Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

37: Unbecoming

"Lower the prisoner."

The trolls lowered Jim's cage to the ground. They opened it and dragged him out. Vendel stepped forward in front of Usurna. "Are you still refusing to admit your friends had any hand in this?" he asked.

"It's my fault," Jim said. "I'm responsible. Everything they did was for me."

"Then, this is beyond even my authority. I am sorry."

"James Lake Jr.," Usurna said. "You stand accused of unleashing Gunmar on the world and failing to protect trollkind."

"If you let me out, I can fight."

"You will face trial in front of the Tribunal for your crime. If found guilty, as you say you are..."

"The consequence could be...death," Vendel said.

"But an offer of mercy is on the table. If you surrender the amulet to be destroyed, you will be exiled."

"And your life will be spared."

"I don't understand," Jim said. "Then there won't be a Trollhunter."

"For too long, we trolls have relied on Merlin's antiquated magics to shelter us," Usurna said. "As for the evil we face tomorrow, that is up for our own race to decide. Not some human child."

Vendel looked at Jim. "I'm aware this is a terrible choice, young one," he said. "But it is solely yours to make."

"The trial begins at dawn," Usurna said. "You have until then to decide."

A Krubera troll threw him back into the cage and shut the door.

***

Jim sat in his cage, looking at the amulet. The room was empty, except for one Krubera troll, who was supposed to be guarding him but was asleep. Jim stared at the amulet. "Is this what you wanted?" he asked. "To hurt everyone? To ruin my life? Why did you choose me? I wish I never picked you up in the first place." He threw the amulet across the room. "You made a mistake."

The amulet dinged and glowed. A light came out of it and flew down the hallway and into the forge. Jim's voice echoed through the forge as the light passed every Trollhunter statue. "You made a mistake. I wish I never picked you up."

Another light came from the amulet and flew up to Jim. "So, the amulet was a mistake, eh?" someone in the light asked. "You would not be the first."

"Who are you?" Jim asked.

"You don't recognize me? Perhaps a hint or two. I didn't have much luck being a Trollhunter either. Trained by Blinky? Couldn't last a day? Ripped limb from limb?"

"Unkar the Unfortunate?"

"That's what stuck? I was hoping for Unkar the Ultimate."

"Why are you here?"

"You wish you never picked up the amulet in the first place? Well, I'm here to offer you what I never had. A second chance."

A huge light surrounded him and he was suddenly in his room. His alarm clock dinged at exactly 6 am. He took the comic book that he fell asleep reading off his face and got up. He turned the alarm clock off. "This should not be happening," he said. "I'm in a cage. But where is the cage?"

He got up and looked down the hallway. Everything seemed normal. He saw a note on Barbara's door.

Late night at work. Sleeping in

-mom

He opened the door and saw her asleep in her bed. He ran down the stairs and looked around. "What is going on right now?"