The Prisoners

The pure, innocent fifteen year-old Hannah, who was formerly Fred but has no memory of that.

A handsome well-dressed young man, whom some of the others saw transform from having been a unicorn. He and Hannah spend a lot of time gazing soulfully into each other's eyes.

A buxom, dark-skinned woman, dressed in a series of flowing veils, who was formerly Fred and who does remember this.

Two adult Astras, one who arrived with Anina and the other of whom arrived with an (untransformed) Fred.

The aforementioned Anina, an Aquilarian weapons instructor.

The aforementioned untransformed Fred.

Another untransformed Fred, brought back to life having apparently suffered a very sticky end in a swamp.

A nine year-old version of Astra.

Thus there are nine prisoners in all. They are now held in a large, reasonably comfortable, underground room, part of a disused dwarven cave system that the ex-dwarves had known about and have made their headquarters. Their patrol had come upon the humans only a mile or so away, so the journey back had been a short one. The room is securely locked, of course, and there are three guards outside the door.

The prisoners have been exchanging stories - apart that is from the ex-unicorn, who beyond saying that his name is Urnath seems reluctant to say anything about himself. The buxom former Fred doesn't say much either; she is still in the early stages of trying to adjust to what she has become. The prisoners don't really understand how they come to be here - though some of them know that they were intended to be the pawns in some sort of game - but it soon becomes apparent that they are from different realities.

The adult Astras, and Anina too, feel as though their hearts will break when they hear the child Astra's story. With the resilience of youth, though, the young girl seems to be recovering a little. She is wide-eyed as she hears the others' stories, especially when she realises that the adult Astras appear to be older versions of herself.

Meanwhile Mitx, one of the three guards outside the door, has been brooding. There are hardly any females amongst Murt's group, and none of the other female orcs had been prepared to socialise with the former dwarves even before they had split away. As an orc, his libido is far greater than it had ever been as an dwarf, and he is less disciplined. Whilst he thinks the human women are ugly, one of them will be adequate for what he has in mind. Murt will be very angry if he ever finds out what Mitx is about to do, but Mitx does not intend that he should ever do so. He is confident that he can cow the prisoners sufficiently that they will not tell tales to Murt.

"I'm going to take one of the female prisoners for interrogation, know what I mean?" he says to the other guards with a wink. "Don't tell Murt." "Wouldn't dream of it," one of the others replies with a smile.

Mitx unlocks the door and enters, sword in hand. He doesn't anticipate that he will need the sword. After all, only three of the prisoners are men, and he is far bigger than any of them. "I'm taking one of you for interrogation," he says. He points the sword at the buxom, dark-skinned female. "You'll do. Come with me."

The prisoners are in little doubt about what his intention is. Looking at his prospective conquest, Mitx makes the mistake of taking his eye off the prisoner who is nearest to him, who happens to be the Astra who arrived with Anina. A quick kick from a long leg aimed at his groin causes him to double up in agony, dropping the sword. Anina grabs it, and with one blow severs the orc's head from his body.

1. Hearing the commotion, the other two guards enter with swords drawn.

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