Jails, Dungeons and Cells

'This is nice,' said Majvoc as he and his companions were shoved into the dark cell in the small dungeon below the Hof. They had been led down a snaking path around from the front of the temple to where the dungeon had been made. It was little more than a dug-out cave in face of the hill, with some tall iron gates fixed to the front.

Unceremoniously, bandits pushed them in and locked the heavy iron gate. They had a small fire a little way further down the hill, and two bandits sat next to it to keep watch. Far enough away that a whisper from the companions wouldn't be heard, but close enough to leap into action should anything be attempted.

'What's nice about it?' scoffed Balar.

'That's not a bad view,' Majvoc explained, 'Most dungeon makers don't think of the view.'

'Shut up.'

Majvoc took a seat on the floor of the corner, settling himself comfortably on the bare earth floor. Above them were simple wooden supports that kept the rest of the hill from falling in on them.

All their weapons had been taken, of course, although Luna still clutched at her staff. If that even was a weapon, anyway. None of the bandits would take it, which was a shame. Majvoc wanted to be as far away from that thing as possible. Elves were nice, even some dark ones when they didn't want to cut open your skin and lick the blood. Or was that just the ones he had met?

But one thing Majvoc still had was his flute.

'If you play that blasted instrument, thief, I swear on the Gods,' growled Balar.

'How would you like to pass the time, then?' asked Majvoc, 'Perhaps by staring quietly each other until we are dragged out and killed?'

'Have you thought at all about my request?' asked Tiella, sitting with Luna on the ground.

'Which one?' asked Majvoc, toying with his whistle.

'All of them,' Tiella pressed, an edge of annoyance trying to cut through her words.

'Aaaacch,' groaned Majvoc, 'I suppose so.'

'You swear it?'

'Would a thief ever lie?' Majvoc said with a smirk.

'So it is settled then?' asked Luna, clutching at her staff. Majvoc could see a glimmer in her eye. Confidence. Hopefully, that confidence wouldn't get too big for her ambitions.

'Indeed,' said Tiella, her voice lowering to a hush, 'Luna and I will escape with her magic. But we will return, hopefully with the element of surprise.'

'Tiella,' said Balar quietly, 'Are you sure?'

Tiella smiled, 'I don't think we've got a better plan.' She lent down and gave Balar a kiss on the cheek.

'Don't I get a kiss?' asked Majvoc with a sly grin.

'You'll get a smack,' warned Tiella.

She took Luna's hand, gripping it tightly. Quicker than they could blink, they disappeared in a flash of sickly black warp.

'Bye bye,' waved Majvoc at the empty space where Tiella and Luna had just been.

'So now what?' asked Balar, staring at Majvoc from across the small cell.

'Well, we can either remind each other how much we dislike one another,' said Majvoc, standing up and stretching, 'Or we can do something productive.'

Majvoc walked to the iron gate and put his whistle to his lips. He gently blew and out came a soft and gentle lullaby. The music seemed to snake and dance through the air, almost hypnotically. It drifted gently across the night, slow and calm. It wrapped the listener up in a warm embrace and rocked them to sleep.

'Wake up, you big bear,' whispered Majvoc, and he kicked the sleeping Balar awake.

'What happened?' said Balar, suddenly bright awake.

'Just a little song I learned once upon a time,' said Majvoc with a smile, and he indicated towards the now sleeping bandits.

'So our guards are asleep, now what?' asked Balar, 'How do we actually get ou-' Balar cut himself off, 'You have a key, don't you?'

Majvoc couldn't help but smile proudly to himself as he flicked his wrist and a key dropped down from his sleeve into his palm. But the flick and moved his shirt's sleeve up a little. It was just enough to reveal a few shifting and writhing snakes of black lines up his skin. Majvoc grimaced at the pain of the cold air biting at the infection.

'Snap,' said Majvoc as he realised his secret was exposed, 'I touched the staff back in the village, don't you remember?'

'You've hidden the pain well,' remarked Balar, Majvoc feeling he was almost impressed. Almost.

'Right, come on, bear,' said Majvoc as he tried to ease the key into the lock, 'We've got to get that dagger back.'