"Mr. Lake! Please, stay for a minute."
In hindsight, there wasn't anything surprising. Jim was obviously distracted lately and simply couldn't focus on anything, no matter how much he tried. Eventually, someone would bring it up.
It's just happened to be Ms. Janeth, and, judging from barely hidden disappointment and disapproval in her expression, the conversation wouldn't be that nice.
Well, at least, she had some mercy and waited until everyone involved with a school play had left before starting her lecture.
"Mr. Lake, I hope that you understand how important is this play," she stated sternly.
"I do," Jim nodded, averting his gaze. He knew good enough where it was heading, and honestly, he had no good excuses.
"Everyone works as a team, putting their free time and effort into rehearsals and learning text," the teacher frowned. "I genuinely believed that you were as motivated after your splendid performance at the try-outs. However, now I'm not sure if you even want to be in the play."
"Ms. Janeth, I…" the teen attempted to find some explanation, but she ignored it altogether.
"I was patient during first rehearsal as everyone was awkward with lines back then. However, everyone else had shown progress. Everyone, but you, Mr. Lake. I would give you some slack if you had a one-line role, but you are Romeo, the star of the play. A lot depends on you here! I believed that you would be able to sweep the audience off their feet, like during the audition. Yet, your performance has been pitiful so far."
Jim opened his mouth once again, but Ms. Janeth had gotten worked out already as she continued:
"I cannot have one person dragging down everyone else. Mr. Lake, no one is forcing you to participate. If you think that it's not your thing, if you lack motivation and determination - please, leave while no damage has been done. It's an early stage, we still can find a substitute for you. And if I am wrong and you actually want to play Romeo, please, show it to your peers and me. Am I clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," the boy answered quietly. It would be impossible to argue against all of that. One may have guessed that the teacher could be kinder, but wouldn't it be unfair to everyone else involved? Jim had seen how much props team was working on designs, Eli, apparently, rehearsed every break, and Claire… Claire evidently loved Shakespeare and put her everything into being a convincing Juliet.
The teen dragged his feet outside. It seemed he was failing not only his Trollhunter position. And well, even the school play wasn't the only addition to that list. His studies had taken a hit as well.
Jim expected to see Toby waiting for him patiently. Perhaps, his best friend would be able to find good words for lightening the sour mood.
And someone was actually waiting. The thing was that it wasn't Tobes. Jim didn't even bother to hide his genuine surprise when he saw Claire standing near the exit.
No way.
Most likely, his crush stayed for someone else. Jim couldn't be that lucky.
The girl beamed, confirming his wild guess.
"You ok?" she inquired. "Ms. Janeth can be too much at times."
"Well, she just wants the play to be a success," Jim chuckled, finally noticing Toby in some distance. His best friend tried his best at pretending that he was just a passer-by. His acting would have been pretty believable if he hadn't given Jim thumbs-up.
Luckily, Claire hadn't noticed that. He would die from the embarrassment otherwise.
"True," the girl nodded.
In the end, it was impossible to argue against the facts. Jim himself felt pretty guilty for the lack of enthusiasm. Perhaps, Ms. Janeth was right, and he had to leave right now. Perhaps, he had simply taken a place meant for someone else.
Much like with trollhunting.
Apparently, everything the teen had picked up recently was just a mistake.
"I think it's your place," Claire's calm voice broke up his thoughts. Wait, had he actually voiced them?
"Sorry, I was eavesdropping on your talk with Ms. Janeth," she smiled sheepishly after noticing the boy's confusion. "And I feel she could choose a better wording."
"But isn't she right?"
It was so weird to get some support from the most unexpected place. Not that long ago, Jim would have died from happiness after his crush had shown him some sympathy. Hell, he wouldn't have been able to talk to her properly! Yet now they had a normal friendly conversation as if it was the most natural thing ever.
"Jim, Ms. Janeth believes that you're slacking because you're not serious enough," Claire sighed. "While it's not like that. At all. You're obviously troubled lately, so it's difficult for you to focus. Be it during classes or even at recess. Is everything alright?"
"Why are you asking?" Jim knew he sounded slightly rude, but the question left his lips before he managed to formulate it properly. Still, he was pretty baffled to learn that his crush had paid that much attention to his mental state. Some days ago, she hadn't even known his name.
"Obviously, because I want the play to succeed and need my partner to be in the perfect condition," the girl answered seriously.
"I see," Jim nodded, hoping that his disappointment wasn't that evident. Sure, everything had been just about the play. Claire loved theatre, and 'Romeo and Juliet' meant a lot to her. Of course, she cared about the performance of everyone, much like Ms. Janeth, though, used a kinder approach.
"Do I look that heartless to you?" a quiet question had broken his reverie. Claire chuckled sadly:
"I've joked. Yes, I hope that the play will turn out just perfect, but I will never ignore someone suffering near me. Jim, do you have problems at home?"
He stared at the girl in total bewilderment, wondering if his hearing was playing tricks with him.
"You know, when my mom was pregnant with my brother, I couldn't focus as well, as there were risks of miscarriage," Claire added hastily. "So I wondered if something serious had happened in your family…"
"No, no, nothing like that," Jim interrupted her. "The problem is elsewhere…"
He stopped, not sure what to add. Of course, the girl was a total outsider, and he wasn't even sure if they were on a good acquaintances level, let alone friends one. Yet, Claire was sincere enough to share her own past anxieties. Wouldn't it be fair to tell her at least a partial truth?
"You see, recently I have discovered something I truly enjoy," the boy started as they were walking towards the lockers. "But… How should I put it? There are some huge expectations attached, and I'm not sure that I won't be able to go on without disappointing everyone…"
"Is it about the play?" the girl clarified, looking at him with some genuine confusion. Jim realized too late that it actually sounded suspiciously similar to his current situation with 'Romeo and Juliet'.
"It's something else," he responded, hoping that it wouldn't sound like a dumb excuse. "I've just picked up two new things recently."
"And it feels too stressful," Claire guessed.
"I don't know," Jim said honestly. In the end, he felt genuinely lost, even though he had gotten several opinions already. "It's more like, it's… contradicting?"
He struggled to pick up a fitting word to describe his own feelings on the matter.
"How so?"
"I like that new hobby," Jim smiled wistfully. "It feels so fitting, so mine. But, apparently, I won't be able to do it without going against some of my principles."
Yes, that one was the main problem, something he hadn't shared with anyone yet somehow managed to bring up during the talk with his crush.
Perhaps, he actually needed an opinion from an outsider.
Blinky most likely had troubles with understanding human reasoning. Douxie had been a part of the weird stuff for who-knew-how-long, so perhaps, he had been too used to the supernatural. Tobes was simply biased as he had most likely voiced his best friend's secret wishes. And mom… She hadn't heard the most important part.
"So, it's either abandoning that hobby or betraying yourself?" Claire inquired, seemingly lost in thought. "Well, if it was me, I'd pick neither."
"What?"
Jim expected the girl to pick one of the options, so her answer came out of nowhere.
"Seriously, Jim," she chuckled. "Life isn't a test with only A and B available as answers. Why should you give up on something you like? And if there are some weird rules attached - well, breaking norms and finding new ways is the most human thing possible. We would remain in the dark ages if some people had never questioned some accepted norms. Do you know that pre-Shakespeare, there were no actresses? Men played all the roles. So, if it stayed like that, I wouldn't even get an opportunity to play Juliet."
The boy froze midstep, looking at his crush in genuine bewilderment. Was the answer he needed that obvious? It felt as if he hadn't noticed the literal elephant in the room!
Claire was right. No one had told Jim that there were only two answers.
"Claire, you're genius," he drawled.
"Has it helped?" she smiled. "Or will you continue feel lost?"
"No, it's ok," the lanky teen shook his head. "Even if I have no idea what to do, at least I have a direction now."
"Just pave your own road," Claire punched him jokingly. "Oh, and if you need some advice, feel free to ask."
"Thanks," Jim finally smiled back.
Destiny definitely enjoyed playing with him, but apparently, it had decided to give some mercy to the boy and reward him with getting slightly closer to his crush. Yes, they still weren't anywhere close to even a friend level, but maybe… Maybe the girl wouldn't say no if he decided to invite her somewhere.
The time for that was shrinking rapidly, though, as they were not that far from the lockers already.
Jim opened his mouth, and…
"You certainly look too smug, buttsnack."
No, Destiny certainly hated James Lake Jr. Otherwise, why would it throw in an encounter with reality in the form of seething and extremely pissed Steve?
And, oh boy, the local bully certainly looked like he would murder someone soon. That kind of expression would likely impress Draal, perhaps even Bular.
Jim realized too late that he had forgotten about his supposed fight with the local oppressor. Again. Despite Tobes bringing it up regularly.
And now Steve was standing right before him, ready to unleash the pent-up rage of several days.
The local bully had reached the boiling point a long time ago. At first, his goal had only been the punishment of the cocky buttsnack, who had dared to challenge him. It would have been enough to make him kneel, to embarrass himself, to cry for the mercy. Steve hadn't even planned to beat that dork that much. A hit or two - just to show him his actual place in the school hierarchy. That one had always worked.
However, Lake had turned out to be even bolder than one would have imagined. He had kept avoiding the fight for several days already. At first, Steve had followed the rules - he had been the one to enforce those, after all. So, he had waited on the spot, then had rescheduled (several times!) and made that nerd Pepperjack deliver the information.
But no, his sudden enemy just had kept refusing to fight to decide everything! And the local king's position had started shaking out of nowhere.
The jock had heard too many giggles and hushed mockeries lately. It simply couldn't go on like that. If it continued, his star status would crumble.
And without it…
He wouldn't be a special one.
Just another buttsnack.
A loser.
A nobody.
Steve had to end the rebellion. Right here, right now. The point of no return had already been passed - and neither regular humiliation nor some hits would be enough to restore his position. No, he would have to plummet Lake until he was reduced to a whining mess. And consequences? By that point, the bully didn't even care. Detention? Expulsion? Coach Laurence kicking him out of the team? Nothing mattered as long as Steve would win the stand-off and restore the status quo.
"Look, Steve, just stop it," Claire started with some irritation. "Everyone is sick of your behavior!"
"Shut up!" the bully spat. "I'm talking to the jerk face hiding behind you like a total sissy!"
It was too infuriating. Why the one daring to question his authority was such a coward? Avoiding a proper fight and now using someone else as a shield? Yet, people were still rooting for someone like that.
No, Steve had to put a stop to it. He could see people gathering, attracted by the commotion.
Good.
The more eyewitnesses gathered, the better it would be for the future. Everyone had to learn what consequences one would get for questioning his methods.
"Steve, really, can't we decide it some other way?"
Now the coward in question had dared to open his mouth. Escaping again.
Steve saw red - nothing mattered anymore. He charged wildly, showing aside Claire. The girl stumbled back and nearly fell before some of her peers caught her.
Jim attempted to duck, but the jock had caught him and thrown against the lockers. That wasn't just a game of intimidation anymore.
Someone in the crowd gasped, but the lanky teen had no time to check who exactly.
"Stop it! I'm calling a teacher," that one sounded surprisingly like Darci.
"Call a nurse too as this buttsnack will need one soon," Steve barked, grabbing Jim's jacket and attempting to punch him.
The second attack didn't work, though, as the lanky boy had managed to slip away the last second. The bully's fist connected with lockers instead.
"Stop running around, worm!" Steve growled, ready to charge for another attack.
Somehow, it was irritating.
Just great.
Jim mentally smacked himself. Why couldn't that part of him stay silent, at least now? Perhaps, the reason lay in Steve - somehow, the local bully made a perfect job in the provocation.
Yes, the jock was nowhere close to Bular, but the lanky teen had no wish to go wild right now.
Not before his schoolmates.
Not after all of those years of keeping dark urges in check.
So he kept ducking and avoiding the hits.
"Jimbo!"
Jim caught a glimpse of Toby trying to make the way through the gathered teens without success.
Would his best friend be afraid if he ever saw that side?
Wait, Tobes had already seen it.
All this jumping around didn't do anything good for calming down. Besides, what was the point of it?
Jim felt something intricate snapping. Could it be otherwise after the days of non-stop stress?
Most of the Trollmarket locals looking down at him.
Draal's mockery.
Evil trolls doing who knew what.
The amulet deciding it was fun to smack its owner.
And now Steve with his stupid challenge.
It was simply the last straw. And Jim just let everything go.
His mother's weird advice came up to his mind all of a sudden.
So what if they seem undefeatable? You know what? The higher is the pedestal, the more painful is the fall. I bet all those jerks act high and mighty and keep underestimating you. Use it against them. They will be gloating and playing around like total morons while you keep focused and vigilant. And the second they open up or reveal their weak spot, you'll crush them!
Supposedly, it was about chess, yet… The teen couldn't help feeling it fitting for the current fight.
Steve had definitely raised himself above other schoolmates, looking down on everyone. Even now, as infuriated as he was, the bully still was careless with his wild swings.
And Jim could see right through each of those.
This brawl was nowhere close to an actual death battle. The lanky teen had already met more than enough actually dangerous opponents.
Steve was nothing compared to those.
Jim's fingers curled into a fist unwittingly, and before he had managed to formulate any coherent thought, it connected with his opponent's jaw. The bully was charging forward, so, ironically, the impact had turned out to be way more damaging than one would imagine.
A clean K.O.
Jim felt a slight throbbing pain in his knuckles. The time itself seemed to slow down as he watched his enemy falling on the ground.
Oh, and apparently, Steve had lost a tooth.
Who would even think it could be that easy to defeat the local oppressor?
Now, the only thing left would be…
Finishing the fight. He doesn't deserve any mercy. Not after terrorizing the entire school.
Wasn't it just? An eye for an eye? Shouldn't the bully have tasted his own medicine?
You're the kindest and justest person I know.
Tobes believed it was the case.
Everyone has their dark side, but not everyone can overcome it.
Was Jim actually going to abandon principles he had followed for years? Would he succumb to his unsightly part?
The amulet picks its wielder for a reason, and if it landed in your possession, there should be a reason for that too.
Douxie had told the lanky teen that he was worthy, that he should have reminded trolls how to cooperate.
Wouldn't his aggression actually hurt that mission?
Just pave your own road.
Claire had advised Jim to look for his own answer instead of picking from the available choices. Had he already forgotten about that?
No.
The lanky teen had already found what he had to do. He had no need to hit Steve anymore - not after his undoubted victory.
And with that decision, his mind returned to a reality full of happy cheers. Toby had finally managed to get through the crowd, panting and sweating.
"Jimbo, you ok?" he rasped, still out of breath.
"Tobes, I did it," Jim whispered.
Without letting my dark side out.
"See, I've told you," Toby pat his back, obviously getting that unsaid part. "You're better than it!"
The day had certainly ended in a nasty manner. Claire sighed, rubbing her shoulder - Steve definitely knew nothing about holding back. The girl wouldn't be that surprised if she got a bruise from that.
She returned to the events once again. Jim Lake, her partner in the school play, had been visibly troubled, so she had decided to help out of compassion.
Out of compassion only? As if!
Claire couldn't deny her own feelings regarding that boy were rather, well, confusing. No, it wasn't as if she had never noticed Jim before, but he had been just one of many peers she hadn't known good enough. There had been nothing in common between the two of them.
Well, even back then, the Latina could have said that her lanky classmate was a nice person.
So, when Jim Lake had approached her in the gym for some mysterious reason, Claire hadn't pushed him away like she tended to do with some other boys.
And then…
There had been a surprise after surprise.
First, Jim standing up to Steve - something that no one had dared to do, even though many people wished for that. It had made the lanky teen the local hot topic immediately.
And then… Claire would probably never forget that breathtaking speech at the audition. Why? Because it had been the first time when she had seen James Lake Jr. in that light. He was so much beyond just a nice guy, and the girl couldn't help thinking it would be nice to know him better.
Maybe they could be friends or…
No, that one was simply stupid. The Latina had never considered dating anyone. That was reserved only for a special one, no matter how much Mary would poke fun of that.
Yes, Claire was old-fashioned when it came to love and a hopeless romantic, but was it such a disastrous thing?
As for Jim, she had just hoped to help with his concerns, and it looked like it had worked.
And then Steve had appeared out of nowhere, seemingly out for blood.
The girl groaned at the memory - she had always been against fights. To her mind, using fists was the same as admitting that you couldn't resolve the situation without violence. And school conflicts were definitely something that could go without any.
Jim had only defended himself, and she had seen it clearly. Yet… Claire still felt conflicted. Should she have been cheering like everyone else? Or calling out her play partner?
"Claire," Darci's voice broke her reverie. "Have you seen Shannon?"
That question definitely came out of nowhere.
"No, why are you asked?" the Latina shrugged. Her friend sighed:
"Well, it sucks. When the fight broke down, she dashed somewhere."
"Maybe it's not related."
"Barely," Darci shook her head. 'Here's her bag - she dropped it…"
Now it seemed serious. There was no wonder that the black girl looked so concerned.
"I'll try to search for her," Claire suggested. Shannon might have never been in her close circle of friends, but it would have been just heartless to leave her dealing with everything alone.
She found the bespectacled girl soon enough - Shannon was sitting on the floor in the girls' bathroom, hugging her knees and shaking as if in a fever.
She was scared, no, terrified.
Claire kneeled beside the girl.
"Shannon, you ok?"
"Has it ended?" she asked instead of answering, never raising her head.
"Ended?" the Latina repeated in puzzlement.
"Yes, that one-sided obliteration," Shannon sobbed. Was she crying?
"Come on, I also hate violence, but isn't that exaggeration?" Claire tried to cheer her acquaintance a bit and nearly jumped when the girl raised her head and stared at her.
"He knows no mercy. He'll hit until the only bloody pulp is left," she stated blankly.
"I don't think Steve is that bad," the Latina argued carefully.
"I didn't mean him," Shannon hid her face again.
"Jim?" Claire couldn't believe her own ears. Were they talking about the same person? "Isn't he the most harmless guy around?"
That statement simply made no sense. Perhaps, there was some misunderstanding or…
"You don't know," the bespectacled girl started rocking back and forth. "No one understands. But you haven't seen that. We were in the same pre-school and Lake… He… He…" she gasped for air, trying to control her shaking. "He often looked as if possessed back then…"
Shannon sobbed once again. Claire pulled her into a side-hug. If she were less empathetic, she would probably continue asking, but could she do that to her traumatized friend?
"So, what's now?" Toby inquired after both boys used the horngazel to create the entrance under the bridge. They had done it several times already, so it wasn't challenging anymore.
"First, apologize to Blinky," Jim shrugged. "And then I'll ask Draal for the rematch."
He stepped into the glowing portal first. Funny thing, he had struggled to find the confidence alone, but the support from his close people helped him tremendously. Yes, there were still lingering worries about those unexplained darker thoughts - most likely, those would never go away entirely. However, the boy knew now that he could fight. He could be the Trollhunter - not the perfect one at the beginning, but he would surely put up his best. Barbara was right - she hadn't raised her son a quitter.
"Planning to deal with all bullies?" Toby inquired, following after his best friend. "Neat. Count me in! Though, I hope that you're aware that you won't get another one-hit K.O with Draal."
Jim couldn't help chuckling, imagining the troll warrior falling down after his hit. Of course, that was impossible, but one could dream. He jumped down several glowing steps and turned to Tobes:
"Well, I think about trying a smarter tactic."
It was odd, but the lanky teen couldn't deny that his mood had slightly improved after he had entered the underground settlement. No, not just that. Jim had certainly missed the air of the Trollmarket and the warm light of the Heartstone.
Perhaps, he had really belonged down there, who knew?
There had been too much stress lately. Nothing went as planned, and they all had ended in some kind of ridiculous stand-still.
Tonight Barverra had yet another outing - she hadn't gone anywhere as her troll self since that fiasco with catching the Trollhunter. Her search among Jim's peers had led nowhere so far. Yes, she had managed to check only three boys so far, but it was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
The daughter of Gunmar needed more clues. But how?
Some kind of magic was protecting the foolish child's identity. Barverra seriously doubted it was permanent - otherwise, it would create some problems in his regular life. Switching on and off was a safer bet.
And that would mean that the Trollhunter could expose himself unwittingly during the day. Most likely, it was how Stricklander had gotten his valuable information.
The enemy was just a kid who had no idea that he had to be careful outside his protector's duties. And someone close to him could notice the amulet. Someone like a classmate.
The female shook her head, chasing away the horrible idea. She wouldn't involve Jim in that search, even if it made everything easier. Gunmar had waited for centuries, so more weeks or even months wouldn't make any difference.
Hopefully, Bular would never learn about her thinking. She had no need for another dumb action from her big oaf of a brother.
Speaking about the brute in question, Barverra hadn't checked on him for a while, and knowing that sometimes he could cause as much damage as an unsupervised child… Yeah, she had to find him and fast…
Surprisingly enough, Bular hadn't gone on another of his wild hunts and had stayed at the museum, like a good boy. There was neither Nomura nor Stricklander around, so the daughter of Gunmar barely refrained from jokingly inquiring if her brother had killed them.
Well, probably he wouldn't have understood the joke in any case.
"Impures are elsewhere. Scheming," the dark troll responded before there was any question. Apparently, he was in a foul mood because of that.
"Well, it just means that we can talk without interruption," Barverra shrugged nonchalantly. Changelings were always scheming, so it was pointless to stop that. Bular muttered through his teeth something around the eradication of the vile kind.
"We just need to get the amulet as soon as possible," he added louder. "I was waiting for that fleshbag Trollhunter under the bridge for some nights, but he hadn't appeared!"
It was so difficult not to facepalm. Well, Barverra could praise her brother for his stubbornness, but couldn't he have realized already that the enemy wasn't limited by the sun? Hadn't she told him about that already?
It seemed that Bular was one of those who needed to check themselves before seeing how pointless it was.
"We need to focus on finding his identity," the female sighed.
"That was your task, and apparently, you've failed."
As if it was the right time for being petty!
"Just give me some slack," Barverra spat. "I need more clues!"
In the end, 'a boy around Jim's age from the same school' was too vague. She expected Bular ridiculing her, but surprisingly, her brother turned serious and hummed:
"More clues? I think I can help."
That phrase alone sounded unhinged, but what if?
"Go on," the daughter of Gunmar nodded.
"I think I've seen the Trollhunter at his home," he stated proudly. "Stricklander was visiting him. Of course, that winged bastard tried to deny, but I'm sure he was lying."
Well, that was something.
"Do you remember the location?" Barverra inquired and realized at once that there could be only a negative answer. Bular would have destroyed the house a long time ago otherwise. His uncomfortable look had only proven her suspicions.
"I can describe the Trollhunter," he said hastily.
"Go on," his sister groaned, not expecting anything special.
"A bad snack," Bular answered honestly. "Oh, and there was also a female, slightly older, and also a bad snack."
Yep, the sun would explode faster than her brother would learn to distinguish humans. No wonder that Stricklander hadn't been worried about losing his main trump card - he hadn't risked anything.
"And I know the name," the dark brute added.
"What?"
She had to mishear. There was simply no way for that oaf to get a hold on that!
"I've overheard Stricklander mentioning it to that other impure."
Was it some kind of a parallel universe with the head of Janus Order being a careless fool and Bular knowing more intricate strategies?
"Why hadn't you mentioned it first?" Barverra hissed. He had no idea how lucky he was to be her sibling.
"Can you find a fleshbag with a name only?"
Oh yeah, he had no idea, so probably it was pointless to chew him for that.
"Just tell it already," she growled in annoyance.
"Young Atlas."
No, in the end, it was the right universe. Stricklander was still a cunning bastard, and Bular remained an utter dork.
Barverra didn't even know if she should have gotten angry or just laughed at that ridiculous situation.
"Bular, that one isn't his name," she explained, trying to keep a straight face. "It's akin to you being called the Butcher."
Of course, it was nowhere close in reality - just the female wasn't in the mood to explain to her brother the human concept of nicknames.
In the end, everything was pointless. Bular's clues hadn't made their target any more obvious. Well, 'a boy around Jim's age from the same school' had become 'a boy around Jim's age from the same school, nicknamed Young Atlas and living with some older female'. A sister or a mother? It could also be a grandma or even an aunt. There were still too many suspects.
Barverra was pacing around the museum, trying to formulate any plan. For whatever reason, each time, she ended with the 'involving Jim' part. The mother hated herself for even thinking in that direction.
In an attempt to silence horrible thoughts, she turned on Nomura's recorder. Of course, Bular would flip the board after hearing the fleshbag music, but his sister didn't care about his protests.
Personally, Barverra thought that the pink changeling had good taste. The daughter of Gunmar had had more than enough exposure to the human culture, and one of her husbands had been truly affectionate about classical music, so she could recognize a lot of pieces.
Apparently, it was a selection of some famous arias.
"Disgusting wailing," Bular complained. "Only puny fleshbags could enjoy that!"
He looked as if he wished to obliterate the source of the noise but most likely didn't dare to take any action because his sister had turned it on.
"Anyway, there is a thing I want to tell you," the son of Gunmar scowled.
"You've told me more than enough," she snorted. If there was another stupid clue, she would lose her patience.
"It's important," he spat back. "It's about your son. Don't you think it's time to give him a right to earn some glory?"
That was not something Barverra had expected from him. Well, her brother criticized her upbringing methods pretty regularly but talking about glory meant one thing. He implied that his nephew should have proven his worth in an actual battle.
"How many times…" the female started menacingly, but Bular interrupted her impatiently:
"Yes, he's a tiny whelp, I know. Only fifteen, right? But hear me out - make him kill the Trollhunter. That kill will count as a glorious one even if the enemy is just a fleshbag. You or me - we don't need that one. But your son is still growing. Let's make Father proud, demonstrating that his kin still flourishes. Imagine how happy he will be knowing that his grandson will free him!"
Barverra stared at him in bewilderment. She had to make her brother stop, to prevent him from planting poisonous seeds inside her soul.
Because deep inside, she had agreed with him already.
And…
An aria on Nomura's record ended, changing to another one. Bular winced at the high-pitched sound, and Barverra froze on the spot. She knew that one.
"Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen…" she muttered, ignoring her brother's confusion.
The highly acclaimed Queen of the Night Aria. The manifesto of the mother who put her goal above her child's happiness.
Was it an answer the daughter of Gunmar also needed?
Shut up!
Before she managed to have a coherent thought, her sword had already smashed the recorder, silencing the mockery for good.
"I told you it was disgusting wailing," Bular pointed out, taken aback by his sister's sudden outrage.
"Bular, screw the glory," Barverra growled menacingly. "We'll free Father ourselves, without involving my son! And if you ever bring it up again, I'll make you regret your decision!"
A/N:
Queen of the Night Aria is an actual piece, which I bet a lot of people have heard without knowing the name.
Next time, Blinky discovering some odd things about the new Trollhunter, Jim getting some deja vu from an unlikely place, and Barbara meeting someone from her past