Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

17: Blinky's Day out

"What is that?" A troll asked as someone scurried through Trollmarket.

"Is that a human?" Another asked.

"A human intruder!" Bagdwella said. "It stole my stockings! Call the Trollhunter!"

***

"Never in my wildest dreams did I dare think I'd ever see such a sight."

Jim was in the void. The Trollhunters before him were showing him the conversation between him his friends.

"It must be the Triumbric stones," Blinky said. "Three shards of legend tied to Gunmar's lifeblood."

"Because we're going to destroy him!" Jim said.

"He found the birthstone," A voice in the void said.

"He thinks he can kill Gunmar?"

"We told him he couldn't."

"Silence!" Kanjigar said.

"You said it was impossible to kill Gunmar," Jim told him. "But I found a way. You're either a lousy council or a worse liar."

"We needed to deter you from making a grave mistake," Kanjigar said. "You were lucky to obtain the birthstone. But the journey will only grow more treacherous from here onward."

"With all due respect, you said a Trollhunter should only work alone, but if it weren't for my friends, I wouldn't even have the first stone."

"The boy won't listen."

"He mocks us."

"What's the point in council?"

"If you insist on risking the lives of everyone you care about," Kanjigar said. "I advise you to listen to reason!"

"Trollhunter!" Draal could be heard from outside the void. "Trollhunter!"

"My son!" Kanjigar said. "He seeks you. There is trouble in Trollmarket. An intruder! Go!"

"An intruder? How did he get in?"

"Go!"

***

"We don't eat humans!"

"What if he's a changeling?"

The trolls surrounded a bag that hung from the ceiling. Something inside it was trying to get out.

"Hey, stop," Jim said, walking over to them. He had his armor on. "Let him go. I'm the Trollhunter. I'll deal with it. Let him go."

A troll let the bag down and it dropped to the ground. He opened the bag and a middle-aged man came out of it. He had brown hair, an equally large nose, and wore a leather jacket, jeans, and a light blue buttoned sweater. "Thank you, Jim." He smiled.

Jim held up his sword. "How did you get past Trollmarket's barrier and how do you know my name?"

"Master Jim," he said. "It's me, Blinky."

"No," Aaarrrgghh said. "He lies."

"Strike the fleshbag down," Draal said. "He's seen too much."

"I can prove it!" the man said. "Your mother is Barbara Lake. Your best friend is Tobias Domzalski. Your father disappeared when you were five."

"The changeling spy has studied you," Draal said.

"And we just replaced the ignition on your Vespa last week!"