Right now, the highest priority would be going to the Trollmarket to inform Blinky and Aaarrrgghh about the recent discovery at the museum. According to Douxie, that was a vital piece of the information, and Jim wasn't going to doubt his wizard friend's competence.
Still… The throbbing pain in his forehead was certainly a great distraction.
"Remind me again, how have you managed to get that one?" Toby inquired, pointing out at Jim's bump. "I've thought you've done with attempts to throw away the amulet!"
"Well, apparently, Daylight is against assisting me in my attempts to impress Claire," the Trollhunter groaned. "Even if it's something so trivial! I mean, I've gotten it, I need to treat the sacred obligation with some responsibility, but would it kill it to play along a bit?"
Deep inside, the lanky teen felt he had no right to rant, but he still couldn't help feeling frustrated.
"You need something cold to reduce swelling," Toby hummed. "Or you can ask Dr. L - she's better with that stuff…"
"Shoot, Mom!" Jim nearly facepalmed. "She hasn't seen it yet! How would I explain?"
"Come on, Jimbo, it's just a bump, not a missing limb. Say you had a nasty round of dodgeball with Psycho Steve or something," his best friend shrugged, finding an excuse on the spot.
"Maybe we shouldn't talk about missing limbs," the Trollhunter flinched. "With this trollhunting obligation, it sounds like something eerily possible!"
His mind trailed back to the shapeshifting trolls in the museum. Perhaps, his train of thought was clear as a day because Toby asked:
"How do you think will they try to ambush us?"
"They don't know our identities, remember?"
"No, I mean near the entrance of the Trollmarket, like that time…"
That actually made some sense, and as much as Jim would have preferred to visit Blinky without any extra battles, it sounded plausible. The sun was down already, and well, even if it had been the other way, didn't changelings possess the immunity against the sunlight?
Fortunately for the boys, Toby's guess had nothing to do with the reality. There were no hostile trolls under the bridge, so going underground only required drawing an arc with the horngazel.
Some part of Jim found it eerie - it was as if the enemies were plotting something, trying to think out some intricate scheme and capture the Trollhunter. He'd rather have Bular roaring and pursuing them. That was the kind of danger he could understand and try to deal with. Unknown schemes, on the other hand…
The teens found Blinky and Aaarrrgghh drinking in the troll bar. Of course, those too could relax as they had no idea about the previous night. Jim felt slightly guilty for ruining that peace, but, well, was there any other choice?
And, of course, trolls hadn't believed the story at once.
"Master Jim, that's not something you can claim without any proof," Blinky sighed.
"But saw it - it's the same as the picture you showed us! I had enough time to examine it, heck, I even touched it! Not to mention that Douxie confirmed that it was Killahead. Would you doubt Merlin's apprentice too?"
Jim would never imagine it could be that difficult to convince his troll friends. Probably, they should have brought some better proof, like a picture or some fragment of the bridge.
Or maybe Blinky and Aaarrrgghh were simply in denial. Even Jim understood that having the half-restored Killahead bridge in Arcadia was a certain disaster. Most likely, it also meant that his predecessors had overlooked something important while on duty.
"And how will you explain changelings?" Toby butted in with a loud question. The next second Blinky's hand covered his mouth, and Aaarrrgghh looked around in an attempt to see if there was any commotion. Apparently, they were lucky this time as everyone else was engaged in their own conversation.
"You don't bring those up here, Tobias," Blinky whispered with a frown.
"Got it, let me go," the teen groaned. "But seriously, what's your problem?" he added - quieter this time. "This information isn't something you can omit…"
"They can be basically everywhere," Jim nodded. He still hated thinking in that direction, suspecting people around him. "Maybe they even know my identity…"
"Douxie said it's impossible," Toby disagreed at once. "They would attack you otherwise…"
Blinky averted his eyes guiltily:
"No one here has encountered a changeling for a while, so we stopped viewing them as a potential threat…"
The scholar unwittingly remembered the whole incident surrounding Draal and his lover, who had turned out to be one of the changelings. Yes, that one had been the last time, and who knew what exactly that devious female had schemed back then?
"Ok, you've overlooked that one," Toby nodded. "But now you know - and shouldn't we do something with changelings?"
This time, the surrounding trolls had clearly heard the last word as some unpleasant silence spread thin.
"Misheard," Aaarrrgghh rumbled, and outsiders reluctantly returned to their stuff. Still, Jim could swear there were occasional glances in their group's direction.
"We won't be able to have a proper discussion here," Blinky whispered with a sigh. "Better to go to my humble abode…"
He stood up first, and Jim followed suit.
"As for Killahead, Master Jim…" the troll continued after they exited the bar. "It's a serious claim. I want to believe you, but do you know how many resources its restoration would require? I'd say there should be an army of changelings and…"
"But that's the thing, Blinky," the Trollhunter interrupted him impatiently. "Douxie told me they have that army! And who knows for how long they were gathering fragments. Could we just dismiss the possibility?"
A part of him wished his older friend had been present as well. The wizard-in-training could have found way better arguments to convince everyone.
"The problem isn't that I don't believe you," Blinky sighed once again. "The thing is that Vendel won't believe either of us, so we cannot gather some able trolls and ambush the museum…"
"No proofs," Aaarrrgghh added.
"Seriously? The world is at the stake here, it's not the time for skepticism," Toby complained, catching up to everyone else.
Despite his best friend's opinion, Jim could see the reason in that statement. His own position at the Trollmarket was, well, unstable, to put it kindly. Most likely, local trolls viewed the current champion as a foolish kid, and him bringing up changelings and Killahead might have possibly caused the opposite effect.
What if everyone thought it was just his attempt to attract some attention? Not to mention that, unlike Blinky, they hadn't met Douxie, so…
"Jimbo, look out!" Toby's panicked warning came out too late as the lanky teen had already hit someone big and bulky. Yep, getting lost in thoughts was never a good idea.
Especially not now, because somehow Jim had managed to stumble upon the most problematic local around.
And, of course, Draal was in a foul mood once again. Though, probably that one was his default one. The only time the Trollhunter had seen him being nice was his recent nightmare - and the teen wasn't happy to remember that one.
"It seems that you cannot wait for thorough beating, fleshbag!" the warrior spat. "Well, wait for tomorrow - and I'll make sure to pound you into pancakes!"
Oh yeah, Jim had somehow forgotten about the incoming rematch with the son of Kanjigar. Not that it had been the first time when some more important event had totally overshadowed everything else (the entire fight with Steve had perfectly demonstrated that), but it had become a troublesome tendency already. Not to mention that Draal wasn't someone you could have ignored without repercussions.
And the warrior in question only proved this with his following remark:
"And I'll drink to your death afterward!"
He should have exaggerated. Wasn't that typical for trolls? Blinky, for example, fancied hyperbole too much. Yet as the lanky teen examined Draal, he failed to notice even a shadow of insincerity in his expression.
The son of Kanjigar wasn't joking. He clearly planned to obliterate his rival during their fight for whatever reason.
"Isn't it too much for a simple rematch?" Jim asked carefully. Perhaps, it was possible to talk some sense into that angry warrior. He might have known only a tiny fracture about troll culture, but shouldn't they have had at least some common sense? The teen seriously doubted those guys killed each other during every rematch.
Alas, it turned out that judging the situation from a human moral perspective was a huge miscalculation. Trolls, apparently, had different values and priorities altogether.
"Master Jim, you've challenged Draal's honor," Blinky answered instead.
"So what?" Toby butted in, as confused as his best friend.
Somehow the Trollhunter didn't like his mentor's expression. Whatever the scholar would say next, it couldn't be something peaceful or relaxed. Unfortunately, the sixth sense was on point this time.
"This kind of dispute ends with demise only," Blinky stated firmly. "This part was covered in chapter Three of…"
Why was every single important fact included in the Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore again? Especially something like that? Was it so difficult to simply tell it before the situation had gone out of control?
No, of course, Jim planned to read that multi-volumes monstrosity one day, but he needed some breather for that - and there were none between the preparation for the supposed rematch, goblins' activity, and the recent discovery of changelings.
Exactly - they had to focus on the last one instead of trying to have another battle. Wasn't Killahead a good enough reason to postpone everything else? If Draal actually dreamed about becoming a champion, shouldn't he at least be interested in protecting the world?
"Can we, I don't know, postpone this rematch?" Jim proposed, hoping for some common sense from his opponent. "Right now, we should unite and…"
"Master Jim!" Blinky warned. The lanky teen could easily read 'don't talk about changelings' in his expression, however, he saw no reason to keep silent.
"And what?" Draal barked. "Go on, entertain me with your pathetic excuses, worm!"
He towered over Jim, menacing and hostile, and somehow the Trollhunter couldn't stand it. It was an odd, bizarre feeling of anger rising from the depth of his soul. He felt a nearly impossible urge to yell back at the troll, or better growl.
"Changelings are plotting to release Gunmar in Arcadia," the teen hissed, glaring at Draal. "And if you think that your stupid honor is more important than stopping them, then your father dropped you too many times as a kid!"
Jim had no idea where this verbal onslaught had come from, but he was definitely infuriated at the moment. It was as if he had let go of all the mental breaks and allowed his anger to lead each of his actions. Not that it was an unpleasant feeling or something, no, it was liberating.
"Oh my gosh, Jimbo, what are you doing?" Toby's panicking question sounded so distant and muffled as if he was somewhere else at the moment.
Nothing mattered - in this world, only the confrontation between Jim and Draal existed, even if right now it was just an exchange of glares and words. Though… Despite wanting to postpone the fight only some moments ago, now the teen wouldn't mind resolving everything on the spot. He could just summon the armor and sword, and…
Jim felt a tug, and the next second he wasn't standing on the ground anymore as Aaarrrgghh grabbed his jacket and lifted him a bit.
"Calm down," the giant sighed. "Please."
The furious daze dissolved as suddenly as it started, and the Trollhunter had finally realized what exactly he was doing. He could see anxious Toby and shocked Blinky staring at him, and Draal… Well, that one was more than eager to continue, though he also had recovered a hold on his anger.
Alas, it didn't mean that the warrior would ignore everything told before.
"I guess I was wrong about you, fleshbag," he growled. "No idea where, but you've found some guts. However, there's something I cannot stand way more than cowardice, and you know what it is? Lies! I have no idea why you dared to bring up impures, but I'll never let anyone manipulate me with deception. Tomorrow we'll fight again - and don't even beg for a swift and easy death!"
"Jimbo, you're sooo dead tomorrow," Toby drawled in horror when the son of Kanjigar finally left. "And it's not like with Steve, even Dr. L won't help you!"
"Master Jim, who has told you it was the right way to diffuse the situation," Blinky joined as well. "Because if you read the Brief Recapitulation, you'd know it's the perfect way to provoke the opponent!"
The scholar still couldn't believe what exactly he had witnessed. No, Draal hadn't been that different from his regular behavior, however, the young Trollhunter responding to him with equal hostility? It was something Blinky would have expected coming from some local youngling, but a human child? He hadn't known that fleshling teenagers could be as hot-blooded as troll ones.
"Aaarrrgghh, put me down, please," Jim asked quietly. "I'm chill already…"
"Ok," the brute nodded, releasing his captive.
"Sorry, guys, I think I've snapped," the lanky teen smiled sheepishly. "Too much stress lately - goblins, evil trolls, changelings…"
"I'll request not mentioning the later ones," Blinky whispered, looking around carefully to make sure no one had heard. "Especially not around Draal…"
"Why so?" Toby inquired. "By the way, is it me, or mentioning them angered our bully too much?"
"He called them impures," Jim nodded. He could swear it was some kind of a term and not just an insult.
"Most trolls prefer that name," the scholar admitted with a sigh. "As changelings' essence is tainted…"
'With human one' - he decided to omit that part at the last second. It was pointless to bring up the genuine disgust some trolls felt towards anything human-related.
"As for Draal… Well, he once fell victim to a changeling's wicked scheme, so it's a sore spot," Blinky continued reluctantly, avoiding details. It was a truly tragic story about betrayal and shattered love - and discussing that one behind the warrior's back would be too low.
"I'd rather hear out any possibility for my best friend not turning into a pancake tomorrow," Toby frowned. "Is it me, or Jim's chances are close to zero?"
Both Blinky and Aaarrrgghh exchanged glances, which was basically an affirmative answer.
"Forgive me, Jimbo, but I'm calling Douxie," the plump teen stated grimly. "You'll need some super-awesomesauce magical power-up to deal with that guy - and I don't care if it's cheating or no troll will ever respect you or any other excuse! I need my bro here, alive, intact, and experimenting with cardamom in his kitchen!"
Claire stared intently at the pen on her table, commanding it to move. As she had expected, the damned thing didn't even budge.
It was official - she had stuck.
It was so frustrating, infuriating even. The girl had always been a fast learner, so dealing with something she genuinely liked yet couldn't progress swiftly, drove her crazy.
Claire collapsed on her bed, recalling the day events and her talk with Jim. That guy was supposed to be her senior in magic studies, yet she couldn't help feeling something was off with his explanations.
And the first reason for her suspicions was her play partner's supposed magic progress. The Latina had deduced that Jim had met Douxie not that long ago, most likely a week or two before her own encounter. With that in mind, the boy couldn't be that far ahead of her own studies, yet the spells he had mentioned were obviously advanced.
Had he been just bragging to impress her? No, Jim Lake didn't seem to be that kind of person.
Yet he still decided to name spells he couldn't possibly demonstrate on the spot.
She hated herself for that ugly and highly paranoid thought. Perhaps, there was another explanation. Maybe Jim simply had more affinity for that type of spell or…
Douxie had provided the boy with more advanced study materials. Claire tried to avoid thinking in that direction, however, her own magical textbook was surprisingly limited on many subjects. The girl was sure that she could possibly be more successful in some branches if there were more information on those.
Though, maybe her self-proclaimed magic teacher would give her more books in the future. The Latina simply had to show more faith.
Besides, hadn't Jim showed her some telekinesis? There was a detailed chapter regarding that one in her book, so Claire decided to focus on that one. It didn't seem that difficult, especially not after her schoolmate's demonstration, and…
Yes, that one was the second suspicious point. According to the magical textbook, it was easier to repel that attract, yet the boy had shown her only the later one. Wouldn't it make more sense to demonstrate both if he had already been at that level?
Not to mention that the Latina hadn't sensed any spike of magic energy during that demonstration, which made no sense altogether.
"Great job, Claire-Bear, now you start to suspect everyone else instead of admitting that you suck," she groaned, voicing her frustration. Perhaps, she lacked motivation, focus, or…
Her train of thought stopped abruptly, as she had felt something approaching. Since starting with magic self-studies, the girl kept practicing sensing different stuff, so it had already reached the point of reflex.
And the current source of the disturbance was anything but friendly. It was vile. Inhuman.
The first thought was going down to her parents, but Claire discarded it at once. Who could guarantee that the unknown creature wouldn't attack her family? The girl was the only one in the house with at least some knowledge about the supernatural.
It was approaching. The Latina could hear a weird whistling - wasn't that one some famous piece of classical music? She would have probably been able to name it in some other situation, but currently, her brain was focused on something else.
There should have been something appropriate for defense. At least one spell or rune! Yet as Claire desperately searched for it inside her mind, she failed to find a thing.
The creature was already outside her window, its green eyes glowing as it grinned. Apparently, monsters were as real as magic, so why hadn't anyone mentioned it to her?
Run, she had to run, or else!
The creature left her no chance as it broke inside her room, catching the girl by her throat.
"Not so fast, little bird, I think we can chat a bit first," the monster drawled. Her voice was enticing yet scary.
Claire urged to scream, but her throat was too dry. Besides, the inhuman female made sure to restrict her access to air.
"Well, I can see why the foolish boy fancies you so much," the creature continued, dragging her claw across the Latina's cheek. "At least he has some taste… Though, it doesn't change the fact that he's dumb enough to put so many people in danger only because he wants some adventure!"
Nothing made any sense. Claire couldn't get what exactly the monster meant, besides, she started to see black spots already - the lack of oxygen had done its job already.
Why, just why? What had she done to deserve the attack from this creature? Was it because of her wish to become a part of the magical world?
Unfair, too unfair.
The girl's thoughts kept flowing in a mad dash, hardly logical and more emotional with each passing second.
Confusion.
Fear.
Despair.
Anger.
More fear.
They kept accumulating, connecting to form something tremendous, powerful, overwhelming.
Claire wanted everything to stop. How? She didn't care, but probably, it would be the best if there was no monster trying to choke her.
GET OUT!
The ball of emotions exploded, throwing the monster outside together with the entire window frame. The room didn't fare much better as it scattered stuff around in a furious whirlwind. Claire levitated a bit before collapsing on the floor, panting and gasping for air like a fish out of water.
She could hear rushed footsteps heading towards the room - of course, there was no way her parents hadn't heard the commotion.
The door flung open, and Javier hurried to his daughter.
"Claire, what's happened?"
"The room!" Ophelia gasped. "Has someone broken in? Javier, call the police!"
She hurried to the remains of the window, careful not to step on debris, and looked outside in the hope of seeing the perpetrator. Claire couldn't help joining her mom, even though her legs were no different from jelly at the moment.
There was no one outside…
"Bular, have you ever considered that Father can be wrong at times?"
They might have parted the ways, yet his sister's words remained, still lingering inside his mind. What kind of bizarre statement was that? Not to mention, coming from Barverra! Had she already forgotten that she had been the one to teach Bular about their father's supremacy?
Back then, he was just a naive whelp, only recently getting out from the cave where he had been born and raised. The outside world was so overwhelming and confusing that the son of Gunmar genuinely wanted to go back to the previous safe, quiet and secluded lair. Not that anyone could have granted that wish. Quite the contrary - everyone around kept praising his build and guessing about his future potential.
They said Bular would bring more glory for the Skullcrusher, but the whelp had no idea if it was truth or some empty flattery. Besides, he had seen Gunmar only once - sure thing, that magnificent image had been burned inside his mind for life, yet it still was so difficult to view that awesome troll warlord as his father.
Back then, there was no devotion, simply an extreme admiration and childish awe. Sure thing, Bular had wondered if someone like that would have ever called him his son. Or, perhaps, the amazing Skullcrusher could have simply noticed his existence and praised him. Even that one could have been nice.
The whelp's dream had come out true faster than he anticipated. Other adult Gumm-Gumms told him they had organized a mock battle between Bular and one of his brothers around the same age. They said it would have worked as a splendid introduction to their world.
And the son of Gunmar had been waiting for it more than anything else. Should he have gotten some training? Bular attempted to watch adults sparring, imitating their punches and rushes. He genuinely believed he had done a fine job. Well, at least until he heard someone laughing at his moves.
That was the first time he met Barverra - and well, his first impression was the one of genuine surprise. No, of course, Bular hadn't seen that many trolls yet - however, most of those he knew were massive and bulky. And this one? She was obviously closer to a youngling than whelp in age, yet was skinny and smaller than even him.
However, the confidence she held her ground with far exceeded the one many Gumm-Gumms possessed.
The female had approached Bular silently, made several circles around him, humming something, and then even poked him several times.
"Hmm, great build, most likely impressive physical strength, an average speed at best, not that good reflexes and limited intellect," she stated aloud at last. "I'd say below average - and that's quite generous already…"
"Hey!" the whelp protested at once, even though he failed to understand at least half of things the female youngling had told. Still, he could have sworn that her words had been everything but praise.
"Silence, dumbass," she hissed at him. "At least, show some gratitude to someone who tries to help!"
In hindsight, Barverra had been overfamiliar and rude with him from the very beginning.
"Help?"
No matter how much he had thought, it hadn't looked like help in the slightest.
"Exactly," she nodded, never bothering with explanations. "I'm Barverra, the daughter of Gunmar. You can call me Sister, though… What's your name, by the way?"
"Bular," his response lacked any confidence - sure thing, he knew his name, however, it was simply the first time he introduced himself. It felt odd, but never bad.
"The son of Gunmar," Barverra scowled at him. "Never forget that part!"
Oh yeah, his sister was the one to give him the first lesson on Gumm-Gumm pride. Only some years afterward, Bular couldn't have even thought about telling his name without confirming his relation to the Skullcrusher.
Though, it happened later - and at that moment, the whelp was more confused than proud.
"Can I call myself that? Won't the Skullcrusher get angry?"
He hadn't dared to call Gunmar 'Father' yet - and it amused Barverra to the point that she burst out laughing.
"Hey, aren't you cute? Let me guess - you're not that bright, yes? If you want to be worth the title of the son of Gunmar, you'll just prove it. Simple enough, eh? I bet even dumbass like you can get something like that!"
She poked her brother once again. This time Bular didn't manage to refrain from a growl.
"What, baring your teeth at last?" Barverra smirked. "Good. You'll need it in your battle tomorrow - otherwise, Father won't even glance at you!"
The whelp looked at her with confusion - her words made no sense altogether.
"What do you mean?"
His sister wasn't the most patient troll around, that was for sure. The fact that she kicked him right after the question was good enough proof already. Some kind of sixth sense told Bular that it would be difficult to get along with someone like that.
"Listen here, you brainless fool, as I won't repeat," Barverra growled. "Tomorrow, you'll have a battle with another of our siblings. That one is older than you, stronger than you, and with some fighting experience, got it? But you'll win, and you know why?"
"No," the whelp confessed, expecting one more kick. Surprisingly, his sister decided to spare him this time as she simply rolled her eyes and claimed:
"Because I've put a bet on your victory. And I'll make you win even if it's the last thing in your life!"
Those words instilled no optimism - no, actually, Bular had already regretted his involvement with his obviously deranged sister. On the other hand, Barverra could possibly give him working advice on how to defeat the apparently superior opponent and impress Gunmar.
And she actually did so, proceeding with an explanation:
"I've watched the other guy - and luckily for you, he's as dumb as you. Maybe even worse. He's quick to brag about his feats and drop his guard at once. Tomorrow, he'll overcome you effortlessly - and it'll be your opportunity to strike. When your opponent turns to Father, you need to attack. Go for his throat and rip off his head!"
Back then, Bular still knew nothing about the Gumm-Gumm life philosophy, so the statement turned out to be a total surprise for him.
"But won't it be just a spar?" the question escaped his lips unwittingly.
"Well, when you're Gunmar's kin, every spar is death battle," Barverra shrugged. "You'd better learn it now or else… You need to be the most vicious one if you want to survive. It's Father's truth - the only one that should matter to you as the Skullcrusher makes no mistakes."
The whelp nodded. It was so easy to imagine Gunmar as the one possessing limitless wisdom in addition to his strength. Someone like that simply couldn't make wrong decisions.
His sister might have helped Bular with advice only, however, it turned out the most useful. His brother, whose name the whelp had never managed to learn, was exactly the same as Barverra had described him - powerful yet careless.
It was Bular's first ever kill, with the victim being his own kin, even if they had never gotten an opportunity to know each. That victory brought no mirth or triumph, leaving only hollowness inside. Yet…
Gunmar was smiling, his remaining eye full of pride and acknowledgment. That was the moment Bular realized he was actually the Skullcrusher's son…
The whelp found Barverra afterward, but his sister didn't seem that interested in idle talk with him, probably more invested in something else. At least, she bothered to answer his question about her own reason to help him.
"My mother made me promise to look out for your sorry ass back when you still hadn't hatched from your birthstone," she admitted with some annoyance. "Good for you that a genuine troll warrior never breaks their word!"
It was so odd, so unexplainable. The siblings had different mothers, so why would Barverra's mom have cared about Bular when his own…
No, he didn't want to remember that part - that memory should have stayed buried for good. The whelp had his father, and everything else never mattered that much.
At times, Bular wondered if his sister had still remembered her childhood promise. Sure thing, she had saved his hide more than enough times... But... Somehow, it had always felt that she had done that because she considered him family, not out of obligation. And that was why the infamous Butcher was willing to stick by her side and forgive her elusive and totally unreadable strategies.
Still, she had changed - so much that it had become uncanny. At first, Bular had mistaken that change for a weakness, but no. If anything, Barverra had discovered the source of unlimited strength - she had unshaken resolve now. In a way, she was a more dangerous opponent at the moment, though less willing to engage in battles.