Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger by Lee Edward Födi

anxiously. “There are so many of them!”
    “It’s okay,” she said, helping the mouse to his feet. “We’ve been through worse, haven’t we? It’ll be okay.”
    “It’s an awful sight,” Oki said. “Don’t you have a potion or powder or something to take it all away, Ratchet?”
    “I sure wish,” the raccoon said with a grimace.
    Kendra crept back to the rock’s ledge. The last thing she wanted to do was look again upon the terrible scene, but somehow she felt that she must. It’s okay , she told herself. Remember, they’re all chained .
    She scowled as she looked down. There were many Dwarven taskmasters throughout the mine, and these wandered about the slaves, whipping them with long cords. The clang of the slaves’ hammers went without pause; Kendra thought her head would explode with the sound.
    And now Kendra could feel a spark begin to glow within her, that spark that told her to take action. She had felt it before in her young life, and it was impossible to ignore. She had to do something for these hapless prisoners—but what?
    Her thoughts were interrupted by a line of Unger slaves that came marching right below the spot where Kendra and her friends were hiding. They were so close that Kendra could see the lifeless expressions on their twisted faces. They were all chained together and a small black-bearded Dwarf was whipping them ahead.
     

    “Back to yer cages, brutes!” the Dwarf bellowed. “It’s time fer yer gruel!”
    Then something about one of the Ungers caught Kendra’s eye. “Trooogul!” she gasped out loud.
    “Trooogul?” Ratchet asked. “What’s that?”
    “He’s one of those Ungers,” Kendra quickly explained. “And I know him. Trooogul is his name; he’s the one I saved last year.”
    Ratchet let out a low whistle. Kendra stared hard at the young Unger as he marched past them, behind his fellow captives. There was no mistaking the creature. When she had first met him, Trooogul had been in serious trouble, hanging for dear life from the edge of a cliff, but Kendra could not help to think that he looked worse off now. He was burdened with heavy chains and his skin was covered in scars and bruises from the lashes of many whips. His small tusks were stained and yellow and his once-ferocious eyes were now dull and empty.
    “I have to do something about this,” Kendra murmured with determination. Before she knew it, she was climbing over the ledge and headed down the rocks towards the line of Unger slaves.
    “Kendra, where are you going?” Ratchet exclaimed, reaching out to grab her by the cloak.
    “I didn’t save him for this misery,” Kendra said over her shoulder, and she could feel her very face burning red. “Now let me go!”
    “But there’s nothing you can do for him now,” Oki said.
    “Just watch me,” Kendra declared as she jerked away from Ratchet’s grasp and slid the rest of the way down the rock ledge.
    “Come on,” Kendra heard Ratchet say to Oki. “We have to go with her.”
    The mouse let out a tiny eek, but a moment later, she heard them scrambling down the rock after her. She didn’t look back, though—her eyes were focused on Trooogul and the line of Unger slaves that were now marching into the darkness ahead of her.
    How did Trooogul end up here? Kendra asked herself, her mind racing.
    With Ratchet and Oki close at her heels, Kendra followed the chain of Ungers out of the mine workings and down a long, dark passageway that was carved into the rock. The sounds of the mines were soon a distant clamor, but ahead she could hear the sharp crack of the Dwarven taskmaster’s whip.
    It was not long before they entered a large cavern. At once, Kendra realized the chamber was the site of the “pens” that had been mentioned by the Dwarf Fiddlewick, for here were many prison cells set within the rocky walls. Many of these pens were occupied, filled with all sorts of wretched looking beasts that had fallen into slavery. With a gulp, Kendra led