Daylight is Mine to Protect

Detention

Fear is the only thing keeping the boredom at bay. In fact, fear is keeping all of my emotions at bay. It even almost manages to keep my rationality away, but I barely keep my mind clear. He doesn't know. It's fine. Just half an hour and you're out of detention. Just half an hour....

I wince as Strickler's troll self flashes past my eyes: those evil, yellow eyes... that smirking grin... those hands holding out the gift that changed my life forever....

"Miss Amber, I would appreciate it if you stopped staring at me," Strickler says dryly.

"R- right! Sorry!" I quickly avert my gaze, instead choosing to stare firmly at my desk.

What are the odds that Strickler would appear right after I had a nightmare about him with the pixies? Low. So low. I keep hitting my palm against the side of my head in the hopes that the pixie is just really lodged in, but the image of Strickler continues to stay in the front of the class.

If he doesn't recognize who I am, Strickler certainly recognizes how fidgety I am. I keep trying to focus on my homework only for Strickler to yell at me only a few seconds later for doing something. My face starts heating up as the other students begin sniggering at his constant rebukes. I had lost control of the situation ever since Strickler had shown up. All my calculations had been thrown out the window.

The only thing more prominent than my fear is my exhaustion. For all my jitters, my eyes continue to droop, leading to further Strickler snarling. It's a miracle that he doesn't recognize me even through all the attention I give myself. Then again, only a fool would attract attention to themselves when they're trying to hide. What a masterful strategy I have unwillingly stumbled on.

The class ends with Strickler practically shoving us out of the room. No doubt because my constant inattention has tired him out. I'm surprised he still managed to care enough to yell at me by the end of class. 

I'm grateful for the few winks I got in class, but they're hardly enough to compensate enough for the day I know I will have today. 

Thankfully, Jim and his friends actually do sleep in on the weekends and are just barely waking up. Plus, they don't even get around to setting off until the sun starts to set. 

I take the opportunity an open window provides to sneak inside Jim's house and listen to their conversations. I listen to their parents-- didn't know they also knew about Jim's Trollhunter status-- give each of their children something for the journey. I feel a strange feeling inside me watching it. They each are so protective of their children. I never remember having that. 

Blinkus and Draal are both here. I'm glad that the Trollhunter has such a large team to help him out. I mean, imagine if Gunmar had actually escaped and done something like mind slave Draal and wrecked Jim's confidence? That would've been horrible. 

I also see Blinkus's brother, Dictateous, in the corner. I remember he escaped the Darklands without Gunmar, betraying him and joining the Trollhunters instead.

When they finish their goodbyes, I sneak over to stand near the group as Claire opens the portal. Their plan of using Aaarrrgghh as an emotional anchor is a good one. I can't help being impressed.

I notice Aaarrrgghh in the chamber before they do. He is suspended in a stasis shield with strange green rocks floating in it. I ignore the gasps of the others as I whip around, looking for Angor Rot. Nothing. No sign of him at all. 

I let the Trollhunter deal with saving his friends as I search the surrounding area. I peek around and find a staircase leading down into a tunnel. More worried about Angor Rot getting to the Staff than the Trollhunter at the current moment, I race down the steps. Below, I find a Gyre. "Wow," I breath, as I study it's ancient form. Some instinct leads me to the other side of the Gyre to discover a smaller vehicle. I notice there is a perfect entry for my staff in its side. Hopping inside, I put my staff in the side and trust it will take me to where I need to go. 

The race through the tunnels is both exhilarating and terrifying. I've never been on a Gyre or anything close to it before, but I love the experience. 

At the end of the tunnel, I get out and retrieve my staff. Then, I head down a pathway along the side of a cliff and reach a waterfall blocking my passage. I try to peer through it to see what dangers lie ahead. Nothing. 

I cautiously step through. As soon as I do, I feel a tingle and my invisibility disappear. Panicked, I leap back outside. My invisibility resurfaces. Merlin hadn't told me about this. 

I once again step through and try to ignore the feeling of being exposed. Interestingly enough, my staff is still in my hands. 

I study the area. Besides a few beetles on the ground, I don't see anything of note. If you don't include the entrance, of course. 

On the tops of the entrance is written in troll (which I know better than English) "In this place of my final rest, no magics here may enter." 

I sigh. That explains the invisibility. I guess since the staff is made from real twigs, it stays. The magic part must be summoning it and dismissing it.

I journey down the tunnels and reach an old room. I smile, feeling my confidence over the situation return. Merlin had told me in length about the genius of each of his puzzles guarding his tomb. 

I put a heavy object on the specific stone in the ground. Then, I search on the ground and find the discarded seeds on the ground and put them in a pot. Then, I lift up the object and watch with fascination as a tree grows from the seed. 

After climbing the tree, I arrive at the next room. I can't see much because of the darkness, but Merlin had told me so much about this place, I could navigate it with my eyes closed.

I know that the drawings of past and future are on the caverns walls, carved with blue lines. I know that there is a spinning blade trap that leads to the staff. But, I know there is also a secret entrance to right of the cave that leads to Merlin's resting place. It is depicted in the futures of the Trollhunter if he looks at the carvings. 

I make my way over the entrance and proceed down the hallway. White crystals shine from the roof and cast elegant patterns onto the floor. No time to admire them right now. 

I arrive at Merlin's tomb at last after a few times getting lost-- apparently some directions were not as clear as I thought they were. I start to journey to the other side of the tomb to the entrance of the blue crystals, but then stop. I turn to look at Merlin. He is covered in cobwebs-- no surprise-- but is otherwise perfectly preserved. Ignoring the pressing sense of urgency in me, I tiptoe over to him, staring wide-eyed. He is in a full set of green armor-- not sure why he needed that-- and a strange silver cap that seems to mold into his grey hair. He almost seems... human.

I find myself drawn inches away from his body, captivated by the flesh and blood that were the booming voice in my dreams. 

All at once, my staff vibrates and shoots out of my hands. I yelp as it goes down the tunnel I had been going towards. I race after it but only get halfway before it shoots back towards me, three blue lights in toe. I dodge out of the way and race the other way: I need some sort of a weapon to face Angor Rot. 

When I have arrived back in the tomb, I see the staff and blue lights floating above Merlin. Almost as if conducting an orchestra, the staff waves above him, leading the blue lights into his body. Then, it collapses to the ground. 

I hurry to pick it up and hold it firmly in case it decides to race away from me again. Then, I look back at Merlin to make sure he is ok. His blue eyes are open. 

A/N: I was feeling motivated.