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Her phone's incessant beeping wailed in her ear, forcing her out of a deep sleep to face another day. Or night. Or….whatever… Claire smacked the alarm button off. Flopping back in bed, she rubbed her eyes in frustration. She hadn't slept well; but regardless, she had to get up. Another night of patrol. She wondered what this would bring, since last night was...eventful. She and Jim had been out for a patrol in the New Jersey woods like they had done every night the last eight months. They had always had run-ins with ill-intentioned creatures; it was an occupational hazard. Last night, however, introduced a new creature neither of them had ever seen. Whatever it had been, it definitely wasn’t a troll—not any they knew at least. It had been huge, crawled on all fours, and had two rows of dagger-like teeth. That much Claire had been able to tell when it pinned her to the ground. She remembered screaming for Jim, its jaws inching towards her face as its hot breath burned her lungs. A blur had lashed out over her head, knocking the creature backwards. She had scrambled out of the way and turned to see Jim on all fours like the creature, his lips pulled back to bare his own fangs. A deep growl had resonated from him, sounding ominously like the creature.The thing had lunged for his neck, but Jim reared back and swiped at it with his clawed hands, slicing the creature's face. With a hiss, it had turned and darted back into the forest. Jim breathed heavily, hunching forward on two legs as though about to give chase. After a moment, his ears perked up, and the growling ceased. He turned back to Claire, about to come to her side. She backed away, her eyes locked on his bloody claws. The reality of what he had just done hit him. His horrified expression burned in her mind; his hands, covered in dirt and blood from where he had crawled across the ground, shook violently. He had reached out to her, his eyes pleading for help. Claire shook her head, now trying to dispel the memories. She didn't want to remember what she had done next. She had practically run from him; perhaps she had even shouted at him to stay away. Claire couldn’t quite remember, and frankly didn’t want to. She felt guilty enough as it was. A chill still went through her spine as she recalled Jim's face; fangs bared, and animalistic glare in his eye. That hadn't been her Jim; not the Jim she knew. She groaned, frustrated with herself. She had to get over this. Jim wasn’t some creature to her, but she was certain he thought that now. Yes, she had been scared, but that was no excuse for her actions. She needed to apologize to Jim; now. However, the prospect of facing him scared her even more. How could she possibly present herself to him after how she had treated him? If he didn’t hate himself, he would surely hate her. Maybe I should talk to Blinky first...Clare pondered. If anyone could give her a reasonably answer on how to deal with Jim, it would be Blinky. After Claire, he knew Jim better than anyone in Troll Market. Granted, Merlin would probably know better about what new tendencies she ought to expect from Jim, but she'd rather not come to the old wizard with her emotional problems. He was logical and rational, but Blinky cared for Jim. He would understand where she was coming from...hopefully... Changing quickly, she darted from her room, praying that she wouldn't see Jim until she had talked things over with Blinky. Thankfully, it seemed like he was already up early; there wasn't any activity from his room, which sat next to hers. "Room" being a generous term for a small cavern or large nook with a heavy curtain that served to give them some semblance of privacy. Finding the library door closed, Claire rapped on it loudly, making her knock heard through the heavy wood. The scuttle of stony steps could be heard on the other side, and the door swung open to reveal Blinky. "Miss Claire! A pleasure to see you! Should you not be preparing with—" "I need to talk to you Blinky, now." A little taken aback by her abruptness, Blinky stepped aside, allowing her into the warmly lit chamber. Finding a seat not laden with books, Claire sat heavily, dropping her face into her hands. She felt ready to cry; but she at least had to explain the situation before she fell apart into a blubbering mess. A stony hand gently touched her shoulder. "Claire? What's wrong, my dear?" Claire look up, meeting Blinky's many eyes, her own shining with tears. "Something…happened last night Blinky…I don't know what to do about it…" Understanding, Blinky cleared the spot next to Claire and sat beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, patting her gently. That simple action was all it took to unleash the flood of emotions. Her tears spilled over, and her breathing broke into sobs as she tried to explain. Somehow, through the tears, she managed to make some sense about the creature and Jim’s reaction. However much of it Blinky understood, she wasn’t sure, but he at least seemed to understand the gist of it all. Blinky rubbed her shoulder sympathetically, "I had expected that Jim would take on some more troll-like mannerisms, so I am not entirely surprised, but it’s still concerning nonetheless. I can't imagine how upsetting it must be." Claire shook her head, sniffling loudly in an attempt to compose herself. "But that's not what's upsetting me! I'm mad at me!" Blinky grew silent, waiting for her to explain. "I was horrible, Blinky! I yelled at him, I wouldn't let him touch me; I tried to run away! How could I do that to him, Blinky?? He was scared too; probably more scared than me. He probably still is. And I made it worse! He's already having a hard enough time as it is, and now he must think he's a monster, when he's not at all, I'm the terrible person here!" "Now Claire," Blinky wrapped his arms around Claire, letting her sink into him as she fell apart into tears again. "Don't be too hard on yourself; you were frightened. But the important thing is that you are sorry. I think you and he need to have a good, long talk about this." "A talk about what?" A gruff voice asked from the back of the room. Claire lifted her head and saw Merlin striding into the cluttered library. Blinky huffed in annoyance, as he usually did when he saw the wizard. "Apparently, Jim's more trollish tendencies came out last night. It's nothing for you to be concerned about." Merlin straightened rigidly, his feathers clearly ruffled. "It sounds exactly like what I should be concerned about. He is my Trollhunter; I transformed him." "And that makes you some expert?” Blinky retorted. “You said yourself, you did not know what would happen either!" Claire lifted herself up, wiping away some tears. "Actually Blinky, it may not be a bad idea to talk to Merlin, too. He should know about what’s happening, at least.” Blinky look ready to argue, but logic held him from making any solid fight against Merlin. "It is a very good idea," Merlin replied without hiding his smug grin. He cleared a few tomes from a nearby chair and sat erect, facing Claire. “Now explain.” Claire huffed, annoyed at his commanding tone. “As usual, Jim and I went on patrol last night, but we ran into a creature we’ve never seen. It was...almost trollish, but not like any we know. Especially the teeth...It attacked us, and well, Jim acted out in a way we had never seen before. He was down on all fours and snarling like--” “What did this creature look like?” Merlin interjected. Claire was a bit taken aback; why was he more concerned with the creature than Jim? “I couldn’t see much, but it crawled on all fours, and it had two rows of teeth, which got uncomfortably close to my face.” Merlin’s brow furrowed further. “What was the creature’s skin like?” “It was too dark to really tell, but it didn’t look like troll skin; definitely wasn’t human skin.” “The face? How was it built?” Claire puzzled, trying to remember past the horrible fangs. “It was long, almost like a horse.” “And the fur? What color was it?” “Black, but...” Claire paused. She hadn’t mentioned fur. Merlin stared into space. Stroking his beard and thinking hard. For the first time, he seemed genuinely worried about something. After a moment he snapped out of it. “You were telling me the Trollhunter’s reaction, yes?” Claire was put off by his sudden change but tried to brush it off as more of Merlin’s odd antics. “Well…yeah. He got down on all four and was snarling at the thing. He hurt it pretty badly with his claws, and it ran away. I think Jim’s reaction scared us both more than that thing. I’ve never seen Jim act like that, and I don’t think he meant to, either. It seemed more instinctual than logical.” Merlin shrugged, his haughty demeanor back. “This is not unusual. Most of the more combatant troll species react the same way when faced with danger. I’m surprised it took this long for him to have such an experience. It’s nothing to be afraid of; however, I would discourage reacting as such on a regular basis. Jim needs to retain his humanity, and I fear delving too deeply into these trollish instincts may make some more human tendencies dormant.” Merlin stood from the chair, many pops and cracks of age accompanying him as he approached Claire. “You, Miss Claire, will have much influence over that balance.” Claire blinked in surprise. “How so?” “You are the last connection he has to his human life here in Troll Market. It is quite fortuitous that you chose to join him here. Without you, I would be greatly concerned about his well-being.” Claire tried to wrap her mind around the concept that Merlin was, in his way, complimenting her and expressing some sort of concern for Jim. “Um, thank you? I guess?” Merlin chuckled. “Oh, don’t thank me just yet; not until you hear my offer at least.” Claire and Blinky side-glanced at each other, concerned as to what the wizard meant by “offer.” “Considering the fact that you are a necessary life-line for the Trollhunter, and the issue that his lifespan is now considerably longer than yours, plus the fact that you have shown some aptitude for magical abilities, I am offering you the chance to learn under me as my apprentice in the magical arts, Miss Nuñez. What say you?” A wire burst in Claire’s brain momentarily; there were at least three things she was trying to comprehend in an instant. First, she was apparently the one thing keeping Jim on the brink of sanity, no pressure; second, Jim did have a longer life-span than her and she had failed to consider the true weight of that fact; and third, Merlin, one of the oldest and most influential wizards in history, wanted to train her as his apprentice? The last statement seemed to solve the first two, which in a way relieved some of the pressure for her, but by no means made the idea less intimidating. She dropped her head into her hands. “Wait wait wait...hold the phone...you want to train me?” Merlin nodded, although Claire didn’t notice, as wrapped up in her thoughts as she was. She tried to consider all the options, everything such an opportunity could mean for her. Despite all the questions swirling around in her head, one took dominance. “Why me?” Merlin chuckled. “Why you? Well, you do have some natural ability, outside of what Morgana gave you, which does also concern me; Morgana does have a connection through you, and that could be problematic when she regains her strength. You need to fortify yourself against her powers, but also cultivate your own for the good of Troll Market and, quite frankly, anyone and everyone you could influence.” Claire nodded, adding these facts to the dozens of considerations she had to face. “I don’t need an answer right away; I actually do need to run to the medical unit to help whip up some remedies, but I will allow you to consider this for a few days. If you need to discuss it further, I will make myself available as needed.” Claire nodded absentmindedly, still lost in her thoughts. A heavy hand on her shoulder snapped her back to reality. She looked up to Merlin, standing ominously over her. “I do hope you accept my offer, Miss Nuñez. It will be best for everyone.” With that, Merlin strode out of the library, leaving Claire and Blinky alone once again in the cramped room. Neither said anything. What could be said? In his fashion, Blinky spoke first. “Well...that is quite an offer, no?” Claire chuckled nervously. “Yeah...never would have guessed Merlin would stoop so low as to accept a student.” Blinky laughed out loud, enjoying the jab at the crotchety old wizard. “Indeed! But if even he admits it, then you must truly be a talented young witch, Miss Claire!” Witch...That word echoed in Claire’s mind. It...didn’t sound as bad as she thought. The idea rather excited her, if anything. Claire Nuñez; a witch? A real magic-wielding witch? It sounded better and better the more she repeated the prospect to herself. “What do you think, Blinky?” She asked hesitantly. “What do I think?” Blinky wrapped an arm around her shoulder comfortingly. “I think you know; I believe you can achieve anything, Claire. You are by far the brightest and most capable human I have ever known, including Master Jim!” A shock ran through her, “Jim!!! My gosh, if I should be asking anyone, it’s him!” Claire bounced up and raced to the door. Blinky cheered triumphantly. “Of course! Tell our Trollhunter the excellent news! Soon, Troll Market will have two magic-wielders!” Claire ran through the caverns of Troll Market, unable to resist the smile growing. This could be the solution to all their problems! Plus, an amazing new adventure for Claire; one she had never considered. What could be the downside? But where was Jim? She hoped desperately that he hadn’t gone out on patrol yet; it would be impossible to find him in the forest at this time of night. Thankfully, this Troll Market was considerably smaller than the one in Arcadia. Well, it wasn’t good for the number of Trolls who had to live there, but at least while Claire was running back and forth through the caverns, she was glad of the size. She rounded a corner into the cavern containing the new Heartstone. There he was, standing beside the golden gem, deep in thought. “Jim!” Claire called out, racing to his side. Jim turned to see who had called out to him, and practically reeled back in shock as Claire barreled towards him. Nearly slamming into him, Claire grabbed Jim’s arm to steady herself. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” She panted out. Jim looked to the side, not meeting her eyes. “You...you were looking for me?” Claire gulped, trying to catch her breath. “Well yeah! I’ve got the most amazing thing to tell you!” “Okay, but...” Claire stopped, noticing how far he was holding himself from her. “But what?” Jim continued to stare at the floor, letting her use his arm for support but clearly uncomfortable. Claire suddenly remembered the previous night’s events. In her excitement over the prospect of learning magic, she had completely forgotten. She released his arm and backed away a step, suddenly feeling sheepish herself. How could she possibly explain her behavior last night? Truthfully, there was no explanation; it was inexcusable. She needed to apologize; she had been meaning to since the moment she woke up. Now was the time. “Jim...I am so sorry.” Jim looked up, baffled by her confession. “You’re...wait what???” “I’m...I’m sorry. I was horrible last night. I got scared but that is no excuse for how I acted. You were scared too, and I just made it worse. So I’m sorry.” Jim’s eyes darkened. “You shouldn’t be; you had every right to be scared. Whatever I became last night...it was terrifying.” He clenched his fists, seeming angry with himself. “You...you should be scared of me.” Claire grabbed his hand, “No. You are not some creature to fear, Jim. You only acted out to protect me.” “But what if I hadn’t?” Jim finally met her eyes. “What if I lashed out like that to anyone who made me mad? What if I did that you?” He yanked his hand away, revealing his disgust with himself. Claire grabbed his hand again, refusing to let him give in to such thoughts. “But you wouldn’t; I know that! And so do you!” He shook his head. “I’m not sure about anything anymore Claire...” She rolled her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “What I mean is...” He took a deep breath. “I...I think you should leave Troll Market.” She was certain she hadn’t heard him correctly. “I’m sorry, what?” Jim scuffed the ground with toe of his boot. “I think you should leave Troll Market.” Claire’s heart skipped a beat. She dropped his hand, shocked at the prospect. "Leave?” He crossed his arms, trying to appear stoic. “Yeah...leave...because, well, I obviously can’t keep you safe, and then there’s the age issue...I was so sure we could make this work, but now I think—” “Merlin offered to make me his apprentice.” This effectively shut Jim up. He blinked in bewilderment. Claire continued, using his silence as a spring board. “If I learn under Merlin, I can protect myself, and my life will be longer.” Jim stayed silent. Claire stepped closer, trying to coax him to look at her. “Jim, don’t you see? All those things you’re worried about, they would mean nothing! There would be no boundaries! Nothing to keep us--” “You really trust Merlin?” Jim snapped. “After everything he’s done, you seriously trust him to keep any of his promises?” Claire struggled to find a counter-argument; frankly, Jim was right. Could she trust Merlin to keep his word? Could she trust that she would be able to learn enough to protect herself? Would her life be longer? Or by the time she learned he had lied, would it be too late? Only one argument came to mind. “It’s...it’s our only option Jim. If I study under him, we at least have a chance!” Jim rolled his eyes. “A chance...that’s all Merlin can ever give; a chance. A chance that I’ll have to watch you die, really, is what he’s giving.” “That’s not fair!” Claire practically shouted. “Is it fair to force you into a life that would amount to nothing and ruin you, Claire?” Jim retorted, nearly matching her volume. “I refuse to let you ruin your life for a thing like me!” “That’s my choice, Jim Lake Jr.! And I’m not throwing my life away!” He chuckled, mostly out of annoyance with Claire’s stubbornness. “Well yeah, you kind of are! If you decide to study with Merlin, then you’re giving up the chance to go to college, live with your family, and...and...and everything that I already gave up! I can’t watch you make the same sacrifices I made but get nothing from it!” “Nothing???” Claire jabbed a finger into his chest plate. “You are not nothing! This is my choice to make, Jim!” He pushed her hand away roughly. “And I won’t sit by and let you do this!” “And you think you can stop me??” Jim growled in frustration. He pushed past her. “I have to go; it’s getting late and I still need to patrol.” Claire whirled around, livid with him, but trying to control it. “Then what am I supposed to do, Trollhunter?” She regretted the sneering insult as soon as it came out of her mouth. Jim halted in his tracks, catching the obvious disdain in her voice. “Just...” His anger seemed to have lost its flame. He sighed heavily, still facing the vast cavern. “Just go cover the north and east ends. It’ll go faster if we split up. Guilt settled in on Claire, but she was unsure what to say to dispel the situation. “Fine.” He remained silent for a moment longer. “Fine.” He mumbled; he whisked down the corridor, disappearing into the shadows. What just happened? Claire wondered. If she had thought that the wall built from the previous night’s incident could have been broken down, it had only thickened, and Claire could see no way to breech that barrier.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"And I know Merlin is supposed to have endless knowledge, however my reasoning can hardly be at fault can it? I do not believe so, and I told him thus!" Blinky continued to ramble as they walked down the cavern hall. However, Jim hardly registered a single word. The world blurred around him as his thoughts preoccupied every faculty of his brain. Despite this he was acutely aware of Claire walking stoically beside him. Ever since he had suggested she should leave Troll Market, they could hardly have a civil conversation. It had been three weeks of endless arguing over the issue. An icy wall now stood between Jim and Claire; they could hardly look one another in the eye. If he thought his animalistic reaction to that creature weeks ago would make things hard between them...well, it was nothing compared to their current situation. Jim suddenly became aware that Blinky had paused and was waiting for a response from him. "Yeah, sure, that sounds good," he said absentmindedly, having no idea what Blinky had just asked. Blinky sighed, understanding the cause of Jim’s distraction. The three of them stopped as they reached the wide, open cavern. Jim and Claire’s rooms stood on one side of the cavern, the library on the other. An awkward silence hung in the air. Blinky glanced back and forth between Jim and Claire, unsure what to say or do for his friends. "Well," Blinky said hesitantly after a moment, "it's been a long night, I am going to get some rest. I advise the same for the two of you." He quickly shuffled off toward the library, immediately disproving his claim. The silence continued for a moment between Jim and Claire as both continued to keep their eyes riveted to the ground. She heard him take a breath as though he was about to say something. However, a second passed and he quickly turned his back to Claire, starting in the direction of his room. That ever increasingly familiar turmoil bubbled up in Claire, and she refused to resist it any longer. Her emotions came flooding out in a violent wave. "I won't leave!" Jim halted, his back still to her. Claire felt herself flush from rage as Jim continued to ignore her. "No matter how much you try to push me away, I'm not going to leave." Jim clenched his fists, trying to keep his own emotions in control. "I'm not trying to push you away, Claire, I just--" "Just what? Just expect me to get so fed up that I walk out forever? If you're trying to be a jerk about this, then congratulations!" Jim whirled around at this accusation. His face was flushed with its raspberry tint. "Me?? It's you who can't be reasonable!" "If you hadn't suggested it in the first place--" "Just listen to me for one minute! This isn't about you--" "I've listened to you for long enough, Jim!" Claire closed the distance between them, planting herself directly in front of him. "And I'm telling you that I think it's a stupid idea and I refuse to go through with it!" "You haven't even thought about it! You won't even consider that it might be better for us if you left Troll Market!" "Better for us?? How is that even possible, after everything we've gone through? Would you rather I had just forgotten about you? About us? Should I have just let you leave me behind in Arcadia forever?" "You know, maybe it would have been better in the long run! Maybe it would have been easier!" The words twisted in Claire's chest like a knife. Seeing the hurt in her eyes, he immediately regretted his words. "I—um—that's....that's not what I meant... Claire—" Claire cut him off, tears welling up. "Jim, I sacrificed my life for you! I left behind everything—my family, my friends—so I could be there for you!" Jim growled in frustration. "You think I don't know that? I know, and I'm sorry! But if you thought you sacrificed a lot already, you would only have to sacrifice more to stay with me. I'm a troll! A troll!! We may have had a future before, but not anymore! How can this," Jim gestured to himself, "not bother you at all?" Claire crossed her arms in annoyance. “If you’re referring to three weeks ago—” “Yeah, I am! How can I not be worried about that? You saw what happened, Claire! I’m...I’m a ticking time bomb! A monster just waiting for its first kill!” "You know that’s not true! I’ve told you, time and time again, you are NOT a monster, Jim! That thing in the woods? THAT was a monster! That thing had no semblance of humanity; it was a predator hunting, that’s all. You, Jim, you are human! You would never hurt those close to you!” She reached out for his hand, but he avoided her. “I trust you, why don’t you trust yourself?” Jim sighed. “Because I don’t know what to expect of myself anymore...and...and because I care about you too much to risk anything like that ever again.” Jim’s sincerity struck her to her core. She reached out to his hand again, wanting desperately to comfort him. “Jim--” “Which is why,” he avoided her yet again. “I want you to leave Troll Market. I can’t stand to see you waste your life on me.” “Jim, I’m not wasting my life on you! I’ve told you that before! Merlin can teach me magic, and then I’ll live as long as you! “But you don’t know that will happen! Even if Merlin isn’t lying or hiding something, you could still not take to magic, but how long would it take to realize that? By the time we know it’s too late, you'll be gone! How do you expect me to deal with that?" Jim's heart unexpectedly leapt into his throat and choked his words for a second. He tried pushed away the sensation, his frustration still burning strong. "Whether you get killed on patrol or live a full lifespan, if the whole magic thing doesn’t work, I'm going to have to watch you die. You expect me to live with that?" Claire stuttered, searching for a counter-argument. She knew full well what a risk it would be to study magic, hoping time would stop for her without knowing it would. “But there’s still a chance.” “A chance isn’t good enough to justify sacrificing your life, Claire.” She huffed in frustration. He was right; if it didn’t work, she would never go to college or get a career; she might lose all contact with her family and friends; it was a high gamble with no way to lower the stakes. “Maybe there’s some way to keep tabs; maybe Merlin knows some way to make sure that it’ll work before--” "If there was, he would have said something! Face it, Merlin is useless here and the risk is just too high to justify!" "No! There has to be some—" "Just give it up already! This will never work!"
"I KNOW!!!"
Jim fell speechless. Claire took a deep breath. "….I know. You're right...I--I've known that for a long time..." Jim found himself stunned that Claire finally agreed with him, after weeks of arguing. He tried to form a sentence in response, but words failed him. Claire buried her face in her hands. Her breathing turned shaky and labored. "I just..." She whimpered out, "I just wish it wasn't true..." Jim immediately felt ashamed at himself for allowing himself to lose his temper with Claire. He hesitantly took her shoulders, unsure as to what her reaction would be. Claire's heavy breathing turned into sobs. "I wish...I wish there was some way we could make this work...I--I—don't want this to just end...Jim...." Her voice failed her as the tears took over. "Claire..." Jim leaned to level his face with hers, trying to coax her to look at him. She kept her face buried in her hands. " I wish it could, too. More than anything. I would give anything to be able to be with you forever....I love you Claire." His words failed him too as the lump came back into his throat. Claire threw her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his neck. Tears began streaming down Jim's face as well. He clasped her in his arms and held her as tight as he dared.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Morning was about to break over New Jersey. The sky was a dusty hue, readying for the first rays of sunlight. The snowy blanket that covered the ground sparkled in the February fog. In the cover of the trees, Claire stood holding her modest suitcase. She had hardly brought anything with her to Troll Market eight months ago. Some clothes, her laptop, and a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare. She had figured she would be too busy for much recreation. She'd been right; every night she had been on patrol, and every waking hour of the day was filled with meetings and training. It had been a busy year getting the trolls settled into their new home, but Claire would miss every moment of it. Especially... She turned as she heard the familiar sound of the gate to Troll Market opening behind her. Blinky stepped out, a solemn expression crossing his six eyes. Behind him came... Jim. Claire turned her eyes to the ground, adjusting her winter coat against the cold wind kicking up across the landscape. Ever since she had decided to leave Troll Market for good, she had been avoiding him. She figured if she could put some distance between the two of them, perhaps it would be easier when the time finally came. That time was now, and Claire found it harder than she had ever feared. She blinked back tears; she needed to be strong for Jim. This was going to be hard on him, too. Perhaps harder than it would be for her. She had to remind herself of all the reasons they had worked through as to why she should leave. The age was of course a major issue, as was the fact that Claire still had a life available to her in Arcadia; a life Jim had chosen to give up. Even if the magic did work and her aging was slowed, she would be giving up everything to be with Jim. Essentially, they would be committing themselves to each other as mere teenagers. As much as they would like to think it would work out, they both had to admit that was not the kind of decision for teenagers to make. Such a decision shouldn’t even be considered for another ten years; throwing themselves into that situation now would simply be too much, too soon. Claire played these reasons through her head, using them as her emotional anchor through this impossible task. Claire felt someone step up close to her. "Are you ready, Miss Claire?" Blinky said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. Claire felt a twinge of relief that it was Blinky. She dared a glance at Jim. His face was turned away, hair falling over his eyes. The black curtain prevented Claire from reading his expression. To her surprise, another figure stood beside Jim, staring intensely at Claire. Merlin. When she had told Merlin her intent to leave Troll Market, effectively turning down his offer to be his apprentice, the wizard had grown colder than ever towards her. He rarely spoke with her, if at all. If she and Jim happened to be in the same room, Merlin always seemed to be somewhere nearby, as though keeping tabs. If she came anywhere near him, he would stare at her darkly; almost suspiciously. He had always been intimidating, but now he seemed to be revealing a darker side of himself, one that Claire did not want to ever see. That was the one good thing about leaving Troll Market, it seemed; she would be far away from Merlin’s threatening gaze. She looked away again, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Yes. I'm ready." Blinky offered one of his arms to Claire. Claire smiled at the gentlemanly offer and took it, letting him lead her close to edge of the forest. Their feet crunched through the snow, the only sound in the muffled woods. The sun broke over the horizon, a few thin rays piercing through the fading darkness. The shadows of the trees against the white snow became more distinct, creating a barrier between one world and the other. Claire released Blinky's arm and gave him a sad smile. Blinky opened his six arms. Claire welcomed the enveloping hug. "Goodbye, Fair Claire. May all your adventures be prosperous." "Thank you, Blinky." She stepped away but hesitated from turning back to the growing dawn. She tried to decide whether to say anything to...him. Whether or not to even look at him. She felt her emotions threaten to spill, so straightening her shoulders with resolve, she quickly turned away towards the growing light. The border was only a few steps away. She stared at it for a moment, feeling that if she stepped over it, an impassible wall would form behind her forever. But she had made her decision, and it was for the best. Jim dared to look up finally. Claire stood at the precipice of the light, her suitcase clutched in front of her. He felt an iron fist clutch his heart and halt his breath. The moment she stepped into the light, he would never be able to touch her again. Claire took a careful step forward. Snow crunched behind her, and a gentle hand clasped her shoulder. Her breath stopped in her throat. She felt him press his cheek into her hair. "Wait…please…" Claire dropped her suitcase, her strength giving way. She tried to resist her emotions. Heaven help her, she had to remain strong or this would be impossible to bear for the rest of her life. She could see the cloud of his breath brush past her cheek as he sighed and released her arm. To heck with it. She turned and flung her arms around his neck. Jim embraced her so tightly, he practically constricted her airways. She could feel her feet nearly leave the snowy ground. They loosened their embrace but refused to take their arms from each other. Looking at him, Claire tried to memorize every detail of him; the way his jet-black hair fell over his ears and brushed her fingers on the back of his neck; how his crystal blue eyes sparkled in the sun; the look he gave her—gosh that look. As though she were the only thing in the world that mattered to him. Jim reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear. He wanted to see her face clearly one last time. The deep brown eyes that seemed to peer into him and understand his every unspoken thought, the white streak that accentuated her amber skin, the chocolate brown hair that made him first notice her, and the smile that made him first fall in love. Claire sighed, trying to find some parting words. “You are not a monster. Please, please remember that.” Jim looked down, clearly not convinced. Claire refused to leave him thinking such a thing about himself. She took his face in her hands and forced him back to her level. She kissed him deeply, but perhaps a bit too forcefully, as Jim started slightly at the candid gesture. He recovered quickly and kissed her back equally, once again enveloping her in an embrace so tight she could hardly breathe. Claire felt his hand entwine her hair, and she shivered slightly at the sensation. Jim pulled away, much to Claire's regret. She embraced him one last time, letting him warm her against the cold. “I’ll always love you,” she whispered. Jim kissed the side of her head lightly; he kept his lips pressed to her hair, and whispered," I shall be much in years before I again behold my Juliet. Oh, thinkest thou we shall ever meet again? I doubt it not, and all these woes shall serve for sweet discourses in our times to come." Claire let out a small giggle "Hey, part of that was mine." Jim laughed as well, but Claire felt a cold teardrop hit her cheek. He pressed his forehead to hers and let out a despairing sigh. "Go. Please, go." Claire stepped out of their embrace and hastily picked up her suitcase. With as little hesitation as she could muster, she turned and strode into the sunlight. It seemed to burn her face, but she pressed on, refusing to look behind her. Jim watched as she walked into the light towards the city, refusing to look away until she was completely lost from his vision forever. As she faded into the morning mist, Jim's knees became shaky. He felt sick to his stomach. He dropped to the powdery snow and buried his face in his hands, oblivious to the cold wind biting through him. He felt Blinky put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he cried. Claire did not pause until she reached the bus station. There she dropped her suitcase and sat on the ground, wrapped her knees in her arms, and finally allowed herself to cry until there were no more tears left in her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jim ran through the forest, desperately trying to escape the creature behind him.
He had no idea what it was; he could hardly look at it without filling with dread. He burst through the bushes and found himself in the lamp-lit streets of Arcadia. How had he ended up here? How far from Troll Market was he?
A crash and beastly roar sent him running again. He darted through the streets, keeping an eye out for any unwary citizens.
He turned abruptly around a corner, trying to lose the creature. He pressed up against a wall, trying to quiet his panting breaths. He couldn't hear the creature anywhere nearby. Perhaps it was gone.
He breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced down the narrow alleyway. A few dim lamps flickered overhead. In the shuddering light a slight figure stood silhouetted. He almost ran for cover, but something about the figure seemed familiar. He squinted, trying to see it better. The figure turned towards Jim, and suddenly he recognized her.
The light made her white streak glow like a halo. As she saw him, a smile lit her face, brighter than the sun ever could be. Without a single thought, Jim ran towards her.
He wanted so desperately to embrace her; to hold her close and never let her out of his sight again. He did not care if she was forbidden to him; all that mattered was her.
A figure arose from the dark behind her. With a swift movement it took her by the throat and lifted her in the air. Terror crossed her face. She strained at the muscular hand, fighting for her freedom. A fear like Jim had never known gripped him. He tried to run faster, but the world seemed to slow. He summoned his sword, ready to destroy the creature. The creature turned its head to look at Jim. He finally saw it clearly in the flickering light. Snake-like eyes; a long face; two rows of dagger-like fangs; the creature from the woods. It laughed manically and raised a clawed hand high. Jim cried out, swinging his sword; it felt like lead in his hands, cutting through the air as though moving through water. Its laughter grew until it filled Jim's ears. Its form shifted before his eyes, taking on a frighteningly familiar appearance; blue skin, black hair, and armor that glowed red. With a final cackle, it melted into the shadows.
Jim's sword made contact. She gasped. Dread enveloped him. His sword clattered to the ground. His murderous hands shook.
She put a hand to her side, and it came away coated thickly with red. She looked into his eyes. She gave him a sad smile. Her knees gave way. Jim caught her before she hit the ground. "No...no...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...” Tears streamed down his face. “I should have stayed away...please no..." She reached up weakly and caressed his cheek. "This is why I had to leave..." Her eyes began to close. "I love you, Jim." He felt her go limp in his arms. He screamed her name again and again, desperately trying to wake her, but he knew it was too late. And it was his fault. His wail echoed in his ears. Another figure materialized beside him; a wrathful Merlin glared down at Jim. “What have you done? You idiotic boy; you are the Trollhunter, it is your duty to protect, and look how you failed!”
Jim shook his head, trying to ignore the stinging words ringing in his ears.
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” The shadows coalesced into a figure; himself, with fangs and glowing yellow eyes, crawling on all fours. The demon-him cackled its maniacal sound. “Look at what have you become, Trollhunter!” The limp form in his arms suddenly took life and rose. He scrambled back, terrified as she turned slowly to look at him. Her eyes glowed gold, black cracks forming across her face.
“Thank you, little hunter. My vessel is free, and my time is at hand.”
Another voice spoke from her mouth. A voice he had only heard once before.
Morgana.
Jim woke with a gasp, bolting up in bed. He could feel himself shaking. Despite the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, he felt flushed and hot. He could feel sweat on his brow and back. He covered his face with his hands and took several deep breaths, attempting to calm himself. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and swung his legs over the side of bed. He had had this dream countless times before during the past four months, but this one was more vivid than it had ever been before. There was no way he was going to get any sleep now. He pulled out his phone to check the time. 2 pm...crap... This day was worse than usual. He could usually get at least 4 or 5 hours in before the dream hit. However, he had a late day yesterday and didn't get to bed until noon. He sighed, trying to rub the exhaustion from his eyes. He could still feel himself shaking from the dream. His stomach twisted as the nightmarish images flashed before his eyes. He hastily turned on his light, trying to dispel them, but they still burned in his mind. Without looking, he reached out to his night stand and took the photo from its usual location. He let his eyes trace over the familiar features of her face. She's fine...she’s alive...she's in Arcadia...just calm down already... Her smile warmed his heart, although he still felt an aching in his chest. The sides of the photo were worn down from his daily handling of it, but her face was still clear on the glossy photo paper. It was a photo Jim had taken of her the first time they spent a night out on the town in New Jersey. Fairy lights from the park framed her smiling face; the peach glow of the nighttime city lights complemented her warm complexion. He looked at this photo every single day. As soon as he woke up, he would reach over to his stand and take the photo. He would fall asleep staring at it sometimes. Some evenings were easier than others. He would wake up and feel like he could move on. He knew he would never forget her, but perhaps he would be able to let her go. Other evenings the despair hit him the moment his eyes opened. He could hardly function then. The crippling depression would weigh on everything he did. He knew Blinky could see his pain, but Jim didn't want to say anything about his daily and nightly battles. A familiar sensation welled up in him. His heart was in his throat, and his head throbbed with fought-back emotions. It looked like it would be one of latter nights; unbearably depressing. Tears came to his eyes, a common occurrence now. He would have thought that by now he would have no more tears left to cry; yet inevitably they came. He continued to stare at her photo, unwilling to look away from her beautiful smile. A drop hit the side of the photo. He hastily wiped it off, afraid he had damaged the photo paper. A small stain remained, but luckily it did not smudge her face. With a sigh, Jim wiped his eyes and placed the photo back on its usual spot on the stand. Jim lay back on his bed, dreading going through his duties that night. He tried to keep the image of Claire's smile in his mind to fight off the vision of her final breath. He wasn't quite as successful as he would have liked. He sighed deeply. This is why she had to leave. So long as you stay away from her, she'll be safe. He rolled over and stared at the wall, repeating this mantra to himself again and again. A knock at his door made him yelp. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then called for the unknown visitor. "Who is it?" "Blinky, Master Jim." "Oh...hold on..." Jim darted to the other end of his room and hastily threw on a shirt. "Come in." The door creaked softly as Blinky opened it. He glanced over Jim silently for a moment. Jim was certain he saw the sweat still sticking to him and the dark circles under his eyes. Jim sighed and sat on the foot of his bed. Without a word Blinky sat beside him. The silence continued between them for another minute. "How long have you been having these nightmares, Jim?" Jim looked at Blinky in surprise. "How--" Blinky smiled knowingly. "Come now, Master Jim, I've known you long enough to tell these things." Jim took another deep breath. "They've been off and on for about four months. Ever since..." Ever since she left, Jim thought, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He picked up the photo from its place on the nightstand again. He could tell Blinky glanced over his shoulder to see the image. "Lovely photograph, did you take that?" Jim smiled. "Yeah. It was at the all-night festival in the park last summer.” “Ah yes, I remember. Miss Claire purchased you a large jacket so that you could attend, yes?” Jim chuckled at the memory of the over-sized hoodie, plastered with “I heart New Jersey” that Claire had made him wear. It was so big and garish, Jim had never touched it since. It was stuffed in the bottom of a drawer somewhere. “Yeah. She brought her polaroid camera to send pictures back to Arcadia, but I kinda stole this one." Jim felt the tears spring back to his eyes. He blinked them back shamefully, annoyed with himself for not being able to keep his emotions in check in front of Blinky. "Maybe it would have been better if...if we had never..." Jim felt Blinky put a hand on his shoulder. "Jim, 'Dance like nobody's watching, and love like it's never going to hurt." "...didn't you read that in a phone booth once?" "Yes, but does that make it any less true?" Jim smiled. Wearily, he hugged Blinky. "Thank you." Blinky patted his back, his large stony hands surprisingly gentle. “Do you wish to talk about the dreams?” Jim shook his head. “Understood.” Jim let himself sit in Blinky’s embrace a moment longer. It had been a long time since he had let his guard down. “Actually...Blinky...there is one thing I want to ask you...” “Ask away, Jim.” Jim lifted himself back upright. “In my dream...Morgana came back, through Claire.” A chill went up his spine at the memory of Claire’s eyes glowing gold, her face cracking apart. “Is it...is it possible that that could happen? Again?” Blinky sat silent for a moment, pondering the question. “I honestly do not know, Master Jim. As it stands, Claire could certainly be a vessel again if she is unprepared for such an assault, but Morgana is too weak at the moment to fight such a war. I believe,” he hazarded a glance at Jim, gauging the weight of his next statement. “I believe our best hope is that...Miss Claire is not around when Morgana is ready.” A lump formed in Jim’s throat. He knew what Blinky meant. When Morgana returned, he would have to hope Claire was dead.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Why did I agree to go on this date? Claire wondered. Somehow, Darci and Mary had managed to convince Claire to go on a date with Douxie, probably because Claire knew his obscure band. They insisted that it would help her “get over” Jim, but so far that hadn’t been true. Granted, it had been a pleasant evening; he wasn’t odious or boring or a creep. The movie had been fun, and they had gone to Claire’s favorite ice cream shop, and she had to admit he was pretty cute. However, the entire evening her thoughts were occupied with who she’d rather be with. As such, she had been rather quiet and stand-offish the whole date. She felt bad for Douxie; he had just wanted to have a fun time, and she had effectively ruined that notion. Claire came out of her thoughts as her front door swam into view before her. Shoot, had she walked the whole way in complete silence? Now she felt really bad. Better try to make up for it I guess.... Claire steeled herself and forced a smile. “Thanks for taking me out. It was fun.” Douxie laughed. “If that is what you call fun, I hate to see you miserable.” She could tell he wasn’t trying to make her feel bad; he was just being sincerely friendly. She laughed weakly, trying to hide her crippling depression. “Guess I’m not exactly the party animal Mary chocked me up to be.” He rolled his eyes. “Knowing Mary, I shouldn’t have expected you to be.” Claire guffawed; the sound embarrassed her for moment, and she felt herself flush. He chuckled, seeing her redness. “Tell ya what, you pick what we do next time; but it better blow my mind.” Claire felt her heart drop again. She almost agreed, but a sudden guilt weighed her down. She took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t want to lead you on. You are a really fun guy—honestly, not just saying that—but, I...it’s not the best time for me...” Douxie gave her a quizzical look. “You know, that is the first time I have actually ever believed that phrase when a girl said it to me.” Claire felt a bit of relief; at least he didn’t think she was just blowing him off. He sat down on the porch steps and patted the spot next to him, gesturing for her to sit beside him. Hesitantly, she took the seat. “So...who was he?” “How...?” "Believe me, I’ve had that look myself.” Claire smiled at his honesty. “Well, do you remember Jim Lake Jr.?” He thought for a moment. “Wasn’t he the really wiry kid at school.” Claire giggled. “Yeah. He and I were dating.” “Were?” Claire paused, trying to gather her thoughts. “Yeah...we...it was mutual....” “That usually means ‘They broke up with me but I didn’t want to.’” Claire smirked. “Not this time. He...it’s hard to explain...” “Try me.” Claire thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain the circumstances without...explaining the circumstances... “Well, he moved to a different state, and I went on a study abroad there as well...sort of. I planned on staying there but...things were different for him.” She hazarded a glance at him. He was looking at her with genuine concern, but he didn’t probe further, for which Claire was grateful. “Like I said, it’s hard to explain.” “It’s okay, just tell me whatever you’re comfortable saying.” “I don’t know how else to explain it, but things changed for him and we realized that we couldn’t be together anymore. So...I had to come back. Neither of us wanted this, but it had to happen.” Claire sighed, dropping her face into her hands. “I know I should move on but...” He cocked his head, understanding her. “But you still care about him.” Claire stayed silent, figuring that was a response enough. "If it’s any consolation, I know how it is. I went through exactly the same thing.” Claire seriously doubted that, but she let him continue, understanding his meaning. “It’s hard move on when neither of you wanted it to end. It’s always in the back of your mind that if circumstances had only been different, you would still be with them.” Claire felt tears sting her eyes, but she blinked them back. She’d known this but hadn’t heard the words said out loud; as hard as it was, she needed to. He sighed, most likely remembering his own experience. “It feels like no matter how hard you try, you can’t forget them. They’re a part of everything you do. And honestly, you don’t want to forget them. It feels like you are still holding on to part of them if you at least remember the good times.” Claire nodded absent-mindedly. She sensed him turn slightly to her; she looked up, meeting his eyes. “It’s hard. Gosh, I know how hard it is, but you have to forget them. No matter how much it hurts, it hurts more to remember.” His words struck Claire. She knew they were true, more than she wanted to admit. Douxie’s cheeks reddened slightly, and he turned away in embarrassment. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you or anything...I just realized I probably should have shut up at some point.” Claire laughed. ”No no! You’re fine, and....you’re right. Thank you, really. It’s nice to know someone understands.” He smiled knowingly. ”No problem.” They sat in awkward silence for a minute, the hum of the porch light the only sound in the still night. He stood up abruptly and offered his hand to Claire, helping her up as well. “Well, I guess I better be going.” “Yeah,” Claire turned back to her door. She paused, her hand on the doorknob. She looked back over her shoulder, seeing him walk down the steps. ”Hey...” Douxie turned, looking curious. “...Thank you, and...sorry....” He smiled. ”No worries; I think it’s good this happened. We both needed a serious talk.” Claire smiled again. With that, he turned and started down the walkway. Claire opened her door and entered the quiet house. Her parents must have already been asleep. Most of the lights were off, and not a soul stirred the house. Except NotEnrique, evidently. Claire rounded the corner into the kitchen, finding the fridge door wide open, lighting the linoleum room. A jar of mayonnaise was tossed from the fridge. Claire’s small, green, not-brother stuck his head out from around the open door. “Oi! There you are, sis! I ‘ad t’ put the lil’ ankle-biter down meself! Why ya gotta drop me like that?” He leapt out of the fridge, his arms laden with sandwich ingredients, along with several pairs of socks. Claire sighed, closing the fridge door. “Sorry, I was on that blind date.” Not Enrique hopped up on the counter. “Ya know, I neva’ understood that phrase. I mean, you can see your date, can’t cha? Why make it sound so creepy?” Claire chuckled, leaning her arms against the counter. “Says the creepy little green dude.” “Hey, I’m endearingly creepy.” NotEnrique dug two slices of bread out of a bag and began building an overly large midnight snack. “So, ‘ow’d it go with...what’s ‘is face? Doodie?” “Douxie...” Claire plopped her head on her arms and groaned loudly. “That good, ay?” “I made it so awkward...” She mumbled. “He wanted to have a good time, but I just didn’t wanna be there.” NotEnrique smacked a slice of bread on top of his mile-high sandwich. “N’ why not?” Claire stayed silent. “Ohhh...yeah...I getcha sis...” “He...we actually had a conversation about moving on. He said some good things.” NotEnrique left his sandwich, sitting himself down in front of Claire. “Well, what’d ‘e say?” Claire picked at the grout between the tiles. “He...he said I need to try to forget about him because no matter how much it would hurt to move on, it’ll hurt more to remember.” NotEnrique thought for moment, scratching his bald head. “I dunno anythin’ about relationships n’ stuff, but that sounds like solid advice.” Claire nodded dejectedly. “Yeah, but I don’t wanna move on.” He laid a hand on her arm. “It’s only been a month, sis. You don’t gotta be over ‘im t’morrow, but...Big D did ‘ave a point.” “I know...” A moment of silence passed between them, as awkward as it was long. NotEnrique patted her arm. “Well, ya better git yerself t’ bed. It’s been a long day. And I betta’ get t’ this sandwich.” Claire smiled sadly and scratched his head. “You are so gross...” “Yeah, and?” Claire shook her head. “Whatever. ‘night.” She tiptoed upstairs and down the hall to her room. She took a quick moment to peek inside Enrique’s room. Her actual little brother was sleeping soundly, cuddling Suzy Snooze. Her heart warmed; seeing him always reminded her that there was a good side to coming back to Arcadia. Quietly sneaking into her own room, she carefully creaked the door shut. Finally...at least I can relax now. She changed into her pajamas, trying to unwind. But Douxie’s words wouldn’t leave her head. You have to forget them... The thought made Claire sick to her stomach. Hastily, she crouched down and reached under her bed, pulling out a cardboard packing box. She opened the lid to reveal a pile of TrollMarket souvenirs; photos, a couple of crystals, a patrol report, and an oversized hoodie with the phrase “I heart New Jersey” plastered across it in bold white letters. Claire slipped it on over her pajamas, as she did most every night. If it had been big on Jim, she effectively drowned in it. Before she had left, she had snuck into his room and stole it, figuring he wouldn’t miss it. He never wore it, since Claire had grossly misjudged what size she needed to get him. Besides, she had bought it in the first place. It was technically hers, right? She climbed into bed and flopped down against her pillow. Jim is probably out on patrol right now... Douxie’s words kept echoing in her head. It’s hard, gosh I know how hard it is, but you have to forget them. No matter how much it hurts, it hurts more to remember. Claire snuggled her face into the fluffy hoodie. It wasn’t nubby yet, since Jim had only worn it once. Despite that, it somehow still smelled like him; probably because it had stayed folded up with the rest of his clothes for months. Claire breathed deeply, letting the memory of Jim surround her. She could almost imagine his arms were wrapped around her, holding her close to him so she could hear his heart beating. She looked up to the glowing amethyst resting on her shelf; the one Jim had given her when they had first explored the caves beneath New Jersey. It cast its dim magenta glow against the wall. I know I need to forget you but...She smiled as Jim’s cinnamon scent tickled her nose. Perhaps another day...____________________________________________________________________________________________Douxie heard the door close far behind him, signaling that Claire was finally out of sight. He glanced back to be sure, then darted into the darkness beyond the lamplight. He walked far into the forest before stopping to examine his surroundings. Wind rustled the trees; the moonlight dimly illuminated the clearing where he stood. It seemed secluded enough.Taking a deep breath, he lifted a hand and concentrated. After a tense moment the world twisted before him and reveal a black swirling hole. He stepped through into a dimly lit stone chamber. Before him stood four cloaked figures.He closed the portal behind him, relieving the pressure from his mind. Meeting the eyes of the front-most figure, Douxie nodded."You were right; she is Morgana's chosen."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The street lights buzzed with their electronic glow, lighting the lonely street. It was a late night in Arcadia; all was quiet. Expect for the figures crashing through the bushes. Aja, her natural glow leading the way, clamored through the leaves. Krel followed promptly, also emitting his dim glow. Toby, tripping over a protruding branch, fell flat on his face with a yelp. Last emerged Claire, her face smudged with dirt. "And I thought Trolls gave you trouble…" "Ow…right?" Toby replied, hoisting himself up from the ground onto his feet. He dug a twig out from his hair. "I really should have brought AAARRRGH along." Krel popped off a boot and shook out a large pebble. "Who--or what--is that?" "AAARRRGH's my wingman!" "…that answers nothing." Toby waved a hand dismissively. "You'll just have to meet him next time." Claire sat herself down on the sidewalk, still trying to comprehend the last hour or so. "New topic; who the HECK were those guys???" Aja plucked a leaf from her bio-luminescent hair and examined it. "Like we said; bounty hunters. Well, they are specifically known as the Zerons. They've had it out for us for a while now; this is really nothing new." Toby plopped down beside Claire, equally winded. "I guess even Angor Rot got old after a while." Claire chuckled. "When you fight someone to the death at least three times, it gets kinda monotonous." Krel sighed. "Okay, another name I don't know. Who's Angor Rot?" Toby smirked, enjoying the mystery. "An old arch nemesis of ours." "Of Jim's," Claire specified. "Well, yeah…but whatever! We've been around the block a few times now. You know; soulless beings, ancient monsters, endless war; been there, done that." Claire smacked Toby's arm playfully. "But we didn't think we'd have to repeat that. So they're hunting you because you're all royal and important, right?" Aja tossed away the last leaf from her hair. "Pretty much; although at this point I think it's more a matter of pride than money." Claire raise an eyebrow. "How long has this been going on?" Aja and Krel glanced at each other, using their unspoken sibling language to figure out the timeline. "Like…almost a cycle…?" Aja questioned. "Year in your terms," Krel clarified. Toby's jaw practically dropped. "Seriously? You've been dealing with those guys for a year? Man, if that isn't dedication." "Also," Claire gestured to their glowing teal forms. "That is impressive." Krel straightened proudly at the compliment. "Much better than your weak little flesh bags, no?" "KREL!" Aja hissed. "Wait," Claire started. "If you're not flesh like us, then what are you made of?" Aja shrugged. "Energy, to put it simply." Krel chuckled. "Very simply." Toby thought for a moment. "Man, rock creatures and now beings of pure energy; what else are we gonna run into next?" Claire shook her head, baffled as well. "I thought trolls were pushing it, but apparently Arcadia is a lot weirder than I thought." Krel glanced down the street. "Look, I would love to stay and chat the night away, but we need to be going before anyone comes along." "But we still have so many questions!" Toby stammered. "Like, where are you from?? Why earth?? And why--" Krel held up a hand, silencing Toby. "We will answer your questions as best we can, but later." Claire stood, dusting off her skirt. "How about tomorrow afternoon? We can meet up before the bonfire." Aja clapped her hands joyfully. "Oh yes! And Claire can help me get ready for my date with Steve! Mary said it's called 'Girl Time!'" Krel very obviously rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Can any of us hang out any more without you and Steve making it a date?" Aja wrapped an arm around her shorter brother's shoulder. "Aww are you jealous little brother? Don't worry; there must be someone in Arcadia who doesn't find you incredibly boring." "Oh shut up!" Krel shoved off Aja, who was grinning gleefully. "Let's just get going." Krel dropped an object from his sleeve, which somehow became a glowing hoverboard. Aja glanced quickly between Claire and Toby. “Uh...Toby? A word?” She pulled Toby to the side quickly, whispering something in his ear. Feeling more than a little awkward, Claire tried to act busy by examining a scrape on her knee that had destroyed her leggings. After a moment, Aja hopped on the hoverboard behind her brother. "See you later, large reptiles!" They sped away into the night, their bright glows disappearing into the dark. "Um, did she mean 'alligator'? I can never tell with those two." Toby remained silent, oblivious to Claire's joke. Claire stepped up beside Toby. "So...what was that all about?” He stared into the empty space before him, more ponderous than Claire had ever seen him. "Sorry, what?” “Just now, when Aja pulled you aside; what was that about? Or can you not tell me?” "Oh, uhh...nothing, don't worry about it. She just wanted to clarify something.” Claire didn’t believe that for a second but decided to let it slide. Toby rarely kept secrets; if he wanted to keep something to himself, he must have had a good reason. Toby snapped out of his trance, his goofy grin plastering his face once again. “Anyways, I should probably get home; Nana tends to lock the door without checking if I'm back or not, so I'll probably have to climb in through the window." "Need any help?" "Nah, got my war hammer; that’ll lift me over the awning.” Claire chuckled. "Okay, well I better head back too before my parents realize I'm gone." "See ya tomorrow!" "Night!" Claire turned and started down the street towards her house, which sat around the block or so. Thankfully, it was a cool night, so an evening stroll wouldn't be too bad. She hoped her mom would buy that argument if she caught her sneaking around at this hour. Her parents already had a hard time wrapping their heads around trollhunting. Beings from outer space? That was an entirely different matter. Claire couldn't help but remember those late-night adventures over a year ago; traipsing through the Arcadia woods with Jim and Toby, chasing down rogue gnomes and trickster trolls. A smile crept onto her face as she pictured Jim, lanky as he was then, decked out in his shining armor and battling creatures with a sword far too hefty for his noodle arms. His transformation certainly helped him fit the image better. Crap…why did I have to think of that? For a moment, she could remember the relatively carefree Trollhunting days, before everything went horribly wrong. She tried to push away the memories, but Jim's face, Troll and Human, sat vividly in the forefront of her mind. One more block and I can cuddle up with his--my--whatever--sweater…that won't really help but I'll feel better anyway…A rustle in the bushes snapped her back to reality. She whirled around as the rustling increased, ready for action. A diapered butt wiggled out of the leaves, followed by a bald, green head. He turned around, his mouth full of stolen socks, and nearly leapt out of his skin. "Smph!" He mumbled through a mouthful of cotton. "What are you doing out here???" Claire could strangle the little twerp; he had scared her half to death, plus whatever he was doing, it couldn't be anything good. He spat the socks out onto the pavement in a gross soggy pile. "I was--I mean--I was just--well what're you doin' 'ere???" "I asked you first!" "I asked you last!" "That's not how that works!" "So???" Claire growled. "Whatever! Where did you get those socks?!" "For your information, I found these hangin' out on a line in a random back yard; I didn' steal 'em if that's what you're askin'!" "That's stealing!!!" "Is not!" Claire groaned and rubbed her temples, trying to calm down. "Whatever, just leave them and let's get home." "What?? But they're argyle!!!" "Let's go." Claire turned and stalked down the street before he could argue further. NotEnrique shut up and followed behind her. "Gee whiz, what's got you so in a tizzy?" "I've had a very weird night." "Weirder than the norm?" "Kinda." "Oof; that's sayin' somethin'." They came to the end of the court where their house sat; the porch lamp the only light shining from the still house. A dark form stood in the shadows beside the porch. Claire groaned internally. Great, what now? The figure seemed to notice them and stepped out of the shadows onto the sidewalk in front of them. Claire halted in her tracks. "Douxie???" She hadn't seen him in a couple of weeks; what on earth was he doing sneaking around her house? A smack to the back of her legs reminded her who was following closely. Panic shot through her. How on earth was she going to explain a fanged green thing in a diaper? A rare breed of opossum? A knock-off toy for her brother? A really ugly dog with intestinal problems? Douxie didn't even seem to notice. He waved a shaking hand, a forced smile etched on his face. "Heya Claire! How are you?" Claire's mouth moved up and down but no words came out. She felt NotEnrique duck behind her legs. Had Douxie seen him? Was he pretending not to notice? Douxie shuffled his feet, fidgeting with his hoodie strings. "Um, can you follow me into the woods? I…um…need to show you something…" Okay, that sounded more than a little weird. "Excuse me???" He ran a hand through his jet-black hair. "Sorry, that was really creepy. It's not anything dangerous…and it's not really me asking. Someone told me to bring you, and…this isn't helping…" Claire put a hand behind her, needing to know NotEnrique was still close. Douxie gestured to the figure hiding behind her. "He can come too, if that'll make you feel better." If she thought she was confused before, she was off by a long shot. "Hold up, what? You--you're not freaked out or anything?" NotEnrique wrapped his arms around her calf and peeked around. "Well--no--I mean--we know about him, and he's just a young changeling, he can't do any harm." Now this was just getting scary. A lamp flickered overhead, catching Douxie's attention. "Um, we need to get going. Now." "Where are we going?" He rubbed his hands, as though wiping off sweat. "I can't really say. But we need to go now." With determination, Douxie turned on a heel and marched into the forest. Claire glanced down, locking eyes with NotEnrique. He shrugged. "Don't worry sis; if 'e does anythin' weird, we got the jump on 'im." With that bit of confidence, Claire gingerly followed Douxie, keeping well behind him. He led them deep into the woods; farther than Claire had been since her Trollhunting days. A thick fog began to roll in, forcing her to follow Douxie more closely just to keep him in sight. Abruptly, he halted in a clearing, suddenly standing stock still. Claire and NotEnrique stopped well behind him, waiting for what would come next. From behind, they could see the slick-haired young man stiffly raise a single hand straight out before him. He stretched his palm outward; despite the fog, Claire could see the veins in his wrist stand out with strain. The air before him twisted,revealing a black hole; it grew larger until it was the size of a doorway. A shadow portal? Claire hadn't seen one since Morgana's staff. How had he opened one on his own? Although a better question would be why was he opening a shadow portal? Clearly there was more to Douxie than Claire ever suspected. He turned back to her, a thin sheen on his forehead exposing the effort that one portal took. With a flick of his hand, he gestured for her to follow, then disappeared into the black void. Claire looked down to NotEnrique, still by her side. Meeting her eyes, he shrugged, and beckoned for her to go first. She cautiously brushed her fingers against the blackness. It felt cold and humid, just like her portals had. That would have to be enough for her to trust. Taking a deep breath, she plunged in. She had forgotten just how claustrophobic the portals were. The pressure was like sitting at the bottom of a deep pool; heavy, thick, yet she could breathe in the misty darkness. In a moment it was gone, and she stepped out onto a stony floor. Claire shook her head, trying to dispel the wave of dizziness that came over her. A scuttle behind her told her NotEnrique had emerged. Douxie stood before her; he waved his hand once and with a suction sound the portal closed. Without waiting, he strode through a doorway and started up a torch-lit stairway. Claire followed closely, trying to make sense of her surroundings. In the dim light, Claire could see heavy grey stones that made the walls of the narrow way. The stones were polished smooth, reflecting the torches lining the walls. A gold-gilded oak door appeared from the darkness. Stepping up to it, Douxie rapped on it loudly. A muffled sound from the other side replied. Douxie pushed the heavy door open and stepped through. A magenta light spilled through the opening on the landing, dancing before her eyes. I came this far…Claire squeezed through the propped door. The room beyond was darker than she had expected, but vaster than she could imagine. Or so it seemed; her eyes drifted upwards to where the ceiling should be, instead finding a breath-taking display. The room was alight with stars and galaxies; it seemed to open up into the cosmos. She craned her neck backwards, trying to take in the whole scene. Someone cleared their throat beside her. Stumbling back into the moment, she saw Douxie standing stiffly beside her. He cocked his head to the side, gesturing for her to look. An oak table gilded as the door sat on a raised platform in the center of the room, a matching chair pushed up to it. A thick, leather bound volume sat in the center, lit by a single tall candle. As Claire's eyes adjusted to the purple-hued darkness, forms took shape just beyond the candlelight; three hooded figures encircling the table. The tallest came forward and removed their hood. The candlelight flickered across his features, revealing a broad nose and strong jaw. His hair was braided close to his skull and disappeared into the hood of his robe. Clawed tattoos encircled his eyes, whose vibrant green hue seemed to glow beneath the swirling magenta nebula. Douxie ascended the few steps to stand before the imposing man and bowed. They exchanged whispers; Claire couldn't help but feel rather exposed beneath their sidelong glances. She attempted to rationalize the ridiculousness of her embarrassment, claiming to herself that since she knew nothing of this man--or any of these people including Douxie apparently--she shouldn't feel any sort of inferiority before them. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that these people--whoever they were--should have some significance to her. After a moment, Douxie bowed once more, then backed away from the man. Redirecting his gaze to rest solely on Claire, the man approached her stoically. "Claire Nunez; daughter of Ophelia and Javier; vessel of Morgana; we have called for you." Sensing that he expected some response to the recognition, Claire cleared her throat, searching desperately for anything to say. NotEnrique gripped her leg a little tighter. "And may I ask who is ‘we’ exactly?" The man lifted a hand and gestured to the others in the room--including Douxie. "We are the Order of Hekate; a society of persons gifted with the ability to utilize magic, dedicated to the protection of world order." The other two members still surrounding the table removed their hoods. A shorter, long faced man with a tattoo down the center of his face; a dark-skinned woman with white hair and tattoos surrounding her mouth. "I am known as Archigos. Here are those known as Defteros, Daskalos, and our student" gesturing to Douxie "Adynatos." Claire shifted her gaze to Douxie--or who she once called Douxie--and met his eyes. He quickly looked away and shuffled his feet. She returned her gaze to the man who spoke--Archigos. "You have some familiarity with two of our banished students; the wizard Merlin and the sorceress Morgana, who is true purpose of our bringing you here today." He pointed to Claire. "You were a vessel for the dark sorceress, and as such, you still bear connection to her. Through you, her power presents a threat still to the world as we know it. If your connection remains unbridled as it is, we fear that she would use you once again as her vessel." The shorter man--Defteros--stepped beside Archigos. "Death, even, presents no solution, for if you were to perish, the sorceress would find another vessel. Your own raw power, slim as it is, is enough to retain Morgana in a temporary cage with you as her only connection to the outside world. Soon that cage will no longer be strong enough to house her, and in order to protect the world and all its inhabitants from her wrath and reign, you must be taught how to guard yourself and keep her at bay. We can and will teach you, if you choose to do so. However, this requires that you must leave behind your previous life, devoting yourself to the studies and practices of Hekate we honor and guard. While we are giving you the choice, know that if you do not accept our offer, you doom all. The only way to ensure Morgana’s reign never occurs is if you devote yourself to--” “Woah woah, hang on a moment!” Claire waved her hands, catching the attention of the three. “Let me get a few things straight here! You’re claiming that I’m still a vessel for Morgana; and you expect me to just give up everything to follow you blindly?” The woman--Daskalos--narrowed her eyes. “Are you so selfish as to doom the world for the simple pleasures of a mortal life, child? Have you any comprehension of the weight of what we tell you? Your life means nothing in comparison to the millions at stake!” “I was there fighting in the war against the Eternal Night! Yes, I know the risk it is to let Morgana gain any sort of power! But I know what it was like to be her vessel; I think I would recognize her presence in me. How do I know what you say has any truth behind it? Give me one good reason why I should drop everything to believe you.” Archigos held up a hand, silencing them. “You want proof of our claims and validity.” Claire lifted her chin, showing her resilience. “I think it only fair; you want me to trust my life to you, prove to me it is worth it.” Archigos’ eyes darkened. He studied Claire a moment, as though searching for signs of weakness. “So be it.” He stood silent. Claire waited for an explanation, a spell, a flick of the hand, anything. A muscle in his eye twitched a moment. Claire felt an odd sensation deep inside herself, as though someone were tugging a rope in her stomach. It pulled harder, attempting to tear something from her. Another jolt; pain shot through her chest; she fell the ground with a cry. It wrenched more forcefully, trying to rip out through her throat. Another pain; it broke free. A golden light shot from her mouth. Claire fell to the ground, panting heavily.NotEnrique rushed in front of her, gripping her arm. “Oi! What’d you do to ‘er??” Archigos took no notice of him. Her muscles feeling like lead, Claire pushed herself up onto her elbows. “No no...I’m fine...” She glanced up. Her breath caught in her throat and terror shot through her veins. Golden mist swirled before her eyes, taking the form of a being she knew only too well. Archigos kept his eyes locked on Claire. “It is the mark of Morgana, from when she first claimed you as her chosen. It is her power in you, and it is still strong.” The golden form dissipated into a cloud; it twisted with an unseen wind and spiraled into Claire’s chest. She felt a rush as the last golden glow vanished. Silence enveloped the room, all eyes on Claire, breath held as they waited. Claire held her throat, as though afraid the being would rise from her once again. She met Archigos' eyes. “How do I stop her?” Archigos motioned to Douxie, who scuttled to Claire’s side. He took her arm, helping her from the ground. Supporting her weakened frame, he led her to the chair beside the oak table. NotEnrique followed behind, hopping up on the desk beside Claire. Archigos curled his lip in disgust at the sight of the changeling. “I was unaware the troll came as well.” NotEnrique stuck his tongue out at the imposing figure at least six-times his size. “Oi! I’m ‘er lil’ brother! Of course I gotta come!” Archigos sneered once more, then leaning over Claire’s shoulder, lifted the cover of the leather-bound book before her. “Although this decision will decide the fate of millions, it is still yours to make.” He flipped a few thin parchment pages, stopping on a heavily-written page. “This text contains much of our history. We have told you what is necessary to know now, but this may help answer some questions.” Archigos rounded the table, standing beside the other two. “We will leave you to ponder for a time; bring us your answer when you are ready. But bear in mind; the world is resting upon your shoulders.” One by one, the three of the hierarchy turned and left the planetarium. Douxie remained behind, leaning against the desk next to Claire. Claire stared at the book, still reeling from the image of Morgana. Every attempt to somewhat wrap her mind around the load of information presented to her failed; how could she even begin to comprehend everything this Hekate Order-whatever had dumped on her? Where to start? "So…when you said you went through ‘exactly the same thing’ as me, how literally did you mean that?” Douxie furrowed his brow a moment. "Oh, right! That stuff I said after our date; well, pretty literally I guess. You know, giving up your life for some supernatural bull; yeah, I get that. But that was nearly twenty years ago.” NotEnrique studied Douxie with a suspicious eye. "So…this is the weirdo from that blind date? Douxie? Or, whatever your name actually is." "Douxie was just my undercover name in Arcadia. It's Adynatos, but that's not my name; it's my title. " Claire and NotEnrique waited for an explanation. He sighed heavily. "It’s complicated, but essentially when you study magic, you give up your old life including your name. The council—those three stuck-ups—give you a title to remind you of your position.” Claire raised an eyebrow. "Why on earth would anyone agree to that?" He shrugged. "Do what you gotta for the good of the world, I guess.” He tapped the book, drawing Claire’s attention to it. “I should let you get reading. But word of advice; just skim the intro. It’s pretty much the cliffnotes version of the book. Also, if something doesn’t make sense, it’s probably because it’s translated from Ancient Greek.” Another fuse blew in Claire’s brain. “Wait--Ancient Greek??” Douxie—Adynatos—chuckled. “Yeah; they haven’t changed their chosen language in a few millenia.” He pushed himself off from the desk. “I’ll probably be sent in to check on you a little while. Good luck.” With that, he left the room, closing the door with a resounding echo and taking with it the lamplight of the hallway. In the darkness of the single candle beside her, the stars of the planetarium shone brighter than in any natural sky. Claire's eyes drifted through galaxies and nebula foreign to her. A spray of magenta stars stretched across, speckled with blue and white. Far in the distance, she could see a diamond light growing; a supernova. Turning, she saw stars swirling spiral-like a fiery whirlpool, disappearing into an inky blackness. The glow of life and death sparkled before Claire; the stir of awe in her chest reminded her of the incomprehensible vastness of the universe. Claire tore her eyes away from the glorious display above her down to the worn tome before her. The ancient parchment felt like gossamer beneath her fingers; a single leaf felt likely to tear with the slightest movement. The ink bled through the fibers to create the words; a single page seemed more like a painting than prose. Claire marveled as she scanned the text, trying to pick out the most important pieces. The Order of Hekate: Established in Athens in the days of the Greek gods by devotees to magical practices...far more ancient than these early civilizations...shared their powers with common peoples...foreign race of peoples from the stars came to the Order of Hekate pleading for shelter and protection; in return, they stole texts and secrets and corrupted them with their own practices. Their arts mutated them into the creatures known today as Trolls. “Wait,” Claire turned to look at NotEnrique, seeing if he read the passage as well. “Trolls aren’t from earth?” NotEnrique shrugged. “Don’t look at me; I never learned anything about Troll history.” Claire puzzled over the mystery. “You would think this would have been mentioned in the books I read...” She turned back to the text, eager to continue. As she lifted a page, the scent of aged reeds and dried ink swept her. A flurry of dust scattered into the air to find another ancient surface to settle. In the days of the Celts, two apprentices rose into significant standing; Morgana Le Fay and Merlin. Morgana, the most powerful sorceress ever seen in history, used her power to lead trolls in a quest for power over mankind. Merlin gave secrets of magic to the trolls and taught them ancient arts, putting himself as leader over their kind. For their dealings with this corrupted race, they were banished from Hekate. To further protect our knowledge and practices, the Order of Hekate disappeared from record. Claire shook her head in disbelief. “Wow, they sure don’t like trolls.” NotEnrique rolled his eyes. “Let’s skip this part; there’s a section over ‘ere for new kids like you.”
To new apprentices: the path on which you are embarking is long and treacherous. The moment you begin to practice magic, drawing upon internal reserves without the use of outside tools—such as potions, staffs, etc.--your aging will slow. Any connections to mortal life must be severed to protect our ways and oneself from those who seek to destroy us and our ways. Be vigilant and wise.
The text continued with further instruction; Claire sat back in the straight-back wooden chair. Her finger traced the intricate carving along the arm as she pondered all she had read. NotEnrique laid a hand on the tome, perhaps rereading a passage or two. As ridiculous as it felt to her, one hope danced in her head. "Hey…" NotEnrique looked up from the book. "Can I ask something crazy?" "Shoot, sis." Claire continued to trace the designs on the chair absentmindedly. "It said that as soon as I start studying magic my aging will slow. What…what if…" Claire bit her lip, resisting a hesitant smile. "If I could find him…maybe…" Claire fell silent; NotEnrique knew exactly what she meant. She glanced up; he was studying her with a look of concern she rarely saw him display. He took a deep breath before responding. "Can I be 'onest with ya, sis?" "You're gonna be regardless of what I say." "Fair," NotEnrique stepped off the desk and sat himself in his sister's lap. "But, to answer your question; I think you know, sis. If your gonna go through with this, that's not why you should do it. Yeah, maybe you could find 'im one day, but if you do this, it's to stop Morgana. That's what's important 'ere." Claire stroked the top of his head, taking a moment to consider his words. NotEnrique purred lightly. Unfortunately, Claire knew he was right. Perhaps someday she could reach out to Jim again, but there would be no guarantee he would want her to do so. And regardless, the real issue on the table was Morgana, not trying to appease her own mending heart. "But, if I'm still bein' 'onest 'ere," NotEnrique continued, "These guys are kinda shady ain't they? I mean, tellin' ya to give up your friends and family and even your name? That seems like a bit much, yea?" Claire shrugged. "I can't deny; that's my biggest hold-up right now. I know I need to keep Morgana at bay, but what kind of a life would that be? No semblance of love or comfort; just keeping to your duties day in and day out. How could I live with that?" They sat in silence, pondering the options before them. All the while, the glow of a million galaxies slipped by; a steady reminder how small their problems seemed. Claire's heart sickened the longer she stared at the vastness; how could she put her small life in Arcadia before the good of the world; of the millions who would be tortured and tormented should Morgana regain her power? But the small green figure in her lap kept drawing her back; it was hardly fair to force her to give up everything she cared about in an instant. Yes, there was one very important person missing from her life, but at least she still had the rest. She never chose to be taken by Morgana; why should she be punished for it for the rest of her life, however long that may be? NotEnrique perked up in her lap. "Hey, I just got me a grand relevation!" Claire snapped out of her thoughts. "Don't you mean 'revelation?" "Whatever; but get this; they need you, right? Like, if you leave 'ere without taking their offer, then the world goes blooie!" Claire furrowed her brow. "Yeah…which means I have no choice here, really." NotEnrique shook his head furiously. "No no! Don't you see? That means you got clout. What you do determines the outcome of millenia! So the one in power 'ere is you. See, they don't want you to think you got any option; that makes it easier for them! But you do, sis! This is your deal, yea? You get to lay the ground rules! What you say goes." A devilish smile crept onto Claire's face. Her tricky little brother had a point. "Go on…" "'Ere's what I say we do; tell 'em you'll train on one condition; you keep your name, you keep your family, you keep your life." Claire tapped the arm of the chair and she puzzled the success of such a proposition. "So essentially, tell them I'll learn how to prevent Morgana, but I won't be one of them, right?" NotEnrique nodded fiendishly. "Exactly. What choice would they 'ave? They wanna stop Morgana, so they can't say no, or else you'll walk out, and then the world is in a ‘eap of trouble." Claire thought a moment, trying to see some way it could go wrong but finding none; it was fool-proof. It was doing her duty without giving up what she loved most. It was the best--and only--possible solution. Claire smushed in NotEnrique's cheeks. "You are so evil! I love you!" She kissed him loudly on the forehead, much to his chagrin. "'Ey! Get off, will ya??" Claire only laughed and gathered him in a hug. "What would I do without you?" NotEnrique patted her shoulder. "Prolly give up your life to some cult." The heavy wooden door creaked open, scraping along the stone. In the light of the dimly lit hall, Claire could see Douxie step in. "Um, hi? They're wanting an answer soon." Claire side-glanced at NotEnrique; he gave her a devious wink. "Tell them I have their answer, whether they like it or not."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jim's life had lost its color. The gems lining the walls of Troll Market no longer dazzled him without her smile to make them glow; the nightly patrols were tedious without her laughter to pass the time. Her nook in Troll Market had been cleared out for his use, but he dared not set foot inside. Her ghost was too vivid in that small cave. As the sole trollhunter, Jim's work increased daily, leaving him no time to mourn. Months crept by; he became numb to the pain; his nightmares ceased having power over him. What was done was done and life had to go on. Despite the work, he refused to lose touch with his mother or his best friend. Barbara's life was plenty busy as well, but the moment Jim's smiling face appeared on her phone, she was there to hear her son's voice. He never changed; every phone call was filled with worried questions. How was she? How was the hospital treating her? Was it too much to care for the changeling babies? And--most importantly--did he need to beat up Strickler? Barbara couldn't help but smile when her boy would ask her this; no matter how much the man groveled to her and her son, Jim would never let his guard down around his old teacher and former foe. Barbara tried to convince Jim of how Strickler had changed, but he never seemed to fully believe her. At the very least, Jim did trust her, and that would have to be good enough for the distance between them. Regarding the changeling children, however, that Jim had a harder time accepting. It was a long and arduous process for each child. First, Strickler had to locate the changeling of the child and convince them to go into hiding--provided they weren't hostile. Then it was a matter of finding an appropriate place to take the children without raising suspicion, which often proved far more difficult. Despite this, Barbara loved the task, as she repeatedly told Jim. Giving these lost children the hope of a better life brought her joy and satisfaction she hadn't felt from her work in a long time. But Jim always seemed to find something to blame himself for. "Mom, why don't you adopt one of them? Is it because you're worried about me?" "Jim, I've told you before; I thought about it and it just didn't feel right. It's not because of you, I promise." "You don't have to be devoted to me 24/7. If you really want another kid, I don’t want to be the thing that holds you back." "Jim! I want to be there for you 24/7; I'm your mother. Having another kid wouldn't change that at all, but I don't want another one, okay? And that's not your fault. " "Okay…" No matter how many times they repeated this conversation over the phone, Jim never fully believed her. As often as Jim kept up with his mother, he tried his best to give equal time to Toby. It was summer vacation there, and Toby would recount every adventure and shenanigan he and the others would get up to daily in their sleepy town. In every story he told, he always avoided mentioning one person. Jim knew it was only to spare his feelings, but Toby's omission always seemed to be more painful than if he just said her name outright. One glittering hope kept Jim sane through the summer and fall months; the gyre. The construction on the massive teleporter had begun when they first arrived in New Jersey and was finally nearing completion. A few hardy trolls had been sent to ensure the Arcadia station was at least decent enough to receive the gyre, and as the leaves had turned their golden hues, those scouts returned with good news. The final orientations finished just as the first snow arrived. It was then only a matter of ensuring the New Jersey area would be safe without Jim for a couple weeks. A few days before Christmas, he was knocking on his own door for the first in over a year. The smile that lit up his mother's face made every pain disappear, at least for a little while. For two weeks, life seemed perfect. Sweaters, heaters, Christmas lights; and at the center of it all his mom. Of course, it wouldn't be a holiday with Tobes. At least once a day, Toby came by the Lake home, or Jim to the Domzalki's. It was as though nothing had changed for the two boys; except for the added benefit of AAARRGH's company, which Blinky had refused to miss. Only one person was missing from the scene, and Jim dreaded seeing her. He fought the temptation to at least catch a glimpse of her, remaining indoors for most of the holiday. It was over all too soon. In a flash, he was back to nightly battles that blurred together. Another challenge, however, was added to the mix; rebuilding Old Troll Market, which proved a larger task than they had foreseen. The caverns were cracked and ready to collapse; the destroyed homes were in need of repair. Covering it all was the carnage. The rubble and dust of fallen trolls and GumGums littered the old market; the task of clearing the remains was not for the faint of heart. Jim's time was consumed; calls to Barbara and Toby became less frequent. He found himself going days, even weeks, without any contact home. He wanted to, but reception in Old Troll Market was lousy, and when the work was long, he and the other trolls assigned to ready the market would sleep among the debris. He would go days before he was able to return to the New Jersey Market, and then would collapse for a few hours before returning to the grisly labor. Spring and summer sped by without Jim once seeming the blossoms or even a glimmer of sunlight. Feeling confident in the semblance of order achieved in Troll Market, Jim allowed himself and the others a short vacation. For once, Jim could find some relaxation. The moment his head hit his pillow in the New Jersey Market, he opened his phone to find twenty-seven missed calls from Toby. Concerning as that was, he tried to dismiss it until he could at least tell his mom he was alive. As he expected, he received a tirade of lectures, which dissolved in overjoyed cries. She made him promise to visit the moment he could get away, to which he happily agreed. As soon as his mother hung up, he called Toby, eager to catch up with him--and apologize profusely. Oddly, it went to voicemail. Many times. Every call, every text was met with no answer. Jim tried to not be bothered, telling himself Toby just lost his phone or something equally banal. After a week, however, he was ready to take the gyre to Arcadia and find out for himself. Until Nomura stumbled into the New Jersey Troll Market. Nomura explained that Toby, having met two members of an extra-terrestrial royal line called Aciridians, learned of his own extra-terrestrial heritage. A people beyond the stars of whom he was the last remaining royal heir. The Aciridians, who apparently had been Aja and Krel, had no way of knowing if they would ever be able to return to earth; Toby had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to find his family but would have to give up everything he'd known. When AAARRGH and his Nana said they would come with him, Toby's mind was made up. He tried to contact Jim to at least say goodbye, but receiving no answer, left with the Aciridians. Unsure what to do now that the fleshling was gone, Nomura had found her way to New Jersey to rejoin the trolls. Jim tried to wrap his mind around the story she told. Toby was gone, most likely forever, and Jim never had a chance to say goodbye to his best friend because he had been too occupied with his trollhunter duties. He tried desperately to be happy for Toby, but he felt guilty. He had driven Claire away, the love of his life, and now his life-long friend was gone without ever hearing a word from Jim. He tried not to shed many tears for irreparable mistakes; they came nonetheless. Another winter, another spring; another winter, another spring. Amid the dull chaos of his life, the one bright spot was home. With the gyre working well and Old Troll Market nearly livable, home was a mere hop away from New Jersey Market. A visit to his mom once every few weeks was what it took to keep him sane day in and day out. One beautiful May, an excited call from his mother brought him running home for a weekend; she had something important to tell him. Barbara sat Jim down on the couch, sitting beside him. She took his large hands tenderly in hers. "Jim, I am so overwhelmingly proud of everything you have done these past three years. You have endured more than I ever imagined you would have to." She smiled as tears sprung to her eyes. "But no matter what anyone says you are, you have always been my hero, and my baby boy." A lump came up in Jim's throat. She always knew exactly what to say to make him emotional. She sniffled loudly. "You are the most important thing in the world to me, Jim, but your life is so different from mine. I'm afraid we won't be able to stay close as the years go by." "Mom, I would never lose touch with you." She laughed through held-back tears. "I know; but hear me out. Things will get harder for you, and I want to always be there for you. I promised I would be, and I intend to keep that promise." Barbara paused, taking a deep breath. There was obviously more she wanted to say, but what it was, Jim could not decipher. "Jim; I want to become a troll." Jim's mind blanked. "Jim?" He tried to catch his breath. "Wait--Mom--what?" She smiled at his shock. "I want to be a troll, Jim." "Why?" Barbara laughed. "Why? I want to be able to spend a lifetime with the most important people to me--you and Strickler. Wouldn't I want that?" "But what about your life here?" "The only thing here for me is my job at the hospital, and I'm certain that I can take my skills as a doctor and apply them to troll health." "What about the changeling children?" "I can find homes for them just as well as a troll as I can as a human. And…" Barbara looked down sheepishly for a moment. "You and Strickler have been getting along pretty well, and he and I have been talking about the future a lot..." Jim tried to find another argument but stopped himself. Why wouldn't he want this? His mom wanted it; it would make her happy. Jim needed her; he couldn't imagine a life without his mom. A smile crept across his face. He collapsed into his mom's arms, hugging her tightly. Within a day, they sat across from a bewildered Merlin. "I'm sorry, madam; you wish to what?" "I want to become a troll; you changed Jim, so you can change me, yes?" Merlin remained silent, stroking his beard. Barbara huffed impatiently. "Well?" Merlin met her eye with an equally stern gaze. "Barbara," Merlin began carefully. "I am afraid that becoming a troll is not a possibility for you." Jim was about to protest, but Barbara stopped him with a hand. "Explain." "Jim is the trollhunter; he had the benefit of being directly connected to troll spirits and magic to aid his change. You, Barbara, have no direct connection. I am…" he glanced her over for a moment, "…not sure it would work the same way." Barbara thought for a moment. Jim knew that look in his mom's eye only too well; she was formulating a logical argument sure to leave anyone dumb enough to contradict her utterly speechless. "Tell me this, Merlin, did being the trollhunter change anything in my son's biology before he became half-troll?" "Well, no, it had nothing to do with biology, but--" "Is there any difference then, biologically, between me and my son as he was when he first transformed?" "Well no--" "And is the transformation mainly biological?" "Well yes--" "Then I don’t see any issue." The wizard struggled. "It…it is magical and cannot be explained otherwise. And as such, magic is unpredictable. This transformation has never been attempted on an ordinary human before, and as such I am not certain of the results." "But you know the pitfalls, correct? You can avoid them?" "Barbara, you could die." Jim caught his breath. Barbara fell silent. A cloud settled over them. Jim laid a hand on her hand. "Mom…maybe--" "I will take the risk." Jim argued; Merlin argued; Barbara remained stubborn. She was certain this would work and refused to believe otherwise. She argued with Jim until he finally consented; he couldn't see a downside either. Merlin stepped aside, agreeing to let her go through with the transformation. All other tasks and duties were pushed aside; a new life was before them. Jim and Strickler were hesitant to be excited at first; should anything go wrong, they would both lose Barbara. However, as each element of the potion was obtained, their eagerness turned to elation. Jim told his mother of all the trolls he wanted her to meet. Barbara and Strickler, amidst the adventuring and gathering, researched troll union ceremonies. They talked of a new home in Troll Market for the three of them. The day came; the potion was finally ready. Merlin gave the jar of black liquid to Jim, declining the invitation to come see the process through. The same bath Jim had used so long ago was once again filled; this time, however, the outcome would be joyous. Barbara hugged Jim tightly. "I'll see you soon." She gave him a lopsided smile, her nerves showing for a moment. She embraced Strickler as well then turned to the black-filled tub. With a deep breath, she disappeared below the surface. There was a tense moment before the screaming began.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"…and with his family and new friends, the prince soared off through the stars!" The clock flashed a large 10 at Claire; time to wrap it up. "He found his kingdom, had lots of adventures and lived happily ever after, the end!" Enrique snapped upright, flinging his little Toothless off his lap. "Hey! That's not the whole story!" "It's getting late and you need to get to sleep!" Enrique crossed his tiny arms. "Awwww…." Claire sighed heavily; she caved to Enrique too easily. "Fiiiine…I'll tell the rest tomorrow, how's that sound?" The four-year old thought a moment. "Okay…Cee? Is that story real?" Claire smiled at the nickname he gave her; he still had a hard time pronouncing his 'r's, so he had given his big sister an easier name. "What do you think?" Enrique pondered another moment. "I think it is." She ruffled his sandy hair. "Then it is!" He giggled, shoving off his sister's hand. "Okay; it's time for bed now." Claire pulled up the blanket to tuck in the stubborn little boy. Enrique stayed sitting up. "I wish you didn't have to go, Cee." Claire halted, her gut twisting. "I wish I didn't have to either…" Enrique wiped his little nose across his sleeve loudly. "Why can't you stay?" Claire dropped the blanket, realizing she needed to clarify this again. "I'm studying magic because…because I can, and I should." Claire had been glossing over the whole issue with Morgana; it would have been too complex--not to mention scary--to explain to her little brother. "But do you want to?" How do kids always ask the hardest questions? "Well, I do like learning magic. I don't like how much it takes me away from home, but I do like it. I can still go to school, plus I get to learn cool things and go on crazy adventures!" Enrique perked up. "Like what?" Claire leaned in, "Like magical flowers, and flying monsters! And little gnomes that nibble your toes!" She tickled his foot through the blanket, making him squeak and giggle. "You're making that up!" Claire booped his button nose. "Wouldn't you like to know? But, in any case," Claire pulled the blanket up and tucked it around Enrique for the third time that evening. "It's time for you to go to bed!" Enrique whined loudly. "But I'm all waked up! I can't sleep now!" It was way too late for this…"If I show you a magic trick, will you go to sleep?" He nodded vigorously. Claire smirked; he was easily placating, thank heavens. She opened her mind's eye to her surroundings. What would catch his attention? The room was littered with little trinkets and toys; a cornucopia for creating a mystical fantasy come to life, provided she had the creativity to think of something. She caught sight--or more accurately sensed--the little plastic zoo beside the dresser. Her mind traced the shape of the exotic animals. A low golden glow flickered around the figurines; the light swirled and wrapped around the toys, encompassing their forms with a golden skin. The tiger reached out its paws and stretched; its tail flicked as the cat yawned. The ostrich ruffled its feathers; the lion shook its mane; the elephant stamped the ground. The tiger settled back on its haunches like a spring. With a great leap, it took to the air, racing through the room with no boundaries. The other animals quickly followed, their steps leaving a glittering trail. The menagerie danced across their eyes. Although Claire was making every motion happen, she felt a sense of wonder seeing the glittering creatures bounding through the air. Enrique reached out a hand; the tiger pounced into his palm and let out an ethereal roar. One by one, the tiny beasts found their way back to their plastic shells. Their glows dimmed till all seemed as it was. An enthusiastic bap-bap-bap from Enrique sounded the final applause. Claire bowed playfully. "Yes, yes; thank you, thank you. Now," She tucked the blanket around Enrique once more with finality, "Go to sleep." Enrique settled until the covers, his childhood dreams already slipping under his droopy eyelids. She slipped the little stuffed dragon under his arm and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, mi hermanito." As the door closed softly behind her, Claire let out a sigh of relief. "Finally…" A scuttled came down the hall. "Oi! What took so long, sis??" "Sorry! Enrique would not get to sleep." "Well 'urry up! It's movie night, and I'm getting antsy!" "Coming, coming…" Claire snapped the hair band off her wrist and gathered her hair into a bun. She tiptoed down the hall after NotEnrique, careful not to wake her parents. NotEnrique made a dramatic spin around the banister. "So, whaddr' we watchin' tonight? Your pick this time." "We," Claire shuffled over to the movie shelf, "are going to marathon How to Train Your Dragon!" NotEnrique dropped to the floor. "What?? But I wanna watch a car chase!" "So you'll watch a dragon chase, same diff. Besides, you've never seen these, which in this household is a crime." NotEnrique blew a raspberry. "It's not that big a deal…" "Um, have you seen my brother's bed? He got at least three Toothless plushies!" "Alright…" Enrique hopped up beside Claire. "But ya better 'ave some good snacks this time." "There's a bag of old socks on the counter, weirdo." "You are a gem, ya know that Brighteye?" "Yeah yeah…" As NotEnrique scuttled away to steal his treat, Claire readied the TV. The menu popped into view, a dragon swooshing its way across the title. "Aw crap…" Claire groaned. "Mph?" NotEnrique's mouth was already half-full of worn-out cotton. "I just remembered I have an assignment due at midnight." NotEnrique swallowed loudly. "Seriously? Over Spring Break? What kinda school ya got yourself at in Washington?" "Hey, Georgetown is a great University. Plus it was the closest school to the Hekate Order." NotEnrique slurped down another sock. "You been studyin' with them Hekate guys for three years now; ya think you might get a break sometime soon?" "Unfortunately, no. I'm already only part-time there as it is." Claire hopped to her feet. "Lemme go grab my laptop, and don't touch that remote. I wanna see your reaction to every little detail." As quickly--and quietly--as she could, Claire shuffled upstairs and swiped her laptop from its spot on her desk. In the darkness of the familiar room, she glanced outside for a moment. It was a still night in Arcadia; barely a breeze rustled the trees. She almost turned away when a glint caught her eye; a golden glint gleaming from the darkness of the trees. Claire squinted, trying to catch sight of it once more. Two bright yellow orbs stared at her from the shadows; it stepped into the haze of flickering streetlight. Black claws tore at the ground as it stomped; dark hair bristled its back like spines; snapping horse-like jaws showed one row of wicked fangs. Her breath stopped short; even it had been three years she would never forget that gaping maw. It bounded forward. Claire dropped her laptop and bolted for the door as the window shattered. She stumbled into the hall and threw her hands out behind her, casting a defensive ward. The creature crashed head-long into the shimmering wall, getting thrown against the far wall of the hallway. It struggled to stand upright. Claire's knees shook as she struggled to maintain her barrier. A door clicked open behind her. "Claire?!" The thing's head snapped toward the sound; a low rumble warned Claire to not take her eyes off the monster. "Mom! Dad! Get out of here NOW!" The thing screeched; Claire cried out as the sound pierced her ears. Her barrier shook in the split second her concentration wavered. The thing lunged and crashed into the barrier once again with an irritated shriek. Claire heard her parents scream and run. She internally breathed a sigh of relief; at least they were safe. The thing paced back and forth, growling and waiting for the barrier to weaken again. Sweat broke out on her forehead. Without warning the creature spun around; Claire's heart stopped. Enrique stood still with fear, staring into the maw of the beast. "Enrique!!!" Claire dropped her shield and shot a spark of electricity at the creature; it was the only attack she knew. The thing inched closer to him. She forced herself to envision a shield before Enrique; nothing appeared before the trembling child. "ENRIQUE!!!" The world slowed; its jaws opened; Claire heard herself scream distantly. A sound like scraping nails rang out as its teeth hit the shimmering wall around Enrique and the dark- haired young man; Douxie had his arms around Enrique, and extra defense from the monster. A vase shattered against its head; it turned snarling to the new threat. "Get away from my brother!" NotEnrique rushed to Claire's side, another vase in hand. The monster roared; Claire scooped up NotEnrique and sprinted down the hall. Claws ripped the floor as it gave chase. Her foot caught the corner of the stairs, tumbling her to the floor. She scrambled out of the way as the creature barreled down the stairs and smashed the wall. She darted to the fireplace. She fumbled for a poker as NotEnrique rushed to grab a baseball bat from the other end of the room. A shrill howl told her the thing was back on its feet. She turned back to face her opponent. It shook the broken plaster from itself. Lips curled back; its golden eyes locked on Claire. With two quick steps it closed the distance across the living room and swiped with its razor-like claws. The poker deflected with a clang and flew from her hands. One claw caught her arm and tore through the skin. Her own scream burst her eardrums. NotEnriqe flew at the creature with a bellow, bat raised raised high. Without looking, it smacked him out of the air and across the room; NotEnrique crashed into TV and fell to the floor in a lump. The monster grabbed Claire by the throat and lifted her high in the air. She fought with her one good hand, struggling for air. Its lips pulled back as though grinning with demonic glee. A light flashed; the creature wailed and dropped Claire. She landed with a gasp on her slashed arm. Another light blasted the creature; Douxie raised his hands to fire again. In a blur of motion, the creature flung the table across the room, hitting Douxie squarely in the chest. He smashed against the wall, a cascade of plaster burying him. The creature turned back to her, rage in its snake-like eyes. It raised its claws once more; Claire braced herself. The window exploded, hurling the creature into the kitchen. A tall figure leapt through the broken glass. Light coalesced into a pointed rod. With a quick movement the javelin pierced the creature's throat. It struggled and shrieked, then fell silent. Darkness enveloped Claire's vision.  Archigos tightened the make-shift bandage around Claire's arm, making her wince. Douxie sat beside Claire on the sofa, paler than usual. NotEnrique perched on the armrest beside Claire, gingerly holding an icepack to his head. Archigos examined his handiwork. "That should hold, but you need to return to the temple so we can properly treat it. Adynatos," he shifted his gaze to Douxie, "Wait here with Miss Claire while I prepare a few more bandages for your cuts. We'll need to treat your ribs more thoroughly later." He returned to the kitchen, the door swinging half-way closed behind him. Claire leaned over to Douxie. "Where did you take Enrique?" She whispered. "He was outside with your parents. I think Archigos took them upstairs while you were still unconscious." Claire nodded, relieved. "Thank you." He chuckled, then wince in regret. "I would say it was no trouble, but that's obviously a lie." He held a hand to his swollen side. "Why didn't you cast a barrier around your brother? You know how to, right?" "I tried, but they never taught me how to cast magic for anyone other than myself. And I don't know any combat magic other than how to shock someone. We're lucky you came when you did." Douxie furrowed his brow. "You're doing so much better than any other wizard or witch at our level, and you're not even there half of the time. I thought they taught you more by now." Claire shrugged, feeling a bit unnerved. "Well, Daskalos says that she needs to spend most of our lessons making sure I know how to hold back Morgana." Douxie didn't look convinced in the slightest. With a broad stride, Archigos re-entered the room carrying torn towels. Douxie snapped to attention, but kept his eyes fixed on the ground at the leader's feet. "Treat your injuries in the back, Adynatos; I need to have a discussion with Miss Claire." Douxie accepted the make-shift bandages and hurried past his elder. Archigos glanced at NotEnrique. "And take that with you." NotEnrique narrowed his eyes, perhaps formulating a retort. A gentle pat from Claire coaxed him to let it be and follow Douxie. The kitchen door clicked shut softly. As Archigos' eyes examined her, Claire felt a chill she experienced only once before with another powerful wizard. The more she interacted with the leader of Hekate, Claire couldn't help but be reminded of Merlin. The ancient wizards were so alike in their cold demeanors, although Archigos seemed a touch more callous. He also looked younger than Merlin, even though she had heard he was far older than the banished wizard. Archigos let out a deep sigh, taking Claire out of her thoughts. "There is no need to ask; I can ascertain the question you wish to ask: what was that creature?" Claire stayed silent, since he never actually expected her to respond to his inquiries. "They have no proper name, as they are rarely seen, but among us they are known as the Ravagers." A chill went through Claire as she heard the name; it fit only too well. "We do not know their origins; they simply appeared in the world over two thousand years ago, hunting and killing magically gifted persons. They seem to have no understanding beyond that of a rabid predator. A Ravager can spend decades hunting its prey, and will not relent until that wizard, witch, sorcerer or sorceress is dead. They do not hunt for survival; they hunt only to kill, as though driven by an instinctual hatred. We have not heard of or seen a Ravager in over a century. We had hoped that perhaps they were gone from the earth, but tonight's incident has destroyed that delusion." Claire thought back to the creature pacing back and forth before her; one glaring fact bothered her. "Archigos? The Ravagers…I saw one before." An intensity came into his gaze. "When?" "About three years ago, in New Jersey. It…it attacked me. Ji--the Trollhunter wounded it and it ran away." Archigos' eyes glazed over as he considered this. "It must have followed you from New Jersey to finish its work, perhaps sensing the Trollhunter would no longer be a threat." Claire swallowed back the taste of bile in her throat. "This Ravager…it wasn't the same one. This one was smaller, and it only had one row of fangs. The one in New Jersey had two." He locked his eyes on Claire, standing still as stone. For the first time, she thought she saw fear in him. "Our situation was alarming before; this only solidifies my fears," He kneeled before Claire; his cloak settled in a dark pool around him. "Miss Claire; your inattention to your studies has allowed Morgana to gain power, and as such, the time has come for you to cast aside your mortal life here. This is no longer a negotiation. These creatures are drawn to magical power; the fact that you have been hunted by two separate creatures, one before you even began cultivating your power, only proves that Morgana is gaining a foothold in our world through you." Frustration bubbled up in Claire. "Wouldn't I know if she was trying to come back? You keep telling me she's channeling through me, and you showed me a fancy light show before. But the more I study the more I wonder why I don't feel anything. If I'm really her 'chosen vessel', then wouldn't I be able to tell that?" Archigos shook his head impatiently. "You only see the magic you have been able to produce; it feels natural, so you think it must be yours. However, no wizard or witch has grown at the rate you have. I have been holding back your studies of new magics to protect you and focused you on preventive magics, but it obviously has not been enough." The bubble of frustration was ready burst into rage. "Who's to say this power isn't mine? What if I'm just more powerful than the rest of you, and you're just too stuck-up to accept that?" The threatening glare he shot at her communicated all the warning she needed. "You know nothing of what you half-heartedly study. If you do not prevent Morgana, it won't be like it was before. She will consume your essence, if you are not killed by the mere presence of her soul within you. You know what happened before; you became deathly ill, yes? Morgana will only be more powerful this time. Your pain from before will be nothing compared to the suffering you will experience should she continue to gain power." Claire's blood ran cold; she remembered the sickness; the nights in agony, the pounding headaches ready to explode her brain as she fought back Morgana. Every instinct told her Archigos was right; it would only be worse the second time around. The mere thought of going through it again made her tremble. "If that is not reason enough for you to give up this life, need I remind you that these creatures hunt relentlessly, and destroy anything in their path? Those creatures will return; are you ready to protect your family should another more powerful Ravager decide to hunt you?" Her heart skipped a beat. Mom, Dad, Enrique, NotEnrique; they were all at risk. Enrique's terrified face flashed through her mind; her mother's scream; NotEnrique taking the blow for her. If help hadn't arrived, she would have lost them. Could she protect them on her own? Despair clouded her mind; she knew the answer. Only one thing would save them from her fate. She bit her lip as hot tears rolled down her cheeks; her mind was made up. ----------------------------------------------------- "Child of Hekate, kneel." She lowered her head in supplication. The candles held by the small stronghold of devotees flickered behind her, casting long shadows across the cloaks of the council. "Do you pledge to abandon your mortal life in exchange for the responsibility of upholding the traditions and protecting the secrets of Hekate for the protection of the world and its natural order?" "I do," she fought back the sickness in her stomach; guilt meant nothing anymore. The changeling stepped beside her, prepared to take his role in the ceremony. "You have chosen this creature as your familiar; may it serve you faithfully as its duty to the good of all noble beings." The changeling stepped out of the light. "With our power, we inscribe you with the title of one marked by the sorceress Morgana; may the sound of your title remind you of the danger you pose to the world and instill in you fear of the doom you would bring should you deny your duties." She rose to her feet, standing before her elders. A cloak was draped across her shoulders; the weight it brought was heavier than the mere wool threads that brushed her neck. "From this moment forward, for as long as you live upon this earth, may you be known as Kindynos--danger." Claire Nunez, the witch of Arcadia, was gone. Kindynos, the vessel of Morgana, now remained.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"MOM!!!" "BARBARA!" Barbara let out another blood-curdling scream beneath the inky water. She thrashed violently, spraying black across the white walls. Jim plunged his hands into the water and ripped his mother from the poisonous potion. Her head fell back with a deathly stillness. Strickler rushed to her side as Jim kneeled cradling. The black soaking her clothes drizzled to the floor with a definite pap-pap-pap. Strickler pressed a finger under her jaw. Dread filled his eyes. "Jim, lay her flat." Jim gently set her head against the cold tiles. Strickler began chest compressions. Despite the desperate attempt to force life into her, she remained still. Jim held her head still, fighting back tears. "Mom…come on…please." Barbara's eyes flew open with an agonizing gasp. She convulsed, her body turning from Jim; a retching cough rattled her frame. Again. Again. A dark red river seeped bloody tendrils into the black pool around her. Jim swept her into his arms and raced down the hall. She buried her face in his shoulder; he felt the a warm stickiness spread through his shirt. Strickler raced past Jim and spread a towel on the bed. The moment her cheek touched the cotton, the white threads stained red. She lurched and another clot of blood spewed from her. Barbara flailed a hand; Jim grasped it in his. Her skin was already an ashy grey. She took a rattling breath and finally opened her eyes, locking his with her panicked gaze. He couldn't look anymore; he pressed his face into his forearm, a pathetic attempt to hide his shame.The creak of a door caught Jim's attention. Strickler re-entered the room, a stack of white towels in hand. Jim swallowed hard to regain control of his voice. "Shouldn't we try to get her to the hospital?" Strickler shook his head. "This is troll magic; there is nothing human medicine can do." His own voice shook with strain.A realization struck Jim. "There's one person who could help." Before Strickler could ask who, Jim was dashing from the house. The citizens of Troll Market only caught a glimpse of their blood-stained hunter sprint through the streets. In less than an hour, Merlin sat beside Barbara. Merlin sighed heavily. "I don't know what you expect me to do, Trollhunter." "I expect you to be able to do something about this." He turned a judging eye to Jim. "I told you; this potion was never used on normal humans. I've no experience with this situation. I have no reliable conclusion as to what caused the potion to react as it did, therefore I have no resource for a possible antidote." An audible growl built in Jim's chest. "It's your potion; how can you now know how to reverse it?" Merlin stood suddenly, throwing the chair to the floor. "Don't threaten me, Trollhunter! I warned you of the possible outcomes and you chose to ignore me. I bear no responsibility for what you may or may not have--" Jim grabbed the wizard by collar and pulled him to his height. "You are not going to let her die!" "I'm not the one who has driven her to her grave!" Heat burned in their glares; neither refused to relent. Merlin shoved Jim's hand away and straightened his armor. "I wash my hands of this. The only recourse you have is to pray it doesn't devour her." With that, the wizard turned on heel and left without another word. The illness continued its dismal task; racking coughs drained every ounce of life from her. The caretakers battled endlessly; the house smelled of blood and bile. Jim kneeled beside her sickbed in futile prayer to what he did not know. Finally, she took a deep, clear breath. The fight steadily became easier. The brief respite continued into a tentative hope then turned to pure relief as the illness surrendered its victim. But the joy was tainted for Jim in the face of reality.Jim sat himself on the bed beside his mother. Despite it only being two day since she had taken her first clear breath, she had stubbornly insisted on sitting upright in her sickbed. She reached out to stroke her son's cheek. "I guess I gave you quite a scare. Sorry about that." He couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess we're even now, right?" "Oh I dunno about that. One heart-attack on my part still doesn't cover the couple hundred you've given me over the years." Jim rolled his eyes. "I never scared you that bad!" "Oh no? How about the time you showed up at the hospital looking like a chew toy? Or the time I found out about you trek through demon hell? Or what about--" "Okay, okay! I get it!" Her laughter warmed Jim's heart, but he took a deep breath."Mom, I know we worked so hard to try to have this life together; but Merlin warned us this could happen. I'm scared that if we tried again… I can't risk losing you, Mom." She tighten her grip on his hand. A lump came up in his throat. "I'll have to live without you someday, but not like that. Not because of me." "Jim," her voice melted any strength he had. "It wasn't your fault; it was my choice. I wanted to be with you because I love you." An unwelcome sob escaped his throat. "But…but maybe if I had just handled things better, you wouldn't have thought you needed to do this. If I had just been stronger…" She enveloped him in a motherly embrace. His tears betrayed him with a torrent of emotion. "Honey, you are strong. You are so strong. I'd give anything to have you stay my little boy forever, but I have to let you go. I know that now."He tried to talk, but another sob was the only sound that escaped him. She rocked him gently, shushing him softly. "There are people who need you; I have to let my baby go." Her own tears dropped against his shoulder. For the last time in his life, Jim let himself be a child again in his mother's arms and cried every tear he had. Though her voice shook, she sang a last lullaby to her baby. Every day she improve the gloom only darkened as they came closer to that dreadful separation. Jim did his best to grin and bear it; this would be hard enough for her as was without her seeing his own pain. She finally took her first shaky steps across the room. In a day she was in the kitchen cooking, laughing with Jim and Strickler. All seemed back to normal; as normal as it could be with the dread hanging over the home. She watched him pack the night before his departure, soaking in the memories as they disappeared into his suitcase one by one. She cleared her throat. Jim turned to her, expecting a word of motherly advice. She held her throat, brow furrowed. A cough bubbled up. Another, then blood spurted across the wall. Twenty-four hours; the hall became a river of red; no cloth remained unstained; death held its fateful scythe in the doorway. Jim kneeled beside his mother once more. With each shuddering breath he prayed for one more, and yet hoped it would be the last. Barbara slowly turned her head to Jim. She parted her cracked lips; a fresh trickle of blood etched a new track across her stained cheek. "Jim…" her voice was a mere whisper, "No matter what happens…you will always be my hero." He strained to see her smile through his tears. "Mom…please…" "I love you, Jim." With a last sigh, she closed her eyes. Her headstone stood alone at the edge of the forest. No epitaph etched the stone, only a name and a date. Strickler abandoned the glamour mask; there was no longer any need for a human form. He left with the cradle stone, carrying on the task alone. Jim returned to Troll Market, but the light of the Heartstone no longer held any warmth for him. Blinky offered his care, but Jim rejected every attempt. He knew he was dangerous; a monster, and how appropriate. The hunter had become the thing he feared. A creature destroying those who were foolish enough to come close to him. Despair paved the path he had always tread; isolation would pave his future. Years crept by; the trolls of Troll Market grew to fear their Hunter. They respected him and the protection he offered, but they shuddered at his presence. The young among them did not believe their elders. The hunter could never have been human; he was not even a creature like them. His dark mane was matted and long. Carvings etched his stony flesh like cracks. He slipped between two feet and all fours with the dexterity of a mythological beast. His language was rough and course; he never spoke with the lilting accents of his supposedly former human tongue, relying solely upon common trollish. That is, when he spoke. More often than not, he remained silent, guttural animalistic sounds in place of words. As dawn spread through the world far above each day, the citizens of Troll Market averted their eyes from the figure stalking through the shadows of the caves, the blood of an unknown creature staining the once-bright armor. If the Trollhunter had ever been human, there was no longer any remnant.