Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

22: It's about time

Angor rowed a boat through a river. He stopped once he got to land. He held a torch in the air, so he could see in the darkness. He started chanting in a foreign language. He picked held up a bird and It flew into a face. "I call you forth!" He said. "Argante. Lady Pale. Baba Yaga. Eldritch Queen."

"I have many names," A woman's voice echoes through the cave.

"I come to trade," Angor said. "Gunmar's war for the surface lands has ravaged my village. I need the power to protect my people."

"You seek magic," she said. "But what do you bring in return?"

He took out his blade and off a piece of stone from his body. "Here," he said. "My offering, carved from my own living stone."

He handed a glowing blue stone into the cave. A hand with long fingernails grabbed it. She clenched her fist and it turned into a ring. Three glowing lights made their way over to Angor and he held out his hand. "Yes!" he said. "I can feel it! It is so..."

It disappeared and he fell to the ground, groaning in pain. More balls of light came out of him and into the ring she was holding. "My soul!" Angor said. "You lied to me!"

"You fool," she said, putting the ring on her finger. "Your flesh is worth nothing."

"What have you done to me? Inside, I am so...so...empty!"

"I gave you what you wanted. Now, your soul is mine! You will seek Merlin's champions and bring death to his Trollhunters!"

***

Jim walked up to Gatto, alone and without his armor. "The Trollhunter," Gatto said. "You have returned, and without your amulet."

"I need to Kairosect," he said.

"The Kairosect? Dangerous magic. After what your friends did to me, why should I let you live?"

"Because this time, I have a riddle for you."

"Really? A riddle? I am the master of riddles. I know them all."

"But you don't know this one."

"Willing to bet your life on it?"

"What do you call cheese that isn't yours?"

"What do you call cheese that is not yours? I've got it! Nacho cheese."

"And it's nacho day, either. Now!"

Nothing happened.

"I said, now!"

Toby, Claire, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh ran through a portal. Toby had his Warhammer and Claire had her shadow staff. "Master Jim!" Blinky said, throwing the amulet at him.

Jim caught it in his hand. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!"

The armor formed on him. "A trick?" Gatto said. "Come on!"

Toby held Gatto's mouth open with his Warhammer. They all went inside, and Toby removed his Warhammer. "I miss the simpler days of hunting gnomes," Toby said, looking through a pile of gold.

A few of the trolls ran in after them. "Hurry!" Jim said. "Keep looking!"

One troll knocked him back into a pile of gold and a triangular object fell in his hands. "The Kairosect!" Blinky said. "Good work, my chum! Tobias let's evacuate! Poor choice of words."

Toby picked up a burrito that was in his pocket. "Over here! That's right, boys. Your big boss didn't like those tacos last time? Well, this is worse. The Mega Trinidad Scorpion Burrito with spicy our cream and pastrami. If I were you, I might want to skedaddle."