Chapter 11: Ready One & Draal
[This chapter contains scenes from Episode 6: Win, Lose, or Draal from Trollhunters]
"It seems like things went well last night."
"Yeah, about as well as they could."
"It was rather difficult to appease the goblin's ire with Nomura, as well as Bular's frustrations, but she is safe. For now." Strickler clicked the cap of his pen again. "So why, Young Atlas, do you seem so distressed?"
Jim was pacing back and forth in front of Strickler's desk, tapping Merlin's amulet against his leg. "It's getting too hard. I don't know if I can keep this up much longer."
"Keep what up, specifically?"
"Lying to Tobes and everyone else." Jim sighed as he sat down by the piano, slamming down on some keys and causing a dischord or ringing notes. "It feels like I'm just dragging them along without really letting them know anything."
"Jim, we've been over this. We need to ensure events transpire as they did originally." Strickler insisted. "If we reveal what we know, it could change everything. We would no longer be in control of the chaos."
"I know that. I know." Jim tapped the amulet against Strickler's desk. "I just wish it was easier. I wish I could have just used the Time Stone on everyone. It would have been so much easier."
"Jim, nothing you've had to do has ever been easy. But you always rise to the occasion. Have faith in yourself. You're doing well." Strickler encouraged him, bringing a modicum of comfort, but Jim was still stressed. "What are you doing next? And what did you do originally?"
Taking his mind off his worries, Jim pulled out his notebook and looked over everything. "Blinky is already talking to Vendel about the Bridge and the Changelings. It's going to take some convincing though. I've also got my rematch with Draal."
Jim grimaced as he remembered how rough that fight was originally, and how stressed he had been. He legitimately thought he was going to die. He even went so far as to write letters to everyone important in his life. While he didn't have the same fear this time around, he still had a lot he wanted to say to them all.
"Alright. We can keep moving forward step by step. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the future certainly won't be built any faster." Strickler smiled softly. "Ah, is your fight with Draal the reason you missed my lecture on Hector and Troy?"
"Maybe?" Jim was surprised as Strickler suddenly started teasing him, a wily grin across his face.
"Well, I'll still be assigning the homework, so make sure you get it done, Young Atlas."
"I'm trying to save the world here and you're still giving me homework?" Jim stared at the Changeling incredulously.
"A sharp mind makes for a sharper sword. Besides, I can't show any favoritism now, can I."
Sitting down at home after spending a long time preparing all the food he could, Jim watched as his mother applauded his cooking, cleaning up every last bit of her favorite meals with a happy smile on her face. Even though he knew he wasn't going to die, he still wanted to do something for his mom. Everything was so hectic, even just a calm moment like this was enough to help him settle.
"Oh! That was delicious. I don't know what I'd do without you, kiddo. I'd be ten pounds lighter, but…" Barbara trailed off as she laughed, cleaning up her plate.
"Well, you deserve it." Jim replied, cleaning up after the feast.
"Shrimp cakes? Gosh. I haven't had those since–" Barbara trailed off, growing silent as Jim felt an old pain resurface in his chest, one he hadn't thought about in a very long time.
"Since dad made them for us…" Jim bit his lip and walked back over to the table and picked up several more of the empty dishes.
Barbara chuckled sadly, her face falling. "I didn't think you were old enough to remember."
"I remember enough." Jim replied, feeling another pang of emotion in his chest as the mood dipped. "Mostly, I remember how much he hurt you when he left. How he hurt you with lies and secrets."
"Jim, where is this coming from?"
It took all his willpower to not start telling his mother everything, but Jim managed to hold it in. "No matter what happens, I never want to hurt you like that. There's a lot going on in my life right now that I can't tell you yet, but I promise, I won't hide it from you forever. You're an amazing person and I just want you to know I'll always love you."
Barbara was silent as Jim took her hands, holding her firmly. Her expression was neutral as she looked him in the eye. Examining him only the way a mother and a doctor could. Jim could see the questions swimming just beneath the surface of her gaze, but she didn't say them aloud. Instead, she just gently placed a hand on his cheek, caressing his face.
"Jim, I'll always be here for you." She reassured him, smiling as she laughed a little. "I expected you to keep secrets and everything once you were a teenager, but I'm glad you still talk to me like this. I promise too. I'll be here to listen when you're ready."
Jim smiled as he hugged his mother tightly. The two of them continued to chat as they finished cleaning up dinner and Jim headed up to his room to get some rest. Bit by bit, things were moving forward.
The roar of the crowd echoed throughout the Hero's Forge, the intensity building to a fever pitch as everyone gathered to witness the battle. Hundreds of trolls filled the stands and they all roared even louder as Vendel addressed them.
"Gathered trollkind! The Trollhunter has laid a challenge before the son of his predecessor, and you shall bear witness to the ensuing battle, which will be one for the ages." The old, pale troll's voice boomed across the forge, his words only stirring up the crowd further.
Jim watched on with Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH at his side, waiting in the tunnel leading to the empty arena. He was still nervous, a healthy fear coursing through his body, but he had the confidence to win this fight.
"Hey, Jimbo, you sure you're gonna be alright?" Toby looked up at him, hiding his nervousness only just barely. "We're here for you man, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Thanks, Tobes." Jim smiled. "I'm lucky you're my best friend."
The chubby boy looked shocked at first, but then his eyes went wide as he smiled and hugged Jim as tight as he could.
"Man! You can't just drop a bomb like that before a deathmatch!"
"Don't worry, Tobes. It won't be a deathmatch." Jim laughed, pulling his friend off him. "Not if I can help it."
"Master Jim, it's time to put everything I've ever said to you to practice." Blinky cleared his throat, still nervously glancing out towards the arena. "Just know this, I am proud to be your trainer. You have already proven yourself a veritable and capable Trollhunter."
"Go get him." AAARRRGGHH pumped his fist in a very Toby-like manner as Jim received their encouragement wholeheartedly.
"Draal, son of Kanjigar, son of Tarigar, Draal 'the Deadly', come forth!" Vendel called out across the arena, his voice booming as it was accompanied by the rumbling sounds of Draal rolling into the forge, slamming his fists into the ground as he leapt into the air and postured for the cheering troll audience.
"And now, Draal's combatant, James Lake Jr., son of… Ba-bu-rah." Vendel struggled with his mom's name but quickly cleared his throat and continued. "Come forth, human Trollhunter."
Taking a deep breath, Jim walked forward into the arena. His presence was immediately met with boos and harsh sounds, but he ignored them. He knew he wouldn't be able to win over the entirety of Trollmarket easily. Hundreds of years of isolation and tradition were broken when the amulet chose him, but it still chose him for a reason. One way or another, he would win their trust. But first, he needed to teach Draal a lesson.
The spiked blue troll slammed his fists against the ground, roaring savagely. "I applaud you for showing up, fleshbag. I look forward to your pain, and I'll drink to your death. By Kanjigar's honor, I will take back what's rightfully mine."
"And I'll show you why the amulet chose me." Jim stared Draal down with confidence, holding out Merlin's amulet as silvery-blue light spun around his body and the Trollhunter armor donned itself onto him.
The blade of Daylight appeared in his hands in a flash and he brandished it expertly, blue-white flames trailing the broad sword before he leveled it at his opponent.
The cheers of the crowd grew as the two combatants faced off, standing at the ready. Their cries and roars only became louder as Vendel shouted out above them once more.
"Begin!"
The forge shuddered beneath Jim's feet as it whirred to life, shifting and changing as a massive central mechanism began to rise into the air. Gears spun beneath them and several other platforms moved into position before momentarily settling. However, the platforms were the only thing that settled as the crowd cheered and Draal let out a fearsome roar and charged Jim.
Leaping across the arena, Draal slammed his fists into the ground, missing Jim as the boy expertly dodged him. However, his assault had only begun. Rolling up, he darted around the raised platform, picking up speed before leaping into the air and charging at Jim.
The Trollhunter leapt to the side once more, avoiding the strike as he jumped down the side of the platform, landing on one of the lower ledges as he baited Draal to come after him. It worked, and the blue troll quickly swung over the edge, barreling into Jim as he wasn't able to avoid him quite in time. Jim's armor flashed with blue smoke and light, absorbing some of the impact, but it still shook him to his bones as he avoided Draal's next strike and made some distance.
He used his sword to keep the massive blue troll at bay, but it didn't work so well as the platform beneath their feet started to rotate, robbing them of their footholds and sending them tumbling towards the grinding mass of gears below. Fortunately, Jim managed to kick off at the last moment, propelling himself forward as he hit the ground and immediately rolled, getting to his feet once more as his eyes searched for Draal.
It was almost too late as the spiky blue troll dove in from overhead, having clung to the wall with his massive strength. He plummeted to the ground like a meteor and surely would have flattened Jim if he hadn't stepped back. However, Draal was still able to swing in with a backhand, landing another blow that sent Jim skidding back, armor flashing with magical light as it defended him the best it could.
Snarling again, Draal rolled up into a ball, speeding around the arena once more, trying to sideswipe Jim as he barreled forward. He drew close but, before he could strike, Jim threw his blade, the silvery sword embedding itself in the ground right in front of Draal's head as he skidded to a stop, a look of surprise on his stony face.
Surprise quickly turned to anger though as he swatted the sword away and charged Jim. The Trollhunter was quick to recall his blade to his hand, meeting Draal in close-quarters combat as the two of them exchanged blows, Daylight glancing off the troll's stony skin as the two of them fought on equal terms, much to the crowd's surprise.
The platforms around the center of the forge began moving again and Jim managed to break away from Draal, using the opportunity to make it to higher ground. It wasn't easy though as the troll almost immediately pursued him, snapping at his heels with massive stony fists until the two of them once again reached the raised central platform over the mass of gears below. By the time both of them leapt onto the platform, it had begun descending once more, returning the forge to a simple, flat arena.
A moment of calm followed the intense battle, the grinding gears and frantic audience fading away as Jim faced off against Draal on even ground.
"You cannot be the Trollhunter! You're a boy! I am the son of Kanjigar!" Draal snarled, looking furious as he slammed his fists into the ground and snorted.
"And I am Jim, son of Barbara. And you may not know it yet, but we're gonna be good friends, Draal." Jim smiled confidently as the troll roared and charged him.
The two warriors charged each other and Jim lowered Daylight at the last second. Instead, he leaned his head in, feeling Merlin's amulet flare with magic as a helmet encased his face and he headbutted Draal.
The impact was immense, sending the heavy troll flying, spinning through the air as he tumbled across the ground and slid towards the sheer edge of the arena. The strike was rough on Jim too, but the armor had protected him.
The crowd gasped in shock, watching Draal be bested. Jim had to shake some sense back into himself before he started walking over to the edge of the arena. He had to make sure he didn't break out into a full sprint but, when he arrived, he saw Draal, hanging on by his fingers above the cavernous, glowing pit. He wasn't able to pull himself up, and the blue troll looked up in shock as the helmet disappeared, revealing Jim's face.
The crowd started chanting to finish the fight and the intensity of their cries shook the arena, but Jim ignored them, ramming his sword into the ground and offering a hand to the defeated warrior.
"The fight is to the death." Draal spoke through clenched teeth.
"House rules, not mine." Jim rebutted, keeping his hand extended as he couldn't help but smile down at the troll. "Come on, man. Don't make it weird."
Reaching up, Draal took Jim's hand as the boy pulled, the armor giving him strength as he used the sword in the ground as leverage to hoist his opponent back up onto the arena floor. However, even before Draal was up, the audience was booing and jeering, mocking the fallen warrior being shown mercy.
"You should have killed me." Draal spat, his face distorted in shame.
"Not a chance. I'm not losing any of my friends this time around." Jim shook his head before marching towards the center of the forge and looking up at the booing crowd. "Look, I may not have followed your rules, but neither did the amulet when it chose me."
The boos continued as Jim addressed the audience, but he wouldn't back down. He hadn't the first time, and this time was all the more important.
"Right now, over our heads, Changelings are in Arcadia." Jim's sudden revelation immediately shushed the crowd and he looked at Vendel knowingly. "You need a Trollhunter who doesn't have to live in the shadows. This is a time to work together. They're building the Killahead Bridge. They plan to release Gunmar from the Darklands, and they plan to take over Trollmarket."
Panic set in throughout the forge, but Jim wasn't about to leave it there. He heard Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH approaching the center of the arena as well, standing by his side.
"I may not be a troll, but I swear to you, I will be your Trollhunter. I will fight for you, but I can't do it alone." He looked over at Draal, then up to Vendel who wore a sour expression. "We need to work together. If we do, we can defeat Bular. We can defeat Gunmar. Then you won't need to hide any longer."
The crowd was stunned and silent, but Jim had said his piece. Turning around, he gave Toby a wink and a thumbs up before they walked out of the Hero's Forge, victorious and hopeful.
Making his way back home from Trollmarket, Jim parked his bike outside the front door, still feeling rather sore and tired from his fight with Draal. He had the skills and experience from his years as Trollhunter under his belt but, unfortunately, the muscle didn't come with him when he used the Time Stone. He would have to build that from scratch, just like his relationships with his friends.
As Jim closed the door behind him, he found the house strangely quiet. Something in the back of his mind alerted him to danger and his hand immediately darted to Merlin's amulet, holding it at the ready within his pocket.
"Mom? You there?" Jim called out cautiously, making his way over to the kitchen as he caught a glimpse of a shadow. As he approached, the memories of that night flashed in his mind and Jim immediately donned the armor as a blade came flying out of the shadows and glanced off his chestplate.
An angry snarl accompanied a pair of piercing green eyes as Nomura emerged from the darkness, her stone magenta skin shimmering in the faint light of the kitchen as her lanky troll form hunched over.
"Quick, aren't you, Trollhunter." Nomura grinned with wicked sharp teeth, several more of the kitchen knives clutched between her fingers.
"Where's my mother?" Jim demanded, summoning Daylight to his hand as he brandished the silvery blade.
"She's asleep. Can't have her remembering me when she wakes up and finds your body." Nomura goaded him, but Jim could see his mom slouched over the kitchen table, seemingly asleep. "I'm intrigued though, how do you seem to know about our plans to release Gunmar before you even saw the bridge? If you answer, I might be merciful and leave your body in one piece."
"I'll say it again, Gunmar doesn't care about Changelings." Jim stated defiantly in an attempt to sway her. "You don't have to devote your lives to him. He's just going to throw you away in the end."
Nomura's mocking grin quickly disappears as Jim repeated himself. It was hard to read the Changeling's expression but it almost seemed like she knew what he was saying was true. However, as she raised the knives in her hands, Jim knew he hadn't been able to hammer his point home.
"I'm going to kill you, and rip that amulet from your cold body. Then, Gunmar will be free to do with your world as he pleases, and I'll be right there with him." Nomura snarled as she hurled the remaining knives at Jim, forcing him to dodge out of the way and take cover in the living room.
The Changeling was quick to pursue though, drawing her khopesh and shrieking as she swung her burning red blades at him. The two of them clashed, sparks flying as their swords met. Jim did his best to keep up, familiar with Nomura's fighting style, but it was still difficult as he lacked the muscle and stamina.
Nomura knocked his broad sword to the side, causing Jim to stumble and leave himself open. Capitalizing on this, the Changeling raised her other weapon, ready to bring it down on Jim's head. However, before she could cut him, a flash of blue magic illuminated the room as the Trollhunter helmet suddenly appeared, shielding Jim and throwing Nomura back in an explosion of force.
Crashing against the back door, Nomura struggled to her feet, lanky arms reaching out and grabbing her khopesh once more as she glared at a fully-armored Jim with angry green eyes.
Jim also forced himself to his feet, struggling in turn. Though the helmet had protected him, his stamina was waning and he couldn't keep up with the Changeling's speed. She had always been a more skilled warrior than him, it's why her training had been so intensive and meaningful.
Seeing Jim stagger, a smirk came to Nomura's lips as she started whistling her signature tune. Slowly, she rose up to her full height, long black hair falling down her back as her demonic-looking form was half shrouded in shadows. The haunting tune of In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt echoing throughout the house.
Clutching Daylight, Jim stood defiantly once more, but his mind was racing for ways to get Nomura to leave without having to kill her. He was at his wit's end before he heard a violent shout as the back door slammed open and a massive, blue hand reached out, grabbing Nomura by the neck and dragging her into the backyard.
Jim was shocked for a moment before he remembered Draal coming to his rescue. Rushing out the open back door he watched at the troll and Changeling fought, exchanging furious blows and battling like only the titanic stone-skinned race could.
Nomura weaved past a punch from Draal, leaping up onto the roof before diving at him, blades carving through the air. However, she was stopped by Draal's thick stone hide, catching the blades and tossing her to the side.
As she landed, Nomura noticed Jim in the doorway, turning her attention back to him as she lunged with her khopesh. Draal was faster though, rolling up into a spiked ball and cutting her off, sending her stumbling across the dimly lit backyard.
Snarling and baring her fangs, Nomura pointed a blade at the blue troll. "What are you doing here?"
"Delivering you pain again, Nomura. Do not touch the Trollhunter." Draal snorted, pounding his fists together as he faced off against the Changeling.
"Suddenly you're honorable?" Nomura scoffed, raising the tip of her blade against her chin as a mocking sneer curled her lips. "Sorry to hear about daddy. Bular always liked the way he screamed."
Draal roared savagely before rushing forward once more, swinging at Nomura as he raged. The Changeling clashed against him with her blades, but Draal was quick to catch the khopesh with his horns, forcing Nomura back towards the fence line before she could free one of her weapons and strike his arm, causing him to cry out in pain.
Nomura was ready to go on the offensive once more, raising her blades to strike the temporarily distracted troll. However, before she could, Jim was already there, parrying her attack and causing her to reel back in surprise. It was just enough time for Draal to recover, turning his burning green eyes on Nomura as he grabbed her legs.
Roaring, Draal swung the Changeling around like a sack of potatoes, slamming her into the ground several times before heaving and launching her skywards. Nomura's screams quickly faded away, as did her figure, as Draal probably threw her halfway across Arcadia with that one move.
The blue troll huffed, catching his breath before snarling and spitting into the dirt. "Impure."
"You okay there, Draal?" Jim glanced at the troll, seeing the injury on his forearm which the warrior quickly covered up.
"You were right." He changed the topic, nodding off in the direction he just launched Nomura. "Changelings above us."
"So, you came here to protect me?" Jim couldn't help but smile as the massive blue-skinned troll suddenly became sheepish and nodded silently. Letting out a sigh of relief, he let the armor disappear.
Draal's gaze followed the amulet as Jim held it, the Daylight stone within the metal mechanisms glowing dimly. Noticing this, Jim extended the amulet to the warrior troll, allowing him to take it if he wanted.
"... All my life, I've trained to inherit my father's mantle." Draal spoke quietly, his large hand reaching out but pulling back right before touching the amulet. "I thought there could be no better choice than me… It seems I was wrong."
Draal closed Jim's hand around Merlin's amulet with surprising gentleness before looking him in the eye. There, Jim could see the friend he had spent so long with. His sparring partner. The troll who had been like a brother to him. Though it took losing his father, being stripped of his pride, and being forced out of Trollmarket, Draal had become someone irreplaceable to Jim.
"Fleshbag… No, Jim." Draal snorted, struggling to speak as it was clear he was embarrassed to express himself. "You are a worthy Trollhunter. If you'll have me, I would be proud to fight by your side."
Looking back up at the troll warrior, Jim clutched the amulet tight against his chest, unable to hold back his smile. This time, he would make sure Draal would be able to fight by his side and see Gunmar slain. This time, he would make everything right.
"Thanks, Draal."