| The following are now prisoners of the former dwarves:
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.
-
 Hearing the
commotion, the other two guards enter with swords drawn.
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