How Not to Poach a Unicorn

Three

The boy was very sad. The pretty colours had only stayed for a very short time and he wanted to see more of it. The black fuzzy thing in the room with him was nice to look at too, but now it was dark again. There had been so much excitement, and all of the things that visited had made noises which were interesting to hear. He decided to follow the colourful brightness. He wanted to touch it and this dark and cold place was no longer interesting to him now that he knew there was something better outside of it.

He was, however, interested in the other noises that were still nearby. The high pitched one started to chatter excitedly.

"Prag! You're a mercenary right? Well I'm a princess, like you just heard and I'd like to hire you." Cariolta started shouting as soon as the prison door slammed shut.

"Well, I guess by being here I've already defaulted on my previous contract, so I'm willing to negotiate. However, you may have noticed that I'm a little short on resources at the moment."

"Well, do you think you can break out of here? I'd pay really well for a jailbreak right about now."

"That's sweet. You want to rescue your handmaiden." Prag seemed less than moved by Cariolta's concern and he kicked at his door in frustration. "I'll rescue her for half-price if you can figure a way out of these damned cells."

"Promise?"

"You have my word, milady." Cariolta could almost hear him bow in mock chivalry.

They both fell silent as a strange creaking noise echoed through the halls. "What was that?" Cariolta asked nervously, worried that they'd been overheard.

"It's the kid in my cell," Said Kazé "It sounds like he's trying to break out of his manacles. He's going to hurt himself."

The Princess ignored the antics of the boy and returned to Prag. "Well, I'm a proper princess, right, and that means I've got some wizard in my blood" Cariolta seemed as much like she was trying to convince herself as to inform her new hire of the detail.

"Not a lot of good down here. I don't see any magical springs...or did they let you keep your familiar?" Prag's voice dripped with condescension but the Princess down the hall met him with distracted pragmatism.

"They don't let royals have familiars. It's too risky, too unpredictable. I don't have enough skill manipulating magic to bother having one anyway, but I know a couple of simple spells." Cariolta was trying so hard to focus on her task that she'd forgotten to stop talking. "Cailo's cloak was radiating so much magic that I could gather enough for one go. I'm trying to unlatch my cell door. Then I'll let the rest of you out. But, I don't know what to do after that. I won't be able to open the door upstairs."

"Well milady," Prag was suddenly serious, "if you get me out of here I have a few ideas as to how to breach that particular barrier."

"This will take a couple of minutes. Please don't speak, I need to concentrate."

There was a lengthy pause during which only the wails of the ghosts in the levels below and the creaking of the boy's chains could be heard. Suddenly, there was an incredible shattering clang and Cariolta lost all grip on her borrowed magic.

"What was that?" shouted Prag "Did you do it?" "No! That broke my spell! What was that?"

Kazé replied, stumbling to find the human words in his surprise "It was the kid... I think he broke his chains. And now he's starting on the door."

Thunderous clanging rang out as the boy pounded against the door to his cell with whatever body part he could fling at it.

"He's ruined my spell and he's going to bring the guards down on us!" shouted Cariolta over the deafening racket.