The Adventure Begins

by Richard Ashley Hamilton

  Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  “I could not hope to possess the skill to defeat Bular,” said Blinky, wiping a tear from his fifth eye.

  “What about him?” Jim said, still looking at AAARRRGGHH!!!. “He’s big.”

  “Pacifist,” grumbled AAARRRGGHH!!!.

  “Seriously?” cried Jim, his hope deflating.

  How could this day have gone from so great to so horrible so fast? With the one Troll big enough to stop Bular now refusing to fight, Jim would be long dead before Romeo and Juliet’s opening night.

  “Man, such a waste of a hulking brute,” Toby added.

  “Thank you,” said AAARRRGGHH!!!.

  “This is why there is a Trollhunter, Master Jim,” Blinky said. “AAARRRGGHH!!! renounced the violent path ages ago, at the Great Rocky Mountain Troll War of—”

  Bular’s deep roar drowned out whatever else Blinky said. The evil Troll stood at the end of the block, having finally caught up with them. His body heaved from running so far, but he didn’t seem nearly as tired as Jim.

  “Follow me!” shouted Blinky. “We’ll be safe in Heartstone Trollmarket!”

  Jim and Toby had no idea what a “Heartstone Trollmarket” was, but it sure sounded a lot better than their current surroundings. They took off on their bikes, following the two Trolls, who ran incredibly fast for their size.

  Blinky led them past neighbors’ houses, between parked cars, and around barking dogs. Survival was the first priority. In the few short days he’d known Jim, Blinky had grown quite fond of the boy and wanted to see him live. If any other humans should happen to see their hasty escape this night, well, Blinky would have to deal with those consequences later.

  “This way, Master Jim! Master Tobias!” said Blinky. “To the woods!”

  Their group cut across Eli Pepperjack’s front yard, knocking over some trash cans. Inside his bedroom Eli removed his pathetic cardboard costume just in time to see two monsters with stone for skin dash past the window.

  “Yes!” Eli cheered. “I knew it!”

  A second later a third, larger and angrier-looking, creature chased them. Eli jumped into his bed and covered his trembling body with his blanket.

  “I’m not crazy after all,” he whispered to himself. “Those things are real! That can only mean that our fair town of Arcadia Oaks has been overrun with one thing and one thing alone: aliens! Their invasion has to be stopped. And Elijah Leslie Pepperjack is gonna stop them!”

  Back outside, Bular trailed after the Trollhunter and his allies. He grabbed a streetlight bearing another missing-person flyer and tore the entire pole to the ground. It triggered a chain reaction, tugging on the power lines that connected all the lampposts on the block and bringing them down around Jim, Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH!!!.

  One of the sparking streetlights landed right in front of Toby’s front tire. He slammed into it, and the force sent Toby flying off his bike seat and high into the sky. Fortunately, AAARRRGGHH!!! grabbed Toby in midair. The Troll switched to galloping on all fours like Bular, and Toby held on to AAARRRGGHH!!!’s mossy back for dear life.

  They followed Jim and Blinky into the woods, while Bular tripped over Toby’s ruined bike and kicked it aside.

  “Master Jim!” said Blinky. “Don your armor!”

  Jim biked beside Blinky, dodging trees, and said, “I’ve been trying! The Amulet won’t listen to me!”

  “Did you speak the incantation?” Blinky asked, troubled by this news.

  “I’ve been incanting like crazy, and it’s not working!” Jim yelled.

  “Just focus and incant, dude!” said Toby from AAARRRGGHH!!!’s back.

  The four of them cleared the woods and reached the edge of the dry canal. With surprising grace, Blinky tucked into a ball and rolled down the slope to the bottom of the canal. AAARRRGGHH!!! and Toby lumbered after him, leaving Jim skidding to a halt up top. Normally, Jim would have jumped his bike over the edge and let go of the handlebars for fun. But nothing about this night seemed normal.

  Bular bashed through the woods, knocking over trees as he went. With the evil Troll closing in, Jim didn’t have room to circle back and build enough speed to jump his bike down the canal.

  Jim stepped off the bicycle and removed his helmet. He pulled the Amulet from his book bag.

  “Uh, for the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command,” said Jim, his voice shaky.

  He looked up and saw Bular emerge from the woods, fangs and claws bared.

  “For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command,” Jim tried again.

  But still nothing happened. No armor. No magic. Nothing.

  Bular charged at the unarmed Trollhunter like a deranged bull. Jim had never felt so terrified in his life. Time seemed to slow to a crawl.

  Jim thought of Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH!!! waiting at the bottom of the canal. He thought of Mr. Strickler, who always believed in him. He thought of Steve, who didn’t seem so bad compared to Bular. He thought of Claire and how he’d never get to see her dance again. And then Jim thought of his mom and how she would react to losing her only son.

  No, Jim thought. I’m not gonna let that happen.

  As Bular lunged, Jim remembered how Blinky had said the Amulet reacts to the Trollhunter’s emotional state. Well, Jim was feeling pretty emotional at this moment. And maybe that was the problem. It was only when Jim stopped overthinking things—like he had during his audition—that he actually felt in control of his destiny.

  Jim closed his eyes, emptied all emotion and worry from his mind, and whispered, “For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command.”

  He had scarcely finished speaking when Bular hauled back his stone fist and punched James Lake Jr. with all his terrible might.

  CHAPTER 16

  CUT HIM LIKE A MEAT LOAF

  When Jim opened his eyes again, he found himself rocketing high above the canal. Bular’s punch had sent him skyward, yet somehow Jim was surprisingly—amazingly—alive. He saw the breastplate and Amulet over his chest and immediately understood that it must have appeared there a split second before Bular had struck him.

  It worked, Jim thought with great relief. Daylight is mine to command!

  As Jim arced downward the rest of the armor formed around his arms and legs in a storm of metal and magic. He landed on his feet at the bottom of the canal, and Daylight appeared in his hand. The night fog cleared, revealing the Trollhunter, ready to fight.

  Bular shook his head, still dazed from the shock wave caused when his fist had hit Jim. He boomed out a primal roar so loud it shook the earth beneath him.

  “Uh . . . nope,” Jim said, before changing his mind and running away.

  He ran down the length of the canal, dragging the heavy Daylight sword behind him. Ahead, Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH!!! waved Jim closer. But Bular landed heavily between them, blocking the Trollhunter’s path. Bular roared again, his jaws drooling like a rabid animal’s.

  Blinky cupped his four hands around his mouth and shouted, “Use your sword, Master Jim!”

  Jim’s body was exhausted from all the biking and running, but he still managed to lift Daylight and hold it protectively in front of his body.

  Bular snorted, unimpressed. “I’ll drink your blood out of a goblet made of your skull!”

  He ran full-bore at the Trollhunter. Jim’s knees felt like they were going to give out, but he kept his ground. Toby saw his best friend’s arms quiver under the weight of the sword.

  “Cut him like a meat loaf, Jim!” yelled Toby.

  Hearing Toby’s advice gave Jim a second wind. A wave of energy surged out of the Amulet, down the armor’s engravings, and into Jim’s arms. Super-charged, Jim swung Daylight and swatted away Bular with the flat of his blade—just as Kanjigar had done in his final battle.

  Bular regained his footing and slammed his petrified fist into the canal, cracking the concrete.

  “We must work quickly,” Blinky
said to AAARRRGGHH!!!. “Open the portal!”

  AAARRRGGHH!!! rushed over to the canal wall just under the bridge while Blinky pulled that crystal dagger from his pouch.

  “The Horngazel,” said Blinky, before throwing the object to his Troll friend.

  AAARRRGGHH!!! caught the Horngazel, traced a fresh glowing semicircle into the wall, and punched it, activating a new portal.

  “Whoa,” muttered Toby in astonishment.

  Behind him, Jim and Bular circled each other.

  Don’t think. Become, Jim reminded himself. He silenced the worried voice in his head and stayed in the present, keeping his distance from Bular.

  “Master Jim!” called Blinky, pointing at the portal. “Master Jim, come on! And hurry, please!”

  “I’m a little busy here,” Jim said, before Bular pulled his twin swords from his back.

  “You are not fit to wield the Amulet,” Bular spat. “I’ll tear the armor off you! Along with your skin!”

  Bular swung his blades, but Jim dodged the blow. With Bular’s guard down, Jim saw an opening. Channeling his kitchen knife skills, Jim twirled Daylight in his hand and sliced at Bular. Their swords clashed in a shower of sparks. Bular spun around and thrust his swords. Jim parried and struck back. He hacked at the evil Troll over and over again, pouring all his anger and fear into his attack. More sparks sprayed everywhere. Bular deflected the advance with his weapons but struggled to keep up with Jim’s increasing speed.

  Toby couldn’t believe his eyes. Bular actually took a step back. Jim was winning!

  “Go, Chef Jimbo!” Toby shouted.

  Jim told himself he was back in his kitchen, breaking down a slab of meat with a slightly larger knife than usual. Tightening his grip and summoning all his remaining strength, he drove the blade right toward his enemy’s horned head. But Bular saw it coming, and the Trollhunter’s sword cleaved instead into his dead stone hand. The edge sank so deep, Jim couldn’t pry it loose.

  Bular raised his arm, and along with it Jim, still dangling from Daylight’s handle. The evil Troll twisted his body powerfully, dislodging Daylight and knocking Jim aside.

  The Trollhunter’s sword landed twenty feet away and promptly sublimated into a cloud of blue mist. Jim rolled with his landing and sprang back onto his feet, running as fast as he could away from Bular.

  Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH!!! beckoned Jim from inside the portal, which was now closing around them.

  “Come on, come on!” Toby said as the canal wall started to reform between them. “Let’s go, Jim!”

  Jim pushed himself faster, reaching out to Toby . . . but arriving a heartbeat too late. The portal closed, reverting to ordinary concrete once again. Jim lost his balance and stumbled into the wall. The collision rattled Jim’s body and broke his concentration. With his distress rising, the armor dissolved into more blue mist, and the Amulet dropped inertly to the ground.

  “Oh no,” Jim breathed out.

  He bent over to retrieve the Amulet and, in doing so, ducked Bular’s two thrown swords. The blades stabbed into the wall right where Jim’s head had been a moment ago. Startled, Jim saw Bular coming for him, fury blazing in his yellow eyes.

  Jim backed into the wall, with nowhere else to go and certain death hurtling toward him. But rather than see his life flash before his eyes, Jim saw a glow spread from behind him. He felt a breeze against the back of his neck that quickly turned into a rushing wind.

  With Bular scant feet away, Jim turned around and saw a new portal open from inside the wall. AAARRRGGHH!!!’s massive hand reached out and yanked Jim through the doorway an instant before it, too, closed. Bular careened into the wall, his horns scoring its solid surface. The beast threw back his head and unleashed another deafening howl at the escaped Trollhunter.

  “Satisfied?” asked a voice.

  Bular spun around and saw Strickler behind him, his hands behind his back and a smug smile across his face.

  “Spare me your lectures, Impure,” said Bular.

  “Oh, I won’t say a word,” Strickler said.

  In the blink of an eye he reverted to his Changeling form and brought his scaly hands forward. They held a Fetch, a spiked stone circle less than a foot in diameter. Bular’s savage expression softened into one of fear as he saw a different portal open within the Fetch. On the other side the smoking shadow of a far larger Troll appeared, his one glaring eye fixed upon Bular.

  “But I believe someone else wants to speak with you,” Strickler added with a self-satisfied smirk.

  Bular lowered his head and dropped to his knees before the unblinking stare of Gunmar the Black.

  “Father, I—” Bular began.

  “Silence,” said Gunmar from across the portal. “Even from my exile here in the Darklands, your failure brings me shame.”

  “I will find the boy!” Bular said. “I will destroy him and deliver the accursed Amulet to you!”

  “You will do nothing,” said Gunmar, his eye flaring in anger, “unless I allow it. From this moment forward you follow the Changeling’s instruction.”

  Strickler’s grin widened, exposing his sharpened teeth.

  “He is as cunning as he is untrustworthy,” Gunmar said. “And he understands that the best way to destroy a human is not to break his body . . . but to shatter his heart.”

  “Yes, Father,” Bular said so low, Strickler could barely hear it.

  “First, you shall oil the Amulet’s gears with the Trollhunter’s blood,” Gunmar ordered. “Then you shall use it to bring about my glorious return so that I may plunge this entire world, above and below, into an Eternal Night. . . .”

  Gunmar’s dark laughter spilled out of the Fetch and into Arcadia, chilling everything it touched, even a wretch as monstrous as Bular.

  CHAPTER 17

  I SURVIVED BULAR AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID AMULET

  Jim watched in wonder as his body slipped through the magical path of floating rocks and flickering lights. With impossible speed he zoomed past the Earth’s crust, beyond layers of silt, strata, and lava. He felt AAARRRGGHH!!!’s steady hand pulling him deeper, deeper, until the Horngazel portal closed and Jim’s sneakers landed on solid ground.

  After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Jim discovered that he had arrived in a cave alongside Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH!!!. They could still hear Bular pounding against the canal wall, even though Jim estimated there must have been mile and miles of solid rock between them.

  “He nearly . . . we nearly . . . he almost . . . ,” babbled Jim, still in shock from that close call with Bular’s blades. He took a deep breath.

  “Almost what?” asked Blinky. “Speak, Master Jim.”

  “He almost killed us!” Jim shouted.

  “ ‘Almost’! A very important word,” said Blinky. “A life of ‘almost’ is a life of never.”

  Jim and Toby shared a confused look, then watched the two Trolls move deeper into the cave. They followed Blinky’s eyes, which shone like six flashlights in their pitch-black surroundings.

  “Why’d the armor suddenly shut off?” asked Jim, stumbling in the dark.

  “Master Jim, you are the first human to possess an Amulet crafted for Trolls,” Blinky explained. “It’s to be expected its behavior will be . . . unexpected.”

  Right. Unexpected, Jim thought, his head hung low in embarrassment. Everything about this whole situation is unexpected! How can I be expected to protect others when I can’t even save my own life?

  They reached a deep pit in the catacombs. Blinky gestured with his four arms, and a staircase made of crystal steps lit up before them. Jim and Toby leaned over the edge of the chasm and saw the glowing stairs extend way farther underground, in what seemed like an endless spiral. Jim and Toby stared at each other, their eyes wide in shock.

  “This way, Masters, this way,” said Blinky as he and AAARRRGGHH!!! descended.

  “Whoa!” said Toby, testing the first crystal step with his foot. “Are you sure we’re safe in here?”


  Jim lagged behind his best friend, still replaying the fight with Bular in his head. His body ached with bruises, and his limbs shook as the adrenaline that had coursed through them during the battle now left Jim’s bloodstream. But what hurt Jim most was his pride. Slinking down these steps, moving farther and farther underground . . . the whole thing felt like a retreat.

  “Indeed,” Blinky said, his voice echoing up and down the staircase. “The incantation forbids entry to Heartstone Trollmarket by Gumm-Gumms such as Bular, for they are the most fearsome of Trolls.”

  “Gumm-Gumms?” Jim asked absently.

  “Scary ones,” said AAARRRGGHH!!!. He figured it might be a bit too early to tell Jim that, in Trollspeak, “Gumm-Gumm” roughly translated to “bringer of horrible, slow, painful, and thoroughly calculated death.”

  They reached the bottom of the stairs and entered a new subterranean chamber. Jim took in the bleak stone walls. Nothing grew here. Not even mold.

  “Okay, wait, wait,” said Jim. “So, Bular can’t get in here, right? Into Heartstone Trollmarket?”

  Is this where I’ll need to spend the rest of my days? thought Jim. In the dark? Like a coward? Always hiding from Bular so that he can never fulfill his promise of drinking my blood out of a goblet made of my own skull? Is this really how my life is gonna end?

  “No, Master Jim,” said Blinky.

  He placed his four arms on Jim’s shoulders and gently turned him around. Jim’s eyes picked up faint, but warm, colors filtering just beyond the very large boulder in front of him. Jim took a step, and then another, moving past the boulder and stepping onto a ledge.

  “Wow,” whispered Jim, his eyes widening in awe.

  Toby stepped behind Jim, and his jaw dropped too.

  A massive city spread out before them, glittering like a constellation of underground stars. Its crystalline towers and jewel-studded caves teemed with thousands and thousands of Trolls of all shapes and sizes. For a place this deep below the earth, this hidden from the sun, it seemed so incredibly alive to Jim.

  “This is the world you are bound to protect,” announced Blinky. “This is Heartstone Trollmarket!”