We were in my backyard prepping for the fight that was coming up sooner than later. the last thing Toby needed was an audience for this display but a good sweat was the bare minimum at this point.
"Again," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Toby groaned, doubled over with his hands on his knees, chest heaving. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead even though the evening air was cool. "Jimbo, we've been at this for three hours. I'm pretty sure.. my legs are going to fall off."
"Draal won't care about your legs." I crossed my arms, a little disappointedly, didn't he know he needed to at least survive the fight. "He's fought in the Darklands. He's trained since he could walk. You've had the amulet for what? a few days."
"Gee, thanks for the pep talk, Coach." Toby straightened, grimacing. "Really feeling the confidence building here."
My expression must have betrayed something because his face softened. I took a breath. "That's not—look, Tobes. I'm not trying to freak you out. But you need to be sharp. Sharper than sharp." I started pacing across the grass, worn thin from Blinky and Arrrgh troll footprints overseeing this training. while Toby caught his breath I tried thinking of scenarios, strategies, anything that might give him an edge against a warrior who'd been bred for combat. It would be easier if he had my memories of fighting. "Your reflexes have to be on command. You can't think about summoning the sword in the moment you have to just... do it."
"Right. Just do it. Like the Nike commercial." But despite the joke, Toby squared his shoulders and raised his fist, the amulet gleaming in the fading sunlight. "Okay. Okay, I got this."
I grabbed a tennis ball from the grass, left over from one of Mom's brief "we should exercise together" phases way back when and weighed it in my hand. Not heavy enough, although slow his reaction was getting good enough to handle this. I needed something with real weight. My eyes landed on a chunk of broken concrete near our fence, about the size of a baseball. Perfect.
"You ready?"
"Is that a rhetorical—"
I threw it.
Toby's eyes went wide. "—ack!" The sword materialized just in time for him to bat the concrete away, sending it thudding into the fence. He stared at the glowing blade in his hand, breathing hard. "Holy crap, I did it!"
"You have to stay focused." I was already picking up another piece of broken concrete. "If that was Draal's fist, you'd be paste."
"You know, for my best friend, you're being kind of a—" Toby yelped as the tennis ball came flying. This time the sword appeared faster, and he actually managed to slice through it. Both halves hit the grass. "Ha! Did you see that? That was awesome!"
"Better, but you're still thinking to much, I can see it in your face, you're running through the words before you say them." I could tell easily as a former beginner, it was a habit and made it easier to summon the sword, saying "for the glory of merlin daylight is mine to command: in the mind in every sense is a crutch.
"Because they're magic words, Jim! You can't just freestyle magic words!"
"You have to." I moved closer, my voice dropping, The neighbor's dog was barking in the distance, and somewhere a lawnmower droned, "In a real fight, you don't get time to think. Draal will be on you before you finish the first syllable. The amulet has to be part of you." I tapped my chest. "Instinct. Remember"
Toby looked down at the amulet, its blue light pulsing gently against his wrist.
I partially wanted to lie. I wanted to tell him that of course he could do it, that he was brave and strong and destined for greatness. But empty platitudes. He deserved the truth.
"You might not be a warrior, Tobes. But you're smarter than a troll. You think different than they do. Use that."
His brow furrowed. "Use what, exactly? My extensive knowledge of nerd culture? My collection of dirty socks?"
"Your brain." I sat down cross legged in front of him. The grass was damp under my pants, and I could smell the earthy scent of the moss on the big rock. "Draal is a warrior. And he sees you as unworthy. He's got instinct aggression and pride. Especially pride."
"As the first human, he will underestimate you. He already does. Every troll in Trollmarket does."
"Super comforting."
"No, it's good, It's an advantage. Let him think you're weak and terrified."
"I am terrified!"
"Exactly! Use it. Make him more overconfident than he already is. And when he does—"
"I kick him in the gronk-nuks?"
I blinked. "In the nut?"
"The gronk-nuks." Toby gestured vaguely downward. "You know. The troll equivalent of—"
"Oh. Yeah that works to." I grinned, I think I'd used that move approximately one time myself.
"Yeah Blinky told me about it"
Toby was grinning now too.
"You know what, that's not a bad idea. though, you know, keep it in your back pocket, but the exploiting of his weaknesses in general we should focus on." I walked over to the big rock and sat down from the wet ground motioning Toby to join me. "Okay before the fight, i'll offer you the most important rules to follow. rule one, always be afraid."
"Wait, what? That seems counterintuitive."
"No, listen." I needed him to understand this. "Fear keeps you alive. It keeps you sharp, aware, looking for danger. The moment you stop being afraid is the moment you get careless. You start thinking you've won before the fight's over."
Toby nodded understanding. The stone was cool and solid beneath us, and I could hear wind chimes tinkling from someone's porch down the street. "Okay. Be afraid. I can definitely do that. What's rule two?"
"Always finish the fight. When you have the advantage, you take it.."
"To the death?" His voice was small.
"To the death. But not in this case it's just a duel"
"I know how that sounds, Tobes. But if you pull your punches, when your already at a disadvantage because you feel bad... well Draal won't. And neither will anything else you face."
We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of that reality settling over us. A car drove past on the street, its headlights sweeping across the fence. Normal life, continuing on, oblivious to the danger lurking beneath the surface.
"And rule three?" Toby asked eventually.
I felt my lips quirk despite everything. "When in doubt, kick them in the gronk-nuks."
That startled a laugh out of him. "Seriously?"
"Hey, you're the one who brought it up." I shrugged. "But yeah. Find the weakness and exploit it. Whether that's a blind spot, a bad knee, or whatever works."
"Words to live by." Toby stood, rolling his shoulders. The exhaustion was still there, but something else had kindled in his eyes. Determination, maybe. Or just stubborn refusal to give up. "Okay. Let's go again. And this time, throw something bigger."
We trained until Toby's arms shook with fatigue and my voice was hoarse from shouting instructions. We ran through summoning drills until it was embedded into his skull. We practiced footworkto aviod draals large attack areat and balance on slight slopes and divots.
And all the while, I was turning over the issue of Draal
Even with training, even with tricks and tactics, Draal was a seasoned warrior. With my own experience I was almost positive I could even beat toby in a one versus one, he had no real combat experience, And even with my years work of skills. His own raw skill wouldn't be enough.
Toby needed an edge. A real one.
"I need to build something," I muttered, half to myself.
"What?" Toby lowered the sword, breathing hard.
"Nothing. We're done for now." I clasped his shoulder. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's the big day."
"Yeah. Tomorrow." His smile was shaky. "No pressure, right?"
"Right. No pressure." I replied with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to be fine, Tobes. I promise."
It was a promise I had no business making, but I made it anyway.
The next morning found me in the garage, surrounded by scraps of metal and half realized ideas. I'd barely slept, my mind too full of speculative senarios.
My hands moved almost of their own accord, coming up with a weapon that would rival a troll with no magic.
All of that came together now as I hammered and bent and shaped.
What emerged was simple. Elegant even. A curved large shield, not too heavy with the amulets power, with a subtle hook along one edge. It wouldn't stop a direct blow from Draal's massive fists, but that wasn't its purpose.
I brought it to the morning light filtering through the garage window, checking the curve again making sure it wouldn't buckle do to the weight distribution. It wasn't pretty, but it would work.
I quickly arrive into Trollmarket, the usually bustling bazaars were eerily empty, the vendor stalls abandoned, the air thick with anticipation and something darker. Everyone, literally everyone—had gone to the stadium. I met up with the three The stone corridors echoing with our footsteps: mine, Toby's, Blinky's, and Aaarrrgghh's, walking side by side towards the Hero's Forge.
Toby clutched the curved shield I'd given him, his knuckles white. He hadn't said much since we arrived from our homes, just kept taking deep breaths and muttering what I assume might have been prayers or might have been curses.
"Master Tobias," Blinky ventured, his six eyes blinking in concern. "Remember, the arena moves, keep the high ground or Draal may end as the victor."
"The floor moves. Got it." Toby's voice was tight.
"Yes, but more specifically—"
"Blinky." Aaarrrgghh's rumble was gentle but firm. "Not helping."
The troll fell silent.
We rounded the final corner, and the roar of the crowd hit us like a physical force. The stadium was packed to it's brim trolls of every size and shape crammed into the carved stone seats that spiraled up and around the Hero's Forge. The air vibrated with their voices of excitement, and bloodlust for the sport.
And in the center of it all, the Forge itself waited.. The circular platform was maybe forty feet across, underneath a black abyss that would swallow light. But the platform itself wasn't stable even from here, I could see uneven sections already rising and falling, rotating, creating an ever-shifting battlefield.
And standing in the center, arms crossed and grinning like a predator, was Draal.
He was massive. Easily twice Toby's height, carved from blue stone and muscle, his horns sweeping toward tobys direction. He rolled his shoulders, and the crowd cheered. He was basking in it, feeding off their energy, already treating this like a victory lap.
"Oh god," Toby whispered. "Oh god, oh god, oh god—"
"Tobes. Look at me." I gripped his shoulders, forcing eye contact. "You've got this. Remember what we talked about. Use everything we taught you, and for the love of Merlin win."
"High ground. Gronk nuts yeah, I got this." His laugh was slightly hysterical.
"Exactly." I managed a smile. "And one more thing. Draal's got a blind spot on his left side. His massive frame makes it impossible for him to see it. Use that." I patted his back and pushing him into the arena.
The crowd's roar reached a fever pitch as the announcer Vendel arrived "Both Combatants take your positions" his voice boomed across the arena calling the two.
Toby swallowed hard. "Jim? If I don't make it—"
"You'll make it."
"But if I don't, tell my Nana that I—"
"You'll make it."
Toby nodded, squared his shoulders, and walked toward the Forge. The shield gleamed in his left hand. His right hovered over the amulet.
I found my spot at the front row of the arena with Blinky and Aaarrrgghh, my heart hammering a little harder than it should, It was a very real posibility of loss and I knew Draal wasnt the kind of troll to let someone walk away.
how would I deal with bular let alon the killahead bridge without access to the Trollmarket or the trollhunter.
I just had to hold out an inkling of hope that Toby could gain the trust of these Trolls and live.
"And now," the announcer bellowed, "let the trial BEGIN!"
The Forge erupted into motion.
Platforms rose and fell with grinding stone-on-stone shrieks. Sections rotated, creating pathways that existed for seconds before vanishing. And in the center of it all, Draal charged.
He was faster than his size portrayed and his battle roar shook the stadium and the stands.
Toby screamed. It was high-pitched, pure with terror.
Draal laughed and curled into a ball, his natural rolling ability turning him into a wrecking ball of stone and momentum.
But Toby was already moving. He scrambled backward, summoning the Daylight sword in a flash of blue light—no hesitation, and leaped onto a rising platform. It lifted him ten feet into the air, and Draal's roll passed beneath him, the wind of it ruffling Toby's hair.
The crowd went wild.
"FACE ME, HUMAN!" Draal bellowed, uncurling and slamming his fists into the platform Toby stood on. Stone cracked. The whole section tilted dangerously.
Toby jumped to another platform, this one rotating slowly. "Yeah, no thanks! I'm good up here!"
"COWARD!"
"Yes!" Toby shot back, his voice cracking only a little.
I found myself leaning in with the hope of Tobies victory.
Draal charged again, this time leaping onto the rotating platform. But Toby was already gone, using the Forge's movement to stay ahead, always taking the high ground, always keeping obstacles between himself and the warrior.
"STOP RUNNING!" Draal's frustration was palpable. He was definitely used to opponents who met him head on, who traded a blow with a counter. Toby's tactics were undignified. Cowardly.
"Make me!" Toby yelled.
The battle became a game of cat and mouse, Draal's rolling charges growing in speed thanks to his dynamic movements through the platforms and for sure more aggressive. Each time he barely missed made him angrier, each narrow escape made him that much more excitable.
And all the while, Toby was learning the Forge. Learning which platforms rose when, which sections rotated, where the gaps appeared. He stopped screaming. not because he wasn't scared, but because he realized something Draal was tracking him by sound as much as sight whenever he rolled into a ball.
The silence threw the warrior off.
"WHERE ARE YOU?" Draal spun, trying to locate his prey.
Toby was above him, perched on a platform to Draal's left. His blind spot.
I held my breath.
Toby raised the curved shield, adjusted his grip, and waited. His lips moved, counting under his breath, timing the rotation of the platforms.
Draal spotted him and charged with a roar, pulling back his fist for a devastating punch.
The platform beneath Toby rotated.
Draal's fist connected with stone instead of flesh, and in that moment of overextension, of imbalance, Toby moved.
He dropped down, the Daylight sword flashing across his tuff back, he buckled a bit but anger seemed to overtake him. Toby was nearing the edge of the platform they were both now on.
With almost a whir as if a tire was drifting in place Draal rolled into a ball picking up his maximum speed and with the full force of his weight forward he headed straight into the Toby.
In seconds that felt like decades The shield came up in a smooth arc, catching Draal's knee at just the right angle.
Physics did the rest.
Draal's momentum, his own strength, all of it worked against him. He stumbled forward, arms windmilling in the air in the attempt to catch himself
And Toby pushed with the shield, putting every ounce of strength into that curved surface, using it as a lever to lift and shove.
Draal went over the edge.
But not into the abyss.
The warrior crashed into the other sides front row of the audience, sending trolls scattering with startled yelps. He lay there, stunned, in a pile of stone and bruised ego.
The stadium fell silent.
Then erupted.
The roar was deafening, a wave of sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of Trollmarket. Trolls were on their feet, shouting, cheering, some laughing, some stunned into disbelief.
And in the center of the Hero's Forge, standing on shaking legs with a glowing sword and a battered shield, was Toby.
The Trollhunter.
"Whooo Toby you did great!" I yelled, and found myself jumping up and down, grabbing Blinky's arm. "He did it! He actually did it!"
"Remarkable!" Blinky's eyes were shining. "Absolutely remarkable, congratulations mast Tobias"
"TOBY WIN!" Aaarrrgghh's celebration could probably be heard in the surface world.
In the arena, Toby looked around with wide eyes, as if he couldn't quite believe what had just happened. Then his gaze found the amulet then found mine, and the grin that split his face was pure, unfiltered joy.
He'd done it. Against all odds, against a warrior with decades of experience, against his own fear—
He'd won and the Troll hunter had proved himself to all of Trollmarket, it was my turn to put in back sweating work
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Finally building tech next chapter *Praying emoji*