For Whom The Bell Tolls (Trollhunters continuation/Evil Jim AU)

9: A Whole World Away

A bizarre sensation woke Bellroc suddenly. It was a strange magical presence, it didn't belong. They were unsure what exactly it was, but it wasn't meant to be here. They unfurled their arms and allowed their cloak to freely flow in the air. With a final yawn, they spun themselves the right way up and floated into the main chamber of the airship.

"Skrael!"

There was no response. The fire deity grumbled in annoyance.

"SKRAEL!" They shrieked, their voice echoing around the halls loudly.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, there was a tired groan in response. Skrael flew groggily into the room, stretching his limbs. He perched atop a rocky ledge that jutted out from the wall, using his magic to manifest a series of small frozen spheres which he subsequently started juggling. An amused smirk befell his features.

"You called?" His lips curled further into a Cheshire Cat like grin.

Bellroc maintained the same stoic, unfeeling expression they always kept. They picked their staff up and used it to attempt the smack Skrael off the ledge, letting out an angered grunt as they did so. Skrael leapt into the air, startled, now fully alert and listening.

"This is no time for messing around," Bellroc spoke with a harsh tone, "Can you sense that strange energy?"

The ice demigod cocked his head to one side like a confused spaniel. Closing his eyes, he tuned himself into the magical frequencies of the world below them. It worked almost like echolocation, pulses of energy being sent off and allowing him to detect other magic beings. All of them were fine, as they should be. A few stragglers here and there clinging onto the fringes of society, trolls and other magical creatures squirreled away in underground communities. Nothing seemed out of place, until he hit one individual. Or seemingly one individual. A powerful energy spike, a being who somehow existed in multiple timelines and outside of time simultaneously. Whatever this being was, this signal, it was incredibly unstable magic.

"I feel it," Skrael responded upon opening his eyes, "This is concerning."

Bellroc lowered their gaze and a look of momentary concern spread across their face.

"Whatever is causing this magical aura, it stands to reason that it is incredibly powerful and threatens to upset the balance more than humanity already has. I fear if we do not act now, it will completely destroy this pathetic little world before we can remake it."

Skrael nodded in agreement, "Yes. We should locate Nari and the Genesis Seals as soon as possible...or there may be another way..."

"What do you mean?" Bellroc demanded.

"Perhaps, whatever this being is, could be utilised in our plan? It is too early to act yet, we must allow the awakening of Merlin before we enact anything. Otherwise we cannot hope to obtain the Seals. I suggest we lay low to allow our powers to fully rejuvenate and so we may observe this creature and see if it is of any use to us." Skrael seemed to be proud of his idea.

"That is...surprisingly logical," Bellroc was surprised by Skrael's ingenuity, "Very well, you are correct, we are still slightly weakened from our last battle with Merlin Ambrosius. Perhaps it is for the best that we allow ourselves to reach our full power, whilst keeping an eye on this new presence. They may just provide us the edge we need."
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Gunshots blared on outside the Akiridion royal residence. The war between Morando and House Tarron had raged on for weeks with no sign of reprieve. Both sides had suffered significant casualties.
Concealed within the moderate safety of the castle's main hub, a council formed from military leaders, strategists, advisors and the King and Queen themselves stood discussing tactics.