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earth-ambassador-jim · 11 months

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Lost Souls: Story 16

Rage

Lost Souls Summary: Merlin awakens early from his sleep. He decides that he doesn’t want to leaving anything to chance and kidnaps the young James Lake Jr. to began training his Trollhunter as early as possible.

Barbara is determined to hunt down the man who kidnapped her son. In her efforts to get her son back she finds a strange old radio that speaks to her in a woman’s voice. The radio leads her to an underground society of shapeshifters.

Mother and son meet again years later as strangers on opposing sides.

AO3 - Fanfiction

~~~~

“Rage - Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls, great fighters' souls, but made their bodies carrion, feasts for the dogs and birds, and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end. Begin, Muse, when the two first broke and clashed, Agamemnon lord of men and brilliant Achilles.”

― Homer, The Iliad

~~~~

It was early in the morning. Outside the sun would be turning the buildings blood red but the light of day never made it into this dark corner of the museum.

Six Years.

Barbara watched as Walt worked on piecing the Killahead Bridge together. The only noise was the soft crunching of stone and the occasional whoosh of the building’s air vents.

Six Years.

Her fingers twitched. The pendant containing her armor weighed heavy against her chest. She only had to will it and her sword would be at her side.

A goblin entered the room. It wove a lazy path across the floor. When it got close to her it paused, sniffing the air. Its ears lowered and it made a soft clicking noise before giving her a wide berth on its journey to the other side.

Barbara's eyes returned to the bridge. She ran her hand over the necklace’s chain.

Six years... That was how long it was since Jim had been taken. Half his life. He would be turning Twelve today. He should be in middle school now. She should be embarrassing him with dating advice and trying to help with math. Not...

Barbara gritted her teeth. Her hand clenched tight around the yellow crystal sending a spike of pain up her arm.

Six years and what did she have to show for it? Her slipping morals? The fact she was becoming as good at harming as she had been at healing? Humanity’s slow path toward annihilation?

There was chattering and Barbara glanced over to see five goblins carrying a rough wooden crate in. It was covered with a variety of labels and stamps that suggested it came from one of the more tropical regions.

The goblins deposited it abruptly by Walt. One of them climbed on top of the box and pointed aggressively at him, launching into a tirade that had the changeling rolling his eyes.

“Look,” Walt said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I understand that you don’t like saltwater, but we need…”

A metallic clang resounded through the museum. All their heads shot up and swiveled toward it.

Barbara didn’t see anything but she shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet. Magic thrummed through her, raising the hairs on the back of her neck.

Walt gave a sharp signal to the leader of the goblins. The small froglike creature skittered forward on its toes. Its companions followed, creeping up the walls and behind the exhibits.

For a moment there was silence. Walt and Barbara stared in the direction the goblins had gone. Barbara’s stomach clenched slightly and her pulse picked up. She hoped that it was just another goblin messing around, or perhaps Nomura had dropped something. She didn’t want to have to deal with a human stumbling upon their operation. Not again. But if it was an enemy…

There was a roar followed by a series of thuds, hisses, and clangs. With a flash of yellow, Barbara donned her armor, preparing to follow the goblins. That proved to be unnecessary. A goblin came hurtling past them followed closely by the silver armored troll fending off the rest of the swarm.

Barbara drew her sword and dagger.

Kanjigar moved with terrible efficiency, his sword vaporizing goblins left and right. Barbara hung back watching and waiting. How had he found them? To her right she saw Walt edging toward the bridge. It was currently half covered by a white canvas sheet.

A thought flickered through Barbara’s mind, stirring up a flicker of hope in the dark depths of Barbara’s mind. Maybe Kanjigar would see the bridge. Maybe he would put an end to this madness. Barbara didn’t want the end of the world after all, just the end of Merlin.

If Kanjigar saw the bridge… maybe stole a piece or two… that would be one less thing for her to worry about. One less thing on her conscience.

Then Kanjigar turned and saw Barbara. A frown crossed his face and his nostrils flared. If he…

The Trollhunter cocked his head and opened his mouth. She couldn’t let him speak. Barbara lunged forward and drove her blade towards his throat. Kanjigar quickly brought up Daylight and deflected it. She followed up with a dagger toward the ribs. The small blade didn’t look like much, but it had an enchantment for cutting stone on it.

Kanjigar moved to the side and swiped his sword at hers. If it made contact, the force would surely disarm her. Barbara jumped back. She could hear the air whistle around the blade as it passed by.

Their swords briefly met as Barbara deflected the next blow.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Walt pull the canvas over the bridge.

“Who are you?” The Trollhunter demanded.

~~~~

Kanjigar fell back slightly waiting for an answer. There was a pause and the armor clad… human? Or perhaps changeling… surveyed him through their yellow visor.

“Nemesis,” They said finally. “You may call me Nemesis, Trollhunter.”

They spun their blades and circled, steps careful and deliberate.

Kanjigar could tell by their scent they were the sorcerer who helped him at the canal. He frowned.

Off to the side he saw the other human… or changeling… shifting warily by the canvas covered bridge.

Right. That was the more important thing. He had only gotten a brief look, but the Killahead Bridge was distinctive. He had to do something.

“Who do you serve?” He asked Nemesis.

Perhaps that would be the key to all this.

“You don’t need to know that.” Their voice was sharp. They followed up the statement with a series of blows that Kanjigar either blocked or dodged.

So they did serve someone. That was a good start.

Someone who was interested in rebuilding the Killahead Bridge. It was odd that they would be working on that but help Kanjigar kill Bular. Now that he thought about it, they had started in on him to prevent him from talking. Perhaps they weren’t loyal. It sounded like he touched a nerve when he asked who they worked for.

He could work with that.

Best to kill two cats with one stone.

Swiftly Kanjigar released his sword, allowing it to disappear, and lunged forward. He rolled letting his momentum take him to where the bridge lay covered. The man who had been standing between him and the bridge threw himself out of the way, transforming into a green troll as he did so. Kanjigar slammed into bridge hard, dislodging the cloth and loosening several of the more precarious stones. He scooped one of those up, shielding his face from a barrage of knives from the apparent changeling.

He made eye contact with Nemesis, or he thought he did. -Their visor was facing him.- He turned so that the green changeling couldn’t see his face and mouthed “I wish to talk, Sorcerer” before bolting for the door with his prize. If he was right, they would follow him and make sure that their fellow didn’t.

Kanjigar ran with ease through the wakening streets of Arcadia, choosing back alleys and side streets to avoid the humans who were just starting to move about. The sky was now a light blue but thanks to the Daystone he suffered no harm.

Soon one of the city’s many forests appeared before him. Kanjigar entered the comforting shade and paused to check behind him. Yes. The sorcerer was still following. He turned and began running again. Soon they were deep in the forest, well away from prying eyes. Kanjigar stopped in a small clearing. Humans were agile so he didn’t want to fight them in the thick of the trees.

Nemesis emerged from the tree line and stopped when they saw him standing there.

They stood for a moment sizing each other up.

“I recognize you,” he said and then paused.

They didn’t attack him, so he decided they must have figured out a way to keep their comrade from following them. Good. He could speak freely then.

“If it wasn’t for your intervention I couldn’t have killed Bular. Thank-you.”

They were silent. They made no acknowledgement of his words, but they also didn’t move to attack.

“If you are dissatisfied with who you are working for I could help you.”

Perhaps if he had another sorcerer on his side he could gain enough swing to get Jim into a better situation. Maybe he could even acquire some form of glamour for the boy so he could mingle with humans if he desired.

“And how do you propose that,” Nemesis said coldly. “You have no idea of my circumstances.”

They spun their blades once and began to circle.

Kanjigar considered that. He didn’t summon Daylight yet, opting instead to turn to keep his opponent in sight.

From the sound of it they had no intention of telling him who they worked for. Still…

“I know Merlin,” He offered. “Whoever you serve… He should be a match for them. If you’d like I could…”

Nemesis was upon him in a flash. He was unprepared for the sudden violence of their assault. Countless stinging cuts were scored across his hide. Finally he managed to grab one of their arms and fling them back. Buying enough space to summon Daylight.

His opponent rolled and came up facing him, dagger in one hand.

“I will never work with Merlin,” Nemesis snarled. “That bastard took my son.”

“He what?” Kanjigar asked.

What were they talking about? Why would Merlin…

Kanjigar took a step back and nearly fell over when his leg didn’t respond right. He looked down and found it had turned to stone. How?...

There.

A thin blade protruded out of the armor behind his knee. He caught the faint glow of green from it: Creeper’s Sun. Now that he noticed it he could feel stiffness spreading from other wounds as well…

Nemesis drew their sword and came close again, moving low and fast.

No!

He couldn’t die here. If he did Jim would become Trollhunter… Jim who was only twelve, a mere child by the reckoning of both his species.

A fierce protective rage welled in his core lending strength to his stiffening limbs.

Kanjigar roared and lashed out at the armored being. His blow connected and they were sent flying through the air. They hit a tree with a harsh clang and fell to the ground, armor dented.

He gritted his teeth and reached back to grasp the handle of the knife. It came out with a grating sound. He eyed the loathsome thing and then flung it away as hard as he could.

Kanjigar clenched his teeth against the pain as he dropped to all fours and started running.

He didn’t want to risk bringing this foe anywhere near Jim but it was his only chance. Merlin might be able to reverse the creeper’s sun… and there was the confusion ward. Merlin once told him it would keep anyone without permission from getting close to the cave.

He desperately hoped it would work.

~~~~

Barbara watched as her foe continued to crawl forward. Both of his legs were deadweight now and one arm only half worked. His breathing was becoming labored as the petrification slowly claimed his torso. She was tempted to leave him -to see where he was going- but she was getting flickering feelings of other magic. There was most likely a barrier in this area. She could not risk losing him.

She dropped out of her tree and drew her dao. The Trollhunter must have heard her coming. He twisted awkwardly and caught sight of her.

His face was drawn and eyes narrowed with pain but he braced himself and let out a low warning snarl.

Barbara halted, considering her options. Her ribs ached in such a way that she had no doubt they were bruised. One might even be cracked. She could not take another blow like the last one so she could not risk getting close just yet.

She spun her dao around once and sheathed it, then reached into her left pouch and pulled out a vial of her blood. She opened it and murmured softly, activating the spell. Dark blue runes flickered in the air and then entered the blood turning it from red to black. She recapped the vial and then tossed it at the troll.

It exploded and the blood turned into vicious crackling blue chains that wrapped around his bulky form, pinning him to the ground.

The Trollhunter’s eyes widened and he struggled, in the process losing his second leg. Satisfied that he was secured Barbara began to approach.

“Wait!” Kanjigar sought her gaze, ears pinned back. “Please release me. I will swear on my honor not to tell of your involvement in Bular’s death.”

Barbara paused. This was completely out of character for him. She’d watched all the videos of his fights with Bular and other trolls that the Janus Order had to offer. Not once had she seen him try to back down from a fight… no matter how desperate.

He was too proud to accept defeat, let alone plead for his life.

She wasn’t sure what to make of this.

“Why should I let you live?”

I was too big a risk. Who knew if he would keep his word? In fact he’d probably already told someone else by now.

“There… there is someone who needs me,” Kanjigar said. “If I die he will be alone and my burden will fall on his shoulders… so, please, let me live.”

Kanjigar stopped struggling against the chains and lifted his head to bare his throat.

Barbara hesitated.

Thoughts of Jim staring up at her when she had first held him flickered through her mind. The look in Kanjigar’s eyes reminded her of how she had felt. That knowledge that suddenly this child was worth more to her than the whole world…

A chill spread through her veins.

But then he’d been taken away… By the very wizard this troll glorified every time he donned the armor.

Her breathing sped up to just shy of hyperventilating.

And now she would never see her son again.

Tears stung in her eyes. The hatred surged back to the surface and coursed through her hot and blinding. Barbara bared her teeth behind the visor. She took all the rage and anger and sorrow and vile toxic fear that had been simmering in her and drove her sword into the troll’s chest with a scream.

And for a moment… just one second she felt free.

Then Kanjigar crumbled to stone.

The Amulet rolled out of the pile of rock. Barbara stared at it. Numbly, she sheathed her weapon and leaned forward to grab it.

The moment her fingers touched the warm metal there was a blinding flash of light and a vicious surge of electricity leapt from the blue stone to her fingers. Her hand spasmed and she jerked back with a curse. When she finally managed to blink the bright spots out of her eyes the amulet was gone.

Of course it was.

She took a breath and forced herself to let it go.

Kanjigar’s blank stone eyes stared at her accusingly.

“Please…” His voice echoed in her head.

Had he been talking about Draal? Barbara frowned. That didn’t seem right so who had…

She banished the thought.

She was done. Done torturing herself with hope. Done trying to bring good out of this mess. She only made things worse when she tried. She needed to accept that Jim was gone. That the only thing left for her was her revenge.

Barbara took a breath and reached for the rage in her chest. She accepted it as she had done so long ago when she first sought out Morgana. She embraced it and felt her magic simmer in response; copper in her mouth and lightning in her bones.

Her hand came to rest on the sword at her side.

If she was doomed to cause destruction then Nemesis would be the one to herald Merlin’s downfall. She would destroy everything he worked for. She would take the pain he had inflicted upon her and return it a hundred-fold.

In the meantime….

She turned her gaze back to Kanjigar… to the Trollhunter’s remains.

Gunmar would be pleased to hear that his son was avenged, but proof would be necessary. Nemesis redrew her dao and quickly got to work.

~~~~

There was a blinding flash of blue light. Snip to lept off Jim’s lap with a startled yowl, her brown and white fur fluffed up.

Jim blinked the bright spots out of his vision before looking around for the source of the disturbance.

He froze.

“No…”

The air left Jim’s lungs and his hands shook. For a moment he could hear nothing but the roaring of his blood in his ears, then…

The amulet spoke in Kanjigar’s voice.

“James Lake.”

Jim collapsed to his knees.