Blue Moon Rising

Chapter 21: Win, Lose, or Draal (I)

Disclaimer: Don't own Trollhunters or any of its characters. 

The air in Blinky's study was unpleasantly warm. Perhaps it was the amount of candles Blinky had lighted, or the amount of bodies currently stuffed within an already crowded space. Either way, it felt extremely uncomfortable.

But, then again, nothing about this situation was going to be comfortable, was it?

Toby bumped into Atlas's shoulder. The shorter teen lifted his head for a moment before nodding off again, resting heavily onto Atlas's side. He let him. His friend was paler than normal, his sweater vest on inside out. Atlas couldn't begrudge the boy of wanting a few extra winks. This early morning meeting had been made posthaste. Atlas was already awake when he received the sleepy text from Toby, who had been none too thrilled to find AAARRRGGHH!!! standing over his bed at zero dark thirty.

Nevertheless, they all came.

Blinky said something in Trollspeak, but Atlas barely caught any of it other than a few spare words. His mind was elsewhere, still stuck in the hazy in-between of sleep and awake. Atlas wondered if he looked as bad as Toby. It wouldn't surprise him. His mind felt burnt out. Though he only got a few hours of sleep, his dreams were quite long and vivid, all centered around Killahead.

He saw flashes of battle, troll against troll, with a dark ominous bridge standing tall amidst the death and destruction below. He wondered if it were merely his imagination, or something more. Did it have something to do with being the Trollhunter? He wished he could talk with the previous guy.

Atlas bit down on the inside of his cheek. All this business about the bridge left a bad taste in his mouth.

And now he'd walked straight back into it.

The talk was one he desperately wished he could have avoided, but considering current events, Atlas knew it was better start now than wait until later, especially as the fight with Draal drew nearer. It sat like a pendulum above his head. Every second passed meant another second closer and closer to his possible death.

Though, Atlas noted inside his head, this isn't the first time someone's wanted to kill me.

And now it felt like it hounded him at every corner. He brushed paths with it yesterday, close enough to make him twitch every time a door creaked open. Nomura would no doubt want to regain her honor. The question was not a matter of if, but when.

"Master Atlas?" Blinky said. "Are you with us? You seem particularly distracted."

Atlas jerked his head up, blinking in surprise. The force of movement nearly caused Toby to topple over. Both teens stood ramrod straight, now wide awake.

"Sorry," Atlas said. "I got distracted. What were you saying?"

Vendel banged his staff against the ground, placing a hand over his eyes in what Atlas expected was exasperation. "The bridge, child. Are you certain it was the Killahead Bridge?"

"No, it was the Golden Gate Bridge," Atlas snarked. "Of course it was the Killahead. I know what I saw. Why would I lie?"

"We got evidence too!" Toby added, waving his phone around. "I mean, it's a little hard to see, but that's totally a bridge."

Vendel peered into the phone's screen, the glare of the picture reflected in his milky eyes. He turned his head from side to side.

"That could be anything," Vendel grumbled.

"While Tobias' photographic skills are less than exemplary," Blinky remarked. "I trust Master Atlas's word on this."

Atlas waited for AAARRRGGHH!!! to back Blinky up, but heard nothing. Strange. Instead, AAARRRGGHH!!! sat in the corner of Blinky's study, surprisingly quiet. His legs and arms were tucked close to his body, as though he were trying to make himself as small as possible. He smiled when Atlas glanced over, but it did not reach his eyes.