Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.
Strickler was a simple changeling.
Or at least, that's what he liked all the other changelings to see. He was the leader of their order, and there were plenty that would like to take the position from him. By projecting an exterior that was predictable in motives and movements, the others all felt comfortable and wouldn't put much effort into dethroning him, as it were. Despite all of this, he was as far from a simple changeling as one could get.
He had formed attachments in the human world, despite the creed established by their people. His young students were important to him, and none more so than Young Atlas. Jim was by far his favorite person in the world, as if there were many contenders. He was the closest thing that Strickler had to a family, ever since he had met him in the boy's freshman year. As such, his disappearance had disturbed Strickler visibly in public. In the Janus Order, he was as cool and composed as ever.
What especially disturbed him was that he had not heard any news of the boy's case. They had made no progress in finding him, and the changelings had not reported any human criminals, nor had they been the ones to kidnap him. Using this reasoning, he was able to justify his interest in the case as a threat to the Janus Order and none of his underlings would suspect his own personal attachment.
The amulet being lost and no word from the spies in Trollmarket of a new Trollhunter had also been slightly distressing.
Many times, he had spoken to Jim's peers who were also distraught by his disappearance. Young Atlas had lit the world around them in so many ways that were all too apparent now that they were missing. In the week following the event, the school had been quiet and dreary. The student's eyes had all been downcast, and his own human emotions had been filled with grief.
He was spending an inordinate amount of time in troll form around the Order.
However, of all the surprises that he had prepared himself for since losing both his young student and the amulet, he was not prepared for said amulet to be found in Claire's backpack. When he had seen it as she walked out the door the Tuesday following Jim's disappearance, he had simply stood there with a shocked look on his face, attempting to make sense of the situation. Afterwards, he had shook it off, and sent word to the Trollmarket spies. Their confirmation of a human female Trollhunter did nothing but complicate matters further for him.
The conversation with Bular went something like, 'No, you idiot, you can't go and eat her family. People would notice because unlike you, they are not stupid and unobservant.' Of course, Bular took out his anger on his other changelings, and Strickler swore another oath of vengeance on the son of Gunmar. Strickler's goal, above all, was the advancement of changelings in their status. Even above that of the freeing of the Gumm-Gumms.
For now, he continued teaching, formulating plans while trying to disregard the life of Claire in the process. He found it much more difficult than it should have been.
Jim had learned a lot from Blinky after he returned from Trollmarket. The first was that Draal was apparently a spoiled child who wanted his father's toys. The second was that Trollish was an integral, magical language that all trolls knew because it was a part of the magic that animated them. However, the final was the real kicker.
There was a second Trollmarket, or perhaps more properly the first Trollmarket. It was located in France and was run by Rundle's first son and Vendel's elder brother, Kindrel. They had not had contact beyond sending supplies since they had come to the New World, but Blinky said that he could easily slip in a letter with the next shipment asking for the current political climate of the Old World. Jim had also decided that the original Trollmarket would be the first place that he went after he awoke Angor Rot and got the Inferna Copula.
Blinky was still working on getting the stone that would allow him to walk in Daylight, but that was fine. It wasn't as if he would be going anywhere soon. Currently, it was about six in the morning, and he was only just coming back inside the house. The forest was even more beautiful when it was viewed with rested eyes and a full stomach.
His mother was waiting for him inside, sipping at a mug of coffee. She raised an eyebrow at him. He chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I was just, uh, exploring. I've been cooped up in here for a while."
"Could you have left a note?" His mother's voice sounded unamused. She took another sip of the coffee.
"Yes?" It came out more like a question and Jim cursed himself for his own anxiety. He didn't want to scare off his mother, but at the same time, he was a young man – troll – thing who had killed the strongest troll in the world. He took a breath and tried to be more assertive. "Mom, I can take care of myself." He cringed at how much that made him sound like an edgy teenager.
"I know you can. But I still worry. I'm your mother, and I care about you. Can you please tell me what you're doing next time, so I don't think you're kidnapped again?" She tried to conceal what she was feeling, but it was hard to hide feelings from a half-troll that could hear the tiniest inflections in your voice and heartbeat. Jim's immediately felt guilty about the pain that he could hear in her voice.
"I will, mom. I'm sorry." She got up and he hugged her. Jim noticed that she was in her scrubs and coat. She must've been on her way to work and Jim had made her late. He felt more guilt as he planted a kiss on her forehead, for once having to bend down slightly. "I love you, mom."
She squeezed him. Jim wished again that he could get the armor off. Shoving down the frustration and anger off, Jim forced himself to enjoy the hug, despite not even being able to feel it. His mom kissed his cheek and then left for the hospital.
Trudging up the stairs to his room, Jim mentally prepared himself to see Morgana again.
She was still in the tower when he entered the dreamscape. That was perfectly fine with him, he had no desire to talk to her.
Conjuring up his own bedroom from memory, sans the door and window, he returned to experimenting in the dreamscape. Right now, he wanted to find out if he could go to sleep here and what would happen if he did. He laid back on his bed, summoning his daggers into his hands. Just in case. After a few moments of listening to his own rhythmic breathing, he heard another heartbeat approach the room he created. Sighing, he prepared himself for another attack from Morgana.
Cracking open an eye, Jim saw her open up a hole just big enough for her and close it behind her. He was slightly confused. She was back in her flamboyant dress, and she had no conceivable way of attacking him. Nonetheless, he tensed his muscles in preparation to launch himself into action.
What he was not expecting was for her to somehow teleport into the bed with him.
"What the hell are you doing?!" He sprang out of the bed and pointed his conjoined daggers at her.
Morgana pouted at him. "I was just looking for some company. It has been so long since I have felt the pleasure of another's embrace." Her smile turned seductive. "Or the other pleasures involved in the embrace."
Jim felt his face heat up and could not be happier for his thick skin. For once, he thanked Merlin for the transformation. "I'm spoken for, thanks. You might remember her as the girl that overpowered you and banished you to the shadow realm."
Morgana's face didn't change as he anticipated. "A girl that does not remember you or share your feelings? Please," she scoffed. "You'd be better off with the fat one." Jim looked away, the truth of her statement hitting him hard. She had her entire life ahead of her, an abomination wouldn't get in the way of that. "But," Jim's eyes shot back at the voice of Claire. "That doesn't truly matter. I was in her head for weeks, I know everything about her. I can give you her, if only you give me something in return." Morgana was no longer in his bed. Now, it was Claire. And the look on her face…
Rage coursed through him. "You dare to use her against me?!" Jim roared. With a thought, his room disappeared, and Morgana in the form of Claire fell to the ground. He did not care for her appearance at the moment, though. Exercising an enormous amount of willpower, he dispelled the illusion over her.
In Claire's place, a disgruntled and armored Morgana sat, rubbing her backside. "You could have just said no," she said, glaring at him. Jim was unable to suppress the rolling growl projecting from his throat. He turned away, trying to get himself back under control with breathing.
A stone wall appeared in his way as he stalked away from her. Snarling, Jim slammed a fist into it, creating a large crater. Cracks formed in a spiderweb around the center of impact. Refusing to give into the frustration, Jim turned back towards her. "What do you want from me?!" He was unable to keep his voice from turning into a roar.
"I want to be freed."
The shock at the straightforwardness of her statement was enough to get his emotions back under control. With a titanic amount of self-restraint, Jim shoved his feelings to the side. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Never."
"Why not?" Morgana rose off the ground, floating just above it. She crossed her arms. "I pose no threat anymore. You took my magic from me, remember?"
"Just because you don't have magic doesn't mean that you don't have power." The changelings worshipped her, after all. If she got in touch with them and proved her identity, she would have control over a large portion of the world. He knew that the changeling network was extensive from what Strickler had told him.
"Yes, but without magic I have no power. Without power, going back to my former allies is a good recipe for being eaten."
"After everything that you've done with them, they'd just abandon you?" He knew what the answer was, but he wanted her thoughts on it.
She looked down. "Everyone does, in the end." The bitterness was clear in her voice. Jim smirked mentally. Her lack of social interaction might make the rest of this easy.
"What makes you so certain?" He crossed his own arms, his gaze like stone on her own.
Morgana's emerald hand began to glow. "Personal experiences."
He wasn't going to give up now. "Like who?"
"Everyone!" Morgana screamed. In an instant, she was in his face. He didn't move. "My father, my brother, my husband, my mentor, my son…" Her voice trailed from its shouting volume to a quiet whisper. With his enhanced hearing, Jim made a note of it all. He could hear the hurt in her voice.
She was floating at eye level with him. Jim leaned forward, making her eyes meet his own. He could see unshed tears in them.
And just like that, the dam broke.
Morgana fell to the ground on her hands and knees, tears covering the ground as she sobbed with an intensity that he had never heard in anyone else. Sighing, he sat on the ground and pulled her to him. Jim felt bad now, knowing that he did this. He was fully prepared for her to shove a dagger into his unprotected eyes or neck. Instead, she wrapped herself around him, burying her face in his shoulder. She even dispelled her helmet to have better access. Surprised, it took Jim a moment to respond, and he started rubbing her back.
Making comforting noises in the back of his throat, Jim did the best to console her. He knew that everyone had a reason for being the way that they were, and he knew that if he could find that reason, he could always propose a better path. It worked with Draal, Gnome Chompsky, NotEnrique, Strickler, Nomura, and even Angor Rot. If there was a chance of creating an ally out of an enemy, he would always take it.
It would still take a while before she could truly be trusted, but he knew that this was the beginning of a redemption.
The world turned a blinding white as he comforted the sobbing form of one of his greatest enemies in his arms.
Opening his eyes, Jim was met with the sight of his ceiling.
It seemed… odd, somehow, to be here. Jim felt exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. It was becoming a bit much for him to deal with. He curled into his bed, not wanting to get up and face the world right now.
Then the memories of what Morgana did in his bed came back to him, and he fell out of it in his rush to get up.
His face burning at a particular memory of her illusions, Jim quickly left his room, closing the door behind him. That needed to stay far away from any form of conscious thought, especially in his current state. His emotions were going wild, an odd hunger mixed with a nearly overwhelming arousal. Slamming his head into the nearest wall, Jim cursed his troll and human emotions equally. This is not what he wanted.
"Jim?" The half-troll spun around and saw both Claire and Toby in his living room. They looked to be doing homework on his couch. Meeting Claire's eyes, the burning he felt increased in intensity and he covered his face. She spoke again, and he could hear her getting off the couch. "Jim, are you okay?"
"Yep, perfectly fine!" His voice came out normally, which he thanked any god watching for. A high-pitched whine started in his throat, startling him. Frowning, he tried clearing his throat, but that didn't stop it. Toby got up off the couch too.
"You sure about that, Jimbo? You're acting a little weird."
He felt Claire touch his arm. Jim distinctly refused to look into her eyes. The images in his head felt distinctly wrong, as if he had peeked at something that he definitely shouldn't have. It was making his moral side sick, but another part of him, something savage, wanted to disregard it all and sate its carnal appetite.
As had become his custom since becoming this two-sided beast, he ignored the savage for the familiar moral side.
Finally banishing the thoughts, he shook his head, and plastered on a smile that he was sure would pass as good enough. He looked up at them. "You know, just another conversation with Morgana."
They nodded, making oh sounds. It was the truth, just not all of it. Still, he had more pressing questions to attend to. "What are you guys doing in my living room?"
Toby, sitting back on the couch, held up his binder. It had some of Strickler's history homework on it. "We've decided to start doing our homework here."
Jim tilted his head. "And this doesn't look strange to your families?"
"Nana thinks its my way of grieving. I hate having to lie to her, but I don't want her getting involved in any of this."
"My mom thinks it's great that I'm caring for a woman who just lost her child. It makes her seem so much nicer, which furthers her campaign." Claire seemed vaguely frustrating saying this. She crossed the room, plopping back onto her seat and taking her homework back out. "Plus, three heads are better than one. And haven't you already done this homework?"
Jim nodded. "I can't promise that I remember all of it, but yeah, I've done it. Do you guys need help?"
"Yeah, I need help with the Strickler's maps. Where the hell is Athens? What on God's good Earth is Crete?"
"You guys just get through the Peloponnesian Wars?"
Claire groaned. "Yeah. I don't even understand how this will be applicable in any way at any point in time in my future. I don't even know how school will apply to my future at this point. Isn't the Trollhunter gig for life?"
Jim settled on the couch between the two of them. "Yeah. On the bright side, you have a stable job with creatures that don't place any value on gems like diamonds. If you ask for diamonds at any point, they'll hand you heaps of them."
"Really?" Toby and Claire both seemed surprised.
"Well, the only things valuable to trolls are things that are practical. Aesthetics come afterwards, and human devices are exotic. Diamonds, however, have no magical potential, nor are they considered aesthetically pleasing to the trolls. To trolls, they're just another shiny rock."
Claire leaned back. "Huh." She considered it for a bit before looking back up. "So, money isn't a problem either?"
"Not really. But cashing in a ton of diamonds at once is bound to attract attention."
"Why the hell am I still in school then?!" She threw her hands up. "I don't want to deal with this if I don't have to."
Jim felt bitterness rise within him. "Because you're still human," he half-growled. "You get to be human." Not for the first time, Jim realized his loneliness. He couldn't be a human and he couldn't be a troll. Since he had become this thing, he was always focused on it. Every little thing reminded him that he wasn't Jim anymore, and that he had to constantly fight to control himself. He had only been a half-troll for a week, and it had already consumed him completely.
Claire and Toby exchanged glances. They knew that she had messed up, and now they had to fix it. Claire sighed and scooted over to Jim. "Jim, you know that we don't care about what you are. We're your friends." She tucked hair behind her ear. "We care about you. A lot."
"I had a life," he whispered. "I existed. I had friends. A future." He growled. "It's all gone!" His voice turned into a yell. He tried to get up off the couch, but Claire and Toby pinned him down. If he really wanted to get up, they would be able to stop him, but Jim let them hold him down, albeit with a snarl.
"Listen, Jim, you've been mopey lately, and with good reason, but you still have friends!" Toby was hugging his side as much as he could, Claire draped across the other. "You haven't changed!"
"I HAVE!" Both of them winced and covered their ears at his roar. Jim realized that it was hurting them, and someone else might hear them. "I have," Jim repeated. "I have these instincts. I don't feel the same way I used to. I'm always so angry. I love you guys," Claire slightly stiffened, and he didn't know how to take it. "But right now, everything in me is screaming at me to lash out at you, to tell you to fuck off, and it's hard to hold it back." Each of his words had a growl beneath them, but he was able to cut it off now that he was done talking. They let go of him, and Jim got up. "I'll be in the kitchen."
Jim hadn't mean to be that rude, but it might've made his point even more apparent. He wasn't the same any more. Even so, it wasn't okay to be a jerk like he just was, so he was going to cook them something and apologize with it. Until he heard Claire walk up to the doorway to the kitchen.
He had taken to closing the divider to the kitchen while he was in there, because there was a strong chance that he would be eating something that made the humans in his house sick. More importantly, Jim was acutely aware that Toby was not there to back him up right now if he said something incredibly stupid to her. It was getting harder and harder to keep the whole 'you used to/were going to be my girlfriend' a secret when some of his instincts had to do with her in particular.
"Hey," he said, getting the ingredients out of the fridge.
"Hey," she replied, leaning on the counter.
Taking his chances, Jim turned to her. "I'm sorry about the whole outburst, but it's true. I'm not Jim anymore. Chances are I would hurt someone rather than help them nowadays," referencing their conversation from yesterday.
She sighed. "I think you missed the entire point of that talk."
"I did?" Jim cocked his head to the side.
"What did you think it was about?"
"Uh… I thought the point of it was to comfort me and tell me that people look up to me?"
Claire sighed aggressively, if that was possible. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she muttered, "I can't believe that you're that oblivious."
Taken aback, Jim blinked at her. "What was I oblivious about?"
"I was confessing to you, you butt!" Claire suddenly exploded. "I was telling you that I had just as big of a crush on you that you did on me!"
"Oh." Jim blinked again. He tried to process that. "You did?"
"Yes! Is that so hard to believe?"
Jim thought back to all of his interactions with Claire from before she knew about trolls. He recalled a lot of hair tucks, her constantly getting closer to him when they talked, and a kiss on the cheek that no one else would have gotten if they offered to babysit. "Now that I think about it…" He focused on her. "Wait, you still feel like that?"
"Ay dios mio, eres un idiota."
"Hey," he said, mildly affronted.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you! You are the densest person I have ever met."
Jim was absolutely floored. He had no idea how to react at all to this, and the ingredients were laying on the table forgotten. "I'm a tark," he said, disbelief clear in his voice.
"I don't know what that means, and I don't care. You're literally everything that I've ever wanted in a boyfriend. You're smart, driven, you care about everyone else, and you're literally a hero. Plus, the body doesn't hurt at all." Claire was smirking at him, clearly taking pleasure in his inability to form a coherent thought.
"But… I'm not even human. I just told you that I have to restrain myself from lashing out at you."
Claire walked up and hugged him. "That just means that you need something to hold on to."
For the first time since he had come back, everything felt like it clicked in Jim's mind. He was here, with his love and his best friend. Gunmar was locked in the Darklands, he couldn't hurt anyone. Morgana was no threat anymore. Merlin was as far away as he could possibly be. A sense of calm came over him, the ever-present undercurrent of rage in his mind muted. He was at peace, and he hugged Claire back.
A red glow forced them to part. Curiously, Jim looked down at his chest. The amulet was glowing fiercely, and suddenly the rest of his armor was too. And then it wasn't. Because there was nothing to glow.
The armor was gone.
Jim stood, gaping at his exposed body, covered only in the tattered rags of his signature jeans and blue sweater. Hesitantly, he lifted his hands to himself, feeling his skin. Elation filled him when his skin responded, and he could actually feel the pressure. He started laughing, pumping his fist in the air, screaming "YES! TAKE THAT, YOU WRINKLY DICK!" Claire laughed beside him, and he scooped her, laughing with her as he swung her around the room. Feeling her against his chest, Jim was filled with glee.
Toby barged in. "What the hell is go-" Not neglecting his oldest and best friend, Jim wrapped an arm around Toby, spinning them both around in joy. Toby couldn't help but start laughing with his friend, despite not knowing what was going on. He realized it before long though, when metal didn't start jabbing into him. "Jimbo! You got the armor off!" Jim calmed down a little, putting both him and Claire back on the ground. The grin stayed on his face, though. Fascinated, Toby poked his shoulder and felt his muscles. "Dude, you're ripped! You've got a six pack!" He grabbed his bicep. "It's kinda squishy, though."
Jim rolled his eyes and flexed his arm. Toby's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when his felt the muscles go rock hard under him. He motioned Claire over, and she had no qualms about also feeling his muscles. A delighted grin crossed over her face, and Jim let his muscles go slack. It was with no small amount of satisfaction that he noted that his skin still gave and moved under her hands, and he was able to feel perfectly fine. All of the wonder lasted until Toby poked his chest, which produced a distinctive clink.
"Uh, Jim, you might want to check the amulet." It was fairly obvious what Toby was talking about when he looked down.
The amulet was embedded in his left pectoral, right above where his heart would be. The bottom was facing outward, four of the gem slots faintly glowing. Reaching out, Jim turned out the lights to watch the amulet. Claire and Toby huddled in front of him, watching it with him.
The amulet appeared to pulse in time with what looked to be a heartbeat, but Jim couldn't feel one when he pressed two of his fingers into his neck. Frowning, he realized that the amulet pulsed in time with his own heartbeat. With Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!, he had noticed that trolls didn't have a heartbeat either. Jim was happy with having such an integral part of humanity and turned the lights back on. Focusing on the rest of his body, Jim was hit with embarrassment when he realized that he was practically undressed.
"Uh, if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna go get dressed." Jim quickly sprinted up the stairs, withdrawing to the sanctuary of his room. Laughter followed him, burning his cheeks beneath his skin. Jim closed the door behind him, and then pumped his fist in the air again, cheering for his victory. Now came the awkward part, though.
After affirming that he was indeed a human on his lower half, Jim realized that none of his clothes fit him anymore. Shrugging, he decided to just put on some very stretchy sweatpants. It wasn't as if anyone other than his friends would see him, and he had a sufficient body to go bare-chested. Voices floated up to him as he opened the door again, arguing vehemently.
"His biceps!" That was Claire. Blood crept into his face again when he realized what she was talking about.
"Thicc thighs save lives!" Sighing, he smacked his face. He had no idea why Toby was arguing with Claire as to what his newest most attractive quality was.
"His thighs aren't that thick!"
"Thicker than yours!" A whack came from their area and Jim decided that he should probably intervene.
Walking down the stairs two at a time, he was greeted with the sight of Claire standing over a fallen Toby with a binder in her hands. "You take that back!" she said, but her offended tone was overridden by the grin that she was trying to keep from forming.
"What's this all about?" They both turned to him, and Claire's face turned an interesting shade. Toby noticed and pointed at her as he laughed. Glaring, Claire whopped him on the head again with her binder.
"Man down, Jimbo! Help!" Toby raised an arm weakly, making Jim chuckle. Claire was frozen again, staring directly at his stomach. He cleared his throat.
"My eyes are up here." He smirked, extraordinarily pleased that she didn't see him as repulsive. She flicked her eyes up to meet his, her blush intensifying before she covered her face with her binder and fell back on the couch. She grumbled something to herself in Spanish that even his troll ears couldn't decipher. Crossing the room, he picked Toby up one-handed and set him on his feet.
Toby looked up at him in wonder, then shook his head and sat back on the couch. He picked up his homework, saying, "The swolest troll ever." Claire peeked out from behind her binder, a little less red than before.
The smell of ingredients that had been left out for several minutes enter Jim's nostrils. Entering the kitchen, Jim decided that he was going to make a meal that would make Gordon Ramsey proud to celebrate. Later, he would go find Bular and dance with him, too. Pulling out a knife, Jim started to chop up the carrots that he had gotten out and started answering questions that Toby threw at him.
After several minutes of amiable conversation and answering Toby's homework questions, his partner remembered something. "Oh yeah, Jimbo, what kind of a troll were you merged with? Blinky said he figured it out, but I think he forgot to tell us."
Claire interjected here. "A carved Grecian statue." They all had a good laugh over that, Jim marveling at the definition of his muscles.
"Jotun. Apparently, the frost giants are actually trolls. But he's not entirely sure. Something about how no one's ever really had contact with them besides another race, the Hold-a-folk or something, that was sworn in their service, but they sided with Gunmar during that whole fiasco." He didn't hear anything else from them but shrugged it off and put what would soon be the finished feast in the oven.
The rest of the afternoon until his mother got back was filled with friendly banter and an excessive amount of feasting, though no one complained about either. When his mother joined them, she was surprised to see an armorless, topless Jim laughing with his friends in front of the TV, Toby in the crook of one arm and Claire clinging to his chest, enveloped in the other. Once she was over it, though, she smiled and pulled Jim's meal out of the oven when it was done.
They were all eating dinner when Toby remembered something, excitedly mumbling through food.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth, Toby," admonished Barbara. Toby held up a finger, chewed for a moment, and then swallowed.
"Do you think that you could come to Trollmarket now that the armor won't be on full display.
Jim shrugged. "Maybe, if Blinky can smuggle me in."
"That would be so cool, having you there with us. I think that you could pass as a smaller troll, but you'd have to conceal your strength.
"Blinky could probably introduce you as a friend of his to Darci and Mary, and then tell Vendel that he met you on the surface or something, and that you're just visiting Trollmarket." Jim thoughtfully took a bite out of his raw pork, accidentally biting some of the spoon off with it. Frowning at his ruined utensil, he nodded.
"That could work."
His mom swallowed her current mouthful of food. "If Trollmarket is so dangerous, then why do you want to go there so badly?"
"I'm getting really restless up here. Going to the forest every night makes it slightly better, but I would like to have some interaction. Besides, we wouldn't do it tonight anyways. I'm going to be training Claire," and avoiding a rogue gnome, he added to himself. He was intrigued at the idea of being able to interact with Mary and Darci and potentially joining the team. It would be very difficult to not automatically don the armor every time they got into trouble, and he would have to use a new weapon, but it would be worth it to him.
"Speaking of which, when do you want to start?" asked Claire. She had finished her food, as had Toby. Both looked very excited. Jim grinned. Knowing that his friends liked him enough to spend this much time with him was somehow relieving, despite him knowing how much they cared about him.
Well, relatively. He wasn't exactly sure how much Claire liked him, or what they were at this point. Was that whole thing earlier supposed to be indicative of her being open to be his girlfriend? He'd have to ask later. Preferably after the training, he didn't want to work up any ill feelings before and make it awkward.
Jim finished his own food, as did his mother. He took everyone's plates before telling them, "As soon as I get these put up." They cheered, running to pack up their stuff as he took the dishes to the sink and rinsed them off. He smirked as they entered the kitchen, waiting restlessly for him to finish. Once he was finally done, Toby huffed at him. "I didn't know you were part sloth, too, Jimbo."
"It's way too much fun working you up, Tobes. You know that." Toby's glare made him grin.
He opened the backdoor for them, and they ran outside. Jim took a moment to appreciate the feeling of the air on his skin. Claire asked where they were going to train tonight.
"I was thinking by the lake. That same clearing as last time. I really like the moon, even if it doesn't have the best memories." Smiling, he started off in the direction of the lake, cutting directly through the forest behind his house. The oranges, reds and yellows streaking across the sky were beautiful, and Jim only wished that he could be jumping through the trees feeling the air against his new skin instead of simply walking. It wasn't too much of a loss, he got to talk with his best friend and love interest, even if he wasn't sure what to make of the latter right now.
As they walked, Toby and Claire asked him questions about the coolest magical creatures that he had fought. Tilting his head to the side, Jim considered for a bit before he answered. "So far, the coolest would probably be the Nyarlagoth." Toby gasped, while Claire looked confused. He explained further. "It's this massive eel-worm-snake thing in the Darklands. They have very nutritious but disgusting eggs."
Toby gasped. "You never told me that you ate their eggs!"
The half-troll shrugged. "Had to eat something. To their credit, they are very defensive of their eggs."
Another question occurred to his best friend. "What did you drink in the Darklands? Was there some body of water or what?"
Remembering the event, it sparked mixed feelings in him. He felt an odd satisfaction and pride from the kill, but also a healthy amount of disgust. "Nyarlagoths have more watery blood than most things."
They both turned green. "Jesus Christ," breathed Toby. "You drank magic eel blood?"
"What else was I gonna do? I was pretty desperate at that point, I had gone most of a day without water, and in the Darklands you need as much energy as possible. Trolls don't bleed, and I was fully willing to try a goblin if I found one."
Shaking her head, Claire said, "You're like the Bear Grylls of the troll world, except way more morbid." They all shared a laugh, effectively dispelling the disgust.
"So, what am I going to be learning today?" asked Claire. Jim marveled at the brightness of her eyes when she looked at him.
"Today, we'll actually be dueling. Blinky brought glow stones to light the area up. Oh, don't give me that look. You're just going to be getting the feel for how to hit something without it jarring your forearms. And you're going to practice your stances."
Claire breathed a little easier and placed a hand over her heart, amusing Jim. It couldn't be that terrifying to fight him, could it?
Without even glancing to them, Toby answered the unspoken thought. "Jimbo, I love you man, but the whole AAARRRGGHH! thing taught us a lesson. Don't piss off the Jimbo." Shaking his head, Jim didn't bother responding to Toby. They were almost at the clearing they were at last time, and Jim was focused on the broken trees. "What's with all the trees?"
"Well, when a two-ton rock goes flying, something's bound to get smashed." Toby's sarcasm was clear in the way he gestured at the trees. The half-troll sighed, massaging his temples.
Claire put a hand on his arm, her eyes full of concern. Jim gave her a weak smile, but she gave him a full one back and squeezed his arm teasingly before walking into the clearing. All he got when he looked to Toby was a wink before they also entered.
Toby made his way to where Claire set down her backpack and put down his own next to it. Claire was getting ready to don her armor and began the incantation. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" Her voice rang over the clearing as magic lifted her into the air, forming steel from light over her body. She landed with a fist on the ground, before getting up and grinning at Jim.
Smirking, Jim said nothing. The armor flowed from the amulet over his body, responding to his will. It closed over his hand, wrist and feet, and then glowed with an ethereal power.
Toby gave an impressed whistle. "Changing it up a bit, eh Jimbo?"
Eclipse appeared in his outstretched hand, and he lifted the tip to point at her, seemingly relaxed with his left hand hanging by his side. Claire responded in kind, summoning Daylight and leaning it across her left forearm, pointed towards him. Jim cleared his throat. "Like I said, I'm not expecting you to be able to beat me, what I'm planning on here is to show you how to maximize the force behind your strikes while minimizing the shockwaves through your arms. Swing at me the best as you can, and don't worry about me. Got it?"
Claire nodded. "Got it."
They were absolutely still for several moments. The only sounds were the background of the forest and the sound of their breaths. Jim saw Claire rock forward just a tiny bit before launching at him across the clearing.
Twisting his sword in a circle, he successfully deflected Claire's sword arm to the side, and her eyes widened before her body collided into him. Her weight wasn't enough to make him twitch. However, the amulets glowed curiously as their swords collided. "Remember, everything that you fight is larger and stronger than you. Your body weight won't do much without something sharp in front of it." She backed off, circling around him. Jim followed her path with his eyes, only turning his body if he had to. "When you do try again, don't try to keep the sword from moving when it gets deflected. Redirect its movement or spin with it if it's fast enough."
Claire took a step forward, swinging Daylight with both arms. Jim placed his sword diagonally in front of him, feeling a minimal amount of force as he deflected it into an upward arc. Her face clenched before she kicked upward. Letting a grin cross his face, Jim caught her leg with his free hand before pulling up slightly, forcing her to overbalance and fall back. "Very good, compensating with the kick. Most trolls wouldn't expect that; they'd still be focused on the sword." Claire shook her head as she got up before she glared at him and charged.
Her sword clanged against his continually as she pushed him back, the amulets growing brighter and brighter. Jim did his best to ignore the amulets and act as if he was a normal troll and not a super-powered half-troll. "Strike where it's easy to pull back. You can't let them get a hit on you." To demonstrate, he lashed out with his left hand between her strikes. She was launched a few feet backwards, an undignified 'oof' leaving her as her body impacted the ground again. The amulets dimmed slightly.
"That's not fair," she panted as she got up. "You're faster than Draal was."
Jim blinked. "I am?" That was news to him. Then again, he never got the chance to compare after he was transformed. He grinned at her. "That just means that you'll be used to fighting something even faster than your enemies." Jim could hear her mutter something under her breath, but he chose not to comment, simply preparing for another assault.
Claire crouched low, bring Daylight over her shoulders. Her armor glowed, and their amulets were nearly bright enough to be their own suns. She launched with a war cry off the ground in an arc that would take her over his head. Jim cocked his head as she reached the apex directly over him, lazily raising Eclipse over his head to block her overhead slash with Daylight. He was not prepared for what happened next.
A shockwave of light radiated out from them, blinding both combatants and blasting Jim to the ground. Claire landed on Jim's chest, knocking the air out of him. The amulet felt as if it was burning his chest, adding to the feeling beneath it, like someone was grabbing his heart and warping it. Claire cried out on top of him, curling up. Jim wanted to help but it felt like he couldn't move, and something entered his mind and for a brief second, he was looking down at his face, curled up on someone's chest before he was himself again, something being woven into his very soul and it was over.
Breathing hard, Jim tried to process what just happened. He sat up, holding Claire to his chest, still curled up. He almost smiled at how small she seemed in his arms, but there were more important things at the moment. Like making sure she was okay.
In the background, Toby was rushing to him, and Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! had just arrived. It didn't matter. Right now, he was more concerned as to why his and Claire's hearts were beating with the same pulse and why he could feel her exhaustion.
"Claire?" Jim whispered to her. He motioned for everyone else to stay back with a jerk of his head.
"Jim? Is that… you?" So, she felt it too. Unsurprising.
"Yeah. I can feel you too." He wasn't really sure how to proceed. Despite everything he had gone through, he had never been bonded to someone's soul. His mother, though…
Panic rose within him as soon as he realized what this might mean for them. "Claire, sorry about this, but it's necessary."
"What are you-" he cut her off as he placed her gently on the ground, summoned a dagger and sliced it across his palm. "Jim! What the hell are you doing!?" She grabbed his now bleeding hand, and he realized two things. Claire had not felt any pain an getting cut with Eclipse hurt like a bitch. He felt like he had just poured liquid fire into his own hand, but it was easy to ignore it after the whole transformation deal. As she fretted over his had and yelled at him for being an idiot, he turned to his troll friends and Toby who were gaping at him. His eyes clearly said help.
"Master Jim, what on earth were you thinking?! What would force you to take such drastic measures as this?!" Blinky brought the wrong kind of help, as the rest of Jim's Trollhunter team rushed over to him, yelling at him too. Their voices all overlapped as they became a wordless cacophony in his head. He felt rage and terror rise within him instinctually before they stopped.
"Shut up! You're scaring him!" Claire yelled at them. Jim was covering his ears as best he could, but he could still hear everything. Claire's armor turned into smoke and her amulet fell into her hand before she continued. "I just realized why it scared him. He thought that this might be the same as that time that Strickler bound himself to Jim's mom."
"Ah. And is it similar? Do you have the same injury on you hand?"
"No." Claire raised her hand out, palm up. There was nothing there but unblemished skin. "I did feel an uncomfortable pressure and heat for a bit though."
"Ah." Blinky looked nervous. A silence took over the moonlit clearing before he spoke up again, clacking his fingers together. "Can you, um feel each other's emotions, by any chance?"
Jim looked up at him. "Yeah," he said. He had mostly calmed down and was surprised that Blinky seemed to know what this was. "What happened to us?"
Blinky muttered something to AAARRRGGHH! in trollish, which Jim heard thanks to his enhanced ears. "What's a soul bond?"
Blinky started coughing harshly, focusing anywhere but them. Jim cocked his head to the side, realizing instinctually that his surrogate father was embarrassed. So, he looked to his troll brother instead. AAARRRGGHH! shrugged. "Troll marriage."
Jim choked on his own spit. Claire turned completely red and found the ground very interesting. Toby, on the other hand, looked between the two before bursting into boisterous laughter. The laughter made the other two (part) humans focus their ire on him, the annoyance in each of them complimenting and multiplying that felt by the other. It quickly morphed into anger, and Jim stopped and forcibly forced calm over himself. He caught Claire looking at him from his side, gratefulness welling up in their bond.
Blinky shook his head. "This… this is something that I could never predict happening. I don't even know where to start. Do you two even know what a soul bond is?" Jim and Claire looked to each other, feeling the other's apprehension. They shook their heads in tandem. Blinky clapped his hands together. "Then that is where we can begin. Come, this will not involve any form of physical exercise. At present, the most important thing is getting you two accustomed to what you now share."
Jim, Claire, and Toby obediently sat in front of Blinky. AAARRRGGHH! came behind them, sitting down with a large thud. Blinky smiled fondly at them, watching Jim's armor recede into the amulet with interest before he began. "A soul bond is, as the name suggests, a bond between two souls. It is the most binding bond possible, as once it is formed, it can only be split by removing the areas of the soul that are entwined, which causes irrevocable damage to the owners of the souls. It is, thusly, our ritual of matrimony. As such a long-lived species, something so truly binding and lasting is what gives substance to our unity. The characteristics, though, are what make it special. Those bonded can usually feel each other's emotions, and if the bond is strong enough, share ideas and sometimes thoughts, though that is extremely rare and requires very closely bonded souls."
Claire raised her hand. Blinky looked at her curiously before his eyes flicked over to Jim. The half-troll, on his part, just sighed. "She wants to ask a question."
"Ask away, then Lady Claire."
Claire put her hand down. "How much emotion do you feel from your partner?"
"Usually only a small amount, enough to pick up on small things. The stronger the bond, the more powerful the influence. If one is truly distraught, the other will know that they are sad, for most soul bonds. Some trolls, usually those able to share ideas, can truly feel the other's exact emotions."
Jim and Claire turned to stare at each other. To test his theory, Jim focused on the idea of her, trying his best to send a picture of herself to her. Claire's eyes widened, and surprise bloomed across their bond. A moment later, he got an image of himself looking at her curiously. It would appear that they had the stronger bond.
"I think we have a very strong bond," said Claire, still looking at Jim. "We can share ideas, and I can definitely feel his emotions."
Blinky nodded. "I assumed you would, as your bond most likely came from the amulets. From what I have observed, you are similar but very different." Jim blinked at him. "You have the same core values, but different – complementary – methods and behaviors. That is a recipe for a very strong bond."
Jim stood up. He could feel how tired Claire was, and while he knew that it was necessary he didn't like it. "We're obviously not going to get anything else done tonight. Blinky, why don't you bring me a book on soul bonds later tonight and Claire can get some much-needed sleep? I taught her a lot earlier, so it's been a productive night." Jim helped Claire up, feeling her gratefulness. Toby, who had been laughing at them throughout the explanation, yawned before getting up with them.
"Yeah, I don't know about Claire, but I'm ready to slip into something more comfortable. Like a coma." Toby grinned at Jim, and the amusement that they felt made Claire laugh. Jim shook his head at the way that her body shook, noticing that she leaned on him slightly.
In a lightning quick move, he hooked an arm under her knees and the other under her shoulders and lifted her up. Claire gave a surprised cry before glaring up at him. "Put me down! I can walk myself!" Her emotions betrayed her; a healthy dose of amusement and affection coursed through him. Jim grinned to himself when he felt the affection, purposely pushing some of his own across the bond.
"But why would you if you don't have to?" Toby asked. "Hey Jimbo, you got room for another?"
Laughing, Jim knelt on the ground. Toby climbed up his back, sitting on his shoulders and using his horns as handles to keep himself on. Standing up, Jim made sure that his friends were secure before bidding goodbye to the troll part of the Trollhunter team. "See you later, guys!" Blinky was grinning while watching them, and AAARRRGGHH! waved merrily, getting to his feet and knuckles before they left the clearing.
The half-troll let loose a feral grin, not missing the way Claire suddenly looked at him warily. "You guys might want to hold on."
The half-troll let Toby adjust his grip and got Claire to a more secure position in his arms. He gave no warning before he launched in a dead sprint, Toby screaming on top of his head and Claire shutting her eyes and burrowing her face against his chest. Cackling madly, Jim increased his speed as he ran back to their houses.