A few days passed. I could tell by the 5 bowls of food. One had mold, or something, cultivating. Nessy didn’t visit. Troll was still in the corner, without further incident beyond that one night with the smile. I won’t dwell on this, but I was very much constipated. And sleep deprived.

  The light was starting to fade that day and I distinctly remember having a weird thought that this wasn’t so bad. I mean, it was bad, but I felt strangely settled in. It was moments later when four orcs came and shuttled me away. Something about it felt clandestine. They were legitimate guards as far as I could tell, had proper keys, walked the normal paths. But the pace of it all. The energy. There was a shadiness about it.

  We walked for a while, I counted seven doors before I lost count. We arrived at an empty cell that was quite a bit larger than my previous one. Rather than bars all around, it was stone on three sides. Privacy. The guards slammed the door.

  I walked to the back right corner, where I had positioned my mat in my last cell, and stood there in that corner, overlooking the empty room. An actual bed. Two of them, in fact, as it was a bunk bed. All to me. This room also had a nicer toilet. It was higher off the ground and the stone wall afforded some sense of privacy. And, best of all, no troll. I was happy. I assumed Nessy had worked out a way to get me here, which gave me hope, despite her silence.

  After trying out the toilet with success, I climbed up to the top bunk and fell asleep.

  I woke to three guards opening my gate.

  “Courtyard,” a guard said.

  I hopped down off the top bunk and landed right on top of a damn orc prisoner. My new cellmate. I found myself quickly lifted up into the air and then found myself across the room. The guards rushed in, two on him, one on me. My orc cellmate had a deep, crisp voice. Even in that moment of confusion and fear, it made an impression on me. I wanted that voice.

  The orc walked out of the cell. The guard on me, with the help of another now, lifted me up and walked me out of the cell. I didn’t feel hurt, but I was limping a bit. The soreness would come later.

  They brought us through a few hallways and up some stairs to the top floor, where I could see sunshine.

  We were escorted into a large outdoor area. It was a flat field with maybe 150 or 200 inmates moseying around. A few were jogging, some sitting, most walking to and fro.

  I scanned the area for Nessy, Alice, or El. My orc cellmate was kept to walk along with me, but separated enough just in case he had the mind to whack me again.

  I eventually spotted Nessy. She was across the courtyard, watching me. Next to her was El. I wanted to rush over, but I was still being brought somewhere. I watched as they began to walk over in my direction.

  The guards deposited the orc and I at an isolated spot within a corner garden. Two of the guards walked off, but one remained.

  “Don’t fuck it up,” he told the orc, then eyed me. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” said the orc.

  The guard nodded at him, then again looked at me.

  “Yeah,” I said, an octave lower than my usual.

  The guard nodded and walked off.

  “So what are we gonna fuck up?” I said to the orc.

  He chuckled and then started digging up flowers.

  I watched him for a while, wondering which of us had lost our damn mind. I decided it was probably him and walked the garden path back towards the edge to look for Nessy and El. They were jogging over, both smiling. Nessy approached with her doing-business walk. I could tell she had something or two to say.

  “Charlie, meet Hamburger. Hamburger, Charlie.”

  “We’re already best friends,” said Hamburger. He was still digging up flowers.

  “Where’s Alice?” I asked.

  “In her cell. They’re holding me by the balls on this.”

  “What is this?”

  “Payment for our freedom. We’re killing Ides. Gang leader.”

  “He's more than that,” said Hamburger.

  “Anyway,” Nessy clapped her hands twice to get our attention, “he's across the yard. We kill him now, and then the guards pull us away.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Then what?” I asked.

  Nessy turned to Hamburger. “Find anything?”

  “Found a worm.”

  “Hey,” I said, “what happens after?”

  “There’s a service tunnel here to Redrock,” said Nessy. “So after, they’ll round us up and transfer us to Redrock high security. Except, we’ll be released in the bellows, the lower outskirts of Redrock.”

  “And that’s it? We’re free? No debt? No crimes?”

  “Salvation. Just gotta whack a guy.”

  I glanced at El. “You good with this?”

  “Look,” Nessy said. “You’ve already had free drinks and free shelter. Next is free transport. And we’ll be one party member stronger.”

  “Yours truly,” said Hamburger.

  “So you're our fighter? ” I asked.

  “Get me out and I’m in.”

  “What do we know about Ides?” I asked.

  “Ides,” huffed Hamburger. “Even the guards slip up and call him king. Half the prisoners love him, the other half want to kill him, but can’t. He has probably a third of the guards on his side.”

  “How are we supposed to kill this guy?” I asked.

  “He’s mortal,” said Hamburger. “And he’s without his crew, guards made sure of that. So it’s four versus one.”

  “Three,” Nessy said. “Charlie is staying right here.”

  “Still,” Hamburger said, “He’s unarmed and unguarded. I like our odds.”

  “He’s been planning a prison run since before I got here six months ago,” said Hamburger. “In the process he sorta formed a cartel I guess. They’ve never been stronger. Some of ‘em are so comfy, they don’t wanna break out any more. But I do. And I joined Ides’ crew in earnest. But the goblins offered me this. And while I don't like goblins, never have, I do like dark elves. I always side with dark elves. They win.”

  “Expect him to have a buff or two. And, if we’re unlucky, an astral fucker,” said Nessy.

  “Translation?” I asked.

  “Magic shit,” said Nessy. “Talk amongst yourselves, I’m gonna destroy a few flowers.”

  I raised my hands in disbelief. And I changed my mind. I must be the insane one.

  “So,” El spoke, “an astral guardian is a shaman remotely acting through, or in concert with, another being.”

  “You’re saying it’s possible when we face Ides, we’ll be facing up against a shaman remotely controlling him?”

  “Close enough. And that would be bad.”

  I looked over at Nessy. She was digging up every blue flower in the garden.

  “And, what is a buff?” I asked El.

  “A magical enchantment,” Hamburger said.

  “He’s almost guaranteed to have at least one,” added El. “Here, in a prison, it’s likely some sort of physical resistance one.”

  “There is a chance,” Nessy shouted to us, still digging up flowers maniacally, “that we won’t find the weapons.”

  “Not to worry, Nessy,” shouted back Hamburger. “I brought my own.” I looked over, but Hamburger wasn't showing.

  I walked over to Nessy. She had nearly every blue flower dug up. “They hid weapons under blue flowers?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Nessy grunted. “El, Hamburger, help too. This is taking too long.”

  After a few minutes, El found something wrapped in animal skin. We gathered around as she unraveled it. A rusty axe, pliers, and a brick.

  Nessy, El, and I peered over the weapons and discussed who might take which. Hamburger walked up and grabbed all three.

  “Nessy, should I enter the corridors?” I asked. “Maybe there’s something I can use there, for this.”

  “Do it if you can. You might find something. But it’s fine to just sit tight this time. Whatever you do, stay back.”

  I nodded. I figured I’d try.

  “Listen up,” Nessy said. “I’m walking in first, with the axe Hamburger is going to give me.”

  Hamburger frowned and handed her the axe.

  “And I’m going to chop his head off. We expect that not to work out so well. Maybe it does. But, worse case, I’m blasted. I’m prepared for that. Once I’m fucked up, El, throw the brick. Give it your best shot. Head. Before the brick hits, run away, curve around, you can outrun him, circle back, help peel off any who jump in. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  “Hamburger, stay on me. Well, near me, not too close, I may get blasted. Try to grab the axe when I get blown up if you can, otherwise, improvise. Hit him with all you got post-brick. El and I will fight off whoever tries to pile in. Kill him, then run to the nearest guard. They’re all on our side for this.”

  Nessy looked us over. “How we feeling?”

  “Best day of my life,” said Hamburger.

  “Good,” said El.

  I nodded.

  “Hamburger, on me. El, stay far from me, edge closer, conceal brick. Charlie, don’t leave this garden. Go.”

  I took a seat where I was and rolled my eyes back into my head. I nearly drew myself inward, but on a whim, I rolled outwards and above, to where I could see the courtyard. I saw specks. Three that I recognized near the garden. But there was another I recognized in the far corner. I fell into it, that speck in the corner.

  And I suddenly felt foreign in myself, then I felt dejected. I breathed a breath not of my own, felt weight I’ve never known, but strength enough to bear it. I began to see the courtyard from this new vantage point. And I could see the garden in the distance. I saw El emerging from it. And Hamburger. Nessy. What am I?

  I guided myself, himself, whoever, to turn and look around. I looked down at my hands and saw large, strong green hands. A part of me, somewhere, panicked. I knew what I was. I had entered a troll. The troll. Their target.

  “You’re in the garden,” said a chill somewhere in my mind.

  I felt I knew how to answer, but I was too terrified.

  “Call them off,” said the chill. “Your friends will die.”

  “Who are you?”

  “I am of Ides.”

  “Am I inside you?”

  “You are inside my vessel.”

  “We need out,” I said.

  “I am already out, and yet I work here. Why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Because there is work to be done here. And that work is nearly complete.”

  I watched as Nessy and Hamburger split from El. They were about half way from the garden to Ides now.

  “What work?” I asked.

  “Where were you, in that dream?” the chill asked.

  “What dream?”

  “I was there too. In the darklands. You’re not from this world, are you?”

  “Help us get out.”

  “Stop them. Or they will die. And I will not take you in.”

  “Promise you’ll get us out.”

  “Call it off.”

  I choked and woke up coughing. I had been pushed out. It felt horrible. I vomited and laid on the ground in my own vomit and hugged the earth. I tried not to move. I was spinning. The vertigo wouldn’t stop. I blacked out.

  My eyes opened. I hopped up. I ran out of the garden. Nessy was far. I ran. I yelled. I waved my hands up and down. Nessy turned.

  “Stop!” I screamed. “Stop…”

  I tripped and fell, then tumbled, and got back up. Nessy was standing there, just glaring at me. El dropped the brick and ran over to me. Hamburger walked off, away from all of us. I threw up again.