Author’s Notes : And another! A small one yet again. Hope you all enjoy.
~
Titanhunters (Part 2)
They were met with ruin when the darkness cleared.
Rain poured through a gaping hole in the underground ceiling, the unearthed teal Heartstone drifting high above. The broken ground had collapsed inward, crushing the central hub of Harmonia, New Jersey’s very own Trollmarket.
“I’m…sure it was a lot nicer when you and Jimbo were here,” Toby said, somber.
Claire sniffled. “I hope everyone’s alright.”
“We’ve got things here,” Nomura said. She touched Claire’s shoulder. “You need to go.”
“R-right. Stay safe.” She hugged Nomura then Toby before shadowing away.
Bellroc and Sakrael have knowledge of technology well. If u show them a fridge they’d go “Ah like people in the cold winter would do. A cold box for your food to stay fresh. Now it’s convenient for any weather…”
However I think they’d be excited like to see idk dinosaur bones being shown in order to their accurate size, the documentaries about space and evolution that blew us away as kids, etc. They may know things well but the fact that humans care about learning the past with detail is super amusing to them.
Not to mention they’d be revisiting their own life, like a family photo book. I think the AO would feel appreciated by that. Humanity’s good traits and wonder make them .
One notable thing of the Arcane order as villains is that they let the protags waste their time…
Douxie did this twice: Trying to trick them with Archie “Nari”, and later having them seriously play “Lad of fortune”. Love them for having that unfounded, unnecessary patience for human quirks. I feel like they just respect their ways, even if Bellroc says things about them being mundane and simple.
This isn’t the favorite of my designs but I’m overall pleased with how it turned out. Coloring was lots of fun heehee
Another doodle I wanted to share :
The ice baddies from this chapter dubbed “frospecters”, though they’ll be showing up again down the line. I ended up wanting Skrael’s minions to be ghostlike. I also wanted them to have the ability to shoot icicles. I Googled ice ghosts (just Pokemon results lol), ice spirits, ice specters, and landed on this design. Freakier than I thought it’d be but I like it!
I forgot to do a Luma doodle! Need to get on that >_<
Author’s Notes : And another! A small one yet again. Hope you all enjoy.
~
Titanhunters (Part 2)
They were met with ruin when the darkness cleared.
Rain poured through a gaping hole in the underground ceiling, the unearthed teal Heartstone drifting high above. The broken ground had collapsed inward, crushing the central hub of Harmonia, New Jersey’s very own Trollmarket.
“I’m…sure it was a lot nicer when you and Jimbo were here,” Toby said, somber.
Claire sniffled. “I hope everyone’s alright.”
“We’ve got things here,” Nomura said. She touched Claire’s shoulder. “You need to go.”
“R-right. Stay safe.” She hugged Nomura then Toby before shadowing away.
They followed Blinky and Nomura into the boroughs untouched by the wreckage. The network of vast caverns and concaves was bathed in the soft light of crystals, all varying shades of blue. Before long, trolls began to peek out from their stone homes at the sound of newcomers.
“Blinkous!” Bagdwella exclaimed.
“It’s Blinky and Nomura!”
“Welcome back, welcome!”
“Who are these strangers with you?”
“Where’s the Trollhunter?”
The trolls of Harmonia gathered around, greeting Blinky and Nomura with embraces and handshakes.
“Good to see you all again, my friends!” Blinky said. “Is everyone unharmed? Are you all safe?”
“Barely!” a short three-eyed troll said. “Almost lost three of me eyes!”
“Everyone’s been accounted for, thank Deya,” another troll said. “Even the elders and younglings.”
“Good,” Nomura said. “But we’re not out of the woods yet. Far from it. Where’s—”
“Blinkous. Nomura.”
The crowd of trolls parted up ahead until out stepped an eldery troll, slender and towering over the rest despite being hunched over from age. Crystals adorned her neck and shoulders, glistening upon her cerulean skin. Stripes of purple and green painted her forearms. Her stark white hair was bundled at the ends and nearly brushed the floor, loose braids dangling throughout. She wore a long dark magenta dress. Attached to her hip with a sash and belt was a lengthy, curved, and serrated heartstone dagger. The troll narrowed her glimmering eyes.
“Luma!” Blinky said, approaching her. “The time is most urgent. We must—”
“Now, now Blinkous.” Luma raised a brow at the Blanks zipping about and invading everyone’s personal bubbles. Her gaze landed on Toby, who waved sheepishly. “Won’t you introduce us to these strangers you’ve brought here?”
“O-oh…yes! Of course!” Blinky turned to his comrades. “Might I introduce you all to the beloved leader of Harmonia, Luma The Kind. Luma, this here is my dear friend, Aarghaumont, the one I’ve told you much about. Walter Stricklander, another reformed spy of Gunmar. Tobius Domzalski! Best friend of Master Jim. And uh…Ricky and Lucy. They’re…”
“Hootin’ and happy ta meet ya!” Ricky said, him and Lucy flying up into Luma’s space. She simply blinked.
“I’m a jewelry gal myself!” Lucy said, wide eyes flitting over the gems embedded in Luma’s stone skin. She zeroed in on her reflection in them. “Those crystals are crystal clear!”
“That’s what I like to hear!” The Blanks smushed their faces together.
“Crystal clear!”
“Loud and clear!
“That’s what I like to hea—”
Walter yanked the pair back with his hands clamped over their mouths.
“A pleasure,” he said to Luma.
“Hello,” Aaarrrgghh said with a small wave.
“Thanks for taking care of Jimbo and Claire,” Toby said. “If you need a warhammer, I gotcha covered.”
Luma regarded them for a moment. Then she smiled.
“Welcome, friends of Blinkous, Nomura, and the Trollhunter,” she said. Then she turned to Blinky. “Master Jim and Fair Claire. Are they well?”
“Alright, yes,” Blinky said, before looking down. “Although…Master Jim has been most troubled and distressed after everything. I fear for the wellbeing of his heart and mind.”
Luma said nothing, then nodded. “Jim has suffered much and greatly. But rest assured when the time comes, it will be as it always has. His doubts will be of no concern. Especially,” her gaze went to Toby, Aaarrrgghh, Walter, and Nomura, “with such friends by his side.” They returned her gaze with kindling eyes and firm nods. “Now Blinkous. Do tell us why Harmonia’s Heartstone is floating in the sky.”
When they had finished explaining everything, the crowd of trolls murmured in confusion and terror.
“W-what will we do?”
“To think! Our glorious Heartstone is one of seven primordial!”
“Titans…How will we stand against such beasts?”
“It’s the end for us all! Our last days are upon us!”
“None of that! We can take’m!”
“Fire, ice, what have you, Harmonia ain’t backin’ down!”
“That’s right!”
“YEAH!!!”
“You’re all mad! Were you not listening?”
“Loud and clear!” Lucy said.
“Crystal!” added Ricky.
“These flesh bags loose in the head?!”
While the trolls continued debating, Luma held a claw to her chin, thinking. Finally, after a long while, she made her way up onto a nearby platform. The cavern went silent with bated breaths, all eyes on their leader. Luma swept her calm gaze over each of their faces before settling on Blinky and Nomura.
“Your valiant friends will not face this alone,” she said. “The trolls of Harmonia will stand with you.” Luma raised a hand, quieting the charged and fearful outbursts that followed. “Peace and take heart, my beloved ones. There is no shame in fear. But to lift your head in spite of it, that is courage. So courage, my friends. What have I always said?”
“‘A fight is more than bearing arms’,” Nomura said, “‘but hearts beating for life and death.’”
Luma smiled and nodded. “Ringa! Lopfang! Wyvernst! Glog!”
Four Stalkling trolls made themselves known, their eyes glowing red against the cave ceiling where they hung. They descended around Luma, heads bowed.
“Swift and true,” Luma said, placing a hand on one of their heads. “Bring the message of what’s to come to every troll civilization. Tell them Luma of Harmonia has sent you. Give our condolences and strength to those whose Heartstones have fallen.” The Stalklings took off without hesitation, fast and thunderous as the howling winds. “Elders, take the younglings to the furthest parts of our underground. Stay hidden or defend yourselves. Whatever the matter calls for.” Luma looked up. “The storms are shielding us. Prepare yourselves, those who will join us. We go to the Waterfront.”
Nerves tempered and hearts encouraged, the trolls dispersed and went about gathering tools. Stone clubs and maces were handed out. Boulders and dwarkstones were placed into crates next to catapults. Makeshift weapons were quickly forged. Younglings embraced their parents.
Walter and Nomura held a brief session on basic combat for those who needed it. Toby and Aaarrrgghh consoled the distressed. The Blanks flashed their new guns, trolls rolling out of the way when they recklessly took aim. Luma and Blinky locked eyes for a moment, then nodded in solidarity. She watched his friends aiding in preparations. Let her eyes linger over her trolls and her thoughts on the world.
“Eternity help us,” she whispered.
⬦
Roughly 100,000 trolls marched from beneath Hoboken to along the Hudson River. All around in the distance large blue spacecrafts were filling with frantic passengers before lifting off, disappearing into the slate clouds. The areas all along the Waterfront had been completely vacated, still and silent as graves.
“Hope Aja and Krel are alright,” Toby whispered, watching an Akiridion ship.
“Varvatos and Creepslayerz, too,” Aaarrrgghh grunted, worried.
Nomura stood beside Walter, arms crossed. “Place your bet. Who’s it gonna be?”
“Fire, ideally,” Walter said. His wings fluttered.
“Mm, so I’m going with Ice then. What’s the prize?”
“Bragging rights.”
“Oh come on, little butterfly.”
“Tickets to the next symphony then. Deal?”
Nomura smirked. “Deal.”
Luma stood still as a statue, hands folded behind her and eyes fixed on the churning open sea. An uncertain amount of time passed. An hour, maybe two. But before much longer, a thick white mist abruptly swallowed everything in sight, bringing with it a biting chill. Raindrops became pinpricks of bitter cold. Clouds of breath fumed amongst them.
“S-s-should’ve brought a sweater!” Toby said, teeth chattering. He huddled close to Aaarrrgghh’s furry self.
“Ready yourselves!” Luma shouted. Her hand slowly rose to take her dagger. The shuddering trolls braced themselves. The catapults were hastily loaded. Blinky reached into the sack slung around him, heavy with dwarkstones. They all took a step back as the river froze over. Moments later, the ice exploded, torrents of seawater cascading off a colossal form as it rose from the depths. The Ice Titan dwarfed Jersey City and wasted no time in honing in on the Heartstone. Skrael grinned madly and urged the Titan forward.
Trolls manning the catapults opened fire at Luma’s command, launching dwarkstones and chunks of jagged rock. The Ice Titan staggered as its legs and torso lit up with explosions. Taking another step resulted in another round of projectiles. After the third, Skrael seethed. A vicious flurry blew from the Titans whole body, the relentless cold like a flock of knives cutting through the trolls’ stone skin.
When Blinky lowered his arm and looked up, shivers coursed through him. From the haze floating shapes began to emerge, materializing from the frozen air. He fought the urge to scream when half an emaciated torso of ice drifted towards him, chopped at the ribs, the rest of spine tapering into a tail of ice and frost. A ghostly veil split by a vertical mouth crammed with needle-like teeth served as a head, complete with a pair of short down-curved horns wrapped in tattered strips of dark cloth. Sharpened twelve-inch icicles protruded all along its long arms, both flashing four even longer and deadlier icy claws.
“A specter of frost!” Blinky exclaimed, stepping back.
“F-frospecter!” Toby whimpered as two of the creatures neared the Wingmen.
As the haze began to clear, they saw not one or two, but what looked to be thousands of the things, these frospecters, surrounding them. They descended all at once like white vultures, blowing freezing breath and slinging icicles.
“To the Ice Wizard!” Luma bellowed at Walter and Nomura. She brandished her dagger and roared, “For Harmonia and for glory!”
Walter flew, taking Nomura with him. Shouts filled the air as the trolls and frospecters collided. The frospecters, elusive wisps of cold, wove fast around fists, swords, and clubs. But once a hit landed, their icy bodies shattered like glass. Ricky and Lucy made good use of their new torch features, jets of fire turning the frospecters to mist.
“Hey hot stuff!” Lucy said, back to back with her husband as they mowed down several at a time.
“You’re my spice of life, Lucy Lu!” Ricky quipped back with a wink. “And there goes our champ with that good arm of his!”
Toby leapt from Aaarrrgghh’s back, bringing his hammer straight down onto a frospecters chest and smashing it to smithereens. He landed on his feet, already swinging at the next and then the one after. Another frospecter swooped down, its frigid breath creating a wall of jagged ice. But Aaarrrgghh punched right through it and kept his fists swinging, turning more enemies to dust.
“Aw yeah, Wingmen in the big leagues!” Toby shouted, hopping back onto his partner’s back. He kept his warhammer swinging while Aaarrrgghh charged ahead, leaving a path of pulverized ice demons in their wake.
“Go poof!” Aaarrrgghh said with a chuckle. But the cheering was cut short when Toby got blindsided by a frospecter’s claws to the head, rattling his helmet and sending him flying off Aaarrrgghh’s back. Aaarrrgghh immediately turned back to him, punching off any more attackers. “Wingman!!”
“Ugh, okay, maybe the middle leagues then…,” Toby groaned on his stomach. “I’m good, buddy, I just…” A whirlwind of movement caught his eye and he looked up. “Holy Chompskys!”
Going on two millennia, Luma was dispatching frospecters with such grace she could’ve been dancing. She traded her heartstone dagger seamlessly between her hands and her agility was unmatched, ensuring no enemy on the left, right, above, or below was safe.
“You think my Nana could do that?” Toby asked. Aaarrrgghh scratched his head.
Meanwhile Walter soared high above the Titan’s head with Nomura dangling from his arms.
“Hehe, so that Tchaikovsky concert next month sounds good,” Nomura said. Walter rolled his eyes. “Tell you what, let’s go again. That little ice brat’s head is mine.”
“Hmm, whoever gets the killing blow.” Walter dove, his grin devious. “That’s more like it.”
He swung Nomura out of his grip. She drew her scimitars midair, going right in for a slash when she landed behind Skrael. Skrael snapped his body around without missing a beat, Nomura’s blade scraping against the rod of his staff. Walter swooped around, taking turns hurling his throwing knives and shooting with one of Krel’s laser gauntlets. Skrael pushed Nomura off and retaliated with bullets of sharpened ice. Walter evaded before they could clip his wings. Nomura ducked, hissing when one grazed her cheek.
“Disgraceful,” Skrael said. “Don’t you realize all that we’re doing is for magical creatures like yourselves?” He shook his head, scowling. “But lowly humans have infected you. So much so that you chose allegiance to Merlin’s champions. And for what?”
“To shut you up for one thing,” Nomura remarked. Then her friends came to mind. “But also, I’d prefer to side with the ones who actually care about Magickind.”
Skrael’s eyes flashed and he spat, “You will die with the rest of the vermin!!”
Magic wrapped around him then expelled, sending shards of ice whizzing in every direction. Nomura rushed and slid beneath them but ended up crashing through a conjured wall, rolling hard. Walter got Skrael in the shoulder with a blast of energy then went hand-to-hand with a knife, slicing his face and dropping him. Skrael cradled his cheek bleeding frost and righted his staff for support, snarling in rage. He banged the ground and Walter jumped before a whetted ice pillar could skewer him. Nomura sprinted into the fray, dodging icy spikes, chopping them to bits. By the time she reached Skrael he was back up, their weapons once again grinding in a vicious clash.
On the ground, Blinky was lobbing dwarkstone after dwarkstone, the blasts obliterating several frospecters at a time. He was about to toss another when he tripped onto his back over something rock solid. Dread and grief pierced him when he realized it was a petrified troll, falling to pieces around an icicle. Hundreds more had also met their marks, rimy fragments of gray stone once pieced and alive strewn about wherever Blinky looked. Many more trolls were frozen in place, suspended in ice. Others were retreating with the weight of exhaustion. No matter how many frospecters fell, the hoard remained unfazed, respawning again and again from the surrounding mist.
Lucy winced when the flames of her torch petered out. “Oy vey, out of gas!”
“Drat, not in this economy!” Ricky exclaimed. “Watch out!” The Blanks zipped and bounced out of the way of flying ice needles. They resorted to their cannons, picking off frospecters where they could.
Toby smashed his warhammer into what had to be the billionth frospecter, only for two more to take its place.
“They’re like Nana’s friends when there’s a sale at the antique store!” he cried, hammer head thudding against the ground as his screaming arms went limp.
Aaarrrgghh roared and punched the new terrors away but it was no use. His ears drooped even as he stood his ground by Toby. The things just kept coming. Above it all, the Ice Titan was closing the distance between it and the Heartstone. Blinky squinted up through the rain.
“Come on, my friends,” he whispered.
Another frospecter fell to Luma’s dagger. She stopped and looked about. Knelt and touched what remained of the fallen, grief and anger burning her eyes and heart. When she stood she followed Blinky’s gaze up, fearing more sorrow.
It was a battle of sheer power and speed. Skrael casted blizzard after blizzard, summoned lethal shards and spikes. Nomura spun, ducked, leapt, veered. They traded a couple savage blows then backed away. Rinse and repeat. Skrael simultaneously deflected Walter’s aerial attacks with one hand creating frost barriers. He knocked Nomura sideways before whirling to double down on Walter, firing a barrage of ice shards. Walter beat his wings hard and made one huge loop to narrowly avoid the attack. But when he reoriented himself and noticed the light, bluish tint of everything, he spun around and his mind ruptured in panic.
The Ice Titan was now right in front of the Heartstone.
“No…no, no, n—NNGH!!!” A blast of frigid cold to the back, and Walter was falling, wings shackled by webs of frost.
“Walter!!” Nomura bolted to the edge, just in time to grab his hand. She strained for purchase on the ice. Their eyes met. “I’ve got—” A crystal lance lodged into her shoulder and she shrieked. From agony. From Walter slipping from her grip. She screamed her throat raw, “NO!! CATCH HIM! SOMEBODY CATCH HIM!”
“Waltolomew!!” Blinky shouted when he spotted him.
“Wingman!” Toby cried but Aaarrrgghh was already on it, barreling towards impact. Twenty seconds, maybe less. Aaarrrgghh growled and pumped his hulking arms harder, faster. He rolled at the last second, enough coverage to fold Walter into his arms before he was impaled by a block of serrated ice, tumbling again from the momentum, smashing right through it and flipping several times more. Aaarrrgghh landed on his side and finally skid to an abrupt stop against a truck.
“Nicely done, Aarghaumont!” Blinky and the others hurried around them. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, yes, but Nomura…!” Walter clambered out of Aaarrrgghh’s arms, stumbling to his knees, his disquieted eyes trained on the Titan. The image of that iced javelin piercing Nomura gutted him. He punched the ground, swore under his breath when his rimed wings didn’t budge. “Don’t you dare, Nomura. Don’t you dare!!”
A cry of pain scraped Nomura’s throat. She clutched the ice stabbed into her, teetering backwards. She looked down. Sucked in a harsh breath, stomach sinking and twisting while her entire body sagged. It was already spreading, the discoloration from the puncture wound. Nomura clamped her eyes shut, forcing deep and ragged breaths through clenched teeth until a dry sob burst passed. She’d never been more angry in her life.
“Well that was fun,” Skrael said, grinning ear to ear. He tilted his staff in tandem with the Ice Titan surging and crushing the Heartstone in its grip, its arms glowing. Skrael cackled as the Heartstone’s teal light dimmed rapidly.
Nomura slowly opened her eyes. Her scimitars were on the other side of the field, maybe three yards from where Skrael was. She started, moving quick and silent, setting aside her agony and her body graying by the second.
The last of the Heartstone’s light vanished. In a fury, Nomura leapt and scooped up her weapons. Skrael blocked before she could decapitate him. She locked his staff between her blades and wrung it out of his hands with a brutal twist to the side. She went back on her feet and pounced.
Another icicle gored her stomach.
Her blade missed Skrael’s throat. So she brought down the other, and sliced his left arm clean off.
“NNGAAAAAHHHH!!!!” Skrael screeched, swore, thrashed. Frost and mist spilled from his elbow, thin black veins pulsing icy blue creeping up his skin from the trauma. “YOU WRETCHED LITTLE…! MISERABLE—WORTHLESS—I’LL KILL YOU I’LL KILL YOU!!!!!”
Nomura slumped against an icy wall. Watched her stomach turn gray. Felt the paralysis burgeon. She dug her claws into the ice, turned her face up and let the rain wash over her.
“I’m sorry,” Nomura whispered. “I’m sorry…” All of Skrael’s screaming and all of the gray faded to the background. Instead she heard laughter and saw her friends. Their smiles and embraces and fighting spirits. She thought of Jim, who changed her heart. Harmonia, her first real home. Walter. Her oldest, closest friend. She saw him holding Barbara, that sweetheart, and smiled. A weak laugh. For most of her life, she’d only known strife and brutality. But laying here, Nomura also knew what love was, and believed in it. A lone tear was lost in the rain.
Thank you.
Skrael brought the cold blade of his staff down.
~
Author’s Notes : I had fun writing more of Walter and Nomura’s friendship. Nomura herself is such a blast. And I was torn for a bit about whether or not she’d go in my fic. In the end, it felt right to me. Thing is her death in the movie (like everything else) was just handled so poorly, just disrespectful to her character. I hope I changed that here!
Initially I was going to go with the whole “let’s blow the Ice Titan up” plan. But I as wrote, it just wasn’t turning out that way. Besides, Nomura deserved better than just being blown up. She fought like the savage she is to the end.
Oh, and also Skrael losing an arm just kind of happened lol Sometimes a story does what it wants.
Bless and thank you all again for reading. Until next time.
Rain poured through a gaping hole in the underground ceiling, the unearthed teal Heartstone drifting high above. The broken ground had collapsed inward, crushing the central hub of Harmonia, New Jersey’s very own Trollmarket.
“I’m…sure it was a lot nicer when you and Jimbo were here,” Toby said, somber.
Claire sniffled. “I hope everyone’s alright.”
“We’ve got things here,” Nomura said. She touched Claire’s shoulder. “You need to go.”
-
The crowd of trolls parted up ahead until out stepped an eldery troll, slender and towering over the rest despite being hunched over from age. Crystals adorned her neck and shoulders, glistening upon her cerulean skin. Stripes of blue and green painted her forearms. Her stark white hair was bundled at the ends and nearly brushed the floor, loose braids dangling throughout. She wore a long dark magenta dress. Attached to her hip with a sash and belt was a lengthy, curved, and serrated heartstone dagger. The troll narrowed her glimmering eyes.
“Luma!” Blinky said, approaching her. “The time is most urgent. We must—”
“Now, now Blinkous.” Luma raised a brow at the Blanks zipping about and invading everyone’s personal bubbles. Her gaze landed on Toby, who waved sheepishly. “Won’t you introduce us to these strangers you’ve brought here?”
-
“Hehe, so that Tchaikovsky concert next month sounds good,” Nomura said. Walter rolled his eyes. “Tell you what, let’s go again. That little ice brat’s head is mine.”
“Hmm, whoever gets the killing blow.” Walter dove, his grin devious. “That’s more like it.”
He swung Nomura out of his grip. She drew her scimitars midair, going right in for a slash when she landed behind Skrael. Skrael snapped his body around without missing a beat, Nomura’s blade scraping against his staff. Walter swooped around, taking turns hurling his throwing knives and shooting with one of Krel’s laser gauntlets. Skrael pushed Nomura off and retaliated with bullets of sharpened ice. Walter evaded before they could clip his wings. Nomura ducked, hissing when one grazed her cheek.
“Disgraceful,” Skrael said. “Don’t you realize all that we’re doing is for magical creatures like yourselves?” He shook his head, scowling. “But lowly humans have infected you. So much so that you chose allegiance to Merlin’s champions. And for what?”
“To shut you up for one thing,” Nomura jeered, then was serious when the faces of her friends came to mind. “But also, I’d prefer to side with the ones who actually care about Magickind.”
~
I didn’t think I’d have any actual OCs in this fic but here we are lol This chapter should be up pretty soon so stay tuned!
