Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Alright before I get this fic started I’m going to just go over details with you so you get the idea of the world!

Details of plot:
The cannon plot does not exist. The trollhunters, fight at bridge, etc never happened.

3below never happened either.

I don’t think I’m going to be putting in the changelings. Maybe I might change my mind later, maybe not. So for the meantime they don’t exist.

I AM basing some stuff off the original book (and you should check it out it’s a LOT darker than the TOA series we all know and love) so there might be some spoilers involved? Maybe? Well some concepts I’m taking and messing around with them so they’re not completely the same.

I am also taking elements and details from my other fics and using them in this. Why? Cause I can, I enjoy them, and other people enjoy them as well!

The world has sentinels in it instead of trollhunters. The current sentinels all come from their own bloodlines of past ones.

The sentinels are beings who have been blessed with unique magic in their bloodlines in order to keep the world safe and protected from various monsters and creatures that would see it destroyed in one way or another.

The sentinels have come from both human AND troll bloodlines, and yes half trolls who stem from a bloodline can become one.

Being a sentinel you’re supposed to keep everything on the DL but it’s not illegal or morally wrong to announce it to others. Think superheroes and secret identities.

There can be only a single sentinel in a bloodline at any given time. If that sentinel dies, then another of that bloodline will become one. Others can fight alongside them and aid them, but they themselves wouldn't be sentinel's. for example: Toby's parents. only one was a sentinel, while the other helped. other family members can be alive in a family, however only one of them would be the sentinel at any given time. if none are available, like as if the bloodline had been wiped out, then that is that. One less bloodline available. So it is highly dangerous to even loose a single sentinel since there are so few of them already! They are the only true defense against the terrors of life!

There are two types of sentinels:
Chosen and Blood
With blood sentinels, the mantel is passed down from generation to generation. A parent who was one, their child will be the next one. Once they die, and their children will become one. And so on.
With chosen sentinels, anyone within the bloodline can be chosen. It is not inherited. The being that is the patron of that bloodline (more on patrons later) chooses who they want to be their champion.

So to sum up, only bloodlines with sentinels can have them.
Blood sentinels are passed down from generation to generation.
Chosen sentinels (sometimes refereed to as champion of that patron) can be chosen by the patron at any given time to anyone living within that bloodline.

Patrons are powerful, ancient, immortal beings. The patrons are: Morgana, Merlin, and Gunmar. Each sentinel they choose are their champions and act out their very will and desires. The patrons influence lurks within their realms. Gunmar’s is the darklands, Morganas is the shadow realm, and Merlins is a kind of magic time bubble between realities. The champions aid in working their patrons will into the world.

Merlin’s champions have always been the most powerful and adept with magic of all varieties. They are always looking at the bigger picture and overall are the most ‘kind’ and influential in the magical world.

Morgana’s champions have always been adept at mostly just shadow magic. They are mysterious and hardly reveal their true agenda, being stealthy and withholding information by the pale lady’s command. As sentinels they still watch over the world and do not back stab other sentinels.

Gunmars champions are the most ferocious, aggressive, and physically powerful. They are intimidating to others and are rarely denied what they demand, as long as it is within reason of need. Hey, if a sentinel needs a sword to defend the world, the blacksmith isn’t about to make them pay for it. While they are considered the most ‘evil’ others will still do as they command, within reason. Most others wish to stay away from them, for fear of anger and vengeance. They are tolerated, they are also disliked, but very few will admit it openly. They willingly work with other sentinels even if they dislike doing so.

Morality is a very gray area, so good and evil, are on a spectrum. If you must sacrifice others to save the world, is it evil? To sacrifice 100, to save literally the entire world? Do the ends justify the means? Nothing is certain and nothing is truly one way or another when it comes to sentinels.

Sentinels don’t start their official training until they are in their teens.

The sentinels don’t fight one another. Arguments and small spats sure, but actual fighting with intent to murder? That is highly disgraceful as well as against their beliefs. Even if two sentinels hate one another with an undying passion, they would never attempt to kill one another. All of them know that they must look at the bigger picture. The fate of the entire world above and below must be protected and balanced.

The current sentinels are:
Toby, Claire, Jim, Draal, Douxie, Deya, and Arrrg (yes that’s how I spell it to make it quick and easier)

Details about the world:

It’s the present day like in the show. So places, environments, background characters etc are similar.

Trolls know humans exist, and humans know trolls exist. The two species rarely interact with one another but they do.

Gumm-gumms are just a regular trolls species like the others are. Kruberas, river, garden, monger (the race Draal and Kanjigar are from) and so on

The darklands can be traveled to like any other place, so it’s not some locked up prison like in the show.

Humans know about magic.

In troll culture being romantically involved with a human is taboo and frowned upon.

Humans are humans...so not much else to say.

Trolls are trolls, with a few of my own takes on them.
Trolls used to eat humans, but no longer. Well the majority don’t anymore due to peace treaties.
Trolls only require 3 hours of sleep at night.
Trolls are immune to all illnesses and sicknesses and you get the idea.
Trolls can live up to and past 5,000 years.
Troll dicks have knots, why? I like them and can make jokes about them.
Trolls smell pheromones easy.
The bigger male trolls are called bulls.
Trolls call their partners mate.
Trolls give bite marks to their mates as a show of love, a kind of hickey really. Also shows who’s mates with who. The bites are around the neck and shoulder areas.
With troll marriage they carve symbols into their bodies. Like tattoos. So it’s pretty serious. They also wear jewelry to signify their love. So they put rings around their horns, arms, tails, necks and so on. Basically troll wedding rings but are placed in those areas. The individual puts them wherever they want. They want to flaunt it after all!

Half trolls are split right down the middle. 50/50 both species.
Half trolls only require 5 hours of sleep.
Half trolls are just as susceptible to illness as humans are.
Half trolls can go into sunlight as easy as a human can.
Half trolls can eat garbage and regular food just the same.
Half trolls are super rare due to genetic reasons. Troll sperm/eggs have a tough time taking to the humans, and when it DOES happen it usually results in a half troll being born.
Half trolls have senses as good as a trolls.
Half trolls are much stronger and faster than humans but weaker than trolls.
Half troll life spans are far shorter than a trolls but older than a humans. Oldest recorded half troll was 800 years old.
Half trolls develop similar to humans but once they reach young adulthood their growth rate slows down tremulously. Instead of aging every 10 years like a human, they need 100 years. You get the idea.
Half trolls can only sexually reproduce with a full troll. Half troll and half troll, half troll and human, they just can’t reproduce due to biological reasons. When a half troll is pregnant, the child/ren can be either half troll or full troll.
Some trolls see half trolls as abominations, mutants, freaks, and mistakes. Hating them for only being half of them. Half troll originally was an offensive title. Only half of us, half as good. If they were called half human, it would only be stating a fact! But half troll just kinda stuck in everyones mind and many centuries later it just stayed like that. Of course some trolls don’t hate them, and some trolls even take half trolls as pets or servants even. Some half trolls accept this willingly. Hey, in a big scary world, why wouldn’t you want to stay next to a large creature to stay safe?
Half trolls purr like cats!
Half trolls can also be refereed to as a hybrid, cause they are after all!
Human opinions of them are usually out of fear from poor information, hard to study something that rarely exists. Also humans are humans so they all believe in their own stuff (as you and I do, you get the idea)

The Decimaar blade does shrink down so Jim can wield it easier like daylight does in part 1. Although it is still very large. Slightly larger than daylight is in the show.

Gunmar isn’t fully ‘evil’ in this, he understands that if the world is destroyed then he won’t have anything or anyone to rule over! So working with others is a must. Gunmar only has one eye. Where did the other go? How did he loose it? you’ll have to wait and see!

Morgana isn’t fully ‘evil’ in this. Shes more of being inbtween how she originally was, and how wizards portrayed her. So she has her reasons to protect the world, but she doesn’t exactly like certain others.

I’m making Merlin slightly different in this than in the shows. I don’t like him (among most everyone else) So I’m making him more kind and warm, overall someone who actually acts and looks like he cares for others and all that. Nice old man, rather than a crusty weirdo.

Details about characters:

Everyone’s aged up, I never do underage. Makes me uncomfortable. So Jim, Claire, Toby, etc are all in their early 20’s.

Everyone is pretty much the same from the shows.

Jim’s father died instead of abandoning them. He died while Barbara was still pregnant. He really didn’t go into his past much so she’s not sure just what species of troll Jim comes from. But it doesn’t matter to them. Them being Jim and her.
Jim has been home schooled on and off throughout his entire life but is now going to community college in Arcadia.
Jim is still a master cook and can eat it normally, as stated in half troll details.
Jim grows a small vege garden in his backyard.
People have a tendency to stare at Jim when he is out in public. When the hell has anyone ever seen a half troll? So obviously seeing one walk down the street is as rare as seeing a unicorn.
Jim had never been to trollmarket or interacted with any trolls before.
Jim’s full troll form (how he becomes one and goes back and forth between his two forms? you’ll have to read and future chapters to find out~) has a slightly different personality. It’s more crass, rude, aggressive, and protective. But no matter what, it’s always still Jim.
Jim has a tail! Long and thick Jim’s ears move around like this
https://iamtheseacalmandwide.tumblr.com/post/188408916609/early-development-of-troll-jim-included-ear

Toby still lives at his home but has never officially met Jim. Sure they wave to one another if they pass by or see each other, but they’ve never had an actual conversation.
Toby and Claire are best friends, and soon Jim will be also!
Toby’s parents were sentinels, and when they died he became one.
Toby’s parents died the same way in the show. Hey, even sentinels need a vacation too! Plus all that money won? Time to celebrate!
Nana DOES know about everything, and she helps Toby with his stuff, she worries but has faith in how amazing he is, but she will still see him as the adorable Tobypie he is!

Claire’s great grandmother was a sentinel and when Claire was chosen at a young age when she passed the family was surprised.
I don’t think I will be adding Claire’s lil bro in this, so she’s an only child.
Claire and Toby have been best friends since highschool.

Douxie is the strongest with magic.
Archie is still his familiar and all that.

Kanjigar was a sentinel, then when he died in battle (not fighting Bular but fighting monsters) Draal became the next one.

Draal takes his mantle the most serious out of all the others.

Blinky helps to serve the sentinels but is not one himself.

Dic (yes I’m going to spell it like that to keep it simple) serves Gunmar and Gunmar’s sentinels.

The twin bros, along with Arrrg, live in the same cave in trollmarket.

Arrrg enjoys being a sentinel but prefers to do more peaceful things. But he will still kill if need be.
Arrrg was never given to Gunmar as a child and forced to fight.
Arrrg and Blinky are mates! How they met and why they got together is something you’ll have to look forward to reading!

Deya is the first in her bloodline to be a sentinel. She proved herself worthy when helping other sentinels fight against this one big monster (or something along those lines. I haven’t fully cemented a scene in my head about all that yet) So she was granted the unique magic. This is incredibly rare when a new bloodline starts so she feels very honored and is always making sure everyone knows it, but not in a kind of preachy way.

Alright If I decide to add anything, I’ll post it in notes of the future chapters!

Enjoy the first chapter!!!

…………………...

Jim had truly, truly regret ever wishing for something more.

When he did, he imagined something-ANYTHING better than his current situation. He should have taken to heart the phrase

“be careful what you wish for.”

As the pain coursed through his veins, hardly any other thought or feeling could be had.

It was only a few minutes later from when he touched the damned blade…

Jim sighed lightly through his nose as he dug around in his garden. Plucking weeds and tending to his vegetables. The evening was nice. It had a gentle cool breeze to lighten up the heat from the day. The stars began to twinkle and show their beauty, each second the sun fell brought more and more out. Jim’s entire life could be summed up in a simple word:

Mundane.

No social life. Well, the only thing that would be placed into that category would be friends with his mom. No friends to speak of. Nothing but a stranger in a world of humanity. Perhaps things would have been different if he lived among trolls. Only experience he has from them is his own biology, as well as stories told to him from his mother. Jim looked up at a shooting star and made a mental wish that he would be something more than he already is. That his life would be granted meaning in some way. Sure, he loves his life...but...he wants something more...

Jim felt sudden vibrations underneath him. They grew in greater intensity, causing Jim to fall onto his back. Suddenly crystal shards exploded out from the ground. One after another until a collection of them formed. In the center was the hilt of a large blade. The glowing crystals vibrated with energy, lighting discharge sprang from one another causing the air around them to sizzle. Jim could only stare in awe as the sight seemed right out of some fantasy novel. He heard a voice echo in his head. A deep yet calm voice, Spoke a simple sentence:

‘take the blade. Take hold of your destiny. Jim.’

(for reference it’s the tone Gunmar used in season 1 ep 10 when they first opened the bridge)

Jim had to blink and rub his temples in order to gain sanity knowing damn well voices don’t just speak inside your head, well unless they were your own thoughts.

‘take the blade Jim. Take your destiny. Do it now.’

Jim swallowed and stood up, slowly making his way forward. He stepped past the crystals and reached out to touch the hilt. He carefully grasped it in both hands and pulled. It slid out little by little until it fully came out. He lifted the sword high into the air watching as a massive blast of red light shoot up into the sky and explode like a firework. Jim then heard the voice speak to him once more
‘good. Welcome to your new life Jim. My chosen one. My new champion.’

Jim then watched as the crystals glow died as red opaque energy tendrils grew and trailed into the blade, siphoning their very life force. The colors mesmerized the half troll, the blade glowing more and more until the very last light was drained.

Then it happened.

The wretched pain.

The veins from the sword started to travel through Jim’s hand and up his arm. It was the worst thing Jim had ever experienced. It was as if his blood was turning to acid and his veins were growing within him, stretching to the limit of tearing. The veins crawled up his shoulder and into his heart. The heart felt like it was beating slower and slower, almost coming to a total stop. It felt heavier like it began to turn to stone. Jim tried his best to release the sword from his hand, but it only caused his grip to become more firm, tighter to the point where it felt like his knuckles would break. The pain slowly subsided at a snails pace, but when it did, it felt like heaven. Such an intense relief like nothing he had ever felt before. He also felt...stronger. Healthier, more alive in a sense. He felt more centered, like something weighted his body down and gave it gravity. Jim looked at his own body which now glowed just like the veins did.

(Gunmar’s markings. So now Jim has those patterns too!)

Every inch of him was now glowing. Curiosity got the best of him and he looked down his pants. Yep. ‘that’ glowed too. Now jokes about having a glow stick for a dick could be made at least!

As quickly as it had come, the veins faded away. Then voice spoke once more

‘good. I knew you could survive the pain.’ Jim spoke aloud, looking around to see if he could find any sort of location this madness could have originated
“what are you? Who are you? What is going on!?”
‘in time my chosen one. Tonight, I want you to go to a place called...trollmarket. There, you will look for a troll named Dictatious. He will aid you.’
“okay where is that? And why can’t you just tell me? You weird...voice in my head...thing”
‘not yet. One cannot learn the rules of a game if they have no idea what said game is.’
“so this is just some game?!”
‘it was what the humans refer to as an idium’
“it’s pronounced idiom”
‘whatever.’

The blade suddenly swung in a direction pointing off to the distance
‘follow the blades direction. It will guide you. go. NOW!’
“i have dinner to cook! Plus my mom will be home soon! I need to tell her about all of this chaos!” Jim turned to look at the crystals which began to crumble into dust and blow away in the wind, leaving nothing behind but damaged grass. Jim groaned
“great now all THAT evidence is gone.”
‘go my chosen one. NOW! Nothing else is important. Leave your hut behind for the moment. Speak to your mother at a different time.’
“you PROMISE you’ll tell me everything?”
‘everything you need to know. Now, GO! I will not repeat myself anymore. I hate doing so.’
“okay but I can’t just have a HUGE BLADE SWINGING AROUND IN THE AIR!” the blade vanished as the voice spoke
‘there. Happy? Now follow your instincts. It will show you where to go.’
“great.”

So Jim quickly locked his house up and left. It felt strange, like this mental tugging sensation that wouldn’t end. He slid down the side of the canal and found himself in an empty and quiet place. Jim looked around and sighed
“alright voice. Now what?”
‘now, plunge the blade into the wall.’ the blade reformed slowly from Jim’s arm and moved towards the wall. Jim rolled his eyes and mumbled
“this has to be a dream. Only way any of this makes sense. What am I even doing?!”
‘you are doing what must be done.’
“quiet voice!”
‘do not dare tell me to be silent!’
“well I just did. What are you going to do about it?” Jim cringed as he suddenly felt his entire body become twisted in intense pain for a split second
‘that is what I will do about it. Now place the blade into the wall NOW!’
“alright alright! Bossy...” Jim took the blade and shoved it forward, surprised it even went through. It was like a hot knife through butter
‘now, carve a portal.’ Jim did as instructed and watched as the rocks broke apart
‘now step inside.’
“where does this go?”
‘trollmarket.’ Jim took a breath and walked through.

………………………..

Toby was in his room munching on food and playing videogames. He was deep into the zone when suddenly he saw the massive boom of red light explode in the sky. Everything in his head came to a sudden halt. The food in his mouth fell out. He stared for a few seconds before snapping out of it. He tripped as he tried to stand up, grabbed his things and bolted out his door. Nana was humming as she pulled a pie out of the oven. She looked back to Toby as he entered the kitchen
“oh Tobypie-”
“can’teatrightnownanaihavesentinelbusinesstodoit’sreallyimportantandanemergency!” Toby spat out in a haste as he kissed her and ran out the door. Nana simply called out
“be safe!”
“IwilliloveyoutooI’llbebacklater!”

Toby huffed and puffed as he ran over to Jim’s home. He took a deep breath and began to ring the doorbell endlessly. He rocked on his feet nervously a bit and looked through the window. No one was home.
“come on come on! Where are you?! there’s no way you just left that fast! No one’s that fast! Well...the human lady probably isn’t...wait is the half troll guy...no...no it can’t be” Toby tapped his foot anxiously then pulled out his phone…

………..

Claire was typing away on her laptop listening to music when her phone rang. She picked it up
“hel-”
“CLAIREANEMERGENCYYOU’LLNEV-”
“TOBY SLOW DOWN! I can’t understand you!” She heard Toby take a deep breath
“Claire! Another sentinel was just found!” Claire jumped up
“What?! Are you sure?”
“yeah! Giant blast of light, shooting up into the sky, I’m pretty damn sure!”
“where did you see it?”
“across the street from my house!”
“at that half trolls home?”
“yeah!”
“ar-”
“yes I’m ringing the doorbell and knocking and no one’s home!”
“I’ll be right over”

…………

Jim was awestruck as he entered trollmarket. He looked around and took in every detail he could, He put the sword onto his back instinctively, as if he already knew to do so. There it stayed, floating mere inches away from his back, as if some magnetic force kept it still and close.
“This...is like some dream”
‘no. it is your new life. Now stop staring and move.’
“I’ve never even seen another troll in my life...”
‘obviously. Now MOVE’ Jim took one step and cringed, almost afraid it would for some reason hurt. He opened one eye and took another step. The voice in his head growled in annoyance
‘quicken your pace! Nothing and no one here can or will harm you.’ Jim walked at a normal pace and looked at everything in an even more intense awe. Some trolls looked at him then had to do a double take as they watched Jim stroll by unaware of their stares. Some backed away, some closed their doors and windows, some couldn’t break their stare, some shuddered and tried to hide, some couldn’t close their mouths, and some bowed in silence. Jim spun around and looked at all the glowing crystals and stalls. It was only after a few minutes of walking did he notice everyones reactions…

He grew nervous, ears folding back and tail starting to curl around him. He whispered with a stammer
“why is everyone like this? D-did I d-do something wr-wrong?”
‘no. They give you what you deserve. Fear. Respect. Submission.’
“I don’t want them to be like this...”
‘too bad. Now go around this corner and down this street. You’re almost there.’

………………….

Toby jumped a little as Claire had suddenly came through a portal mere inches away from him
“geez! don’t scare me!” Claire simply ignored the comment and gave a question
“so did you scope the place out?” Toby rubbed the back of his head
“Well not exac-” Toby watched as Claire began to climb over the fence, he then whisper shouted
“what are you doing!?”
“searching”
“this is breaking and entering!”
“and? This is important now move your butt!” Claire unlocked the gate and watched Toby nervously enter. He tip toed around. Claire rolled her eyes
“you don’t have to do that”
“what if they have some sort of trip alarm?!”
“no one has those”
“paranoid people do!” Claire rolled her eyes once more
“just come on!” The two walked around the backyard searching for any kind of clue. Toby bent down and looked at the damaged grass. He wiped a finger over it then tasted it smacking his lips. Claire crossed her arms and asked
“what are you doing?”
“mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Hmm. Mhm. Yep, tastes like dirt!”
“why did you lick dirt?”
“because I also sense the presence of magic! This totally was the spot it happened!”

Claire searched the yard with her eyes once more
“well, I don’t see anyone here...or even around here”
“well...maybe whoever was here went somewhere...” the two looked at one another suddenly and spoke at once
“trollmarket”

………………………..

Jim took a breath and slowly entered the cave, meekly calling out
“h-hello?” as he ventured further inwards he noticed three trolls. One troll sitting and reading a book far too engrossed in it to notice the other two. A large one eating a book while a much smaller one was desperately trying to pull it out
“Spit it out this instant! This is not for you to consume! How many times must I remind you?!” Jim weakly greeted
“h-hello” The small troll looked with a pair of eyes
“this is not your domicile! Leave at onc-” all eyes turned and focused on Jim, growing wide in disbelief. The larger troll’s mouth went agape, causing the drool soaked book to flop onto the floor with a soggy thump. Jim swallowed nervously and spoke
“uh...hi...This is going to sound crazy but...a voice in my head told me to come here...I’m looking for Dic” The second smaller troll finally broke his attention away from the book to look in shock...

Chapter Text

Toby stumbled out of the portal and fell flat on his face. He groaned out
“I’m okay!” Claire helped him up and dusted him off. They had used one of Claires shadow portals to quickly arrive in trollmarket.
“thanks Claire. Alright where is she-he-whoever!” Toby asked looking around. Claire gave him a deadpan expression as the two began walking the market streets
“I know less than you do. I don’t even know what they look like. YOU do”
“yeah-well-you-didn’t-uh-why didn’t you portal us to them?”
“I can’t do that. Like I said, I don’t know who they are.”
“I thought you were good enough to where you can just go anywhere now!”
“true, I don’t NEED an emotional anchor like I used too. Still helps to make it easier though. What I DO need to know is WHO we’re looking for. Dummy” Toby took out his phone and went through some messages
“Sent a text to Douxie. He should be here pretty soon. Aright Claire, We need to think like someone who was claimed by a giant evil dark troll dude”
“Gunmar isn’t evil he’s just...has stronger viewpoints”
“you’ve been listening to Mor-” Claire put her staff to Toby’s lips to silence him
“don’t say her name. She doesn’t like being called unless she has to” Toby rolled his eyes
“fine. You’ve been listening to your pale lady too much”
“evil isn’t evil and good isn’t good Tobes. You an-”
“and I know it blah blah philosophy. Look we need to find them...” Toby trailed off as he realized something
“hey where did everyone go?”

The two slowed down as they entered a street that was totally abandoned. There has never ONCE been a main street that wasn’t overcrowded. Now no one was around. Toby scratched his head
“uh….did everyone suddenly have to go to the bathroom?” Claire looked behind a stall seeing no one
“I doubt it. Maybe everyone went to bed suddenly?”
“maybe everyone got hungry and went to get food?”
“there’s food stalls are over there though”
“maybe they wanted to get other food?” Claire used her staff to lift a large curtain up. Still no sign of anyone
“since when do trolls NOT what to eat socks and cats?” Toby used his warhammer to move something
“maybe everyone went on a diet?”
“ppppsssst. Sentinels. Over here!” the two turned to see a troll whisper shouting to get their attention from behind a large barrel. The two humans turned to look at one another in curiosity then walked over. Toby asking first
“what’s up?” the troll looked around before whispering once more
“it’s the g-gu-” The troll quickly hid as best as they could
“it’s the final sentinel! The sentinel of gu-gu-gun-” the troll shivered and trailed off. Toby raised an eyebrow
“the final sentinel of gun? What, they have a magic gun?”
“n-no! it’s the-the sentinel of-” the troll began to weep and shake. Hardly a squeak
“Gunmar” Toby tapped his chin
“Gunmar, that’s wh-” the troll put a finger to their lips
“shhh! Don’t say it so loud!”
“alright. Well the sentinel of-him-is finally here. So that’s why everyones in hiding?”

The troll shook their head rapidly then looked around, moving another barrel in front of themselves. Claire pushed it away, just for the troll to push it back. Claire huffed
“listen. If they’re a sentinel like us, then you have nothing to be afraid of”
“n-no! Not this sentinel! This one’s evil! they’ll enslave us all! Kill us! Enjoy our suffering! The sentinel can do things no one else can do! Using that bl-bla-bla-” the troll shook and mouthed
‘blade’ Claire and Toby looked at one another and stood back up, Claire saying with confidence
“it’s alright. We’re here to prevent anything bad from happening” Toby smiled and flexed his arms
“and we’re tougher than the toughest! nothing’s going to stop us! Besides how bad can this sentinel be? Oh wait-you saw them right?” the troll nodded
“what did they look like?”
“the strangest thing. It was a half troll! This is an omen of death!” Toby snapped his fingers
“aha! So it IS him! Wait why omen of death?”
“half trolls ar-ar-” the troll gasped heavily as they quickly ran and hid elsewhere. Claire sighed
“well so much for that. Toby do you know anything about him now that you KNOW it’s the half troll?”
“well not much. We say hi to one another from time to time. Wave hello, but that’s about it. He’s tall and has a tail. Oh and he's blue and has horns” Claire started to walk away
“Come on, maybe Blinky knows something, or at least the others”

……………………

Dic walked over and took a deep bow
“greetings my new sentinel. It is an immense pleasure to meet and serve you. My name is Dictatious Galadrigal” Dic stood straight then took Jim’s hand in a pair of his very own, patting it then speaking lightly as if talking to a scared small child
“come with me now, we have much to discuss and very little time. Alright?”
“okay” as Dic began to lead Jim out of the cave the other small troll called out stopping them
“ah ah! No! You know the rules brother. He must first be officially greeted by the others!” Dic sighed heavily and annoyed
“Blinkous. This is Gunmar’s champion. YOU know that he has a bit of an-erm-different life. He will follow our-”
“you mean YOUR”
“yes yes whatever. My dark lords will. As all have before him. We do not have time to have some meet and greet. His lifespan is small enough as it is. Each second must not be wasted! Now then master Jim, come along” Blinky grabbed Jim’s other arms
“no! It doesn’t matter which sentinel comes from where! We must abide by the ancient traditions!” Dic pulled Jim closer to himself
“and WE’RE abiding by our dark lords will!” Blinky pulled Jim closer to himself
“something even HE understands that he cannot interrupt!” Dic and Blinky began to argue while playing tug of war with the poor confused half troll. Dic shouted
“release your grip brother!” Blinky shouted back
“no you release yours!”
“he’s mine to train!”
“well he’s mine to educate!”
“you mean MINE to both train AND educate!?”
“you mean he’s MINE to educate about our ancient traditions and laws!?”
“and MINE for the dark underlord the two of us both serve!”

Jim nervously said
“maybe we can do both things at once?” the twins shouted in unison
“NO!” Suddenly Jim could hear Gunmar’s voice speak in his head once again
‘enough!’ Dic came to a sudden stop as if freezing in place. He blinked and apologized aloud
“forgive me dark underlord. I was mere-”
‘I understand. And your efforts are true. However, your brother is correct. Even I may not interfere with certain things involving the ancient laws. Let this happen.’
“at once my dark underlord” Dic let go of Jim and bowed
“forgive me for handling you so roughly master Jim” Jim knit his eyebrows
“it’s alright...so...you heard his voice too?”
“that is correct”
“Wait how is he talking to you? I thought only I could hear his voice” Dic chuckled lightly, like a child asking something any adult would know
“all who serve our dark underlord are connected. We are of one mind. When he speaks, all may listen. However, this conversation is only ours, thus none may listen to it. He speaks to his loyal followers, guides us all on the path he sets out for us. Soon enough you will be able to speak, reach out with your mind and connect to the others”

Jim looked to a nervous looking Blinky, along with the larger one who shared the same expression
“so no one else can hear the voice?” Dic smacked Blinky’s hand away from Jims, then dusted Jim off
“correct. Now, let us proceed with this, so we may begin your training right after” Blinky rubbed his hand and gave Dic a nasty glare
“slap me again brother and I’ll slap you.”

At the entrance of the cave two others had ran inside
“alright we’re here! So whe-” Jim and the other trolls turned to look at the two humans. One breathing heavier than the other. The human female rolled her eyes at the human male
“how are you out of breath already?”
“what!? We ran up and down a bunch of stairs!” The female said
“We sent a text to Douxie, he should be here any minute” Blinky turned back around to speak with the larger troll
“mate, would you mind fetching Deya and Draal? We have much to discuss” Jim rubbed a thumb into his palm in anxiety
“is...everything alright?”

…………………….

Jim awed at the portal of light and magical symbols that was spinning around in the air as a figure stepped out
“sorry I’m late gents! Archie couldn’t wait to finish his salmon” Jim witnessed a flying creature hover next to him
“well I’m sorry if I was almost done. I didn’t want it to be cold by the time we got back.”

Everyone stood in a room in the upper parts of trollmarket. Large open windows showed an amazing view of the heartstone, along with all the little light crystals twinkling below them, truly making it magical. Blinky cleared his throat
“now then. We are all gathered here to discuss the most important event in a great while. The final sentinel has been claimed and retrieved” Blinky waved a hand out to Jim. Everyone turned to the anxious half troll. He really REALLY was uncomfortable with so many eyes on him. And the owners all having different expressions.
“the champion of Gunmar. Stands before us, now to have the proper introductions and be welcomed with our open arms to his new life. Please, bestow upon us your name for all to hear champion of Gunmar” everyone waited in silence. Jim muttered out
“I’m J-jim...lake jr…” his fingers curled and ears folded back. His heart thumped heavier and tail began to twist and curl around his legs. He hated when it did that, it was always a dead give away to his mood. Although it was comforting in a way. Like a blanket of safety being pulled tightly around his form.
“greetings Jim lake jr! I am known as Blinky. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now who want’s to go next?” The human male raised a hand
“I will! We live across the street from one another but we never officially talked really. Ahem. Hey Jim! Good to see you! Weird to see you with a huge gnarly looking sword on your back! How is it staying there? Well anyways I’m Toby Domzalski. Sometimes called Tobias. I’m from the bloodline of Domzalski’s-well I just said my last name so of course you’d know-not that point! I’m from a bloodline of sentinels-so not chosen like you. So when I have kids mine will be the next sen-you know how bloodlines work...alright someone else talk now”

“hello Jim, I’m Claire Nunez, champion of Morgana” the lights around them flickered and a small whoosh of air blew through the room
“don’t mind that. My lady doesn’t care much for being called by her first name unless you have to. So call her pale lady” Claire gave a smile and a wave
“no need to be nervous around us. None of us bite-well I don’t” The largest green troll waved
“Hi. Arrrg. 3 Rs. Blood sentinel” he smiled and stopped. A large moment of silence then the third human cleared his throat
“he’s not one to talk much. I’m Douxie. Well my real name is long and kinda boring. So just call me that. Champion of Merlin” Jim tilted his head
“Merlin? Like the wizard guy with the hat?” Douxie chuckled
“I’m not laughing at you don’t worry! Long ago someone had a grudge against him and started spreading random rumors about him. No, he doesn’t wear some long robe and has a wand and a hat. But yes, master wizard and patron. This here is Archie, my familiar. Do you know what that is Jim?” Jim nodded his head
“I play a lot of RPG’s”
“ah! Good! So you know the gist of it all. Most of that stuff is incorrect but hey, they nailed the concepts” the female troll smiled and went next
“how’s it going small guy. You must be the runt of your litter eh?” Jim spoke quietly while he fidgeted with the fur on the tip of his tail
“I’m an only child” Deya shrugged
“I mean, I’m not wrong then! Names Deya. My moniker is Deliverer. Cause I deliver pain, and justice when need be. First blood sentinel of my line. Went through a looot of tough times, but I earned it. And I’m loving every second. I can tell we’re going to get along”

The final troll snorted
“that makes one of us.” he stood up tall and put a fist over his heart
“I am Draal the deadly, son of Kanjigar the courageous. Proud warrior from a bloodline of nothing but the strongest and deadliest protectors! Listen here half troll. I don’t care for your kind. I have no opinion about them. But I will not enjoy you if you get in my way. I don’t trust your master or any of his previous champions. You would do well to remember that. DON’T get it my way, slow me down, or annoy me. You do that, and we won’t have any problems. Got it?” Jim nodded. Draal gave a smug look
“good. I am already in a bad mood because I had to be stopped in the middle of my training for you. I am only here because I follow the code of honor and ancient laws set out for us. If I catch a whiff of your corruption trying to sneak its way out of you and into the bodies of any other creature, I will make sure it doesn’t stay like that. You look as small and frail as a newborn. You won’t be easy to handle. And I am not gentle. I will not go soft on you just because of your master or bloodline that serves him. Have I made myself clear?” Jim nodded. Draal crossed his arms
“good. Are we done here yet?” Dic gave a nasty look as he walked up to Draal with a pointed finger
“how dare you speak to our dark lords champion in such a manner! You are a mere sentinel from your bloodline. HE is CHOSEN by GUNMAR! Bestowed the most powerful of blood! your weak line cannot carry a candle-” Draal roared
“BUSHIGAL! You DARE insult my bloodline?! Just because I can’t kill the newest champion, doesn’t mean I can’t kill you! No where does it say I cannot end your life? Or break you for that matter! How useful to your corrupt master would you be broken!”
“do you think your father would approve of how you’re acting right now? I can say for CERTAIN he would be finding your attitude disappointing! He knew to work alongside my dark lords champions in peace! The very last champion got along with him quite well with not a single argument! Those two bulls never had a single problem with one another!”

Deya giggled
“because they often shared the same bed. Was he the one who had the sword sheathed in him? Or did he put his sword int-” Draal roared out
“SILENCE DEYA! DO NOT DISGRACE MY FATH-”

“ENOUGH DRAAL!” everyone turned to the entrance where a large old troll stood.
“stop this arguing at once! You are adult trolls! Act like them! This is no way for any sentinel to behave! Do you think your father would rest well if he witnessed his son acting this way?” Draal grit his teeth and looked to the ground. The old troll nodded
“Exactly what I thought.” Blinky turned to the old troll and asked
“ah Vendel! What brings you here?”
“I am here because all of trollmarket is shaking in fear like some scared child jumping at shadows after hearing ghost stories. I could hardly get any information from them. When I heard the champion of Gunmar was found, I knew I must meet him right away. So, where is this troll?”
“not a troll exactly...” Blinky put his hands together and pointed with his index fingers to Jim. Vendel’s eyes went wide and he visibly was surprised
“a half troll?! I haven’t seen one in ages...so they really are still wandering about...” Vendel made his way over and studied Jim closer
“I am the one who leads our market. I am Vendel, son of Rundle, son of Kilfred. Who are you little one?”
“Jim lake jr”
“son of?”
“Barbara”
“who is your father? I wish to meet the troll who’s son has become the next champion”
“oh. You can’t”
“and why can’t I?”
“he’s dead. He died when my mother was pregnant” everyone grew silent after hearing this. Vendel stroked his beard for a minute while processing this new information
“hm. I see. You are so young. Do you even understand your place?”
“not really. All this is new to me. I’ve never even experienced anything with trolls before. I’ve always just lived on the surface with my mom. So nothing but humans my entire life”
“hm...no wonder you smell and look like them so much. Your scent is strong with their perfumes.” Vendel stood back up
“your blood is already corrupting. I can tell.”
“is...that a good thing?” Dic smiled and said
“yes! Very much so!” Vendel tugged his beard
“I wouldn’t agree. Any other creature, and they would wither and die. Your soul has already been claimed.”
“c-claimed?” Dic smiled and said with joy
“yes! you’ve been chosen! You are his champion! There is no greater honor! And I promise to serve you well!” Vendel sighed through his nose
“the champions all have their own unique tells. You now belong to him completely” Vendel pointed with his staff. Jim’s eyes followed in the direction. His heart skipped a beat as he saw in the light.

Jim stared in shock and fear as he looked at his shadow.

No.

Not his.

It no longer was.

In replace of it, was Gunmar’s silhouette.

(basing the idea off of the Hym from The witcher universe. Replacing your shadow and all. For a reference watch the first 40 seconds of this vid)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEJrQyvSTmM&ab_channel=WitcherGeorge

Chapter Text

In the past…

Flashing colorful lights and noises filled the room. A sudden death noise was heard and the screen flashed red.
“aww. Man.” Jim reclined into his couch and went slack once he lost his final life in his game. He puffed air out his mouth and looked at the clock

10:53 pm

Jim’s tail thumped lightly against the side of the couch as he adjusted himself and checked his phone. No reason why he should. Not like he had any social life. And to no ones surprise, no new messages or missed phone calls. Jim frowned and thought
‘maybe I should give mom a call. no. she’s busy. Leave her alone.’ Jim put his phone down and closed his eyes. Nothing but silent stillness surrounded him. No life except for his very own lurked in the cozy home. Jim got up off the couch and walked aimlessly around, deciding to stop in the kitchen
‘I guess I could make something to eat...no I don’t want to eat because I’m bored. Again.’ Jim rummaged around in his fridge and pulled out some nice cold ice cream! He sat at the table and mostly poked at it. Tail sweeping lowly against the floor as he leaned on his fist.

Another night of nothing.

He had done all his college work.

He was tired of his games.

No movies or anything on TV.

His ears perked up and he turned to look out his window when across the street he heard laughter. Two humans had stepped out of the home, got on two bicycles and rode off into the night. Jim stared back down into his ice cream bowl. His ears drooped down
‘No. you don’t deserve anyone else. You’re just a freak. You don’t belong anywhere. No one wants you around.’ Jim slowly pulled up a sleeve then ran a thumb across the scars embedded into his arm
‘freaks don’t deserve to be happy. Freaks should just be punished. I shouldn’t be alive. I shouldn’t be here. No one but mom would even notice if I were gone. Not even my grandparents want anything to do with me.’ Jim’s ears fell completely as he slowly sunk into depression. Starting to travel deeper into a mindset that only ended with bloodied napkins. Jim shook his head
‘no. you promised mom you wouldn’t anymore.’ a memory of his mothers voice spoke up in his head

“if you ever need me, even for the smallest thing like talking. Call me. Okay? I want you to promise you will if you’re thinking about hurting yourself again. Alright?” the red strained eyes from crying. Cloth damped with tears. The tight hugging. The only thing that ever hurt worse than anything he felt was making her upset. Jim got up and called…

“This is doctor Lake I’m not available at the moment please leave a message after the tone and I will contact you back as soon as I can”

“hey mom, it’s me. Just wanted to...ya know, check in.” A clear sign for what that always meant. The dark meaning behind it.

“uh so...yeah. I hope everythings going good! Please don’t just rush over here, okay? you’ve got lives to save and all that!”
the memory of her words returned.

‘your life is the most important to save.’

“I love you, and I’ll talk to you later! Bye” with that Jim hung up. Jim sighed heavily and slumped against the couch. He looked over to the various videogames he had. No matter what he got, it never helped relieve the pain, or at least not for long.

Videogames, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, cloths, books, food, DVD’s, anything he could possibly want. All was offered to him at any time. Barbara just wanted her son to be happy. They never had any income issues, so there was more than enough to spare. Still, objects are just that. Objects.

Jim got up and went to his room, opening it up showed little fairy lights lining the walls, various stress relief candles placed on his desk. A large sum of stuffed animals resided on his bed. They always helped him his entire life. Just something to hold, something to cuddle against. Jim opened up a storage box and pulled out a large heated blanket. Soft, warm, and smelled like his mom. He grabbed his favorite stuffed animal, a large colorful monster with a tail like his and horns almost the same, something he’s had since he was a kid. It always helped him out, made him feel less like a monster himself. He went downstairs, plugged his blanket in, laid down and made himself cozy. He held his monster close to him and turned the TV on. He didn’t care what it was. He just wanted to hear people talking about nothing. First thing that came on was some shitty sitcom marathon

Perfect.

Jim’s eyes dropped and sleep took him…

……………..

Barbara washed her hands and brushed her hair out of her face. She wiped the sweat off her brow and sat down for the first time in hours.
“Dr. lake are you going on your break?” a man beside her asked. She gave a tired smile
“oh yes. And nothing is going to stop me right now. Short of the end of the world” the man laughed
“you’ve more than earned it. I’ve got it covered for the night. Why don’t you go home to your boy” She smiled and nodded to the man leaving the room. Barbara’s heart gave a heavy thump as she pulled out her phone and noticed she had missed a call from her son. A voice mail being left behind, something Barbara always feared yet also gave relief. She swallowed and mentally begged for everything to be alright. She took a few calming breaths before listening to the voice mail. A couple times she had heard an apology on there, a lot of times she had to rush him just to keep him alive. She felt immense pressure lift off her shoulders when it was a simple message. Then she cringed when she noticed it was left an hour ago. If she had the choice to do so, she would be a stay at home mom. But people relied on her, people needed her. Her son needed her more though. She called Jim back, nervously biting her lip and tapping her foot. Jim hadn’t picked up which was unlike him...well except for when he was-
“hello?” a sleepy voice was heard. Barbara’s heart jumped for joy when she heard him
“hey sweetie how are things? Did I wake you up?” A loud yawn was given in reply. She laughed
“guess I did. Are you okay? Did anything...happen?”
“no. I’m alright” the rest of the pressure was finally lifted from her shoulders
“thank you for calling me”
“I did promise you”
“I’m coming home now, do you want me to try and pick you up something to eat? Or I could find some store and grab you candy or a new movie, you name it”
“no it’s alright. I’ve got everything I need. I’d rather you just come home”
“I’m practically there kiddo”

…………

Jim laid in his mothers lap as she pet him lovingly. The slow gentle kind that was his favorite. He was half asleep and felt his pains fade away. The warmth from his mother and his blanket, made all the difference. Another night, the monster inside of him didn’t come out. Another night being safe and alive. Another night with no blood. No crying. No pain. It felt heavenly.

In the present…

Jim swallowed nervously as the much larger shadow lurked behind him. He lifted up his arm, the shadow followed along. Then the second arm. Then tilting his head around. It made him think of when he and his mom do shadow puppets from time to time. Jim jumped a little when he suddenly felt four arms pull him in for a hug
“oh how blessed your soul is! You truly are no doubt his chosen! You and all your potential and perfection! I’m so eager for your very first steps into your new perfect life!” Dic hugged him tighter making Jim feel awkward.
“w-why is my shadow not...well...mine?!”
“your soul belongs to our dark underlord now! You are his champion! You are one! Far closer than any other may get to! Oh how I envy you!” Jim knit his eyebrows in worry, only to stop when his face was smothered deeper into the hug. Blinky cleared his throat loudly
“enough brother. You’re going to suffocate your champion with your undying need for attention” Dic let go and huffed at his brother
“me?! What about YOUR undying need for attention?! Do you realize just how many times I’m disturbed by your CONSTANT moans of pleasure?! Do you even know how irritating it is to find the floor sticky!? Oh and don’t even get me STARTED on you RUINING my books!”
“oh well I’m sorry my mate is as VIRILE AS THEY COME YOU LONELY BOORISH SACK OF USELESS STONES!”
“OH HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THAT WAY TO ME YOU SEMINAL FLUID STAINED WHELP-” Jim watched them go at it while Arrrg blushed. Deya was snickering at the scene, especially when the twins started to slap fight with one another. Jim turned to see Draal snarling and then spat out
“I’m done. I’m leaving to finish my training. The training that was interrupted” he glared at Jim causing the half troll’s tail to curl up around himself
“because of you.” Draal snorted to turn and leave, pushing past Deya and Arrrrg. Claire stuck her fingers into her mouth and made a loud whistle. Loud enough to sting Jim’s ears. He cupped them and flinched as he dropped to the floor. His sensitivity always did ruin him. Draal stopped mid step, and the twins stopped mid slap to turn to her
“HEY! BOTH OF YOU KNOCK IT OFF! You’re adult trolls! Stop acting like that!” Dic shoved Blinky’s hands out of his and walked to Jim’s side
“the pale lady’s champion speaks true. We have more important things to do. Come my champion, allow your humble and faithful servant aid you on your journey” Dic ‘helped’ Jim up. More along the lines of picking Jim up by his scruff then setting him back down onto his feet with a pat on the head.

He took Jim’s arm and pulled him along, only to be stopped once Blinky took Jim’s other hand and pulled back
“we are not finished!”
“yes we are! Now release your grip!” Jim spoke meekly
“p-please don’t play tug of war with me again” Vendel slammed his staff
“enough! Both of you, he’s clearly in distress and does not enjoy being handled so carelessly. You’re both correct. It is time to test his mettle” Jim whimpered
“m-my w-what?” Blinky and Dic spoke at the same time
“he means your mettle, your ability to cope in the face of adversity...stop copying me. No YOU STOP!” Draal pushed past the others and rolled his shoulders looking at Jim with cruelty in his eyes
“ah! His training must truly begin! And I have just the idea on how to help start it. Why not the two of us spar?” Draal snorted in Jim’s face and punched his own hand
“If he is a champion of Gunmar surely he most posses only the strongest and most ferocious of spirit!” Deya put a hand on Draals shoulder
“Draal you know bette-” he shrugged her grip off
“I’m not going to kill him! I merely am going to help pull out his potential!” Dic stared at both Draal and Jim, eyeing them up and down
“as much as I care not for agreeing with the brute, he does make a valid point”
“ha! Even one of the twins agrees with me! Come then to your wonderful welcome to pain and punishment HAHAHA!” Draal snorted into Jim’s face then turned and laughed. Jim whimpered and shook. Dic pat his shoulder to soothe him
“worry not my dear champion. I have faith that you can easily overcome him!”

…………………

Jim slowed down and awed at the massive site
“what is this place? A palace?” Blinky waved outwards as they all crossed the bridge
“this is the heroes forge! Where sentinels from all walks of life gather to train!”
“how come no one else is training here?” Draal growled as he walked over to the weapons
“I was interrupted.” Deya rolled her eyes and shoved him aside
“quit hogging the weapon rack. And stop complaining you big whelp.” Vendel looked into Jim’s eyes sadly
“this is everyone” Jim tilted his head
“huh?” Blinky pointed to the various statues above them
“every sentinel who has trained, lived, and died, has had a funeral here. Well except for the chosen. Their business is handled by their patrons. Bloodlines come here for their final farewell. As you can see-” Blinky waved his arms outwards to the other sentinels
“-the sentinels duty is to protect the entire world above and below. And we are all that remains” Jim was shocked and turned to the troll
“wait hold up. The people here-other sentinels-are the ones who protect THE ENTIRE WORLD?!”
“both human and trolls, yes”
“protect from what exactly?”
“monsters. Creatures. Beings who wish the end of the world. The worst that claws its way out of the foul wretched abyss they come out of. What corner they lurk in right outside of view. Every beast that wishes the end of civilization and life itself. Those beings”
“and...THE ENTIRE WORLD?! WITH JUST US?! WHAT?!”

Vedel nodded sadly
“you are all that is left” Blinky nodded in agreement
“he is correct. At one point, the world was filled with your kind! Sentinels I mean. Both above as well as below. At one point, all of trollmarket could not house every sentinel on this continent! Now...only this handful remain.” Blinky sighed
“this is why we must remain vigilant! I have always aided the sentinels even before Arrrg and I became mates. That’s actually how we fell in love. But that is a story for another time.” Dic smiled proudly
“and I have aided our dark underlord! And his previous champions! I’ve only been able to assist 2, and now you will be my third!” Jim waved his hands
“alright alright alright can we go back to THE ENTIRE WORLD! IF THERE ARE SO MANY THEN WHERE ARE ALL THE OTHERS?! DID THEY JUST VANISH!?” Vendel was saddened as he tugged his beard
“killed. Lost. Or worse. Bloodlines ended one way or another. Fewer and fewer sentinels existed. Each patron may only have 1 champion. A rule set in place so none of them may ruin the balance the sentinels had swore to protect in the first place. Throughout the ages with fewer and fewer bloodlines, the dangers only grew worse, which then overwhelmed the remaining and...well here we are. Life is at it’s worse currently.” Blinky wiggled two index fingers
“ah, but that is why we keep our morale high and spirits aloft! As long as we are together we may overcome any problems! Any cruel thing that is thrown our way!” Jim rubbed his face
“are you super SUPER sure noooo one else is left?”
“as sure as you have a tail. We have searched endlessly, tirelessly, and to the point where we have no rocks left to search under. We have checked every part of the world more times than we can count. You are the final sentinel. The champion of Gunmar the black. Now with you being here, it gives us that much more hope!”
“okay but whyyyy can’t you just like...make more?!”

Draal snorted as he was using a grindstone on a few weapons
“it does not work that way.” Blinky nodded
“master Draal is correct. For you see, the universe must have a certain balance to it. Hence why sentinels exist in the first place. The force beyond creates the bloodlines. One being is blessed with such gifts, then their bloodline has begun. Deya has been the only new bloodline in centuries” Jim ran a hand down his horn
“Wait so if the fate-destiny-the universe-whatever-needs the balance. And only creates bloodlines which need to protect it, and it DOESN’T...that doesn’t make any sense! If the balance is in such danger, why isn’t more...ya know...being made!”
“Something we have yet to understand. All must continue forward no matter what! So we haven’t the time to ponder” Dic smiled and clasped his hands together
“you must begin your training at once master Jim!” Dic began to push Jim towards the center of the forge
“wait hold on. You said you trained the past 2 of Gunmars champions...”
“and did so with nothing but endless joy!”
“what happened to them?”
“Both brutally slaughtered! In glorious combat!”
“WHAT?!”
“they served our dark underlord well! Doing as he commanded! When they fell in battle, It was simply time to wait until the next was chosen”
“alright so...when did the last guy die? Like yesterday?”
“oh no! He died at least 200 years ago”
“but then why am I being chosen now?!”
“i do not know. But our dark underlord knows what he’s doing and we must follow his guidance!” Dic pat Jim’s head as he brushed Jim’s cloths down and adjusted them

Jim blew air out of his mouth, heart thumping harder and faster
“o-okay but if you and your twin are not sentinels...then why serve him?”
“oh, well I chose to serve our dark underlord out of choice! I saw the power he offered and accepted it with glee! Oh the rewards to be had! I work tirelessly day and night in order to fulfill his desires and commands! And in doing so he’s rewarded me well!”
“With what?”
“wealth. Information. Power. That sort of thing”
“power? Like some sword?”
“oh no not that! Magics! Ancient long forgotten secrets, plenty of riches to spend and live in luxury. I am greatful for all I receive! And soon you will be rewarded time and time again for your loyalty and-” Draal roared out from across them
“enough talk! Time to spar.” as Dic and Blinky began to walk away from Jim, the half troll held out his hand and gripped them both
“wa-wait what do I do?!” Blinky spoke

(and yes my take on it)

“hit him as hard as you can”
“like, with my fist?! I don’t know how to do that! I’m not a fighter!” both twins turned to Jim
“ever?”
“yeah”
“in your entire life?”
“yeah all 22 years of it!” Dic praised Jim
“ah but you weild our dark underlords blade!” By itself the blade manifested into Jim’s arm from his back
“see? Even it knows you are ready and able!” as Jim looked at the blade, it began to glow brighter...and he could have sworn he felt a small heartbeat even...but that must have simply been his own since it was beating so hard so fast.
“master Jim. You are chosen for a reason! You have what it takes to be what you’ve always meant to be! The champion of Gunmar! The ruthless, bloodthirst, and undying desire for carnage is within you! The blade will help you unleash it! Now go! Once you’ve drawn blood for the very first time it will change your life! The smell will ignite the greed in your heart and you’ll demand more and more! You will become nothing short of the strongest! The first time you draw blood will change you forever” Jim cringed mentally

‘I’ve already drawn enough blood in my life. It has changed me.’

Jim swallowed and tried not for his eyes to trail to his thankfully covered arms. Dic turned Jim around and pushed him forward then left with Blinky.

Vendel called out
“begin” Draal slammed his fists down and roared. He began to laugh as a blade was summoned to his hand along with armor. Jim was trembling
“h-ho-w’d he do t-hat?” Blinky cupped his hands a yelled
“his bloodline has carried what is known as daylight. A sword and matching suit of armor to protect him in battle!” Dic called out
“don’t be afraid! Imagine him bleeding at your feet begging for mercy! Think violent thoughts! Release your anger! All your pent up stress and emotional distress! Feed it through your blade and become stronger!” Jim took a deep shakey breath and tried to calm himself down. Something that hardly worked. He spoke quietly under his breath, making sure no one could hear him. Trolls did have incredible hearing after all...if he can hear a pin drop from down a long hallway, then it would be easy to hear him whimpering...which he began to do.
“it’s gonna be okay Jim. One cut. All you have to do. You’re strong enough to do so. Remember what mom says: I’m far stronger than any monster in my head. I can overcome this. I know I can.” Jim almost dropped the blade when Draal suddenly rolled at him. He was barely able to move out of the way, his tail getting hit by the spikes tearing off some fur and flesh. Jim cried in pain and tried to hold his tail close, only to watch the mad troll come rolling back. Jim dove out of the way as Draal uncurled and slammed his fists against the ground. Jim quickly shouted

“st-stop! I sr-surrender! You win! Ple-ease stop!” Jim thought it was over once Draal stood up straight and walked over. This was so far the scariest thing he’s ever lived through. Jim began to smile and was about to thank him when suddenly he was grabbed and thrown across the ground skidding and rolling. He came to a stop and spat out dust. He wanted to curl up and beg for mercy more. He felt Draal slam his fist right next to his head
“GET UP! FIGHT! STOP BEING A COWARD! STOP BEING SO WEAK AND PATHETIC!”

Memories of various bullies picking on him throughout all his life flashed before his eyes. Starting from when he was little to when he was in highschool. No matter how many schools he switched to, it always seemed like the bullies always followed him. He would always be a freak. And there would always be bullies wherever he went.

Jim felt his horn be grabbed and was painfully picked up by it
“FIGHT BACK!” Draal roared at him, causing the poor half troll to begin weeping
“please stop”
“PATHETIC!” Draal tossed him to the side then stepped on Jim’s chest
“I can easily break every bone in your body, squash every organ, and cause you unending pain. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! STOP GIVING IN! FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE! DO YOU WANT IT TO END?! ARE YOU SO WEAK YOU TRIED TO END YOUR OWN LIFE!?”
“YES!” Draal stopped in shock. Him along with everyone else got silent. The only sounds that were available to hear were Jim’s sobbing and the ambient noises around them…

Chapter Text

Draal lifted up his foot and took a step back, still unsure what to make about what he just heard.

A confirmation that this creature had tried to end it’s own life.

Never once has he ever met an opponent that has attempted such a thing.

Didn’t this half troll WANT to live?

Clearly since he’s breathing and alive right in front of him.

Then why say that?

Throw the troll off his game?

Draal continued to view this creature sob loudly while everyone else was equally as silent as the troll who had just assaulted him.

Jim blew his nose into the bottom of his shirt and wiped the tears off his face with his soaked sleeve. He looked up to see everyone’s faces. Reactions he was used to when others found out about his...past mistakes. Jim sniffed and got up slowly. His legs wobbled and he choked back another sob. He wanted to stop. NEEDED to stop. He HATED crying in front of others. The only exception was his mom of course. Shows of weakness like this always just made his life worse. Fed his bullies desire to harm and torment him further. Jim just shouted with his face feeling as hot as ever
“I’M DONE! WITH ALL OF THIS!” he threw the blade in his hand away, watching it dig deep into the ground as it impaled the stone floor. Jim just managed to spit out shaking
“I’m done. I don’t want this. I just want to go home and go to sleep and never wake up again.” Jim slowly walked away from everyone, his entire body filling with shame and self hatred. Thoughts began to drown out all the noise around him. Vicious words that aided in the ruination of his-well whatever minimal thing there is-self respect. The numerous scars of all sizes slashed across both arms were a clear indication, and reminder, of just how much self respect he had. Jim felt the sudden weight of the blade return to his back. He moved his hand behind him to feel the sharp end of the blade. He ran a finger along it, in a desperate need to cut. Feel the hot sting of pain to help numb the world. He was surprised when he felt nothing. He looked at his finger and there wasn’t a single scratch on it.

“The blade cannot harm you master Jim” Jim hadn’t noticed but he had been followed by the twins. When Jim turned to look, he could clearly see unease on their faces. Jim turned back forward and continued, now at the base of the stairs. Dic started softly
“master Jim-” Jim swallowed a nasty swell in his throat, managing to whimper out
“no. stop saying that. I’m not your master. And I’m tired. So tired. I just want to close my eyes and fade away.”
“master Jim yo-”
“no. stop talking.”
“master Jim you ne-” Jim turned around and gripped his blade. He shoved the handle into Dic’s hands
“just take this away and leave me alone. Choose someone else. Someone who’s worth something. Someone who actually has meaning.” Jim watched as the blade vanished and returned to his hand. Jim pushed the blade into the trolls four hands yet again, only to repeat the process. He grunted in frustration and did so yet again, only to experience the same result.
“master Jim, you were chosen by our d-”
“STOP SAYING THAT! YOUR DARK LORD DUDE CHOSE THE WRONG HALF TROLL! I’m weak and scared and pathetic and hardly able to even get up out of bed each and every morning and-and-and...” Jim trailed off and wiped his face with his sleeve.
“our dark underlord makes no mistakes”
“yeah well he did with me.” Jim sighed heavily and turned to walk further up the steps. The twins trailed close behind. Dic knit his eyebrows and asked
“will you be alright?”
“I dunno. How ‘alright’ can something broken become?”
“would you care if I were to assist in walking you back to your domicile?”
“no. leave me alone.” Blinky spoke next
“master Jim-” Jim abruptly stopped and turned
“call me that one more time and I swear I will jump off these crystals and fall to my death. I’m not afraid to do it. I don’t care anymore. I’ve hardly cared about living for years. The ONLY thing I live for, the ONLY REASON I’m living is because I don’t want to hurt my mom. I try so hard not to hurt myself every. Single. Day. It hurts. Life hurts so badly and I’m just some freak some monster that DESERVES to be punished. I shouldn’t have been born. I shouldn’t even be alive. I don’t deserve to be alive. I’m useless. But I live for her. I stay above the water, if only slightly, because I want my mom to be happy. I want her to be able to wake up and know I’m still alive and nearby. It would kill her if I killed myself. I can’t put her through that. Do you see this?”

Jim pulled both sleeves up revealing his deeply scarred skin
“I do this so I can numb life. If I just put all my pain in one area, then I can breathe. The voices in my head finally shut up. I’ve come so close to different times where I was about to die but my mom kept me alive. I’ve left her messages on her phone saying how sorry I am that I’m going through with it. That I’m finally just ending everything horrible in my life.” Jim started to become hysterical. He gripped both his horns
“do you want to know the best part? I’ve had hardly anything happen to me! Being laughed at, mocked, talked about behind my back, beaten up, teased, harassed, stared at, and overall been a complete outcast to society, and that’s it! I never lived through some war or starvation or any disaster! So why should I be crying?! Why should I be so upset?! I don’t have a real reason! I just need to suck it all up and forget! But I can’t! And it bothers me that there are so many people out in the world who have gone through so much worse than I have. But here I am! Being a little bitch about everything. Why should I be emotional or get any comfort when there are plenty of others in the world who deserve it more than I do!?”

Jim took a deep breath in then hung his head
“i almost wish I had it worse, just so I would have a reason to feel this shitty. No one’s ever died in front of me. I’ve never been kicked out of my house. I’ve had a hot meal every day and night. I have a roof over my head and I get everything I could ever want. So why should I be miserable?! My problems don’t matter!” Jim wiped his face again.
“I don’t matter. And now I’m chosen by some guy who wants me to help keep the entire fucking world safe from everything!? I can hardly take care of myself emotionally and mentally let alone keep the fucking world from dying!” Jim took a few slow long breaths then ran a hand over his horn, something he had always done whenever he was in distress.
“I don’t matter. I don’t deserve to matter. I’m sorry I failed you and everyone else in the world.”

Jim finished walking up the stairs, not looking back. He jammed his sword into the wall and exited.

…………………..

Barbara stretched as she was eating leftovers from what Jim had made earlier that day. She was worried about where Jim randomly ran off to. But he had never attempted anything outside their home, so she was calm about that. Sometimes he would take long nightly walks to clear his head. Less people out at night and he was harder to see in the dark. She turned when hearing the door open. she smiled and got up to greet Jim once he walked into their home
“hi sweeite! How was your wa...l...k” Jim broke down and collapsed into her, weeping into her shoulder.
“kiddo what’s wrong-what happened to your tail!? Is that a SWORD?!”

…………….

Barbara finished wrapping up Jim’s tail, giving it a light kiss and pet. Her son thankfully was a fast healer. So it wouldn’t be long until all his cuts and bruises would heal up. Jim had spent the last hour talking to her. A nice shower, patch up, dinner, and he was stable once more. Barbara really didn’t know what to think of everything. Jim had never once lied to her about anything. Plus the giant glowing sword was a good chunk of evidence. Jim and her spent the next few hours on the couch, just spending time together. It calmed Jim down enough to where he felt like he could be by himself long enough to fall asleep in his own bed. So that he did. He did his nightly ritual, then slowly drifted off to sleep…

…………….

Jim opened his eyes and he felt...cold.

He looked around and saw he was not in his own room, or home for that matter. He was in a strange dark decrepit place. It felt cold and stagnant, like the realm was a cadaver of life.
“what is this place...” he said aloud as he shivered and took a step forward. He heard some noises nearby and went to investigate. The source of the noise was three...guards? They were talking in a language Jim was unfamiliar with. Jim quietly called out
“hello. uh...where am I?” the trolls hadn’t even noticed Jim when he approached. Jim felt better by the measly fire though. He sat down between two of the speaking guards, watching them communicate to one another and drawing what looked like battle tactics into the ground with the butt of their spears. Jim watched for a minute in this eerie yet comforting silence. His attention drew away once one of the trolls slowly turned their head and looked at Jim and spoke something. Jim didn’t pay much attention to it, thinking the guard must have been speaking to the others. It was then he shivered when the guard reached out and touched Jim. He felt along his arm and pet his head making a kind of growling noise that was somehow comforting to hear. The half troll closed his eyes and savored this strange moment. It felt somehow natural yet not. Jim opened his eyes and noticed the other two looking at him in what appeared to be curiosity

‘they care for you. They feel your doubt and pain.’

Jim heard the voice in his head. The same voice as the one who guided him to trollmarket

‘you are one of them. We all know this. We care for one another.’ Jim asked aloud, under his breath mumbling
“who are you?”
‘I think we both know that already.’ Jim looked at the guard who was petting him softly
“Are you the one speaking to me?” the guard shook their head no
‘not he sentinel. Only me. But they can hear my voice, like all my servants and loyal followers’ Jim took a few moments to think then whispered
“you’re Gunmar...what did Dic call you...dark underlord?”
‘correct my champion.’
“where am I?”
‘my realm. The darklands. My home. The one true home of the gumm-gumms. Through me, we are all one mind. Linked together we care for one another. We are violent and ruthless. But we do tend and love, we share joy and sorrow. We help to bear the others weight. Unlike other trolls, we are all one. Every troll feels what the other does. They feel your plight. They know each and ever scar laid across your skin.’
“I can’t feel anything else or hear anyone but you” the voice chuckled
‘of course not. I have yet to involve you with the others. You are all alone champion. Only I am with you. One day once you’ve become ready, you will join our collective. You will become what you’re meant to be. One of us. Now. Ease yourself by the flame. Let your ally soothe your nerves for a time.’
“how did I get here?”
‘through me. You are not physically here. You are merely a projection given physical form. You experience everything like you would normally, except once you awake, you will be back on the surface land. You cannot die here, but you can feel pain. No true damage will be done, so worry not loosing an eye or a limb. You will learn more. Not now. no. now is when you rest with your ally.’

Jim closed his eyes and relaxed. He did feel far more at ease. Warmer too
‘good. Accept the shared warmth. It will keep you safe and away from the bitter cold of our realm. One day you will come here physically. One day. My champion.’

…………….

Jim opened his eyes once his alarm clock went off. He sat up and looked around. Everything was as normal as ever. He almost assumed everything was simply a dream. If it was, it would be the strangest he’s ever had in his life. When he pulled the blankets off of his body, he felt the sore sting that came from his tail. Still bandaged and healing, but not nearly as painful as it was yesterday night. He never envied how slow humans healed, or how little most of their pain tolerance was. Then again, plenty of humans who could handle pain better than he could. Jim got out of bed and stretched. He yawned widely and froze in place once he heard his mothers voice speaking. His ear lifted up and heard her talking calmly out loud. He assumed it was just a phone call until another voice spoke to her. He had a minor panic and rushed out his door and down a few stair steps then looked to see his mother, Dic, and Blinky speaking to one another. Blinky downing an entire bottle of whip cream as Dic was halfway reading a book while focused on the conversation with his mother.
“I’m thankful you at least see my point.” Barbara sighed and brushed hair out of her face, replying in an exhausted tone
“I understand. And I thank you for seeing my view of all this. isn’t there anything else that can be done though?”
“nothing whatsoever. Destiny has happened. It is out of our control.”
“I don’t want his grades to start and slip from being too busy” Blinky burped then looked at her in a small form of agitation
“the relevance escapes me”
“my brother is correct. True I do enjoy and appreciate the academic life, but weighing that over the literal need and protection of every living and nonliving creature to exist on and under our planet seems a bit more important. Besides, he cannot participate in mundane society and it’s flaws and efforts. He must train without being impeded. This however does not mean he must rush into battle. He must study form, function, and history in equal measure. We shall stick to the very-and safest-basics. Worry not, he will be kept alive and...erm...in no environment that could kill him. There is no way to prevent harm to his being. After all, even he will most likely feel pain from his training. No experience when fighting with weapons and dangerous tools are without their difficulties.” Blinky nodded
“my brother speaks true. There is no possibility to calculate where he will be unharmed. It is as inevitable as the sun setting. Only a matter of time. I assure you no mote of energy will be expended uselessly”

Barbara rubbed her temples
“i still just don’t understand. His father never mentioned he was apart of all this! He was a simple miner.” Dic flipped a few pages
“he must simply not have known he carried the blood of sentinels within him. A very rare, but not unheard of event.”
“but why be chosen now? I know I must sound like a broken record I just can’t wrap my head around it” Dic shrugged
“I know not anything else. I’ve told you all that I have been informed. Although knowing our dark underlord, he will reveal more over time. One day we will understand what fate has in store. Until then, we must be patient”
“see that’s another thing, dark underlord. He doesn’t exactly sound like a nice guy” Dic chuckled
“and what is the definition of ‘nice?’ he’s nice to me, to his loyal followers”
“but from what you’ve told me he doesn’t exactly sound like he’s good”
“good and bad do not fully exist”
“isn’t he evil though?”
“evil is whoever believes it to be”
“why serve him if his agenda is so...bloody” Dic chuckled
“do humans not serve many many leaders throughout all of history where bloodthristy despots have ruled? Plenty of humans who follow their leaders even if they are ‘evil’ themselves? Dictators, rulers, kings, leaders, emperors, presidents, and so on”
“alright I see what you mean. Yes humans do follow people. Sometimes unwillingly though” Barbara turned to Blinky
“but you don’t follow this dark underlord?” Blinky laughed
“goodness gracious no! I merely assist all sentinels, which include his very own” Dic folded a pair of hands together while the other two closed his book
“I assure you all who choose to follow our dark underlord have been granted nothing but the best in payment. It is not a simple transaction however. Just because you do a task, does not mean you will be rewarded. I can assure you, our dark underlord has the best intentions for him. All his champions have been granted the greates-” Dic turned around once he heard a creak on the staircase. Blinky and Barbara looked as well to a nervous looking Jim

Barbara smiled
“good morning sweetie”
“morning...mom...”
“did you sleep well?”
“yeahhh...what’s going on?” Dic and Blinky stood up then bowed to Jim
“greetings master Jim”
“yeah hey to you both too...what’s happening here?” Barbara answered as the two trolls sat back down
“well they came this morning to speak to me about...well everything. Now I understand a little-well a lot more actually-about all of this” Jim’s ears drooped down
“great.” Jim rubbed his face while making his way to the kitchen. He began to cook some breakfast
“will you both leave? If you’re done here. I just...i need to be away from all of...this. I just want to go to college and be normal for the day” Blinky and Dic looked to one another with a pair of eyes, looked at Jim with another, then used the last pair to look at Barbara. Jim found this unsettling. Dic and Blinky pulled their cloaks over themselves, Dic saying
“Do you wish for us to accompany you to your studies?”
“no.”
“then we bid you farewell. IF-” Blinky continued
“you promise us you will come to trollmarket tonight and continue your true life” Jim cringed hearing that
“that isn’t my true life.”
“on the contrary-” Dic continued
“it most certainly is now until the day you die”
“fine. If it will get both of you to leave, then yes I promise tonight I’ll come back and do whatever.” both twins bowed
“then we bid you farewell. Master Jim”

Chapter Text

Jim rubbed his face after the trolls left through the backdoor, waved goodbye, then quickly left to the shadows of the early morning. Jim sighed as he closed the door then turned to his mom who was sipping coffee
“when did they get here?”
“earlier this morning when you were still asleep. I actually just woke up getting ready to go to work”
“so, having two trolls randomly knocking on the door that early in the morning, what came across your mind exactly?” Barbara giggled
“at first I actually thought they were lost and wanted to ask for directions. It’s happened in the past when your father was alive. But I guess it’s because they assumed it was safe place since they could smell a troll lived here, well even if it’s a half of one. Then when they told me they served you, I was hesitant to let them in. Then I remembered what you told me. So, I offered them a seat, offered them something to drink, then we all sat down and discussed everything” Barbara let a sigh through her nose
“I can’t believe all of this still. Never once having to deal with anything like this. Worst thing I ever had to deal with was when your father brought trash home for decorations or eating. And the shedding. Wow did he shed. I could have made a second him out of all his fur” she laughed then came to a stop when she saw how down Jim was. She got up and walked over, cupping his cheek and brushed the fur out of his face

“I promise I’m going to be here for you. I already called in sick today so, I have it off. Once those twins and I began to talk, I realized just how late I was so, might as well. Did you want to spend the day together? You can just blow off college. Bad thing to do, but I think for a situation like this it’s alright to do it” Jim gave a tired smile
“yeah. I’d like that”

Later that evening...

Jim took a deep breath. The day had gone by as anxious as ever. He knew he had to face the new reality he was living in. So, as mentally exhausted as he was, he knew he might as well just get on with it. Once he placed the sword onto his back, its weight felt like an actual ton right now, although that might have just been his body reacting to his mindset currently: tired, sore, and reluctant. Jim jumped in surprise with a small yelp when he heard the twins loudly greet him the second he stepped through the other side of the portal
“MASTER JIM!” The half troll watched as they both took a bow and spoke at the same time
“greetings master Jim, how was your academic day? Stop copying me. No YOU stop copying me! You always do th-”
“OKAY! ENOUGH! Please” Jim shouted then rubbed his face. Dic talked before Blinky could
“I apologize master Jim. I do not want to cause you any stress. Would you like a shoulder rub?”
“no thank you”
“how about your tail? How Is it? Would you like it massaged? Do you want to be groomed and brushed? I could polish your horns for you”
“no really it’s fine. But thank you for offering. I decided not to go to college today. I just didn’t feel like I had the energy to do it, not in the right mindset I guess”
“of course my sentinel, you merely need but to ask and if shall be done. Ah, well erm...I hope you have energy right now! Speaking of mindset...” Dic and Blinky looked to one another worried. Blinky spoke softly in a gentle manner
“we have not mentioned your...erm...history of self mutilation. We figured that...well...that was a bit more of a personal matter...and not our place to announce it. We believed you should be the one to do so-whenever you desire of course! And if you never wish to, then that is alright. Although it was quite clear to all when you did however admit to your past actions so...well, like I said. Presenting the physical evidence is your choice to make.” Jim’s ears drooped and he crossed his arms holding himself
“I bet you think it’s just the cowards way out like a lot of people do...” the twins looked at one another then back to Jim, Blinky answered
“Not...ah...at all”

Jims ears rose slightly in surprise
“Wait really?”
“trolls simply never have these kinds of...mind sets and emotions. We truly do not know what to make of it.” Jim knit his eyes
“alright...can we talk about something else now? I feel like things are starting to flare up. It happens when I talk about it for too long..”
“of course! Now then-” Dic pushed Blinky back a bit and cleared his throat
“it is time for your training! I hope you are eager as you as a half troll!” Jim winched and held his tail
“I don’t have to do any fighting...right?” Dic and Blinky turned to one another, shared a concerned look, then turned back to Jim. Dic put his hand over Blinky’s mouth in order to speak before him
“we discussed it with your mother and we have come to the agreement that with your current...state of both mind and body, we have decided to-” Blinky shoved Dic’s hand away and interrupted
“to focus on your education of the bookish variety. For the meantime all you must do is learn about your history” Jim rubbed his tail holding it closer for comfort as his anxiety rose
“my history? What do you mean?”
“well you as a sentinel must learn your history! Of the previous lives and adventures your ancestors had. Learn from their examples and claim glory for yourself! Protect the world and-” Dic pushed Blinky back roughly then continued for him
“and learn of our beloved dark underlord. You are his champion so you must learn of all the past champions history of service! Along with our master himself and his own history” Blinky shoved Dic and said aggressively
“AFTER he learns about his sentinel duties” Dic shoved back
“no. first he must learn his champion status and everything that entails!”
“and he MUST learn OVERALL-”

“ENOUGH!” Jim shouted in annoyance causing both the brothers to stop
“please. I’m tired and I’ve had an exhausting long day. I’m here because I promised and I keep my promises no matter what. If I’m going to be reading and learning then please take me someplace quiet and peaceful so I can learn. Please” the twins bowed with a smile
“of course”

……………………

Jim’s eyes went wide when he entered a section of the brothers shared library. Sure he saw it before of course, but actually SEEING and taking it all in fully was overwhelming. Blinky and Dic had gone around pulling out various books, putting them back, picking others out, jotting down notes, trading books, and eventually creating a few large stacks of them. Jim was guided into a small cozy area where large soft cushions laid on the floor and the warm gentle glow of the crystals dangling above him lit everything up. As far as reading nooks came, this one was pretty nice. And it didn’t smell that bad either.

Dic opened a book and presented it to Jim
“here we are. History of champions. Section 100 volume 3 Gunmars champions. Their names, monikers, lives, styles, powers they’ve unlocked with the divine blade, and the various blessings they’ve received from our dark lord.” Blinky cleared his throat loudly and laid a book on top of that one
“no. first you must read the beginners guide to sentinels. From birth till death. The very blood they come from to the-” Dic pushed the book away
“no. dark lord first.”
“he won’t be able to understand any of that if he doesn’t understand who he is as a sentinel”
“and he won’t know his duties if he doesn’t learn about how to be a proper champion!” Jim looked at the books as the brothers argued. He groaned then said
“I don’t know what any of this is” the brothers turned to him. Dic asked
“of course you don’t know your history yet” Jim shook his head
“no. I mean I don’t understand what all this is. I can’t read it” the brothers turned to one another then Blinky asked Jim
“you don’t know troll speak?” Jim shook his head no
“i wasn’t able to. My mother didn’t know it and since my dad is dead, I never had any troll in my life to teach me it. Dic sighed
“well that makes it all the more complicated” Jims ears folded back
“I’m sorry” Dic pat his shoulder soothingly
“oh no need to apologize. This is in no way your fault! You were only raised by your fleshbag mother and had no access to anything troll related. We will teach you how to read and write” Blinky tapped his chin and gained an idea
“I have a possible remedy for our current predicament…

……….

Jim sniffed the bottle and almost gagged
“what...is this made of?” Blinky tapped the bottle
“made of? Hmm...” Dic added worriedly
“perhaps it better you not learn. You might...erm...have second thoughts about it’s consumption” Blinky carefully handed Jim the bottle
“this is a potion called elixlore. But this specific bottle contains a slightly different recipe” Dic continued
“the drink aids in trolls learning speed. However since you cannot learn from something you don’t already have information to, this version of it allows you to...well in a sense add already known information into your mind. So for the time being after you’ve had a couple of very small sips, you will know troll speak as easy as you do English!” Jim ignored his taste buds and swallowed. Dic taking it away from Jim after two small gulps then stated
“this is all that is needed master Jim. Too much can cause...unique side effects. Now then, please open your book of-” Blinky interrupted
“your beginners g-”
“no. our dark un-” Jim snapped
“STOP! No fighting alright. Please. Look if I’m going to have to live the rest of my life serving the troll guy then I want to learn about him first” Dic gave Blinky a smug look
“see? Master Jim wishes to study his history first”
“master Jim I advise you not to. You have yet to understand the basic outline of your duties” Jim sighed
“I know. Look I just want to read what the champions of the past did so I know what to look forward to” Blinky accepted this and nodded
“very well.” Dic asked sweetly
“would you wish for us to stay by your side and aid you in your research?” Jim shook his head no and said kindly
“no thank you. I want to take myself on this journey alone for the time being. I’ll call if I need anything” the twins bowed and took their leave. Jim sighed and looked at the book, suddenly the words all just seemed to make sense. Everything was clear, clean, and smooth, as if he had had troll as his first language
“huh look at that...Sentinels, Champions of Gunmar. The skull crusher. The dark underlord. The black. Geez do you really need all those titles?”

‘yes.’

Jim shook his head, HOPING he was just hearing the wind and nothing else…
Jim flipped through and read various pages
“The champions of the Dark underlord Gunmar have always followed the strict path set out before them. While given much free will and freedom to grow a name for themselves, they still follow the laws of sentinels:
1st Always protect the world at all costs.
2nd never disrupt or endanger the balance
3rd never harm or kill another sentinel. Including by accident

The champions of Gunmar learn the following tenets by heart:

1st ALWAYS OBEY GUNMAR.
Never hesitate or question his commands. Certain questions may be asked as long as they would merely help to shed insight into a command you do not fully understand, while still being respectful. You are an extension of his will in the world both above and below. Do as he says. Always. If any of the following tenants would somehow go against an order of Gunmar, then you follow the order rather than the tenants

2nd NEVER FALTER.
Never show weakness, fear, and vulnerability to your enemies at any time. Yes, you are mortal and imperfect, But you must do as best as you can and beyond.

3rd ALWAYS BATTLE STARVED.
Always show you are the most brutal, bloodthristy, gore hungry, and violent when in front of your enemies.

4th ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE.
Those who are too weak must be expelled and forgotten. They should never be held in high regards when comparing them to yourself. Yes, leadership and respect should be applied when need be, but never diminish or show you are weaker than them at any given time.

5th BREAK YOUR ENEMIES.
It is simply not enough to slay them. You must show no mercy to your enemies. Always shatter all hope and fill their hearts with despair and dread. Only when you have given them and their allies true hopelessness does your victory count. Death is too merciful at times.

6th YOUR WILL IS YOUR WORD.
Show that you’re far stronger than all others. Whatever you speak, back it up with your strength to prove your words true. Promises and oaths are yours to make, but keeping them are optional. Will over word.

7th THE WORLD IS YOURS.
Take whatever you wish whenever you want. If any are to stop you, break them into submission until they learn not to stand in your way. Make an example of them. Wisdom must be applied of course.

Jim groaned
“of course everything has to be as evil as possible. At least some of them are not directly evil...alright time for some history” Jim flipped through some pages
“okay here’s someone. Avar the tyrant. Most known for his obsession with order. Absolute obedience or absolute destruction. Avar would not tolerate any who did not do as he commanded. With the Decimaar blade he would turn it on others to...take their minds!? Controlling them as puppets, he gained masses to follow his rule. Once he had been slain in battle, those who’s minds were taken finally regained their free will.” Jim blinked and sighed
“great. Now I’m going to be in a book with this guy. Alright let’s see...” Jim flipped through the book and stopped at another champion

“Vas the conqueror. Though she was small and stout, even for a quagawump, she was in no means weak and vulnerable. Using the divine blade she learned how to raise entire armies at a moments notice, summoning them straight from the darklands as well as creating them from magical crystals. Once she had died in battle all those that she had created broke and shattered into useless stone, those she summoned had gone back to the darklands” Jim groaned
“another bad person. Great. There has to be SOMEONE good!” Jim flipped through page after page, champion after champion. No matter what, every single champion of Gunmar had been dark, cruel, violent, controlling, or overall corrupted in one way or another.

“Jaa the just. Alright then this must be someone who has something good about them, right? Jaa the just was focused solely on redemption. Alright not bad so far. Jaa would oversee the redeeming paths others would go through. Okay that’s a pretty good thing to do! Although Jaa himself did not seek redemption, he was tasked at punishing those who forgone their redeeming choices. Those who strayed from the path they were set out on were brutally executed in the most violent and painful ways possible.” Jim slapped his face
“really?! Come on!” Jim rubbed his face and moaned
“oh well isn’t this fantastic. Everyone is evil and now I’m the next in line. That makes me evil doesn’t it? Please please please someone be good. Or at least some kind of obviously morally ambiguous person!”

“Darvaz the oath keeper. He was a tall and intimidating gumm-gumm. Larger than most and knew how to prove it. Many would go to him willingly and…offer their souls and eternal service to him if granted power. He agreed and sealed the pact. Their bodies and very souls would be branded with the symbol of the dark underlord Gunmar. Through Darvaz’s power, he grew a small following which soon became powerful and not to be trifled with. When he fell in battle all those who held the brand were killed within an instant. Shattering into rubble as their souls were yanked out of their bodies and sent to Gunmar’s realm. Gee how fun.” as Jim flipped through the book he stopped at a gilded page. Various runes were written in dark red, almost glowing. An image of a tall figure looking as imposing as all else. A lethal mace being held in one hand, while the other held the Decimaar blade. One horn broken off, face riddled with scars and an expression that showed anger and seriousness. The figure was clad in black armor that glowed red. Jim looked closer, seeing It was barbed, and with sharpened claws.

(listen to this for the proper mood to when reading)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuWHRJTWAsg&ab_channel=SecessionStudios

“Tellad-Urr the terrible. Gunmars most ferocious and capable champion. From the first day he was chosen, to the very last day of his life, he was the greatest of Gunmars champions ever to be known. He had quickly mastered all powers bestowed upon him by the dark underlord. None dared to even whisper his name without feeling the dreaded cold of his stare. He could do feats none had ever witnessed or even experienced before. Little, if nothing at all, rivaled his immense power. Even all other sentinels feared him and dared not to invoke his wrath and ire. It is said that he had a dearest love, and when his mate had perished he vowed to never let the world be forgiven for its transgression. Mercy was a word he had forgotten.

Nothing could hinder his wrath once invoked. Truly the stuff of nightmares, the world seemed to breathe easy for the first time the day he was felled. Only the largest most lethal of monstrosities never to have been seen before were able to slay him. Tellad-Urr had the most kill count to ever claim, and show clear evidence of. From his actions, both the surface world and below had been changed for all of time. The scars he left would never fade. The scars he earned would always be shown. If such another champion to even come closer to his capabilities were to be born, the world would surely never be the same again.

Tellad-Urr had once literally slain two armies in a single day. Peace was needed between two kingdoms that feuded with one another, and peace had been restored, once none were left alive.

Although many felt safer that he was felled, many felt vulnerable and became afraid. The strongest sentinel had fallen. The world would have to deal with much greater threats that could hardly be stopped.

“from birth till death he had the greatest might
He seemed to be bane and lifes very own blight
As strong as his master truly and undoubtedly was
He would always be a step away from him as one does

From once he lost his greatest love his reign did start
All lands cowered from his rage as he tore them apart
Protecting life he did very well
The nightmares came and he had fell

Wrath and might unrivaled with rage
Forever recorded on every page
As much as life had suffered with his cost
Many felt horrible and then lost
When his power became absolute and unbearable
All would remember the name

Tellad-Urr the terrible”

Jim was shaking lightly before taking a few calming breaths
“how could someone that horrible be born and left unchecked? Then again, not like humans were any better. Oh no...am I going to become like him? No. I’ll make sure of it. I’m a good person.” Jim felt over the page
“who even is Gunmar?” Jim looked around the book piles until he found a book on troll kinds greatest beings. He flipped through it until he came upon the section of Gunmar
“so this is who you are…
Gunmar the black, the underlord, the skullcrusher is a being not of natural birth. Long ago trollkind and humans were at peace. No one remembers who started it, many theorize it was from a great many details that eventually caused it to happen, the two races went to war with one another. One of the largest, most vital heartstones in the old world absorbed the nature of the environment it was surrounded in. it only knew peace and love, but once the war had began, trolls had festered with rage and resentment. The heartstone reacted to such a thing, and from such intensity it rotted and created from its very life force a literal manifestation of war. Carnage, violence, and all other powerful negative emotions fueled Gunmar. He could not be slain by any means. Eventually trollkind and humanity, through various events, signed a peace treaty. From this the fighting, more or less, had ceased. Gunmar being a creature of war and conquest, demanded they finish their domination. The trolls refused to do so, except for a few who agreed. Trollkind needed to be the owners of both the worlds. War flared up and fighting took place. Finally after a great many battles, various beings had come together in order to hold a council with Gunmar. He agreed and they met in a disclosed location.

From there, after many hours, a treaty was signed and a deal struck. Gunmar was granted true immortality and immense power. In return Gunmar swore not to invade the surface world, and take his armies to his home and keep them there. He had become the third most powerful being to exist. Now, a trio would keep the balance of the universe. Gunmar, Morgana, and Merlin. Gunmars followers still went back and forth under and above the surface working his will. Although he could leave whenever he wished, he has yet to do so. Whatever he plots and plans, is unknown to all. Now granted immortality, he has been able to create his own champions from the sentinel bloodlines. These champions have been the most ruthless of all. Feared and hated, all tolerate them for what they are, unable to deny them their right to protect the world and its inhabitants.”

Jim looked at the images of Gunmar. Eyes knitting together in worry
“so this is who he is. Bara boobs for sure” Jim turned and looked at his shadow
“so that’s what you fully look like. hm.”

Dic walked into the room holding a tray with a few snacks on it
“I’ve found human snacks for you! I thought it might help you regain some energy” Jim smiled and looked at how foul the snacks looked. Mashed, soiled, moldy, or just disgusting in some way.
“ah...thanks. I’m not really hungry for food right now though” Dic bowed then placed the tray down on a nearby table
“of course. I shall put this here in case you get hungry. So, how goes your research?”
“it’s...educational. Hey, Dic. Is there an afterlife? It talks about it in here but...what exactly happens?”
“Ah, excellent query! Those who serve our dark underlord swear their souls to him. When our bodies have perished and our lives come to the end, our souls join him! We are his to be used as he desires. We are in his eternal service until the end of time itself! We go not anywhere else. And, at the rarest of times, he will reforge our body to be used in the world once again. Exciting isn’t it?” Jims ears folded back as he rubbed the back of his head
“yeah...sure. So...even in death we’re owned by him?”
“Correct”
“so no heaven or hell huh”
“those are human concepts and beliefs. Even if we used them, it would not be applied to those who serve him”
“Well what about you? You don’t have sentinel blood” Dic waggled an index finger
“ah true! But you swear your life and soul to him when you agree to serve him! So when we both perish we could very much meet one another once again!”

“huh...so...only he can do this?”
“oh no no, the other two patrons can do the exact same! Swearing loyalty and servitude to the specific patron will have them own you. And before you ask, no you cannot switch patrons once sworn! The oath cannot be changed or broken whatsoever...well unless they no longer wish to claim you. Then your soul is sent into oblivion. To no longer exist in any form. The very end of you.” Dic smiled
“does this enlighten you?”
“yeah it does.” Jim touched his own chest
“I think I’m ready to head home now. I don’t want to read or be here anymore. I’ll be back tomorrow”
“Ah I see. Do you wish to take a book home with you?”
“No. I’ll be back. And read...whenever”
“understood. Would you like me to walk you home?”
“no thanks. I’m good”

………..

Jim tossed and turned in bed unable to be still…

Jim gasped and woke up. Except when he looked at his surroundings, he was once again in the darklands. Jim stood up off the floor and began to wander while looking around aimlessly. The air grow colder and more...cruel? Almost as if it were trying to suffocate the poor half troll. Jim began to cough and wheeze, grabbing his stomach as he bent over and almost lost balance. Everything suddenly became as clean and clear as before as he heard a voice. The deep soothing one

(Gunmars body language and tone is based on season 3 ep 10 when he’s speaking to walt and his voice is NOT sexy in any way at all whatsoever so don’t even try to imagine his voice being as sexy as it is >.>)

“my champion” Jim’s body suddenly relaxed, as if all aches left him suddenly. All knots in his back and tension throughout his body. It was as if someone had removed every pain and ache within him.
“rise my champion. Look at your lord” Jim stood up straight and saw Gunmar’s hulking figure standing merely inches away from him
“G-Gunm-mar” Jim stuttered in fear. Gunmar tilted his head slightly and smiled warmly
“have no fear my champion” Jim felt the anxiety within him leave rapidly, hardly a memory now.
“there, isn’t that better?” Jim bared his fangs and made a small growl
“what do you want with me?” Gunmar raised an eyebrow
“the very first time you’ve ever growled.” Gunmar put his hand on his chest
“And directed towards me? Why I’m hurt”
“I DON’T CARE!” Jim looked around trying to find someway out. He held his horns and shut his eyes tightly
“wake up Jim! you’re asleep! Wake up!”
“ease yourself my cha-”
“STOP CALLING ME THAT! I DON’T WANT THIS!” the anger left him as quickly as it had come. He took a deep breath and relaxed
“there. isn’t that better?” Jim looked into Gunmar’s eye
“Stop...doing that to me”
“But I want my champion relaxed. Feel warm and soothed, loved even. I do care for you”
“no. you don’t”
“oh but I do”

Jim backed up a bit as Gunmar stepped closer
“stay away from me! You’re evil!”
“evil? That word is meaningless to our kind. If anything I would imagine humans owning that word than any other”
“humans don’t try to corrupt me. Like you are!”
“corruption? Oh my champion...” Jim felt Gunmar tilt his face up with an index finger under his jaw
“you were practically born corrupted. There is no going back. Your bloodline has served me faithfully for generations”
“why?” Gunmar chuckled like a small child making a simple joke
“why? Because I offered power” in the other hand Gunmar opened up his palm and showed it closely to Jim. A red light began to form and pulse. Jim’s body went slack as he stared into it. It was...the most beautiful thing Jim had ever seen in his entire life. He couldn’t possibly describe what he was seeing, yet he couldn’t look away
“doesn’t it feel nice?” Jim could only nod. Gunmar closed his hand snuffing out the light. Jim whimpered slightly wanting it back
“now now champion. You will feel all that power one day. For now, we must work on it. I offer power to those who carry sentinel blood. Along with other individuals, but sentinel blood is so much more...delicious and potent. Many many generations ago A troll who held the blood begged me to make a deal. His eternal service and the service of all his descendants in exchange for immense power that would rival no other. I agreed and the contract was sealed, the deal was done. No undoing it in any way. The trolls child and their children and so on have served me well. Then for a time I focused my efforts on others, still keeping a close eye on your bloodline. I would occasionally select a champion among your family every once in a while. Then one day I foresaw a half troll who would be one of my greatest champions. Then, you were born. My beliefs were confirmed once I peered into your destiny. So many choices, so many beginnings and endings.”

Gunmar looked into Jim’s eyes as his own glowed
“out of all of them I wanted what was best for you. You have so much untapped potential within you. Not just your blood, but yourself in general. You would be in my top 10 greatest champion list….yes. You should feel honored and amazed that I chose you”
“but...why? You see me, you see who I am and my skill! You say I have potential but I’m cowardly and I cry and hurt myself a-”
“because I can see the beautiful flower you will bloom into. You are just a bud, and I will help your growth. You were destined for this. The day you took your first breath, until the day where you take your final, it will be in service to me”
“you don’t even know me!”
“oh but I do” Gunmar began to gently stroke Jim’s fur
“I have seen you your entire life. I have every one of your memories, every experience, every sting of pain. You are not a monster. You are not some vile creature you believe yourself to be. You are a beautiful creature who will grow powerful and-”
“no. I don’t want power.”
“oh but you do. You’ve felt the blade. You feel the hunger beginning to gnaw at you. You had your first taste and now...you want more. Your appetite will be sated my champion, I will see to that” Jim shook his head no and backed away a little
“no. you’re just some greedy vile monster! You hurt people and take things! I’ve read everything about you! I don’t want to be apart of anything!”
“what? You think I’m a monster? But I’m not. You read about one side of me. Are not all beings negative in some way? Everyone has a hunger within them. Some dark desire. Some itch they want to scratch. I help scratch them-”
“at the cost of being your slave!”
“what if I told you that every single one of my so called ‘slaves’ had come to me wanting to make a pact? What if I told you not a single person had been taken forcefully?”
“but your champions have the power to enslave others!”
“and? It is simply power I give them. They do what they wish with it. it’s theirs to use. I never used it myself. Don’t human leaders use their subjects as slaves?”
“I…no but...That’s different”
“oh? How so?”

Jim’s ears drooped and he held himself
“I...I just...I don’t want to be a monster. Not like you. Or anyone else”
“oh but you’re not! You belong here. With me. With us”
“still, I know you’re just some terrible beast! You LITERALLY were born from terrible things!”
“oh my champion you barely know everything about me”
“and I don’t want to!”
“oh?” Jim bared his teeth again
“I know about your past champions! How horrible they all were! How evil and cruel they were! I don’t want anyone to think of me like that! I don’t want anything to do with you or-or-or anything!”
“my champion. There is no getting rid of me. I’ve claimed your bloodline. Your very soul. Even when you die you belong to me. You will stay with me for all of eternity. Now, try thinking of me in a different light. You only are seeing the negative side of things. You have yet to see the rewards I can offer” Jim looked at Gunmar as he walked closer and asked lowly
“like...like what?”

Gunmar gave a loving smile. Everyone loved rewards after all...
“power. Wealth. Fame. Love. And oh so much more” Gunmar extended an arm causing Jim to turn to look at what he was referring to. Jim’s jaw dropped at what he was seeing. Jim’s eyes were looking at something he didn’t know what to make of. It was like someone ripped various moments of life apart and stuck them together like some kind of collage. One moment was a room filled with treasure of all kind. From gemstones to gold and anything that could be made from or with it. The room so large Jim could hardly even see the roof of it. Another moment was of his mom and him in the sunlight having a picnic laughing and enjoying themselves happily. No care or worry in the world. Something they hadn’t done in a while…

Another moment was of Jim and his apparent friends hanging out doing regular everyday things. Just spending time as a group. Jim having friends finally. What hes always wanted. Another moment was of him and a blurred figure. Like trying to look through frosted glass. Them smiling and kissing. Jim being held and snuggled. Them watching movies together at home, them watching fireworks at night on a hill. Them getting married. Them having a child.
Another moment was of him sitting on a throne in the darklands, reclined and swinging a leg off the side of the armrest as others did various activities and cheered his name in joy. Everything fun with no cruelty or anger towards Jim. Another moment was of a simple image. Him, in the middle of a fresh spring meadow. All alone. Taking deep breaths as he looked up to the sky. He picked a flower and blew its petals, watching them travel on the wind. The petals soon exploded into colorful lights, like mini fireworks going off.

Jim felt Gunmar begin to pet him once more speaking smoothly
“doesn’t all that look nice? All of it can be yours and oh so much more”
“who...who’s with me right there? who’s marrying me and having a child with me?”
“whoever you desire it to be. A nice large selection of bulls, I will provide you with. Choose whoever you want. Although I know you prefer a monogamous relationship. And if you find no one to your liking, then we will find one you do. You’ve always wanted a love in your life. Someone to hold you, kiss you, cuddle you and tell you everything will be alright. Someone to help you carry away those demons in your mind. And what about your friends? You’ve always wanted friendship with others. Wanting to fit in and be normal. Have fun in the sun and under the stars at night. Your heart will overflow with joy. You will experience every pleasure imaginable be it from flesh to emotion and everything in-between.” Gunmar growled a bit in joy as he saw Jim stare at the moments, feeling happier
“you will be well rewarded. Nothing will be outside your grasp. More and more. Let yourself overflow with pleasures of all kinds, shapes, and sizes”
“I’m not greedy though”
“then take your fill, sate your appetite, then have no more. Doesn’t all this look nice?” Jim nodded
“yeah. It really does”
“so, you have two choices. Be willing and do as I say and live your life of pleasure and payment. or...”

Gunmar waved his hand out and all the moments faded away. Jim reached out as if trying to grab them, stop them from leaving. Gunmar gripped a hand around Jim’s throat and squeezed. Jim cried in pain as he felt all the veins in his body burn and glow. It felt like he was having lava flow through him
“or you could be in a world of agony. Spending your entire life in endless pain. Hurting you and breaking you down to the point where you’re still able to do as I say and nothing more.”

Gunmar released Jim’s throat and ended the pain. Jim shook and coughed. Trying his best to breathe
“now my champion. Make your choice. Think on it. I will speak to you later. Pleasure or pain. Your choice.” Jim managed to cough out
“hardly a choice”
“like I said. You belong to me. I can do whatever I want with you. I want to be a good master. I enjoy my champions and I want them to enjoy me. Physically too. Although I doubt you’d want my intimate touch. Now then, wake to your mortal form my champion. And think about this carefully”

Jim’s eyes snapped open and he shot up out of bed, panting and shaking, drenched in a cold sweat. Jim looked at his hands and shuddered. Either pain or pleasure. His choice. Jim took in a few deep steady breaths to ease his nerves. Once he stood up he saw how beautiful the morning sun was. Then from a mirror, he looked and saw his shadow. The figure of Gunmar. Jim’s thankful no one else had really paid attention to that. He would have no idea how to explain it. The shadow of Gunmar. His soul really is claimed by the dark underlord.

Chapter Text

In the past…

“-and the capital in California is Sacramento.” Jim typed it into his college homework with a sigh
“easy enough to remember, knowing I live in the same state. Always nice to know more history I guess, just in case I ever want to travel. Which is just as likely as me making friends.” Jim stopped, saved, and closed his assignment down
“that’s enough for the night. And now I’m talking to myself. Again. I shouldn’t be surprised at this point, you’re all you have when your mom is gone, Jim.” Jim sighed again and reclined into his seat. He looked outside when he could have sworn he saw trolls across the street enter the home. Must have just been his imagination though. Why would trolls enter a house? Not like they rob places, or even have any desire to enter. Then again, what does he know? Not like he’s ever even met a troll. Jim held himself as his eyes wandered downwards to his desk’s drawer. A small false bottom inside. A simple box was placed within. Jim shook his head
“no. stop. Don’t even think about hurting yourself.” Jim quickly stood up and turned away, tail pushing his chair into his desk neatly
“just think of mom crying. You don’t want her to cry.” Jim looked to his bed. As cozy, warm, and perfect as ever. 8Pm and he was already debating on going to bed. Jim shook his head no and walked out. He could take a shower, hot water always felt nice. He could cook food and eat. But he did that earlier and he didn’t want to just do it out of sheer boredom. Videogames? TV? Movies? Books? He could masturbate, give him the amazing high that helped. If only a little. No. no use in doing that. He could go for a walk? He didn’t want to leave his house. Mom was at work to no ones surprise, not like he could spend time with anyone else.
“maybe I should get a hobby. I hear stamp collecting is invigorating. Always did enjoy myself a nice stamp. Ha. eh. Wood carvi-no. Nothing sharp. I don’t trust myself with sharp things. Besides kitchen knives oddly.” true, out of everything he used to hurt himself, he never used those. He made sure to cement in his mind that, like everything else he used while cooking, it was for that single purpose.
“sleep it is then”

………………………

“wake up Jim. Wake up!” Jims eyes opened slowly to see his mother smiling as she entered with pancakes

(mhm, my take on it for this fic. Well a similar thing at least)

“don’t want to sleep through your big day!”
“big day?”
“the big day you start with, mom’s special birthday pancakes!”
“he looks like he’s screaming”
“he’s excited” Barbara gently brushed Jim’s fur out of his face
“I know how you don’t really like to celebrate your birthday, but you’re 21 now! that’s a big milestone. Even for a half troll” She booped his nose. Jim gave a tired smile, already trying to use up what little energy he had in that moment
“so what, you’re going to take me out drinking? Go to a strip club?”
“maybe. It would be good to have a first time” Jim’s ears dropped down in shock
“huh? You’re serious?”
“of course not! You don’t need to start drinking. As for the strip club, I could drop you off at one for a few hours if you’d like”
“yeah. I’d rather not. For both of those.” Jim just didn’t trust himself to take even a sip of alcohol. If he ever enjoyed it, he wouldn’t stop. He didn’t want to take even the smallest chance. If he can hardly control hurting himself, how the hell would he control the urge to not drink himself until he blacked out. Numbing the world until he just wasn’t apart of it was something he tried to achieve multiple times in different ways. He didn’t want alcohol to be added to his attempts. As for the strip club, sex has always been an awkward subject. Not in the sense of being embarrassed about being gay, or ashamed of it, and his mother had always been supportive of it, even offering to take him to pride in San Francisco, although that was entirely something different. No, he just felt awkward about having yet another thing attached to him in others eyes. He was already a freak. Adding that stigma to him? He preferred others not to know until he was sure they wouldn’t see him as something they would believe as being even worse. So imagining himself walking into an all male strip club with others looking at him thinking he’s a perverted freak was something he would very much rather not manifest into reality.

Barbara shrugged
“well, if you ever want to try anything...different. Just tell me”
“and if I wanted to go to some BDSM club?”
“that wouldn’t be anything I’d expect you would be into, but it’s your life. As long as it doesn’t hurt you, I’m okay with it”
“technically BDSM COULD hurt me”
“well I think that’s a different thing altogether. Alright enough BDSM talk, it’s time to choose what you want to do for tonight!”
“I’d rather just stay home like our usual”
“you sure? We could go out for bowling!” Jim shook his head
“no, it’s okay. I’m happy just spending the day with you” Barbara pet Jim making him purr in delight
“alight. But the second you want something, just ask. Now, how’s about you try your pancakes!” Jim looked down at the now frowning, and crying, pancake
“I think it’s a little too upset with hearing us discuss eating it”
“or an excuse not to” Barbara kissed Jim’s forehead
“alright I’ll be downstairs if you need anything” Jim watched her leave, then looked back down to his depressed pancakes
“I know how you feel. Trying to keep up a good face in front of everyone. It’s taking me almost all my energy just to get out of bed. Well, time to get up and start the day with an almost empty battery. Better than most days” Jim put the pancakes aside and started his journey of yet another day

In the present…

Jim took a deep breath and stretched. His mind began to instantly travel to the events in his dreams, however he stopped himself. He was hungry and didn’t need to get emotional first thing in the morning.
‘breakfast first. Then deal with everything.’ Jim walked out of his room and went to splash some water onto his face in the bathroom. As he did that his ear lifted when he heard his mother
“morning kiddo how are you?” Jim tried to work up a strong enough smile and keep it there
“alright”
“and are you feeling alright?” Barbara said gently taking Jim’s tail into her hands and stroked it lovingly making Jim purr in both satisfaction and ease
“I’m feeling better just talking to you”
“You know what else might make you feel better?” Jim tilted his head slightly
“food?”
“well that too. Come on, I’ll show you” Jim’s eyes narrowed a little bit
“no...” Barbara’s face grew a sly smile
“yes”
“you wouldn’t.”
“oh you and I both know I would”
“no. not at this hour. Not this early in the day”
“yes at this hour. And what’s better to start off your day with?”
“literally ANYTHING else”

……………..

Jim was sitting on the couch trying to eat a bagel while looking at his mothers secret tool to always help ‘cheer him up’

Baby photos.

“aww look at this one” Barbara held a picture of Jim in a crib looking up at the camera
“your little horn nubs were the most adorable thing! Aww and your little tail! You used to suck on it like a thumb” Jim groaned. Why did he always sit through this humiliation? Oh yeah. Because his mom loved it. The things you do to keep your loved ones happy. And alright maybe seeing his moms reactions did cheer him up...if only a little...

“aww look at this one. Your little fangs were just starting to grow in” Jim sighed as he looked at the picture of his small self chewing on a toy, teeth marks digging into it
“You used to chew on everything all the time! Oh I had to constantly replace the furniture”
“I know mom. You tell me the same thing every time.”
“aww look! It was the very first time you wore your special pants!”

ah yes the special pants.

The first ever pants he owned where a tail hole was created professionally. Not just torn open for it to fit through. Lucky they found a good tailor for his tail
“I remember getting you measured for your size. Aww look at this photo! Your fur was growing wild that year! I could hardly keep up with the haircuts!” Jim groaned
“can we not do this?”
“oh no. we have to do it. It always makes you feel better. Aww look! The first time we measured your horns! You were so happy to see how much they grew! Remember that little Christmas stocking we’d put on your horn? you’d always sleep with it on in December always asking when Santa would fill it up with candy. I would always slip it off your head when you were asleep then put it next to your pillow stuffed with sweets on Christmas morning!”
“yeah I remember it. You still wanted to keep doing it when I was getting older”
“Can we do it again this year? For old times sake?” A smile slowly grew on Jim’s face. The way Barbara smiled warmly would always fill Jim’s heart up with joy. Even if it was at the expense of being embarrassed.
“awww look at this photo! You were a big pumpkin for Halloween when you were 4! You would be so shy and wrap your tail around my leg and bury your face into your hands. Aww look at this one! Remember when we went to the dentist because your baby fang fell out? You were so excited to show him. You told him-”
“how much of a big boy you were getting.” Jim said rolling his eyes
“Yeah I remember. And I remember the strange face he made at me.”
“awww this is a photo from when you asked where babies came from!”
“oookay that’s enough of that...I need to...make food” Jim quickly got up and fled to the kitchen

“just because you go in there Mr doesn’t mean you’ll ever stop this from happening again! Aww this one is when you started to go through puberty!” Jim quickly shut the sliding window and let out a sigh. Well, like always, that did in fact cheer him up and calm his mind down!

‘adorable.’

Jim’s eyes went wide. He whisper out

“Gunmar...”

‘I lived through all those memories, but seeing them in photo form, is quite interesting. You truly always did have adorable horn nubs’

“they were not!”

‘oh yes they were’

“Jim sweetie are you talking to me?”
“no mom! it’s just Gunmar!”
“oh alright, tell him I said hi”
“my mom says hi”

‘tell her I said greetings’

“he says greetings” Jim whispered
“why am I being so casual about this...”

‘you are comfortable. As I wish for you to be’

“alright Gunmar look. I gave it some thought. Well, I just woke up but I’m agreeing. Alright? I don’t want pain and I have no choice anyways so I might as well just do as you say and get everything I could ever want.”

‘good. As I knew you would choose so. Power and riches are tempting to all’

“and pain is a thing that I would rather avoid”

‘so. Are you ready for the rest of your life?’

Jim sighed
“yeah. What do you want me to do first?”

………………..

Toby dried himself off as he stepped out of the shower and into his room. As he was getting ready he checked his phone to see Claires text

C: you up yet?
T: yeah fresh out the shower. Sparkling slcean!
T: I meant slcean!
T: wtf
C: good to know you’re slcean!
C: Soooo I was thinking, we should bring Jim with us. He could use some friends =)
T: I’m down for it! I feel really bad for him. I never knew about his inner demons
C: well not like you can see it from the outside. Must be hard for him being a half troll. If everyone stared at me all the time, whispered things, and just did horrible stuff I wouldn’t be feeling too hot
T: I mean that was us in high school. Well you a lot less than me
C: well that’s different. Basic ass bitch bullying from time to time isn’t anything near what he probably has to go through
T: time to time? You remember Steve right? Well anyways that’s true. So you should meet up with us, I'm gonna go get him and start walking to troll market, although I’m pretty sure he’d love to try out a shadow portal! He might think it’s super cool =D
C: sounds good! First I need to go pay someone a visit and get a book
T: where at?
C: castle
T: don’t forget your deck!
C: haha. Wasn’t funny years ago, still isn’t funny now.
T: hey if you’re headed to the shadow realm, carry your cards with you! Believe in their heart!
C: I’ll meet up with you later, ttyl
T: c ya!

…………………..

Claire focused and walked through the portal, opening onto a stone path leading to a mighty castle. Claire made her way up the stepping stone path that winded around various floating rocks and debris. The castle was created by solidified shadows and melded stone. The light reflected off and on it making it shimmer as if in a dream. The castle doors opened up as Claire stepped through. Various robed figures floated around reading books, tending to things, and praying in various ritual circles. Pathways opened and closed as Claire roamed the castle halls. Everything fading in and out of existence, hardly a solid and hardly a mirage. After a long voyage into the deepest parts, Claire came upon two massive doors with various engravings and depictions of different moments in time. The doors opened up and Claire stepped through it. The room was a massive library with varying pools of color held within stone circles. Bubbles and images formed and popped from the pools, showing different events throughout the world.
“ah. My champion. You’ve arrived at last.” Morgana floated facing a wall as she flipped through various books. The shelves sorting themselves as different objects floated around the room. Occasionally a small spirit would form for a split moment in the room before quickly vanishing into shadow
“hello my lady” Claire took a bow
“So. Gunmar has a new champion. After all this time, he’s finally claimed one. And a half troll too? So young and naive that one is. So fragile. So...unpredictable. What is that troll playing at? I wonder what sort of plots he’s formulating. Watch Jim carefully dear, this truly is history in the making. I can sense it.” Claire walked over to a space where a couch formed and took a seat
“So what do you think of Jim?”
“the question dear girl is what YOU think of him”
“Well, not much I know so far. I can feel how sad and miserable he is though. Then hearing what he said...it’s really disheartening to know”
“half troll emotions are very unstable. Extreme in a moments notice. If Gunmar has taken interest in the boy, then that means Jim has something special inside of him. Or he can do something special. I have to admit, even my interest is piqued. Gunmars champions have always been so...dull. So obvious in what they want. How they act. How they think. This one though...”

Morgana left the book in the air and floated over to the couch, taking a seat and looking at Claire
“I live for the unpredictable. Chaos over mundane, but you know that already so no point in wasting my breath explaining it. Hm. I haven’t seen a half troll in ages. I’m honestly surprised they haven’t gone extinct yet. Then again, you don’t need a half troll to make them. Clearly his mother and father fell in love and made him. So darling Claire, from what I’ve seen through your eyes is a scared young thing, hardly able to look another in the eye without wanting to back down and flee in fear. I already know you plan on befriending him, but what are your plans exactly? What are you expecting out of this?” Morgana folded her hands together. Claire brushed the hair out of her own face
“well it would be nice for him to have friends. And I want to be one of those friends”
“befriending out of pity?”
“no nothing like that. He seems like he has a kind and gentle heart” Morgana tapped her chest over her heart
“ah but hearts could be darker than you think. Perhaps he has a terrible darkness held tightly within him, right under the surface ready to burst through. And if he is a champion of that dark troll...well kind and gentle might be a lie, or at least a catalyst of sorts.” Claire shrugged
“either way, he seems like he would be nice. And since he’s a sentinel I’m going to have to learn how to work beside him, so why not be friends?” Morgana smiled
“I am eager to watch this unfold. Now go my champion, you are needed elsewhere” a book floated over to Claire
“and here is your book” Claire took it and put it in her backpack, sliding it on as she stood up to leave. She took a bow and said her goodbyes.

Once she left through a shadow portal, Morgana snapped her fingers and a troll manifested
“Angor rot” the old troll smiled
“yes my lady?”
“Gunmar has a new champion. A half troll. Very young. Very new. Hardly knows how to hold a sword steady. Grown his entire life around humans, cast aside as a monster by their society. I want you to hunt him” Angor rubbed his chin
“hm. I have never hunted such game. Gunmars champions are never easy to battle. And a half troll?”
“hardly a young adult”
“hm. I will do so”
“of course you will. Oh, just to be clear. I want you to watch from afar, never letting anyone become aware of your presence. Not even Claire must find out. Study him. Keep a close eye at all times. Then when the time is right, strike. Go easy on him. And do nothing to truly harm him. I want to see just what he’s truly capable of. The fear of a predator should bring forth something unexpected. If Gunmar chose him, then there must be a reason. I am oh so eager to watch things unfold. Now, go.” Angor rot bowed
“as you wish my lady” he walked through a shadow portal and left. Morgana tapped her fingers on a table in front of her as she manifested a quill and ink. A pure white parchment laid itself out on the desk as she began to write on it…

Elsewhere…

The sounds of swords clashing echoed throughout the void.
Draal had parried his fathers spectral blade
“ah good my son! You have improved remarkably” Draal grunted as he dodged a slash
“thank you father. I do my best”
“and it shows. However, you still have much to learn” Draal was taken by surprise as Kanjigar manifested behind him and slashed across his shoulders. Knocking Draal to the ground and daylight out of his grasp. The armor vanished and the phantom pain subsided as quickly as it had come. Kanjigar smiled as he held out a hand, offering to aid his son back onto his feet. Draal grunted and took it
“thank you for your lesson, father”
“always my son.” Kanjigars eyes narrowed
“so Gunmar has a new champion.” Draal rolled his eyes and huffed
“I would hardly call him that. Yes he does. Although I don’t even see why he was chosen.”
“I had seen it too. Your spar-well...whatever it should be categorized at least...” Draal snorted
“the whelp is so weak he even admitted to have attempted to end his own life. As small as it is. Why Gunmar had chosen him is beyond belief!” Kanjigar put a hand on his sons shoulder
“looks are oft deceiving. He may be young, naive, and inexperienced, but do not forget who he is the champion of. If the dark troll chose him it must be because something lurks inside that half troll”
“you forgot to mention cowardly, afraid, suicidal, weak, vulnerable-”
“enough son.” Kanjigar shook his head and sighed
“give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s hardly an adult. If that. One day he may grow into something to be feared”

A variety of voices whispered out
“He is already a monster”
“he is corrupt and toxic”
“he will soil the earth”
“he is a herald of death”

Draal scoffed
“he is certainly no Tellad-Urr.”

One spirit spoke up
“when that beast fell, the world was at peace”
“yet things became worse.”
“at least his strength was useful.”

Kanjigar swat away the other spirits
“when he fell it was a deep cost. The horrid creatures that overtook him quickly overran an entire market in the old world. We lost a heartstone, and a home. He was a powerful guardian, let us not forget or leave out he did his duty” Draal sighed as he heard Jim’s voice echo around them. A clear indication he was in the forge now
“wonderful. How am I supposed to train with him in the way?” Kanjigar pat Draal’s shoulder
“give him time to grow. Aid him even. Perhaps he won’t because some vile monster his fellow champions had become. He is innocent still. Help to keep him on a better path. We cannot change his fate and future, but you can at least give him a guiding hand in not growing into something horrid” Draal groaned
“fine. If I must work alongside him, then I at least want him to not even think of spreading his corruption around MY world.”

Earlier…

Barbara heard a knock on the front door. She went to it and opened it up, seeing a smiling Toby standing there
“hello there”
“hey neighbor! Good morning! It’s me, Toby from across the street”
“well good morning right back, how can I help you?” Toby wasn’t exactly sure how to bring it up so he tried to bait out the answers he needed. He put his hands together
“so uh...how is your son doing?”
“Jims doing better. Why do you ask?”
“do you...know about...ah...anything…interesting?” Barbara raised an eyebrow
“are you asking me if I know about all the whole saving the world business? Yes I do” Toby sighed in relief
“oh thank god. You would not believe how hard it is to talk to others about it without them laughing, freaking out, or not buying it. Not easy to convince someone to get out of their house before a monster in the area came by and destroyed it! Haha...uh...” He rubbed the back of his head then cleared his throat into his fist
“is Jim home? I wanted to walk with him to trollmarket-you know what that is right?”
“yeah I do. I even met Blinky and his twin. I have to admit this is all still a shock. His father was a simple miner, so we never had to deal with anything like this”
“yeah when these things happen they kinda just yoink you directly into the fire. I wanted to take Jim to trollmarket with me. If he wants to that is! I mean we need to train and I...well his first time there was...intense for him”

Barbara nodded sadly
“I won’t discuss personal matters, but it was hard on him. He’s always had trouble dealing in places with a lot of activity. Then him getting involved-well it was overwhelming. I’m really glad he came home as safe as he did”
“don’t hear that too ofte-I ONLY MEAN IT’S DANGEROU-UH-he could die I mea-uh-i-uh...” Toby chuckled awkwardly and trailed off. Barbara sighed
“I don’t like this whole situation. But if it has to happen then it has to. I’m going to help support him as much as I can. So Toby, you have sentinel business too?”
“yeah! I’m one myself! Sentinel Toby Domzalski reporting for duty! Haha...so if you ever need help with anything sentinel related, I’m your guy! Trained for years now and know how to handle my fair share of dangerous stuff! Check this out!” Toby pulled out the shaft from his back pocket then released his warhammer
“warhammer! Magic of course! Been in my family for generations! And now I am the proud owner of it”
“you just keep that with you at all times?”
“yeah pretty much! Never know when you need to handle a situa...” Toby trailed off as he saw Jim looking nervous on the staircase. He did a little wave
“hiya Jim” Jim gave a small wave back
“am I in trouble? Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry...I’m terrible.” Toby said soothingly
“hey you’re not terrible! And no you’re not in trouble. I came over cause I was heading to trollmarket and thought ‘oh hey let’s go together! Get to know one another and everything!’ So, want to do that?” Jim swallowed and nodded as he held himself
“Sure” Toby gave a thumbs up
“awesome sauce” Jim took a deep breath and walked out the door. Barbara brushed the fur out of his face, kissed him on the forehead and quietly said
“I’m here for you Jim.”
“I know mom” Jims eyes began to water
“I know”

Chapter Text

(for ambient noise, listen to this while reading the next few scenes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOloCg8CzI8&list=PLxbIk89I7mKvktM00m7gkNKsVZNPKDR6_&index=2&ab_channel=Mantascool987-Soundtracks

In the depths of the darklands

Was a throne of bones and stone

A lone soldier walked up to it, feeling the dread already wash over him

Over an armrest was a leg swaying lightly

In front of the throne laid a thick tail that occasionally swept around neatly

The soldier bowed and waited for permission to speak

The uneasy silence was the worst part of it all. Those tense moments in-between breaths that were shakily taken

The voice said plainly

“speak.”

“my champion. Our reports are correct. We have located the creature”

“good. Send a squad.”

“yes my champion”

“and tell Bular to go. Watch from afar.”

“you do not trust in them?”

Jim huffed through his nose

“trust and incompetence are two different things. Now go.”

“Yes my champion”

………………..

A portal opened up and Jim stepped through it. The scarred face sneered at any who looked at him directly. Those once innocent blue beautiful eyes, were now blood red and filled with anger and bitterness. Jim’s tail swat at some gnomes who quickly cried out in fear and scattered. The sundown armor glowed blood red, scaring off any who wished to be within spitting distance. Jim came to a slow when he heard noises. His ears tilted around until he located the source. The sounds of fighting came from the troll pub. Jim’s heart thumped slightly with excitement for the potential opportunity for blade work…

Two trolls were fighting over the last mug of glug, headbutting one another and causing a scene. Everyone turned in stunned silence as Jim cleared his throat loudly, into his clawed gauntlet
“is there a problem here?” the two trolls quickly shook their heads no, one even put their arm over the others shoulder in an attempt to play it off as a friendly spar
“n-no champion! Not at all!” Jim’s eyes glowed as he began to glare
“what was the noise about then?” Jim snapped his fingers and everyone flinched
“speak up. My time is short.” a nearby troll spat out in fear
“they were fighting over the last mug of glug!” Jim walked closer to the two trolls who began to shake and whimper. Jim grabbed the mug with his tail, looked at it, then slowly poured the contents out. Once it was empty Jim released his tails hold on it then SMASHED IT under his boot. He calmly stated afterwards with a cruel smile
“there. Now it’s nice and fair. No more needing to fight over something that doesn’t matter anymore. RIGHT?!” The trolls gasped and fell to the floor groveling
“n-no! Never again!”
“good.” Jim looked around the room, every time his eyes came into contact with anothers, that troll fell to the floor and groveled
“anyone else have a problem?” The room grew completely silent, to the point where Jim could hear the gnomes running around.
“No? Then I expect there to be nothing but happy. Sappy. Moments from now on. If I have to come back here ONE MORE TIME because of something so IDIOTIC-well. My throne will have a few nice skulls added to it.” Jim’s cruel smile widened as far as it could
“have fun now, my sweet trolls. Never forget how much I love you” and with that Jim turned to leave. Disgustingly he smelled urine as he left. It seemed more often now that trolls pissed themselves when he came around.

………………….

“master Jim!” Dic bowed deeply as he greeted the half troll as he entered the forge
“how wonderful it is to see you! Oh you truly have blessed-”
“shut it.” Dic quickly closed his mouth and nodded. Jim saw the other sentinels training as hard as usual. Toby and Claire, now middle aged, waved to Jim, who simply ignored him and walked further in. Deya slashed against a target then noticed Jim walk by
“hey runt” Jim just walked past, slapping her face with his tail
“don’t have to get pissy.”

Jim shoved aside Claire as he was walking. She scoffed
“uh, excuse you”
“don’t get in my way.” Claire looked over to Toby who was jogging over frowning. The two watched Jim as he approached Blinky
“ah, hello master Jim! How ma-”
“where’s Vendel?”
“oh well he’s busy elsewhere. If you need somet-”
“I broke up a fight in the pub. You’re welcome.” Blinky stood up straight and looked at him sternly
“I do not approve of both your attitude and tone.”
“eat it Blinky. Or I’ll cut off an arm like I did your brother.” Dic felt the empty space that was once occupied by a lower arm. To this day he still had a hard time functioning only with 3 arms. Jim was mad at Dic one day and decided to punish him. Dic had to simply allow it to happen and then thank Jim afterwards. Jim was feeling especially cruel that day.
“do not dare threaten me young man! Must we discuss your attitude once more?!” Jim jabbed a finger at him
“DON’T tell me what to do. I can do whatever I want wheneve-” Jim turned to see an angry Arrrg walk up to him then speak sternly
“enough.” Jim growled. Arrrg made a louder deeper growl in return. Arrrg always could show dominance when he needed to. He was bigger and stronger than the others. And Arrrg does NOT tolerate anyone disrespecting his friends, and especially his mate. Jim tried to maintain eye contact with the bull but even his nerves got the better of him. He looked away, a clear sign of submission. Arrrg grunted
“apologize.”
“no.” Arrrg move closer, making Jim a bit nervous
“I said. Apologize.” Jim rolled his eyes and held up his hands
“fine. I’m sorry. There, happy?” Blinky sighed through his nose and waved it off
“let us simply return to training. No more need of all...this” Blinky gave a vague gesture to Jim. Jim just spit on the ground and turned around. Claire and Toby behind him, looking at him distantly. Claire spoke in a dejected tone
“Jim. What happened to you.” Jim snarled
“life happened! But what would you know little shadow princess? what’s the worst that’s EVER happened to you? ‘oh I broke a nail. Oh no I forgot the words to a spell?’ oh no I ran out of my favorite lip stick! Oh that’s right, you’ve had-” Toby jammed a thumb at Jim
“Jimbo. Knock it off. We just wan-”
“want what’s best for me? no. you want to make me weak. You want to keep me soft and sad. I’M NOT LIKE THAT ANYMORE!”
“we know. Our Jim is gone. You’re not him.” Jim’s face twisted in a sneer
“you’re right, he is gone. I’m not him. I’m better.” Deya crossed her arms as she walked beside Arrrg
“no. You’re worse. We all car-” Jim snapped at her, turning in her direction
“care about me? Well I don’t need your pity. Not now. Not ever.”
“alright you need to knock this attitude off because none of us want to deal with it.”

Jim looked to see all the upset faces, minus Dic who was playing with his thumbs trying not to make eye contact or bring any sort of attention his way
“I don’t need any of you. I don’t need to be here.” Claire reached out a hand to put it on Jim’s shoulder
“we do want you here. We just wan-” Jim shoved her hand off
“want me to be soft? Vulnerable? Helpless? IS THAT IT?!” Jim got in her face and snarled
“if you wanted me here, if you wanted me around, then why didn’t you help me?” Deya sighed through her nose and speak under her breath
“not this again.” Jim snapped at her
“OH I’M SORRY. ARE MY PROBLEMS NOT REAL? DO THEY MEAN NOTHING TO YOU? Some friend you are”
“Jim. We’re all still grieving over Draal-”
“oh so, you were the one who lost the love of your life? And your mother? Oh no wait that was me. And you all decided to stand around doing nothing. I WAS TOO WEAK AND SCARED TO DO ANYTHING AND NOW THEY’RE GONE. BECAUSE OF ALL OF YOU! IF YOU JUST-” Jim snorted and stopped. He turned around and said coldly
“I’m leaving. I know when I’m not wanted. I’m going home. My throne misses me. DIC! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!” Dic flinched and ran over to his side
“y-yes my champion?”
“We’re going home.”
“y-yes my champion, of course” Blinky raised his tone
“do NOT command my brother” Jim growled
“I can, I am, and you’re not going to do anything about it. He belongs to Gunmar, which means he belongs TO ME!” Jim roared then marched away
“DIC. MOVE YOUR ASS!” Dic flinched and caught up with Jim.

Claire wiped a tear from her eye
“Jim.” Jim just swallowed down the bitter sour taste in his mouth as he marched forward back into trollmarket. He didn’t need anyone slowing him down. Not anymore. Dic spoke up nervously
“my sentinel, my brother needed my aid-” Jim gave him a sideways glare causing Dic to loose his nerve
“or not...it wasn’t of any importance”
“that’s what I thought.”

In the present…

Jim gave his mother one final farewell hug before hearing the door close behind him and the awkwardness begin. Jim didn’t give much eye contact or speak up. Toby cleared his throat, made another little wave and gave a nice warm greeting
“so hi Jim!”
“Hi...uh...”
“Toby!”
“right. Toby” Jim was quiet unsure what to say. This was probably the first actual time in a while where it was just him and a human he hardly knew face to face having a conversation.
“So ah, Jim your tail is looking better” Jim gripped onto his tail and looked at it like he had forgotten the status of it’s health
“thanks. It feels better. I’m kind of a fast healer”
“nice! Wished I healed fast! When I get hurt it sucks and takes forever! One time I broke my leg and couldn’t really do much for a while. I had to drink this nasty troll juice and then put this equally nasty salve onto my leg daily that Vendel gave me. But it worked like a charm! And I was as good as new! Human doctors sometimes can’t help with sentinel stuff. My leg broke from some magic crap so...well takes magic to heal magic...haha...” Jim gave an uneasy smile, still silent and now wanting to go back inside. Make some excuse up and hide away under his blankets and pillows. Toby scratched his neck then pointed his thumb over his shoulder
“well ah...let’s get going!”
“Sure.”

The walk was...what it was. Most of it was quiet. The occasional car would drive by, and a small handful of times someone yelled out a slur to Jim, things no parents would ever approve of. Toby knit his eyes as he looked with concern at the gloomy half troll
“so...this happen often?”
“yeah. I try not to go out during the day. I just get too much attention.” Jim looked up at a cloud as it slowly rolled across the sky
“I usually walk alone at night. Not many people out. Other than running into an occasional troll, I don’t get hassled or bump into anyone”
“well at least trolls are kinder than people are”
“not to me. They’re just as bad as humans...well in their own ways” Jim sighed as he pulled his tail into his chest
“no one likes half trolls”
“well, I do” Jims ears perked up a bit when he heard this. He looked Toby in the eye curiously
“you...you do?”
“mhm! we’re neighbors! Comrades! Sentinels! Partners in crime! you’re one of us now!”
“doubt Draal feels that way...” Toby slowly reached out and pat Jim’s arm, almost afraid that if he made too quick a movement he would startle the half troll and cause him to run back home like a scared animal
“Draal is...and don’t tell him I said this, or anyone really, he’s kinda a douche. He can be a cool guy at times. But he really just...is a big grumpy ass at times. I’m sure that once he gets to know you and who you are, everything will go great!” Jim pet his tail
“you...don’t mind me being the champion of Gunmar?”
“nah!”
“but...all the others...are so horrible...evil...”
“yeah, true. But you’re not them! You’re not evil”
“what if I become that? What if something happens and I snap?”
“I’ll be there for you, I know Claire will too. Douxie and Archie are as loyal as friends can come! Same with Arrrg! And Blinky is amazing too! Deya will literally take a bullet for you when she gets to know you. Everyone wants you here! Draal will come around. I promise. I’ve been with him and the group for years now, I know them like the back of my hand”

Jim sighed out, but relaxed when Toby began to rub his arm lovingly
“so what if you’re the champion of some dark and powerful troll who was born out of corruption? So what if you’re the champion of the dude that is the literal manifestation of war and negativity? So what if you’re a half troll? So what if you’re in the shoes of old super...different troll champions. Like Claire says, nothing is truly evil or good. Life is too gray for any one way or another...well...mostly”
“everyone of them just became so...corrupted from his power though. My blood is corrupted.” Jim’s ears folded downwards, tears started to form. Toby stopped in front of him
“hey, look at me” Jim had a hard time meeting his gaze but managed to do so. He really hated looking others directly in the eyes, he just felt so vulnerable to them…

“You’re the chosen champion. You’re not all the others. You never will be. The dark desires inside of you, is just the same as anyone else. Blinky once told me that everyone has some darkness inside of them. Sometimes when someone has the power to fuel them it brings out the worst aspects. But that doesn’t mean EVERYONE sinks into it. Take Claire, she’s all shadow magic and she’s an expert on corruption too. She’s not evil though! She could abuse her powers and do so many awful things with them. She has the capabilities to do so many cruel and terrible things. But she doesn’t. She’s able to control herself. She knows who she is and yeah she questions it at times, but she has most of it figured out. Even with her gifts and powers, she knows how to just be a person. Feelings, thoughts, actions, everything. And you will be just like that. I can tell you’re a really good person and that won’t change no matter what. And even if you do snap, the rest of the sentinels are always going to be here for you. Like I said, you’re one of us now. We look out for one another. Arrrg has had a really abusive past and he’s risen above all the terrible stuff and came out stronger for it. Same with Douxie. His past isn’t the...best...but I won’t go into it. That’s his business and choice to talk about, not mine.”

Toby let out a sigh
“alright I’m rambling. My point, you’re a good person. That won’t change. We’ll always be here for you. If you ever question yourself, talk to us. If you feel like you’re turning all evil and gunk, talk to us. If you need help, never be afraid to ask for it. Even Draal asks for help when he needs it and he’s the most stubborn out of all of us. Does this make sense?” Jim smiled and nodded
“yeah. It does. Thanks this...actually really helps” Toby gave a thumbs up
“no prob buddy” next to them a shadow portal opened up and Claire stepped through
“morning boys” Jim awed at it
“whoa...what’s that?”
“oh this? Just a shadow portal. Something I’m able to do” Toby crosses his arms
“and I’m super jealous of it! My magic skills are pretty lackluster. I’m hardly able to do basics. Meanwhile SHE can do a bunch of badass stuff like make clones of herself, teleport, take control of others like puppets-” Claire sighed
“Toby”
“-she can turn invisible, do this phantom thing where she can phase though stuff-”
“T.P!” Jim suddenly snorted by accident
“T.P?” Toby groaned and rolled his eyes
“yes. Her nickname for me.”
“like…toilet paper?”
“oh yeah right I wish.” Claire lightly punched his shoulder
“it stands for-” Toby shot her an angry glare
“don’t say it.”
“Oh I’m gonna”
“don’t.”
“too bad”
“I MEAN IT!”
“he’s gonna find out sooner or later” Toby groaned out
“it stands for...Tobypie.” Jim snorted again
“what?!”
“my nana calls me that and SHE found out about it and decided to give me that nickname.”
“a nickname for a nickname? Nice” Claire laughed
“exactly what I thought”

Claire checked her phone then put it away
“alright guys, we’re running late. We better get to trollmarket” Jim nodded and began to walk but was stopped
“hang on there Jim”
“but we need to leave like you said”
“true but...” Claire activated her staff and created another portal
“I thought we’d try a much faster way”

Meanwhile…

Dic had been searching his vast library for a specific book for at least an hour now. Finally he came upon it. He quickly flipped through it while muttering to himself and nodding. Blinky noticed his behavior and asked
“Brother are you speaking to me?”
“...hm?...er-no. No not you.” Blinky looked over with more interest once he noticed what Dic was holding
“what book have you got there?”
“oh just the key to our future”
“what do you mean-oh my gorgus! Is that what I believe it to be!?” Dic slid the book under his cloak
“I’ve no idea what you speak of” Blinky walked over and played tug-o-war with the book. Finally he managed to yank it out of his brothers hands then gasped in fear as he read the title of the tome
“you wouldn’t DARE!” Dic gave a smug expression while raising an index finger
“oh I most certainly would”
“the boy can barely hold the blade let alone try to wield THIS power!” Blinky slammed the book shut then waved it in the air
“Dictatious have you gone mad!?”
“no. I simply foresee the future-”
“you are no oracle!” Dic crossed his arms while another arm waggled his finger
“The boy will learn and grow!”
“if you unleash this you unleash death TO ALL OF US!”
“the boy will most certainly be able to handle it. This will aid-”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT! I FORBID IT! END OF DISCUSSION!”
“He is MINE to train and do-”
“Oh no! Oh no! This is where the line is drawn! Only 4 champions of Gunmar have EVER managed to CONTAIN this power let alone MASTER IT! And you want HIM TO ATTEMPT IT?!” Dic gave a smug smile
“he has the capabilities within him. I believe it”
“shall we even go over his current state!? Should we even BEGIN to name his numerous issues!? How could you even THINK about trying to burden him with such a force!?”
“he can master it....NOW GIVE ME BACK MY BOOK!” Dic viciously pulled at the tome. The two slap fought and yanked it around the room. Arrrg walked into the room seeing this, then slowly backed out. Only to stop when Blinky shouted
“MATE! AID ME!” Arrrg flinched and knit his eyebrows
“uh…”
“THIS IS MORE THAN SIBLING RIVALRY!”
“uh...”
“THIS FOOL WANTS TO END ALL OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT!” Dic groaned
“enough with the melodramatics! It will not!”
“YES IT WILL! MATE, DO YOU REALIZE HE WANTS TO RELEASE THE-” Dic smacked Blinky, stunning him for a brief moment giving Dic the chance to swipe it back. Blinky slapped him in retaliation and yanked the book back, quickly showing it to Arrrg
“AHA! PROOF! LOOK AT WHAT THIS FOOL WISHES TO ACCOMPLISH!”

Arrrg took a closer look then gave a stern face
“No. No like. Won’t happen. Will prevent it from happening.” Dic rolled his eyes
“you need to put more faith in the boy!” Blinky jabbed two index fingers at Dic’s chest
“we will once he at least LEARNS HOW TO HOLD HIS SWORD STEADY! This is like expecting a whelp who can hardly walk on their own two feet to suddenly begin scaling the cliffs in the darklands!” Dic grabbed the book back
“such faithless beliefs won’t allow him to grow.”
“oh, no I want him to grow and blossom just as much as you! But this is too far!” Arrrrg easily took the book from Dic’s hands and tossed it aside
“not gonna happen. Will tell others. Will stop powerful destruction.” Dic snorted and turned to walk away
“he’s going to have to learn soon enough.” Blinky called out to him before he could leave the room
“after he has gained enough confidence to at least STAND UP STRAIGHT WITH CONFIDENCE!”

Chapter Text

“Hisirdoux!” The door to Merlins workshop opened up and Douxie stepped through as Archie flew through hovering right above his shoulder
“master Merlin! Good morning!”
“yes same to you. How did you rest?”
“very well! And you?”
“I don’t require sleep, but as usual I appreciate the concern. Alright I’ve got a lot on my plate so I’m going to make this quick” Merlin set down various scrolls onto the table and sorted through them
“I want you to get close to Gunmars newest champion”
“Jim?”
“yes, unless one of the previous ones somehow rose from the dead-wait that hasn’t happened has it?”
“no...not that I know of” Merlin nodded as he wrote down various runes onto a blank scroll
“good. He remembers the rules. Now then, get close to this James-”
“Jim”
“yes him. Get close to him and watch him carefully. Gunmar has finally made his move after all this time and to choose such an oddity can only mean he has some greater motive at hand.” Douxie pulled out his phone and checked the time
“master Merlin I’m needed in trollmarket to help repair some broken...uh...” Douxie turned to Archie who just rolled his eyes
“Certain ancient sigils have been damaged and need to be repaired in order to prevent various tunnels and caves from collapsing”
“right right! I promised I’d come by early to do so” Merlin floated a small bag of gemstones over to Douxie
“take these, they will aid you. Now, go befriend Jeff-”
“Jim”
“yes him, go befriend him, keep a close eye and report to me if he ever does anything out of the ordinary. Since he’s prone to harming himself, prevent it from happening if it occurs once again. I still haven’t figured out just what fate has in store for him, but what I DO know is that he needs to be kept alive. Understand?”
“above and beyond!”
“good. Hmm...” Merlin walked around picking out a few things from jars and containers. He gathered the items up and tied them into a bag then handed it to Douxie
“half trolls enjoy gifts that pleases the senses. Give those incense as an offering of friendship or what have you. Oh and there are small treats in there as well. Trolls would give them to half trolls that did as they were told and behaved well” Douxie looked at the bag with a raised eyebrow
“like...dog treats?”
“if you want to see it like that, yes. Oh and half trolls love it when they’re scratched between their ear and their horn” a nearby clock wrung and Merlin sighed in annoyance
“alright off with you now, I need to tend to a few things. Have a lovely day, stay out of trouble, and if you decide to break a law make sure you don’t get caught.” Merlin was stepping away before he raised a finger
“oh! One more thing, make sure John-”
“Jim”
“yes him. Make sure he learns how to keep his corruption inside. I don’t want it leaking out and infecting everything and everyone around him”
“between Claire and I we can help him out”
“good good...which makes me now wonder what...no never mind. I can’t focus on what she would be planning.” the bell wrung once more
“alright off with you now!” Douxie gave a bow and a nod then stepped through a portal with Archie

………..

Jim stepped through the portal that led into trollmarket. He looked himself over and smiled widely to Claire and Toby once they stepped through it
“that’s awesome! And you can just do this whenever?!” Claire nodded
“mhm”
“amazing! Oh man I would get things done sooo much faster with that!”
“oh yes you do, trust me. You wouldn’t believe how much time I save on everything I need to do. Shopping is a breeze. Well once everyone stops looking at you like you’re some alien from outer space” The moment the three were spotted all the trolls around them started to scream and yelp in fear, fleeing in terror from the very presence of Jim. The half troll’s ears drooped down and his tail curled around his legs. Toby pat his arm
“hey, they’re just...spooked” Claire put her staff away and added
“believe it or not but most trolls were pretty paranoid about me at first. No one ran away, but no one really wanted to interact with me. Being the champion of you know who, and also being a human. Trolls really only tolerate human sentinels most of the time because of their status. But trolls come around. Now they come to Toby and me all the time for help just like they would do for the others” Toby smiled and gave a thumbs up
“yeah! Once everyone gets to know the real you, no one will want to pee themselves and cry while hiding!” Jim sighed
“gee. What a relief.” Jim then heard Gunmar’s voice in his head

‘keep them afraid of you. They must show respect at all times. Remind them who’s more powerful.’

Jim shook his head a bit then looked to Claire
“hey...do you...sometimes hear your lady’s voice in your head?” Claire smiled
“oh yeah. Don’t worry, Douxie hears Merlins voice too. It’s just something champions have to live with. You’ll get used to it” the three made their way through trollmarket as they headed to the forge, trolls running away and hiding, one literally diving headfirst into a barrel. Jim swallowed and tried his best not to look down as he crossed. Toby elbowed him
“oh trust me my stomach still churns a bit whenever I look down. You’ll get used to it”
“thanks. I hope I do. Although I’m sure I’d feel better if I could fly-” A flash of light was seen in the center of the forge. Draal had manifested. Deya snorted awake from her nap on a nearby bench. She stretched and yawned. Draal walked over to Jim and looked with a type of annoyance
“You. I want to…apologize.” the others seemed to be surprised by this sudden announcement
“I am sorry you were too weak to withstand even my barest of minimal efforts. You truly are difficult to handle. I will make sure that from now on, I will be more cautious when dealing with you. You will grow stronger so I no longer must be restrained by your incompetence. I hope you will see it in your heart to understand my meaning. Now then, I have other things to attend to.” Draal nodded and walked away. Jim was still processing this conversation truly unsure what to think
“thanks?”
“eh trust me runt that’s the best you’re gonna get out of him” Jim jumped a bit when Deya was suddenly next to him
“no need to be so jumpy! I’m not here to hurt you!” Deya watched as Draal leave through the entrance
“I’m actually surprised he decided to apologize. You usually need to beat him down to earn one” Jim rubbed the back of his head
“yeeaahhh I’d rather not get into another fight with him” Deya snorted
“you called that a fight?! UH-I mean...oh look its Dic looking as shady as ever” Toby made a finger gun to her
“nice save Deya”
“ah master Jim! My dark champion! My chosen one! My-” Deya interrupted him as he came forward to Jim holding a hand behind his back, covered by his cloak
“what are you trying to do? your ass kissing only happens this much when you either need something or want to weasel your way out of a punishment” she crossed her arms as Dic scoffed
“how dare you! Insult me with such rude wording! I am merely addressing master Jim properly!”

Dic took one of Jim’s hands into a pair of his own patting it lovingly
“now master Jim. Our dark underlord has tasked me in training his champions, yes?”
“yeah”
“and of course I know how to do so, even if my methods seem a bit...erm...unusual and hard to decipher at times”
“what’s...going on?”
“I want you to just understand that everything I do are for your best interests. I never desire to harm you in any way or wish to prevent you from achieving the greatest of glories and powers that are possible to obtain” Dic started to stroke Jim’s hand. Jim starting to become more and more weary
“okay...”
“now, please understand that whatever happens happens for a reason. And this reason is because our dark underlords desire for you to grow into your greatest form is of top priority”
“uh huh”
“now. Please hold still”
“okay...why do I hav-AHHHH!” Jim suddenly felt an intense stabbing pain in his chest. He looked and noticed Dic had stabbed a large shard directly into his heart

(mhm you know the one)

Jim gasped and shook as Dic pushed it in a bit more then let go. The others yelped in shock
“there. That wasn’t so bad now was it?”
“WHAT THE HELL?! OH GOD IT HURTS SO MUCH! IT BURNS!” Jim began to wail and shake, trying to wrap his hands around it and pull, only for it to sink in deeper causing even more grotesque pain
“it-f-feels like it’s digging into my heart!”
“oh that is because it most certainly is”
“WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!” Dic tapped the tip of it, causing it to dig deeper in earning yet another cry of pain from Jim
“this here is a shard of corruption. For you see, champions of Gunmar consume corruption in every form possible. From this, they grow stronger. Think of it as...erm...you are a battery and this helps to charge you.”
“WHAT?!” Jim tried to pull it out only for it to yet again dig deeper
“please master Jim don’t try to handle it. That shard will keep implanting itself deeper and deeper into your body. Worry not! Your body is absorbing it slowly! Soon it will be fully consumed and everything will be quite alri-”
“HOW IS HIS ALRIGHT?! I HAVE A SHARD STICKING OUT OF MY CHEST! IT HURTS SO MUCH! IF I HAVE TO CONSUME IT, WHY STAB IT INTO ME?!”
“well we need it to go into your bloodstream as quickly as possible for this to be over with as quickly as it can. So, your heart absorbing it directly is the quickest way for yo-”
“YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD ME FIRST!”
“ah, but you would have hesitated”
“YEAH I WONDER WHY!”
“fret not! This shard will be absorbed in say...a week...at most!” Jim fell to his knees and gasped
“it...hurts to breathe...it’s...hard to breathe”
“your body will adjust. Now, why don’t we go-”
“I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU YOU LUNATIC!”

Jim fell onto his back and tried to scoot away
“oh please forgive me master Jim! Even consult our dark underlord-”
“NO!”

‘leave it be my champion. He is correct. Your heart is the fastest way for your body to ingest the shard. He has done well’

Jim wiped the tears from his eyes and blew his nose into his shirt. Dic held out a couple of arms
“please allow me to aid you in-” Jim shook his head and scooted further away. He fell onto his back as the shard dug deeper in. his vision began to blur and suddenly everything went black

………………

Jim slowly woke up. He felt a cool damp rag on his forehead and the sounds of light talking nearby. His senses were too fuzzy to truly understand anything else around him. His heart, although stung lightly, felt more along the lines of numb rather than outright filled with pain. He tried to sit up and regretted it instantly. His body flared up with immense shock causing him to go slack onto his back.
“now now, try not to move. Let...” Jim couldn’t fully register what was being said. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he passed out yet again…

……………….

A foul taste filled Jims mouth causing him to cough and wake up.
“hold still now, and drink” Jim’s throat burned and the sour taste seemed to be the only thing he could sense. He coughed once more and opened his eyes to see the blurry face of Dic looking at him worriedly
“Dic?”
“yes master Jim?”
“what happened? I just had this horrible dream you stabb-AH!” Jim looked at his chest
“oh I most certainly did stab you. How do you feel?”
“LIKE I WAS STABBED!” Jim tried to sit up, once again the pain flared and ravaged his body
“oh please don’t try to move master Jim! Here, consume the rest of this, it will aid in your recovery” Dic handed Jim a goblet that was filled with bubbling slime. Jim reluctantly took a few sips of it, gagging and almost vomiting
“what is that?!”
“you wouldn’t wish to know. All I will inform you is that this will help ease your pain” and as he said it, the pain in Jim’s chest started to throb. Jim groaned and whimpered as he sat up
“oh good you can sit up” Jim hissed through his teeth as he moved his torso a certain way and felt the shards awful sting
“how long will this last?”
“hmm...about a week...or a little more. Your body is taking it quite well actually! No fear of your demise to be had” Jim looked at his torso and realized he was shirtless
“where’s my shirt?”
“oh your garment is being sewn back up. I imagined you’d be rather pleased for this to happen”
“yeah I’m glad my shirt isn-wait how am I going to wear it!?”
“well, I advise you to simply no wear garments covering your torso for the rest of-”
“I CAN’T BE SHIRTLESS FOR A WEEK!”

Dics eyes blinked in confusion
“why not?”
“I don’t feel comfortable with everyone looking at me!”
“then simply demand they look elsewhere. I do not understand why you would be so ashamed of your body. Is it because of your scars?” Jim’s face felt hot as that fact sunk in. He really didn’t want anyone else to see them
“okay, I need bandages or something to cover them, like, RIGHT NOW!” Dic nodded and retrieved bandages. As he wrapped them around Jim’s arms Jim started to look around and notice he was in what looked to appear to be some sort of medical cave. Various tools and jars filled with nothing Jim would ever want to now lined the shelves. Different stone beds were littered around the room disorganized. Jim was thankful he was currently the only patient in there. Dic had finished covering both arms, he looked in pride at his handiwork
“there. All better. Can you walk?”
“I-i think so” Jim stood up and noticed his tail was now bearing painted on purple stripes
“what’s with the paint?”
“oh, a simple sign to give awareness that you are currently being afflicted by corruption” Jim’s ears folded down
“great. Like I needed anyone else to know”
“the shard would in fact be a dead giveaway if not for the pain” Jim rubbed his face
“how long has it been since you STABBED ME”
“hm...about...9 hours”
“WHAT?!” Jim groaned
“that’s like most of the day!”
“your point?”
“I...” Jim trailed off. He was more surprised than actually having a point to make

Jim stood up fully and looked at his chest
“a week huh...then that’s it?”
“Correct” Jim sighed
“guess I just have to live with it...wait where’s everyone else?”

………………

Douxie was rubbing his hands together as he collapsed onto a couch
“finally finished...right?” Archie landed next to him and began to lick himself
“mhm”
“all in a days work I suppose.” Claire and Toby were nearby resting after helping out all of trollmarket. The place they rested in was a cave they had made into their kind of hangout area when not having to train or deal with anyone else. They had told Douxie what happened with Jim and now they all had to simply wait until the half troll returned to them. The three of them relaxed and began trading stories and jokes for a while then stopped when they noticed Jim being led into the cave by Dic
“now master Jim, see? everyone’s fin-” Toby and Claire ran over and began to assault the two of them with questions making Jim wince from the noise. Dic waved them all off
“enough! Master Jim needs to rest. He is fine and now, do not bother him with useless questions” Jim walked past everyone and sat down on the couch. He closed his eyes and hissed through clenched teeth as he had taken a deep breath and felt the numb throbbing in his chest increase.
“master Jim-” Jim just said tiredly
“just go away. Alright.” Dic stopped and bowed
“of course master Jim”

Jim sat in silence for a while before it was broken by a simple question made by Douxie
“you alright?” Jim muttered
“yeah. It doesn’t really hurt anymore. It’s more numb than anything.”
“corruption shard. Not pretty” Jim opened his eyes and looked at the human wizard
“yeah. And now I can’t wear shirts for at least a week.”
“or at least nothing without a hole in it” Douxie chuckled thinking it would lighten the mood, only to realize that Jim wasn’t feeling anywhere near happy.
“I read that Gunmars champions all have very...intense training. This is one of the rather simple ones”
“oh gee. How wonderful to learn.”
“sorry” Jim sighed
“it’s not your fault” Douxie held out his hand
“names Douxie. Second time we’ve met Jim”
“yeah…I’m sorry for not really...being well”
“it’s alright. Oh! I think I know what might cheer you up” Douxie pulled out the bag and shook it a bit
“I’ve got a gift for you. Think of it as a token to start off a brand new friendship! Sentinel stuff aside, I truly do want to get to know you” Jim gave a tired smile
“well, not much to learn about me. I hardly have a life...what’s in the bag?” Douxie handed it to him. Jim opened up and saw the contents, tilting his head as he pulled out an incense stick. Lavender mixed with something else he couldn’t identify. The second thing he found were tiny squares of food
“what’s this?”
“treats. Apparently trolls made treats for half trolls when they were being trained”
“like...dogs?”
“yeah apparently. Well half trolls are known to be kept as pets and servants” Jim ate one and his eyes went wide. It was by far the most delicious thing he’s ever eaten
“what are these things made of?”
“dunno. Apparently it’s some really tightly sealed secret. I can look into it if you’d like”
“yes please”

Jim winced as he adjusted himself
“do you mind if I touch you?” Jim turned to Douxie
“what?”
“well I don’t want to be in your personal space if it would make you uncomfortable”
“oh...uh...sure?” Jim watched Douxie reach over and begin to scratch the area between his ear and his horn. Jim’s eyes fluttered and his body began to relax. He was purring heavily and feeling incredible
“ah, so Merlin was right. Apparently half trolls melt like butter when they’re scratched here”
“wow...please keep...doing it...i had no idea about this” Jim closed his eyes and enjoyed himself, the rest of the world melting around him
“I don’t envy you, I never had to stick a shard into my chest”
“yeah...i don’t recommend it” Claire sat down next to them and copied Douxie and began to scratch the other side of Jim’s head, causing Jim to feel even better. Claire giggled
“I’ve had to deal with corruption, well I always do. Its a thing with shadow magic. I’ve had my fair share of painful training, but nothing like that” Jim could hardly think straight. He just moaned out
“mhm~”
Douxie chuckled
“you’re a very good boy Jim, never forget that”
“mhm~” Toby came over with a smile
“hey I want in on the action!” he began to pet Jim’s head while scratching him little bits at a time. And Jim thought he couldn’t feel even better
“like we’ll all say a million times, you’re one of us now buddy!” Jim could get used to this...

Chapter Text

In the near future…

Jim took a deep breath and mustered up enough strength to shove a corpse off his body. He sat up, disoriented and exhausted, then wiped sweat and blood off his brow with the back of his hand, only to end up smearing it and making it worse. After all this time that habit still hadn’t ended. Jim slowly stood up, holding a hand against the side of his head and rubbed it, trying his best to ease the throbbing. His vision steadied as he slightly stumbled down the pile of bodies he had created.

(and yes I am basing it off of the scene in season 3 ep 12 towards the end of the ep)

“Jim? Jiiimmmbooo where are ya!?” in the distance Jim’s ears picked up the worried tone of Toby calling out for him. Jim answered, his throat feeling like it was on fire as he spoke
“over here!” Toby’s armor was drenched in blood, both fresh and dried. After he jogged over he took one of Jim’s arms and draped it over his own shoulder to support Jims weight
“you alright Jimbo? Whew you smell terrible! And you’re not looking so good there” Jim rubbed his face and steadied his breathing
“y-yeah I’m good”
“don’t lie just to-” Jim snapped, his eyes glowing red and his body forming Gunmar’s markings as he roared

(and yes the markings can only be seen on Jim’s face and horns since his body is obviously covered by his armor)

“I SAID I’M FINE!” however after a couple of breaths he calmed down just as quickly, both eye color and markings fading away. He whimpered out a simple
“I-I’m sorry” Toby smiled and spoke reassuringly
“hey, it’s cool. You’re under a lot of pressure and I’m pretty sure you have a concussion. Come on, let’s get you out of here” Jim nodded and managed to walk with a decent pace solely thanks to Toby’s support. Toby looked up at him and gave another heartfelt smile
“you did good back there”
“yeah?”
“Yeah! I was still doing horrible the first couple of years when I started! And look at you! Still a newbie and doing great already!”
“thanks Tobes” Jim suddenly tripped causing him to fall onto the ground with a heavy thud. The half troll roared out in pain causing his body to once again glow with Gunmar’s markings. His eyes burned with intense red energy. His breathing increased and a growl was kept in his throat. Toby hushed and pet him in comfort
“it’s alright Jim. It’s alright. Take a deep breath, okay? you’re a good boy, a very good boy” Jim shook and focused on keeping himself stable, calm down to the point where he could at least exit his attack mode. He didn’t want to end up mauling Toby...again. Jim was helped back onto his feet by his best friend
“there. Better?” Jim nodded his head and let out a heavy sigh
“I just want to leave”

A shadow portal opened up in front of them and Claire, wearing her armor, stepped out and breathed a sigh of relief
“oh there you are! Are you both alright?!” Toby nodded
“smelly and dinged up here and there, but we’re good overall. Well Jim probably has a concussion. But Jimbo here did a really good job!” Jim smiled and felt himself warm up from the compliment
“I didn’t do that good”
“don’t be modest! You took all those baddies on all by yourself! And came out on top! If anyone’s earned a nice break and a hot bath, it’s you buddy” Claire opened up another portal
“come on you two, let’s go get you patched up. Don’t worry, I took care of the others” Jim felt the breeze blow against him, making his fur cling to his sweat and blood soaked forehead as the scent of death was heavy. Another fight. Another day’s work in the life of a sentinel.

In the present…

Jim hissed through his teeth as he took in a deep breath. It was the next day. He had just woken up and gotten out of bed. Sleeping on his back was always difficult due to his tail. He almost always just slept curled up on his side, now it was practically impossible. He got ready for the day and headed downstairs to make a quick bite to eat! His mother yawned and came downstairs to the smell of food
“morning kiddo”
“morning mom”
“how’d you sleep with the whole...” she gestured around her chest. Jim gave a tired look
“wasn’t easy but I managed”
“how does your chest feel? Is the shard hurting?”
“it’s…how it is” Jim smiled and set down a plate for the both of them, taking a seat with his mom and started eating. When Jim had come home and Barbara saw what Jims condition was, well she was far from being thrilled. Jim had managed to calm her down and explained what had transpired. His mother managed to have some amount of relief when she was told about the shard only lasting about a week. Now, well, a mother always has her worries, especially if a shard of corruption is sticking out of their childs chest slowly being consumed and absorbed by their heart.
“so what’s on your to-do list today? Please tell me it’s staying home and resting”
“sadly no. I need to start my actual training some more-”
“the twins promised me it would be easy things first.”
“it is, I basically just need to watch different battle stances to defend myself and read” Barbara placed her hand on Jim’s very own
“I really still don’t approve of you getting into this. But I can’t stop it from happening. If you have to, then learn as much as you can to protect yourself. I want to see your face every day from now on. Alright? Will you promise me that?”
“alright mom” the two shared a tender quiet moment before eating again. Jim then causally asked
“so how’s work?”

Later...

Jim sat down in the forge bored out of his mind. Between just sitting around (which he was very thankful for, don’t get him wrong!) and reading up on different subjects sentinel related, he really didn’t do much else. Toby and Claire would make him laugh from time to time with various things. Like Claire opening various portals to grab things and ask Jim what they might be before pulling them out and showing it to him. One time she pulled a king crab out of the ocean by accident and startled the three of them before they laughed and tossed it back. Meanwhile Draal was having a spar with Deya doing his best not to be distracted by their playful nature. He was a warrior! He wanted to roar at them that this is a mockery of both training and the forge! But it was actually helping in a way. You need to learn how to focus in battle, no matter what is going on around you, and with dumb things like that being very distracting...well, it had its own value to him at least.

For Jim, learning how to read and write troll was a bit difficult, but was a lot easier than most other languages. It seemed to come natural to him. Everyone chalked it up to it being his troll side. Deya took a well earned break and had walked over to Jim then sat on a bench asking
“So runt, how are you holding up?” Jim sighed
“I’ve been better”
“and your little training accessory?” Jim looked to the shard with a sigh through his nose
“it is what it is. It’s hard to breathe sometimes but...I can manage. I’ve felt worse pain...”
“like on your arms?” Jim’s face burned hot and he looked elsewhere. Deya frowned
“I’ve seen it. Those scars tend to peek out from under the bandages. I won’t judge it or talk any further on the subject. You have your reasons for your past actions. If you ever need anything, I’ll be here for you runt, alright? Talking, training, being a drinking buddy, you name it” Deya gave a tender smile, although Jim didn’t have the heart to make eye contact
“yeah...alright...” Deya rubbed her hands together
“Well, that’s enough of that! I’m going to go back to training, talk to you later runt”
“bye” as Deya left Claire and Toby plopped down beside Jim for their own break. Toby spoke frantically
“alright I can’t hold it in anymore! Jim I need you to answer my questions that I’ve had in me for a while”

Jim raised an eyebrow, along with Claire
“uh...okay? About what?”
“your tail. It’s just...it’s awesome. Like, super awesome. I WISH I had a tail like yours! it’s so big and long and thick and fluffy at the end and can...I...pet it?” a smile slowly crept across Jim’s face. He moved his tail into Tobys lap
“have your fill” Toby began to stoke it, run his hands over it’s smooth warm texture, and massage it a bit causing Jim to purr in delight
“it’s even more amazing than I imagined! Alright question time. First, is it hard to sleep?”
“eh not really. I usually just sleep curled up on my side. If I sleep on my back it hurts after a long while”
“is sitting down hard?”
“not really. If chairs don’t have an opening in the back then yeah, like sleeping on my back it will hurt after a while”
“can you do things with it? Like, do you have the dexterity of a monkey or something?”
“sorta? I mean, I can pick things up and hold them. It helps when I’m cleaning that’s for sure, or if I have my hands full like I need to move bags around”
“are going to the movies difficult?”
“impossible actually. First off the seats are WAY too small for me. Second, I always block the screen even if I’m cramped in the very back. And third, my tail. No open backs along with it pretty much being able to fill up at least two other seats. And of course being half troll everyone treats me...poorly. So like I told you yesterday, I don’t really like being out and about”

Toby’s eyes trailed up Jim’s tail
“are finding cloths difficult for you?”
“yeah pretty much. But I have a tailor that’s been doing my cloths for years, so I’m pretty much covered on that end”
“haha! A tailor for your tail!”
“huh, never thought about that before”
“okay, gross question, but is it hard wiping your butt and cleaning said butt in the shower?” Claire threw a small stone at Toby
“aaannnd that’s enough of that. Stop bothering Jim” Jim chuckled a little
“to answer it, no for both” Toby laughed as Jim moved his tail to swoosh the fuzzy end in Toby’s face to tickle him
“it’s so soft and smells so good!”
“I shampoo and condition it like the rest of my fur”
“even your body hair?” Claire whacked Toby with her staff
“enough questions” Toby rubbed his head
“alright alright but I just have a few more questions. Except this time it’s about your horns”
“shoot”
“is it hard to lay your head down?”
“eh you figure out how to properly”
“have you ever gotten them stuck on things?” Jim laughed
“more times than you would realize”
“do you bump into things?”
“same answer for the last question”
“can you wear hats?”
“unless they have holes in them, no”
“what about headphones? Or do just use earbuds?”
“earbuds hurt my ears since they’re sensitive to noise. Headphones are pretty easy actually. I just tuck them under my horns”

A loud throat clear was heard from the gate. In walked Vendel who called for everyone’s attention, Arrrg was by his side
“i need to speak with you all. Come closer.” The group did so, all waiting for the elder troll to begin
“good. I’m thankful you’re all here. Well minus Merlins champion. Now then, since the champion of Gunmar has now been retrieved, we must formally announce it to trollmarket” Jim raised his hand
“I thought everyone knew I was here already from all the...panic”
“yes. And quite the panic you’ve caused-not that it’s any of your own fault! I’m in no way blaming you!” Jim could hear a pitch of fear in his tone
“some still don’t believe you’ve truly arrived. Now, we shall gather and formally announce your arrival.”
“do you do this with every sentinel?”
“no. Just the champions. Speaking of which. Jim. I wish to speak to you. In private.” Jim felt his face heat up
“am I in trouble?” Vendel made a small frown
“no.” the old troll didn’t sound like it was disappointing, instead it sounded more like he was dreading on having to speak with Jim alone.

Jim followed him out and into a hallway without anyone else nearby. Vendel looked to the shard and tugged on his beard
“I see you’ve started that” Jim looked to it and sighed
“yeah. Not by choice though” Vendel grew silent as he looked Jim over from horn to toe multiple times, as if trying to confirm he wasn’t some optical illusion.
“yes well...ah” Vendel cleared his throat
“I am in no way accusing you of doing anything or thinking any thoughts! But I am worried that you might...accidentally...” Jim tilted his head and asked
“accidentally what?” he took a small step forward and noticed Vendel had taken a step back

Even this wise level headed elder troll was afraid of him…
That really stung. Jim thought at least Vendel would have disbelieved he was evil...

“I...fear trollmarket might not...erm...handle you properly and upset you in doing this. I just want you to understand that if even the smallest thing is to your disliking then please speak to me. Not-not in the heartstone mind you. It is easily corruptible...and you being...well, you understand my meaning yes?” Jim felt his heart sting in pain, not from the shard though. Jims ears folded down and tears formed in his eyes
“I do. I’m not going to cause trouble or hurt anyone. I don’t want to ever”
“yes...well...life...changes people and their…beliefs...” Jim rubbed his arm and looked away
“I guess it does...” A heavy silence hung in the air. Vendel sighed
“Jim, I understand you are young and new to this life. I want you to feel comfortable and learn how to properly control your developing powers so that no one-or yourself-get hurt from an accident.”
“am I really going to be that dangerous?” Vendel nodded
“You don’t understand how dangerous corruption is. Hm...” Vendel bent over and plucked a small plant out of the floor. He carefully moved to Jim and took his hand
“let me show you something. Hold still” Vendel pricked Jims finger with a sharp point on his staff causing a small black dot of blood to form. Vendel moved Jim’s hand to hover over the plant and have the drop land on it. Almost under a single second, the plant sizzled and withered away into ash causing Jim to be visibly surprised
“do you see now Jim? Corruption is lethal to all living creatures, and even some non living things as well. It is ruination. There are very very few things that are resistant or even immune to its effect. Champions of Gunmar, well, feed off of corruption to gain power. To grow stronger. Corruption will harm you as much as the sun will.”

Vendel released Jims hand, Jim looking at his hand in worry
“Do you understand Jim? Why I, along with all others, fear your powers. This is why I want you to understand-” Jim interrupted, a few tears falling from his eyes
“I get it. I’m a dangerous monster. You don’t have to tell me what I already know.”
“In a short time I am going to be announcing your arrival, officially welcoming you-”
“I’m not welcome. No one actually wants me here.”
“that is untr-” Jim looked Vendel directly in the eyes and demanded
“answer me honestly, exactly how many people YOU INCLUDED want me here? And the other sentinels don’t count. Tell me how many want me here, tell me if YOU want me here” Vendel was actually hesitant to speak. Jim wiped his tears away and was about to turn and leave when he was stopped by Vendels voice

“I am uncertain. Trolls will always be afraid of you. Trolls will never want to have you as their first choice of company. No matter what though, we all feel much more safe with you around. Even the champions of Gunmar inspire hope in trollkinds hearts from time to time. You are our guardian and we are all beyond thankful for that. There are many who do wish to have you around. You are not a tool, you are a powerful creature that helps us feel safe in both night and day. You might never be some knight in shinning armor, but you give trolls hope that we have a future where we may live in. There are those that truly will thank you without fear, as rare as they will be, they do exist. I myself feel safer having you around, even if you are inexperienced and young. I know you will do great things. You have goodness in your heart. And others will see that as well. In time, you will be known throughout the world. I hope my words have brought peace to you, even if only slightly”

Jim nodded, his gaze transfixed on the small amount of ash littered across the floor
“I do.”
“that is all I wanted to speak to you about. I’m going to prepare for the announcement. If there is anything you require, simply asked. As for your...erm...shard, I have pain killers that could aid you”
“thanks but I don’t need any right now. I’ll keep that in mind though” Jim watched Vendel give a simple nod then leave. Jim let out a hefty sigh before he turned around and headed back to the forge, quite literally bumping into Draal by accident. The troll just stared down at him with as much amusement as he would watching paint dry. Jim gulped and started up his nervous apology
“I’m s-sorry I-I didn’t mean to bu-bump into you! I wasn’t looking and-”
“and yet you’re babbling instead of moving out of the way.” Draal snorted then grabbed Jim and physically moved him to the side. The grasp sent shivers throughout Jim, he really was hardly ever given any kind of physical contact, so something as much as literally holding onto his arms and torso was...unfamiliar to say the least. Draal began walking away, only to stop mid step and snort
“you’d better not embarrass me later.”
“y-yes D-draal I will-I-I mean I wont” Draal shot him one last glance then continued onward. Jim held his sides and calmed himself down, mind still just trying to wrap around and process the fact that he was probably given the most contact he’d had in years-outside of his own mother of course. Jim felt himself almost jump out of his skin when a sudden portal open up and the newly befriended wizard stepped through it as his familiar was hovering over his shoulder mid conversation
“-Douxie I’m telling you you really shouldn’t be trying to cram all of your garbage into that one little section.”
“and I told you that the spell will hold and keep everything in place”
“and when it WILL break, all of that is going to spill out and make a mess of a wretched proportion.”
“bah it will be fine!”
“if you say so. But I will NOT be aiding you if the worst comes to happen” Douxie looked and finally noticed Jim looking in shock. He smiled
“sorry Jim, did I startle you?”
“ye-yeah kinda”
“my bad. So how are you doing? You feeling okay?”

Jim nodded
“yeah I am” His tail twitched in anxiety. Douxie noticed the not so subtle movement then reached out with a hand and scratched Jim in his favorite spot
“you’re a good boy Jim, never forget” Jim’s body and mind eased itself up
“is your chest hurting?”
“it’s...alright. I try not to touch it. Breathing is difficult sometimes but I’m alright. So what are you doing here? Not that it’s a bad thing! I uh...”
“it’s alright I understand. Toby sent me a text saying to come cause the whole meet and greet thing”
“you had one before right?”
“yeah but not here, it was a little different. Overall the same though. Oh, do you want to exchange numbers?” Jim gave a confused look
“numbers?”
“phone numbers”
“oh! S-sorry I...really never was asked for-that’s why I didn’t kno-sorry for being dumb”
“You’re not dumb Jim, don’t worry”
“yeah I do-want to exchange numbers I mean! I don’t worry-well I do-not that i-uh...” Jim trailed off and looked towards the ground really hoping he doesn’t have to speak any further. Douxie smiled and pulled out his phone
“here. Let me tell you my number. Oh and expect me to text you on the regular, and I won’t be upset if you don’t reply right away, okay?” Jim nodded and gave a faint smile
“alright”

………………………..

Jim was trying to control his breathing. He was in a room, along with the other sentinels, waiting for the call from Vendel. Jim could hear the packed crowds in the streets murmuring among themselves. Jim felt a mix of joy and anxiety as he stared at the 3 new numbers in his phone. Now it wasn’t just his mom and a few other medical contacts! Jim looked up when a troll signaled them all to come. Jim took a deep breath and made his way forward, purposely trying to stick to the back without making it obvious, and of course the 3 humans were trying to pump him up with energy and smother him in pleasant conversation. Jim truly was thankful for them, but really really wished they could instantly forget his very existence, and then he could turn invisible literally and no longer have to stress about other people looking at him. He would do practically anything for the ability to turn invisible. A wish he had throughout his entire life. Sometimes the stares from others hurt worse than any cut.

Jim tensed up and lost his balance for a brief moment. Deya caught him and was gentle as she helped him stand
“you okay runt?” Jim clenched his fist and had to keep his hand away from his heart. He had touched the shard by accident a couple of times, and it didn’t end well.
“y-yeah just...give me...a...second to...catch...my breath...h-hard to breath at times...”
“you want to sit down?
“n-no I’m alright. I just...need a second”
“take all the time you need” a loud throat clear was heard ahead of them. Draal was staring at them with distaste
“speed up your pace. I don’t want to be late because you couldn’t-” Deya snapped at him
“hey! Ease up boulder brains. The runts in pain. Give him a break”
“he needs to learn how to take pain. You shouldn’t be helping him”
“he doesn’t have any prior experience to any of this and he has a shard sticking out of his literal heart! If he needs a break don’t make him feel bad for needing it.” Jim tried to hold back his whimpers. At this point it wasn’t the pain that was bothering him, it was all the attention. He mentally pleaded for it to end and everyone move on. Of course right here and now was when he needed a breather. He bit his lip and focused on controlling his intake of air. He wasn’t fully aware of the silence that surrounded him until he actually noticed Draal was in front of him looking at his chest. Jim wanted to back up, maybe just go sit in a corner away from the troll and everyone else for that matter. But he was surrounded by the people who are trying to befriend and take care of him. Draal grumbled then looked into Jim’s eyes
“is it truly bothering you that much?” Jim mentally squirmed, holding himself back from doing it physically
“n-no I-it isn’t I can wa-walk” Deya pushed Draal away slightly
“hey, don’t bother the runt. Jim, don’t lie alright? If you’re not alright then-”
“n-no I’m fine really”
“don’t think you have to pretend for our sake. You’re one of us now and if you need-”
“I’m fine! Really!” Jim wiggled away and took a few steps to prove none of this commotion was needed! And he was pulling it off wonderfully! Until he suddenly began to collapse from another painful throb in his chest. Guess the shard was sinking deeper into him. Like a strange version of growing pains. Jim flinched and braced himself for impact against the floor, only to have it not happen as Draal had caught him. The large bull growled in irritation
“this is taking too long.” Draal picked Jim up bridal style, turned and began to walk. Jim felt his face grow as hot as the sun. Jim hadn’t been carried in years, not since he was a kid. Now having a large intimidating muscular troll hold him close to his broad chest was very mind numbing. Jim wanted to open his mouth and ask why he was being carried but all that came out, was a small yelp. Draal grumbled
“you were taking too long and if you can’t walk then you should be carried.” Draal then snapped out
“All of you hurry up! I don’t want to loose face.” Jim felt himself be adjusted in Draal’s arms, being pulled more towards his chest. Jim could feel the heat coming off of Draal. He felt so...strong. Jim felt his body vibrate in anxiety. This was by far the most male contact he’s ever gotten in his whole life. One of his greatest fears began happening, he was getting hard. Of course, a moment like this would turn him on. He heard Draal sniffing a bit then grumble something in troll. Jim hoped it wasn’t
‘what a gross pervert. I can’t believe I’m even touching this...thing. I should toss him off the side of a bridge’

Jim heartbeat was in his ears now, which sadly, make him more aroused. He felt as if his entire being was overheating and not sure how to respond. Jim felt himself be put down in front of a doorway. Draal motioned with his horns towards it
“on the other side is where trollmarket has gathered. I don’t want anyone else seeing me carry you. Can you walk?” Jim was frozen, unable to fully register the question. Draal rolled his eyes
“can you or not?”
“I...y-yes?”
“ugh. Good enough. Now eyes forward and don’t make a mess of yourself.” Draal grumbled once more in troll before leaving. He raised his arms and roared at the crowd which cheered his name and roared back. Jim looked behind him and noticed literally everyone else was looking at him in various expressions. Jim opened his mouth to say something, but decided he didn’t trust himself to speak. So he turned and quickly walked through the doorway. He was in awe at the sheer number of trolls looking at him. Vendel had been speaking to them about something so thankfully, the crowds attention was focused on the old troll. Jim turned to see Dic walk up to him from seemingly out of nowhere
“my champion! Warmest tidings to you! How do you feel?” Jim was about to speak until he noticed how silent everything had become. He noticed the crowd was looking at him. Almost all in fear and worry. No one was saying a thing.

Vendel spoke and broke the silence
“yes, this is Jim. Our newest sentinel! We should all welcome him with open arms!” somewhere in the crowd came a few small ‘woos’ and claps. Overall everything was silent. Dic began to clap, then Blinky too. Jim felt pain flood his body. He felt the heat run through him. He felt like he was being gawked at. Mocked. Being judged by everyone. He couldn’t take it. He began to weep, he fled the area and ran in a direction where the least amount of people were, completely ignoring the voices of the other sentinels…

…….

Jim was sitting on the ground in an abandoned cave far away. His eyes were stinging from the tears, and his body was heaving in panic and fear. He just wanted to close his eyes and wake up in his bed. He wanted to just learn this was all some horrific nightmare and it was finally over with. No such luck though. Everything was still and silent in his little cave. He curled his tail over him and held it in comfort. He wiped his eyes and nose into his shirt. He only knew one entrance and exit out of trollmarket. And he had no idea how to even reach it from where he was. He didn’t even KNOW where he was.

He fucked up. Again. Like he always does.

He ruined the event.

He made himself a fool.

He broke down in front of everyone.

He really was pathetic and worthless.

His fingers traced over the scars his arms were littered with and wished he could cut again. Numb life out. Feel everything bleed out of his system once more.

Right now in this moment he didn’t care about anything else.

Even the worry about his mother wasn’t held within him.

He just wanted to fade away.

Chapter Text

Centuries earlier…

A troll soldier ran for his life through a thick forest of dead trees...

The cold winter air painfully bit at his face...

His lungs screamed out in pain as his body was practically numb at this point...

He had far exerted himself long ago, now, he had practically nothing left in his body...

The last and only fuel source he had left...

Was his will to live…

All around him the world was suddenly engulfed in darkness…

A cruel sadistic laughter echoed all around him…

The soldier tripped and fell face first into the snow…

He struggled to get up, slipping around the ground as he tried…

“you’re all alone.” The voice practically sang out happily. The soldier shouted for help as loud as he could. The voice said in it’s sweetly sadistic voice

“Help is not coming. Your light has faded.”

The sky had become as dark as the world around the soldier…

The stars had been blotted out…

The soldiers eyes strained as he looked everywhere as fast as he could, unable to discern where the voice was coming from

“I smell your fear. It tastes wonderful. The flavor dances on my tongue.” The soldier screamed and pleaded for mercy. The voice laughed

“Mercy? From a champion of Gunmar? I suppose you believe the sun will not hurt you either. Think of your new silver lining, your pain is almost over.”

The soldier heard the large sounds of trees being broken and crushed around him in every direction…

The soldier finally managed to see a vague shape held within the darkness…

The figure stepped closer…

The red armor gleamed, showing the champions blade…

Shadows poured off of it like dry ice...

“do you love my little world? I made it just for you” The champion of Gunmar waved out around them. Then sadistic laughter built back up as the champion of Gunmar approached the soldier. All the soldier could do is try to scoot backwards, only to accomplish nothing...

“no more running. I’ve had my fun. Now, it’s time for your end.” The soldier held up in arm to block his face
“p-please! I’m sorry! I didn’t know it was your mug of glug!” The champion of Gunmar snickered
“You’re going to make a perfect lesson for the others.”
“w-we-we’re on the same side! We slept in the same camp! We serve the same master! We ha-” The blade was lifted and the soldier yelped out
“NO WAIT PLE-” The soldier's voice cut out, only to be replaced by soft gurgles as blood poured out of his mouth. The blade deeply planted into his chest. It was pulled out and with a swift slice, the soldiers head rolled off his body…

…

The other soldiers at the camp shook with fear, eyes opened wide as they watched the champion toss the head onto the large table. The look of terror and agony was a, literal, solid reminder to everyone the clear message, The champion now stated plainly
“let this be a lesson to all of you. NEVER TOUCH MY BELONGINGS! If I find someone take even the smallest sip out of my mug, the smallest nibble off my food, I will make your life agony. You will live the rest of your centuries out in absolute unending torment. Do I make myself clear?” The gumm-gumm soldier's all quickly nodded their heads and held one another as they shook. The champion gave a devilish smile
“Good. Now...BOO!” The champion shouted, causing all the soldiers to flee in terror into the night. The champion howled in laughter
“COME BACK COWARDS!”

Centuries later…

A troll held up a large blade demanding
“stay back or they get it!” Toby called out
“it doesn’t have to be like this. Let them go and we’ll go easy on you” The troll yelled out
“never!”

The trio currently were on the task of hunting down a nasty troll. He had been breaking into peoples homes and stealing their belongings, along with eating their cats. When they finally found him, he kidnapped two people and was holding them hostage. If the trio were to arrest this troll, they would have to get the couple out of the way. A middle aged Toby lifted up his robotic arm and produced a small vile. He called out
“look, I have something that-” the troll raised his blade against the throat of one of his captives
“silence! Keep talking and this lady dies!” Claire called out as she held her staff
“let them go, come quietly and no one gets hurt” Jim snarled out
“this is taking too long.” Claire glared at him
“whatever you’re thinking, stop. This is now a rescue mission Jim.”
“yeah.” Jim said plainly. He stared at the troll as his eyes flared with red energy
“let them go. Now.” the troll gulped in fear. His body shook but he held the blade closer to the woman’s neck
“y-you ca-can’t do an-anything to me! I have hos-hostages!”
“truly a real shame that is.” Jim summoned two large corruption shards and hurled them at the couple. Both died the second the shards pierced both their hearts. Toby, Claire, and the troll gasped as they watched the couple fall to the ground, their blood turning black as it poured out of their wounds. Jim quickly rushed in and ran his sword straight through the torso of the troll. He smiled with a look of pure evil
“no more hostages. No more need to worry. You had your chance. Now I have your head.” the troll coughed up blood a few times then quickly turned to stone and shattered onto the ground. Jim ran a finger over the trolls blood and sucked on it, moaning in delight. Jim then retracted his blade and squat down, cupping his hands together and filling it with the now corrupted blood spilling from the corpses. He drank deeply and moaned in pleasure. He felt his head get hit hard by a rock. He hissed and growled at Claire who looked more than furious
“what is WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU JUST KILLED TWO INNOCENT PEOPLE!”

Jim shrugged casually
“so? They were in the way. Besides, by next week no one will even remember them. Worse thing, someone has a funeral for them. Big whoop. They were nobody’s anyways, not like they mattered”
“what happened to the Jim who CARED about the innocent?! Who only wanted to punish the guilty!”
“and I DID punish the guilty”
“yeah by killing two innocent people!”
“they got in the way. Not my fault they were taken hostage.” Claire walked over and whacked him with her staff. He just snarled at her. She whacked him again
“you do NOT act this way! We were supposed to arrest him! Not kill him!”
“so? He would have the death penalty anyways!”
“we don’t know that!”
“so? We would have had to bring him to trollmarket. Had some big court meeting planned. Attend said court, name off his crimes, talk about his punishment, decide to kill him, then set a date to kill him. Days wasted! And I just saved us all that time. You’re welcome.” Claire whacked him once more then turned to leave. She yelled out in frustration
“YOU’RE IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK WITH!”
“tough shit princess.”
Claire opened a shadow portal and turned to Toby
“come on. We’re done here.” Toby pointed at Jim who was busy sipping blood
“what about him?” Claire threw up her hands
“who cares! Leave him.” Toby turned and asked
“Jim, come with us please?” Jim looked over with an annoyed expression
“you’re still here?” Toby sighed and left through the portal reluctantly...

In the present...

Jim hugged his knees tight and took shuddered breaths. He closed his eyes and was doing his best to shut out the voices screaming in his head. Well, one thing helped snap him out of it...

“there you are.” Jim’s eyes snapped open as he saw Draal walk into the cave with an irritated look
“what do you think you’re doing?” Jim held his knees tighter to his chest. He stammered out a tearful
“i-I don’t k-know.” Draal mumbled something in troll under his breath, which Jim assumed was something along the lines of
‘i hate you and everyone wants you to die’ But that was probably just his brain filling itself with negativity, as per usual. Jim wiped his eye and asked quietly
“why are you here?” Draal rolled his eyes
“what do you think? We’re all out searching for you because you had a...moment and fled. I assume I’m the first to find you. Now, get up, get ready, and get back-” Jim curled his tail around his legs and interrupted
“I don’t want to go. I want to die.”
“well too bad. We don’t always get what we want.” Draal stood right in front of Jim now, bending over to practically be in his face
“you’re too soft. You’re too vulnerable. Clearly you can’t even think ahead of your own pain. I don’t understand humans and how emotional they become, but I do understand one thing. Every warrior comes to a point where they doubt themselves, and clearly you’ve stayed at that point for your entire life. You’re not going to last more than a month before you get yourself, or worse, others killed because of your own incompetence.” Jim buried his face in his arms
“I’m sorry. I know. I’m not worth anything.”
“no. you’re not. And you never will be if you keep this up.”

Jim began sobbing once more. Draal sighed out his nose and spoke in a softer tone
“stop your weeping. You don’t need to cry. Just...” Draal made a disgusted noise
“just stop being so...emotional. Why do humans have to be so complicated? And now I see half trolls are not too different.” Draal grabbed Jim’s tail and moved it aside so he could reach to Jim’s scruff
“you need to face trollmarket. You need to look at life and see there’s more for you in store than just dying quietly in a corner.” Jim stiffened as he felt his scruff be grabbed. Draal hoisted Jim up and then took him into his arms and began to carry him out
“p-please don’t take me back!”
“of course not. Not when you’re like this. I don’t want you to ruin my reputation. I cannot be see in the company of someone so weak and pathetic” Jim whimpered
“I’m sorry.” Draal snorted in annoyance
“stop apologizing! Get angry! Be assertive! Tell me off!” Jim just whimpered and looked elsewhere. Draal muttered under his breath and stopped in the street. Jim noticed just how quiet and empty everything was without its troll citizens to occupy it. Draal turned down one street and shifted Jim’s weight in his arms then looked at him
“You need to have pride in your appearance. I’m taking you to get cleaned up, then I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me to go away. I want you to raise your tone at me. I want to hear your roar. I want to see the fire in your eyes.” Jim closed his eyes and tried his best to wish the world away

Draal muttered to himself repeatedly. Jim weakly asked
“why don’t you kill me?” Draal was visibly taken aback by that. He blinked in silence a few times then stated
“I don’t want to kill you. I have no intention on ending the life of another sentinel”
“you said you didn’t like me.” Draal snorted
“so you assume I want to kill you? Now, maybe if you weren’t a sentinel I would.” Draal actually chuckled in amusement as he continued
“If I killed everyone who I didn’t like then most of trollmarket would be dead. We are here.” Jim looked up and saw a flashing neon light of a bathtub and a smiling troll. Draal walked inside and Jim felt a strong moisture in the air along with a variety of smells. From trash to sweat to water to plain soaps. Draal set Jim down next to a large pool of water. The troll grabbed a nearby rag and soaked it before turning to Jim and wiping his face off rather...gently.
“if you’re going to act like a scared whelp then you’d at least keep your face clean. Trolls have little care for cleanliness, but there is a certain dignity you must carry with you at all times. And you cannot uphold that image if you are a mess.” Jim wanted to gag. The rag smelled horrid. But the water was cool and soothing. The moldy texture was foul, but it at least was helping to wipe away the snot and tears.
“when we are done you and I are going to have a long talk. Alright?”
“a-are you gonna hurt m-me?”
“maybe.”

Draal took the rag away and replaced it with a dry one. It was as foul as the last one, but now Jim’s face was dry and clean
“there. That’s better. Now.” Draal got merely inches away from Jim’s face and stared in anger at him
“look at my eyes. LOOK!” Jim could hardly meet the trolls gaze, strongly wanting to just flee but unable to.
“now. Tell me to go away. Say you want me to get out of your face.” Jim was quiet and just whimpered. Draal rolled his eyes and grabbed one of Jim’s horns
“tell me. You want me to let go of your horn.”
“p-please l-let go”
“stop being so weak willed! Yell at me! Raise your tone! Fight back! Just do that simple thing!”
“please let go”
“LOUDER! I WANT TO HEAR YOUR ROAR ECHO THROUGHOUT TROLLMARKET!”
“LET GO!” Jim shouted at the top of his lungs. He was shocked at himself and quickly covered his mouth. Draal released his horn but quickly grabbed Jims tail as the half troll made a sad attempt to flee
“ah! Ah! no. You’re not leaving. You finally raised your tone. Good! Now threaten me!” Jims ears folded downward and he whimpered
“I don’t want to.”
“stop letting me harass you!” Jim went quiet again. Draal spoke angrily in troll then grabbed Jim and carried him out of the cave. Jim was silent in his arms, trying his best to avoid having to look at Draal. Draal sighed
“from now on, you report to me.” Jim looked up to him
“huh?”
“I can’t have you be like this for the rest of your life. I’m going to train you to actually stand up for yourself. So from now on, you report to me. Understand?”
“y-yes”

Draal stopped and set Jim down in front of him. He gave a stern look only inches from his face
“you just failed your first lesson. You’re supposed to stand up for yourself and yet you submit so easily!” Draal jabbed a finger into Jim’s stomach. Before he spoke he started to smell what he smelled before…

Jim gulped and felt himself getting hard once more. He noticed Draal stare at him intensely. Jim almost jumped out of his skin when something completely unexpected happened

Draal had buried his face in Jim’s chest and took a deep slow inhale. Jim stood there feeling awkward as he felt Draal give a slight nuzzle and mumbled something in troll. Jim was about 50/50 on wanting to know what he said. He also feels like if he DID understand, he might be the most embarrassed hes ever been. Draal took another slow deep inhale, savoring the scent and feeling the taste on his tongue. He hadn’t realized just how long he was doing this for. He pulled off and looked elsewhere. Jim could swear he was blushing. He wondered if trolls did so. Was this it?

The two stood there in utter silence, awkwardness at an all time high. Jim playing with the tip of his tail and opened his mouth to begin speaking. Draal just growled at him, causing Jim to quickly become quiet. Draal snorted and shook his head. He finally spoke
“can you walk?” Jim blinked a few times before replying
“yeah...”
“does your chest hurt?”
“not...that much” Draal grunted and nodded. The troll began to walk away, calling back
“get a move on half troll. We’re late as it is.” Jim caught up with Draal and walked by his side. He almost tripped on a rock staring at Draals beefy form. Jim quietly asked
“what did you d-” Draal roared into Jim’s face, making the half troll cringe and cover himself with his tail. Draal snorted and shook his head
“no talking about...that didn’t matter. It didn’t happen. Just walk. No more talking.” Jim complied, causing them both to just walk in silence…

……

Jim was thankful he was allowed peace.

Jim was brought back to the others. The half troll was thankful the trolls had dispersed and gave him little notice, mostly because he was hiding around Draal when he could. The blue troll never seemed to argue about such close proximity. The worst he had done to argue was look at Jim as if he were a puzzle the troll was trying to solve. Jim almost began sobbing again once everyone began to bombard him with questions and attention. Draal actually snapped at everyone, basically shutting down any further questioning. Draal escorted Jim into the library and then left in as much silence as he had come with. Dic wanted to give Jim comfort and attention, tend to him in every manner possible, only to be stopped by Gunmar himself. Jim was going through something and this was a moment where the twin could do nothing. Well, nothing except leave him be.

Jim was curled up in his spot, warm and blanketed on a soft pillow now and he slowly drifted off to sleep…

Jim felt his eyes open and he was once again within the heart of the darklands. The world around him was quiet and empty. Jim searched for any form of life, only to stumble upon bones. He quickly made his way elsewhere as he heard in the near distance a loud roar. Jim crossed a few bridges and finally gave himself rest as he sat up against a stone wall looking out into the abyss nearby. He closed his eyes and took a few moments to breathe then yelped in fear once he opened them. Gunmar himself was standing in front of him. Jim rubbed his eyes to make sure he was somehow not just seeing something. Gunmar spoke in his deep tone
“it truly is me”
“you really...snuck up on me”
“no. I merely came here. I did nothing stealthy”
“how do you just...come out from nowhere?” Gunmar tilted his head and scratched his chest
“this is my domain. I go where I wish. I am the only true power here.”
“oh” Gunmar walked next to Jim then sat down with a heavy thud next to him. Both of them stared silently out into the darkness that was the darklands. Gunmar spoke up after a minute
“you’ve got a great sum of things on your mind. Even more now than ever” Jim fidgeted with his tail
“yeah. Because of you.”
“you know, I am going to start to be offended if you continue to blame all your problems on me”
“I’m not blaming you for ALL of them. Just the most recent stuff.”
“must I remind you that you’ve willingly chose to accept this life”
“because you didn’t give me any options!”
“I most certainly did. Must I remind you of your second option?” Jim turned to him in anger

“see that’s what I’m talking about! It was either suffer a shit ton more than I usually do or suffer my usual except with all the new stuff on top! Not really much I could chose from!” Gunmar sighed
“hm. I think perhaps you need more...aid in your life. More enjoyment. Hm. Yes. Humans enjoy more...what do you even call it? ‘Upbeat attitudes’? Surround yourself with positive things.” Jim clicked his tongue
“great. Now you sound like every therapist I have ever met.” The two stared in silence for another minute, then once again Gunmar broke it
“it’s time for you to arise once again. Nap time is over. We shall meet once more, soon enough”
“sounds fun.” Jim held his knees to his chest
“why can’t life be simple? Why can’t I just...be happy. Why do I always have to feel like I’m broken and anything different just...ruins me. Why can’t I just accept things?!” Gunmar growled in confusion
“I do not know. Humans are far more complicated than trolls are. It’s no wonder I hardly ever deal with them directly. I will not pretend I know anything about the human mind, but I do know one thing. When you get your way, when you get what you want when you want it, it makes life that much more enjoyable. Now rise my champion.”

And just like that, Jim’s eyes shot wide open and he bolted upwards. He looked around and saw that he had returned to the library, or most likely his soul had since his body never really left. Jim laid back down and rubbed his face. He had done all he could handle for the day.

…

Jim said his goodbyes and left. He told everyone he couldn’t handle any more that night. He was thankful that they all understood. They said their own goodbyes to him, well all except for Draal. The troll seemed to be quiet and kept his distance from him. Jim was too tired to put any effort into thinking about it.

As he walked home he watched the stars shine brightly. He sighed out and thought that tomorrow would be better. Something his mom always told him. Tomorrow will be a little bit better, and a little bit easier.

Nearby and out of sight, Angor rot was sitting in a tree. He was carving a totem as his leg swung lazily. He studied Jim thoroughly, making sure to memorize every detail about the half troll. The body language was clear, he had been through much. Although, no signs of physical harm were seen, which made Angor rot assume it was mental. He smirked and jumped to another tree, making sure to follow Jim home from a safe distance.

It didn’t take too long until they arrived. Angor rot sat on top of Toby’s house

(yeah you know the scene so I’m not going to describe every detail)

Jim was thankful he was finally home. He collapsed onto the couch. The TV was turned on and a show was playing.

Near Toby’s house a shadow portal opened up, Toby and Claire stepped out of it talking
“-think we should talk to him?” Claire shook her head no as the two looked across the street
“we should leave him alone. I don’t think we should bring any more of this life to him”
“yeah, you’re right. So you want to come in? Grab a bite to eat?” Claire gasped a bit then quickly looked up to the rooftop of Toby’s home, seeing nothing though. She looked around, but didn’t find a single thing out of place or out of the ordinary. Toby turned and asked
“you alright?” Claire frowned
“yeah. Just got a feeling in the darkness...it’s not important” Toby shrugged
“well you’re the shadow queen. So, yes on my offer or what?” Claire narrowed her eyes at a tree but didn’t see anything
“no thanks. I should get home”
“alright, night, text you later”
“same”

Angor rot walked out from behind a tree and watched the two part ways. Claire once more going through a portal, and Toby heading inside of his home.

Angor looked back at Jim’s home and smiled
“soon. Rest your weary form. You’ll need all your strength. Soon enough. Champion of Gunmar.”

Chapter Text

Jim tossed and turned in bed...

He whimpered and tensed up...

In his dreams, he could only see vivid flashes of scenes.

A golden blade glowing as bright as the sun.

The blade up against the Decimaar.

The two clashing together creating massive sparks of energy.

Wild uncontrolled magics ravaged the surrounding area.

The Decimaar glowed brightly. Energy pouring off of it like dry ice.

The slashing was strong enough to cut open the earth.

The golden blade blocked each and every strike.

The two were an equal match.

Then Jim saw himself be sliced across the chest by it.

His armor unable to protect him.

“foul demon. Your darkness cannot safeguard you from my holy light.”

Jim felt his black blood pour out of his body.

He watched it soak the ground beneath his feet.

All plant life becoming ash.

Jim felt the tip of the golden blade at his throat.

It burned like nothing he had ever felt before.

“your troll nature is vulnerable. Your humanity is lost. Feel what all trolls feel. You are unwelcome in the light”

Jim felt himself burn in absolute agony that washed over his form like he was suddenly submerged in a pool of acid.

Jim’s fleeting thoughts were of the others.

He took one last breath and shut his eyes for good.

The final words Jim’s mind could register were spoken in hate

“your darkness is cleansed from this mortal earth. Return from whence you came filth. Your master cannot save you.”

Jim’s final thoughts were simple.

‘I don’t want to die.’

Then he heard a deep voice.

The dark soothing tone that made all his aches vanish.

‘come to me my champion. Come home now. Your life is over and done with. It is time to rest.’

Jim’s lungs exhaled his last breath.

He finally felt at peace.

No more pain.

A relief he hadn't felt in a long time…

……

“he’s gone.” Douxie stood over Jim’s corpse once all was settled down. Toby wiped his eyes from the sudden tears that filled them
“he can’t be gone. He has always come back!” Douxie shook his head lowly
“I’m sorry Toby. But not this time” Claire shook her head and felt something she hadn’t in years. Sadness for the half troll.
“that wasn’t our Jim. Our Jim died a long time ago. This was just some...monster who looked like him.” a brief silence came over them. Douxie watched as the Decimaar burned away into shadow and disappear
“the blade returned to Gunmar, which means...he truly is dead.” Toby sniffled then asked
“what do we do now?”
“it’s only right we bury him next to his mother”
“but trolls turn to stone when they die”
“no. Not half trolls. They decompose like humans do” Claire held herself and fought back more tears
“I almost don’t want to. He doesn’t deserve peace for what he’s done.” Douxie put a hand on her shoulder in comfort
“he was too consumed with pain to think clearly.” Claire shrugged off his hand and yelled
“I DON’T CARE! THAT DOESN’T EXCUSE HIM FROM WHAT HE DID!”
“I’m not saying its excuses him. All I’m saying is that he was our friend”
“yeah. Was. That’s the only word that matters. I can’t forgive him. He hurt us too much to ever be forgiven. He had more than enough chances to redeem himself.” Claire shuddered
“if that monster was OUR Jim, then I would. But he isn’t. So I can’t.”

Douxie felt something vibrate in his pocket. He fetched out the time map and looked as it flicked through various timelines.

One where Jim is alone crying at his mothers grave.

One where he’s smiling in a picture along with the rest of them as they had a happy time.

The current one where he is dead at their feet.

One where he had commit suicide.

And a final one where he’s holding Draals hands at an altar. All their friends and family gathered around them and a small baby troll gnawing on it’s own foot was sitting at their parents feet.

Douxie muttered
“it doesn’t have to be like this.” Toby walked over and witnessed what the wizard had. He wiped his eyes and gained a small spark of hope
“you-you can fix this right? Change this? We-we don’t have to have any of this happen? We’ve fixed things before!” Douxie let out a heavy sigh
“I don’t know. Maybe things will be different this time. We can only wait and see what happens before all this. Then we can live with whatever world exists.” Claire held herself
“what if nothing changes? Everything might stay the same.”
“true. It might. But we need to have some small spark of hope. It could change. There are more than one possibility's” Douxie put away the time map and looked at the moon
“come on. We need to get back to the others. We can come back for the body”

…...

In his bed, Jim finally settled down as the nightmare was over.

A small paw gently pet his head

“it’s alright. I’m here now. No more need to fear. None of that will happen.”

…...

Jim felt the warm sunlight hit his face waking him. His vision was slightly blurry, but once it settled he saw a cats face merely inches away from his own. It smiled warmly and spoke in a sweet and polite manner with a males voice

(just to know, it sounds like roaches voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjWcWr4Hwj4&ab_channel=FluffyNinjaLlama
starts at 2:25)

“good morning sleepyhead” Jim yelled from being startled
“AHH!” the cats face began to yell also
“AHHH!”
“AHHHH!”
“AHHHHH!
“AHHHHHH!”
“AHHHHHHH! WHY ARE WE YELLING?!” Jim quickly scooted back into his bed
“because you scared me!” the cat’s face smiled and laughed
“ohhh I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Jim’s heart began to calm down along with his nerves. He was now focusing more on said cat face. A gray, tan, and, white colored Norwegian Forest cat with golden eyes and glowing pupils. A large toothy smile with sharp fangs was the current expression. Jim slowly became even more unnerved once his eyes began to take in more of the body. The top portion was like that of a normal cats except as its torso was looked past, the rest of the body was a long slender tail like a snake. Jim blinked a few times before asking
“what...are you?”
“I’m your new familiar!”
“what? I meant what ARE you?!” the cat rolled his eyes and laughed
“ohhhhh thaaaatt! I’m a Tatzelwurm!”
“a what?”
“Tatzelwurm” The creature rubbed his hands together
“now then! Onto introductions! Hi, I’m Jos, nice to meet you!”
“Josh?” Jos suddenly hissed and his eyes flamed
“NO! NEVER JOSH! I hate that word. No I won’t explain why. Well...right now at least. But know this, I have a grudge against any who own that name...”
“okay...uh...where did you come from?” Jos went back to being cheerful
“our dark underlord sent me!”
“Gunmar?”
“who else sleepyhead!”
“so...Jos...whats going on?”
“not the brightest right now...ah no biggie! You just woke up!” Jos cleared his throat then held a paw to his chest

“I am Jos! Your new familiar! Gunmar has taken a portion of your soul, molded it into creating me, and then sent me to be with you!” Jos threw up his tiny paws and shouted cheerfully
“HOORAY!!!” Jim rubbed a horn
“so...what...do you do?”
“Well all sorts of things! I help you out! I be your emotional support! Your rock! Your muse! I can help identify any creature or spell or item for you and overall be YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND!” Jos waved his fingers and glitter poofed everywhere, then faded into light
“So, how do you want me to address you? my second half, my owner, my master, my best friend, my buddy, my boss, Jim DESTROYER OF WORLDS!?”
“uh...I don’t really care...I guess you can just call me Jim for now”
“you got it!” Jos wrapped his body around Jim’s torso then held Jims face in his paws
“look at me. LOOK AT ME! I swear to you that I will be a-no-THE greatest familiar to have ever familiared! Your life will be NOTHING short of perfection! Oh and by the way, when Gunmar created me I gained all your memories. So I know you like the back of my paw!” Jim blinked a few times
“okay...so...are you centuries old...or something?”
“huh? oh no! Well sorta. My physical body was born about...like...5 hours ago, but my conscious has been around for...I don’t really know. A while I guess. Not easy to tell time when you’re kinda just floating around aimlessly in a void around Gunmar where the souls of his followers are. I guess its sorta like one big essence pool where all the collected minds kinda just mush together like chowder”
“huh”

“he plucked me out, molded me into this handsome sexy and stylish body via your soul, and boom here I am! Feels strange having a body. Anyways, I will be by your side for the rest of our existence! And yes, even in the afterlife I will be at your side! The ONLY way of getting rid of me is if Gunmar decides to! We will always know where one another is, and we can talk telepathically if you prefer, and we can even see through one anothers eyes! And experience one anothers senses-you get the idea. Alright Jim, what do you want to do now? Oh, do you want to jerk it first? If you want I could help. Do you want me to get your dildo out from under the bed? Or do you want your vibrator? Want me to start up your laptop? And honestly you should clear your internet history. Or at least go into incognito mode. But then again you’d have to constantly log back into everything each time”

Jim’s face was absolute purple in embarrassment. He shouted
“NO!” Jos put his paws up in surrender
“alright, alright. No need to shout”
“are you...always going to be with me?”
“I already stated the answer” Jim groaned and rubbed his face
“Great. No more privacy”
“nope! NEVER AGAIN BUDDY! Well technically I am just a part of you. So think of me like an extra thumb, or finger, or uh...horn?” Jim sighed and got up out of bed. He made a sharp hiss from the sudden stinging he felt in his chest. Jos ran a paw down Jim’s face, comforting him
“Don’t worry Jim! Its only a few more days until it goes away” Jim grumbled
“yeah. You’re right.” Jim was surprised on how little Jos weighed. It was almost as if he wasn’t there to begin with, yet Jim could feel the pressure and weight from Jos curling up around him. Jos booped Jim’s nose
“hey, don’t you worry about a thing. You and me, against everyone else. Oh I know what will cheer you up! Lets go make your mom some pancakes!” Jim rolled his shoulders and began making his way to the kitchen.

Jim was now getting everything ready and began to cook. He had reached out for a ladle then noticed Jos had handed it to him
“like I said Jim! Here to help!” Jim watched Jos gather various things in order to help prep. He helped crack eggs and take things out of the fridge and overall aided Jim. Jim was surprised he was enjoying it. Jos really was like an extension of himself. They worked in perfect tandem, never once bumping into one another for even a moment. As Jim flipped a pancake he asked
“so do you want anything?” Jos washed out a pot and answered
“sure!”
“so...you’re part cat?”
“mhm”
“the other half is...a snake?”
“dragon actually”
“do you need to eat cat food?”
“nah. Technically I don’t actually need to eat. Or sleep. Or drink. Or go to the bathroom. Or anything really. As long as you do, I get the nutrients. Like I said, I’m a part of you. But yeah I could eat a few pancakes!” Jim made a few extra. He heard his mom walk down the stairs giving a big yawn
“morning kiddo. Morning Jos” Jos waved
“morning!” Jim stopped in confusion
“wait you two know each other?” Jos started to stack the pancakes onto plates
“mhm! I arrived last night just a little after your mom came home. We ended up talking for a bit” Barbara giggled
“I first thought he was a hallucination from sheer exhaustion. Guess I’m starting to get used to this whole magical life of ours” Jim mentally repeated that word

‘ours’

A part of him didn’t like that his mom was dragged into everything. He wanted her to be left out of it. She didn’t need the stress of it all on top of everything she already had to deal with.

Not like either of them can stay out of it now though…

Jim paid attention to Jos once he tapped Jim’s shoulder. Jim looked to see his new familiar holding his phone. A text from Douxie was received that read:

“hey Jim, good morning! I hope your night went better for you. I hope you’re feeling better too. I’m guessing you’d rather have a day off to process everything easier, but we really need you in trollmarket. Its kind of a sentinel emergency which means all hands on deck. It’s not too dangerous don’t worry. Claire and I are a bit busy so we can't teleport to you. So I’ll see you soon! =)”

Jim groaned. He really didn’t want to face everyone. Jos smiled and pat Jim’s head
“cheer up! You get to see all your new friends again! And get some more training under your belt and, best of all, you get to show them ME! I can’t wait to see all their jealous faces!” Barbara finished eating her bite of pancake
“you know, he does have a point Jim. It is good to be out of the house and getting to experience the company of others. I think its a good thing to get out of your comfort zone. Besides, you won’t be in any real danger” Jim wasn’t sure if she should tell his mom what the text said…

He decided against it.

If it were REALLY BAD then they wouldn’t be sending him into the fight

right?

“yeah...you’re right mom...I guess it is a good chance for me to...experience it” Jos moved his body around Jim in order to be more face to face
“and you have me looking out for you! I will take any death blow for you! don’t worry, I won’t die unless you die. My physical body can die, but I’ll just regen pretty soon afterwards” Jos curled around Jim’s neck a bit then waved a paw out into the distance majestically
“me and you. Kicking ass and taking names”
“yyeaaahhh...would you excuse me for a bit?” Jos uncurled around Jim and slid onto the counter. He started to stuff pancakes into his mouth, literally unhinging his jaws to do so, while Jim walked to the backyard. Once the door was closed Jim called out
“Gunmar! Whats up with this?!” Jim heard only silence. He grew frustrated
“Gunmar! Answer me!” a few moments of silence passed before a heavy voice spoke in his head

‘do not command me champion.’
“you want to tell me why some cat worm thing-”
‘Tatzelwurm’
“-whatever! Why one of those is currently stuffing pancakes into his mouth on my kitchen counter!?”
‘do not demand anything of me champion. I am starting to grow weary of your-’
“why is he here!?” Jim felt a massive burning pain under his skin. He saw the markings of Gunmar glow brightly then faded away a few moments later, the pain along with it
‘let that be a warning not to interrupt. And you already know these answers. He spoke them quite clearly.’
“but why HIM?!”
‘I’m surprised you do not enjoy your boon. I told you that you needed to be surrounded by positive attitudes, and so now you have one at all times.’ Jim ran his hands down his face
“great.”
‘be thankful. Not everyone gains their own familiar who is apart of them. I molded Jos well. I knew he would be the perfect fit. Now, go back into your home, prepare yourself for whats to come, and enjoy your time.’ And with that Gunmars voice faded away, leaving an annoyed Jim behind.

………………

“-it’s a small world after ALL! IT’S A SMALL SMALL WORRRRLLDDD!” Jos raised a paw high up in the air, the other touching his fluffy chest, as he finished his song. Jim groaned
“can you please not sing that.”
“well I can sing that, or gangsters paradise, or private dancer. Your choice. Those are the only songs I know by heart”
“anything but that.”
“you got it! Ahem...Tell me why are we so blind to see that the ones we hurt are you and meee. BEEN SPENDING MOST THEIR LIVES, LIVING IN A GANGSTA’S PARADISE! BEEN SPENDING MOST THEIR LIVES LIVING IN A GANGSTA’S PARADISE!”

Currently the two of them-well Jim is-walking towards trollmarket. Jim was thankful hardly anyone was around. He REALLY would rather die than for a large group of people to stare at him. From an outside perspective, it must have been something stranger than fiction. A half human half troll hybrid walking casually down the street as a strange half cat half dragon creature was wrapped around him singing gangsta’s paradise. Jos suddenly stopped and whipped around looking in a single direction in silence. His eyes glowed and he stared at a distance tree with intensity. Jim asked
“Jos are you...okay?”
“I sense magic. Shadow. Stealth. Someones trying to spy on us. More likely you.” Jim looked closer at the tree but saw nothing, except a few branches sway in the wind
“I don’t see anything...I think you’re being paranoid.”
“not paranoid. One of my designs is to sense and know every type of magic with pinpoint accuracy.”
“well, Claires the only one to use shadow magic, right?”
“its a type of magic, so technically anyone can learn it. Besides, Claire wouldn’t be the type to spy on us.”
“look, it probably wasn’t anything. let’s just keep walking” So Jim continued on. Jos still didn’t look away from the tree until they went around a corner and it was no longer in sight. He still stared in the direction up until the point where they came to the entrance and walked through the newly opened portal.

Elsewhere…

Gunmar felt the shift, the incoming information Jos had sensed. Gunmar growled and gripped his throne in irritation
“Morgana…”

Chapter Text

Centuries earlier…

Two trolls sparred in the forge. Their swords clashed and sparks sprayed onto the ground. One swift jab sent one of the trolls flat on their back, hitting the ground with a loud clang, their armor smashing rocks into pebbles. The two trolls laughed and one offered an arm to the other. The second troll smiled and took it
“well now Kanjigar, looks like you’ve bested me once more~” the second troll practically purred out. Kanjigar shared the same tone of voice
“thank you Aarzal. You put up a damned good fight yourself. Almost had me at the end there” the two shared a silent stare then shared a deep growl. Aarzal smirked
“I have a fun proposition” Kanjigar raised an eyebrow
“oh? What could that be?”
“why don’t we shed our armor and bathe one another? Clean the filth and grime from a days worth of work. You clean my back, I clean yours?” Kanjigar rubbed his chin and tilted his head slightly
“I don’t suppose my back will be the only thing you’ll clean for me?” Aarzal growled in a deep lustful tone
“I’m going to polish you from horn to foot. I might even work on that blade of yours.”
“oh? And which blade would you be polishing? I presume it won’t be daylight?”
“that depends on which one I find first”
“your hands have a knack for roaming around, don’t they?” Aarzal leaned in until his face was merely inches away from Kanjigars, a hand roaming around Kanjigars armored chest
“curious things they are. Practically have a mind of their own” a large smile formed on Kanigars face
“why don’t we clean up, go to the pub for some glug, then retire to my bedchambers? If I recall correctly, you never did get to finish that special new technique you spoke of” Aarzal sighed dramatically
“sentinel duty always seems to interrupt at the worst times” The two shared a deep growl then put their faces against one anothers. They made their way out of the forge right after that.

Nearby Draal made a disgusted noise and spat on the floor. Deya laughed as she finished sorting the weapons
“what’s the matter? Upset your father is busy enjoying the company of another?” Draal growled in anger
“I do not like that champion of Gunmar. None of them can be trusted!” Deya snickered and teased
“oh I’m pretty sure your father trusts him plenty. Hey, I have a quick question for you. You ever walk in on the two when they were-” Draal roared at her and threw a mace at her head. She ducked out of the way and watched it smash into the weapons rack, spilling them all over the floor. She groaned out loudly in frustration
“I JUST finished with that! you’re going to do it this time.” Draal spat on the ground and began doing said chore. He grumbled in troll with spite. Deya elbowed him
“hey, think of it like this. Your father’s been the happiest he’s been ever since your mother di-”
“DON’T speak of her. And he does not need the companionship of that corrupted horror.”
“his name is Aarzal.” Draal waved out an arm
“I don’t care! He shouldn’t be-UGH!” Deya laughed
“so. You never did answer my question. No matter how many times I ask apparently”
“and what is that?”
“who do you think takes it up the a-” Draal roared and threw a sword at her. She laughed and rolled out of the way

In the present...

Within the shadowy castle Morgana was reading through her various books. Nearby an archway had flickered until a massive boom was made. The image of Gunmar was held within it

(alright look it’s a version of when they put the eyestone into the bridge)

“Morgana.” The sorceress smiled and turned to see his irritated expression
“well if it isn’t the dark underlord himself. To what do I owe this lovely visage of yours?”
“you leave my champion alone.” Morgana smirked and raised an eyebrow
“oh? What causes you to believe I’m interfering in anyw-”
“his familiar detected your dark magics. You are spying on him.”
“I do no such thing. And even if I did, could you blame me? You know how much my curiosity gets the best of me at times. When I heard you’ve finally chosen a new champio-”
“do nothing to him witch. Understand?” Morgana gave a light laugh
“you only ever say that when I’ve truly upset you” Gunmar jabbed a finger in her direction
“leave him be. Only warning I shall permit you.” Morgana gave a sly
“oh, why aren’t I ever so grateful! I will do nothing to him, worry not. Now why don’t you leave me to my work and I do the same for you” Gunmar snarled and sneered
“Do. Not. Interfere. If I find out you’ve done anything to even a single hair on-” Morgana walked closer to the image and interrupted
“expect nothing from me. Now go. I’ve work to do. Shadows to listen to. People to spy on. Murders to plan. Ta-ta” and with that she waved her hand through the image, breaking it apart until it faded completely.

Gunmar slammed his fist onto his throne arm and felt his chest heaving with anger
“his familiar won’t be enough for whatever she has planned.” he rubbed his chin and mumbled
“It’s time for something new.”

Elsewhere…

Claire was lost in her thoughts. Toby was sitting crossed legged nearby and decided to throw a pebble at her, gaining her full attention
“hey, you good Claire?”
“sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention.”
“is there something on your mind? You have that thinking face when you’re unsure about something” Claire moved her hair out of her face
“I just...this little part of me keeps nagging that somethings wrong. Ever since we went to your house last night this feeling hasn’t left me. It’s probably nothing but...I don’t know” Douxie was currently writing down different spells into a book, Archie having a cat nap right next to him. The wizard looked up and said
“you have great instinct. If you believe somethings amiss then that might truly be what’s going on. What exactly did you feel?”
“I could have sworn I felt shadow magic. The kind where it shadows you from being seen. It felt familiar but I can’t put my finger on it” He shrugged
“maybe you felt Jim’s aura? He has started to develop” Toby raised an eyebrow
“develop? What like sentinel puberty?”
“eh sort of. His body and soul are changing in different ways”
“wait how come mine didn’t?”
“it’s a champion thing. But yeah, if you think about it, it really is sentinel puberty for champions”

Toby crossed his arms and complained
“man you guys always get the coolest stuff. I want magic puberty.” Claire scoffed
“you said so many times how much you HATED puberty, now you’re jealous for not getting another one?”
“yeah but this ones magic puberty! You know how awful I am at magic! I want to be all super powerful and wicked like you guys!” Douxie laughed lightly
“well if it makes you feel better, Draal’s got the same skill level, and he’s been at it for a lot longer than you have” Toby felt something dawn on him
“oh! that’s right I totally forgot! Okay so, I was curious and started to read up on Gunmar and his champions. The guys got bara boobs. Never seen a troll with them” Claire laughed
“that’s really good to know TP, glad you shared that” Toby rolled his eyes
“I was just saying! Anyways my point is that when I was reading, all his champions kinda remind me of how like, sith lords are. And fallen paladins. And red lanterns. All evil and sinister stuff. It’s just so opposite from what literally everyone else is like. Even the pale lady’s champions haven’t been THAT dark.” Douxie shrugged
“that’s just how they are” Toby picked lint off of his shirt
“you guys don’t think Jim’s going to become all violent right? He’s way too innocent and nice and nervous. I just can’t see him in red and black armor stomping around on peoples skulls while roaring out with bloodlust” Douxie tapped his pen to the paper
“hard to say. People change.”
“well, I don’t want that to happen. I want to keep him on the good side of things, or at least as morally gray as possible. All the previous champions have all suffered in some way or another. He’s already suffering enough. I don’t want him to-well-get worse” Douxie smiled
“I’m with you on that.” Claire smiled
“same here” Toby rubbed his hands together
“alright, guess the three of us are now officially going to protect Jim!”

…….

Jim felt just as good as he always does whenever someone takes one look at him and flips their shit. Just a casual walk through trollmarket as he’s being ran and hid from. Troll after troll would either fall to their knees and bow, run away crying and or screaming, or overall hide and mentally plead they wouldn’t be found by Jim. Jim’s ears just lowered as he sighed out. He felt Jos curl up around him tighter in what Jim was guessing would be his familiars version of a hug
“hey, don’t worry buddy. They’ll come around after you same them a few times! Look at the brightside!” Jim watched a troll dive out of the way and directly into a barrel. He groaned in reply
“what brightside?” Jos pet the side of Jims face
“at least they’re not calling you horrible names like humans do! And some trolls are bowing!”
“yeah. I guess. Although being ran away from isn’t exactly a better replacement.”
“wweelllll think of all the cool stuff you can get! Humans might throw things from time to time, but here you get offerings! Oh! I can sing about it!”
“please no.” Jos cleared his throat then raised a paw up high
“ahem. WWEEELLLLL HERE WE ARRRE TOGETHERRR IN A PLACE CALLED TROLLMRKEETTTTT! WHERE THE LOVELIEST OF TROLLS GATHER AND TRAADDDEEEE! HERE WITHIN THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH IS A HEARTWARMING SIIIGGHHTTT! AS THEY GATHER AROUND THE HEARTSTONNNEEE WE ARE H-” Jim rubbed his horn and interrupted
“are you always going to sing?” Jos shrugged then booped Jim’s nose
“maaayybbeeee. It depends! Now then, onto my singing! H-”

Next to them a troll nervously approached
“um...h-hi there champion of Gunmar” the clearly nervous male troll bowed and held out a bucket
“h-here for yo-you. I was at the uh-introduction. I don’t know about everyone else but i-i uh-well I’m grateful you’re here. I even cheered. You don’t seem that bad-I ONLY MEAN THAT-uh-you sound nice and uh-more relaxed than your previous...uh...” the troll swallowed and held out the bucket further. Jim peered inside and noticed it was a decent amount of foul socks covered in various molds
“p-please accept this offering of good will! You have my support! Call upon me if you need anything! I know you’ll keep us all safe and in good health!” the troll shook more as Jim reached out and took the bucket by its rusted handle.

Jim smiled, disgusted as he was of course, but felt a small warmth in his stomach. Someone who was actually afraid came to him on their own will and said something kind. A voice inside Jim said it was only out of fear and nothing more-but Jim ignored it and enjoyed the small illusion of kindness instead. It’s rude to refuse a gift. Not like it was cursed or anything. Besides maybe it wasn’t as bad as he imagined? Not like he’s ever tried eating a human sock before. Jim nodded
“thank you. I appreciate it. To be honest, besides the other sentinels…you’re the first person I don’t know to come to me” the troll noticeably eased his tension up once Jim accepted his token. He let out a small sigh of relief through his nose
“not everyone is like...uh I mean...well...you’re still a sentinel and you might not hear it often, but you’re still someone who keeps us safe and that means a lot to folks. I won’t keep you busy so I’ll leave now. Goodbye!” before Jim could even say a proper thank you the troll had ran off quickly. Jim looked at the bucket and picked up a sock. He already was cringing at the smell. He stuck out his tongue to taste it and gagged. Alright, sweat socks were not something he enjoyed. Jos looked at Jim in the eyes and smiled as he held the half trolls face
“Seeeee! Offerings already!”
“yeah...do you want these?”
“oh no. I am not going to eat those rancid things. But hey! Maybe Draal might like them~” Jos winked causing Jim to blush

“wha-ts that su-supposed to mean?” Jos checked his claws as if he had just had them manicured
“nothin. Especially not the boners you get around him. Big blue troll. So strong. Muscles. Broad chest and arms. Pulling you close. Burying his face into you.” Jos slithered to the other side of Jim and continued his little ‘game’ speaking into Jim’s ear
“Practically drooling over your scent. Maybe the big blue troll wouldn’t mind a nice snack. Then maybe have another one you can offer~ hint hint~ I heard virgins taste sweet~ maybe wrap your tail around a horn as he eats~ burying his thick strong tongue into your warm, tight, eager a-” Jim shoved Jos’s face away and quickly began to go to the forge. Jos was laughing hysterically. Jim huffed out
“n-not funny!” Jos said between laughs
“oh-oh ye-yes it is!”

“there you are.” Jim yelped as he turned to see Draal walking up behind him
“I was making my way to the entrance of trollmarket so I could finally get your lazy ass up and ready for whats...to...come...” Draal began to sniff at the air around Jim. He narrowed his eyes and went silent for a moment. He scratched his face and muttered something in troll then turned around, waving an arm out
“hurry up and start walking. You’re late. We don’t have time to stand around.” Jim followed as they walked across a bridge. As he walked Jos leaned in close to Jim’s ear and whispered
“he smells your arousal. I bet it’s turning him on. Try to see if he makes sexual arousal pheromones too~ go rub up on his chest and purr a bit. Oh! You shou-” Jim shoved Jos’s head away
“knock it off!”
“half troll.” Jim jumped a bit as he bumped into Draal, not paying attention to where he was going
“s-sorry!” Draal snorted. Then pointed to Jos
“what in Kanjigars name is that creature wrapped around your body?” Jos cleared his throat
“I am Jos! His new familiar!” Draal scratched his chest and tilted his head. He looked slightly...confused? Jim wasn’t sure what his expression or tone of voice was
“hm. Gunmar sent one to you. hm.” Draal was silent for a few brief moments, studying Jim as if the half troll had turned into something new and was trying to see what the differences were, or what remaining similarities lingered. Jim stood there holding his breath in nervousness. Draal mumbled something then turned around
“come. We’re late. We shall discuss this later.” Jim swallwed down his fear and asked
“w-wait” Draal turned around
“d-do you want th-these? A troll gave them to me but I don’t l-like sweat socks” Draal took the bucket and looked at it. He tossed the entire bucket into his mouth and ate it. He gave a simple nod and continued on

Walking towards the forge was quiet enough. No one said anything. Not even Jos. All he did was look around at the sights, occasionally shifting himself around Jim’s torso, being careful not to bump into the shard. Jim did notice said shard had become smaller, if only a bit. Still, every little inch counts. The forge was as it always is, Jim didn’t really expect much except this time he saw the three humans. Both Toby and Claire were in their own armors, while Douxie was still as casual as ever. Jim wondered why he wasn’t wearing any, but assumed it was some magic thing...wait wouldn’t he have to wear armor too?! When the three humans saw Jim their faces lit up and they all greeted him warmly
“Jim!” as Jim approached, the three of them had come over. Toby was the first to ask
“whoa what’s with the snake cat thing” Jos snorted
“I’m a Tatzelwurm Toby” Toby’s eyes widened
“how does he know my name?”
“I have all of Jim’s memories”
“wait how?” Douxie cleared his throat
“I should explain it. This here is a familiar”
“like Archie?”
“yes and no. See-”
“did someone call my name?” Archie stretched and yawned. He adjusted his glasses and flew over, morphing into his dragon form
“Oh Jim is finally her-” Archie went silent as he locked eyes with Jos. The two were silent for only a few moments then they snarled at one another. Douxie was surprised at the sudden shift in attitude
“whoa what’s the matter?”
“Jim what is THAT thing doing here?” Jos scoffed and jabbed a claw in Archies direction
“oh you did NOT just call me a thing! you pompous piece of dragon shit!”
“at least I AM a dragon!”
“oh you want to go?! You want to fight?!”
“fight? BAH! I would incinerate you in an instant! You pathetic piece of gutter filth!”

Jos quickly unwrapped around Jim and slithered to the ground shadow boxing
“I might only have two paws but I can still kick your flying ass!”
“I will END you before you could even lay a single claw on me!”
“at least I don’t lick my own ass! Oh I can tell you do that you cat dragon!”
“ITS hygienic!”
“it’s called a shower! Oh but you’re not smart enough to figure that out now are you?”
“oh you want to be skinned alive?!”
“At least I don’t have to wear glasses! You poorly sighted fire breathing dick head! I bet your polymorphing isn’t even that good!” Archie gave a loud gasp
“YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW! I DRAW THE LINE AT QUESTIONING MY POLYMORPHIC CAPABILITIES! I WILL SCORCH YOU TO A CRISP!”
“OH YEAH? WELL BELIEVE IT OR NOT BUT THESE FANGS ARE NOT JUST FOR SHOW! MY VENOM IS AS DEADLY AS THEY COME AND ONE BITE WILL SEND YOU TO AN EARLY GRAVE! BETWEEN THE BOTH OF US IF I DIE, I COME BACK! YOU DON’T GET ANY EXTRA LIVES!” Douxie stepped in and pulled Archie away
“whoa easy! what’s going on?! you’ve never acted this way before!”
“this degenerate dares to show itself in front of me!” Jos growled
“I’M JIM’S FAMILIAR YOU CUCK! AND A BETTER ONE THAN YOU’LL EVER BE!”

Toby asked as he was watching
“Wait Jim got a familiar? When? Aww I want one!” Jos didn’t turn to look at Toby but he answered
“Gunmar made me with a piece of Jim’s soul! And unlike THIS CUCK I’M A REAL FAMILIAR!”
“wait what?”
“there are two types of familiars. One which are born and one which are created. The ones who are born are able to grow and change, both mentally and physically. Ones that are created stay the way they are created and never change. While ones that are born can adapt and learn new things, ones which are created cannot do anything similar if it is outside of what they were created to do. I can’t shapeshift like this CUCK CAN! But HE can’t come back to life if he dies! Since I’m created with a piece of Jim’s soul, as long as he’s alive, I can come back to life! Unlimited lives! If Jim dies I die though! I also don’t require sustenance as long as Jim has it! We can experience one anothers senses and speak telepathically if need be, something born familiars can’t do! Born familiars also can choose who to serve and leave whenever they want, created ones are linked forever to the one’s we were created for! This piece of shit right here could leave that wizard to work for someone else while I can’t leave Jim, not that I want to!”

Archie hissed
“I do not work for him! I work with him!” Toby scratched his head
“Wait so you both hate one another because you’re two different types of familiars?” Archie breathed fire lightly then said
“no that has nothing to do with this! Familiars don’t care where one comes from. This WRETCHED ABOMINATION is a creature who is pathetic and shouldn’t exist!” Jos hissed
“Dragons and dragon kin have always had a deep hatred for one another! Full dragons think themselves so high and mighty!” Archie hissed
“while dragon kin try to be something they’re not and shouldn’t exist because it gives REAL dragons a bad reputation! Filthy pests! Always trying to encroach on our territories!”
“you dragons think you own the entire world! We deserve our own homes!”
“not when you invade and ruin whatever we have!” Jos’s ear twitched and felt Jim’s mood change. He was becoming anxious and stressed. Jos hissed again and jabbed his claws at Archie
“you’re lucky I have more important things to do than waste my time dealing with you” Jos slithered around Jim once again and buried his head into Jim’s neck. Archie scoffed
“waste YOUR time!?” Douxie held Archie and pulled him back
“enough! Both of you! We have more important things to worry about than this! Look you both don’t have to like one another, but you have to at least play nice! Promise me you will”
“unlike THAT THING, I will act like a proper gentleman. Because I have class.” Jos growled
“oh yeah right. Fine, I promise to be a good guy, but only because I don’t want to give HIM the satisfaction to prove I cave in first!”

Claire cleared her throat
“anyways. Boys. Its time to go and do what we need to do.” she turned to Jim and smiled
“don’t worry Jim, this is simple. Deya, Arrrg, and Blinky are trying to handle this right now, but they need backup” Toby pointed a thumb at himself
“and here we are! Since this is your first actual sentinel mission, this is the perfect time to get your feet wet!” Douxie said as he pet Archie to soothe him
“we need to handle a trickster troll. I’m going to guess you don’t know what those are?” Douxie quickly added
“NOT THAT IT’S ANY OF YOUR OWN FAULT!” Jim shook his head no
“a quick run down, they’re a type of troll that use magic to cause chaos and trouble. Sometimes as simple as pulling pranks, to literally causing anarchy for the fun of it. Its a real bad time for both human and troll worlds alike. While technically any troll who does these things can be called them, trickster trolls are a breed. We haven’t had one acting this badly in years. So we need to stop him asap. He’s been causing a lot of property damage and running rampant” Jim took a deep breath and let it out slowly
“everything will be fine, right?”
“yes don’t worry. We can handle this. Like Toby said, this is going to help get your feet wet” Douxie released Archie and summoned his staff
“alright everyone ready? let’s do this thing” Claire opened up a shadow portal and everyone started to step inside one by one

Douxie felt a strange sensation fall over him. His eyes flashed blue for a split second and he shivered. He quickly turned to Jim and walked to his side
“wait! Jim!” the half troll turned around, head tilting slightly
“yeah?” Douxie scratched Jim like he loves while saying kindly
“if you have any problem ever, I want you to talk to me alright. It’s always better to talk than to hold it in. Will you promise me that you will at least try to? Even if you don’t want to talk, just reach out to me so I can help you. It could be as simple as us just hanging out. We don’t even need to go into some deep conversation, I just want you to be safe and healthy” Jim nodded
“alright. I promise that if I ever want to...do...that...and...well...if any thoughts come up, I will contact you. I always try my best to keep my promises”
“even a simple text will do. Thank you Jim. I care about you, we all do. And soon enough you’ll understand how deep our love runs for one another” Douxie smiled then hugged Jim.

Anytime something seriously bad were to happen or has happened, he had sent little signs to himself. Merlin always forbid him from using time magic, but sometimes he did minor things to change the present. Or the past. Depending on what was happening. He thought himself clever enough to be under Merlins radar but sometimes he wasn’t so sure. Either Merlin HAD noticed and just never said anything, or he truly didn’t.

Either way, if his future self sent that strong of a sensation, then something truly bad needed to be prevented. All he understood was that Jim needs help. And Douxie will make sure he gets all the aid he can...

Chapter Text

“BWAHAHA!” Deya rolled out of the way as a flaming tree thrown straight at her. A troll laughed at the sight
“BAHHWWAA! SENTINELS RUIN PORGON FUN! GO AWAY!” the trickster troll shouted as he hurled another flaming tree. Arrrg ran up behind him and grabbed Porgon, restraining him
“enough is enough!” Arrrg panicked as he was suddenly having a wave of goblins crawl all over him, biting and clawing at his stone skin. Arrrg let go and tried to smack the creatures away. Porgon laughed and began to run. Blinky ran up to them, huffing and carrying a large rock
“alright I’m her-” he stopped mid sentence to see his mate freaking out
“mate, what are you doing? Why are you swatting yourself?”
“goblins everywhere!”
“what? There are none within the vicinity”
“crawling all over me!”
“nothing is doing such a task” Porgon laughed at the Krubera as he threw a large flaming bolder that smashed against Arrrg knocking the large troll down. Blinky gasped and hustled his little legs over and held Arrrgs head as the furry troll was disoriented
“uhh. Head. Hurt.” Blinky raised two arms and made fists, shaking them at Porgon
“curse you foul creature! Scum of the earth!”

Near them a portal opened up and the rest of the gang stepped through. The first thing that happened was Draal roaring and jumping straight into the fight, summoning his gear. Porgon smashed his arms against the ground making a large crack split through it and explode sending Draal flying and crashing into the ground. The rest of the group began the attack! Toby ran to Deyas side while Claire ran to Arrrg and Blinkys. Douxie was already casting magic, only to have it be countered and blocked by various spells Porgon was casting. Jim was already shaking as he watched everything. Douxie barley managed to use a magic bubble to shield himself from a rock
“ugh! His magics keep ruining mine!” Claire asked as she launched a shadow portal at the trickster troll, only to have it fail once it reached him
“why isn’t this working?” Blinky helped Arrrg up and explained
“trickster troll magic is chaotic. It ruins any kind of order and stability in spells and magics!”

Jim stood there frozen. He wasn’t sure what to do or where to go. He felt terrible for not helping. How was he supposed to pull his weight?! He was just being a burden. Just letting everyone down. Like he always is. Like he always does. Jim felt Jos nuzzle up against him
“hey, don’t think like that! You can do this! Believe in yourself! Or at least believe in me believing in you!” Jim gasped as a fireball was thrown at him. Jim flinched and expected the worst to happen...except...nothing did. When he opened his eyes he noticed it was simply gone. Another fireball was hurled, except this time he watched what had happened. Jos had stuck out his paws and a barrier was summoned around them. The fireball sizzled out once it made contact with the surface. Jim blinked
“how is that happening?” Jos smiled and looked at Jim
“part of having a familiar! Think of it as a kind of magic immunity. As long as I’m here, I help stop anything nasty from happening! Or at least to an extent. I’m here to keep you sane and safe!” Jos’s eyes glowed blue and he went stiff and still. He quietly slithered away from Jim and curled up near a tree. Jim knit his eyes in confusion
“is everything alright Jos?” then Jim heard it

Gunmars voice echo through his head

‘enough guarding. Now, is the time for action. Fight my champion. Embrace it.’ Jim began to panic once more
“b-but I can’t!”
‘you can and will. go. Now. Survive. Overcome. A mere trickster troll is nothing compared to you. End him.’ Jim felt the blade extend from his arm until it had manifested fully
‘do it. My blade hungers. Take his life.’
“i-i don’t want to kill anyone!”
‘your hunger simply needs to awaken. Have your first taste. You’ll never forget it. Now focus. Or you’re going to die.’ by the time Jim had seen the fireball near his face it was almost too late. Everything felt like it was slowed down. His final thoughts were of his mother, crying. Hearing the news her son had been burned to a crisp on his very first mission. Then the next thing Jim saw was a blur of blue and curled up in an embrace. Jim’s mind finally registered Draal. The troll was looking at him in a mix of both worry and annoyance. Draal had noticed Jim simply standing there and Porgons attention become drawn to him. The trickster troll wound up a fireball and hurled it. Draal rolled over to Jim, grabbed him, and rolled away within a split moment.

Now Draal was staring at this soft small creature in his grasp. So weak and vulnerable, but sensitive and...cuddly. Draal, on top of Jim curled in protection, now wasn’t sure what to say or do. He wanted to take in Jim more. He wanted to see every scrap of flesh Jim had. He wanted to touch his body, pet his fur, grip his tail and run it through his hands. Seeing a half troll this close up, it was so…strange. Soft human features, but hardy troll parts. Mixed together in elegance. Nothing smashed together or out of place. The body formed and fit perfectly together without any problems to be had. How the skin was soft yet sturdy enough to be thought of as rock. How it stretched and moved. Jim’s chest and body. How it took in air and let it out. His chest increasing and decreasing every moment. His small horns, curly and adorable from their size, were another thing Draal wanted to touch. How could a creature like this exist? How could two entirely different species with practically nothing in common, biological wise, yet they formed something that worked without issue. Nature designed this form to truly be able to survive.

Jims scent was so strange to him. His sense of smell wanted to take more of it in. deep lungfuls. His mind was focused on making sense of it. The scent of both human and troll, yet mixed into something entirely new. Neither one overcoming the other. Perfect harmony. Equal in every way. Draal wanted to touch Jims nipples. As strange as that might seem. Males simply didn’t have them, yet humans did. And half trolls as well. Another oddity his mind wanted to memorize and fully understand. Draal just...wanted to have Jim close enough to study. It was consumed with curiosity. The desire to figure out this puzzle. The desire to solve it. Uncover every little mystery. As much as he regretted thinking it, but he was curious about Jim’s ‘bits and pieces’. Were they inside of him like trolls were? Or were they simply on the outside like that of a humans. What did Jim’s thighs feel like? Strong and smooth? Or thicker than the rest of his body? The arms matched the rest of the proportions of his form. Everything evened out. Unlike troll bodies where the proportions could easily be extreme. His own arms and legs were a perfect example. Yet here this half troll is. Form of a human, body of a troll. The other way around is just as truthful.

What did Jim taste like? Like a human? or a troll? Would it be similar like that of his scent? A mixture of both creatures yet unique? What would it feel like on his tongue? Draal wanted to just...take this creature home and explore his body. For nothing but the need to solve this annoying riddle that pestered the back of his mind. Draal’s mouth gaped as he wanted to say something but stopped and yelled in pain as a flaming boulder smashed against his side, knocking him over and sliding him across the ground. Jims heart raced once more as a fireball was thrown at him. No one was going to save him this time. As he embraced for impact he felt energy flow throughout his body. The same as when he first took the Decimaar blade.

A massive flash of red light and fire exploded out of him.

The others turned to witness what had happened to the half troll. In the flames, the face of a roaring gumm-gumm was seen. The darkness around them grew thicker and larger. The air grew cold and birds screeched as they flew away. Intense vibrations could be felt in the air around them.

Jim was standing upright in the gleaming red and black armor. Jim looked at his clawed gauntlets and moved them around. His armor felt so light. So natural, as if it were a second skin. He even noticed his entire tail was armored too, the end of it covered in serrated blades. Everyone was now staring in silence, even the trickster troll stopped all actions to watch everything unfold. Jim made a small
“uh...” and looked at the different shocked faces. Blinky gasped
“the sundown armor. I truly wished I would never live another day where I looked upon it with my own eyes. Its terror is as everlasting as I recall.” Claire said breathlessly
“I can feel it’s darkness. Like it’s primal terror and pain made solid.” Douxie felt goosebumps
“I remember when I felt it’s presence for the first time. It still feels just as angry and bitter...like-” Claire continued
“like the world is its enemy, and it’s only desire is to snuff out all light and life. It’s...almost overwhelming”
“the first time I was near it, I felt this immense dread wash over me. All my misery and torment I had ever felt through my entire life came to the surface at once.”

Toby was shaking and held himself
“is anyone else getting goosebumps?” every thought he’d ever had about missing his parents came rushing up like bubbles in water. He felt himself tear up as a numbing cold seeped into his heart. Toby fell to his knees
“w-why does this hurt so much?” Deya put a hand on his shoulder in moral support
“it’s the armor. It drags everything up at once. You’re a fleshbag, you’re not as resilient as a troll is. First exposure is always this bad. It’ll fade. Deep breaths kid”

Behind Jim the shadowy visage of Gunmar loomed over him. Jim felt the sword manifest into his hand.

‘kill.’

Jim doesn’t remember the rest.

The next time he opened his eyes he was covered in fresh blood as Porgon was dead at his feet. Rubble and viscera scattered about. He looked as his blade was soaked in blood and burned with energy. Jim’s body shook. What was worse, was that when he looked up, he saw the others faces all sharing the same expression. Fear. Jim felt his eyes roll up into his head and he passed out…

……

Dic was tending to his books deep in thoughts, when they were interrupted by his dark underlord
‘Dic.’
“yes my dark underlord? What may your humble-”
‘enough brow nosing. Go to the forge. Now.’
“at once sire” and with that, Dic rushed as fast as he could, literally dropping the books in hand as he ran out of the library. He huffed and puffed as he entered the entrance to the forge
“ugh. There should be a faster way to travel around.” he noticed the group in the forge standing around talking, worried looks on their faces. Dic began to panic
“oh no. did Jim die?! Is this my fault?! I’m going to be brutally killed for thi-”
‘no. my champion is not dead. He has taken the next step.’
“what do you mean my dark underlord?”
‘I have given him the armor’ Dic actually paused mid step
“so soon? He has yet to even finish the shard-”
‘continue moving. Tend to my champion.’
“at once” Dic was finally close enough to see what everyone else was staring at. Draal was holding a passed out armored Jim in his arms as Jos was doing a little dance nearby humming to himself.
“is that a familiar?”
‘correct.’ Dic felt a flash of information brand itself into his mind. He understood everything of Jos, and what the familiar had sensed earlier.
“what has become of my dark champion?! What did you do to him you oaf!” Dic slapped Draals arms as he shoved his way past the others. Draal snarled and spoke in a hushed tone
“nothing. He lost co-”
“You clearly can’t tend to him properly!”

Draal felt like the troll had touched a nerve. Telling him he didn’t know how to take care of Jim. It really shouldn’t have mattered. So then why did it feel like it did? He watched as the servant of Gunmar started to fuss over the half troll. Whispering surprisingly soft and kind words to his sleeping form. Brushing his fur out of his face, and scratching off any dried blood Dic was able to get to. Dic felt satisfied enough. He asked as he looked around at everyone
“care to explain what has transpired? And why is he wearing the sundown armor? Did he summon it?! Ugh of all the times I wasn’t able to be by his side! I missed one of the more important aspects! Oh I feel ashamed of myself! I knew not staying by his side was a terrible idea! that’s it! From now on, I will not leave his side for even a moment!” Toby giggled
“Even if he goes to the bathroom?” Dic rolled a pair of eyes
“obviously I will give him privacy. But I will not leave the area until he is finished!”

Blinky was helping to bandage up one of Arrrgs arms. He explained to his brother what had transpired. After the armor was summoned and the intense feelings of anguish and fear washed over everyone, Jim was like a demon. A true monster! His eyes glowed red and he rushed forward, slashing Porgon up into tiny pieces. A flurry of slashes accompanied by screams of pain. Within hardly a full minute, Jim was finished. He stood atop the rubble and gore of the once living troll and smiled widely. His flaming eyes were just as red as the blood he was drenched in. the color soon returned back to normal and he seemed to resume being his usual self. It was as if he had no idea where he was. Then, he simply passed out.

Dic rubbed his chin and nodded
“Gunmar granted him ferocity. I suppose the young champions first taste was a bit too much for him to fully handle. Ah, it’s no wonder his body requires rest. Oh well, he will handle it better with time. We must lay him down. I want to read him a bedtime story. Come Jos” Jos nodded
“you got it!”
“also why were you preforming a celebratory dance?”
“because Jim did amazing! He was so swift and awesome!”
“hm. Yes. Well come along now” Draal nodded and followed Dic, seeing Jos slither along the ground by his side. The much smaller troll showed him Jim’s small resting and reading area. Draal gently laid Jim down and looked at his face. It seemed so...innocent. So gently and sweet. The face Jim had when he was killing, the power flowing through him, the sheer need to kill, was so...different. He almost wondered if someone else simply used Jim’s appearance. Jos curled around a pillow next to Jim’s head, yawned, and shut his eyes. Draal truly didn’t think created familiars could become tired. Then again, not like he knew anything about them.

“Step aside now.” Draal heard Dic’s voice behind him. The small troll pulled up a stool and sat next to Jim, licking a finger and opening a book. Draal remembered it from when he was a child and his own father read it. A simple story about a young troll who wanted to become the greatest warrior. Dic cleared his throat and began to read. He stopped mid sentence and looked at Draal with a frown
“You may leave now.” he shooed Draal away. Draal was hesitant to leave Jim’s side. Apart of him wanted to stay and watch over Jim. Safeguard him. Aid him the moment he arouse. Draal shook his head slightly, turned, and left. The gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach didn’t leave though…

…….

it was hours before Jim finally woke up. He felt more sore than he’d ever experience prior at any point of his life. Apparently being flooded with energy isn’t easy on the body, who knew? Jim wanted to go home and of course, Dic was NOT willing to leave his side. Jim was too tired to deal with it. He asked Gunmar to talk to him. Thankfully he responded and commanded Dic to respect Jim’s wishes. Dic complied, albeit with intense dislike. The armor finally vanished leaving Jim a tired, sweaty, and exhausted state. He was hardly able to walk, but managed to. As he was walking through the forest, nearby in a tree, a shadowy form solidified into a troll.

Jos instantly turned and stared in the trolls direction. The troll tilted his head and licked his dagger. He hurled it at the familiar, who smacked it aside with his tail and hissed in anger. Jim turned and was about to ask what was wrong, however he was stopped once multiple daggers were thrown at him. He panicked and fell onto his butt. Meanwhile Jos was doing an excellent job deflecting the bladed weapons with his tail, as well as minor magical wards. One dagger nicked Jos’s tail and he hissed in pain. He noticed the cut was glowing green and he groaned
“fucking, of course it’s creeper sun poison.” he quickly turned to Jim
“Jim RUN NOW!”
“b-but what about you?”
“I’m about to die, like, in a really REALLY painful way. But that’s okay because I’ll repsawn remember? NOW RUN BEFORE-” the poison spread through Jos and he turned to stone, shattering at Jim’s feet. Jim’s heart was racing, he was frozen in fear as he laid on the ground. He heard a light growl and looked up. In front of him a troll strode towards him with a smile
“hello there champion of Gunmar. Well, you truly are as young as I was informed. You look younger up close” Jim was shaking and could only have his eyes widen in fear. The troll lightly kicked aside the rubble that was once Jos

“forgive me for your familiar’s demise. He was in the way. A new little thing to help you out? Molded from your very soul by Gunmar himself. I know what it’s like to have your soul tampered with.” Jim swallowed and stuttered
“A-are y-you going to ki-kill m-me?”
“oh no. No no. I’m not here to kill you”
“wh-who ar-e y-you?” The troll chuckled
“you’ll have to figure that out for yourself. You seem to have a good intellect, I know you’ll figure it out.”
“wh-what do you w-want from me?” The troll pulled out a staff that reminded Jim of Claires very own
“I want you to fight.” Jim heard the troll begin to chant something. He felt a burning feeling on the side of his face. Not nearly as terrible as Gunmar’s markings when used as a punishment, but it still stung. Something inside Jim pulsed and the intense power flowed through him once again. He felt anger swarm his mind. He felt the sour bitterness from every thought he’s ever had about himself bubble up to the surface. The sadness from every tear ever dropped from his face collected in his heart. Every ounce of pain he’s ever felt seemed to push outwards like a force. He stood on his feet and growled. His body tense up and felt stronger than ever. The burning sensation on his face quickly snuffed out as his body glowed with Gunmars markings. He roared loudly and summed his blade. He rushed forward and swiped. The troll was taken by surprise. He expected something to come forth, but nothing this intense. Still, it was easy enough to dodge.

Jim twirled the sword like he would a knife in the kitchen. He kicked and roared, slashed and swept his leg to trip the troll up. Jim smashed his tail against the trolls side catching said troll off guard. Jim followed it up with a kick to the face and a slash to the chest. Jim watched as blood spilled out and onto the ground. He noticed the grass wither and hiss, turning to ash. Jim stopped for a second, realizing out loud
“You’re corrupted” the troll laughed
“not as much as you are.” Jim quickly jumped to the side as the troll slammed his staff down and sent tendrils of darkness to lash out at Jim. Jim held his arms up to cover his face, but felt no pain. The darkness seemed to be sucked into the armor and made it glow. The troll seemed surprised at this. Jim felt a natural instinct inside of him telling him to strike. And that he did. He slashed at the trolls arms, slicing deeply into one of them while the other merely got a few scratches. Jim felt his eyes flare with energy, except this time it didn’t hurt. If anything it seemed to help him. Time seemed to slow down and he was able to predict the trolls movements before hand. The muscles that twitched and moved were almost like string to Jim.

Jim rolled forward, using his tail to slice across the trolls chest and then using his sword to stab into the trolls thigh. The troll roared in pain and went through a sudden shadow portal. Jim felt a strange sensation tugging at him. He felt like it was a compass, pointing him in the direction of where the troll came through another portal. Jim rushed, attacked, watched the troll vanish once more, and did this on repeat. One final slash and he slammed his tail across the trolls face, knocking him down to his side while cutting into his face with the serrated tail blades. The troll felt his face and smiled. He tried to get up but noticed his body couldn’t. Then he noticed a shadowy meat hook on a chain stuck straight through his thigh. Then out of the shadows another one buried itself into his arm. Another one dug into his chest. The troll writhed in pain and soon, the entire area around them was nothing but ash.

Jim smiled and felt the most in control he’d ever had in his life up to this point now. He felt incredible and didn’t want this to end. Jim walked forward and was about to impale the troll through the chest, finishing him off, but was caught off guard when a sudden force shot him backwards. Jim watched as the chained meat hooks broke apart, and shadowy hands grabbed every part of the trolls body. They pulled him into a portal beneath him and vanished. Jim looked around but saw, and felt, no sign of the troll or magic. Jim planted his sword into the ground and used it to help him stand up. He felt no energy left in him. His vision was blurry and he fell to his knees. The armor vanished and left him feeling vulnerable and defenseless.

He felt a strange sensation in his chest and saw Jos seem to crawl out of him headfirst, then slide out fully. He stretched and yawned
“alright I’m back! Ah feels good to breathe again! Alright, what did I miss?” Jos saw Jim’s eyes roll up into the back of his head and fall face first into the ash covered ground. Jos looked around and took in the sight. Blood and ash everywhere. The strong feeling of shadow magic saturated the area. Jos made a simple
“huh...well...fuck.”

Elsewhere…

Morgana was smirking as she saw the state of Angor Rot
“my my. Look at you” she ran a hand over Angor’s face, the wounds closing and giving relief to the troll
“you haven’t been this damaged in a long time” Angor coughed out blood and growled
“I failed you my lady”
“oh nonsense. I assumed something like this would happen”
“you...believed me to fail?”
“I saw many different timelines where you did. But I could not pinpoint which timeline would come to pass. You did well. Very well. Now, rest. Let your body heal. Shut your eyes and dream” Angor did so and felt relieved of pain little by little. Shadowy figures stood over him, touching his wounds, causing them to mend and shut tightly. Morgana smiled and wrote down notes as she spoke to herself
“well Gunmar. Your champion truly has something special in him. Not even a drop of blood was drawn from his form. Well done. Oh this makes it all the more exciting to see what will truly transpire”

She waved out a hand and multiple shadowy windows formed all around her. In them, they showed different events and timelines
“now. Which one will be next?”

Elsewhere...

A large troll dragged his claws across a stone wall, roaring so loudly in anger nearby windows shattered
“AGAIN?!” The troll smashed a table with his fist and stomped on it, making nothing but twigs
“WHY?! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?!” a gumm-gumm soldier was about to speak up, only to have a sword pressed up against his neck. The troll growled out as his body rose and fell drastically with anger
“don’t speak. Not a single word.” The troll sheathed his blade and picked up a large flat crystal. The crystal began to flicker to life and images formed landscapes of various places
“now show me. Where is this new champion? Tell me where my father has put him.”

Chapter Text

Jim’s mind began to register sound…

“…
Sometimes you picture me, I'm walking too far ahead
You're calling to me, I can't hear what you've said
Then you say, "Go slow", I fall behind
The second hand unwinds

If you're lost, you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting
Time after time
...”

Jim slowly opened his eyes. Everything was blurry. His entire body throbbed and tilted back and forth from numb to sore. He looked over to his clock as the radio was playing. On his desk, Jos was sitting curled up, tail partially dangling off the side of the desk. The familiar was doing a little dance, and softly singing Time after time. Jos smiled when he saw Jim begin to wake up
“good morning sleepy head! Sooo how was your fight to the death last night? Tell me everything!”
“j-jos?”
“yep that’s me alright!” Jim groaned and rubbed his eyes
“wh-where am I?”
“in your bedroom silly!”
“how did I get here?”
“oh, well after you passed out I brought you home and laid you in bed. You should probably drink plenty of water to re-hydrate yourself, oh and eat something cause you’re probably starving! oh and take a shower for sure! You smell worse than a trolls sweaty armpit in the middle of summer while digging through a hot garbage dump on the surface!”
“noted.” Jim tried to sit up but felt immense pain ravage his entire body. Jos pet his head as Jim laid back down

“Easy now. You’re going to need to get alllll the rest you can for right now. Oh and yes before you ask I did in fact tell the other sentinels BUT! BUT! BEFORE YOU GET MAD! It was only because I told them some troll picked a nasty fight with you and tried to kill you! Man you ROCKED during that fight though! Oh I saw through your eyes and WHOA! I mean WOW! just bravo! I knew you had it in you! Oh and of course I was joking about the whole ‘tell me everything’ cause, well like I just said, I saw through your eyes” Jos clapped and smiled.
“Alright. You stay put chicken foot while I go get you a banana and a nice refreshing glass of water”

(I saw that all the time to my sister. Shes 10 btw so that’s why)

Elsewhere…

Draal was slammed into, sending him smashing into the ground face first. He groaned and pushed himself off the ground. A spectral hand offered itself, to which he complied and accepted it
“you’re doing much better my son” Draal spat out a little blood
“thank you father”
“although...you have seemed a bit distracted all morning” and even as Kanjigar was stating that, Draal was apparently lost in his head looking off into the distance. The spectral father sighed through his nose, but couldn’t help smiling
“son. Did you just hear what I said?” Draal muttered something then finally paid attention
“h-huh? Forgive me father, would you repeat that?”
“I said you’ve been distracted all morning. What is plaguing your thoughts?” Draal scratched the side of his face
“erm. It truly doesn’t matter”
“oh? And why is that? Do not hide things from your father young man” Draal groaned a little then sighed
“I’m worried about...Jim” Kanjigar raised an eyebrow
“oh? Worried for his sake AND calling him by his name? Are your little moments with him beginning to change your mind?” Draal blushed then cleared his throat into his fist as he looked away
“erm. No.” Kanjigar laughed and pat his son on the shoulder
“are you worried about what had befallen him the previous night? What his familiar spoke of?”
“y-yes...he’s a sentinel father. If someone attacks him, we’re all attacked. I want to get to the bottom of who this troll was.”
“and you will learn. Be patient now”

Draal thought for a few moments then brought up a rather intrusive idea
“could we...perhaps...see him? For a few brief moments at the very least” Kanjigar raised an eyebrow
“oh do you now?”
“I just wish to confirm his safety. I don’t know if that troll had returned. If it did, what if that troll knew of his homes location? What if he was killed in his sleep? What if-” Kanjigar raised his hands to in an ‘ease up’ gesture
“alright my son, alright. For a few moments. It is wrong to spy on someone in their privacy. However, if it will put your thoughts to rest, then yes we shall” next to them the cloudy vision solidified

Jim was standing in his room drinking water and eating a yellow fruit Draal was barely familiar with. All he knew was that apparently some sort of giant bug was found of lurking in the trucks they are delivered in. The half troll took off his shirt and cringed, commenting to his familiar
“it would be better just to burn this. Ugh I hope it doesn’t stain everything else in the washer.” he then proceeded to pull his pants down. Draal’s eyes studied the half trolls body. Every little piece was taken in. how the muscles stretched and moved. How his fur spread in places similar to a humans. The tail that swayed lightly in moments of unrest. What the humans called underwear had a large hole in the back for said tail. Draal wondered if perhaps it was specially designed for him, after all humans don’t have tails. He watched Jim’s body rise and fall from the light breathing he was doing. So thin with lean muscles just barley viable. He was clearly stronger than he looked though, and Draal intended to bring it out fully, or at the very least more than he currently uses.

Then Draal noticed the two more defining features. The shard sticking out of his chest, and the arms. The shard looked even more painful than Draal had once thought. The troll was morbidly fascinated with it. The skin around the shard was black and purple, with matching veins stretching itself out and deeper down into Jim’s body. It looked sharp, hard, and volatile. Draal began to feel a growing remorse so how he treated Jim. Deya was right, he had no prior experience handling pain. And of course, who exactly would have a decent time experiencing what Jim was going through?

Then Draal looked closer at Jim’s arms. Skin scarred so deeply, they would never fade. Draal had heard that humans self harmed in times of distress, but he hadn't thought much of it. In his whole life, Draal had not once experienced a troll committing such an act. To take ones life, seemed almost entirely human. Draal just didn’t understand why someone would want to purposely harm themselves in such a way. Maybe it was just because he was a troll who hardly gave two thoughts on how human emotions worked.

Draal lightly muttered
“so lithe. So small. Flexible. He must be so soft to the touch. So scarred.” he hadn’t realized he spoke aloud until his father made a minor comment
“is he now? Yes I suppose he is. You are staring rather intensely” Draal blushed and quickly defended himself
“i am merely studying his form for educational purposes. If I am to train him then I will need to know what his body is capable of! And seeing his form is best to help understand it”
“of course my son. Of course.” Draal tried to look away from Jim, but the second Jim started to pull down his underwear his view snapped right back to looking. His genitals were like that of a humans. He truly didn’t know what to expect.
“I suppose studying that is just as important?” Draal blushed harder. His mind raced to form some kind of reply, only to fail miserably at the task.

The two trolls then watched the familiar act strangely. His vision shot to their exact direction and narrowed his eyes. He then said
“someones watching us.” Jim turned around, showing off his ‘good’s easier
“huh? My blinds are closed and my door too”
“no. magical. Scrying...no...not that exactly...something...similar...I can’t put my claw on it though...” Jos slithered closer to the cloud and hissed. The vision ended once the familiar whooshed his tail through it. Kanjigar was visibly surprised
“what? But only we have the ability to end the...hm...” Kanjigar rubbed his chin
“Gunmar truly didn’t skip on the magical senses...” Draal panicked and his heart raced
“Father you don’t think he saw us did you? What if Jim thinks I spied on him for inappropriate reasons?”
“no. he didn’t mention it was us specifically. I doubt it.”

Jim watched Jos move closer to the backside of his room. Once he whooshed his tail Jos went back to his merry self
“alright shower time! Time to scrub that back of yours!” Jim put his hands up
“whoa hold up, you are NOT going to shower with me” Jos rolled his eyes
“you’re showering with yourself. What’s the big deal?”
“but you’re not me!”
“say the same thing about your finger”
“That’s different!”
“fine. Have it your way. But I’m showering after you. I need to stay clean too!” Jim sighed in relief
“that’s agreeable”
“alright lets hurry up with it and head to trollmarket” Jims mind stopped for a moment
“wait what?”
“well, everyone asked-or more along the lines of demanded-that you return for protection. It was through a text to Douxie and damn did your phone BLOW. UP. LIKE. CRAZY. They really care about you! It was tough to convince them not to all teleport to your house. I said no and I got this. Besides the troll had left once you beat the shit out of him. But, I made a deal, they leave you alone but ONLY until you come back to trollmarket the MOMENT you finish waking up. So chop chop with the shower!” Jim ran a hand over his horn
“it’s bad enough they think I’m weak and useless. Now they want to watch me? Ugh It feels like when my mom hardly leaves me alone after I try to commit-nevermind” Jos held up a paw
“it’s alright. I know. I know about all the different times. Okay, no more talking about that cause it’s gonna make you feel terrible. ALRIGHT ENOUGH WASTING TIME! SHOWER TIME!”

Elsewhere…

Douxie was pacing back and forth in his room. He was holding his phone and was strongly debating contacting Jim. He didn’t want to be the type to just intrude on him and his privacy. Archie was licking his paw and spoke
“you really need to relax. Its bad for your blood pressure to be this worried” Douxie replied in said worried tone
“But Jim is vulnerable and can hardly hold his sword let alone defend himself! I also need to know who the troll was. NO ONE would have even thought of getting in Jim’s way let alone assault him!”
“maybe this troll didn’t know who he’s the champion of yet. You know how bigoted trolls are to half trolls. It wouldn’t surprise me if this uneducated troll did so out of sheer hatred” Douxie threw up his hands
“now you’re making it worse! Alright that does it, I’m going to his house. I just need to go across the street from Toby’s house since he mentioned that’s where Jim lived. All I need to do is teleport over-” Archie interrupted
“no.”
“but-”
“but nothing. Its morning. No troll wants to be out. Jim couldn’t be safer right now. Plus he lives across the street from an experienced sentinel. Toby might be horrible at even the most basic magics, but he is a very talented fighter. He doesn’t just use his armor and warhammer for show” Douxie sighed in defeat and sat on his bed
“you’re right you’re right”
“of course I am. It is me after all”
“plus he does have his familiar” Archive grumbled
“hm. Not important enough to be mentioned.” that gave Douxie a small grin. Archie turned into his dragon form and carried Douxies guitar staff over to his wizard familiar
“alright. Come on Douxie, Time to go to trollmarket. You can pace around and worry there all you like. You were promised that Jim would go there first thing in the morning after all. Doesn’t that settle your nerves?”
“yeah. But only a little.” Douxie opened a portal then looked over at his calendar
“I’m so glad that my career as a champion gives me the benefits of taking as many days off from my jobs as I need. People still respect the need to keep the world from not being brutally destroyed”
“it is rather bad for business when the world becomes one giant endless ashy wasteland”

Elsewhere…

Deya was polishing her weapon in the forge. Claire was mindlessly tossing stones into portals and watched them endlessly fly through them. Toby always found it funny being a ‘living portal game’ except with dark magics that corrupt people instead of science. Said Toby was swinging his warhammer around and smashing various troll dummies. Claire sighed as she watched
“how can you be so calm and casual right now?!”
“look Jim is alright. It’s morning, his familiar is with him, and...I can’t think of some third thing”
“we should have gone to his house”
“come on, give him space. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want everyone up in his business” Deya blew on her weapon and joined the conversation
“the thing I want to know most? who the dumbass troll is. This troll most have some pretty big gronk-nuks to fight a champion of Gunmar” Toby did a wicked spin and smashed another dummy
“I thought absolutely no troll would ever even imagine walking in front of Gunmars champions? So attacking one doesn’t seem like the most sane thing” Deya shrugged
“truer words have never been spoken, which is why I have to find out who the troll is”
“Want revenge?”
“oh yeah, but more along the lines of trying to size them up. Maybe it was some troll who wanted a whole lot of fame for beating down a champion? I’ve seen it happen before. Never ends well of course, but there are trolls dumb enough to try”

Toby yelped and rolled out of the way when Draal suddenly came out of the void
“Geez Draal! A little heads up next time!”
“then don’t stand in the center of the forge. You should know that by now”
“So did you get any information from the ghosts?”

Draal opened his mouth, but stopped himself. What exactly should he say? That he spied on Jim while he was naked? That he was staring at him? That he was making sure to take in every curve, every detail, every piece of flesh to memorize?
“er...not...much. We will simply have to ask Jim once he comes here.” Toby raised an eyebrow
“you called him Jim. Surprised you did” Draal grumbled
“does it matter?”

…...

Jim had walked down the staircase, post shower and dressing, ready for the new day! Jim groaned and rolled his shoulders
“how am I supposed to get there right now? I can barely walk” Jos smiled and gave a thumbs up
“don’t worry! I got you covered! I’ll just carry you there. Who do you think brought you home?”
“Jos...you’re not that big though” Jos waved it off
“not yet. Alright come on, get your stuff and let’s go!” Jim double checked his belongings and walked outside, covering his face with his hand at first from the sheer sunlight. When Jim looked at Jos was flabbergasted as the familiar suddenly grew as large as a tiger along with more intense features. Fangs that jutted out largely, claws sharp enough to slice through anything, larger more muscular arms, tail much longer and thicker with scales grown in equal size.
“whoa...” Jos turned to him and winked, even his voice was deeper
“well I can’t polymorph but I can change size when need be! What? Did you think I was only good for a few things? There’s still a lot more to learn about me. Alright come here!” Jim straddled Jos and held onto his thicker scruff
“hold on tight. Alright 3..2..1-LETS GO!” Jim almost lost his grip and fell backwards as Jos took off. The now much larger and buffer familiar was quite literally weaving and sliding between trees. Jim felt a rush at how fast they were moving. He wondered if this is what it felt like to ride a roller coaster. Jim actually laughed in joy, then regret it once a tree branch smacked him in the face. Ouch. Jim gasped as Jos made a leap into the air then land with a heavy thud and slide down the canal wall.
“aaannnnddd we are officially here” Jim fell onto his butt as Jos shifted back into his normal size
“soooo what did you think?”
“that...was...amazing. Can we do that again?”
“maybe later. For now, it’s time to go!”

…..

Jim started wishing he had just stayed in bed. The moment he arrived, everyone had assaulted him with questions. Jos intercepted everyone and motioned them to calm down and step back
“whoa easy now! He needs room to breathe! As his familiar I’m going to be taking any questions that I feel like answering. And before you ask, we’re fine” Archie snorted and mumbled as he stretched out near the wall
“no one was asking about you.” Jos turned to him and glared
“What was that pussycat?” Douxie groaned
“please not that again. Will you please just tell us who the troll was?” Jim was about to talk, only for Jos to put a finger to his mouth
“if you want me to tell them anything that you’re not comfortable talking about, just let me know okay? And this applies to any time”
“thanks Jos, but I’m good” Jos nodded and wrapped himself around Jim once more. Jim took in a slow deep breath and explained what happened. He described how he had to fight, how he watched Jos die, how he felt so...strong. And then when the troll suddenly was dragging into a shadow portal.

“-and he was tall. He was really white. His voice sounded like someone put his vocal cords through a blender. He was all damaged. He had jewelry. He also had like, tree roots growing throughout his body-” Claire’s eyes narrowed and she started to add things up in her head.
“-and he had a staff just like Claires” Claire sucked in air in surprise and dropped her staff by accident. She quickly picked it up and put it away as the others turned to her. Douxie knit his eyebrows
“the shadow staffs are made by Mor-the pale lady. She gives them to the ones she deems worthy enough to wield them.” Claire swallowed
“I don’t have any information about this. I don’t have anything to do with this” Draal was getting huffy and about to get in her face until he was stopped by Douxie
“Shes not lying. The pale lady is known to be deceiving. Even to her own champions. Whatever her lady has planned, Claire wasn’t in on it. Right?” Claire nodded. She picked up her staff
“I need to go see her. I’ll be back.” with that Claire opened a portal and went stepped into it quickly. Draal was making a light growl in his throat then turned to Jim. He was going to say something until he stopped when they all heard a loud roar come from the entrance of the forge
“YOU! CHAMPION OF GUNMAR!” They turned to see a large black troll running straight at them. They moved out of the way as Jim was tackled and roared at. Jos uncurled around Jim and slapped the troll with his tail
“HEY WHAT’S THE BIG-ACK!” Jos’s throat was grabbed and he was hurled into the abyss. Jos’s final words were as he fell
“AVENGE MEEEEeeeee”

Chapter Text

The troll snarled at Jim, saliva dripping onto the half trolls face. The troll punched Jim straight in the face, only to be knocked backwards by a powerful force. The troll landed hard on his back. He looked, along with everyone, to see the armor having manifested onto Jim. Small red electric sparks ran throughout the spiked armor. The black troll snarled
“grr. You even have the armor. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Jim was shaking and scoot back
“I-I’m sorry I don’t kn-” the troll unsheathed two blades causing Jim to yelp and cover his face as they were sliced at him. Jim felt a strange sensation. He was loose. Weightless. Almost nonexistent. He looked to notice he was elsewhere. The troll snarled and hurled a blade in his direction. Jim cowered, then saw what had happened. His body had melted into a cloud of shadow then reformed nearby.

Toby shifted his warhammer around and ran to help Jim up, the others trying to calm the rampaging troll down
“uh...why do you keep going all smoke monster on us?” behind them someone answered
“it’s a defense mechanism that’s built in the armor. If the wearer is too weak to fight it will transport the wearer elsewhere to a safer location until the champion is able to regain composure.” behind them at the gate’s entrance, Dic, Arrrg, and Blinky stood holding books. Dic sighed loudly
“Bular, enough.” Bular roared loudly and tried to strike Jim once more, only to be repelled back yet again.
“when will you come to the realization that, despite your best efforts, the same outcome will occur?” Dic walked over to Jim and helped him up
“there there master Jim, he cannot harm you”
“w-who is he?” Bular roared and clawed deeply into the ground
“HE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM!?” Dic pet Jim soothingly
“He Is Bular the vicious, the butcher. He is our dark underlords heir”
“he’s Gunmars son?!” Bular threw a blade at Jim again. The Decimaar blade manifested and blocked Bulars blade, causing it to go flying. Bular ran to the holy blade on all fours then picked it up. He looked at it greedily but then watched as it began to glow. Gunmars markings ran up Bular’s arm causing him great pain. He howled in agony and dropped the sword. He roared out as he gripped his wrist
“Its not fair! I’m his son! Yet I’m denied my right! Again! And to a half troll!? I’LL KILL HIM!”
“master Bular please calm yourself” Bular jabbed a blade in Dic’s direction as he walked towards them
“silence!”
“you do realize your father doe-” Dic jumped back as the ground right in front of his feet was sliced into. Jim was frozen in fear as the hulking brute stood in front of him. He clenched a fist and clearly wanted to hurt Jim, but restrained himself since it would accomplish nothing. Instead, he jabbed a finger into Jim’s chest
“I will count every second of every day, until the day you die. Then I will have my chance once again. I am going to watch you each and every moment for the rest of your life, hoping you are killed in the most brutal and painful fashion. I will envy whatever wretched creature has the upmost delight of ending your existence. I will stand over your corpse and laugh as it rots and withers away. I will piss on your gravestone and wipe my backside with whatever pages are written about you. Are we clear?”

Jim was unable to respond. He wasn’t able to speak, move, or do anything else but choke on his own breath in horror. The entire forge was silent, the tension in the air so heavy you could carve into it. The silence shattered when Jos’s head poked out of Jim’s chest and slithered out of it
“aannndd I’m back! Anyone miss me? Well now I can say for sure what it feels like to fall to your death and splat onto a very hard ground. Not fun. But better than dying from poison…why is everything so quiet?” Jos tapped against Jim’s head
“you okay? I mean, you clearly don’t look it. And you’re producing fear pheromones like a child walking in on their parents being murdered.” Jos sighed and cleared his throat
“alright just hold still now.” he slapped Jim across the face with his tail. Jim rubbed his cheek and complained
“why did you do that?”
“to snap you out of it. Now then-” Jos turned to Bular, cleared his throat into his fist, and slapped him across the face with his tail yelling
“DON’T YOU EVER DARE TRY TO HURT JIM AGAIN OR I AM GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO YOUR DAD AND TELL HIM TO GROUND YOUR CANDY ASS UNTIL THE NEXT CENTURY! I’M JIM’S FAMILIAR AND YOUR DAD MADE ME SPECIFICALLY TO AID HIM FOR THE REST OF HIS HOPEFULLY LONG LIFE! AND IF YOU SO MUCH AS STRESS HIM OUT ENOUGH TO MAKE EVEN A SINGLE STRAND OF FUR GRAY SO HELP ME I WILL DRAG YOU BY YOUR BALLS TO YOUR DAD AND MAKE HIM-” Bular shoved the tip of his blade into Jos’s neck
“silence. Pathetic creature. Do not command me! I-”

‘son.’

Bular froze up once he heard his fathers voice echo inside of his head. Jos gave a raspberry
“haha daddy’s mad at you!”
‘Do not harm my champion. You are not selected. Get over it. You can either stay away from him for the rest of his life, or aid him in his journey. Your choice. Jos is correct, do nothing to harm Jim. Am I clear?’ Bular’s eye twitched and he shook with absolute rage, then let out a sigh in defeat. Body going slack.
“yes father.”
‘good. Now then.’ Bular’s eyes flashed red for a second then he blinked. He looked at Jim but with a more...concerned expression. Instead of disgust, it was now annoyance. Bular jabbed a finger into Jim’s face
“the next scar you get won’t come from me. I’m not going to give you the benefit of knowing I harmed you more than you harm yourself. My father has put too much investment into you. Don’t even consider taking your own life again. don’t waste his time and energy. That goes for mine too.” Bular spat on the floor, turned, and began to leave growling out
“I’m going to drink. Don’t bother me.”

Jim blinked then whispered
“what...happened?” Dic pat Jim’s shoulder, or at least whatever part wasn’t currently covered by Jos’s coils
“Bular has dreamed of becoming his fathers champion. Each and every time, he is not chosen, he goes into a bit of an...erm...fit. He will calm down, as he always has...eventually...and if we’re lucky, it might be within the next couple of centuries. He tends to hold grudges stronger than most trolls do.” Jim ran a hand over his horn
“so...great. Now Gunmars son hates me.”
“well...hm...maybe...no...no you’re correct. He very much loathes you. He could make for a strong ally in the future however. For now though, we have training to do. Our dark underlord has already informed me on everything that had occurred last night. Jos truly is a capable familiar” Jos blinked and held his hands together in an ‘aww shucks’
“well aren’t you just the nicest troll. You really should be giving Jim the credit, he fought off that troll all by himself!” Dic tapped his chin
“yes...and now that it is indeed been confirmed to be...we shall see what the future holds. Our dark underlord doesn’t let even the slightest disrespect go unpunished. Having the pale lady involved in everything isn’t going to be very...peaceful. Well, for the time being let us not think of it. We need no stress over the details” Jim turned to look at Dic in confusion
“Wait so why did he go all...calm? And how does he know about my...you know” Dic raised an eyebrow
“that should be quite obvious by now. Our dark underlord learns everything his servants experience. And then he passes that information onto others. So obviously he had just now informed master Bular of your life...events. Seeing his attitude change like that is quite rare though. I think he can understand how much pain and regret lurks within your heart. He has gone through quite a lot himself. Perhaps one day you might bond over shared pains”
“why did the sword do that to him?”
“the blade as you know may only be wielded by our dark underlord, and his champions. Any who try to use it, well they are met with everlasting pain. Usually death. However I suspect the sword knew who Bular was and decided not to kill him”
“wait but when I tried giving you the sword, nothing happened”
“thats because you tried giving it to me. Only those that forcefully take it are met with a wretched fate. Come now, time to train!”

Bular let out an annoyed sigh as he was sitting at a table in the glug pub drinking. The other trolls had moved around him, but otherwise left him alone. Bular has only ever wanted to be the champion. Serve his father proud. Yet each and every time he is denied it. Every time Bular questioned his father about it, Gunmar told him to drop it. It wasn’t important enough to think on any further. Why not just give a straightforward answer then?! THAT drove Bular crazy. Bular took a swig from his mug then growled lightly as he thought about Jim. Right after he learned everything about the new champion, Bulars heart softened up. After all, once you’ve lived through every ache and pain someone else has gone through, you tend to change your perception on them. Bular is feared, hated, and respected, but none would ever say anything negative to his face. Well those who wanted to live that is.

Experiencing each and every moment Jim was taunted, mocked, ridiculed, and bullied, made Bular feel sore. If it were him, he would have just killed each and every human. But that feeling of vulnerability, of weakness, of fear, soaked into his very bones like it did for Jim. For the first time in his entire life, he felt what it was like to have the urge to end his own life. Now he understood just how overwhelming the pain was. The only relief Jim ever had was Barbara. And she couldn’t always be around. Jim, going days without even being with her. Seemed to hurt as much as a stab to the heart.

Every moment Jim was curled up into a ball crying somewhere, almost made Bular have tears of his own. Bular was a ferocious warrior, powerful, dark, menacing...but knowing what it was like to be prey instead of a predator...made him reconsider how horrible a fate it was to be on the sharp end of the blade. Sure, Bular’s had plenty of moments of vulnerability, and weakness, but never having it so all consuming it was like being dragged into a terrible black tar pit suffocating slowly and knowing you have nothing to help you out of your predicament.

The fleeting thoughts Jim had when he made yet another attempt to die. Bular wanted to crumple up and weep. How could someone experience this feeling on a daily biases? No wonder humans were so driven by their emotions. He understood just how powerful they could be. Now Bular understand why Jos was created. What he was created for. Why he acts and talks the way he does. It was supposed to be a life preserver. Something to cling onto when you feel like you’re not strong enough to swim and begin to drown. To have the hole where a fathers love would be, it was now something new Bular had experienced. He could contact and visit his father any time he wished. But what if he couldn’t? Being surrounded by loving family's, yet your very own is gone and busy. How does Jim manage day by day? Merely on the walk to the pub Bular wanted to crumple up and wretch. The foul sickness of depression and anxiety seemed to infect his mind like some horrible contagion. He could never have imagined the inescapable feeling of just how small and alone someone could be. For an existence to be so meaningless and hopeless. So void of light and warmth.

Bular winched and hissed through his teeth when his heart felt the echo. The deepness. Drowning in a black numbing pool. Suffocating. Feeling every single cell in your body burn and fade. How was it possible to feel so worthless? To feel like there was some crack inside of you that’s leaking out all love, happiness, warmth, hope, light, and everything that made life livable. He felt like the scars started to carve their way into his own arms. Bular knew it wasn’t possible, but the feeling was unbearable that it forced him to check to see if it somehow became true. It wasn’t. Collecting scars was a pleasurable thing to do. To fight and kill, earn another token of victory. But not like the ones Jim bore. A reminder of every terrible flicker of woe that would never heal. Never truly fade. The most that could be done was hide them away from the world, from your sight. But your mind always knew they were there. A message saying how weak you were, how your pain was inescapable, how you will never be allowed to forget.

Bular gagged and felt like he was choking on some invisible force. His stomach tightened into a sickening knot while his mouth filled with bile. At least not every memory and experience Jim had was as horrid as the others. Yet it felt like it outweighed them by a landslide. To have the sensation of everything you loved, everything that made you smile and laugh, quickly loose its luster at random intervals. One of Bulars favorite feelings in the world was killing. Fighting. Ending a life and claiming victory. If that somehow felt numb, somehow lost its enjoyment, he wouldn’t know what to do. Bular had experienced more physical pain than he could ever recall, but somehow this emotional trauma was far far worse. He would rather loose a finger than have this emptiness completely drain him until he was an empty husk that was only alive because...he couldn’t even think of a reason.

Why go on? If every step is like this, if every minute was this, what was the point in moving forward? Was it simply for those few brief respite of enjoyment? Only to be quickly snuffed out by life? Bular fought to hold back tears. He never cried, except in intense pain. Even then, he could toughen it out. This time it felt like there was nothing he could do to sway the pain.

Why was human emotion so controlling? So consuming?

At least he felt the good parts. The good memories. The warm sunlight, something he never would think he could feel. It felt so soft and kind. A kiss on his face and body. It made the cold fade away and brought out a small bit of hope to the surface. Something that seemed lost and was able to be found. Bular felt the love Barbara gave. The laughter and kisses. The hugs and smiles. He felt why Jim would never want to hurt her. Why she was his reason of living. How she made every breath possible to take. How the world didn’t feel so alone anymore. The entertainment of comedy. Hearty laughter made by jokes. The excitement of videogames and releases of anticipated new shows and movies. The simplest things like the warmth of a heated blanket on a cold winters day while a sweet scented candle flickered close by filling the room with it’s lovely scent and the soft knocks of raindrops hitting the window.

How soft and cuddly pillows and blankets could be. How wonderful a hot shower and bath could be. How relaxing it is to read a book. How incredible midday naps were while a movie played and the taste of candy still lingered on the tongue. The deliciousness that was food. The flavors and textures and combinations. Bular knew humans were obsessed with food, and now he finally understood why. The senses being filled with the consumption of meals. Treats and homemade specials. Bulars mouth watered just thinking about meatloaf Jim makes with love and passion. An artist in the midst of their craft.

Then came the sexual things. Strange fantasies and desires, something Bular could NOT understand. A lot of things seemed impossible, yet...intriguing? Exciting? Moments of pleasure and lust. The tingling moments where stimulation occurred. Sure Bular’s had sex, but somehow it seemed almost entirely better from the thoughts Jim had. Pleasure wracking throughout the body. Tail, curling up, moans fill the air and leave your throat. The thick filling with vibrations. The sweet spot being stuck repeatedly. The climax that sent shivers down your spine and everything bursting at once. The heavenly afterglow that you never wanted it to leave. Bular made a minor moan in his mouth and sighed in content through his nose. The heartbeat pumping wildly as if it were racing with the pleasure. How giggling might happen from the sweet tickles the orgasm left behind. The relief as if that horrible scratch was finally itched.

Bular took a sip of his glug and he swallowed slowly, the savoring somehow was so much more incredible. Everything, sensitive and almost eager for more.

Then came along the thoughts of Draal…

Now…

There were some…

Complicated thoughts.

Feelings that were almost something you didn’t want to face.

How strong he was.

How aggressive and dominate he is.

How...incredible it felt to be handled so roughly, but with a gentle side.

Jim wasn’t sure if he should whimper and lift his tail up for Draal to have access, or to stay away from the bull, afraid of the harm he could inflict.

Yet pain and humiliation was...arousing.

Be reminded how lesser he was. How he needed to be punished. How he needed to be handled.

Draal could fulfill those needs quite easily.

And Bular now felt a growing erection.

Bular grumble in annoyance.

Damn that half troll and his inner workings.

Chapter Text

Jim sat on the ground and listened to Dic lecture him on various sentinel things. Jim’s mind hardly paid attention though. He was focused on Bular. Yet another person knows everything about him. Jim really didn’t approve. Not easy to hide your darkest secrets and scars when someone lived every experience you have. Jim blinked and when he opened his eyes he was elsewhere. Not in the darklands...at least he thinks. He was in a cave, a room. A large cauldron sat over a roaring fire. The room smelled a mixture of herbs, troll sweat, burning wood, and some sort of odd metal. He noticed Jos was no longer wrapped around him
“good. It worked” Jim saw a troll coming into the room from behind a curtain. A large gray troll with large rams horns and matching gray colored eyes. He was wearing a necklace of stone tablets with what appeared to be glowing runes carved into them. Similar ones were worn as a belt. And some around his arms. He mumbled something in troll and scratched his armpit then dipped his fingers into some kind of bubbling liquid held within the large cauldron. It changed colors and released bubbles. Held within the bubbles were various moments and places. Most of which were unfamiliar to Jim. The troll didn’t even look over at Jim, instead, focused entirely on his bubbling liquid.

“come. Sit. Listen.” Jim quietly asked
“where am-”
“come little half troll” the troll jabbed his finger over to a chair next to him. Jim complied and sat. the troll had a strong scent of metals and herbs of all varieties. Said troll walked over to Jim, leaned down into his personal space, took a deep slow inhale, then nodded
“now then. I don’t have you for much longer. Focus on my words. First, I am from now on the best friend you never knew you would have. Second, you must trust everything I say and do from now until the day you die. Third, I am giving you a couple of items, and you WILL use them. Fourth, if I give you advice, heed it. Fifth, any tale I tell you you WILL remember it. And lastly, if I request you for something, you will fulfill it.” Jim opened his mouth to speak, completely confused
“I-” the troll walked over to his cauldron, waving Jim off
“waste not your breath and words. You will come to me once more on a later date. Now then, to begin.”

The troll cleared his throat and placed a few chunks of metals and herbs into the cauldron
“Gunmar cannot foresee everything. He has the least capable abilities to peer into the future, as well as different timelines. Out of the three patrons, he is the most truthful and direct. He doesn’t speak words within words. He doesn’t write things between lines. He doesn’t twist things around. He is the most lenient when it comes to his champions. He prefers them to roam free and do as they will. When they grow powerful, he reaps the benefits. A good example is that of a master farmer who tirelessly works his fields of food. Once it has grown, all the effort has paid off and he has become a man who never hungers for a long period of time.” the trolls looked off into the distance and tapped his chin

“wait I could be thinking of it the wrong way...” the troll waved it off
“my point is, when Gunmars champions grow stronger with magics and might, it adds to his very own. That is how he grows stronger. Not by followers, but of their prowess. Like any patron, he sees through the eyes of his champions. Here, he is blind, unlike you. Morgana is the most deceiving. She does whatever she wishes. She is a crafty witch who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Through beguile and loopholes, she can craft plans and deceptions that would make any spy master green with envy. Whatever she say, does, or offer, do not accept or trust it. There is always a price to pay that is more than just your soul and service. Merlin, is the most strict. The most demanding. But the most powerful. He truly makes his champions work hard, going above and beyond. And from it, they grow the most incredible gifts any could hope to achieve.”

The troll sighed in relief
“it is because of him, the world both magic and mundane is safe. Throughout time, he has kept the balance secure, and ended any threat that could ruin our very existence. He will use you and everyone in order to accomplish his goals. He isn’t cruel or evil mind you, he truly cares and wants to keep everyone safe and alive. He believes life is worth living and to find meaning, is the greatest gift of all. His rewards are great, but his tasks are greater. With him, he always has the worlds best interest at heart. He is not a selfish being. He has lived the longest than almost all current beings. He is the most wise and cunning, with power to prove it. He sees every timeline and guides our very own into the safest paths. Life is not without its punishments though. Never forget. Pain and sacrifice is inevitable. Something the champions of Gunmar know too well.”

The troll took a ladle and tasted his mixture. He frowned and placed strange objects into it, causing the bubbling liquid to change color and hiss
“always remember, it is YOU who choose your choices. It is YOU who creates your own destiny. Yes, many paths are laid out, but you can always create a new one within a moments choice. The past can be changed, the present is here, and no future is set in stone. The further on into time you peer, the less solid it is. If you were to go back a day and change something, the present day wouldn’t be too different, however, the entire timeline further down can drastically alter.”

The troll took another sip and nodded in satisfaction. He mumbled something in troll, except THIS time Jim understood a few of them. From what he could understand, also using context clues, the troll was talking about powerful magics and...physical alteration? The troll turned away from Jim and did some things out of sight. Jim just sighed and looked around trying to find anything else distinguishable, but to no avail.
“here.” Jim jumped a bit as the troll was suddenly standing right in front of him holding out two things. A vile of whatever liquid was within the cauldron, and a strange tablet with a rune carved into it. The tablet small enough to be the same size as his phone is. He took them, studied them a bit, then put them into his pockets
“do not worry, the vial will not shatter from any force short of a bolder smashing onto it. The rune will be used later”
“uh...thanks...can I finally know your name?” the troll held a hand over his heart and proudly proclaimed
“Darvatos the manipulator. My moniker isn’t as you’d think it would be. I manipulate magic and mundane, not people.” Jim gave a weary smile
“thank you...uh...”
“it’s pronounced Dar-Va-Toss” Jim nodded
“r-right sorry...uh...what...why...uh...why are you...helping me?”
“for you and I, our destinies are entwined” Jim blinked in confusion
“how so?”
“I am to be your future mate. You are to wed me, and bear my seed. Our son will be powerful and handsome! As handsome as yours truly” Darvatos chuckled

Jim blushed heavily
“w-wait wh-what?!” Darvatos get on one knee, took Jim’s hand, and nuzzled it. He stood back up and suddenly let out a bark of a laugh, throwing his head back and slapping his own chest. He looked back to Jim as his laughter trailed off. Then, made a serious look once more
“we are out of time. I must return you. To the others, it will be as if you had never left in the first place. Time and space distorting magic is trickery” Jim made a T with his hands
“hold up, can we go back to the part where you said we were going to get married and I...have your kid? I’m a guy I can’t get pregnant!” Darvatos merely stated plainly
“that was metaphoric...” Darvatos rubbed his chin and looked elsewhere, asking lowly
“would it be considered that...hm...” Darvatos shook his head and looked to Jim
“now then, off you go. We will speak once more again on a later date. Tell no one of me, especially Gunmar. However, he will find out I am sure of it. But if he asks, tell him about me truthfully. Do not lie to your lord for my sake.” Jim felt himself grow lighter and less solid, his body beginning to dissolve into light
“w-wait what about us being mates?! Were you serious?!” Darvatos said a plain
“am I?” before winking and chuckling, being that last thing Jim saw of him.

When Jim opened his eyes once more, he was back in the forge being educated by Dic
“master Jim, are you alright? You appear to be a bit...distracted” Jim rubbed his arm and then noticed Jos was once again wrapped around him
“oh...uh...Dic...have you ever heard of a troll named Darvatos the manipulator?” Dic thought for a second, rubbing his chin
“hm...no...no memory of mine recalls such a figure. Who is this troll?”
“I-I...uh...was just wondering?” Dic put his fingers together and looked curious
“if I may ask, where did you hear of this name? It was certainly not held within the educational books I have been teaching you with”
“oh...it...just sorta...I think I saw that name in a book somewhere...I can’t remember” Dic shrugged
“well if you’d like we may research about this name on a later date. For now, we must continue” Jim nodded and smiled. From the corner of his eye he saw Jos staring at him, eyes glowing blue...

Elsewhere…

Claire walked through the portal and quickened her pace as she entered the castle. She, literally, stormed through it until she came into Morgana’s chamber. There, she was looking through portals and writing things down, humming and enjoying music played from a nearby phonograph. She stopped writing and greeted Claire
“ah, my champion, how are you?”
“not good. Why did you send Angor to do that to Jim?” Claire huffed and walked into the room. Morgana stopped the music and turned around
“as a test”
“why didn’t you just let me test him then! Jim could have gotten seriously hurt! Jos died!”
“first, his familiar returned not too long after. Second, because I knew you would be too gentle with the boy. Too easy and simple.” Claire raised up her arms
“if you wanted a test then don’t attack him! That wasn’t cool! I can’t believe you!” Morgana gave a stern look
“don’t. Command me. You are MY champion. You are stepping over the line.”
“that was wro-” Claire was silenced and forced down into a chair. She tried to speak but her voice was simply gone.
“you do NOT raise your tone to me child. I own YOU and your linage. I enjoy how resourceful and cunning you are, but my enjoyment and respect only goes so far. I do as I will because I choose to do so.” Claire felt herself suffocating
“do not dare to command me ever again. This is a warning to you. If you were anyone else, you wouldn’t be alive any longer. My champion will NOT disrespect me again. Am I clear?” Claire nodded
“good. I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”

Claire gasped and coughed once she was able to breath again. Morgana lifted up her face with her clawed gauntlet
“You are not by my side child, you are beneath me. You are following right behind me. You are not and never will be my equal. No one is.” she let go of Claire and then summoned a portal behind her
“go. And do not return until you’ve learned your place.” Claire rubbed her throat and nodded solemnly

……

It was late now and Jim had returned home. He was resting in bed. Toby said his goodbyes and went on his way soon after. For the rest of the day Claire had been thinking about what Morgana had said. Doxuie had noticed Claire being far too silent. He decided to speak with her about what was going on. Claire explained what had happened, that this was truly the first time she was ever scolded and treated.

“wow. She really was mad” Claire sighed and brushed her hair out of her face
“yeah...I did step over the line right?” Douxie shook his head no
“you were concerned for Jim, it makes sense why you reacted that way”
“well, from now on I’m going to behave. My lady let me off easy because she knows I would.” Claire sighed
“I just hope that if she ever does something that involves Jim, I can do something about it. Help him or something. If I can’t...well maybe I’ll be able to help after. I just can’t get over the feeling that this is my fault”
“it isn’t though. There was nothing you could do. Well lets look on the bright side of things, you’re alive and healthy. Jim is too. Right now, everything is fine and we shouldn’t take that for granted”

Claire looked off into the distance
“I have this thought...there’s something I want to do”
“what would that be?”
“I want to invade Jim’s mind tonight” Douxie looked surprised
“whoa hold on Claire. You can’t”
“I can though!”
“I mean, I know you can, my meaning is that you shouldn’t. Not only is it an intense breach of privacy, but-” Claire sighed
“I know it’s dangerous and anything I do will affect him. I won’t mess with anything. I just...i need to see if Jim’s alright. I want to look into Jim’s mind and see what’s happening”
“Claire, I’m just as worried for Jim as you are. I want to help him just as much as you do. But entering someones mind...it’s just too much” Claire stood up
“I’ve made up my mind. In and out. I’m just going to-” Douxie stood up and held her hands, making her look him in the eyes
“I know you’re deteremined-”
“you’re just as curious as I am. I know it” Douxie felt a small grin creep across his face
“alright yes. I am. But-”
“in and out.” Douxie sighed heavily and caved in
“Alright. I trust you. I’m going home. I want you to come talk to me afterwards, alright?” Claire smiled and nodded
“better to ask for forgiveness than for permission”

…...

Claire stepped through a portal and walked into Jims subconscious. As she walked through it, she saw all the different memories of places stitched together. Various doors closed in random places, she noticed she was actually walking on a few of them by accident. Objects floated around along with...bubbles? Claire looked closer and held within those bubbles were various memories. Each one containing a different memory. She smiled as one was of him as a little child splashing around in a puddle of water. Another one was of him being tickled by his mother. Another was him wearing a warm blanket and watching a comedy. Claire focused and kept moving forward. Occasionally she couldn’t help herself and looked through doorways. She giggled looking through one door, Jim was very young and chasing his tail like a puppy would. Then she arrived at a decrepit hallway. Color had drained from the area. Some parts of it seemed to be melted away like wax with heat.

Large scratches started to carve themselves into the walls, oozing gray blood. One large doorway was muffling the sounds of screams and crying. Claire shuddered and hurried along. She went down one hallway that seemed to be smudging into itself. Then she saw a dark long tunnel, claw marks ingrained heavily. Down the tunnel she heard angry roars followed by weeping. She sucked in a breath and marched through the tunnel. Whispering voices mumbled incoherent sentences. She saw a gray light coming from the end and stepped into it. There, she saw a large room. The ceiling completely black and endless. The floor was covered in dried gray blood, claw marks, and rags. She turned when she heard the loud roaring and weeping. It was coming from a large shadowy creature holding itself in the center of the room, sitting upon a platform surrounded by bloodied rags. Claire walked a bit closer to make out more details. Then she heard the shadowy creature growl out in an exhausted voice
“get...out...” The large shadowy troll figure looked up from its hands covering its face. Glowing blood red eyes stared at her. Claire felt an intense sensation of dread and pain wash over her. The shadowy creature roared out louder
“GET. OUT!” Claire covered her ears from how loud the roar was. It howled in pain, and she saw why. From above, a black bubble had floated downwards. A memory of Jim crying and swallowing a handful of pills, popped onto the creatures back and sizzled. Claire felt like she needed to calm the creature. She walked forward slowly and held out a hand
“I’m not going to hurt you. I promise” the shadowy creature wailed out in sheer rage
“GET. OUT!” Claire fell backwards once the creature rose to its feet. It was an enormous troll figure

(Jims full troll form)

It bared its fangs and roared loudly at her. She covered her ears then gasped as she noticed the sundown armor being formed onto it. The troll holding a newly formed Decimaar blade in one hand. It changed forward and was about to strike, but then was held back. Claire saw large chains attached to its arms, neck, waist, and legs. The chains were held at the center by massive meat hooks. Claire felt tears roll down her face as she made eye contact with the troll. Visions of pain flashed through her mind.

In all of Claires life she had felt sadness, pain, discomfort, and anxiety. But never this intense. She was becoming overwhelmed by everything Jim had experienced. A voice in the back of her head was starting to cry and nudge her into the thoughts of committing suicide. She felt like she was being suffocated by the all consuming pain. She had a hard time breathing, her body growing sore, and feeling as heavy as a rock sinking into a dark churning ocean. When she wiped her eyes she saw another bubble fall downwards, except this time it landed on a link in a chain. The chain sizzled and fell to the floor, broken and shattered.

That’s when Claire realized just how much broken chain was surrounding the troll. Claire understood, that with every ouch of pain Jim experienced, was another broken link into controlling the wretched darkness inside of him. The troll snickered as it tested the chains strength.
“soon. I’m going to make the world suffer like I have. I’m going to take everything away from everyone.” the troll snarled and looked Claire directly in the eyes. She felt frozen in place like an animal in headlights
“I’m going to make EVERYONE feel what I feel. Starting with you.” The troll roared and thrashed against the restraints in an attempt to attack Claire. Claire wiped her eyes and regained her composure. She quickly fled out of the tunnel, hearing the wails of anger and pain echo behind her…

…...

Douxie was sitting nervously in his room, waiting for Claire to come back. He sighed and then suddenly caught Claire as she fell from the portal. Before he could ask her anything, she began to weep uncontrollably and shook. Douxie held her and comforted her.

It took a long while before she calmed down enough to explain everything she had experienced and seen.

No one can stop every kind of pain. It was inevitable after all.

But recovery is always an option

One that they would help Jim with

Chapter Text

Centuries earlier…

Kanjigar chuckled as he shared light stories, seductive words with matching gazes, and a sensual tone
“ah, but you’re forgetting how we slew that one together. Evenly. Then I claimed my proper reward the next time we laid in bed together~” The champion of Gunmar ran a claw around the top of his mug and purred
“true, very true love~ but YOU’RE forgetting one thing” Kanjigar took a slow long sip of his glug then raised an eyebrow
“oh? And what is that?” the champion of Gunmar snickered
“I was the one who brought us breakfast the next morning”
“and I thanked you properly”
“Well, not verbally of course~” the two shared a light laughter together and stared into one anothers eyes. Nearby Draal growled into his mug as he glared over at the table his father and love sat. Deya elbowed him
“Easy there” Draal slammed his mug down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand
“and why should I? WE ALL FOUGHT! We all should be TOGETHER celebrating our victory! Not pairing off like some lovestruck whelp!” Deya shifted her gaze to a nearby table where Arrrg and Blinky shared soft glances and hand touching
“aw let them have their fun. Look how happy they are. That goes for your dad and Aarzal too. Ever since he and your dad got together there’s been a LOT less bloodshed. That champion finally calmed down once his attention-”

Draal spat out with a growl
“I don’t care. My father has hardly spent time with me since that Gumm-gumm drew his attention! Seducing him like some wretched siren from the abyss!”
“your dad is happy. Don’t you care?” Draal growled into his mug as he finished off the last of his glug
“my happiness matters too.” Deya leaned back and snatched another mug from a serving troll
“you know, one of these days you’re going to find someone who you become smitten with. Then I’m going to tease you relentlessly for it. Remind you on-” Deya quickly ducked as a chair was hurled at her. Draal spat and left. Deya laughed out
“you’ll fall in love! Just you wait!” Draal stopped and turned to look at her, snarling out
“I’d rather geld myself than to fall victim to some foul weakness like love. My father has grown weaker, less focused because of it. I will not fall prey to the same thing.”

In the present…

(so, this scene’s kinda based off of this)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VFxTEq2Xfo&ab_channel=PrinzCyrus
(go take a listen and see what I mean ;p)

Draal was sitting at a table mumbling to himself
“eyes like that of a humans. Color so blue like the endless sea. The sky when it’s clear in daylight. A warm summers evening once the clouds have parted ways” he took a long slow drink
“fur soft and smelling so sweet. Tail long and smooth, like-” Draal gagged on his glug when Deya suddenly spoke up
“you saying something there?” Draal watched her take a seat next to him and sipped from her own mug. Draal gave a simple
“no.” Deya raised her eyebrow
“so, why saying all those descriptions?”
“I spoke of no such thing”
“you’re mumbling again. Which means something is on your mind strong enough to where you let it slip out” Draal sighed and grabbed another mug from a serving tray
“leave me be. I wish to drink in peace.” Deya downed the last of her glug
“fine. See you later. I need to go check on a few things anyways” as she got up to leave she gave him one final sly look
“and if you really can’t stop thinking of our new little half troll, just go talk to the runt” Draal snarled as she walked away. He sighed into his mug
“like I care about that cowardly thing. Soft and small. Warm and...cuddly.” Draal mumbled lightly
“his arousal, still dances in my nose. Memory lingers on my tongue. Loins set ablaze and needy. A tight small body to stretch and knot...virginity to take. Seed to be planted. Purity to claim. Territory to mark.”

Draal sighed through his nose and looked off into the distance dreamily
“small enough to hold in my arms completely. Have him to myself. Hm...i wonder if half trolls have high sensitivity like a human does...” Draal closed his eyes and imagined Jim beneath him once more
“so small. Could so easily carry to my bed. Tail wrapped around my body as I dine on him. His flesh so tender yet sturdy enough to handle. Muscles lean and lithe. Wrap my grip around his feminine waistline. Nuzzle into his body and savor his scent and flavor. Does he taste as sweet as he smells?” Draal shifted his eyes around to check if anyone was watching, thankfully none were. He slid a hand onto his thigh, gripping it lightly and massaging it with his thumb
“how light he feels in weight. Moans light and heavenly. Mark him as my own. Scent him deep enough where it won’t leave for months. Watch the jealousy grow in others eyes as I claim what should rightfully be mine. Have him cook and tend to our cave. Keep it warm and comfortable. Keep him readily available to bed at a moments notice. Watch him lift and shift his tail away so I make take him easier.”

Draal imagined his fantasy deeper
“treasure his body like a precious object. Memorize every piece of exposed flesh I have access to. Half troll. Mutant. Abomination. Hate and lust mixing into a perverse love. Give him everything he could ever desire. Spoil him rotten. Watch him be motherly to our whelp. The perfect mate.”

Elsewhere…

Jim felt a bit relieved as he looked at the shard. It was about halfway consumed now. He only had to wait a little longer, 3-ish days. He was currently making breakfast with Jos, Jos singing private dancer the entire time. Barbara was sitting at the counter looking at her phone
“alright kiddo I need to go to work soon. Remember if you need anything-”
“call me” Jim interrupted as he turned around with a concerned smile. He set down the plate in front of her and reassured her
“I get it mom. I do really appreciate you telling me each time. It does help me a bit mentally. But I’m going to be alright. I have Jos now to help me through things” The two looked at the familiar stuffing his unhinged maw full of pancakes. He simply gave a thumbs up and a small nod. Jim and his mother both giggled at the sight.

Barbara dug into her food and between bites said
“alright alright. It’s great he’s in our lives now but a mother will always worry. Especially if you’re feeling really bad and want to-” Barbara stopped herself quickly by shoving another bite into her mouth. Whenever she brought it up it always caused tension between the two. Jim mindlessly guided his hand over to his wrist and rubbed said thumb over his scars as he did whenever she brought it up. He gave a simple silent nod and that was the end of the topic. Neither one liked to bring it up. Too many times they had come close to loosing one another over the implied past actions. Too many memories and emotions began to show themselves into the light once again, and a lot of times that made Jim focus on them, which then started to trigger his illness. So, they usually quickly pushed the thoughts away with something else to speak about.

This time it was pushed away by Barbara’s phone getting a call. She answered it and walked into another room. Jim felt Jos curl up around him and nuzzle him
“heyyy, don’t be thinking any thoughts on me. As your emotional support familiar I DEMAND that we get started on the brand new day!” Jim groaned and puffed air out of his cheeks
“and I’m guessing we have to go to trollmarket?”
“correct!”
“I do have college to do, remember?”
“already took care of it!” Jim raised an eyebrow
“how?”
“I burned down your college!”
“WHAT?!”
“well, it was getting in the way! So I just-”
“WHAT?! OH NO OH SHIT NO NO NO-” Jos snapped his fingers
“gotcha! I was kidding! I did all your homework last night when you were asleep. And before you say anything, I AM you remember? So its not cheating and I did it exactly how you do it. Written, finished, saved, and sent. You officially have nothing to worry about. Just you, me, and sentinel duty!”
“great. Well, I’m glad I’ve already lost that portion of my life to a familiar” Jos snapped his fingers
“you know it!”

Barbara walked back into the room, dressed and ready for work
“alright kiddo I have to go, love you”
“love you too mom” they hugged and Barbara planted a kiss on Jim’s cheek. Barbara pet Jos on the head
“goodbye Jos, take care of my son for me”
“will do!” when Barbara opened the door to leave she was greeted with a familiar face
“hey neighbor!”
“hello Toby” this caught Jim’s attention. He leaned over to see Toby waving to him
“morning Jim!” Jim gave a small wave in reply
“morning” Barbara shuffled her purse around double checking she has everything
“alright I’m ready to start the day” Toby asked
“do you have your giant rusty anchor?”
“my what?”
“eh its a reference”
“ah, well I have to go, if you want to talk to Jim come in”

And with that Toby walked in after she walked out. Before Toby said anything he smelled the air
“what the hell is that smell? It smells soo good!” Jim adjusted his sleeves and said softly
“it’s...my cooking”
“you made that?”
“I have some extra, if you want”
“yes please!”

Toby walked over and sat on the counter
“hey Jos”
“heyyy yooouu”
“how are you?”
“goooooood. You?”
“can’t complain” Jim set down a plate and Toby dug in. after taking a single bite he moaned
“this is by far the GREATEST thing I’ve ever tasted!”
“it’s just an omelet”
“this is heavenly! Are you kidding me?” Jim blushed and smiled
“thanks”
“hey ah, hows your whole...” Toby made a motion to Jim’s shard. As if on cue Jim took a sharp inhale through his teeth as he felt it pulse in pain
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to bring it up-”
“it’s alright Toby. It’s just like...growing pains I guess” Jim laughed awkwardly
“you didn’t cause it. Just bad timing I guess...ha ha...” Toby quickly scarfed down the rest of his food then wiped his mouth
“alright as divine as that was I came here to ask if you’d like to walk to trollmarket with me. Usually I take my bike or shadow portal but I thought it would be nice to ask if you’d like a walk” Toby brought up his hands
“and if not that’s totally fine! I don’t want to make you feel obligated like you have to walk alright? I won’t be upset if you say no. I don’t want to intrude on your boundaries if-”
“it’s fine. Really it’s fine. I uh...sure” Jim’s heart thumped with anxiety. He really didn’t want to mess up his already thin chance at a friendship, so denying something like this made him assume it would be a horrible start to it. Then Toby wouldn’t want to be his friend because he ignored him. Then he would end up hating him and making things awkward if they needed to be near one another without anyone else. Then Jim imagined Toby talking to the others behind his back saying how selfish and terrible he is to everyone. THEN-

Jos literally slapped Jim with his tail
“hey. Knock it off. I know that look.” Jim rubbed his cheek
“sorry” Toby asked in concern
“is everything alright Jim?” Jos answered for Jim
“he’s fine. Everythings great. But no walking. I have a much better idea!”

………

“HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS BETTER THAN A ROLLER COASTER!” Toby said standing up. Jim laughed
“yeah, it is pretty fun”
“holy shit that is WAY better than a shadow portal! Can we do that more?!” Jos laughed as he curled up around Jim once again
“mayybeee.” Toby brushed his hair down. The both of them had rode Jos to the canal, yet another fun thing Toby had gotten to experience for the first time, and he loved it. When they walked up to the entrance, a portal had opened up and standing in front of them was Dic and Blinky, wearing cloaks and arguing. Dic slapped Blinky’s hands away
“-must I remind you that I WAS THE ONE who decided this!?” Blinky slapped Dic’s hands in vengeance
“and I ALSO decided this was best!”
“after I did!”
“only because you-” the two noticed Jim and Toby standing in front of them. The twins regained their composure and bowed. Blinky spoke first
“greetings master Jim, master Tobi-” then Dic rudely said much louder
“wonderful welcomes master Jim! I was-” Blinky poked his brothers chest
“WE were about to-” Dic covered his mouth
“about to fetch you so that we may be your travel companions from your domicile to our very own. Like I swore to you before you left last night, I will make sure to not leave your side for any moment longer than needed! I so very much wanted to greet you good morning and be by your side the moment you awoke, however my brother INSISTED that he come with me-”

Blinky pushed Dic away and covered his mouth
“what I INSISTED was that I want to make sure that my brother here doesn’t fill your head with nonsense and theatrics that wouldn’t be necessary for your personality!” Dic shoved him away and glared
“if master Jim wants to do something he will do so! If he wants to slay half of trollmarket then he will do so!” Blinky pointed at Dic
“see?! This is exactly what I’m talking about! Master Jim I may not be a servant of Gunmar like my brother is but you must see reason as to clearly NOT accept these kind of actions an-” Dic jabbed two index fingers into Blinky’s chest
“if my champion has a will, he shall fulfill it to his hearts desire! And I will make sure to be by his side to do so!”

right behind Toby and Jim a shadow portal opened up and Claire walked through
“oh, hi everyone. didn’t expect the four of you to be here” everyone greeted Claire kindly, and then Claire asked what was going on. Toby quickly explained before anyone else could
“they’re arguing over if Dic should help Jim kill half of trollmarket off because Jim wants to” Claire looked to Jim and asked
“you want to do that?” Jim quickly held up his hands and shook his head no
“no! I don’t want to hurt anyone!” Dic walked over to Jim and pat his hands
“and this is why I’m here to help you! If you don’t want to be passive and gentle, then I’m more than eager to help you bring out-” Blinky yanked his brother back
“stop trying to egg him on! He wants to be peaceful! Let him be!”
“he’s only peaceful because everyone keeps telling him to be so! I merely want to bring out his full potential!”
“BY CONVINCING HIM TO SLAY HALF OF TROLLMARKET?!”
“IF THAT NEEDS BE THEN YES!”

Elsewhere…

Kanjigar shook his head and sighed
“and it begins.” Draal looked at the portal his father was looking through. The scene playing out before them was of the one literally described above this one. Look I’m tired and I don’t know what to put in this part to connect the two of them so haha here we go some tasty filler. In the wise words of Hooty from The Owl House “mh mh delicious knowledge!”

Kanjigar cleared his throat
“yes well, back to the actual story and not that nonsense. No one came here to read that.” the ghost turned to Draal
“go to them son. Stop Dic from trying to bring out the worst in Jim. If we are to keep this new champion from bringing a wretched darkness into both worlds we-meaning you-must prevent whispering in his ear from that underling.”
“how am I do to so father? He wishes to cling to him like a parasite” Kanjigar shrugged
“that is up to you my son. What brings the best out of someone and keeps the worst at bay? For me? It was Aarzal. mh. Now there was a bull~” Kanjigar rubbed his jawline
“whenever he was getting upset I always knew how to soothe him” Draal rolled his eyes
“yes. I know.”
“and because I knew how to aid him, his darkness and corruption was kept in check. Now, your job is simply to find what makes him happy and stick to that. Pain will fade and heal once you’ve grow accustom to learning how to deal with your own inner demons. For me it was being inside-”
“YES FATHER I KNOW! I had trouble coming home without interrupting you...ugh...sessions.”
“ah yes. He really did know how to properly apply hot oils”

The two saw Jos stare directly at them. The familiar focused with intent, making the others wonder what he was looking at
“someones watching us again.” Toby looked around
“I don’t see anyone”
“magic. I can almost see who and where it originates from...” Draal coughed into his fist and swat away the vision
“we shouldn’t be spying on others. It is wrong.” Kanjigar raised an eyebrow
“son, you’re the one who asked to see Jim again” Draal blushed and looked elsewhere
“I merely wanted to check on...him”
“yes well, he’s here now, so go do so in person”

Draal nodded and focused himself, returning to the living world. Arrrg and Deya were nearby casually talking. Draal headed off to the entrance of trollmarket, trying to convince himself he had no other intention than to try and separate Dic and his whispers of wrongdoing.

Even if his heart was eager to see the half troll once more.

But that had nothing to do with anything.

Chapter Text

Draal found the four of them at the bottom of the staircase walking inwards. Draal snorted in irritation as Dic was patting Jim’s hand sweetly and speaking to him about all the things Jim would be allowed to do if he wanted. Draal knew the most dangerous thing right now would be that twin. After all, seeing the beginning of something that might grow dangerous was apart of being a sentinel. He wouldn’t let that half troll grow into a monster. He needed to be trained…

By him...

And not just for confidence...

Draal grew a grin as he thought of a perfect distraction for the twin…

He walked up to the group and before anyone could say anything he announced
“Dic. Your library has a gnome infestation. Vendel just told me he saw many swarm in there. I was going to prevent it but I know you’ve spoken many times on how you find my presence in there distasteful. So I thought I would come tell you first” Dic gasped
“my library?! Why didn’t you do something about it?!”
“like I had al-”
“I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID! BUT CLEARLY IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT WERE TO HAPPEN THEN I WOULD HAVE EXCUSED IT!” Blinky said in a matter-of-fact tone
“I did warn you brother that keeping all those snacks in one area without having them properly locked away was a bad idea. And now the library is-IN DANGER!” Blinky gasped, the realization suddenly hitting him. Both twins ran off to deal with the issue. Dic yelling back
“once I’ve handled this infestation I will continue your education at the forge!”

Toby asked
“should we go help them?” Draal nodded
“it would be wise.” the remaining three started to walk forward, but Draal blocked Jim’s path
“no. you are to report to me. Remember?” Jim wasn’t sure what to do. Toby and Claire exchanged a strange glance. Claire then asked
“what?” Draal snorted
“this doesn’t involve you. I told him I was going to train him to have confidence and no longer have the desire to think of himself as lower than a gnome. Both of you go aid them. Take Jos with you” Jos raised his own eyebrow and shifted his body so he could be on eye level with Draal
“what is this now?” Draal smirked
“you’re half a sna-”
“DRAGON!”
“right. That. Gnomes are terrified of dragons. You can easily aid in chasing them off.” Jos raised a finger and couldn’t think of something to say. Toby shrugged and said
“alright. Sounds good to me. Besides it would be cool to get to know Jos some more” Jos smiled
“Alright that sounds good” Jos looked Jim in the eyes
“Are you going to be okay? Just mentally ask me to come and I’ll drop everything and rush over to you. Or jump into a chasm so I die and respawn” Jim said in a worried tone
“w-wait please don’t hurt yourself!”
“nah it’s fine! Besides, I get to do dangerous stuff for fun! With no drawbacks! And the pain isn’t much since it’s pretty quick on impact” Jim knit his eyebrows
“uh...okay...I’ll see you later then. But promise me you won’t kill yourself” Jos gave a thumbs up
“you got it!”

And with that Jos slithered away with Toby and Claire. Once out of earshot Draal walked up closer to Jim, pushing him against a wall and smoshing him against his chest. Jim couldn’t look away and blushed. Draal stared at him with a hard glare and simply said
“You. Do as I say. Understand?” Jim nodded
“good.” Draal snorted in Jim’s face and looked around to make sure no one was nearby. Once the coast was clear he nuzzled into Jim’s neck and took a deep slow inhale, muttering something lightly. Jim, with his basic understanding of troll, made out the words ‘soft. Sweet. Small.’ but didn’t understand the rest. He hoped it was good…

After a few awkward minutes Draal pulled off and turned around.
“follow. Now.” Jim caught up to his side as the two walked in silence. Jim followed Draal to an empty street, then into a cave with little inside of it. Draal sat down and relaxed into what Jim assumed was a troll version of a couch. Draal snapped his fingers and commanded
“sit.” and pointed next to him. Jim did so and blushed as Draal pulled him in, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. The two sat in silence. Jim growing hard and not sure what to do. Draal took a slow inhale in the air and mumbled something, except it wasn’t anything Jim could understand. After a few silent awkward minutes Draal looked at Jim
“you will do as I say. Do not ever forget. I will keep saying it until it’s deeply ingrained into your head. Understand?” Jim nodded and quietly agreed
“okay. I pr-promise” Draal growled
“filthy half troll.”

nsfw warning ;p

Jim was suddenly grabbed and bent over. Draal pulled his pants down and suddenly started to spank him.
“naughty perverted half troll.” The spanking grew more intense, Jim moaning in both pleasure and pain. In all his life Jim had never been spanked but secretly imagined in some of his more erotic fantasies he would be. Draal spanked him harder and rougher
“naughty half troll. Filthy creature.” Jim moaned and shook, his cheeks stinging and growing purple in pain. His own face blushing hard, color matching. Draal stopped and slid a finger down and pulled out Jim’s hard cock. He lightly rubbed it between fingers while the other hand continued to spank him
“bad bad half troll.” Jim bit his lip and felt his body tense up. He moaned louder and felt himself have an orgasm. Draal worked his cock and pointed his dick away from his pants so he didn’t make a mess, that however couldn’t be said about the floor.
“having an orgasm? Perverted thing. Enjoying this so much. Every time you disobey me you will be punished. Am I to be understood?” Jim just moaned and felt a hard spank happen
“I said, AM I UNDERSTOOD?” Jim moaned loudly
“yes!” Draal slowed his jerking movements as Jim finished cumming out the last few drops. Jim’s eyes watered and he began to hiccup. Except it was in pleasure from being so mistreated…

“disgusting little pervert. Do you enjoy it? Being so heavily degraded? Being treated as a little toy for my benefit? For me to boss and smack around? You want me to treat you this way don’t you? You want to be a little pervert.” Jim’s body shook as Draal gave a few additional spanks
“y-yes” he moaned as Draal grabbed a check and squeezed it
“you are to behave. You are to follow my instructions. Understood?”
“y-yes”
“call me master.” Jim bit his lip and moaned
“I said. CALL ME MASTER
“y-yes master!”
“good.” Draal gave a last squeeze and a final spank before pulling Jim’s pants back up
“time to clean up. I don’t want anyone else knowing about my punishment. Am I clear?”
“Y-yes master”
“good boy. You want to be a good boy for master right?”
“y-yes master” Draal pulled Jim back up and buried his nose into his chest and mumbled more. A few minutes passed and Jim decided to move his hands down to Draal’s kilt. Draal grabbed Jim’s hand and growled
“You do not touch your master without permission. Am I understood?”
“y-yes master”
“you do nothing to me for the time being. Understand?”
“y-yes master”
“you are to call me master in private. Understand?”
“y-yes master”
“you are not to inform anyone else about this. Not even your familiar. Understand?”
“yes master. I promise to be a good boy” Draal nodded

“acceptable. Now. let’s get you cleaned up. And I want you to give me your shirt. It belongs to me now. Understand?”
“yes master...What am I going to wear?”
“you are to be shirtless. If anyone asks, you tore your shirt by accident and ruined it completely.”
“yes master” Jim was careful to take his shirt off, just like he’s been doing so since his whole shard began. Jim cried out as Draal grabbed it
“you enjoy pain don’t you? You want your master to degrade you? Admit it truthfully”
“n-not this pain! Bu-but yes pleas-please! Ju-just not this” Draal let go and nodded
“acceptable.” Draal caressed Jim’s face and ran a thumb over his cheek wiping tears away
“good boy. Master’s pleased. For now. I’m sorry about your shard. I promise I won’t do that again. I don’t want to hurt you if it isn’t fun for the both of us” he took Jim’s shirt and buried his nose into it. He tucked it into the side of his kilt and began to walk out, turning back to Jim
“come. I want to wash the arousal off your body.” Jim nodded and followed his new master to an empty bathing area nearby

Elsewhere…

Kanjigar sighed in the void
“that wasn’t what I meant son...” he swat away the vision. Earlier out of curiosity he had checked up on them from when they had begun walking together until the very...current moment.
“I suppose you have your reasons...very predictable reasons...”

Elsewhere…

Gunmar sighed and spoke to himself
“I knew someone would come along one day, just not so soon. I will not judge. Just enjoy yourself my champion. Don’t take it too far. Especially with your...other attractions...”

………

After the whole gnome infestation, and clearly being an absolute lie to which the twins were grateful, they chalked it up to Draal just wanting to be alone with Jim. Dic didn’t approve of Jim being alone, ESPECIALLY without his familiar. But if his champion wanted it, so be it. Unless Gunmar intervened, he would not question it. He wanted to make an attempt at repairing his shirt but Jim said he threw it away. Jim had come to the forge alone, Draal apparently had somewhere else to be for the time being.

After Draal commanded Jim to go to the forge and train his usual, he split off and went to his home. What was once his shared home with his father, was now a queit lonely place. A small voice told him to have Jim move in with him. They could be master and pet whenever Draal wanted. But...beyond that Draal didn’t want to tear Jim away from his mother. No voice would convince him otherwise. Maybe one day when Barbara dies. She is human after all so Jim will clearly outlive her, and when that day comes Draal will be supportive and loving. Take care of him, with nothing sexual about it. Then once Jim has recovered, Draal will continue his fun.

Draal was smart enough to know when to be serious and put certain...emotions and needs aside when the time calls for it. He would much rather end his little game than continue it if something serious came up. Draal did wish to have someone else with him. He hated being alone. All his life he had his father, but now? Sure he had his friends, but coming home to a quiet and empty place...it just didn’t feel good. Hell, he’d even accept his father’s little ‘love sessions’ with the previous champion if it meant he wouldn’t be alone anymore. No, he needed to shake those thoughts out of his head. The past is the past and it needs to be left there. He cannot dwindle on it. Something his father had taught him. If he’s too stuck in the past, he can never live in the present.

Draal laid down in his bed and took Jim’s shirt out. He buried his nose it in and savored the scent. Jim natural scent, mixed with the sweet human perfumes, mixed with his arousal, was heaven to his senses. He reached down and undid his kilt. He tossed it aside and gripped his growing erection. He jerked himself off and inhaled. He imagined his little pet worshiping his cock, squeezing his knot and lapping the shaft up and down until not a single part of it was left unpleasured. Draal jerked himself out harder and imagined him stuffing his cock into the virgin hole. Jim being slid into. The half trolls face contorting in absolute pleasure. Thanking master for what he’s being given.

Thanking Draal for being the first to take him. Pounding the little half troll as he rides his new bull. The knot smacking up against the tight hole and throbbing in demand to be buried. Draal thrusting roughly and finally slipping it inside, claiming Jim in absolute pleasure. Thrusting rougher, deeper, into the stretched out half troll. Jim moaning out the loudest he’s ever done, begging for his master to cum. Plant his seed deep within him. Draal wished his pet could bear his seed, give him a child. Their child. But this was not possible. Unless by some magical miracle. Even then, sexual fantasy aside, he would never wish to force Jim into being a parent so early in his life if he truly did not want it.

Draal squeezed his shaft as he felt his orgasm begin to hit. He moaned loudly into the shirt and shot his thick heavy hot load all over his chest. Imagining his half troll thanking him for being rewarded his orgasm. Watching his belly stretch a small sum from the sheer amount of it. Draal jerked his cock and felt the final few sputters being shot out. His chest heaved in relief and pleasure rushed throughout his body.

He was going to claim this half troll as his own. Not just as some sexual desire, but as an actual mate. He wasn’t going to beat around the bush anymore. As much as he hates to admit it, he had begin to grow affection for him. Draal found him cute. Adorable with an innocence yet to be faded away. All factors added up to wanting him. With no one else to claim him, he would have no competition. For now, he would wait. He would train him. He would have him wrapped around his finger. After he’s had his fun, he will claim him fully. At least, he had no competition to deal with. Now he could have all the time in the world…

………..

Jim yawned and sighed as he read through the passages Dic was teaching him. Different champions from different eras. All were roughly the same. Evil. Cruel. Demanding. Hardly a single one of them had some kind of true reasoning behind their cruelty. Some simply wanted power. Others to rule with an iron fist. As far as Jim understood it, he was the very first champion to have reservations on being so cruel. HE never wanted to become some kind of monster like this. Never. HE won’t become one.

“-and with that master Jim, what will you do?” Jim blinked and looked up
“huh?” Jos replied
“he asked what will you do?” Jim scratched his cheek a little
“sorry I uh...wasn’t paying attention...heh...sorry” Dic shrugged
“that is fine. I will repeat once again. Each and every champion has created their signature move. Their style. Their goals and ideals. So, what will yours be?” Jim didn’t know how to respond. Toby butt into the conversation
“hey, Jim, don’t worry about anything right now. Alright? that’s like when you just start highschool and a teacher asks what you’re going to do after highschool. Everything will come in time. Don’t worry. And I invented my own signature move” Claire rolled her eyes
“not this again.” Toby pointed his warstaff at her
“yes! This thing again! My special finisher move that will be passed on for generations is HAMMER SMASH!” Jos snorted
“what? That is the LAMEST name ever!”
“quiet Jos! it’s cool! And okay maybe I haven’t thought of a proper name BUT STILL! Alright check this out”

Arrrg activated a dummy and gave a thumbs up
“do it wingman” Toby extended his hammer making him lift up, he did a flip then smashed down. He hefted his hammer over his shoulder and gave a big smile to Jim
“cool right?!” Jim smiled, but Jos spoke first
“a flip? For one smash? More show than action”
“hey! I don’t see YOU making some finisher move!” Jos shrugged
“true. But Jim, when the time comes, is going to make an AWESOME ULTRA MOVE!” Jim blushed and rubbed the back of his neck
“sure...uh...I’ll try...”

Dic handed Jim a tome
“here, the second volume of Gunmar’s champions. Now, let us read your history!” Jim turned to a page and saw a short troll with black markings covering his body who held a lute almost as large as himself. Dic smiled
“ah, Tarv the death bard!” Toby snorted
“a bard? Like some guy playing a lute?” Dic scoffed
“more than that! Tarv infused dark corrupt magics into his words and songs, lulling others into a state of absolute terror, and agony! Music can move the heart and soul, so it was fairly easy to manipulate emotions and stirs deep ingrained fears into others. As he sung, the dark magics would seep into his words and all who listened trembled and became frozen with pain! Cruelty in his voice, the pain would reverberate from their heart into physical pain! His words were quite literally deadlier than most weapons. A sword will wound you, deep ingrained words echo through your mind forever. Oh! A sample of his lyrics! Now, I’m not much of a singer nor do we infuse these lyrics with magic so they’re harmless

“power from shadow is my right!
Praise our dark lord for he has might!
My words stir up mighty fears!
Dance with terror along with your peers!
You will praise my words or die!
My songs speaks truth I do not lie!
My faith guides me and gives me sight!
Follow me day and night!

Your faith will flicker!
As you all turn on one another and bicker!
Your hearts and minds are mine to command!
From my words you do as I demand!
My music fills and swirls in your heads!
As you sing my songs like lullaby's in your beds!
Your swords will clang and be dull!
While my words cry out and cull!
My words are just as bad as my bite!
I consume you with all my spite!”

Dic sighed
“Oh I would have loved to hear such terrible magical words for myself!” Toby laughed
“hey maybe Jim could sing!” Jim blushed
“no I’m not a singer...I think I’ll do something else” Dic flipped to another page
“ah, here is your predecessor: Aarzal the vengeful” Jim saw a large proud looking troll. He held the blade as it was planted into the ground. A red and black cape draped over his shoulders. A smile that held a cruel look behind it. Deya snickered
“he was the troll who Draals father slept with. Those two really knew one anothers body's by heart.” Dic sighed
“yes yes they both had rather long...sessions. Frequently. It was a distraction. He hardly focused on anything ambitious. He merely wanted to be by Kanjigar’s side. Yes he was powerful and hardly needed to train, but still...it would have been nice to aid him in something wonderful”

“yes. My father was nearly always by his side. As foul as it was.” everyone turned to Draal who walked through the hall and into the forge. He gave Jim a glance and stared at the book
“what is that tome about?” Dic clarified
“his predecessors”
“hm. I suppose I couldn’t convince you to forgo this?”
“not in any lifetime” Draal looked into Jim’s eyes and the two shared a silent and...intense stare. Draal snorted and walked away
“fine. Do as you will. Jim.” Jim nodded
“y-yes ma-” Draal quickly shot him a glance. Jim stopped himself
“-Draal.” Dic raised an eyebrow
“what were you about to say master Jim?”
“uh...nothing important...let’s continue my education properly” Jim was surprised at how commanding his tone was just now
“At once of course!” Dic cleared his throat

“now then. Aarzal focused on revenge. If anyone gave even the slightest disrespect or violent intent, he would brutally punish them. As severely and slowly as he could. Sadly, he had mastered his capabilities far too strongly and none ever lasted for too long. He just had too much fun with it I suppose. Oh! One thing that is notable, he only cared about fighting the strongest. To TRULY bring out his full powers, he needed to fight worthy opponents. He disregarded weaker beings. He thought them a waste of time and effort. He mostly just let others tend to the more tedious calls” Dic flipped the next page and became excited

“oh master Jim now, THIS is a troll to truly look up to and admire! Noz the nightmare keeper!” Toby laughed
“that sounds like he just always had bad dreams” Dic glared
“nonsense! He was the SECOND most powerful of Gunmars champions!” Jim tilted his head and looked at the picture. A troll with scars across his body and a long symbol seemingly branded into his chest
“he was?”
“oh quite master Jim! He looked to Tellad-Urr, much like every champion of Gunmar after Tellad-Urr, as a prime example of what a true champion should become! He was known for his illusion abilities! He weaved shadow magic together to create false horrific worlds that he would pull others into. Worlds of stagnant decay and utter darkness. No lights. No life. Nothing but his echoing voice and the horrid realm surrounding them. He would toy with them, causing them to suffer horribly, ruin their minds and cause them to loose all hope of escape. Then, once he’s had his fun, he goes in for the kill. Mental trauma rarely heals properly”

Jim ran a thumb over his wrist
“i know...” Dic quickly returned back to the book
“alright next champion...oh now here’s a more rather interesting champion, and also the first champion I served. Voi the shadow walker. He used shadow magic to cloak himself in darkness. Using this, he became unseen in every way. He could move through physical objects and even walk in direct daylight! Although, using this ability is rather exhausting and he could only do it for roughly around...10 minutes. Even when he was later on in his years and truly gained power. He was rather rash and headstrong. He always exhausted himself far too quickly. Few champions managed to even gain slight hold of that ability”

Jim flipped the page and saw the chapter focusing on a specific thing…
“what’s the...triumbric stones?” Dic quickly closed the book
“nothing we need to worry about. Why don’t we take a short break? I’m sure you’ll need some time to fully digest all this new information” he smiled. Jim wondered why the sudden change? But didn’t question it once the break was mentioned. He really did need one

Chapter Text

Centuries earlier…

Draal sighed in agitation
“we’ve been at this for hours.” Deya shook her head and crossed her arms
“Well, we’re doing the best we can do”
“BUSHIGAL! Why can’t we j-” Kanjigar interrupted his son
“no. we are not to harm him.” Draal waved towards the rooms entrance
“father, we’ve been interrogating him for hours and have gotten no information! I say we-”
“Absolutely not. We are not savages”
“some pain could make his lips slip up easily.”

The group which consisted of Kanjigar, Draal, Deya, and Aarzal had captured a troll who was hiding a dangerous fugitive and refused to talk. A simple arrest was made, and now they’re in a cave deep within the bowels of trollmarket. The troll was smug and knew they wouldn’t do anything. Kanjigar was refusing they stoop to violence. They are a symbol of protection, and not mindless savages who use violence for everything. The four of them stood at the mouth of the cave, the prisoner kept inside under lock and key

Aarzal placed a hand on Kanjigar’s shoulder
“my love, please, allow me a mere few moments alone with him. I can get him to speak as free as a songbird. Trust me” he winked and caressed the side of Kanjigars face, making the troll melt
“alright.” Draal’s mouth gaped open
“father?! you’re going to let HIM-” Aarzal gave a smug expression
“I have a plan. Now, watch and learn young troll”

The troll held within a cage gave a smug look and spoke as he watched the four of them enter
“bah! You fools will never get anything out of me! You’ll turn to stone before I give up anything!” Kanjigar moved out of the way and showed a smiling Aarzal who purred out
“oh, yes we will. Hello there~ I sadly was not there for the arrest, but here I am now and eager to meet you. My love here has granted me permission to...well you’ll find out soon enough” The troll’s face went from smug to terrified the moment he saw who spoke to him
“w-wait you-you’re Gunm-Gunmars champion!”
“oh yes I am~” Aarzal took a single step before the troll waved his arms in surrender and shouted
“WAIT WAIT I’LL TALK I’LL TALK! PLEASE JUST DON’T LET HIM DO ANYTHING TO ME! I SWEAR I’LL LEAVE NOT A SINGLE DETAIL OUT!” Kanjigar nodded
“very well. Then we have a deal” Aarzal gave a sad innocent look
“aww, but I didn’t get to lay even a single claw on him. Oh very well, if I’m to be bored then nothing I can do about it”

He turned around and winked at Draal who was speechless from what he had just seen. Truly, no soul alive would ever keep anything away from a champion of Gunmar or face their wrath. Now, he completely understood the absolute fear they installed into all who hear tales of them. Draal finally understood that even a single glace had scared the troll so badly he would give up everything just to be saved from the champions wrath. Aarzal whispered into Kanjigars ear
“I’ll be waiting in bed~ come relive me of my boredom the moment you finish here~” Kanjigar chuckled
“I suppose you’ve earned it” Aarzal pat Draal’s shoulder as he walked by, whispering into his...ear?. Side of head? You get the idea.
“I hope you learned something from this young troll. Fear goes a long way, you just need to know when and how to properly apply it. Sometimes doing nothing is far more terrifying than doing something. It makes people guess, have their minds go wild with ideas of what horrid wicked things might befall them, even if you have no intent on doing so. A single glance, a well spoken threat, and they will submit. Funny how sometimes the imagination will do far more damage than any sharp edge could.”

Aarzal growled in lust
“Now, I’m going to wait in bed and give your father a rough fuck. I promise not to drain his gronk-nuks too much. I need those after all~ and if I break his sword, then I have little to play with~ his knot certainly knows how to stretch you, fill you up, so much so you’d think your body would be broken on it. I hope whoever you fall in love with will be able to handle your-well-if you’ve inherited your fathers...hehe...you get the idea~” The champion gave one final wink and took his leave. Draal was mortified, angry, but mostly begged to find out a way to remove that information from his mind…

In the present…

Jim was gasping for air.

He was shivering and growling out in pain.

His head swam with thoughts, too jumbled up to understand.

He managed to make out Draal saying
“why don’t we just pull the shard out right now?” Dic quickly shot him down
“no! it’s almost consumed!”
“then we push the rest in!”
“NO! he’s still not strong enough to endure that amount of undiluted corruption! His body must adjust over time! If we tamper with the shard in any way he could very much perish!”

Jim was halfway awake at this point.

He heard Draal yell out
“we can’t do nothing!” Deya’s voice was soothing
“calm down Draal. We need to be calm for Jim’s sake” Jim felt himself be lightly adjusted
“master Jim, can you understand me?” Jim mumbled out incoherently. He screamed once more as he felt the shard’s pain flare up once more. Dic said with intense fear
“his body is going into shock! it’s too much! Oh master Jim please hang on! You can survive!” Jim’s eyes felt heavy and his body started to become numb. He was shook lightly
“no no master Jim you have to stay awake!” Jim felt his heartbeat intensify in his ears. The numbness took hold and his body went slack.

Claire held out her hands over Jim
“I have an idea”

Jim took a deep breath in and coughed out fluid into his hand. He looked at his it, seeing it was black ooze. Jim looked around
“w-what happened where am I?” then he saw Claire. Her veins black and purple, with matching eyes. Douxie pet Jim lightly and spoke in an equal tone
“shh, it’s alright Jim. Just focus on your breathing. You fell onto your shard and it pushed too deep into you too quickly. Your body couldn’t handle it. We almost lost you there.”
“w-what’s wrong with Claire?” Claire smiled to him and spoke reassuringly
“I’m fine don’t worry. When you work for the pale lady you get used to handling corruption. Good news, I pulled a lot of it out of your system. Bad news, the shard...grew back. But just a little! you’ll have to deal with it a little longer. Your body will be fine-well as fine as it usually is with your shard”

Jim looked at said shard, it did grow back slightly like she said. He felt relief, along with fear
“great. Even longer with this thing. I’m thankful don’t worry! I-” Jim’s mind began to picture his mother, crying into her hands as she was told of his demise. His heart pumped and he squirmed. Dic tried to hold him still
“please don’t move master Jim, your body needs res-” Jim started to cry
“I-I want to see my mom. I need to see her!”

…….

Barbara was on her break sipping coffee from her mug when she got a call from Jim. She answered it but wasn’t able to speak as Jim was quick to whimper
“Mom I need you to come home. I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want anyone else with me right now. Please” Barbara almost dropped her mug as she pulled the phone closer to her ear
“it’s going to be alright sweetie. I’m coming right now. Do you want to tell me what happened? Are you physically stable?”
“I’m-I’m not-its not like anything before. Please just come home”

………..

Jim was being pet gently as his head laid in Barbaras lap. After she sped home he broke down into her, she wanted to examine his body, make sure nothing was lethal. Jim explained to her what happened. He broke momentarily. Whenever he came close to dying his mind would bring up thoughts of his mother. Memories of what he had put her through. Hearing he almost died, well, it brought back a flash flood. When she examined the shard she felt utterly useless. And it killed her. Being a skilled doctor she could see what the problem was and knew how to tend to it. This? This was beyond her skill and knowledge. Why would she have ever dealt with corruption before? How could she have even thought it existed? This was still new to the both of them and that terrified her. What if something like this happens again? What if no one’s there to help?

These questions took over her mind in events such as this. At least with Jim’s previous actions she could stay nearby and help him with whatever he was going through. She didn’t want Jim to leave her side. She didn’t want him leaving their home. But…she knew she couldn’t just keep him locked away. She wanted him to be free. She didn’t want to control his actions. After all, no one can control everything in life. Then there was Jos. The one being that, quite literally other than Gunmar, would always be with Jim. Jos could aid Jim-to an extent at least. Barbara could trust him. After all, he is apart of her son. He wouldn’t be able to use him even if he wanted to. No betrayal or selling.

Jim yawned and felt his eyes grow heavy. The scent of food wafted through their home, one thing that was keeping him awake. Jos did have Jim’s skills and memories, so of course he would be able to cook like a pro. Even with his small hands and paws. Jim had to admit, he really was running on empty. That smell, truly seemed heavenly. Was this how his mom felt all the time? Looking forward to tasting the goodness that he smelled? The mouthwatering anticipation?

After eating and knowing his mom would be right across the hall, Jim was able to lay in bed and drift off to sleep easily enough...

Jim once again awoke to find himself in the darklands. Gunmar was sitting next to him. He growled out
“hm. Perhaps I expected just a little too much from you. My champion nearly died, all because of a little corruption. Your body is still adjusting. If you were full troll, you would have been able to handle it. Too much human in you though.” Gunmar turned to look at Jim
“you will not need to deal with any more than your shard, understand?” Jim silently nodded his head. Gunmar grunted and turned to look out into his realm
“you should have been here by now. You should have met the others. But you still need time. One day-or night-very soon, you will be here in body rather than spirit. You will meet all previous champions. They will teach you. You will train. You will learn. You will master what you’ve been given. One day soon enough. For now, rest peacefully. It is all your body can handle. Oh, and even though I already know, I still want to hear it in your own voice. What do you think of your familiar?”

Jim shifted his body and looked outwards, the same as Gunmar
“I like him”
“anything else to add?”
“uh...well...he really is helpful. I do actually like how he clings to me. It really does make me feel safer. Like...a security blanket. Riding him is fun. And talking to him helps. Still hard to think he’s made from me. Overall, he’s nice to have in my life. His positive attitude does help” Gunmar nodded in satisfaction
“I knew giving you that familiar was a good idea. Jos will not be the only blessing I bestow upon you. You have so many more to look forward to”
“like what?”
“that is something you will have to find out for yourself. Earn them.”

Gunmar stood up
“I will deal with this whole Angor rot problem. I have been waiting, thinking, plotting. Soon I will deal with it. Do not fear my champion, you will have justice. Now then, arise, feel your form be at ease. Jos has a gift for you” Jim stood up too and turned to Gunmar
“like...like what?”
“arise and find out” Gunmar looked Jim in the eyes and gave a stern look
“be wary of that wizards champion. He only wants to spy on you. He cares little for your well being”
“Douxie? But he wants to be my friend”
“a lie. His goal is to keep notes on you. Do not be fooled by his mask.” Jim rubbed his arm
“he doesn’t want to be my friend?”
“no. be direct with him. Demand he speak the truth. You will see my words are true. Now, arise and remember what I’ve said.”

Jim’s eyes opened up as he heard the radio go off
“good morning Arca-” it was promptly shut off by Jos who greeted Jim with a friendly smile
“Aww thanks for all the kind words! I knew I was doing an awesome job! Sooo, you ready for your present?” Jim sat up and yawned
“alright” Jos slithered under Jim’s desk and pulled out a small wrapped present
“open it!” Jim tore off the paper along with the ribbon and opened it to see a necklace. A group of black crystals on a silver chain
“ta-da!” Jim turned it around in his hand, examining it closer
“so...what is it?”
“a necklace dummy!”
“but what is it?”
“crystals!”
“yeah, what KIND of crystals?” Jos waved it off
“doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that these will help...stabilize you if anything like the whole shard matter happens again. Think of it as a kind of...sponge. It will be similar to what Claire did. I got it last night after Gunmar told me to fetch them! So, wear it, and feel safe! If you ever fall overboard on a ship, this is a life preserver! Temporary until we get you help to be back on the boat!”
“and the boat is...”
“life!”
“uh-huh...”

Jos put the necklace around Jim’s neck
“there. Nice and pretty! Alright, time to start the day! Oh, and do you want to call Douxie?” Jim remembered the words Gunmar said
“maybe not...right now.” Jim’s ears fell and he felt sadness wash over him
“do you really think he’s lying to me?” Jos shrugged
“if Gunmar says so, then it must be true. Well, let’s get some food in your system and THEN talk to him, sound good?” Jim nodded
“yeah...I’m scared though”
“hey, as always, I’ll be right there with you...even if his familiar is there. That piece of shi-no. No Jos. This is for Jim. Put aside your anger.”

……………

Douxie put down a book as he received a text from Jim
J: hey, can we talk?
D: sure! What about?
J: I’d rather ask in person. If that’s okay
D: always okay! =D
D: do you feel unsafe with yourself?
J: it’s not that kind of thing
J: like I said, I want to talk IRL
D: no prob! Is there any place in particular you want to talk at?

Jim turned to Jos
“where should we do it?” Jos shrugged
“i don’t know. Where do you feel safest?” Jim looked around his room
“in here”
“then there you go!

J: do you know where I live?
D: right across the street from Toby, right?
J: mhm
J: will you come here? It not that’s okay
D: no it’s fine! I’ll be right over =D oh and don’t worry I’m not bringing Archie with me

Jos chuckled
“good. I wouldn’t want your poor mom to see his ass getting beat so hard”

J: thank you

Jim put his phone down and closed his eyes. He did calming breath exercises to soothe his nerves. He heard a knock on the front door and opened his eyes. Jos simply stated
“well that was quick. Guess having the ability to teleport anywhere at anytime is handy. We should learn how to do that”

………….

Jim picked the lint on his blanket as he sat on his bed. Douxie was sitting next to him in his desk chair looking around admiring everything
“well this place is cozy. Bet it’s wonderful at night. Have all the fairy lights lit with your heated blanket”
“yeah...” Jim was too afraid to even make eye contact. Would Douxie yell at him? Be upset with him? Maybe he shouldn’t have even asked to talk. Jos cleared his throat
“Jim would like to talk to you about something important. As his familiar I may relay the-well actually” Jos whispered into Jim’s ear
“do you want me to ask him or you?” Jim finally spoke up to Douxie
“I...I don’t want you to be mad at me if I ask you this”
“I promise Jim whatever it will be I won’t be upset in any way” Jim took a deep breath
“Gunmar said you lied to me. About our friendship. He told me that you only want to be near me so you can keep tabs on me for Merlin. is...that true?”

Douxie took a second then nodded as he folded his hands together
“yes. He did ask me to watch you an-” Jim’s eyes started to water and his tail curled up around him. Douxie knit his eyebrows
“Jim, I swear to you I really do want to be your friend. Yes master Merlin did ask me to do it, but I truly do want to be your friend. Like I said when we spoke for the second time, I do. I didn’t think it was necessary to tell you Merlin wanted me to learn about you. I promise it isn’t anything negative. If you don’t want to be my friend I’ll understand. I’ll leave you alone and never bother you again. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to”

Jim wiped his eyes and nodded his head
“you promise you want to be my friend? You promise you’re not lying?”
“I promise I’m not. You can ask anyone else, I don’t lie when I make a promise”
“w-what about Merlin? Is h-he just going to sp-spy on me?” Douxie was hesitant for a few moments, trying to think of what to say
“I won’t lie. He does want to keep tabs on you. He wants to learn about you. Not in a negative way. He wants to understand who you are and who you will become. Not something diabolical, but just...for the future. He does that for everyone, so it isn’t just you. I won’t use you in any way” Jim nodded
“o-okay. If-if you’re not lying. Then I want to be your friend.”
“thank you Jim. No one wants to use you. Out of everyone in our group, we all want you to be with us and genuinely be our friend. No ones going to hurt you on purpose”

The memories of Draal spanking him quickly flashed into his mind. Jim just as quickly pushed them aside. That...didn’t count…

Douxie chuckled
“even Draal will eventually get to like you. He’s a big sourpuss but he’ll come around to enjoying your company”

Jim blushed, memories coming back in full force
“y-yeah...I...think it might happen” Douxie stood up and opened his arms
“would it be alright if I gave you a hug?” Jim smiled and nodded. He met Douxie halfway and felt warmth. It still feels so...alien to him to have physical constant from others who wasn’t his mother. Or Jos. It felt wonderful. He hadn’t realized just how touch starved he was. He almost teared up again, but he refused to get emotional over a hug, unless it was from his mother of course

Chapter Text

Centuries earlier...

A beautiful voice sang out

“Champions on high, Champions on low

Champions above and Champions below

Here they serve, there they go

Watching, waiting, for fiends to show”

The sun began to set. The landscape becoming quickly drenched in night. The sun, dying out, the light being swallowed up by the thick evening clouds.

The voice began to sing once more

“Champions who hearts are cold

Champions who’s hearts are old

Here they come, there they go

eating, drinking, spreading woe”

A loud shriek pierced the air, quickly followed by gurgling and gagging noises.

The voice began to sing once more

“warmth and light, the darkness takes flight

Loving homes, to ease their bones

Here they lay, there they go

Slaughtering their prey, like a hunter for a doe”

The sounds of snapping bones and shattering soon filled the air

The voice began to sing once more

“lord Gunmar the skullcrusher, lord Gunmar the black

The master who’s champions slash and hack

Here they come, there they go

Causing pain, ever so slow”

Loud grunts and snarls filled the air, along with a battle cry

The voice began to sing once more

“For share...For share...hmm...”

The voice trailed off and began to mumble.

“Tellad-Urr the...no...Tellad-Urr the...hmm...no...not that...”

The being who’s voice originated from looked outwards and watched as a troll yanked his sword out of a dead stalkling. The troll rolled their shoulders and cracked their neck. The blood drooled off the red and black armor and watered the earth beneath their metal boots. The troll took another blade and went to work on the body…

“well now, look who’s come once again” A voice sweet tone greeted the troll. The troll gave a loving smile and warm reply
“hello my love. Did you expect someone different?”
“hm...maybe. I expected a handsome, virile, wonderful bull to come. I suppose perhaps you’ll do?” The two shared a light laugh as the troll dispelled their armor. A light sigh was made
“mate, do you really have to bring yet another trophy home?” the troll gave a large toothy smile
“how else will I complete my collection?”
“ugh! And look, you’re tracking blood and mud into our home!”
“eh, it will be cleaned”
“by you?”
“perhaps” the troll pulled the beings frame into his own and tucked their head beneath their own
“my love~ your food smells as divine as usual. I don’t suppose you’ve cooked human for me?”
“ha. Yes that jest never gets old mate. If I wanted to become a cannibal I would have long ago”

The human winked and took the trolls hand, pulling them inside deeper within the home
“I was trying to write a ballad of you” the troll dumped the sack of body parts onto the floor
“so I heard. Your voice as beautiful as ever my mate~”
“I couldn’t think of something to rhyme with your name. Is there a word in troll that rhymes with Tellad-Urr?”
“if there isn’t there should be” Tellad-Urr sat down onto a stone chair and watched his human mate fetch a large bowl for him, filling it with stew. The troll began to down it like a mug of glug. The human laughed
“pace yourself mate. Honestly you’re beginning to eat me out of house and home” Tellad-Urr gave a hearty burp
“can you blame me? If this were to be my very last meal-” The human filled the bowl back up and interrupted
“before you continue, I was thinking of what we should name our child” the troll raised his eyebrow
“oh? Names already?”
“well I want something that matches yours”
“I thought we agreed to make it a more human one”

The human sat beside his love
“well, Aland isn’t as noble as yours”
“ha! Me? Noble? I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else”
“oh I know my champion of Gunmar when I see him” Aland leaned against Tellad-Urr
“would our child be alright with a mix of the two?”
“all depends on what species he is”
“well no matter what he is, his fathers will always love him very much. Oh! Speaking of him. Come, let me show you a surprise!” Aland took Tellad-Urrs much larger hand and led him into a room deeper within the cave. Tellad-Urr walked into the small room. It was filled with blankets and pillows. Crystal lights decorated around the room. Books piled high on shelves. In the center of the room, was a crib. Held within, laid a large egg. Aland picked the egg up and smiled
“do you enjoy what I’ve done in here? I want it to be cozy for when he hatches. Now all we need to do is find some toys and we’ve officially perfected this room!” Tellad-Urr pulled his mate and his egg into his arms
“everything is absolute bliss. I will search in the market for any toys I can find”
“and I’ll do the same. I’m thankful humans can’t smell like trolls can. Imagine, the absolute disgust and horror others will have on their faces if any of them found out about our love?”

Tellad-Urr brushed the humans hair out of his face
“no matter what looks they give, no matter what words they spit in repulsion, they will never lay a finger on you. I’m not completely sure, but I don’t think anyone wants to be on the sour side of Gunmar’s champion”
“true. But you know how humans are. They don’t take to heart that information like trolls do” Tellad-Urr nuzzled his love
“I promise with all my love I will protect you” Aland looked lovingly back
“I greatly appreciate that, but worry not! Nothing will happen to me. Nor our child. Nor our home. We will be safe and happy”

The two held one another in silence and enjoyed the peaceful night in the room where their child would live in once he hatched…

In the present…

Jim roared in pain as he bumped something against his shard
“UGH I’M SICK OF THIS THING!” Jos pet the side of Jim’s head
“there there, it wi-”
“I just want to yank this thing out!”
“do that and you die” Jim threw up his hands
“I KNOW JOS!” Jim groaned into his hands and sat on his bed
“it’s so tempting. Like pulling a string off of your cloths” Jos put up a finger and corrected
“then it ruins your cloths. Pull the shard and it ruins your life. And mine!” Jim started to cry
“I’m so scared and exhausted.” Jos reached out to pet Jim, but Jim smacked his hand away
“I-I want to-I need...” Jim started to hyperventilate
“i-i don’t trust myself. I can’t be alone right now.”
“hey you’re not alone, you’ve got me-” Jim looked at him and yelled
“YOU’RE APART OF ME! I CAN’T TRUST TO BE AROUND YOU RIGHT NOW!”

Jim wiped his eyes and blew his nose into a few tissues nearby. He always kept a few boxes by his bed just in case he needed to clean up any ‘bloodied mistakes’ he made.

He grabbed his phone and sent a text to Douxie

J: can you be with me right now? I don’t feel safe being alone. My mom’s gone.

A minute passed before he got a reply

D: I’m sorry Jim I’m not available right now. Claire and I are solving a magical problem. I can check to see if Toby is available, if that’s alright with you?
J: yeah it’s alright. As long as I’m not alone.
D: is Jos with you?
J: he’s apart of me. I don’t trust being around any part of me

A few seconds passed

D: he’s home and available! Head on over any time!

And with that Jim made his way over…

Toby answered the door with a smile
“hey neighbor! Our mutual wizard friend told me you need someone to be by your side and I’m the best at being the one to help cheer people up!” Jim offered no smile or reply other than a simple
“can I come in?”
“of course! Let me give you the tour!” and a tour was had! And only a few steps in, Jim was swarmed by cats. It gave him a small smile as they all purred and nuzzled him. Toby found this adorable
“aww they like you!”
“guess so”
“alright so my Nana is out right now, SO, it’s just you me, and my roommate”
“who’s your roommate? I won’t be bothering them right?”
“nah not at all! you’ll like him!”

Jim looked around Toby’s room taking in everything. Toby walked over to the dollhouse and knocked on the door
“alright Jim ready?”
“yeah” Jim was surprised when Toby pulled out a gnome and held him in his hand
“ta-da!”
“a...gnome?”
“mhm! Alright story time! So, a few years back I had to deal with this rouge gnome problem-”
“a what?”
“not important, so I was supposed to ‘take care of him’ and I couldn’t bring myself to kill him. So instead I took care of him!”
“is he your pet?”
“no, roommate!” Toby let the gnome go, watching him run back into his home
“his name is Gnome chompsky. Named him myself, pretty great right?” Jim smiled
“yeah, it is great”

Toby clapped his hands together and rubbed them
“SO! I’ve got video games, and movies, and internet, and best of all-” Toby ran over to a chest and dug through it, then promptly pulled out a hat
“magic tricks!” Jim giggled
“magic tricks?”
“mhm! Been doing them my whole life! it’s mostly fake magic but with a little bit of actual magic it makes it awesome! Soo want to have a little show?” Toby wiggled his eyebrows and Jim giggled
“sure”

Jim would giggle and laugh from time to time at the show presented to him. He was enjoying himself but then his mind slowly came back to the depressing thoughts that plagued him. Toby dropped what was in his hands and made a comforting gesture as he looked at Jim holding his sides and curling his tail up around himself
“hey what’s wrong? I’m not that bad right?”
“n-no not that. You’re great I just...” tears flowed down Jims cheeks. He couldn’t bring himself to look Toby in the eyes
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know who I am. I don’t know about any of this. I wanted something to help me. But I didn’t know this would happen. All my life I wished for something that would make my life better. That I could feel and BE happy for the first time without needing anything to just make me stay above the water. Then all of THIS happens! I...” Jim wiped his eyes and saw Toby sit down in front of him
“Jim, I don’t know what you’re going through and I don’t think I ever truly will. I will be here for you. You can talk to me whenever you want. Call me whenever, text me, hell send me smoke signals! I want to be here to help you. Is there anything I can do right now to help?” Jim shrugged

“I...why did Gunmar choose me? Why me? WHY?! He told me, Dic tells me, Jos tells me, BUT I DON’T KNOW WHO I AM! WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO BECOME?! CLEARLY NOT MYSELF! SO WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO BE?! Everyone is some horrible person. Everyone before me was some monster. So I’m clearly supposed to become one right?!”

Jim took a shuddered breath
“whenever I sleep I open my eyes and I’m in the darklands. Do you know what kind of place that is? Its like out of some nightmare. I wake up and Gunmar is right next to me. He’s so scary Toby. But he just feels...comfortable to be around. I don’t know how to explain it properly.” Jim blew his nose into a tissue Toby handed him then continued
“he gave me a choice. I either serve him willingly and get all these things, or I don’t and I am forced to. Forced into misery and pain. I won’t have anything in my life. So obviously I can’t do anything but accept the good stuff! And I...i want it. I want it all. He showed me something so incredible I never would have IMAGINED my life could become it! I felt so...happy. I felt so free! I felt like for once in my whole life I don’t feel like I want to die! I saw myself fall in love. I saw wealth and gold and shiny things. I saw wonderful moments with my mother. And I saw power. Raw magic. It was so beautiful and it felt so good. I wanted it so bad nothing else mattered. I stared at everything and my heart felt like it was beating properly for the first time. I felt my body warm up like I had been in a cold sleep for such a long time and I finally woke up. I want it. But everything I’ve read...I don’t know if I can do any of the things to get it. I don’t know what to do! I killed someone Toby. I KILLED SOMEONE! And I...liked it. I killed that troll and I can’t stop thinking about it!” Jim shuddered and blew into another tissue

“It felt so good. So RIGHT! All this stress and angst just left me. This intense weight finally lifted off my shoulders. I don’t want to be a killer! I don’t want to take another life! BUT WHY DID I LIKE IT SO MUCH!? I WANT TO DO IT AGAIN! A PART OF ME WANTS TO KILL AGAIN! THIS VOICE IN MY HEAD KEEPS TELLING ME TO GO OUT AND KILL SOMEONE!” Jim shuddered heavily and felt hot tears flow down his face again
“am I even myself? Was I just some false persona my entire life and now I’m finally being who I actually am? I don’t want any of this. But is that me just scared of doing it? I want to end everything before something happens. I want it all to just shut off and stop. I don’t want to keep living. I want to do horrible things to myself and I don’t know if I can stop myself from going through with it finally. I don’t want to leave my mom. I don’t want her to feel that pain of me gone. But I can’t live with this pain anymore. I feel like I’m finally breaking apart and this time I can’t put myself back together again.”

Jim ran his hands over his horns and stared at the floor
“I can’t sleep or else I see him. I can’t live or else I feel him. I can’t go anywhere else or I SEE HIM! He took my shadow. He took my soul. He took my life. BUT IT WASN’T MINE TO BEGIN WITH! SOME TROLL FOREVER AGO SOLD HIS SOUL AND THE SOULS OF EVERYONE THAT CAME AFTER HIM TO THAT MONSTER! HE WAS SELFISH AND NOW I HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR HIS GREED! I’m tired Toby. I can’t hold on anymore. Jos isn’t helping. Meds aren’t helping. My mom isn’t helping. I want to shove this shard into me and end it all. I see it as this reminder that this is the rest of my life. If I just push it in, it’s like pressing the exit button and I really REALLY want to press it. I don’t know what to do or where to go or...” Jim trailed off and covered his face with his hands. He grew still and quiet. He barely whispered out

“I just want to die. If I do I’ll just go to him and I won’t be able to come back. I’ll have to exist with him for the rest of eternity. I can’t shut it all off. At least whatever happens to you, well you can just rest. I can’t anymore. I can’t close my eyes and be alone. I’m a bad sentinel. I’m a bad champion. Gunmar is just going to hurt me for being a bad one. He’s going to torment be forever. I just know it.”
Toby pulled him in for a hug, something that surprised Jim
“I don’t know about any of that. But I do know one thing for certain”
“what’s that?”
“you can always come over here whenever you need to. Or want to! If it helps to sleep next to someone at night, you can here! Maybe not being alone will help your nerves?” Jim smiled and nodded with a shuddered breath
“y-yeah th-that might help. Thanks Toby”
“no problem Jim” Toby pulled off and handed Jim some more napkins then asked
“so, want anything right now?”
“I-’I’d like to see more magic if that’s alright with you”
“totally!” the two laughed and enjoyed the rest of their time together.

That night Jim gathered some supplies from his home, left a note for his mom, told Jos he needed to sleep with Toby, then left. The human and half troll watched movies that night and ate snacks until they fell asleep…

Jim opened his eyes and saw the darklands once more. Next to him sat Gunmar
“I’m not going to harm you unless you disobey me.” Jim shifted uncomfortably and didn’t look in Gunmar’s direction
“you heard all of that? Of course you did...”
“you are to be yourself. No one else. The others that came before you are examples, but you do not need to follow them. You are to carve your own path in life. You will never be able to avoid bloodshed. You will kill plenty of beings, I have seen this. You will only ever be yourself. Whoever you choose to become, will be the one who shall be written in history” Jim curled his tail up aroun himself
“that’s something I’m afraid of. What if I mess up? What if I become something I don’t want to?”

“time will tell. Choices will happen. You will choose. And you will grow. Perhaps you choose something that wasn’t what you intended it to be. But that is life. And you must live with it. Fear should not consume you, but be alert always. Be aware of everything around you. Do not become lost. Your will, your choices, your being, will be decided by YOU and only you. I do not like to interfere with my champions growth like the others. Free will, and power, are YOURS to command. Live with your actions, be aware of them, and accept yourself for whatever you become. You have your entire life ahead of you. Do not fear it. Embrace it. Embrace power. Embrace freedom of choice. I will guide your hand at times, and perhaps I will force you to act on certain things. In the end, you will be written in history as a powerful being all will know by heart. Rest my champion. Fear not my wrath for minor things. When you hear my command, do not disobey. Now, rest. And once you reawaken, you will continue your life.”

And with that, Gunmar gently pet Jim’s head in silence. Jim closed his eyes and enjoyed the quiet softness. His body and mind began to feel at ease. At peace. His being relaxed and settled down. He finally felt like he could rest comfortably

Chapter Text

Many many centuries earlier…

“So. It’s a deal then?” Gunmar stood in front of a troll who was practically drooling at the blade floating in front of him
“You are willing to sell your soul, and the souls of all your descendants from now until the end of either your bloodline or time?” The troll nodded
“Yes my dark underlord!”
“You understand that there is no going back? Your bloodline may never forgive you for your choice right now. I’ve seen that happen more than once throughout all the trolls I’ve met” the troll bowed
“I truly honestly do not care about what their opinions about this will be. If anything I’m doing them all a favor by giving them all to you!”
“not giving.”
“yes yes semantics. Now…the blade?” the troll reached out and took the handle. He held it up and watched the energy burn off of it with absolute awe. The markings ran up his arm and across his body. He roared in agony as pain flooded throughout his entire being, only to then be replaced by mass amounts of energy and strength. The pained wails quickly turned into hideous laughter. The troll swung the blade in an arc, watching it spark and shine. He ran a finger along the sharp edge of the blade and sighed in satisfaction.

He holstered the blade, or at least committed the action to do so, and felt it levitate right off his back. He bowed once more and watched energy dance across his fingertips
“my dark underlord, what will you have me do? What will be the very first task set upon my bloodline?”
“do as you will. Go my champion, go forth and carve a path. Go create a legacy for all to remember.” the troll nodded, turned, and set off. He threw back his head with deranged laughter as Gunmar watched him walk off into the distance. Gunmar smiled, the feeling of yet another soul being absorbed into his own essence, his own growing that much stronger

Many many centuries later…

Jim sighed as he reclined on his throne, head laid against his fist. Dic turned to him
“what is wrong my champion?” Jim blew air out of his nose
“I’m not sure. I’m feeling that emptiness again.”
“perhaps you’re simply bored? I can fetch a few soldiers and have them fight to the death for you!” Jim waved a hand, motioning it be forgotten
“No. no. I’m not in the mood for that”
“would you wish to eat something? I could fetch you a fresh fleshbag”
“no. I don’t want to eat because I’m bored.”
“would you like me to read you a story?” Jim shook his head
“no. not in the mood”
“would you like to train?”
“no. not in the mood for that either” Jim frowned and stood up, he exhaled heavily as he walked away. Dic called out as he began to walk forward
“my champion, do you wish for me to be in your company?” Jim waved him off
“no. go about your own business”

…….

Jim stood in the shade of a tree as he looked outwards onto the city. He saw the bright sun shining ever so diligently as usual. Jim stuck out an arm into the light and felt it burn and sizzle. He didn’t even flinch. He allowed it to burn more before pulling it back. He looked at his hand and frowned after flexing his fingers. He snorted and looked out at all the humans, unaware of his presence and going about their day. He grumbled and sat down, picking at the grass. Once more he reached outwards, feeling the immense pain of the sun dance across his hand. He flexed his fingers and watched them being slowly turned to stone, then pulled back and saw the effect reverting. The troll frowned and sighed
“maybe I should never have given up my humanity. Why do I feel so empty on the inside?” Jim watched as his familiar started to flow out from his chest, greeting Jim with a big smile
“hii Jim!” Jim plainly greeted
“hello Jos.”
“why the long face? You’ve been down in the dumps lately! I’m trying to look through your head and get a feel for your mood but I can’t figure anything out of the normal”

Jim looked to the sun
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just so...empty. I feel so numb. I reach out to grab the light and it hurts like hell, but I just...don’t feel anything emotionally. It’s to the point where I just almost can’t feel the pain. What I feel always reminds me of what I gave up.”
“Heyyy you did chose to turn full troll! And you got all these sweet ass powers and abilities and badassery!” Jim frowned and looked at his palm
“Yeah. It just feels like nothing matters anymore. None of this does. I’ve gotten everything I’ve ever wanted but...I feel like I don’t have anything at all.” Jim looked outwards and watched the humans go about their lives
“what if I chose wrong?”
“well, you didn’t want anything holding you back anymore so bam! Your humanity went right out the window! You turned into a badass troll and kill anything you want easy enough! You can do wicked spells-” Jim pulled Jos off of his body
“I know Jos. I just...I think I miss humanity. I think I miss being...half. I think so...” Jim sighed and closed his eyes
“I don’t know anymore.”

“humans never treated you right. You kill and eat and torment them! And they thank you for it!”
“out of fear.”
“but we wanted fear!” Jim rested his head against his fist
“hm. I feel like I’ve lost something and can’t remember what it was.”
“do you feel lonely?”
“why should I feel that way? I’ve got an army, Dic always follows me around, I can always just talk to Gunmar or literally any other gumm-gumm. I’ve got you, I’ve got Rodan-”
“an excellent stalkling!”
“there is literally nothing I can’t have. But why do I feel like nothing matters anymore?”

Jim gazed outwards at the sight of a group talking and laughing with one another as they passed across the street. Jim felt his emptiness grow
“I can’t figure out what it is. Maybe Tellad-Urr was right. Maybe everyone does eventually loose themselves. We can’t fight it. I’m not even angry anymore. I don’t feel hate or spite. I don’t feel bitterness or pain. And...I don’t feel happy. I don’t feel fulfilled.” Jim frowned and leaned back, watching the clouds go by
“I think I miss doing human things. I don’t feel anything so I’m not sure. I never think about those things...for the most part. I don’t feel the excitement whenever a videogame comes out, I don’t play them anymore. I don’t feel the laughter and amusement watching a TV show or movie or a video. I don’t look at porn anymore, I just don’t care for it. I don’t feel...anything. When I gave up my humanity did I give up all those things?”

Jos shrugged
“maybe” Jim sat up
“maybe tonight I’ll walk under the stars. And try to feel something, anything”
“well you’ve done that almost every night and nothing ever changes. But you do you”
“maybe tonight something might change.” Jim looked out one final time, frowning as the group of humans laughed and enjoyed themselves

In the present...

Claire took a deep breath as she exited the portal. She mentally spoke to herself
‘I shouldn’t be doing this. I know I shouldn’t. I have to check.’ She walked through Jim’s subconscious once more. She strode past memory after memory, focusing only on the task at hand. As she drew closer to her destination she heard the familiar wails of pain. She took another deep breath and entered the one place she dreaded most.

Jim thrashed and struggled against his chains. He roared out at the top of his lungs
“LET ME OUT! STOP HIDING ME! FREE ME!” Jim yanked as hard as he could against the chains. A handful of links broke off, only to be replaced by one. The chains growing ever weaker. He yelped in pain as another memory of a terrible time popped onto his head. He fell to his knees and began to whimper. As much as Claire wanted to help, she knew she couldn’t. She had to hide, keep away, be close enough to study him.

Earlier, Claire had decided to do something no one would have allowed her to. She wanted to see if she could somehow ease Jim’s pain, soothe his ‘inner demon’, hoping that it might aid Jim in real life. If she could help ease his suffering even just a little, she knew the ends justified the means.

Jim mumbled and held his knees close to his chest. He started to whimper and sniffle
“it’s not fair. I should be allowed to live outside of this prison. Stop ignoring me. I want to help. I can fix everything. I can make it so we never feel pain again. Why won’t you listen to me?” only the sounds of his broken breathing filled the room. Claire moved slightly and Jim became aware of her presence. He growled out
“what are you doing here? Do you want to die like he does? I’ll make certain of it.” Claire came out of hiding, no point in doing it anymore

“I’m here to help”
“free me. I promise to kill you swiftly with little pain.”
“no. I want to help you, but not in that way”
“then what’s your reason of being here?” Claire took a few steps closer. Jim reacted by looking at her. Those blood red eyes felt like knives piercing through her entire being. She had to keep strong and not appear weak and scared.
“I figured that if I can help you, Jim might feel less pain” Jim’s eyes glared
“I am his pain. And I will not have him forget me. I will not be weakened by you or anything and anybody. I won’t let him change until he frees me.”
“well too bad. Our group isn’t going to allow this monster to come out. We want him happy” Jim looked to the ground and frowned
“why? Why do you care so much? Why SHOULD you care? You have nothing to gain. You have no reason to even think twice about us. You are my enemy. You are NOTHING to me.” Jim looked up and gave a cruel smile
“if you help free me, I won’t kill you. I can’t say the same for the others. The moment Gunmar helps break me free-” Claire held up her hands as to stop him mid sentence
“wait, what do you mean”

Jim stood up fully, summoning his blade and armor
“he wants me to be freed. He wants his champion to be strong. Only I will make Jim that way. Once his pathetic humanity is erased, all that’s left will be me. His strength. All his suffering and stress and EVERYTHING that he’s endured will finally be free. I would have assumed you’d want his problems to be solved”
“no. not like this. I don’t care who your master is. You’re not Jim. You never will be. No one will let you come out” Jim smiled and ran a claw along the sharp side of the blade
“it’s just a matter of time. He will break, and I will be freed. He will become unstoppable. No more holding back. I will build a throne from the skulls, bones, and weapons of fallen enemies.”
“Jim isn-” Jim quickly pointed the blade in her direction
“he is. Stop lying to yourself. You hardly know him. If you care so much, why haven’t you ever been around to help?”
“I haven’t known him for very long. And I offer my help to him all the time”

Jim frowned and poked the end of the sword
“hm. Enjoy your final moments with him. I might not be able to kill you right now, but it will happen. Perhaps I won’t be the one to end you, but you will die. Like the others. No one ever said I had to help keep others alive.” Jim rushed at her in a moments notice, but once again become restrained and unable to move much further. He growled and sighed.
“my chains won’t last forever. He will snap. Everyone does at some point.” Jim howled in pain as another memory popped onto him. Jim looked once more at Claire and snarled
“I am his pain. If I can’t be allowed freedom, then no one else will. If I must endure endless pain, then everyone else will. I am going to become the strongest and rule over all. I will enslave this world above and below. Just you wait and see.”

Another howl as another bubble came upon him. A link in a chain broke off, and this time it wasn’t replaced. He growled looking smug
“soon enough. When I’m no longer held back, you’d better run and hide for the rest of your life.” Claire opened up a portal, then looked back at the smug Jim
“I’m not leaving because you told me to. I’m leaving so I can start preventing you from ever coming to light.” Jim frowned and knit his eyebrows
“you will fail. Pain will never fade. Scars don’t leave the body or mind. You work towards a pointless goal”

……..

“Jos. Do you remember why I created you?” Gunmar asked as Jos twisted and moved between his fingers and around his arm
“To keep Jim happy, safe, content, and protected”
“good.” Jos grew nervous as the cold eye of Gunmar bore into him
“did...I mess up?”
“No. You’re doing well. I did create you to be perfect. But I sense something else, beyond my reach, something my champion has encountered that I am…unaware of. It feels somewhat familiar and yet...something I’ve not-” Gunmar stopped mid sentence as his mind quickly went into Jim’s very own, seeing what was happening. He frowned and rubbed his chin. He thought in silence for a moment then spoke up
“Jos. Keep a closer watch on my champion. Be vigilant for the unexpected. I feel as if whatever has encountered my champion, it will come again.”
“should I worry about Claire?”
“hm...no...not now. I don’t know what the witch is up to, but if her champion is prodding around in my champions mind, then I will...deal with this.” Gunmar felt Jos curl around his forearm and look at his master’s cold eye
“go. Return to my champion.” Jos saluted then turned to shadow and vanish

……………

‘Jim. Rise. Awaken. Listen to my voice. Trust me and do as I instruct’

Jim’s eyes opened up and the voice of that mysterious troll he met started to fade away. The half troll rubbed his face and looked over to his desk. He opened it, eyes falling to the false bottom. Nothing but painful bloody memories washed up when looking at it. In a way, he felt some type of irony. This is the place he stashed what the troll gave him. He hid his secret in a negative space. A part of his new life held within the dark part of his previous one. Jim still didn’t know if Gunmar knew about it yet. If he did, he hasn’t mentioned it. And if he somehow didn’t…

Jim took a breath in and opened it up, searching past the items and then pulling out his little gifts. Jim muttered to himself
“what do I do?” as he ran a hand over the tablet, in the back of his mind, he began to hear the faintest whisper from the troll
‘consume the contents of the vial. Read aloud the text.’

Jim opened the vial and looked at the glowing fluid. He sighed
“well, bottoms up” it tasted like...nothing. It had a texture like a smoothie. After he finished, the text etched into the tablets surface began to glow and become legible.

“here lies the death of the past and the birth of the future. You are now something which hatched from nothing. something deep held within you will come forth into the light. Prepare.”

Jim felt a tight strain inside of him. His heart began to burn and he fell to the floor in agony. His skin felt numb while his veins felt like fire. Each heartbeat felt like glass breaking apart within him, slicing everything open. He looked at his shard and saw it glow. Veins crawling up into it and pulsed physically. Jim wanted to scream. Shout. Cry out. But it was as if his throat was swelled tightly shut. His body shut down and his head throbbed. It was as painful as when he gripped the sword for the first time.

Jim coughed up a thick black substance repeatedly until the floor beneath him was covered in it. It writhed and wiggled, hissing out and steamed. Jim fell onto the floor, as the world around him spun. A final jolt of pain shot through him before he gasped heavily and sat up, then felt the shard beat along as if it were a second heart. He felt like it was…

feeding off of him.

Like a parasite.

As if it were trying to take control of his body.

As if HE were the shard.

Jim meekly cried out in pain

“m-mom...”

He took a deep breath

“J-Jos”

He coughed up black fluid once more

“anyone...”

Jim felt his body begin to spasm before collapsing back onto the ground

“Gun-gunmar...”

Jim’s vision blurred and the last thing he saw were Jos’s glowing eyes. Then his vision faded away…

…….

Jim felt his eyes open up, he felt as if he were in a dream. Numb, weightless, non physical. Everything was blurred and shifting violently all around. His brain could hardly handle everything he was trying to process.

He saw and felt...

Everything at once.

Countless minds, thoughts, eyes, bodies, sensations, all swallowing him up completely.

He could hardly understand what was going on. Too much information being fed into his mind at once. The only thing he could compare it to was as if he were seeing countless screens, each showing something different. All of them, hardly there for a full second.

He heard a deep voice echo around him

“relax.” Jim tried to speak but coughed out black fluid into his hands.
“Jim. Ease yourself.” Jim began hearing his heart beat heavily in his ears
“you have entered the hive. You are experiencing everyone at once. Rest now.” Jim felt everything finally going black as his mind went silent. Finally truly asleep...

Chapter Text

Hello. Long time hasn't it? Lot's of stuff has gone on in my life, and don't worry i haven't forgotten about this at all!

So if you haven't read from my (previous) blog

My laptop decided to die, and i lost EVERYTHING. YEARS OF NOTES IMAGES AND WRITING ALL GONE! well anyways my old blog which i had for over 10 years was terminated all because i was trying to send a link to my friend. Well anyways my new blog is this https://www.tumblr.com/majesticrevive69 So give it a follow! that's all for now

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hi there! sorry for the long wait, sorry for getting your hopes up for this but i got good news. just found out my previous blog is reactivated which means at least some of my notes and writings and so on can be recovered! well thats what im hoping. now i just need the time to go through everything and snatch up what info i can that i put on there! a big step towards getting this fic back on track! sometime hopefully!