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Chapter Text

Darkness covered Arcadia, the city fell asleep, but the forest was filled with the sounds of life. Leaves swayed softly in the wind, a hare ran somewhere, and at the edge of the forest there was the sound of a fall. Someone grew heavily, and the forest fell silent.

...

Jim opened his eyes.

Feeling as if he were underwater, he inhaled the clean air with full chest, clearing his lungs of ash. Time travel always felt like a ride on a wheel. His left hand lay on his chest... And collided with metal.

His mind froze. Going over absolutely all the possible events in his head. He slowly raised... a four-fingered hand from the Magictech armor.

He didn't jump up. From the rapid change of position, his head ached violently, but this did not prevent him from seeing the clearing in which he was.

It was far from Jim's room. The trees were all a blur, and the sky was open and dark above. Fireflies were flying around him calmly. It was magical, but the circumstances made it scary.

"This isn't what I expected..." The voice was hoarse, but still recognizable. A hand reached up to his head and tugged on the horn in a familiar horn.

"Damn... this isn't what I expected..." Jim gets up from the ground and wipes the dust off his armor. Looking around again, he realizes that he is near the canals. Images of Troll Market, Stoneheart and its inhabitants flashed through his mind. Lost in his thoughts, he started to move towards the canals, but stopped himself in time.

"I don't think it's a good idea to go there, at least not now." But if he's here... then what-

Everything cuts off. Jim rushes from his place towards the house. If he's here, then what's going on at home?!

He has changed from running to jumping through the trees, and now he sees his house through the grove. A light comes on in the window on the second floor of his room.

He stops. There, in the window, he sees Barbara...

Jim looks out the window, and when the light goes out, he starts moving. When she seems to have left, he comes closer, and then climbs onto the roof. He slowly looks through the window and... and sees his childhood room.

It looks exactly like Jim remembered it.

He has gone back in time... but not 3 years ago. Jim feels himself panicking. He is already turning around to leave, but a knock on the window behind him makes him freeze again and look there.

There, little him, with an ecstatic and slightly frightened look, looks at him. Little Jim waves his hand at him with a smile, and he smiles back uncertainly. The little boy opens the window, which he didn't expect, and says:

"Hello, Mr. Monster! What's your name?" Jim, either embarrassed or afraid of the possible consequences of his actions, simply stars at his little version.

The boy in front of him... Jim recognizes those features.Of cours this child this he from the past! How far did the time stone throw him?! The question pulls him out of his thoughts.

"Mr. Monster?" Little Jim looks more and more uncertain and scared. It seems that Jim is scaring him. The older boy wonders again what he's about to do. Before he can think better of it. Jim slowly crouches down lower to make himself look smaller and says to the little boy:

"Why aren't you sleeping?" His thoughts explode like fireworks. What is he doing?! He should have run away! Jim has learned his lesson, time is no joke!

"So what am I doing!?" The thought is stuck like a record, a flurry of emotions in his head, and the boy in front of him is sulking...

Wait, what?

"I'm old enough to go to bed whenever I want!" Little Jim says smugly, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest.

Jim looks at the child, who looks at him, both are silent. "So who are you?" The boy repeats his previous question.

Oh no.

Jim can't involve his past self in this, especially a child! At least not until he gets the amulet.

"Me... the Dream Guardian?"

...He's in complete sh—

Little Jim blinks and says, "Really?" He seems to believe you. The lie leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

"If only you believe." Jim answers reluctantly, looking anywhere but at the child in front of him.

"Why are you at my window?" The little boy said, tilting his head to the side, and Jim mirrored the gesture.

"That's my window too," Jim thought, but didn't say anything. "I'm making sure you're safe?" Jim said, watching the interest sparkle in the little boy's eyes, but it was interrupted by a yawn.

"Baby, you need to go to bed." He called himself the little boy before? That was... weird. Younger Jim nods absentmindedly, but doesn't go anywhere.

"Are you going to bed, too?" Little Jim was fiddling with the hem of his T-shirt and looking at it. Jim was taken back by the question and nodded hesitantly.

"Then goodnight!" the boy said goodbye, waving his hand.

"Goodnight," Jim replied with a smile, starting to move away from the window. Already at the edge of the roof, he looked at the boy again and left.

...

Chapter Text

Now he is so far from his home, and can he call it his home? He panicked.

God, why did he even go there! Jim is standing near the houses, including his house. He looks at the bridge in front of him, and then at the dead end behind him. Lights are softly flickering everywhere, creating a cozy atmosphere of calm. But it does not help the flow of questions in his head

The black-haired man pulls his horns in despair

"This is wrong.." - Jim thinks, looking at the damp earth under his feet. It seems to have come rain, slowly flowing into a downpour. Hair... wool unpleasantly sticks to the skin, drops rhythmically break away from the aggregate, which reminds of the days when they all got together. For a while, he closes his eyes, imagining himself back in New Jersey at the new troll market with his friends

Who...

He opens his eyes again. No fire in the cave, no laughter. Only the silent rain. Jim stared at the ground again.

"I'm alone..."

For a second, he thought, it was like I was again-

Something passed him. Jim perked up. His posture straightened. His ears perked up. His gaze locked on... a gray hare

They both looked at each other, not knowing what to expect from the other. There was an awkward silence, broken by the occasional chirping of crickets from the forest. Jim exhaled deeply, causing the hare to break out of its trance with the predator and scamper off into the bushes

"I'm letting my guard down." Jim muttered tensely, looking towards the little animal. Something inside seemed to have shrunk. Now, coming out of his thoughts, he heard heavy footsteps that were coming from the side...

...Canals..

Troll Market....

... Bular

Jim rushed from his place. With the sounds came the disgusting smell of corpses and rats. Now, besides him, another troll lives in the groves of Arcadia. A troll with whom it is better not to deal

Thoughts danced from one to another. If he was noticed, he had two problems. One in the form of a skull crusher, the other in the form of armor from the future. He cannot be seen

He cannot fight. From the thought he growled

The worst thing is inaction

A branch broke next to him. His head turns toward the sound—

He is thrown off his intended path. His body crashes into a tree. A beastly roar comes from that direction. Jim growls back, but he does not rush into battle. They must run

He stands up just as quickly and throws himself in the opposite direction from the sound. He has been spotted. It is only a matter of time before it comes.

He will have to run to the cave by the lake. Jim found it as a child with Toby, when they got lost

...Toby

Something flies —

A tree flying toward him quickly brought him back into line. Right. He has other problems. Splashes of water and mud are distracting, but not as thoughts. There is light ahead. The sun is rising, and between the trees a clearing with lakes is visible

—a roar, and heavy footsteps are closer. They are catching up with him

A familiar sharp sound whistled from the left

A shiver ran down his spine

He feels icy metal and wind

Jim jumps into the light. The noise behind him stops the second he looks at it. Skullcrusher is gone, which doesn't make it any easier

Jim may be safe now, but clearly not for long

The sun has peeked out from the horizon. In front of us is a clearing, hidden from people

In this clearing there is a cave carved out of stone, and an equally small lake. The light does not reach the caves, allowing a false sense of security. Thinking about it now, he does not carefully consider whether a troll has worked on this cave. It is too pleasant and relaxing.

Jim looks at his left hand, almost turned into dead stone. He is a little sunburned, but not as critical as death by Bular. The black-haired man sighs heavily and throws his head back, the horns unpleasantly sliding along the stone, making a grinding sound.

It was hard for him to relax for a few more hours, until the sun rose to its zenith. After all, when was the last time he relaxed? Dead stone quickly becomes alive, it was as if there was no pain

...

During all this time that he was here, he managed to make a small stop in the same cave. Maybe he could even build a house? How destructive for time would a small hut in the forest be?

Jim is certainly not a builder and certainly not an architect, but he can build something primitive. He summoned Excalibur in his hand, Jim stands in front of the tree. The half-troll laughed at the irony of the situation. After all, Arthur treated the sword so carefully, and now Jim is going to chop with the sword like an ax.

He only grabbed the handle tighter and swung at the old tree. Somewhere in the forest, a centuries-old oak fell with a loud crack.

....

A couple of trips to the city and to the dump, yourart miracles. He was able to find a large box of nails and a normal axe. After all, Jim still respects the legendary sword. Now the entrance to the cave is blocked by a solid wooden wall with a door on the right side.

"And nothing fell apart!" Jim praises himself in his thoughts. Opening the door, he meets an almost empty cave, if you don't count the box and the axe. He sighs heavily and sits down by the wall, taking a bunch of nails in his hand, throwing them into his mouth. A small snack is guaranteed. He needs protection at home. Jim frowns, looking away from the box to the door. Bular will come back here more than once, that's for sure.

Skullcrusher is not known for his gentle nature. Will he be able to make magical protection like the one in Douxie's shop? "Or was it not a shop?" It seems that with all the supernatural events, Jim completely forgets such ordinary things. In any case, the half-troll needs books on magic. He knows the most basic spells, like tying shoelaces or closing curtains.

Douxie and Claire tried to teach him in the hopes that Jim's hybrid nature will allow him to wield magic, and it paid off! He tolerated the flows of magic well and could do his own magic, but at that time there were too many things to do, and he did not continue learning. Now Jim regrets that he did not take it seriously.

Of course, the half-troll could try his luck by going straight to Douxie at this time, but Jim didn't want to take any chances. Who knew how Merlin's apprentice would react to a half-troll right there in Arcane Books. The black-haired man laughed at the image of a 900 year old teenager with a broom in his hand fighting off a troll who asked if they had books on magic for beginners.

Still..

Thinking about it now... It probably wasn't the best idea to break down the doors of Arcane Books and steal a magic textbook, since right now he had a very angry and tired Merlin apprentice chasing him, shouting obscene things at him. But now he could learn magic.

Right?

Chapter Text

 Jim has always been closer to the life of a thief than he seemed at first glance. Take the incident at the museum, for example. He snorted in displeasure at the memory. If he gets caught a third time, he will blame fate. He sits on the roof, examining the building in front of him. Douxie and Archie have just left and are heading towards the restaurant, so Jim has a good few hours to search.

Without wasting time, the half-troll jumped onto the roof of the library, carefully approaching the windows of the second floor. Surprisingly, the windows there are almost always open. This confused him even in the previous timeline, and when asked why, Douxie always laughed, saying that no sane person would climb into a library, which is better protected than any bunker. Jim is clearly not one of them, because that is exactly what he does.

He carefully pushes the window away from himself and looks around, waiting for the alarm. Of course, nothing happened.

Sometimes it seems to him that the elder one comes up with this so that no one enters the library through the second floor.

The black-haired teenager goes inside, staying on the windowsill just in case, closing the window behind him. He has been in this building five times at most and it has never changed, just like this time. Without light, this place looks much darker than it seems. The only source of light are the windows on the first and second floors, as well as crystals on the tables and shelves. His gaze catches on powerful magical artifacts well hidden under the interior and decorations. Douxie did a good job on the store, that's for sure.

But he is not here for excursions. To the right of him are large shelves with all sorts of books. There are almost no books on the first floor, and if there are, they do not belong to the hidden world, which greatly simplifies Jim's task in finding the textbooks he needs. The half-troll swallows, looking up at the three rows of shelves. What was it that Blinky said? Power is hidden in knowledge?

...

He takes his words back. Jim will soon go crazy from all these letters and symbols. On paper, everything is so simple and clear, but in life it is not so at all. He was able to levitate a small magic crystal, but nothing more! He guessed that everything might not go as smoothly as he wanted, but not that much. Several days have passed since the day he illegally came here, and he has not advanced any further than levitation. Jim is simply stuck on page 42 of the spellbook from Edwin Domblydore. The surname vaguely reminds him of someone, but now is not about that.

Right now, more than anything, he wants to smash this crystal against the wall. He rereads the entire page again, trying to figure out what exactly he is doing wrong.

Concentrate on the object in front of you. (For beginners, it is recommended to take small objects slowly moving on to large ones.) Relax the muscles of the arms and neck, conducting a flow of magic to the hands you will get more concentration on the object. When you feel a slight tingling in your fingers, slowly raise and lower your forearms without moving your hands. Doing this exercise is important to strengthen the flow of magic to your hands, once you can lift 110 pounds without a problem, you can move on to the next topic.

Jim looks up from his book to the small crystal, as if it had personally insulted his entire bloodline on his mother's side. He takes a deep breath to clear his head.

«Get a grip, Jim, you've done this much, you can't be stopped by some levitation spell.» Jim raises his hands again, turning his full attention to the crystal. Taking deep breaths, his eyes close. He feels the soft, magical hum of the stone in front of him. A pleasant tingling runs up his neck to his hands. The tingling reaches his hands and...

Jim involuntarily twitches from the unpleasant sensation on his palms. A soft thud is heard on the floor. He opens his eyes, the blue sparks of light on his fingers are already fading, and the crystal is still lying on the floor.

«You're kidding.» The half-troll growled at his hands. Time is running out and Douxie and Archie should be here soon. He never understood how they didn't notice that some things were lying slightly out of place, but it's better for him. Jim gets up from the floor, puts things back in their places and, as usual, goes out the window. He can always practice in his cave, after all, he's read this paragraph so many times that he knows it by heart.

During this time, his closet has undergone changes (not in terms of architecture, that's for sure). The ugly wooden wall and door are still there, but the inside looks more or less comfortable for living. In the left corner, by the wall, there is a slightly shabby bed. The mattress, blanket and pillow were borrowed from the store's warehouse, Jim is not going to sleep on something from the trash.

Arrgh tried to tame him to troll-sized beds, but Jim did not like how much free space there was, I wonder if he will make himself a bigger bed someday.

A nightstand appeared by the bed, on it an old candlestick, a nearly empty box of nails, and an axe leaning against the wall. A small closet in which nothing is stored, but sooner or later there will be. A tattered, old, but beautiful carpet lies rolled up by the passage, he did not dare to spread it on the floor, it is too dirty, and it is a shame to throw it away.

In principle, there are no more changes. It could be worse! Jim sighs. Who is he trying to fool?

...

Jim took a break from his study of magic for two days. Mainly because of zero progress and to figure out what's going wrong, but it also seems to him that the owners of the library are starting to suspect something. The half-troll noticed that everything was interrupted at the very moment when the magic reached the palms. This had never happened before. When he and Douxie were practicing with the bracelet...

The bracelet. His thoughts stopped at this word. The word echoed in his head until—

"EXACTLY!" Jim suddenly cried out, taking a sitting position. For wizards, the object through which they can conduct their magic is also important! His face relaxes, taking on a thoughtful look.

"Claire could open portals without a staff... Or is it because she is a dark mage? Although Douxie could also do complex spells without a bracelet and without a staff... Shit." He lay down on the bed again, looking at the ceiling. Jim was tired of guessing why the magical flow could not go correctly. Maybe it's because he's tired? He's had so much going on at once and he still hasn't sorted out his thoughts.

Jim has managed to avoid thinking about the past timeline this whole time, but now that luck has run out. He looks at his hands with a face that can only be described as utter devastation. How much longer can he hold out before he breaks? He's been busy doing everything from collecting materials for his house to learning magic the entire time he's been here.

But when he takes a break from everything... what will he do now? He hasn't met his friends from this timeline yet...

He's only seen Douxie and Archie across the street, and the others are either still kids or don't even know he exists, except for his younger self. That thought doesn't calm him down. No one knows him... he's nobody in this time.

Jim is brought out of this state by the amulet that is gently rubbing against his troll hand. He smiles bitterly, picking up the magical object and gently rubbing its edge.

"Okay, I'm not alone here. You're still with me," he says sadly to the amulet, which began to glow with a soft iridescent green and blue color.

....

«Okay, I can do it!» The Amulet of the Common Good blinked brightly twice, supporting the words of its warrior. Two days later, Jim decided to start looking for a solution in "Arcane Books". It turns out that the amulet can be a good animal psychotherapist. He thinks about it for a second. Until that very object hits his cheek, which very effectively brings him back on track.

«Yeah, right, magic.» He says.. To the amulet? Okay, it's embarrassing, communicating with an inanimate object. Before the aforementioned artifact could hit him, Jim switches all his attention to the book in front of him. He more or less figured out the situation with his hands. He assumes that because he first began to learn magic with the help of magical artifacts, he almost completely blocked the flows of magic in his body. Which is not comforting, because they are important for using your own flow and their cessation means a complete absence of magic for at least several years, and at most forever. So Jim got off easy.

The teenager rubs his temple irritably. There is enough information about this in the book, even a lot. It turns out that this is a common mistake for novice magicians, to begin their acquaintance directly with artifacts, and not with books. At an early stage, they can still be restored, but at the last stage the process is already irreversible. Reading more about it, he wonders how they could have forgotten about it during his training in the previous timeline? Was everyone so absent-minded back then that they forgot such an important rule? Jim shakes his head. It's already in the past, what's important is what's happening now.

«And how do I restore them?» The half-troll mutters under his breath, turning the page. It seems to him that his eyes are about to fall out of their sockets. The next two pages describe how and at what stage you need to restore the magic nodes. But there is one but.

«Isn't the text too densely written?» He says incredulously, looking at this madness in the form of a list, bringing the book closer to his face. Toby would go crazy looking at this. Okay, everything is fine, there will be nothing unrealistic there, right?

And surprisingly, everything is quite simple.

There is nothing that he could not do. Basically, it is written about regular massage of the hands and neck, there is even an explanation of how to do it correctly! Then about nutrition and recovery potions. Jim is ready to kiss the author of this book. Slowly, he transferred everything about the first stage of recovery to paper, and after a short search, he also found a recipe for a healing potion, or whatever it is called by magicians.

Satisfied, he went to the warehouses and other utility rooms looking for various furniture and food for himself, today he can breathe out.

Jim cuts around the corner and jumps over the fence. The wind blows in his face, but this does not stop either him or his pursuer. He feels a gust of hot air. He dodges a fiery fireball sent to his head in time.

Who knew that Douxie would be released from work early! He learned his schedule from his first illegal foray into "Arcane Books" and all this was ruined by the fact that he was released early! A volley of magic flew dangerously close to his leg.

Heserdu shouted another curse in some ancient language, preparing another spell. Just beyond the crossroads, Jim sees the construction underbrush, without thinking he jumps on it, clutching two thick books in his hands tighter. The chase has moved to the rooftops. He is getting closer to the canals. Jumping from the last house, he rushes towards the bridge.

Without stopping, he sees a forest. A wall of blue fire flares up in front of him, and a voice is heard from behind.

«Now, slowly turn to me before I send a fireball at you.» The wizard said threateningly, holding his hand over the bracelet. Jim swallows. As he was told, the thief turns around.

[ Douxie]

Douxie does not consider himself a genius, but even for him, attacking a troll in a bookstore without asking was stupid. Even if the troll was essentially illegally entering private property.

Now it was of no use to him, nor to the troll who was still holding two thick books. The troll in front of him laughed awkwardly, clutching the stolen goods to himself. The wizard was finally able to see the thief, which was not comforting, because the troll in front of him was clearly no more than a century old, which was very young.

«It seems I did not make the best first impression.» In painfully awkward silence they looked at each other, wondering how the situation would turn out. The silence was broken by the breathless Archibald.

«Duxie...» The dragon lands on the ground next to his familiar, out of breath. «It wasn't rational to run away like that in the middle of a shift and....» He stops and looks at Douxie. «What's the rush?»

«Yeah, that's—» The wizard grumbled, turning to the thief. Heserdu blinked in disbelief, relaxing his arms at his sides. He couldn't believe his eyes. The bridge in front of him was completely empty. The only evidence of the chase was the traces of fire on the asphalt.

«It doesn't seem to matter anymore.»

[…]

Jim leaned against a tree, barely catching his breath. He would remember this theft for a long time. It reminded him of how he and Toby looked for goblin nests. The black-haired boy smiled at the memories. Everything was so easy then.

The next few weeks flew by, healing the magical flows, building a hut where the cave would be an extension of it, and developing a plan. With a heavy heart, he accepted the fact that he couldn't interfere with the timeline much, at least until a new troll hunter showed up. But he didn't rule out making small changes. There were many things that could be avoided, but that was for later. At the moment, he was busy developing a protective spell. Yes, that very one.

In that same mess with Douxie, he was able to find information and even prepared the necessary things to create it. He still doesn't like the thought that he stole and made Douxie look like a fool in front of his familiar, he just hopes that he can return them sometime later. And now about the information.

The most important thing in the spell is the gate and the size of the territory. At first, the idea was for the magic to protect only the house, but he quickly abandoned this idea. In protective magic, the terrain and its exact dimensions are important, and since his house is part of a cave, this will be very difficult. So the choice fell on the entire clearing. It is much more expensive in terms of strength, but it is harder to make a mistake, which suits him perfectly.

Having buried the last crystal in the soil, Jim shakes the dirt off his clothes. He gets up and goes to the gate, mentally preparing for the next one. The gate is a wooden arch with intricate carvings, trolls and magical runes are engraved in beautiful patterns, somewhat reminiscent of inverted paintings. Jim remembers the time when, after meeting Angr Rot, he began studying runes with Toby. Then it did not help much because the runes that the troll used were ancient and belonged to another tribe, the books about which were lost in the war. But at the moment it helped a lot.

He walks around the perimeter of the clearing once more, checking that all the crystals are buried at the right level and that all the runes are cut correctly, delaying the moment as much as he can. Having made sure for the fifth time, he finally decides to begin. Standing in front of the arch, Jim stretches out his arms, looking into the passage below it.

A deep breath ...

He begins to speak hesitantly. Goosebumps run down his spine, and blue sparks appear on his fingertips. As he continues, the light becomes brighter, and the clearing behind the arch begins to distort as if from hot air.

Along with the visible effects comes fatigue, but he does not dare to stop, knowing that he will hardly be able to repeat it again so soon.

It begins to darken before his eyes. Jim feels like a taut spring, it is becoming more and more difficult to pull.

The clearing practically disappears behind the arch, but this is not enough. His hands begin to shake. His eyes hurt from close attention. And fatigue quickly takes over.

He can't hear his own words anymore, but he still understands the meaning. The spell is ending.

With a bright flash, the clearing completely disappears, leaving behind only an arch beyond which nothing can be seen—

...and a pleasant tiredness rolls over his eyes. Finally, he can close them. He falls on his back right in the mud. He will have to wash these things later. A light laugh escapes his mouth. Jim takes a few minutes to calm down and gather his courage.

Chapter Text

It's already evening, which means it's almost time to start working. Jim grabs the axe, throws it over his shoulder, and heads for the arch, looking around the clearing along the way. The construction is in full swing, he would continue working, but the tree doesn't last forever.

He passes under the arch, feeling how a soft magical field passes over him, recognizing the owner of the territory. Jim sighs relaxedly. He likes this feeling

The half-troll turned around to see nothing but a copse with a lonely arch, and goes deeper into the forest.

"I still can't believe it works as it should." He grips the axe tighter, involuntarily recalling Murphy's Law. Jim continues his way deeper into the forest, no longer looking back. He never liked the idea of going deeper into the forest, because the meeting with Bular is not great. But there is no other way. If he starts cutting down trees too close to the cave, it might attract unwanted attention from both humans and changelings. Which he doesn't like either.

A pleasant cold embraces him, and the wind plays with his fur. The puppy basks in the rays of the setting sun, soaking up the calm. He always tries to walk different paths in different directions, but sometimes it's nice to be in familiar places. For example, right now Jim is near the residential buildings next to the canals. Pleasant memories flashed in his mind

«I shouldn't be here,» the half-troll thought, frowning with displeasure. He simply walks silently back into the forest. Jim is not ready to meet Toby. Even if he is a child now and knows his younger self. His left hand reaches for the other, feeling the place of a small scar. He doesn't remember when, but he knows how he got it

He had just met his best friend then

His eyes were wet, he quickly wiped them away so as not to relax outside his home. The first time was enough for him to understand that almost everywhere is unsafe.

The forest was quiet, calm, pleasant. It had always attracted him with this. The city was noisy and dirty, even if the streets always looked freshly cleaned. After his transformation into a half-troll, Jim embraced all the beauty of the forest. Those sounds and smells, those feelings and emotions that people could not comprehend. He felt nervous when he realized that he never wanted to be fully human again. It felt like a betrayal, but also like freedom.

Finally, he reached the part of Arcadia where no human foot has set foot. He immediately noticed that there was no smell of either a troll or a goblin here, which was a good sign. He throws the axe back, making a precise blow to the wood. It's relaxing. One tree followed another, and before he knew it, he had cut down 10 oaks

«A bit much, but it will do.» Jim muttered under his breath, scratching the back of his head. He started talking to himself again. And so he carried the first tree to his territory.

In fact, he talks a lot to himself or to the amulet. There was a time when he told the amulet about his day. It seems unhealthy, but Jim likes to think that the amulet is interested. After all, this artifact has at least some intelligence, as he has been shown in the past. It reminds him more of a dog than a powerful magical artifact, in which great magical power is hidden.

«Speaking of the amulet?» Jim asked himself, dragging the last tree behind him. He reached into his pocket with his free hand, but it was empty. The black-haired man stopped, but continued walking again. He had completely forgotten that he had left it at home. Jim had almost lost it on his last trip to get the tree, which was why he had made this decision. Of course, he had lost the amulet before, but after the same amulet had mercilessly flown into him at 10 km/s, he did not want to repeat that experience.

Jim rubbed his left shoulder, if not for his stone skin, there would have been a strong bruise there. He passed a familiar tree with a signpost leading to the city, something was drawn on it. Jim frowned, coming closer to examine it. The drawing turned out to be a mark in a language he did not understand. The half-troll began to pay more attention to the surroundings. There were few of them, but such signs were drawn in stone or on a tree. A trap?

«I doubt it. They're in too obvious a place.» Jim muttered tensely to himself. He tightened his grip on the log, ready to use it as a distraction to use his weapon.

The black-haired man's ears perked up, looking into the deep shadows of the forest, expecting an attack that hadn't yet come. Jim moved forward slowly, wanting to continue his journey, but in a less easy environment.

The closer he gets to his territory, the more signs there are, but that only increases the tension. He doesn't look back when he feels eyes on him. He walks purposefully toward the arch in the empty clearing. His muscles are tense, but his face is relaxed.

He feels rather than hears a branch snap behind him. Without thinking, Jim throws the tree aside, holding his axe pointed at...

Vendel?

The troll in front of him, his face neutral, raises his eyebrows, showing his interest. Jim said it out loud.

His eyes widened, and his vision blurred slightly from the glare. He was alive. A living ghost stood before him. He had not expected to meet him at all. Not here, not on the surface

(He had an idea that if he delayed going to the market, he could avoid this meeting. Apparently, fate had other ideas.)

«Do I remind you of someone, pup?» The elder said, raising his head to assess the troll in front of him. Jim raised his head in response, but not to assess him as an enemy, trying to imprint the elder in his memory, as if he would disappear at any moment. He looks different. Not much, but still noticeably. The leader of the trolls is dressed in the same pants, but he has a cloak thrown over his shoulders, but in a convenient case it can hide his body, several pockets and a blade in a sheath, securely fastened to his hip. This is surprising. The black-haired boy remembers the question and hesitantly nods, blinking back tears. He is not used to such treatment from Vendel, but this is not his Vendel

«Is your friend really so "Like the elder of the Troll Market?» The elder asks with his usual neutral interest. Jim hesitated. What should he answer? He nodded again, not trusting his voice. «I hope I remind you of a good troll,» the leader said quietly to himself, but he was heard anyway, not knowing what to do with it, Jim decided to ignore him and ask him

«And you..?» Before he can finish, Wendel interrupts him with the words: «If you mean why I'm here, then I'll tell you that even though I'm old and a chief, I can still come to the surface for the reasons I need.» He said meaningfully and rubbed his beard

Jim decided to press: «But you don't usually come to the surface, do you?» It sounded more like a fact than a question, but the meaning is clear.

«And you, then, have been to the Troll Market?» The old man retorted, lowering his head, having finished assessing the puppy in front of him, not showing what decision the puppy had made. The black-haired man got nervous and answered, «So why are you here?» Neither a lie nor the truth. The troll in front of him folded his hands behind his back and hummed thoughtfully.

«There was an unexpectedly strong surge of young magical energy. I decided to personally check what it was.» The troll looked behind the guy's back, Jim already knew what was there and did not turn around. The interlocutor in front of him was not aggressive, but not positive either, this made him nervous. «You made that barrier, right?» The question was emotionless, but there was confidence in his own rightness in it. Jim could never lie to his elder, he could always see through him at the first word. Therefore, the half-troll simply nodded his head, counting on everything—

«You did a good job, this is the first time I've seen such a young troll able to use such a spell, and a troll at that.»

— Except praise. He almost dropped the axe from surprise. Jim managed to catch it, and then in In the uncertain silence he reached his free hand to his neck, his face showing uncertainty. «Really?» the puppy said with hope and disbelief.

Wendel looked at him with an expression that quickly disappeared before he could make it out. «I don't throw words around. Magic is a bit harsh, but for a first time it's great. Isn't it the first time?» The last question, as always, sounded more like a fact. The half-troll answered hoarsely: «Yes...»

He mumbled with interest

He was really interested!

There was genuine interest on his usually impassive face! The elder raised an eyebrow and rubbed his chin with a look that expressed curiosity. Jim shuddered slightly from such emotion. This never boded well, last time Vendel had offered with such a look—

«Would you like to become my apprentice in magic?»

The axe fell from his hands

After a long conversation in the unfinished hut, Jim learned something new about the elder of the Troll Market. For example, that he is an extremely rare troll wizard. Because of magic, good leadership qualities and something else, he was chosen as the leader. But also after the question about Jim's magic, his physiology was revealed.

«So you are a half-troll?» After this phrase, the elder looked at him with his studying gaze. The gaze hid something dark. The hands under the table on his knees twitched imperceptibly. Now he began to notice much more details in the puppy in front of him. The young half-troll moved back and covered his more human hand with a troll hand. Jim's pointed ears dropped down

He lowered his head, looking anywhere but at the interlocutor.«How am I not used to his gaze,» the teenager thought, feeling responsible for all the actions taken earlier that led him to this conversation.

«And those marks?» Jim asked, wanting to change the subject. The troll chuckled, placing his hands on the table, a gesture indicating that he was unarmed. He would not tell anyone this, but he was grateful to Vendel for his concern for him and his friends, and if asked, he would deny his words.

«Those „marks” are mine, I placed them to hide your imprint of magic. You are not very hidden.» The elder one reproached him in a parental tone, tilting his head to the side. The younger troll smiled apologetically, looking up at the chieftain. He looked as usual, but the look in his milky eyes expressed the same concern for the young. Jim always liked this look, it made the troll in front of him alive, a person, and not just a leader capable of leading the people.

«Let's return to the previous topic.» The troll began when he saw that he had attracted attention again. The black-haired teenager, as befits a teenager, snorted in displeasure, rolling his eyes. Vendel continued, ignoring the younger man's obvious reluctance. «Your unusual nature allows you to use magic, and very strong magic. I will not watch such potential go to waste. Trolls who can use magic are few, and I will not sit on the sidelines. Even if you are only half a troll.» As he continued, his shoulders grew tense and his brows began to ache from frowning.

Jim himself did not notice how the man moved closer until he felt a hand on his shoulder. At the last words, he raised his head in surprise, looking at Vendel. Really looking. The old troll with a soft expression on his face looked at the puppy in front of him. His hands were gentle, and his posture inspired confidence. Jim looked away at the hand on his shoulder. The boy moved away from the market elder, feeling the hand reach for him, but stopped.

«Listen, puppy, I do not care who you belong to. "Whether it's a human or a troll, I see a child who's weighed down by something, and that something means more. I want to help. I really want to help. But if you keep rejecting me, it won't get better, not for either of us or anyone else.» Jim feels his eyes begin to water. He wraps his arms around himself, turning his head away, not wanting to show the water on his face. They sit in silence for a long time, soaking up the last words and the atmosphere. Jim's frown fades, as if realizing something, and he looks at Vendel. He still has that soft but sad expression, the one he uses to comfort his family. The older man opens his arms. Jim, without thinking, throws himself into the arms. The dam has broken and is pouring out like hail.

His hands clutch at the older man sides in desperation, and he buries his face in his neck, smelling the very scent he associated only with Vendel. The scent of oak moss and „lying down” linen in a closet.

The old troll put his hand on the boy's back, stroking it up and down. He hadn't seen puppies in a long time, and how they were ready to cling to adults to comfort themselves. The leader of the Troll Market doesn't know what the boy is carrying with him, but whatever it is, he is clearly tired of looking for a way out of his thoughts. The corners of his mouth lift, expressing a sad smile and a knowing look.

Jim stands by the canals, seeing Vendel off to the Troll Market. He leans against a tree, watching him open the entrance inside. Wendel turned around one last time, looking for the young troll, but not finding him, he went inside. The old troll offered Jim to come with him, but Jim politely declined. As he once said, he is not ready yet. He looks down at his bare feet. Still, he is glad he was able to meet the leader of the troll market. He needed this conversation.

Somewhere a branch broke.

An ear twitched in that direction. It was time for him to go back. He pushes off the tree and pulls himself up. There is still one particular Gum-Gum prince wandering in the night, whom Jim categorically does not want to meet, for reasons of not killing him on the spot. The black-haired guy muttered something under his breath and galloped away from his place. He still has to cover his tracks and finish building his house, he does not care about the impudence of the obsidian troll.

Chapter Text

The sun was setting, the forest was beginning to fall asleep, and one young half-troll was waiting for it to set. Jim was sitting on the porch of his house, looking forward to going outside. He really wouldn't mind sleeping an extra hour, but his food was running low and he was missing a lot of other things. So for now, he was just trying to stay awake, sitting under the porch canopy and watching the shadows grow larger.

When the moon began to wake up, Jim finally stood up, stretching his bones sweetly. He shook himself to shake off the last remnants of sleep and, taking his bag, headed toward the city. His forays were frequent. The half-troll was looking for furniture in warehouses and dumps to fill the empty space of his hut. Despite the fact that it was new, his "cave" looked lifeless, no matter how you look at it, it needed furniture. Which is what he was doing now.

The city was small compared to New Jersey, but it was just as vibrant, if not more so. Police cars drove through the streets, goblins wandered through the alleys looking for cats, other animals, and other creatures that decided to visit Arcadia.

Walking through the dark streets, he felt the cold. The clothes on him were warm, they gently touched his stone skin, but the frost did not stop him. The bag rubbed against his shoulder and hip, cutlery and other things quietly jingled inside. Jim took his hands out of his pockets to throw them behind his head, looking at the sky. His eyes were sticking together and he wanted to sleep, but he still needed to find the paws.

Yawning, he stuck out his tongue and snapped his mouth shut. He had not yet managed to try them, he wanted to test them to taste. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, and then coughed from the disgusting smell of alcohol. He wrinkled his nose in displeasure, the alcohol smelled from a mile away. Jim tried to push the smell away with his hand, frowning and squinting, walking into a dark alley. The half-troll in the shadows pressed himself against the wall so as not to be noticed. The black-haired one pulled his hood down lower, hiding his face. The smell, like the sounds, grew louder until a group of drunk teenagers appeared. They were shouting and laughing at each other, which made Jim's eye twitch involuntarily. If he scared them, nothing would happen, right? They were already dead drunk.

Before he could get up, the group left. Jim exhaled in relief, lowering his head. He would never understand the addiction to alcohol.

Apart from this event, nothing happened, except for a couple of goblins running away to another part of the city. Jim looked at the retreating goblins. They were muttering something in their own language, hiding behind the crossroads. It would be desirable to kill them immediately, but that was not why he was here. And they used to think that Arcadia was not inhabited by them.

He scratched the fur on the back of his head, looking in that direction. Although there is a chance that they are migrating, or whatever it is called. The half-troll snorted, throwing away his thoughts and turning towards the warehouse he was heading to. He had almost never been there, his hands never got around to it. His bare feet made almost no sound as he walked along the rubble near the warehouse. Jim crouched down, bracing his feet on the ground and jumped onto the windowsill.

One leg slipped, and his whole body was pulled down.

His eyebrows flew up to his hairline, and the corners of his lips were pulled down. His claws made a screeching sound. With a jerk, he pulled himself up to the windowsill, leaving furrows from his claws on the wood.

«Almost fell.» He immediately relaxed, exhaling in relief. His head dropped and he closed his eyes. He seems to be losing his grip. Jim looks up at the window, the open window. At least fate is kind in some ways.

He crawls on all fours to the edge, peering into the dark corners. The half-troll clings to the edge with his hands, stretching the front half of his body forward. His nose twitches at the smells. It smells of dust, iron, and damp wood, and rats. Jim raises an eyebrow skeptically. Will he be able to find light bulbs here? He looks down at the shelves and at the window behind him. Without thinking, the half-troll jumps onto the shelf. The platform wobbles dangerously, causing his face to stretch. He raises his hands to keep his balance, but falls through with a crash. Literally.

He falls through the shelf with a crash, dragging several boxes with him, one of which lands on his head.Several more shelves break under him and he ends up at the very bottom under a pile of boxes.

He growls in displeasure when something else falls on him. A second later, Jim closes his eyes and groans, wondering, and relaxes. Cool, the rack has defeated him. His hand comes out from under the rubble to remove the annoying object from his face. Opening his eyes, he is met by a mask of glamour.

«...»

Jim silently stared at the object in his hands. With a surprised face, he twisted it in his hand, and fearfully throws off the remaining filler. When the surprise subsided, the black-haired man felt how the sharp corner of the box was unpleasantly pressing against his side, and a light weight from above began to irritate him. The boxes began to fall off him until he assumed a sitting position. Now holding it in both hands and closer to his face, it seemed vaguely familiar, which is strange. He hadn't seen many glamour masks, only one and that was...

"And who is this mysterious young man who decided to climb into the tiger's den." A painfully familiar voice responded behind him.

Jim froze, not daring to move. His hands, almost painfully, squeezed the artifact. He doesn't want to turn around, but if he doesn't, then he'll get a knife in the back. Just as unexpectedly as the voice appeared, it suddenly disappeared

An ear twitches.

He pushes his feet into the ground and jumps to the side from a dagger flying from the left. A disgruntled growl is heard. No time for warm memories. Strickler in front of him is not the kind stepfather who gave his life for him. Now he—

Jim rolled away from another dagger. The bag hits his thigh unpleasantly and rings loudly. The mask in his hands feels like a stone, he wants to take it but can't. A changeling jumps out of the darkness in front of him.

Don't give a damn about the mask.

Jim threw it with all his might at the face in front of him. He cried out in surprise.

"DID I SERIOUSLY THROW A GLAMOUR MASK AT STRICKLER?!"

The thoughts in Jim's head roared as one. And the historian, who had flown to the side, quickly came to in conscience. Jim grabbed his bag tighter and started running towards the door. A dagger whistled right in front of his face.

Back!

Jim turned right, his hand clutching his horn on his head like a life preserver. He runs to the window and flies through it. The shards fly harmlessly off him, while the troll behind him, shielding his face from the glass. As always, an unremarkable trip for supplies unexpectedly turned into a massacre. Jim wanted to scream that he knew it couldn't be that simple, but there was no time. Time to go home!

Bare feet hit the asphalt, the wind fluttered the fur, and behind him he heard another clatter of feet. It reminded Jim of something. A dagger whistled over his head and hit a pole. He'll figure it out later!

Getting to the canals, he saw someone under the bridge. Maybe it was Arrgh? Hope died as quickly as it appeared. Of course, Bular himself would be waiting for him. He was already turning around and running back, when a green changeling appeared in front of his face. Jim almost screamed in surprise. The troll noticed this and grinned unpleasantly. Stricklander began to come closer, pushing his villainous speeches

"You've seen too many puppies." He said, looking at him arrogantly.

"Of course it will be sad that such a young and curious troll like you will die such a death." A growl comes from behind. Jim doesn't listen any further. He pulls the bag tighter and closer to his body. Speed is more important now.

The puppy jumped over Strickler's head. His face went white under the impression that he was about to be crushed. He immediately backed away, but before the historian could figure it out, the young troll had already disappeared around the corner. Bular roared and rushed after him. The changeling turned back, hearing the loud stomping and roaring disappear. He hesitated, but followed the smell of rats and rotten meat.

Jim is starting to get used to the fact that everyone wants him dead again.

He dives into a narrow alley. Right behind him, there is a scraping of claws. The brick wall has crumbled a little, but remains intact. Jim is moving further and further away from there. His head is empty, and his heavy breathing does not allow thoughts to flow. The smell of rotten meat hits his nose. He stops abruptly, nearly falling to the ground. Goblins appear just around the corner. He growls at them, clutching his nose with his free hand and frowning. They smell so bad.

Without thinking twice, they scatter in all directions, and the half-troll continues to run. A roar is heard from somewhere to the side. The wind whistles in his ears. He continues to run, no longer thinking and not looking where. His legs begin to hurt from running, and the strap of his bag looks wrinkled. The black-haired man jumped over something, hitting his face in the ground.

Jim began to gradually come to his senses. He put his hand on his chest, feeling how his diaphragm was shaking wildly. The half-troll leaned his back against something and slid to the ground. How tired he was. He had no idea how long this had been going on and didn't really want to know. Bular's smell wasn't the worst, but it was still disgusting and lingered in his memory for a long time. His body was shaking slightly, but not from fear, but from the running itself. Jim threw his head back, breathing in the clean air.

A moment of calm -

Something was blinding his closed eyes. He jumps up, jumping into the shadows of the bushes, covering his eyes with his hand. The light is almost heading towards him. It lets out a warning growl. Jim presses his hands to his eyes, causing the spots of light to become stronger.

"Leave me alone." He thinks angrily when he hears quiet voices. He takes a deep breath, counting to ten, and exhales.

«Is this the guardian you were talking about?» the first voice says incredulously.

Jim's eyes widen, raising his head. He is immediately blinded again. And in front of him, two frightened screams are heard. The flashlight falls to the ground and shines in the other direction. It is dark. But the half-troll's vision is better. And he sees, clear as day, two surprised children's faces.

At some point in this running, he wandered into a dead end, right into the yard of his childhood home and met little Jim and Toby. They all look at each other. How is Jim so lucky?

«The Guardian?» The silence is broken by the younger Jim, with a frightened Tobias hiding behind him. The air is filled with the sour smell of pheromones. It scares the children again. This thought makes Jim involuntarily step away from them. The children seem to have relaxed, which is good, but it doesn't change the feeling of guilt that makes his legs feel unpleasantly heavy. His eyebrows are drawn together, his lips are twisted, an expression of apology. In order to seem completely harmless, he stretches his arms forward on all fours, resting them on the ground, and sinks to the ground almost flat. The half-troll swallows the lump in his throa.

The children no longer look as if they are ready to run away at any moment, and the sour smell gradually dissipates.

This calmed not only them.

Toby looked out from behind his best friend to look at the troll in front of him. Fear and all doubts immediately dissipated when he saw the stranger's horns. «WOW! You have such beautiful horns!» The chubby boy stepped out from behind the other Jim, but didn't dare get too close. The older Jim chuckled warmly, barely changing his position as he raised his head and looked at the boys. They were now looking at him with interest. Toby looked like he'd found a new toy, while his friend narrowed his eyes.

«Weren't you wearing armor?» The boy said, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. The teenager froze. Damn it, he was always so suspicious of little things? How long had it been since they'd last seen each other? Two weeks? Four? And his „younger self” still remembered what he'd arrived in the first time. "Where were your suspicions when you and Toby were looking for changelings?" Jim asked himself with annoyance. He frowned, but it was hidden in the shadows. The half-troll opened his mouth to answer, when he was interrupted by a joyful cry.

«YOU HAVE ARMOR» Toby appears right in front of him, wanting to see that very armor. Jim jumps back in fright, hitting his back against the fence. The face in surprise and slight fear looks at the excited boy. Hands squeezed the ground, and eyes began to warm from the oncoming tears. Damn, how glad he is to see Toby. Even if he is much younger and does not remember him at all. Jim takes another deep breath, closing his eyes and says with a gentle smile.

«I do, but I left it at home. I can't wear armor forever, can I?» He says with a chuckle, the last sentence was addressed more to his „younger self”. He nods with satisfaction, as if making a serious decision and completely relaxed. It seems that Jim passed the younger one's test, whatever test it was.

They remained in the same bushes where the elder one was sitting. He tried to drive them away, but the children flatly refused, saying that they were interested in the "keeper of dreams".

Toby, who was happily squeaking something in the background, suddenly fell silent and awkwardly looked at the elder one, who was sitting with his back to the wall. In this pose, he towered over them and the plump boy seemed to want to do something, but could not reach him. The half-troll tilted his head to the side, looking at him in a silent question.

Toby noticed this and, lowering his head down, began to play with his fingers, while muttering under his breath

«Can I touch your horns?» The younger Jim seemed to want to offer the same thing and also lowered his head. Jim smiled awkwardly, they were such children. He almost never met children, neither trolls nor people. Arcadia, although a large place, but you rarely meet a child here, so he was simply not used to this. His first experience with them was with NotEnrique, which he will say honestly was not the best experience, because he was a troll teenager. And a very impudent one. With this last thought, he chuckled to himself.

«You can, but only once.» Wanting to pamper Toby, and his "past self", he lowers his head, giving a full view of the horns.

Toby let out his signature «Waaaaaaah...» and touched his right horn as if it were some kind of diamond. In fact, the sensation is strange. It's not that they didn't touch his horns, it's just that it was usually not out of good intentions, and what's more, he always pulls his own horns. It gives a feeling of calm. The younger Jim joined Toby, curiously examining the horns, wanting to touch them. The older one chuckled quietly and lightly  butted  child's hand, which stopped halfway. The younger boy's face stretched out in awe, his mouth closed and his eyebrows raised high. Toby, with a professional expression, looked closely at the texture of the horns.

«Your horns are somewhat similar to alexandrite... No-no-no! Like agate! Argh, Jim, shine a light, please.» Toby glanced at his friend, who had woken up from his dreams and was running to get a flashlight. The teenager involuntarily shuddered. It was unusual to hear „Jim” from Toby's lips.

Jim raised his head to watch as the younger boy took the flashlight and was already running towards them. He hands it over as if offering a sword to a knight. Toby sighs dramatically and takes the equipment. He smirks at their antics, remembering the moment with the gnome hunt in Bagdwella's shop.

All the boys' determination evaporates when they look at the troll in front of them. They exchanged glances, a look that Jim knew by heart from personal experience. Younger Jim and Toby were wondering if this was a good idea and were silently talking about something. These kids were so serious about this that older Jim couldn't even snort, which scared them. They jumped up and looked at the older one with faces like they were doing something wrong.

«You know you can ask me?» He said in a cheerful tone, watching as they rolled their eyes. His chest involuntarily warmed. "Strange..." The smile looked forced for a second, but Jim stopped in his thoughts in time and corrected it. Toby grinned at something and, closing his eyes and raising his nose, said.

«Then may I, Sir Guardian, look at your horns so we can determine what stone they are made of?» Both Jim chuckled at this. Younger Jim laughed at something in his head, and the half-troll covered his mouth with his hand so as not to open his mouth and dispel the light atmosphere with his fangs and animal laughter. He quickly pulled himself together and answered in the same theatrical tone, if not more.

«Oh, of course, Duke, my horns are your horns» The elder said in a fake British accent and elegantly lowered his head. Younger Lake burst into another wave of laughter when he saw how his friend froze, not waiting for an answer to his inside joke.

....

Jim was actually very surprised at how easy it was to communicate with younger Toby and Jim. He was sure if Barbara had not started driving up to the house and the children's fatigue, they would have continued to communicate and joke with each other despite the sun.

He stretched on his bed, smiling at his thoughts.

Lying on his stomach, Jim looked at the brightening horizon. A light push on his shoulder, almost imperceptible because of his stone skin, brought him out of his thoughts. He chuckled questioningly, turning to his „past self”. He looked down at him, with a question in his eyes.

«What's your name?» Toby flew up to him with the same look. Jim opened his mouth with a quiet «aaah....» not knowing what to answer. His thumb began to rub the stone skin, creating a soft grinding sound. Damn, he can't tell them his real name. Firstly, there will be a lot of confusion, and secondly, what if time can be distorted even more? Through clenched teeth and reluctance, he answered

«I don't have a name.» It was not a lie. He does not have a troll name. Maybe it's just his mind trying to come up with an excuse. An awkward silence hung. Perhaps they felt like the troll was not telling him something, but apparently they did not pay attention.

«Then we'll invent one!» Toby said in a cheerful voice. All the sadness immediately relaxed and a new wave of calmness washed over him. Jim thoughtfully tapped his chin. Then he should take a troll name, or at least something close to it. After all, he wanted to listen to the children's options... He frowned. Why would he think about the decision of younger Jim and Toby?

«Let's do something related to Gemology!» Toby sang happily with stars in his eyes. Younger Jim thoughtfully hummed, looking closely at the troll in front of him. The boy frowned and relaxed his face, admitting defeat, and exhaled.

«Then you go ahead, I don't know anything about stones.» Said „past Jim” looking at his friend. He crossed his legs and put his elbows on his knees and concentrated on the older Jim in front of him. This attention made him nervous and fidget. After a couple of minutes, Toby said happily

«I think you can lean on the black agate! This stone suits you.» He said confidently, folding his arms over his chest. In response, his friend said with a smirk on his face, «Do you know any name that suits Black Agate?» This question made the chubby boy erase his smugness and open his eyes. Younger Jim grinned.

«They will call me —»

Jim said, looking thoughtfully at the sky. The two children in front of him looked at each other, and then turned their attention to him again. Toby put his hand on his chin and shrugged after a second.

«Of course, it has nothing to do with stones, but I like it!» he again sprawled on the ground, closing his eyes. Younger Jim also shrugged and lay down next to him. They were children, but they still surprised him with how they could be so calm around him, despite his appearance.

Jim smiled at the warm, gentle feeling in his chest.

The door opened and Jim's full attention was drawn to it. Oh yeah.

«Pup, are you ready to go to the troll market?» Vedel said, placing his hand on the door. The half-troll grinned and stood up.

«You know I have a name.» The elder hummed in agreement and replied.

«I know, Keepir, but I call you pup out of principle.» He walked out the door as the younger followed. They stood on the porch, watching the setting sun.

Chapter Text

Life in Troll Market is strange, really. Maybe he hadn't noticed it before, or maybe it was just another difference from his timeline, but Troll Market Stoneheart has gotten bigger. He often notices new faces, faces he's definitely never seen before. There are new shops, lots of new shops. Jim can also swear he's seen guards. Guards! There's never been a troll in this place who's willing to fight! Well, except for Draal. It's like he's looking at Troll Market and not at the same time.

Besides, life here is a wild torrent. It's never quiet. Jim misses his days in his hut. He wanted to learn magic in a quiet place. But...

As Wendel used to say

«One thing doesn't interfere with the other,» the older one said in his usual manner, looking at the puppy

«But I can't leave! I just recently finished building my hut. You can't take me from my own home!» Jim shouted at him, spreading his arms and pointing at the whole room. The half-troll looked out of breath from his shouts and glared at the Elder.

«Actually, I can.» He mumbled thoughtfully, rubbing his beard. His eyes narrowed and a grin appeared on his face. Jim blinked in confusion and involuntarily relaxed.

Wedel jerked the puppy by the scruff of the neck. The half-troll growled. The black-haired one's face distorted in horror, he began to kick trying to break free from the grip. "WHY DO I ALWAYS GIVE HIM IDEAS?!" The hand, although gentle, did not save his pride from dying.

That's how his first foray into the Troll Market happened. The second time happened on his own initiative. As they say, on his terms. This, of course, did not change his mood on this matter. But there's nothing like living with Wedel. Starting with his home.

"I don't understand why I have to live in the Troll Market." The teenager's shoulders sagged sadly, and his head hung down. He could still feel the suspicious glances of the other trolls. He hadn't made the best first impression, and now he was paying for it with all this attention. Jim hated attracting attention. A distrustful whisper came from the neighboring shop. It made his muscles tense, and his ear twitched in that direction. Damn rumors.

"So you understand." Wenedl began, calmly walking through the streets of the Market. "I can't leave for long. And coming to you is a hassle." He turned his head to the hunched puppy. The elder snorted and slapped his student's back. Jim straightened up with a yelp and rubbed his paws, looking at him angrily.

"You'll live with me. It's so much easier." Wendel walked faster, while the teenager looked after him in confusion. He stopped in place, thinking about the words. It felt like something was not being told to him. The half-troll rubbed his shoulder in confusion. He raised his head.

"Where will I be..." The words gradually died down as he looked ahead.

"WHEN YOU SAID THAT I WOULD LIVE WITH YOU. YOU DIDN'T SAID THAT YOUR HOME WAS IN THE STONE HEART." Jim involuntarily let go of this sight. No, of course he guessed that he lived next to the Stone Heart. But not right in it! A chuckle was heard from ahead, but the teenager did not resist his pampering to the view that opened up to him. They were still far from the crystal, but he could already feel its power from here.

It's truly beautiful

And so they reached this day, or rather night, when self-confidence is burning in him. Jim feels like he can move mountains. He was ready for anything, ready for everything to go wrong, ready to change the course of events. But at the same time...

He knew he couldn't do it. Not alone. Not without friends. He felt ready, but he was still scared. Scared to change the course of events. Douxie's words about how things could get worse were suffocating him. Until the time came. The black-haired man shook his head, ruffling his hair with his hands to get rid of these thoughts. Something wouldn't stop gnawing at Jim. As if something had already gone wrong, just what? Jim, lying on the bed, scratched his temple, throwing his hands behind his head. The half-troll began to go over all the events that had already happened. He appeared in the past about 10 or 11 years ago. He started learning magic. He stole books from Arcane Books. He built a house. Lives in the Market—

The door is kicked down.

Before he could finish his thought, Vendel, who had just flown into the room, put him on his feet and doused him with cold water. Jim fell to the floor, his head was spinning, and his clothes were unpleasantly wet and cold. He grabbed his horns with his hands, trying to calm the dizziness. The unexpected appearance of the old troll and the subsequent actions knocked all thoughts out of his head. Having recovered from this, Jim looked up at Wendel from below. The old troll still had the audacity to look offended, as if it was all his fault.

"You're still not in training, young man." He said, putting his hands on his hips, looking at him with his stern gaze. With a displeased growl, the half-troll fell flat on the floor. Jim covered his face with his hands, pressing his palms on his eyes. This has been going on for two weeks now. If he is not in training, but in bed, then his day begins like this. What kind of training, exactly?

"Young man." Jim jumps up from the floor and runs to the door.

"Like hell I'm doing everything double." He thought as he headed towards the Hero's Forge. The trolls here were still looking at him with haughty interest, waiting for him to stumble so they could kick him out of these parts. The half-troll clenched his fists and continued running. Despite all his hatred for the attention, he was glad that the Elder was able to carve out an hour for him to visit the training grounds for himself. It turns out this place is very popular.

He swerves sharply, almost crashing into a passing cart. The dwarves he almost stepped on raised their fists in anger. Jim grinned awkwardly, waving his hand. He took into account that it was better not to touch these guys. The familiar gates appeared in his field of view. The half-troll sighed with relief at his salvation.

...

The Forge of Heroes was as always expectantly quiet. Only the quiet howl of the mechanisms and the walking wind could be heard. Jim walked lightly to the wall and threw off his bag of books. His back ached unpleasantly and he almost bent over from the pressure on it. With a dissatisfied groan, the teenager sat down by the books, stretched and began to read.

Standing in a stance, straining his magical flows, he completely clears his mind. Training, or as Jim likes to say "torture", began almost the same day he came with Vendel. The leader of the Troll Market says that without constant stress and adrenaline rush, magic is not so easy to master. He likes it, of course, they remind him of the very times when Blinky was just teaching him to be a troll hunter, but sometimes he feels like he won't get out of these training sessions alive. But it always feels like something is missing.

A rock flies into his head. Now it's just like the good old days.

«You're not concentrating on your magic.» Wendell said sternly, holding a bunch of rocks in his hands. Now he seems to understand where Blinky gets such a love for using rocks in training. He dodges another one, and another, until a weak magical volley flies into his head.

«Argh...» Jim hisses and reaches for the back of his head, rubbing the sore spot. What the hell? He's grinning at Wendel. He stands straight, unflinching under his gaze, his hands clasped behind his back. The older one comes closer, returning the puppy's gaze with his own. He leans over and says in an iron voice

"You don't get the point." Jim wants to explode. The half-troll takes a deep breath, closing his eyes, and exhales, opening them. Seriously, what a decision not to say what exactly was expected of him. A chuckle came from the trebuchets. He turned sharply at the sound, wrinkling his nose and clenching his jaw. Lately, he had an unwanted spectator watching his "torture". He was sure it was Draal.

Another spell flew into his head. He metaphorically exploded. With a growl, the half-troll raised his hand in that direction and a flash of light illuminated his vision for a second.

Jim jumped back, his face sunken, and a pit in his stomach. A deathly silence hung over the Forge. Everything inside him fell silent.

The light dissipated just as quickly and a barrier of magic was revealed, behind which a joyful Wedel was visible. He quickly relaxed, but this did not stop his anxiety when the elder laughed.

«Yes!» The chieftain raised his hands to show his emotions. Jim tensed up again.

"Maybe I've straightened him out?" A thought came to mind as the troll in front of him hugged him tenderly. The half-troll froze in the same position he had been in when Wendel had put him down. His face took on a skeptical expression. What was going on?

«You finally got it!» The old troll exclaimed, and continued his speech. «Now we can move on to the next topic.» He walked away towards the books, muttering something under his breath, leaving a confused Jim behind. A chuckle and the distant clank of armor came from the stands.

/Forward to../

Every troll in this market had already met or seen the new puppy.

Everyone, except Blinky.

He thinks this is another conspiracy. Galadrigal understood that he was from their Stone Heart, he could feel this crystal in him, as if he himself was made of it. But he did not understand how. No one would miss the birth of a puppy in any way, and this torments him, because this is what seemed to have happened. He heard a rumor that he was found on the surface and brought here by the scruff of the neck, because he was completely wild. But he also heard a rumor that he was Vendel's apprentice. Apprentice! Is this wild youth a mage? Or is Blinky just confused? Maybe the youth is actually someone else and he just made it up?

Although why did the Elder need an apprentice then?

«Blinky..?» The voice of the kind giant was heard behind him. The fur on the back of his neck bristled and he physically restrained himself from jumping up. Sometimes Arrrgh scared with his silence. Slowly relaxing, he turned to his friend with a question

"What is my old friend?" Blinky unhooked his hands from the stone table, glad that the table was stone and not wooden. Kruberra looked guilty and apologetically bumped his head against Galadrigall's shoulder.

"Aarrgh came with a letter." In the giant's outstretched hand lay a small board with something written on it. But his gaze caught on the carved emblem in the upper left corner.

"Vendel?" He opened his eyes in surprise, carefully taking the letter in his top pair of hands while the others returned to the table. His gaze quickly ran over the text, at the end of which his jaw dropped. Blinky looked at Arrgh in confusion and fear. With difficulty swallowing the stone in his throat, he said

«Today..?» His voice trembled unpleasantly, but his gaze remained steadfast. The large troll pressed his lips together and reluctantly nodded. Galadrigall felt empty. It felt like a weight was on his shoulders, and his eyes were unpleasantly wet. He turned all six eyes in disbelief to the board in his hands. The weight on his shoulders was his friend's arm.

"Blinky.. We need to get to the surface.." The giant said with all his sorrow and sadness, bowing his head so that he was level with him. He blinked his eyes, brushing away tears with his hands.

"Yeah... Yes, we need to get to the surface.." Blinky said with grief, looking at the last sentence of Wendel's letter.

/Back to the present./

«What the hell...» Jim stared through the pages in front of him, trying to make out all the events of today's training. In his thoughts, Wendel's words echoed: "You finally understand!"

Jim howled, hitting his head on the table. «I don't understand anything.»

Chapter Text

A ragged breath. Jim sat up. Tears poured from his eyes. His breath hitched with each inhalation. The image of a dream... a nightmare was still before his eyes. Blood on the ground and a hand under rubble. The putrid smell of corpses in his nose. A lump in his throat from the realization. This was not a dream. The teenager closed his eyes tightly, trying to forget everything. His hands clutched at his horns, desperately pulling them down to his knees. The first sobs escaped from his throat.

[Vendel]

Vendel stomped down the winding corridor, clutching a bucket of ice water in his hands. His brows were furrowed, and his mouth twisted into a quiet growl. This brat hadn't left his room for hours. The Elder should have been training at the Forge of Heroes, teaching his wayward apprentice, and he hadn't even come out for lunch! He leaned the bucket against his hip and opened the door with his other hand. The room was dark, and all the Stoneheart crystals had been removed from their pedestals, which confused him greatly. The only source of light was on the bed. The old man frowned and pressed his lips together. In a pile of blankets, curled up, lay the puppy, all the crystals that had been removed lay next to him. This was the first time Wendel had seen him sleep like a troll, usually a puppy takes a human sleeping position, not this. The bucket almost fell out of his hands. He looked away, clenching his jaw.

"Okay, this is okay for the first time, next time it will be double the training." Vendel thought, clutching the bucket in his hand, and quietly closed the door behind him.

(Next time he did not have the courage to splash him with water.)

[Jim]

«Puppy, I do not understand your interest.» Vendel began, moving towards the council doors. «In all the six years you've been with me, you've never been eager to go to the Council.» The old man raised an eyebrow, tilting his head towards the apprentice. He looked nervous, but focused. Jim's hand moved involuntarily at the question, his hand reaching for his neck. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell the truth, but at the same time he didn't want to burden him with his words. Keepir looked away, trying to think of a good

 «I'm worried..." He began hesitantly, squeezing the fur on the back of his neck. «It feels like something bad is happening.» Jim told a half-truth. He really did feel like something had happened, but he didn't know when to say it. The teenager looked up at his interlocutor. Wendel was looking at the gate with a neutral expression. He sighed, answering.

«If that's what your gut tells you, then that's how it is.» The half-troll blinked in surprise as his teacher retreated. He shook his head and hurried into the council chamber.

...

The Elders' meeting was in full swing. Shouts and hysterics were coming from all sides. Jim cringed inwardly when a loud noise was heard, but he didn't show it. He sat next to Wendel, listening to all the topics of today's meeting.

«You don't understand!» A large, stocky troll shouted, his accent hinting that he was German.

«If we don't follow the Rules of Silence, we could get detected!» The big man slammed the table, looking down at the smaller troll. The smaller troll stepped back, glaring at him, but couldn't say anything in response.

The Rules of Silence were put in place almost immediately after Gunmar the Black's defeat. They state that tribes must maintain radio silence between each other and only go on the line in emergencies.

When Jim first heard about it, he immediately ran to Wendel's books, looking up all the information about the current rules. There were more of them than he expected. It seemed like there had been fewer before.

«We've already been detected!»

That made him perk up. All eyes turned to the small troll, vaguely reminiscent of Namura. He stared at the large troll unwaveringly and stepped closer menacingly. «In case you hadn't noticed.» He addressed everyone, looking at the elders with his neon yellow eyes. «The changelings have begun to act.»

The hall fell silent.

Everyone looked at the small troll, as if he would say that this was a joke. The silence continued. Someone swallowed, thereby pulling everyone out of their trance.

Screams rose in the hall.

And then he understood. This was the moment. The moment when the changelings began to act. His gaze dropped to his hands in his lap. The blood in his ears seemed too loud, drowning out all the screams of the Meeting. Had the changelings been noticed so early? Should they have been noticed at all before it was too late?

Keepir took a ragged breath, squeezing his hands tighter. He looked at everyone in the hall. The Elder, presumably from Germany, was shouting loudly at the Troll from Brazil, occasionally glancing at the Leader from Greenland, who was leaning low over the table, staring at one point. Involuntarily, the puppy glanced at Wendel, who was sitting next to him. He didn't look any better either. The old man folded his arms across his chest, paying attention to everyone present, the bags under his eyes seemed more expressive. As if sensing his gaze, he glanced at him furtively. Jim swallowed and shrugged weakly. He wanted to say something, but was interrupted by an irritatingly familiar scream.

«Please.» Usurna began, looking down on the Brazilian Elder. «If you are so sure you are right, then present evidence.»

Jim's ears fell back, pressing against his head. His nose wrinkled in displeasure from her saccharine voice. He snorted quietly, so loudly that only Vendel, who was sitting next to him, heard him. He raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. The green troll, sticking out his chest, began

«You don't see the signs?!» With the words, he threw his hands above his head, the bandana on his head slipped slightly. «Goblins began to multiply everywhere. Relics and artifacts began to disappear. What can I say, strange trolls appeared, like gnomes, just everywhere!» With each fact, he bent his fingers, and took a step closer to the Queen of Kruberr. She stood straight and without blinking an eye answered

«I think you're blowing the issue out of proportion.»

A second. And...

«DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!?» The elder seemed to have gone mad. He almost pounced on Usurna, but was stopped by the hands of the Chieftain from Greenland, who had regained consciousness. He still looked pale, but he could think rationally.

«Calm down! Yes, we are all annoyed that the new Chieftain of the Kruberrs is so unreasonable! But that is no reason to make a scene!» The turquoise troll, probably the River Troll, squeezed the green one tighter in his arms, and the Elder of the Garden Trolls came to his aid. Another new face that Jim did not remember. Keepir watched the unfolding scene in amazement. Deep down, he rejoiced that someone disliked Usurna as much as he did. The screams grew louder, and the big guy who almost smashed the table to pieces joined in.

«Enough for everyone.»

A voice came from the next seat. Jim immediately looked at Vendel, who had gotten up from the table. He looked at everyone with a neutral face, but the lingering smell of hydrogen sulfide, which he took for anger or discontent, said otherwise.

«What kind of trolls are you?» He narrowed his milky eyes at everyone, his gaze lingering longer on Usurna than on the others. «A threat hangs over us, and you're still playing the fool.» At the end, Vendel raised his tone, as if scolding naughty puppies. The elder heard a sigh. His sharp gaze turned to Gatto, instantly shutting him up.

«We are ending today's meeting.» He raised his head high, showing his point of view, thereby ending all arguments. Usurna snorted and was the first to leave the hall. Gradually, everyone began to disperse, and the teenager caught himself bowing his head, pressing his ears lower to his shoulders. His thoughts were clogged with this argument. A hand fell on his shoulder.

The black-haired man raised his head, looking at the old troll. He tilted his head to the side in a silent question. His brows furrowed, and Jim shook his head, looking away to the remaining Elders. Wendel looked at them too, nodding silently. If they were to talk, it would be in the absence of other ears.

...

Jim walked slowly with Vendel to his house. My tongue was unusually heavy, and the lump in my throat prevented me from dispelling the lingering tension. My head was buzzing with thoughts. And the approaching gates to the Stone Heart seemed like a death scaffold. Each step felt louder than the last, and his breathing became quieter and quieter the closer he got to the front door. The Elder, oblivious to his internal conflict, opened the doorway. Jim closed his eyes and sighed as he stepped inside. A vaguely familiar smell hit his nose, and his face lengthened.

«Kanjigar?»

....

Jim sat stiffly on the sofa-like structure, the Troll Hunter next to him.

It was extremely awkward in Kanjigar's presence. The teenager had only met him after his death, and being in the same room with him when he was alive was embarrassing. The black-haired man stared at him. The troll looked completely different from that serious ghost. Jim looked at him for a long time. His jawline, the way his familiar armor shone with an unearthly light, his eyes that looked straight into his soul... Oh..

It seemed he felt the gaze and turned to him. The puppy tensed and immediately looked away, frowning and clenching his jaw. How awkward. The living dead man apparently felt the same and uncertainly turned away, still looking at him. From nervousness, Jim felt a knot of doubt in his stomach. If someone did not interrupt this situation, he would simply leave this room. Approaching footsteps and a clicking sound were heard from the hallway. The teenager immediately sighed in relief, pressing his back against the back of the sofa. The Troll Hunter eyed the puppy with interest. Vendel walked into the room, holding a staff in one hand and a pair of books in the other. He raised an eyebrow at the two of them, looking around and finding nothing, the old man simply shrugged, walking towards them.

«Puppy.» The Elder said, placing the books on the majestic table. «You wanted to tell me something.» He sat down on the opposite couch, turning his attention to the apprentice. Kanjigar couldn't help but give him a look.

They remained in a languid silence. Jim swallowed. His hand began to scratch feverishly at the other as he gathered his thoughts. The teenager's gaze dropped to his knees, not meeting the others'.

«I think we should check out that Elder's words.» I said, taking on a decisive look. I clenched my hands thinking about the changelings in his timeline, who were freely walking around the troll market and carrying out their plans. I will not let that happen. I looked up, looking at Kanjigar's surprised face and Wendel's neutral expression.

«You think about it too?» The Elder said matter-of-factly, looking away. I nodded, knowing it was a rhetorical question.

«You can rely on me.» The Troll Hunter stood up, looking down at Wendel. He looked at Kanjigar, seeing his determination and tenacity, and did not stop him. But... his gaze was drawn to Keepir, who was nervously fidgeting on the couch, refusing to look at his elders.

«Take my apprentice with you.» The Elder replied with a lopsided grin, seeing how both of them, for different reasons, froze, staring at the same point.

These words were like a punch to the gut. Jim froze in the same position on the couch. His gaze immediately met Kanjigar's. If you think about it, it's not bad. He trusted this troll, but the desire to check it out himself was stronger. The teenager relaxed and nodded, lowering his head. Wendel responded in kind, stood up from the table and walked towards the bookshelves.

«B.. But Vendel.» Kanjigar followed him, but was cut off by a sharp answer.

«Troll hunter.» The elder looked at him sideways without looking up from his work. He knew the warrior's weakness for young trolls, so this would be an experience for both his student and the experienced troll. Kanjigar, catching the meaning of the words, lowered his reaching hand and looked away.

Jim watched this from the side. He would have been surprised by their knowledge of each other if he hadn't seen the same thing with Toby. Trying to distract himself from pleasant memories, the black-haired man glanced around the room. A pleasant interior, cabinets filled with books, columns with protective spells, and a table with sofas in the middle of the room and much, much more. A strange arrangement for the main room, but he realized at the very beginning of his journey that only trolls can understand trolls. And now this room is very charming for him.

Kandjigar finished his silent conversation with Wendel, approached him and said with a grin.

«Well, since you and I are on the same team, it's worth introducing ourselves.» The troll hunter pressed his right hand to the amulet and, slightly bowing his head, continued. «I am Kanjigar, the Brave Son of Tarigar. »

The half-troll, not daring to look away, repeated the gesture, but bowing his head lower than the Troll Hunter. «I... Keepir...» The unspokenness hung in the air, but only for him "Barbara's Son" would sound at the end. The troll's grin did not waver, he left the counter, nodded towards the doors for him, and headed there. Jim hurried after him, not seeing how Vendel froze for a moment, watching their interaction.

The streets of the Troll Market were as loud and dirty as always. Trolls were going about their business, someone had entered a bar, a particularly loud vendor was dispersing gnomes, suppliers from the mine were carrying their loot to the forges. In one alley, the Elder's apprentice was walking, accompanied by the Troll Hunter.

It all felt so far away and so close. Shouts and cheers came from the tavern, gnomes ran past, hiding in the cracks of the walls. Jim inhaled the pleasant smell of socks and cat meat. They passed by the mirror and he saw his reflection.

For a second, the same boy flashed by, who loved to cook and did not know about the hidden world beneath his feet.

The illusion disappears.

Jim looks at himself. Himself, a half-troll, who knows too much, but bears this burden with determination. The teenager froze in front of the mirror, wondering if he was imagining things. A tall figure appeared in the reflection. Kanjigar stood next to him, putting his hand on his shoulder.

«Keepir?» He looked carefree, but underneath it there was a slight concern for the puppy. Jim looked at him with an arched eyebrow. The troll hunter noticeably recoiled. What? Ah... Right, trolls do not understand human habits. The black-haired man cleared his throat, coughing into his hand.

«What is it?» He said to him, looking up. Kanjigar frowned thoughtfully, and shook his head.

«I just wanted to ask something.» The troll said confidently, letting go of his hand and stepping back. The half-troll chuckled. He wondered what the troll with centuries of experience wanted to say, hesitating in front of the puppy.

«You... Where are you from?» His face darkened for a second, but quickly returned to its former confidence, changing the subject. The puppy raised an eyebrow in suspicion again, which made Kanjigar seem even more worried. Why was he interested in this? Jim narrowed his eyes, and it immediately dawned on him. Kanjigar was a Trollhunter, and he was an unknown puppy who showed up and made a scene on his first day. He wanted to give himself some spelt. Seriously, he treated almost everyone the same way, Jim should have realized right away. The young man coughed awkwardly into his fist and answered.

«From a distant land.» That was almost true. "Chef" could indeed be considered from a distant land. Another timeline counted, right? The older warrior nodded understandingly, with a slight smile. Kanjigar looked away at the light at the end of the alley. He didn't like how his gaze hardened for a second.

«Where are you from?» He turned towards the younger troll. His head tilted to the side, trying to appear carefree, but the atmosphere was gradually becoming heavy. Jim moved his left leg back slightly. His shoulders were harbouring tension. Why did he rephrase his question? The boy felt his fur bristle.

«I don't know how to say...» The teenager said the truth. The black-haired man really didn't know what to say. He suddenly became nervous when Kanjigar narrowed his eyes and pulled away.

"The only thing that came to your mind—"

Jim suddenly turned cold. His head bent lower, but no longer in friendly interest, but in a defensive stance, threateningly sticking out his horns. The warm smile was replaced by a complete lack of emotion.

Jim pulled back. His eyes were wide open when a flash of light illuminated the alley for a second. The light blinded him, and with a hiss, he hit the wall behind him, covering his eyes.

CRACK

He took a ragged breath. The sword of Light crashed into the stone right at his neck. Spots still ran before his eyes, but that did not prevent him from seeing the Troll Hunter. This was no longer the kind Kanjigar. This was a warrior who was ready to chop down everyone if it meant protecting his home. A dagger-like gaze swept over him. A gaze he had seen more than once in himself. The black-haired man looked at him in silent shock. The warrior leaned toward the puppy.

«Now tell me who you are.» His voice was alarmingly quiet. Clearly he didn't want to attract attention. Jim clenched his jaw.

"Fack, Wendel, I'll never listen to you again."

With a movement of his hand, he pushed the flat part of the sword that was stuck in the wall. The half-troll jumped back to a safe distance. The elder froze in a moment of stupefaction, but that was enough time for the youth to hit him hard on the head. Kanjigar hissed and his armor screeched as he moved back, clutching his head. The puppy swallowed. If the Troll Hunter had suspected something before, now his wrong thoughts were confirmed.

The elder's sharp movement caught his attention. He jerked his head to the side. If it weren't for the many years of fighting, he would have missed the sword that stuck into the wall next to him and disappeared in a flash of light.

Now Jim was in the middle of an empty alley. His body was tense to the core. The boy was looking for a threat. Where is he?

His ears twitched to catch at least a sound. From above. He jumped to the nearest wall to avoid a flying attack in the form of a massive Troll. His breathing was ragged, but Jima no longer paid attention to it.

He bounced off the wall again to avoid another attack. The Troll was determined to finish him off. The black-haired one turned around, but again nothing. Where is he?

He felt a sound behind him. Again to the side. How could he—

A whistling sound of a sword to the left. The half-troll turned around and almost caught the sword, but an unpleasant burning pain ran through his hand, forcing him to jerk back and hit the wall. The sword was gone again and the alley was empty.

Where is he?!

A click in his head. He abruptly jumped to another wall, clinging to the protruding stones. In two jumps Jim is above the ground.

Here he is.

On the other wall hung Kanjigar, looking at him in surprise. The youth grinned wildly. He rushed at him in a jerk. The warrior clenched his teeth and rushed at the puppy.

Crack

With a crack, his horns met Kanjigar's horns. The earth immediately pulled them down and with a roar, an iron clang, they fell on different sides of each other. Jim immediately rushed up and assumed a threatening pose

The black-haired one, straightening his shoulders and lowering his head, growled menacingly. His hind legs were close to the wall so as not to expose his back.

Paws?

The teenager shook his head. Damn, he completely forgot himself. He's still surprised that the entire troll market didn't show up to watch two troll hunters fight.

The boy relaxed his posture a little, and looked at the warrior's face. Black-maned tried not to look into his eyes, not to let his instincts come to the surface. Kanjigar realized this too, but he did not let his guard down. They were on opposite sides of the alley. He narrowed his eyes.

«Kanjigar?»

Whiz

Ring

«Arrnggh...» Jim clutched his bruised spot, glaring at... Horseshoe? Keepir's face took on a surprised look. His eyes widened, his brows furrowed, and his mouth silently uttered its own thoughts.

"What the fu—"

«You're not a Changeling?» He raised his head sharply, his brows furrowed.

A Troll Hunter flew out of the darkness. Jim did not have time to react. He was pressed against the wall. A growl burst out of him. The young man hid his neck as best he could, now his pose looked even more threatening.

«Who are you» Kanjigar clenched his jaw, showing his teeth.

«Keepir!» He said without thinking, looking at the swordsman from under his brows.

«NO.» Jim jerked from the sharp tone, pressing himself closer to the wall. «Who are you?!» And then the question got through. His hands were ready to grab the Troll Hunter's neck if things went the other way.

«Half-troll.» He immediately answered, baring his teeth.

He recoiled in surprise, the threatening pose disappeared, and with it the growling.

«What?» While Kanjigar was coming to his senses, Jim passed under his arm. Now again at a safe distance, he felt his heavy breathing. It was still difficult to fight the previous Troll Hunter. The puppy was completely rusty.

«What do you mean?» He tried to approach him. Jim growled and pulled back out of his reach. Kanjigar's face took on a broken look. Shit, he didn't want to growl at him. The black-haired man crouched against the wall, his knees covering his stomach, his head lowered, hiding his neck. It might have looked pathetic, but he couldn't afford to expose his weak points. Kanjigar seemed to understand, because his face took on a more broken look than before. Jim, breathing heavily, watched his every move. He crouched against the opposite wall, which was darker, and took an open pose. Maybe his attempt to relax the puppy worked, but only slightly.

So they spent some time in silence, interrupted by the sounds of the hectic life of the Troll Market.

...

«So you are a Half-Troll...» Kanjigar said to himself rather than to him. Jim raised his head to look at his thoughtful gaze. For some reason, anger boiled in his throat from his carefree tone. He clenched his teeth and said in a quiet voice full of malice.

«So what?» The teenager did not look at Kanjigar, but the mixture of hydrogen sulfide and mint smell showed surprise and slight anger of a warrior. The puppy snorted.

«Would you like to train with me in the Forge of Heroes?»

His eyes suddenly opened and I looked up. What. He clenched his hands. This sentence seems so simple, so ordinary.

«Why?» The youth narrowed his eyes. It can't be that simple. This troll attacked him without asking questions simply because of the wrong thought, why would he suddenly change his mind. Kanjigar looked down at the ground.

«I attacked you and was wrong. I jumped to conclusions and paid with your trust. And...» The elder hesitated, his head snapping up. «I want to atone for my guilt.» His mouth was dry. Jim pressed his lips together, feeling his tusks press against his cheeks.

«I'll think about it,» he replied, looking at his hands. The Troll Hunter smiled, a warm and apologetic smile.

The moment was interrupted by a crash. They both jumped up. A figure with glowing eyes stood in the dark passage.

A human figure.

A changeling.

Chapter Text

A new day dawns for us, and a peaceful night for the Troll Market. The stalls are gradually closing, the light of the crystals is fading slightly, giving a pleasant feeling of coziness.

A weak flash of light in the alley. A skinny troll drifts, leaving a cloud of dust behind him. He crashes into the wall and rushes forward without slowing down. His breathing is louder than the trolls' boisterous cries. The dim light is too bright. Gradually the crowds began to thin out, until they disappeared altogether.

The Market quarters are deathly quiet. The troll searches for the crowd, but finds no one. The claws of his feet leave a screeching sound. The Unclean One turns his head wildly, looking for a retreat. The street is too wide, too empty and quiet. He suddenly crashes into something. The troll feels the burning iron where the "living stone" touches him. With a cry, he turns around. The Trollhunter is in front of him. The scout feels like he's under a spotlight. He ducks down, backing up.

And the Changeling turns around quickly—

Hit.

The ringing sound echoes down the alley.

Jim stands over the unconscious Changeling, holding the blacksmith's hammer.

«We've been chasing him for a long time.» Kanjigar said haughtily, placing his hands on his hips.

«Not as long as the dwarf.» The half-troll sighed resignedly, shouldering the hammer and wiping the nonexistent sweat from his forehead with his hand. He let out a stifled laugh.

Chuckling, Kanjigar lifted the smaller troll by his legs like a rabbit carcass. Now they could get a better look at the Changeling. The youth came closer, narrowing his eyes.

"The Unclean One" was a skinny troll in blue tones. He had horns curved forward, an elongated angular face, an orange nose and hair. His build resembled Namura, but his legs were reptilian and his hands were less clawed. Keepir leaned closer, it seemed there was something like a birthmark under his eye. The changeling let out a low growl. He barked, jumping away from him. Apparently the youth's face was very funny, Kanjigar chuckled throatily, tying the scout with chains.

«Indiago was right.» The Troll Hunter said in a serious tone. The teenager tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. The elder Warrior muttered something, waved his hand and headed towards the prisons. The puppy frowned.

His free hand reached for the back of his head. The youth's gaze caught on the dwarves running past. Still, it was good that he and Kanjigar had managed to come up with a minimal plan. This Changeling didn't know the Troll Market at all and ran into one of the Market Hollows.

Hollows are a common occurrence in this place. Usually they are immediately filled with other shops, but sometimes old trolls settle in them, making them into something like retirement communities. The black-haired one only knew this because there was such a settlement in his old timeline. But there are many more of them here. Maybe it has to do with his interference in time?

The half-troll shook his head, ruffling the fur on the back of his neck, and followed him. There was still so much to do. This was no time to dwell on the past.

Jim and Kanjigar stood in front of the slowly opening mechanism. Sometimes waiting for the prison doors to open was so boring.

He sighed, looking away towards the crystal pulsating with blue light. The teenager crossed his arms and impatiently tapped his bare foot. Damn, he was worrying too much. After locking the Changeling in the cage, they began preparing for the interrogation. He had been on the other side of the interrogation, but it was so rare that it was always like the first.

Something lands on his shoulder. The fur stands on end. His hands curl into fists. Jim suppressed all reflexes so as not to throw Kanjigar on his back. The young troll had completely forgotten about his presence. His ears flattened against his head and he looked up at the elder. The older man did not notice, or did not show it, slightly nodded towards the already open door. They go inside.

...

«Wow, so many precautions for one Changeling.» A creaky, high voice rang out in the damp silence. The light shone brightly directly on the skinny troll, thereby preventing him from seeing in the darkness in front of him. The half-troll stood leaning against the wall, studying him. Kanjigar stood in front, looking the same.

The spy, who had not received an answer, was not at all embarrassed. He rolled his eyes and began to fidget, rattling his chains. Checking.

The black-haired man narrowed his eyes, studying his expression. The Unclean One's jaw was clenched, and his fingers were trying to find the keyhole every now and then. An interesting sight. The silence was broken by the TrollHunter's quiet but commanding voice.

«Greetings.» The warrior stepped forward. His stoic figure seemed soft, like his smile. The teenager looked at this sight in surprise. Just a moment ago, behind these doors, Kanjigar was ready to tear the Changeling apart, and now he was expressing friendliness. Jim standing ovation. 

«Throw away your formalities» The troll in chains growled low, raising his head. Expressing defiance. The knight casually tilted his head to the side.

His gaze was calm, slowly tearing apart the prisoner in front of him. Keepir clenched his hands. I hope Kanjigar doesn't kill him prematurely.

«Tell me where the others are.» The voice was still friendly, but with a hint of aggression. It did not move from its place, silently looming over them. The changeling chuckled harshly. The young troll hesitated, watching this interaction. He was told to act as needed, but he did not want to be a silent executioner.

The chains rattled again from the sharp movements of the shoulders. A creaking laugh rang out in the room.

«Something for me to tell you?» The spy expressed his opinion arrogantly, looking up at Kanjigar. The warrior slowly moved to the left, circling above him.

"Something not to like?" He answered with a seemingly calm smile. "Maybe you should have chosen a more pleasant place?"

The changeling tried to follow his gaze, hiding his neck. A desire to repeat the Troll Hunter's movements appeared. Jim had bloody thoughts where he was attacking a prisoner. What kind of animal desire?

«Yes, it was worth it. You don't have a luxury room here.» The scout said, looking meaningfully at the dark, stone walls and moving his shoulders, pointing at the chains.

Kanjigar, without losing his "friendliness", chuckled. He didn't like this chuckle. Goosebumps ran across his skin and his fur bristled. It seemed he was not the only one who felt it. The changeling lost his false bvarada, tensing every muscle.

«Well, after all, you are an uninvited guest. And I want to know how much more I need to kill you at the Troll Market.» The Troll Hunter said this with a gentle smile, kindly squinting his eyes and saying it in such a sugary voice that everything inside went cold from the meaning of the words.

The changeling laughed nervously. He was losing control. The troll tried to move away, but the chains groaned in protest.

«And... And you think I'm going to tell you anything after this?» An involuntary chuckle broke the stoic defiance.

«Of course.» Kanjigar stopped right in front of him, looking down at him. A flash of light blinded the room.

An ear-splitting scream.

The daylight was right at the slender neck. The living stone began to turn gray.

«STOP!"»The changeling thrashed wildly in his bonds. His eyes trembled as he watched his end.

A face full of terror flashed in the sword's reflection.

«THERE ARE THREE MORE CHANGELINGS.» The sword pressed harder.

«I HAVE NOT SEEN THEIR FACES, BUT I KNOW HUGO AND GEST ARE IN THE FORGES AND GUDI AMONG THE GUARDS.»

The sword was gone. The spy was breathing heavily. His body twitched involuntarily. His gaze, unfocused on the ground, was empty. He seemed to be realizing what he had just said.

«Thank you for your cooperation.»

The Changeling's head snapped up.

Swing

Bang.

Jim simply stared at the now empty seat.

The silence of the room was oppressive. The Dead Stone hung in the air like ash.

He looked down at his shaking hands. Dry stone dust coated his skin.

His throat was dry. His breathing resumed. The moment of his first kill flashed through his mind. His eyes widened. He shook his head.

Damn.

His shaking hands grabbed the base of his horns.

No, he wasn't there.

Someone said something, the sound too soft, but too sharp for his ears.

It wasn't him.

His fingers gripped the horns with an iron grip.

Thoughts were flashing too fast.

But instinct was screaming clearly

Get a grip on yourself.

Something heavy landed on his head. The young man winced. Too much change made him stop. Someone's hand gently took his hand and moved it away from his own horns.

His gaze cleared.

"Keepir?" Kanjigar looks down at him with concern. A nervous silence falls between them.

"I'm fine." Jim quietly replied, removing his hand from his head. The warrior nodded, not wanting to touch on the subject. They left the room, leaving the empty chair with its chains on the floor and the dust settling.

Chapter Text

"What are you doing?!"

Vendel jumped up from his seat, his expression full of surprise and rage. Jim pressed his lips together. Perhaps he and Kanjigar had gone too far. The elder left the table, stomping toward his workshop, muttering troll curses under his breath. Perhaps they had gone too far.

A crash came from the next room. The black-haired man felt his ears drop and his shoulders rise. The warrior hurried to follow the old troll. The half-troll found himself alone in the same room he had been in a couple of days ago. With a heavy sigh, he relaxed resignedly on the couch. Voices and crashes came from the workshop again.

After his and Kanjigar's hunt for Changelings, the events that followed flew by. First there was the Council meeting, then the discovery of the Changeling, the spy hunt (By the way, Bagdwella was very helpful), and then the blocking of old exits, retreat and the creation of new ones. Unexpected? No. But for him, this was the event of the century.

Whiz

A blacksmith's tool flew out of the corridor leading to the workshop

"SHH!...» The puppy made a strangled sound and dodged the sharp object. Okay, time to go now.

Chapter Text

"Good night, dear." Mom said warmly, quietly closing the door. I smiled, wrapping myself in a warm blanket. The soft light of the nightlight filled the room with orange light. The car posters seemed magical, and the sticky stars on the ceiling added a special touch. I sighed softly, closing my eyes.

But for some reason it was still cold. I pulled the blanket over my head. Still cold. My legs felt icy, and my hands were shaking involuntarily. Cold sweat ran down my back. My gaze darted around the room.

Now the cozy atmosphere began to look less warm. The orange light left long shadows. The darkness showed the posters in a new way. The stars were replaced by two glowing blue eyes in the window.

Squeak Squeak Squeak

With a dissatisfied sigh, Jim turned off the alarm clock.

He grunted as he got out of bed, looking at the opposite wall. The soft singing of birds and the sunlight from the window blinded the room. The boy slowly turned to the windowsill.

No eyes.

He sighed. His shoulders slumped and a knot formed in his stomach.

«What did I expect?» Jim muttered under his breath as he got out of bed. Time to start the day.

«That dream again?» Toby said, finishing the rest of his breakfast. The boy grimaced as drool flew out.

«Don't start.» He rolled his eyes with a sigh. The stocky boy threw the wrapper into the recently empty trash can, ignoring the outrageous look from his friend.

«You've been having that dream for how long...» Domzalski said more to himself, Lake answered.

«Two days, this is the third day.» He reached into his bag, searching for his phone. The gadget was very close to being immersed in food. Jim frowned, wiping the grease off the screen. Oh, shit.

«Tobbs! It's ten to eight!» he exclaimed, turning to his frozen friend, who was licking the sauce off his fingers. Without waiting for his friend, the black-haired man climbed onto his bike, already heading forward. The red-haired man quickly wiped his hands on his trousers and repeated after him.

«Across the canal, Tobbs! We'll gain a few minutes!» Jim shouted, turning right. He closed his eyes when a strong gust of wind hit his face.

«Not across the canal!» Toby exclaimed, looking at his friend's back with slight fear.

«Live life to the fullest.» Jim said with a grin, tilting her head back. Toby continued to complain, but he no longer paid attention. A light was visible among the trees. The young man leaned closer to the steering wheel. The wind was blowing in a continuous stream. His breath was held.

Jump

A few seconds of flight. The teenager spread his arms, accepting the wind. His hair was fluttering, and his nose was slightly frozen. A smile played on his lips. A scene from "How to Train Your Dragon" appeared in his mind.

Gravity pulled him down. With a gorgeous landing, Jim found himself at the bottom of a sun-warmed canal. He let himself breathe deeply, closing his eyes. An unforgettable feeling of freedom.

«Come on Tobs!» The boy shouted, looking in the direction from which he had come. The forest silently greeted him with its calm silence, interrupted by the approaching sounds of a bicycle.

Everything went quiet....

....

«James...»

Jim froze. Goosebumps ran down his spine. The once living day froze in silent anticipation.

«James... Lake...»

A quiet, ringing voice rang out in his head. What the...

He turned to where the voice seemed to be coming from..

There, almost under the bridge in the light. The rubble lay on the dry bottom of the canal.

Something swayed in his chest.

His body began to move on its own. Slowly, Lake put his bike down on the ground, barely taking his eyes off the stones.

A familiar cry was heard from behind, followed by a dull "smack" on the ground.

His head turned in that direction, seeing his friend sprawled in a funny pose on the ground. Shaking his head and making sure the redhead was okay, he pulled the bike helmet off his head. His legs pulled him towards the bridge again.

His friend's voice gradually faded as he approached the rubble. His hands let go of the helmet halfway to them. His ears seemed to be getting blocked. Without taking his eyes off, he turned to his friend.

«Hey, Tobs?» Jim almost sighed in relief at the sound. «Did you hear that voice?» His legs buckled and he found himself kneeling in front of the rocks, looking for something with his eyes.

«What voice?» It came from just behind him. The silence seemed to thicken. Something in his chest began to flutter again.

«James Lake.»

«Ah!» Jim screamed, jumping back. Judging by another scream, Toby was scared too. We were a meter from the rubble. None of us dared to say anything.

«There!» The teenager exclaimed, recovering from a moment of shock. «This pile of rocks knows my name!» He repeated to himself again.

His body was pulled towards the rocks again.

«It's feldspar.» The stocky boy corrected, approaching him on all fours. His hand reached for the rock. Jim hesitated. Something in his chest jerked in that direction. "As if encouraging." A thought flashed through his mind, but quickly disappeared into the silence.

His hands began to remove the stones themselves. It seemed as if there was nothing. But something pulled him to continue. The red-haired man sat to his left, anxiously watching the almost impassive face of his best friend.

There was a light. The hand jerked away sharply and he recoiled. The stocky boy swallowed, moving his gaze from him to the light.

There was a stronger jerk in his chest. Without noticing it, with bated breath, the young man looks at...

He did not take his eyes off. His eyes were already starting to hurt from lack of moisture. The grip weakened, releasing the feldspar from his hands.

The pitch-black silence began to give way to a growing, humming sound. A barely noticeable warmth began to spread through his hands. Now Jim was looking almost point-blank at the object. Something was on the tip of his tongue and before he could think–

«Reminds me of an amulet...» The words escaped his lips. The warmth began to grow, moving up his arms, onto his shoulders and...

«Who's talking?!» Toby shouted, looking around. He looked away. His chest pricked unpleasantly, forcing him to pay attention to the warmth in his hands. The flow began to resume anew.

His ears began to pop. Now all he could hear was the circulating blood and the humming... of the amulet.

Something began to grow. The warmth was becoming almost scalding–

Ring!!

«AAH!»

Jim, like Toby, jumped back from the sharp. sound. He finally blinked, feeling his eyes hurt. The sounds returned in double volume, becoming too sharp for his ears. The ringing continued for a few seconds and died down.

«Last bell!» Suddenly the black-haired man realized, jumping up from his seat and heading for their abandoned bikes. Domzalski hurried after him, trying not to dwell on what had just happened.

«If we're late, they'll punish us! And our children!» He shouted, trying to dispel the awkwardness. Toby chuckled quietly, so much so that he registered it as a plus. «We can still make it!» It seemed that climbing up the canal had become easier. The red-haired man caught up with his friend. The boys made it to the road, trying not to be completely late for class.

The canal remained quiet, almost undisturbed by recent events. The burning sun continued to heat the stones, leaving cold shadows.

In one of these shadows in the sewer, a quiet, slightly hoarse voice was heard.

«It chose... a human?»

...

The rest of the time passed calmly. Jim with difficulty tore his eyes and hands from the... amulet. If it weren't for the bustle of school and Tobs, he would probably have hung out at the channels at the beginning of the day.

The teacher continued to teach the topic of the lesson. Thoughts buzzed in his head like a swarm of insects, and the quiet clicking of keyboards only added to the noise. The teenager tiredly scratched the back of his head, staring at the laptop screen. A dissatisfied sigh escaped from his throat. His eyes darted around the room and caught on a familiar figure.

Claire

"At least some ray of light in this chaos" From this comparison, his cheeks warmed. Without worrying at all, he began to examine the object of his adoration.

«You should shut your mouth» Toby said with a grin, gesturing with his hands. Already in a whisper, he added «Drooling»

«Not at all» Jim answered, continuing his work, not paying attention to the skeptical look of his friend. The chubby boy continued typing. The skinny boy watched lazily, holding the amulet in his pocket with his free hand. «What are you doing?» Toby sighed, rolling his eyes and answered as if it was obvious. «Looking.»

«Type in 'talking amulet,'» he suggested.

«Already typed in,» Toby said brokenly, moving away from the laptop. «Just toys.» Domzalski pointedly showed the search engine screen and the options offered.

«Do you agree?»

A voice was heard from behind. Lake winced, turning to Mr. Strickler.

«The war tactics I described?» The teacher continued, looking down at me. The teenager chuckled nervously. When did he even appear?! Jim turned to Toby, expecting help. He whistled expressively, looking away. What a friend!

Without thinking twice, he answered, «Of course!» The voice sounded a note higher. His hands began to sweat.

«Excellent.» Strickler said, looking down. «May I know which ones?» the teacher continued to press, clicking his favorite pen. The boy swallowed. The hell with what?!

«With the victorious ones?» Laughter spread through the class, and then the bell rang. Darcy turned to me, cheerfully raising an eyebrow. A lump rose in my throat. Everyone had already gathered and left the class, leaving me, Toby and the teacher in the office.

He also began to pack his bag, seeing how Toby waved his hand towards the door.

«Jim.» His hand hung in the air with a book. The bag fell to the floor. «A few words» The adult said meaningfully, smiling at the stocky one. He began to collect objects from the floor until the sound of the door was heard.

Crowds of students can be heard from the corridor, but all this bypasses the history room. The warm light from the windows pleasantly warmed the skin, adding a cozy atmosphere to the class. Walter came to help Jim.

«You fell asleep between the invasion of Atika and the Peace of Nika.» The teacher began in a pleasant voice, while helping me pack my bag. «And then you weren't paying attention for the rest of the lesson.» He finished by handing the history book into my hands. S pressed his lips together, looking at the textbook. Bright blue eyes flashed in his memory.

«Sorry... I didn't get enough sleep today.» Strickler shook his head and handed me the headphones.

«I know you live alone with your mom and want to help her.» For some reason, this glory struck a chord. His history teacher could always get to the bottom of things.

«She gets tired every day.» Jim said defensively. «She works two shifts.» He looked up guiltily. Strickler took some sticky notes from somewhere and wrote something on them.

«I think I should talk to her.» The black-haired man became worried. Did he do something wrong? «Have her call me.» Strickler handed over the piece of paper, doing a little trick with his pen.

«And... feel free to come into my office if you want to talk.» A slightly cold hand landed on his left shoulder. Usually a calming effect, it suddenly became unnerving.

The amulet in his pocket became slightly warmer.

«Oh, sure!» The answer was too quick, making Strickler a little taken aback. What's wrong with me today? Jim guiltily put the sticker in his bag with his textbooks. I hope it doesn't wrinkle.

«And Jim.» Strickler's voice didn't waver at all from the abrupt answer. «If you have a crush on Ms. Nunez, you'll get more done if you use your words.»

The textbook playfully hit him on the head, causing his cheeks to turn wildly red. Putting the last book in his bag, he headed for the exit.

...

Physical education was terrible.. Well, in his opinion. Also, it felt like someone was watching him. For example, that incident in the locker room. Not to mention what happened after school. Steve was on his tail now, but what Eli said.. creatures with stone skin in the canals? Unnerving.

Jim closed the door. The dark hallway, illuminated by moonlight, and the stale air greeted him with its familiar atmosphere. Home sweet home.

A dissatisfied sigh. The bag went to the couch, while he turned on the TV with a practiced motion.

«Ow...» The black-haired man hissed, closing his eyes. The too-bright blue light illuminated the room. His hand found the remote and turned down the brightness. Nothing had changed. He grimaced, looking at the equipment with displeasure. Could the TV have broken?

«I'll have to tell Mom about this.» A thoughtful muttering echoed through the room. Jim sat down on the sofa, pulling his bag towards him. Curiosity fluttered in his chest. In the darkness, dimly illuminated by the blue light, the metal of the amulet gleamed mysteriously. His brows furrowed. Wasn't it glowing?

<<I'm a combat robot, take the phone>>

Quickly turning off the phone's ringer, I brought it to my ear.

«Hi, Tobs.» The boy answered automatically. No one except his best friend and mom usually calls him, so the choice was obvious.

<<Hi. Did he do something interesting?>> Toby's curious voice rang out.

«No.» Jim turned the amulet over and over, examining it from all sides.

<<Toby pie! It's time for dinner!>> The blue-eyed boy hissed and pulled the phone away from his ear. Surprisingly quiet Grandma Nana can be unexpectedly loud on the phone.

<<I'm coming, Grandma!>> The chubby boy immediately shouted. <<I'm coming. Tell me if anything happens!>>

The call disconnected

For a moment he just stared at the phone screen, lost in his thoughts. A bundle of nerves began to swirl in his chest. His hands began to sweat from the overwhelming anxiety. Jim changed the channel.

The sequel to Robot Gun was somewhere in the middle of the film. He was late again.

Another glow caught his attention.

The amulet in his hand began to glow a soft blue.

«Um...»His eyebrows rose in surprise. «Hello? How are you?»

A growing hum accompanied the glow.

«I'm Jim.» The TV continued to play, adding a muffled background noise. «Well, you already know.» "How would some clock—

The glow dimmed slightly.

"The amulet, know its name?" Jim immediately corrected himself, examining the object in his hands. The light grew brighter. The strangeness of the situation washed over him. Fatigue fell upon him like never before.

«I'm talking to an inanimate object.» He said to himself, not paying attention to the amulet that flickered with a bright blue light. The black-haired man stared at the ceiling.

«Come on!" he exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the amulet. «Answer or I'll sell you on eBay!»

A roar

«Ah!»The unexpected sound made his hand involuntarily squeeze the object into an iron vice. The forgotten anxiety suddenly began to grow. Was the sound coming from the basement or did it seem to him? The glow in his hands attracted his attention again.

...

The basement door creaked open. The light from the corridor ominously illuminated the stairs down, not reaching the end. Something stirred in the darkness. Thoughts began to draw ominous figures.

«Raccoons.» Jim said soothingly, grabbing a nearby broom.

Something knocked over a couple of coals from the stove. The anxiety began to grow. A vague ringing sound rang in his ears.

Now, in the light of the bulb, Jim saw that the basement did not look in the best condition. It looked like a hurricane had passed through. Several boxes were knocked over, cans were broken and... were those bite marks on his old bike?

The sight was comical. It was as if someone had tried to do it without being noticed, but judging by the obviously torn metal, it had not been successful.

Scr

«Ah!» Jim yelped, turning around. The recently turned on bulb seemed to have burst. Goosebumps ran up his arms. "I knew I should have changed that bulb this morning." With a sigh, he turned back to the old bike.

And yet... What kind of animal could...

«Master Jim!»

Hands automatically hit what was behind his back.

The broom hit something with a thud. A quiet growl. The massive figure went into the darkness.

Emotions played like a storm in his head. Palms began to sweat, but did not loosen their grip. WHAT WAS THAT?!

His eyes frantically scanned the darkness in front of him as he backed away. His gaze managed to catch on a vaguely resembling figure. To my right, the fire from the stove began to warm the air. Jim swallowed, retreating further —

His back hit a slightly warm stone. He froze. Warm air blew over his head.

Right behind him. Enormous. A fucking Monster.

Lake jumped back with a scream, completely ignoring the words spoken by this monster.

«Hello... I. Arrgh.» A hand, three times bigger than his head and thicker than a log, rose up. Cold sweat poured down his back.

He immediately jumped back, but another creature had already approached. The broom fell somewhere. His hands were shaking and accidentally touched the stove. Heat spread through his body, but such a pleasant one, like from an amulet.

«Did he say 'Aaaah'?» A loud, hoarse bass sounded from his left. Two monsters had entered the cutting field. Now the light fell on their features, allowing him to see them a little better. His legs went limp and Jim found himself on the ground.

«More like a scream.» The smaller monster said thoughtfully. «Perhaps a greeting.» He addressed the last phrase to the furry monster. The many-eyed one turned to me with a scream.

An unpleasant stench along with hot air enveloped Jim. Large fangs made his hands tremble and his body retreat. He rushed to the stairs -

A large hand grabbed his leg. The grip was weak, but also strong. The blood began to flow to his head, adding a headache to the fear.

His heart began to beat faster. His breathing began to pound wildly. Hands tremblingly covered his face from the big face of the hairy monster. Big nose, buried in his stomach, inhaling the smell strongly. With a quiet growl, the monster moved away and awkwardly said to the short

«Blinky, we're scaring him.»

«Arrgh, don't ruin the solemn moment?»

Solemn?

The hairy one, Arrgh, thoughtfully mumbled «Salemn?»

«Keep your dignity.» Said the many-eyed one, Blinky.

What?

Jim finally gathered his will into a fist, in a trembling and weak voice said «Oh.. Put me down...Please.» The voice came out pitifully, but it seemed that it was enough for him to be released to the ground. And it was definitely not because the short monster ordered his friend (?) to put him down, not at all.

Big hands instantly turned him over, patting him good-naturedly on the head. What's going on?

While he was coming to his senses, the short one muttered thoughtfully under his breath, «Where was I?» The giant raised a finger (did he only have four fingers?) and replied, «Master Jim, we found you.»

It seemed the monsters had just remembered that Jim was also in this room. The black-haired one backed away, crashing into the big guy again.

«Master Jim.» The four-armed one (four arms?!) said, «You have been chosen by the Daylight Amulet and commands you to fulfill your sacred duty!» the monster said solemnly, raising two pairs of hands.

«You people.» He leaned toward him. «Unknown to you, there is a mysterious world of trolls and magic beneath your feet.»

«Trolls?» The words echoed in the back of his head. It felt like he'd heard it before.

«Yes! Trolls!» The troll said, impatient and slightly displeased? «And now, it's your duty to protect them.»

What

«Because you, Master Jim...» The monster, the troll, had a sad glint in his eyes? «A trollhunter.»

«What?» He cried, leaning his back against the giant monster behind him. It cried out excitedly, «A trollhunter!»

«Take this honor, Master Jim.» The monster's voice, shorter than his, sounded very close to his face.

Jim fainted.

His eyes flew open. He stared at the ceiling of the basement. Morning light was streaming in from a small window, and the warmth of the fireplace was warming the cold floor.

This is not a fucking dream.

Jim quickly jumped up to a sitting position. His vision blurred. His hand reached for the phone, dialing the number he'd memorized.

Beep.....

...

Beep...

Damn, pick up the phone!

Beep..

<<Hello?>> A muffled voice came from the other end of the line.

«Tobs! I'm going nuts!» he shouted into the phone. All the emotions from yesterday flared up again. «I heard sounds in the basement last night. I thought they were raccoons. BUT here!» His hands began to gesticulate excitedly until the words were interrupted by the sound of a drill and a hasty goodbye.

...

«Ahh, Mr. Lake.» Strickler's voice came right after the door opened. Sometimes Jim was amazed at how his history teacher could recognize a person before he even appeared in his field of vision. «How can I help you?» he said, putting his papers down and clicking his pen.

«You look pale. Come in, don't stand in the doorway.» The adult said kindly, pointing to the chair with his free hand.

The teenager walked inside, already taking out the chair, starting to increase its height. The teacher only looked at this with slight displeasure. Strickler always had his... cockroaches in his head.

«Something happened yesterday... unbelievable.» I began, trying to find the words. «Something that you won't believe!» He sat down on the chair. Still low. Jim tried to twist the length again, but nothing changed. Broken?

«Well.» Strickler chuckled, putting down his pen. «Maybe I'll believe you.» The black-haired man hesitated from such attention.

«Well, last night, my house was broken into..»"

The flow of words stopped. Something in his chest crackled with discontent. He couldn't tell him about the troll.

«Trainers.» Strickler blinked in surprise. Jim pretended to spin around in his chair, trying to hide the tension. «Yes, the trainers who will train me...» His eyes darted around the room, trying to think of something good.

His gaze was caught by an unfinished game of-

«A game of chess» He got up from the table to inspect the board, not noticing how the teacher flinched at the sudden change. Every time he entered this room, the pieces were only occasionally moved or not moved at all. Maybe he was just imagining it.

«And why did that bother you?"»He picked up the white horse piece. His face wrinkled at the memories of yesterday. «They were... quite interesting.»

Outside the window, children were playing on the soccer field. Someone kicked the ball and it flew straight into the goalie. And that someone...

Steve glared at him. Jim shook his head. Steve was now on the other side of the field. It seemed to be his imagination.

«I think I know why you're confused, Jim.» He turned to him hopefully and almost jumped back. Strickler was standing behind him. «Like I said yesterday. You've taken on too much.»

Lake looked at the chess piece in his hand, just to avoid looking at his teacher. He held out his hand, palm open. He placed the knight piece in it, and the Historian returned it to its place.

«I know. You want to help your mother.» Strickler dropped the chess piece, which seemed to be a queen, with a slight movement. «But as a great poet once said, 'Do what you like, or you'll be no good.'» Jim frowned at the board, what poet had said that? They were interrupted by a bell.

«Thanks for the advice.» The teenager said, turning to the adult. «You're a good conversationalist.» The bag was already on his shoulder. Jim turned his back to him, but...

«You're welcome.» Strickler replied, his eyes burning into the back of Jim's head.

Something frightened flared up in his chest.

Frowning and clutching the amulet in his pocket, he went out into the hallway. The door closed behind him.

Whiz

The knife deftly cut the tomato.

The last two days had been... eventful. Only cooking had saved him from all the thoughts and emotions that had accumulated during the day. His pocket suddenly began to warm up.

The amulet began to emit a soft blue light.

...

The backyard was in pleasant darkness. A cold breeze blew across his face, and the door behind him clicked shut. Someone was calling a dog in the background, but his attention was riveted to the object in his hand.

The metal, instead of being cold, was... warm? Almost hot even. Jim ran his hand over the engraved inscriptions in another language. Most likely, the Troll language. "Interesting..."

The words glowed the same color.

Accompanied by the clicking and humming of the mechanism, the language began to change until it changed to English.

He frowned, peering at the words.

«For the glory of... Merlin...»

The warmth from the metal began to penetrate his fingers.

«...Daylight...»

His eyes began to water involuntarily.

«Comments... to me.»

A soft breeze blew. The cold completely left, allowing the heat to come to the fore. His throat went dry and his head spun.

A strong gust of wind shook the fence and disassembled the autumn leaves. His legs buckled slightly. The grip became stronger. Jim squinted at the amulet. And then

A bright light flew out of the back of the object. He couldn't look away. The flame slowly began to spin and flew into his chest. A disbelieving laugh escaped.

What was that?

Suddenly, several more flew out after it.

Spark!

Something fell into place. A bright fire ignited in his chest. The warmth became almost scalding, but not painful. No. It was...

There was a buzzing in his ears, and a raging fire in his chest.

Thoughts stopped. Only feelings remained. The missing part returned.

Jim dimly realized that he was now in the air.

Iron pieces began to appear in flashes of light around him.

Skrrr

With a clang, they all merged into armor. The young man fell to the ground from their weight, his gaze obscured by the glowing metal. "It seems they.."

A soft stream of heat passed through his body. His eyes widened in surprise.

The armor now fits like a glove!

«This is... awesome.. so cool!» Jim exclaimed in an enthusiastic voice, looking at his hands. Another stream of heat flared up, only this time concentrated in one point.

A couple more lights burst out of the amulet on the left side of his chest and flew into his open right palm.

A blinding light spread throughout the entire yard. The hand tightened around... Light?

He was holding the light?

As suddenly as it had appeared, the light faded, taking shape

«Sword?»

He almost fell from the weight that appeared. His hands reached up, trying to pull the sword into a horizontal position.

Blue fire wrapped around the sword as it shrank to a more comfortable size.

Jim looked at it with admiration. A childhood dream played out. He looked around and made sure that there was definitely no one around. A grin spread across his face.

The black-haired man swung his sword, taking poses like in books about knights. Standing with a sword on his hip. Sword pointed at the enemy. Sword over his head-

The blade, like butter, stuck into the stone.

The man stood dangerously close to the edge of the bridge. Cars drove past completely oblivious.

Strickler stood opposite the fence, looking at a pile of stones at the bottom of the canal.

The smell of rats and rot.

A massive black figure emerged from under the bridge, heading towards the remains of the fallen troll.

Te eyes flashed a poisonous yellow. The teacher snorted contemptuously as he walked away to the car.

«I suppose the amulet has found its warrior.» A roar was heard from below.

This is the third night they have been unable to find a new TrollHunter.

Chapter Text

The bike passes through a puddle, splashing mud in all directions. The Dentistry was already visible

Jim opens the door.

The smell of antibiotics and toothpaste hits his nose. Surprisingly, even the smell of socks. The woman at the reception looks at him strangely, like a falcon, without taking her eyes off.

«You can't go there with him...»

Jim ignores the warnings and enters the only office..

This is a very strange picture. Probably even stranger than his chewed-up old bike.

The dentist has just bent over for something and is holding Toby Domzalski's mouth open with his finger. This does not seem very hygienic. So.

«Tobs!» Jim began, putting his bag on the floor, starting to gesticulate. «I need to talk to you.»

«I'm going to be a little...» The dentist stretched out, pulling Toby along with him. «... hanyat.»

What?

«He said he was a little busy right now.» The Dentist answered automatically, stuffing Toby's mouth with... dental cotton? The black-haired guy grimaced as he watched. Judging by the painful sounds, it wasn't very pleasant.

«Remember that thing we found?» He tried to distract his friend from the pain by continuing his story. «It works! And it just works...»

Toby mumbled something again. He tilted his head to the side, trying to make out the words. The Dentist leaned over again, taking out a dubious-looking drill. «He said: Let's do it later, buddy.»

«I could hardly wait for the sun to rise!» Jim exclaimed, clutching his head. «Who goes to the dentist two days in a row!»

Toby started mumbling something again, and the Dentist translated again. «I want to get my braces off before I'm 30»  Jim stepped back, watching the man's actions while listening to his best friend's now completely incomprehensible mumbling.

«He says my mouth is like a construction site.» That translation sounds dubious.

«How much longer is this going to take?» The voice sounded a little desperate, already anticipating acceptance of the situation.

«I can't believe it takes eight hours!» Jim exclaimed, pacing the kitchen while Toby counted in the background what exactly he had spent the money on.

Something flared in his chest, indicating its presence.

«Okay.» Jim turned toward the hall, ignoring his friend's embarrassment.

His hands reached out impatiently toward the familiar warmth. The metal gleamed pleasantly in the light.

«Check it out.» Jim said, turning to the stocky young man... who was already reaching for the refrigerator. He had just come from the dentist.

The redhead looked unimpressively at the outstretched hand with the amulet. «Do you have aspirin?» The black-haired man's admiration waned slightly

«Tobs, don't get distracted.» The voice sounded like he was rolling his eyes. The warm metal felt pleasant on his fingers.

He looked at the amulet.

Toby wouldn't believe him until he saw it. Lake focused on the fire in his chest.

«For the glory of Merlin, Daylight comm—»

The words first Zvin microwave. When did he even have time to put pizza in the microwave? And what's even stranger

«Yesterday worked.» Jim voiced his thoughts, scratching the back of his head. Toby turned to him, closing the appliance.

«Are you kidding me?» The green-eyed man's voice did not express excitement, and his raised right eyebrow showed slight irritation. It seemed that the eight-hour reception had exhausted him.

«No, no, no!» This was not how he wanted to start the performance. His hand ran through the dry hair on the back of his head. His restless gaze turned to the object in his hands.

Those feelings from yesterday flared up in his memories. Why aren't they there now?

Where is that fire?

His body felt that same weightlessness and warmth.

«Holy mushrooms...» Toby stared at his friend engulfed in blue fire. His throat was dry, and spots of light remained in his eyes. The weight of the food on his hand had disappeared somewhere.

With another flash of light, metal appeared, combining into armor.

In an instant, Jim found himself on the ground in shining armor.

«Wow, isn't it!» The black-haired man exclaimed joyfully from the all-consuming warmth that passed through his body.

The red-haired  looked at his friend with his jaw hanging open. The afterimage of light was burned into his retina, but it didn't stop him from looking at the magical armor. It was as if an electric charge had run down his spine and he could barely speak.

«Whaaaat...»All his senses suddenly returned. «Ohmygodohmygod!» Toby chattered, grabbing Jim's hand and examining the engraved patterns. The metal was surprisingly not cold, but warm, even hot. Black chainmail was visible at the folds of his bangles and fingers, through which his usual blue cardigan was not visible. Where did he put his old clothes?

«You know what that means, right?» The short boy suddenly said, covering his mouth with his hand. «You have a sacred duty!» For some reason, these words reminded him of the words of the many-eyed monster.

«Yes! That's what they said!» The tall boy said with a smile.

«Oh my god oh my god!» Toby started babbling happily again, jumping up and down. It seemed like his friend was enjoying it more than he was. Jim chuckled good-naturedly at his enthusiasm

«You should use your powers for the good of humanity!»  The redhead said, quoting a line from Robot Gun. A smirk appeared on his friend's face. «I mean... use them to kick Steve's ass.»

Jim looked at the redhead almost incredulously. «Are you serious?» He straightened up, holding out his hands to show his appearance. «I'm showing you shiny, magical armor! And you're thinking about kicking Steve's ass?»

«Really! It's time to show that second-rate villain where he belongs!» It seemed the black-haired man's words only inspired Toby to come up with new ideas.

«By the way, who are 'they'?» The short one said, turning to him.

Nervousness settled on his shoulders. In all the little commotion, he had forgotten to tell the whole story. The armoured hand went over the back of his head again.

«That's what scares me—»

Some feeling ignited

Knock knock knock.

Jim and Toby both turn to the door to the yard at the same time.

Blinky appears right outside the window, grinning toothily (he's almost sure it's a smile) and waving at them. The black-haired boy timidly mirrored the troll's actions, only with a less confident look.

«Wh.. What is this..» A hoarse voice came from the right. Jim turned to his friend. The stocky boy froze in a stiff pose. His chin was shaking slightly, and his hands were clenching impulsively, his gaze slowly turning to him.

«Jim, don't open the door.»

Blinky's response was to throw the door open, bursting into the room with a cheerful greeting.

The blue-eyed teenager was nearly knocked over by a startled Tobs, who jumped behind the counter with a shout of «I'm calling 911!»

A giant figure of Arrgh appears in the doorway, and Jim can only now realize how big he really is.

A hand grabs him in its palms, and the boy finds himself halfway to the counter with Toby.

In the background, the two trolls exchanged glances.

Blinky cleared his throat and slowly stepped forward. «Master Jim, I'm glad you decided to don the armor.»

«Why?» he asked, feeling unsure of the whole situation. The many-eyed man stopped. All six eyes looked at Jim with some nostalgia. The lower pair of hands shook nervously.

Thud...

There was a crash behind them. Everyone turned to look at Arrgh, who managed to pass through the doorway, now sprawled flat on the floor.

«The door... Small» the furry troll growled unhappily with a nervous smile looking at the blue-eyed one. Jim responded with his own smile and a finger up.

Something pulled him back and he finds himself in the awkward but steadfast embrace of his best friend. Toby looked a little better, but still scared. The panic attack passed him by, leaving behind only slightly trembling hands and icy sweat on his back.

His vision began to blur..

...

«What did Jimbo get himself into?!»

With this scream, the mentioned teenager had just come out of unconsciousness. The bright light from the corridor blinded the black-haired one for a moment, until someone's hand covered him. Toby and Blinky's voices came from the kitchen, and a warm breeze blew overhead. Jim looked up to see Arrrgh's satisfied troll face.

What happened?

«Master Jim passed out.» The big troll said, looking at the skinny guy's face with interest. The young man nodded dumbly at the answer he received. He wouldn't even ask how the furry giant knew what Jim was thinking.

«What's going on?» he asked, turning towards the kitchen, where the heated conversations were coming from. Arrghh turned there too, with a frowning face he answered.

«When Master Jim passed out, Blinky wanted to take him to the TrollMarket, but Toby refused.» Lake frowned, trying to digest Arrghh's rough English.

«Oh... Okay,» he said, leaning against the big troll. The kind giant only groaned contentedly, sitting down in the same position he had been in before.

The black-haired young man tried to recreate the entire situation in his head.

That is, he passed out in the middle of Toby's meeting with Blinky and Arrghh. Toby, of course, became even more worried (The teenager winced guiltily at the thought that he had made his friend even more worried). Blinky offered to take him to some Troll Market? And now he was apparently explaining something to his best friend.

The floorboards creaked from the kitchen and Blinky entered the room, accompanied by Toby.

«As I was saying, the TrollHunter is...» The troll was telling Toby something in a teacher's tone when he noticed that his protégé was already conscious. «Master Jim!»

«Jimbo!» Toby shouted joyfully, already rushing towards him. Before Jim could come to his senses, he was already in the arms of his friend. «You have no idea how much I've learned!» The stocky boy began to shake him emotionally, continuing to babble.

«After you lost consciousness, of course I got worried. I wanted to call Barbara, but Blinky would offer to take you to some Troll Market! But she should be here soon. She'll go crazy if you're not home! And then I'll...»

«Wait!» he shouted, grabbing Toby by the shoulders. Jim's gaze pierced his friend's eyes. «What time is it?!» Toby's face turned pale. At the same time, they turned to the wall clock.

11:40 pm

A familiar red car began to drive up to the dead end.

«Everyone to the basement! Quickly»" he commanded, jumping up from the floor. His hand found Blinky's, who was in a rather puzzled position, and pulled him towards the stairs. Toby tried to pull Arrrgh, but almost fell because the giant grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him along.

Jim threw open the basement door, the many-eyed one stumbled down the stairs, stopping at the bottom. After him, Arrrgh barely squeezed through and fell down. How did they manage to get into the house almost silently the first time?

He heard the keys being inserted into the keyhole through the back of his ear.

A cold sweat ran through the dog.

And with a bang, the young man closed the door behind him.

Barely distinguishable steps were heard from above, going up. He exhaled relaxedly.

In a blinding flash of light, the armor disappeared, leaving behind an amulet.

«Why..?» Jim picked up the amulet from the floor, turning to Blinky. The four-armed troll immediately rushed to him with a ready-made answer. «The amulet reacts to your emotions. When you are wound up, it activates, when you are calm, it deactivates.»

«Oh...» His gaze studied the object glowing like a spotlight. «..Interesting...» He muttered thoughtfully.

«Actually, I have one more question.» A voice was heard behind the bluestone troll, then its owner.

«Speak, Theodore.»

«Actually, Toby or Tobias.» The redhead corrected, clasping his hands together. «If Jim is the first human Troll Hunter, then who was the TrollHunter before him?»

«What?» Jim said in surprise, looking from Toby to Blinky. What had he missed while he was out? The many-eyed troll smiled contentedly at the well-asked question.

«It's a title.» His tone took on a fairy-tale tone. «It's been passed down from Troll to Troll for many centuries. It will spoil the origins of the beginning of Merlin—»

«Wait, wait...» The skinny teenager interrupted, waving his arms. «So my predecessor resigned...?» An unpleasant excitement began to grow.

Arrgh and Blinky exchanged glances. He did not like their looks. The short troll's ears dropped, and his gaze stopped at his hands.

«He... fell...»

«Fallen...?» Jim's voice was disbelieving and cracked. A knot of fear formed in his stomach.

«Was killed.» Arrrghh's voice was quieter than before. His gaze expressed condolence and sympathy for the past Warrior.

«He was petrified and broken,» Blinky began in the same quiet voice, if not quieter. His hands were shaking erratically, his nose twitched slightly. «He was killed... Kanjigar the Brave.» But despite this, the name was spoken with honor and pride.

His arms weakened. His breathing stopped and his legs almost gave way. Jim could not tear his eyes away from the face full of grief. Blinky continued to speak, but the words no longer reached him. Fear enveloped his heart.

A warm hand took his in its palms. His cloudy gaze turned to his equally frightened friend. Toby squeezed his hand encouragingly. Jim looked... fragile, as if one more word could break him mercilessly. A stone hand fell on his right shoulder.

«Master Jim, you look... frail...» The short troll began to choose his words uncertainly.

«I understand that a completely new world has opened up for you now, one that neither you nor your friend have ever been in.» He exchanged glances with Toby.

«It will be hard for you at first... maybe scary. But I believe that you can get through this.» Hope appeared in Blinky's eyes. Faith that the boy before him could become the very hero about whom legends are made. And Jim...

He could not respond in kind.

«But of course, we cannot allow Master Jim to enter the battle without proper training.» Blinky responded with a firm voice, nodding along with Arrgh.

«You see!» Toby happily chimed in. «How long will the training last?» The many-eyed man stopped. He raised all four hands and counted something on his four-fingered fingers.

«Dozens of years.»

«And how much time do I have?» Jim asked fearfully.

«One or two days.» Behind Blinky, Arrgh made a plus-minus motion. Jim hopelessly moaned, making a face with his hand.

«Jim, where are you?» Barbara's worried voice came from the second floor. They had completely forgotten about her.

Before he could come to his senses, Toby pulled him up.

«What are you doing, Tobs?!» Jim hissed, looking at the redhead's stoic expression.

«Saving our asses.» They accidentally startled Barbara, who was standing near the basement, by opening the door abruptly.

«Boys!?» The doctor came closer, looking at them with concern. «What were you doing in the basement?» Her gaze immediately became harsher.

Toby cleared his throat. «Well... I wanted some jam...?» All the fortitude and determination immediately disappeared from his friend's face. Jim really wanted to groan at this obvious lie.

Barbara looked at them and the basement door skeptically. She was about to say something, when the phone in her hand rang. With a sigh, she hung up the phone, saying «I'll be back in the morning» and heading for the exit, waving goodbye.

«Well... I saved us!» Toby put his hands on his hips and headed for the basement. Jim rolled his eyes and followed him with a smirk. «You were saved by her being called back to work.»

...

Jim cleaned up the mess left by Arrrgh's clumsiness while listening to Blinky. There were happy conversations coming from the living room, it seemed Toby and Arrrgh were getting along well.

«Master Jim?» A stone hand landed on his right shoulder. Blinky looked impatient and happy. «We need to start training immediately.»

«Um... but...» His gaze darted around the room. The cooking book became metaphorically heavier. «I can't! I have school tomorrow.»

The teenager looked towards his school bag, not seeing the happy face of the bluestone troll twitch. «I don't get it, what does this have to do with anything?»

While the two were engrossed in their conversation, Toby and Arrrgh exchanged glances at the confrontation. The redhead seemed to understand what Jim was trying to convey.

«... I can't hunt trolls.» He studiously ignored the burning gaze on the back of his head, gathering the remaining books from the floor.

«I'm only 15, that's the rub...» Blinky frowned thoughtfully. «The rub?» Taking a deep breath–

Jim turned around abruptly, throwing up his hands

«I don't want to die!»

For a second, Blinky froze. His arms hung at his sides. And just as quickly, the vision disappeared with the laughter of the many-eyed troll.

«By the power of heaven, who would want that?» He exclaimed with a good-natured smile (Jim pretended not to notice how the smile faltered).

The blue-eyed youth's gaze began to drop. «Maybe he was mistaken...» His hand found the weight of the amulet in his pocket.

«What what?» With a quiet voice, Blinky leaned closer, keeping his arm's length away.

The palm squeezed the metal tighter.

«What if he was mistaken.» Blinky pulled back. His tone came out too harshly than Jim himself intended.

«That is...» He quickly corrected himself, taking out the amulet. The magical blue stone glowed softly.

«You better take it.» A sharp pain stabbed his chest, but Jim didn't show it.

Blinky's face took on that sick look again. His gaze met the amulet in Jim's hands in dejection.

Arrghh lowered his head. Toby didn't know what to do. He didn't understand what was happening. Not wanting to disturb the other two, he turned to the kind giant.

«Why does Blinky... sometimes look like...» The chubby boy gestured with his hands, trying to find the right word.

«Like he's seen it before?» Arrghh finished in the same quiet voice. Toby wanted to snap his fingers, but nodded instead. The gray-stone troll shook his head. He'll tell you later. The red-haired one looked down sadly.

«But Master Jim!» The many-eyed one exclaimed, returning the artifact to the boy's hands. «You can't refuse it, it's yours for the rest of your days.»

Jim forced the amulet back into Blinky's hands with a sharp, «You know, I'd still like to survive my teenage years.» His hands lingered a moment longer, which was his mistake, because the stone palms gently squeezed him, not letting go.

«Master Jim.» The troll began, looking all his eyes into Jim's eyes. «You are now responsible for the peace of two worlds. If the balance is not maintained, then the evil trolls, represented by Bular –»

Blinky's voice wavered, and her hands squeezed it a little tighter.

«–will destroy it, causing harm to everyone.»

«Harm?» He felt a knot of fear and anxiety. Blinky hesitated, looking down at their hands.

«Bular will stop at nothing to enslave everything, especially the TrollHunter.»

The stone palms opened, revealing the amulet in Jim's palms. «It is now yours. Whether you like it or not, he's yours until death.»

«Listen, don't you think Jim is... A little confused?» Toby found himself on his friend's left, putting his hand on his shoulder. «After all, you've dumped a lot of information on him.»

Giving up, Blinky relaxed, turning his gaze to the approaching Arrrgh. «Okay. We'll come tomorrow and start training.»

Toby had bought him one day...

Somehow, that thought wasn't comforting at all.

And....

«Destiny is a gift...» Jim muttered in the silence of the dark room.

The day was starting off well. Except for the Amulet almost activating in public and the strange newfound nervousness around Strickler.

Oh, and the Rameo auditions.

Thinking back on it now, Jim is surprised he even agreed to it. What wouldn't he do for love.

The only thing that calms him down now is the rushing air and the pedals of his bike.

From behind, Toby shouted again for Jim to slow down.

«Phew...» The redhead was close enough to continue the conversation. «So, Romeo, what do you think this 'Troll Market' is going to look like?» He said excitedly, looking at the thoughtful expression on his face. A construction site appeared ahead.

«To be honest, I—»

Fear.

An all-consuming fear ran through his sweat like ice water.

Jim slammed on the brakes so hard and abruptly that he almost flipped over. Toby stopped after his friend. His hands trembled as he gripped the steering wheel.

«Jimbo...?»

«Let's go.»

The voice cut like a dagger through the empty street. Too quiet. He tried to listen for the sounds of cars or people.

Nothing.

A thin, warm hand grabbed a plump palm and pulled it back. Blue eyes met forest green. Without resisting, Toby turned back on his bike and headed after Jim, leaving the slowly rising shadow.

Blood-red eyes cut through the darkness.

...

Fear still paralyzes the body. Hands nervously move on the handlebars. Kareem's dark-haired eyes follow every passing shadow. Since Toby and Jim left that street, they have not been able to shake the feeling that someone is watching them.

Twilight dawns

Suspicion flows into paranoia. The two teenagers are already approaching the outskirts of the city. A pleasant forest smell. The cold air flutters the leaves of the trees and bushes. Two trolls crawl out of the thicket.

«AAH!»

The screeching sound of tires

A skid mark stretches across the asphalt. Jim hits his belly unpleasantly on the steering wheel, followed by Toby falling off his bike. Arrgh, guiltily wincing as he and Blinky emerged from the bushes.

«Master Jim! Young Tobias!» The many-eyed troll greeted the two out-of-breath teenagers with a joyful smile.

«Blink.....» The red-haired man took a deep breath. "Why are you scaring me like that?!" Jim hissed quietly, glaring venomously at the unrepentant troll.

«To the TrollMarket.» Arrgh, interrupting Blinky before he could begin speaking, reminding everyone of the topic.

«Exactly, old friend.» The four-armed man immediately became serious, raising Tobs to his feet. «We need to go before they find us.»

The two teenagers exchanged glances.

...

«So what did Troll Market look like?» Jim asked casually, dragging his bike behind him. Blinky's wary face immediately brightened.

«Well, Master Jim, it's not something I can explain with simple words.» The yellow-eyed troll replied with a kind and mysterious smile, putting his lower pair of hands behind his back. Toby groaned again in displeasure, pulling the tires out of the mud.

«How much longer do we have to go?» He turned to them with a tired face.

«Already here.» A hoarse bass voice came from the front. Arrgh, he parted the branches of the bushes and trees, revealing–

«Canals?» The teenagers said in a surprised chorus. Toby groaned again

«We could have been on a good road all this time.» The red-haired one raised his head to the sky. «But instead, we were climbing through mud and leaves for what?!» He threw his hands up to the sides, causing the short one's bike to fall into the aforementioned mud.

«We're trolls,» Blinky began in a teacherly tone. «We like to stay secret, and getting on the 'good road' means meeting people.» He explained as he walked through the undergrowth toward the canal.

With a tired sigh, Jim simply followed him. Toby, still grumbling, stepped forward.

«Hey, there's someone there.» The surprised voice of his friend came from ahead. The black-haired man frowned.

«What?» He came closer, looking straight down. Sure enough. There was someone walking under the bridge in the shadows. Anxiety burrowed in his chest.

«Maybe the janitor?» Toby raised an eyebrow, looking at the man under the bridge with excessive concentration.

The tall boy grinned. «The janitor?» The short one shrugged with the same grin, stepping forward.

A stone-gray hand appeared in front of him.

Toby bumped into her in surprise. Jim felt nervous again. The redhead looked at the kind giant with confusion and surprise.

The troll's ears were pressed to his head, reminiscent of a frightened cat. Arrgh, with extreme care, he pulled Toby and Jim back into the shade of the trees.

«What happened–» He was interrupted by Blinky covering his mouth with his hand. His body instantly tensed and relaxed just as quickly. In all this time of their acquaintance, trolls had never threatened them. So there must be a reason for such behavior.

All four hands pressed to the cool stone, Blinky's head bowed.

«Quiet. Don't let him hear.»

The man came out from under the bridge.

The figure. Once seemingly human... turned out to be a troll.

A black stone. Two cleavers on his back. And scarlet eyes.

Jim froze.

Suddenly a fire began to grow in his chest. He felt more than saw the amulet in his pocket begin to glow.

A bloody gaze turned in their direction.

Without thinking twice, Blinky and Arrrgh took off running, taking the two teenagers with them.

A heart-rending roar chilled the blood in his veins.

Jim forgot how to think. His whole body was shaking from running. At some point, he found himself on Arrrgh's back, clinging to the green fur with all his might, from Blinky's embrace.

«Has the TrollMarket fallen so much that it now messes with humans?!»

A shiver ran down his spine. The voice he initially mistook for a roar belonged to a black troll rushing right behind them.

His heart was pounding in his ears, and his breath, driven like a beast, was struggling for air. Jim mustered the courage to turn around.

Clawed paws—

𝕽𝕺𝕬𝕽

A flash of flying light knocked the bloodthirsty troll out of their way.

Arrrrgh stopped. The giant's breathing slowed. Jim noticed Toby next to him, his face completely pale, clutching the green fur with an iron grip.

«Great Gronka Morka, what are you doing here?!» Blinky exclaimed breathlessly, looking forward. Jim's trembling gaze turned back.

Eyes.

Two blue glowing eyes looked straight at him.

Chapter Text

𝘌𝘺𝘦𝘴

Two blue glowing eyes stared straight at him.

The eyes blink. Jim with them.

Only then does he realize that it's not just the eyes that are glowing. The stranger's hands are giving off residual light and smoke. Toby's voice is heard next to him.

«Who are you?» The wizard (?) judging by his eyes tilts his head to the side. The action is mesmerizing. It seems he is collecting his thoughts–

«No time, young Tobias!» Blinky exclaimed, grabbing the stranger's still smoking hand. The body under Jim and Toby moans in agreement and nods vigorously, causing both to almost fall.

«Quickly, to the TrollMarket!»

Everything began to spin again in a crazy dance. Next to him, Toby ducked from a branch with a cry.

A fire flared up in his chest.

The stranger, running away from Arrgh, rushed forward. Jim frowned at the light ahead, squinting against the wind.

And then–

Weightlessness

...

Pulled down.

With a hard landing of Arrgh, they found themselves at the bottom of the canal. Blinky next to them, panting heavily, rested his lower pair of hands on his knees. He hadn't run like that in a long time. The stranger looked nervously into the forest. The black-haired man swallowed. His gaze was drawn to him.

He was wearing black jeans with torn knees. He was wearing a dark sweatshirt, the hood so big and wide that it completely hid his face in shadow. And... The skinny boy squinted. Something seemed to pierce the fabric of the hood.

Toby opened his eyes. His hands were shaking, but his grip did not weaken. Jim noticed him. Blinky approached the tall boy and helped him down. The red-haired boy rose tremblingly, examining the empty bottom of the canal.

«We... Got away?»

 ℜ𝔬𝔞𝔯

«Oh, come on! You can't even ask!»

And then, like a click, the dark troll ran far from where they came from. That gave them a head start.

«Faster!» Jim shouted. Toby, foreshadowing another run, grabbed the fur. Without thinking, Arrgh, Blinky and the Stranger with Jim ran towards the bridge.

What? Why-

Stomping.

Quiet. But approaching tramping.

Fear.

His legs were throbbing with cold. His face was cold, but sweat was streaming down his chin.

Blinky grabs something from his hip bag. Orange light softly illuminates the darkness.

A heavy lump lodges in his throat. The footsteps are getting louder.

Arrrgh breaks forward, the object from Blinky's hands ends up in his and with a sweeping motion he draws a semicircle glowing blue. A voice is heard from behind.

«You won't escape!»

The wall inside the semicircle collapses, revealing darkness dimly illuminated by blue light.

Another roar behind.

A thunderous stomp approaches them.

Blinky turns around, but Arrrgh with a brisk movement pushes him and the stranger with Jim inside.

They all fall. He looks with fear at the closing passage.

The silence pierces like the tip of a blade.

A deafening roar.

So mething is pounding on the door that has disappeared.

Jim jumps back.

The wall bends dangerously. Dust and rocks crumble.

He legs tremble with fear.

That's it -

And then it all stops.

A tense silence. The only sound other than the ringing silence is the ragged breathing of everyone present.

«The first impression was not very pleasant.» Toby's skeptical voice rang out in the cave.

With a relaxed and loud exhalation, Jim fell flat on the ground.

...

Voices and the clatter of feet are heard in the cave. The crystal staircase descended into darkness. There was no end in sight. Blinky walked ahead. Two teenagers, accompanied by another person behind him, and Arrrghh.

«So...» With a groan, Toby jumped down onto another crystal. «Who are you?» The redhead turned to the Stranger who was walking next to him. Red-haired turned to the Stranger who was walking next to him.

He mumbled ambiguously, continuing to walk. Toby looked at him in confusion, but continued to descend without saying anything. Jim tried to concentrate on the road. An awkward silence hung between them all.

Blinky, opening his mouth, turned to them. A second's hesitation and he, not finding an answer, turned away, continuing to walk. It seemed he would not answer again.

«Actually, I don't know who you are either.»

This statement made the two teenagers exchange nervous glances.

«Later.»

A voice rang out. Toby and Jim visibly flinched. The stranger materialized as if out of thin air, now walking to their left.

After that, the path down the stairs was silent.

...

Toby jumped on the last crystal.

His legs gave way.

In an instant, a gray stone hand grabbed the knitted vest and put the boy on the ground.

The red-haired man sighed with relief. The trolls' crystal stairs were certainly good, but they were clearly not for people. Just look at the distance from each step. He muttered something discontentedly.

Jim jumped off the last crystal. The hard, non-slip surface of the swept away, giving a feeling of safety. In the distance, a bright orange light and voices were visible. The tall youth ran up to his friend.

«Come on, Tobs! You wanted to come here more than anyone!» The red-haired boy, resting his hands on his knees, muttered at his friend.

«I'm tired.» He jerked his head up. «Are we sure we're there?» Toby looked around and turned to Blinky with caution. «There won't be any more stairs?"

The stranger chuckled. The troll in question rolled his eyes in amused irritation. Arrrgh, who had suddenly come up, lightly butted his friend with his head.

«Exactly.» It was unclear whether he was answering Toby or himself. "Before we go in." His voice attracted the attention of the two children.

«Trolls aren't particularly fond of people. So, stay close to us and don't touch anything unnecessarily.» Blinky's hesitant voice quickly turned into a serious tone, leaving no room for protest. The two teenagers nodded.

«That's great!» Many-Eyes clapped his hands in joy, turning to the light with a smile.

A metaphorical light bulb lit up above Jim's head. He squinted, turning to his friend. His throat tickled with suppressed giggles.

A punch to the shoulder

«Hey!» Toby looked at the back of Jim running and laughing. A smile spread across his face. Completely forgetting his previous fatigue, he ran after his friend.

Blinky shook his head and grinned. Human puppies are so similar to troll puppies.

Speaking of puppies.

«We never got to meet.» He addressed the Stranger with a kind tone, who was stealthily trying to escape the attention of the two elders. A nervous laugh came from the hooded figure.

«Not now.» The soft voice of Arrrgh as he retreated delayed the conversation between Blinky and the Stranger. Both followed him without question.

...

His Adam's apple was shaking with laughter. The same cheerful laughter was heard from behind. A soft feeling of joy rolled through his body. The yellow light became brighter, other colors joined it. Bright pink, purple, green, blue colors were visible somewhere and–

His breathing stopped.

The light of the crystals echoed each other. But there was one that was not obscured by the others.

Orange.

A bright, but pleasant to the eye, orange light from a simply huge crystal.

And along with it, a slight pulsation under the skin itself.

Jim involuntarily compared it to a heartbeat. Tobs, who had just approached, stared at... with an admiring sigh.

«Please provide... Troll Market StoneHeart!» Blinky's voice, like a storyteller, introduced his home with gentle excitement.

Away from them... puppy. He looked at them, with warmth in his chest and happiness in his eyes.

(He ignored the lump in his throat and the stone in his heart.)

...

The TrollMarket was... Jim and Toby couldn't find the right words. 'Awesome, strange, magical' came to mind, but it seemed like those words weren't enough to describe the whole picture.

Jim looked at all the stalls, and he just couldn't find the words for it. Everything was so alien, but at the same time ordinary? It was like he really had walked into a market. Only a little more magical.

Toby described it as being on the European continent. Jim tactfully kept silent, because he had never been there and there was no answer to that.

The two teenagers tried not to move away from the trolls, and the trolls tried not to lag behind the excitement of the two human children.

«This is... just fantastic!» The black-haired man looked back with delight at the crystals growing from the ceiling. A passing troll stared at them and continued on his way, thereby crashing into another. Arrgh, he winced sympathetically.

Toby's eyes widened. The entire Troll Market consisted of all possible stones. A real find. «Chrysalide.. Topaz.. Caseterite.» He lists all the stones, visible and invisible, as if in delirium. The red-haired man lowers his head, and immediately runs up to something with stars in his eyes.

«Oooh!» His hands touch the stone, feeling the surface.

His face is sunken.

«..Kornerbit...»

His gaze slowly rises up the stone.

Roar

Toby jumps away from the angry troll. His hands immediately move away from the 'living stone' of the troll. The man jumped out in front of him.

A sharp roar.

The troll hastily retreated. The red-haired youth stared at him in a daze, only then realizing that the same Stranger had gently grabbed his hand, dragging him toward the group.

Could it really be him? His gaze dropped to their hands. His tongue suddenly became cottony. Cold, blue–

«There you are, Tobs!» Jim pulled his friend out of his thoughts, nervously looking at the man in the hoodie and his friend. The many-eyed troll immediately approached them, comfortingly placing his hand on the skinny man's shoulder.

«You know minerals as well as any troll!» Blinky happily emphasized, looking at them with admiring eyes. Toby, not hiding his satisfied smile, proudly puffed out his chest. All suspicions disappeared in the moment of conversation. The black-haired man suddenly thought about it.

«So you all live underground?» There was a hope for something else in his voice. Arrgh immediately moaned in agreement. Blinky, having once again entered his teacher's rhythm, began

«Trolls come here from all over the world. Some for trade, housing, and maybe even for treatment or training in wrestling.» Two pairs of hands folded behind their backs, while the other gesticulated. His gaze wandered around. «Trolls can rest here.» It seemed he wanted to continue, but he didn't know what exactly. There was so much he wanted to say and show.

Passing the alley, the Stranger paused thoughtfully. Under the shadow of the hood, his lips pressed together and his eyes darted around.

«Um...» An uncertain voice and a slight push. His head jerked to the side. The boy in the blue cardigan shuddered, his hand slowly moving away. His sharp gaze dulled to something more... soft?

The boy nodded awkwardly in the direction of their retreating group. The corners of his lips twitched from the nervousness of the young man in front of him. They silently followed their friends.

The blue troll raised his head from the familiar smell. His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

If you ask Jim about his first encounter with the gnomes, Toby will answer you with a gremlin grin, and he will completely deny everything that happened. Blinky is still making sure that these parasites do not spoil the first impression of the Troll Market. Although the red-haired one said that nothing compares to how they got here.

Toby with a joyful cry dragged him somewhere.

Gradually, the narrow streets with inconspicuous shops became wider, the shops were replaced by stores.

And...

A wave of warmth washed over the body

As if the spirit was knocked out.

Those same vibrations, as if calm water flowed through the body.

The gaze froze on that very crystal. If before it seemed big, now up close, it is simply gigantic! «This is... unbelievable...»

«Stoneheart...» Arrrgh's voice rang out above him, and Blinky's agreement was nearby.

«The Source of Troll Life. Thanks to it, we are healed, receive light and new lives.» Blinky's voice bordered on something admiring and sadly ancient. But at the same time, a smile played on his face.

«What are people doing here?!»

The face immediately took on a frightened look. The ears twitched towards the sounds. A crowd was gathering behind them. Jim and Toby involuntarily froze. Arrrgh stood behind them, a silent wall. Another man squinted from under his hood. Blinky, sensing the tense situation, stood in front of them.

«Friends, you have nothing to fear.» The many-eyed troll good-naturedly spread his arms, slightly lowering his head. Jim thought the gesture was vaguely familiar... To be honest, he had seen it before–

Roar

Both teenagers froze. The cold rose from their feet to their knees. This growl was not at all like... Bular's, but it still caused fear.

The crowd immediately gave way to the massive troll.

The first thing that caught the eye was his size. Then the horns. And only then the words.

«What's the matter?» Fiery eyes cut into them like a dagger. Toby barely moved his leg back, Jim defensively pulled his shoulder back, shielding his friend.

«I was just about to explain, Draal...» Blinky's voice sounded unsure, but firm.

«Never before have human beings insulted the stones of this StoneHeart.» The look passed murderously over the people. The troll raised his head high. The horns began to seem larger. The shorter troll involuntarily let go.

That was a mistake

«Who are these meat sacks?!»

The troll closed the distance in two steps. Jim felt his legs grow together with the ground. His heart sped up. His fingers went numb, and his hands weakened. His eyes closed -

a growl.

Right in front of him. Quiet. But no less dangerous.

The eyes immediately open.

Dark turquoise fabric and a familiar purple stripe. Tensed muscles are visible through the clothes.

This is...

Jim raised his head. The troll, Draal, took on a shocked look. His gaze expressed confusion and fear. The bluestone troll immediately let go.

roar

The stranger took a step forward.

And only now, he realized that in this confusion his hood fell and-

Evenly loud, clicking sound.

Everyone turned to the side. A hum of whispers. A new wave of anxiety washed over Jim and Toby. The crowd, heads down, slowly retreated to let the new man pass.

He walked with his head held high. Footsteps echoed across the silent square, slowly, like an executioner, approaching them. Its cream-colored stone glinted in the stone sun. One of its hands held a staff from the Stone Heart.

The quiet hum of voices stopped with it.

At some point, Draal retreated, bowing his head like a silent knight. Blinky fidgeted anxiously, moving away just enough to shield the children. Arrrrgh, he lowered his head. A human. No, a troll in human clothes, standing defiantly with his head raised.

The gaze of milky eyes pinned him to the ground.

A quiet, thoughtful moo, like a clap of thunder in broad daylight. The eyes stopped on a figure in a hood. A shake of the head back and the troll with the staff turned away, walking away in the same direction from which he had come.

Blinky shuddered with his whole body. His hands immediately began to urge the two children in the same direction. Arrrgh gently butted Draal with his head, forcing him to move as well. The crowd parted again, allowing the culprits of new gossip to follow the troll with the staff. A new hum of whispers.

The puppy growled quietly at the loud ones.

«Blinky, where are we going?» Jim leaned closer to the troll, asking the question that had been plaguing him for about 15 minutes. The many-eyed one looked towards the old man walking in front of him.

«We're going–»

«To the Forge of Heroes.» The old troll's loud talk interrupted the whispers.

The red-haired man shuddered with his whole body. Until that moment, Toby thought that he was not only blind, but also deaf. The black-haired youth felt nervous from the silence that had returned. His gaze darted from side to side.

Ahead of him is a cream-colored troll, behind him are Arrrgh and Draal. Jim still feels uneasy around him. Blinky is to his left, while Toby and the Stranger are to his right. By the way, when did he manage to put his hood back on?

Ahead of him is a crevice with high gates.

...

A huge arena. Somewhat reminiscent of a gladiator arena, the only difference is the lava ditch. The path to it was across a narrow bridge, like the streets of the Market. Under the bridge is a dark void.

«Cozy» Toby said ambiguously, taking a picture of the void under the bridge. Draal gave him a withering look.

«Blinky Galadrigal» Now in the center of the Forge of Heroes, the Old Man stopped. Blinky pressed his lips together, looking at the troll's back. Concern was clearly visible on his face.

«Would you mind telling me what kind of a mess you've made here? And why you brought people.» The tone took on something dark. The old troll slowly turned to them, looking down with his gaze.

The many-eyed one swallowed. All eyes turned to him. The words settled heavily on his tongue. «The amulet... has chosen a new warrior.»

Draal's eyes widened. His hands grew weak and hung in the air. The old man raised an eyebrow, ignoring the bluestone troll. «And who is it?» His head tilted to the side and his hand gripped his staff a little tighter.

«Me.» The skinny boy stood at attention, looking uncertain. Draal's gaze rested on Jim, who had stepped forward. Toby looked at the horned one with distrust.

«Then put on your armor.» The old man reproached, frowning slightly.

A soft warmth rang in his chest.

A thin hand pulled the artifact out of his pocket. Their gazes turned to the blue light in the boy's palm. A stifled breath was heard from the left. Arrgh looked worriedly at the spiky troll.

«For the glory of Merlin, the Daylight obeys me.»

The sound of gears. A hum.

And the boy stands in the same place in shining armor. A sharp exhalation. Blinky's face stretched out in fear.

«HOW DARE YOU!»

Draal's indignant cry broke the silence of the arena. A sharp jerk of air. A punch. A furious flash of blue fire.

And Jim found himself on the other side of the arena.

«Jimbo!»

«Master Jim!»

«Jim!»

Toby was already moving towards him -

A massive blue spot rushed forward.

A smaller dark spot followed it.

The ringing echoed in his ears. The sounds were as if through a thick layer of water, and his vision was blurry. His stomach ached with a dull pain from the blow. A blow? Something was rushing straight at him. Slowly, the beeping began to recede. He blinks sluggishly. With each closing of his eyes, the spot gets closer and clearer.

Stop.

Jim stood up abruptly. A moment of darkness flashed before his eyes.

Nothing

Roar

Jim's face turned white. His legs retreated. The pain began to reach him. His hands suddenly jumped up in front of his face.

Roar

Hit.

«Cough!» A small figure crashed right into Draal's side.

A muffled grunt, and he was thrown back a decent distance. The spiky troll grabbed his head with a groan.

Snort.

The head immediately jerked up to the Stranger. Jim's heart sank as he stared at...

Now that the hood was down, and the light was shining directly on him. His mouth was dry. Horns curved back. Blue hair like a mane. Long, pointed, dark blue ears.

A spark of recognition fluttered in his chest.

«Wow...» Jim stared at... His head tilted to the side. Yes. He would recognize that jawline anywhere. His head was empty, and a whole cloud of emotions.

The troll in front of him turned to him.

Ding.

Jim felt a feeling. Either recognition or understanding.

But judging by his face, he understood it too. The stranger chuckled ambiguously, turning his attention to Draal, who had risen again.

«What are you doing...» The blue troll's voice was full of anger. His figure, breathing heavily, rose from the ground.

«Protecting a 𝘮𝘢𝘯.» His eyes were blazing with anger. His mouth curved from the growl that came with the words.

His shoulders straightened, but his head was down. The face contorted. Another growl-

«Draal.»

The elder's firm voice echoed across the arena. The one in question stopped. The troll with the staff stood not far from them, his face neutral. The milky eyes lazily passed over them, lingering a little longer on the... more human troll. The elder snorted.

«Of course, I don't like that the newly elected Troll Hunter is a human either.»

A warning growl. The elder's eyebrow rose dangerously and the growling stopped. Slowly, the other three came to them. Concerned, Toby helped his friend up. A long, lazy look settled on all of them.

«Give him a chance.»

«What?!»

Everyone present stared at him in shock and disbelief. Although the troll in the hoodie was pleasantly surprised by the elder's words. Toby squeezed his friend's shoulder in support. Blinky and Arrrgh exchanged glances, maybe not all was lost, since even-

«I am Wendel, son of Randle and grandson of Kilfred.»

The color that had drained from the two trolls' faces for a second returned with a sigh of relief. The old troll gave the two an odd look, causing them to stand at attention. He shook his head, muttering something about childish antics. With a quiet sigh, he looked back at the humans.

«I am the Elder of the Stoneheart Troll Market. And you are—» The sharp tip of the staff pointed at a skinny boy, frozen like a deer in the headlights. «—our new TrollHunter.»

The staff hesitated, barely noticeable. A second that lasted too long. The sharp tip dropped to the ground.

Jim felt the pressure on his shoulders ease. It was as if he had escaped something bad... but also good.

Toby squeezed his shoulders comfortingly in their vices.

not ready

A quiet whisper of fire in his chest.

The door opened quietly.

The light from the kitchen illuminated the hallway. Feet walked silently toward the stairs

«Jim?»

«Yes?» Jim inhaled sharply. He didn't have time. His hand squeezed the strap of his bag one last time before hanging it on the railing.

«You didn't say your teacher wanted to talk to me.»

The black-haired boy stopped abruptly. His brows furrowed in concentration, trying to remember what-

a coal flared in his chest

His legs immediately began to move toward the kitchen. An unexpected smell of rotten eggs and caramel. He was a little taken aback, but the next words brought him back to consciousness.

«Hello, Jim.»

«Mr... Strickler.» Jim tried to keep a straight face, but judging by the chuckle of his teacher, it didn't quite work. Barbara came from the kitchen, placing a mug, presumably coffee, on the counter.

«Mr. Strickler came to congratulate you on your role.»

what..?

«What?!»

Jim's sharp answer made the two adults exchange glances. The teacher pressed his lips together, in a rare display of other emotions.

«Your mother and I had a talk about your grades.» The man turned to him, folding his hands in his lap. The black-haired man pressed his lips together, he knew what they were talking about.

Jim had been distracted all the time since the beginning of the week. And you can't blame him for it. It's not every day you find a magical troll artifact, meet the trolls themselves, and go to some magical market where you don't hear anything good about people. In general, one big problem. Strickler's words brought him out of his thoughts.

«I shared with your mother that you are trying to embrace the unencompassable. Especially considering your recently received role as Romeo»" The man brought the cup to his lips, sipping coffee. His hand covered his mouth. Through force and coughing, he managed not to spit out what he drank. He turned to Barbara, who had been talking all this time.

«It feels like you are seeing a secret life.» The words spoken in jest hit the mark.

Jim bit his tongue to keep from blurting out too much.

Chapter Text

«Wider legs.» A stern voice rang out in the quiet Forge.

«Straighten your back.» Jim winced as a firm hand slapped her back, forcing her to straighten. His posture took on a fighting stance, though not confident. . Blinky smiled contentedly.

«So, where were we last time...» The left upper hand, with the sound of chalk on a blackboard, scratched her chin. Arrgh, like in school, he raised his hand.

«Trollhunter...» His soft bass imitated Blinky's tone.

The many-eyed troll snapped his fingers.

«Exactly!» He cleared his throat, bracing himself for the boy's teaching. Toby yawned sleepily.

«A Trollhunter lives and dies by three rules.»

These words attracted the attention of two people. Toby froze, blinking his eyes. Jim paled for a second. The black-haired youth swallowed, staring at the troll. He did not notice anything and continued speaking.

«Rule number one... always be afraid.»

«Probably...» Lake thoughtfully looked at the clenched handle of the sword in his hands. He felt a vague sensation of chainmail on his skin. The corners of his lips lifted. «No problem with this–»

whoosh

The body seemed to bend itself from the flying stone.

«Fear hardens the body.» The many-eyed troll said happily, looking at the stunned face of the boy.

whoosh

whoosh

whoosh

Jim dodged three more stones. The popcorn almost fell out of Toby's hands.

«A hero is not someone who is fearless. A hero is someone who is not stopped by fear.» Blinky began to walk around the armored teenager again. He did not take his eyes off the troll, watching his movements.

«Second! Finish the fight."» The librarian's voice grew louder. «Be merciless–» A stone appeared in Blinky's hand. «–to the enemy!»

Jim jumped away from one. His hands deflected the second. An involuntary laugh escaped his throat.

Another stone from the right. The body swerved to the left. A whistle from the front. The hands raised the sword and the boulder bounced harmlessly off the flat part of the metal.

The words stabbed his thoughts like a needle.

«Finish the fight? Ow!»

A stone hit his back with a dull pain. Toby pointed his finger at Arrgh. The big giant answered without embarrassment

«Kill.»

«What the fu..»

«Right! Killing the enemy is the Hunter's job»

Toby put down the box of popcorn, looking at the three of them. «That's tough.» he replied quietly. The red-haired boy scrunched up his face as he looked at the popcorn.

«Our world is merciless, Toby.» The many-eyed troll began to circle in the opposite direction. «Hence the rule of three.» He looked up with a smart expression.

«When in doubt, hit the junk.»

«Junk?»

A foot hit the stove with a dull thud.

A mechanical hum.

«AH!»

Almost between his legs, a giant blade struck.
Jim paled, now incredibly happy with his reaction and dexterity. He stepped away from the retracting blade, looking at Blinky.

«If you listen to you, one of the things a Troll Hunter does is... kick people in the groin?» The boy asked with a huge dose of skepticism.

«Perhaps I should join you?»

The casual atmosphere immediately turned cold.

Draal stood at the exit of the stands, smiling good-naturedly. Jim bristled involuntarily when his gaze fell on him.

«Draal, how many times do I have to tell you, we don't have time for your jokes.» Blinky said tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Or what should be hers.

«No, what are you saying, I didn't come here for jokes.» Draal replied, waving his hand and walking towards them.

«Your TrollHunter needs... a good sparring partner.» Something in the way he said it scared Jim.

Two pairs of human eyes stared at Blinky. He was suspiciously silent.

The blue-eyed man began to mentally curse everything that made Draal come here.

This bluestone troll had been pestering them with his jokes and jibes for two days in a row. Three days, if you count this situation.

His fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword. Blinky sighed.

«Maybe you're right–»

«And what's going on here?»

Jim almost jumped.

The voice of their 'Stranger' sounded right behind him. His relaxed posture betrayed his complete indifference to the situation.

He looked around at everyone present with a nonchalant expression. His gaze lingered a little longer on the man in armor for a few seconds. He raised an eyebrow, as if asking the same question again.

«Well, we have...» Jim was interrupted by Toby, who seemed to have a dam blown away.

«Draal, he's been coming to mock us for three days in a row. And today he decided to beat up Jimbo under the pretext of sparring. And by the way, I'm very much against this idea. Despite the fact that he fights surprisingly well, I'm not sure he can beat this big guy.» The redhead finally took a breath.

«No offense, Jimbo.» he added, seeing his friend's offended look.

«Hmm...» A thoughtful hum. Everyone again stared at the 'Stranger' in the hoodie. He just stood there looking at them for a while.

«And you wanted to agree to this?» Suddenly, he said reproachfully, turning to Galadrigal. The latter began to stutter in surprise, trying to justify himself

«I... I»

«Blinky.» He said disappointedly, interrupting his incoherent tirade. «A TrollHunter, he has never entered a fight, he hasn't even learned how to dodge properly yet.» Everyone ignored Jim's indignant comment.

«I understand that you want the best for him.» A small hand fell on the shoulder of the many-eyed troll. Blinky's lip line lifted slightly.

«And you, Draal, are no better.» The troll in question tensed, driving his gaze into the speaker. The latter tilted his head slightly to the side, mirroring his gaze.

Jim swallowed, feeling himself caught between two fires.

«What do you mean?» The bluestone troll said as if nothing had happened. The 'Stranger' sighed tiredly, shaking his head.

«It's incredibly low of you to suggest serious sparring with a puppy.» The short troll explained. Draal's eyes twitched in irritation.

He darted down the stairs.

Jim's hands gripped the hilt of his sword.

He felt a small stone hand rest on his tense shoulder, immediately pushing him out of the way.

The black-haired man involuntarily froze as the 'Stranger' walked towards him.

«I'm several hundred years older than you!»

«Yes, but of the two of us, I'm the wiser one.»

He wanted to take a step after him, but Blinky stopped him. The troll shook his head, muttering, «It's better not to go, Master Jim.»

The skinny boy obeyed, watching them with concern.

«And what are you going to do to me?»

«I'll set your mind straight.»

Their words grew harsher as they got closer. Arrrgh pulled Toby closer to him, not letting him go.

«Do you have enough strength?»

«More than you–»

A sharp jerk closed the distance. Toby closed his eyes, his hands clutching Arrrgh's fur...

«Arrgh... let go!»

«No way, you're defying your elders!»

It was so unexpected that he opened his eyes.

No fight. No violent struggle out of nowhere.

Although, it could all be called a fight... a brotherly fight...

Draal grabbed the smaller troll in a seemingly chokehold and ruffled the 'Stranger's' hair with his fist. The aforementioned one tried to get out of the grip with a crooked grin.

Toby and Jim looked at each other with their jaws hanging open, catching each other's thoughts.

«You're ruining my image!» The troll in the hoodie shouted, grabbing the other one's elbow with his hands.

«That's for avoiding me all week!» Draal said with a laugh and resentment, ruffling her hair even more.

Jim couldn't help but grin. And Draal really had ruined the whole image of their 'Stranger'. He looked so withdrawn and emotionless that such a sudden change made one wonder if he had been replaced. But no, he could still see his carefree attitude towards the whole situation.

Or maybe that's why he was so indifferent?

«But I'm still disappointed in you.» The 'Stranger' suddenly said when the laughter died down.

The bluestone troll let out an irritated sigh, pulling the smaller troll to his feet. He weakly adjusted his hair and folded his arms across his chest.

«I'll talk to you later.» He said firmly, walking away from Draal towards Toby and Arrrgh. The warrior, frowning, walked towards the arena exit.

Jim tried to ignore the doubt that had settled in.

...

Blinky inhales deeply, watching Draal walk away. When the figure disappeared behind the gate, he lets out a relaxed breath.

Sometimes it's hard to even breathe around him without getting a disdainful look.

It's amazing how quickly Draal grew from a charming puppy into a real warrior. It's good that he was there... to resolve the situation peacefully.

«Sooo?» Toby drawled, leaning into Blinky's field of vision. He shook his head.

«We need to continue training...»

He turns around. The black-haired youth, his head raised to the ceiling, examines the statues on the high podiums. Without taking his eyes off them, he turns to Blinky

«And who are these statues dedicated to?» The boy in armor asked quietly.

A hand, small compared to the other trolls, fell on his shoulder. Looking at his palm, he was met by a blue stone. The Nameless Stranger mirrored Jim's pose, looking at the statues.

«These are TrollHunters.» He answered with something like nostalgia.

Toby squinted, trying to get a better look at them. All the trolls on the pedestals stood proudly, some in a heroic pose, holding a sword pointed at an invisible enemy, and some...

«Who is this?» The red-haired boy asked, tilting his head to the side, looking at the troll in a... rather shameful pose, compared to the others.

«Unkar... Unfortunate.» Arrrgh's deep voice rang out with quiet sadness. Domzalski frowned, looking down.

«Why 'Unfortunate'?» The graystone troll looked away.

«On the first day... into the dust.»

Jim stared at the statue of Unkar. His hands were slightly sweaty. Now that he looked closely... he realized that all these statues looked like–

«Were these... living trolls?»

The teenager's shoulders slumped. Toby, standing next to him, was frozen in fear, an 'ice statue'. Green eyes slowly turned to his friend. The black-haired man stared at the statue. No. At the corpse.

The stocky boy swallowed hard.

Damn. These are corpses.

The wave of depression was dispelled by a loud and expressive yawn from the 'Stranger'.

«It's almost three o'clock and if we don't want our young Trollhunter to collapse in the morning, we need to start training him right now.»
As if in one breath, he said, turning to a place near the gate in the stands. Arrrgh followed him, glancing at the other three.

An awkward silence hung between them.

Blinky nervously twiddled his fingers, not taking his eyes off the pedestals. Toby came closer to his friend.

«Well, is it time to continue training?» He looked at them with an encouraging smile.

...

Toby sat in the safe zone with Arrrgh, watching Jim's training as if on pins and needles. In fact, he hadn't expected such dexterity from the brunette.

Another stone whistled past the skinny boy.

The redhead almost always shuddered with his whole body watching this. A tired yawn was heard next to him.

The young troll sprawled against the wall, almost bored, watching the new Troll Hunter training.

An eye twitched involuntarily. There was a desire to throw a stone at him too.

As if he heard his thoughts, he looked at him strangely. Toby looked away. His gaze began to wander thoughtfully over the cracks in the slabs. Maybe this 'Unknown' really could read thoughts?

whoosh

«AAH!» The young man jumped back. His back rested against the soft fur of Arrrgh, who opened his eyes in surprise.

A blue stone hand appeared right in front of his face.

His wildly beating heart began to slow down. Toby blinked. The hand was still in front of his face.

«Are you kidding me-»

The stone palm dropped, pointing at a heavy stone.

The red-haired man's eyes opened wide.

An image of what if the stone had hit... popped into his mind.

His face grew cold and haggard.

The short boy looked at the troll in the hoodie. He was just as scared as he was. This suddenly calmed the fear that was taut as a fishing line.

«Are you okay?!» Blinky's frightened cry was heard from the other side of the arena. Jim seemed to understand what had happened and turned in their direction with a crunch of his neck.

Toby cleared his throat, watching the hand with the stone descending.

«Yeah... Our incognito caught the stone!» He immediately answered, more cheerfully than before.
Jim sighed in relief. His frowning gaze crashed into Blinky. The many-eyed troll smiled guiltily. After a short while, they resumed training. Only a little more carefully.

Toby looked at the bucket of popcorn. After... the news that the Forge of Heroes was being decorated with... to put it mildly, fallen Trollhunters, he had not touched the food once. The red-haired man pulled the bucket towards himself, looking back at his friend's training.

A hand took a popcorn ball and put it in his mouth.

«Keepir.»

«Huh?» He turned to the source of the sound. The troll in the hoodie looked at the stone in his hands, completely ignoring the confused expressions of the two boys. The palm of his hand squeezed the stone with a grinding sound.

Two pairs of eyes watched in surprise as the stone crumbled as the hand squeezed.

«My name is Keepir.» The Keeper said, as if nothing had happened, shaking the dust off his hands.

...

Jim and Toby, accompanied by three trolls, at the foot of the stairs leading to the exit.

«Master Jim.» Blinky began, looking at his charge. The black-haired boy turned to him, raising an eyebrow. The many-eyed troll hesitated.

«What I mean is... that... this may be... the hardest time for you to accept this mantle of warrior. You may even want to give it up.» The troll looked down at his folded palms.

«But... I... and not only I.» He turned to the two trolls behind him. «We will support you. No matter what. But...» Galadrigal paused for a moment, considering his words.

«But you must make the first strike.» A sudden determination filled Blinky. He raised all his eyes to the frozen Jim. «I saw how you doubted every action.»

The stone hands passed the Horngasel to the human ones. The key.

«Do not doubt, Master Jim, act.»

When they returned from the Troll Market, Toby offered Jim to spend the night at his place. Jim, unable to refuse his friend, went to him, having previously written to Barbara that he would sleep at the Domzalskys'.

The house, as always, greeted him with its friendly and cozy atmosphere. The pleasant smell of Nana's great pies swept through the house, lifting the mood.

Both boys quickly got lost in the warmth of the house. The younger Lake, as always, begged for the recipe for the pies, and his grandmother, with a kind but sly voice, said that she would give him the recipe when the boys turned 18. Then there were games on the console and sleep.

They almost forgot that their lives would never be the same again.

Almost.

...

The darkness of the room was overwhelming. A slight chill blew across the floor. The silence was overwhelming. The red-haired boy stared at the ceiling in silence.

The rustling of the sleeping bag next to him.

Toby waited a few minutes.

The rustling resumed

«Are you awake?» The boy asked quietly, turning to face the other boy.

Silence.

«What do you think about TrollMarket?»

Silence

«Jimbo?»

«I don't know, Tobs.» Jim blurted out, turning to face him. For a moment they simply lay facing each other. The black-haired boy sat up, burying his face in his knees.

«Are you thinking about Blinky's last words?»

«... I guess.» Jim muttered.

«What do you think?» He asked casually.

«It's all... scary.» Jim raised his head, looking down at the floor with a depressed look.

«Nothing! Blinky will teach you everything.»

«His last student was crushed to dust!» The brunette threw up his hands.

The red-haired boy involuntarily hesitated. He hadn't seen such a hunted look from his friend for a long time. He slowly lowered his palms to their original position.

«I understand that I wanted adventure...» The skinny boy continued barely audibly. If it weren't for the silence, he wouldn't have heard. The plump young man continued to listen silently. «But... not like that... not..»

A sob.

He shuddered. Toby looked up at his friend. The black-haired man continued to say something, but it came out so quietly that tears drowned out the words. His shoulders shook with fear.

«Tobs... I don't want to die...»

The first tear rolled down his face. Toby quickly wiped it away. Jim needed help more now.

Hands silently clasp the other's shoulders. Breath, like words, stuck in the throat. The position gradually flowed into a more comfortable one. Now the other hands also clasp Toby's shoulders, holding him tightly to themselves. Tears and loud sobs were muffled by the red knitted vest.

«Tobs.. I.. I don't want to die.» Jim quietly whispers into his friend's shoulder again.

(The red-haired one ignored the heat rising in his eyes and the tears running down his cheeks.)

The next day, Jim refused to spend the night at his friend's house. He smiled understandingly, but a slight resentment showed on Toby's face.

The black-haired one noted that he needed to spend time with him later. But later.

Now...

A light hum sounded in front of him.

«Arrgh...» He groaned in disappointment, not wanting to look up, knowing what he would see. Jim had been trying to throw this thing away for an hour now. Locked it in the closet, tossed it around like a golf ball with a bat, even buried it!

His eye twitched as he felt the amulet land on top of his head.

This joke was making fun of him!

His hand immediately grabbed the metal, squeezing it in his grip. Raising his head from the table, he came face to face with the amulet of Merlin, pulsing with a bright blue light.

For some reason, he compared it to a sarcastic laugh.

«Stop it, or I'll actually sell it on eBay.» He grinned smugly as the light dimmed slightly.

«I'd like to see that.»

«AH!»

crash

Jim fell to the floor with his chair. He closed his eyes from the dull pain in his shoulder blades, while standing up on trembling hands.

The palm found the edge of the table and pulled the whole body up.

Straight to the figure watching on the windowsill.

The black-haired man jumped back, almost falling. Keepir, as if nothing had happened, was sitting on his windowsill in a strange, dog-like pose and watching him.

They stared at each other.

«WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!» Jim immediately moved towards him. The troll in the hoodie, not expecting this, almost fell out of the open window.

Hands grabbed the edges of the window frame, pulling themselves inside.

«No-no-no! Get out of my house!» The brunette, with all his little strength, tried to drive the guest away.

The troll made a half-frightened face

«Yeah, I'm going to fall out of the window!»

«You're made of stone, you won't hurt yourself!»

«And if I do?!» Jim blinked in surprise. His face took on a skeptical expression.

«And you can?» he asked, looking up at him.

«You bet! Now let me in like a normal person!» Before he could get an answer, Keepir jumped into the room, almost knocking Jim to the floor.

The brunette sat down on the bed, displeased, looking at the troll who had collapsed on the floor with a crash. It's a good thing Barbara was on the night shift again.

The troll in the hoodie, grumbling discontentedly, rose to all fours. His glowing blue eyes swept across the room.

The skinny teen raised an eyebrow as his uninvited guest let out a chuckle.

«I wonder what you have here.» He explained, looking around the human room again. Jim rolled his eyes, folding his arms.

«Is this a troll thing, breaking into people's homes?»

Keepir chuckled uncertainly, looking around the room again. «Probably not?»

«Then how come you're the third troll to show up at my house!» Jim threw his arms up and shouted. The troll jumped away from him, pressing his back against the wall. The skinny teen would have chuckled out loud at his expression, but he had to keep a straight face.

«Well, I don't...»

«Why are you here?» The black-haired teen interrupted, getting straight to the point. Keepir seemed to notice this, and also got serious. He stood up, walking carelessly to the table.

«I came to talk to you about...» The troll waved his hand vaguely, either pointing at himself or the entire situation. «...all this crap.»

Jim remained silent, raising an eyebrow at his interlocutor.

Keepir sighed wearily. One hand rested on the table for support, and the other ran across his face, stopping at his mouth. He stared at the ceiling, as if all the answers to his troubles were there.

«Listen.» He said suddenly, startling Jim with his surprise. «Let's get down to business. I understand your doubts.»

The hands tightened their grip on his forearms. Lake frowned at him. The troll in the hoodie didn't seem to notice, and continued to speak.

«I mean... I understand that you're worried about your friend. You're worried about your mother, since she spends a lot of time away from home and has no idea about all this.» The blue stone hands began to nervously fiddle with the edges of his sleeve.

Jim's heartbeat began to quicken as the monologue continued.

«You're going through a lot of changes and all this is weighing on you and you just want to give up on–»

«How do you know?» He was cut off by a cold tone.

«I...» He hesitated. His fingers were still fiddling with the sleeve of his hoodie as he slowly raised his head.

Jim stared at him with wild fear.

His gaze burned a hole in him. His hands clutched at his forearms, trying to suppress a tremor in his body. He could even hear his heartbeat racing.

«How do you know about my mother?»

His chest went cold. Cold fear gripped his shoulders, not letting go, pulling him down until his thoughts stopped in an instant. His hands stopped fiddling with his sleeve.

«How. Do you know. about. my. mother?» Jim stared at him in fear.

Keeper looked down. His own hands were shaking too.

Something in his chest howled sadly to tell the truth.

«Jim I...» He stared expectantly, clutching the exposed skin where bruises were already blooming. Panic was taking hold of him, he thought belatedly.

A tense silence hung between them.

Toby looked at his friend. He was staring blankly at his taco, not having touched it at all. The redhead winced, worried for his friend.

To be honest, he's been like this since the morning. After they went home, there was no sign of him. Not even the usual evening conversation on the radio! And that says something.

Domzalski sighed irritably, it was time to take matters into his own hands.

He stood up, moving to the bench of his friend, who hadn't reacted at all. Now, sitting on his side, he could see everything, so to speak, 'through his eyes'.

A noisy school cafeteria. No one was paying attention to them, despite their title of 'strange' children. Steve was nowhere to be seen, thank God, for now.

Toby quietly knocked his knuckles on the wooden bench.

The brunette, however, continued to drill Taco with his gaze.

«You'll soon incinerate him with your gaze, if you don't at least blink.» He said almost in his friend's ear.

This, it turns out, finally pulled Jim out of his thoughts. He shuddered with his whole body, squeezing the food in his hands. The contents of the unpleasant splashed onto his hands.

«Tobs!» he hissed, scared and irritated, wiping mayonnaise splashes from his hands.

«What? It's your own fault for not answering.» Tobs said, biting into his still neat taco. The brunette rolled his eyes, continuing to wipe off the remains of food.

«Sooo, what happened to you?» Jim paused for a second. He swallowed, looking away from the table.

«What are you talking about, Tobs?» The young man tried uncertainly to change the subject. The red-haired man snorted in irritation.

«Don't even try, Jimbo. You can't lie.» Toby said reproachfully, throwing an irritated but worried look at his friend. The brunette held his breath... and sighed resignedly. Well, he couldn't lie to his friend.

«Keepir came to see me... yesterday.»

Toby froze, blinking in surprise, as if it was a joke. But when there was no continuation -

«Wait, what?» He said quietly and disbelievingly, leaning closer. Jim looked away again, wincing unpleasantly.

«Yes... and he said.»

A sad sparkle appeared in his chest..

No. If he said that Keepir found out about his personal life from somewhere, it would sound... wrong.

After all, he was...

Jim put his head down on the table with a thud. He didn't know what was wrong with Keepir.

But despite all the... anxiety of the situation. He believed.

No.

He trusted that he would still tell them the truth. Especially him.

Maybe this troll, like him, needs time to tell the truth?

Jim sighs, raising his head and looking at his worried friend.

«I don't... know how to say what he told me. It's just...» The teenager looked down at his hands, gripping the edge of the bench. «Just give him time and he'll tell you himself.»

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Toby nodding, albeit hesitantly.

The TrollHunter's training was quite... intense. His body, despite the armor, still ached with a dull ache.

Jim pulled himself up, feeling the loud clicking of his vertebrae. He groaned heavily.

«It's okay, Jimbo, you'll be fine soon.» Toby patted his friend on the shoulder comfortingly. The black-haired man winced in displeasure at the shooting pain in his shoulders.

«I don't know, Tobs.» A skinny hand reached up to the back of his head, nervously running through his hair. "It's all so much. All this training. The way the trolls reacted to me was the icing on the cake. And I've been avoiding Steve for some reason-"

«What is Lake?» The school's biggest bully appeared right in front of them, like the devil.

Toby elbowed Jim in the side, muttering that he had jinxed their luck.

«I was going to give you a dressing down a week ago.» A hand pushed him into the lockers.

The aching shoulder blades made themselves known again.

«Where have you been disappearing to. Brainy.» The blond continued angrily, slowly.

Toby's palms began to sweat. His green eyes darted around. As luck would have it, there was no one there. He looked at his friend. A nervous look met a more confident one.

He didn't need to repeat himself.

«Where are you looking, Lake?» Steve turned around, but there was no one behind him. Paluchuk grinned. «What? Waiting for a princess on a white horse to come to you?»

He said with venomous arrogance, looking down at the black-haired man.

The young man frowned. A voice suspiciously similar to Blinky firmly said

'Go for it, Master Jim.'

Steve continued to say something. And judging by the words... these are very uncultured jokes. Jim bit his tongue to keep from answering.

A quiet hum of whispers. The other students who had finished their lessons began to gather around them.

Fuck, where is Tobs?

«Lake.» Steve's voice tore him out of his thoughts about Toby. His eyes reluctantly looked up. The bully wrinkled his nose with something like anger and disgust. The tall teenager leaned slightly towards him. Not too close, but the unpleasant smell of toothpaste and gum reached his face.

Something clicked unpleasantly in his chest.

«Listen, Lake, you seem to run away a lot, hide behind everyone.» Steve leaned closer

«Are your father’s genes showing through–»

A blow.

Everything stopped.

His knuckles turned white from the compression. He couldn’t feel his face. His breath was a quiet march into his ribs. All emotions and feelings had atrophied.

As quiet as the school yard, he slowly said.

«Don’t you dare. Talk about him in front of me.»

He didn’t recognize his own voice. There was cotton wool in his ears, but he could hear it perfectly. He spoke as if he were a different person

The entire yard froze in silent anticipation.

«That’s right, Jimbo!» Toby shouted, coming out of the crowd.

Joyful exclamations rang out across the yard

«Young Atlas!»

In the cacophony of sounds, he barely heard Strickler's voice, but before he could think, Toby was dragging him away from the schoolyard.

«That was incredible, Jimbo!» the redhead said excitedly. «But don't do that again without thinking that Steve has the teeth to do it.»

The stocky boy continued to talk excitedly while his friend tried to comprehend what had happened a few minutes ago.

He hit Steve.

His brain whispered softly.

He fought back.

A smile spread across his face.

He fought back.

His heart sang happily.

His skinny fingers squeezed his plump hand, thereby attracting attention. Domzalski, stopping his excited tirade, turned to his friend. Happiness and adrenaline lit up the brunette's face.

«I know what we'll do.»

He smiled infectiously at his friend.

Arrgh and Blinky were sitting in the Library.

«So, what should we do?» the shorter troll, compared to Arrgh, asked boredly.

Arrgh looked up, deep in thought. A long silence followed. Blinky stared at his hands.

«I know...» The large giant winced, dissatisfied with his answer. «Or maybe not... hard to say.» He shrugged awkwardly, looking at the table, piled high with books as always. Blinky grunted in response, also looking at the table.

A certain calm.

With their silence, silence descended. The Library, despite being practically in the square, was a rather secluded place. All sorts of travelers often dropped in, perhaps healers or mages who were allowed into the Troll Market. It was rarely empty. Like today—

«Blinkyyyyy! Arrgh!» Toby burst out, nearly breaking down the wooden door. The redhead froze, meeting a pair of stunned eyes.

The door creaked shut.

«Oh, hi, Arrgh and Blinky...» He hesitated uncertainly, looking away toward the shelves.

«Tobias?"» the bluestone troll asked warily, raising his right eyebrow.

«Phew...um...» The boy raised his head to the ceiling, looking at the glowing crystals, «how should I put it...»

Arrgh and Blinky exchanged worried glances.

«Is everything okay?»

«Oh yeah.» Toby suddenly remembered, lowering his head.

«Jimbo just challenged Draal to a fight.»

«WHAT?!»

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, Trolls and Humans lived in peace.

Two races, separated by bridges that served as gateways between two worlds.

But the Gum-Gums wanted to devour humanity, dominating the sun. The Trolls abandoned this idea, desiring to live in peace and harmony.

But it was too late.

On that day for us and night for you, the Gum-Gums attacked the human race.

The war began at Killhand Bridge.

It lasted a long time until the great wizard Merlin created an amulet. The amulet of the Troll Hunter.

Savior, protector, leader.

Dejah the Liberator defeated the Gum-Gums, sealing them in the dark lands. Those present at the Battle of Killhand gathered for a long journey. In search of a new Stone Heart.

We...

«Ouch!» Jim nearly fell from a blow from someone flying from behind. A hand went to his neck, and he hissed in pain. A bruise was guaranteed.

He turned to Keepir, who was looking at him nonchalantly. The teenager frowned angrily, about to answer.

«Master. Jim.»

Slam

He jumped back, hitting his back against Arrrrgh. Blinky slammed the book he'd been reading right in front of Jim's face.

«Master Jim, it's disrespectful to ignore important information. It doesn't matter if you're a Trollhunter or not,» Blinky said, looking at him with a disappointed look.

«I'm really trying, it's just...» The teenager grimaced in displeasure, looking at the Spanish textbook in his hands. «I spent all last night studying Spanish.»

The brunette yawned loudly, covering his mouth with his hand.

«Can we choose a more active way to learn?» Jim winced, looking at the thick book in Blinky's hands.

He sighed.

«Master Jim, if you don't know what you're fighting for, you can't fight.» Stone hands rudely tossed the textbook into the boy's hands. The brunette nearly doubled over from the weight of the book.

«I suggest you read this 'Summary of the History of Trolls by Reverend Belehing. Volume One of Forty-Seven.' at least five times.»

«But Blinky—»

«No, Master Jim, no 'buts.'»

Jim sighed wearily, turning the textbook cover toward himself, trying to read. He squinted, pulling the book closer to his face. Was his vision blurry, or could he make out the word 'for puppies'?

«Blinky, don't be mad at the puppies.» Keepir said with a hesitant smile, rising from his perch and stretching. «They're still young, and their heads are a bit clouded.»

The young troll glanced furtively at the two boys. They exchanged glances but said nothing. The four-armed troll merely sighed.

«I know, it's just...» Blinky hesitated, staring blankly at Jim.

«Just give them time.» Blinky's searching gaze met Kipper's carefree one.

«Okay, but—»

«Okay!» the hooded troll interrupted happily, clapping his hands.

«I'm going to see Draal, and you guys can have a good time here.» He briefly ruffled the two boys' hair, despite their protests, and ran toward the exit.

«Argh... what's wrong with him today?» Toby muttered discontentedly, adjusting his hair. Jim, however, seemed lost in thought.

"I think I forgot something." The brunette frowned, looking up in the direction Kipper had gone. Toby raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between his friend and the exit.

«Did you forget... hmm... about the Spanish essay ? Or did you forget to turn off the iron?» Toby began listing his ideas thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. «Or...»

«Master Jim, I hope you haven't forgotten about your duel with Draal?»

Jim blinked. Then he paled. He really had forgotten, something so important.

He groaned in irritation, covering his face with his hands.

Blinky folded his arms over his chest and hips with a quiet sigh, shaking his head.

«Trollhunter!»

Jim was suddenly spun 180 degrees.

He was met with the face of a very worried troll.

Jim froze, his eyes wide.

«Trollhunter, you have to help me!» the woman cried again, pulling him along. The brunette was too stunned to say or do anything.

«What happened to Stoneheart?» Blinky caught up with them, looking at them anxiously.

«No.»

«Sneakers?»

«No.»

«Then what?»

The woman turned around.

«GNOME THIEF!»

The words echoed dramatically throughout the forge.

«Don't you think Lake and Domzalski are weird?»

Mary said conspiratorially, leaning toward them. Darcy, sitting next to her, sighed wearily.

«Mary, they're always weird.» the brunette replied, turning her torso toward them and leaning her elbow on the table, supporting her cheek with the same hand. The popular blogger groaned in irritation.

«That's understandable. I'm saying they've gotten weirder than usual.» She rolled her eyes, gesturing toward the two men in question, who were exchanging nervous glances and whispering something to each other.

The three deuces began to watch them.

As always, they sat at the farthest table, where they were not only out of sight but also out of hearing. To Mary's detriment.

The red-haired boy looked at his friend strangely after he said something. The brunette rolled his eyes, saying something again. The stocky boy answered, the skinny boy looked at him thoughtfully, then continued gesturing.

This went on for a couple more minutes.

But then...

Someone walked right in front of them, and when they left...

«And where are they?»

Darcy muttered in confusion, looking at the empty table where just a second ago two boys and several plates of food had been. Mary groaned again in irritation and laid her head down on the table with a dull thud.

«That's what I told you!» the brunette muttered, looking at her friend from under her brows. She looked puzzled.

«And this has been going on for three weeks.» Mary continued, turning her head toward the far table.

Darcy frowned thoughtfully. How did they not notice? Her gaze caught on another friend.

«What do you think, Claire?»

Claire, as if waking from a dream, practically jumped up. She paused for a second, lost in thought.

«I... I don't know.»

...

He doesn't know.

He just doesn't know how he got to this point.

«Look, Tobs, I really don't know.»

«Are you telling me you didn't remember anything from Blinky's lecture?» Toby sighed in disappointment, raising an eyebrow.

«For the life of me.» Jim replied curtly, running his hand through his hair.

They continued down the nearly empty hallway to the next classroom.

«Listen, what do you think about...» Toby waved his hand, trying to remember the word. «Well, what Blinky got for us?»

«The Furgolator?»

«Yes.» The redhead snapped his fingers, smiling at his friend.

The skinny teenager took a deep breath. And exhaled wearily.

«I don't know.» He answered uncertainly. «The only thing that's bothering me is the amulet.» Jim whispered, almost angrily, looking away.

Now, he wants to go home and fall into unconsciousness, forgetting all about this damn Spanish.

But most of all, he wants to rewind time, to prevent his encounter with Bagdwella and her... very important problem.

«Damn... gnomes.» Jim muttered angrily, trying to contain all his colorful thoughts about these seemingly cute creatures.

Toby nodded wearily.

«I can't do this anymore.»The redhead muttered, looking down at the floor. Jim nodded to his friend with the same pained expression.

«What are we going to do without the amulet?» Toby said a little louder, turning to his friend.

His skinny hands involuntarily trembled, as if reaching for his jeans pocket. An empty pocket. He groaned heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

«...just once, I put it in the wrong pocket...» The brunette whispered irritably, rubbing the bridge of his nose even more furiously.

«How it was stolen right away.» The redhead continued for him, looking at the floor. That was like a nail in the coffin. Jim stopped rubbing the bridge of his nose and stared ahead.

«What kind of idiotic rule is this?» Tobias looked down at him. «Why, of all things, does it not return when it's stolen?» Now it was Jim's turn to look at the floor. His friend sighed wearily, shrugging.

The class appeared around the corner.

Toby grinned, remembering what he'd noticed in the cafeteria.

«Did you see how they looked at us?»

«Tobs, they look at us every day.»

«No, I mean Claire and her friends.»

The brunette, as if on cue, straightened up, looking at his friend. He hid his giggles behind a cough.

Jim glanced around, seeing no one, and frowned.

«You did this on purpose, right?» He raised an eyebrow, clutching the strap of his bag.

«Maybe.» Toby smiled innocently.

He stands right in front of a roughly crafted wooden door.

Keepir is nervous. His gaze wanders again over the cracks in the logs... and then back to the half-busy street behind him. He's been standing in front of Draal's house for several minutes now and doesn't even know if he's home. Maybe, with luck, no one will be there? The young man sniffs.

The smell of iron and pine, and a hint of cortisol.

Face grimaced in displeasure, looking down at his hands. No luck. He considered this for a second. Until he decided he had to act.

His hand rises to knock.

«Come in, Keepir.»

Keepir blinked in surprise, but didn't think any further.

The door creaked open.

A perfectly ordinary, unremarkable house. More like a one-room apartment, actually.

It's a fairly large room, even with the furniture, enough for Arrgh to move around freely. The furniture itself is rather sparse. Just a rectangular stone table, where the owner of the house sits, two large shelves with weapons, and a few glowing crystals. Behind one of the shelves is a small room, curtained off, probably a bedroom.

It feels like it's not really a living space. Although he knows that's not true.

Draal is rarely home, hence the... emptiness. It used to be much more lively here, when Kanjigar was still... Never mind.

«Well, go ahead.» Draal responded in his usual manner, placing a bowl of something on the table with a soft thud. «Sit down.»

Keepir hesitated, but nevertheless entered the house, quietly closing the door behind him.

He sat down at the table, arms folded across his chest, looking at the troll sitting across from him. The warrior, who had been watching his every move, looked down at the bowl in his hand.

There was silence.

Just a moment of silence.

Draal grimaced, looking at the bowl, drank it down, and drank it down in one gulp.

Keepir looked down at his hands. He would have drunk too.

The silence grew into nervousness.

A certain distinctiveness

«And so.» the bluestone troll turned awkwardly to the other.

«So?» the other replied in the same way.

«Hmrmm...» Draal muttered, looking at the bowl again. As if it held the answers to his questions.

Now this was a frankly awkward situation.

What should I say?

«How was your day?» «How are you?»

The previously awkward atmosphere became comically awkward.

Knock

Keepir jumped back. His back hit the back of the chair. He blinked at the splashes of mead on the table. There was a scrape of stone on stone, and Draal stood up.

«So.» the elder said firmly. «Tell me what's going on.» His gaze lit up fiercely.

The puppy froze. His gaze darted around the room, as if under fire, searching for an answer. What should he say?!

«I haven't seen you for weeks. It's a miracle I met you yesterday.» The amber-eyed man pointed out, narrowing his eyes.

Keepir tensed. Under the intense gaze, his head dropped and his chin rested on his collarbones. His ears flattened against his head.

«And most importantly, who I met you with.» His head rose and his nose ring clanked.

«What are you doing with the troll hunter?»

A silence so thick you could hear a pin drop.

«Argh...» With a low growl, Draal sat down loudly in his chair.

No one spoke for several minutes. The silence was silent.

Keepir's ear twitched in irritation. He looked up at the warrior sitting across from him.

«Draal.»

«Mhmm...» the one named muttered without raising his head.

«You understand that you'll have to accept this, right?»

«Accept that my father has been replaced by some mere human?» rang quietly through the room.

"..."

«Yes.» His voice betrayed no emotion.

Draal fell silent.

Keepir stared at his folded hands with an unreadable expression.

Tired.

The same look he'd seen in his father's eyes as a child.

«You'll have to accept that you won't see him again» the young troll replied dully. His eyes glazed over.

Keepir raised his head.

«He's no longer with us, Draal.»

He let the words soak into the air.

The warrior felt his eyes grow wet.

His hands clenched into fists. His heart beat faster.

Rage boiled.

And cooled.

His palms unclenched, falling softly onto the table. A stone of despair settled in his chest.

He blinked back tears.

«I'll think about it,» Draal replied curtly, without looking up.

Keepir forced a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

«Okay,» the young troll replied just as curtly.

Now the silence didn't seem so awkward.

Longing

A quiet moment was followed by an equally quiet sigh. Draal rose from his seat, leaving his hands on the table.

His gaze swept across the mead splatter to Keepir.

The bluestone troll pursed his lips, looking down for a moment, but quickly returned eye contact.

«I'll be going; I need to get ready.»

The hooded troll was stunned by this sudden change of topic.

«What?» he muttered quietly, tilting his head slightly to the side. «Wait, what for?»

Draal blinked twice, standing in front of the weapons rack. The warrior's gaze shifted from the shelves to him.

«For a duel.»

Keepir frowned, tense.

«With whom?» the boy asked cautiously, moving slightly away from the table.

Draal hummed thoughtfully, suddenly looking guilty. He raised his gaze, which he had lowered for a moment, and replied with a smirk.

«With a troll hunter.»

And he walked out the door.

«Not good...» Arrgh rumbled, looking at the rather eccentric machine.

Toby actually quite agreed with the stone giant.

What appeared before them could only exist in Frankenstein movies. Medieval Frankenstein movies.

It looked quite nice, a beautiful painted capsule or something like that. The gold was covered with some kind of symbols and stripes. And above it were five pipes made of the same material. For some reason, it seemed to resemble a troll's face.

«Honestly, I don't understand how you managed to convince me.» Jim said nervously, looking from Blinky to the machine.

It didn't answer, but simply started the Furgator.

A mechanical hum

A hum

A whoosh of steam

And with a spectacular puff of smoke, the device's doors opened.

Jim shuddered at how much it resembled an iron maiden.

«Still not good.»  Arrgh said worriedly, approaching them from behind. Toby merely nodded in agreement, rubbing his palms together.

«Okay, Master Jim, come on in, it's perfectly safe.» Blinky appeared next to him, gently placing one hand on his shoulder. The weight on his shoulder calmed his nerves a little.

In fact, he was quite frayed, both his nerves and the sudden paranoia. He blamed it on the disappearance of his amulet.

Jim's hands clenched nervously and he walked toward the car.

...

Toby admits. He finds it funny how small Jim is. If he had a squeaky voice like in cartoons, he'd be laughing out loud.

There's nothing funny about this situation. His friend was shrunk down to catch a gnome thief who stole a sacred artifact. But... is it just so unexpectedly stupid?

He watches Jim, like a doll, perched on Blinky's arm as they walk toward the gnome's burrow. Toby hopes he'll have time to ask him how it feels to be so small.

Before they even realized it, they were already at the burrow.

Suddenly, anxiety washed over him.

«That's a funny idea.» Jim said, almost bored, looking at the makeshift shield in his hands. «Start small, figure out the problem.»

The boy was carefully lifted by the scruff of the neck and placed in front of a crack in the wall.

«I have an essay tomorrow, and here I am standing in front of a gnome's hole, even though I'm the size of a gnome now!» Jim practically shouted, throwing up his hands.

«Master Jim, concentrate. You have to catch the gnome.» Blinky said encouragingly, clenching his fists. «So go ahead!»

The brunette was about to head inside when Toby's voice stopped him.

«Your sword, sir.»

Jim suppressed a smile.

He turned back to approach the outstretched hands, which held a sharpened pencil.

The hands took the pencil, which was quite large compared to him.

And pricked his friend's finger with the lead.

«Ouch!» Toby pulled his hands away, but the slight pain didn't hide his grin. That joke never goes out of style.

Meanwhile, Jim expertly slung the pencil over his shoulder and walked back toward the crack in the wall. A cool wind blew in his face, while Blinky's words echoed behind him.

«And remember, Master Jim!»

The brunette rolled his eyes.

«Don't touch their hats!»

«don't touch their hats.»

They both said in unison, but the latter was clearly less enthusiastic than the former.

...

Jim trudged forward without much enthusiasm. The wind blew past his face, while dampness seeped into his clothes.

He caught himself thinking about washing this cardigan six times... maybe more.

«Master Jim, you...»

«Yes, I haven't forgotten! It's right there! It's written right there!»

«So you're reading—»

«No! Those rules contradict themselves!»

A hand, free from the 'sword' and 'shield,' pinched the bridge of his nose. Irritation coursed through him from skin to bone.

An overwhelming urge to give up and go home arose.

He took a deep breath. And exhaled in defeat.

He understands that Blinky cares for him, but that care is too strong. It doesn't help that he's been reminded of that dwarf's stupid cap more than once.

With this thought, he kicked a stone that was under his feet.

With a clatter, the stone bounced further into the light.

Jim stopped.

A growing shadow appeared ahead.

The parasite stopped.

The bead's eyes fixed on the crystals at the entrance. Its nose twitched slightly. A quiet, barely perceptible step approached the entrance.

Whoosh

«Grrrrr...» With a growl, the dwarf quickly rushed toward the stone that flew past him.

Jim exhaled, throwing his head back. His back pressed against the pleasantly cool stone, and a dull ache throbbed in the back of his head.

The pencil began to slip from his sweaty hands.

His brows furrowed, and his hand tightened its grip on the wood.

«No time to relax.» The brunette closed his eyes, ignoring his words. «I have a Spanish test tomorrow...» "Sort of a test" his tired brain added.

«And I'm at the Troll Market, catching that fucking—»

«GHHRRR»

«AAAH!» The body jumped to the left

The dwarf slammed his face into the wall where Jim had been a second ago. Claw marks were left in the stone.

He immediately dove deeper into the cave.

The first thing he noticed was...

«Amulet!»

The sound of feet was heard directly behind him.

His feet carried him forward. His hand reached out toward the blue glow.

«AH!»

A four-fingered hand grabbed the spoon. A quick movement. And he crashed into the bar counter.

His eyes widened. Jim jumped over the counter he'd broken. His gaze was once again pleased with the amulet and the dwarf standing before him.

«You've got to be kidding me...»

Keepir walked through the troll market. The narrow streets went about their usual business, full of controlled chaos.

He wouldn't have come here if not for one thing...

«Where are they?» The young troll muttered under his breath, looking around for the familiar group of two trolls and two teenagers.

His eye twitched involuntarily at another sideways glance from the crowd. The brunette suppressed a growl rising in his throat. His hands clenched nervously in his pockets.

All these stares were incredibly unnerving.

A migraine was starting to creep up his head from the sounds and smells surrounding him. A little more and he...

So he needed a distraction.

What was on his to-do list?

His gaze lingered on one of the stalls selling cat tails and ears. Right, food. Lately, there had been a shortage of food. Something to do with people having less trash.

His legs slowly moved, carrying him further down the street. His stomach rumbled unpleasantly.

There were plenty of options for where he could go. Although he didn't like most of them.

For example, Yengirman always has what he likes, but he asks too much of him. He can't pay in runes every day.

Or Enlegana. She sells almost at the Market Hollow, but that hasn't made her food any less popular. Although he doesn't want to go to her because the last time she tried to slip him mead, saying, "Every young troll should try it at least once."

No, thanks.

And then—

Something flashed underfoot.

Purely instinctively.

A foot suddenly pressed to the ground...

A gnome.

A small creature with a fluffy white beard and a red cap squeaked in irritation, trying to escape from under the foot.

His tense shoulders immediately slumped. And with a quiet sigh, he lifted his leg. The gnome rose from under the foot and ran toward the shop.

Keepir's gaze lazily followed the parasite until it crashed into the troll's leg.

Bagdavela's leg. Bagdavela, who also looked up at him.

Fuck

«Oh, Keepir!» Her face immediately relaxed and took on a soft smile. As soft as this woman could manage.

«Or here, that worthless troll hunter who still can't catch the gnome.» The saleswoman muttered irritably as she walked inside.

Somehow, it simultaneously felt lighter and twice as heavy.

He should have known those four were in trouble again.

Although now he could finally speak his mind.

Keepir immediately rushed inside.

He deftly skirted the shelves, making his way deeper.

His eyes narrowed as he saw three familiar figures.

«And what are you doing here...?»

He stopped abruptly.

Keepir's face twisted in bewilderment.

Everyone was standing around the wall, looking at... little Jim with the gnome's cap on his head, while the gnome himself sat tied up in front of him?

«What the...»