Day 3-

Started with excitement, as my reptilian friend rose with the sun. He still looked worn out but at least he was alive and awake.

I staggered over to the paratroopa carrying the sword and backpack. "How are you doing, sir," I asked wincing from the pain in my chest, ribs, and arm.

"You're still here," the turtle sounded in a daze. He added after I nodded, "Where's the other one?"

"His friends saved him," I decided the turtle didn't need to know everything just yet.

He studied my fresh cuts and scrapes, "You didn't go with him?"

"I promised I wouldn't runaway," I shifted the backpack holding my breath between shots of pain. "Are any of these okay to eat," I opened the pouch revealing the assortment of fungi and the apple.

"The red mushroom will heal you almost entirely. The green one and apple will give you energy," the turtle answered. "The purple one is poisonous."

I tossed the purple mushroom into the river then yawned. "Would it be alright if we split the red mushroom and I have the apple? I hate mushrooms."

The reptile nodded hesitating when I gave him the hilt end of the sword. It looked as if he was going to cry. "When did you get this?"

"From the mushroom guy," I answered accepting half of the red mushroom. It tasted a little better than the brownish one but it was still difficult to swallow. However I felt the healing effects begin almost instantly as my breathing eased.

"What happened after I was hit on the head," the turtle asked eating his half of mushroom. I recanted the events from the horse, wolf, and robed figure (which the reptile informed me was a Shy Guy) appearance. The fight that ensued after choosing to stay with my captor instead of going with them.
"You chose to remain a prisoner over freedom," he said disbelievingly.

"Yeah well I promised I wouldn't run," I stated biting into my apple. "And I really want to meet your king. Meeting the leader of a whole nation of talking turtles would be so cool," I said blushing behind a smile.
"Plus," I looked him in the eye, "I couldn't leave you there all alone. You saved my life and I owed you. Friends don't abandon friends when they're hurt."

I instantly clamped my hand over my mouth realizing I could get him and me in trouble if anyone heard. I decided to continue telling him what happened omitting the part of the mushroom wanting to kill us both.

"I grabbed the mushroom's sword then rode you like a sled off the cliff into the river and we've been here ever since," I finished.

"You rode me," he asked.

Nodding I looked off to the side trying to explain or justify my actions. "Ah yeah. I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know what else to do. Forgive me sir."

"Loki," the turtle replied.

"Sir," I questioned.

"My name is Loki," he elaborated. "And using me to get away was ingenious. What is your name?"

We must be friends if he broke his king's law. "My name's Tom," I answered willing to face the consequences together.

"Tom? Yuck," Loki said making a face.

"Well it's my name," I couldn't help laugh. "I'm sorry I don't have a more exotic name like you." After we finished eating our magic apple and green mushroom, I held my hands out toward him.

"What are you doing," Loki asked surprised.

"I don't want you getting in trouble Loki," I answered. "I am your prisoner after all."

The turtle raised one of his fingers as if to scratch his chin. "I figured we could hold off until we got closer to the castle," Loki said staring at the sky. "But we had better get moving."

We walked the jungle as friends talking the whole way which really passed the time. Loki told me about the different lands that comprised the Mushroom Kingdom.

There were 8 of them overall and we were heading to the Darklands. He explained very few travelers venture willingly into the territory due to its ruler King Bowser Koopa and the terrible stories associated with him.

"Though most of the stories are true," Loki added sheepishly. "But King Koopa really is a great ruler beloved by everyone in the Darklands."

The turtle went on to tell me that the king is so strong that he carved the actual castle inside an active volcano himself. Even then I couldn't suppress my amazement and "That's so cool" slipped pass my mouth.

"I saw you get teary eyed when I handed you the sword," I said making Loki lift the sword. "It's not a normal sword, is it?"

"No, it isn't," Loki stared at the blade. "This is a sharpened rib bone from a drybones."

"Drybones," I asked.

He sighed leading into his explanation. "They're koopa troopas reanimated after they die. Drybones become caught in an endless cycle of living death. No matter how many times they are defeated, they'll reform."

"That's sad," I said, "Is there no chance at peace?"

"No, the cycle never ends," Loki continued. "The worst part is that you lose your memories. It's my greatest fear. Losing yourself and everyone important to you."

I stared at Loki before answering. "Mine is being alone even when I'm in a crowd. I've been left all alone once and I hated it."

Loki looked at me but voices floated from the other side of the bushes interrupting whatever he wanted to say.

"Keep up maggots. The king awaits," one of the voices commanded.

"That's Kol," Loki said. "He's a lieutenant in the ground pound division."

I held my arms toward Loki. He shot me a questioning look. "Safety in numbers. Besides I don't want you getting in trouble. I'm still your prisoner after all, sir." Loki nodded his understanding and reluctantly bound my hands together.

I offered a reassuring smile, "How do I look?"

"Like a person who's had the stuffing knocked out of him," Loki answered.

"Good," My half of the mushroom must have healed all my internal injuries then. "Tell them you did it after I made you lose your wings," my eyes shifted to his shell. "I am sorry about that."

"It's no big deal. I'm not," Loki motioned me toward the oncoming troop.

There were four bipedal turtles just like Loki except they all had green shells and their leader wore a white helmet and white gauntlets. The reptiles surrounded the four rescuers from the day before.

"Hey yo Loki," the leader greeted.

"Afternoon Lieutenant Kol," Loki responded. "Are you heading to Bowser's Keep?"

"Yep," the turtle thumbed over his shoulder. "Found this lot running through the jungle. They got in a fight with something but won't say what."

Loki's eyes went from a broken arm mushroom, to a black and blue eyed wolf, and a bulging jawed horse. Only the Shy Guy appeared uninjured. The turtle's head turned with a satisfied smirk toward me. I slowly diverted my eyes.

"Would it be alright if I tag along with you," Loki asked.

"A human," Kol said before nodding his approval. "Just tie him on the end." We heard Kol gasp when we passed him. "Loki! What happened to your wings?"

Tying me to Jimmy, Loki responded, "This block head took them."

"Well I'm glad to see you didn't let him get away with it," Kol's own satisfying smile greased his face.

"He looked worse but I gave him half a mushroom just so I wouldn't have to carry him," Loki answered. "Luckily they'll grow back after some R&R."

"I'm sure Bowser will give you as much time as you need especially since you caught a human," Kol smiled menacingly.

I did my best to avoid his glare though it was difficult considering he was another talking turtle. "Let's go insects," Kol tugged the rope so hard that I thought my wrist would snap again.

During our prison march, my head turned on a swivel trying to absorb the scenery of plants and animals. Kol asked Loki where he got the sword. My reptilian friend explained he found it while trekking with me through the jungle. Nobody in the march spoke about the meeting by the tree.

After Kol seemed satisfied at the explanation, Loki dropped back to within a foot of me and Jimmy. All of a sudden, the fungus started walking into my side.

"This is all your fault," the mushroom whispered.

"My fault," I whispered back.

"If you had let me kill him when I had the chance, we wouldn't all be captured right now," Jimmy said in a harder whisper.

I saw Loki looking back at us from the corner of his eye. "I told you I wasn't leaving him. You were caught because you didn't go home after you were freed."

"But now we're all going to be killed," the mushroom's voice began to rise.

"I'm sorry for you and your friends but I'm where I want to be," I answered catching Loki's eye mist over.

Jimmy shot me a cold glare unable to control the volume of his voice. "I will never forgive you."

"No talking," Loki yanked the mushroom's tether hard enough to pull him, Bain, and Simon to the ground. Somehow me and the horse remained on our feet.

Kol and the other turtles broke into laughter while Loki and I made eye contact each exchanging a silent "Thank you." After walking another hundred miles or so, Kol decided to set up camp for the night. He assigned me to stand watch.

"I'll stand guard tonight," Loki volunteered making Kol gasp. "I already had my prisoner stand guard the last two nights. He'll be no good traveling without sleep."

Kol studied his blue shell buddy then turned to me. I dodged his gaze but couldn't help glancing their way. After a minute, Kol agreed. I positioned my backpack as a pillow and laid about three feet from the other prisoners.

Jimmy and his friends fell asleep instantly. They must have been worn out from their ordeal and the other guards fell into sleep right behind them. I could hear Loki and Kol talking some distance away.

"What's going on Loki?"

"What?"

"You're pampering your prisoner," Kol said. "You're too soft."

I felt both their eyes fall on me. "I know but he's not a normal prisoner." Kol must have looked at Loki strangely. "He wants to meet King Koopa."

"What?"

"Yeah, he hasn't even tried running away and even protected me from the group you have," Loki laughed. "He's been polite and has thanked me repeatedly. I've grown to like him."

"Really, not once and he did that to them," Kol asked. There wasn't an audible response before Kol continued. "I'm beginning to like him myself but why does he want to meet the king?"

I heard Loki say with a chuckle. "He thinks we're cool," Loki paused then added "Talking turtles" I think I heard Kol's jaw hit the ground. A sigh passed Loki's lips, "I hope Bowser doesn't eat him."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that if we show him the other prisoners first," Kol answered. "Listen Loki. I'll keep this between us but report everything to King Koopa as soon as we get to his keep."

"Thanks, Kol," Loki said.

"You look like you've been through a lot too. Why don't you get some rest too," Kol suggested. "I'll stand guard the rest of tonight."

"Okay," Loki yawned. "Thanks, Kol."

Feeling the turtle's shell press gently against my back, I allowed sleep to take me with a smile.