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In a split-second moment of impulse that Blinky was definitely known for, he lunged at Angor Rot. Yes, they were in the land of the Quagawumps fighting for the Killstone and yes, he was still very much human. All he had was a large chunk of petrified troll arm and a crazed look in his eye.
“Take tHAT YOU
SCOUNDREL
!”
What had possessed him to even consider lunging at Angor Rot? That was hard to answer. Maybe he forgot for a moment that he was human? Maybe he snapped and wanted to take out the assassin himself? Maybe he forgot Rule #1 and decided to stop being afraid for just a moment…? They would have time to ask him later.
Why had he lunged at Angor Rot? That was simple: Arrrgh and Jim were in trouble!
Either way, he was in no shape to have attempted to stop the assassin. He swung the stony arm and connected a solid blow, but the impact did little to hinder Angor as he slashed at this new assailant. Blinky held his side as the troll sprinted off to keep fighting Jim and Aaargh. Blinky was able to get back on his feet, but he could not ignore the foreign feeling of pain that found purchase in his new skin. Maybe this is what a bruise feels like, he thought.
It was about the time when Claire emerged victorious from the portal of the shadow staff that he winced in more pain. This pain was new to him; trolls felt pain of course. They just felt it from different sources and by different means. This human pain made Blinky uneasy. His chest felt both heavy and light from the sensation. But it couldn't be so serious, right? He wasn’t turning to stone at the moment. Blinky tried his best to shrug it off as an overreaction.
“Claire! Are you ok?” Jim knelt down to help his friend as she opened her eyes.
“I-” Claire sat up from the mossy ground and felt for the Killstone. “I lost the Killstone!”
“But we have
you
. We’ll get it back.”
“Indeed,” began Blinky. He walked over with limited movement of his left side. “The victory here was *cough cough*...um, survival.”
“Uh, Blinky? Are you ok man?” asked Toby.
“Ah, yes Tobias. I am quite f- *cough* f-f-ine.”
“Hmmm. Blinky ok?” Arrrgh asked.
“Yes, my dear friend. I am alright. I waaas...merely fearful for both you and Master Jim! Creepers Sun is incredibly lethal.”
“Aww. Blinky worried. We are ok.” Arrrgh lowered his head towards the human man they knew to be the transformed Blinky. It was still weird for Arrrgh, but he still cared greatly for his partner. Blinky knew this gesture well and reciprocated by placing their noses together while placing his right hand on Arrrgh’s cheek. They breathed in unison the likes of which required practice. “Haha. Blinky warm.”
“Yes, I still find it strange.” As the now-human spoke, the large troll sniffed. He smelled something funny. Something like iron, but not quite.
“Mm. Strange…”
They had made it safely to the Gyre thanks to the Quagawump named Wumpa. Toby and Wumpa shared a sentimental goodbye. Blinky, Jim, and Claire made their way up into the Gyre as Arrrgh waited for Toby so he could start the largest wheel.
Blinky stood near the controls and readied the Gyre for the brief trip home. However, it grew much more painful when he reached for a control with his left side. He hissed as quietly as he could bare. As he briefly looked down, he caught a glance of the slice through his coat; he looked away just as fast.
“Ready to journey home, friends?”
“Yeah, let’s go!”
“Hm?” Claire looked closely at the back of Blinky as Arrrgh sat on the bench with the children. (He was most careful not to sit on his wingman, Toby.) From the glow and gleam of the Gyre in motion, the stain on his brown coat looked kind of funny. At first she thought it was sweat. Then she wasn’t so sure. No one had any time to focus on it for long as they reached insane speeds.
Jim and Toby noticed that after they reached Troll Market, Blinky disembarked rather quickly. He seemed nervous. Arrrgh smelled that funny smell again, along with human sweat.
“Blinky,” Claire jogged up to match the rapid pace the man was keeping. “Why are you walking so fast? Is everything okay?” She could see the stain more clearly now. It looked too dark to be sweat.
“Ah! Oh, Claire! I’m uh...fine! Perfectly alright. *cough cough* Do not fret over my wellbeing, young one. W-why not test your *cough cough* strength with your new boon iiiin the Forge?” Blinky kept his pace. His breathing was a bit labored now. “Oh my…”
“Blinky. You’re not alright. Something’s wrong.”
“Nonsense! Humans sweat a great deal. And, they ache from being struck in battle, yes? I am just...accustomed to it is all.” They had just neared Blinky’s library when his pace slowed. He began to weeze softly from the strain he put himself under. “ My, what an interesting sensation- and painful! Very painful!” He braced himself against the doorframe.
“Blinky hurt!” Arrrgh got there with Toby and Jim on his shoulders. The larger troll look very sad and very scared for his partner.
“Yes, Arrrgh. I am afraid so…” Blinky turned to face the others as he looked down at the wound again with a grimace. He clutched his side as the stain of blood slowly grew on his coat. “I… I thought it was nothing s-serious. Just some bruising and overactive perspiration… I am actually, as humans say,
bleeding
. Such a strange sensation...”
“Binky!” Jim offered his arms to support the injured man standing before him. Claire braced Blinky on the other side. “Hold on! We need to get you to the hospital!”
“Balderdash! *cough cough cough* What if I transform back into my troll self within this human-healing facility? I would. Expose. All of troll-kind! No, I must...oh. Oh my. This is a new feeling entirely…” Blinky’s eyes grew heavier as a small bit of fluid dribbled down his chin. He produced a pained, wet cough that brought up more blood into his hand. “The cut. Was deeper…than expected.”
“Blinky! No! Arrrgh, help us get him out of here.”
“Y-yes. Arrrgh help.” He tried to scoop up the man but the injured human cried out in pain as his partner lifted him into one arm. “Oops. Sorry...”
“It is quite alright, Arrrgh. I just, I need to- ...I grow chilled and disoriented Master Jim. Is this normal?”
“Yeah. You’ll get sleepy too. But you can’t fall asleep on us, Blinky! Stay awake!”
“Fascinating. How do you know all of this?”
“My mom? She’s a doctor?”
“Oh, right.”
The party of humans and troll weaved their way through the streets of Heartstone Troll Market. Trolls were out and about, selling wares, gossiping, and so on. Blinky usually heard a lot of it; these seemingly normal conversations tended to fuel his conspiracy theories. But now, his newly-human ears were ringing as his wound continued to throb. They were almost to the surface when Toby checked his phone.
“Uh, Jim?”
“Yeah Tobes?”
“Umm. It’s daytime right now.”
“What?! Really?!” He looked at Toby’s weather app. There was a smiling sun with sunglasses on it. “Oh no…! How are we gonna get you to the hospital, Blinky?”
“Yeah man,” added Toby. “We can’t carry you that far!”
“Can’t go…” grumbled Arrrgh. The Krubera troll shuffled around. Blinky was fading slowly and they were running out of time. “Hang on.” Arrrgh craned down so that he could press their noses together again.
“I am...ugh, making th- effort...to do so.”
“Hmm. It’ll be risky, but I have an idea,” Claire stated as she looked at the Shadow Staff in her hand. Both of the boys turned to see what she was thinking; they looked at one another and smiled with a glimmer of renewed hope.