Trollex had, at some point, fallen asleep in the river, snoring softly as the current washed over him. He had always forgotten how nice it felt sleeping under water. Of course, that meant the only really comfortable thing there was to sleep on was sea sponges, but that was the price he paid.
Of course, sleeping under water had its disadvantages, such as when someone is looking for you, and can't for the life of them find you.
Such was the position Trollzart found himself in. He knew that Bach had brought Trollex over to this part of town, and he knew that the aquatic troll would like the water, but he himself couldn't dive in. Classical trolls weren't able to use their wings in the water, needing to rely on their rather stumpy arms and legs. To make matters worse, they had to wait for their wings to dry before they could fly again.
At this point, he had two options. He could either give up the search, or start tossing rocks into the river and hope he managed to hit Trollex.
That idea was quickly discarded, leaving only the one. He sighed, looking up towards the clouds. "Ooh, how could I lose one of our firsts guests... how embarrassing..." His hand drifted down to his stomach, tapping lightly at the gem there. He always did it when nervous or thinking. Their histories said that there was once an entire race of trolls, called treasure trolls, with gems in their bellies capable of granting wishes.
There was, of course, no proof that the gems could. It still calmed Trollzart whenever he would tap the gem. He closed his eyes, thinking. He couldn't just give up the search. He needed to come up with something. He looked towards the river again, and approached. Trollex said that music affects him, so perhaps...
Trollzart zipped off. He knew that when they repaired the home that he put Trollex in, they had left the original occupants instrument. It didn't take him long to find it, pulling it from its stand. He wasn't very proficient in the Mandolin, but he could work with it.
He flew back to the river, and took up a position hovering above it. "Now, let's see..." He didn't have a pick, but this would have to do. He played a few notes by plucking lightly on the strings, tuning it slightly, and then deeming it ready.
He began to play a chipper and up beat melody, though he played a few missed notes by mistake. He closed his eyes and focused less on the strings, and more on the music in his heart he used to guide his tribe by.
Trollex could feel his heart beating a little faster, rousing him from his peaceful rest. He let out a groan, rubbing his face. "Ugh... what's going on...?" He looked up, and saw a distorted image of Trollzart above him, holding some kind of instrument. "Huh...?" He flicked his fin and made his way to the surface, poking his head out of the water.
Trollzart didn't seem to notice him right away, focused more on the tune than anything else. Trollex could tell somehow through the melody that the conductor was unsure of himself right now. Weather in general or just with the instrument he couldn't say. "Is everything alright, Trollzart?"
The troll in question let out a squeak, dropping the instrument in his fright. It was lucky Trollex was right below, as he was able to easily catch it. Upon seeing the Mandolin safe, Trollzart let out a sigh. "There you are, King Trollex... I've been looking everywhere for you!"
He arched a brow at that. "What time is it...?" He looked around, seeing that the sky had begun getting dark.
"It's nearly 9 at night, I came to get you around 5 or so in the afternoon for tea time, but no one had seen you since Bach brought you here. Is the home not to your liking...?"
Trollex's eyes widened, now worried he had insulted his host. "What? No, no! The house is wonderful! It's just... Well, I heard what happened to your trolls...And it felt wrong for me to stay in a home that someone could never return to..."
The conductor smiled softly, floating down to talk a little easier with Trollex, hovering just above the surface of the water. "You have a big heart, King Trollex... I thank you for your concern, but rest assured, the former owner would have been more than happy to host you were they still with us... How about this as an alternative. You could stay with me for the night; I have a guest bedroom you can use."
"Wait, are you sure? I don't want to be a problem..."
Trollzart waved a hand. "I do not mind one bit. It will be nice to have someone around. It's been so quiet. I can't often have my grandtrolls come over anymore."
Trollex blinked for a moment. "Wait, grand... You're a grandpop!?"
"Yes, did you forget I am rather high in age...?" Trollzart laughed a little when Trollex blushed rather deeply.
"Ah, right....Sorry about that..." Trollex rubbed at the back of his head, his ear fins drooping a little. It was then he remembered he was holding an instrument. "Um, what do I do with this?" He held out the mandolin to Trollzart, who lifted it gently.
"I'll return it, and then we can carry on our way to my home. Shall we?" Trollex nodded, and so Trollzart turned to leave, pausing when Trollex called up to him.
"Um, give me a few minutes and come back, actually. I can't fly right away when I get out of the water. I'll dry off and we'll leave when you get back, alright?"
That gave Trollzart pause. "You can't? We can't either, not right after getting wet. We need to dry our wings first." He looked at the Mandolin a moment, then back to Trollex. "I will return as quickly as I can." And with that, he zipped off.
Trollex pulled himself onto the river bank, already missing the water. He sighed, lying on his belly with his arms crossed under his chin, his fins held in the air a bit. He watched the stars glittering overhead, and smiled a little. "You don't get to see stars when you're in the deep sea, but... they sort of remind me of the little fish we have back home..." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I miss Beat... I should send a message to him when I get to Trollzart's... I hope he has something that can get a message to the LED palace at least..."
He remembered when he watched Beat turn to swim back home down the river near Lonesome flats. He knew that it was a long trip, but he'd let his friend go all on his own. "I should have gone with you, little buddy. I hope you're safe..."
His eyes snapped open when he felt eyes on him. He sat up; flicking his tail in an attempt to get away from whatever was watching him.
He was still wet though, Flow hadn't kicked in yet.
He looked around wildly, looking for whatever may be watching him, or any sign of danger. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful. That's when it hit him.
Why was it so quiet?
He looked to the river, which was one burbling softly, was now completely still and silent. That didn't happen naturally. He felt his heart racing, the colors he did have glowing a little brighter as a self defence mechanism. Anything could be out there.
It was then he felt something wrap around his injured arm and jerk him towards some nearby bushes. He let out a pained cry, feeling still tense muscles stretched in an attempt to keep the arm in its proper place. That seemed to startle whatever had grabbed him into letting him go.
He scrambled away as quickly as he could manage, cradling his arm as he struggled to stand upright on his fins. He stared at the bush, waiting for something to leap out at him and attack. After a few moments, he realized something. He could hear the river again. Even so, he didn't take his eyes off the bush, not even once.
Not even when Trollzart returned. "Sorry it took me so long, King Trollex, but for some reason—what's wrong...?"
"Something tried to grab me... It's in the bush there; it hasn't left... whatever it is..." He was a little shocked when Trollex entered his vision and made his way for the bush. "Wait, what if it attacks you to?"
Trollzart smiled. "Despite my size and age, I am still rather strong. Now, let's see what we have here..." He parted the bush, ready to defend himself if needed. He was rather shocked though to see nothing within. "Are you sure it never left...?"
He nodded. "Positive. I haven't stopped watching the bush since it struck. I haven't even seen it shake a little... It has to be in there..." Even though he knew he was right, he couldn't help the dread of the implications that whatever it was, wasn't there anymore.
He could tell the other was shaken, holding his arm gently, but there really wasn't anything in the bush, nor any way to escape the area without being seen. The only thing he found in the bushes was darkness. He turned to Trollex, giving him a sympathetic look. "There is nothing here now... I don't know what to say, but I trust you that something happened here..."
Trollex smiled a little, finally looking Trollex in the eyes. "Really...? You do believe me? Even without proof?" When Trollzart nodded, he let out a relieved sigh. "But... why?"
"On my way back, a troll approached me, saying they couldn't get their instrument to work... I wish I had come sooner, but I stopped to help the troll solve their problem... That's when suddenly, without any warning, they were able to play again... It was a very curious event..." Trollzart looked back towards the bush again. "But perhaps if I had returned sooner, I could have helped you..."
Trollex shook his head, instincts warring with logic. "No, it's alright... I have a feeling they were connected... somehow..." He glanced towards the water, remembering the deep dark ocean of his home. "Besides... you can't fight what you can't touch..."
"What do you mean by that...?" He flew over towards Trollex, setting a hand gently on his arm, causing the young king to wince. "Perhaps we should get you home... come, it is not far." With a silent nod, Trollzart began guiding Trollex back to his home, noting that the other just drifted along wherever he was guided.
In fact his mind was elsewhere, thinking to the feeling of dread he had when the river went quiet. It reminded him of when Beat swam away, and of when he was lost in the ocean as a child. He closed his eyes, trying to recall something. He knew it was important, but for some reason whenever he reached for the memory, it would slip away. It acted like a scared little fish, fleeing from a predator.
He jolted a bit when the other spoke. "Are you alright, Trollex?" Trollex was a little surprised the other hadn't used the king title, which Trollzart noticed. "I apologize if you want me to keep using your title, but this seems more a conversation for a calm and relaxed environment. I'll make us tea and we can have a nice chat, hmm?" He offered a sweet smile. "Don't worry, sonny. You'll be fine."
He smiled a little, following the other into his house. Trollzart brought up images of a kindly old grandpa that spoiled his grandkids absolutely rotten, which Trollex had to admire. Once inside that image was only enforced, with countless images of tiny young Classical trolls, all crowded around him in many different scenes. The conductor looked so genuinely happy with his kids and grandkids.
He paused at one particular picture, with a young Trollzart standing with two older Classical Trolls, presumably his parents. The picture was old, too old even for it to have been in color. "Trollzart, can I ask what happened to your parents..."
The elder troll hummed a tune as he made his way to the kitchen, setting a kettle on for tea. "Oh, they passed away many years ago. Much younger than even I am now. Though it was of natural causes..." When he came back into the room, he gave the other a sympathetic smile. "I assume it was not the same for yours...?"
Trollex perked up at that, staring at the old troll as he chuckled softly. "It is not a hard guess. You are young, so it would make sense that if you are a king, something happened to the former rulers..."
He sighed, sitting himself in a nearby chair. "Can I wait for the tea...? I've lived through this again and again, so many times recently... I'd rather have something to calm my nerves first..."
"Of course, I do not mind at all." Trollzart remained near the kitchen entrance, waiting for the kettle to whistle. Once it did, he moved through his cupboards until he found a calming chamomile tea, and began to make it. He set the cups on a tray, as well as a small plate of homemade cookies, and carried them to the Livingroom. "Tea is ready; I brought cookies as well if you like."
Trollex gratefully accepted a cookie, taking a small bite out of it. As soon as he did his eyes widened, and he took a few more bites. "Mmmm.... Oh wow, these are great! Where did you get them?"
"I made them myself, of course." Trollzart puffed his chest slightly at the look of awe the other gave him. "You have the same reactions my little ones did when they learned I could bake."
He blushed, hiding his face behind the tea cup. "S-Sorry, I just... don't really know how to cook or bake. The palace attendants still... care for me..." He looked away, ashamed at himself for not learning that essential skill.
Trollzart took a small taste of his tea, smiling. "I am ready to listen, for whenever you wish to speak. You can even speak with yourself if you wish."
And so he did. Trollex told the elder troll about his parents, about when and how it happened, and how his reign had gone so far, what happened when Rock attacked, and everything that had happened on his journey so far.
Once he was done, Trollex found he felt...lighter. He smiled a little, looking down into his tea. Despite how many times he told this story, this one felt the least painful. All the others had the same reaction, but Trollex just offered to listen. He was happy the others cared, but Trollzart was calm right through to the end.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Trollzart smiled. "Truly the next generation is strong... I don't think I have anything to worry about, if this is how the leaders of tomorrow are."
That got him to look at Trollzart, and he tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"Well, if there are rulers as strong and wise as you, then I think young trolls are in good hands..." At the look of shock and mild mistrust, Trollzart continued. "You see, many children that go through what you have can't work through it, and may eventually take the wrong path... But despite all that has happened to you, you still fight for your tribe. You still fight for their wellbeing... That's a leader one can trust..."
"You looked for help when you hit a low point... that is strong, Trollex, not weak... A leader that can show emotion and hardship is no failure. In fact, that's what makes them strong..."
Trollex held his cup a little tighter, his tears falling into it. "I... Trollzart, I...."
Trollzart smiled brightly, like he does in the pictures. "Please, you can call me grandpop, if you like."
He could feel his heart beating strongly, and remembered how he used to use that as an anchor. Now, he had so many friends and family he could talk to. He didn't feel so alone anymore.
Maybe he could be a good king, after all...?