"Lady Liza!"
"Lizzie!"
"Liz! "
Upon hearing her name, Liz opens her eyes only to meet with complete darkness and utter silence. Why is everything so dark? Where is she?
Taking a step forward, multiple lights in every shade of color began to glow around her, emitting from stones extended from beneath the walls and ground of what looked like an underground tunnel. Liz approaches one of the glowing stones, realizing they are, in fact, gemstones like the one in Trollmarket but smaller in size. However, these gemstones seem to whisper faintly but incoherently to her ears.
However, one voice stood out among the whispers, drawing her attention to one gemstone embedded in the wall a few feet away. The stone was a deep cobalt blue like sapphire though slightly transparent, revealing a moving image of little Jim.
Enthralled, Liz reached for the stone only to be sucked into the vision through a vortex and landed on some bushes nearby a house. She then hears car doors closing and a woman calling out. "Hurry now, sweetie, and say goodbye to Jim. We have a long drive."
"Okay!" A little girl shouted in reply. The voices prompted Liz to climb from the bushes and walk to the front of the house, noticing that it was Toby's house, but with a familiar red car parked in front of it. Out on the sidewalk stood a little boy and girl—the same children in Liz's dreams and Jim's childhood photo.
The little girl pulled the boy into a hug. "I'll bring you a birthday present when I come back, so wait for me, okay?"
"You promise, Lizzie?" Little Jim pouted, tightening his arms as if not wanting to let go. The little girl giggled, pulling herself from him to smile at him and lifting her pinky. "Promise, Jimmy!"
And with that, they crossed their pinkies.
Instantly, the scenery changed before Liz's eyes, revealing visions through the eyes of the little girl – of herself growing up, her first meeting with Jimmy from across the street, her playtime with Jimmy, the first actual encounter with Kanjigar, saying goodbye to Jimmy, the perfect family trip, a terrifying ride home through a storm, a car falling that ended in a flooding river bank with both parents unresponsive to her cries, and then — nothing.
Withdrawing her hand from the stone, Liz's surroundings changed back to the tunnel, her gaze unfocused as she processed what she had seen—those visions – they were hers. Her memories. Lizzie's memories. She was Lizzie.
A tear fell down her cheek as Liz realized this. All this time, and she never knew – until now.
"About time you start remembering."
Liz flinched at the feminine voice, realizing she was not alone. Turning around, she sees no one but a glowing orb of white light hovering before her. She was not threatened by its presence but instead drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
"But you have a long way to go before you can remember everything. After all – this is just the beginning."
And with that, the light flashed brightly, blinding everything in sight until all was white.
Liz slowly opens her eyes, blurry faces hovering above her own until her vision clears, revealing the worried expressions of Vendel, Douxie, and Archie. Douxie instantly grinned with relief in his eyes. "Blimey, you're awake! Are you okay, love?"
"Doux? Wha-What's going on? Why are you —" Liz slowly sat up with their help but paused mid-sentence as she remembered being at the Hero's Forge for Jim's training session before she was greeted with darkness. "What happened?"
"You fainted from what I heard," Archie replied, his wings flapping behind him as he hovered nearby. "After your troll friend brought you in, your magic suddenly went out of control, and Vendel had to summon us."
"What?! Ven is that – " Liz turned her head slightly, looking to the elder troll for answers, only to gasp in shock at the sight of Vendel's workshop. The space was utterly disheveled as if a hurricane had gone through it. "What in the world — ?"
Vendel let out a tired sigh, shaking his head. "Not long after AAARRRGGHH brought you to my care, I sensed your magic rapidly growing in strength and burst out of control before I knew it. Luckily it only destroyed my workshop, but had I not called for reinforcements, Trollmarket would have fallen over our heads."
"Oh my gosh, I did it again, haven't I? I-I'm so sorry, Ven. I didn't think this would happen after all this time. I don't understand why that keeps happening to me. These magic flare-ups, the sleepwalks, the nightmares, and this – this –" Liz stuttered, magic crackling intensely against her skin as her breathing became erratic, only to be stilled by the wizard apprentice, who calmly slid his hands over her trembling arms. "Breathe, Liz. Just like we practiced. Slow deep breaths."
As they have done for years, Liz and Douxie took slow, deep breaths in sync until Liz's mind gradually calmed along with her magic. With a final exhale, Liz grinned slightly. "Thanks, Doux."
"Anytime," Douxie smiled softly, letting go of her as Vendel coughed in the background, drawing their attention to him. "Now that you have calmed down, young one, I would like to know how this occurred in the first place?"
"Nothing out of the norm. I was simply watching Jim training like usual. Then I heard Toby mention some things about Jim not liking his birthday, and all I remembered was —" Liz paused mid-sentence, blinking in a daze. Vendel raised a brow at her peculiar reaction. "Remember what, young one?"
Liz instantly recalls the many coincidences she connected between Jim and herself after hearing Toby's recollection of Jim's troubled childhood past and the visions of her childhood memories that she saw in that underground tunnel. The thought of it all instinctively made her heart clench as she stared into space. "My past – my childhood, my parents, and...." She frowned. "...and Jim."
"The trollhunter?" Archie asked as he landed in front of her, his head tilted in confusion. Liz nodded. "Yes, I remembered Jim. He and I knew each other when we were kids. This whole time...he must have thought I was dead when I went missing, but yet...."
Liz thought back on her first day of school when she first made eye contact with Jim. She remembered the way he looked at her like he saw a ghost. He recognized her from the very beginning.
"I'm such a fool." Liz smacked her forehead. "He was trying to tell me the truth."
Douxie and Archie exchanged glances as Vendel rubbed his chin, his mind elsewhere in silent contemplation before speaking aloud, drawing all eyes on him. "How curious, young one. It seems fate has tied the boy's destiny with yours in more ways than I can imagine. Perhaps I may be wrong for doubting him. Be as it may, he still has much to learn and improve for me to consider him our Trollhunter."
"Wow, you sound just like my master," Douxie commented, earning a smack over the head from Archie. "Ow! Fuzzbuckets, Arch."
"I need to talk to Jim. Where is he?" Liz asked as she moved to get off the table, though Douxie stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "The lad can wait, love. You need to rest for a bit more."
Vendel rolled his eyes, answering her question. "Gallivanting somewhere in the surface world, I imagine."
"What about Blink and R?" Liz asked. Vendel groaned. "I have no means of tracking their whereabouts, and I have no intentions of doing so, young one. Since you have awakened with your magic under control and are in good health, I shall have the apprentice and his familiar escorted out."
"There's no need for that, Vendel. After all, we've been here many times to know where the exit is. I will see myself and Archie out, thank you." Douxie said. Suddenly, Liz remembered her old promise to Jim. Wanting to make up for many missed birthdays, she thought of the perfect birthday gift, but seeing that she was not going anywhere for a little while, she grabbed her best friend's arm. "Wait, Doux! Could you do me a favor?"
"Anything, love. Do you want some company? I got time." Douxie charmingly smiled, patting her hand. Liz rolled her eyes, letting go of him. "I need your help to find some parts."
His smile fell slightly in confusion. "What kind of parts?"
"Parts for a Vespa."
***
A few hours later, Liz left the workshop feeling better and strolled around Trollmarket with Vendel, the visions weighing heavily in her mind. "I'm telling you, Ven, it was strange – the underground tunnel, the whispering stones, even the talking orb. They almost felt real, like I was actually there. And that orb, I felt drawn to it, and it was telling me that there was more for me to remember and that this was just the beginning. Is there something that I'm missing?"
Vendel remained uncomfortably silent, and before Liz could question him, a voice called out from behind them. "Ah, Vendel! Just the troll we've been looking for. And Lady Liza! Glad to see you have recovered."
"Don't stop looking on my account." Vendel rolled his eyes, continuing to walk at his usual pace. At the same time, Liz slowed her gait, her heavy thoughts forgotten momentarily when she noticed AAARRRGGHH carrying a suspicious-looking burlap bag, the mysterious content twitching within.
"But it is imperative that you look upon this," Blinky mentioned, causing Vendel to finally turn as AAARRRGGHH pulled out something from the sack, which happened to be NotEnrique, to Liz's surprise. They brought him to Trollmarket?! What were they thinking? He's a spy for Bular!
"Easy on the scruff!" The changeling groaned with irritation, flipping out of the larger troll's fingers and onto his fist before glaring at Vendel. "And what are you staring at, Grandpa? Have you never seen a changelin' before?"
He climbed onto AAARRRGGHH's back as he inspected the area. "So, this is Trollmarket."
Shaking off her surprise, Liz narrowed her eyes at the creature. "Don't get too comfortable, changeling."
"Wouldn't dream of it, enchantress," NotEnrique smirked before AAARRRGGHH grabbed him as Vendel stood, clearly in shock. "A changeling?"
"You called me crazy, but who's the mad troll now, huh?" Blinky exclaimed as NotEnrique struggled, hitting the giant troll's hand for release without success. "Behold! I have proof!"
"Put that thing away!" Vendel scolds, quickly pulling them to the side beneath a stone archway, glancing around them for any witness before turning on the two trolls with a glare. "What are you trying to do? Incite a panic?"
"Ey! I only came here 'cause you promised me socks to eat." NotEnrique grumbled. Blinky gave a curt reply. "And you'll get them."
"They better be argyle." The changeling threatened before AAARRRGGHH shoved him into the bag. Out of nowhere, a tiny fist popped up and pointed a finger. "And smelly."
With finality, the arm withdrew back into the bag as Blinky rolled his eyes before focusing on Vendel. "Do you finally believe me? Changelings, therefore, bridge."
Vendel gripped Blinky's shoulders and moved him to the other side, whispering harshly. "Bridge, therefore, panic. Have you heard nothing I've said?"
"Many times, Ven. But you've got to listen. The longer you choose to ignore this, the closer Bular gets to releasing Gunmar from exile." Liz insisted, standing beside Blinky when she noticed AAARRRGGHH looking through a hole in a now empty burlap bag. Great, the changeling ate through the bag and escaped.
Vendel shook his head in defeat. "For once, you're right. And the horror of it. Threat of Gunmar's exile right over our heads, and all Trollmarket has to protect is our Guardian and the human Trollhunter child."
"You can trust the Trollhunter. In the face of the greatest danger, he will stand steadfast and gallant." Blinky said in confidence. As if on cue, Jim came running in, screaming with panic and instantly face-planting on the floor before them.
For a moment, Liz felt nostalgic as she stared down at her old childhood best friend, Jim. Just as she was about to help him, Jim instantly stood up and wrapped his arms around her. "Liz! You're okay!"
Not expecting the sudden embrace, warmth fills Liz's cheeks as she recalls her closeness with Jim as a child. However, the moment was short-lived as Jim's arms loosened, his fearful blue eyes connecting with her astonished turquoise ones before shifting it to Blinky. "Oh god, Liz! Liz, Blinky, you guys have to save me! A huge troll bird, like a jetliner with claws, just tried to kill me!"
Wait...what?! Liz thought as Blinky quickly covered Jim's mouth with multiple hands, smiling at Vendel, who looked unimpressed by the spectacle, folding his large hands before him. "How could I not be put at ease by such gallant bravery?"
"Stalking," AAARRRGGHH simply stated, identifying the creature before anyone could even process Jim's sudden arrival and behavior as he turned in circles, searching for NotEnrique, who was sleeping soundly on his shoulder. The giant troll pulled him off, which NotEnrique was unhappy about, so he blew a raspberry. "Very nasty."
"Stalkling?" Jim and Blinky repeated the term simultaneously with wide eyes full of fear.
"It was flying in daylight. How could it fly in daylight?" Jim asked, his voice tinged with panic. Vendel calmly pulled out the book he had been holding and flipped to a specific page, revealing it to the two teenagers. "Stalklings are one of the only species of troll immune to the effects of sunlight."
Jim stared at the photo before speaking. "That looks not nearly as scary as what attacked me."
"That's because those unlucky few who are caught alone with it never live long enough to depict it," Liz replied worriedly as Vendel snapped the book shut, his brow tilted upwards at the boy. "I'm curious. How is it that you're not disemboweled?"
Liz stared at Jim, wondering the same as Jim shrugged. "I don't know. I hit him with my sword, I think."
"You struck a blow against a stalkling? - What gallant bravery!" Blinky complimented, hoping Vendel saw Jim capable of protecting the trolls. However, Jim could hardly agree. "Well, it was more like luck than–"
"Incredibly heroic and brave and Trollhunter-ish," Blinky interrupted, wrapping Jim with his arm as the boy became confused by Blinky's behavior.
"We shall see. Once a Stalkling marks its target, it... well, stalks it till death," Vendel said as he walked away. Jim didn't hesitate to put his two-sense into it. "That doesn't sound good."
Not good, indeed. Stalkings are known to target their prey when they feel threatened or directly attacked unless someone influences them to do so, which means there was a third-party involved – a mastermind. Liz furrowed her eyebrows when one came to mind. Bular the Butcher.
"Fear not, Master Jim. As long as you are not alone, you will remain unharmed." Blinky assured Jim, patting him on the shoulder, but the boy did not take the news well. "You mean I can't be alone for the rest of my life?"
"Is that a problem? You seem quite social." Blinky merely stated without thinking, prompting Liz to intervene. "Not forever, Jim. Just temporarily until we figure out a way to rid of the Stalkling. So until then, you're always stuck with at least one of us, even me."
"With you? That — doesn't sound too bad," Jim said at the thought of being with Liz constantly, but then upon realizing his words, his cheeks immediately burned, and he rapidly shook his head. "But you just fainted not too long ago, and I don't want to be a burden to you more than I already have."
With a sigh, Liz clasped Jim's hands, her tender turquoise eyes looking into his astonished blue ones. "You're not a burden, and you never will be. I made a promise to you, and I tend to keep it. You're my friend, Jim, and friends protect each other."
Always.
Yay! Liz finally remembers her childhood past! Kind of underwhelming, I know, but this is "just the beginning" of more things to come. *cue maniacal laugh*
Fanfic Question: What is your theory on the talking orb?
Please don't forget to vote or comment if you liked this chapter. I would love to hear what you all think. Happy reading!
- Miss_Nightingale