Chapter Text
Jim and Claire had to find a more secluded place in one of the alleys of the city. As they stopped, Jim held the amulet, which was flashing.
“I think it’s working again!” he exclaimed. “I should go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Wait!” she said, before he could leave. He turned back and she gave him a peck on his cheek. “Just in case.”
Jim smiled again and she smiled back as they parted ways.
The day of the battle had a bloody sunrise, as if even the sky was getting ready. Morgana had sent a goblin to Camelot with a message telling them at what hour the battle was going to begin; they should go near the Killahead Bridge at sundown.
Merlin went to visit Dwoza one last time, asking to talk to the Trollhunter. Since the hex-witches were going to help them, Jim had told the Trolls that really, really didn’t want to fight that they could stay behind. Blinky had applauded his decision. When Jim wondered if Blinky himself was going to the battle, the Troll intertwined his four hands.
“You know well I’m not much of a fighter, Master Jim. However, I’ll be proud to fight by your side, as always.”
It was then when Merlin appeared.
“May I have a word, Trollhunter?”
Jim nodded and he noticed Blinky was frowning.
“Alone.” added the wizard,
“Whatever you have to say, Blinky can hear it too.” replied Jim.
“Very well. There’s something you must do in the battle. Something only my Amulet has the power to do. That’s why it was imperative for you to make it work again.” Merlin paused and looked at Blinky. “As you know, the entrance to every Trollmarket in the world is concealed under a bridge. If you put my Amulet on the stone at the very top, the bridge will transform into a door, but not to a Trollmarket… but to the Darklands.”
“The Darklands!” exclaimed Blinky. “A terrible place, a realm hidden underneath ours.”
“You’re going to banish Gunmar and his followers there.” concluded Merlin. “It’s the only way to finish the Troll Wars, for both humans and Trolls. All the Gumm-Gumms must be banished.”
Jim and Blinky decided to tell that to the rest of the Trolls. If they knew Jim had his own mission, they could help him. Jim also wanted to tell Claire.
“That’s not necessary.” said Merlin. “Mistress Claire will come with my apprentice and I to tackle Morgana.”
“So she’s not going to fight with us?” asked Jim.
“Only if we finish earlier than you.”
The rest of the day was spent looking for weapons and claiming them. At the end, not many Trolls stayed. They had changed their minds and wanted to fight. Vendel was worried. He hated wars. When they were ready, Jim and he lead the Trolls outside of Dwoza. They walked slowly to Killahead, which was further inside the forest. A great valley opened under their feet, abruptly cut mountains and the Killahead Bridge standing over a dry creek. The Trolls walked down, reuniting with King Arthur and his knights, all on horses. Toby waved at Jim and chuckled nervously, holding his weapon of choice, a hammer with a huge orange stone that he called Warhammer. A quick look was enough to reveal that none of the wizards was there.
Claire felt weird in her armor. It was quite heavy and with too many pointy parts. The helmet framed her worried face. Douxie was uncomfortable as well, not being used to look like a warrior. Archie had transformed into a dragon again. They were on a wooden boat, sailing inside a great cavern. Then, they all lighted orbs of magic; green, blue and purple, and went inside the cave. Morgana was floating there, all the way up, as if she was waiting for them.
“You got my message, old fool.” she said. “As for you, my dear apprentice, bring back what’s not yours.”
With a flick of her hand, she took the Shadow Staff from Claire’s hand and laughed.
“Oh no.” the girl said in a low voice. “I need the staff.”
“No, you don’t.” Douxie quickly muttered.
“It’s a duel, we have to follow the rules.” Merlin said, loud enough so Morgana could hear it. The witch started descending, floating to their way.
“Oh, so you still have some decency left.” she mocked. “You go first, old man. If I kill you, it’s their turn.”
“Fair enough.” Merlin replied.
“But Master…” Douxie started. Merlin silenced him with a gesture of his hand.
Douxie and Claire were pushed aside. Morgana raised her arms and created a golden circle of light in the ground. Merlin was kept inside. Nobody else could cross it.
A horn resounded within the walls of the valley. Gunmar and Bular emerged on the other side, in front of the Trolls of Dwoza, followed by a great army of black armored Gumm-Gumms. King Arthur, down between the two Troll armies, took a deep breath.
Gunmar snarled. They all waited until the last part of the sun completely disappeared behind the Killahead Bridge. The Gumm-Gumms banged the floor with their spears, creating a rhythm. With one last spark, the sun was gone. Gunmar roared. Bular roared as well. Jim looked at Blinky and Aaaarrrgghh one last time and the Trolls started running with a war cry, colliding in front of the knights of Camelot, who were raising their swords.
The battle was bloody. Here and there, Trolls or humans were decapitated, deadly injured or brutally hit. The hex-witches appeared then, jumping from the Bridge as they throw their spells. They all wore hooded cloaks and fingerless gloves made of leather. The three armies weren’t as big enough together to tackle Gunmar’s army, which soon was completed with goblins and Stalklings.
Jim was calmer because he knew he didn’t have to kill Gunmar nor Bular, but to get to the Bridge as soon as possible. Unfortunately, none of them had received the news and both Trolls ran to confront the Trollhunter.
Blinky had taken his whole arsenal of Dwärkstones to the battle and was throwing them right and left. Toby managed to get close to them so they could fight together. Galahad had followed him as well, totally unaware of Toby’s other life.
“What’s up, wingman?” Toby asked Aaaarrrgghh.
“Tobias Domzalksi!” said a voice in his back. “You know those Trolls?”
Toby turned around with a nervous smile.
“Come on, grandpa, you know Jim was turned into a Troll, right? Of course I have Troll friends now!”
“We’ll have a talk as soon as we’re back, lad!”
The Trolls of Dwoza were the most unexperienced, and it showed. Most of them had abandoned their own caves, running from the war. As soon as they started seeing fallen neighbors, some of them couldn’t take it and ran away, using the forest as a cover. King Arthur’s knights were ready to fight, but nobody know Morgana had yet another plan just in case she couldn’t do it for herself.
“The Trollhunter is mine!” roared Gunmar to his son, Bular. “You know what to do.”
Bular grunted and went back to the group of knights, dodging a couple of pink flashes of magic that transformed one of the Gumm-Gumms into…
“What bushigal is this?” Bular asked, shocked.
The cookie-turned Gumm-Gumm floated away towards a hex-witch with ice blue eyes, that ate it in one bite. Zoe smiled at Bular before summoning some ivy that covered her and transported her a few meters away.
Bular couldn’t let them see their fear, so he scoffed and kept on looking for Arthur.
Meanwhile, Merlin was having a really bad time. Morgana was in better shape than him and also was younger and faster, so she could do more spells in the same amount of time. They both got knocked several times, threw each other to the other side of the cave and used lassos of magic to wrap the opponent as if they were glowing chains.
Douxie and Claire were literally frozen in place, their feet stuck on the stone floor by Morgana’s magic. Douxie had dropped to his knees, his heart breaking as he saw his master being crushed.
“You astonish me,” Morgana said to a chained Merlin, making him float near her. “I thought you were a worthy opponent, not just and old man.”
“Well, this old man has a lot of tricks on his sleeves.” groaned Merlin, spitting blood.
“No, fool, you’re wrong.” Morgana raised his hand. “For if you had them, you would have used them by now. Say goodbye to your apprentice.”
She closed her hand, the chains around Merlin’s body squeezing the wizard, who cried in pain.
“No!” Douxie had stood up, tears flooding his eyes. “Master!”
Morgana clenched her teeth as she fully closed her hand and Merlin screamed in agony. He managed to look at Douxie one last time, before exploding in a big burst of green light.