Chapter 10: In which the mercury rises
The kids were tired of being stuck in Camelot, plain and simple. For those who had little interest in reading, the place lost its appeal quickly. And they had been trapped there for three weeks.
Zoe was the most vocal (her presence in the castle being involuntary, unlike the rest) but Toby echoed her complaints immediately, and it wasn't long before Claire and Jim joined in. Unfortunately Merlin's flat-out denial deflated their hopes for one evening on the ground.
"If I could be sure of getting back up here I'd use shadow portals," Claire sighed. "But I don't know if I could make it if Camelot drifts more than a few miles away, and I definitely don't want us getting lost."
"We could take the airship," Toby suggested almost slyly. "It just needs a driver."
"You really think Douxie would do it if he knew Merlin wouldn't want him to?" Jim wondered. Even if he didn't know the wizard well, he knew intuitively that he sought Merlin's approval.
"No telling unless we ask."
At first Douxie's response was exactly what they expected. Merlin had been letting him take an active part in his research recently and he didn't want to lose that privilege. But when they begged for just one hour eating burgers, he began to waver. After weeks of nothing but fruit and raw vegetables pilfered through the dumbwaiter, the prospect of fast food was too tantalizing to pass up.
"If I take all of you down Archie will have to stay behind," he said thoughtfully, considering the logistics involved. "I don't know that I'd be able to find Camelot again without a sense of what direction it is. As long as he's here I'm sure I can do it, though."
"Wait, what about Jim?" Zoe wondered, nonplussed. "Don't you guys think he sticks out like a sore thumb?"
But the half-troll grinned at everyone toothily. "All we have to do is make it look natural and no one will suspect a thing."
Douxie's dragon familiar expressed some anxiety at the idea, but the promise of something particularly fresh and fishy persuaded him to keep his mouth shut.
That night they made sure the trolls, Galahad and Merlin were all distracted before sneaking into the main hall and climbing into the airship. Douxie waited until Camelot passed into a cloud and then slipped their vehicle through the gate. Hovering inside the thick mist long enough to be sure they hadn't been spotted, he steered them down toward freedom.
"Best way to travel," Jim said as he romantically wrapped one arm around Claire.
"Nah, it's a bit tame," she teased.
"Are you kidding me?" Douxie spoke up behind them, a mischievous hint in his tone. "This is just low gear. Hold on!"
There was a shiver of energy beneath their feet and the passengers grabbed onto railings right before the airship went dipping, climbing and looping like a rollercoaster on steroids. Everyone let out whoops of excitement as the wind whipped past and gravity alternated between excessive and nonexistent. Even Zoe couldn't keep back a wild smile and the occasional yelp.
"Still think this is tame?" Douxie tossed at Claire through a wicked grin. "Take it back!"
"Never!" she screamed, laughing with exhilaration.
He finally set down after she cried uncle (and Toby threatened to puke). It was only a small town somewhere in Florida, but the sight of a McDonald's made it seem like heaven. Heads turned and a few phones raised to take pictures as they walked in the door, though most people glanced away after politely observing them for a minute.
"Zoe, I think you're the one who sticks out like a sore thumb," Jim verbally poked at her.
After all, she was the only one of them not in costume. Both Claire and Toby wore their armor, Douxie still had his outfit from the Middle Ages, and Jim was just himself. The shadow witch whipped out the debit card her parents had given her before leaving Arcadia, volunteering to treat them all.
In minutes they were enjoying their first fast food meal in weeks (or days in Zoe's case). Jim contented himself with the hamburger wrappers when no spectators were looking, but he assured them it was a bit like eating the real thing. The pink-haired witch had been careful to choose a spot at the opposite end of the table from Douxie. And naturally Toby overlooked the strained mood between them.
"Finally got the two of you to sit down in the same room!" he crowed, not bothering to consider why it had been such a difficult accomplishment in the first place. "Douxie's known you for almost a year ever since he moved to Arcadia, right?"
Zoe nodded, using the excuse of stuffing her mouth with fries to avoid a direct answer. Claire tried to catch her friend's attention to warn him against this line of questioning, but he was too busy to notice.
"He also said you work at Hex Tech with a few other wizards, but I thought that was just some repair shop for computers and gadgets."
"Well, it is. And we do a dang good job of it too." The pink-haired witch shot a look Douxie's way as though offended he'd said anything about her without express permission. "When he first came to town we let him try his hand at fixing something easy like a motherboard, but it turns out he's even more unqualified in electronics than he is in magic. Put the two together and you get a pretty messy explosion."
Although Toby laughed aloud at that, the other two only gave half-hearted smiles, unsure whether this was supposed to be a joke or not. Douxie himself didn't respond except for the slightest narrowing of his eyes.
"Do wizards all know each other?" Toby continued, still oblivious. "I mean, there can't be a lot. Can there, Zoe?"
"Wizards try not to advertise themselves too much," she answered, poking a few limp lettuce leaves she'd peeled off her burger. "I know the ones in my family and a few I've met here and there in California, plus the three that run Hex Tech with me, but that's it. We tend to keep to our own circles."
"You could say hedge wizards are outcasts," Douxie added cuttingly. "They tend to be looked down upon for being weaker, so their connections are usually much more limited. That's why they use their powers to help mortals. Not many in the realm of magic-kind are interested in what they can do."
Zoe's eyes flashed. "As if that's a felony! It's not our fault we don't have as much magic as the thankfully-rare ambient wizards. Besides, I think character matters more than the extent of magic at your fingertips or an over-the-top British accent. Don't you agree, Jim?"
The Trollhunter was already beginning to feel uncomfortable between the two combative members of his party, but being put on the spot made him even more nervous.
"Hey, I'll bet everyone's thirsty! Claire and I will go get some drinks. Toby, care to join us?"
The chubby teenager was about to tell his friend that he'd prefer to stay, but Jim's large hand nearly picked him up and the three of them headed for the cash register.
"Gormless," Douxie commented on Toby before turning a scowl toward Zoe. "Like some others I know."
"You don't have to be a first-class jerk all the time now, Casperan," she ground out.
"Ha! As if you didn't start this! But you know what?" he said with sudden surprise. "It's amazing how free I feel now that I'm not trying to impress you every time we're together. I can tell you exactly what I think about all the comments and insults thrown my way since we met without worrying that you'll think badly of me. Positively blinding!"
He ended with a satisfied sigh, tipping back slightly in the chair as he folded his hands behind his head. Flustered, Zoe glanced away from him. She couldn't think of any way to reply to the accusation that didn't sound like a lame excuse.
"Maybe I did act that way, but I do care whether you live or die." This was her chance to tell him. She took a deep breath. "Whatever happens… don't fight that Green Knight. Promise me you won't."
He grew grim and his chair set back down with a loud clack. "You know I can't make a promise like that."
"He's going to kill you!" Zoe erupted, unable to keep it to herself any longer. Heads swiveled at the outburst and several tables went quiet. "I saw it in the Shadow Realm, I swear! Please… don't."
Douxie stood up with a scoff and sauntered toward the door. "Very funny. You'll have to try better than that."
Stunned at being brushed off so callously, she charged after him. But the second she stepped outside Douxie grabbed her arm, dragging her around the corner of the restaurant. The smirk was gone.
"There is a time and place to talk about killing!" he nearly hissed. "Why would you say that in public?!"
"Because you've avoided me like the plague!" Zoe retorted scathingly as she yanked out of his grip. "Every time you see me in Camelot you go the other direction. And I know you sneak out the window when I've knocked on your door—Aaarrrgghh said he saw you. But I had to tell you. To warn you!"
The wizard tried not to look too abashed. "Though I'm grateful you would consider this so important that you'd announce it in a crowded restaurant, Claire already told me."
Brilliant waves of crimson heat swept up Zoe's neck and took over her face. She spun away, almost wishing a specterghast would come swallow her up. At least being torn to pieces by a five-headed monster would be less humiliating than this.
"Hey." He touched her elbow, voice soft now. "Thanks. I honestly didn't know you cared."
Without looking back she whispered, "But it doesn't bother you that he'll…?"
"Of course it does! You think I want to die like that?" He sighed, running one hand down the back of his head and making his cowlick even more pronounced. "The problem is that without more details I don't know when or where it takes place. How can I even prepare for it? What am I supposed to do?"
Leaning heavily against a stone railing that bordered the parking lot, he stared off toward the street and its intermittent parade of cars. Zoe was sure the knowledge weighed on him. It was easy to see now why her grandmother cautioned her against taking Foretellings too seriously. Worrying about the future took over the present. She didn't want that for him.
"Can…" the pink-haired girl started uncertainly as she groped for a way to distract him, "…can we at least be civil to each other? You're a real tossah when you want to be."
Douxie blinked, eyebrows climbing up doubtfully as he looked back at her. "Do you even know what 'tosser' means?"
"That's what you called Mark a couple months ago when he nagged you about bringing Archie into Hex Tech," she said with a shrug. "Seemed fitting."
"I guess it is," he grinned. "I'll try not to be one anymore since you asked so nicely. Same goes for you, though."
"It's honestly hard to talk to you," she admitted. "I thought I knew what kind of person you were all along, but now I'm beginning to realize I have no idea who you are. I… I want to."
The witch and wizard stood side by side, not speaking. For the first time the tension and unease between them had drifted away. It was nice to relax in comfortable silence—no expectations or exasperation getting in the way.
From inside the restaurant, Toby peered through a window at the couple. "See? I knew they'd make up if they just had the opportunity. I'm a genius!"
"That's debatable," Jim said, nudging his friend good-naturedly.
Throughout the next few days in Camelot, Nari joined them off and on to chat tentatively and share meals. Everyone welcomed her, though Blinky was particularly interested in her version of history. Whenever he managed to corner her, he always brought along something to jot down notes (sometimes with two hands writing at the same time) and his questions were often so specific that she could hardly answer.
The success of their first outing was so refreshing that the group met every night once things had settled down. Its secrecy and excitement gave them something to look forward to.
On the fifth evening of freedom they soared over Houston and narrowed in on a large mall with domed ceilings to keep out the brutal Texas heat that hung heavily on the city even after sundown. Through the glass ceiling, clusters of people could be seen drifting along the corridors of shops, laughing and talking and sipping smoothies. The group left their airship tucked between some trees near an entrance.
They meandered along, able to experience so much all at once—the scents of cooking food and perfume, the drone of background music or chatting that created a lively mood, but most of all the sheer novelty of being surrounded by ordinary people. Jim reached down and took Claire's hand, eliciting a delighted smile. Somewhat predictably, Toby decided to give a demonstration of his Warhammer to a few curious onlookers, though at least he was careful enough not to let it float.
They had settled in the food court after ordering Chik-fil-A, laughing as they swapped stories and relived memories. Everything seemed to be going fine until a little girl pointed upward with a smile and cried, "Pretty birds!"
A few heads tilted up and then the following shocked exclamations attracted others, rippling throughout the room. When the Trollhunter gang looked too, a fearful blanket of dread dropped over all of them as they saw a flock of perhaps two dozen niffins scrabbling and clawing at the glass.
"We're in trouble!" Jim hissed to the others. "That ceiling isn't nearly as strong as Merlin's barrier so they're going to break in any second and go for me. We've got to get everyone out of here now. Doux, can you do anything to encourage them?"
"Sorted!" he said with a nod, standing to search the room.
"Good. Claire, portal as many niffins as you can when they get close. Douxie, Zoe and Toby will be with me and we'll take care of the ones that are left. But we can't show off any skills until—"
A loud blare of flashing fire alarms drowned out his next words. After leaping up in surprise, most people headed for the exits, but quite a number hung back thinking it was a joke. And that was the moment the ceiling caved. Glass shards and maniacal shrieks filled the air, inspiring the stragglers to head for safety even as they raised phones to record the event.
Claire waited until the food court was mostly empty before opening portals. She kept them small to avoid using too much energy at once, snaring one or two niffins at a time as they descended on the group. Jim's glaives took care of quite a number, Douxie threw out sky blue blasts of magic, and even Zoe took down some with her techno-wand. There were only a handful left when a surging wave of heat and flames swept down from the sky. Robed in feathers, the leader of the Arcane Order stood before the Trollhunters.
The birdlike skull hiding Bellroc's face twisted with jerky, animalistic movements as she surveyed the area, ignoring them. Her eyes passed over the neon signs above each restaurant along the wall and the array of now-empty chairs and tables that filled most of the space except for a tiny block of a garden with stiff, leafy bushes and miniature palm trees.
"Vulgar place. What beauty humankind aspired to create in architecture has been replaced by this… shameful attempt at utility. Aesthetics no longer matter to these generations. Gained in one millennium. Lost in the next. Another reason your kind is not worth the trouble of preserving."
When she spoke there was an odd deep echo to her voice, as though the same words slipped through the teethlike decoration on her clothing too. Two niffins landed on her shoulders, wings outspread as they glared and cackled at the group. Their noises grew even more excited when Bellroc threw a fireball toward the ice cream parlor and watched it burst into flames.
Jim stepped forward, giving off a boldness that was barely skin-deep without Daylight in his hand. "You know we won't hand Nari over."
"My sister belongs with us," she said forcefully, bony beak pointing toward him. The stone tiling beneath her feet had begun to quiver and melt as the witch grew angrier. "You maggots fooled her into leaving and I will make you pay for your audacity!"
"Give it up, Bellroc! We all know you can't kill any of us!" Toby called with something very close to smugness.
Everyone wished he hadn't opened his mouth. His challenge appeared to set her on edge. She stepped closer and they could see bandages wrapped around her arms and legs as though she'd suffered burns from her own fire.
"Perhaps I cannot kill, little mortal, but you would be surprised how much punishment the human body can take without expiring. Shall I demonstrate?"
In less than a second Bellroc shot at them, staff swinging in an arc that deflected the blasts from Zoe's wand and Douxie's hands. She spun, feathered cloak flaring as one bare foot connected with Jim's chest.
He flew back in a roll that landed him hard on his stomach, the piece of onyx digging deeper. Uncontrollable rage and pain warred inside. Claire raised her hands but before she could portal him to safety, Bellroc seized her by the jagged metal spines along the back of her armor. Flying bodily through the air, she had no time to even brace herself for the impact against a group of tables and chairs. They scattered as she hit them headfirst, then she lay there in a crumpled heap.
Toby gave a yell and threw himself forward only to be batted away with effortless ease, the Warhammer wrenched from his grasp so that he was left defenseless. She tossed it almost flippantly toward the skylight to crash through another window.
Douxie and the air witch shot down the remaining glow-harpies that had been hounding them, exchanging worried glances.
"I think we're in way over our heads, Casperan! You'd better have something up your sleeve," the pink-haired girl said out the side of her mouth.
Fire alarms still blared and flames were now crawling through the line of restaurants, the floor directly below Bellroc being eaten away by the sheer heat boiling from her. There wasn't much any of them could do against her.
Douxie could only think of one way out. He shut his eyes in concentration. "Arch, I need you now or else we—"
Bellroc's figure was a blur of red and black, swinging her staff in an uppercut that sent Zoe sprawling and then shoving him up against the wall. Her scorching hand made his chest feel like it was about to explode, nostrils stinging with the stench of singed cloth. Douxie tried to gather his magic for one aggressive burst.
Chanting reached his ears, the unfamiliar language carrying power behind it. Suddenly a ruby flash blinded him and Douxie felt his wrists imprisoned. The blue mist at his fingertips died as he recognized an advanced spell that restricted magic. Bellroc gazed at her captive hanging from the magic-bindings, toes hardly able to touch the floor. The fury fueling her earlier attacks had vanished as quickly as a candle blown out.
"What is this? So Skrael was correct. Yours is the fetid odor of time manipulated, boy. Asinine and arrogant." She brought one fist toward his face and it burst into crimson flames that made his pupils contract in fear. "Fire is strength, courage, but most of all… passion. I sense the potency of yours. Now who is the recipient of this emotion?"
"None of your business!" he shouted, straining to use his magic only for the bindings to flare more brightly.
"That one?" she wondered, the gem of her staff pointing at Zoe who was just barely beginning to make sluggish movements, then it shifted toward the motionless Claire. "Or that one?"
A glare was the only answer he gave. Her skull-mask turned slightly to the side and he could see one dark eye considering him.
"It would be a waste of time to bother with such unthreatening children. Yet… I believe Merlin would be quite distressed if his little fool of an errand boy ended up maimed for life. Don't you agree?"
Without warning her knee jammed into his stomach, followed by several sharp blows to the chest that made him double over. Bellroc's eyes narrowed with vicious enjoyment, and though her face remained hidden, she was doubtless smiling as he coughed and grunted.
Behind her, Toby helped Jim reach Claire. He shook her shoulder but she didn't open her eyes. Not far from them, Zoe pushed herself up and shook her head to clear away the double-vision. Heat built around her. More than half the restaurants were torched now and black smoke poured out through the ceiling. Zoe searched for her lost techno-wand but went rigid when she saw what their enemy was doing.
Bellroc paused, watching Douxie struggle to breathe only to gasp as the effort to do so hurt him even more. Every bone in his chest felt as though she'd cracked it.
"I don't have to do this," she said almost reasonably. "Tell me where Nari is being held then I will let you and your companions go without further injury."
Hair hung down as he panted in shallow breaths to keep his chest from hurting as much, the blue highlights in it glinting with reflected flames from the growing blaze across the food court. Douxie dragged his head upward to look at her.
"Up…" He stopped to cough, blood leaking from his mouth, then he continued in a defiant shout, "Up yours, ya daft minging cow!"
Calm changed to rage in an instant. Her staff whirled, the thick ebony wood striking his left elbow above the bracer. The crunch of broken bones was loud even among the incessant blare of the fire alarms and he cried out.
"I can sever your arm just as easily and cauterize the wound so that you won't bleed out!" the ancient witch practically screamed at him. "I've done it many times and I know best how to make the process as agonizing as possible!"
Intolerable pain contorting his face, Douxie gritted his teeth, took a breath and spat, "Cow!"
This time her weapon struck him on the side of the head. He slumped.
Jim's rapid footfalls made her twist about, barely knocking his two glaives aside in time, then he caught them as they returned and surged into a straightforward attack. She threw him off with a snarl, staff spinning upside-down so that the blade at its base sliced dangerously close to his head. Screeching like a banshee, Bellroc let fly a flurry of skillful, violent strikes he was hard-pressed to avoid.
While the two exchanged blows a growing distance away, Zoe rushed to where Douxie hung limply from the magical cuffs. Blood made a trail down the side of his face and an ugly purple bruise was already forming at his broken elbow.
"Douxie?!" she cried, holding his head and trying to get him to look at her. "Answer me! Are you okay?"
There was no response. She found her hands quaking and the rushing sound of blood pumping in her head grew so loud that it was almost impossible to hear anything. What could she do?!
Emerald fire flashed between the two fighters, making Bellroc jerk back in surprise. Merlin leaped out of the very air, coming down beside Jim. The blades of his vambraces popped out, one slashing at the witch even as their staffs met in a crackling explosion of power. Green mixed with red in blazes of magical light tinted with crooked runes.
Archie came flying down from the ceiling, Toby's oversized Warhammer held tight in his paws. He thrust it at the heavy teenager, throwing out, "Where's Douxie?!"
"He just got the snot beat out of him!" came Toby's response as he pointed.
"Merlin wants everyone on the airship now!" Archie told them. "It's right over there. I'll get Douxie and join you in a minute!"
"Jimbo!" Toby called. "Help me with Claire!"
Jim left the two battling wizards to get his girlfriend, cradling her carefully in his arms as they searched for the airship Merlin had leaped from on his arrival. Toby let out a victorious cry as his floundering arms touched the invisible vehicle. Together they climbed aboard, then looked back.
Archie could be seen hovering by Douxie, at a loss since neither he or Zoe could free him from the magical handcuffs. But Jim could see Merlin was in trouble. Even though he was spry for an old man, after the display Bellroc had given earlier against them, it was obvious she was toying with him now. Step by step she drove him back, derisive laughter slipping out as he was forced into nothing but defensive strikes.
Jim's blue eyes traveled down to the onyx shard in his chest, embedded in the very object he needed so desperately. Merlin had said only the Trollhunter could unlock the Amulet's true potential, and he'd used it to defy the soul-sucking power of the Decimaar blade. Whether or not this tool of corruption hurt him, he was not about to let pain prevent him from doing what he had to do!
With a running leap he vaulted from the airship. "For the glory of Merlin!" echoed through the burning building as he threw himself entirely on the mercy of the Amulet and his deep-rooted connection to it.
Fierce scorching heat clawed at his chest, but the Eclipse Blade materialized in his hands as he came down in front of Bellroc. Her string of chanting broke off as his sword cleaved her mask. The witch fell back with a scream, bone skull shattering on the floor. Lava-like blood poured from her eyes and she half-raised her hands as though in disbelief.
"Get Doux out of here now!" Jim ordered the wizard, not looking away from the figure on the ground before him. "He's in bad shape!"
For the first time Merlin caught sight of his apprentice. The magic-bindings had vanished with Jim's attack on Bellroc, and Zoe staggered trying to carry him toward the airship. Archie transformed into an almost-exact copy of his wizard friend and helped her lift him.
Leaping back aboard the airship, Merlin steered it close to them and grabbed all three with levitation. He was about to do the same to Jim when Bellroc's groping hand encountered her staff. Claire sat up just in time to see her jab it towards the Trollhunter. She shrieked another spell that reverberated through the air before a searing tornado of fiery winds churned around them.
When it cleared they were both gone.
"Jim! Where did he go?" Claire cried, holding one hand to her bruised head. She looked over to see two Douxies on the airship, one of them unconscious and the other wearing glasses as he crouched there on all fours and stared intently at his double. "Wait, what happened?"
"He's gravely injured, Merlin!" Archie called, a running sweep of flames turning him from ungainly human back to handsome dragon once more. "I've never felt it this bad before."
"But what about Jim?!" the shadow witch repeated more forcefully.
Merlin didn't answer and the airship was already aiming for the shattered ceiling. As they passed through and gained altitude, she and Toby looked back to see at least a dozen firetrucks surrounding the mall.
But Zoe didn't even care enough to give all the commotion a glance. Something had seized her throat from the inside, blocking it up with sand so that it was impossible to swallow. Through all of that he… he still hadn't moved.
A/N: Does anyone else find it irritating that Archie's ability to mimic specific people was never covered even once until he impersonated Nari? If they had at least featured that part of his ability, I'd consider the angle clever, but they pulled it out of nowhere based solely on this:
Steve: So how many things can your cat turn into?
Douxie: That depends. How many things are there?
Even if it hadn't been a random, easily-overlooked comment, that's not enough for me. We needed to see Archie turning into a human earlier to give us a better idea of what's possible with him and help lay groundwork for the swap. And to make things more understandable, they should have shown Archie being kicked out of one or two transformations by doing something cat-like. As it is, I was annoyed rather than impressed by the whole attempt.
I wanted to comment also on the way Douxie never really takes charge of everyone. Yes, of course he makes suggestions and warns them about what to avoid doing in the past, but not once does he really dish out commands the way a leader would. It's always an agreed-upon course of action with the others. Even though we practically get no chance to see how Jim and Douxie react in a crisis side-by-side in "Wizards", my impression is that Douxie's role is mainly that of an adviser. He's been around for centuries, but in all that time the only ones he's ever been in charge of are Archie and himself, so I suspect he's much more comfortable letting others make decisions while he uses his experience to offer guidance and magical assistance.