Age of Lion's

Chapter 13

Heavy Metal

Tellad-Urr had his enemy all subdued and tied up on a dish. But now she has managed to break free from his clutches and has his clones in assist to capture her. "Stand still! You, filthy feline!" He roared. Zelda dodged the massive Dark Trollhunter's hand trying to reach her. She jumped on a nearby rock and clawed on the surface looking down upon them like a lizard sticking onto a wall. "I understand your suffering, Tellad-Urr. And I know that you're tired and you wish to stop fighting. But helping Gunmar, killing Orlagk, and bring war upon the surface will not help you. It will only bring you to an end." She lectured. Tellad-Urr snarled and growled aggressively as if she was making fun or reminding him of the scar her partner left on his face.

Then suddenly a little goblin crawled upon his shoulder and whispered into his ear delivering him a message. "They're here?" Tellad-Urr's eyes widen thinking of his expected guest were now arriving at a bad time. He looked up at the girl above him and thought to himself that playing cat and mouse with this creature is wasting his time, and that he needed to present the Silver Lion to the Skullcrusher and trad in all the goods he had stolen from the village. He'd brought out Claire's Shadow staff and opened the portal and commanded his clones, "I need to attend a meeting." He said to his copies. "Do what you can to seize the girl and make sure that her powers are suppressed, before she is brought before, Gunmar the Black." He walked into the portal.

. . .

Gunmar and Bular were in the middle of the forest outside of Glastonbury Tor waiting awaiting for the fallen hero. Gunmar had his arms crossed irritated impatient for Tellad-Urr to be late in this hour. A sounding of a cricket was heard out of boredom which drew Bular's attention and squashed the little bug with his big foot; "What could be taking that fool so long?" Starting to become annoyed of Tellad-Urr's tardiness.

. . .

"What do you think is holding up Merlin's miscreation." Marshall whispered looking over the boulder he and his friends were hiding. "Do you think Toby and the other's got out?" Claire wondered. "I don't know, but once Tellad-Urr shows up we take our chance and sneak our way into Trollmarket." Jim said.

. . .

Zelda knew that she needed to find some way to get away from these fake versions of Tellad-Urr and find a way out of here and fast. She remembered the boy who'd helped her earlier and believed that she needed to repay him in return. But how can she shake them off without tracking her scent or chasing her? Then an idea clicked in her head. She'd reached for her pouch and pulled out a round, glass jar, with purple substance inside. The potion made by their alchemists they invented and called, Mask Mist. They made it to help not only create a powerful smoke bomb to flee from their enemies, but to also erase any trace of the Silver Lion's scent incase they were around any dangerous creatures. She raised the jar high and throw it down hard on the ground. Breaking the glass erupting a massive fog of black smoke making the clones choke and shutting their eyes. One of them tried to catch her scent but they couldn't smell anything in the air. "Where did she go?!" one of them said.

. . .

The original Tellad-Urr opened the portal outside to whom where the two Gumm-Gumm's had been long waiting for. "You're late," Gunmar growled. "Oh, calm yourself Gunmar," Tellad-Urr said to him. "I was busy making sure I have everything in order. You come claim what you'd desire and you'll no longer be a thorn on my side."

"What did you just say," Gunmar growled.

"Oh, you heard me loud and clear. I do not fear you nor your brute of a son," Tellad-Urr said.

. . .

From the Trollhunter's hiding behind the boulders, Jim, Claire, Marshall, Leo, and Gogun heard Bular snarl and step forward the dark Trollhunter-only for his father to hold him back with a single hand.

"Let me devour him, father!" Bular roared. "I'll crack open his red shell and sup on the quivering marrow inside! Then use his bones as toothpicks to scrape the sinew from my fangs!"

"Your obscene bloodlust fills my black heart with pride, son," said Gunmar. "But I shall be the one to unmake him."

"You'll do nothing of the sort," the scarlet Trollhunter replied. "Not while I have these."

Tellad-Urr signaled, and more enslaved Trolls slumped out of the black hole carting those wheelbarrows. Only now, Jim noticed, the carried polished weapons, not iron scraps.

"Crafted from human metal, forged in the crystal furnace of our Trollmarket," Tellad-Urr said. "You should now have enough to arm every member of our bargain, Gunmar. You do the same."

Bular greedily snatched two matching swords-each fitted with a bone hilt – and slashed them through the air. Gogun shivered, hearing the blades sing from behind the boulder.

"Father, I want these," said Bular

"Keep them," Gunmar said. "May they ever drip with the blood of your enemies."

Claire's eyes focused on the Shadow Staff – her Shadow Staff – in Tellad-Urr's grasp, then on the browbeaten Trolls shipping additional weapons back and forth through the portal. She ben close to Jim and whispered, "That's our ticket into their Trollmarket."

"We're gonna have to time this just right," Jim said back. "Follow me and keep low!"

Before Gogun could protest, Leo shoved him out from behind, careful to remain out of their enemies sights. They'd nearly reached the gateway when everyone heard a soft mew. Jim and Mashall's blood ran cold. "Quiet, Shmorkie!" Gogun whispered scolded.

The son of Gunmar unsheathed his new swords and began prowling Glastonbury Tor, while his father argued with the Dark Trollhunter in the background.

"Lion-human hybrids?" Gunmar unconvinced and clearly unimpressed. "Do you really take me for a fool? There is no such thing."

"Oh, they're real alright, Skullcrusher. These beasts have a special power than can unlock one's hidden potential ten-fold. Something that might help aid you of destroying Orlagk."

"Well, if what you're saying is true then where's your proof? Oh, Terrible one." Gunmar crossed his arms still not convince. "I have one in Trollmarket right now," Tellad-Urr stated. "Or at least I do." He shook his head to regain focus and continued. "Look the point is. If you give me time to retrieve the animal, I will bring it to you, and you will see for yourself."

"I do not have time to waste on your assumptions," Gunmar said. "The Gumm-Gumm's and I will be leaving quietly without reprisal, and your Trollhunting duties will be at an end – once I have murdered Orlagk and assumed control of his armies, that is."

Gogun tried to craw in after Jim, Claire, Marshall, and Leo but didn't fit. His voice low due to Bular's proximity, Jim said, "You've gotta blend in with the other Trolls and push us into that portal!"

Claire saw the indecision in the elder Troll's eyes and said, "Do it for Schmorkie, Gogun."

Bular loped over to the train of wheelbarrows funneling to and from, his twin swords glinting in the moonlight, his back turned to the five tresspasers.

Mew.

Bular's Head whipped around at once. But all he saw was the back of an old, hobbling Troll in a smack disappearing through the black hole.

. . .

Zelda had finally managed to break away from the Tellad-Urr clones and retrace her steps when she'd last saw the boy with the trolls that were with him to the dungeon. Hoping that they'd not eaten him. She even uses her cue sense of smell to follow the strange but sweet aroma she'd never smelt before. Made a right around a building and . . .THUD! "Oww!" Zelda landed on her butt rubbing her poor head hurt from the hard unexpecting impact. "Sorry." She looked up seeing a big giant stone creature with four horns covered in thick green moss all over his body. "Hey, it's you," Toby came around from Arrrgh noticing the girl. "You!" Zelda said surprised seeing him with the trolls. "You're actually friends with these creatures?" "Creatures, is an understatement." The six-eyed troll said, before he looked and take notices Zelda. His mouth dropped a gasp and could not believe it himself. Everything Toby said was right. Arrrgh kindly offered her his giant stone hand to help lift her up. Zelda was unassured and hesitant but judging by the boy who'd helped her and whom was with them. Somehow it was able to convince her enough. She took the trolls hand and he pulled her off from the ground. "Thankyou," she said. Arrrgh smiled and said, "You're welcome. Blinky furthered examined her and still could not believe that he was seeing another lion before him. "Remarkable. She truly is a Silver Lion. And she's the spitting image of Tal-" Before Blinky could finish Toby quickly shuts his trap before he could say anything else. He looks at her smiled awkwardly and said, "Sorry, he. . .he's crazy." Zelda looks at them confused with a cocked eyebrow.

. . .

"You did good, Gogun," complimented Jim, his pulse still racing. "Worthy of a Trollh-"

"Don't say it!" Gogun cried.

"It's okay big guy," Mashall patted his back. "We made it through alive didn't we? Now let's go find our friends."

Leo sniffed the air to find a trace of his beloved of where they might have her prisoner but could not smell anything. "I can't find Zelda's scent," He said in his lion form. "Where could they possibly be?"

A loud sniffing noise came from just around the corner. Jim stood protectively in front of Claire. Marshall summoned his aura radiating in the palm of his hands into a fighting position. As Leo crouched down defensively preparing to fight whatever comes their way.

"Oh no! It's him! He's back for my kitties!" Gougun shrieked. "AAIIEEE!"

"Not 'AAAIIIEEE!," said the huge Troll in front of them "It's Arrrgh."

Jim, Claire, and Marshall broke into relieved smiles. But Leo on the other hand was still crouched down like a territorial animal baring his fangs intimidated by the trolls massive size. Marshall turns toward him and calms him down, "Take it easy. He's with us." Leo looks at him confused before turning back at Arrrgh waving his stone hand greeting with a friendly smile. "Leo?" Zelda appeared beside him. Leo's eyes widen and reverted back to his human form, "Zelda!" He quickly embraces his partner relieved to seeing her alright. "I was so worried. Did he hurt you?" "No. I'm fine Leo. Thanks to this boy and his friends." She turned towards chubby metal-face boy.

"Uh, hi." Toby sheepishly waved at Talia's ancestor.

"Leo the Slayer?!" Blinky said out loud taking a good look at the young lion grabbing onto his face. "So this is what you look like before you were named Chieftain. Never would I imagine—" "Blinky!" Marshall immobilized him with his magic and shutting his mouth. He pulled him away and spoke to him in private. "What are you doing? Are you trying to mess up the timeline? For a wise troll that was a pretty stupid move."

Leo looked at Zelda confused as she shrugs not having any clue herself. Jim then saw the many freed Trolls gathered behind Blinky, and said, "Looks like you made some new friends."
"Oh, I wouldn't call them friends, necessarily," said Blinky. "More like acquaintances we met during our brief incarceration. In fact, Master Jim, until today, I don't believe I've ever seen any of those . . . Trolls . . . . before."

Blinky's voice trailed off as he spotted two young Trolls wandering between the other released prisoners. Both were boys, both had four arms, and both had six eyes – just like Blinky. The youngest of the two seemed lost frightened, until his older sibling handed him a book. They turned its pages together, the little one now smiling in reassurance as his big brother taught him how to read.

"Dictatcious?" Blinky uttered in recognition, his voice barely audible. "Then that means the younger on is. . .Great Gronka Morka!"

"Great Gronka Morka!" the other Trolls immediately chanted. "Great Gronka Morka!"

"What in the world is that about?" asked Claire.

"Holy Toby, is that a long story," sighed Toby.

As the released Trolls continued their mantra, Jim said to his friends, "Guys there's someone you've gotta meet. Please say 'hello' to Gogun the. . ."

Jim drew everyone's attention to the spot Gogun had occupied, only to find it empty.

"Gone?" Jim finished in surprise, the old dancing Troll nowhere in sight."

Leo's face frowned in disbelief and utter disgust. These three kids had faith and trusted the old troll. He even was having high hopes for him. And now he flees leaving them behind, "Coward."