Reunion

Chapter 11

Jim removed the emerald gem from his chest plate and tossed it into the placid black lake he had found.

"Why would you throw that?" Talia asked. "They could've proven to be more useful?"

Jim cupped his hands together washing the grime off from his skin and armor. He then caught a rippling reflection of his own face he had not seen for a long time. He barely recognized the pale, gaunt, and weary person that stared back at him.

"Jim?"

He finally had heard the sound of his friends voice and turned around to face her.

"Are you okay,man," she asked.

"I'm fine. . ." he lied.

Talia studied him and knew the tone of voice of his was not the right response of him being okay.

"Come on, Jim. We grew up together as kids I can tell what's bothering you. So tell me what is it?" Talia said.

The thought of his mother, Arrgh, Blinky, Draal, NotEnrique, Marshall, and especially Toby and Claire flooded back into his mind. He took a big deep breath and finally confessed, "I think that. . .maybe. . .that I should've have brought backup. Even since I took my first step into this place I almost got myself killed if you hadn't saved me in time. If they were here right now you and Enrique both would be home right now."

Talia put a hand on his shoulder and said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Jim. Why did you come here alone?"

Jim looked at her and became unsure of about how he was going to answer. He tried to tell her back at Skarlagk's fortress before it had fallen, but he didn't have the heart to say about Arrgh's demise. He cringed his face to a deep breath through his nostrils feeling a little bit emotional and then exhale relieving him of the pain.

. "I'll tell you once we find shelter," Jim said as he retraced their steps through the maze. Then came upon the same spot where he had freed them from the Nyarlagroth's belly finding Skarlagk's satchel and retrieved it from the disgusting blob. He looked inside and found a few more gross bladder canteens, as well as the nub of chalk Skarlagk used to draw her maps. Talia looked at the satchel reminding her that it had once carried her deceased father's skull. It was sort of a weird way of keeping a memory of a loved one's treasure, but it was kind of like Talia's family pendant around her neck reminding her of her father. Jim then thought that it was best that she held onto it because she and Skarlagk were close, so she offered it to her.

"Here," he said, Talia was hesitant at first. "She would want you to have it."

Talia then took the satchel from his hands and then wrapped the straps of the big satchel around her like a backpack.

They continued their travel and then once reaching the ravin, Jim anchored the chain around a jagged tusk of rock and climbed down to the ledge. Talia climbed down the chain to the ledge and found a recess alcove where Jim was sitting down resting. After from having all the excitement and struggle for survival who could blame him. She was feeling the same exhaustion as well and sat next to him.

"We're going to get back home Jim," she said. "I know this place like the back of my hand finding the nursery shouldn't be no problem at all."

Jim looked at her and smiled thanking her for the support. He then thought that if there's any possiblity that they're going to be here for a while he may as well make this place feel like home.

"Hey can you pass me that chalk?" he asked.

Talia opened Skarlagk's satchel grabbed the white chalk and tossed it to him.

Jim got back up and then began sketching their human and Troll family on the alcove's slate walls. Jim never thought he much of an artist, but his mom once told him how she used to paint before he was born.

Losing himself in the chalk, Jim didn't stop until he had finished rendering Claire, Toby, Blinky, Marshall, June and Arrrgh. Talia smiled admiring his expression of art like she usually does back at home. "Not bad," she complimented. Jim sat right back down next to her, "Thanks." he said.

He then looked at her and sighed figuring now would be the best time telling her the truth about Arrrgh.

"Tally, back at the fortress. . . .I wanted to tell you that. . .back home at Heartstone Trollmarket. You remember Marshall telling you about Angor Rot right?"

"Yes," Talia nodded.

"Well he. . .he stole the horngazle from Claire and found his way in. Everyone fought for their lives, many have fallen, we won though, but. . ." he was starting to get emotional remembering the memory of Arrgh dieing before his eyes.

"Jim?" Talia said sensing the grief within him.

"Tal. . .Arrrgh couldn't make it," he said.

Talia's eye's widen and her mouth a gaped confused upon hearing what he'd just said.

"What?!" she said.

"Angor had creeper sun poison coated on his dagger. . .Arrrgh got infected. . .and then Toby was wide open and then Arrrgh. . .he took the blow," Jim finished.

Talia's eyes then began to swell up as tears began to leak down from her face . Finally understanding why he didn't bring their friends along. Arrrgh the lovable giant had been slain. First she'd lost her parents, then she'd lost Skarlagk, now she had to learn of about another friends tragedy during her absence.

"No," she said with grief in her voice, "No, no,no,no."

"Tally, I'm so sorry," Jim said with sorrow.

Talia's face was down to the floor and then raised her head looking at Jim with her eyes all red.

"No. . .don't say that. . .none of this was your fault," she said, wrapped her arms around hugging him. "If I hadn't let go of Draal . . . maybe things would've been different." Jim embraced comforting her in his arms letting all her feelings out. What would really happened if Talia hadn't let go? Would Arrrgh still be alive? Could she really have taken out Angor if she hadn't had the training she required? They may never know.

Epiliogue

When they all have arrived back home Marshall discovered that his teacher had a spell to restore the Glamour Mask Toby had broken before they started this quest. He was in a complete and utter lost as in why didn't she just tell them and not risking thier lives getting swallowed up by the Kelpesrum? She said it was another part of his training and it was also the best way to regain everyone's trust. Marshall still did not understand it but in someway. . .it really did help him. So Marshall extended his help by using the magic of the Glamour Mask to impersonate Jim.

The mask was so convincing she did not suspect anything at all about her son's disappearance. Even though it was deceitful but in some way it was kind of nice for Marshall to call someone mom.

Although it wasn't easy for Claire and Toby. They had to cover up Jim's absence by decieving the entire school telling everyone that Jim had an ultra rare disease and now was being quarantined at the hospital. Claire hated the idea of making up a phony disease while there were so many genuinely sick people around the world. But Claire also understood that people generally avoided talking about the uncomfortable subject of illness. And anything that kept students and teachers from asking too many questions about Jim was probably a good thing, as far as Claire was concerned.

So, she and Toby created a fake web page and thus Jim Lake Disease was born. Claire gave specific convincing details to even fool all those who read it, handed Eli Pepperjack a coin collection can, and acted sad whenever anyone mentioned Jim's name. Only it wasn't much of an act for Claire. All she could do was donate the money Eli collected to actual charities and hope that each new day would bring Jim back to her.

Blinky tried to keep himself busy as well. As Draal and a reluctant NotEnrique pitched in on the rebuilding efforts in Trollmarket, the six-eyed Troll remained in his librayr. He tinkered with Toby's Warhammer, trying to devise a way to make it telescope down in size lik Claire's Shadow Staff. And whenever he took a break from that, Blinky would jusst hit the books and search in vain for a way into the Darklands.

After closing what felt like the millionth useless scroll, Blinky rubbed his bleary eyes and stared at Arrrgh's stone body in the corner.

"I really miss him, Arrrgh," Blinky said. "I miss you both."

Miss you, too, Arrrgh wanted to say back to Blinky.

But the words never seemed to leave the foggy borderlands between life and death, in which Arrrgh had spent the las weeks. He first woke up here the instant after the Creeper's Sun poison finished turning him to stone. Arrrgh had then walked around the endless space, hearing everything his friends said around his petrified body, yet unable to make his replies heard.

Litted did Arrrgh know that he had actually found an audience in a separate, even more remote dimension. For in the ghostly realm know as the Void, the Council of Trollhunters watched Arrrgh's roaming spirit.

"Ah, Aarghanont," said Kanjigar the Courageos. "How good it is to see you, my old friend, even in circumstances such as these."

Kanjigar turned to the other fallen Trollhunters who joined him in observing Arrrgh through a circular window of magic. In all, there were scores of other armored Trollls who had preceded Kanjigar-and now Jim-as Merlin's former champions.

"Although he does not yet realize it, Arrrg shall be the key to James Lake Junior's and Talia Sturges's salvation," Kanjigar announced.

"How can you be so certain?" squeaked Unkar the Unfortunate. "No other Trollhunter has ever dared to venture into the Darklands. Who's to say he even can get out? If he survives, that is!"

"Kanjigar speaks the truth, said Deya the Deliverer, her transparent eyes flashing the same shade of blue as her Amulet. "The Void has shown us both visions of the future. The current Trollhunter and the last Bloodline of Leo the Slayer, will find the child they seek. They will face Gunmar, and they will escape the Darklands, although not in any way they or their allies could ever expect."

"And this Krubera, began Spar the Spiteful, indicating Arrrgh in the window with his tusks. "He plays some part in the Trollhunter's victory?"

"The Troll is the key," Kanjigar confirmed, his eys now glowing, too, as the Void gave him another glimpse of tomorrow.

"The key to the Hunter," repeated Tellad-Urr the Terrible.

Soo, the entire Council of Trollhunters fell into the chant.

The Troll is the key, the key to the Hunter.

Kanjigar wa the last to join in the spectral chorus, for he had seen something else in the latest vision the Void had shared.

The Troll is the key, the key to the Hunter.

Arrrgh would indeed prove crucial to rescuing the human Trollhunter and the Silver Lion from the Darklands-as would Kanjigar, in his own way.

The Troll is the key, the key to the Hunter.

And that's when Jim Lake Jr. and Talia Sturges would face their greatest challenge yet.