Tales From Crashdown: Beowulf

Chapter 9: A Good Burger

     After returning home and being dubbed the queen of a new land, Beo and Frey now had to face their greatest enemy yet. Finding a way to feed a fully grown troll.
     “So, does this work for you, Frey?” Asked Beo, tearing into a hamburger the size of her head, dripping mayonnaise and barbeque sauce on her lap.
     “Uhm- i think you need some paper towels.” Said Freydís, reaching through the window.
     Beowulf had worked up an appetite during the journey back home, and took Freydís to her favorite hamburger shop. However, the building was not made with 20ft, pale, frail, shaggy troll women. Meaning, Freydís had to sit on the outside of the building, only able to poke her finger through the window.
     “Hey, ya’wana oder some?” questioned a deep, crotchety voice.
     Frey looked down at her side and found a scabby, gray haired man beside her, wearing a baseball cap and an apron.
     “Well? You gonna oder?” He asked again.
     Freydís poked her finger in the widow again, poking Beo lightly.
     Beo looked out the window and yelled to the man, “Hey, Kylo! Can you make her something big? Something filling? She ain't eat in a while!”
     “She likes beef? I gotsa whole damn box of burgers boutta go bad.” Answered Kylo, the codger of a cook.
     “Sound good to you?” asked Beo.
     Freydís nodded, her stomach making a violent growl, like listening to a dogbull preparing to charge.
     As Kylo walked back inside, Freydís laid in her stomach, getting to level with the window Beo was at.
     The inside of the building was very basic, white walls and a white, square pattern on the floor, accented with gray speckles. The only decorations to speak of were old photographs from the pre-crash age. Worn and torn, yellowed with time. Many of them were posters of musical artists, autographed images of celebrities, and more than a few of the pictures that made Freydís blush.
     “Hey, why so quiet? I know you're not much of a talker, but you're even quieter than normal. If it's about the stomach growling, it's not a big deal.” Questioned Beo, wiping some sauce off of her mouth onto her arm.
     Freydís meekly asked, “Why do you want to make me your queen?”
     Beo took a sip of her creme soda before answering, “Well, you lost a lot of the time of your life. Might as well enjoy the bit you have left. You're like, what, 300? I was told a troll lives around 500 on average.”
     Freydís added on, “But why make me queen? Why not just give me a home outside the city? People here clearly don't care that much for mutant kind.” She thought back to their landing in the area that morning, the royals sending their guards to kill her.
     Beo shrugged, “I like you. That's all I think matters. You can say no if you want, I'm not gonna force you to marry me.”
     Freydís shook her head, “No, I WANT to be with you, I think you're great. I just-.....I never expected my life to take such a swift turn.”
     “About that, what exactly was your life like before? I know you went blank, but what was it like before that?” Beo asked as she chomped down on some crispy fries.
     Freydís sighed, thinking before she spoke. “Me and my son, you knew him as Grendel. We lived in that castle since I was 100, that's how old I was when he was born.”
     “Did he have a father?” Asked Beo.
     “No,” Freydís responded, “he was born through a different process. Troll women can give birth to children like cells through mitosis. They grow on our backs, using our own DNA as a base.”
     “So he had no father? It was just you?” Beo asked with a very curious tone.
     Freydís nodded before going on, “I remember the day before it all went blank. I had eaten a large breakfast, since it was a day where I was going to be cleaning the castle. Well- as much as I could. I started from the tops of the towers and moved downward. I had cleaned halfway through before I stopped to make dinner.”
     Freydís went silent for a moment, causing Beo a moment of anxiety.
     When Freydís went to speak, Beo put her hand on the finger that Freydís had poked through the window.
     “Nevermind, I don't want to know anymore.” Beo said. “I shouldn't have asked, that was bad on my end, I'm sorry Frey.”
     Frey didn't move or say anything, she only stayed there and let herself feel that touch of the barbarian woman's hand against her finger. It stirred something in her, something she hadn't felt in quite a long time, nor to this level.
     The feeling was quickly interrupted though, as that rumbly voice returned and yelled right into her ear, “Hey! I got your food ready!”
     Frey's hand swung up in the panic, knocking off part of the roof edge from the building.
     “What the hell was that for‽” Cried Kylo.
     Beo laughed, “She's BLIND, not DEAF, Kylo.”
     “Ah, well, you're still paying for that, Beo. I don't give a damn if you ARE the new queen, you're gonna pay.” Kylo stated with absolute certainty.
     Beo waved her hand, “Yea yea, I'll have the money transferred later.”
     Freydís layed back down as Kylo put her food down before going back inside.
     Freydís took a bite of the larger meat puck. Her skin practically watched as Frey turned green, “I think that meat already went bad.” She thought to herself, not wishing to upset Beo.
     “So, how does marriage work for trolls? Like, are there any special traditions?” Beo asked as she started to chew the ice in her drink.
     Freydís shook her head, “Marriage isn't really a thing for us. We're few and far between. So, marriage isn't much of a tradition.”
     Beo smiled and stood up, “Then we're doing this my way. The ancient tradition of The Wedding Knight!”
     “Wedding night?” Asked Freydís.
     “Tonight, I'm gonna treat you like the greatest treasure in my chest! We'll go to an expensive restaurant for a delicious meal! ” Beo yelled, confidently. “No offense, Kylo.”
     “None taken.” Responded Kylo, carrying a box of pigeons to the kitchen.
     Beo continued, “Then, we'll head to the theater for some entertainment.”
     Freydís smiled at this, growing invested in the promises.
     “Then, we'll head to the castle to test out the new bed we picked out.” Beo winked.
     Freydís blushed a bit and fanned herself as she looked away.
     “Then, in the morning, when we are met by the sun in the sun and we lay in the same bed, we will be wed. Well- then we'll have to go to the courthouse and have papers signed.” Beo said.
     Freydís smiled, “Well, I guess I should find something nice to wear.”