Such a magical little town, very lively

#merlins apprentices -> Avaluna and Suniva return to Arcadia, to assist the training of the first human trollhunter. Ending up having to face old demons and open old wounds.

#road to redemption -> Instead of trying to keep the ring, Jim return it to Angor, earning him and the team a new ally.

“I don’t know how you convinced Vendel to agree to this!” Blinky laughed as he handed the balloons to Suniva. 

“Well, he was not fond of it. But he did say so long as we get to training right away…” She grinned, her dragon wings crackled in the air, warm and ready. 

Her sister finished setting up the last decorations, turning up and grinning at the sight of the trollhunters with the pointy hats. The spirits weren’t as happy, many were disgruntled, however this was not for them. Blinky had offered for more people to greet the trollhunter, but she advised against it; the week had been overwhelming enough.

“Are you ready for the ritual tonight? It is important that everything is set so that our favour is well.” The older sister warned while stringing more balloons onto the forge.

“Yes, yes, sister! I got all under control!” Suniva giggled, landing next to her sister. “It’s not different from all the other rituals of binding! Besides, the Eternal Flame is more than used to me.”

Avaluna grimaced, “Used or not, it is imperative that you are ready for what may come. The ritual is important; it has always been.”

“And I know that, sis! It's gonna be fine!” She smiles, just as she glimpses the entry of Trollmarket and sees the Trollhunter entering. “For now, we have celebrations to attend to.”

Her expectations were turned upside down, however, as Jim wasn’t very happy, which was easy to see from the get-go. Though he did not seem to dislike the intention, indeed, he seemed quite thankful. 

“Happy birthday, Jim! We hope you live many years longer!” The older sister smiled, handing Jim a small box. 

Suniva laughed cheerfully, putting her much larger box on top of her sister’s. “I hope you enjoy my gift as well! I wasn’t exactly sure what to get you, so I improvised! But I am very happy with it! Should be useful!”

Jim is unsure of his words, putting the gifts down for a moment to turn to them, with thankfulness and a forced smile on his lips. “Thank you… I… Appreciate? It?”

“You hate it.” Suniva was quick to read. “Or maybe you hate something else?”

“I… Prefer not to talk about it…” He puts the gifts away from harm and turns back. “So… Erm… are we training today?” 

The sisters look to one another, confused at this unexpected question. “Well. We can, but it is gonna be short! You’re not the only one with a big day ahead of you!” Suniva winked, moving towards the arena’s many levers to get the training ready. 

Blinky patted the boy’s back, smiling, “Well, master Jim! You have a glorious point. There’s nothing better than training on their day of birth, to avoid their day of death!”

Jim chuckled weakly, moving quickly into the arena as the sun sister called. Avaluna approached him and Toby, just as curious as Blinky, she had gathered that there was a missing element in Jim’s life, as she looked through his school records. So when the conundrum queried why the boy seemed so sparkless in a day when he should be brightest, and Toby explained the circumstances in which the trauma occurred, the trainers understood.

Avaluna, too, couldn’t help but feel a certain tingle of understanding. Her first birthing day without her father figure was certainly a day she’d never forget either.

- - - 

Later on in the day, the moon wizard collected the moonflowers needed for the ritual, her sister sat at the edge of the clearing, braiding the fire-lilies into a bouquet, while their brother turned yesterday-today-and-tomorrows into a flower crown. All of them moved quietly and with precision, motions they had been doing for centuries; of course, they had to evolve, taken that some of the things they used to use were not as easy to find as they once were. Thankfully, their deities were understanding, and they were good at finding decent substitutes. 

Suniva finished braiding the flowers; they glistened in the sunlight as her mind tried to think back to her time with their master. “Do you remember your birthdays? Back when we were apprentices?”

Avaluna joined her siblings as she began arranging the flowers. “I do not think he knew our birthdays, not exactly anyways. Why?” 

The sun wizard sighed, thinking. “I remember he’d celebrate with us though… It was nice…”

“Oh yeah! He used to take us to the lake for my birthday. Make those little puddings by the fire, remember?” Douxie reminisced about a time when they made brownies without even knowing what they were. “And we would count the constellations we could see, and he’d let me before I knew they were the same every day, each year.”

“Oh, I do remember that… He told us he’d never forgive us if we broke the magic… Even though it was not magic at all! Hahaha!” Suniva giggled. “He’d take us to town for mine, I think! He’d give me gold and tell me to spend the day shopping! It was so fun!”

The younger siblings chuckled to each other, then they stopped and fell silent until they turned to Avaluna. “Hey sis? What did he do for your birthday? Now that I think about it, I don’t think I remember celebrating it.”

The oldest sibling chuckled, lifting the heaviness off the air. “Master knew I was not fond of big celebrations or acts… I celebrated my birthing day in the forest, flying under the moonlight, surrounded by fae. You were both asleep by then.”

Suniva gasped,     offended now, “YOU HAD A FAE PARTIES AND DIDN’T INVITE ME?!” 

“Sister, you would not have made it out of my celebrations. Without the sun to strengthen you, the fae would have dragged you deeper and deeper into their realm. So Master and I decided that it would be a better alternative to not have either of you join.” 

The explanation made sense, though Suniva’s pout remained, making the elder sister laugh as she finished weaving together the wraith. At which point, the sun was already falling, allowing for the moon to appear and shine. The three of them moved solemnly, using their magic to change quickly into proper clothes as they went deeper into the woods, past the sigils they’d hidden, past the barriers they'd raised in the past. 

The area they had settled centuries ago stood preserved. The flowers bloomed as Douxie approached, butterflies fluttered as they did, and moths glided to where he moved; Suniva was quick to light the pyre she smithed, black iron turned bright red with the heat from the flame; and Avaluna’s windchimes sounded sonorously as the crystals clinked, almost wording welcomes as she had finally returned to them. The eldest turned confidently to her siblings. Suniva already stood barefoot on the grass, and Douxie strummed his well-tuned lyre. 

The moon-wizard filled her lungs, then spoke melodiously, “Gratias tibi agimus quod nos elegisti. Gratias tibi agimus pro vita quam praebuisti. Hic convenimus, in nomine tuo.” While she sang, Sunniva danced, right to left, waving her body like the flame before her, steps sure, almost lighting sparks. All while Douxie followed, the sound of his lyre as he followed his sisters brought all plants to face him. “Ut laudes canamus, o superbi. O Ventus Septentrionalis, o Custos Flammae, o Silva Aeterna. Visne te liberis quos elegisti hoc momento iungere?”

As she finished her song, snowflakes came from the north, forming the shape of the embodiment of the North Wind, with their cloak of shadows and crown of bones. From Suniva’s flame rose the form of the Flame Keeper, their giant pectoral eyes independently moving until they fixed on her. Then, finally, from the patches of flowers emerged an emerald deer that soon transformed itself before Douxie’s eyes, turning into the well-known elven form of the Eternal Forest’s host. The Arcane Order stood before them, and united, the siblings bowed in reverence.

“Stand,” Bellroc called the three to the three wizards, who followed. “As you have called, we have answered. Our most loyal followers. Our most trusted harnesses. We greet you, as you’ve greeted us with hospitality.”

The three deities bowed in turn, making a smile pass through their chosens lips. Then, they turned their backs, Skrael flying high to the sky, Bellrock slithering into the cave behind them, and Nari skipping into the woods. The wizards all nodded, gathering their offerings and taking them as they followed. Avaluna took to the skies, Suniva to the underground and Douxie through the bush. All were ready to bestow their gifts upon the beings that gave them the powers they honed to that day. 

As soon as Avaluna reached the clouds, she was swept by a current of winds and clouds, chuckling as the cold tickled her. “HAHAHAH!!! Please! Please ahahahahah lord Skrael! Hah, stop it! hehe!!”

Soon it did stop, and she was cushioned softly on a dense cloud, the small crystals kept from pinching her by her cloak. The arcane of the North Wind appeared, smile cutting his lips as the dead flesh he wore stretched. “Avaluna Ambrosious Wylt! It has been a year!”

“Yes, it has! As per our agreement.” She smiled back. “I have brought you offerings of the past year. So the future might be kind.”

“And what offerings would these be?” Skrael grinned even wider, the corners of his mouth shredding open.

The wizard put her hands inside the basket, producing three jars of colourful contents. “I bring you the sweets of this year’s harvest, survivors of the waters you’ve sent.” He took it gracefully, opening one, delighted at its scent. She then produced a pelt from a great deer, the fur soft and scented of cinnamon. “Then I bring new skin, to weather through snow and waters, to sheath your form, even if unable to feel the sting of death.” He took it warmly, shedding the old, cold, rotten skin and wrapping himself in the new skin, his grin once necrotic, now the welcoming display he intended. Finally, she produced the wreath of moonflowers, softly raising it to him, “Then finally, I give you this wreath of moonflowers, representations of you, to show that even in today’s unforgiving world, there will forever be those who witness you even in the smallest things.”

The god took it and crowned himself; the wind, once howling, now calmed. “Thank you for your gifts, Avaluna, of Phocis, Avaluna Ambrosious. My protected…” The god took one of the jars, cutting it clean in half with its contents remaining in the halves. “Eat with me. Tell me, what have you in your heart to keep that tenseness in your features?”

Avaluna turned to him, feeling her soft smile fade away. With her hand, she scooped the jam and ate it slowly. The sweetness was good, just as she had made it. Once she felt soothed enough, she turned to her deity. 

“I have… been fighting demons of my past.” She spoke, keeping her tone as calm as she could while the arcane member watched. “Bular the Butcher… He has been terrorizing this town in search of his father… and some believe he’s close to it…” The god continued quiet, and that made Avaluna’s uneasiness worse. “I need your foresight, Skrael of the North Wind. Please, assist in my vision, grant me a sight into what may happen.”

The god stared at her, head tilting as he engulfed the jam and placed the empty half back into the basket. “I agree to give you a vision into a clear future. But it may not be what you wish to see…”

“I have nothing I want to see.” She clarified.

But the cackle from the winter spirit denied her. “Oh, but there is… See, I recall many centuries ago, when you summoned me, tears streaked your eyes. You told your dear siblings you were saddened over the deaths from the Battle of Killahead, but you told me the truth…” He moved, sitting beside her. “You told me, that you had been betrayed by the one you now call a demon… You told me the promise you had screamed from your heart. But that was no promise now, was it?”

The words of Skrael were true, but they did not change her mind. “I still view it as a promise.”

“One you’ll break, if you have not already.” They smiled softly. “I will not shame you when you do. For a fact. You have treated me nicely all these centuries, and I replied in kind. The spoils from the other wizards are coming less, however.”

“We are… doing our best.” 

“I know, I am not here to blame you! I know times are changing, and thankfully, you human wizards kept your oath.” He states, levitating in front of her once more, extending his hand to hers. “Now. Will you accept my vision?”

She watched his hand for a moment, then rose hers, touching the icy fingers as her vision crystallized. Through the crystals, images flashed. The bridge, the battle, Gunmar’s threat, Draal’s hand crumbling, Jim and the Butcher under the bridge and-

She gasped, the image that ended the vision embedded in her mind, crystal tears falling as thunder roared beneath her. 

“Bular will die…” 

“Indeed he will. Quite a sad death, perhaps. Pieces left to be forgotten or devoured… Personally, I find it a waste…” He mused, floating around. “Unless someone does something.”

[Canon?]

The Mediterranean was everything she ever thought it'd be, the salty air flowed through her ears, whispering things she knew her sister would understand better than her. The waves that crashed onto the side of the ship were soft and kind, the sun that set on the horizon warmed her skin one final time before retiring beneath the ocean.

And as it did, and shadows took over the prowl, it was her time to retire. But not before she awakened her shipmate.

Crawling under the deck, as silently as her boots allowed, she tapped her feet and in her hand a small flame was produced. Its light was enough to illuminate the dark chamber, revealing the net-hammock that hung, and more importantly, the sleeping troll in it. Suniva couldn't help but giggle as she approached, and he turned away from the light.

"Good evening, Angor!" She greeted, though he pretended not to hear her. "It's your turn!"

"Sunset already...?"

"Oh yes! And it's your turn to steer." She grinned, pushing him gently and making him sway on the hamock. "Come oooon~ or there's not gonna be dinner left for you~!"

Angor rolled his eyes just like he rolled out of the hammock, following the wizard up to the top deck. As he climbed out of the sight lower space, he stretched his back, feeling the joints on his back cracking. The pain subsided quickly and allowed a gentle smile to return to his features as he approached the woman who watched the water so intensely, before with fast-moving movements of her arms, she made a spear of water shoot into the boat unsuspecting fishes, who she quickly finished off with his dagger.

"Don't you have your own knife?! Why my dagger?!" He exclaimed, running to snatch it back with a slight panic.

Suniva did not fight him, but grinned at the affirmation. "Oh- but of coooourse. And do you might help me remember where my knife is?"

He was about to be snarky, when he recalled the incident from a few days earlier. "In... the ocean."

"Bottom of the ocean you mean. Sooooo..." She grinned widder, having won the argument.

The clay troll rolled his eyes, moving closer to clean the fishes. "Might as well since you got it all covered in fish blood."

The red haired woman cackled like a crow, deliberately patting his back with a hand covered in said fish blood. "Thanks Angoooor~!"

I do have more chapters of Merlins Apprentices done. They're simply not in order.

Would you all like to read ahead? Or wait for them to come in chronological order? There may be BIG spoilers ahead.

Avaluna gazed at the moon, wide and shining full as it could be, the wind soft against her feathers. The cold winds of winter came and went but she was not bothered in the slightest, her feathers shielded her, just like she expected they would. The cliff she sat at was not as tall as she remembered, though it might’ve been that, after being in a void so long, it didn't call to her anymore. Her thoughts consumed her as she listened, the winds voice a comforting reminder of her place in the unforgiving universe she had pledged herself to.

Though other sounds could pass through the whistling.

"What is it saying tonight?" Bular smiled, approaching her on the cliff edge.

"Nothing new. The shadows are recovering. The trees are happy... the flame is ever strong." She smiled. "They say we're at peace at last."

The gumm-gumm prince nodded, laying down at the edge next to her, staring up at the moon much like her. He hadn't stopped to watch it in a while, now it felt like a good time.

"And to think... we almost didn't have this..." He mused, memories of the months beforehand crawling through his mind, followed by a heartache he was getting used to. "And it was all-..."

"It was all meant to happen." She cut off. "We both made mistakes... but we all got here in the end." She brings a wing around him, covering him, almost like she used to when they were younger. "We are here now... and we're together once more. Just like we promised."

The troll smiles softly, an expression she was getting used to seeing. She leans down, pressing her forehead to his, a moment of intimacy they barely had time to share before. It was almost like she could read his mind, his worries, and he felt the same. The woman leaned against him, turning to the night sky once more, in time to see a shooting star, wishing for more nights like that.

The group patrolled the streets with attentive eyes. Things had been awfully calm lately, even though Angor says there were still changelings in Arcadia. Lately, the only things that seemed to rumble the town were trolls stuck by humans and goblins, which made the nights short for the kids, which they were thankful for. 

“This could be our first official good night's sleep ever since the start of the trollhunting!” Claire excitedly remarked. 

“Yeeeeeees! Can’t wait for my bed.” Toby agreed vehemently. Then looked up to where a shadow loomed over. “Though, what’s up with him?”

The group looked up at Angor, who strolled the tops of the buildings, following them. Surely, they were not all too familiar with each other. Claire had progressed, but apparently, the entire team at once was still too intimidating. He insisted that looking from above was much better than scouting from below; none of them argued. Still, they expected some sort of interaction, since he had accepted coming with them.

“Wish I knew, but he’s a really quiet guy.” The girl mentioned, not particularly worried. “Want me to go check?”

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try. He has been up there for a while.” Their trainer agrees. 

Shrugging, she does, portaling up to the rooftop. The troll tilted his head, his eyes still on the distance. 

“Hey, Angor? Find anything interesting?”

“Maybe.” 

… What?

“What do you mean ‘maybe’?” The girl tilts her head, turning to where he was looking. 

“There’s a lot of noise coming from there. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I do not think that humans were meant to scream as much as they are.” 

Claire stopped for a second, paying attention to the distance, it was far from the movies, and it was far from the park where kids hung out. So, by default, it could only mean one thing. Trouble.

“Why didn’t you say anything?!” 

“How was I to know it was-” Before he could ask more questions, she was already on her “phone” and talking to the others. “C’mon, we gotta go!” 

“It is faster through the rooftop.” He points out.

“And how will the others follow?” He forgot about that. But then the sound got louder, sending both into high alert. “Okay- maybe we go and I’ll send the location to them.” 

“I approve of that thought.” 

Both turned towards the noise, Angor running ahead and jumping rooftops effortlessly. Claire, meanwhile, tried to follow; however, some of the gaps he jumped were way too far for her jumping ability, and thanks to his warnings, she wanted to avoid using the staff. “Okay! If you want me to follow, you gotta remember I am a third of your size!”

Angor rolled his eyes with a grin. He jumped back, kneeling with his back to Claire. “Well then, Roach. Climb on.” 

The girl frowned, offended. “Did you just call me a roach?”

“I did. You’re small, hardy and refuse to die. So, a roach. Now, do you want to go make sure that whatever is happening over there to be something or other, or are you happy complaining about a title that suits you?” 

She grumbled, but climbed onto his shoulders, holding onto the stump on his shoulder for extra support. Impressively, his movements were barely impaired by her. “Do I even weigh anything to you?”

“No. It’s like a Roach on my shoulder.”

“I think I rather you without a sense of humour.” Angor does not mind the acidity of the affirmation and continues running.

Once at the location, both look down at the street, finding what can only be described as a gang fight between gnomes and goblins, and it was getting bloody. Claire sent a picture and the location, querying if they should wait or start doing something. To which the answer was affirmative. The duo jumps down, getting in the middle of the fight, which promptly enrages the critters further, and they turn their focus onto them.

The horde attacks them, the gnomes seem especially keen on climbing and biting Claire, here as the goblins piled on Angor. They were soon aided by the rest of the group, allowing the focus to be temporarily dispersed. But even with the backup, they were still overwhelmed. Angor was holding himself better than the rest, but as he now had to keep close eyes on his soul, he was on the defensive. 

Then one of the gnomes came too close for comfort, his heart skipping as he jumped away from the mess, kneeling on the rooftop they arrived on. As his heart rate slowed, his eyes focused on a curious sight. 

On both ends, the critters were coming from the holes in the walls of the buildings beside them, like bees from a hive. It was only logical to imagine that whatever was causing that aggravation, besides their presence, was in those two buildings. He sneaks over, conveniently finding a skylight that was easy enough to enter.

The team, slowly, realized that the waves of goblins and gnomes were slowing down. 

“We’re doing it!” Toby cheered, swinging his hammer back and forth onto the foes. “We’re actually doing it!”

As all goblins were dead and the gnomes were thrown into a dumpster and locked shut, they looked up and found the clay troll sitting on the rooftop, smiling. 

“Abandoned us in the middle of the fight?” Jim teased, looking up. “What are you doing up there?”

“Keeping my soul safe, for one. For second, I was trying to figure out where in the nine hells were all of the gnomes and goblins climbing out of.” He called them up, and once they followed, he showed them the fruits of his labour. “I got here as one of them got too close to my ring. That’s when I realized both of them were coming in and out of these two buildings.” He pointed inside, where what could be described as a small town of gnomes had formed, though now it was a ghost town. “There was this small commute of gnomes in there. Then a nest of goblins on the other. I gathered these… And got rid of the nest.”

“How??” Toby was amazed, running to look at the other skylight to check. 

Angor produced a small light, grimacing at it slightly. “I do still have my magic… Though I despise using it…” 

Though the tone he had was saddened, it didn’t foul the mood. In fact, all of them were quite impressed. 

“That’s amazing Angor! You did amazing! Great eyes and even greater act. Hahaha!” Blinky was amazed, while Angor tilted his head.

“Yeah! That helped a lot! It probably would have taken waaay longer to have gotten all of them!” Toby agreed, waving away the smell of burnt goblin flesh. “Dude, if we had known you’d be this good a trollhunter, we’d have gotten your ring back for you to join the team day one!”

“Yeah, I mean, I knew you knew your way around a staff, but that was real nice! Thanks for saving our skins again.” Claire smiled, walking off. 

Toby walked past like her, making what he assumed were positive gestures with his hands. Jim followed them, “Thanks for coming, Angor. I wasn’t sure why you came, but I’m glad you did! It’s nice having more eyes in these trollhunts! Oh! And I swear we will get to your soul as soon as we deal with Claire’s brother!”

The children walked off, with the grubera right behind them for safety, leaving a stunned Angor and grinning Blinky behind. “Not used to compliments, are you?”

The clay troll snaps back to reality, turning from the children to the one next to him. “Not for the past 900 years.”

Blinky nodded, “You know, they have been studying your lore a bit more these days, understanding a little better the origins of your woes.”

Now Angor was confused again, “How… Much has been written about me?” 

“Not much, fondly. Though now that I know you a bit better, it is strange how you are regarded as ‘ancient’ in the historybooks.” He did suppose he looked worse for wear. “Either way. You do not need to see yourself as part of the team. But if you ever feel like you’d like to join, all you need to is say so.”

Blinky smiled, walking on to join the others.