All night the Jim and Shadowflight, along with Draal, had been keeping guard over Strickler to make sure Angor hadn't tried sneaking into the house to kill him and to make sure the changeling didn't escape. Shadowflight spent most of the night prowling around him, snarling and growling, his eyes never leaving Strickler. He'd never seen this human male until now, but he had a smell similar to the trolls and neither Jim nor Draal liked him, so he figured he should keep his guard up around him.

When daylight began to shine through the windows, both human and dragon were still awake. Their changeling guest, not so much. Jim was contemplating on letting Shadowflight be the one to awaken Strickler, maybe regurgitating something from one of his multiple midnight snacks, but decided to wake him with a smelly gym sock instead. Strickler awoke with a gag, earning a laugh from Shadowflight as he sauntered back into the room to stand next to Jim.

"We survived the night with no sight of Angor Rot, congratulations. Thought I'd bring you some breakfast." The Trollhunter says as he flings the sock at his ex teacher's face. "Unless you'd like a well chewed portion of some ham sandwiches from my dragon that's been digesting all night."

"I don't eat socks, and I don't appreciate being tied up like this." Strickler scoffs. "I asked you to protect me, not torture me or threaten me with...whatever that thing is."

"He is a Night Light, and I said we'd keep you safe, not comfortable." Jim retorts as he cuts the ropes tying Strickler to the chair.

"Well the sun is up, we have until sundown to get me as far from here as possible."

"Fine, let me call the team." Jim walks to the kitchen counter to scoop up his walkie talkie and presses the button. "Trollhunter to Warhammer, copy?"

"Oh goodie, the Puberty Patrol is on the case, I feel so safe." Strickler mocks as he walks over to Jim before immediately backing away from Shadowflight as he shoves his head between them with a snarl. "How is this even supposed to be a dragon, they've been extinct since the Viking ages!"

"This is Warhammer, what's up Jimbo?" Toby responds from the other end of the line as Stricker quickly reaches around Jim to snach the walkie out of his hand.

"Do you really think your friends will have any chance against that killer?" He asks waving the device. "They'll be a liability! May I remind you, you destroyed Angor's soul? He'll be out for blood, be it yours, your salamander looking pet, or theirs!"

The Fury seemed to take offense to that, sitting up straight and puffing his chest out while glaring at the changeling. Salamander his claw tips, he was certainly no slimy swamp dwelling amphibian!

"Jim, hello?" Toby called again before Jim responded.

"Tobes get everyone together and see what you dig up on that last Triumbric stone."

"The one the Gum-Gums stole?"

"Yeah, I need you down in Trollmarket. Shadow and I will catch up when we can."

"Smart choice, for once you are learning." Strickler comments as he picks up a coffee pot to pour himself something to drink before Jim snatched it from his hands and replaced it with a box of cereal.

"For the record, Angor Rot destroyed his own soul." He responds in annoyance. "Shadow, go get Draal from downstairs will ya?"

The Night Light gave a warble before lumbering out of the kitchen to the door that led to the basement. With his teeth he grabbed the doorknob carefully to twist it and successfully open the door without nearly destroying it in the process. Draal must have heard him because not five seconds had he managed to open the door, the blue troll was hurrying up the stairs with a weapon in hand.

"And make sure he leaves whatever weapon he is holding downstairs!" Jim yells from the kitchen. "I'd like to keep my mom from wondering why she suddenly got a nasty cut out of nowhere!"

"Stupid binding spell." The troll mutters in annoyance as he tosses his weapon down the stairs before walking out the door. "You probably wanted to chew that thing to bits, eh?"

Shadowflight responds with an annoyed huff and flattens his ears against the side of his head, earning a laugh from Draal before he feels him gently pat the top of his head.

"Once that spell is gone I'm sure the Trollhunter will let you nibble on the changeling's scrawny legs to your heart's content."

The two walk back to the kitchen to find Jim going through the cabinets while Strickler is busy eating a bowl of cereal.

"Why trust this changeling when all he does is betray you?" Draal asks as he walks into the kitchen.

"Because unfortunately I have to." Jim responds as he pulls some cans out of the cabinet. "Is this all the canned food we have?"

"You need more? We should chop him into little pieces, have your dragon chew him up and regurgitate whatever he ate and can him right now?" Draal suggests, gesturing to the changeling.

"Did you forget the binding spell?" Jim asks as he stands up. "If we hurt him, we hurt my mom. And no, eating whatever Shadowflight chewed and pukes up is not a sanitary idea either."

Strickler smirks as he flicks a cereal brain at the troll and dragon, who give frustrated snarls before one slinks away into the living room to sulk and the other follows JIm to the refrigerator.

"Say you do get him out of town, what's stopping Angor Rot from finding him?" Draal asks as Jim shoves more food into his backpack.

"I don't know, maybe we could disguise him?" He suggests as he starts to dig through the freezer for more food.

"Angor is a ruthless and cunning assassin, you think he'll be fooled by a hat and mustache?"

"Then I guess we fight him, far, far away from here."

"I do not like this plan, he could strike at any time and at any place! He could have the tactical advantage!"

"I don't know, okay?" Jim says as he slams the fridge door shut angrily. "I don't have all the answers!"

Sensing his frustration, Shadowflight walks back into the kitchen and walks up to his human, crooning softly and rubbing his head against Jim's leg until he felt the boy touch the top of his head.

"I'm sorry, I know it's not a well thought out plan, but we have to leave." Jim apologized before his phone started ringing and pulled it out of his bag. "Shh, it's my mom."

Shadowflight moves to let him pass as Jim starts talking before walking up to Draal. The troll dug around the school bag before pulling out something wrapped in wrapping paper before he removed it and held the food out to the dragon. The Fury eagerly accepts the treat and chews it as quietly as he could to not disturb the human.

"Nice arm, did you get that at the toy store?" Strickler asks Draal mockingly and lightly slaps the metallic arm. Both dragon and troll snarl at the changeling before Jim rushed over to shush them loudly. Shadowflight glares at the changeling before glancing back at Jim to see him looks excited and pleased with whatever his mother had told him before he hung up.

"She'll be out of the house all weekend?" Strickler asks, looking just as happy as Jim.

"Yeah, the house will be empty!" Jim says with a grin before he grabs his bag to start removing the food he had been packing into it. Shadowflight didn't understand why the two were looking excited about the mother of Jim being gone and looks to Draal in confusion, who responds with an equally confused expression.

"Fine, I have rocks for brains, would someone tell me what's so obvious?" He asks as Jim finished dumping the cans out of his bag. "And I'm sure the dragon would like to understand as well."

"We are going to hold down the fort." Jim responds.

"We survived one night, he's not going to survive the next." Strickler adds.

Shadowflight's face lit up in understanding and gives an excited warble as Draal grins.

"Right, we fight here, take back the tactical advantage. An ambush!" The troll says excitedly. "And with the Shadowflight we could be at huge advantage as well! Yes, I like it!"

"But, we're going to need supplies." Jim points out and Draal grins.

"Oh, I think I know what we'll need."

🔹🔹🔹

Night had already fallen as the three were putting the finishing touches to the numerous traps set around the house, Shadowflight occasionally helping them by handing them rope or a random weapon he thought would be useful and staying out of the way to avoid accidentally setting off any of the traps. He had seen what some of them did when Draal or Strickler tested them out to made sure they worked, and couldn't help but grin to himself at the thought of that strange looking troll who had been giving his human and their friends problems since they saw him at the park getting wrecked by all the traps and finally being freed of him. At the moment he was sitting on the stairs behind Draal as Strickler and Jim were setting up the final trap that would drop an axe that was attached to a part of the wall, listening to the two talk.

Draal had just gotten off the stairs and he was about to get up and follow when he noticed something on the stairs. It was some sort of smooth black ball, almost like one Jim had in his room that sat on a shelf, but this one was moving.

"What is that?" The troll asks, pointing at the ball. Shadowflight contemplated on smacking it, until Strickler started yelling.

"It's his eye!" The older man shouted frantically.

"Gunmar's eye?" Jim asked, confused.

"No Angie's! He's been watching us, get it!"

Both Draal and Shadowflight immediately went for the eye, only for it to immediately roll to the floor and roll towards the kitchen. The four immediately ran for it, Shadowflight batting and pouncing for it before it bolts for the sink until Jim managed to catch it in a cup.

"How long has he been watching us?" The Trollhunter asks as he quickly covered the cup with a plate to keep it from escaping. There's a noise at the door, alerting them someone was at the house. "He's here, get in position!"

Draal runs for the basement with Shadowflight behind him, both rushing in before closing the door behind them. The Night Light crouches on the stairs, ready for the signal to come out and attack, when he hears an all too familiar voice he had only heard from when he'd hide in the basement. Was that Jim's mother? Moments later he hears what sounded like something breaking before Draal throws open the door and rushes out of the basement. Shadowflight rushes after him, trying to tackle him before he accidentally kills the human.

"No no Draal get back!" Jim yells, jumping in front of his mother as he managed to stop the stampeding troll before Shadowflight runs right into him, earning a terrified scream from Barbara.

"Oh...umm hello." The troll apologized as the dazed dragon stumbles back with a groan. "Oh...sorry."

Shadowflight hears the human woman give a terrified scream as he looks around Draal to see her spray something right at him and Jim in their eyes and immediately ducks to avoid getting sprayed. Draal have a loud scream and stumbled back, accidentally trampling the dragon's tail and earning a pained yelp from him before he bolts into the living room to hide behind one of the lifted sofa and trying to ignore the pain from his poor tail. More screaming, something heavy falling over before he hears Strickler talking, another scream from the human woman before a loud thud followed. Shadowflight peeks out from behind the sofa to see her on the floor and warbles in distress before slinking over to the three humans.

"And so is she." Strickler says as Shadowflight reaches them. "Right then, better put a sofa back to lay her down on it. You might need to come up with an explanation for why there's a troll and dragon in your house young Atlas."

"Yeah, explain why I'm hiding a ten foot long reptile and eight foot tall troll in my basement, great idea." Jim mutters as he bends down to pick his mother up from under her arms. Shadowflight gives a small whine and showed him his tail, pointing to the spot Draal had stepped on. "Hang on buddy I'll get some ice for that, just got to lay her down first. Help me out?"

Shadowflight was more than willing to let the two humans place the unconscious one on his back and carry her to the living room before they carefully placed her on a sofa. After Jim wraps his tail in some sort of cold thing that seemed to soothe the pain a bit, he was instructed to stay in the kitchen and rest, which he was more than willing to do. A few minutes had passed when he heard Jim's mother awaken, but stayed where he was for fear of her screaming and fainting again. He could hear the three humans talking before it became just Jim and his mother, the conversation evolving into Jim trying to explain about his Trollhunter duties.

"Can't you ask someone else to do it?" He heard Barbara ask as he decided to move closer to the hallway to listen better.

"I'm afraid it's a permanent position?" Jim states. "They need me mom. I know it's hard to believe, I'm sort of like their protector."

"But who's going to protect you?"

Shadowflight poked his head out of the kitchen and gave a small croon, earning a startled gasp from the human.

"Oh hey, feeling better?" Jim asks, turning to him with a smile. Shadowflight responds with another croon, unsure if he should leave the kitchen. Jim's mother was looking at him in terror, and the last thing he wanted was for her to faint again like earlier.

"Jim what is that?" She asks as his human motions him to come forward. "Wait, why...why does he look like that dragon from that book you loved reading as a kid?"

"Oh, that's Shadowflight. He... he's a friend. Think of him as the one trying to keep me safe." Jim responds as the dragon slinks over to them, watching Barbara with curious eyes. "And don't worry, he has heard your voice enough times to associate you as friendly and not the enemy."

"Wait that has been in the house all this time? Since when?!"

"Uh...since...after the school play?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to cut the explanation of the dragon short, it's not safe to be here." Strickler interrupts before turning to Barbara. "Barbara, you do have to leave. It's-"

Shadowflight hears the metal cans they had strung from the ceiling clatter and turns to look at them, a growl rising from his throat. The cans and the ropes holding them suddenly burst, sending the three humans to duck to the floor as the dragon immediately covers them from the small blast with his wings.

"The basement!" Jim gasps in realization.

"What's in the basement?" Barbara asks nervously.

"Draal and Shadowflight were supposed to guard it." Strickler responds as the door to the basement slowly swings open. Shadowflight snarls as a glowing black ball rolls out from it and an eerily familiar voice starts to chant something before the whole room went black.

Jim was already on his feet and stumbling for a flashlight as Shadowflight let his eyes adjust to the darkness, keeping his wings slightly outstretched to cover the other two humans. He could hear something running around the room and breaking things, but it was too fast.

Okay stay calm, you know you can't use your fire now without destroying a wall or hitting one of the humans. The dragon told himself as he heard Jim mutter something before his armor was on.

"Stick to the plan, you know what to do!" Strickler instructs as Shadowflight backs towards the hiding place. He noticed movement coming from the ceiling and caught sight of a familiar creepy troll scuttling along the wall like a spider. He growls loudly to alert Jim before the troll leaps out of sight. The two await before something flies at Jim, but he manages to block the attack with his sword before the troll comes crashing down and pounces. Shadowflight snarls as he blocks Barbara and Strickler with his body as Jim and Angor fought.

"You did not run brave hunter, but the brave are the first to die." The troll assassin sneers.

"Go, go! Get her out of here!" Jim yells. "Shadowflight keep them safe!"

The Night Light nods before taking up the rear as the two humans run for the basement, glancing behind him to make sure the troll didn't try to follow them.

"Come on, this leads to the sewers!" Strickler yells as they hurried down the stairs of the basement and points to the hole in the wall.

"No I'm not leaving without my son!" Barbara argues as Shadowflight tried nudging her towards the hole. "Wasn't this dragon supposed to stay with him?"

"If Jim ordered him to stay with us, it was definitely to keep you safe from Angor!"

Shadowflight could still hear the fighting from upstairs, along with the angry roars of the troll. He flinched at the loud crashes, badly wishing he could rush up and defend his friend, but he couldn't disobey this order to protect the two humans.

"What about my son? He needs help, what's going to happen to him if that dragon isn't up there to protect him?" Barbara asks frantically, looking up at the ceiling where they could hear the fighting.

"No you have to go!" Strickler says, grabbing her arm but she yanks it away.

"No, he needs my help!"

With a frustrated snarl, Shadowflight bolts for the stairs. To hell with obedience, disobeying Jim's orders to keep him safe was more important. His mother will be safer with the troll smelling human. He bursts through the door to find Angor and Jim still at it, the assassin now holding the hunter's sword and swinging it at him. Shadowflight gives a loud roar and pounces on the troll, digging his talons and teeth into his stone skin and earning a frustrated roar from him. He could hear Jim scream something at him, before a sharp pain suddenly flares up on his left side.

The dragon gave a pained cry as he released the troll, falling to the floor with a groan. His vision was blurry and his side was really hurting now. He hears Jim scream in anger and could have sworn he saw another troll that smelled like Strickler rushing into the fight before the three disappeared up the stairs.

Come on you dumb lizard, get up! Get up, they need you! Jim needs your help! The pain was almost too much as Shadowflight tried to stand, but he knew he had to at least make it up the stairs. Got to get that thing into that trap we had fallen into the first time.

He could hear more noise coming from up the stairs as he dragged his body up the stairs, trying so hard to ignore the pain until he reached the top and collapsed. His head was swimming from the pain and could barely even stand. He could hear muffled yelling before he collapsed on the floor with his vision slowly dimming.

No, no not now, not now...Jim needs...