"There, that 'ought to hold you!"

It was another day for Kayla Grace, and another run in with some baddies. This time it was a pair of art thieves. She'd been following a recent string of art thefts, and her most recent lead had taken her to this old historical museum at the edge of town. It was very unassuming on the outside, and one would hardly guess it held anything of real value inside. In reality it held some pretty rare artifacts, and Kayla had a hunch it might be the art thieves next target.

She dressed comfortably for a nice little stakeout at the museum wearing a black sweater, a short grey skater skirt, dark tights, and black low rise platform shoes with a pair of thick black socks scrunched around her ankles. If there was ever a day that the thieves would make their move, today was the day. The museum was closed for the day, which is when all the other thefts took place. Kayla arrived early in the morning, ready to catch them in the act!

Sure enough, a few hours into her stakeout she watched another car pull up and two women get out. This was it! This was her chance! Now all she needed to do was get some good photos for the police and...

"Well, well, well...what do we have here?"

Kayla had been so focused on sneaking up on them, that she hadn't noticed they'd snuck up on her! Grabbing her, they ushered her inside and tossed her onto the ground. With a bunch of handy rope from their black duffel bags (it was like they were expecting a nosy snoop) they tied Kayla up, leaving her on the ground near one of the exhibits.

To make sure she was kept quiet, they'd helped themselves to one of her shoes ripping it off and pilfering the thick black sock she wore underneath. Scrunching it up they stuffed the whole thing in Kayla's mouth, packing as much of it in as would fit.

"HHHHHMPH!"

Kayla's mouth was stuffed to the brim, but that didn't stop her from thrashing around and giving the two thieves a piece of her mind! They were unbothered by her, and just ignored her as she wriggled around on the ground.

"Once we grab the book then what? We should probably deal with your visitor, yeah?"

The shorter of the two women spoke, addressing her taller partner who seemed to be the leader.

"No, she can stay here. Someone will find her eventually."

"MMMPH!"

The pair of thieves turned to Kayla and smirked, their eyes lighting up behind their black eye masks. Talk about walking clichés, these two looked like they had just walked off a movie set! They were dressed in all black skin tight latex suits, with tall black boots to match. Over their eyes they wore black eye masks to conceal their identity. Kayla wasn't sure whether to be intimidated by them or to chuckle at how silly it was the way they were dressed. It's as if they wanted the entire world to know they were thieves...

"MMMMMPH! GGGGGGNPH!"

Kayla shook her head, trying to dislodge the sock from her mouth. It wasn't that hard considering there was nothing pulled over it to keep it in place. Working her tongue around behind the sock, she managed to push it out and spit it out onto the ground.

"You're never going to get away with this," she said unceremoniously, knowing it was only a matter of time before she was gagged again. Still, she had to get her shots in...

"Oh yeah? And just what are you going to do about it?"

The taller one sauntered over to Kayla, bending down by her and grabbing her face with her latex gloved hand. She pinched Kayla's cheeks hard as she stared at her menacingly. Turning back to her partner, the taller thief shouted to her.

"Go and retrieve the book! I'll make sure our friend here stays quiet this time."

"On it!"

The shorter thief raced off into the museum, while the taller one picked up Kayla's black sock again. She also reached into her duffel bag and pulled out a roll of clear tape. Smiling from ear to ear, she turned again to Kayla and held the sock up.

"Let's not make this more difficult than we need to, dear. Your job is to just sit there nice and quiet while we take what it is we came here for. Got it? Now, open up."

Kayla glared back at the woman, clenching her teeth. If she wanted Kayla to open up, she was going to have to make her! Realizing this, the woman sighed as she reach up and grabbed a handful of Kayla's hair.

"Ouch! Hey watch immmmmmph!"

Jamming the sock back in Kayla's mouth, the woman made sure it was all the way in this time.

"There we go," she said as she wrapped a bunch of clear tape around the lower half of Kayla's face.

"Mmmmmmmmph..." Kayla muttered behind her gag now, realizing this time there wasn't a chance she could spit out that sock.

By now, the short thief returned. The taller one stood up and walked over to her.

"Did you find the book?" She asked the shorter one.

"Yes, I have it right here."

She one held up an ancient looking book, bound in leather that was all cracked and weathered. Kayla had no idea what made this book so special, but clearly to these two thieves it was worth quite a lot. They'd broken into a museum and tied someone up for it after all.

The taller thief took the book from her partner and looked it over. Opening it up, she carefully turned the pages as she inspected it. As it turns out, this was a grave mistake...

*WHOOOOOOOSH!*

A loud sound came from the book as it began to shake in the thief's hands.

"What the hell!?" She said dropping the book as it fell onto the ground, still open to the last page she had flipped to.

It continued to shake and make noise before all of the sudden a burst of light came shooting out from it.

"MMMMMMMMMPH!"

Kayla's eyes were wide with a mixture surprise and fear. There was something going on...something magical that Kayla had never seen before nor even knew could be possible! She looked at the thieves who seemed just as shocked as she was. Clearly, no one here knew what was going on, nor what was about to happen...

"Hurry!" The taller one shouted, "grab the book and close it!"

"Me? Why do I have to?"

"Because I said so. Now just..."

But they were interrupted as something shot out from the book. It was a long green tendril of some kind, and it was followed by a bunch more all shooting up from the book and waving around in the air. The thieves were so paralyzed by shock that they weren't able to react as the tendrils whipped towards them and wrapped around their legs.

They were pulled to the ground as the tendrils started retracting toward the book now, pulling the thieves along as well! They kicked and thrashed trying to break free, but the tendrils had such a tight grip on their legs that there was no getting away now. They were pulled all the way across the room and over to the book, and just when Kayla thought things couldn't get any more strange the two thieves were pulled inside the book as they disappeared from the room.

"MMMMMPH!"

Kayla couldn't believe it. Was she dreaming? What was going on? Tendrils from a book had just dragged two people inside a portal of some kind. And yet, the tendrils weren't done yet. Kayla was their next target. The vines slithered over to her, ready to pounce and drag her in too.

"NNNNPH MMMMMMPH!"

She kicked her bound legs at them, but this only held them off for so long. Eventually, they grabbed hold of her legs winding about them and squeezing tight. Kayla could feel herself be slowly dragged toward the book now, but with all the rope around her arms and legs she was totally helpless!

"MMMMMMMMMPH!"

Kayla screamed as she was pulled into the book, the museum fading from view before there was nothing but darkness. The next thing she knew there was a loud sound, a strong burst of light, and then her body hit the ground.

"Mmmmmmmmmmph," Kayla moaned from the force of the impact.

After recovering from her not so smooth landing, Kayla tried to take stock of her surroundings. Well, she did the best she could amidst all the chaos. She had been transported to some kind of cave, and the tendrils that had grabbed her belonged to a large creature! Thankfully, it was busy with the two thieves that it wasn't really paying attention to Kayla.

"Let go of me...seriously what the hell is this thing!"

The thieves kicked and punched the tendrils that were wrapped around their bodies practically encasing them, but both of their efforts proved futile. They were lifted high into the air as the creature brought them towards it's wide open mouth.

"No...no, no, no! Not like this!"

The women screamed as the creature dropped them into it's mouth, closing it on them as it swallowed them whole. It then turned to look at Kayla. She realized if she didn't get away quickly she'd be next on the menu! Then again, how was she going to get away all tied up?!

"MMMMPH!"

Kayla yelped as the tendrils squeezed her legs tight, before she was yanked off the ground.

"MMMMMMMMMMMPH!"

She screamed as the creature dangled her in the air upside down, her skirt no longer covering her rear. The creature brought Kayla close to it's mouth, opening wide as it prepared to drop her in and swallow her whole.

"NNNNNMPH!"

Kayla thrashed about as vigorously as she could, but she had a sinking feeling that there was no way she was making it out of this one. Not without any help that is...

"Hold it right there!"

Kayla turned to see where the shouting had come from. A girl was standing near the entrance of the cave. She had long brown hair that fell past her shoulders, and couldn't have been much older than Kayla. She was dressed in a light blue long sleeved top, a pleated red skirt, and dark nylons with black flats.

She stood confidently, facing the creature with some kind of...stick in her hand. No, not a stick, it was a wand! Kayla wasn't totally sure it was a wand, and if she was back home she would have laughed anybody off for holding something like that out thinking it could actually do anything. But given what she'd already been through, what with being sucked through a portal and attacked by a vine monster, Kayla figured that anything was possible even magic wands.

"MMMMPH!"

She shouted down at the girl, desperately calling out for help. The girl was about to cast a spell when the vine monster whipped one of its tendrils at her. She paused, seeing the imminent attack coming and deftly jumped in the air and dodging it. Landing gracefully on the ground, she readied her wand again and fired a blast at the vine monster.

Her attack connected with a loud bang as the monster reeled back, dropping Kayla in the process and sending her flying toward the ground. Closing her eyes she braced for the hard impact, but instead of landing on something hard and breaking an arm she found herself falling into something soft and cushy.

Opening her eyes she realized that she had actually landed inches from the ground in...nothing. She was just suspended in the air! She turned back to the girl who had her wand outstretched. Clearly she had cast some sort of spell to help cushion Kayla's fall. With another flick of her wand, the ropes around Kayla melted away as she dropped all the way to the ground now.

Reaching up to her mouth, Kayla quickly unwrapped the many layers of tape while the monster was still recovering from the girl's attack. Spitting her sock out, which was now drenched in her saliva, she stood up and faced the beast. It had finished thrashing about and was now fixing its gaze on Kayla. It looked mad and ready to attack!

The girl rushed over to Kayla's side, her wand at the ready.

"Are you okay?" She said.

"Never been better," said Kayla. "What's the plan?"

"Just get back and try not to get grabbed. I got this."

Following the girl's instructions, Kayla stepped back let her handle things. The vine monster roared, practically shaking the whole cave with how loud it was. The girl remained calm, digging her heels into the ground and preparing for an attack. Soon enough, the creature shot it's tendrils out, but the girl was more than ready. She dodged both the attacks, rolling underneath the first one and sidestepping the next.

She then climbed atop one of the tendrils and started running up it. The creature tried to shake her off, flapping it's tendrils around wildly. The girl was too quick though, jumping from tendril to tendril as she neared the mouth of the beast. Pushing off with a well timed jump she launched herself in the air. Aiming her wand she cast a powerful looking spell right at the creature's open mouth.

She scored a direct hit and as she landed gracefully back on the ground, while at the same time the vine creature fell over with a loud thud. Kayla held her breath for a moment, waiting for it to spring back to life or something. Thankfully it didn't. The girl had managed to slay the creature, and the two of them could breath a sigh of relief.

"Holy shit," said Kayla as she walked up to the girl, "you're incredible."

"That? Oh, that was nothing. Just another day in the life of Chelsea Pryce: Guardian of Serenephais."

"Serenephais..." Kayla mumble under her breath.

She had never heard of the place before, but with everything that had happened she took a wild guess and assumed she was in a far far away place, probably not even on earth anymore.

"Where are you from?" Chelsea asked.

"Oh, I'm from Hazeldale. The name's Kayla by the way."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kayla," said Chelsea, "and I believe by the name of where you're from...you're not from around here."

Kayla nodded, "yeah I got sucked in through that book."

"What book?"

Kayla looked around, but the book was gone. Perhaps it was still back at the museum and the portal was only one way. If that was the case how was she going to get home?!

"Shit..." said Kayla, when she realized the book was gone.

"Let me guess," Chelsea said, "you came here through a hexed book? Typically those are just one way portals. They're traps to keep people from disturbing what does not belong to them."

"Well it definitely did that," Kayla said, "but how am I supposed to get home now?"

Chelsea smiled, flicking her arm up and waving her wand around dramatically.

"Don't worry, Chelsea Pryce has got you covered," she said.

For having just met this girl was awfully chummy with Kayla, and yet she greatly appreciated it. In a time like this where she was far from home, having a friend...a magical friend at that...was just what she needed.

"Here," she said, "before we continue. Let me help you out."

"With what?"

Chelsea motioned toward Kayla's feet. She had totally forgotten about her missing shoe. But how was Chelsea going to help with that?

*ZAP!*

That's right, magic. Kayla looked down at what used to be just a nylon clad foot, but magically she was wearing her other shoe again. Chelsea curtsied as Kayla just stared down at her feet in shock.

"You really are incredible," she said.

"Why thank you. Now, let's get you back home."

Chelsea raised her wand, as Kayla went stiff and closed her eyes. She had no idea what to expect or if it was going to hurt or not.

"Hurry, she took down the vine monster, we need to apprehend her now!"

Kayla opened her eyes and looked out of the cave. A group of menacing looking soldiers were gathered outside. Even with Chelsea's magic, Kayla feared they still didn't stand a chance. Not against that many soldiers.

"Oh no," Chelsea said, "it's the Taloncrest Order. Curses! This must have been a trap!"

"Should we run?" Kayla asked.

"There's nowhere to run. The only way in and out is through that entrance there."

The entrance that was currently flooded with soldiers. Kayla gulped as the group charged in. Chelsea managed to get a few good hits in, but eventually she was overpowered.

"Let go of mmmmmmph!"

A fistful of cloth was plunged into her mouth before another one was tied between her lips.

"HHHHLLLLPH!"

The soldiers forced her down onto her knees as they tied her arms together behind her back. Kayla was dragged over next to Chelsea and forced down too, her own mouth plugged with a bunch of cloth as well.

"Mrrrrmph!"

She grunted as the soldiers pushed her roughly down onto her knees. With plenty of soldiers flanking them on either side, there was no chance of escape. The only question was what did these thugs have planned for them? Kayla hoped that the soldier walking into the cave, the one who looked like the leader of the group, had some answers.

"Excellent work, men," he said to the group as he strode up to Kayla and Chelsea.

"Mmmmph!"

Kayla buckled in her restraints, the soldiers behind her responding by tightening their grip on her shoulders keeping her as still as they could. The leader got real close and bent down in front of the two girls. He had a real evil look in his eyes. Turning to Chelsea he smiled, giving her a condescending pat on the head.

"Such a foolish little witch," he said, "I just knew you'd fall for this little trap of mine. You just couldn't resist helping out a village in need, could you?"

"MMMGGPH!"

So that was what happened. She'd been set up. Whoever had asked her to deal with this vine monster was clearly working with this militia group, and this militia group clearly knew Chelsea. This world that Kayla had stepped into, Serenephais if she remembered the name correctly, was pretty dangerous! Then again, getting into scrapes like these back home was pretty common for Kayla too!

"And who do we have here?"

The leader of the group turned to Kayla this time, staring her down.

"I don't believe we've met, but it doesn't matter. Any friend of Chelsea is an enemy of ours."

"MMMPH!"

The man stood up and motioned to his soldiers.

"Let's get them into the cart. We'll take them to the stronghold and interrogate them there."

"You got it! Let's move out!"

Kayla and Chelsea were hoisted up onto their feet. Their legs were unbound and they were more than capable of walking, but the soldiers decided it was best to throw them over their shoulders and carry them out. Kayla looked over at Chelsea, who was slung over the shoulder of another soldier like a sack of potatoes. She returned Kayla's look with apologetic eyes. If only she knew just how common this was for Kayla anyway. Hell, their first interaction had been with Kayla tied up!

Carrying them out of the cave, the soldiers loaded them into a wooden cart. Setting them down on the edge of it, they applied more ropes to their ankles and legs before loading them all the way in. Once they were in, they were flipped onto their stomachs as more loops of rope were connected from their ankles to their wrists.

"You two sit tight. Oh, and enjoy the ride."

Kayla and Chelsea exchanged nervous glances. They could see the shape of the road as they were brought out to the cart. It was far from smooth, and being hogtied in the back of a wooden cart meant they were about to feel every single bump.

Feel every bump they did on the long ride to the Taloncrest stronghold. By the time they arrived, Kayla was well shaken up but that was the least of her worries. She was much more concerned about the idea of being interrogated...just what exactly did these Taloncrest goons have planned for them? She doubted any of it could be good...

The stronghold was positioned on top of a large mountain, and practically built right into the side of it. As Kayla was unloaded from the cart she took a good look around. The place was huge and sprawling, with new sections of the stronghold winding all the way up the mountain. It was quite the impressive place, if not for the fact that it was occupied by a bunch of thugs!

The leader of the group walked up to Kayla and Chelsea, who were once again slung over the shoulders of two other Taloncrest soldiers. They had been released from their hogties, but the rest of the ropes around their bodies remained. Their gags were still firmly in place too, the crude cloth drying out their mouths as it sat wedged inside.

"Take them to the dungeons. Make sure you keep them separated too. I don't want them helping each other escape."

"On it!"

"Wrrrrmph?!"

"Mmmmmph!"

Kayla was not looking forward to whatever awaited them down in the dungeons, but it wasn't really up for debate. They were being taken there whether they wanted to or not.

Descending down into the heart of the stronghold, the soldiers carried the girls to the dungeons which lived up to their name and then some. It was horribly musty and quite dark with the only sources of light being dimly lit torches around the walls. Upon their arrival, Chelsea was carried down a hallway and around a corner. They sure were serious about being separated!

Kayla was brought to her own cell and tossed inside. The soldiers slammed the door shut behind them as they entered the room with Kayla. Along the walls there were tons of coils of rope just hanging there ready to be used. Grabbing a bunch of it, they approached Kayla and lifted her up onto her feet. The two soldiers on either side of her grabbed her shoulders and bent her forward a bit.

Taking her arms, which were still tied behind her back, they lifted them up so that they were about parallel with the ground now. Taking a length of rope they connected it to her wrists and then tied it off to a ring on the ceiling. Kayla was now held in this half bent over position which was far from comfortable.

"That should hold her."

"Mmmmmmph!"

As if the ropes they'd used earlier weren't enough. Now Kayla was currently teetering on her toes, her nice black shoes getting all dusty. Her tights were all scuffed up thanks to the many loops of around around her legs. She wondered if Chelsea was currently suffering the same treatment. If so, how were they going to get out of here? Kayla was so trussed up as it was, she had no idea how she was getting out of this one.

The soldiers that tied her up eventually left, leaving Kayla alone for what felt like hours. Being as tied up as she was, every minute dragged on given you had nothing else to think about. Finally though, she heard footsteps coming from down the hall. She was initially relieved, but that relief quickly turned to dread thinking about what they had planned for her...