After being taken by Archangel Steve, I had to undergo a full-body search the warden herself came down from her office to tell me the rules. Apparently, angels don't go to prison too often. Then I was stuffed into a small apartment I will be sharing with two other prisoners for the next six hundred years or so when my trial is apparently set. One of my roommates I still haven't seen has a room to herself on the second floor while I share with a tiny feline. We share a rather large bathroom complete with all the amenities and a kitchen restocked once a week by the guards. We can leave the apartment, but we have to have an escort. There is a large community center where all the prisoners can mingle or play something called VR games.

I sat on a cot in my room, watching absentmindedly as my roommate cleaned herself. My cellmate is a catkin. She has snow-white fur, and everything about her is graceful. Other than the prison clothes, her only adornment is a pink ribbon tied on the top of her head, a gift from her favorite sibling, apparently. Her name is Koto. Personally, I find the name cute, but she claims her Parents had so many children by the time her batch of siblings came about that they didn't try too hard. Koto would probably be indistinguishable from a large cat except for the human-like hands and feet. Well human-like except the extremely sharp metallic claws protruding from her fingers and toes.

Throwing my arms up, I flopped back onto my cot. I had been here for less than a day and already want to leave. There is nothing to do Koto is content to laze around wherever the sun is, my second roommate. I haven't met her yet as she never left her room, and I don't have a clue how to cook anything more advanced than scrambled eggs. I would certainly do so if there weren't a sign on the counter that says, don't touch my stuff. I asked Koto, but she just yawned and said, don't touch her stuff.

I even tried entering my mindscape to talk to my brother, but it was like an invisible wall blocked my path when I tried. I can probably breakthrough, but not without whoever placed it noticing. I noticed for the first time that the sun had already started its descent as a shaft of sunlight hit my eyes. My cot was set and bolted into the floor with the headboard setting under a large bay window. I opened my eyes to watch the golden sky, wondering what my family is doing. I never even noticed my tears until a soft, warm body curled up next to me and began to purr. I absentmindedly began scratching Koto behind the ear only to stop a few moments later, jerking my hand back beginning to apologize. However, Koto merely pushed her head into my hands, continuing to purr while basking in the sun shining down through my window.

I awoke sometime later to the sound of dishes clanking in the kitchen beside me. Koto still slept curled into a ball. I carefully got up and left the room, shutting the door behind me. The moment I turned to the kitchen, a knife zipped toward my head. I deftly caught it then examined it. On one side, the name Ferris was etched. Raising an eyebrow, I turned to my assailant. "Ferris, I presume?"

A seven-foot orc woman stood at our sink, watching me in amusement. The orc woman gave me a toothy grin. "Acceptable Koto only sidestepped then ignored me for two weeks after. So you are the new girl. I heard tales that our new prisoner is actually an angel. I have my doubts why would these egotistical bird brains put one of their own in this menagerie. As for my name, yes, it is Ferris. What's yours?

I grinned then unfurled my wings while letting my eyes turn golden, just like Steve's. "My name is Nalle Eversong and yes I am an angel and before you ask I am somewhere between 40-50 thousand years old."

Ferris watched, but I didn't see any awe from the orc. Instead, she just chuckled before speaking. "You are a tad childish to be tens of thousands of years old."

I shrugged. "I can't help it I slept all but a few of them. Oh, right what is yours I really want to eat something but didn't want to accidentally touch your stuff."

Grunting, Ferris turned back around. "You can use anything you like that sign is for the guards. which reminds me don't leave anything of value to you laying around Koto is a sweety but she is a bit of a kleptomaniac."

I entered the kitchen, watching Ferris as she expertly chopped vegetables. "Is that why Koto is here? I mean if that's not too rude to ask, I am also curious what brought you here. I mean I ended up here for accidentally opening a portal into some creepy room full of old geezers sitting at a table."

Ferris listened to my tale of how I was captured as she tossed all the veggies into a wok then added some oil. She stirred it a few times before taking some meat from the fridge and a cleaver from a magnetic strip hanging on the wall. Before chopping the meat, she grabbed a massive skillet setting it on the stove adding oil to it as well.

When I finished my tale, she gestured me to watch the veggies, and she began to talk in her husky voice. "I was captured for the same reasons, but in my case, it was my uncle who was playing with some strange device he dug up in some ruin he explored long ago. He left to grab some device for measuring something, don't ask me; I really didn't care to listen. Anyway, I happened to grab it from the table, wondering what it was, and the next thing I knew, a scene much like the one you described appeared before me. A few minutes later, I was grabbed by some angel. I can't remember his name. It's been a couple of decades since then. And here I am. It's not so bad here, much better-living conditions than that dank cave my clan lived in. although it took me many months to get used to the level of technology here. As for Koto, you should ask her yourself it would be rude of me to talk behind her back."

A few minutes later, Koto sauntered out of our shared room, stretching and yawning. Then, in a languid voice, only those who have slept very well can manage, she asked. "Ferris is supper ready? I'm starving."

Rolling her eyes at me, Ferris turned to the lazy cat. "Help set the table then go wash your hands. And, I mean with soap and water." The catkin scowled but did as Ferris asked.

Weeks went by as I got to know my roommates. I figured out I couldn't go into my mindscape, but I could still pass messages through Michail to my family and friends somehow. I didn't bother to ask him how he did it since I really hate listening to his lecturing, know-it-all attitude. I also learned that Koto was imprisoned for actually stepping foot into the council chamber. Apparently, her deuch of a Father used her to test out a portal spell that went to an unknown location. If she returned, then it was safe for him and his cohorts to use.

It took them both the better part of a month, but they got my entire story out of me, including how I ended up with a fairy as a daughter. Sammy and Koto had quickly become best friends. It was not uncommon to find Sammy curled up on top of a sleeping Koto at any time of the day. So when I told Ferris my plans to release all my brethren trapped inside dungeon cores, she put a hand up to stop me.

"Listen, Nalle, I understand wanting to help your people. But it would be best if you first asked them what they want. I know for a fact that the dungeon near my old home would often drop extra food and clothing on bad years. I don't know how many, but I guarantee that dungeon has saved thousands upon thousands of lives over the generations my clan lived there... Stop glaring at me. I get it. What happened to you and your family is a shit deal. However, think on this if the dungeon cores didn't like their lives would they go out of their way to help those around them?" Ferris stared at me with eyes that both showed apology and conviction.

I watched Ferris lost in thought about what she said. We both sat on a bench on our small porch watching the sunset while Sammy and Koto played on the lawn. "I can understand your point. I even got rejected by my own Mother. She likes her new life. Even my Father spent everything he had to protect our world from some threat from beyond the veils. I still need to figure out what had him so spooked because those small fries that came through those dimensional rips were barely a threat to common mortals without any power."

Ferris gave me a confused look. "How do you know what all came through? Didn't you say you could only stop the ones on that one continent you lived on?" A large green hand rested on my shoulder before Ferris continued. "But, of course, none of this means anything for the next six hundred years or so anyway, so think long and hard about what you're plans are."

I could only gape at my new friend. I had completely forgotten the rest of the planet, thinking myself so clever. Dad would be disappointed... again. I let my shoulders slump. "I need to meditate. Is there a nice quite park around?"

Ferris looked at me like I am a complete idiot. Even Koto stopped chasing Sammy long enough to send a bewildered look my way. "Nalle you can meditate in the house were both adults we wont pester you. Well Sammy might I suppose she is a child."

I looked between them both, trying to hide my amusement. "Neither of you has seen my actual body. Trust me. If I let go of my magic inside, our home would be destroyed. I don't think our dear Warden would like that too much."

Koto jumped up the steps landing right in front of me, Sammy alighting on her shoulder. "I saw the Warden once when she was mad she grew to almost thirteen feet tall. How much do you grow?"

I stood grabbing the catkin's hand well, "lead me to a nice spot, and you will see."

Ferris also stood and gestured us to follow, so we did. A few minutes later, we walked into a small clearing surrounded by a copse of trees. In the clearing center was a ring of stone with a hard-packed sandy area in the middle. Ferris waved me in. "This is where some of the more aggressive prisoners come to burn excess energy. Other than that, the place is rarely used."