PART 3 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! WATCH ALL OF PART 3 BEFORE READING!
Hey guys! Sorry that I took so long to upload this chapter. College happened and I had no time for literally much of anything. So if chapters come out a little slow, it's because life is busy XD I keep updates on my profile so if you want to know what's going on with this story, you can check that out there. Thank you guys for being supportive of this! Love all of you!
Chapter 7- Geekapalooza
"Woah. That's a lot of Maces and Talons players." Jim said as he and Claire walked into the city. The city shined like a thousand suns outside with all of its decorative blinking lights. It almost made Jim feel like he was back in the sunlight, which is something he's been begging to feel on his skin once again. The streets and sidewalks were crowded with comic-con enthusiasts. Many were in costumes, so it wasn't hard for Jim to blend in. Everyone began to gaze at him in awe and amazement.
"Yo...that costume is lit." A person said to them walking by, his fingers pointing to him. Jim's eyes went wide.
"Uh, thanks." Jim replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. If only they knew this wasn't a costume to begin with. Jim thought. Claire turned her gaze to him.
"Wow, you're becoming a Maces and Talons celebrity. Everyone won't stop staring at you." Claire said as she and Jim observed everyone's behavior. Hundreds of eyes stared at them, wondering how in the world Jim's "troll costume" looked so realistic.
"I know. I'm so thankful that everyone thinks that this is a costume. Just imagine the chaos if everyone knew that I was actually a tro-" Jim said before Claire shushed him, covering his mouth with her palm.
"Careful. Don't wanna blow your cover." Claire reminded him. Arcadia knows that trolls exist, but for the whole entire world to know would be catastrophic. It would cause quite a panic.
"Yeah Jimbo, you gotta lay low. Now, what is it you're looking for?" Toby asked. At Toby's house, the door opened. AAARRRGGHH! and Dictatious walked in. They heard the conversation on the phone.
"Well, we're looking for the paiute troll cave." Claire replied.
"Oh, they're in Las Vegas, are they?" Dictatious asked, curious, walking towards a bookshelf in Toby's room.
"Yeah, they are. Now would you get out of here?" Toby asked, annoyed at Dictatious' presence. AAARRRGGHH! sighed and looked down, thinking Toby was telling him to leave. Toby flailed his arms around. "Oh, not you wingman! You're cool!" AAARRRGGHH!'s face brightened. Jim and Claire noticed who was talking in the background.
"Hey, is that AAARRRGGHH! and Dictatious? We could use their help." Jim said as they both smiled continuing to walk through the crowds. Aaarrrggghhh and Dictatious both turned their heads, hearing the familiar voice on the phone.
"Hi." AAARRRGGHH! replied, waving.
"Ah, Trollhunter. Nice to hear your voice again." Dictatious added.
"Hi AAARRRGGHH!. Nice to hear from you too, Dictatious...I guess...listen, we need to find the Paiute troll caves. Know anything about them?" Jim asked. Dictatious tapped his chin while AAARRRGGHH! began to play Go Go Sushi.
"Hehehe...sushi." AAARRRGGHH! said, enjoying his video game.
"Hmmm...from what I can recall, the Paiute Trolls are an extremely private tribe. Very few have been able to locate their hideout. Legend tells that only those who are destined to confront them will be able to find the cave."
"It's still worth a shot to find them even if we aren't 'destined' to. Where should we start looking?" Jim said.
"I'm not sure. All knowledge of Paiute Troll history is recorded in journals by trolls that lived before. I once possessed such a book but because my brother burnt all of my books to a crisp in addition to not reading them, I have no knowledge of them or the cave." Dictatious explained. Claire gasped.
"Wait, did you say journal?" Claire asked as she dipped her hand in her pack. She took out the book that she and Jim found in the desert. "We found a book on our way here. We thought it could be a journal because of all the writing. We can't read it though." She took her phone from her pocket, snapped a picture of the cover with it, and sent it to Toby's phone. His phone beeped. Picking it up, he saw a notification on it.
"Got your text!" Toby opened the message and looked that the title on the cover. "Librum….uhhh autem durit-" Toby gave up on reading the title and decided to take out his laptop and type it in Gesi
"Gesi?" AAARRRGGHH! asked, looking over his shoulder.
"It's a search engine. Global Engine Search Investigator." Toby said to him. AAARRRGGHH! raised an eyebrow. "I learned that from Eli." Once Toby pressed enter, Gesi began to speak.
"Librum autem duritiam incantatorum tuorum vehementem" Gesi said.
"Hmmm…Librum autem duriti...no, I can't. Brain hurts too much" Toby said, giving up quickly.
"You say you found this book in the desert?" Dictatious asked.
"Yeah, just laying there on the ground." Jim replied. "And if you know what that title means, please tell us because Claire and I have been wondering for days."
"Curious…." Dictatious said as he fondled a few books from Toby's bookshelf. "This is not just a journal. It is a book of spells." Dictatious explained.
"Really? How did you know that?" Claire asked.
"Because I am not an idi-..." Dictatious hacked up a lung, realizing he was about to say something rude. "I mean...that's what it says. Librum autem duritiam incantatorum tuorum vehementem. Book. of. spells." Jim did a double take.
"Wait, that's the title?!" Jim asked, puzzled.
"Yes." Dictatious replied.
"Really...that long title…you're saying that's it..." Toby asked.
"Yes. I don't quite understand your confusion." Dictatious repeated.
"I'm not confused. I just never knew something that long could mean something so short and simple." Claire responded.
"But...you read Shakespeare…" Jim said before Claire gave him the stink eye.
"Ah, that is where you are wrong. Only the most brilliant minds can conjugate such spells. It may be somewhat easy to follow them, yes. But to create one of these spells with your own hands is not, as you humans say, 'slice of pie'...oooh...I want pie." Dictatious explained.
"Okay, how about we take a look at the book and at least try to translate what is inside it and then we can-" Jim said before running into a small, 4-foot boy.
"Would you mind watching where you are stepping, peasant!" The little boy said to Jim. Jim gave him a puzzled look. The boy was dressed in costume from head to toe. He wore a helmet that resembled that of a dragon's head and wore robes for a king cosplay. A mustache was attached to his face. On his neck were necklaces bearing faux jewels. Jim shifted his eyes to Claire.
"Um...uh...yes! Um...sharecropper!" Jim said with a nervous smile. Claire gave Jim a baffled look.
"Really...sharecropper?" Claire whispered to him as Jim faced the small, tiny, angry child.
"I saw it in our history class textbook. I thought it sounded intimidating." Jim whispered to her.
"A sharecropper is a type of farmer, Jim. How is that intimidating?" Claire asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"Fine then. Uh...Troubadour!" Jim declared with a finger pointing in the air. Claire facepalmed.
"Jim! That's a person who writes love songs!" Claire told him as she dragged her face down in embarrassment. Jim nervously chuckled.
"Are ye done talking, commoner?" The little boy asked them. Jim's eyes went wide. He quickly turned his head to him.
"Oh! Sorry, I-" Jim snapped his fingers. "...commoner! Why didn't I think of that!" Jim said as he facepalmed. Claire jolted before rolling her eyes in amusement.
"SILENCE!" The little boy yelled. Everyone froze, silent. "I am known as the great…" He looked down and snapped his fingers. "BOX!" A man in a suit and sunglasses came behind him, bringing a small wooden box and laying it at his feet. The boy stepped onto it, making himself seem taller...but not by much at all. "As I was saying, I am the great Master Cressian. My card." He said as he reached underneath his cape, taking out a card and handing it to Jim. He wasn't kidding… Jim thought to himself.
Master Cressian of the Saanhor Isles
Controller of the fires of Ladorithin
Ruler over the planet Pluto
Bringer of Demise
Dragon Tamer
Level 20
"Master Cre….ssian of the...Saan...hor Isl-?" Jim read before being interrupted.
"No! No, the H is silent!" He told Jim and Claire. Jim continued to read the card.
"Ruler over...wait, hold on. Pluto isn't a planet anym-" The child screamed again.
"QUIET!" He yelled as he stomped his little foot to the ground. Jim raised his hands in the air.
"I'm just telling you straight facts." Jim told him. He began to read the card to himself. "Hey, look, I'm not going to remember all of this. Can I just call you Bill?" Jim asked him before being given an irritated look by the small child. "Aaaaand I'll take that as a no."
"I will allow you to call me by my real name." He told them.
"Which is…" Claire said, waiting to be told.
"If you must know…" He told them, rubbing his fake mustache, "It is Theodrick McPuffin. Now, I-" He began to say before hearing quiet chuckling from Jim and Claire. "May I ask what's so funny?"
"Oh um-" Claire coughed. "Nothing! Nothing at all." She said with a nervous smile. Suddenly, Toby spoke from the ear pieces, laughing so loud that everyone could hear.
"Hahaha! Theodrick McPuffin! That sounds like the most ridicu-" Toby began to say until Claire and Jim turned down their ear pieces to the lowest level, barely able to hear Toby speaking.
"And your name is?" Theodrick asked them. Jim and Claire turned up their earpieces again to hear Toby.
"Okay, repeat after me, Jimbo." Toby told Jim before he began telling Jim his Maces and Talons name.
"Merexaes...The Malevolent...uh...the famed, the fighter for the um….shadowed moors, true born heir to the...Obsidian throne! Master of the blood moon blade...bringer of dea-" Jim stopped for a second and put his hand over his mouth so he could whisper something to Toby. "No, Tobes. I am not saying that."
"And I am Treladoria…" Toby told her the rest of Claire's name but she decided not to say all of it, mainly because it was embarrassing. "Yeah, that's it."
"Treladoria, I can remember well. However, your name…" Theodrick said as he pointed to Jim, "I will never be able to remember all of that. If only you had a business card like myself. I'm just going to call you Jim." Jim gasped. How in the world did he know my actual name!? Suddenly, a man dressed as a knight came by, overhearing Jim's Maces and Talons name. He pointed at Jim.
"Dude…did you say you were Merexaes, the malevolent?" Jim blinked.
"Um, yeeeaahhh." Jim responded hesitantly. The man's face brightened. He started getting excited, which made Jim both concerned and confused.
"Man, it is an honor to meet you! You are a legend, bro!" He told Jim. Jim was puzzled. What in the world is he talking about? He suddenly came to a realization. Toby did something he shouldn't have. Jim put his palm over his mouth once again to whisper to him through the earpiece.
"Tobes? What did you do?" Jim asked him.
"I might have given you the name of one of the most popular and successful Maces and Talons players in the world? Quite….possibly?" Jim dropped his head in disappointment. Theodrick, being as pompous as ever, didn't like what he was hearing.
"So, you say you're a legend. Well then, how about proving it in a battle of wits." Theodrick said to him.
"I'm sorry?" Jim said, afraid of what Theodrick's answer would be to that question.
"You. Me. A duel. Whoever loses, loses their title as well as their costume. If I lose, you win my jewels, cape, and dragon head. If you lose…" Jim gulped as Theodrick explained his wager, "Your armor is mine."
Jim and Claire's eyes went wide.
"Uh oh…" Toby said softly through the earpiece.
Blinky and the rest of the gang kept on walking, looking for a sure sign that they were headed in the right direction. The group began to grow tired. Their feet started to ache. With the heartstone on the other side of the country, many of the trolls began to lose hope of ever getting there. Many of them repeated, "Are we there yet?", making Nomura want to bash them in the head. Blinky, however, was determined. With all of the adventures they have experienced and the countless trials they have faced, they have left those battles prosperous. Blinky never lost hope. No matter how long it was going to take, he kept on believing that the journey would turn out successful. If Jim never lost hope in anything, neither should he.
As the trolls wandered, Blinky could see nothing but sand in the distance, wondering if he was anywhere near Las Vegas. Strong winds snatched the idea of finding any footprints left by Jim and Claire. He would've been able to track their scent if AAARRRGGHH! tagged along instead of sticking with Toby in Arcadia. Only the fates could tell now. Blinky hoped only for a miracle to show them the way. Suddenly, they saw something familiar to them. They came up near the troll cave they escaped from the day before. Nomura yelled in anger.
"You say you know where you're going. Do you though...do you reaaalllyy?" Nomura sarcastically states to him.
"There is a quote from the human Colin R. Davis which states, 'The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.'"
"I'm sorry, encyclopedia blue, but I believe that's what humans call, 'deviating from the subject'. You haven't even answered her question." Merlin said, being accusatory.
"Who asked you to comment!?" Blinky responded with a great deal of annoyance. He could hear all of the trolls behind him grumbling and complaining, wanting this whole search to be over already. He could hear comments such as, "Liar!" and "We're lost!". Although it hurt his pride, it didn't hurt his determination. A memory suddenly came to him. He recalled reading a non-fiction history book in the Arcadia Oaks library during his time as a human.
The earliest navigation methods involved observing landmarks or watching the direction of the sun and stars. Few ancient sailors ventured out into the open sea. Instead, they sailed within sight of land in order to navigate. When that was impossible, ancient sailors watched constellations to mark their position.
"Wait…although we are nowhere near the oceans, there is a likelihood that this stratagem would work in our favor. " Blinky brought his head up to look at the sky, seeing not one cloud up above him. Stars covered the sky like a blanket, shimmering as light gleamed from the moon. Blinky began searching. "Now, if only I can find Ursa Maj-" He gasped, pointing to the sky. "Ursa Major! That concludes that, if my calculations are correct, we need to traverse in…" Blinky began turning slowly to right, counting each step he tracked as he shifted. "...in this direction!" He slightly turned his head, making sure that he didn't lose track of which way they had to go.
"Your confidence amuses me. We are lost." Nomura said to him.
"Silence would be very much appreciated." Blinky retorted as he gestured his hand, pretending to zip his lips shut. Nomura shook her head and groaned before they and the trolls headed in the direction Blinky pointed.
"I'm so sorry, but can you give us a minute, Theodrick?" Claire asked as she wrapped her arm around Jim's, about to turn around.
"I prefer The Great Master Cressian, but your immaculate beauty and your gleaming purple battle armor speak to me in ways I could never describe." Theodrick said to her. Jim shifted his gaze to him with an irritated look.
"Okay, first of all, don't hit on my girlfriend. Two...aren't you a little young...and tiny...and small...just a bit...to be hitting on girls? How old are you anyway? Nine? Maybe ten?" Jim asked with curiosity.
"I'm eleven, thank you!" Theodrick responded.
"Wait, shouldn't you be with your parents?" Claire scratched the top of her head wondering. Theodrick pointed behind him at the man who brought him that box to stand on, wearing sunglasses and reading a magazine about race cars.
"My father is right over there. He couldn't help but bring me here. He knows I will face my enemies and CRUSH THEM WITH MY SUCCESS, BEATING THEM TILL THEY BLEED! Right, Daddy?" Theodrick said with a smile. His father didn't even look up when he spoke. His eyes were glued to that magazine.
"Yes, son. Do...um, whatever it is you said." His father said like he wasn't even listening. Jim raised an eyebrow. Why the heck is he wearing sunglasses past 9 PM? Jim thought before both he and Claire turned their backs to Theodrick to talk privately.
"Seriously, Claire, why is everyone hitting on you tonight? I wish there could be a floating sign above your head that screams 'taken'." Jim said as he motioned his hands above her head.
"Funny. I thought you out of all people would be able to understand why everyone would be." Claire responded with a smirk, making Jim realize that as her boyfriend, he should know. Jim chuckled slightly.
"You know, you have a point there. And Tobes! you never told me that Mereaxes is a real living Maces and Talons legend! Why would you do that?! I can't risk exposing the fact that I'm..." Jim whispered angrily. "...part-troll!"
"Hey, come on, Jimbo! You're the Trollhunter! You defeated Bular, slew Gunmar to a rocky pulp, and saved both the human world and troll world! I felt like you deserved a title with power and...and gloriousness." Toby said as he clenched his fists with confidence.
"If it involved Gun Robot, yes, that would work. But a Maces and Talons convention? Seriously?! You know I don't know anything about this whole deal with dragons and wizards and pixies and-" Jim panicked before being interrupted.
"Woah, woah...Jim….pixies are in Ultimate Utopia. Wrong game. Maces and Talons has knights and rangers and-" Toby started rambling.
"Tobes, I'm stuck in a really bad situation! I mean like an 'I'm going to be taken to area 51 and be experimented on if I don't win' situation!" Jim argued. Claire lost focus, shifting her gaze towards a dark alley nearby. She noticed something small and greyish purple moving in the shadows with its back facing the streets. It turned his head to reveal green glowing eyes.
Is that…no, it can't be. Claire thought to herself. She felt as if she knew what that thing was. Suddenly, a few more of the same creature popped out from behind him. They started to come into view. Claire gasped, finally realizing what was over there. She tugged on Jim's arm.
"Hey, um, Jim? We have a problem!" Claire said to Jim as her tugging took his focus away from Toby.
"What? What's going on?" He asked her. She pointed towards the alleyway at the creatures. He recognized them too. "Oh no..." Jim couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing.
"Yeah, Jim…" Claire told him. "They're goblins."
CHAPTER 8 COMING SOON!
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