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

Chapter 25: Angor Management

Strickler woke up in the middle of a room, tied up in a chair.

"We survived the night with no sign of Angor Rot," Jim remarked.

I walked behind him, "Congratulations, thought we'd bring you some breakfast." I held up a sock, smirking coyly at the Changeling.

"I don't eat socks," Stricker spat as Jim untied him from the chair, "and I do not appreciate being tied up. I asked you to protect me, not torture me." He rubbed the rope burns on his wrists tenderly.

"And we said we'd keep you safe," I retorted, glowering at him, "not comfortable."

Strickler ignored me pointedly and stared out of the window in the living room, "Well the sun is up. We'll have until sundown to get me as far away as possible."

"Fine." Jim conceded, "Let us call the team." He picked up his walkie-talkie and I whipped out my phone, typing out a text to Claire as Alexa skipped down the stairs.

"How's grumpy half-troll hanging?" She asked, "Not dead yet, I assume."

"Trollhunters to Warhammer," Jim spoke into his radio, "Warhammer, do you copy?"

Strickler only scowled at the lot of us, "Oh goodie. The puberty patrol is on the case. I feel so safe."

I gave my sister a tired grin, "Nope, still alive and biting."

I had hardly typed out my text when Toby picked up Jim's signal, "This is Warhammer, what's up, Jimbo?"

Strickler snatched the walkie-talkie from Jim's hand and glared at me as my thumbs kept typing away at my keyboard, "Do you really think your friends will stand a chance against that killer? They'll be a liability."

Alexa snorted at him, leaning against the doorway, "Oh, he's biting for sure."

Jim snatched the walkie-talkie back as I kept typing out my message to Claire. Only to be stopped when the irritable changeling swiped my phone out of my hands.

"May I remind you, you destroyed Angor Rot's soul," He growled out, "He'll be out for blood, whether it be yours, or theirs."

Both Jim and I stopped short and Alexa straightened up, glaring heavily at the adult changeling before her.

"Jim, Raelynn?" Toby's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie, "Hello?"

Jim cleared his throat, "Yeah Tobes, get everyone together. See what you can dig up on finding that last Triumbric stone."

"The one the Gum Gums stole?"

"Yeah, we need you down in Trollmarket." He explained, "We'll catch up when we can. Over and out."

Strickler smirked, "Smart choice, for once, you're learning." I hissed as I snatched my phone out of his grasp and deleted my entire message to Claire.

"For the record, smart-ass," I snarled, "Angor Rot destroyed his own soul."

Jim left me and the changeling alone in the kitchen as he began to rummage around in the cupboards.

"Ah, yes. After a very unexpected display of magic from you, Ms. Stone." He nodded curtly, a knowing glint in his eyes that I couldn't quite place, "How, remarkable, no?"

I growled at him and Alexa gripped my forearm before I could pounce on him and slice the smirk off of his sleazy face.

"Why trust this changeling when all he does is betray you?" Draal asked as he stood in front of the counter, watching Jim sift through the cabinets.