A large cracking noise rang through Timber's pod, following the yelp of a certain Rock troll in disguise.
Artina, with a freshly split lip, stumbled into the dresser behind her, trying to keep herself on two legs. The upper part of her dress where he had grabbed her was ripped, exposing the right side of her bra. Her shocked eyes sat on the troll who had just backhanded her. Timber, who had an aura of anger that she didn't think any Pop troll was capable of.
"Timber, stop!" Artina said to her lover, unsure of how else to react to what was happening. "Please just listen to me!"
"It's been you, hasn't it?" Timber said as he slowly walked over to the woman he thought was a Pop troll. "All of the creatures that have been disappearing. The bugs that help us garden. The ones the children play with, it's been you…. You've been EATING them!"
"Timber, I can't eat the way you all do." Artina said, looking away from him. "If I… if I hadn't eaten them, I would've died."
"You're an ANIMAL!" He shouted before smacking Artina again, knocking her onto the floor. Tears streamed down Artina's face as she tried to crawl away from him, but Timber was quick to grab her by the hair and drag her towards him.
"I knew there was something wrong about you." He growled, tightening his grip on her hair. "You never ate in front of us. Always disappearing at night. It's because you were hunting and killing our livestock. Our pets!"
Artina winced in pain as she felt her hair being pulled from the roots. Her mind was racing as she tried to come up with a way to make him stop. She knew that if she didn't do something, he would hurt her even more.
"Timber, please." She begged, her voice cracking. "I didn't want to lie to you. I just didn't think you'd understand. I love you."
"You and your kind don't know the meaning of that word." He sneered.
With a sudden burst of energy, Artina kicked Timber in the chest, causing him to stumble back. She quickly tried to stand up, only for Timber to tackle her back onto the floor, placing himself on top of her and using his hands to pin her arms down.
Even more desperate to get away now, Artina tried to scream for help, only to be silenced by Timber quickly whipping his hair around her neck, cutting off her voice, and air as well. For the longest seconds of her life, the Pop troll continued to strangle her. Looking into his eyes, all she could see was hatred, with not even an ounce of remorse.
"Timber… no… please…" Artina choked out.
But Timber didn't stop. If anything, her plees seemed to drive him forward as he wrapped his hair around her neck even harder. Her vision started to get blurry as the oxygen was completely cut from her body.
Finally able to get one of her hands free from Timber's grasp, and used the bit of strength she had to punch the Pop troll in the face as hard as she could, getting him to loosen his grip just enough for Artina to pull is hair off of her neck, and collect the air she'd been missing into her lungs. Even angrier now, Timber immediately wrapped his hair around her again, but this time, around her mouth, muffling her voice.
"We found their bodies, you know." Timber said. "All of those poor creatures that you killed. That you cooked. That you ate!"
Tears continued to fall from Artina's eyes as she tried to get her words through the hair that was currently wrapped around her mouth.
"You're a monster. No better than the bergens that eat us every year." He said. "And you deserve to be treated like one."
Artina screamed as Timber jammed his teeth into her shoulder.
--
Artina shot upwards from her bed and instinctively grabbed the shocker spear she always kept next to it.
The advisor looked around her room, breathing heavy and shaking with fear as she slowly recovered from that terrible nightmare. The nightmare of that painful memory that became more and more vivid every time her mind decided she needed to relive it.
Artina looked at the spear in her hand, gripping it like she would die if she let it go. She couldn't even sleep at night if this specialized weapon wasn't by her bedside. She'd been this way ever since that horrible night, more than 20 years ago.
Finally calming herself, Artina placed her hand on her shoulder, rubbing the bite mark that Timber had given her. Every single time she had this nightmare, the scar would burn, as if that bastard was thinking about her from hell.
The Rock troll gripped the spear tighter and tighter as she thought about that man she used to love. A lesser spear would have snapped in half by now, but Artina had designed these to last.
"But I'm the monster?" Artina said to herself. It was true that she had been hunting some of the creatures that lived in the troll tree while she was there. She took no joy in lying to Timber or the other Pop trolls, but she didn't have a choice. She couldn't survive on fruits, vegetables, or those sugary sweets that somehow made up most of their diets. She would've died attempting to do so.
None of that gave Timber the right to beat her. To scar her. To rape her!
"But I'M the animal!?" She yelled to herself again before throwing her spear into the wall, puncturing the concrete.
For the first few years, Artina had foolishly blamed herself for it all. Thinking that if she had been honest with him from the beginning, maybe he wouldn't have reacted the way he did. But she knew the truth now. If her one lie was enough for him to violate and scar her for life, even after all of the shared love they used to have, then Timber was already vile and twisted on the inside. He just needed an excuse to act on it.
Fully awake now, Artina finally got a whiff of herself. She had slept in her clothes. Fantastic. Her shirt and fur were drenched in sweat, and her sheets weren't any better off. She needed a shower.
With a sigh, she slowly got up from her bed and walked to her dresser, quickly grabbing some new clothes before heading to the bathroom. As she turned on the shower, stripped out of her clothes, and stepped into the hot water, she could already feel the aches from last night slowly fade away, along with the sweat and grime.
As she washed herself, Artina tried to bring peace to her mind by instead thinking of her son Branch. She worked, she hoped, and she prayed, and the old gods rewarded her determination by finally bringing him home. Just knowing that he was here, somewhere in the castle, that alone was enough to bring her the peace that her heart had been missing for so long. And they still had so much lost time to make up for. Her only wish was that this could've happened sooner.
But these happy thoughts were dimmed when Artina thought again on that prophecy that the priestess shared with her. More than anything, she wanted to ignore this. To sweep it all under the rug and pretend that priestess Hora had never told her about it in the first place. But she couldn't ignore the signs. Just as she had said yesterday, if this prophecy was revealing itself now, then something was either coming or was already here. But why did it have to be her son? If what Branch told her was true, he had already been through enough hardships in that village.
As she turned the water off and reached for her towel, Artina thought about the few things her son told her about his life in Pop village. How he had basically had to raise himself because Branch understandably didn't want to sing and dance with the other trolls after the death of Rosiepuff, the person he thought was his only living family member.
But truthfully, she only blamed one Pop troll for this. If she had to wager a guess, King Peppy likely forbade anyone from taking Branch in out of fear of what he might grow up to be. Probably even fed some of the few trolls that knew a little about the other tribes that batshit lie about two different troll races possibly creating "feral" offspring.
Artina shook her head, trying to clear her mind of those bitter thoughts. It didn't matter now. What mattered was her son's safety and ensuring that he was ready for whatever was coming their way.
She wrapped the towel around her body and walked over to the mirror, inspecting her reflection. Her hair was still damp, and her stomach was rumbling. She was already certain she had slept through breakfast. Well, she could always go to Fire Burger. But first, she should check in with her sister and see how Barb was handling things on her first day as queen.
"Artina! Artina, you in there?"
Artina groaned at the sound of Devan's voice outside of her bathroom door. Quickly putting on her pants and shirt, she walked over to the door and opened it, the steam from the shower coming through. As it cleared, Artina saw that Devan was not alone, with his crew of Jake and Amber.
Jake smiled and let out a whistle. "Damn, Artina." He said. "Still can't believe you've been able to keep a body this rockin' after so many years."
"Shut the fuck up, Jake." Amber said blankly.
The advisor sighed. If any other group of trolls had just walked into her quarters, and disrupted her free time like this, she'd have called for the guard. But she had known Devan for years now. Not only did she trust him, but he was a very dear friend of hers. Even with how annoying his crew could be. "What is it, Devan?" Artina asked.
"Somethings going on in the throne room." Devan said as he threw Artina her leather jacket. "Something you need to see."
Immediately, Artina picked up on the seriousness in her friend's voice, despite the smile on his face. Deciding it'd be best to just see what was going on, she put on her jacket, and followed the group of bounty hunters out of the door.
As they made their way through the castle, Artina couldn't help but feel a sense of unease in her stomach. It was very uncharacteristic for Devan's group to be this quiet. Devan himself still had an excited-looking grin on his face.
Amber however, didn't seem to be sharing his enthusiasm for whatever was going on. In fact, the constant rubbing of her temples told Artina that the Technorock troll was in pain.
When they eventually found themselves in the throne room, Artina was surprised to see that it was packed full of trolls. Multiple guards, Mayor Delta, her daughter, and a group of Country trolls, Kelley and Val Thundershock, the territorial observers, and standing before Barb was… a Pop troll?
Artina rubbed her eyes, making sure that she was seeing this correctly. The girl's small arms, large front teeth, and rounded body told her that she was one of the defective, or "different" trolls, as Pop trolls like to put it. But even after all these years, the advisor knew a Pop troll when she saw one.
"...A-and then, when we got to the edge of the v-village…" the Pop troll said. "He told me I was banished, and he wouldn't even tell me why!"
With her story of the last two days finally finished, Legsly wrapped her arms around herself, and sobbed right in front of Queen Barb, Branch, her group, and the Country trolls.
"Fuck…" Barb said, sitting up from her throne. "I knew King Peppy was an asshole, but that's cold."
"What's going on here?" Artina asked, getting the attention of her sister and Queen Barb.
"It seems that the Pop village's naivety finally caught up with them." Cindy said to her sister before stepping away from the throne, and walking up to Legsly. "Tell me, Legsly. This bergen that attacked your village, what exactly did it look like?"
Legsly wiped her sniffling nose with her hand, and tried to remember everything she could. "I-I think it was a lady. She had blue hair, and her clothes were all messy and ripped up, and she had a big white hat, and r-really big teeth, and a fanny pack that she stuffed my friends in…"
Artina's expression darkened a little. "Chef…" She said. "It was Chef who attacked your village."
"Who's That?" Barb asked her main advisor.
"When Cindy and I were trying to track down the location of the Pop trolls, we did as much investigation as we could to find out where they went." Artina said. "We discovered that Gristle, the Bergen king, blamed his royal chef for the escape of the Pop trolls. She had to run from Bergen Town just to avoid execution, or worse."
"And her name is just… Chef?" Riff asked Cindy, understandably confused.
"Bergens operate on a simple type of monarchy." Cindy said to her daughter's boyfriend. "This goes even further with those who directly serve the king. Chef was called Chef, and nothing else, because that was her purpose in life. To cook for the king. Those born to be guards and servants don't have names either."
Barb had never been extremely versed in the behavior of bergens. They were big, they were dumb, they ate anything with a heartbeat, and they were to be dealt with immediately if they were ever foolish enough to get near Rock City. That was all she knew, and all she had to know.
"If I were to hazard a guess, she's hoping that if she brings some trolls to King Gristle, she'll be redeemed, and allowed to return to Bergen Town." Cindy continued. "Otherwise, she'd have just eaten all the trolls she gathered on the spot."
The Queen's friends shivered at the thought. Just like Barb, none of them had ever actually seen a bergen in real life. They had only heard stories and rumors about them.
Mayor Delta and her group silently watched all of this unfold, unsure of what to do or say. She and her people were under the impression that Pop trolls were extinct. If what that young lady said was true, about her people never taking any type of safety precautions, a lot of luck had to have been in play for them to have survived as long as they did.
"If she's able to regain King Gristle's favor, she'll likely return for the rest of the Pop trolls, and she won't be alone." Artina said. "How hidden is your bunker, Branch?"
It would be at this moment Artina noticed her son's very conflicted face.
Branch couldn't believe this. He had always known that the bergens would return for the Pop trolls. But for it to happen almost immediately after he left, it felt like some sick form of irony from the old gods, or Gah, or whatever higher power was pulling these strings.
The Poprock troll felt at least three emotions in this moment. The first was a selfish feeling of pride that his bunker was currently being used to keep the Pop trolls safe, even if all they ever did was ridicule him. The second was a familiar anger at King Peppy, who would go as far as to banish one of his subjects, and send her out into the dangerous forest, just to keep the truth of the other troll tribes a secret.
And then finally, overwhelming concern. Concern for Poppy.
If Branch knew the princess, and he liked to think he did, he knew that Poppy most likely didn't have a plan for what she'd do when she got to Bergen Town, or how exactly she'd save the captured Pop trolls, and live to tell about it.
Branch placed his hand on his chest. For a very long time, the only person he had ever been concerned with was himself. Even with the few small years he spent trying to gather enough supplies for the entire village, never once in his life did he ever even consider outright risking his safety for another. And he made it clear to Poppy every time she, or one of the other trolls spoke to him.
He didn't know if it was because his colors had mostly returned, or if it was because he had happiness in his heart again after over two decades, but it was like Branch's eyes were open for the first time. How cruel he had been to Poppy, and how she forgave him anyway.
Even after every time he demeaned her.
Even after every time he stepped on her invitations that she handmade just for him.
The day he left, he told her that she'd be a terrible queen.
The princess forgave him every single time. She never stopped reaching out to him, trying to be his friend. He couldn't let her walk to her death like this. He wouldn't.
"We have to help them!" Branch said. "Poppy and her friends are gonna get themselves killed if we don't do something!"
The silence that followed Branch's words was short, but felt much too long for the survivalist. Slowly, the eyes of all the Rock trolls started to fall onto Queen Barb, waiting on a response from her. "We're not gonna do that, Branch." She finally said.
"What? Why not?" Branch said incredulously.
"Branch, dude, I like you and all, but think about what you're asking me for." Barb said. "You want us to pretty much go to war with the bergens, and for what? The Pop trolls that tried to screw us all? The assholes who are the reason the tribes are so divided? You know the story about the strings, right?"
Branch raised an eyebrow. "King Peppy told me, yeah. The story about how all the tribes couldn't decide what music should be played, so they all took a string, and left. But what does that have to do with this?"
Another silence blanketed itself in the throne room as the trolls around Branch all started to look at him with both confusion and disbelief. Except his aunt Cindy, who looked angry.
"Of course he lied to you about this too." Cindy said.
"That isn't how it went, Branch." Artina said, approaching her son, and placing her hand on his shoulder. "But it doesn't surprise me that King Peppy would rather his people live in that lie."
"Then what's the truth?" Branch asked his mother.
"Back during the earliest years of our recorded history, maybe a few centuries after the time of silence, all of the tribes lived together in harmony." Artina started. "But one day, Stardew, the queen of the Pop trolls, attempted to steal the strings, and keep them for her people alone. Not wanting a war, all of the tribes each took their string, and went their separate ways."
"Pop trolls have always thought they were better than the rest of us, Branch." Cindy said, walking up next to her sister. "Think about what King Peppy let happen to your mother. Think about how he treated you. You told us that he was supposed to take you in, but he didn't. And I'm betting the only reason no one else did was because that son of a bitch wouldn't let them."
Branch stood there, mind racing as he tried to process this new information. Suddenly, questions that he never thought to ask himself filled his head. Why had the trolls just allowed a child to live on his own? Why hadn't just one of them tried to adopt him, or put him in the orphanage? He would've refused of course, but no one had ever tried? It was all Peppy. The king's fear or hatred of Branch's mixed blood was what had stopped them. It was him who made sure it never happened.
"Think about it, Branch." Queen Barb said. "Right now, King douchebag, and all those other Pop trolls who laughed at you are in the bunker that you made. Using up all the supplies that they wouldn't help you make. Eating up all the food and water they wouldn't help you gather. Why should you wanna help them? Would they do it for you?"
The survivalist looked at the floor. If there was one thing Branch could say about all of this with almost complete certainty, it was that none of the Pop trolls would have ever even considered doing something this dangerous for him. Hell, the moment they noticed that he was gone, they'd have probably thrown a "Branch is finally gone" party.
….except for Poppy.
If there was something he could say with ABSOLUTE certainty, it was that if a bergen had captured him, or even if he had just gone missing, the princess would never rest until she found him. Even after all the cruelty he had shown her. Because that was her nature as a troll. As a friend… as his friend.
"...I have to go, mom." Branch said. "What the Pop trolls did all that time ago was wrong, and so was what Peppy did. But everyone else, Poppy, her friends, and most of the others, they didn't have anything to do with that. They don't even know that other types of trolls exist. I'm going, even if I have to go by myself."
The statement shook Artina to her core. She looked at her son, trying to find a single shred of doubt. Anything that told her that he wasn't serious about this. But found none. The advisor grabbed her son's hands, prepared to do anything to convince him not to do this, but Amber spoke up before she could get her plee out.
"Your Rockness." Amber said to Queen Barb. "I don't think it's just Pop trolls that were captured. I think they have Techno trolls too. And I think King Trollex is one of them."
Queen Barb's attention was now on the bounty hunter as she and the other trolls in the room waited for her to explain further. Floating closer to the queen, Amber gave Barb a full view of her chest. Her glowing patterns were blinking.
"King Trollex is sending out an echo, and it's coming from the west, where Bergen Town is." Amber said, turning around and allowing everyone else in the room to see the lights flashing on her body. "He's been doing it for almost an hour, and it's giving me a headache."
"That can't be right." Cindy said. "Trollex's kingdom is to the north, and it's hundreds of feet underwater. Bergens don't have the technology for that kind of travel."
"An echo?" Branch asked.
"It's a Techno troll thing." Artina said to her son. "They can send out a type of SOS to other Techno trolls through a sonar that only they can hear."
"But the thing is, only the royals can do it." Amber said to them. "I can hear it, but I can't send it out myself. And since Trollex is the only one left in his family, it has to be him sending out the echo."
Taking all of this information in, Barb thought about the advice her father had once given her about ruling. To not think with a bias, and to only think like a leader.
If the bergens were somehow attacking the Techno trolls as well, that could be a problem later. The reason bergens tended to only hunt Pop trolls was because they knew that they were the only tribe that wouldn't fight back. If they were allowed to get away attacking Techno trolls too, who's to say that they won't try their luck with her people as well? Plus, having the Techno king owe her people a favor could be beneficial in the future.
But most of all, if she were to just let all of those trolls die, even Pop trolls, what example would she be setting on her very first day as queen? That she was heartless and cruel? That's not how her father ruled, and not how she would rule.
"Cindy, Rex, gather up the guard." Queen Barb said. "Tell them to get ready for a fight."
After a moment, Rex nodded his head, and left out with the guards. "Let's go, everybody."
"Are you sure about this, my queen?" The co-advisor asked Barb. "Bergens are idiots, and not very advanced, but they're still dangerous creatures."
"Yeah, Cindy." Barb said, getting up from her throne, Riff and Sid Fret right behind her. "And I'm coming. Let's bring the rock to those troll-eating fuckers."
"Then I'm coming too, my queen." Artina said before turning back to her son again. "If I can't talk you out of this Branch, then I'm coming with you. I waited 20 years to have you back, and I won't lose you again."
"I was hoping you'd say that, Artina." Devan said, the smile that he came into the throne room with even wider now. "Me and my crew are coming too."
Artina smiled at her friend. "I'll make sure the three of you are paid well for this, Devan. I know target's like this aren't what you're used to."
"You kidding? I should be paying you. I've always wanted to fight a bergen." Devan said. "Amber! Go get the anglerbus ready!"
On that command, both Amber and Jake left the throne room to prepare, leaving only the queen, Riff, Sid Fret, Branch, his mother and aunt, and Legsly.
"Come with me, Branch." Artina said, grabbing her son's hand. "We'll take my anglerbus."
"I don't think so." Queen Barb said before turning her head to the Poprock troll. "You're one of my roadies, Branch. You travel with us. Artina, you ride with Cindy."
As much as the mother wanted to argue, she couldn't go against Barb's wishes. So instead, Artina hugged Branch, and left with Cindy to prepare.
"Let's get ready." Barb said, gesturing Branch to follow her.
As the four were about to leave the room, the Poprock troll heard the all-too-familiar jingle of a hug time watch. Turning around, Branch saw Legsly with her arms wide open to him, eyes still red from the crying she had been doing.
"Please, Branch?" The purple troll said with a sniffle. "No one's hugged me in almost two days. Please?"
Branch looked at the poor girl. A few days ago, the sad face she was making wouldn't have phased him to any degree. But now, seeing her like this, he couldn't help but feel bad. And she had already been through so much..
Giving in after a bit of hesitation, Branch opened his arms, welcoming her. With a smile, Legsly extended her legs a little to meet his level, and hugged him.
"...Wait, you were serious about the "hug time" thing too?" Riff said.
As Barb watched the pukey little display, she couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for Branch. Even after everything he had just discovered about the Pop trolls, even after everything they had put both him and his mother through, he was somehow finding the strength to turn the other cheek. It reminded Barb of her father in his better years.
He was even willing to fight the very creatures he had spent most of his life learning how to avoid, just to help them. That level of loyalty was Grade-A friend material.
The queen smiled. Maybe it was even boyfriend material.
--
"You really don't hear that noise?"
Suki sat beside her friend Biggie in the center of the troll tree, away from the eyes of any bergen that came across. Being this close to those monsters was already frightening enough. So Suki hearing an echoing sound in her head was definitely not helping her calm her mind.
It had started about an hour ago, around the time Poppy, Smidge, and Satin all left. Not only was it driving her crazy, but it felt like it was getting louder. So loud, that it didn't even feel like it was only in her head.
"I don't hear anything, Suki." Biggie said, trying his best to ease her. Reaching into the travel bag he had packed for this, the blue troll pulled out a coldberry, and offered it to her. "Here. Dr Moonbloom says these can help with pain."
The DJ groaned as she looked at the small fruit in Biggie's hand. She really hated coldberries, but she hated this splintering headache even more. Sucking it up, she took the berry, and ate it. The effects were almost immediate as Suki started to feel her pain melt away. The echoing noise seemed to calm itself as well. She could still hear it, but it was quieter, and more bearable now.
"Thanks Biggie." Suki said, grateful for her friend's kindness.
As the two sat in silence for a few minutes, the DJ looked out in the distance, seeing the many bergens casually walking down the streets, she couldn't help but feel a great deal of shame for how she lashed out at her friends when she refused to join them. She wasn't proud of it, but she just couldn't bring herself to leave this tree. Not after watching those two bergen children rip each other apart, while the adults watched in amusement.
As soon as her mind was on all of the danger around her, the echo in her head grew loud again. Suddenly, an immense burning feeling erupted from her chest, making Suki fall to her hands and knees
Jumping in surprise, Biggie panicked as he started to frantically look around, trying to think of a solution. He really hoped that Suki wasn't catching some type of fever or sickness out here. They weren't equipped for that. Quickly, the big troll opened his travel bag, and started rummaging through it, looking for anything that might help. Gauze? No, that wouldn't help. Another coldberry? No, too many of those at once could make a troll more sick. Darn it, what else could he try?
"Water.." Suki coughed out, reaching for Biggie's canteen. "Water!"
Suki's breathing was getting heavier as her chest started to feel hotter and hotter.
Biggie handed the DJ his water canteen, which she quickly snatched from his hands. First, she took a small sip. Then a very long one. Then, she raised it above her head, and let the lukewarm water fall over her body, letting it drench her burning chest, easing the pain even more than those stupid berries.
Suki let out a very relieved sigh. Never in her life had water ever tasted so good. Never once before had it felt so nice on her body, even on her now soaked shirt.
Feeling much better, Suki tried to hand the now-empty canteen back to Biggie, but noticed that the bigger troll's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.
"What's the matter?" Suki asked.
"Your… your chest, Suki." Biggie said.
That's when the DJ looked down at herself, and jumped. Under her very thin shirt, a glowing, pink, pixalated pattern in the shape of a heart had appeared on her chest, blinking steadily on and off.
Biggie looked at his scared-looking friend. He was already aware that Suki was one of the "different" trolls, and he had of course also seen Suki put glowstones or even a glowbug in her mouth to shoot lights from her eyes and mouth, but based on her reaction, he could tell that this had never happened to her before. Plus, this wasn't like the lights she usually projected. Instead of a straightforward flash, it was more bioluminescent.
"Does it hurt? Should we find you some more water?" Biggie asked.
Suki slowly placed her hand on the glowing heart on her chest. It pulsed lightly, like a real heartbeat. With the burning sensation finally stopping, the pattern felt almost nice. It felt like the less she fought against it, the more inviting it looked on her body. Like she was meant to have it. Whereas the glowing rock candy she always carried in her bellybutton felt less and less appealing. Without thinking, she slowly pulled it out of her belly button, and tossed it aside.
As if her body was further telling her to accept whatever the hair was happening, her arms started to glow as well. Suki watched as lights emanated from her forearms, all the way to her shoulders, shining brightly with the colors of a rainbow. In response, Suki suddenly grew a disdain for the glowing bracelets she was wearing. One by one, she unclipped them, and let them fall onto the dead bark of the troll tree.
Biggie looked in amazement at the sight before him. He had never seen anything like this before in his life. Even the parts of Suki's body that weren't glowing were giving off a very low but visible red bioluminescent light. It was mesmerizing.
Suki herself smiled, and looked at Biggie, feeling a sense of ease wash over her. Whatever was happening to her, she knew that it was something special. And while she didn't know why, these colors, these glowing patterns, she felt like she was always meant to have them.
"I think I'm ok." She said. "I think I'm more than ok."
--
In the dark, quiet halls of the king's castle, two guards came walking down the hallway, laughing as they dragged a beaten and bloody bergen woman known as Chef. As she groaned in pain, the guards laughed at her suffering as they talked.
"This is gonna be fun to watch." The guard on the left said.
"You really should've stayed gone, Chef." The one on the right said as he leaned down next to Chef's face. "King Gristle's been looking for you for a loooong time."
When the three bergens finally reached a very tall, and iron-plated door, their laughing ceased as they pushed Chef inside. The throne room they now found themselves in was vast. So large that it looked like it could fit the entirety of Bergen Town inside of it. The paint on its dark purple walls was chipped and cracked, the plants by the doorway were black and wilting, and the shades that covered the single enormous window were as torn and dirty as the carpet that led to the throne.
And sitting on the throne made of wood and steel, was Gristle Jr, the king of Bergen Town. He was maybe twice the size of the rest of the bergens in the room, including the two armed guards that stood at the front of his throne. His skin was a disgustingly dark shade of green, and his unkempt hair was even darker. He wore a tattered and spotted cape, and dark, bloodstained clothing, and a golden crown that looked to be rusted. By his side lay a lizarddog with a spiked collar.
But what made fear grip Chef's heart the most were his teeth. They were so enormous and sharp, that when he smiled at the sight of Chef, even his red eyes looked tame in comparison.
Now in front of King Gristle, one of the guards kicked Chef from behind, making her fall to her knees. Then he and the other guard brought their spears up to her neck.
"You're either the bravest woman I've ever met, or the biggest fool to come back here, Chef." King Gristle said as he stroked his chin. "But I'm so pleased that you did. Now, what should I do with you? Hmm…"
"My king, please!" Chef said quickly as she tried to stand up, only to be kicked back down again. "Don't kill me! I have wonderful news!"
The king snapped his fingers, and one of the guards brought the blade of his spear to her neck, drawing a small line of blood, daring her to try to get up again.
"Kill you? No, that would be too easy." King Gristle said with a laugh. "Oh no, we're not going to kill you. Not for weeks. Not for months. After we're done, death will seem like a blessing."
"How's about you let us have her, my king?" One of the guards said. "I'm sure the rest of the guards would like a nice toy to play with-"
The guard was cut off by King Gristle grabbing him by the head with his enormous hands, and raising him into the air. The guard struggled uselessly at the king's obviously superior strength, but couldn't even make his arm budge.
"I do not recall asking for your opinion." The king growled.
Chef and the other guard watched silently as the other bergen screamed as King Gristle slowly crushed his helmet. Soon after, blood started too seep from his eyes and nose as the king squeezed harder and harder, until they all heard a loud splattering sound. The once struggling guard's arms fell limp as his screams came to an immediate hult.
"Now where was I…. Oh I know." King Gristle said as he dropped the guard's dead body on the floor. "I'll send you to the local butcher. We'll have him take your fingers first, then your toes. Slowly work his way to your legs and thighs, and then your arms. Then when those are gone, we'll cut you open, and make haggis out of your stomach. Then I'll have your eyes turned into chewtoys for Barnabas."
The lizarddog licked its lips at its master's idea.
"Yes, I think that's what I'll do." King Gristle said. "Guard, send her down to the butcher shop. Tell him to make sure she's alive for the entire process."
"My king, wait!" Chef said, panic and fear in her voice. "I've found the trolls! I have a few here in my bag!"
Upon hearing this, King Gristle's face turned from one of amusement, to one of seriousness. "The trolls… Show me. Now." He ordered.
By his command, the single guard holding Chef down stepped away, and allowed her to approach the king. Slowly, she reached for the zipper on the small bag she was carrying, and revealed its contents to the king. Gristle's jaw dropped as he saw the four terrified looking trolls poke their heads out of it.
"You found them…" King Gristle said.
"Yes, my king." Chef said, relieved that she had the king's attention. "And these are only four of many. After so many years, I have found their village as well."
As the bergen king stood up from his throne and walked up to Chef to examine the trolls further, her friends silently panicked as Gristle reached into the bag, and pulled out a struggling and screaming Chenille. The pink troll gagged in disgust at the smell of the bergen's breath as King Gristle brought her to his nose, and took a long whiff.
King Gristle smiled. The scent of a troll after two decades was tantalizing. It made his stomach rumble and his mouth wet with drool.
"Go ahead, my king." Chef said. "You should be the first to enjoy a troll after so long."
Slowly, Gristle raised Chenille over his head, and opened his mouth. Chenille screamed once more as she looked down at the many rows of the bergen's sharp and jagged teeth. For a few seconds, they stayed like this, until ultimately, the king lowered Chenille back down again.
"No." King Gristle said flatly.
"No?" Chef repeated.
"You've only gathered enough trolls for me? Why should I alone get to enjoy these delicacies." He said, walking back to his throne and sitting down. "This does not make up for your failures, Chef. But don't worry, I'm still willing to give you a chance."
With a wave of his hand, the two guards stepped away from Chef, and walked to the throne room door, opening it.
"I will send out the word that Trollstice will begin again today. You will find the rest of the trolls for me, and the kingdom. I'll give you until tonight to do this. I'll even send a small group of guards to help you gather them."
The moment it looked like Chef was about to object, the king shot a glare at her, making her stop in her tracks, forgetting about whatever excuse she was about to make.
"This will be your ONLY chance to redeem yourself, Chef." Gristle said. "The day you, and those trolls escaped, my father had a heart attack, and died. Ever since then, I've been dreaming of ways to make you suffer. If you fail my kingdom again, I will show you all of them."
Not wanting to waste the precious moments she'd need to prepare, Chef bowed to the king, and left the throne room. With her gone, the king looked at the crying troll in his hand. The fear that was emanating from her was almost intoxicating to him.
"Please don't eat me…" Chenille said, her makeup running from the fresh tears.
The king said nothing. He merely smiled as he opened the locket that buttoned his cape, and stuffed her inside of it. He would wait for tonight, like everyone else.
Before he left for his quarters, King Gristle looked to the remaining guard in the room, startling him. "You. Go into town, and buy another servant to clean this mess up."
--
Down in the bunker, King Peppy looked out at his people from the chair that one of them was kind enough to bring him. Watching them talk, laugh, and play games as their fear of the events of the bergen seemed to finally cease, at least for the time being. It helped him take his mind off his concern for his dear daughter.
The king sighed as he thought about Poppy. He knew that he never would have convinced her not to go to Bergen Town, no matter how hard he tried. Even if the trolls that were taken weren't her closest friends, Poppy would never turn her back on her people, even if it cost her life. She was so much like Peppy in his younger days.
Sometimes, too much. Especially when it came to that boy Branch.
King Peppy, much like everyone else, was not oblivious to his daughter's feelings for that young man. He thought for sure that she'd grow out of it, and he thought Branch's negative attitude would make it easy. But Poppy had too much of her mother's persistence. It seemed that every time Branch yelled at her, or destroyed one of her party invitations, it only strengthened her determination to make him happy.
Peppy did not mind at first. He figured that eventually, even if Poppy kept on inviting him to her parties and bringing him her wonderful sweets, she would realize that Branch would never return her feelings, and she would move on.
But now there WAS a problem.
When the king and his people had first gotten down into Branch's bunker, it did not take long for his people to discover that Branch had actually kept all of his daughter's invitations, confirming his fear that the halfbreed wanted something more with Poppy as well.
King Peppy knew his daughter, and he knew that when this was all said and done, Poppy would go out and search for Branch as long as it took to find him, no matter where he might be. And if she did, he was not sure how he would tell Poppy that her and Branch could never be together romantically.
While Peppy was not sure if the other tribes all still abided by these laws, they dictate that those of the royal bloodlines had to pass on heirs that completely shared the blood of their tribe. This meant that because of Branch's mixed blood, him and Poppy could never be together.
Peppy frowned as he thought about Branch, and those Rock trolls that showed up for him about a day ago. Maybe the king would be more lenient about the laws if Branch shared blood with any other tribe, but in this case, he could not afford to be. Rock trolls were brutish, aggressive, and violent.
And they lied. They told terrible lies.
No matter how old he got, King Peppy would always remember the day that Artina, the Rock troll that they took in, nursed back to health, and treated as one of their own, tried to spread that terrible lie about Timber, all because he did not wish to be mated with a Rock troll.
Abuse, fighting, rape, none of those things happened among Pop trolls, and one of the many reasons King Peppy forbade the other tribes from entering their village or interacting with his people was to ensure that none of those things ever could happen.
It was also one of the reasons that he had to break his promise to Timber.
King Peppy was not proud of the decisions he made. Not taking Branch in as he said he would, letting the boy live on his own as a trolling, and forbidding anyone from adopting him. But Branch, he was unique. Rock trolls and Pop trolls were so opposite in nature, that there was no way to know what he'd grow to become, or how he'd behave.
He had seen the large bite mark on Artina's shoulder, and according to Timber, she Wanted him to do that. King Peppy could not risk raising a child that may grow up and develop those violent tendencies. Not when he had a daughter to take care of.
Every day, when Poppy went to visit that boy, he was worried. Worried that Branch would give into the other half of his blood. Worried that he might take it out on his people. Worried that he might take it out on Poppy. Luckily, with the halfbreed finally gone, he did not have to worry himself with that anymore.
"Excuse me, King Peppy?"
Peppy looked to his left to see Cybil. The village's wise woman and their one priestess who led the group prayers to Gahmin. Her calm face and warm eyes always tended to bring an aura of peace and tranquility, wherever she went.
"Have you by chance seen Legsly?" She asked. "The group song will start soon, and she seems to be missing."
King Peppy tried his best to keep up a face that didn't look guilty or nervous as he avoided the priestess' gaze. He was not aware that Legsly was one of the followers of Gahmin.
"I am… afraid not, Cybil." The king eventually said. He never enjoyed lying to his subjects. He usually did not have to. But in the case of Legsly, it was his only option. "But this place is very large. I'm sure that she's here somewhere."
While her face did not show it, Cybil's brow mentally furrowed at King Peppy's words. One of the reasons that she was the village's wise woman was because she was very good at reading people. It was also one of the things that helped others feel more comfortable confiding in her. She could tell that something was bothering him.
"You worry for your daughter." Cybil said, extending her hand to the king. "I am aware that you are not a follower of Gahmin, but all are welcome to sing with us. Perhaps it will help ease your mind."
Her offer put a faint smile on the king's face. "I think I'm content here for now, Cybil. But please, don't let that stop you."
Cybil smiled back and nodded her head. Walking back to the large circle of trolls, both adults and children, that were waiting for her to begin. The moment she was far enough away, King Peppy slumped back into his chair. He was not happy about having to banish Legsly, and his heart truly did grieve for her, but she had given him no other option. The peace that his people had could only be maintained if they did not know about the other tribes.
At the other side of the large main floor, Cybil sat in the circle with the others, smiling as she began to preach to her fellow followers.
"As you all know, Gahmin, who was once a mortal troll just like us, gives us happiness and comfort, even in our darkest hour." Cybil said. "And for this great gift, the only thing he asks for in return is that we are kind and giving to others. So let us sing a song about helping our fellow trolls."
"Oh me, me, me!"
The wise woman turned her head to Keith, a small, green, cross-eyed trolling with his hand raised. "Can I pick the song? My mommy taught me a song about helping!"
Cybil smiled at the young troll's enthusiasm. "Very well, Keith. You may lead, and we will follow."
Now holding the attention of the rest of the trolls around him, Keith closed his eyes, and mentally played the song in his head before finally beginning with a hum.
(Lean on me by Bill Withers)
Hum, hum um um um
Hum um um um
Hum um um hum hum
Recognizing the song, the other trolls began to hum along with Keith. As they continued where he started, the boy began to sing the first verse of the song.
Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's
Always tomorrow
Cybil, Keith's parents, and the other troll's hearts filled with joy as the boy sang. It was a beautiful sight to see a boy so young be so mature for his age, choosing this song. All together, they sang the next verse of the song with him.
Lean on me
When you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
Until I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
King Peppy watched as the group of trolls all held hands, and continued to sing. Peace, harmony, and kindness. These were the ways of the Pop trolls. Something the other tribes could never truly understand. Especially Rock trolls.
"Where is Legsly?"
The king was slightly startled by Dr Moonbloom, who he hadn't noticed walking up next to him. Her eyes looked heavy from exhaustion, and there were dried patches of blood on both her jacket, and hands, which told King Peppy that she had just finished redressing Guy Diamond's wounds. She also had a very unamused look on her face.
"I'm afraid I'm not sure, Doctor." King Peppy replied, trying to keep a calm face. "But I'm certain she's around here somewhere. A troll could very easily get lost in this maze of a place."
"I saw you last night." The doctor quickly responded, not a hint of subtlety in her voice. "I saw you slip away when the others were not watching. And I saw Legsly follow behind you soon after. Why did you leave? What happened, Peppy?"
Peppy looked at Moonbloom, unprepared for the hidden, but very obvious suspicion in her voice. "I merely went to retrieve something from my pod. What's left of it, anyway. I was not aware that Legsly followed me."
The doctor frowned as King Peppy tried his best not to meet her eyes. She did not believe that. Not for one moment. If this were the case, King Peppy would have had at least a few trolls look around the bunker for Legsly the minute he heard that she was missing. Especially if she was outside somewhere.
Moonbloom was also one of the very few trolls aware of the two hidden caves tucked near the north outskirts of the village. The one that held his secret study filled with the history of the other tribes, and the one the sacred harp and the Pop string. The only reason King Peppy would risk leaving the bunker was to ensure that the bergens hadn't discovered those two places.
By his order, Moonbloom was not permitted to speak a word about either of these things to anyone. If Legsly followed the king, and she discovered either of those secrets… oh no.
"King Peppy, please tell me you didn't." Dr Moonbloom said quietly, almost pleading. "If she saw anything, she wouldn't have known what they were. She was innocent."
"We will speak no more of this, Doctor." King Peppy said, getting up from his chair, and walking away.
Dr Moonbloom felt so much frustration as the king walked away from her. He sent Legsly away. That had to be what happened. He was so afraid of change, that he'd rather send one of his people into the wilderness, then tell them the truth.
And what hurt the most is that she could do nothing about it.
--
Branch knew this day would come. He had always known, and no one in the village listened. There used to be a time when despite this, he still tried to gather enough supplies for the entire village, and even started making beds, baby formula, and other necessities that his former people might have needed. But all of that time of being ridiculed, even being laughed at by some of them, it made his heart even harder than it already was.
That was why the survivalist eventually decided to only focus on himself. Making himself a promise that when the bergens returned, he would not lift a finger to help them, no matter how much they begged him for it.
And yet, here he was standing at the open jaw of Queen Barb's anglerbus, readying himself to travel to Bergen Town to help Poppy and her friends. The queen herself was speaking with her two advisors one more time before they split up.
"So what exactly are we looking at when we get to Bergen Town, Cindy?" Barb asked.
"Honestly your Rockness, this shouldn't be all that difficult." Cindy said. "The only advantage that bergens really have over us is that they're bigger. They're not advanced, they're slow, their vision is bad, and most are fairly stupid. As long as we stay in our anglerbuses, we can most likely get through this without any casualties."
The queen smiled. The more she thought about this, the more she liked the idea of all of it. When they won this battle, it would be in the history books forever. Queen Barb and her legion of rockers defeated the bergens, and saved the Pop and Techno trolls on her first day as queen. She loved the sound of that.
But there was still one more thing bothering her.
She looked over to Branch, who was standing next to Riff and Sid Fret, and sharpening the shocker spear that his mother had given him. He still looked so determined. There was no fear, or even unease on his face. But there was still a hint of internal conflict.
"Hey Branch." Barb said, approaching the Poprock troll, her two advisors close behind her. "I need to ask you something."
"What is it?" He asked, a little confused.
"We're taking a risk here, you know." Barb said. "We're about to pick a fight with all of Bergen Town, all for those Pop runts mostly because you asked us to. Some of us could get hurt. Some of us could even die."
All of this surprised Artina quite a bit.
"Barb, we just went over this. The chances of any of us actually-"
"Zip it." Barb commanded, silencing Branch's mother.
Branch looked at the queen, his eyes meeting her gaze. A part of him wanted to get angry with Barb for talking to his mother that way, but he knew that now was not the time. He had to stay focused.
"I know, Barb." He eventually said. "I promise I'm not gonna forget about this. When this is over, I'll do whatever you want to make it up to you."
"Whatever I want, huh?" Barb said with a smirk. "I think I'll remember that for later. But for now, I only want one thing. I want you to answer a question for me."
Branch raised an eyebrow, curious about what the queen wanted to know. "What is it?"
"This morning, when Cindy asked if you could sing." Barb said, jumping right into it. "First you said you couldn't, but I already knew that was bullshit. Not when you've got Artina's blood. Then you said you wouldn't. So tell me, why won't you sing?"
Just like this morning, the answer shook Branch to his core. He was tempted to shrug Barb off. To tell her that it was none of her business, and he did not have to answer her question. He did not owe her anything.
Except… He did.
From the moment he got here, he had been given everything. Everything he asked for, and everything he didn't. His mother had absolutely kept his promise, but Branch knew that the only reason she could make these promises was because of Barb. He lived in Barb's castle now, he basically had a free pass to any shop in the city, and he ate, slept, bathed, and overall lived as if he were one of the royals. Hell, his first night here, he slept with the queen. It seemed like he actually owed them quite a lot.
So after what felt like the longest moment of his life, Branch looked to his mother, aunt, and Barb. "Mom, when I told you that grandma was killed by a bergen, that was the truth. But it wasn't everything."
Artina, Cindy, Riff, Sid Fret, and Barb all quietly listened as Branch looked down at his shocker spear, gripping it tightly.
"I was just a kid, outside, singing to an imaginary audience." Branch continued. "I was so lost in song, that I didn't even notice the bergen coming from behind. But grandma… she did…"
"Oh no…." Artina said. She felt like she already might know where this was going.
"She pushed me out of the way…" Branch said, gripping his spear tighter and tighter. "And it took her. When it was supposed to be me. When it should've been me…"
The Rock trolls around him all took a step back as the spear he was holding finally snapped in half from all of the pressure, and its remains fell on the ground.
As much as Artina tried not to display this level of weakness in front of her queen, a single tear fell from her eye anyway. It all made sense now. Just like her own frame, the muscles on her son's body weren't for attention, or to impress people with his strength. The muscles were armor. Another thing meant to make him feel safe. All this time..
"So that's why." Branch said in a low voice, finally finishing the tragic story. "Every time I even think about singing, all I can see is my grandma's face when one of those monsters took her away. So whatever you want me to do when this is over, just please don't ask me to sing."
"Branch…" Barb said, regret in both her voice and eyes. The guilt traveled through her body like a wave. She wouldn't have asked about this if she had known that this was the reason he didn't sing. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't know."
"I'm sorry too, bro." Sid Fret also said, even his usually dreary and laid back personality was shaken by Branch's story.
"I just… kinda thought you just might have a shitty singing voice." Riff said, earning a glare from Barb and Artina.
"No. It was like an angel's." Branch said with a weak smile. "At least, that's what my grandma used to say."
As Artina finally ran to her son and gave him another hug, Barb thought about everything she had just learned about her friend. Growing up, Branch's grandmother was probably the closest thing to a parent he had. She couldn't imagine growing up without her father, even with how he is now. And even though those Pop trolls let him grieve through this alone, even though they let him raise himself and live in a hole, he was still willing to be the bigger troll, and even risk his life to save them.
That confirmed it. Branch was definitely boyfriend material.
The spark inside her burning even hotter now, Barb walked into her anglerbus. "Get your asses in here." She said to her roadies before looking at her advisors. "You two, get to your anglerbus. We're gonna show those bergen pieces of shit what happens when they cross my friends."
Branch smiled. She called him her friend.
Without a second guess, Cindy did as the queen commanded, and left for Artina's personal bus. Artina followed loosely behind as her eyes refused to leave her son, who was already boarding Barb's bus.
Afterwards her eyes fell on the broken shocker spear sitting in the dark soil. Those spears were made of tungsten, which was stronger than steel. The grip strength required to even bend tungsten should be unobtainable for any troll, but her son did that, and even snapped it in two.
"Strength greater than his first life.." Artina quietly repeated one of the lines of the prophecy. Not wanting to waste any more time, the mother quickly caught up with her sister, and boarded the bus.
As the fleet of anglerbuses finally started to take off, and Sid and Riff started hooking up their and Barb's equipment, Branch looked out of the window, ready for whatever came next.
"Hang on, Poppy." Branch said. Not realizing that he was talking out loud. "I'm coming."
Barb raised an eyebrow as she plugged in her guitar. She remembered that purple Pop troll mentioning that name. "So, who's Poppy?"