Chapter 38: The Darklands
Trollmarket, January 30th, 2017
How do we get to the Darklands? That was a good question. The Darklands had been sealed off since the battle of Killahead Bridge, James Lake Jr knew that. But they weren't perfectly sealed. There were ways around it. "We need the Fetch," he said.
"The Fetch? But that portal's not big enough to…" Toby's eyes widened. "Oh! If we can see through it, then we can open a portal into the Shadowlands!"
"You mean I can," Dawn said with a grin. "Thanks to the Key."
"We don't know if you can open a portal to the Darklands," Claire told her with a frown.
Dawn shrugged. "We can test that easily. Just give me the staff."
"We will not be opening any portals to the Darklands here," Vendel cut in.
"And we need the Fetch first, anyway," Jim pointed out.
"Where is it?"
"It's in Trollmarket's vaults," Jim told her. Vendel raised his eyebrows at him, which Jim ignored. "We put it there after we…" He took a deep breath. "After we tried to get Enrique back with it."
"Chompsky went in, but his lifeline was cut," Toby said.
"Who's Chompsky?" Buffy asked.
"He's a gnome."
"A gnome?" Buffy frowned. "What's a gnome?"
"You sent a gnome into the Darklands?" Vendel sounded shocked.
"He volunteered," Jim retorted.
"What is a gnome?"
"A gnome is a… gnome?" Toby explained. "Like a garden gnome, but alive."
"They're annoying creatures," Vendel said.
"Gnomes. Do they wear red pointy hats as well?" Xander snorted.
"Yes, actually," Jim said. "But don't touch the hats - they hate that."
"They have a big horn under the hat," Toby added. "And they're about this high." He moved his hands to show the size.
"Enough about gnomes," Buffy said. "So, we need that Fetch, and then we can look into the Darklands, and open a real portal to there."
Jim nodded.
"If Dawn manages that," Claire added.
"Let's find out."
"But with the utmost caution," Vendel said. "We cannot risk Gunmar and his horde escaping."
That went without saying, in Jim's opinion. Also… "We want to save the babies, though. We're not after Gunmar. Not yet." Especially since all of them were hurt, exhausted or both. Well, Buffy looked like she was ready to go, but Jim's legs and pretty much most of his body still hurt. More so now that he wasn't distracted by fighting for his life. But he could grit his teeth and bear it - babies depended on him. Enrique depended on him.
"But how will we find the babies?" Toby asked. "The Fetch only opens to a location, ah, relative to our location - if it moves here, it moves in the Darklands. That's why we sent Chompsky through."
"Oh, we have a friendly helper," Buffy said, smiling toothily at the troll between three guards. The changeling, Jim realised. "Right, Balar?" she said.
"Gunmar will kill me!" The big troll was trembling.
"He'll kill you anyway for deserting," Buffy replied. "So, you either help us, and live, or you die."
"A chance is better than certain death," Vendel said. "Although I believe you have alternatives," he commented, turning to Jim.
Strickler and NotEnrique, yes. "They're not available on short notice," Jim said. They couldn't spend hours travelling to Camelot and back. Not when Gunmar might start feeding babies to his trolls at any moment. "Let's go."
"Yes!" Dawn jumped up.
"What about…?" Willow pointed at Merlin's body.
"We will prepare him for a burial," Vendel said. "One more body will not make a difference."
Jim clenched his teeth. If they had been faster, so many trolls wouldn't have been killed. And Merlin might still be alive. He blinked. "There are still changelings left in their base!"
"They will have vacated it - they failed Morgana, and they know we will be coming for them," Vendel said. "They will scatter to the winds."
"Or try to go undercover again," Buffy suggested.
"They probably have bases spread over the world," Xander added.
"Yes, yes. Babies first, creepy troll shapechanging spies after," Buffy said. "Let's go before Gunmar opens an all-the-babies-you-can-eat buffet."
Jim wasn't the only one who winced at that.
They followed Vendel to the vault. "Where is Draal?" Jim asked. He hadn't seen the troll so far.
"Dealing with a few changeling holdouts. He took it upon himself to defend the trolls trapped in the outer parts of Trollmarket," Vendel replied as they reached the door. "We'll have to talk about using our vault without my knowledge," he added before opening the door and stepping inside.
Jim winced at that.
Buffy, though, scoffed. "Right after we talk about paying the trollhunters."
"Buffy!" Jim snapped. This wasn't the time.
"She's right, Jim," Claire said. "We have to discuss this once everything's over."
"What? But…" Jim shook his head. When had Claire changed her opinion?
"Babies first, salary second," Buffy said.
"Here's the Fetch!" Toby held the device up. "Careful - you can get stuck in it."
"Great. Dawn, get ready. Let's find out if we can enter the Darklands."
"Staff!" Dawn said.
Claire handed it over. She wasn't happy about it, Jim knew. But this was for Enrique.
"OK. Opening the Fetch now. I mean, operating the Fetch now." Toby opened a small portal, then moved it so Dawn could look through it.
"Wait!" Buffy held up a hand. "Show it to me, first - I want to check if there are any trolls hiding nearby."
"Uh…" Toby looked at Jim.
Jim nodded.
Buffy stuck her head through the portal while Jim held his breath. If a troll was waiting… But she pulled back after a few seconds. "It's all evil-stinky, but no trolls around."
"Alright." Dawn waved the staff, and a portal appeared.
And Jim could see another portal through the Fetch.
They could enter the Darklands.
The Darklands, January 30th, 2017
She was still in pain from all the blows she had taken - Slayer Healing was working too slowly, as always - but Buffy Summers didn't hesitate. Babies were at stake.
She stepped through the portal, scythe held ready, and quickly looked around. The other side was dark. Not pitch-black, though - there was some illumination from crystals or stuff. More than enough for her eyes to see everything in sight. "I don't see any trolls," she whispered.
"Do you hear any?" Jim whispered as he joined her.
She cocked her head, listening. "No."
Claire followed them inside. Buffy kept her mouth shut. The girl didn't have her staff - Dawn was using it so they could get out of this place again - and she wouldn't be of much use for this. But Claire wanted to save her brother. Buffy knew exactly how she was feeling.
At least she wasn't hurt or exhausted. Unlike Buffy's friends. But Buffy knew that trying to tell Xander, Willow or Tara to stay back would be pointless. Babies in danger - things couldn't get more urgent than that. Well, except for end of the world apocalypse stuff.
"I really shouldn't be here…" Balar complained when Toby pushed the trolley through the gate.
"Shut up. We need you to show us the way to the 'nursery'," Buffy told him.
"I don't know the way!" Balar claimed. "I spent my life on the surface! Amongst humans!"
"Liar!" Jim hissed. "You grew up here and then went through the Fetch to replace a child."
"That was centuries ago!"
"Then I hope for you that you've got a good memory," Buffy told him. "Lead on."
"The nursery has to be close, anyway," Toby said. "The Fetch was in range, so to speak, in Arcadia Oaks."
"That's not how it works!" Balar protested.
"Stop stalling." Buffy poked him with her scythe. "Start leading."
"I don't know where we are…" Balar looked around. "This is… unfamiliar."
Did the troll just make a pun about their 'familiars'? Buffy scowled at him and poked him again.
"Ow!"
"Did that prod your memory?"
He shook his head. "I don't remember this place… the Darklands change over time. It's been centuries!"
Damn. If that was true…
"We don't know that," Jim said.
"It does sound… well, it could be true," Claire said, biting her lower lip.
"Then we have to cast a locator spell." Willow took a step forward. She didn't quite stumble, but Buffy caught how her legs trembled.
"Do you have enough juice for that?" Xander asked.
"We're in the Darklands. The same dimension. And the nursery should be close."
That wasn't a straight answer. But Buffy didn't mention it. Babies in danger.
Willow sat down and pulled out a bowl and a plastic bottle. Tara joined her with a few bags of herbs and powders and stuff.
Buffy looked around again. This would take a bit of time. They had to protect Willow - if a spell got interrupted, things could turn out very badly. Even if it was just a locator spell.
"So… can I go back, then?" Balar asked.
"No," Buffy told him.
"We should send him back," Jim objected. "He's of no use to us here - and if we get into a fight, he could be a problem."
"Yeah," Toby added.
Buffy clenched her teeth. She wanted to drag the coward with them, if only to make him suffer for what he had done. But Jim was right - taking the troll with them wouldn't help anyone. And the coward might try to stab them in the back during a fight if he thought that might get him back into the good graces of Gunmar. "Alright. Vendel! Sending Balar back. Keep him under guard."
"But…"
Toby raised his hammer, and Balar fell silent. He stepped back through the portal with his head hung low.
Willow started chanting with Tara, and the smell of incense filled the air. It was a step up from the stench of mould and whatever, but it was also irritating - and Buffy wouldn't be able to smell any evil trolls headed their way as long as the air was filled with it.
Well, she could still hear them. And see them. She took a short breath, scoffed, then started moving around the place. Just in case.
But she didn't spot any trolls. Or goblins. Or anything at all.
Looking back, she saw that Jim and Claire were talking in low voices. Jim was leaning against an outcropping rock - and Buffy didn't think he was doing it to look cool. Jim was hurt worse than he let on. Damn. At least Toby… no, the boy was also favouring his side. And Xander didn't even try to hide how beaten up he was. At least he would stick to Willow and Tara, ready to protect them with his life instead of attacking any big bad evil trolls.
Great.
Babies, Buffy reminded herself. They had to save the babies. They couldn't wait and rest. Not with so many lives at stake.
Damn.
Then Willow finished chanting and bent over the bowl full of water.
"It's harder… I can't see… Oh…"
"There it is!" Dawn exclaimed. "Wow! How many babies are there? These must be hundreds of baskets!"
Hundreds? Oh my God! How could they save so many? And what would they do with them?
Hundreds of babies? James Lake Jr drew a breath through clenched teeth. Damn. He should have realised that there would be so many - they had fought so many changelings, after all.
"How can we save them all?" Willow asked. She was slumped over a little, Jim saw - and looking pale. The locator spell must have exhausted her further. And Tara didn't look any better. They should send both back through the portal. But Jim knew better than to try it.
"Same as we save one: We shove them through a portal and sort them out afterwards, when they're safe," Buffy said.
Jim nodded. Save the babies first, find out how to deal with them later.
"But… hundreds?" Willow shook her head. "Can we feed and care for them until we've found people to take over?"
"We can't let them get eaten by trolls. Evil trolls," Buffy said. "Let's go. We're wasting time."
That was true. What good was it to worry about feeding babies if they were in danger of being killed? "Let's go," Jim agreed. His leg was aching, but he could ignore that.
"Yes." Claire nodded firmly.
"Alright. Let's close the portal and open another," Dawn said. She didn't look exhausted, but… would she be able to hold out? But the portal already winked out and another opened.
And Buffy all but jumped through. Jim clenched his teeth and followed her.
He stepped into a huge cavern - the one they had seen in Willow's bowl. Spell. Whatever. Countless baskets hung from the ceiling, held up by ropes. Each contained a baby. And somewhere amongst them was Enrique.
A screeching sound made him jerk. "Goblins!" he spat as he saw the small spindly creatures climb up and down the ropes, pointing and screaming at him.
"They'll get help!" Buffy yelled. "We need to deal with them."
"And save the babies," Willow said. "But how do we get them down?"
"I open a portal below the basket; you cut the rope?" Dawn suggested.
"No!" Claire said. "That'll exhaust you. I can do that and get them down here - and then you open a portal home."
It wasn't a good plan, but they didn't have any time to waste.
A rock bounced off his shield - the goblins were already attacking. Damn. And some had almost reached the bottom.
Jim raised Eclipse. "Let's do it!"
"Staff!" Claire snapped.
"Here! But how do we cut the ropes?"
"Jim can throw his blades."
Right. Jim stopped advancing towards the goblins massing nearby. He couldn't fight the goblins - and the trolls once they arrived - and save the babies at the same time. Damn.
"I can cut the rope," Willow said. Jim glanced over his shoulder. In front of her floated a knife.
"Do it!" Buffy snapped. Then she charged forward, attacking the goblins.
They screamed and rushed her. But she swung the scythe, cutting three of them in half.
Jim followed, wading into the melee, Eclipse slashing through the goblins and sending green blood and body parts flying. The screeching grew worse. "If we kill them, then they will focus on us." And not on the others.
"Good to know!" Buffy replied as she kicked one goblin into the closest rock, where it splattered like a water balloon. "Don't kill any goblins," she yelled to the others. "Leave that to us!"
Three goblins came at Jim with ropes and nets. No, with empty baskets. He almost felt bad for slaughtering them. Almost.
The howling and screeching from the goblins grew even worse. They charged at Jim and Buffy in a green wave, teeth glinting in the dim light.
Jim cursed under his breath and met the wave, bashing three to one side with his shield and cutting four more into half with one swing of Eclipse. More of the little buggers pressed on, though, slamming into his legs and trying to topple him to the ground.
He kicked one away before it could grab him and struck the other on the head with Eclipse's pommel, but they were now swarming him, claws raking over his armour, trying to find a weak spot. And tearing at him, making him stumble. If he fell down...
"Jim!" That was Claire.
"I'm OK!" He lied, pushing back. "Save the babies. Save Enrique!"
He scraped two goblins off his chest, swinging Eclipse to keep more at bay, and grabbed one with his shield hand, ripping it off his waist. He smashed the screeching, wriggling monster against one on his back, then kicked out and stomped another.
"My pants! Do you know how much those cost?"
He glanced to his side. Buffy was moving her scythe so fast in front of her, it looked like a blender. The goblins attacking her looked like they had been tossed into a blender, too - and she was covered in green blood. But she was holding her ground.
Just as Jim was doing. If they could keep the goblins focused on them - and if killing them by the dozens didn't do it, then everything Jim had heard about goblins was wrong - then they could do this. As long as Willow and Claire could keep going. And as long as…
"Trollhunter!"
...as long as Gunmar didn't show up.
Damn.
"Gunmar," Jim said, kicking a goblin into an outcropping rock formation while the rest of the goblins skittered away.
"The big bad evil troll?" Buffy asked, taking up a position next to him.
A low, deep chuckle sounded from further into the cave. Then a huge, hulking figure stepped out from behind a stalagmite. Wide horns, glowing runes or veins covering pitch-black rock skin, eerie blue light flickering in an empty eye socket...
"Gunmar," Jim repeated himself.
"So, the whelp finally dares to step into my realm."
Whelp? Jim frowned.
"Was his mother a blue lava lamp?" Buffy asked.
Jim snorted against his will. But more trolls were appearing behind Gunmar, forming a line with him in the centre. Armoured trolls.
"Slayer. I will enjoy feasting on your flesh."
"That's so cliche!" Buffy snapped back.
Jim held up a hand. "He wouldn't be talking unless he has a reason," he whispered. Out loud, he asked: "What do you want, Gunmar?"
"Me? The question should be: What do you want here, in my realm?" Gunmar chuckled. "Stealing my food."
The goblins chittered at that, though Jim couldn't tell if they were angry or eager to eat the babies themselves.
"We're saving them," Jim told him. "Just as we saved the world from Morgana."
Gunmar scoffed. "Morgana, who almost brought you to your knees despite being trapped in a prison. Killing her was such a mighty feat, wasn't it? And you had to call upon Merlin himself to achieve it. Yet, where is your wizard now? What reason could explain his absence?" He chuckled. "Felled by a helpless prisoner! And you think you can best me? I am no helpless prisoner, and you have no Merlin any more!"
"If you're no prisoner, then why don't you just leave the Darklands?" Buffy shot back, baring her teeth.
Gunmar chuckled, but Jim had the feeling that it was a little forced now. Was the monster not quite as controlled as he tried to appear? It would fit with what Jim had heard about him. He glanced behind him - another baby basket appeared on the ground. Good. Claire and Willow were still at it, rescuing the babies.
"But you're not here to face me, are you? You didn't invade to fight me; you sneaked in like a thief to steal my food."
"The only thing you'll be eating is my scythe!" Buffy snapped.
"I doubt that." Gunmar smiled, revealing his teeth. He snapped his fingers, and another troll appeared. Blinky? No, not Blinky, Jim realised. Just the same four arms and six eyes. And he was holding…
"Enrique!" Claire blurted out.
Oh, no!
Gunmar laughed. "Your brother. Did you think I wouldn't know? I foresaw this!"
Jim saw the four-armed troll open his mouth, then shut it again.
"Let him go!" Claire yelled.
"He wants to provoke you!" Jim told her. If Claire tried anything now…
"You're hiding behind a baby?" Buffy scoffed.
"Hiding?" Gunmar chuckled and reached out, plucking Enrique out of the other troll's arms. "I am not hiding." He held him up. "Should I shatter his bones against the ground? Or eat him in front of you?"
"No!"
"Claire!" Jim yelled. "He wants you to attack him!"
Gunmar chuckled again. "All those whelps, and yet, you only care for this one. How typical of you!"
"What do you want?" Jim repeated himself, taking a step forward. Why was Gunmar talking like this? Why didn't he just attack them? Jim glanced around. Were other trolls sneaking up on them?
"No one near us," Buffy whispered.
Good. Or was he planning to crush them? Jim looked up, but the ceiling seemed clear as well. So why…? Oh. He forced himself to grin with far more confidence than he felt. If he was right, this could save Enrique. But it would cost… Well, he was the Trollhunter. This was his duty. And it was his fault that Enrique had been kidnapped. He scoffed. "Do you think this will impress your followers? Using a baby because you're afraid to face us?"
"Afraid? Of a pair of whelps who had trouble with a bunch of halfbreeds and goblins?" Gunmar laughed. It was a booming, deep sound, but was it real or forced? They did defeat Morgana and Glory. Glory!
"A pair of whelps who defeated Glorificus," Jim shot back. "A hell-god. Not some puny troll hiding behind a hostage." He took another step forward. "Do you think you're fooling anyone? You are afraid!"
"Afraid of you?" Gunmar roared.
"Jim! What are you doing?" Buffy hissed.
"We need to save Enrique," Jim whispered. "I'm going to make him focus on me. Claire! Be ready!"
"Jim!"
Jim took another step forward. "I killed Bular, your son. I killed Glory. I defeated Morgana." Not alone, but that wasn't the point now. "What did you do? Hide in your prison and take babies hostage."
Gunmar glared at him.
"Oh, and your eye is in my blade," Jim added. "So… I'll challenge you. Release Enrique and face me. Prove you're not afraid! Prove you're not weak! Just you and me!"
"Jim!"
"Jimbo!"
He ignored the cries of his friends. They had to save Enrique and the others. All Jim had to do was get Gunmar to face him and survive long enough to let the others escape with the babies.
Gunmar snarled, and, for a moment, Jim feared that he had miscalculated and Gunmar would crush Enrique. But, instead, the monsters handed the baby into the arms of the four-armed troll and stepped forward.
Good.
Jim took a deep breath and prepared to die.
Buffy Summers clenched her teeth when the idiot took a step forward. Jim was hurt - she could see how he slightly dragged his left leg - and he wanted to fight Gunmar alone? "Don't do it!" she whispered. "You're going to die."
"Jim!" Claire called out again.
"I have to stall him," Jim replied in a low voice, "so you can save Enrique and the others."
"You can't trust him!" Buffy was sure of that. Big bad evil guys who mind-controlled their followers wouldn't keep their word.
"He needs to fight me by himself, or he would have attacked us already," Jim replied as he walked on. "That means there are people he wants to impress."
She blinked. "But if his followers have been brainwashed, who is he trying to impress?"
"Good question," Jim said.
Any further words were cut off by Gunmar charging at Jim with a roar that seemed to shake the walls - Buffy resisted the urge to glance up to see if some dust started to fall down.
Jim sidestepped the attack, lashing out with Eclipse as the huge troll went past, but Gunmar twisted his body, and Jim missed.
The troll crashed into a rock, shattering it, and whirled, his glowing sword cutting through another rock as he brought it up into a guard position. Only for a moment, though, Buffy saw - as soon as the troll realised Jim wasn't charging at his back, he attacked again, jumping far higher those stubby legs should be able to push him.
Jim shot his throwing blades at him and dodged to the side again, but Gunmar didn't even bother to deflect them - he let them bounce off his glowing skin as he came down, his blade once more narrowly missing Jim and smashing a crater into the ground. The troll disappeared for a moment in a cloud of dust thrown up by the impact.
"Jim!" Claire yelled once more.
Buffy clenched her teeth as Jim turned his head to glance back. "Watch out!"
But too late - Gunmar burst out of the dust cloud and was on Jim a moment later. The boy managed to parry the overhead strike somehow, deflecting it into the wall next to him, but Gunmar's body rammed into his, and Jim was thrown back several yards, bouncing on the ground.
"Don't distract him!" Buffy hissed at Claire.
"Why don't you help him?"
"We can't help him - those other trolls would kill Enrique. We need to get him first," Buffy snapped.
"But… No!" Claire gasped when Jim got up just in time to get a kick to the chest that sent him sprawling on the ground again.
"Keep saving babies." Buffy clenched her teeth. "Jim's stalling until we got them and Enrique."
She just had to figure out how. And fast - Jim wouldn't last long. But how could she get Enrique away from a few dozen armoured trolls and one… one troll who looked a lot like Blinky. And acted a lot like Blinky. Who wasn't a good fighter.
She bared her teeth. "I've got an idea."
"What idea?" Claire asked - she was panting now, forming portal after portal to get the baby baskets down safely. There were dozens on the ground already.
Buffy told her.
James Lake Jr was dying. He wasn't mortally wounded yet, at least as far as he could tell, but he was getting slowly killed by a monster. He could barely run any more - his hurt leg was throbbing with pain. And every breath hurt - Gunmar must have broken a rib or two when he rammed him. Or when he had kicked him. Or when he had hit him. Jim hadn't exactly kept track after the first clash.
But he wasn't done yet. He panted and brought up Eclipse again, deflecting another wild swing from Gunmar's blade with a two-handed parry, then rolled over his shoulder - ow! - to bring his shield up before Gunmar's follow-up kick could connect with his chest.
The kick hit his shield instead, and Jim used the impact to roll back a few yards, rising only to jump to the side, hissing at the pain in his leg as Gunmar was already in the air, coming down at him.
Once more, Jim was showered with rock splinters after Gunmar shattered the cave floor. Most bounced off his armour, but one left a new cut on Jim's face, not that it mattered. He was going to die here, fighting Gunmar. That was OK, as long as the others - and Enrique - got away. And the amulet… it would find a way back.
But he wouldn't die like a punching ball. Jim clenched his teeth and dived below the next swing, stabbing with Eclipse towards Gunmar's belly. The troll managed to evade the blow, but Jim was inside his guard. Before Gunmar could recover, he changed his shield and stabbed the two throwing blades into Gunmar's thigh.
The troll howled, lashing out with his fist, and Jim wasn't quick enough to dodge completely - a glancing blow connected, and he was thrown to the side, almost losing Eclipse as he crashed into another stalagmite.
He rolled to the side at once, and Gunmar missed him again, crashing through the stone pillar. If this kept up, they would all get buried here. Maybe - Jim wasn't a geologist.
He was the Trollhunter.
He bared his teeth as he got up again.
The monster laughed, this time, instead of pressing the attack. "You can still stand? I haven't broken you enough, then. Maybe I'll break your legs and then have you watch as I butcher and eat your friends."
"No!" Jim snarled and pushed forward, raising his blade.
"Jim!"
Gunmar's smile twisted even more. And then he seemed to burst forward with a roar, faster than before.
Jim's eyes widened, and he threw himself to the side, skidding on the rocky ground, but the troll's sword hit his side anyway. He lost his footing and fell, rolling twice, before coming to a stop against another stalagmite, panting.
His side felt as if it were on fire - he was bleeding. The sword had cut through his armour! The armour forged by Merlin and enhanced by the Triumbic Stones!
Jim felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Had Gunmar been playing with him? The monster was laughing, holding up his sword, watching blood drip from it.
"Jim!"
"I'm OK!" Jim snapped, using Eclipse to stand up. There were dozens of babies left, still. And Enrique. He had to hold out a little longer. But he couldn't let Gunmar hit him again.
He gritted his teeth as he watched Gunmar slowly circle him, dragging his sword over the ground with a screeching noise. Damn. What could he do? How could he fight this monster?
Before he found an answer, a scream made him glance to the side, towards Gunmar's trolls, and he gasped.
As soon as the portal appeared in front of her, hiding her from the view of the trolls, Buffy Summers jumped through it. She appeared right where she had to be: Twenty feet above the four-armed troll holding Enrique. And everyone was staring at Jim and Gunmar! Perfect!
Baring her teeth, she swung her scythe as she descended. Her blade sliced through his shoulder and bit into his lower arm. Buffy twisted the blade as she fell, using her momentum to drive the scythe's edge through his lower arm as well, severing both limbs on his right side.
The troll screamed as she hit the ground, rolling to absorb the impact. Enrique was falling, flailing his stubby arms, but another portal appeared beneath him, and he disappeared before he hit the ground.
The wounded troll turned, both remaining arms covering his wrecked shoulder and stump, and stumbled away, still screaming incoherently. Buffy ignored him - she whirled and slashed through the legs of the closest evil troll, then jumped and drove the spike of her scythe into his head as he collapsed. "We've got Enrique!" she yelled as she parried a blow from a halberd and riposted, opening a troll's throat up to his horn.
Another one down, a few dozens left. She jumped back, avoiding two blows with a maul, and ignored how her legs hurt after that fall. And how her body hurt after everything.
Spike would really love this, she thought as she charged two trolls trying to flank her. She just had to hold them back for a little while. Long enough for the others to get clear. But… She glanced over her shoulder. She also had to save Jim, somehow.
That part of the plan she hadn't quite finished.
They had saved Enrique! James Lake Jr smiled despite the pain and his impending death.
"What?" Gunmar turned towards the screaming troll, and steam seemed to escape from his nose as he roared. "Kill them all!"
But as the troll turned, he exposed his empty eye socket - his blind spot.
Jim charged, over broken ground, armoured boots crushing rocks and splinters. Gunmar started to turn to face him, but he wasn't quick enough. Jim threw his throwing blades at him, making Gunmar flinch and raise his sword to deflect them, and dived forward, rolling over his shoulder.
Gunmar's sword came down, but Jim kept rolling - towards the troll. As the blade smashed into the ground behind him, Jim used his legs and Eclipse to push himself into a jump inside Gunmar's reach. As he rose in the air, he twisted, wielding his blade with both hands. The angle was all wrong for a cut, and he had almost no leverage, but that was fine. Jim turned the blade and stabbed forward, right at the apex of his jump.
And Eclipse sliced into Gunmar's remaining eye moments before the troll's fist struck Jim's side and blasted him away.
Jim smashed into yet another stalagmite before crashing to the ground, but he had done it. Even coughing up blood, Jim could only smile as he watched Gunmar roar and howl, flailing with his blade, glowing smoke rising from two ruined eyes.
"I'll kill you, fleshbag! I'll eat you alive!" Gunmar smashed his blade into the ground one, two, three times, turning around.
Jim drew a shuddering breath - even that hurt. But he could stand. And he could walk. Not run, but walk. And Gunmar was blinded.
Jim started towards the flailing troll, carefully taking one step after another. If he stumbled or made too much noise…
Gunmar was going berserk, blindly lashing out with his blade. One of his own trolls staggered back after taking a kick to the chest from Buffy and caught the edge of Gunmar's blade.
"Hah!" Gunmar turned away from Jim and hacked at the falling troll. "Die! Die!"
That was the opening Jim needed. He forced himself to rush, to lunge, as Gunmar raised his sword above his head for another blow at the already dead troll. Gripping Eclipse with both hands, Jim drove it into Gunmars back - and through the troll's chest. To the hilt.
Gunmar froze, his mad howling cut off. His blade tumbled from his hands, missing Jim by inches. "No…" he wheezed. "No…"
Then the monster turned to stone.
And Jim smiled as everything went dark.
"Jim!"
Buffy Summers turned inside a halberd's thrust, cutting the weapons head off with her scythe and cutting the wielder's head off with the backswing, and glanced over her shoulder. Gunmar was crumbling to the ground, but Jim was collapsing as well. Damn!
A portal appeared below Jim before he hit the ground, and he vanished. One less problem.
"Gunmar has fallen to the Trollhunter!" she yelled, whirling to face two trolls advancing on her. And three trolls tried to pass her to get to her friends.
She feinted against the two attacking her, then whirled again and dashed after the three others. She caught up in seconds and jumped on the back of the closest, driving her scythe through his head from behind before jumping off of the crumbling corpse and over the next. Buffy landed in front of him, dodged the spear thrust, then gutted him with a quick slash and twist.
The last one ran into a portal and disappeared. "Where did you…?" Buffy started to ask.
Then a glimpse of a portal at the top of the cave's ceiling answered her question. The flailing troll fell all the way down and broke into pieces upon impact.
"Jim needs help!" Claire yelled. "We have to get him to the hospital!"
Which, or so Buffy hoped, hadn't been abandoned after Glory. But it was their best hope.
As long as they survived the remaining trolls. But they still had dozens of babies to save. And… "Where are the goblins?"
"Goblins?" Xander asked, looking around. "They're gone."
"They were still hanging back when I… before Jim killed Gunmar," Buffy realised.
Then she had to dash forward to stop the next wave of attacking trolls. Evidently, the death of their leader hadn't freed them. It hadn't even left them aimless or something - they were still following his last order.
Well, over Buffy's dead body! Or, in this case, their dead bodies. She slapped the halberd slashing at her away, then rammed her scythe through the throat of the first troll, retreated a few steps and circled around the next. A two-handed swing opened his back as she kicked the third into the wall behind it. A few slashes later, that one was down as well. About… a dozen left. Toby joined her, panting, after finishing another.
"Dawn, open a portal to the hospital!" she yelled. "We can hold them!" And kill them.
"But the babies!" Dawn protested.
"We won't leave - just get Jim to a doctor, then return for the others!" Buffy fended off an attack by two trolls wielding swords and carrying shields. Her scythe cut one shield to pieces. Then cut off the shield arm of the troll behind it before parrying his friend's sword.
He tried to bash her with the shield, but she ducked beneath it and kicked it in the shin. It didn't break anything but sent the troll tumbling down, and she rammed her scythe through his eye before he could recover. The one-armed troll took another swing at her, but she side-stepped the blow and then slashed his side with her blade. Another one down.
They still didn't break - they kept coming. Toby faced off with a few of them, his hammer smashing the chest of the first. Buffy snarled and jumped into the middle of the advancing group, whirling and twisting as she cut at everyone in range. Three trolls stumbled back, bleeding from gashes. A spear ripped through her jacket, slicing her arm open, but it was just a flesh wound. She gutted the wielder in return, then rolled over her good shoulder to cut down another troll before he could recover.
Still too many left. She would have…
"Buffy! Kick them into the portal!"
Oh. Another portal appeared behind the remaining trolls. Buffy glanced up - yes, a matching portal had appeared at the ceiling. Yes!
She bared her teeth and started to herd the trolls back, into the portal. Or cut them down - she wasn't picky. Her scythe danced, cutting off halberd blades, hands and heads, and three more trolls fell before the first backed off into the portal and reappeared at the ceiling, falling to his death.
The rest was just mopping up. When Buffy finished the last troll, Claire and Willow were already back to grabbing baby baskets with a portal and a floating knife.
And Buffy could, finally, take a breather.
They had done it.
