A Quetz with Trolls

Camp and Bergens

Bold = Singing

Calibri came back from getting firewood as Poppy and Branch settled into their sleeping bags. The feathered woman put the wood down and her feathers fluffed out as she curled up next to Branch. 

Poppy couldn't seem to sleep as she pulled out a photo of all her friends. Saying goodnight before booping the picture of Creek on the nose. 

"And goodnight, Poppy." Branch wanted to get some rest, but he also wanted to make sure Calibri got some proper sleep. 

Poppy didn't listen as she looked at the sky. "Stars shining bright above you.~"

"Really? Seriously, more singing?!" Branch sat up as Calibri cracked open one of her eyes before lifting her head. "Yes, seriously! Singing helps me relax. Maybe you ought to try it." 

Branch wasn't giving up. "I don't sing, and I don't relax. This is the way I am, and I like it." He then sassily turned onto his side and pulled his blanket over him. 

Calibri was about to lay back down but Poppy appeared with her guitar as she strummed the strings in a familiar song. A song Calibri would listen to when she needed to sleep. 

"Hello darkness my old friend.~" Some of the creatures and plants harmonized with Poppy.

"I've come to talk with you again.~" A tiny spider landed on Branch's shoulder as Calibri yawned and laid down. "Hello." 

"Because a vision softly creeping. Left seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains. Within the sound of silence.~"

Poppy finished the song and Branch stood up, holding out his hands. "May I?" The pink troll then handed him her guitar, but Branch threw it in the fire before laying down again. 

He snuck a glance at Calibri as she slept. She seemed peaceful and figured that it had something to do with the music Poppy played. 

But soon the three were asleep. 

The next day the trio made it to the escape tunnels. Calibri and Branch were on guard as they approached the tunnels. 

"I'm gonna see if I can fly in undetected. I'll meet you two inside." Calibri was about to take off when she felt a hand grab her wrist. It was Poppy. 

"Be careful, Cali." Poppy gave her friend a hug before letting the woman take off. 

Calibri flew over Bergen town, most of the Bergens didn't seem to notice Calibri. But those that did only took her for a bird and went back to their miserable day. 

The woman landed in the Troll Tree thanks to Branch telling her about it once. 

She waited for a while before hearing screaming from the hole in the center of the trunk. And out came a cloud with legs, Branch holding broken sticks, and Poppy. 

"Ta-da! We're here." The cloud was happy the chase was over and took the sticks from Branch before going to the hole. "You guys are a lot of fun. You know, I gotta go. Got some cloud stuff to take care of. Catch you on the way back? Unless...you die, die, die." 

The cloud then left as Calibri looked at the two trolls with her. 

"The Troll Tree." 

"Bergen Town." 

The Bergens were still miserable as the three watched them. It was not a surprise honestly. It was sad and dull. 

"Wow, they're as miserable as you." Branch looked at Poppy with offence and Calibri glared at her a bit. "Which means they haven't eaten a Troll yet. Now, come on. Let's go save our friends." 

Branch disagreed on that. "Your friends." 

"Our friends, don't fight it." 

Calibri shook her head at this and stuck to the shadows the best she could with her bright feathers. But it seemed the Bergens paid her no mind as they kept walking. 

The three soon made it to the castle, hiding from the guards and soon hiding in the rafters. 

"So, where do you think our friends are?" Poppy asked Branch and Calibri. "If I had to guess, I'd say inside a Bergen's stomach." 

"Or a cage, just saying." Calibri was blunt in her answer, but it made it through. 

"Could you try to be positive? Just once, you might like it. At least Calibri has some positivity." 

Branch played along with sarcasm. "Okay. I'm sure they're not only alive, but about to be delivered to us on a silver platter." 

Poppy didn't seem to get it. "Thank you. That wasn't so hard, was it?" Then her bracelet lit up signaling hug time. 

"Branch, Calibri!" Calibri saw what Poppy meant, Branch didn't. "Hug time, seriously?" 

Poppy shushed Branch as Calibri used her taloned feet to pick up both the trolls and fly over the guards, close to the ceiling. The feathered woman listening as she heard the other dings of the bracelets. 

Calibri put the two down on a chandelier and landed, ducking down as she watched the chef Bergen was talking with the king. 

The kidnapped trolls were in a cage. 

"They're alive?" 

"And on a silver platter and in a cage, we were all right." 

They watched as the chef took Creek out of the cage, but Poppy nearly gave away their position. "Creek!" 

Calibri hid the trolls in her wings as Branch covered Poppy's mouth with his hand. The chef looks their way for a second before looking back to the troll in her hand.  She put Creek in a taco and gave it to the king. 

The king seemed to hesitate, twice, before the chef just shoved the troll taco in his mouth. 

"Branch, Cali, we have to save him!" Poppy whisper shouted. "Save him from what, his stomach?" 

"We didn't see him chew; we didn't see him swallow!" 

"Poppy, baby girl. If we try to save Creek, we will die. So right now, we need to focus on the ones we can save." 

Poppy seemed to have taken Calibri's words to heart as she jumped down and jumped on a few guards to land on the bergen taking the cage of trolls. 

Calibri scooped up Branch in her arms and swooped down following Poppy and latching onto the back of the maid. The bergen going down a long spiral staircase to a room, it seemed like a normal teen's room, but duller. 

Poppy, Branch, and Calibri jumped off the bergen and landed on the floor, hiding under a table. The maid put the caged trolls on another table and soon a voice came from a pipe. 

"Scullery Maid!" A bunch of pots and pans fell on the maid in a pile. "Wash these pots and pans for Trollstice! The king's inviting everyone! Except you!" 

The maid then started to cry and flopped on her bed. 

She soon stopped crying and picked up a magazine with the king on it. "I've been alone with you inside my mind.~"

Calibri sat on her haunches as she watched the bergen sing a depressing love song. "And in my dreams, I kissed your lips, a thousand times. I sometimes see you pass outside my door...Hello? Is it me you're looking for? I can see it in your eyes. I can see it in your smile. You're all I ever wanted, and my arms are open wide. Because you know just what to say, and you know just what to do. And I want to tell you so much...I love you.~"

The bergen then cried into her pillow before falling asleep. 

Poppy came out a bit with a hand over her heart. "Aw, she's in love with the king." 

Calibri smirked a bit at this, but Branch had other ideas about that saying. "What are you talking about? Bergens don't have feelings." 

"Maybe you don't know everything about them, Branch."