#draa

The day after your encounter with Draal, Blinky had asked to see you in Trollmarket. You were a bit confused, and your first thought of him wanting to give you even more books to study made you internally groan, but you went anyway. He was helping you after all, who were you to refuse? 

You had gotten quite used to entering and exiting the underground town, always so enchanted by its lovely colors and the soft glows the crystals gave off. But still, you had a tendency to walk rather briskly through the roads to avoid unwanted attention. You were still an alien to them, after all, and not everyone was so tolerant of humans being in Trollamarket. 

You thankfully made your way to Blinky’s library without issue. You rasped your knuckles against the wood of the shelf nearest to the entrance of the dwelling, as it didn’t have a proper door, “Hello?” Your voice would typically echo in the underground market, but the plentiful amount of books lining every last shelf deafened any echo there may have been. It seems your voice carried through the space just fine, however; you heard a crash, followed by your tutor’s disgruntled muttering, then saw a familiar six-eyed head pop around the corner, smiley as ever at the sight of you, 

“Ah! Hello Miss (Y/n)! As always, it is a pleasure to see you again, my dear.” He greeted you warmly with his typical brisk and proper pattern of speech as he ran over to you, taking one of your hands in two of his and tugging you lightly so you would follow him, “I’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival! You see, in order to protect yourself and Master Jim with the plentiful spells I have provided you with, you’re going to need-“ 

“A source of magic since I don’t have any inherent magic of my own or connections to magic, and will also need a way to focus and cast that magic. I remember, Blinky.” You had cut him off with a bit of a laugh lacing your words and a grin tugging at your lips. Blinky promptly paused in his rushed pace and whipped around to face you, seeming delighted by your interjection, “Yes! You remembered! If only Master Jim had inherited the same memory. But- Anywho! I have something very special for you…” 

He released your hand and sped over to the table that sat amongst the many bookshelves surrounding the two of you, something which had been carefully wrapped in cloth laying in the center. It was long, with a swell at each end and a subtle taper in the middle. Your eyes widened in disbelief as realization hit you, 

“Blinkous Galadrigal, you did not…” 

“Oh ho, but I did, my dear!” The troll grinned from ear to ear as he ever so gently picked up the elongated object with one set of hands, the other beginning to unwrap the cloth that surrounded it, “For you see, as Master Jim’s sister, it was always inevitable that you’d be roped into our Trollhunter’s duties in one way or another. As such, it is imperative that you are kept safe, especially when nobody is around to keep you protected, lest the unthinkable happens and you are put in the unkind, unrelenting face of danger…” 

The end of the staff was uncovered as the cloth slid off of it, revealing a beautiful, dark shade of red wood, varnished to a glossy shine and carved with many intricacies. “And in order to keep you safe from Gunmar and his allies, you will need something far greater than any human weaponry; something far greater than most troll weaponry, even” 

As Blinky continued to unravel the wraps, the cloth slid completely off, revealing the other half of the gorgeous wood-carved staff. It was truly the work of a craftsman, not a single blemish or impurity among the staff’s surface. Your eyes scanned over every detail as it sat in its full glory and beauty before you; the deep red of the wood was carved into with precision you hadn’t before seen, and at the top sat what appeared to be a piece of the ever so precious Heartstone, glowing gently with its orange-gold hues. Chiseled roughly, it maintained the appearance of the Heartstone’s imperfect surface, contrasting wonderfully with the smoothness of the wood it sat perfectly nestled in. You couldn’t seem to look away for the staff that now sat in Blinky’s four hands, extended towards you for the taking. The overwhelming gratitude and honor of receiving such a gift — the trust that you could dutifully wield such an item — was like an arrow straight through your heart. 

“Blinky… How did you even manage…? Is that part of the Heartstone?! How did you- Where did-” You struggled for words as a wide, uncontainable smile crept its way onto your features, eventually falling silent after words failed you. Blinky laughed heartily at your reaction, 

“Oh, no need to speak of that… Really, please don’t speak of this.” The troll asked of you in a hushed tone before clearing his throat, “What matters is that this is your staff now. Use it carefully, wisely, have respect for the powers it holds, and I have no doubt in my mind you shall be well on your way to becoming an astounding sorceress!” He went on as he stepped closer, arms remaining extended for you to take the staff he held. 

You reached out, but hesitated half way, almost afraid that something would go terribly wrong the moment you so much as ran a finger along it. However, the confidence Blinky had in you was enough for you to reach forward and gently take the staff from him. You brought it to stand upright next to you as you more closely admired the craftsmanship of the item now that it was in your hands. It truly was a work of art; an item of both beauty and power. You felt honored to simply hold it. 

“It’s beautiful… Thank you so much Blinky, I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you would trust me with something like this…” Your eyes grew glassy within moments, your hands clutching tightly at the staff like it would disappear if you dared to let go. Blinky was quick to notice your overwhelming emotions, wasting no time in moving forward to bring you into his embrace. Although trolls tended to have poor perception of human emotions, you noticed that Blinky had always stood out from the crowd, as was shown in this moment. 

“Oh, my dear (y/n), no need to cry! It has been my absolute pleasure to teach you and aid you on your path to help protect Master Jim and yourself, and it is an ever greater pleasure to be able to provide you with such a tool to help you do so…” He was quick to try and calm you, his four arms all wrapping tightly around you in a soothing hug. You sat there for a moment, leaning into him as you wiped your eyes so you wouldn’t burst out crying in front of him. Once he released you, you took a step back, your free hand held comfortingly in two of his as you smiled up at him, 

“Thank you Blinky… I know I keep saying it, but I really can’t thank you enough. Not only for helping me keep Jim safe and for tutoring him so well, but also for just… being there for him… You’re like the father figure he never had, and I really appreciate you looking after him, especially where I can’t.” 

The troll’s expression dropped for a moment, seemingly in shock at the unexpected, hard hitting information you had just given him. However, Blinky quickly became animated again, twice as jovial as before as his two remaining free hands came up and tightly grasped yours, “Why, you’re very welcome Miss (Y/n)!! I had no- absolutely no idea I had an impact on Master Jim in such a way! I am very happy — exuberant, even!! — to give him guidance and advice whenever he may need it…!” His hands seemed to shake slightly as he spoke, probably from his sudden excitement. You grinned widely at his eagerness to take care of your baby brother. It was a nice feeling, having someone that cared as much about Jim as you did, knowing he’d always be safe in Blinky’s company. Stepping forward, you pulled him into one last hug before you had to be on your way, 

“We’re both so grateful to have you in our lives, Blinky. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. I’ll visit soon and show off what I’ve learned, promise!” With that, you released him and were off towards the door, headed for the books stacked on your desk back home that no longer seemed like such a miserable task. 

You practically jogged the whole way home, eager to finally have the chance to use the very magic you had only read about up til now, and nearly slammed the door open as your excitement got the best of you. Although, your mood was abruptly thrown off when you happened to intrude on Jim – clad in his armor – and Draal roughhousing in the kitchen. Halfway into Draal’s maw was a severely dented kitchen pot, and on his back was Jim, perched amongst the blue crystalline spikes as he gripped the troll’s horns as if he were a cowboy trying to ride a big, blue, bipedal bull. They both paused when they heard the commotion you had caused, turning with wide eyes to face you. The three of you had a short staring contest before you spoke up, 

“Okay, I won’t ask what on earth is going on here… But Jim! Look what Blinky gave me! I can protect you guys now!!” Your smile quickly returned to your face as you showed off your new staff, completely ignoring the troll in the room and disregarding their current ‘battle.’ Jim’s expression quickly became a smile as he hopped off of Draal’s back, snatching the pot from his mouth while he was distracted, 

“Really?? That’s great sis! Have you used it yet? What can it do?? And is that… part of the Heartstone…?” His expression contorted into confusion as his eyes trailed up to the centerpiece of your staff, his hand coming up to lightly trace over the uneven stone’s form. 

“Probably, Blinky said it wasn’t important though. What is important is that I can now protect all our kitchenware from big grumpy trolls trying to eat them~.” You mused, grinning smugly and tilting the staff forward to aim the staff’s head at Draal. You watched as he flinched slightly away from it. The action made you and Jim laugh lightly as he composed himself once more, glaring slightly at you and your sense of humor, 

“Careful with that thing. You have no idea just how much damage it could cause, fleshbag.” He huffed gruffly as he stepped forward to push your staff to the side, relief seeming to come over him once it wasn’t pointed at him anymore. His expression only hardened as he watched you roll your eyes, nostrils flaring as he chuffed annoyedly once more. 

“Relax, I’m gonna practice before I actually start using it for anything serious. Speaking of, I’ll be in my room if you need me Jim. And you-” You turned and pointed to Draal, “no more trying to eat the cutlery.” You side-eyed the troll pointedly as you ended your sentence, only receiving an eye roll in return as he turned his spiked back to you like a child. You grinned, triumphant, and sauntered your way over to your room in which you hulled yourself up for the rest of the day to practice the most basic of spells. 

You had all but mastered a small levitation spell within the hour after you had gotten home — a spell you had studied well — then began to work on small barriers after, which was definitely trickier. Such a spell required you to imagine the barrier’s defined edges clearly, or else it could rapidly expand to an uncontrollable size… Or simply collapse if you were lucky. You would know; you learned the hard way after experimenting while trying to change the barrier’s shape halfway through the spell… 

But no matter! You pushed on until you were able to create barriers of multiple shapes and sizes! Albeit they were relatively simple shapes and small sizes, it was still something worth celebrating! 

Next spell, a small attack; a short, quick burst of energy released from the staff, focused in whichever direction the user pointed it. Seemed simple enough. Though, you probably shouldn’t be practicing that specific spell in your room, lest you wake your Mom or worry Jim, not to mention the very real possibility of putting a very suspicious hole in the wall. So, after the sun set that evening, outside you went. 

Stepping outside, you were greeted by darkness, the backyard solely illuminated by the small overhead light that sat atop the doorframe. You scanned the yard to double check that nobody was around before grinning widely. Opening your notebook, you memorized the spell before tossing it onto the steps and moving into the yard. You pointed your fancy new staff at a large tree which sat at the forest’s edge, specifically aiming for a hollow that sat in the middle of the trunk. The perfect target. With a deep breath in, you whispered the spell aloud, watching in awe as the Heartstone glowed with power before a burst of energy was launched towards the tree. 

Sadly, however, you watched as the shot managed to miss by a decent margin. It sped through the trees, fizzling out before it could hit anything. You huffed, but shook it off. You’re a beginner, not a professional marksman. You needed to practice. And practice you did; shot after shot was fired off at the tree, adjusting your angle after each failed attempt until you finally grazed the edge of the tree’s bark. You gasped, silently cheering to yourself at the accomplishment, “Alright! Alright, just need to get even better now…”  

“You’re not gonna get any better with that stance.” 

An all too familiar voice grumbled from the doorway. You nearly jumped out of your skin as you whipped around, expression falling when you saw none other than Draal standing there, leaning against the doorframe cockily. His stony skin was illuminated by the white light above the door, giving his furrowed brown even more of a dramatic effect with the harsh shadows they cast over his face. His eyes practically glowed in the darkness as he stared down at you from the doorway. You grimaced at the smirk that sat smugly on his face. 

“Nice to see you too, Draal… And I’m soooo sorry that I’m not exactly the best at aiming this thing. I’ve never really shot magic beams out of a magic staff before.” You chided sarcastically, tone more than clearly annoyed as you turned your back to him. You held your staff up once more, adjusting your stance with a huff as you haphazardly aimed before missing the tree once more. Now with someone watching – let alone with it being Draal, who was surely judging your failures – your frustrations began to get the better of you, an exaggerated groan rumbling in your throat. You could practically feel that stupid, condescending look on his face burning into you. In one fluid motion, you twirled around to face the troll once again, 

“Okay! If you know the right way to shoot this thing or whatever, then why don’t you show me?” You crossed your arms, not giving him the satisfaction of turning around so he could see the sour expression you held. And it only soured further as you heard a deep chuckle resonate within his broad chest before he spoke, 

“Alright, no need to get your horns in a twist. Ah, wait, humans don’t have horns. Would it be… Don’t get your hair in a twist?” He grinned, tugging lightly on a lock of your hair in jest as he approached. You tugged yourself away and swatted at his hand with your staff, glaring daggers that simply bounced off of him rather than digging in. 

“Alright, easy! Wouldn’t wanna damage that beautiful new staff you’ve got there. Someone put a lot of work into that, y’know.” He nudged the staff away with his hand, “Now, show me how you aim.” You grumbled under your breath as you got into position, feeling his eyes scrutinizing every bit of how you were standing and holding your staff. Instead of the condescending laugh you had expected, you heard little more than a disapproving hum, 

“Mmm, you’ve got everything all wrong.” Gee, tell us something we didn’t know, genius. “You need to keep your legs further apart — more stable that way — knees bent, and your back should be straighter.” One of his stubby legs came forward and pushed your feet apart, nearly toppling you over, but a hand to your back quickly righted you and straightened your posture. You squirmed at the feeling, not exactly used to huge, stoney hands on you, let alone coming from the big oaf you beloathed. 

“Good. Now square your shoulders, almost like you’re shooting a bow and arrow. Make sure the staff is level with your eyes so you can properly aim.” His hands moved to your shoulders, completely engulfing them as he positioned them just so. He then moved your arms to help you guide your staff into position. Just one of his hands could easily cover the entire length and diameter of your forearm, and it indeed did so as he nudged you here and there to subtly adjust your stance. You shivered slightly at the cool feeling of his rocky skin against your much warmer, softer skin. Goosebumps you hoped he didn’t take notice of spread across your arms. 

“There… Now aim and shoot. Confidently.” 

You shook yourself out of the strange trance you had fallen into, taking just a moment longer to aim for your target before letting loose a couple of bursts. They hit the side of the hollow, not nearly as off target as your first attempts had been. You stood there for a second, bewildered that you had improved so much just by learning the correct stance. Your eyes were soon drawn to the troll that stood next to you. He seemed rather pleased with himself, nodding slightly as he eyed the scorch marks that had been left in the tree’s bark from your attack, 

“Not bad, fleshbag… I reckon you’ll be a fast learner.” He remarked, surprisingly without any snarky comments or jabs at you. A rough hand came down upon your back a few times, intended as a friendly gesture, though with his troll strength and rock hard skin you were sure you’d be a bit bruised tomorrow. That wasn’t the thing at the forefront of your mind, however. 

You were left miffed — both from the interaction and from having been able to hit the target — as he looked down at you with a content expression. However, he raised a brow at the way you looked up at him, “Is everything alright, fleshbag? Didn’t blast yourself, did you?” He joked, nearly pushing you over as he nudged you. You quickly shook yourself back to reality, 

“Ah- I’m fine, yeah, I’m good… Just a bit surprised you’d come out and help me is all.” Draal looked at you questioningly. “Not that I’m ungrateful! I just… thought we didn’t get along very well.” You rushed to explain, which got a hearty chuckle out of him,

“We don’t, do we? But that doesn’t mean I want you to go and get yourself hurt with magic you don’t understand, or get someone else for that matter. Besides, it would be an asset if you could somehow fight beside us in battle. The Gumm Gumms are strong, so are the Changelings. We need all the help we can get.” He shrugged a bit as he spoke, moving to stand in front of you, 

“Now, so long as I’m out here, how about a bit of sparring? Master Jim had other business to deal with this evening, which I could not aid in, so I haven’t had the chance to get out much.” You cocked your head slightly to the side at the offer. Sparring? You had exactly zero experience in the field, and he was suggesting you spar against him?? The one who literally had ‘Deadly’ as a title, whose father had been a Trollhunter?? You were half afraid he was just trying to find an excuse to rough you up a bit for all those times you had scolded and argued with him. The expression on your face made the troll chuckle, 

“Ah, don’t worry kid. I’ll go easy on you… For now~.” His grin turned mischievous, for what reason you didn’t know, but it made you relax slightly. Same old Draal. Usually it would infuriate you, but somehow it comforted you to know he could be lighthearted deep down. 

“Y’know what? Sure. I’d love to learn how to beat your butt in a one-on-one someday.” You commented, lightly rasping the stone of your staff against his shoulder. Your response got an excitable laugh out of him as he threw his head back, rolling his shoulders a couple of times and taking a good few steps away from you, 

“Oh, you can try. In fact, I think I’d love to see you try.” 

And that’s the reason you woke up with every muscle in your body aching the next morning, as well as with a few bruises to spare.