I smiled at the taller woman as she held her shoulder, pushing it back into its place. "Damn kid." I could hear the cracking of her arm. "You're actually getting good at this."

A normal child would have cringed at the sound. Some might of even vomited or screamed at least.

But I didn't even flinch. I even fucking smiled at what I've done.

"Are you proud of me Nomura?!" I got out of my stance instantly with a giant smile plastered on my face. She got out of her own stance and walked up to me slowly. She placed a hand on my head and patted it awkwardly.

I knew she was one of those people that tried her best to be emotionally detached. Very distant and wasn't one for physical contact. So, when she walked away from me and stepped out of the room I felt as if I was on cloud nine. I felt like I made my aunt figure very proud of me and I knew how much the little touch meant.

Once the training door opened once more and I saw a similar figure to that of my father, I ran straight toward him with open arms. "Dad! Dad! Did Nomura tell you what we did today?!" He patted my back lightly as I wrapped myself around his legs.

"Yes, she did my little one. I am very proud of your progress. Now, we have to get you to go even further. More styles. More tactics. Then you will be truly progressing." I pulled back with him with a determined look on my face. My fists before me with an eager nod.

"Whatever you put in my way, dad, I'll do it! Just you watch me!"

"I'm sure you will, my little Trollhunter."

Then suddenly the scene had changed.

I was on the ground laying down on my left side. Coughing and sputtering as blood trickled down the side of my mouth.

"Come on, child! Get up!" I screwed my eyes shut as a heavy foot went into my stomach and about screamed.

"Dad! Make him stop! Dad!" I knew he was in the room. I knew he was there.

But he didn't do a single fucking thing.

Another hit to the stomach made me flop over onto my hands and knees. "I said!" I coughed and then cleaned the blood off my chin with one of my hands. "Stop!" I forced myself onto my feet and tackled the taller man with bright blue skin. Coughing and sputtering blood as I punched him endlessly. A mix of red and tears blurred my vision as I hit him again and again.

"Alright, Atlas. That's enough."

But I continued.

"Boy! I said that was enough!" I felt a hand grasp about my shoulder and pull me forcefully off changeling. I screamed as I got dragged backward and thrown back to the ground. I cried heavily as I lay there on my back. There was a huge ugly gasp that came from me as I held my stomach.

"Atlas." He tried to reach a hand out to me but I pushed him away. I got to my feet, even though it hurt to even move, and ran out of the training room. I just wanted to leave.

Go anywhere but here.

So I just ran. I ran and I ran until the tears were too heavy for me to even blink away. At that point, I fell against the wall with a pain in my stomach that felt worst than it ever was before and I knew exactly why.

I wanted to go home.

This was no longer a home to me.

And I was only thirteen years old.

I squinted open my eyes to see two looming figures over me.

"Think he wake?"

"Tough to say AAARRRGGHH. You did grab the human rather roughly. It might have caused a traumatic shock in his system."

"Sorry."

"Oh it's fine my friend, you did not know."

I slowly blinked my eyes a couple of times to adjust their sight.

"Oh! The human is awake!" I shot up at that point. I rubbed my shut eyes and then opened them again, trying to make sure that I just didn't hit my head when I was chased by the goblins.

Nope. Still two different types of trolls with happy smiles and concerned eyes.

I never thought their kind would ever look at me like that.

Well, the changelings at least.

"Are you alright, Master Atlas?" I gave him a confused look. "Oh! I might as well introduce myself." He placed two of his four arms behind his back and extended one of the spare two in my direction. "I'm Blinky! One of the training trolls of the Trollhunter!" His six eyes than went over to the larger troll of the two of them. "And this is my companion AAARRRGGHH!"

I got up from the rock slab they had me laying on and gave the troll and small handshake. "We've been looking for you, young Trollhunter. After we heard the calls of the amulet choose you, but we guessed after we couldn't find it then it must have found you."

Trainers of the Trollhunter? D-. Walt said they didn't exist. That there were only him and the other changelings.

Wouldn't be the first time he lied to me.

"So that's how you know my name."

"The fleshling speaks!" I gave a small smile at the attempt at humor. "But you are Atlas Strickler, I presume?" I cringed slightly at the last part of my name.

"Atlas. Yes. The Strickler part, not anymore." Now it was Blinky's turn to give me a confused look. "It's a long story. But it's Atlas Lake now. I had it changed." He nodded to the new information.

"I assume that you already know a lot about your duties since you don't seem shocked or confused besides the fact that we're your trainers."

"I've been doing this for about six years now. It's just that, I was told there was no such thing as Trollhunter trainers."

"Now who told you that horrendous lie?"

"My father."

The happy look he carried instantly changed to that of pitty. "I've very sorry to hear that Master Atlas, but I assure you that we are very much a thing." He lifted one hand with a pointed finger as he spoke then dropped it as he turned and started to walk out of the little dim room.

"Come, there is something you must see."

I pushed myself off the makeshift bed and followed Blinky through an archway to see a stadium area with a long rock walkway toward its center. AAARRRGGHH walked behind me as I looked around in awe like a child in a candy factory. The place was humongous. Statues lined the highest part of the walls of trolls dawning armor in heroic positions. The trolls themselves were unfamiliar but the armor they sported I knew all too well.

"Are those Trollhunters?" I pointed at statues as we began to reach the center of the room. "Why yes. These are some of our latest champions! Including Deya the Deliverer and Kanjigar the Courageous. Even our one failed attempt is showcased here but you shouldn't worry about that."

"I heard about that one. Unkar, wasn't it?"

"Yes! How did you know?"

"Bular would tell the story constantly whenever I had the," I had a slight delay in speech as I searched for the right word in my head. "Honor, of interacting with him. About how he enjoyed tearing him to pieces. I believe he thought it would scare me."

Blinky turned around instantly and placed his hands upon my shoulders.

"Great Scott! You have been cursed enough to already walk into Bular's path! How have you survived without proper training!?" I gave him a lopsided smile at his worry.

"I was trained. I just wasn't trained here."

"By who, if you don't mind me asking?" I started to rub the back of my neck.

Should have anticipated that question. If I tell them that I was trained by the Janus Order then they might not even see me as their warrior and chase me out of here. If I tell them my father part two then they might be suspicious as who my father might be due to how I've fought Bular and lived to tell the tale. But if these are supposed to be the legendary trainers of the Trollhunter, then I might as well be honest, shouldn't I?

But then again, these two don't really seem like trainers. Yet that might be because the trainers I've had over the years were deadly creatures of the daylight that could have torn me to shreds if I wasn't a valuable puppet to them at the time.

Hell, the last memory I had with my "father" was that of him telling his men that the restrictions on the levels of pain they were allowed to have me feel were revoked. Basically stating that I was now their target and dead or alive they will get what they want from me.

That's fine by me. I'm not opening that fucking bridge. They can pry my amulet from my cold. Dead. Hands.

"It's a long story that I rather not get into right now. Let's just say for now that all, because you haven't been able to find me to train, doesn't mean trainers didn't find me." He nodded along to all I said as AAARRRGGHH walked up beside him.

"Strong. Can tell. Has practiced." Blinky agreed with him. "Yes. That explains the remains of a troll that was found on the cliff there. What it doesn't explain is how you nearly lost your life to that a horde of goblins." I could feel the redness on my face appear and it felt like I had a warm towel damped on my face. Just not in the usual calming way. I was embarrassed.

"I know. That didn't look good. I never had to deal with goblins before until this year actually. I thought I was getting used to them, but I guess the ones in New Jersey are a lot denser than the ones here. The ones I've dealt with would have never been able to work together in the way those ones did, but I was also taught not to kill them due to how if one remains they will target you next."

"Well, that is true. They target those that kill their leader of sorts but that doesn't mean you shouldn't kill them. That downgrades their capability to regroup and puts down their morale. If you don't mind me asking, was it your father that told you not to?" I nodded at his comment.

Please don't be making ties in your head. I don't need you tying me to the Janus Order. I was young and manipulated. I was just a kid.

But aren't I just a kid right now?

"Well, I guess each teacher has their own way of teaching. I bet he's out of the picture though. Am I correct?" I nodded again. "Then that means we have a lot to do. Come on Master Atlas, there is much to see."

I was just a kid. Just an innocent kid.

"You can't make me!" The hand on my wrist clenched harder causing me to whimper as I was being forced forward. "Come on kid, this is the only reason why a lot of these men and I haven't killed you yet. Just put the fucking thing in the stone!" I clenched my teeth as the grip on my tightened and nearly causing me to scream.

"Dad! Where's my dad!? DAD!" I was then thrown on the ground and the amulet instantly reacted to me. The armor shining proudly as I cowered on the floor. I was nearly in tears as I held my wrist within my chest. Wincing at the throbbing pain that resided there. I blinked away tears to look around the bodies that folded in around me. A familiar shades of pink, purple, and black appear.

"Nomura." She gave a stern look, but I could see in her eyes that they were soft yet distant. She looked like she might have done something.

But she didn't.

She stood there. Stoic and firm. I closed my eyes shut as the pain thrived. Then I heard a soft hum come through the absolute silence.

I remember that song. Hall Of The Mountain King.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw the feet that I knew all too well. The hum turned into a whistle as the one causing it crouched down to get close to me. Nomura placed a hand on my face and caressed it gently. She then stopped.

"Child."

I whined lightly at the mixture of the warm touch yet the coldness in her voice.

"Don't be a fool."

Then, there was nothing.

I jumped awake looking around my room frantically.

These nightmares are going to kill me. Well, they're not just nightmares.

I rubbed my hand on my chest right over my heart. My left hand went through my hair and fell back against the bed. I tried to calm my breathing as I tried to recant what day it was.

It's the first day of September. A week before school. A couple of weeks after meeting Blinky and AAARRRGGHH.

My chest rose and fell in even patterns, so I placed my arms back down to my sides and let out a small sigh. I pushed myself and twisted so my feet collided with the cold floor. I leaned over and grabbed my phone. I checked the time to see that it was around noon and that I had a couple of messages. I had a couple of text from Toby asking if when I got up if I wanted to hang out as we have been for the last couple of days. Little bike rides about the area with a couple of hours at the arcade.

I had a text from Claire asking how I like the town since we've lasted talked. Which was actually not long ago. We've gotten into this weird rhythm of texting around one due to how this would be the time that both of her parents would be busy and she would be left with her little brother. Stating she liked my company and ideas so texting me when she had the chance felt right during that time. She's really fun though. Very energetic and unique. Like a breath of fresh air when it comes to the shit that I've dealt with.

To quote a wonderful writer, even Da Vinci couldn't have sketched a more perfect woman than the one he met.

Even if she's not perfect completely. I bet she has her problems. She's just perfect for someone that has a shit ton to deal with. She's understanding when I'm late to text back or if I'm distant when we talk. She even stated that she could tell that I had something up but didn't question it.

Thank Deya she didn't.

I shot off replies to both of them as I got another notification. This one from my mom. She hasn't questioned me just randomly leaving. She's chalked it up to me wanting to recapture what I had in this town long ago.

I love her. Trying so hard to fill the gaps that were placed. Trying to make a house that felt so big, feel smaller. After all that has happened to her, she still tries to place me first. But now and then she had to understand that she couldn't do everything. So I tried to take some of it up myself.

There was one time that she detailed how as a kid I decided that I wanted to help her. I didn't know how it would help at the time, but I wanted to take down my mom's original wedding photo and replace it with one of us. Just her and me. So I grabbed a chair with a photo in hand and tried to take the one down. The plan went smoothly until I somehow fell down and shattered the picture frame to the one of her and my birth father. She said I started to bawl. She came running down the stairs from a dead slumber to find me with a toppled over wooden chair and a bunch of glass on the ground.

I expected her to be angry. I thought she'd be upset. It was the only photo she had of my dad. The only one of her in that wedding dress and I ruined it.

But she ran straight to me.

She said that I was more worried about the photo than the glass that ended up in my hand and it made it smile. I cared more about her feelings than anything else. What made her said though was that I was only seven. A little seven-year-old that thought a photo meant more than him. So she cleaned up the mess. Pulled the glass out of my hand. She kissed my head and held me in her lap. Saying one thing that always got me ever since.

"There is not a thing in this world that could make me stop loving you. The sun could burst and the sky could fall and I will still be here for you. Through it all."

I smiled as I decided to call her instead. It only took a little bit for her to pick up.

"Hey there Atlas!"

"Hi, mom."

"You didn't get into trouble, did you?" I rolled my eyes at her with a smile. "I swear nothing's wrong. I just say you texted and figured you were on lunch by now." I heard a hum on the other side to affirm my idea.

She totally has her face full right now.

I chuckled at myself before we continued with our conversation. I hung up at the end feeling like a good son.

For once.

I shook that idea from my head frantically. I really need to get those ideas out of my head. These nightmares, these replays. They're fucking with my head.

I got up completely at this point and made my way to the bathroom. I put my hands on the counter and leaned forward. I noticed the bags in my eyes that seemed so deep into my face that could have been tattooed. I noticed the tiny light scars that were sporadic on my face. I then slowly took off my shirt. I watched it fall to the floor, too much of a coward to see in the mirror what I already knew resided on my skin. I slowly looked up to see the deep discolored lines that covered my skin. A giant side slash going from my one shoulder all the way down to the top of my waist. There were many little scars that covered my biceps and abdomen to the point that I couldn't remember ever not having them there.

My sight blurred before I furiously started rubbing at my eyes.

No fucking ten-year-old deserved this shit.

No fucking thirteen-year-old deserved these thoughts.

Yet I'm the teenager that decides to keep going with this stuff.

I slammed my fist against the counter as I silently sobbed. I clenched my teeth as I leaned back with my hands glued in place.

No kid deserves to be thrown into shit. No kid deserves to get forced into a role they don't understand.

I didn't deserve to be forced into a world I didn't know by a man I thought I knew.

I screamed this low growl and pushed myself backward. I looked back up in the mirror and saw the redness of my eyes and the tear stains that painted my cheeks.

But I continue so that no other kid does.