Jim Lake Jr. x reader || Daylight

Ch. 6: Win Lose or Draal...And Another Option We Made On Our Own.

"It is not possible, are you sure she didn't just disappear right before the troll came in?" Blinky questioned with false hope.

"Nope." Jim shook his head with me as Toby stepped forward, starting to speak about a theory of his.

As we walked to a seat I saw that they were using the gnomes like darts, their large horns being perfect.

I rushed to the board and gently took them out of the wood, them growling at first but allowing me to free them. They all looked at me questioningly, then nodding in some kind of overall approval, and shaking my pinky with their small hands. One spoke gibberish to me, bowing, and hopping onto my shoulder.

"Okay?" I looked at Blinky confused.

"Through vicious, gnomes can be very loyal. You have been the first to show any kindness to their kind so I think they now see you as a friend."

I made an 'o' shape with my mouth. I looked to my shoulder and gave a nod to the gnome. "Well, nice to meet you." The gnome nodded then jumped back to his friends.

"That was weird." Jim chuckled.

"Yup." I laughed.

Toby then went back to his previous thought.

"There was no way it was anyone different. It was like she transformed into another person...it was freaky." Blinky thought about his words and sighed with a grave look on his face. "Then I fear we have a case of-" Then he spoke in Troll, a language I had yet to fully learn. "Bless you." I joke to only clear my throat awkwardly as Blinky glared at me. 

Jim just smiled and continued to listen closely.

"A changeling." Arrrggghhhh said bluntly, making the tavern grow quiet, gasps from all around only a few moments later.

"Haha, jokes!" Blinky's awkward laugh made me more alert, letting me truly know how crazy things were starting to get.

"Also, Killahead bridge. We saw it when we were fighting the goblins in the museum." I interject, the thought randomly coming to mind.

Blinky went on to tell us how these accusations were very serious, and how we needed to keep it on the down-low 'till we knew more, needing more evidence.

"But yes, untrusting half-breeds that used to be used as spies. They are very dangerous-" Blinky was cut off by Draal, just the sight of him making me jump.

"Well, isn't it the two pieces of flesh I'll pound into pancakes tomorrow." Draal's booming voice warned in a cocky manner.

How did he know what pancakes were?

"I will drink to your deaths!" 

I gasped in horror as I took a look at Jim confused. "Death!? I thought this was only a rematch!?"

"To challenge a troll's honor can only end in ruin."

Then Draal threatened us when we asked to postpone it, having serious matters to take care of, but he didn't want to hear it.

The something about honor, our death being painless and whatnot, and oh yeah, now we weren't going to have any mercy for being "cowards."

"Cowards?" I whispered to myself in disbelief. "Cowards?!" 

Jim looked at me with knitted brows. "Oh, no."

"How are we cowards!? We are only trying to do our jobs and protect Trollmarket, which includes you too! We'll fight Draal!  We'll fight and show you the warriors we are!" Draal's yellow-green eyes turned into slits as he scoffed and walked away.