Daylight is Mine to Protect

Changelings Part Two

Whatever it is that will "blow my mind," doesn't reveal itself for the next ten minutes. Isha chatters to me constantly and, though I try to get more information out of her, she is unresponsive and vague. The only thing I manage to gather is that Isha and Liazare are waiting for something. I get the feeling I don't want to find out. 

Eventually, I find out. Angor Rot enters the space and both Isha and Liazare stand to attention. "It is time," he says. 

"Lemme see it, lemme see it!" Isha pleads. Her eyes glow yellow. 

Angor Rot takes out something orange. It takes me a moment to realize what it is. "How did you get a Horngazel?" I exclaim as Isha admires it. 

Angor Rot smiles. "Let's just say that even trolls with many eyes and four arms are weak without their Trollhunter to protect them."

I gulp at the implications. I hope Blinkus is okay. I actually like him.

I am pulled up from the chair, and a sack is forced on my head. I try to resist at first, but a few bonks on the head convince me to stay compliant.

At some point in our journey, I can hear the sound of the Horngazel opening a portal into Troll Market. I consider yelling out for help. As if hearing my thoughts, Isha puts a knife to my back. "Make one peep, and I'll see how many limbs you really need." I gulp and stay silent. 

I'm not sure how the group manages to avoid detection, but we arrive at the Heartstone with no trouble. Well, no trouble for them. Plenty for myself.

When we arrive, the sack is pulled off and I behold the inside of the Heartstone. It is... beautiful. More beautiful than the stars, more beautiful than a sunset, more beautiful than Merlin's amulet. 

And then it is ruined as Morgana appears in the center of the main crystal. "My champion," she speaks. "You have arrived successful!"

"My queen," Angor Rot says and bows. Isha and Liazare bow as well. I stay standing.

"And my little apprentice. How good to see you again after all these years."

"Wish I could say the same."

"Ah, but you have come to free me at last! How could I not be grateful. Soon, I will have my revenge against Merlin and his Trollhunter!"

"I will not free you," I hiss.

"But you will. Merlin has already told you, hasn't he? The old man is foolish in many ways, but he understands this well. The sooner I am free, the better for everyone."

I hesitate. "I still will not free you. I... can't. I won't do it."

"Oh, my dear." The room shakes. "Don't you want to be free of your shackles? To see the world changed for the better? Better not disappoint Merlin, hmm?"

Conflict writhes through me like some sort of twisted snake. "I will not free you. Any second now, some trolls from Troll Market will arrive and stop this from happening."

"While I do love your optimism, I'm afraid that won't be happening. Liazare, you can make sure of that, yes?"

Liazare twitches and smiles. "Y-yes. My q-queen." A flash of yellow light and he morphs into a hulking brute nothing like his thin human form. Drool runs down his face and long claws extend from his limbs. He races towards the only entrance and eagerly awaits any unfortunate visitors. 

"I still won't. The Trollhunter will find another way to beat you!"

"Ah." Morgana's voice seems to leap across the room and back. "You are worried about the human. That is why you won't free me."

"You don't care about any of the humans! Merlin doesn't either. I won't free you."

"Hmm. Fine. Well, I hoped it wouldn't come to this but, really, you leave me no choice." She pauses a moment before continuing. "Angor Rot here has two trolls-- friends of the Trollhunter apparently-- imprisoned in stasis. Were he to release them at this moment, they would explode in a spectacular array of fireworks. And he will release them. Unless you free me."

"What?" My face goes pale. "There's no way. Y- you have no proof!"

"True. I don't. But, I would never lie to you, dear."

For all her wrongs, she isn't wrong about this. I can't recall one time in which she has lied to me. She has always been brutally honest or lied by omission.

I gulp and look at the Heartstone imprisoning Morgana. To free her would be horrible. Devastating. But, it may be necessary.

No, I can't do that. I remember all the trolls in Troll Market and how much destruction she could cause.

But Blinkus and Aaaarrrgghh could be killed.

But not freeing her is for the greater good.

But Merlin certainly didn't think so.

But I certainly do.

Either choice, I know I am making a mistake. So, I make myself a new option.

I summon my staff-- so glad I figured out how to do this-- and attack Isha. I knock her over with surprise on my side. 

When I turn to Angor Rot, he already has his knives out. I really wish I didn't have my hands tied behind my back.

I twist and turn, weaving around his attacks and somehow managing to survive. I decide this plan of mine was ill-thought-out.

Isha gets back up soon enough, and I know she's up because I see a flash of yellow light in my peripheral as she changes into her changeling form. Her braid is still there, but it is more jagged and has knives sticking out of it. Her skin is dulled pink, and her smile is now filled with pointy teeth.

Now, I'm being attacked on two fronts. Without the versatility of my shoulders, it's hard to use my staff to block both of their attacks. Though I try to attack to get one of them out of the running, I am forced to start blocking again as I encounter a few near misses for being stabbed. 

I am more worried about Angor Rot's attacks. One hit from his blade, and stone will start to creep across my skin. So, I end up taking quite a few hits from Isha to compensate. 

It is a losing battle, and I know it. Yet, I fight with all the energy I have and all the energy I don't have to escape.

"ENOUGH!" A burst of yellow light emanates from Morgana's crystal, knocking us all to the floor. I try to get up, but my limbs won't move. "I have waited too long to be freed. You will decide now, Sucinea, or your friends will die."

This is it. I have to make a decision. I look up to Morgana, suspended in her crystal: the lady who used to be my queen. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she was freed. Perhaps she would show mercy on the trolls. 

I harden my will and open my mouth to speak my answer.