Jim's heart was pumping, there was blood and sweat on his forehead, it had been days since he had a descent meal, meaning his strength and reflexes were getting worse.
"AGHH!" he called out as the Tasselworm slammed him into the side of the wall making his helmeted head hit it hard, and then let him fall down to the ground with a groan.
Panting Jim tried to get up, to keep fighting, because he knew if he gave up, there would be nothing, and no one, to fight back against Gunmar the Black, for he was Jim Lake Jr., the Trollhunter (even though he was a human), and it was his job to save, rescue and protect all good Trolls and people from Gunmar and his Gum-Gum army – Which was how he got stuck here in the first place, because he went in to rescue a friends baby brother who had been switched with a Changeling.
Slowly Jim got up onto his hands and knees, trying to call his Eclipse Sword to help him up and fight some more, but it wouldn't come.
Scared Jim looked at his hand imagining the sword was there, but no – it still wouldn't come to him.
Hearing heavy footsteps coming over to him, Jim looked up and saw Gunmar over him, a cold look in his one blue firey eye, a cruel smile on his face as he held up his own sword, one that Jim had seen had the powers to make anyone he pointed it at become his mindless 'Follow any order' slaves.
"At long last, the Trollhunter has given up." Gunmar said chuckling to himself "You put up a good fight Trollhunter. If you had not killed my son, you would have made a fine member of my Gum-Gum army."
"Like I'd ever join you..." Jim said finally managing to get to his feet, using the wall to help him keep his balance. "Besides, my friends are coming for me."
"Ha! You truly believe that Trollhunter?" Gunmar said pointing the tip of his sword towards Jim. "No one is coming for you. No one cares that you left. All those on the other side of the bridge are better without you in their world messing everyone up and killing their friends."
With each sentence, Jim felt smaller, not sure if he knew if any of these things were true or not.
"You... are not worthy to wear that amulet of Merlin." Gunmar said grabbing it from Jim's chest-plate with his free hand and pulling it off, leaving Jim standing there in his trainers, jeans, white shirt and blue jacket, looking at himself not believing that just happened.
Then hearing a swish of a sword through the air, he looked up and saw Gunmar take a swing at him, aiming for his neck and then...
0o0
"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" Jim Lake Jr. screamed, kicking at the covers of his nice warm bed and accidentally falling out of it and hitting the floor.
"Oomph..." he said groaning and looking around not quite sure where he was, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
'Ting' something chimed making Jim look up at his bedside table and see his Amulet, which was glowing a nice calming light blue, illuminating a digital clock beside it saying it was 1:00 AM.
Groaning some more, Jim got up and looked in the closet for his baby blanket, something he always used to cuddle up with when he was scared as a kid.
Finding it Jim then went to his door, and left his room.
o0o
In the basement Draal, a light blue Troll with a missing arm, and a fondness over Jim since he did not end his life over their fight and avenged his father's death, was curled up by the furnace.
He had been asleep himself, but then heard Jim screaming – he has been doing that a lot lately over these past few night since they rescued him from the Dark Lands, but this one seemed more... intense.
Jim's mother Barbara was working late at the human's hospital so it was just the boy and the Troll there inside the house at the moment.
Wondering if he should go up and check on the boy, Draal didn't hear the basement door open and someone coming down.
"Draal?" Jim said quietly, not switching on the light in case it blinded both of them.
"Hm?" Draal asked looking up and seeing Jim there, a blanket around his shoulders and the smell of fear coming off him and in his eyes.
"I... I know it's late, and it's probably not a Troll thing to do, and definitely not going by Trollhunter rule number 1 – 'Always be afraid'." Jim began trying to explain why he was down there before asking the question "But I... I just had a very bad dream, and don't want to spend the rest of the night by myself, and I'm not sure if I can fall asleep just yet anyway, so do you think... That I can I stay with you a little bit? Please?"
Slightly surprised, Draal was about to say 'No', as indeed it was not a Troll thing to do, sleep with others just because of night terrors. That would show the other Troll that you are weak, and being weak in the Troll world meant you would get picked on, but then he saw Jim's small figure and remembered, he was not a Troll.
"Alright Fleshbag," Draal said reaching out his arm to the boy "But if you start this 'snoring' I heard Tobey says you do, you're going to have to sleep somewhere else, deal?"
Smiling, Jim nodded and came over and curled up next to Draal laying the blanket over him, using the Troll's good arm as a pillow.
But still after a few minutes, Jim was still awake, and that in turn meant Draal was still awake.
"Something on your mind Trollhunter?" Draal asked, confused when he felt Jim stiffen up a little.
"Jim?" he tried again.
"Huh?" Jim asked turning his head and looking up at Draal.
"I asked if there was something on your mind," Draal said calmly.
"Not really..." Jim said avoiding Draal's eyes.
"Would you not like to talk about your night terror?" Draal suggested "You friend Claire says doing so often helps one calm down after they have it.
There was silence for a few minutes and then Jim started telling him the nightmare's he's been having, explaining that he's been having them since he came home from the Dark Lands.
Dral listened carefully, being the good big brother figure he has turned into for Jim.
"They normally start out all the same, me somewhere in the Dark Lands, by myself looking for Enrique." Jim stared rolling over so he was talking up towards Dral rather than down at the floor "Some nights I find him, some nights I don't, some night I come across Tasselworm nests or am captured by Gum-Gums and forced to fight in their arena for Gunmar's pleasure and enjoyment." he continued "Those last two have been happening more and more lately."
"Maybe you need these - What do humans call them? - Dream catchers." Draal said having heard of them but not sure what they were.
"I don't think there's one big enough to hold all my nightmares," Jim said frowning a little.
"Well then we can ask Vendel for something tomorrow, Jim Lake," Draal said bringing the boy closer with his metal arm. "Until then, I will try to protect you from any more night terrors you may receive tonight."
Smiling Jim hugged the Troll who lived in his basement, smiling "Thanks buddy. Goodnight." he said yawning and rolling over again.
"Goodnight, Trollhunter." Draal said gently waiting for Jim to fall asleep before going back to sleep himself, a new smile on his face.
AN: The idea for this story, came up when one day i was board and looking on Pintrest and say a sweet fanmade pitcure of Jim and Dral curled up in the basement sleeping.
I have found the artist of said picture (I think) and have asked if i can use said image (again I think) but nothing has come back to me yet.
However if you want to look for yourself it's here: babeitstrollhunters. tumblr post/184775402241/ trolls