Chapter 1; Becoming Protectors; Part 2

A week has passed since Noah and Seth have been living with Jim and his mom. During the day, Noah and Seth would help Jim around the house, go to school and be normal kids. But at night, as Noah trained his body, Seth worked on the other gems, but since Seth didn't have very good tools, they still just had Efreet and Fighter and they would try to figure out what danger they were going to face here in Arcadia. And that danger was under one of Arcadia bridges. Under the bridge were two monsters, one in silver armor that had an amulet that shined with light-blue light and the other was like a savage barbarian. The silver one had a great silver sword and the barbarian had two swords, but he was not using them. They both stopped and the barbarian said to the silver one. "Yield, Kanjigar."

"A Trollhunter never yields. I'd rather die."

"Terms accepted." The barbarian said before they started fighting again. They both used their fist to punch one another, but Kanjigar won that fight and knocked the barbarian down. Kanjigar pointed his sword at the barbarian neck and said. "Your turn, Bular. Yield." Then some of the sun's light hit Kanjigar and he started to burn. Kanjigar turned around and Bular used that chance to kick Kanjigar away. Bular kick caused Kanjigar to be sent flying and his sword was in the sunlight. Kanjigar grabbed it as Bular was getting close to him. It did hurt a little, but he needed his sword to have a fighting chance. The amulet light then started to fade out. This worried Kanjigar and Bular said to him. "There is nowhere left for you to run, Trollhunter. Give me the amulet."

"Never!" Kanjigar said as he ran to the support under the bridge. Bular followed him and they started sword fighting. Bular was winning the fight because of his two swords. Kannjigar tried to fight back, but Bular was able to knock Kanjigar's sword away from him. The sword fell into the sunlight and then disappeared. Bular put his swords away and started to push Kanijgar into the sunlight. When the sunlight hit Kanjigar it not only burned him, but was turning Kanjigar into stone. That weakened Kanjigar, so Bular took this moment to grab the amulet, but Kanjigar used what little strength he had left and pulled Bular's left arm into the sunlight and it started to burn and turn stone too. Bular screamed and walked back, as his hand turned back to normal. Kanjigar got up, but Bular was done playing around Kanjigar. Bular drew his swords again and said, pointing them at Kanjigar. "It's me or the sun. Either way, you're doomed. And your amulet is mine."

"No. The amulet will find a champion. We will stop you and your father. I may end, but the fight will not." Kanjigar said as he walked backwards into the sunlight. Bular realized too late what Kanjigar was doing and couldn't stop Kanjigar as he fell down. Kanjigar crossed his arms and accepted his fate, as he was turned to stone and shattered on the ground. Bular was very mad, because he couldn't reach the amulet. So Bular had to go somewhere else and wait until nightfall to get the amulet.

Back at Jim's house. Jim, Noah and Seth were getting ready for the day, as Barbara was still asleep in her room. As Jim was putting a note on Barbara's door and giving her breakfast. Noah and Seth were putting on their roller skates, which they had before they were transported to Arcadia. Jim followed them shortly after that and got on his bike. Jim opened the garage and saw the trash can was knocked over. As they cleaned up the trash, a fat kid, with braces, orange-red brown hair, green eyes, wearing a red diamond-patterned sweater vest over a yellow and orange button-up shirt, brown pants, and white shoes, on a bike appeared. That was Jim's best friend, Toby. Toby said to all of them. "We're late for school, guys."

"We know, but there's a lot of stuff to do." Noah said before Seth said. "And also Jim is still the only one that can cook. Oh and here's your lunch." Seth pulled out a lunch bag from his backpack and gave it to Toby. Toby opened it and after he took a breath in, said. "Balsamic mushrooms, meatloaf, chunky, sun-dried tomatoes."

"And cardamom." Jim said as he pulled his bike out. Toby looked at Jim and said. "Ooh! Taking a chance there, Chief Jim."

"What's life without a little adventure?"

"I can't eat this. I'm on a diet." Toby said, giving the lunch back to Jim. Jim pushed it back to Toby and said. "You've been on a diet for the past 14 years, Tobes."

"I know."

"You're 15."

"Long-term goal. My body's still changing." Toby said as he put the food into his backpack and got onto his bike. They all then started to ride towards school, with Toby being the slowest of them all. "What's the time, bro?" Seth said to Noah and after Noah looked at his wrested watch which was under his right arm sleeve, he said. "It's 8:00 am."

"We're going to get suspended, on account of meatloaf." Toby said before Seth said. "Don't overreact."

"Take the canal, Tobes. It'll save us five minutes." Jim said as he led the way of the road. They all followed him and Toby said with each bump. "Not… the… canal!"

"Oh, live a little." Jim said as they reached the same canal that Kanjigar fell. "It's living that I'm worried about." Toby said before Jim said. "Come on, Tobes. Don't you ever want a little more excitement?"

"No." Toby said as they reached the canal. Jim was the first to reach the bottom and Jim said to the others. "Come on, guys!"

"James… Lake." A voice said from the rocks that were once Kanjigar. As the others joined Jim, he got off his bike and walked to the rock. Jim then said to them as Toby got off and they all walked over and Jim said. "Did you guys hear that voice?"

"What voice?" Noah said as he looked around. "James Lake." The voice said, causing Jim and Toby to scream and fall down. Noah and Seth didn't panic and Seth said. "Was that the voice you heard?"

"Yes! That pile of rocks knows my name." Jim said as he and Topy got up. Topy then said to Jim as they started to clear the rocks. "It's a pile of K-spar. Minerals don't talk. There's got to be a walkie-talkie in here or something." At that moment Jim found the amulet. As Jim picked it up and Toby looked around for someone, Seth pulled Noah back and whispered to him. "That jewel looks kind of like the Soul Jewels we have."

"The disk version, yeah, but what is with the metal around it?" Noah said as they all heard the final bell. They didn't have more time to think. Jim put the amulet in his bag and they all started to ride for school. But they didn't see that something with six eyes was watching them, Jim more than the others. At school their history teacher, Mr Strickler, a tall man wearing a blue shirt under a light brown jacket, with darker brown pants and dark brown shoes, was teaching the class about the Peloponnesian War. Jim and the others weren't listening. Jim was staring at his crush, Claire, a girl with black hair and a purple jacket, a pink shirt that had a rock and roll skull band symbol on it and blue jeans. Toby was looking up talking amulets, but only found toys. And Noah was whispering to Seth. "Seth? Since you can somehow hear the voices in Soul Jewels. Could you figure out what Soul Jewel that is?"

"If it is a Soul Jewel, then yes. Now be quiet. I'm trying to listen. I don't want to be called on like Jim is going to be." Seth said, pointing at Jim as Strickler said. "Jim, would you agree?"

"Sir?"

"With Herodotus' opinion on his tactics of war, as I've described."

"Oh, uh… Absolutely."

"Excellent. Which tactics, specifically?"

"The, uh… winning ones?" Jim said and all of the kids started to laugh. Then the school bell then rang and Strickler gave out their homework. All of the students left, but Jim, who knocked over his books. As Strickler helped Jim pick up his books, he said to Jim. "Jim, may I have a word?"

"Sure."

"While it is good to see you are actually staying awake during class now, you are still distracted. Your attention wandered for the whole of the class."

"Sorry. There is a lot to do at the house."

"I know it's just your mother and that she has taken in the Himitsu brothers. And that you want to help all of them."

"It's only been a week sir, they are still getting used to things here. And mom is working double shifts now."

"I believe I'm overdue for a conversation with her. Have her call me, please. And feel free to drop by my office if you ever need to talk" Strickler said, giving Jim a piece of paper. Jim then said to Strickler. "Yeah, I'll do that."

"Oh, and Jim, if you fancy Miss Nunez, I submit that talking to will be more effective than staring at." Strickler said, giving Jim the last of his book. Jim and the others then went to gym class. After they changed into their gym clothes, Noah was watching Toby and Seth get yelled at by the gym teacher, Coach Lawrence, who was wearing classic coach clothes, because they couldn't climb the rope, Toby more than Seth. During this time, Jim saw Claire seated with all of her friends. Jim took this chance, walked up to them and talked to Claire. "Buenas noches."

"You speak Spanish?" Claire said, but truth be told. Jim didn't know Spanish real well. One of the girls then said to Claire. "Come on, Claire." The girls started to walk away. Claire did get up, but she said to Jim. "Do you like Shakespeare?"

"What?"

"Do you like Shakespeare?"

"Shakespeare?"

"The school play. We're having trouble getting boys to audition." Claire said, giving Jim a poster of Romeo and Juliet. After gym class they put on their normal clothes, Seth took the flier from Jim and said. "I'm glad you talked to Claire. Oh… And thank you for the filer. I want to try out for the play."

"Please don't." Noah said, taking the flier from him and throwing it into the trash. Noah then said to Jim. "Are you really going to try out for a play just to impress a girl?"

"No. I'm not an actor." Jim said as she shut his gym locker. As Toby was having a hard time putting on his socks on his feet, he said to Jim. "Come on. You're always saying how you want your life to be more exciting. Right?"

"I don't think Romeo and Juliet is exactly the answer, Tobes. I don't mean just, you know, exciting. I mean… more. I just need to know there's something more to life than high school." Jim said as Noah and Seth helped Toby up. Jim watched them and took out the amulet. That is when Jim noticed something running past him. Jim started to look around. He didn't see anyone and left with the others. But someone was watching him. At the end of school, they were all going home and Toby was telling them about his braces. They also saw the school bully Steve, a guy with blonde hair, a blue t-shirt and blue jeans, stuffing the school's one and only geek Eli, who looked like a geek, into a locker. Jim and Noah stopped. Toby said as he and Seth looked away. "Okay. Nothing to see here."

"We can't let him do that." Jim said, and then Seth got in front of them and said. "Oh, yes, we can."

"No we can't." Noah said as he pushed Seth away. As Jim and Noah walked over to Steve, they heard him say to Eli. "Tell me again, dweeb-face. Tell me about the creatures and maybe I'll let you out!"

"Or you can let him out right now. I mean, you know, it would be nice." Jim said and that caused Steve and his friends to turn at Jim and Noah. Steve then said to Jim. "Nice would be you minding your own business. So, where were we? Um… Oh, yeah, okay. You were telling me about the monsters you saw this morning, with fangs and… What was it, again?"

"Stone for skin! In the canal!" Eli said and that caused Noah to think about the pile of rocks that the amulet was in when they found it in the canal. Steve just laughed and said. "Stone for skin? Eli, you've got some imagination."

"Look, Steve, seriously, just let him out." Jim said and Steve grabbed him by the shirt. Steve then said to Jim. "Or you'll do what?"

"Okay, do it. Punch me."

"You… You're asking for a beating?"

"Yeah. Just go crazy. In 20 years, you're gonna be fat and bald and you'll be working in a muffler shop, and Eli will have a career in software and he'll be a billionaire." Jim said and as Noah got Jim away from Steve, Toby and Seth started to chant "Let him out!" over and over again. The kids around them joined in. That caused Coach Lawrence to step outside and say to Steve. "Palchuk, what's going on here?"

"Uh, nothing, sir."

"Why aren't you at practice?"

"I was helping Eli, here. He was stuck." Steve then whispered in Jim's ear. "Very very soon. You and me." Steve then walked away and did a tick-tock motion with his finger. After Noah helped Eli out of the locker, they all went home. On the way home, Toby said to Jim. "That was awesome, man. Did you see how Seth and I did that chart?"

"Yes, but that might have totally doomed Jim." Noah said, skating past Toby. Seth then skated to Jim and said. "Yeah. I'm sorry to say, but if you want to survive that fight. You need to be trained in some form of combat. And if the worst comes to pass, your doctor mom can fix you up." At that moment, Jim's mom leaves for work. She stopped by them and said. "Hey, boys."

"Hey, Mom." Jim said before Toby completed her. "Looking sharp, Dr. Lake."

"Thank you, Toby. So are you."

"Oh! Does it show?"

"You're going to be out all night again?" Noah said as they all joined together. Barbara signed and said. "Yes. Dr. Gillberg is out with bursitis, and Dr. Lenz has a wedding out of town this weekend." Jim then said to his Mom. "Okay, well, don't forget to bring your–"

"Dinner. Thank you."

"Right. And try to find an oven to reheat it in instead of nuking. It takes all of the flavor and nutrients away."

"Jim, there must be a million things you'd rather be doing than looking after me."

"Can't think of one."

"Love you, honey." Barbara said before she started to drive off. Jim said goodbye and Noah said to Jim. "You know with you two, I can't tell who's the child and who is the mother?"

"Whatever." Jim said as he went home and gave Toby a goodbye too. At the house Seth took the amulet and went to their room. "Now what are you?" Seth then touched the crystal and then heard what was a hundred voices all screaming at once. "WE ARE DAYLIGHT!"

"Ahhh!" Seth screamed and dropped the amulet. Noah ran to the room and found Seth covering his ears and the amulet on the floor. "Hey, Seth?! Seth, are you ok?" Noah said, rushing over to Seth. Seth nodded his head and said. "I'm fine. That crystal was just a hundred voices at once." They then heard Jim screaming and Noah said. "Stay here. I'll go check on him."

"Ok." Seth said as Noah ran to the basement. After Seth screamed and Noah went to check on him. Jim heard something coming from the basement. Jim thought it was Raccoons, so he grabbed a broom and went into the basement. He looked around, but didn't see the monster with stone skin, six eyes and four arms. "Master Jim!" The monster said in a friendly voice. Jim turned around and caused the scream Noah heard. Noah then ran to the basement and said. "Jim what's the…?" Noah then saw the first monster and a second one, the other one was big and had green fur. Noah then said, looking at all of them and reaching the bottom of the stairs. "What the heck!? Jim got behind me!"

"Ok!" Jim said as he ran behind Noah. Noah then said to them as he picked up the broom. "Alright. Who are you two and why are you here?"

"I am known as Blinky. And this is my good friend Aaarrrgghh." The one with six eyes said. Noah then said to Blinky. "His name is someone screaming?"

"Yes. Say hi Aaarrrgghh."

"Hi." Aaarrrgghh said and then Noah said. "Ok, now why are you here?"

"For Master Jim." Blinky said and Jim held onto Noah tight. Noah pointed the broom at Blinky and said. "You are not going to take him."

"We are not here to take him, we are here to train him?"

"Train him?"

"You see, Master Jim has been chosen. The Amulet of Daylight challenges you to ascend to the most sacred of offices." Blinky said before Aaarrrgghh said. "Orifices? What's orifices?"

"Offices. It means responsibility."

"And what is he responsible for?" Noah said before Blinky said. "Unbeknownst to your kind, there is a secret world, a vast civilization of trolls lurking beneath your very feet, hidden from view."

"So you guys are trolls?"

"Yes and it is Master Jim charge to protect them. Because he is the Trollhunter. This honor is yours to accept. So, what do you say?" Blinky said and Jim fainted. Noah caught Jim and said. "He needs time to think about this. Just go home for now and you can explain more about the Trollhunter then."

"Very well." Blinky said as Noah dragged Jim up the stairs. The next day, Jim woke up in his bed. He went downstairs and said to Noah and Seth, who were eating breakfast. "Guys. You won't believe the crazy dream I had last night."

"That you found an amulet, met two trolls, and that told you are a superhero now?" Seth said before Jim said. "Yeah. How do you know?"

"Because it wasn't a dream." Noah said as he showed Jim the amulet. Jim then froze and Noah said. "What's wrong?"

"I think he is freaking out inside?" Seth said as Jim grabbed his phone and called Toby. Toby answered and said. "Hey, Jim."

"Tobes, it's me! You're never going to believe what happened last night!"

"Yeah, I'm kind in the middle of something, Jimbo." Toby said as he was in a dentist chair getting his teeth working on. Jim didn't care and kept on talking. "I am freaking out here! Seriously freaking. I need to talk to somebody."

"Chillax. What's going on?"

"Okay, last night, I heard something in my basement. I thought it was raccoons, but then—"

"Yeah, hang on a second?" Toby said before the dentist started to drill into Toby's teeth. Toby then said to Jim. "Sorry, Jim. I'll have to call you back." Toby then ended the call and Noah said to Jim. "Now who are you going to talk to?"

"Strickler!" Jim said as he took the amulet and put it into his backpack. Seth then said to Jim. "Isn't it Saturday? School should be closed."

"Yes, but he might be there." Jim said as he went to school. Lucky for him, Strickler was in his office today, doing work and listening to music. Jim opened the door and Strickler saw him and said. "Ah, hello, Jim. What can I do for you?"

"Um, do you have a minute?"

"Are you alright? You look peaked. Here, sit." Strickler said as he turned off the music and Jim took a seat. Jim then said to Strickler. "Okay. I don't really know how to say this, but last night something incredible happened. Actually, unbelievable. Completely unbelievable. As in, you won't believe me, but I'm telling you it's true. I promise you it's true."

"All right. Just calm down, I'll believe you."

"Uh, okay. Last night, two, um, things showed up at my house."

"Things?"

"You know, things. Guys. But really weird. One had these eyes, and the other one was huge and hairy. And they said that they were tro…"

"Tro…"

"Tr… trainers! Trainers, who want to train me in…" Jim then looked around and found Strickler chess board. "Chess."

"And why would that have you so perturbed?" Strickler said as Jim moved to the chess board. Jim then said to him. "They really weirded me out." Outside Jim saw Steve kicking a soccer ball at another kid. Steve saw Jim and did the tick-tock motion again. Strickler got up and said. "Now, I think I know what has you so distraught, Jim."

"You do?"

"It's like I told you yesterday, you have a lot on your shoulders. Too much, in my opinion, for someone your age. And I think this opportunity…"

"Chess?"

"...I think it's causing you anxiety. I know you want to be there for your mother and the Himitsu brothers, but it's as a great poet once wrote, "Do what's good for you, or you're not good for anybody."

"Thanks for the advice. I like talking to you."

"Always." Strickler said as Jim left. That's when Strickler saw the amulet and was very very surprised to see it. At home and as day turned into night, Noah and Seth were helping Jim get lunch ready for tomorrow when the amulet started to glow in his backpack. Jim took the amulet and went outside. Noah and Seth followed him and Noah said. "Jim? What's the matter?"

"I don't know, but I feel like I need to be outside." Jim said as the ring around the amulet started to glow. And it had words on it. Seth then said to Jim as they all saw the glowing words. "What does it say?"

"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command." Jim said and a powerful wind started to form around Jim. All of them then saw a little light's exit the amulet and enter Jim. Then giant pieces of armor started to appear, lifting Jim into the air. The armor then fitted onto Jim and put him down. The armor was too big for Jim, so it shrunk to fit him just right. All of them were freaking out and then the same sword Kanjigar had appeared in Jim's left hand and shrunk too. Noah and Seth went back into the house as Jim swung it around and put it into a few of the rocks behind his house. As they were watching him, Noah said to Seth. "Could this be what you heard?"

"Maybe, if only we can talk to someone that knows what it is?"

"Who in Arcadia knows about this thing?" Noah said not knowing a human was looking at the remains of Kanjigar. That human was Strickler, who found the part of the armor that held the amulet. "It's been taken. You failed. You let it go. Your father will be displeased." Strickler said to Bular and Bular said to Stricker. "Whoever holds the Amulet of Merlin, I shall destroy him, just as I have done with every single one of them."

"Worry not, you brute. I know where to find it. I believe the amulet has found its champion." Strickler said as his eyes turned bright yellow and Jim didn't know that his life was never going to be the same again.