Here's chapter 2!

Hope all of you are doing well during this pandemic. It's getting so serious here that I started working from home instead in my I'm fine, btw. In case you don't know, I'll be taking a break from my other stories and try to finish this one before the others.

Warning: this chapter might have some scenes that might be a little scary and sad near the end.

Disclaimer: I don't own Trolls, but I do have the film "Brother Bear".

Anyway, enjoy!

I'mafanofFANFICTIONS- Even though I liked the sequel, Poppy won't be Nita (It spells like this, btw). But don't worry, she'll appear in a special role. Love the film too. Anyone with bad experiences with such animals or no respect for life might think animals as nothing more than beasts. As for Soren's sacrifice, you just have to read this chapter.

Black Raider - I'll try.

Saphira Winters - Thanks. That means a lot. And I'm doing well during this pandemic and hope you and your family are too.

MiraculousDragonMaster - Yeah, Mine too! I'll try to get back on the others, if I still have the enthusiasm.

Reby Montana - Yeah, I guess I made them too hot for anyone to resist them.

Brother Bond

Chapter 2: A Brother's Sacrifice

After the ceremony, a crestfallen Branch strolled around the village with doubt and disappointment in his head. He felt like the totem he received didn't seem like the right kind for him and the fact that it takes the form of the creature he disliked the most does not help at all. While other members of his tribe had great aspects such as bravery, strength, or wisdom, he received happiness and love which he believes in quite unmanly. And while others, including his brothers, lived with creatures such as dragons, mermaids, or even Bergens, he had to live with the smallest yet annoying creatures in the world.

"Trolls. Of all the creatures in the world, why did it had to be trolls?" Branch muttered to himself. "They're like little elves whose been barfed by a rainbow. How do they expect me, a big human, to live amongst these tiny trolls? It can't get any worse."

"There he is!"

Branch cringed when he heard and saw Creek walking towards him. "It just got worse. And the torture begins."

Creek grabbed him and playfully noogied his head. "Come here, happy lover boy!"

Branch pushed him away and snapped, "Leave me alone, Creek! I'm not in the mood."

"Aw, Branch, wait." Creek stopped his humor and sounded honest which made Branch stop. "I'm sorry."

Branch didn't expect Creek to become serious, let alone apologize to him. "What?"

"Your totem...I think it's really great."

"You do?" Branch asked surprisingly.

"Yeah, and to celebrate, I made you something because you deserved it, little brother," Creek said with a smile and reached into his pocket.

"Really?" Branch smiled, waiting for this said gift. But his smile quickly vanished when Creek threw a handmade flower crown into his head as he teasingly circled around Branch.

"Now when you skip around spreading happiness and loving everybody, you'll smell so sweet!"

"Oh, Creek, you bubble-brained buffoon!" Branch growled, shoving the flower crown into his chest which Creek caught, still laughing. "Hope you can still laugh with my hands around your neck."

"Well, isn't this nice? Instead of fighting, you're giving each other flowers!" Soren said, walking towards them.

"I know, right? Isn't it lovely? He's so in touch with his totem already." Creek continued joking around even after being elbowed by Branch.

"Hey, water boy, go take care of our catch," Soren ordered, hoping as a bonus that it gets rid of Creek for him to be alone with his youngest brother.

"Sure thing, big bro," Creek nodded. He then teasingly showered Branch with more flowers, despite seeing the growing anger within him, before walking away. "Branchie loves me, he loves me not. "Branchie loves me, he loves me not. Branchie loves me..."

Branch just had enough of his jokes and picked up a stone to throw it at Creek, but Soren stopped him by grabbing his hand before he could launch it.

"Branch," Soren gently scolds him.

"Someday I'm gonna just...He's just such a ..."

Soren chuckled and gently slapped Branch's forehead before taking the stone from his hand. "Hey, bro, just because his totem is knowledge, doesn't mean that he's smart. He can be wise sometimes, but... I mean, just look at him!"

They both watched Creek continuously making fun of Branch's disappointment, distracted by his enjoyment, that he didn't noticed that he was walking straight towards a sleeping dog. Creek accidentally steps on the dog's tail and jumped when the dog started barking at him. He got distracted once again when three village girls greeted him and the dog took this chance to bite him right in the bum.

"Ooooh!" Both brothers cringed as Creek screamed from the pain, screaming at the dog to let him go. They couldn't resist in laughing at his misery.

"Yeah, I guess the spirits have some sense of humor. They couldn't resist in messing up on both our totems," Branch said.

"Well, believe it or not, I felt the same way when grandma gave me mine," Soren revealed.

Branch smiled and playfully patted his back, not believing his elder brother got a totem he didn't like. "No way! Get out of here!" He scoffed as they both went to pick up their catch.

"No, seriously," Soren then pulled out his totem which took the shape of a griffin as he continued. "I said 'The Griffin of Responsibility? What does that mean?' So I went to live with the griffins located in the mountains for some time and boy, was I scared. Soon, I learned their ways: how they hunt, how they survived, and how they care for their loved ones. As I grew up, I realized that my totem means that as an adult, I have to make decisions without anyone telling me. It's kind of like being a leader and as the oldest, I'm in charge in keeping an eye on you two, just like mom and dad did," He finished as he playfully ruffled Branch's hair.

Branch laughed until he frowned at the mentioned of his parents. "I wish they were here. I want them to be proud of me and my totem."

"They are proud of you. Of us. Always are, always have, and always will," Soren assured them. "Remember, it's not the totem, it's the person wearing it and who he or she becomes. And even if we don't see them, we know they're here, watching over us with the spirits."

"Yeah. I really want to get my hand print on that wall. It's proof that I became a man," Branch added.

"Hey, don't worry. Just be patient, Branch. When you live by your totem, you will."

"Really?"

"Guarantee it," Soren assured as they both joined their hands in a brotherly promise.

Branch, however, was not convinced. He stared at his totem, thinking that for once, the spirits made a mistake. "But, come on, the Troll of Happiness and Love? The only things they love is to take our stuff without anyone looking. And no one can be that happy for so long. They're ugly, they're annoying, I mean they're..."

Suddenly, they both stopped when they arrived to where they stored their food, only to find few fish and berries on the ground, no basket, and the traps remained unset. Branch even noticed two different sets of footprints, one made by a giant creature and the other Branch immediately recognized was made by a troll.

"They're thieves!" He finished. A small group of villagers had already gathered around where the stolen food was last seen with Creek analyzing the area. "What happened?"

"What happened was that our food's gone!" Creek growled. "All our day's catch! Gone!"

Soren studied the prints. "Looks like a couple of dragons passed by from the looks of it."

"How did two dragons came here without anyone noticing it? They're easy to spot!" Creek asked.

"Maybe they're younglings and it seems like they had some help. Judging from the ropes, a troll did most of the work, cut the rope swift clean and the dragons probably dragged the load away. Amazing to see such creatures working together," Soren said.

"That's wonderful!" Creek said sarcastically. "Meanwhile, they're eating our food while we starve tonight! So much for your traps, Branch. Even if you had set up all the traps in the world, it still couldn't keep two dragons and troll away from our food!"

Branch gritted his teeth nervously, rubbing the back of his head guiltily. "Yeah, well..."

"What?" Creek wondered until he put two and two together at what Branch did, or rather, what he didn't do. "You didn't set the traps, did you?" This caused the others to glare at him.

"I did! But as soon as I began to leave, one trap became loose and set the others up by accident. I was gonna set them up again, but it was getting late for me to get to my ceremony on time, so I... uh... kind of left it like that," Branch admitted before looking down.

Creek however was not pleased and threw one trap at Branch whom ducked his head in time. "You idiot! You should've gotten the totem of blockheads because that's only what your head is full of: blocks!" He shouted.

"Knock it off, you two!" Soren said before Branch could lay a punch on Creek. "It was an accident. We'll just have to make another basket and try it again."

"We? Oh no. You know how long it took me to make those baskets? Weeks! I still have the blisters and cuts to prove it!" Creek argued. "Just get happy lover boy to do it. He's the one that's messing things up all the time." Branch heard him and angrily went to gather his stuff. "It's typical for younger brothers to make our lives difficult. That's why in the wild, runts gets eaten. And last time I checked, I don't remember ever asking for a younger brother!"

"Alright! I'll go get your stupid baskets!" Branch said, returning with a slingshot, a bow, and a quiver full of arrows for the trip. "With a brother like you, who needs enemies?" He said to Creek before punching his arm and then headed into the woods.

"Branch, wait! Branch!" Soren tried to stop him, but Branch didn't stop and continued on. Soren then glared at Creek while crossing his arms.

"Ow," Creek rubbed his arm where the punch landed and when he saw his older brother's disappointed look, he shrugged his shoulders in confusion. "What?"

Soren only shook his head, knowing that Creek went too hard on Branch. "You better hope he doesn't get hurt."

Using his tracking skills, Branch continued searching for the stolen baskets of food. The footsteps disappeared once he's reached a rocky hill so he depended on his other methods such as sight and sound. He climbed various rocky ledges and hills until he finally reached the peak located next to a giant glacier.

Up ahead, he saw a couple of medium size dragons finishing their meals, licking their lips in satisfaction. Branch quickly hid behind some bushes, not wanting to spook them. He heard them moaning softly as if they were talking. When he took a peek, he saw them spreading their wings and they took off. "Well, Soren was right. Those were dragon prints." He loaded his bow and arrow at them, but then lowered his weapon. "It's not worth it."

He left his hiding spot and caught sight of the baskets, only to find the food gone and the baskets ruined, probably by the dragons. "Well, that's just perfect! Creek's gonna have my head for this." He growled and kicked the pieces in frustration before turning back. Just as he was about to head back down, he heard a twig snap.

Sneaking closer, he saw a male troll pulling himself up on a branch. He has black hair, greyish purple skin, and red eyes. He is dressed in gothic rock gear, including knitted fingerless gloves, a leather vest, and black pants. The troll studied his surroundings with alert in his mind.

"Umbagon ruarza se ȳdra daor māzigon hen," the troll suddenly spoke to no one. He then walked across a fallen log and noticed deep gashes, as if some creature had clawed it. He was so focused on the scratches that he didn't noticed Branch loading his slingshot.

Branch shot the stone, missing the troll, but managed to get his attention.

"Iā issaros?" The trolls gasped.

Branch fired another stone, barely missing his head.

"Keligon! Ao kostagon daor sagon kesīr! Qrīdrughāks!" The troll shouted, waving his arms and shaking his head. From the sounds of it, it seems that the troll was warning Branch, but since humans can't understand the tongue of other creatures but their own, the troll's warnings remained unheard.

"You! You've got some nerve to steal our food!" Branch yelled and tried to catch the troll only for him to miss and the troll ran away from the human. "Come here, you little thief!" He chased the troll, trying to pelt him with stones, but the troll kept dodging them while running. The troll ran towards the ice wall and managed to escape into a troll sized hole in the wall and Branch put his arm into the hole but he couldn't reach him. The troll panted heavily inside trying to avoid the boy's fingers. Branch growled as he then grabbed a stone and kept banging the wall with it.

"Valītsos, emā naejot henujagon! kostilus! ziry iksos daor ȳgha!" The troll pleaded.

"Begging for mercy, are you? It won't save you. You're trapped now and I'll be waiting for you out here!" Branch said while loading his arrows. What Branch didn't realize what that there was a hidden den near him and his actions had awoken a deadly beast inside of it. A mixture between growls and hisses echoed inside and Branch heard it. As soon as he was about to investigate, his eyes widen in horror and gasped as a shadow loomed over him. He readied his weapon as soon at the mysterious creature prepared to attack.

"Branch!" Soren called out as he and Creek went out to search for him. They walked down the same rocky path Branch did and both carried weapons for protection. Soren carried a spear and a tomahawk while Creek had his spear. "Where did he go?" Soren wondered.

"If we're lucky, far away," Creek replied sarcastically.

"Creek, not now, please."

Suddenly, a yell alerted them and looked up to see Branch falling down from the hill he was on and landed onto a cliff ledge unharmed.

"BRANCH!" The brothers yelled in unison and broke into a run to try to reach him.

Branch recovered from the fall and stood against the cliff's wall, keeping some distance from the ledge with a frightened look. "Branch!" Soren appeared from the top, laying down on his stomach. He stretched out his arm to him, "Give me your hand! I'll pull you up!"

"Soren, no! You got to get out of here!" Branch shouted back.

"What?" Soren wondered.

"It's...It's a chimera! Look behind you!" As soon as he turned, Soren came face to face with a ferocious chimera, a three headed beast with the heads of a lion, goat, and dragon, with a serpent for its tail. The beast roared at the petrified Soren, but before it could attack, Creek distracted it by throwing stones at it.

"Hey, beast! Come on! Over Here!" Creek shouted, throwing more stones at it. "Come on, Chimera! Come this way!" The angry beast came towards Creek while Soren helped Branch. The chimera followed Creek to the frozen side of the mountain, on top of a glacier.

Soren managed to pull Branch up and both of them ran over to help their brother fight the chimera, whom was defending himself with his spear.

Creek attacked it, but the beast quickly evaded the weapon. The serpent tail snapped at Creek, making him take a few steps back. With its claws, the chimera sends Creek to the ice which broke underneath him as soon as he made contact. Luckily, his spear kept him from falling down the chasm. Soren yelled his battle cry and threw his tomahawk at the beast's chest. The beast roared in agony when the weapon stabbed its chest. Both human and beast fought one-on-one away from the other two.

"Creek!" Branch ran and managed to grab Creek's hand before he fell just as his spear broke. "Just hold on!"

"Come on, pull!" Creek yelled as Branch struggled to pull him up. Creek tried to get his foot on the ice but it was too slippery to get a secure grip on it. Branch was strong enough to maintain his grip on his brother but since he's the youngest and the fact that Creek is slightly heavier and taller does not make the task easier.

Soren fought the beast bravely despite the disadvantage, evading the chimera's claws and attacking it with his spear when he got the chance. Suddenly, he heard Creek's yell when he slipped. He stopped fighting for a second to see his brothers in trouble, only for the chimera to grab him in his jaws and started shaking him around. Soren then took this chance to pull the tomahawk from the beast's chest. The chimera felt the pain and in retaliation, he bit down on Soren's torso, injuring him greatly.

"AAAHHHHHH!" Soren cried out and was thrown to the ground, bleeding from the wounds.

The chimera was about to deliver the finishing blow, only to feel a sharp pain behind him. The chimera turned to see a black lion biting down its leg. On top of the lion's mane was the same troll Branch chased. While the lion distracted the chimera, the troll ran across its back and landed on the lion head's snout where he delivered its blow using a knife he carried. Soren weakly gazed upon the battle between the three creatures. He believed that the troll and the lion were helping him. The chimera kicked the lion away while the troll held on. The dragon and the goat head attempts to take out the troll, only for the troll to dodge. The dragon head instead bit down the lion head's snout while the goat head bashed into the dragon head. All three heads started fighting with each other as the troll held on to the mane.

Branch fearfully looked back to see the situation, only to see his brother down and managed to see the troll on the chimera, thinking that the troll is controlling the beast. He picked up the pace to get his brother out of the crevice.

The chimera stopped fighting and caught glimpse of the younger brothers and then slowly began its decent towards them. The troll tried to stop it, only to get in a tussle with the snake tail.

The wounded Soren panted heavily and grabbed his spear but was too weak to even stand. His brothers were in danger and he needed to protect them. Fearing for his brothers' safety, he managed to see a huge crack in the ice, beneath their feet and despite the cost, he knew there was only one thing to do to save Branch and Creek. But first, he needed to repay the favor to someone. He then threw his tomahawk at the snake tail, slicing it head off and saving the troll's life. With his last ounce of strength, he hoisted his spear and drove it into the crack and pulled it sideways, causing the ice to break apart. This cuts the chimera off from reaching his brothers.

The chimera began to panic as soon as he saw the ice cracking. The troll saw it too and knowing what Soren did for him, he glanced upon the boy's face with sadness but also with respect and then jumps off the beast.

Branch managed to pull Creek up from the hole and both looked upon their brother in shock at what he has done. "Soren. SOREN!"

Soren heard Branch's cries and looked solemnly upon them as he held onto his spear while the ice shifted and continued to break apart. He knew he wouldn't survive this but for the sake of his brothers, he'll risk his life for them forever. He's their brother and they are his. They're his responsibility. That's what his totem stands for. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and prepared for the fall.

The black lion ran towards its troll friend and managed to grab him, only for them to fall through the ice. The chimera tried running away but it didn't make it far when the ice fully broke and all four creatures fell down and crashed into the water below along with gigantic blocks of ice.

Both Creek and Branch peered over the edge where the ice broke, searching for any sign of Soren. "Soren?" Creek wondered if he was okay. Suddenly, the black lion bursts out of the water with the troll in its mane. The troll coughed and held onto the lion as he swam to shore. They shook the cold water off of them and glanced upon the brothers one last time before they ran away into the woods.

"Come on!" Branch shouted and they both climbed down the ice and ran towards the water to find their brother. "SOREN!"

"Soren!" Creek cried out as they jumped into the water and looked around.

Branch found the sharp end of Soren's broken spear floating in the water while Creek found his tomahawk. "Soren. SOREN!"

"SOREN!"

"Soren, where are you? Answer me!" Branch continued to call.

Creek jumps over some ice and continued to search around. He then stopped dead when he caught sight of something ahead of him. "BRANCH!"

Branch ran through the cold water towards the object and when he picked it up, it was revealed as Soren's brown coat only it was ripped up with some dried blood from the attack. "Soren..." He looked around for any sign of his brother but there was no hair on sight or sound to be heard. "No..." Branch didn't want to accept the fact that he's gone. He threw the jacket away and continued searching. "SOREN! Soren!"

Creek picked up the jacket and realizing the truth, he only closed his eyes in grief, knowing that Soren is no longer with them. He watched as Branch desperately search for Soren.

"Soren, help us find you! Soren, where are you? SOREN!"

"Branch," Creek gently spoke to him. "That's enough. You won't find him."

"We have to! He wouldn't want us to give up on him! He's out there somewhere! Soren! Sor-"

Creek suddenly grabs and pulls Branch towards him, keeping him in an embrace. Branch struggled to escape until he heard Creek whispering, "There's nothing we can do for him now. I'm sorry, Branch."

Branch's eyes filled with tears and yelled out in anguish, hitting Creek in the chest until he broke into sobs. Creek only remain silent, listening to his brother's cries. No matter how hard Branch cried, no amount of tears would be able to bring their brother back. He was gone.

Unbeknownst to the grieving brothers, far from them, some bubbles popped in the water's surface until the chimera bursts from the water and then reached for the shore. It ran to the woods and stopped to take a breather. From the fall, the beast received several scratches, the dragon head lost a horn, and the lion head received a scarred muzzle and eye. When the beast checked its tail, it growled in hatred knowing that their fellow serpent tail is gone.

In anger, it roars through the sky. Its echoes scaring the birds in the trees as if making a pact of vengeance.

Hope you like it!

A fun fact: in this world, there are also many animals just as there are mythical creatures and dragons. I know lions aren't common in forests but bear with me that these animals are symbolic to trolls, or at least, one type of troll.

In case you haven't known, to the human in this stories, trolls speak in Valyrian and here is the translation to what the troll had said in order:

"Umbagon ruarza se ȳdra daor māzigon hen" (Stay hidden and don't come out)

"Iā issaros?" (A person?)

"Keligon! Ao kostagon daor sagon kesīr! Qrīdrughāks! (Stop! You can't be here! Go away!)

"Valītsos, emā naejot henujagon! kostilus! ziry iksos daor ȳgha!" (Boy, you have to leave! Please, it's not safe!)

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