The Two Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia Book One: Just the Beginning

Chapter 21: Where is my mind?

 A small yellow light flew through the streets of Arcadia. It flew towards Strickler who was walking through the park by himself. It flew right into his ear, but he didn't feel it, instead, he just kept walking.

But he stopped short when he heard a deep, gravelly voice speak behind him, "Impure." it hissed.

He spun around and was met face-to-face with Bular. He gasped in shock.

"Bular- I-It can't be." He sputtered.

Bular only laughed at Strickler's fear.

"I thought you were dead..." Strickler questioned as Bular began to approach him.

"I live," He snarled, "Only to find out you've left my father to rot in the Darklands? You dare to conspire to steal my father's throne?"

"No!" Strickler denied immediately, "I would never betray..." He held up his hand, revealing the ring he bore on his ring finger.

"The Inferna Copula," Bular sneered, "You think Angor Rot would bring your reign?" He laughed darkly, "Abandon the ring now before I feast on your corpse and floss with your intestines."

"Bular, please!" Strickler cried out, falling to his knees, pleading for mercy.

A girl walked past and watched Strickler on the ground whimpering and pleading to nothing. She rolled her eyes, "Oh boy..."

"Oh, you shall beg." Bular roared as the girl walked straight through him, revealing he was merely a mirage, a hallucination, "Abandon the ring!"

"She just walked right..." he looked up at the image of Bular with disbelief, "Pixies..." He snarled. He began to hit his head as hard as he could until the pixie fell with a squeak from his ear. The mirage of Bular faded and Strickler stood again, dusting off his pants.

"Angor," he called out in fury, "You dare attempt to distort my mind with a pixie?"

Angor laughed from atop the statue nearby.

"A nightmare would scare the ring from my hand?" Strickler scoffed, shifting into his troll form, "You are a dog," He hissed in anger, "And this is your leash." He held up his fist and punched Angor to the ground roughly.

Strickler approached him again, "I am your master. Obey me and kill the Trollhunters!"

"Then you should avoid that school of yours tomorrow," Angor warned him, mysteriously.

Strickler snorted and shifted back into his human form, walking away briskly. Angor staggered back to his feet.

"But the ring will be mine..."

_

At school the next day, Mary and Darci ran over to me as I was at my locker. Claire trailed behind them, smiling proudly.

"Jim Lake asked you to the dance, and you didn't tell us?" Mary asked in pure shock.

I turned towards the three girls and suppressed a laugh, knowing how it really went.

"Spill it, Linnie-lue," Darci urged me, "Before Mare and I go Ka-boom!"

"There's not really much to tell," I shrugged, "Except, I sorta asked him..."

Darci and Mary both gasped and Claire gave a proud nod.

"Good girl!" Darci praised me, grabbing my shoulder, "Taking my advice!"

Mary cut in, "Excuse me, Darc, do not celebrate. Educate! That's not the way you do things, Raelynn. There are rules to being on top of the social food chain. What sort of world do you think we live in?"