Wrong Number
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âXennaa. We donât have the ability to just take anyone in, you know this.â Beatrix repeats for what seems like the millionth time. Sheâs been trying to convince her friend of this for what feels like itâs been ages. The sun is coming up and theyâd started this argument when the moons had just begun to rise themselves.
âThis isnât just anyone! And donât we have a duty to those who came from this cavern once upon a time?â Xennaaâs same argument repeats, albeit worded slightly differently. âBesides, itâs not like itâs just another grub.â âThat doesnât make it better. In fact you do recognize how thatâs worse right? You donât even know what this troll does for work! Youâve never even met them before!â
âNo but Iâve met Harvey.â âYes, I know youâve met Harvey. You sing his praises regularly. If he wasnât already in a red Iâd assume thatâs what you were after.â
âI would never want to split them. Itâs true love that theyâve got there. Iâm jealous, I want my own perfect red like that. Or a pink.â
âYou have someone who would love to be pink with you.â
âShe doesnât understand me. She wants me to go back to being the perfect little grub raiser and designer. Thatâs not who I am. Not anymore. Thereâs so much more out in the world for me to do and connect with.â
âYou arenât connecting with shit. You never leave the cavern. You only even met Harvey when he came by with a lusii delivery.â
âYou know what I mean. Besides this isnât the point. I can feel it.â
âYou can.. Feel it? Feel what exactly Xens?â
âTheir desperation. I need to help them. Need to bring them home.â
âThis is not their home.â
âIt could be.â
âYou are not bringing some stranger in here and risking the grubs! What about the-â She lowers her voice, glancing at the cavernâs opening theyâre by. â-mutants? What if theyâre just trying to get in here to cull them?â
âTheyâre not. I know.â
âHow can you know? Xens, please! You. Do. Not. know. This. Troll.â
âI know their caste.â
âOh that makes it all better. Surely with their blood color in mind we know everything we need to about them!â
âTheyâre a violet.â
âA- a VIOLET?! You want to bring a violet here? Are you fucking insane?â
âBea-â
âDonât you Bea me! Do you understand that theyâre one of the most dangerous castes? Next youâll tell me youâve got an indigo believer lined up.â
âActually-â
âYouâre fucking with me. Tell me youâre fucking with me.â
âWell there was this nice clown who wants to visit and see the mothergrub-â
âAbsolutely not.â
âBea we canât keep the mother locked up like some big secret forever.â
âThat is literally our job actually. Literally what weâre here for. Are you trying to bring the drones on us?â
âThe empress wouldnât dare send them here.â
âYou think the empress who earned the name the Daunting wonât send the drones here to wipe us off the map if she finds out weâve been getting mutants out of here? Letting fuschias survive?â
âYouâre being over dramatic.â
âI very much am not.â
âBesides, thatâs not what this is about.â
âYeah, what this is about is that youâre insane. Youâre going to get us both killed.â
âYou could take them.â
âDid you ever think whether or not I wanted to do so?â
âI trust you.â
âXens..â
âAnd I have to do this. Iâm leaving now-â
âGive me the address.â
âWhat?â
âGive me the address. Youâve never left these caverns but I have. I know whatâs out there. Youâre better off here watching the grubs.â
âI knew you had a heart in there.â
âYeah sure letâs call it that. Iâll scope them out. If-..â Beatrx ran her hand through her hair and sighed. âIf they really do need help, Iâll bring them back. We donât have much but itâs safer than out there.â
âThank you Bea! Hereâs the address I got from the pestertroll message. I hope theyâre still there.â
âDo you even know what Iâm looking for? Like any description at all?â
âTheyâre a violet?â âGreat. Love a whereâs waldo where I donât even know waldoâs name.â
âItâs a new adventure!â âItâs a disaster. Stay here. Donât move. Iâll message you the moment Iâm on the way back.â
âGood luck!â
âYeah. Thanks. Know that Iâll never do this again, your bleeding heart be damned.â
âThank you.â
Beatrx nodded, holstering her pistol and taking one last glance at the inner caverns. Theyâd have to be okay without her for a short while. On the bright side at least sheâd done a perimeter hunt this week, so there shouldnât be any stray lusii nearby wishing for an easy meal. She rolls her head, stretching out her neck and then her arms and legs. The location is deep in the city so itâs going to be a bit of a run for her.
Itâs a short walk in the forest before she comes to her clearing. Itâs quiet, but in a good peaceful way. Thereâs still faint sounds of existence in the distance but nothing overwhelming. Good. Beatrix whistles and a large white cat nearly knocks her down. She barely holds herself up before throwing herself onto itâs back- and just like that theyâre off.
The nice thing about being up while the sun rises is that thereâs no one around. So few trolls can handle the sunâs harsh rays so itâs a no brainer theyâd sleep now but Beatrx has always felt the most alive under itâs warmth. Thatâs when it hits her that sheâll need to hurry up. A violet under the sun? If they were even still there they wouldnât last long. It feels like only moments but sheâs sure it was around half an hour before she finds herself in the dead of the city, jumping from roof to roof. It doesnât look like anyone is there- until her eyes catch what she thought was just a stain. Thereâs a woman there, under all that violet and scraps of metal. This must be her destination.
âHello? Are you.. Uh.. Are you okay?â Her voice shakes a bit, trying not to gag on the heavy smell of the blood. Thereâs no response. Maybe she really was too late. Sheâd have to break the news to Xennaa- but then the body moves. Not much, but enough that it scares her and immediately her instincts have her draw and aim her gun. Their skin is burning, and the smell combined with the blood is only getting worse. Itâs almost making her hungry. âIâm going to touch you.â
Beatrx manages to get the violet on her lusus and tries to shade the body on the way back as much as possible. As they make their way she tries to catalog the injuries. Thereâs a large laceration on the trollâs forehead, from just above the right eyebrow to somewhere deep in the hairline. Their left horn is torn in two. Thereâs a- well, the best descriptor she can think of is âholeâ- thereâs a hole in the right side of their chest deep enough to see some bone. The least worrying is a small piece of metal lodged in their right leg. They donât have a lot at the cavern, but they have enough that with any luck they can get this troll stable enough to go get some actual help.
âXennaa- grab the kit. As quick as you can! And contact Harvey.â She yells into the cavern as they arrive.
âWhy? What do I need to say to him??â Xennaa calls back, having yet to see their guest.
âHe knows a doctor doesnât he? Weâll need one.â













