𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 [𝐣𝐢𝐦 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐱 𝐨𝐜]

Chapter 8 | Bular the Butcher

Immediately after school, Liz headed to her apartment on a skateboard, only to leave on a motorbike. The sun gradually descended in the sky, covering the town's buildings in shades of pink as she drove through the streets. She was on her way to meet with Blinky and AAARRRGGHH, but she was chilled to the bone when she heard a troll's familiar roars and growls. Tensing, she could only name one ferocious beast: Bular, the Butcher.

Liz turns her bike around the corner, heading towards the sounds, her mind racing. Why is Bular in town close to humans? With the sun still in the sky, how could he risk exposing himself to being exposed? Unless...Her eyes widened in realization. Jim!

Accelerating, Liz follows the roars and growls. Then, she can hear crashing close by. As she passes by another street, she turns to see Jim and Toby on their bikes, riding swiftly with Bular catching up behind them. The two boys turned into a narrow alleyway, leaving Bular in the dust. Grinning in approval at their quick thinking, she speeds up and drives around on another road to follow them on the other side.

Seeing the two boys far ahead, Liz continues to tail them. She continued to follow them over the canal and into the residential area when she saw them turn left at a three-way intersection. Looking over her shoulder, she sees Bular chasing after her. "I see you, Guardian!"

Her brow creased in concentration as she picked up speed on her bike, only to slow down before making the turn at the intersection. She swerves to a stop when she notices the boys standing with the trolls, staring at her and her ride in surprise. She shouts at them, gaining their attention. "Why have you stopped? Bular is on his way! Move it—"

Before she could say anything more, Bular appeared from around the corner, growling at them. Quickly, Liz accelerates and shouts to the crew. "Follow me, boys! We'll be safe in Heartstone Trollmarket!"

Quickly, the crew ran and rode down the dark neighborhood street. Behind them, a row of power lines snapped as they fell to the ground, narrowly missing Toby, who AAARRRGGHH saved. Having turned into the forest, they went through the trees. Behind Liz, she heard Blinky shouting, "Master Jim! Don your armor!"

"I've been trying! The amulet won't listen to me!" Jim replies in distress.

"Did you speak the incantation?" Blinky questions. With frustration, Jim answers. "I've been incanting the crap out of it, and it's not working!"

Ahead of them, Liz shouts. "You have to be earnest, Jim! Reciting the incantation without it won't work!"

"Just focus and incant, dude!" Toby shouts behind them, hanging onto AAARRRGGHH for dear life. Liz picks up speed and flies into the air as the ground beneath her drops below. Descending by gravity, she lands at the bottom of the canal, her tires screeching as she swerves her bike to a stop on the opposite side. Taking off her helmet, she looks up to see Jim still at the top landing with everyone else sliding down the canal. "What is he doing?!"

Quickly, she revs her engine, preparing to drive up the slope in hopes of reaching Jim. Damn it! Is this boy trying to get himself killed?!

However, she was too late when Bular punched Jim. A blue light bursts as Jim flew into the air, transforming into his armor. Fully armored, with the sword in hand, Jim lands hard at the bottom of the canal, cracking and shaking the ground beneath him. Jim grunts as he struggles to lift his sword, facing towards the approaching Bular, who lets out a roar.

"Run, Jim!" Liz shouts, unclasping her helmet with haste.

Shocked out of his reverie, Jim pants, running down the canal towards the rest of the crew waiting beneath the canal as Bular runs parallel to him from the top landing. To their dismay, Bular jumps down and lands in front of Jim, intercepting his path to safety. Blinky shouts to Jim. "Use your sword, Master Jim!"