Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.
Barbara didn't quite know what to think about everything that had just happened.
So her son was no longer human. Okay. That didn't change too much for her, she would love him no matter what he was. But some sort of troll knight? One that constantly put himself in danger? That's where she got iffy on the whole ordeal. But what she drew the line on was that she was romantically involved with one of his worst enemies.
Well, at first, anyways. According to Jim, Strickler didn't stay that way for long.
Still, as she lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling, some of this just didn't make sense to her. It made both her head and her heart ache. Why did her son have to be the one who took all the blows for meant for Earth? Why couldn't he be human anymore? Why did he have to carry the world on his shoulders? And all she could do in return was hope and pray that he wasn't crushed under the weight.
Toby lay on his bed, sleeping soundly. He was dreaming of adventures he hadn't yet had, but he was very much looking forward to. The dreams were filled with a flaming war hammer, his newly transformed half-troll best friend at his back and enemies on all sides. He and Jim exchanged wide grins before going to work.
For Toby, all was right in the world, and tomorrow was an eagerly anticipated journey.
Claire was having issues of her own.
Wide awake in her own bed, she held the glowing amulet up to her face. It shined on her, pulsing as she brought it closer, examining its internal functions. After a few minutes, she set it on her nightstand, giving a brief yawn and settling into her bed. She couldn't seem to get to sleep, though, no matter what she did. These trolls seemed like they could very easily tear her apart, and she was meant to be fighting them on a near-constant basis according to Jim. She didn't admire her own prospects, despite what she said earlier about quitting the play.
From Jim's story though, she knew that refusing the amulet would be a futile gesture. She didn't know if she should even believe it, but everyone else was convinced, and it was hard to ignore the evidence that was presented in front of her face. It was also fairly hard to ignore the fact that according to the half-troll's story, she was one of his closest friends.
She was one of her crush's closest friends.
That was a very hard thing to ignore, and despite what he had said earlier about her mistaking him as 'Tim' she most definitely knew who he was, and that he had a massive crush on her. He was about as subtle with his staring as that mossy giant was coming down the stairs. Her friends were also very aware of her feelings on him, and why she felt that way. He was so genuine in everything that he did, and even if he wasn't the most academically accomplished, he always tried his hardest.
Which brought her to the issue of her own friends, Darci and Mary. Should she tell them or not? Jim said that he told Toby, his best friend, right off the bat. That means that she could bring in her own help, right? Besides, if she wasn't going to be with them as often as she used to be, they deserved to know why.
Even without her friends, though, there was the problem of her family. She was not going to let her infant brother get stolen by goblins, even if it did bring another who would eventually be like a brother in his place. Her parents weren't too much of a problem; if it didn't directly involve her mother or her reputation, then she didn't care. Her father was kind, but he too was absent-minded and easy enough to get off her back.
In any case, she was too tired right now to really think about it now. She turned over, determined to get some sleep before the sun rose.
Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! returned to Trollmarket with the use of the horngazel in Blinky's bag. Both were silent, but for largely different reasons. AAARRRGGHH! was simply happy to have new friends, and he was enjoying the companionable silence. Blinky, however, was thinking. Planning.
Vendel wouldn't like this. He was a traditional troll, though that came with his great age. He would need to tutor the two in troll manners in order to gain the acceptance of the ancient leader of Trollmarket. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time for teaching, as he would have to bring back the Trollhunters tomorrow in order to make sure that the general population wouldn't panic from the lack of their protectors. Although, he thought to himself, once they saw what their new protectors were, they might panic anyways. Draal would certainly be displeased that someone other than him had been chosen by the amulet, as Master Jim had said.
On the topic of Master Jim, there was much to ruminate. An adoptive son? While certainly unexpected by Blinky, he found that the idea was not an unwelcome one. In fact, it was quite pleasing. A companion in which he taught and could actually be proud of one, one that appreciated him and respected him. And more importantly, family. That was something he had not had for a long time. While AAARRRGGHH! was more than family to him, he simply did not have the capacity to keep up with Blinky mentally. It was no fault of his, Gunmar would certainly stunt any whelp's growth.
The news of his brother's survival and alliance with the Gumm-Gumms was disconcerting, however. He had half a mind to burn all of the traitor's books, if they weren't as helpful as they were to past Trollhunters and Jim. He was glad to know that his brother did attempt to redeem himself in the end, although he didn't know if his brother could ever truly clean his hands of the dust that he now knew coated them.
Hmm. This would require more thought.
Jim's mind was a veritable hurricane right now. All of his emotions felt as if they were conflicting with each other, his very being contradicting himself. Th only thing keeping him from destroying the room was the fact that it was his room.
His mother had refused to let him sleep in the basement, saying that his idiotic butt had better be in bed when she checked on him. He got the feeling that she wasn't going to let the Darklands thing go for a while. She forced him to promise that he wouldn't be going anywhere until they talked in the morning.
He was sorely tempted to break his promise. He was confused, happy, angry, terrified, nervous, calm, and depressed all at once. Jim didn't know what he should be feeling at this point. Claire was terrified of him, and that tore him apart. He felt like vomiting whenever he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His mother pitied him, that much was clear. She didn't want him to be gallivanting off into danger, the same way she hadn't in his past life. She seemed to understand that he needed to, though. That he was expendable when it came to the fate of the world.
Blinky had at least accepted him, though he knew that he didn't feel for Jim what the half-troll felt for him. Part of it was that Blinky wanted some proof of his story, and the other part was something that he couldn't discern. He knew that he was open to the relationship, but he had no basis for the emotions yet. AAARRRGGHH! however, was genuine. He probably did already accept Jim as his brother and was happy to have more friends. He always loved and envied the giant's simple outlook on life.
But everything else…
He hadn't told them of his plan. The plan to keep Angor Rot from being an enemy by making him an ally. He knew where Angor Rot currently was from stories Strickler had told him, but he never told him where he found the Inferna Copula. He had also warned Jim of the old world when he told him the stories. He said, "The trolls are different there. Blood runs thicker than water, and while not as numerous as humanity, the troll population is still much larger than Trollmarket would imply."
Knowing what he had to do didn't make it any easier though. Jim felt the weight of his teacher's name for him press his soul into the bed that had become much too small.
Sunday morning, Arcadia Oaks rose and went about their usual business. No one understand that the destiny of the world had just been fundamentally changed through the actions of a single half-troll. Six people, however, dreaded and anticipated what evening brought that day.
Toby woke up and immediately headed over to the Lakes' house. Knocking on the door, he bounced on the balls of his feet, so excited to tell Jim about his dreams and wanting to ask him more details of their adventures together. Specifically, his war hammer. He wanted a better reference to the magnificent weapon that he was having trouble imagining clearly.
Dr. Lake came to the door, unlocking the door and letting Toby in. She had prominent bags under her eyes, as if she had just worked a late-night shift at the hospital. He felt a bit of concern for her, but that was quickly overridden at the wonderful aroma that filled his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, letting a large grin spread over his face, revealing his teeth. "Is that the chef Jim that I smell? Hooey, what gift has God delivered to your kitchen today – oh my god he's eating the blender."
Jim looked up, obviously startled. His mouth was full, and he had paused his chewing to look at Toby. Toby almost laughed at the sight; he looked like a kid that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He carefully swallowed his latest bite, sheepishly grinning at his pudgy friend. Toby had no desire to interrupt his meal and motioned for him to continue before he turned his attention to Barbara.
"You doin okay, Dr. L? You look like you've been doing twenty-four hour shifts for the past week."
She yawned but managed a tired smile. "Not this time, Toby. Just a little worried for the future." The and Jim part went unspoken between them. They both turned to look at the kitchen, which for the moment was silent except for the crunching of glass. Toby turned a questioning gaze at her. She shrugged. "Apparently trolls require different nutrients. They can't digest human food properly, but they can digest manufactured goods. Apparently. And besides, I was going to get Jim a new blender for his birthday."
"The Food Magic 3000." Jim piped up from behind the kitchen wall, his voice muffled.
"Dammit, I forgot that he would know his presents." She mumbled something about how it wouldn't be useful anyways anymore, and he heard another pause in Jim's chewing.
A knock came at the door. They all startled. "It's just Claire," she announced. The two boys sighed in relief, and glass started to crunch in the kitchen again.
Barbara opened the door for Claire, welcoming her inside. Claire looked marginally better than Jim's mother, but didn't bother with pleasantries as she turned to Toby. "Where's Jim?" He analyzed her statement very quickly. She didn't sound angry; not at him, anyways. But she did sound very frustrated, and exhausted is never a healthy emotional state for anyone.
He hesitantly pointed over at the kitchen.
She nodded and marched over, walking in. "Jim, we need to – What in the hell are you- are you eating the blender?!"
"Uh," Toby heard him answer. "Yeah?" He sounded vaguely distressed.
Toby and Barbara exchanged quick looks. Then they rushed into the kitchen to make sure that Jim was okay. They found the half-troll sitting on the floor in the corner, with his legs hiding most of his chest. His expression was that of a cornered animal; slightly confused, terrified, and a bit angry. Toby had only seen Jim angry a couple times, and while it was usually more of angry meltdown crying than violence, he had no idea if being a half-troll had changed that. Still, he needed to get everyone out of the kitchen because Jim was obviously not comfortable with them there. "Hey, Claire," he said carefully, "Maybe one of us could help you right now." He caught the look of gratitude that Jim shot him.
Barbara put a hand on Claire's shoulder and pulled her out of the kitchen, a bit forcefully. Claire didn't resist. Toby gave Jim a nod and a grin before he followed the two of them. They all sat on the couch, the girls both looking lost. Toby sighed, but then Claire spoke up. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't know he ate… that now."
"He's cooking what we all usually eat, if you want to stick around." He grinned at her when they heard a crunch coming from the kitchen. "I'm sure he'd let you have some too."
"Made extra just in case she came." Jim's voice was muffled again.
"Jim Lake, what have I taught you about talking with your mouth full?"
He was distinctly silent for a few seconds. When he next spoke, his voice was clearer. "Uh… Not to?"
Barbara rolled her eyes. "Mom, I can hear you rolling your eyes at me." Jim seemed to be in a better mood. They heard the clanking of armor, which made Claire raise an eyebrow. He walked over to them, sitting next to his mom on the couch. Toby noticed that the girl gave a tiny shift away from him, making him mentally sigh. He knew that his friend was in a bad place, and while he didn't know what that place was, it probably wasn't being made any better by his future girlfriend being afraid of him.
Surprisingly enough though, it was the girl in question who broke the awkward silence that settled over them. She cleared her throat and tilted her head at Jim. "I thought your armor didn't make any noise. It didn't last night, at least."
The half-troll leaned back resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes. "Some weird thing about forcing the armor to do what I want. Usually, if I'm distressed or nervous, it won't make any noises so that I can hide better. Though I can't tell you when it started doing that, because it is a new thing." He stayed silent for another couple seconds. "Was there something that you wanted to ask me about, Claire?"
"O-oh yeah, I wanted to know if I could bring Darci and Mary in on this."
"Isn't Darci's dad a detective? Wouldn't he notice her disappearing all the time?" He opened an eye, turning his head slightly to look at her.
"Nah. He's fine with whatever she's doing as long as it's not too illegal and she doesn't get caught. On school nights she has to be in bed before eleven, but that's it."
"And Mary?"
"Her parents are pretty lax with her. She could tell them whatever she wanted, and they'd believe it, or at least won't question it."
"Hmm." He closed his eye and turned his head back. "Do me a favor though and don't tell them about the whole future thing. I'd like to keep that in as small of a circle as possible." Toby frowned at them.
"Hang on, is this really a good idea? I thought Vendel was opposed to humans being in Trollmarket, along with the rest of them. They accepted us two because they had two, but they nearly panicked when Claire showed up, or at least that's what you said."
"Well, they'll just have to accept a couple more this time."
"On top of absorbing that there are now two Trollhunters? You sure that's a good idea Jimbo?"
"Not really, but I do better winging it anyways." His sniffed, his ears twitching. "Ah, dinner's ready." He grinned and got up from the couch, disappearing into the kitchen. He came back with a pan full of chicken. Toby practically threw himself into a chair around their small table. Dinner a la Chef Jim? Score!
Jim laughed, and Toby glowed with happiness. As long as Jim was laughing, he was good. He eagerly awaited Jim's meal, rubbing his hands together. The half-troll set his masterpiece on the table. "Teriyaki chicken, and a salad with homemade dressing on the side. Spicy one is here for Toby, guac is here for Claire, and Mom, you can have whatever you want."
Speechless, Claire made her way to the table, staring at the amazing display of culinary skill. Toby smirked at her expression as she sat next to him, pulling the guacamole next to her plate. He was confused on one thing, though. "Guacamole on teriyaki chicken? Guacamole on salad? What is wrong with you?"
She sent an affronted look at him. "Guacamole is the greatest thing that has ever been created on this planet. I will not have a mere mortal like you insult such a gift from the gods."
The pudgy boy frowned as he saw Jim stiffen after her use of the word mortal. Seeing as Jim started walking away, he decided it was time to figure out what was going on. "Hey Jimbo, there's room for four at this table."
He stopped and turned around, looking like he was surprised at being offered a spot at his own table. "I, uh, already ate."
"I know that. We still want your company though, man. There's so much cool stuff about you that I haven't gotten to know yet."
Jim looked skeptically at them, looking to his mother. She nodded, taking about of her chicken and gesturing at the seat closest to the kitchen wall. He hesitated for a second before taking it, looking a bit awkward in the chair made for humans that were much smaller than him. Toby grinned at him before biting into his chicken.
Jim knew this was a bad idea. Claire was looking decidedly uncomfortable, and she wasn't touching her food. Mentally, he sighed, and was about to get up and walk away despite his mom and Toby's wishes. Before he could, though, Toby asked him a question between bites of chicken. "We've seen your sword, dude, and it's way cooler in red and black than blue and silver (no offense Claire) but what about the daggers you told us about?"
He glanced at his mother. "Am I even allowed to summon weapons at the table?"
She nodded, a curious expression on her own face. She was looking a little less exhausted now, which was good.
Jim brought his human hand onto the table, as his troll one might disgust them even more. He opened the palm, and with a brief flash of light, the two knives sat entangled in his hand. He held it up, showcasing it to the people at the table. Claire looked more fascinated now, most of her unease having disappeared. She looked up to him, but then directed her eyes at the ground. He felt his soul squeeze, and he felt all the regret of his decision to become something less than human crashing down on him.
Before he could do anything more than feel it though, Claire looked up again, timidly. "Do you think I could hold them?"
Jim blinked, and did his best to shove down his feelings so he could deal with them later. "You should be able; you're a Trollhunter too now, and they're just an extension of Daylight." He held the conjoined knives out to her. Just before she grasped them, his amulet pulsed with an angry red light, and he felt something akin to agitation. Before he could pull them back though, she grabbed them.
She yelped as they burned her hands, and he snarled, feeling a sense of vindictiveness when she was burned. Then he felt awful about feeling, and quickly rushed to get the first aid kit. Mostly to stop them from seeing him react to whatever had just happened.
He heard his mother clinically analyzing the injury, determining that it may blister, but there was also a chance of it only being first-degree. They fell silent until returned with the first aid box, and he stepped aside, letting his mother treat her. Claire glanced at him but couldn't seem to build up the confidence to actually say anything. He sighed, feeling awful because he knew it was his fault. She finally seemed to gather enough of her nerves to ask him about it, albeit very quietly. "What was that?"
"I don't know. I've never seen another Trollhunter handle Eclipse, but it is a special form of Daylight. Maybe once you get the triumbric stones in your own amulet you'll be able to hold mine." He couldn't look at her either; she was hurt and it was his fault.
Toby was staring at him, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. Then he looked at Claire, who made eye contact with him. She sighed. "Jim, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know that would happen."
"But I felt it. Just before it happened, it felt like it wasn't right. And I ignored it."
"It's fine. Better we learn it now than in the middle of some fight or situation, right?"
He would've preferred the lesson to stay unlearned, but he knew he was being unfair, to both himself and Claire. She was going to get hurt, she was going to have to feel pain for her to get any sort of success in her new life and career. He knew that well enough from his own experiences. He just didn't want her to have to be the same.
Claire went back to her own house after that debacle, probably to call Mary and Darci and tell them about her new job. Toby, regrettably, had his own chores at his house, which means that Jim wouldn't be able to talk to him for the rest of the day, until they went to Trollmarket that night. Considering that he had no desire to go anywhere near sleep at this point. Besides, he was half-troll. That meant he could probably go longer without sleep, right?
Probably.
Dusk was quickly turning into night by the time that Toby had returned to Jim's house. The chubby boy hurried in, closing the unlocked door behind him. Jim was sitting on the couch watching tv. A half-troll was pretty effective security, and Jim knew it was Toby before he had opened the door. All the blinds around the house were closed, as they had been since Jim had returned last night. Most of the lights were off, too, as troll eyes didn't need much light to be able to see.
Jim muted the TV as Toby joined him, turning to him, forcing his partner's full attention on him. "Toby, I've decided that I will not be joining all of you to go to Trollmarket." He had been looking for a way to rectify the whole situation for a while, and this was the best one he could come up with. It also gave him a great deal of relief, as he didn't have to deal with the exhausting drama of the trolls, especially with the hell that he knew Draal was going to raise.
He also really didn't want to learn what trolls would think about a half-breed such as him. He could surmise that from the way they thought of changelings, it probably wouldn't be too good.
Toby gaped at him. "Whaaaat?! But dude, how are we going to know what to do without you there?"
"Blinky is old and he knows what he's doing, and while he isn't quite respected within the community, AAARRRGGHH! is. No one will mess with you as long as he's with you."
"But isn't this when Bular is going to attack us?"
"No, that's tomorrow after school. Even then, I'll go with you to the bridge, but I'm not going to fight. I don't want anyone knowing that there are two Trollhunters yet, it would be easier to plan around it now. And as much as I hate it, Claire needs to know what she's up against."
"You're just going to chuck her into the deep end?!"
"The deep end would have been zero information at all and she would still be expected to know what she's doing." His face was as straight as possible while saying this, and Toby winced at him.
"Yeah, but if you were there we could take him out early!"
"And send the changelings scattering with the pieces of Killahead? Probably not a good idea. Oh, and by the way, you're the one who found the amulet and gave it to Claire. That's what we agreed on earlier."
"When have you two been able to talk?"
Jim held up his phone. "Mom told me that I needed to keep this on me at all times, and she expects me to talk to her at least once a night if I'm off on any 'grand quests.'"
Toby nodded. "That's a pretty good point." But then he huffed. "Do you really expect me to behave myself knowing that my future girlfriend is right there? Jimbo, I need my inhibition with me."
The half-troll snorted at him, lips quirking. "Nice try, but no. Half the reason I'm doing this is because I don't want to deal with them."
"Do you not like them?"
"No, it's not that. It's just that… I've got a general plan, and I don't want to get any more attached to Arcadia before I leave."
"Oh, okay." He waited for what he said to click in Toby's head. He sat in silence for a second before turning and frowning at Jim. "Could you repeat that last bit? I don't think I heard you properly. It sounded like you said you were leaving Arcadia."
He gave an audible sigh before laying back into the couch. He had been dreading this moment since he came up with his plan to go get Angor Rot and help from the Old World. It would be worse when he was actually saying goodbye, but he wasn't planning on doing that for a couple weeks at least. "Toby, I know that I can fix some things. I'm not leaving soon, but something's going to have to change, and Claire needs to be able to be the Trollhunter without me if she wants any respect."
Toby was gaping at him. He closed his mouth and swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I'll be coming with you, right?" His tone made Jim cringe. "You said every adventure, it was always you and me."
He steeled himself before his friend. "Yes, but I need you here. You're the only one that I really trust completely. If you'll notice, I left a lot of stuff out of my other explanation."
"You can't leave me! Jim, not just for me, you need someone! You think I haven't noticed how down you've been?"
At this, he snarled. "I'm not some kid, Toby! I can take care of myself!"
"But wouldn't it be better to have someone with you?!"
"NO!" He roared at Toby, the house shaking as he slammed a fist into the wall.
Toby jumped a bit, a completely shocked look crossing his face. It had been a long time since they had argued, and Jim knew perfectly well why they tried their best to avoid fighting. It hurt both of them, way too much. His heart ached as they both stared at the ground, not knowing what to say.
Jim broke the silence first. "I'm sorry Toby, you didn't deserve any of that. It's just, I have to figure this out myself. I need to figure out what am I now, and how to control it. And that's just not something I can do if I have one of you doing it for me. I'm sorry Toby, but I need to do this." His voice cracked somewhat at the end, and he groaned in his head. He needed to ask Blinky what he was and whether he was grown or not.
Toby looked up at him. A few tears were coming out of his eyes, but he nodded and moved closer to Jim. He gave him the biggest hug he could muster and spoke in a shaky voice. "I thought I lost you once, Jimbo. I don't want to do that again."
He hugged his best friend back, resting his cheek on his head. "You won't, Tobes. I promise." He promised to himself that he would make it back. "You won't."
Toby and Jim left the house after they had gathered themselves. Their methods of making it to Claire's were slightly different though. While Toby simply walked there, on the sidewalk, like a normal person, Jim took to the trees, concealed in the shadows. His armor had stopped glowing, presumably as a response to his desire not to be seen rather than an indication that he was losing his will to keep it active. He'd lost the will to keep it active a while ago, and actively wanted to get it off.
If it finally did come off, he would start a celebration with whoever was present. Hell, he would dance with Bular at that point.
But that was besides the current point. He watched Toby being quietly ushered into Claire's house, and looking in, he noticed that the two girls hadn't arrived yet. He settled back into his tree to wait.
For a while, he simply stared up at the stars, letting his thoughts drift and shaking his head whenever his eyelids started to droop. When he finally heard footsteps, though, his eyes snapped over to the sidewalk, and he could see Mary and Darci walking along to Claire's house. His sharp eyes could actually make out their faces, even in the darkness, and he could see the confusion and concern etched into them.
Tracing them as they walked up to Claire's door, Jim waited until they were safely occupied inside before tilting his body out of the tree and landing silently on his feet. He crept up under one of Claire's windows, conveniently open for him to listen in. He smirked. While he hadn't thought to ask about that, he took solace in Claire being smart enough to open it on her own.
He really hoped that she was going to close the blinds before transforming, though. That might be a bit hard to explain to the neighbors.
Shaking his head, Jim dismissed his own thoughts, and perked an ear to the window as he got comfortable under it.
"Hey, C-Bomb, what's this about? You can't just be all cryptic like that over a text! And what's he doing here?" Jim assumed that she was talking about Toby, and he knew that the person speaking was most definitely Mary.
"He gave me the thing that I needed to talk to the two of you about. Here," he heard Claire rustling around in her bag. "Look at this."
He could see the glow on the ceiling and went back to hoping that she was smart enough to close the blinds. Thankfully, though, it seemed like Toby was on the same page as him, as the he saw the other blinds close around them, one by one. The window he was under remained open, though, since it was facing the backyard and was unlikely to be seen.
"What is this, Claire?" That one was Darci. He had heard her voice around Tobes enough. "Why did Toby give you a glowing pocket watch?"
"Well, it's actually magic."
There was a brief silence before he heard the two girls laughing, and he snarled to himself. He didn't like it when people laughed at his friends. Realizing what he was doing, though, he stopped and concentrated on calming himself. He hated being this out of control, and he hated himself for it even more since it was no one's fault but his own. He was broken out of his thoughts when he saw movement in the backyard.
Getting in a position where it would be easily to launch himself and summon Eclipse, he waited for the intruders to come out. Jim relaxed when he realized that it was just Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!, who smiled and waved at him. He quickly moved over to them, motioning for them to stay put. As he settled into the bushes next to them, he started whispering. "I'm not coming to Trollmarket tonight," he started. "Also, you have two extra humans and Toby going with you and Claire. They don't know about me, so keep that on the down low."
Blinky seemed relieved. "I was going to suggest that myself. I have no idea how they would react to so much change at once." But then he frowned. "Four humans at once wouldn't be quite as much of a shock but it's still a bit much to process for most trolls. But what is this down low that I should be keeping word of you on?"
"Human expression, Blinky. It means keep it a secret."
"Ah. That makes sense." He turned to look at the humans, a flash of blue light taking over all their vision. "I do believe that's our cue. AAARRRGGHH!, my dear fellow, if you would."
The four-armed scholar made his way into the house. Jim snickered as he heard the screams of the girls, and he waited for them to see the mossy giant lumbering after Blinky. Once he poked his head in the doorway, another duo of screams came from the building, and it was all Jim could do to not double over in laughter. He couldn't stop himself from gasping for breath through silent laughter though when he saw Darci beating on Blinky with a frying pan.
It had taken a long time for them to get everything sorted out, as Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! left the house nearly an hour after they had entered. Jim had gotten bored of listening and was resting behind the bushes of Claire's backyard. He stealthily backed out of them, using the giant to cover him so that he could leave without Mary and Darci seeing them. After they had gotten far enough away, Jim moved to their side, settling in step next to Blinky. "So, how'd it go?"
One of Blinky's arms were stroking his chin. "The two females, and Claire herself, didn't seem very eager to go to Trollmarket. I thought that perhaps it was best to allow them to adjust to the idea before we go any further. Plus, it will give me a chance to better plan just how to mitigate the response from the Trolls," he muttered the last part, but Jim still heard it loud and clear.
Jim stopped, which made the two trolls stop and turn to him curiously. "You're not planning on telling Vendel about me, are you?"
"Well, yes." Blinky blinked. "what reason would we have for not telling him? He would know the best way to deal with Usurna."
"I just…" Jim grabbed a horn, stroking it. "Vendel was always traditional. He tried to get Draal to kill me in the beginning, or at least humiliate him. He only respected me after I killed Bular."
"I understand, Master Jim. I think you may be right, though. Without any proof of you being from the future, he will not believe us. You would need to come to Trollmarket."
"Not happening." Jim shook his head. "There are things I need to do. I don't plan on staying here in Arcadia for too long."
Blinky was shocked, and AAARRRGGHH! looked extraordinarily confused. "But why? With you here, we could change everything for the better! I've created so many plans, you can't just leave!"
"We can't fight Gunmar with nothing but the forces of Trollmarket. Last time, he used the Decimaar blade to make at least three quarters of Trollmarket his army and was somehow able to start pulling Nyarlagoths out of the Darklands to help him. The only reason we won is because I killed Gunmar, which killed anything turned by the Decimaar blade."
"But now we can simply kill him in the Darklands!"
"And when the changelings eventually turn against the Trolls themselves?" Jim crossed his arms. "I'm going to recruit help from the Old World. Besides, Claire needs to figure out Trollhunting on her own. It's not as if I'm leaving you on your own."
Blinky grabbed his shoulders, looking directly into his eyes. "Jim, you can't simply go to the Old World! The horrors there… there was a reason we left!"
"Then will you tell me about what's over there?" Blinky's face was downcast, and he turned away. Jim felt a bit of anger rise in him. "Strickler wouldn't tell me either. What is over there?"
He felt a small surge of surprise when it was AAARRRGGHH! who spoke up. "Bad trolls. Some worse than Gumm-Gumms." The big troll shrugged. "Some angry at Trollmarket. New ideas. Equality, unity. Don't like. Still send trolls to kill us."
Jim's eyes widened. It sounded like the same reason the colonists came to America, in order to escape inequality. Before he could formulate his own comment, Blinky sighed and spoke up. "There is still a Trollmarket in what you humans call Europe, and we give it supplies and sometimes manpower. Vendel's brother runs it, and they must be vigilant in order to stay alive."
It made sense to Jim. While there was a large variety of trollkinds in Trollmarket, there wasn't anything near what he would expect from a world-class trading hub. It made sense that it was unique to the old world, much like Democracy was for the humans. However, this did nothing but steel his determination to go. "It sounds like they need a Trollhunter of their own."
Blinky brought two of his hands to his temples, and in a human-like move, massaged them thoroughly, expressing a good deal of exasperation. "Very well. I can see that there's no dissuading you from this. Perhaps you'll be able to unite the trolls where we couldn't." Grabbing hold of Jim's shoulders again, he made sure that Jim was looking him in the eyes. The half-troll stared uncertainly into his father-figure's eyes. "You will go nowhere until I teach you everything that you need to know about the old world. Do you understand?"
In a gesture of respect, he shrank slightly and averted his eyes, then nodded. Blinky brightened immediately. "Good! I will have the books for you tomorrow. I will test your knowledge periodically." He started walking away, towards the bridge. He muttered something under his breath to AAARRRGGHH!,, which Jim couldn't catch. The Krubera shook his head, and Blinky wilted.
Jim shrugged, and started making his way home.
AN: Some people have asked about past Jim. That will be explained in the future. I am loving the reviews, though. I wasn't prepared for how accomplished they make me feel, especially with this being the first story that I've ever written in my life. Thanks to all of you.