbed up onto the desk that was beside me. "Need to talk it out?"
To think we went from despising each other to actually giving a fuck about each other is beautiful, honestly.
I smiled as he gestured for me to sit in the chair that was sitting before him. I took it was ease as I let out a soft sigh.
And it's also been a saving grace in moments like this where I needed to vent out my emotions to someone that wasn't unknowingly the source of them or oblivious to the world they came from.
"Jim is going to confront the Tribunal about who we suspect killed Vendel."
"Vendel was killed?" The whelp gave me a wide-eyed look before glancing away from me. "I heard rumors around the fellow outcast from the Janus Order that it happened, but I never believed them. Let me guess though," He brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it a little as he looked off into the distance. "That Usurna bitch?" I gave him a wide-eyed look as he brought his attention back to me. "Huh. I was right, eh?"
"How do you know her?"
"I heard her name be dropped a few times now and then ever since I first joined the order. Something about how she made a deal with Gunmar to gift him with some of her best soldier's whelps during his war against Arthur. To say that lady has lost a few pebbles within that stone head of her's is an understatement, honestly."
"She gave away whelps to Gunmar? Why?" The former changeling just gave me a small shrug as he sat down onto the top of the desk.
"Hell is I know. It was way before my existence, chica. Wish I had more info on it though. I guess it would be a lot more help if he's bringing all of whatever you gathered to the Tribunal. That means a court proceeding will commence sometime soon."
"Is there a downside of accusing someone? Like is there a side effect in troll society for doing so?"
"Other than being seen as a liar and or exiled from your tribe? Not much. Most people just get titled as unworthy of believing unless it's dire. Ya know? But knowing how your little lover boy is the Eclipse, I doubt they'll banish him from Troll Market. He's too important. Let alone the only one really able to protect them within this moment if what I heard about Bular there is true."
"About him being enslaved to Gunmar?" He gave me a nervous smile before shooting me a simple finger-gun.
"That one." I sighed as I ran a hand through the loose part of my bangs. "What are you worried about, mate? Everything's gonna be alright. Especially if you have sound reasoning. The Tribunal doesn't diddle dally. They cut straight through the bullshit and get to a fair judgment and trial no matter who you are. Unless you're a changeling like me. At least from what I heard." He gave a small shrug as he put his hands into his lap. "But my kind it's treated that kindly in the first place so I don't doubt they would be a little biased on that in the first place."
"Great to see the ideas of racism don't just stick with humanity." My words dripped with sarcasm as Not-Enrique just gave me a small chuckle in reply.
"There's my big sis pulling through. See? Nothing to be all stuck up about. Fleshbag is gonna be alright. You just gotta have faith in the system." I gave him a small smile as I grew the urge to thank him at that moment. It was cut short though as my phone started buzzing in my skirt pocket. I pulled it out without a second thought and accepted the incoming call before bringing it up to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Claire. We have a problem."
"Toby?" I felt my eyebrows knit in concern as I stood up from the chair without a second thought. "What's wrong? Why are you calling me? Where's Jim?"
"That's the problem, Claire. Usurna has the Tribunal around her finger. They didn't know the prophecy as Vendel did. They are made to believe that he killed Vendel and that all he said about Usurna was hearsay. We need to get some concrete evidence on her, Claire. We need to get Jim out of there."
"Out of where, Tobes?"
"They have him in this hanging cell. He's got his phone and his crystal still, but I doubt they're going to do much for him in there. They're putting him on trial tomorrow for Vendel's murder and going against trollish law."
"What happens to him if he's convicted?"
"He gets put in this place called the Deep. A place where he will be forced to fight against his darkest fears. If he survives, he's paid for his crimes."
"And if not?" Toby stayed silent for a moment as if he was gathering up the courage to speak once more.
"Then I guess we'll be making a Jim statue for the forge." I swallowed dryly as I felt my heart shatter within my chest. The thought of Jim being placed in a hanging cell, alone, probably frightened of what tomorrow will bring, and simply blaming himself for whatever is ragging within his head was heartwrenching to me.
"Are we able to see him?"
"Only one of us is allowed to see him. I don't know for how long though. Blinky and I kind of figured you would want to see him the most considering everything. But we need to gather as much evidence as we can. Everything we can get will be great." I glanced over to Not-Enrique who was still sitting on my desk.
"Luckily for us, we might have a little more than what we thought we did. I'll meet you down in Troll Market, alright? I'm gonna gather some stuff I can hopefully slip to Jim to keep him together for the night."
"Alright. See you soon, Claire."
"And Tobes?"
"Yeah?"
"We will get him seen as innocent. We won't lose him. Not again." I heard him let out a soft breath before he spoke once more.
"I needed to hear that from someone besides myself, honestly. Thanks, Claire." I smiled a little as I reached out to grab my blazer that was sitting on the back of my chair.
"Always. I'll be there in a few."
"Alrighty. Stay safe, Shadowdancer."
"You too, Warhammer." I pulled the phone away from my ear before hitting the end button and slipping it back into my skirt. "Ready for an adventure, little bro?"
"To where?" Not-Enrique tilted his head a little as I put on my blazer with a confident look taking over my face.
"To Troll Market." I adjusted my jacket on my shoulders before grabbing my purse that was sitting next to him on the desk. "We've got an Eclipse to save." I gestured out my right arm toward him that he smiled up to with his bright and pointed teeth.
"Fuck yeah!" He jumped up and crawled up onto my shoulder before grabbing gently onto my blazer. "Let's do this, Big Eyes!" I smiled as I slipped my purse onto my left shoulder.
Don't worry, Jim.
I made my way to my bedroom door so I could slip into the kitchen and grab whatever I could for food for him.
We'll get you out of there.
We've got a few promises to keep as it is anyway and I'm going to keep you to them. Even if it means fighting against the fucking Tribunal myself to do so.
My head met the cold metal of my cage as I laid silently within the contraption suspended a good ten feet above the ground. My crystal was going through an array of emotions as the bright colors of the necklace was causing a small light show within the darkness that was my new prison.
I guess this is what I get for forgetting that I was going against a goddamn Tribunal member. I should have thought that she was already sneaking her way into their heads.
I sighed as suddenly a bright light cracked through the large door that kept me away from the rest of Troll Market.
"You've got your visitor, Eclipse." I got up to my feet and gripped onto the side of the cage as the unnamed troll turned the lever that kept me high above the ground to slowly lower me back down onto it. When he did so, I was graced with the sight of a smiling Claire looking up to me as I was being lowered. Her smile seemed as if it was trying to hide away whatever pain she must have been feeling within this moment. Once I reached the floor though, the troll's voice cut through. "I'll leave the two of you to it. If I hear anything I don't like, I'll cut this meeting as short as I feel as if it is needed." We both seemed to wait patiently for him to leave we both rushed toward the side of the cage closest to the other.
"Are you okay?" Her hands slipped through the cage to cup both sides of my face as I just placed my hands on top of hers.
"Are you?" She gave me a broken smile as she pulled me close to the rather big gap in between the large metal bars.
"Only you would be asking me that when sitting in a goddamn cell." I just smiled at her as we pushed our foreheads together.
"I'm sorry. I truly should have waited before accusing her."
"You did what you thought was right. That's all that matters, Jim." I felt her slipped her hands out from under mine before she reached up to comb her fingers into my hair as her eyes looked at me softly.
"Doesn't mean I shouldn't have talked to you first."
"Kinda hard to talk to your magic-wielding girlfriend while surrounded by a bunch of people that would look at us as if we were insane if we were caught talking about trolls and the murder of one." I chuckled as little at her before reaching out to cup the sides of her face.
"I'm still sorry." She smiled softly at me as she brought her self a little bit close despite the bars separating us.
"Knowing you, you won't stop being sorry until you die." My smile only widened as I gave her a small shrug.
"As of right now, definitely." I watched her smile widen just slightly before she pulled me closer so our lips could meet. It was a little difficult due to the confinements I was stuck within, but it was everything I needed within that moment. Her fingers calmly toying with my hair as her soft lips seemed to tell me that everything was going to be alright in the end. That no matter what she was there with me and that's all that mattered in the end.
Gods I love this girl.
I thought was horrifying whenever else I thought of it, but I ignored the fear for the moment as I just deepened the kiss between us.
Because if I was ever to know love, it would be this moment. I don't I was ever close to it before until now, honestly.
We pulled back from each other gently before giving each other dopey smiles as we just stood there together.
"How much battery do you have on your phone by the way?"
"Around like sixty percent. Why do you ask?" She pulled back from me before unzipping her purse and pulling out a few things from it.
"Well, I kind of packed away a few things for you to get you through the night." She passed me through the bars a water bottle, a portable charger with a cord wrapped around it, as well as a ziplock bag of goldfish. "Sorry, it's not a lot though. Had to rush out before my parents found me rummaging around the kitchen at nearly midnight." I chuckled a little bit as I took the small bundle of items from her.
"It's perfect. Thank you." I gave her a lopsided grin as I slipped the food and charging stuff into my jacket pockets. I reached out to her once I had my right hand free so I could cup it under her chin and bring her into another quick kiss. "You're too good for me, Nuñez."
"And you're too good for all of us, Lake." She grabbed me by the collar and pulled me into another kiss before rewarding me with a soft smile. "Especially when you're willing to sit in a prison like this when you could break out if you really wanted to." I just gave her a soft smile as I just shrugged at the idea.
"Why should I try to hold Usurna to the law if I won't hold myself up to it?" She just shook her head a little as she pressed her forehead against mine once more.
"Only you." She slipped her hand onto my cheek before she pulled me into a kiss once more. "How long do you think they'll let me be here?"
"At this point, I hope it's forever." I smiled widely as she giggled a little. "How long are you planning on staying?"
"As long as I can get away with, honestly."
"Even if it goes through the night?"
"I can't think of anywhere better to be." I smiled as she pushed her forehead against mine once more. "Even then. If I need to make a quick getaway, I have my staff on my side."
"The perks of having a staff-wielding girlfriend, I suppose." She just smiled up toward me as we just stood there together.
The perks of having a loving girlfriend in the first place, honestly.
I reached up to cup both sides of her face as we just enjoyed having the silence that was the empty prison area.
If only I had the guts to say I love her within this moment. It would be the perfect moment, honestly.
I closed my eyes gently as I felt her fingers comb through my hair gently once more.
But I'm sure with such a determined team of ours, I'll have a better moment than this one to pour my heart out to her. For now though, I need to worry about being strong for them. Strong for her.
Especially when we have no clue just yet if tomorrow is going to be a gift or a horrible nightmare just yet.
