Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

43: Bad Coffee

Mama skull was practicing their band. Claire was singing and playing the guitar. "We wanna be mean," she sang.

"We wanna be mean," Mary and Darci repeated.

"Because mean is the scene. If you know what we mean!"

They're singing wasn't that great. Claire stopped in the middle of rehearsal when she heard a voice in her head. "I am with you. You are mine."

She started getting dizzy and she soon passed out.

***

She woke up on the couch with Mary and Darci over her. "Claire, are you okay?" Mary asked. "What happened? You like, went to the twilight zone there."

"I uh, lost myself in the music," Claire said. "Sorry."

"Claire," Darci said. "Your nose."

Her nose was red and started bleeding. She wiped away the blood. "Maybe I should sit this one out."

"Maybe you should sit school out too," Mary said. "I mean, that's not normal."

"Yeah, you're right."

***

"Changelings call it 'Grave Sand'," Strickler explained as Nomura handed Jim a container. "Derived from the pulverized bones of the fallen GumGums, Grave Sand aids us changelings in shedding our human form and embracing our more trollish nature. In humans, the Grave Sand should hone our feral instincts."

Jim looked inside the container at the purple, sparkling sand and reached his hand inside. "It changes your nature," Strickler said. "Some of the changes are permanent."

"What do I do?"

Strickler blew the dust from Jim's hand and it blew into his face. It went up his nose and he started coughing. His eyes glowed yellow. "How do you feel?" Strickler asked.

"Angrier."

"Good," Strickler changed into his troll form. "Use that anger."

Jim's armor appeared on him and Nomura came up behind him in her troll form. The two changelings surrounded him. Jim's sword appeared in his hand and fought off both of them. Strickler threw a dagger at him and he caught it. He grabbed Strickler by the hand and threw him against a wall.

Blinky was leading a few trolls through the sewers when they heard the noise that was going on. He saw Jim pinning Nomura against the wall with his shield. "Great Gorkus!" Blinky said. "What is the meaning of this insanity?"

Jim let Nomura go. "What is she doing here?" Blinky asked as she and Strickler turned into their human forms. "And you!" He looked at Strickler. "I should've known. Gunmar takes Trollmarket, and of course, you slither out from under your rock."

"They're here to train me," Jim said. "Not lecture me. If I'm going to kill Gunmar, I need to fight like Gunmar."

"Master Jim," Blinky said. "Your eyes." He picked up the can of Grave Sand. "You gave him Grave Sand! That's not meant for humans!" he walked closer to Jim. "Master Jim, look at me. The very reason the amulet chose you is your humanity. And allowing your human instincts hasn't failed you yet."

Jim's eyes started changing back to normal. "I'm sorry," He said. "I lost myself."

"Jim is a good kid," Strickler said. "But a good kid can't kill Gunmar."

"Brutality and deceit won't suffice either!" Blinky said.

"Sometimes, deceit is the only option."

"Lies may work for you," Jim said. "But not me."

"You lie to your mother every day," Nomura said.