Age of the Amulet Read online

  Admiring the Shadow Staff’s abilities, Tellad-Urr tore it from Claire’s hand, then tossed her into the shrinking portal. The last thing Claire saw was the dark Trollhunter’s face—now screwed into a mask of absolute rancor—before the opening closed and her body hurtled aimlessly into unyielding darkness.

  CHAPTER 6

  MAZES & MONSTERS

  The Creepslayerz had stopped screaming again—but that was only because they were too busy running for their lives.

  “I wish I never met stupid Lake and stumbled into his stupid secret life!” said Steve, looking back at the enraged Trolls in hot pursuit behind him.

  “Ahh! Don’t eat me!” squealed Eli when NotEnrique jumped onto him.

  “Relax! I’m not gonna eat ya,” assured NotEnrique. “I just wanted a front-row seat when Kilfred’s posse does!”

  Following their black-and-white leader, the Troll mob knocked over more boxes of salvaged goods and gained on their human quarry. Steve poured on more speed, but Eli struggled to keep up with his more athletic classmate—especially with a laughing Changeling clinging to his shirttails like a demented rodeo clown. To Eli, it felt as if the Trolls were hounding them through a labyrinth of crates. It reminded him of the Minotaurs from the role-playing game his mom bought for him, Mazes & Monsters. Eli’s eyes then went wide behind his glasses when he remembered another of his mom’s gifts. He jumped in the air and clicked his heels together, causing roller skate wheels to pop out of the soles of his sneakers.

  “Zip-Slippers are a GO!” said Eli as he began coasting along the warehouse floor.

  “ ‘Zip-Slippers’?” NotEnrique cracked up again.

  Ignoring the Changeling’s sniggering, Eli looked over his shoulder and smiled. With each skate of his feet, he put more and more distance between himself and Kilfred’s chasing Trolls. Satisfied, Eli looked ahead again, just in time to see his body collide with Steve’s.

  “Watch it, weirdo!” said Steve as he tangled with Eli and fell to the ground.

  “Sorry!” Eli squeaked, his wheeled feet slipping and sliding uncontrollably.

  “Strike now!” Kilfred ordered to his advancing Trolls. “While the little one is dancing!”

  Steve looked from the oncoming wave of irate Trolls to Eli, who continued to skate wildly, going nowhere fast with a cackling green munchkin on his head.

  “Why does this keep happening to us?!” Steve yelled before jumping onto Eli.

  The momentum carried them away from the Trolls—Eli skating at the bottom, Steve piggyback-riding on top, and NotEnrique laughing his head off somewhere in the middle.

  “You may be doing permanent damage to my spine, but I’ve never felt so alive!” Eli said.

  “If you tell anyone about this, you won’t ever feel alive again!” Steve threatened back.

  Their bodies moving as one, the Creepslayerz (plus NotEnrique) whizzed between columns of crates, hanging sharp turns at corners and leaving Kilfred’s crew in their dust. Now out of the Trolls’ line of sight, Steve indicated an open crate dead ahead, its front panel angled on the floor in front of it like a ramp. Eli nodded and scooted the three of them right up the panel and into the large wooden box. Steve reached back and shut the crate with them inside of it a split second before Kilfred and the Trolls ran past them.

  Fumbling in the darkness, Steve pulled out his phone. The home screen lit up the entire inside of the crate, revealing Eli’s face an inch away from Steve’s. Startled, he dropped his phone with a clatter, which echoed loudly inside their box.

  “Shh!” Eli whispered urgently.

  “No, you shh!” Steve whispered back.

  NotEnrique chuckled at the bickering Creepslayerz, until Steve clamped his hand down on the Changeling’s mouth. Eli pressed his ear to the side and heard the Trolls debating nearby.

  “Lazy and inept, the lot of you!” said Kilfred’s voice. “Why, in my day, we’d have two fleshbags like that as an appetizer!”

  “Apologies, Kilfred,” Bagdwella said. “But, you see, we made a pact some time ago not to eat humans. We were so caught up in your return, we must’ve slipped back into old habits.”

  Eli pulled out a little pad of paper and marker to take notes, but Steve slapped them away.

  “Then my next decree as your leader is to renegotiate the so-called ‘pact,’ ” Kilfred decided. “Forget those two children who evaded us and take me to this . . . Arcadia.”

  Steve, Eli, and NotEnrique all traded a look of wide-eyed alarm as they heard the grumbling Trolls vacate the warehouse. Waiting a full minute after the last Troll shuffled outside, the crate opened and the Creepslayerz stumbled out. Eli said, “I think Kilfred just declared World War T on our hometown! The T stands for ‘Troll,’ by the way.”

  “Yeah, thanks for connecting the dots on that one, Eli,” Steve said sarcastically.

  “This is bad news,” added NotEnrique, not laughing anymore. “Even by Troll standards.”

  “So what do we do?” Steve demanded. “Lake normally handles this stuff, right? But he’s probably relaxing in some ancient Egyptian hot tub with dragons and other extinct animals!”

  Eli was about to correct several of the things Steve just said, when something caught his eye. Adjusting his glasses, he peered back into their crate and said, “Whoa, check this out. . . .”

  Steve looked over Eli’s shoulder and saw a treasure trove of Troll supplies.

  “Guess we were too busy not getting eaten to notice this junk,” said Steve.

  “This isn’t junk,” Eli continued. “You said it earlier: Jim would normally save the day, only he isn’t here. That means it’s up to us. But we can’t go out there unarmed. So, from one protector of the night to another, I ask you: How will we answer fate’s urgent distress call?”

  “Action-movie lock-and-load montage!” said the Creepslayerz in unison.

  Steve and Eli jumped into the crate and mined its contents for usable items. They stuffed their pockets with rounded crystals that looked just like their smoke bombs. They tore strips of red fabric from a Troll flag and wore them as headbands. They tucked rusted swords through their belts and drew patterns on their faces like war paint.

  After a few minutes of intense preparation, the Creepslayerz emerged armed to the teeth. Steve and Eli nodding approvingly at each other, their chests puffed with pride, their minds ready for battle. NotEnrique took one look at them—and howled with laughter. He pounded his fists on the concrete floor, laughing so hard he was crying.

  “Look at you!” NotEnrique gasped between giggles. “Look at yer little outfits!”

  Steve and Eli self-consciously dropped their heroic poses. After a solid minute of tittering, the little Changeling wiped his eyes and said, “But seriously, you twerps are in way over yer heads. I’d better call in a few favors before Kilfred’s invasion gets even more outta hand. You two stay here and stay outta trouble!”

  As soon as NotEnrique scampered out of the warehouse and into the woods, Steve turned to Eli and asked, “He doesn’t really think we’re gonna listen to him, does he?”

  “And miss out on all the fun?” Eli answered with a knowing wink.

  They performed an elaborate secret handshake with lots of slaps, bumps, and finger snaps before Steve ran for the exit and yelled, “Creepslayerz—HO!”

  Eli started to follow him, but skidded his Zip-Slippers to a halt in front of another open crate. It contained several tiny carved totems, each them attached to a loop of string.

  “Neat-o,” said Eli as he pocketed one of the Troll necklaces and skated after his pal.

  CHAPTER 7

  LOST AND FOUND AND LOST AGAIN

  Claire tried to stay calm as she careened uncontrollably through the Shadow Realm.

  Although she regularly traveled this dimension whenever teleporting from one portal to another, Claire never liked to spend more time here than absolutely necessary. The inky black abyss always set her nerves on edge, as if she were being constantly watched by the darknes
s itself. Even now, Claire’s body ached, her skull throbbed.

  A floating island of lifeless gray rock tumbled past Claire. Working through her illness, she grabbed on to the slow-moving asteroid to steady herself. Claire shut her eyes to stop the dizziness in her head. The vertigo faded—only to be replaced by something worse.

  Poor darling fawn, a cold, distant voice spoke in Claire’s mind. Poor little girl lost.

  Claire’s eyes snapped open. She looked around the unmoored island, only to find herself alone.

  Open a big enough door, something’s bound to escape, the voice returned.

  Claire then heard the faint echo of an icy laugh over the rushing blood in her ears. Searching for its source, Claire spotted a speck of light twinkling against the infinite shadows.

  The other portal! Claire realized.

  She kicked off the asteroid toward the light. Like a skydiver, Claire pulled her arms tight against her torso and pressed her legs together to cut down on resistance. Building speed, she arrowed toward the portal and now understood what had happened to her. When Tellad-Urr took the Shadow Staff, he closed the entrance portal behind Claire, trapping her in the Shadow Realm. But she had also opened a second portal—an exit—which still remained open, thanks to Claire’s emotional anchor.

  “Jim!” Claire cried as she saw his limp body plummet past the other side of the portal.

  Streamlining herself even more, Claire flew through the portal, leaving the Shadow Realm and entering the predawn sky high above the moorlands. As gravity once again reclaimed her, bracing gusts buffeted Claire’s body, whipping her silver-streaked hair into her face. Clearing her eyes, Claire saw Jim’s unconscious body falling below her own. She dove after him and wrapped her arms around his armored chest so that they fell together.

  “Wha— Claire?!” Jim roused, surprised by her sudden appearance.

  “Told ya I’d catch ya,” Claire yelled.

  “Thanks! But who’s gonna catch us?” Jim asked.

  He and Claire looked down at the oncoming ground. Jim figured they were less than half a minute away from splattering against the moors, which actually looked quite lovely from this height. Twisting in the air, Jim put his body between Claire and the earth and said, “Hold on!”

  “I appreciate the gesture, but chivalry isn’t gonna help us now!” Claire said.

  Scant seconds from impact, Jim touched the flickering Amulet on his chest and said, “It will if this baby’s got enough juice left to protect us from one! Last! Punch!”

  Jim and Claire intertwined their fingers just before their bodies slammed into a shallow river bisecting the moors. Reacting a heartbeat prior to the plunge, the Amulet used the last of its borrowed energy to generate a force field around the two teens. The magical shell insulated them against the full effects of the impact, then shattered into oblivion.

  At once, Jim felt the chest plate dissolve and the shock of the cold river water against his body. He grabbed his Amulet before it sank, and Claire grabbed Jim, frantically pulling them both to the surface. Their heads burst out of the river, gasping for air. Grateful to be alive, Jim and Claire embraced, then paddled for the shore. They dragged their sodden bodies onto the marshy bank, next to a small stone footbridge that crossed the river.

  “I always wanted to visit England,” said Claire. “But not like this.”

  Jim shivered miserably beside her, adding, “And I thought I was homesick in the Darklands. At least you’re feeling well enough to shadow-jump again.”

  “N-not that it matters now,” Claire replied through chattering teeth. “That Tellad-Urr clone stole my staff before he punted me into the Shadow Realm. I don’t know how we’re going to get back to Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH!!!”

  Jim heard the rumble of plodding footsteps approach the river. Clambering up the sandy bank, he looked out at the moors, and his eyes immediately bulged in alarm.

  “Actually, I think they’re coming to us,” Jim said as he slid down the river bank, took Claire by the arm, and pulled her under the footbridge.

  The stone arch sprinkled silt onto their heads as five Tellad-Urr the Terribles marched above them. Keeping absolutely still, Jim and Claire looked over to the river’s waters, which reflected the grim army above them. One of the dark Trollhunters hefted the Sundown Mace, three pushed the covered wheelbarrows full of “tributes,” and the last held a fistful of chains. Jim and Claire’s hearts sank as they saw the rippling reflections of Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH!!!—each of them shackled and pulled along as Tellad-Urr’s prisoners.

  “Tellad-Urr, I implore you to listen to reason,” said Blinky, rattling the cuffs on all four of his hands. “We are all Trolls here. Surely we can come to some sort of peaceful solution.”

  “Well, technically, I’m not a Troll,” Toby stipulated. “But I was crowned king of the Quagawumps for an hour. We even came up with a dance in my honor!”

  “A peaceful solution,” Tellad-Urr snorted derisively. “Do you have any idea how often I pleaded to Merlin for peace? For even the slightest reprieve from his Amulet’s constant demands?”

  As they crossed the footbridge, one of the wheelbarrows hit a raised cobblestone, causing it to spill. Jim and Claire heard its contents fall over the bridge and tinkle against the river stones beside them. Picking up one the scraps, Jim recognized it as an iron fastener that once rested on that village’s front gate. Even in the absence of light under the bridge, he saw that the metal had been wrenched out of place. It now appeared as twisted and bent as the Trollhunter above them.

  “I knew no peace as a champion,” said Tellad-Urr the Terrible, ignoring the imminent sunrise. “So why should it be any different for the worlds I was duped into protecting?”

  Jim shook the water out of his Amulet and whispered to Claire, “I need to help them.”

  “No!” Claire whispered back. “You can’t help them if you’re dead!”

  “We can’t just leave the guys with that red lunatic—” Jim quietly protested.

  “You really think Tellad-Urr’ll let you pirate more of his Amulet’s magic?” Claire breathed. “We need a plan first. You know that’s what Blinky would say.”

  Jim looked into Claire’s eyes and knew she was right. He let out a weary sigh, which was drowned out by the last of the Tellad-Urrs’ footsteps as they cleared the bridge.

  “We’ll get ’em back, Jim,” Claire promised as their friends disappeared over the next hill.

  “Even if I can find a way to rescue Tobes and Blink and AAARRRGGHH!!!, how am I supposed to return us all to our own time?” Jim said out loud now that they were alone. “My Amulet’s still on the fritz, and I don’t even know what year I’m in!”

  “On the human calendar or the Troll calendar?” someone asked.

  Jim and Claire slowly turned and discovered a River Troll staring at them from the shadow of the bridge. The Troll took a step forward, causing Jim and Claire to scream. But their scream made the Troll scream in response. Jim and Claire looked at each other as the River Troll backed away meekly.

  “Um, I’m guessing you’re not a fan of Tellad-Urr either,” said Jim, watching how the Troll’s knees knocked in fright.

  “Are you crazy?” the River Troll replied. “I’ve been hiding under here for three weeks just to avoid that one-horned tyrant!”

  “Then we’re on the same side,” said Claire, recovering from her initial shock. “I’m Claire and this is Jim, the Trollhunter—”

  The Troll screamed again.

  “No, no! He’s a good one! From . . . from far away!” Claire quickly added.

  The River Troll studied the two humans for a beat before he slowly crept toward them. The sky lightened over the bridge, letting Jim and Claire get a better look at him. The Troll appeared frail and old, the patches of moss on his body having faded from green to gray long ago. He wore a burlap smock, and even the horns on the boulder atop his head bent downward, as if they, too, had grown weak in age.

  “Pleased to meet
you,” said the River Troll. “The name’s Gogun.”

  Jim and Claire’s eyes bugged in amazement. With a jubilant whoop, they grabbed each other’s arms and began jumping for joy under the bridge. The old Troll scowled at the noise.

  “We found Gogun the Gentle!” Claire cheered.

  “I’m Gogun the Graceful,” Gogun griped in annoyance. “You must have me confused with someone else.”

  Jim and Claire stopped jumping.

  “It’s probably a coincidence,” Gogun continued. “In my generation, ‘Gogun’ is a pretty popular Troll name. It’s right up there with ‘Shmorkrarg.’ ”

  “But . . . there are no coincidences in Trollhunting,” Jim said. “Only destiny.”

  “Is that so? Well, my destiny is to stay under this bridge until I croak from old age or Tellad-Urr destroys the world—whichever comes first,” Gogun announced with some finality.

  Jim shook his head, pressed his defective Amulet into the old Troll’s hands, and said, “Listen, I know this is going to sound crazy. And that’s because it is crazy. And you can call yourself whatever you want, Gogun, but this Amulet brought us here for a reason. Claire and I, we need your help. To find our friends. To free them. To stop Tellad-Urr once and for all so his Amulet can pass onto yo—the next Trollhunter.”

  Claire patted her boyfriend on the back, proud of his speech. Jim smiled, seeing his words stir deep feelings within the Troll.

  “Are you insane?” shrieked Gogun. “Me? Fight Tellad-Urr? The Terrible?”

  “It’s the only way you can become the next Trollhunter,” Claire explained patiently.

  “But I don’t wanna be a Trollhunter!” Gogun yelled, then broke into a sob. “I’ve spent my whole life running from conflict! That, and those tiny, bald, drooling surface creatures.”

  Jim gaped in confusion before asking, “Are . . . are you talking about babies?”

  Gogun screamed again at the very mention of them. Claire leaned closer to Jim and asked, “How’s an old Troll who’s afraid of babies going to become Merlin’s next champion?”