The Hero's Forge had finally disappeared from view, the last echoes of troll voices fading into the vast caverns of Trollmarket. Aaarrrgghh and I half-dragged Toby through the now quiet streets, his legs threatening to give out with every step.
"I just... really, need a nap," Toby mumbled, his head lolling against my shoulder. "Like... a week-long nap. Maybe two weeks."
"You earned it, Tobes," I said, settling my grip as his weight shifted. The adrenaline that had kept him moving through the fight was gone now, leaving behind only bone-deep exhaustion.
Aaarrrgghh rumbled sympathetically, his massive hand steadying Toby's other side. "Toby strong. Need rest now."
Blinky led us to a quiet alcove off one of the main passages, where thick moss covered the stone floor like carpet. The moment we lowered Toby down, he was asleep, his snores echoing softly off the crystal-studded walls.
I watched him for a moment. He'd done it. Against all odds, against a warrior like Draal, he'd won.
Turning to face Blinky and Aaarrrgghh I spoke. "I'll have you continue with Toby Blinky, training shouldn't stop here."
Blinky's six eyes brightened with approval. "Master Jim, I could not agree more! Now that Master Tobias has proven himself, he has full access to the Hero's Forge. Why, we could—"
"We need more than that," I interrupted, "Combat drills. Endurance training, and Tactics against trolls are all surface layer things, a single trollhunter can't turn the tide of battle if an army were to appear." my hands moved as I thought out loud. "He won today but as our greatest weapon it isn't enough, I can see that clearly with the previous incarnation."
Blinky watched me with undisguised fascination. "An unconventional way of thinking, you have given this considerable thought."
"I've been thinking about it since he picked up the amulet," I admitted.
"Tactics," Aaarrrgghh added thoughtfully. "Surface layer?" he gripped one of his palms to his temple, a migraine apparently forming.
"Exactly Aaarrrgghh, but for the proper training program," I looked at Blinky. "Can you workout the schedule with him."
The six-eyed troll's face split into a wide smile. "My dear boy, it would be my honor to help design such a curriculum. There are a plethara of scenarios for various combat situations we haven't scratched the surface of yet" He gestured enthusiastically with all four hands. "Of course, Master Tobias will need to be prepared for encounters with Bular and his Changeling allies..."
"Bular," I repeated, the name like ice in my mouth.
Blinky's enthusiasm faltered. "Master Jim? Is something wrong?"
I took a breath, the decision that had already been there resurfaced. "I want to help. With Bular, I mean."
All six of Blinky's eyes widened. "Master Jim, you must understand—you are not the Trollhunter. You have no armor, no magical protection. Bular is a creature of nightmares, a force of—"
"I know what he is,"
"Friend-Jim brave," Aaarrrgghh said under his rumblingly soft deep voice.
""it's our reality. Bular and gunmar have an unfortold strength when there together. He's hunting for Toby we all must become something more than what we are now."
Blinky thought for a long moment, his multiple eyes blinking in sequence. Finally, he spoke. "What did you have in mind?"
I was waiting for him to ask me that.
"Troll market has vast resources and technologies here. Anything we can get our hands on could make a difference." My mind was already churning with my half-formed ideas, possibilities branching out in every direction.
"If I could just access what Trollmarket has..."
A thoughtful expression crossed Blinky's craggy features. He glanced at the sleeping Toby, then back at me. "You know, Master Jim, your ingenuity has already proven invaluable.." He paused and then seemed to come to a decision. "Perhaps... yes, perhaps you should see what resources are available."
"Really?"
"Come," Blinky said, gesturing for me to follow. "Aaarrrgghh, please remain with Master Tobias."
The massive troll settled down beside the sleeping Trollhunter with a gentle rumble of agreement.
I followed Blinky deeper into Trollmarket, through passages I'd rarely ever explored. The crystalline light grew dimmer, replaced by the orange glow of forges and the sound of hammers on metal. We passed repositories filled with weapons. swords and axes all roughly made due to what i could only assume was because of there fingers size and lack of strength control.
"Trolls have been crafting for millennia," Blinky explained as we walked. "We may not have human technology, but we have learned to work with the bones of the earth itself." He gestured to various workshops we passed. "Each has its purpose, and application."
I tried to absorb it all, eyes darting from one section to the next. Similar to what I saw in the everyday streets of troll market but it held significantly more valued items, unlike the near ten percent chance of glancing at a potion that seemed decent.
Then we rounded a corner, and I stopped dead recognizing the place immediately.
The device before me looked like something between a capsule and a furnace, its surface covered in runes that pulsed with soft blue light. The air around it seemed to shimmer, as if reality itself was being compressed and released in gentle waves.
"What is that?" I breathed.
"Ah, the Furgolator!" Blinky said proudly. "One of our most fascinating pieces of technology. It uses concentrated heartstone energy to temporarily compress matter—minerals, objects, even living beings. Quite useful for transport and storage."
I stepped closer, to the obvious gold mine that was this device. "Compression... So you guys use this to shrink down materials for easier transport. Tools could be made more portable." I stopped, my eyes widening as the implications flooded through me. "Does this really work on everything?"
Blinky blinked all six eyes in surprise. "I... yes, theoretically, though we've never—"
"I definitely could use this?" I turned to face the troll, my expression intense. "But not just the Furgolator, all of it."
"I have knowledge of human engineering, with all this troll materials, I can only imagine there value."
Blinky was quiet again before a slow smile spread across his craggy face. "Master Jim, I believe we need to speak with Vendel."
We began our walk to Vendel's chambers, marching toward the final deciding factor to my success. I really didn't want to fight with Vendel but I could already see myself in arguments in my head, anticipating objections before they were even voiced. Blinky walked beside me in thoughtful silence, occasionally glancing my way.
Vendel's chambers was naturally carved into the heartstone of Trollmarket, where the stone itself seemed to remember the weight of centuries. Differing crystals quickly grew into the strong yellowish orange presence and the air seemed to shift into a somehow more earthy and timely smell. The elder troll sat at a massive stone desk, scrolls, books and tablets spread before him, his staff resting against the arm of his chair like a silent sentinel.
He looked up as we entered, and his expression immediately soured. "Blinkous. And the human boy." His gravelly voice carried over his disapproval. "I suppose you have come with some request after the trollhunter, "beat", Draal."
I opened my mouth to speak, but Blinky raised one hand gently. "Master Vendel, if I may—"
"You may not," Vendel interrupted, his staff thumping once against the stone floor. "I can already see it in both your faces. The boy wants something, and you have already decided to champion his cause." His ancient eyes fixed on me. "Well? Out with it. What new burden do you wish to place upon us?"
The dismissive tone wasn't completely expected, but I forced myself to continue straight, to meet those eyes without flinching. "I want access to Trollmarket's forges, materials, and technology to build equipment for the Trollhunter and others."
Vendel's expression didn't change. "The amulet provides what the Trollhunter needs. It always has."
"The amulet simply provides a sword and armor," I countered, keeping my voice level despite the frustration I built before even arriving reaching to my chest. "But Toby is human. He's smaller and physically weaker than any troll warrior. He needs every advantage we can give him."
"Our resources are limited, boy, and meant for trolls." Vendel's staff thumped against the stone as he stood tall. "Why should we divert precious materials for a human's experiments?"
The word 'experiments' sounded like a mockery coming from someone who wasn't experienced. I swallowed hard, forcing down the anger that wanted to rise. "Because times have changed. Bular is hunting for the Killahead Bridges pieces. The stakes have never been higher." I took a step forward. "And Toby isn't a traditional Trollhunter. He's not a troll warrior who's been training for centuries. He's a fifteen-year-old kid who got chosen by magic he doesn't understand, and he needs every advantage we can give him."
"Killahead." Vendel seemed to pause but not every for a second.
"Flowery words from a child," Vendel said dismissively, waving one hand. "What do you truly know of troll craftsmanship, where's the proof of all your words? Of working with heartstone and living metal? These are arts that take lifetimes to—"
"I built the shield that helped Toby beat Draal, because failure wasn't an option." I interrupted, my voice sharp. "In my garage, with scrap materials and basic tools." I gestured around us. "You may think I wouldn't make a difference but hear this, we're not in that age anymore were trolls can afford to worry about a lack of abundance. We're in an age of war. with those materials, potions, compression technology I can a lot more than just make a shield, let me and the trollhunter guard this place properly."
Vendel's eyes narrowed, bursting with intensity that made it seem likely he'd attack at any moment and I involuntarily took a step back, hands lowered but on alert.
"Master Vendel," Blinky interjected, his four hands gesturing emphatically, "I have witnessed Master Jim's ingenuity firsthand. His mind works in ways we do not—he sees connections and possibilities that—"
"He is a child playing with forces beyond his understanding," Vendel cut rapidly, "And you would have me open our forges to him? Risk our limited resources on the impulse of a boy?" He stood taller now without the support of his staff, his full height impressive. "Blinkous, you have always been prone to flights of fancy, but this borders on irresponsibility."
" I'll prove what I can do, and if it doesn't work, I'll stop." My hands clenched into fists. "Give me the chance to help keep my everyone alive!"
The words hung in the air between us, heavy with everything unsaid. The distant sounds of Trollmarket filtered through, voices calling with the eternal hum of the heartstone. But in Vendel's chambers, there was only silence.
Something flickered in Vendel's ancient foggy eyes, memory, the acknowledgment of genuine fear of tomorrow. "The Trollhunter faces dangers. This has always been true. What makes you think your gadgets and devices will—"
"Toby won today because we gave him every advantage we could," I interrupted. "Because we refused to let him face Draal with just courage and a sword. We trained him, strategized with nothing more than time. We built him a shield. And he won." I took another step forward. "If we do less against Bular and hold back resources that could save his life, then we're, as a whole not supporting the Trollhunter at all. We're just watching him fight alone."
Vendel's grip on his staff shifted slightly and his body sat back onto his throne with a heavy breath, and his eyes moved from me to Blinky and back again.
"The responsibility you speak of," Vendel said finally, his voice quieter now but no less heavy. "Of duty to the Trollhunter. Yet you are asking me to place that responsibility in the hands of an untested human child who knows nothing of our ways, our materials, nor our methods." He leaned forward slightly. "Do you understand what you are truly asking? If you fail and your creations prove useless or worse, the consequences fall not just on you, but on the Trollhunter himself. On all of Trollmarket."
"I understand," I said, my voice steady. "I understand that failure isn't an option. That every piece of equipment I create, could be the difference between Toby coming home or...worse"
"I understand the stakes at play I've been living with that burden on my shoulder since the moment Toby picked up that amulet."
Vendel studied me for an eternity. Finally, he straightened, his staff thumping once against the floor with a sound like a judge's gavel.
"Supervised access only," he said, his voice heavy with reluctant acceptance. "You will work under the guidance of our master crafters. You will not waste materials. You will submit designs for approval before beginning any significant project. And if I deem your work inadequate or dangerous, this arrangement ends immediately. No arguments or appeals. Is that understood?"
"Yes I understand, thank you again I—"
"Do not thank me yet, boy," Vendel cut in. "You have made grand promises. Now you must deliver on them." He leveled his staff at me. "The Trollhunter's life may well depend on your creations. I suggest you remember that every moment you spend in our forges. One mistake, and it will not be you who pays the price."
He was really trying to drive home the reality of what I'd just committed myself to. This wasn't mere tinkering anymore. This life and death crafting had to be perfect.
"I will," I said quietly. "I promise."
Vendel held my gaze for another long moment, searching for weakness in my conviction. Whatever he was looking for, he must not have found it, because eventually he nodded once, sharp and final.
"Then we have an accord," he said. "Blinkous, you will oversee the boy's initial work and report to me regularly. I want detailed accounts of materials used, projects undertaken, and results achieved." His eyes fixed on Blinky. "And if you allow your enthusiasm to override your judgment, I will hold you personally responsible. Is that clear?"
Blinky straightened, all four hands coming together. "Crystal clear, Master Vendel. You have my word."
"Good," Vendel interrupted, already turning back to his desk. "Then we are finished here. I have work to do, and I suspect the two of you do as well." He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "And boy? Jim?"
I looked up, surprised to hear my actual name.
"Do not make me regret this decision," Vendel said quietly. "We have precious little left to lose, and I would prefer not to lose it on your account."
Then he turned away, effectively dismissing us both.
Blinky's hand settled gently on my shoulder as "We should head back now master Jim," without looking I nodded and turned to exit the crystal.
Trollmarket's corridors took as long as it usually did, "Well done, Master Jim. Well done indeed. Elder Vendel is not easily swayed, and to earn even his grudging approval is no small feat."
"I'm not sure 'approval' is the right word," I said cooly.
"In Master Vendel's case, those are often one and the same," Blinky replied with a gentle chuckle. "He has seen many changes in Trollmarket over the centuries, not all of them positive. His caution comes from his own hard-won experience, not mere stubbornness." He paused at an intersection, gesturing down a corridor that glowed with fire orange light. "But he gave his permission nonetheless, and that is what matters. Now comes the truly exciting part, exploring what resources are available to you!"
We descended deeper into the forge district, and with each step, I felt my earlier grudging calm transforming back into an excitement that made my fingers itch. The air grew warmer, thick with the smell of hot metal and stone and something that hummed with barely contained energy.
The main forge was vast, carved from a natural cavern and expanded over countless generations until it resembled something between a workshop and a hall. Anvils of various sizes dotted the floor, some large enough that I could have lain down on them comfortably. Trolls moved between workstations with an almost assembly line efficiency, their hammers ringing out in a complex rhythm that seemed almost musical.
But it was the materials that truly captured my attention.
Along the far wall, shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, stocked with ingots and bars and chunks of raw materials that made my heart race. There was stone that glowed with inner fire, metal that seemed to shift color depending on the angle of the light, crystals that drew me to them when I walked past them.
"This is heartstone alloy," Blinky said, picking up a bar from one of the lower shelves. "The fundamental building material of most troll craftsmanship. It resonates with the heartstone's natural energy, making it ideal for weapons and armor that need to channel magical forces, though this is our rarest material and the one we need most for a source of light and sustenance." He handed it to me, and I nearly dropped it from the unexpected weight.
The metal was warm to the touch, a gold color almost alive, and when I held it up to the forge light, I could see veins of luminescence running through it like veins. "It's beautiful," I said breathily, turning it over in my hands. "How do you work with it? What temperature does it need to be heated to, and does it use regular forging techniques, or—"
"Eager questions!" Blinky's eyes twinkled. "All in due time, Master Jim. First, let me show you what else is available." He gestured to another shelf, this one stocked with smaller, more delicate materials. "Living metal, which can be shaped through will as much as force. Compression cores, which form the basis of devices like the Furgolator." His four hands moved in an intricate pattern. "And of course, various grades of steel, raw chunks suitable for your refinement, fragments that can be incorporated into more delicate work."
I moved from shelf to shelf, It was all somewhat interesting but of coursethis was just the surface, potions, spells, or whatever else they had in store had to be used as well. I wish I brought a notebook to sort materials into categories and potential applications. The living metal might allow for adaptive armor but it seemed flimsier than steel.
I stopped in front of the Furgolator again, drawn to it like a magnet. Up close, I could see the intricate craftsmanship—the way each rune connected to the next in a complex pattern, the careful alignment of compression cores around the central chamber.
"How does it work exactly?" I asked. "I mean, I understand the basic principle—compression of matter through concentrated energy—but the mechanics of it, the actual process seems a bit science fiction.."
Blinky beamed. "Ah, excellent question! Although I dont know much of its ancient origins The Furgolator operates on principles of dimensional compression rather than simple physical shrinking like you may be thinking. I believe it creates a field that temporarily reduces the space an object occupies without actually changing its fundamental properties." He gestured to the compression cores. "These maintain the field stability, while the heartstone provides the necessary energy. The runes serve as both control mechanisms and safety measures, ensuring that the compression remains temporary and reversible."
"So theoretically," I said slowly, "you could compress something as large as... what? A suit of armor? or even bigger?"
"Theoretically, yes, though we typically use it for raw materials and smaller items." Blinky tilted his head. "What are you thinking, Master Jim?"
"Though I should note that the Furgolator's compression is temporary by design. Objects will naturally expand back to their original size after a certain period, usually a day at most."
"That's fine," I said quickly.
All I needed was that little amount.
"Okay," I said, turning back to the workbenches and materials. "Show me the rest"
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I rewrote this like 3 times and it still isnt how I wanted. Still hope you enjoyed