Secrets

Chapter 1

Severed

Part 1

Barbara was back home lying on her couch sound asleep with the television on showing Gun Robot on screen. The alarm on her phone went off, Barbara groggily wakes up with her glasses misplaced on her face. Now wide awake she fixes her glasses and walks over turning off the t.v.

"Jim?" she called, but no response. "Jim, honey, are you up?"

Still there was silence, nothing stirring, no sound was made, there was no noise at all. She walked upstairs to his room finding a note on his door saying 'Late night sleeping - Jim.' She twists the knob opening the door, "Honey are. . . are you here?" she finds his room completely empty and her son no where in sight.

"Jim,?" She anxiously said with worry looking around the room.

Then surprisingly her son reveals himself coming up from behind the bed. "Oh, hey! Sorry mom. I had a late night studying at Claire's."

"You scared me," she sighed in relief. "I was worried you'd run off or-"

"What?" Me run off on you, Mom?" Jim said. "Never. Come one let's go to the kitchen I'll make you your favorite omelet."

They went downstairs to the kitchen as Jim prepared the ingredients grabbing the tomatoes, green peppers, shredded cheese, and eggs. Then he grabbed a skillet set up the fire on the stove, chopped the veggies, cracked the eggs setting them on the pan to fry and sprinkled with the ingredients on top. Both omelets were done and prepared. Jim handed over her dish, she took her first bite, and her mouth was filled with exotic flavors. "Hm, you'll sure make a fine chef someday, kiddo."

"Thanks, mom," Marshall said. June looked at him noticing an emotional look on his face, "Jim? Is everything okay?"

Jim shook his head snapping back to reality wiping his misty eyes. "Uh. . . .yeah. Just got some allergies."

Barbara just shrugged and went back eating her omelet. What she didn't know is that her real son is somewhere else while this Jim was actually Marshall Cadden in disguise wearing a Glamour Mask pretending to be her son. He never had a breakfast or dinner with his mom before, but during his time here he wonder if this is what it feels like. His phone vibrate indicating a text message from one of his friends. "Well gotta go! See you at dinner, Mom!" He ran off waving goodbye.

He went into the garage grabbed his bike, pressed the button on the garage door to open, as it slowly rises up, Claire and Toby were there sitting and waiting for him.

"We are late, Jimbo," Claire said.

"Sorry, trying to keep in character so she wouldn't notice," he said.

Toby had his arms crossed pouting, "I don't understand why you have to be the one impersonating Jimbo. I know one of my best friends in the whole wide world like the back of my hand."

Jim reached and pulled off his face, a sudden flash of light revealing Marshall's true form. "Do you want to try and make an Omelet for Dr. Lake," he asked offering him the mask.

Toby raised his index finger to say something, but then stopped for a moment realizing that Marshall may have a point. He had never cooked a meal his entire life and had relied only Jim and his grandmother. There was no way his cooking skills could compare to his. So his only response was, "No."

Marshall smiled and shook his head by Tobias's predictability. He put the Glamour mask back on his face changing his appearance looking exactly like Jim and rode off on their bikes.

As they pedaled down the road they made a right turn towards the gravel road in the woods leading them straight for the canals.

"Thanks to this Glamour mask she doesn't suspect a thing," Marshall said removing the mask catching up to Claire.

"I'm impressed by your acting skills, Marshall," Claire complimented. "You showed think about joining our Drama club."

"Thanks, but I don't like performing on stage," Marshall said, remembering that embarassing performance he and his master did for the trollsan opening act at a game of Pyro Blitz wearing a weird Circus Ring Master uniform.

They simultaniously jumped off the ramp making a perfect landing on the gravel road.

"Two weeks, and no response from Talia," Marshall said. "I'm really starting to worry."

"But the amulet hasn't called for anyone else," Claire said. That's a sign that Jim's okay and Tally's probably already with him now. They'll be back, and with my baby brother."

She accelerated using the power of her legs down towards the pedals fast making a big jump and graceful landing at the canals, as did Marshall, Toby on the other hand just rolled down not wanting to perform any stunts.

"I hope so," Toby moaned. "I don't know how much longer I can take. Jim! Tally! Where are you guys?!"

Somewhere in the depths of the Darklands near the tunnels where one of the creatures inhabit; the Nyarlagroths. Talia uses her fire element igniting it in her hands waving them in the air drawin the blind serpant. She looked back at Jim hiding behind a rock getting ready with his bag to snatch it's eggs. The creature snarling echoed through the den.

Talia slowly stepped bavk while turning into her beast form as it's giant glowing jaws made an appearance, sensing the heat, it made a gargauntua roar as it pursued her. Talia quickly made a run for it with her hands still on fire creating a distraction allowing Jim draw an arrow to mark their trail and steal some of the eggs.

Talia continued distracting the Nyarlagroth keeping it far away so Jim can grab them some supper. The Nyarlagroth slithered chasing after the attractive fire it even tried catching it with it's tongue, but Talia's reflexes were too much for the overgrown Earthworm. Thinking she stalled it long enough. Talia turned off the fire from her hands and slipped away letting it slithered back to it's den.

Talia came back to their hideout with Jim using his poaching skills boiling the eggs he'd stole from the nest and offered one of them to her.

"Dinner is served," he said with a cracked, smelly, grabage stinking, yolk insided of the shell.

Talia took her supper and sat next to Jim by the fire.

"Nyarlagroth Egg Stew what will they come up next," she joked taking her first sip. The tast was so unbearable it almost made them want to puke.

"Still beats chicken surprise," he gagged.

Jim looked up at his human-troll family portrait he drew thinking about how much he miss them already.

"We're going to make it back home, Jim," Talia assured him, knowing what he was thinking. "I promise."

Talia may know the location to the Nursery, but Jim on the other hand was having a hard time retracing his steps from when he last saw Killahead Bridge when he first came to this awful place.

In Heartstone Trollmarket, in the Library own by none other than Blinkous Galadrigal. He had been devising a plan all night without rest. Hoping on finding a solution creating another door to the Darklands.

"Then Tobias and I ride in on the Vespa, in a blazing fury, obviously utilizing Claire's Shadow Staff's temporal portal ability," he said to himself formulating the plan writing on the wall with his chalk. "Yes! I belive this could work. What do you think, old friend?"

He looked back at Arrrgh now an inanimate stone of Arrrgahmont hoping to hear a response. But he knew all too well that Arrrgh is not with him anymore. Even though he refuses to believe that.

Blinky looked down sighed depressingly, "No, you're right. That can't work. A Shadow Staff cannot cross into the Darklands. So the question remains, how does one open a bridge to save the Trollhunter? When one needs a Trollhunter to open a bridge? The quandary is confounding. Think, Blinkous, think!"

Claire, Toby and Marshall came in listening on Blinky talking to himself.

"Any luck, Blink," Claire asked.

"Per usual, I'm never short on plans, but a working one? No," Blinky said slapping himself in the face. "I muset say, it is frustrating to find oneself without any options."

He turned to Toby and said, "What about you, Tobias? Any fortune with the fetch?"

Toby looked through the Fetch by putting head through the small portal ring and came back and answered, "I've been sticking my head through this thing everwhere in Arcadia," Toby answered. "All I see is endless Darklands. No Jim or Tally. But I have been leaving Nougat Nummies to let them know we haven't given up. . . . and provide nourishment."

"This is hopeless, isn't it," Toby with a doubtful tone.

Blinky put a hand on his should and said, "As my brother Dictatious used to say. . ." he then speaked in the Trollish tongue.

"Even the word hopeless. . ." Claire translate.

" . . . Isn't void of hope," Blinky finished. "Glade to see you still know your Trollish. Which is precisely why we musn't give up in helping Master Jim and Talia. Our adventures already taken one friend from us. We must not lose another. The answer to saving them is in here somewhere."

So everyone spent hours researching looking through every book hoping of finding the solution to their problem.

Toby then noticed and recognized his weapon on a shelf his Warhammer weapon had been tinkered with and changed appearance. It was now a small stick handle.

"Hey who turned my warhammer into a back scratcher," Toby asked.

"After witnessing your troubling handling it, I thought to stabilizing it's unpredictability and make it a might you say. . ." he took the stick, pressed a button, made a clicking sound, and then extended from stick to Warhammer. "Fun sized," he finished.

Toby's mouth dropped dumb struck, completely amazed by Blinky's handy work. He took back his weapon from Blinky and started to have fun with it's new uprade.

He clicked the button switching it from pocket hammer to fun sized.

"Awesome size! Fun size! Awesome size!"

Marshall and Claire looked at him annoyed by him playing with his hammer like a child as if he was on some kind of joy ride.

Then the sounding of a blow horn alerted them. Toby then stopped as he fell back surprised.

"Holy horns, what's that?"

They all exited from the library and went outside where there's a crowd standing aside for the Tribunal. Trollkind leader's from different tribes from far across lands making their way through the street to the Hearstone where the council was being held.

"Whoa! All the troll heavyweights are here," Toby said. He then noticed Quagawump friend from the swamps when he pretended to be their king to find the Birthstone. "Hey! Wise Wumpa Lady!" he waved cheerfull trying to get her attention.

The Wumpa leader took notice but did not respond to his warm greeting and continued on towards the council.

"Who summoned the Tribrunal, Vendel?" Blinky asked.

"The Tribrunal summoned themselves," Vendel said. "Word of the Trollhunter's stupidity to enter the Darklands has spread like a plague. And now they're calling for the destruction of Killahead Bridge."

"What?!" Marshall gasped. "They can't do that! Our friends are still in there!"

"If they destroy the bridge, they won't be able to get out," Claire said.

"I'm well aware of that and I'm trying to prevent it," Vendel said. "Lets go Blinkous."

"There goes our hope," Claire said.

"We must keep searching," Blinky insisted. "Master Jim and Talia's time is running out." He followed Vendel and the Tribrunal and assured them that they will do whatever it takes. Claire and the boys tried to follow, but the Krubera guards halted them with their spears preventing them to enter.

Talia and Jim were sleeping soundly in their hideout, Talia was curled up in her beast form like a cat laying right next to Jim's feet purring until her ears perked up startled by the a familiar snarling sound and footprints.

Scavenging Blood Goblins were right outside closing in on their base alongside a hooded figure guiding him towards whom he had been seeking.

Talia rised up, shook Jim to wake him up, "Jim! Jim!" she whispered. " Come on! Wake up! Wake up! We got to go! We've got company!" Jim woke up startled and gasped, "Help me cover our tracks." He grabbed a blanket to try erase his portrait drawing and his map on the wall but it was no good. It only left nothing but smudges. Talia took Jim's arm and urgently said, "Come we need to go!" She dragged him and dashed right out of their lair and far as possible from the unwanted search party.

The hooded figure walked into the abandon hideout and saw the smudged chalk drawings on the wall, a little fire pit, and most of all a piece of silver hair on the ground. He smirked malicously as he picked up taking a good look at it. "Oh, this is just delicious," he said. "She's with the human Trollhunter. The bridge can be opened. Find them!" The Blood Goblins ran out on all fours and scattered.

Talia held on tight to Jim's hand as they desperately run for their lives. "We need to get to the Nursery, grab Enrique, and get to the bridge before Gunmar and the Gumm-Gumm's find us."

"Good idea, but. . . .do you even know where the Nursery is?" he asked.

Talia turned to face him while running, "No sorry I forgot." she said with a deep dumb sound. "Of course I know where it is! I have Enri-" Just when she was about to finish she tripped dragging Jim down along with her falling and made a crash landing. They then heard the sweet laughable and coeing sounds of toddlers over their heads and looked up to find what they've been looking for. "The Nursery," Jim whispered.

"I told you I knew where it is," Talia said.

"That's alot of babies," he said.

Talia sniffed the air catching the scent of Claire's stolen baby brother to help them find him where he's being held and has got a lead on his trail.

"He's over there," Talia whispered pointing them to the right direction. She jumped on the next rock, she turned back to Jim and said, "Watch out for goblins. They tend to these little guys very often. If they see us they'll give us out right away."

Back at Heartstone Trollmarket, Marshall rushed through the crowd running at high speed to his mentor's current home informing her of the Tribrunal's plan on tearing the bridge down before Jim and Talia could make it back. Marshall could see the small building just ahead, he ran past one of the trolls that were just passing through with a handful of junk, "Excuse me!" He said. The Troll came to an abrupt stop just noticing the human boy losing his grip on his stuff and clumsily fell back dropping his things. The frustrated troll raised his fist shouting, "Hey! Watch where you're going!"

Marshall slid making a stop infront of June's home and ran downstairs making his way into labratory where she was doing some alchemy tests.

"Miss Sturges!" Marshall said with his hands on his knees catching his breath.

June put down one of her viles, taking off her glasses and turning towards her apprentice.

"Marshall? What is it," June asked looking at his exhausted face.

"The Tribrunal are hear," Marshall said. "When they heard about Jim going into the Darklands they're discussing of about tearing down the bridge."

"What?!" June raised her voice. "The Tribrunal here?!"

"Yes! If they do this then that will mean Jim and Talia be trapped and Gunmar will have them right where he wants them." Marshall said.

Then a certain black cat familiar shows up, "Uh. . .I hate to bring it up but. . .even if they do destroy the bridge that still won't stop Gunmar."

Marshall looked down at Jinx, "What do you mean?"

"Need I remind you that Talia has the Power of Enhancement? If Gunmar knows that she has complete control of it. He can use it not only for him and his army, but as another back up key for one of the portals that are cracked from this world to theirs," Jinx explained.

Marshall picked the little black cat up to face him, "And you tell us this now!"

"Miss Sturges! We have to tell them about Tally!" he said.

"No," June said. "We can't do that.

Marshall and Jinx looked at her in complete shock as if she was insane all of a sudden.

"What?" Marshall and Jinx said.

"Thinke about it," she explains. "The last descendant of an ancient clan that used to be their enemy. The very same kind that has created Gunmar from their spite. . .the blood they've spilt. Even if would make a good excuse for them to keep Killahead standing. What do you think they would do to her if they know? They might kill her."

"But Vendel, found what she was and he didn't anything bad to her," Marshall said.

"That's because he knows her they don't," June said. "Besides they would rather listen to themselves and their own pride than evolve what man-kind has."

She may have a legitimate point. What would the Tribrunal do if they learn about Talia's heritage. Even if that were true Jim and Talia are still running out of time and might quite possibly in danger.

Marshall stood tall and said, "But you heard what Jinx said! Talia has mastered her enhancement ability. It will take more than some bridge to keep him locked up. What would happen if Gunmar finally captures her?! Have you ever thought about that?"

June looked at the boy as her face became still and her eyes widen.

"He'll brainwash her." Marshall said. "No. He'll brainwash both Jim and Talia. There's no going back."

Marshall gently put Jinx down and finished, "I don't care about the Tribrunal, I don't care about their laws, I care about my friends and the people of Arcadia. Every living being, every living creature here. I'm sorry, but I can't just sit on the sidelines and let this happen."

Marshall then took off running leaving his master and her familiar alone. June looked down in deep thought. Thinking are there really risks that are worth to take? Can Gunmar really actually capture and corrupt Talia? Her own niece? What is she suppose to do now?