"Why won't this glob stay in one place?" The guard growled.

His repeated attempts to place Slime in various containers continued to fail. First he tried a bucket, but he simply hopped out of it. Then he tried a cage meant for a bird. Slime's body easily slide through the bars simply starring at the guard. Then he tried shoving him into a small chest only for slime to ooze out of the key hole. He tried stuffing him into a bag then slime just seeped through the fabric and plopped back onto the floor. Oliver let out a laugh at this attempt as the guard had the same expression he did that one time he thought he squashed slime back with the goblins.

"Leave'em be." The familiar voice of his captain commanded.

"Sir!" He replied straightening and moving to stand beside the cell door.

"Tell me boy. What 'orrid plan did you and your monster 'ave planned?" His gazed narrowed and tone dropped on slime when he said monster. Slime's eyes ragged at the comment but he stayed calm.

"Sir, we didn't have any plans aside from shopping." Oliver replied calmly.

The man gave a sarcastic grumble in reply.

"Seriously geezer. We escaped some goblins from some underground place and ended up here in town. The shop keeper of trinkets told us we could get food supplies in town and that's what we were doing."

"Goblins you say? Under the town?" He looked at the guard. Brow raised in surprise at such a declaration. The guard relaxed his shoulders slightly causing the captain to furrow his brow as he glared. He quickly shifted his position straight once more and turned his eyes back to the ceiling.

Oliver started to walk for the door.

"Right so we'll see you later." He cheerily stated attempting to leave. Only to be stopped as the captain took his upper arm in the entirety of his closed fist and pulled him back into the center of his cell. The captain let out a small laugh releasing him.

"Cheeky child aintcha?" Which left Oliver smiling back at him.

Slime on the other hand wasn't enjoying their confinement. While the captain was distracted by Oliver he adjusted his body into a small puddle only to then spring towards the man. His body now took on a spear shape the end hardened into a blunt end hoping to knock the captain unconscious. To his surprise he found the hardened portion of his new form to be in the grasp of the very man he meant to sneak attack. As he tried to release his shape and ooze from his hand found that the captain had placed a glass bottle below catching and now trapping him within. The squeak of the cork being closed and then latched meant Slime was stuck this time. The man let out another chuckle as he lifted the bottle and peered through it.

"Why not cool off a wee bit eh?" He attached the bottle to his waist before turning his attention back to Oliver.

"It ain't my job to decide youer fate. But, I 'ave 'alf a mind to request you be hung for treason against our queen."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Oliver let out an audible gulp at the suggestion. The captain stared on at the boy trying to gauge his reactions.

"Lucky for you that is nae 'ow we operate 'ere."

Aside from the tiny thuds coming from the bottle as Slime threw his gelatinous body against it's interior, the room was silent.

"Guard."

"Yessir?"

"Retrieve a dozen or so men and investigate our town. See w'at the shop keeps 'ave to say."

The guard nodded and left. His metal steps bouncing off the stone walls of the prison.

"As for you boy. Fill me in on how you came to be in the city of Sophia." He motioned for Oliver to use the chair in his cell. The captain stayed firmly in place, his arms folded over his chest as he waited for the boy to begin.

"Okay." He replied. The chair let our a screeching as its wooden legs slide over the rough stone floor.

An hour went by. During which the captain, who at this point had exchanged names with Oliver, went by Cedric. During the explanation he had sent for bread and water and their crumbs littered the floor around Oliver.

"And that's everything." Oliver smiled starring at Cedric.

A low "hmm" came from the man as he strokes his beard with his right hand.

"That's quite the tale. And youer 'ow old again? 6?"

"10!" Oliver called back loudly.

"10, right. Well." He pushed off the wall he was leaning against. "Sit tight Ollie boy. I'll 'ave a word with our queen."

The boy nodded, his legs swinging back and forth in the chair that was meant for an adult and the door scrapped against the stone frame. A loud metal scratching came following indicating to Oliver that his door was now locked.

"Oh, wait, what about Slime?" He called out to Cedric, leaping from his chair. Cedric's foot steps paused.

"Sorry lad. The monster comes with me. But I'll be back soon." and his steps continued. In between them he could heard the thudding of Slime in the bottle only for it to fade as the captain continued down the hall.

Oliver but his back to door and slide down now sitting on the cold floor.

"I hope you'll be okay Slime." He said softly to himself as he pulled his knees into his chest.

Cedric pushed open the heavy door leading from the prison below the castle back into a central hall. Two guards grunted and gave him a salute as he emerged. He nodded and headed in the direction of the thrown room. He could hear the whispers and murmurs coming from passer byers in the hallway. They made several comments about the 'strange liquid' in his bottle. His eyes turned down to see how the fiend was doing. In a few short seconds he watched the slime monster try to bite the sides of the bottle. To trying to sling shot his own body around the interior as his body simply bounced off every glass surface he touched. He saw the creature's body bubble like water on a stove and then shrink down only to burst into spike like needles jetting out in every direction. Cedric pulled the bottle from his belt and brought it up to his face. Glaring inside he flicked the bottle, a low thud emitting from it. But inside a thunderous boom caused Slime to stop his attempts as he recoiled from the volume of his flick. After he recovered he angrily met the set of eyes starring back at him.

"Oi. You bettah settle down in there if you know w'ats good for you. You 'ear?"

Slime stuck his tongue at him before turning into a hammer and trying to smash the bottle.

"Oi!" The captain barked then shaking the bottle back and forth. Slime lost his form as his body slammed into walls he couldn't really see, but felt all to well.

"I mean it monst'uh. Cause trouble and it'll be worse for youer friend Oliver." He peered inside watching as Slime's eyes comically turned into swirls indicating his dizzy state. His body now limp inside the bottle. A few seconds later he recovered and from the side of his body came a translucent green thumbs up shape.

"Good." He nodded before returning the bottle to his belt and continue on. Slime glared out of the bottle, as little slime bubbles boiled and popped at his head.