"Gunmar..."
Jim walked around a room full of crystals that he could see his reflection through.
"Gunmar the Black..."
"Gunmar the Vicious..."
"Gunnar the Skullcrusher..."
Gunmar appeared behind him.
"Gunmar!"
Jim screamed and fell backward, falling off his bed. "Ow," he said, rubbing his head. He stood up and crawled back into bed.
***
Arcadia Oaks High's mascot dances around the gym. "Give me an A!" Coach Lawrence yelled.
"A!" The students said.
"Give me an R!"
"R!"
"Give me a C!"
"C!"
"This is taking too long. Give me an 'adia'!"
"Adia!"
"What's that spell?"
The students were bored and didn't say anything. "Arcadia!" Coach Lawrence said. The students clapped and the mascot bag an jumping in front of him. He showed her away. "Go moles, go moles," he mumbled. "Before we begin, I have a few announcements."
"And his eye was glowing," Jim told Toby while Coach Lawrence talked to the students. "And then, the dream just keeps reminding me that completely way out of my league, right?" He looked at Toby, who was staring at the mascot. "Tobes?"
"Who is that masked mole?" Toby asked. "You ever wonder?"
Jim rolled his eyes. "You didn't hear a word I said just then, did you?"
"Sure, I did," he said without taking his eyes off the mole. "You had no problem sneaking into the Darklands when it was to save Claire's brother but now that Kanjigar says you've got to face Gunmar, you're having nightmares about him and are freaking out that your way out of your league. I can multitask, Jimbo." He was still staring at the mole, who was dancing around the gym.
"It's Bill Aronstein," Jim told him.
"Bill moved to Wisconsin. This is someone else's artistry. Someone with feminine wiles."
"What? What feminine wiles? How do you even know it's a girl under there?"
"Trust me, dude. I know women and that is all woman under there."
He watched the mole dance around and run into Coach Lawrence. "Alright, mole!" He said. "That's enough! Go back into your burrow or whatever." The mole sat in its seat and Coach Lawrence looked at a clipboard. "Okay," he said. "Principal Levit has taken ill with the flu. He's asked me to handle announcing the students the faculty's nominated for the year-end adoring fling King and Queen. The nominees are Shannon Longhannon! I'll pronounce it soon, Shannon."
"Its gonna be you," Mary told Claire.
"No, it's not," Claire said.
"It is every year."
"And every year, I don't care."
"Darci Scott!" Coach Lawrence said. "The third and final nominee is Mary Wang!"
"Me?" Mary said. "Not you?"
"You?" Claire asked. "I mean, that's so awesome."
"And now, for the boys," Coach Lawrence said. "Steve Palchuk!"
"That's right, plebes!" Steve said. "Obvious!"
"Eli Pepperjack!" Coach said.
The crowd of students booed as Eli stood up. "I have friends!"
"You're worrying too much about Gunmar," Toby told Jim. "Relax, dude. Now that the play's over, you can focus on your training full time. Learn some cool moves, master some deadly arts."
"And finally," Coach said. "Jim Lake Junior!"
"That's you!" Toby said.
"Really?" Steve asked. "Buttsnack?"
Eli gave the two a thumbs up. "Time for some friendly competition!"
"Eat snack, Pepperjack!" Steve said.
"Our nominees will compete in a series of challenges to win your vote," Coach said. "Each nominee will propose a theme for the dance. I like disco! I've got to boogie! That is all."
"How am I going to find time to--?" Jim asked.
"That's not what's important, Jimbo!" Toby told him as the students stood up and walked out of the gym. "Here's what is: You've got a chance to be king of the school! You know what that means?" He gasped. "That would make me duke." He stood up. "Jim Lake for Spring King!"
***
"You have defeated the son, but not the father."
"Gunmar is death."
Jim held his sword in his hand. He was fighting off the beams of light in the Void.
"Blinkous and my son have trained you well in the art of single combat," Kanjigar told him. "But rarely will your enemies do the courtesy of striking one at a time."
He got hit with multiple beams and fell to the ground. "Alright, enough!"
"So, you yield?"
"Yes, yeah, I yield," He said. "This stopped being fun for me a little while ago."
"You must be prepared to face Gunmar," Kanjigar said.
"I think you guys just made your point that I'm not," Jim said. "I'm not strong enough to kill Gunmar, even with my friends.
"We needed to be hard on you because you weren't gonna listen to us. You had to see for yourself."
"Besides, there's no way to kill Gunmar."
"He's invincible."
"No, he's not!"
"So far as we know."
"What do you know?"
"What do they mean?" Jim asked.
"That sword of yours has fought him many times," Kanjigar said. "But has never killed him. your weapon and armor were crafted with a singular purpose in mind. To protect both our worlds. Don't forsake that solemn mission to save one human child and lose your life in the process."
The Void slowly started fading away and he was now back in the forge. "Jim," Draal said. "Did you see my father?"
"I did," He said, the armor disappearing.
"Did he speak of me?"
"Yeah," he said. "He wished the Soothscryer would let you in, but, you know, rules are rules."
"That's alright, Trollhunter. You don't have to lie to protect my feelings."
"He said we can't kill Gunmar. I would only be leading my friends to their death."
"Too bad. I was looking forward to proving him wrong."
"So was I."
Aaarrrgghh ran into the forge. "Aaarrrgghh," Jim said. "What's wrong."
"Blinky."
***
Blinky was pacing around Trollmarket's library with Toby and Claire sitting down near him. "But, if I consult Gringold's Grimore," Blinky said. "Cross-reference it with Axle's Forbidden Almanac—Of course! It's true!"
"How long has be been like this?" Jim asked.
"Long time," Aaarrrgghh said.
"Maybe you should switch to decaf," Jim told Blinky.
"According to legend," Blinky said. "Only one scholar, the Dishonorable Bodus, uncovered a method of wounding Gunmar."
"The Trollhunters just told me there wasn't any way. How did you do it?"
"No one knows," Blinky said. "Gunmar had Bodus and his students hunted down and dispatched in a most unpleasant manner. But here, this book, The Final Testament of Bodus—This is the last surviving copy of his work! This is the key! And I'm going to burn it."
Aaarrrgghh and the three teenagers gasped. "Long time," Aaarrrgghh said. Blinky lit the book on fire.
"Blinky, no!" Jim said. "What are you doing? That book might tell us the—"
"Bodus was being hunted! He knew he had to keep it secret! Burn, baby, burn!"
Claire covered the fire with a cloth. She moved it and the book was now turned to ashes. "Did Blinky just destroy our only chance at getting Gunmar?" Toby asked.
"Or my baby brother!" Claire said.
"You don't understand," Blinky said. "Bodus hid the secret within the book. Watch."
He blew the ashes, revealing some troll markings. "It's a message," Claire said.
Blinky smiled. "I'm so glad that worked."
"What does it say?" Jim asked.
"' In darkest tide'," Blinky read. "' When daylight darest wane, the Myrddin Wylt obscured a Shadow's bane'."
"What's a Myrddin Wench?" Toby asked.
"It's an ancient name for Merlin," Claire said. "Shouldn't someone be taking a picture of this or something?"
"' Three forces elemental thou must seek'," Blinky continued. "' In marshland, caverns deep, and mountain's peak. Where worthy perish, ye will prevail in night and eclipse all who quarry with thy might'."
"Anyone else freaked out a bit by this evil perish poem?" Toby asked, taking a picture of it.
"No," Jim said. "It said we can prevail! We can win! He hid a Shadow's bane."
"Gunmar's bane?" Aaarrrgghh asked.
"It's referencing a weapon of insurmountable power," Blinky said. "Formed by three forced unhallowed. Of course!" he grabbed a book of the shelf. "It must be the Triumbric stone! Three shards of legend tied to Gunmar's lifeblood lost to the ages. If we seek out these stones..."
"We can kill Gunmar!" Jim said. "Blinky, you madman, you did it!"
"We make the weapon and wham!" Toby said. "Gunmar is done-mar!"
"Caution," Aaarrrgghh said.
"Indeed," Blinky told them. "The Triumbric stones have been hidden for centuries. But if I can decipher this text, Master Jim, then you shall—"
"' Eclipse all who quarry with thy night'." Claire repeated the words of the message before.
***
"This is what the world has become, Angor Rot," Strickler said. They were standing at the edge of a cliff, looking over Arcadia.
"This village," Angor said.
"It's called Arcadia Oaks," Strickler told him.
Angor Rot looked at the lights from the buildings. "Is it on fire?"
"No," he said. "Those are called lights. Something known as electricity. You'll come to enjoy it, along with indoor plumbing. So many advances since you've been away."
"The bridge to Gunmar is under this...Arcadia?"
"The bridge will be spoken of no longer. Gunmar had his chance to rule. Now, it's my turn."
"Your turn for what?"
"Revenge and insurance. In this town, there is a boy and this boy fancies a girl. A girl whose brother is being held in the Darklands. If the boy saves the child from the changeling nursery, He'll want to save them all. And it's my job to watch over my half-breed brethren and not let that happen."
"But how could a fleshbag even contemplate such a feat?"
"This boy is the Trollhunter. It's a long story. The moral of which is not to underestimate him. He already managed to kill the son of Gunmar. Obviously, I could not deal with him myself. But a man of my esteemed stature in this community can't do anything without arousing unwanted suspicion."
"You're afraid of a fleshbag child."
"I am not. I merely—"
"He bested Bular and you are afraid. That is why you require Angor Rot."
Strickler held up his hand, which had the ring on him. "Just remember who's in charge here. I bear the ring. You answer to me. When the boy is finished, you will have your freedom."
"A human Trollhunter...I've never hunted such game. I will kill this boy, but I will do it on my own terms."
He did a backflip off the cliff and Strickler walked toward his car. "I'm back, Arcadia," he said. "And I brought you a gift."
***
Claire was laying on the couch and heard Not-Enrique crying. "Mom," she said. "Could you—"
"Claire," Mrs. Nunez said. "Could you change your baby brother's diaper, please?"
She stood up. "He's not a baby," she said to herself. "And he's not my brother."
She went into Not-Enrique's room, where Not-Enrique was standing in his crib, crying in his human form. When she walked in, he changed into his troll form. "Finally," he said. "The help shows up."
"If you think for a second, I'm changing your diaper—"
"Please, I'm more capable of using the loo like a civilized troll. I need you to pick me up a nice, thick, greasy cheeseburger with a size of jo-jo potatoes."
"What do I look like?" she asked. "Your servant?"
He started crying loudly and she closed his mouth. "Alright, enough!" she said. "You're a monster, you know that?" she removed his hands from his mouth. "Not a monster," he said. "Changeling."
She saw a picture of Enrique hung on the wall. She took it down and looked at it. "This isn't fair," she said.
"It's no day at the beach for me either, love bug."
"I can't believe I have to pretend you're my brother. It's...it's cruel." A small tear fell from her eye.
"What's this?" Not-Enrique asked. "Don't...don't do that, seriously. Please, don't cry. Forget the jo-jos. Just a plain burger."
"Enrique..." she mumbled.
"I get it. You miss your brother, but I assure you, he's perfectly fine."
"He's trapped in the Darklands. How can that be fine?"
"I'll show ya."
He jumped from his crib and landed by a mirror. He spit on it, and it turned into a portal. "Your brother is what's known as my familiar," he said. "Changelings share a certain bond with them. It's good for this little trick."
The mirror showed Enrique sleeping in a cradle in the Darkland's nursery. "Enrique..." Claire said. She stepped closer and touched the mirror. "Mi hermanito."
"I suppose this arrangement has been rather hard on you."
"I'm going to get you back." She was still looking at her brother. "I'm going to find you and I'll bring you home." Enrique disappeared from the mirror and she was now looking at herself. She removed her hand from the mirror. "Sorry," Not-Enrique said. "It's 'for a limited time only' kind of situation." Claire started walking out. "You don't have to leave," he said. She poked her head back into the room. "How do you like your burger?"
***
Strickler rang the doorbell of the principal's house. "Ah, Mr. Strickler," the principal said when he opened the door. "You're back?"
"My apologies if my absence caused to any turmoil, Principal Levit. But I brought you a gift." He held up the Antramonstrum that was in his office and Levit let him inside. "What is it?" he asked. "Some sort of rock?"
"Of a sort. I hear Coach Lawrence was having a tizzy of a time teaching my class."
"Your class? Look, you can't just drop off the face of the Earth and expect your job back."
"Actually, it's not my job I'm here for."
The Antramonstrum started glowing.
***
"And now, for my final trick," Toby said, holding his hat and a sock. "The vanishing sock!"
He put the sock inside the hat and tipped the hat over. The sock fell out and Aaarrrgghh grabbed it and ate it. "Tasty trick."
"It's not supposed to be tasty, Aaarrrgghh," he said. "It's supposed to be magic."
Angor Rot was sitting on top of Toby's roof, right above his room. He was carving an object and looked across the street to see Jim riding home on his Vespa. Angor watched as Jim walked into his house. "Hey, mom," he said. "I'm home."
"Where have you been?" Barbara asked.
"Just studying at the library with Claire and Tobes."
"The library closed three hours ago. Where have you been?"
"I don't know, mom. We took the long way home."
"I have been worried sick, and that's the best lie you could come up with?"
"Okay! Sorry!" Jim said, running up the stairs. "Call off the search parties!" he went to his room. "I'm obviously home!" he slammed his door shut and set his backpack down. Barbara walked up the stairs and went to Jim's door. He held up her fist to knock but hesitated and went back down the stairs.
***
"Jim," Toby asked as they walked into the gym. "This is what you're wearing?" he gestured toward Jim's usual blue sweatshirt and jeans.
"This is what I wear every day, Tobes," he said. "What else would I be wearing?"
"Your costume! In a few minutes, you're selling everyone your theme for the school dance."
They sat down on the bleachers in the gym. "Tobes, look," Jim said. "I'd love to be Spring King. Who wouldn't? But I'm preoccupied right now with not getting killed."
"There are fates worse than death, Jimbo. In high school, anyway. This is our chance to get the school to finally recognize how cool we are."
"We?"
"If you become Spring King, it'll open up a whole new bracket of women. I'm talking cheerleaders, senior cheerleaders. Dare I dream? Community college dropouts. If you don't want to do it for us, Jimbo, do it for me. I've always felt like I was destined to be a duke."
"Fine. I'll try to throw some kind of costume together, okay?"
"Thank you. And put some effort into it."
***
Angor tapped the grass on the football field with his staff and the grass slowly turned to a darker green. He planted his carving of a troll into the ground and stood up right as the ground started to rise.
***
"The things I do for Toby," Jim said to himself, as he walked into an empty classroom. "Where am I supposed to find a costume? And what am I supposed to be? Stapler-man?" he looked out the window and saw Angor in the trees. "Attention, teachers and students!" Coach Lawrence said over the loudspeaker. "The assembly will begin in two minutes!"
Jim ran to the football field. He found a patch of dirt that seemed to be dug up and put back together. He continued walking around the football field as the patch of dirt rose in the air and a giant dirt monster rose.
***
"And now, for the boys!" Coach Lawrence said to everyone in the gym. "Steve Palchuk!"
Steve grabbed the microphone, wearing a green, flower shirt. "Arcadia Oaks High, I have two words for you. Luau!" he chanted. "Luau! Luau!"
The audience started chanting with him. "Pineapples!" Steve said. "Leis! Coconuts!"
"Thanks, Palchuk," Coach said. Claire sat down next to Toby.
"Hey, Toby," she said. "Where's Jim?"
"He's just throwing together a last-minute costume and theme. No big deal."
"What is he thinking?" she asked. "These things take time. You don't just win the Spring Fling by throwing something together. Why do I care about this so much?"
"Because it matters, Claire! This is the kind of event that can propel us through high school and send us off to college as winners!"
***
The giant dirt monster hit his hand on the ground, just barely missing Jim. He hid behind a tree. "Hi," he said. "I know that we just met, but what are you?"
The dirt monster threw him across the football field. "Okay," Jim said. "Alright, I get it. Strong, silent type."
The dirt monster stomped on the ground, barely missing him again. Angor watched through the trees at what he's created.
***
"And now," Coach said. "Eli Pepperjack!"
Eli went over to the microphone with a boombox and sunglasses. Retro dance music started playing and he started dancing. "What's up, righteous dudes and dudettes?" he said. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters! Let's take a blast to the past! Back to ancient times! The 1980s!"
The music stopped and the audience was silent. "Boo!" Steve said. "Go back to luau guy!"
***
"Okay," Jim said to the dirt monster. "If you're gonna play dirty..." he stood up. "For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command!"
The armor formed on him and he ran at the dirt monster with his sword. He slid under him and stabbed the monster in the back with his sword. He dirt monster showed no reaction. "That wasn't supposed to happen!" Jim said, struggling to get his sword out of the monster's back. The dirt monster grabbed him. "Or that."
Strickler was watching from the trees as the monster kicked Jim into a goal. Strickler looked at Angor. "I resurrected you to kill the Trollhunter," he said. "Not outsource the job to a golem."
"He bested the sun of Gunmar," Angor said. "Human or not, this hunter is not to be trifled with. The hunt is a game. And when I'm prepared to strike, he will know."
***
"Mr. Lake?" Coach Lawrence said. "Anybody seen Mr. Lake? Well, I guess you forfeit—"
Claire and Toby took the microphone from him. "Hey there," Claire said.
"Jim will be here," Toby said.
"We're his opening act."
"Who wants to see some magic?"
***
The golem hit his fist near Jim and Jim swung his sword at the golem's arm, cutting it in half. He sliced its leg and it fell to the ground. Its arm and leg grew again, and he stood back up. It started hitting its fist on the ground again, barely missing Jim. He climbed up the golem's arm and sliced its chest. He saw the carving right as the golem's chest opened up again. It threw a ball of dirt at him and kicked him. He threw the sword at the golem's chest and the sword went right through it, knocking the carving out. It fell onto the ground right in front of Jim. He went over to the carving and ripped it in half. His armor disappeared right as Coach could be heard over the loudspeaker. "Jim Lake? Lake, are you here?"
"Oh no," he said. "The costume!"
He ran to the school and slipped in a mud puddle.
***
"Okay," Toby said. "This is gonna work."
He opened his hands, and nothing was there. "It worked!" he smiled. "Wait, where'd the sock go?"
Claire started singing. "Oh, say, can you see?"
"What are you doing?" Toby asked. "I'm in the middle of my act."
Claire continued singing. "By the dawn's ear—"
Coach Lawrence took the microphone from her. "Alright, enough!" he said. "Jim Lake is disquali—"
Jim ran into the gym, covered in mud. Everyone turned to look at him. "What's going on here?" Coach Lawrence asked.
"Looks like you've been digging in the dirt, Lake," Steve said. "What the heck are you supposed to be?"
"He looks like a mole!" Eli said.
Everyone in the audience started chanting. "Mole! Mole! Mole!"
"No," Jim said. "I'm not a mole. I'm just—"
Toby took the microphone. "Jim Lake Junior!" he said. "Here to present his theme...Mole Mana!"
The students started cheering and the mole mascot started dancing. "Mole Mania is not even a theme!" Steve said.
Claire took the microphone. "The people have spoken. Jim is the winner!"
Coach Lawrence took the microphone from her. "And apparently, Claire's the queen," he mumbled. "But, yes, Jim wins the challenge! Mole Mania is the theme, but if I see one drop of mud on my gymnasium floor...Just dress like normal." He cleared his throat. "There has been a sudden departure. I have heard word that Principal Levit has taken an indefinite leave of absence. We wish him well. But he sent an email recommending an interim replacement, which we all support. Please welcome, Principal Strickler!"
Strickler walked into the gym, past Jim and Toby. "What is he doing here?" Jim asked Toby.
"I thought you said he'd be a fool to ever come back," Toby said. Strickler took the microphone from Coach Lawrence. He looked at the three teenagers behind him with glowing eyes and then back at the other students with his normal eyes. "I'm very pleased to be back and excited to get started," he said. "But let it be known. With me in charge, things are going to change."