Chapter Five

Trilikz, Org, Rollim, Molix and Nuzuki tied up their horses and made their way to the dungeons, passing the external guard, as they headed into the murky recesses of captivity. Glow worms lit the stairs like neon candles, who flitted about in glass lamps and guided their way to the cells.

A short, armoured guard, or Dokra Chi to be precise (a particular group of fungi, identical in appearance, and all answering to the same name and personal description) sat sleeping soundly in a wooden chair, his short legs scarcely reaching the desk he’d propped them on, snoring faintly, whilst muttering something about peanut butter in his sleep, something he often did, there being little else to do except let fungi in and out of the cells and file the odd piece of paper work here and there.

His head was a little too large for his body and shaped like a heart, albeit an unusually shaped heart with different sized circles on it. One side of his face was white and the other a sea like shade of green, which looked as if it had been made from fine china.

Trilikz snuck up to the sleeping Dokra, bent down and placed his mouth next to his ear.

"BOOOOO!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

The sleeping Dokra, who as good as leapt from his skin, fell backwards and hit the floor with a crash, banging his head and damn near having a heart attack, before coming too his senses.

“Ouch! What the hell did you do that for?” he whined.

"Sorry bud, couldn't resist." Trilikz apologised, who lent him a helping hand, chuckling as he pulled him to his feet and patted him on the back.

The Dokra Chi groggily rubbed his head and looked self pityingly at the laughing soldiers.

"Cheer up squirt. You look like you just got humped by a donkey." chuckled Org.

"Yeah, could've been worse." said Rollim.

"Yeah, Org might’ve tried to hump you. Ha ha ha!" laughed Nuzuki.

"I'll lump you one if you don't watch your mouth." threatened Org.

Nuzuki sneered. He knew Org was only joking or half joking at any rate, but he kept his trap shut all the same.

"Are you taking those two to the cells?" asked the Dokra Chi, still rubbing his head.

"Yeah, they were up to no good, so we thought we'd bring em back here and treat em to a little old fashioned hospitality."

"Right then, I'll unlock the door for you."

“Don’t we have to sign some papers first?” asked Trilikz, giving the Dokra Chi a quick reminder, who’d obviously forgotten.

“Yes… Sorry…I totally forgot. I’ll just go get them for you.”

The Dokra rifled through the draw of his desk, apologised and disappeared into an adjourning room with a huff.

“I won’t be a jiffy.” he said, returning soon afterwards with a handful of papers, stuffing them into his desk and handing one to Trilikz.

“Write a brief report and sign your names down the bottom there, I’ll do the rest.”

“Ai ai captain.” Trilikz winked. “Alright to use this pen?” he asked, indicating a pot of ink with a quill sticking out of it.

“Yeah sure, be my guest.”

Trilikz took the quill from the ink and filled out a brief report on the prisoner’s crimes, who signed it and handed it to the others to sign as well, along with the visitor’s book, having already signed for Rollim, who wasn’t keen on signatures, at least not in the ordinary sense, having four hoofs and all.

The Dokra Chi gave it his stamp of approval along with the date, time and number of the prison cell the inmates were to be taken to. Performing a brief, personal check of the inmates in question, before jotting down a few more notes of his own, attaching them to Trilikz’s paperwork, unhooking a key from the wall behind his desk, unlocking the door for them and causing a bell to ring, summoning the guard on duty, before locking it again afterwards. The soldiers then carried the prisoners to the cells, which were unlocked for them by another guard, this time a Lokra Chi, (a little like a Dokra Chi, only bigger, grumpier and a lot less friendly) who waited impatiently for them to deposit the prisoners.

"Hurry up and throw em in! I haven’t got all day." he barked, his expression surly and about as friendly as a rabid bore.

Org and Nuzuki glared, but otherwise had the good sense to ignore him.

“Come on lad‘s! Lets chuck em in and get some supper.” said Trilikz, motioning his head towards the cell.

Molix and Nuzuki shuffled to the door, grasping Dealbata at both ends as they manoeuvred their way into the cell, swinging him to and fro, before releasing him and on the count of three throwing him onto the bed.

Dealbata hit the bed with a thud and something like an "Umph!” who slumbered on obliviously like nothing had happened.

Org entered the cell next, taking Shinargi from his shoulder and placing him on the ground, before asking Trilikz to help him do the honours.

Trilikz took firm grasp of Shinargi’s ghoulishly White limbs and with Org’s help flung him onto the bed. The Lokra Chi locked the door behind them. They then signed themselves out, said their goodbye's to the Dokra Chi, climbed back up the gloomily lit steps and headed back outside, where the setting sun lit the sky like a blanket of multi-coloured fruit pastels.