Merlin's Mistake
Leo should've expected as much, but he never could imagine to feel utterly disappointed by that old hermit troll abandoning his own followers like that. All that training and for what? The Silver Lion turned towards Jim searching for Gogun supposedly to be Tellad-Urr's new successor around each corner. This boy, had faith in him, his friend's, and . . And arguably he too was feeling the same way.
But that no longer mattered anymore. He needed to return home and face Axton for his treachery and deception, and prevent him exposing his clan and endangering his people.
"So, Axton had this planned all along?" Zelda with a voice of betrayal. "He refused to help Tellad-Urr and knew he would somehow end up like this. And now he wants to reveal our clan to the world."
Leo put both of his hands on her shoulder's to comfort her. "I know that this is a lot to take,Dear, but must return to our village and stop Axton. Or everyone we know and love is doomed."
"Yes, but we have to informed and warned everyone, but how will we get them to listen?" Asked Zelda.
"My father," he replied. "He's captain of the guard. If there's anyone besides Axton they trust it's him."
Marshall overheard the two lion's conversation and went up to talk to them, "Wait? You're not leaving us now are you? Aren't you gonna help us stop Tellad-Urr?"
"The Scar's marked on his face will help bring him to an end," Leo specified. "I'm sorry that I suspected you for being an evil wizard." He put a hand on his shoulder. "And thank you for helping me rescuing Zelda, my friend. But we cannot remain here much longer. Like we said. We were never allowed to interfere with Trollkind affairs." Just before he and Zelda were about to make their leave. Leo took one last look at the wizard apprentice. "Farewell."
But Marshall rushed right in front of them blocking their path. "But, you can't leave. Gogun has disappeared and these trolls need your help. There's no telling when your . . . This cursed scars of your. . . That you inflicted upon Tellad-Urr will happen. Believe it or not the world has already seen enough and very know well of your existence. There's no point in hiding."
Leo and Zelda did not respond and stood still for a moment before they vanished into thin air. "Leo!" Marshall shouted.
"Let them go, Marshall," Blinky said. "Besides we need to find our way home. To our own time."
. . .
The Trollhunter's and the rest of Blinky's followers made there way to the Glastonbury Tor Trollmarkets vault.
"At last," said Blinky reaching the vault's fortified doors. "Now, does anyone here happen to know the combination?"
The two young brothers pushed their way to the front of the crowd. Blinky gave them a wide berth, avoiding eye contact with the siblings. The eldest put two of his four green hands on a pair of tumblers. He rotated them back a few in the other. With a groan doors sank in rapid succession, revealing the open vault beyond them.
"Why thank you, Dic-er, young lad," Blinky said carefully.
"Of course Gronka Morak," replied young Dictatious taking his little brother by the hands. "Perhaps you'll repay the favor one day."
Blinky saw his younger self and brother return to the crowd and said,"Yes. . .perhaps."
Marshall saw how he looked at the two four-armed troll children wondering if he's ever still thinking about his brother. This version of Dictatious was different from the one they knew from the present. He wondered himself what it could've been if he weren't evil and working for Gunmar.
. . .
Inside the vault, Toby and Arrrgh dug through the many relics lining its thick crystal walls. In haste, Toby accidentally bumped his backside against a pile of delicate Troll items, spilling them to the floor - and revealing a Kairosect underneath.
"Bingo," Grumbled Arrrgh.
"Tobes, you found it!" Jim said, taking the Kairosect from his best friend.
"Yeah - and this bad boy too!" Toby replied as he then pulled his warhammer from another mound of Trollgear.
"Let me take it from here, Jim." Marshall said, taking the Kairosect from Jim. "I'll recite a chrono-incantation so we can get back to our own time and back -"
"This?" Said a sinister voice behind them, followed by the peep of an adorable meow.
Team Trollhunter's joy faded. They all turned around and saw Tellad-Urr the Terrible gently cradling Schmorkrarg in one red 'claw and holding Gogun by the throat in the other. The dark Trollhunter nodded to the Shadow Staff to his hip. Behind him, the freed prisoners scattered to all corners o their market in fear.
"Let Gogun go," Jim said back. "And Schmorke."
"Yeah," gurgled Gogun. "This seems like it's between the two of you and not really any of my business-Urk!"
Tellad-Urr tightened his grip around Gogun, but eased the kitten to the ground. He then considered the old Troll in his clutches and said, "You would risk your life to save this coward?!"
"He's going to become a Trollhunter," Jim answered definitely. "Just like me. Just like you used to be, Tellad-Urr."
"Not for much longer," muttered the dark Trollhunter ominously as he glared at Jim.
Before Team Trollhunter's had a chance to react, five more Tellad-Urr replicas zoomed around them. With lightning-fast speed, the duplicates struck down Jim, Toby, Claire, Blinky, Arrrgh, and Marshall in a flurry of scarlet fists.
And now he's got Araknok the Agile's quickness, Jim thought just before his body hit the ground.
Marshall's body was all numb from one of the clones attack he struggled with a little ounce of will the pick himself up. The clone that struck him stepped his foot on his back to subdue him.
"You come from the future, yet you do not perceive the inherit flaw in all Trollhunter's." Said the original Tellad-Urr, tossing aside Gogun like so much garbage.
The River Troll's smock snagged the Shadow Staff on his way down, dislodging it from Tellad-Urr's hip and sending it clattering across the vault floor. The dark Trollhunter did not seem to care, he was so consumed with his tirade, saying, "We must be strong enough to protect those around us, even as the Amulet erodes at our resolve, century. This is the wizard's folly. This is Merlin's mistake."
"No. You're the one who's making a mistake," Marshall grunted, trying to resist the pressure of the clone's foot on his back. The original walked his way over to the apprentice wizard listening to what he has to say. "You're the one who made the choice trusting Gunmar and taking that stone infecting to what you've turned yourself into right now. And for what? Because this was not the life you wanted? Don't feel appreciated or praised enough? That this is the easy way out?! Just because you think it is doesn't make it right."
"Oh? And what does a young sorcerer's apprentice know anything from being a hero or know the difference from right or wrong?" Tellad-Urr asked.
"I don't," Marshall confessed. "But at least I have a heart. And I think you should listen to what your heart is saying."
"He's right Tellad-Urr," Jim said. "And let me ask you this? Do you really think Gunmar and Bular will honor your deal? They're gonna double-cross you the second they over-throw Orlagk. Trust me, I've read about it!"
Tellad-Urr the Terrrible's devastated face twisted into contemptuous look-even as his four duplicates glanced at each other in concern. "Do . . .do you think it's possible?" Asked the second Tellad-Urr.
"Treachery is always possible with Gumm-Gumms," said the third.
"That seems to be all there is these days," mused the fourth ruefully. "Treachery."
"If only we-I-could go back and do things differently," the fifth now said. "Broken bones and endless obligation might not seem so painful if traveling the virtuous path once more."
"NO!" Roared the first Tellad-Urr, absorbing the quarrelsome quartet into his Amulet. "No more argument! No more voices or ticking or sacrifice!"
The dark Trollhunter stormed over to Gogun's bartered body, raising the hackles of the startled kittens gathered around him. Tellad-Urr pressed one red boot on top of the old Troll's chest and pledged, "I will never pass Merlin's misery on to another. History will change."
"You can change, too," said Jim, now on his feet. "Anyone an."
"You lie!" Tellad-Urr snapped.
"No lie," Arrrgh said as he rose next to Jim. "I change."
"Aarghaumont speaks true, Tellad-Urr," Blinky interjected as he Toby, Claire recovered, and Marshall blasting the clone off of him with his gravity magic getting him back on his feet. "He once fought on the side of Gumm-Gumms as one of their strongest warriors. Yet his true strength lay inside, making his miraculous change of heart possible."
"You can be triumphant again," Claire said, quickly tucking her hand under her coat.
Gogun cracked open one fearful eye as Tellad-Urr lifted his boot. The dark Trollhunter's lopsided face seemed to soften as he considered these six stranger's words. Turning his back on them, Tellad-Urr braced his hands on one of the thick walls, as if steadying himself. Jim and his friends looked hopefully to each other - until Tellad-Urr dug his claws into the wall. The dark Trollhunter excavated an enormous hunk of crystal from the vault, raised it over his one-horned head, and uttered, "Not if I can help it."
Jim, Claire, Marshall, Toby, Blinky, and Arrrgh had just enough time to share one last, desperate look before Tellad-Urr the Terrible slammed the crystal wall down upon them.