Notes: This is my first fanfic so pls be patient with me. I will try to update weekly. It will always be in Jims POV unless other whys stated.
Finishing my tryouts for the school play, I relax. It went about as good as expected. Reflecting as I leave the stage, I decide my choice of doing the destiny speech again was a good one. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Ms Janeth seemed very impressed by my monologue of Romeo. I paused in my reflection when I heard from my pocket 'I am gunrobot'. I pick up, knowing it will be Toby hoping that the amulet chose him, for he is so much more worthy than me.
"Jimbo you won't believe what I just found!"
Happy that my plan worked, I replied, "What Tobes?"
"This amulet, it spoke to me, and I can't find anything like it online either! Its so awesome-sauce"
"A talking amulet? That can't be right. I'm on my way home, show me when I get there." I hang up the phone, racing home, wanting to get there before Blinky and AAARRRGGHH leave.
Although, I would prefer to get there before they started talking, but the sun was already setting.
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The sun has already set by the time I park my bike outside Toby's house. I run inside, not seeing Toby's nanna anywhere, so I assume she was out. I know they will be here somewhere, I just need to find Toby. I hear a scream from out the back of Toby's house and as I run to the back, I hear Toby speaking into the phone, but what is being said outside is being muffled by the walls between us. I see the back door and notice Blinky is blocking the door to outside. I knock on the door, getting everyone's attention. Reminding myself that I have to act scared, I scream and hide behind the door. Toby takes advantage of the trolls' momentary confusion at seeing another human to race to open the back door and run in beside me.
"Jim, WHAT IS HAPPENING?" I shrug, unsure what to say. "There are creatures out there with stone for skin and an amulet that they are saying chose me for something!" He doesn't get any more out for that moment. Aaarrrgghh pulls the door we are leaning on and we fall out onto the grass. I look at Toby and notice he has fainted, so I pretend to as well.
I hear the trolls come to stand around me, and Blinky says, "You could have been more careful."
"Sorry" Aaarrrgghh responds.
There's some movement, before I hear, "Aaarrrgghh, pick up the other human, I don't think he's really out.". Aaarrrgghh picks me up and starts shaking me. I try to act like I'm out cold, but all this movement is making my stomach feel queasy and soon I have to stop acting. "Ok, ok! I'm awake! Happy?" I put my hands out in surrender. "Please put me down."
They look at me, and Blinky comments, "You are awfully calm for a human who has just met a troll for the first time. They usually run away in a panic."
"Didn't I do that?", I wonder aloud. I thought I had done that quite well. I smile up innocently as Blinky examines me closely. Unconvinced, he says, "Very well. Why were you in the house of Master Tobias and why did you pretend to faint with him?"
"Toby is my best friend, and I was coming over to discuss an amulet he had found when I heard screaming out back, and I did faint, Bl-but, I just came to after you shook me around a bit." I winced. I almost said Blinky's name. Hopefully he didn't notice.
"Then why aren't you screaming and trying to get away right now?"
I shrug as I try to come up with a believable reason. I could say the truth, then and there, but they probably wouldn't believe me and I don't feel like doing all the talking, especially since this is Toby's moment.
"Well, I have decided that it would be no good to run. If I tried, you would probably catch me, and if you did plan to do anything with me, you would have already done it by now. I'm Jim, by the way." I hoped Blinky would take the hint and introduce himself so I didn't have to keep pretending I didn't know who he was, then almost say his name aloud again.
He did. "I am known as Blinky."
"Aaarrrgghh, three RRR's." Aaarrrgghh reaches out his hand for me to shake, which I do.
"So, Blinky, Aaarrrgghh. What are you, why are you here, and what do you want with my friend?" I blurted out, even though I already knew the answers to all these questions. But I knew I had to feign ignorance. I want them to tell me as much as they can before Toby wakes up, so I have a reason why I know so much already.
"I was planning on only telling Master Tobias this, but since you seem to already know something is going on, and since he trusts you enough to have already told you about the amulet, what's the harm in telling you much more? We are trolls, and your friend here has been chosen by the amulet of daylight to ascend to the most sacred of offices. Unbeknownst to your kind, there's a secret world, a vast civilisation of trolls lurking beneath your very feet, hidden from view. It is now your friend's charge to protect them. For he is the Trollhunter."
"So, is he supposed to hunt you?" I ask, knowing that would be a safe question, while I try to figure out what to do next.
"He is to hunt bad trolls, as well as goblins, gruesome and the occasional rogue gnome."
"What happened to the last Trollhunter?"
"Was felled." Aaarrrgghh stated.
"Killed? What..how…why-does that mean Toby is in danger?" I try to act concerned, like any good friend would be, but then I realised that Toby would now be the centre of attention, he would be the one in danger. Not that I don't think he can handle himself, he had already proven beyond a shadow of a doubt he is a true hero, but, well… I have a lot of work to do, to keep him safe, the whole world safe. I almost fall to my knees at the enormity of it all, everything that was yet to come that I alone know about, but I keep my composure.
Blinky hopefully did not noticing my drifting thoughts. He keeps talking, and I pay attention to the end of his reply. "…he is not expected to engage in battle without the proper training."
"Ok," I pause trying to come up with the next logical question, for I wasn't listening to most of what Blinky has said. "Where does this training happen?" I want to be told where Trollmarket was so I have a reason to know where to go, for I know Toby would take a while to wake up and I want to have a reason to be safe in Trollmarket before the sun set tomorrow, so there would be no risk of Bular chasing us down.
"Where we live, Heartstone Trollmarket."
"Toby will probably be out for a while, so why don't you come back tomorrow. I'll catch him up with all that you've said. Where would you like us to meet you tomorrow?" Blinky seemed reluctant to tell me where Trollmarket is, so I add, "What if we are attacked, where do we go?"
"Your homes and school should be safe," Blinky comments, "but if you can't make it to them, Heartstone Trollmarket will be safe."
"Where can I find Heartstone Trollmarket?"
"Underneath the canals."
They turn and begin to leave, when I remember something else I should ask. "How long does the training take?"
Blinky pauses his retreat to respond. "Decades."
"How long does he have?"
"A couple of days at most." With that, they are gone, back into the forest.
I do my best to carry Toby inside and place him on the couch. Once he's as settled as he can be, I go to fix the door while I wait for him to come to. When I'm done, I go to where I left Toby and see he's starting to wake up.
"Jim, what just happened?"
"You fainted."
"What about the Blue and grey creatures? Were they real? They said something about trolls and responsibility and the amulet I found! Was that real or just a dream?" he blurts everything out in a rush, then suddenly stops to yawn and stretch.
I realise that he's too tired to be able to process anything properly. "Yes, Tobes, but I will tell you in the morning. Tonight, get some rest. You will need as much as you can get in the days to come." I mumble the last bit under my breath, but he doesn't seem to be listening to me as I lead him into his room and into bed. After that, I leave, picking up my bike and riding it to my house, where I place it away before going to bed myself.