Chosen

an unfair fight

"A little wider in the legs," Blinky corrected Jim's stance. "Yes, yes that's better," he said. "Raise your sword, master Jim!" he added as he helped him raise his sword to the correct height by lifing it a bit with one of his hands.

You, Toby and AAARRRGGHH sat down by the wall of The Forge and watched Blinky teach Jim the correct battlestance. AAARRRGGHH emptied something out of a paper bag into his mouth and chewed, looking like he was in heaven. "What's this?" he asked delighted. "Dandruff from my Nana's persian. And a couple of hairballs," Toby proudly replied as AAARRRGGHH ate the bag before he let out a big burp. 

"I don't understand why trolls eat things that are not meant to be eaten even though I've lived here literally all my life!" you thought out loud. "What do eat down here?" Toby asked. "Mostly vegetables with spices. I often make soup. We have a clear water source down here so that's pretty neat," you explained. "So you've never tried meat?" Toby asked with his mouth wide open. "What's meat?" you asked jokingly.

"The Trollhunter lives and dies by three rules," Blinky said loudly as he walked in a circle around Jim. "Rule numer one: Always be afraid," he said. "Afraid?" asked Jim. "Be afraid," grunted AAARRRGGHH. "Yeah, I dont think that'll be a probl-" he started, but was interrupted by ducking from a rock Blinky threw at him. AAARRRGGHH catched it and, of course, ate it. "See? Fear is good! Keeps us alert and keeps us on guard. Makes us vigilant," Blinky said and threw a couple more rocks for Jim to dodge. "A hero is not he who is fearless, but he who is not stopped by it."

"Rule number two: Always finish the fight!" he continued. "The opponent must be given no mercy!" continued Blinky before throwing several more rocks at Jim while laughing. Jim shielded himself from the rocks with his sword. "Okay, enough with the rocks already!" he exclaimed when Blinky stopped. "Always finish the fight?" he asked. Then, AAARRRGGHH threw a rock that Jim's back and made him fall forward. "Kill," AAARRRGGHH explained. "Indeed, the Trollhunter must always vanquish his opponent, by death," Blinky agreed. "Dude, that's harsh," Toby mumbled. "I mean yeah, but the enemy thinks like this too, so what is there to do? Strike first," you said. "We live in a harsh and unforgiving world, Toby D," Blinky said as Jim got up.

"Hence, the third rule: When in doubt, always kick them in the gronk-nuks," Blinky said. "Gronk-nuks?" Jim asked cluelessly. Blinky stomped two times in the ground which made a blade come up from the ground, and if Jim had stood a little closer his balls would be chopped off in one cut. AAARRRGGHH and Toby felt the pain mentally, and you made an 'ooh-that-must-hurt' expression. "The horror," AAARRRGGHH mindlessly uttered. "So, basically, you're saying that one third of being a Trollhunter is kicking someone in the balls?" Jim asked as the blade retrived into the ground.

"Ah! So the Trollhunter's training begins!" said Draal as he walked into The Forge with a genuine smile on his face and open arms. He was up to something. "I thought the great Trollhunter might accept my services as a sparring partner. Part of your training regiment, isn't it?" he asked Blinky. "In due time yes, but for now we've got Y/n here to go fair on master Jim. Human on human," Blinky said. "Why wait to go troll on human? In the real world the Trollhunter will face all kinds of creatures far stronger than a human," said Vendel from far up in the Forge. He was standing on a balcony build within the walls of the Forge. 

"I'm eager to see you charge demostrate is mettle," Vendel admitted. "Actually, the sword's more made of, like, daylight," Jim explained. "Yes, tell him Jim!" you laughed. "He means your mettle, your ability to cope in the face of adversity," Blinky explained. "Ohh," Jim realized. "Yeah, I'm actually working on the whole 'mettle' part. Plus, you know, SAT words," Jim spoke, making Vendel chuckle. "Let them spar," he declaired. "No harm in it," Draal promised, but didn't mean a word. "This is not gonna go well, is it?" asked Toby. You shook your head in response.

Blinkus started walking away and Jim followed after. "Wait, what do I do?" asked Jim. "Hit him as hard as you can," Blinky answered. "No, no. I mean, what do I do? I've never hit anyone!" Jim confessed. "Ever?" asked Blinky as he turned around. "Pacifist!" AAARRRGGHH yelled from across the room with his fist in the air. "I've never gotten into a fight." "In your entire life??" "All fifteen years of it, yeah."

"Is he serious?" you asked Toby. "Yup," he answered. "Well, he's fucked," you sighed. "Deadass," Toby agreed. "Deadass," AAARRRGGHH repeated.

"You fought Bular, however briefly, and you were glorious. Your blade-work was impressive!" Blinky assured Jim. "Those were just my chef skills!" Jim protested. "Exactly! The fight is within you, master Jim. Trust yourself. One hit!" Blinky motivated Jim with two of his hands on Jim's shoulders. "One hit and you will be changed forever," he finished and pushed Jim into the arena and left.

"Begin," Vendel announced as Jim got his sword ready. Draal snarled and made sand fly everywhere by grinding his fists and feet against the floor. Then, with a roar, he leaped towards Jim. It was like watching a boulder face a tiny twig. "One hit," Jim said to himself as Draal came closer, but lost his courage as Draal began to roll like an actual boulder. He rolled up the wall and on the roof until gravity pulled him down in order for him so smash Jim into jelly. Clouds of sand was thrown up in the air as Draal hit the ground. It created a carpet of smoke that Draal used to knock Jim over.

"All right, all right. Now, just give me a second here," Jim groaned as he supported himself on his sword. Draal didn't listen. He picked him up and punched him two times, and on the third one he let go so that he could watched Jim fly and hit the hard ground. His sword landed in the ground and disappeared right after. Jim started breathing heavily as Draal came close to him and picked him up. He held Jim over the edge of the arena, where there was hundreds of meters down to the bottom. "Let him go!" Toby yelled.

"I've waited my entire life to inherit the Amulet. I can wait until you fall in battle," Draal spat as he squeezed Jim tight with his gigantic hand before he let him go onto the arena's floor. "I suspect I wont have to wait very long. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay down and live, worm," he finished as he looked down upon Jim, who was panting, before he walked off. "Trollhunter," he laughed mockingly. Vendel sighed and also left.

"That' was so low," you mumbled to yourself before you and Toby ran over to help Jim.