A Trollhunter turned King

Pressure

"Wait, Nomura? You had a run in with her?" Douxie asked. Jim was confused why the wizard didn't know about the goblin problem until he remembered that they never really talked about it.

"Oh yeah. I forgot we never told you." Jim said, looking down for a second before he put his attention back on Douxie. "Me and Tobes went to the museum to try and get rid of a goblin nest but we ran into Nomura who was protecting Killahead bridge- oh that reminds me." Jim said getting side tracked, as he dug through his bag.

"Let me guess. Nomura tried to kill you two and you trolled out trying to protect Toby?" Douxie summed up, kinda already knowing where this story was going, ignoring the teens frantic digging. Jim then pulled out a small rock from his bag. Holding it closer to the other two parties, they could tell it was an obsidian brick.

"More or less." Jim answered. "But I also may have grabbed this." gesturing to the brick in his hand. He handed it over to the wizard as he examined it. "It might be safer here with you now that Strickler is after my head." Douxie was about to ask what it was, but then the sigils on the side of it made his eyes widen. They were unmistakable but he couldn't resist asking.

"Don't tell me this is. . " Douxie trailed off as he looked up at Jim. Said teen just gave a cocky smirk and finished his words.

"A piece of killahead? Yes, yes it is. I wasn't going to let them get as close to opening the bridge as last time." Jim said, shaking his head. "I took the smallest one from the back, so hopefully they won't notice till it's too late." Douxie was astonished to hear the boy say he pulled it out with his bare hands, as was Archie since the cat mirrored the wizard's expression. "What?" Jim asked after seeing the look on their faces.

"Jim, i- I've heard the stories about how Drall lost his arm trying to rip the amulet from the bridge. But did you not know that's how it is with all the pieces?" he asked, Jim just gave him a confused look. "Once the piece is connected to the rest, it won't come out again unless you smash the whole thing." Douxie explained. Jim's eyes grew wide, that was the day after his first bad episode. He had troll strength but not as much as Drall. Not by a long shot. So how the hell did Jim pull out the brick. Especially since the brick he had pulled was surrounded by other bricks. Not to mention he just wiggled it loses, he didn't struggle at all.

"How the hell?" Jim mumbled to himself but the others heard him. Even as a half troll he never had that kind of raw power. Sure he could give ARRRGGH! and Gunmar a run for their money but nothing like that. In deep thought, Jim remembered the small time he was ever able to use that kind of strength and he didn't like the thought of that beast still being a part of him. Jim's face turned from confusion to fear. Douxie spoke up seeing the distress the boy was in.

"You have a thought. You think you know why?" The wizard said calmly. Jim reached up at his left peck and clawed at it, remembering the shard of dark magic that was once there. Douxie saw this and finally realized what the young king was thinking. "You beat him. He's not a part of you anymore." He said going into big brother mode. Jim's trauma with the green knight was well known even if the boy never talked about it, but the others never brought it up either. They always changed the subject but Douxie knew to fix it, you couldn't ignore it, but you had to convince yourself you were stronger than it now.

"Thanks Douxie." Jim said, taking deep breaths and loosening his grip on his chest.

"I will say, you are welcome anytime as long as you cook for us again." Archie said, after finishing his bowl. He was trying to lift the mode and it worked. Both boys started laughing.

"Yes, please do. I could never say no to chef Jim." Douxie added, making Jim smile. in that moment, Jim's mind went to the magical build up in his chest and realized that it was a little less than it had been. maybe giving Douxie back his memories was the reason. but that raised another question. did the 'amulet' have everyone's memories locked in it, and was Jim able to give all of them back? a gun robot ringtone caught the trio's attention, bringing Jim back to reality. he reached for his phone to see Toby was texting him.