"Well, then!" exclaimed Count Bleck. "If we are to rescue Mr. L from Dimentio, we will certainly be in need of..." He did a quick head-count. "...six people! Bleck, I say!"
"I'll bleck on him if he doesn't shut up," muttered Xena.
And so, the six new-found friends went marching into Misery Forest in search of Dimentio and Mr. L. The young trees nesting many animals were constantly avoided, for Bolt, the leader, knew that the path he and Xena had followed before had had no trees surrounding it. Bolt kept up a running stream of commentary while sniffing all around, and Xena rode purposefully on the head of Nastasia. Count Bleck hovered uncertainly behind O'Chunks and Mimi, who both kept their distance between each other.
Suddenly, the sound of crazed laughter met their ears. Bolt threw out his wings to halt the group. He gave a curt nod to Xena, who cawed and flew silently upwards. She soared above the trees and flew towards the sound of the laughing.
"W-who is it?" said Mimi in a voice that was a shade louder than a whisper.
"I have a shrewd idea," muttered Nastasia.
Sure enough, Xena flew back, cawing fretfully. Once she had landed on Nastasia's head, she had to preen herself to calm herself down. Once she had regained the felling of speech in her throat, she gave more screechy caws, one name just distinguishable between them.
"Dimentio!"
The group fled towards that hateful scream of mirth. The trees began to thin and they slowed to a tip-toe, hiding in the dense bushes. Mimi, being the smallest, raised her head slightly to see what was going on. Her hair, being green, blended in almost perfectly with the bushes.
"Wutz he doin', lass?" whispered O'Chunks in a gravelly voice.
"He's laughing," reported Mimi. "And there's a blue box next to him."
"The Capture Box, I'm certain of it!" breathed Bolt. "Where is it, Mimi?"
"On the ground, next to him."
"That's good," said Bolt. "How about his eyes?"
"He's crying with laughter, but his eyes're closed," said Mimi disgustedly. "I never knew you could cry if you laughed too much!"
"You can learn a lot during one little adventure," said Xena gravely.
"How are we going to get it, whispered Count Bleck?"
"We'll need a distraction," replied Bolt. "Count, who's the loudest out of all of your minions?"
"O'Chunks," said the Count.
"Eh!" said O'Chunks loudly.
Nastasia pinched him hard to make him shut up.
"Perfect!" said Bolt ecstatically. "Coupled with Xena, I'm sure that'll make a good enough distraction. Okay, Xena, Chunkster, you guys get Dimentio as far away as possible from that Box. Me, the Count, Nastasia and Mimi'll all make a break for it once he's far enough away. Got it?"
" 'K," said Nastasia.
"Sure!" whispered Mimi.
"Bleheheh!" nodded Count Bleck.
"Got it," said Xena.
"Ar," said O'Chunks.
"Okay, then!" breathed Bolt. "On the count of three, you guys jump out at him, okay? One..."
Xena and O'Chunks tensed in preparation.
"Two..."
Xena opened her wings. O'Chunks flexed his muscles.
"Three!"
