The true wielder of the strings

chapter 4

"You handled that pretty well, Branch. Riff cried like a little baby when he got his tattoo."

"I did not!" 

As the five Rock trolls left the tattoo parlor, Branch looked at his aching bandaged hand. A tattoo of a spider web underneath. It hurt, but it was bearable.

Figuring that they had time for at least one more detour, the gang stopped at a place called Fire Burger. Burgers, like most other foods here, were unfamiliar to Branch, but if the smell of the restaurant was any indication, he was certain he'd enjoy one. And enjoy it, he did, also discovering that potatoes were one of the few vegetables that Rock trolls could ingest. He still couldn't believe he had been eating fruits and acorns for so long when food like this existed. 

As the group ate, Barb, Riff, and Sid Fret started to ask Branch questions about the Pop village. None of them had ever met a Pop troll, and Branch was the closest thing they had to learning about them. It wasn't long before they were all laughing, besides Carol.

"You've gotta be making that up!" Barb said, a giggling mess. "Pop trolls use hugs as currency? How the fuck does that even work?"

"That'll be four hugs, sir!" Riff said in a mocking voice, breaking down and laughing with Barb and Sid Fret.

"It's more like a bartering system." Branch said, eating his burger. "You can use hugs, or you can trade stuff like cupcakes, or candy, or scrapbooks if you know how to make them."

"There's no way." Barb said with a mouthful of fries. "I heard that Pop trolls were soft, but I didn't think they were middle-aged trollings. What's the harshest punishment they pass down? A timeout?"

"That's crazy." Sid Fret said as he stuffed his face. Branch had already taken note that the bigger troll didn't talk a lot, so he wasn't expecting any questions from him.

Barb turned her attention to Carol. She was being even quieter than she usually was. She hadn't even touched the food that she ordered.

"Hey Carol. You alright?" Barb asked.

Carol looked at the princess and held in a groan. The last thing she needed right now was to hear Barb's voice. The last of the brim she had was starting to wear off, and Carol desperately needed that to deal with her.

"I'm fine." Carol said with a fake smile. "I'm just crashing a little."

Barb said nothing, but took Carol's word. She wished that her friend would kick that junk. She and Carol had been around for each other since Cindy had become co-advisor to her father. Ever since she started using it a few years ago, she was just never the same person. Always dazed, tired, and overall unenthusiastic. Instead of pushing further, they all finished their food, and made their way to the coronation.

As they all finally made their way to the castle stadium, where thousands of Rock trolls were already gathering in lines, Branch thought about his new life. He hadn't realized it before, but he really had drawn the longest straw coming here. With his mother being top advisor to the king and soon Barb, he hadn't had to pay for or barter for anything he'd been given, and was already told by the princess that he would never have to. He was essentially royalty here.

Branch remembered his mother mentioning that one of the old gods, Zufem, respected hard labor, and those who worked instead of played. Could all of this maybe be his reward for all of the hard work he did at his old home?

Noticing her, the guards stepped aside, allowing Barb and her group passage. The stadium itself was enormous and daunting. So much empty space that would soon be filled with roaring cheers of so many trolls, all centered around a single platform surrounded by multiple towering speakers, with a massive waterfall of lava coming down behind it, creating multiple streams of magma through the stadium. On that platform, King Thrash sat on a very impressive throne in the center, his guitar at the ready, and his two advisors Artina and Cindy stood on each side of it.