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By the end of the day, Archie could say two things for sure.
First, trolls sucked when it came to stealth.
Second, he hated damage control with passion. Seriously, how many times the cat had to divert the attention of the locals? He had lost the count quite a while ago.
Only this morning, it had sounded so easy (well, ignoring the fact that the familiar would have to deal with trolls). Waiting for the new champion to appear, then contacting them. Archie hadn't even lost the hope for that one to be reasonable or even dislike cat meat altogether (why not? Food preferences tended to vary a lot in the end).
The appearance of two human teens at the canals hadn't put the cat on guard at all. Sure thing, at first, he had considered the unwitting witness returning with some friend, but apparently, it hadn't been the case. Those two had come from the opposite side, after all.
Most likely, those kids were only passers-by. Archie expected them to go away quickly. But no, those teens suddenly started to snoop around, exploring the former Trollhunter's remains, and then…
One of the kids had found the amulet. Not only that, apparently, it called his name. The cat-dragon had heard it as well, so there couldn't be any place for a mistake.
If anything, the familiar knew more than enough about the Daylight - he had been around during its creation, after all.
The new Trollhunter was a human - for the first time in nine centuries. What could it mean for everyone? Anything, actually. At least, Archie could be sure that the current champion would never view him as a snack.
Not that everyone else would be happy about the predicament. The cat actually wondered how trolls would react. Granted, those had a way better opinion about humans now as opposed to the one they had during the Middle Ages, but still. Probably, he should have contacted Douxie, so their party could start considering the next course of action. After all, the familiar had heard the new Trollhunter's name - and that one would be more than enough to find the teen in Arcadia.
Archie had nearly left already when he had noticed some movement from the corner of his eye.
A troll tried to follow the new champion and his friend while keeping hiding in the shadows. Apparently, the Trollmarket would also receive the news fast enough.
The cat nearly groaned as he realized that now he had to follow as well - just in case if the bad guys had learned about the human Trollhunter as well. Someone would need to protect the kid - in the end, he had no idea how much importance his finding held. Archie was more than sure that the troll he had seen would be a horrible guardian - the dragon knew enough about that kind to make a mistake. So it left only him.
The familiar had no troubles moving discreetly while following that James Lake. He didn't even need to change forms that much - turning into a bird once to reach the school had been more than enough, and then he simply proceeded in his favorite feline shape. The troll, on the other hand, clearly had a lot of trouble keeping a low profile as he kept stumbling across different objects and cursing not-that-quietly, not to mention that he got distracted with some cars at some point.
People would have noticed the creature a long time ago if Archie hadn't created some distractions. Luckily, locals were more eager to pet cats than check suspicious noises. Though… People in Arcadia tended to be surprisingly blind and deaf when it came to the supernatural. It had something to do with leylines - at least, Zoe had heard that explanation from a co-worker at Hex Tech.
In any case, the protection mission turned out to be too exhausting - even if it wasn't about protection per se. The cat sighed with relief when the new Trollhunter headed home. There had been no evil monsters following the boy, so it should have been alright.
Of course, the Trollmarket would contact James Lake first, but it wasn't like they competed about that one…
A part of Jim was tempted to talk to Eli about those 'monsters' right after he let the bespectacled teen out of the locker. Yes, everyone knew that the local weirdo believed in various dubious stuff, and that kind of story wasn't even that different from his regular ones, but...
Stone for skin.
In the canal.
Those two phrases struck the cord. If Jim hadn't a weird incident in the canal this morning, he wouldn't even bother, but...
Could the talking amulet be connected to those creatures?
Monsters are not real.
The lanky teen told it to himself once again and went home without starting any conversation. Eli had horrible eyesight, he could easily mistake something else for a monster. That would be way more plausible.
If supernatural creatures were real, people would know about those.
There was some twisted irony in those thoughts. Jim could accept magic existing, but monsters? No, those had to be just a delusion and anything but a part of reality.
Otherwise, his own occasional oddities and not-so-nice ideas would have gotten a perfectly reasonable explanation.
What if everyone who had ever called the teen monster was actually right?
No, it would be stupid to believe in something like that without any exact proof.
The problem was that Jim actually had one that could technically count, even if he tried his best to forget about it.
Some years ago, the boy had seen something unexplainable, something that would count as a monster. It had happened during one of those lonely nights with his mother staying at work until late. Those had been quite regular back then as well, so Jim had gone to bed before her return. It would have been way worse if the boy stayed up - Barbara had freaked out whenever she had discovered her son waiting for her patiently.
Definitely, it had been just a typical night in their household. So, why had he woken up back then? Another one of his nightmares? Perhaps, there had been some weird noise or something? Jim didn't remember that part, only himself slipping from his bed and peering out of the window curiously.
No, in fact, strange noise had to be the reason. Some rustling and odd mumbling had been breaking the perfect peaceful silence of the nighttime. The weak moonlight wasn't the best for revealing things, but the boy could swear there had been some small creatures rummaging through the trash bin.
Thin, spider-like limbs, glowing eyes, and razor-sharp teeth - there was simply no way for those to be just raccoons. Not to mention that raccoons couldn't talk while peculiar beings had been clearly exchanging something in their odd language.
Back then, Jim had been more curious than scared - those monsters hadn't seemed to be that menacing. No, the scary thing that night had been something else.
It appeared out of a blue - way bigger, more vicious, lurking in shadows with its eyes glowing blue. Whatever it had been, the not-raccoons had reacted violently at it, forgetting about the trash and baring their teeth at once. Not that the newcomer had been willing to stand the hostility - it let out a low growl, jumping at creatures and slicing one of those with a sharp blade.
Jim had yelped, running away from the window and hiding under the blanket. The dark monster had been too scary, and there had been no guarantee that it wouldn't have entered the house after dealing with not-raccoons.
Moments of waiting had felt like an eternity, but in the end, the boy had dared to look outside again.
There had been nothing - no dark monster, no smaller not-raccoons. Even previously scattered trash had disappeared. Had all of that been true to start with or just a continuation of a nightmare?
A sudden creak downstairs had made Jim jump. Had the monster actually entered?
No, he had recognized his mother's careful steps - apparently, she had returned from her late shifts.
In the end, there were no monsters…
The supposedly routine day turned out to be way more eventful than Jim had ever expected. Even without the mysterious talking object from the canal, there was still a half-successful first contact with Claire, which made him happy and hopeful. Not to mention a confrontation with Steve, though that one had left more mixed feelings, and honestly, the teen would rather forget everything connected to it.
On the one hand, Jim felt as if he had done something huge. There was some tremendous relief and even some pride. On the other...
Yep, he was sooo dead. Probably, it had been even worse, that Coach Lawrence had stopped Steve from hitting the lanky teen. At least, in that scenario, the local bully could possibly feel content with one good punch. Now, however, the thorough beating was nearly one hundred percent granted.
Jim actually envied Toby - his friend at least sounded so excited:
"That was awesome, man. Did you see how I did that chant?"
Well, it was definitely the moment when Tobes had shone, and Jim was grateful to him for starting that chant. With no support from the crowd, Steve would have beaten him to the pulp right on the spot. The only thought of that was mortifying.
"I mean, you probably won't live past Friday," the plump teen continued casually, "but it was awesome. Good thing your mom's a doctor".
His best friend's optimistic approach was definitely something outside of common sense. Though it wasn't like any of them could do anything with Steve's intention to destroy an unexpected nuisance entirely.
No.
That was a blatant lie. There was a way - and Jim knew it better than anyone. Not that long ago, he dared the local bully to 'go wild'. Maybe that could be the answer for the lanky teen too.
Since early childhood, Jim hated getting in fights with passion - simply because when he started to hit others, he couldn't stop, no matter what happened. After befriending Toby, the boy had begun to avoid any violence. He was always scared to lose his first true friend. What if Tobes would feel disgusted after witnessing that side of his?
Perhaps, it was actually better to go through beating, even if it would mean returning to the status quo with Steve's dominance continuing until graduation.
In the end, James Lake Jr. wasn't the one to bring the change…
A sudden sound of a car horn broke the teen's reverie. Was that his mother's car? But shouldn't she have a break today? Had Jim mixed up something? No, no matter how much he thought about it, it should have been a free day. Meaning…
Another change of schedule.
The teen felt his heart sinking. Was it him, or all those night shifts had become more frequent recently?
Both boys approached the car and greeted Barbara.
"You're going to be out all night?" Jim asked, trying his best not to show any sign of worry or anger. Why had it been his mom all the time? Why couldn't she simply get well-deserved rest?
He could hear the woman giving some kind of explanation, but his mind failed to register any of it. At times, the teen genuinely hated his mother's co-workers.
Maybe he had to tell her to stay.
Of course, he couldn't. She also had her responsibilities and obligations.
Never failing to fulfill those, never complaining, never showing any weakness. His mom was a true hero to her core. How could her son make her waver?
"Okay, well, don't forget to bring your..." Jim started but got interrupted at once:
"Dinner. Thank you," Barbara demonstrated him a paper bag and smiled warmly.
"Right," it wasn't like he was going to let her go just with that - the woman tended to be quite forgetful sometimes, so her son gave her another reminder: "And try to find an oven to reheat it in instead of nuking. It takes all the flavor and nutrients away."
Yes, that would be the best approach - to continue supporting his mom and make sure that she stayed well.
The teen absentmindedly reached for the slip of paper Mr. Strickler had given him. Would it be the right thing to bring out the phone talk when his mother had her hands full with another exhausting shift?
As if.
That one would have to wait until less troublesome times. The problems at school were his and his only.
"Jim," his mother's warm voice brought the boy back to reality, "there must be a million things you'd rather be doing than looking after me."
Ironically, sometimes it felt like Barbara could read his thoughts.
There was clear regret in her words, so Jim reassured her with another smile:
"Can't think of one."
That wasn't the lie. Taking care of his mother meant a lot for him and would always mean, no matter how much circumstances may have changed. They were a team of two facing against the hostile world, as Barbara had joked once.
His mother's car drove away, and Toby finally made a comment:
"You mother your mother a lot".
Well, perhaps, it actually looked like that. But Jim never cared about what kind of image neighbors might have got of their small family...
Everything had just been too surreal. How did she dare to spew such lies in her dear son's face? She simply made him needlessly worried once again.
Even if Jim tried to be supportive, there always was some lingering, barely noticed frustration in his eyes.
Barbara mentally cringed, remembering how easily she spoke about the supposed night shift. She even had no trouble picking up the names of people who wouldn't be able to come tonight. Those were the truth part, while the false one would be her substituting for them. Lying while covering her night activities apparently had already become a disturbing habit.
The woman hated deceiving her child, but it was either that or telling the truth. And Barbara still wasn't mentally prepared for the second one even though it was a long time overdue.
The whole situation was no different from leaving a nasty wound untreated. Eventually, that one would inflame, fester, perhaps, even rot. The complications would be horrible in any case.
Barbara understood it perfectly yet still kept delaying the important talk. Yes, she had decided to tell her son everything after dealing with the Trollhunter, but it still felt too mortifying.
She shook her head in a weak attempt to chase away all the worries. Tonight the woman was going to participate in something way different from treating patients, and she needed to be perfectly focused for that one.
A serious fight could possibly happen tonight, there could be some injuries. Kanjigar had never been an easy opponent, he definitely had some trump cards to use.
Besides, the daughter of Gunmar had to make up for a one-day delay - that one had been entirely her fault, her mistake, her miscalculation. There was no space for another one.
Barbara's gaze wandered, accidentally falling on the paper bag containing her dinner. Yet another reminder of the precious fleeting peace. Jim had put his best into that one, not knowing that she wouldn't need it tonight.
Human food tasted disgusting to trolls. It would be impossible to enjoy dinner cooked with such care and love.
'And try to find an oven to reheat it in instead of nuking. It takes all the flavor and nutrients away,' her son's words resounded in her head once again.
There was no way the mother would let all of that go to waste - she made a silent oath to taste it later when everything ended.
Barverra expected her brother to be at the museum. Most likely, Bular was greatly annoyed at the moment because of her last night's absence, so Stricklander had to attempt to keep him out of the trouble or something.
However, the daughter of Gunmar had realized her miscalculation the second she had entered the hideout. Her brother's scent was weaker than it was supposed to be, meaning that he had been out for a while.
Just great.
The thought of combing the entire city wasn't that tempting. It meant wasting time and probably missing another chance to corner the Trollhunter. Of course, Bular could lay in wait somewhere near the entrance to the Trollmarket, but somehow Barverra doubted that he could have thought about that one.
The daughter of Gunmar looked around in the hope of getting at least some clues. Apparently, Stricklander wasn't around as well. Had the impure decided to skip a night or something? Well, it wasn't as if his absence actually mattered.
Some goblins were fighting over some knick-knack, fully engrossed in the process and paying no mind to surroundings. That other impure Nomura, still in her human guise, was watching Barverra intently without uttering a single word.
A perfect company, for sure.
The daughter of Gunmar couldn't help rolling her eyes in annoyance. Her luck recently had been basically non-existent.
At least, it seemed that the museum curator wasn't too happy with the current predicament as well. No, not only that - she somehow looked too nervous, even jittery. It was the very image of a kid caught with their hand in a cookies jar. Or more like a child from an extremely abusive family after realizing that they had angered their parents. There was some barely hidden fear in those green eyes.
Actually, some moments ago, the daughter of Gunmar had caught her by surprise - apparently, Nomura had expected to spend the entire night alone (not counting goblins). With Bular out and Stricklander not planning to come, the changeling assassin might have felt safe. Barverra couldn't blame her for jumping to conclusions - after all, the Herald of Doom came whenever she wanted and was mostly absent, so Nomura most likely hadn't taken her into account at all.
Was that impure up to something as well? What was wrong with all those schemers from the Janus Order. As if Stricklander with his thorough search hadn't been more than enough for Barverra! She had no time to deal with another conspiracy. Especially not now when they were so close to restoring the Killahead bridge.
The daughter of Gunmar felt some rising frustration. Somehow, she had been losing the grip. Old her would never have missed any dubious stuff. Why hadn't she bothered to check on that Nomura? Well, simply because there had never been enough time, and she had to focus on Stricklander. What if that meant she had missed a more dangerous schemer?
Barverra's train of thought stopped at once as she had suddenly discovered the reason for the changeling's nervousness. Well, more like had finally noticed it. It was so ridiculously trivial that she barely refrained from laughter.
There was some classical music playing in the background. Any human would find it pretty ordinary to the point of not paying any mind to it, however, that would mean treachery for a Janus Order member. Enjoying fleshbag stuff was out of the question. It would be one thing if it was simply for keeping a cover, but Nomura had nobody around to continue playing her role.
Bular would definitely be furious if he ever caught the impure on something like that. His sister sometimes wondered how he had even managed to stay inside the museum without destroying everything for so long. Her brother couldn't stand anything fleshbag-related.
Stricklander, most likely, wouldn't also let his aide get away without any repercussions. Her listening to music was a clear breach of the Janus Order's codex of rules. The daughter of Gunmar had heard that changelings were always rather merciless when it came to something like that.
Well, nine hundred years ago, she would have been enraged as well. Right now? Well, there was nothing wrong with having hobbies as long as those didn't intervene with work.
Music was harmless, so banning it only because it was a human thing? That would be totally pointless and just a waste of time and resources.
"Where's Bular?" the daughter of Gunmar asked curtly, pretending that she hadn't noticed the recording playing in the background.
Nomura's relief was clear as a day, no matter how much she tried to hide it behind the indifferent tone and shrugs:
"Hasn't returned since last night... He can be out for some days in a row, as far as I'm aware…"
So that was why the female changeling allowed herself some relaxation. If the dark troll had gone somewhere, probably to vent his frustration, he wouldn't have returned for a while in any case. Barverra thought that she most likely should have visited more regularly to know something like that.
With no reason to hang around the museum anymore, the Herald of Doom left without further talks. It wasn't as if anyone was going to stop her.
Checking Bular's regular hanging spots had led nowhere, which was rather odd. There was no point in playing hide-and-seek when the plan had been to hunt the enemy. If anything, the son of Gunmar had to stay at some obvious location. He wasn't that dumb, after all.
After some hours of search, Barverra had finally found Bular deep in the forest, right in the middle of a wrecked campsite, chewing on someone's torn-out leg. Apparently, it had been another hunt of his and quite a successful one judging from the amount of blood. How many fleshbags had he eaten that night? Barverra assumed that there were at least three adults, but decided against checking. What would be the point of that? However, the son of Gunmar had chosen the most unfitting time for that one. It made no sense at all - wasn't he the one putting their father freeing as the top priority?
Her brother was definitely in a foul mood even compared to his regular mind state lately. It seemed nearly as horrible as the one he had right after the Killahead battle. That one also raised too many questions.
"You promised to come yesterday," he roared the moment he noticed his sister. "Where had you been?"
"Some important matters to attend," Barverra snapped - she wasn't too happy about that predicament as well and couldn't stand that kind of tone even from a family member.
"More important than freeing Father?" Bular threw away the remains of his meal and looked at the female with fury. Oh yeah, he had definitely passed boiling point right now.
A part of her was tempted to see what kind of face the son of Gunmar would make if she told him she had been treating fleshbags.
Barverra wondered how he had spent the previous night if his frustration hadn't gone down much despite his hunt - those usually tended to improve his mood. A nasty hunch wormed its way inside her mind. Something had happened last night. Nevertheless, she had no idea how bad it had been.
"Your whelp again?" he grumbled after receiving no response. "You could take him with you."
Well, it looked like her brother calmed down a bit. In the end, family matters were the soft spot of his, no matter how much time had passed.
Still, it didn't give him any right to advise anything regarding raising kids.
"With me? To a supposed death battle? I won't put my son in danger only to please you," the daughter of Gunmar hissed with some hostility. "How about getting your own child before spewing such nonsense?"
"If it was my son, he would be riding on my shoulder through the entire fight," Bular spat back. "That's how the true troll meant to be. That's how Father raised us!"
He was right - Gunmar expected his progeny to be strong, so everyone who hadn't been able to keep with his demands had perished fast. How many of their siblings had never lived past the first century?
That was quite a bitter memory, and Barverra had made an oath to keep Jim away from such a horrible experience a long time ago.
"So, are you going to waste our time discussing upbringing now?" the female troll inquired, some annoyance obvious in her tone. "I've thought we had an important task for tonight."
She thought Bular would be up and going at once, but instead, he muttered:
"I'm not in mood."
"Telling that after yelling at me for not coming yesterday? My, you have some guts!" now it was Barverra's turn to lose her cool. If her brother wished to annoy her as payback, he had found the most stupid method.
"The sun will rise soon, it's too late already," her brother huffed defensibly. "Besides, it is not like the Trollhunter will appear..."
The last phrase sounded too suspicious. What had happened the night before for him to say that? Suddenly, all the pieces started to fit, revealing a not-that-bright picture.
"Bular," the female drawled with some murderous undertone, "don't tell me you fought the Trollhunter last night."
Bular knew it would end horribly from the very start - the only saving grace was that his sister had found it first and not Stricklander. Listening to the impure's nagging would be too devastating for his pride.
That was the reason why he had been roaming around all this time instead of just returning to the base. How could it be otherwise when his attempt to fix his own mistake had failed miserably? As soon as the sun had set, he had gone back under the bridge and hadn't found the amulet, no matter how much he searched through Kanjigar's remains.
It could mean only one thing - someone had gotten it first. Yes, it would be impossible because that accursed artifact had been under sunlight all the time, but it seemed that there was some trick, some kind of opportunity Bular had overlooked.
So at the moment, there was a new Trollhunter who would most likely lay low for a while. Unless it would be someone reckless or unhinged or looking for revenge or something. Not that the dark prince could expect that kind of luck.
Apparently, his sister had read everything in his expression because her own eyes flashed with fury.
"You've killed him," it wasn't a question but a statement. "Stricklander was right, you're just a reckless imbecile."
Surprisingly, her reaction was uncharacteristically underwhelming. Bular was expecting something way more terrifying, like that time when he had unwittingly leaked her son's existence. Barverra was akin to a natural disaster in her rage, even if she mostly managed to keep calm. Yet right now, his sister seemed only royally annoyed.
"I have nothing to do with your mess," she muttered through her teeth. "This delay is only your fault. Just remember one thing - next time I won't be as forgiving."
The female troll disappeared among trees, leaving her brother quite confused. She felt conflicted and probably needed to have some stroll to sort her thoughts. Bular being reckless was nothing new - probably, deep inside, his sister had already expected the fact of him fighting Kanjigar and messing with the plan. But slaying the Trollhunter? That was too much. Apparently, the son of Gunmar hadn't recovered the amulet too, otherwise, he would have been gloating and celebrating his triumph, instead of sulking somewhere as far as possible.
It meant a new enemy and more planning. Something that would have worked with Kanjigar would never work with his successor.
Yet another delay. For how long this time? Some days? A month? A whole decade, perhaps?
More peaceful days for Jim.
Barverra hated to admit that weak thought, but some part of her felt tremendous relief. There was no need to have the talk with her son right now, it could wait for some time until…
Yes, until they deal with this new Merlin's champion.
Blinkous Galadrigal had always been proud of the things he knew. His family was known for their recordings and safekeeping of the troll knowledge. Yes, he may have been nowhere close to his brother's level, but he strived to become better, partially for the late Dictatious' honor as well.
Still, the thing the six-eyed troll had witnessed made him question his own sanity, let alone the knowledge he possessed. And locals at the Trollmarket dared to call his conspiracy theories crazy - those were pretty tame compared to the stuff that had happened in reality.
Blinky had witnessed the Trollhunter's demise this morning - well, more like, had seen his remains as the scholar appeared on the spot too late. Even without global consequences, that death hit hard - Kanjigar had been an old friend and someone the six-eyed troll respected greatly.
The entire Trollmarket would be grieving that loss, that was for sure. They should have found a way to gather the remains after the sunset. Someone would also need to deliver the horrible news to Draal.
But the most important thing was to make sure that the amulet would end in the right hands. At the moment, it was out of any troll reach, right in the daylight. Blinky found it to be a true blessing, otherwise, he would have been the one to protect it until the next champion appeared.
He wasn't a warrior, so his line of defense would be pretty pathetic in any case. However, with the current state of things, the amulet was safe. The troll scholar simply hoped that the one who appeared first after the night started would be an ally and not Bular. He was going to keep the watch in any case.
Some of the previous trollhunters had told Blinky before that it was like the destiny itself had led them to the amulet when they had been chosen. It was as if all the circumstances had been on their side when they had succeeded the mantle. The six-eyed troll had no idea if it was true, but he genuinely hoped for that.
And then the most unpredictable thing had happened - two humans were passing through the canal, and one of those picked up the Daylight amulet.
It raised too many questions at once.
Was that one the new champion? Maybe it was possible to take the artifact without succeeding the mantle. But no, those humans talked about how it called one of them by name.
Could a human even be the one? Why would Merlin even give it to trolls then if one of his kind would be good as well?
Or could it be that the person in question was no human?
Blinky frowned, remembering the tainted representatives of his kind. Changelings. Impures, as many of his kind called them. Perfect liars with the ability to blend within human society, not afraid of the sunlight. They were technically trolls as well, so could the human who picked up the amulet be one of those?
That one would be the total disaster. Changelings were among Gunmar's troops, even if they hadn't appeared for a while. If the one who got the amulet was an impure, everyone would be doomed as the enemy side would get their easy win.
That was why Blinkous decided to follow the supposed new Trollhunter. The good thing would be the boy being an actual human being. And in the worst-case scenario, the six-eyed troll could at least made an attempt to recover the artifact.
A spy working for the fearsome Skullcrasher would most likely try to report the success right away without thinking about any consequences. There would be no point in being careful or caring about the cover when Gunmar's rule was within reach. Any delay, on the other hand, would create more complications for a changeling.
Nevertheless, as Blinky was watching the new champion, he only saw a human, moreover a young one, quite troubled with some trivial and not so trivial concerns, and definitely not a warrior or protector. Some things were impossible to fake, so the troll scholar decided to believe in the boy.
At some point, his best friend Aaarrrgghh had joined him in the observation quest. It wasn't that difficult to explain the entire situation to him. It never ceased to surprise Blinky how open-minded the Krubera troll was as he hadn't even voiced any doubts that a human could make a good Trollhunter and only pointed out that the new champion was too young.
Was it because of Aaarrrgghh's own background as a former commander of the Gunmar's hordes? He most likely thought that everyone deserved a chance because of that.
Now both trolls had to approach their new champion and explain everything about his new role and responsibilities. It could be a bit problematic - many centuries ago, humans were at least aware of magic and mythical beings, yet nowadays majority of those had no idea about the supernatural part of the world.
Still, Blinky was confident that they would succeed in their quest - he was a scholar and skilled conversationalist, not to mention his enthusiasm in learning more about human stuff. And Aaarrrgghh was the friendliest troll around. With all of that, they simply couldn't fail.
"His name is Jim," the six-eyed troll instructed his friend one last time before they infiltrated the basement. "We need to show him our support and benevolence... I mean, kindness from the very start".
Everything was definitely going to be alright.
Jim hated to stay alone, especially in a situation when his mind was busy with some thoughts. He tended to overthink in those cases, with anxieties and fears peaking. Besides, it just felt too empty with Barbara being out and no one to keep the company. Probably, he should have invited Tobes to hang out a bit.
The teen reached for his bag in an attempt to find the phone and call his best friend. His fingers brushed against something else, making him forget about the idea for a second.
The amulet. The peculiar talking object Jim had found among the rubble in the canal this morning. He still could feel it humming with mysterious energy. Apparently, the lanky teen was the only one who could feel it. Some time ago, he had given it to Toby, but his best friend claimed there hadn't been anything.
Perhaps, that was just wishful thinking, a bleak hope that magic was real. Maybe it would be better to think about ways to survive Steve (without resorting to violence, of course). Or how to not disappoint Claire during the next meeting. Or Mr. Strickler wanting to talk with his mother or…
His mind suddenly trailed to Eli and 'monsters in the canal'. No matter how much Jim would prefer to deny the fact, there had to be something connecting the amulet and those creatures. The time, the place - if the talking object was real magic, that would make monsters real too.
The teen shook his head, turning on the TV. Any noise would be better than the silence. Maybe that one would chase away all the weird thoughts.
"Do you ever wish you could find something that would make your life easier?" the obvious bait question in the generic TV ad somehow felt as if directed to Jim.
Easier? No, that one would be quite off. The teen had never complained about his circumstances. If anything, the thing he was searching for would more likely complicate his life instead.
"The ability to do the amazing?" the ad guy continued.
That part was exactly on point. Jim looked at the amulet once again. How many times had he examined it so far? The teen wasn't even sure if he was searching for some kind of mechanism to prove that it was just an odd toy, or it was more like he hoped to find none to bring a mystery into his life. The second one felt closer to the truth.
The usual Gun Robot ringtone made the boy turn his attention to his phone.
"Hey, Tobes," they had parted ways not that long ago, but Jim was happy to hear his friend's voice.
"Did it talk again? Did it do anything interesting?" even Toby's initial skepticism had diminished as some time passed and his Internet research led nowhere. He was also curious about the mysterious amulet now.
"Nope," Jim answered shortly. Honestly, it had been quite disappointing. Was that voice in the morning real to start with? But Tobes had also heard it - would it make it a group hallucination then? And the energy humming - even if his best friend had remained skeptical about that one, it wasn't just a delusion.
Alas, before the lanky teen managed to share his thoughts with his best friend, Nana called her only grandson for dinner, and Toby cut the conversation short, reminding Jim to text him if anything interesting happened.
Was it needed to start? They had always been going through all of the stuff together, be it good, bad, boring, interesting, sad, or happy. If anything ever happened, Tobes would be the first one to know.
Jim switched the channel not that interested in ads. The Gun Robot would be a way better alternative. Most likely, it would make him forget about everything else.
The amulet suddenly glowed, attracting the boy's attention at once. Was it going to talk again?
"Um... Hi, how are you doing? I'm Jim," he started. "But then, you knew that because you spoke my name, which is... weird".
Well, it felt quite embarrassing, and a part of him was relieved that nobody could witness that. Even Eli would find it deranged. Hopefully, it wasn't a prank, and no one would upload any reputation-ruining videos. On the other hand, Jim had never had any reason to care about his public image that much.
The worst thing was that there was no response. At all.
"Hello? Anybody in there?" he tapped the amulet with a finger, messed a bit with its clock-like hands, and...
Nothing.
The disappointment started to overcome the teen. And here went his hopes for some kind of adventure. Probably he really needed to be more realistic. Well, no magic meant no monsters as well.
"And now, I'm talking to an inanimate object," Jim stated aloud with obvious sarcasm. It would be way better to shift his attention to the more earthly matter, like the fact that Steve was going to beat him next Friday.
One more time.
Some inner voice nearly begged him not to give up that easily. Why couldn't he simply abandon an obviously crazy idea of the amulet being something special?
"Come on!" he attacked with a threatening tone - maybe that one would work? "Talk again, or you are going up on eBay!"
The threat was ungodly stupid, but the teen had never been that good with such stuff. Well, he would probably continue with some better ones, but some loud noise coming from the basement made Jim temporarily forget about everything.
It was just common sense to go and check, even though the boy didn't like the basement that much - staying there always brought out some unexplained uneasiness and discomfort. Was it because in his nightmares he would always escape from his father to that part of the house? It genuinely felt like a dead-end at times.
Nevertheless, it wasn't like Jim was afraid of the basement - he simply preferred to avoid it when there was no need to go there.
The clattering continued - those were raccoons, most likely.
Not monsters. Monsters are not real.
Jim brushed away a random thought and picked up the broom - those critters would regret infiltrating this house. Wasn't trash enough for them? Maybe scaring those at least once would stop their regular raids.
The teen went downstairs, peering into the dimly lit basement. He caught a glimpse of some shadow moving swiftly - ok, that one was definitely too big for a raccoon. Was it some prankster or worse, had some robber sneaked into the basement?
Or maybe it could simply be his imagination, like that time in the school showers.
Perhaps, Jim was actually overextending himself like some people had pointed out already. That could cause some daydreams or something. Was slowing down the needed answer?
The boy turned on the light in an attempt to examine the basement thoroughly. The lack of visibility always gave human fantasy a wonderful opportunity to fill all gaps with all kinds of fantasy beings. That was the true nature of monsters - just figments of imagination. Nothing more than that.
Jim only proved that statement to himself after freaking out at his own reflection in a full-size mirror. That was quite embarrassing - he helped Barbara move that one downstairs not that long ago and wasn't used to it standing there.
Then the lights went down, causing another yell. His nerves were surely not in the best state - probably all the weird stuff surrounding the amulet made the boy too jumpy. Spooky noises were most likely just wind. Or it could be one of Nana's cats - those sometimes visited his house in the hope of getting some tasty treat as Jim wasn't against feeding them. Or raccoons - wasn't that one his initial thought?
And the lights... Those were always faulty, probably there was a problem with the wiring to start with, but as the teen wasn't a specialist, it was impossible to say for sure.
As for some charcoal scattered on the floor, that one...
"Master Jim!" an unfamiliar male voice startled the teen, making him fall on the ground. And the owner of that one...
Oh God, what kind of abomination it was?
Too many eyes.
Too many arms.
Horns? Stone for skin?
It had to be a nightmare - the location was the basement, after all. Jim could feel the remains of his rational thinking retreating somewhere, leaving more than enough space for fear and panic.
Run.
That was the only thought possessing his mind. That... thing, monster, whatever... was dangerous, that couldn't be otherwise. The teen's instincts screamed to get away as far as possible, but no - Jim's limbs refused to obey, making him crawl on the ground helplessly until he hit his head on the pipe.
If it was just a bad dream or hallucination, the sudden pain would bring a stop to it, but no, it continued. The creature appeared above him once again, calling to him for a second time.
Jim hit his head once more.
"We have found you!" the creature continued as if not noticing the boy's mental state.
What does it want? Why was it looking for me? Wait, we?
Were there more of those? Were monsters planning to eat him or something?
Jim tried to retreat again, still not able to stand up and run properly. His back hit something else.
There should be a better way to escape.
Yet, the memory refused to give him the proper overlay of the basement. Or any reasonable thought, to be honest.
"I am known as Blinky," the six-eyed monster introduced itself casually.
It didn't matter at all as Jim decided to check what exactly his back hit this time.
He regretted it at once - there was a second one there. Good thing - it had a regular number of eyes and limbs. Bad thing - it was huge and hairy.
"Hi!" the brute grumbled from above. Jim's legs finally stopped being useless jelly and decided to assist in the escape. Unfortunately, it was too late - the six-eyed monster blocked the way to the stairs.
"It's Aaarrrgghh. Three Rs," the giant said something totally incomprehensible. What Rs? Was that some ritual before eating the prey?
It was the end. Monsters had cornered him, leaving no way for escape.
Will it end like this?
If a flight is impossible, then fight.
The last one was more like an instinct than an actual thought - an overwhelming and desperate one, telling the teen to claw the way out. It was too disturbing, too primal...
An image of some tall figure armed with a bat momentarily flashed across his mind. The long-buried nightmare resurfaced distorting the reception of reality.
That one also had happened in the basement. For a second, Jim felt like he was five once again, trying to run away from the horrible monster - because that couldn't have been his dad, his dad loved him greatly. That was simply something that temporarily took his father's form. The boy was cowering in a vain hope that it would end soon. He wished he could growl and bite and make all of that stop.
Yes, attacking could be the only possible answer. Jim launched himself at the one looming above him with the only wish to destroy it. And if, how, or why stopped making any sense altogether.
"I wasn't aware that humans have that kind of greeting," Blinky pointed out with some confusion, watching the new Trollhunter attacking his friend.
"Not greeting," Aaarrrgghh grumbled, sidestepping and making the teen run past him. "Battle frenzy."
The former general had seen it too many times to make a mistake - fear and panic turning into a deranged determination to fight for the life.
"Aaarrrgghh, my dear fellow, that's nonsense. Battle frenzy is the survival instinct some tribes of trolls possess," the scholar protested at once. "There are no records of humans having it!"
The brute sighed - rather than arguing about semantics, he would prefer to calm down the boy. Probably, he had to attempt the method used to stop the battle frenzy. The current state of the human Trollhunter was eerily similar to that one, so perhaps, treatment would help as well.
"Aaarrrgghh, what are?.." Blinky tried to stop his friend, but it was too late already as the Krubera had caught the teen already and shaken him slightly several times. Well, slightly for a troll - the kid had probably felt all his bones rattling.
Surprisingly it worked - when Aaarrrgghh had put Jim down, there was no crazed determination in his eyes, only his previous fear and panic.
The teen also felt slightly confused as the illusion of the past had ended as suddenly as it began. He wasn't even aware of everything that had happened during the last few moments. Besides, Jim suddenly had noticed an opening for escape, which he gladly used. Alas, it turned to be totally impossible as the brute had caught his leg and held the boy upside down.
"Master Jim, you have been chosen," the six-eyed creature said solemnly.
Wait, what?
Everything stopped making any sense altogether - not that it had been logical before. Probably, it had been actually a dream, well, a nightmare - then everything would fit perfectly.
Jim was covering his eyes in a vain hope that without images, it would end faster.
"Hmm. Blinky, he looks scared," the teen heard right near his ear. "May rampage again…"
Wasn't that pretty obvious before? Though Jim had no idea what kind of rampage they meant. Not that he should have been capable of understanding monsters' logic.
"Uh, Aaarrrgghh, my good fellow, would you mind stopping with your battle frenzy assumption? It is nowhere close to the truth," the one called Blinky definitely wasn't too bothered by the important detail, focused on whatever speech he had. "This is the moment of some solemnity."
Jim blinked several times. He didn't like the sound of that 'battle frenzy' whatever it was. And, apparently, 'Aaarrrgghh' was the big guy's name. The more it continued, the more bizarre it got.
"Hmm? Solembily?" the brute inquired, sounding quite confused.
"It means serious and dignified," his companion explained, but without much success, because the big one also had no idea what 'dignified' even meant.
What were those monsters' motives again? For someone who was supposed to eat or kill the teen, they definitely talked too much.
Maybe it was because of the upside-down position and blood getting to his head, but Jim suddenly got a crazy idea that the creatures could possibly let him go if he was careful with words. Starting with something minor would be good for checking - not that he had anything to lose with Aaarrrgghh holding his legs.
"P-P-Put me down, please?" the boy stammered, not that confidently. Yet somehow, he could say that his initial fear kept diminishing with each passing second.
It was nearly unbelievable, but Blinky actually gestured his friend to do so with a serious look. The brute obeyed at once and even gave the teen not-that-gentle pat. Though with that size of the hand, it would be difficult not to be rowdy by default.
"Thank you. Now, where was I?" the six-eyed monster was definitely going to get back to his speech despite the tiny mishap in the middle. Jim really had no idea what to do - on the one hand, the earlier panic state had ended already. On the other - his common sense told him it would be to get somewhere else and not to stay between two stony creatures, one of which looked like he could crush the teen single-handedly even by mistake or accident.
"Uh, Master Jim... found you," Aaarrrgghh tried to give some hints.
"Yes. Thank you," Blinky seemed to remember where he stopped, ignoring the teen's another failed attempt of escape. "Master Jim, you have been chosen."
The boy didn't even know why he was still trying to run by this point, especially after experiencing firsthand that the brute had no problems with keeping him on the spot. Maybe he could try to listen for a change.
"The Amulet of Daylight challenges you to ascend to the most sacred of offices," Blinky proclaimed with some pathos. The intent was lost, however, as Aaarrrgghh wasn't able to keep with that elaborate choice of words and asked:
"Orifices? What orifices?"
Jim mentally cringed - orifices definitely sounded too disturbing, and the big guy bringing those up didn't give any confidence.
"Offices," the six-eyed monster corrected. "It means responsibility."
Why hadn't he used that word from the very start then? Jim had given up on finding any logic by this point.
"Unbeknownst to your kind, there is a secret world, a vast civilization of trolls lurking beneath your very feet, hidden from the view," Blinky went on with his explanation.
Well, the hidden world at least made some sense - such creatures needed to live somewhere without being spotted. And now there was an official name for those.
"Tro... Tr-Trolls?" Jim didn't realize that his voice still sounded quite shaky - well, he was mostly yelling for the last few minutes, and some fear remained as well.
Trolls. Suddenly the stone monsters had gotten the proper name, and…
And what?
The teen didn't even know what it could mean, but it was definitely easier to accept trolls existing.
Those are not monsters.
"Trolls. Yes, trolls," the six-eyed creature - a troll, apparently - confirmed. "And it is now your charge to protect them. For you, Master Jim, are the Trollhunter".
Trollhunter. A troll who was a hunter or one who hunted trolls? Which one was right? Jim didn't think that he fitted any. Besides…
Protect? These guys? How? Why me? And do they need any protection to start with?
There had been too many questions in the teen's head right now, and something told him not to ask any of those as more information could turn out to be too overwhelming.
"This honor is yours to accept. So, what say you?" Blinky finished, looking at the boy expectedly.
Nope, Jim's gut feeling turned out to be wrong - it had already been too overwhelming. All the previous mental strain just caught up to him at once, and his consciousness slept away, probably in an attempt to protect the mind from more shocking revelations.