Originally this was the last chapter of this arc but I decided to split that last one up into two, so sorry for the short chapter.

If things were going to get worse. He wouldn't expect it this bad. One minute he's on cloud nine, proud of himself for helping his daughter feel better, the next he returns to the camp to Aron who had had a cold when they arrived, burning up. He was sweating immensely and constantly shivered. Estelle was cradling him, trying to ease or mentally ease the pain so he could sleep. Jaime said he'd once briefly read about a herbal medicine that was easy to brew. Thouhg not having the recipe completely memorized, he knew the essential, all of which they had, well except for one. Fibrous roots.

Cassidy seemed to recognize the name, recalling that in the past she must've had a vision and could remember the surroundings in the vision."I'll go," Jim said though he didn't know the way or location of the root-like Cassidy.

"I'll go with you," Cassidy said, standing from her spot beside Estelle. As she rose, she twitched, grasping her torso for a second before releasing a sigh, forcing her hand away the second the pain was over.

"No," Jim stated, his choice not going change."You have to stay here, it's a hike you said you can't handle it."

Cassidy frowned, hating that her current state of health prevented her from doing much, but she couldn't help but agree, the baby she was trying to ignore extremely active that day in particular."Fine but you don't even know the way."

"You said there was a tall oak tree and a long river, I think I'll be able to find that," Jim assured her, pulling out his amulet. He looked at Aron and frowned. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep his promise he'd made to Cassidy, but he was going got help, Aron.

"Let me come with you," Claire said, standing up from her spot beside Estelle.

Jim shook his head. He knew she'd argue but someone had to stay." No, you have to stay. You guys should start heading back underground, I'll find you once get the root." he said, calling out for daylight. He turned to leave but a firm hand grasping his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see Jaime looking at him with a serious Depression."Jaime, you can't co-"

"I don't want to come," he said, glancing back at everyone who was all focused on Aron. Jaime grabbed onto Jim's hand tightly and pulled him away, talking quietly so no one would hear."I want to help you."

"Okay, Jim said, curious how his brainiac son could assist him."How?"

Jaime looked back and sighed holding his hand out. For a moment, nothing happened but a second later a mouse-sized portal appeared."Woah," Jim exclaimed." You can do magic!"

"Shh!" Jaime ordered but nodded."Ya, I can do some magic. I'm not good at portals and stuff but in my free time I practice."

"You seem more than pretty good at magic." Jim complimented but as confused why he seemed so secretive."Why didn't you just do it in front of the other's?"

Jaime sighed, closing the small portal."They don't know. I'm not the biggest magic fan so when I realized I could do magic and stuff, I didn't tell anyone. Well besides mom who tried to get me to tell them but was accepting of the fact I didn't really want to use it or learn how to." he explained, holding himself awkwardly, very uncomfortable discussing anything relating to magic, especially when it involved his own.

Jim smiled, assuring him he wouldn't tell. He grasped his son's shoulder and nodded." I won't tell don't worry. So how are you going to help me?"

"Cassie doesn't talk about her visions and depending on them keeps out certain things," he said.

"So you're saying Cass let out parts about the location of the roots?" Jaime nodded."Why would she do that?"

"Not entirely sure, but she changed a few parts of the location and left out important parts. The main being there is no oak tree and the location is at the foot of a cliff, similar to this one," he said.

Jim wondered why she would've let out important details and changed some other." Wait how do you know all of this?"

Jaime smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck."Oh uh, I may or may not sometimes read her diary, just for fun. Don't worry I never read any really private details but she rights about her visions sometimes and described that one in very specific detail."

"First of all, you shouldn't do that, and second, what specific detail that would keep her from telling me where it really is?" he questioned, eyeing Cassidy who seemed slightly onto them, glancing up every few second and looking in their direction.

"Ya ya I know I shouldn't but she'd tell me to stop if she cared. And in the entry, she wouldn't go into much detail but vaguely wrote that something happened that she wouldn't let happen again."

"Do you think she knows you read it and that's why she didn't write what she wouldn't let happen?" Jim suggested.

Jaime shook his head."No, she doesn't talk about what the visions are like often but she's said that she doesn't always know what's happening in them but can tell what the person is feeling. And in whatever the person was experiencing it would eventually make her wish it never happened and such."

"Oh," Jim said, curious about what would or may happen."Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen," he swore."

Jaime nodded, smiling." Now, thanks to me possessing the habit of reading her diary, I can send you to a location, women what near the actual location of the root." He held both his hands out, positioning himself away from the group."Ready dad?"

Jim nodded."Ready," Not used to making such large portals, it took him a moment to get it going and another to complete it. Quickly, before it disappeared, Jim ran through, the portal disappearing right as he exited. Jim found himself in some sort of marshlands. The dry fall air was replaced with a musky odor that fermented the thick air. A canopy of drooping trees blocked the sky from view and cast a dark shadow over the TrollHunter. His only source of light was the one his sword gave off."Okay, cliff and long river, I can do that." he said to himself, beginning to walk forward, metal boots leaving footprints in the mud.

As he stepped a few more paces, the mud riding up past his ankles, he looked around hearing the sound of sticks snapping. He jumped as something or someone grabbed onto his right foot. Jim tumbled forward, seeing only a bloodied hand, clinging to his foot, the rest of the body below the mud. He shrieked, bringing his sword up to attack whatever was grabbing onto him. He stopped when he realized he was surrounded by shadowed figures. More hands popped out of the mud.

"What happened to you all?!" he questioned, as he saw that all the creatures surrounding him were trolls, well what used to be trolls. These creatures had similar features but the biggest differences were strange color splotches covered their bodies. Some were missing chunks of their bodies and all walked as if they were possessed, moaning loudly.

They all began to corner him in. Jim held his sword high and managed to shake the handoff of his foot, stumbling back. With long swings, he hit each zombified troll, causing them all to stumble and fall. But they kept coming as if the entire brigade had been turned. The strangest part was most had rusted and banged up armor on as if they'd been in battle.

Looking up, Jim saw a ledge he could climb onto, and on the ledge was a pile of stones that could definitely stop some of the beasts so he could make his escape. Stabbing another few trolls, he hopped onto the more stable ground where he could properly get up onto the ledge."Stay back," he shouted, swinging and hitting a few more.

"Wait!" a muffled voice shouted."Please help me!" the voice begged. Jim turned back to see whoever had been grabbing onto his voice. He couldn't make out any of the people since they were entirely covered in mud but he could tell by the voice the person was a boy, not a child luckily." Please!" it shouted again, reaching a hand out as zombied trolls began to surround themself.

Jim was frozen, unsure of what to do. He could save the person but risk himself getting killed or turned like the trolls. And the person could easily be a zombie, though the other zombie-like trolls seemed unable to speak so well. But could this choice be the choice, Cassidy feared, the one she'd regret and he could regret one day? But how could a simple choice be so detrimental?

"Please!" the person shouted again, voice frantic as troll towered over him, "I promise you, I-I'm not like them!" Jim was torn but what the person said next made his blood run cold."Please, my name is Rowan Halaway, please help me!"