Learning to Care

Chapter 2

Aargh, Jim, Claire, and Toby threw up their arms to shield their eyes as the sphere emitted a burst of blinding purple light that filled the training arena. When they could see again, Blinky was gone. In his place was a small baby troll. It looked like a mini version of Blinky, but it had much more hair, which stood up from it's head in a fuzzy blue halo. The little troll surveyed the people around it, then stuck one fist in its mouth. "Mmmh ha muh muh. Bah!" the baby gurgled.

Toby was the first to react, "Oh no oh no oh no! Where's Blinky! What if I killed him?" Toby wailed, his eyes flashing with horror. Claire frowned and stepped closer to the baby troll, which looked up at her, curious. "Guys, I think this is Blinky. I think that sphere turned him into a baby somehow." She offered a hand to the baby troll, who took it and giggled. Aargh sniffed the top of the baby troll's head, making its hair stand up, then flatten a little. The baby turned his attentions to Aargh and babbled a little, poking Aargh's nose. "Smells like Blinky. Must be him." Aargh said, agreeing with Claire. Jim groaned and ran a hand through his hair, groaning, "Oh this is just what we need, to have my mentor turn into a baby when I'm trying to prepare to fight an evil bloodthirsty troll. Toby, did Rot and Gut by chance tell you how to reverse whatever that thing does? Or even what it's called?" Toby shook his head, and Jim sent him back to Rot and Gut to try and find out. Then he turned to Claire and Aargh, asking, "Now what?"

Toby banged on Rot and Gut's giant door, freaking out about the mess he had made. When the trolls answered, Toby shouted, "What the heck guys! You didn't tell me that your stupid sphere thing would turn Blinky into a baby! You better know how to fix this!" Toby felt his dread increase when the two trolls started laughing. "Oh, so that's what it does! Don't blame us, you're the one who wanted exciting. You didn't say that it has to be safe or anything." chuckled Rot. Toby slammed his face against the door in frustration. "We don't know how to undo the effects, but the answer can be found in The Book of Bushala, which is probably in Blinky's library. The sphere is called a Gritnanka. Hope that helps!" Gut added. Toby thanked them grudgingly for helping somewhat, then turned away to tell his friends the good and bad news.