Lily and Malroth were sitting on the cliffs edge, looking out over the water since they had been rewarded with some free time after planting more cabbages and doing a few other odd jobs around the farm. Malroth looked up from where he was laying with his head in Lily's lap. "I hate this whole being left to my thoughts thing. I keep thinking of all these questions. Like, how did I end up on the Isle of Awakening to begin with? And how come I'm the only one who can't build shit?"

"This is exactly what these wackos want you to do, Mal." Lily playing with the thick black hair that was sprawled on the ground and her lap.

"You're right. Self-reflection is for idiots! Let's stop doing it right now." Malroth huffed and looked back out at the ocean, annoyed with the view already. "Let's go talk to the other prisoners, see if any of them know anything about someone who's tried to escape." He jumped up, yanking Lily to her feet and off to find the others.

They talked to two, but they didn't really have anything decent to tell them, while one told them he was excited for bedtime and giggled like a small prepubescent boy. One mentioned a crazed hammerhood down in the Hole. Eventually the two were walking up to Molly, who already looked annoyed with them. "What do ya want, builder? And before you say you want off this island, I'm going to ask you bother me with something else! I already told ya, there ain't no way off this rock!"

"Builder…?" A small slime poked his head out from behind the crates in the storeroom, eyeing Lily.

"What? What? How?" Molly looked between the slime and Lily. "It looks like he's taken quite the shine to ya…" She sighed and held something out to Lily. "Here, take this."

Lily took the two items from Molly, staring at the ring and the pouch of food. "What…?"

"If a monster wants to be friends with you, you'll be able to use that ring and the food to help you befriend them and understand them."

Lily gave the slime the food, grinning when he bounced around. "Oh, wow!"

"Well, that's an… interesting way to make new friends, I suppose."

"Don't think you can go around naming me any name you want, builder! My name is Splodger Splodgington Oozequire!" The slime grumped at Lily.

Molly gave a jolt as she ran over to the slime, grabbing him. "Blow me down…! It's him! Old Gottfried's slimy sidekick!"

Splodger slid from Molly's hands and over to Lily. "You're a builder, right? I bet we could get off this island if we squished our heads together. Let me help you oozecape!"

"Hah! As if a slime would be any use to us!" Malroth laughed at the slime as he walked over to the bench and sat down, waiting for Lily.

"I think you'll find I'll come in very oozeful indeed, Mister Malroth." Splodger was slowly inching into Lily's shirt, his eyes on Malroth. "Let's talk later, the jailers tend to drop their guard after the sun gooes down."

Lily let out a yelp when the cool slime slid into her shirt and wrapped around her torso. "Hey!" Malroth growled, going to lift Lily's shirt up. "When I get my hands on you-!"

"Malroth! Let's just… for today he can stay there, we don't want the guards to see him." Lily hissed as she batted away his hands.

Lily nearly jumped from her skin when the evening bells went off, signaling to her and Malroth that it was time to go back to their cells. She gave Malroth a shake and took his hand, leading the drowsy man back to the cells. She gave him a soft kiss before parting ways at their cells. She watched as the jailer locked her cell and moved on. She lifted her shirt, looking down at Splodger. "Coast is clear."

"Gooreat! You want to oozecape from here, don't you? Then beddy-byes will have to wait! There's a slooper-special secret hidden in your cell somewhere. This used to be Gottfried's cell."

Lily looked around, then at her bed. She moved it quickly, smiling at the ground underneath it. "There." She moved the blocks, looking out the cell one more time before ducking into the hole under her cell. She looked back at Splodger, frowning when he pointedly looked to the two pots in the corner of the room. "Oh, don't tell me-"

"There's something hidden in one of those!" Splodger laughed as Lily walked over and reached in, gagging as she felt something. She pulled it out, seeing the paper that had been hidden there.

"Oh… that's disgusting." She set the paper on the table nearby, still gagging. "That smells worse than Wrigley's food…" She pressed her forearm to her nose, trying to block the stench as she read the paper.

'I am the Escapologist Extraordinaire! No prison, penitentiary or pail of water can hold me! Tonight, I shall attempt my most daring getaway yet – I shall escape from Skelkatraz! None other has ever achieved this feat! It pains me to leave my slimy sidekick behind, but such is the lot of the professional powder-taker. These feet were made for fleeing, and that's just what they'll do! I will succeed, of that there is no doubt. However, should by some fatal fortune my mission fail, I implore whoever finds this letter to do what I could not.

Yours fleetingly,

Gottfried, Escapologist Extraordinaire!'

"Gottfried got caught on purpose so that he could come to Skelkatraz, break out, and prove himself to be the best oozecape artist of all slime. But his plan failed… he disappeared, and noblobby has ever seen him since… I always admired Gottfried. I've been waiting for someone to carry on his legacy ever since he vanished." Splodger bumped up against Lily, giving a small whimper. "Please, six-two-zero-seven! Don't let my friend's dream be squelched!"

"I'll try my best, little guy." Lily started digging at the sand that blocked one of the walls, only to have to dig through three more walls of sand to get out. Eventually they made their way to a room, it was burning inside as Lily and Splodger climbed out of the hole. Lily looked over, seeing two bodies nearby. With a sigh the two made their way quietly around the giant firepit and over to another door. Lily let out a gasp when she opened the door and rushed over to Brownbeard who was lying limply on the mats. "Brownbeard!"

Lily shook the captain of her ship, feeling him starting to stir beneath her fingers. "Huh? Everythin's so topsy-turkey, I don't- whoa! Where am I?!" He turned, grabbing Lily and smiling. "Why, if it isn't me first mate Lily! Good to see ye're alive and lickin'!"

"Come on, we're going to find a safe spot to hide you until it's time to go." Lily grabbed Brownbeard's hand, yanking him out of the room and up the stairs.

"Wait!" Splodger made a sniffing sound as he squeezed out of the barred door in front of them. "This leads to the outside world! My nose doesn't lie!"

"Slimes have noses?" Lily looked at him curiously as he slipped back to her side of the door.

"Why don't you make yourself oozeful instead of asking silly questions?" Splodger frowned at her. The three froze when they heard bones clicking.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are. I know there's someone here."

Lily and Brownbeard hid behind the wall, glancing out as a white cat slunk across the floor towards the guard. "Oh. It's just a cat? Jeez. Go on, get out of here!"

Lily quietly led the way back down the stairs, not wanting to risk getting caught already. "Let's head back, you can stay under my cell until I figure out what to do from here."

As the three ran, Brownbeard stopped, frowning at Lily when she looked back at him. "I been thinkin', Lily. Wasn't Hargon supposed to have been defeated by the three Scions of Erdrick? If so, how come his crew are still in charge on every island we make starboard at? Seems like a few too many to just be stragglers…"

"I know Brownbeard. I had thought the same thing. I haven't seen Tiny since before we got here, I'm hoping if we find him he might be able to answer some things. He owes me answers anyway." She grabbed his hand and led him down the tunnel back to the area beneath her cell. Lily stopped and plugged up the holes along the way, not wanting anyone to find the tunnel. "You two stay down here, I'll try to find the key to that door and then we'll go from there. And please, try to keep quiet while you're down here."

Lily made her way back up to her cell and quickly covered the hole back up and put her bed on top before curling up and enjoying what nap she could get before morning came. When it did finally come, Lily was one of the first up and out of her door, a smile on her lips as she looked over and saw Malroth appear from his cell.

"I've no idea what you boneheads have been up to, but the warden is not pleased!" The jailer roared at them, laughing at the group of prisoners. "Something tells me you're going to find out why they call him the 'Priest of Pain' today!"

"You blundering boneheads have really done it now!" The skeleton shouted when the group got in front of him before the fields. "We spend day after day breaking our backbones to rehabilitate you and this is how you repay us?! You'll be lucky if I ever forgive this treachery! Now get yourselves to the field! The warden wants to speak to you!"

Lily lifted her chin, frowning. They must have heard her or seen her when she was in the room with the giant incinerator. The group stopped in front of the warden, waiting to see what he said. "It is with great disappointment that I must reveal that one of you was up to something most sinful last night. A certain… periodical… was found in block three – the kind that might even lead the most innocent disciple into temptation."

Lily tipped her head, curiosity filling her at the words the warden was speaking. So, he didn't know about her adventure from last night. "If any of you knows who the book belongs to, now is the time to come clean! Conversely, should no one up to it, you shall all be thrown in the Hole!" This really got Lily's attention. She needed to be in that Hole, but… what was the book? "Who is the owner of this… this… Book of Blueprints?!" The book he held up was pink with hearts and kiss marks on its' cover, clearly not the same kind of book as Lily's.

The warden announced that labors were to be canceled for the day and the guilty party would reflect on their decision to read such a monstrosity. Malroth grabbed Lily when they were dismissed, yanking her to the side. "I thought you were done for. How did it go last night?"

"It went well, I found Brownbeard, he sends his regards." She looked over, seeing the Warden was looking around at all of the prisoners. "Mal-"

"Why are these guys getting all hot and bothered over a book of blueprints? It's not like we could make anything big without them noticing." He grabbed her hand, pulling her over to the storeroom where Molly groaned at them. "So, you found Brownbeard… and your tunnel leads to the crematorium? Man, that isn't fair. You get to have all of the fun, I want to be down there exploring the dark, dank tunnels!"

"No… anything but that! It's dark, and dangerous, and full of dead bodies! I shall surely die from fright!" The three looked over, seeing one of the prisoners crying out about having to go down.

Lily jumped, grabbing Malroth's hand and yanking on him. "This is our chance!" She whispered, pulling him towards the jailer and the prisoner. "If we can get down there, I can go on to the next step of the plan." She grabbed the prisoner when she reached him, grinning at him. "Hey, if you don't want to go down there, we'll go down there."

"I'm sorry… you what?" He frowned at the two. "Why on earth would- …I mean! Of course, you are! It's a wonderful place! Here, I have an idea: why don't you go in my place?"

The jailer frowned at the three prisoners in front of him. "Well, if it isn't six-two-zero-seven and six-two-zero-eight. Fancy yourselves as bony fidey crematorium cleaners, eh? Fine, have it your way. Go talk to the jailer by the crematorium and he'll give you the key to get down there."

Lily and Malroth took off, running towards the crematorium, excitement coursing through them as they ran. "Sir Jailer! We're here to clean the crematorium!" Lily crossed her arms behind her back and smiled at the jailer who just huffed at them and tossed them the key.

The two unlocked the door and made their way down to smash the bones as quick as they could. Malroth frowned as he helped Lily out of the pit, looking around. "I think I get it now. They're going to use these bones to add to their own numbers… aren't they? The whole thing freaks me out. Does Hargon really get his kicks from turning humans into monsters?"

Lily gave a small shrug as she sat on the steps, sighing softly. "I have no idea. I'm more confused now than I ever was. Brownbeard brought something up. From what I remember… Hargon was defeated by the Scions of Erdrick, if that's the case, then why are there so many Children running around? How is Hargon still alive?" She watched as Malroth dropped the bones in a crate by incinerator.

"Tiny said something about Hargon not wanting to fail again. That didn't make any sense, none of this does." Malroth offered up what he knew, seeing the information Lily was storing for later use. "Let's leave them down here. If they want them so much, they can come and get them themselves." He held out a hand, pulling her up from where she sat. "So, now that the door is unlocked, what's the next move?"

"I have to find a way to open up the underground tunnels… I'm just… not sure how to go about that."

"Too bad you don't have your hammer, that would make things a lot easier." Malroth laughed as they emerged from the lower room.

The jailer glared at them. "You two are suspicious. You're altogether too eager. Residents of Skelkatraz shouldn't be so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. One day I'll find a reason to throw you into the Hole. Once you've come face-to-face with that made, bad, bone-crushing hammerhood, it'll soon wipe those smirks off your faces."

The two looked at each other, an idea popping into their heads before they took off for the field. "A hammerhood is down there. A hammerhood!" Malroth cheered, giving Lily a playful shove. When they got back, they saw everyone sitting around, bummed out over something. "What the hell is going on? Is it naptime or something?"

"These boneheads have taken me for granted! All they had to do was admit who the book belonged to. Alas, they spurned this opportunity, and now they shall all be thrown in the Hole." The Warden snarled, the orb on his mask flaring with his annoyance.

"Huh… yeah… about that." Malroth grinned as he sauntered up to Lily, draping his arm around her shoulder and leaning down so he was on the same height as her. "What would you say if I told you that that's our book."

Lily's face exploded in every shade of red as the prisoners and jailers looked to them. The warden looked between the two, clearly taken aback by this statement. "W…What?! Is that so? The Book of Blueprints belongs to you?!" He stepped towards Malroth and Lily, trying not to show that he was flustered. "Six-two-zero-seven and six-two-zero-eight… is this true? Or would you lie to me to protect your fellow inmates?" He slammed the two weapons into the ground, growling at the two. "Whether your crime is debauchery or dishonesty, it matters not! Six-two-zero-seven and six-two-zero-eight – enjoy your maiden voyage to the Hole!"

The two friends gasped when they were seized by jailers and drug away from the farm. "Virtuous deeds shall not go unpunished here. You would do well to remember as much." The two were searched, anything they had on them was ripped away, clothing included. Lily hid behind the jacketless Malroth as they were slowly backed towards the Hole behind them. She was thankful they left her in her underclothes, if anything. "Damnit, Mal. We should have talked about this-"

Malroth grabbed Lily and pulled her against him as he looked down into the hole. "Well, shit." He jumped, quietly enjoying the way Lily clung to him as they fell. He bit off his glove and used the dark claws on his hands to slow their decent until he ran out of wall and they dropped down. "Not the softest of landings, but neither of us have any broken bones, right?"

"Ri-" Lily froze when the ground shook beneath them, the two turned, seeing a large cyclops looming over them. "What the fuck?!" Lily dove under the club that came swinging down on them, she looked over to see Malroth running for an empty cell nearby. She followed after him, slamming the door shut before the cyclops could reach them. "That was the caretaker?!"

Malroth looked around them, frowning at the spikes on the ground behind them. "Well, guess this will make for an interesting night."

"Mal… why did you say the book was ours? That wasn't a normal… blueprint book. Couldn't you tell from the cover?"

"What? No. Why would you name something a blueprint book if it wasn't blueprints? And why did he say debauchery? Do you get that kind of… pleasure from building? I mean, if you do, that's cool. I guess." He watched as Lily's face turned red again and she smacked his arm. "Hey, hey! What was that for!" He laughed, pulled her against him when he saw she was starting to shiver. "Come on." He let out another laugh as he looked around the cell, seeing shackles on one of the walls. "I could tie you up there and hide you away down here for the rest of our lives if I really wanted to."

Lily gasped and batted at him again. "Mal! You can't be serious!"

"This place is just the way I like it, dark, damp and dingy. Just the kind of place to give you nightmares." He leaned against the stairs, watching as Lily paced around now, his eyes studying the way certain parts of her gave a little bounce with each step. When she turned to face him, she was suddenly flustered and turned away again. "Lily, you're cold, quit pacing and come back here."

Lily swallowed the lump in her throat and made her way to Malroth, curling up in his lap. Heat radiated off of him as she relaxed against him. She hadn't relaxed for more than a moment when they heard a monster in one of the nearby cells hitting things. "What was that?"

"That is your new best friend! You are not alone in the Hole, oh no – you are accompanied by one of the most vicious and violent of the hammerhoods!" Someone shouted from somewhere nearby.

Malroth rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I feel oddly at home here, maybe I'll actually get a decent night's sleep for once."

"High Priest… Hargon… Oh, High Priest Hargon… Our one true leader! The blasted builder taints Your realm with her creations!" One shaman growled as he stood at the base of the stairs in a dark and gloomy shrine, glaring up at the alter before them. "And yet… in other places, the islands of the world begin to flicker and fade… Does our time run short?"

The crowd of monsters roared, almost mournfully as they shouted. "Tell us, O Hellish Father! When will the Master of Destruction reawaken? When will we be saved?!"

"Please, High Priest Hargon! If our prayers reach You, give us a sign!"

The first shaman bowed deeply to the empty chair in front of him, a growl leaving him. "We shall continue to await Yours and the Master of Destruction's return to the Promised Land… Oh, High Priest Hargon… we pray that you grace us with Your presence soon… Before Doom's Day is upon us, and this illusion ends…"

Malroth jerked, scaring Lily awake who was curled up on top of him. Malroth's dark claws were biting into the soft skin of Lily's sides as he panted, sweat building up on his forehead and chest. "Hngh…"

"Shhh, I'm here, Mal. Breathe, you're having a bad dream, shhh." She rolled them over so he was on top of her, making it easier to pull his head down against her chest; cooing softly into his ear, she could tell he wasn't fully awake yet. She winced when a claw started to pierce the soft flesh of her hip and suddenly his mouth was clamped down on her shoulder, the fangs in his mouth threatening her skin. "Malroth… you're alright, you're safe. Whatever you think is happening, it's not… it's a dream. It's a dream, Mal."

Lily tried to even her breathing, she could feel his heart race the same as hers, but it wasn't the same. His was in excitement, like he was about to tear apart prey while hers was out of fear. She reached up, working a finger into his mouth to pry him off of her shoulder when he snapped, nipping at her throat and gave her a warning growl.

Malroth slammed a hand down, the stone beneath his fingers breaking easily from the force. His eyes finally snapped open, but the eyes that Lily looked into weren't the ones that Lily had fallen for. They were a deeper red that wanted to devour the world. Wanted to devour her. Lily quickly reached down, her fingers wrapping around a spike, feeling that it was loose as she gave a hard yank. "Sorry, Mal. But you can't eat me." She lashed out, hitting him in the arm.

The strike had him reeling back, groaning as he ripped the spike free. As soon as it was out, the wound slowly started to heal. But then he collapsed, leaving Lily along in the dark cell, panting as tears welled in her eyes. She had to think of a way to help him control whatever this was. He hadn't had an outburst like this, ever. She crawled over to him, touching his face gently. "Mal? Mal, wake up. Please."

Malroth rubbed his face against the ground as he stirred again. He looked up at Lily, frowning at the tears on her cheeks. "Lily? What's wrong?"

"You had a bad dream." She looked back, seeing the door was unlocked now. "C'mon, you feel like checking on our friend?"

Malroth gave a slow nod as he got up, following her out of the cell door. They looked over, seeing one of the guards standing in the middle of the room. "I didn't need ears to hear your screaming during your night terrors." He almost sounded thrilled as he looked between the two. "Now, why don't you go brag to your friends about how your first night was?"

"Before we do that, where's that hammerhood at?" Malroth frowned, trying not to be disturbed at the way the guard looked at him when he mentioned night terrors. The two walked over to the cell that had the hammerhood in it. "If there was a way we could steal that things hammer-"

"Stealing isn't nice, I'd rather make friends with it instead." Lily laughed when Malroth gave her a weird look. "You should have known that was coming, Mal. There's no way into the cell right now, we'll find a way later."

Malroth rolled his eyes and followed Lily back up top, watching as she got redressed after one of the guards gave her the rags back. He looked over, seeing a chest next to the entryway. "Lily… that chest…"

"It's gotta have the key!" The two beamed before trying their best to sneak over to the chest, only to get caught by the guard at the door. "Oi! Builder! Watch yourself! No funny ideas, you hear!" The two turned and ran out of the cave they were in, looking around, they were right back in the main yard.

"The pieces are all starting to fall into place, Lily. We'll be out of here in no time!"