Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

28: Skullcrusher

Jim woke up and saw that he was being dragged through the Darklands by two GumGums. "Where am I?" Jim asked.

They threw him into a tiny cave. "Strip him of his armor," Dictatious said. A few goblins ran into the cave and hopped onto Jim. Jim's sword appeared in his hand and he scared the goblins away. "Let go of me!"

He ran toward the entrance of the cave, only to be stopped by long, orange crystals that electrocuted him. "Blinky thinks you're dead," Jim said. "If he knew what you were doing—"

"Behave, boy," Dictatious said. "And I'll see to it that you're cared for. The Dark Underlord listens to me."

Jim tried getting out, but the crystals electrocuted him again.

"Have it your way," Dictatious said. "Reserve your strength. You'll need it. You may have saved the baby, but you cannot save yourself."

***

Claire portaled her way into the Heartstone, where she heard Vendel and Usurna talking. "The Trollhunter has gone too far," Usurna said. "The denizens of Trollmarket will not be safe until Killahead Bridge is destroyed once and for all."

"You know as well as I, Usurna, the pieces cannot be destroyed," Vendel said.

"No, but they can be thrown into a hole so deep, that no living thing can hope to find them."

"And I suppose you know of such a place. I cannot agree to this! You are signing the boy's death warrant!"

"He signed it himself the moment he crossed into the Darklands. The edict has already been made. Killahead Bridge will never be found again."

***

Mrs. Nunez held Enrique in her arms. "He's actually asleep in your arms?" Mr. Nunez asked. "Are you sure this is our child?"

Claire looked at her brother and her parents and smiled. She walked into her room and laid down on her bed, taking out her phone. She turned it on and saw Jim on her lock screen. "Jim..." she said. "What are we gonna do about you?"

"You'll get him back, sis." Not-Enrique came out from behind her bed, pushing a small box. "I mean, spongeface."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Claire asked.

"Well," he said. "I was thinking...now that your brother's out of the Darklands, I'm stuck looking like this...forever." He looked in a mirror at his troll form.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"Who knows? Trollmarket ain't my style. Probably find some comfy hole to make my own." He pushed the box onto the windowsill and climbed on top of it. "Take the A-train down to Trouble Town. Got no reason to stay around here anymore."

Claire held up Suzie Snooze to him. "Keep it," She said. "She'd miss you."

Not-Enrique took the stuffed bunny and hugged it.

"But what if there is a reason for you to stay?" Claire asked. "What if you could help us get Jim back? What do you say?"

***

Blinky looked through books in the library, with Aaarrrgghh's statue near him. "Second part of the harvest," Blinky said. "No, you fool!"

The amulet on Aaarrrgghh's chest started glowing and Toby walked in with a book bigger than his head. "Did you bring what I asked?" Blinky asked.

"Never told me the storage tombs were infested with scorch beetles," Toby said. A few purple bugs flew near him and he quickly crushed them with his foot. Blinky took the book from him and blew the dust off it. He opened it and started searching through it. Toby looked at Aaarrrgghh. "Why would a book about the thing that killed Aaarrrgghh help us now?" he asked.