Lasting Repercussions

Chapter 2

Claire hated feeling useless.

She and Toby had managed to scale back up the cliff after Jim had disappeared from sight, but when they rolled back onto the ledge, all they found was a massive boulder blocking their path.

"Where's Jim?" Toby asked what they both were thinking, "He was just here, right? Like, just now, wasn't he? He should still be here, right?"

A scream tore out from behind the boulder, it's tones cracking with agony. Jim.

" Jim!" Claire had called,"Jim! Hold on!"

She had approached the stone blocking their path, scouring its edges for a way around. Her search, however, was interrupted. A groan rose up from beneath the rock and Claire spotted a trembling hand poke out from underneath its surface.

"Here...." A voice wheezed from below. Claire crouched, ducking down to get a better look.

"Miss Nomura!" Claire cried, immediately grabbing hold of the changeling's hand and giving a tug. "T.P.! Give me a hand!"

Together, they managed to pull Nomura out from small crevice where she was wedged, but upon her release, she collapsed, crying out clutching her leg. Claire noticed an angry swelling at her shin.

"I think it's broken," she said, wrapping an arm around Nomura and helping her to her feet as Toby did the same.

"You think?" Nomura's voice dripped with snark.

Another scream ripped through the air from afar.

Jim...

"Don't," Nomura severed Claire's thought before it began.

"But he's in trouble! He needs our help!"

"Yeah!" Toby agreed, "If Jimbo's in trouble then we're going to save him, no matter what!"

"You forget that he is facing the darkest and most powerful threat in our world and others-"

"An even better reason for us to go help!" Claire snapped.

"And exactly what help do you intend to give?" Nomura challenged, "You are nothing but two fleshbag children! I am injured beyond the ability to walk and you are both unarmed and virtually useless in battle as you are! So tell me, just how do you intend to give any sort of assistance to the Trollhunter?!"

Claire paused. She opened her mouth to rebut, but any response she had thought of had died on her tongue. What would they be able to do? Sure, they could find a way around the boulder and face Gunmar to help Jim, but what good would that really do? She and Toby had left their weapons back in Arcadia at the behest of Kanjigar, and in Nomura's condition her khopesh would be about in useful in her hands as it would be in either of the human's possessions.

"Claire?" Toby asked, turning worried eyes to face her, "What's our move?"

Claire wracked her brain for some way they could come to Jim's aid, but came up with nothing. She sighed. Nomura was right. In their current state, they were completely and utterly useless.

And she hated feeling useless.

Something exploded.

Or at least, it seemed as if something exploded.

The ground beneath them shook. Toby and Claire's legs wobbled, which, with the added imbalance of Nomura leaning on them, sent all three tumbling to the ground. They all sat up, groaning.

"What the heck was that?!" said Toby, pulling himself out from the bottom of their chaotic dog-pile. He received his answer in the form of a beastly roar which both he and Claire recognized immediately.