Into Kayla's cell marched three soldiers, two grunts from the looks of it and a higher ranking one between them. He walked up to Kayla, his arms crossed behind his back.

"So, this is our little visitor. I hope this has been the warmest of welcomes."

"Nnnnngph!"

"You don't look like you're from around here, at least I've never seen you around here. But the thing is you seem to be a friend of Chelsea's which means I have to keep you here too. Can't risk any loose ends or anything like that. I'm sure you understand."

"MMMPH!"

"Now, I need you to tell me what you were doing together, and where that new source of magical energy is coming from!"

"Hmmmph?" Kayla mumbled inquisitively. She had no idea what he was talking about, and if he would just ungag her she could tell him!

"Don't try and act like you don't know," he said, "you're working with Chelsea, what else could you be doing with her?! We followed reports that there was a strong presence of energy coming from near that town. When we arrived to check things out, there was nothing. We know Chelsea is responsible for either covering up the energy or finding a way to move it somewhere else. Now, tell me what you two did!"

"MMMPH!"

Kayla had a feeling that even if her mouth wasn't so stuffed full of cloth and she was able to tell him who she actually was and that she really knew nothing he wouldn't believe her.

"Here's what we're going to do," he said as he turned to one of the grunts. "I'm going to see if I can't persuade you to be a bit more talkative with us. How does that sound?"

"Mmmph?!"

Kayla did not like the sound of that...

The higher ranking solider turned to one of his grunts who handed him a few...tools. One of these being some kind of feather duster, and the other a paddle. There was no secret regarding each of their intended uses. Kayla was very well aware of what he had planned. Needless to say, she was not looking forward to it.

He slipped the paddle into his belt, saving it for later. To start with he brandished the feather, wiggling it in the air as he taunted Kayla. She just started back with disdain, the ropes around her body and the giant rag stuffed in her mouth meant she couldn't do much else.

Taking the feather, the solider walked up to Kayla and started to gently run it under her arms. She was trying so hard not to react. She didn't want to give him the pleasure of her discomfort. Try as she might, the soldier was unforgiving with the feather. He ran it up and down the undersides of Kayla's arms, barely making contact with her and yet still it sent shocks of sensation all the way up and down her body.

Kayla held her laughter in for as long as she could, but she could tell at some point it was all going to come spilling out. The soldier could tell this too, and as such he continued running the feather up and down Kayla's body until she broke.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMPH!"

Barely able to take it any longer, Kayla erupted in laughter as she tried to squirm away from the solider. He grinned, chuckling deviously as he ramped up his assault with the feather. Making broader and less deliberate strokes he danced it all across her body, causing Kayla to squeal with every little touch.

"MMMPH! GGGNNNPH! HHHHMPH!"

"That's it, give in...just like that."

"MMMMMMMPH!"

Could this guy get any creepier?!

The answer was, undoubtedly, yes for as soon as he had decided he'd had enough with the tickling he handed the feather back to one of his grunts. Reaching toward his belt, he pulled out the paddle and gave it a couple spins. In the meantime, Kayla caught her breath preparing herself for the next phase of her interrogation.

The solider gave her hardly any time to recover before circling around behind her and lifting her skirt up.

"Mmmmrph!?"

Kayla didn't think he'd go that far, and yet here he was hiking up her skirt and exposing her nylon clad rear. Her face immediately went flush with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"Aw, you're not shy, are you?"

"Nnnnrrgph!"

Kayla was far from being shy, but what she didn't appreciate was some creep lifting her skirt up! Sadly, that was least of her worries...

*SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!*

"MMMMPH!"

Kayla squealed as he slapped the paddle into her rear over and over again. He wasn't holding back either, delivering blow after blow to her bottom. Her pantyhose providing little to no protection against the paddle. Thankfully he didn't go at it for that long, but he had prioritized quality over quantity. The blows he'd delivered left a lasting impression on Kayla's bum, her rear end stung pretty bad already.

When he finally finished attacking her rear, he circled back around in front of Kayla. Lifting her head up by placing his hand underneath her chin, he forced her to meet his eye line. Kayla was breathing hard, biting down into the rough rag shoved between her teeth. She had strands of hair matted to her face, thanks to all the sweat she'd worked up. She was a proper mess, but the freak seemed to enjoy this!

"Seems like someone's had quite the workout," grinning as he said this.

"Mmmmmmph," Kayla grunted in reply, shaking her head away from his hand.

He reached back out, but this time he reached for her gag, tugging it free from her mouth and pulling the long cloth that was stuffed inside behind it. He tossed it on the ground as Kayla stretched her jaw now that her mouth was free.

"Well then," the head guard said, "are you ready to talk?"

Kayla eyed him angrily. She knew that if she said no and resisted more it wouldn't end well for her. And yet she still couldn't throw Chelsea under the bus. Besides, what was there to tell him?! She had literally just arrived in this world and had no idea what the hell was going on. Maybe she would go with that...

"As you can clearly see," she began, "I'm not from around here. I just happened to drop into your world, but I have no business here. I'm just trying to get back."

The guard laughed, "a cute cover story, but tell me what you're really up to."

Kayla rolled her eyes. She just did!

"I'm telling you that's all," she said, "now let me go!"

The guard frowned as she stepped closer, leaning right into Kayla's face.

"Looks like you need a little more time to think," he said menacingly. "I'm going to leave you here to consider things, and hopefully by the time I get back you're ready to talk."

But Kayla was ready to talk now! She had been for crying out loud! What more did this creep want from her?

"I'm going to go pay your friend a little visit. In the meantime, you just sit...or I guess stand there and really let the fact that I am in control sink in. You wouldn't want us to have to escalate things further, do you?"

Kayla did not want that, but she also wasn't in the mood to bargain with this creep! At least he was giving her some more time to think of a way out...if there was one. At least he'd taken out her...

"Guards, re-gag her and then let's get moving."

...gag.

With grins spread ear to ear, the two lackeys approached Kayla. One of them placed an arm under her butt, giving it plenty of support before hoisting her legs up. He cradled her in his arms while his partner reached down and pulled off Kayla's black loafers before peeling off both her socks. They lowered her legs back down to the ground, as her pantyhose clad feet made contact with the dusty floor.

These tights were definitely going in the wash as soon as she got back home!

"Open wide!" The goon said as he taunted her with the socks.

Kayla grunted, staring down the mass of cotton as he brought the bundle up to her face. This was definitely one for the books, gagged with her own socks twice in one day! First by those ladies at the museum and now by these creeps. She just could not catch a break! As much as she wanted to throw in one last snarky remark, or try and fight back, she knew she was far too comprised and it would only end up making matters worse. Instead, she just sat there and held still while the brute crammed the wad of socks into her mouth.

"Mmmmmmmrgph!"

Kayla groaned the socks were jammed in. Earlier, the thugs at the museum had just used one, but these brutes were going the extra mile and making sure both of her thick wool socks were packed in as far as they'd go. It was quite the stretch to say the least, and Kayla's mouth was left wide open as a result.

They sealed it all in place with the long piece of cloth she had previously been chewing on, pulling it tight as it pressed the socks further into her mouth.

"Mmmmph," she grunted as her head was yanked backwards. These guys just could not have cared less about her comfort...not in the slightest!

"That outta do it," they said as they stepped back and admired their work.

Kayla glared at them, the only thing she could do thanks to the whopping gag in her mouth.

"We'll be back, girlie, and when we do...you better be ready to talk! Or else..."

They left Kayla hanging on that ominous note, a swift exit as they headed down the. Kayla grunted, settling herself in for another long bout of standing around all tied up. She flexed her wrists and tried to see if there was any way she could pick at one of the knots, but with how awkwardly her arms were strung up it was hard to move her hands around.

Her adventure was hardly underway and this was already the second time she'd found herself bound and gagged. She was hardly surprised though, for such were the nature of her adventures after all. Still, that didn't change the fact that the way she was tied was uncomfortable as hell! Her arms were aching from being suspended up like they were, and her wrists were chaffing thanks to the ropes.

A slow stream of drool dribbled down the corner of mouth as it trailed down her neck. A few beads of sweat on her forehead followed suit. Talk about being a damsel in distress! Kayla was the prime picture of it right now.

Time seemed to stand still as she struggled desperately trying to get free. It could have been minutes or hours even and she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. Every second she stood there felt like an eternity the way she was tied. Finally though, she heard a faint sound coming from down the hall.

*clop. clop. clop*

Kayla lifted her head at the sound of footsteps, making their way toward her cell. Were the soldiers back already?! That had been so quick. Had Chelsea given in under the pressure and told them everything? What was going to happen to Kayla at that point?!

The footsteps grew closer and closer as Kayla prepared herself for the worst. What she hadn't prepared herself for though, was for a young girl to pop into her cell.

Not just any young girl though.

"CHHMMMPH!"

It was Chelsea!

"Well don't act so surprised," she said, flicking her wand casually in the air, "I am a pretty powerful witch after all. They haven't managed to best me yet, and they certainly won't get me today. Not when I have a visitor."

"Mmmph!"

Kayla smiled under her gag. Chelsea was such a kind and pure soul, and tough at that! As she undid Kayla's bindings she explained how she managed to conceal her wand down her skirt and then retrieve it at the right time and knock out those guards. So from the moment they were captured at the cave, Chelsea was planning ahead for their eventual escape.

She was good at this! With a few flicks of her wand, Kayla found herself free from the ropes. And just like before, her socks and shoes had returned to her feet! She glanced down at her legs, taking notice of the fact that her tights AND her socks seemed to be in almost brand new condition again. What she wouldn't give to have those powers in her everyday snooping endeavors. The amount of hosiery and socks she went through on a weekly basis was absurd!

"God, I really owe you one after this," Kayla said.

"Don't worry about," Chelsea said, "it's the least I could do after we were ambushed by those guys! I feel bad for dragging you into all this with me, so consider the tab even. Although I was never really keeping score."

Kayla laughed, "deal."

"As much as I would love to stand around and chat," said Chelsea, "we should probably get moving. It's only a matter of time before they sound the alarm and the whole stronghold is after us."

"I'll follow your lead," said Kayla.

Chelsea nodded as she led the way down the hall. They weaved their way through the seemingly endless tunnels of the dungeon before coming right up to a dead end.

"Damn, a dead end," Kayla said, "guess we just turn back."

Chelsea whipped around and grinned, twirling her wand around.

"Watch this," she said, aiming her wand at the wall and casting a spell.

The stone wall seemed to melt away, clearing a path through to the other side. Chelsea and Kayla stepped through before Chelsea turned back around and casted another spell repairing the wall.

"God, you''re so freaking cool," Kayla said as Chelsea blushed.

"Thanks," she said, pocketing her wand in her skirt waistband, "let's keep moving. I have a hideout in the woods nearby. You're going to love it."

Kayla followed Chelsea as they bounded down the grassy path and toward the woods. By now, it was getting close to nightfall and the sun was setting on Serenephais. The woods were getting pretty dark, and Kayla was starting to get a little worried. Chelsea on the other hand stayed calm. Maybe that's because she knew what was about to happen.

It started out as a small trickle, but all kinds of little creatures started to float up from the bushes and the brush. To Kayla she might have called them bugs, but on closer inspection they didn't look like any kinds of bugs she had seen. They were much cuter, and didn't give her any kind of ick. The cool thing about them too is that they let off this soft glow.

There were so many different colors of them too, the whole forest lighting up in a rainbow of light. Kayla was in awe. It was probably one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Chelsea held her arms out as she walked, letting the little creatures rest on her shoulders.

Pretty soon they came to the hideout. The only thing left to do now was cross the rickety wooden bridge over to the other side. Chelsea's hideout was the cutest little cottage tucked near the top of a hill right in between all the trees. There was a faint glow of light emanating from the many windows, with all kinds of vines and flowers growing up the sides of the brick exterior.

Chelsea crossed the bridge as Kayla followed her, mesmerized at how adorable everything was. It was like being inside some kind of fantasy novel, but not the scary kind--at least not anymore--but rather the warm and cozy kind that made you want to curl up by the fire with a cup of hot tea.

Speaking of hot tea, as they entered the house Chelsea ran over to the kitchen area and started making some. She waved her wand around as the fire was lit, and the kettle floated down into place.

While she did this, Kayla walked around examining the interior of the house. It was just one big room, with a gable roof. Instead of just standard roofing panels, the roof was lined with window tiles spilling moonlight all throughout the room. The stars seemed to shimmer in the night sky, casting their glimmery reflection off the many surfaces in the house.

There were loads of plants scattered throughout as well, some in pots on the ground, others in points hanging from the wall. There was a bowl of incense lit in the corner of the room too, giving the entire space a slightly hazy appearance with the most soothing of aromas.

It was truly like being in a dream. The most comforting little witchy dream.

Kayla plopped down on one of the soft cushions in the corner of the room. Chelsea was not far behind her with one cup of tea in hand, her wand in the other, and a second cup of tea floating behind her. Sitting down in her own cushion, Chelsea waved her wand as Kayla's cup of tea slowly floated over to her. Kayla gently plucked it out of the air and held it in her hands. She took a big inhale, letting the calming scent of chamomile wash over her.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home," Chelsea said as she kicked off her flats and tucked her nylon clad legs underneath her.

Kayla followed suit, kicking off her shoes and crossing her own legs. She took a big sip of the tea, the incredible flavors dancing around on her tongue. It was literally some of the best tea she had ever had. For all the trouble it had given her earlier, Serenephais wasn't that bad after all. There was a real charm to it, and it was all thanks to Chelsea so far.

"This place is so nice," Kayla said.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," said Chelsea as she looked around, "sometimes I come here just to relax and stare up at the stars. I know I'm supposed to be a hero and all, but heroes need a cozy break every now and then."

"Especially after everything we went through today," Kayla said.

"Especially after that," Chelsea said as she giggled.

Together the girls drank their tea, and shared stories about their lives. Before long, Kayla started to get tired as she stifled a yawn and stretched her arms.

"I should probably get going," she said, setting her empty cup of tea down.

"As should I," Chelsea said.

"I really appreciate you helping me out," said Kayla, "I was in way over my head today."

"Hey, that's what friends are for."

Chelsea smiled at Kayla, who returned the smile warmly. While her time her in Serenephais had started off pretty perilous, at the end of the day she was kind of sad to go home. She was going to miss this place, especially the cozy little cottage. She hoped deep down in her heart that one day she would get to return. For now though, it was time to go home.

"Before you put on your shoes," Chelsea said as she waved her wand and summoned one of Kayla's shoes into her hands, "I need one of them to open the portal."

Setting the shoe on the ground, Chelsea aimed her wand at it and took a deep breath. Chanting the incantation she flicked her wand as a bolt of magical energy shout out from the end of it. Hitting Kayla's shoe, nothing happened at first.

But then, all of the sudden a swirling portal shot open right in the middle of the room. Kayla was blown away, but as she looked at Chelsea she realized something was wrong.

"Drat," Chelsea said as she investigated the portal.

"What's wrong?" Kayla asked.

"I messed it up," said Chelsea.

"Oh, bummer," Kayla said as she looked at the portal. It looked fine to her! "What's wrong with this one?"

"It doesn't take you back home," Chelsea said, "I accidentally opened a portal to the clothing dimension instead. That happens when I cast this spell on clothes and stuff. Don't worry though, I'll fix this right up."

Chelsea raised her wand and prepared to cast a spell, but something shot out of the portal and looped around her wrist!

"Hey...what the...?"

Chelsea's wand clattered to the ground as more and more pieces of cloth shot out from the portal and started looping themselves around Chelsea's body. Upon closer inspection, these weren't just clothes...they were pairs of nylons! Not just any nylons though, magical ones that seemed alive and had the ability to move on their own!

Dozens of pairs shot out from the portal, attacking Chelsea in the process. They were so strong they managed to wrestle her to the ground, pinning her down onto her stomach. Wrapping around her wrists they wrenched her arms behind her back and tied her arms together in a box shape. She was writhing around and trying to get away from the nylons, but they stuck to her like glue.

Kayla's gaze was so transfixed on Chelsea, that she didn't notice the army of nylons slithering toward her. By the time she realized she was being targeted too, it was too late. The nylons had wrapped themselves around Kayla's own nylon clad ankles and with a swift tug they toppled her to the ground. She grunted as she fell, using her hands to brace her fall.

Before she had any time to react, more nylons coiled around her wrists and pulled her arms back. The nylons were so strong they were able to push Kayla's elbows together so that they were just inches from touching! The nylons then pulled her arms down toward her rear, connecting each of her wrists to her legs via a bunch of loops wrapped around her upper thighs.

Folding Kayla's legs up, they pushed her heels into the backs of her wrists and then tied a bunch of loops around her ankles and her wrists. The nylons even went so far as to wrap themselves around Kayla's feet forcing the bottom of her soles down so that they pressed into the backs of her arms. This kept her feet firmly pointed and put quite the strain on her calves! She was already starting to feel the burn, and she was not happy.

Kayla glanced over at Chelsea to see how she was faring. From the looks of it, she was getting it just as bad as Kayla. The nylons had put her in a back arching hogtie, with her legs pulled up and tied off to her nylon chest harness. She was teetering on her stomach, her chest pulled up from the floor due to how restricting the nylons were.

She wriggled her nylon clad feet around as she tried to bargain with the nylons.

"Look, I opened up a portal to your dimension by accident. I was trying to get my friend home and just...messed up the spell. We mean you no harm, if you would just let us go I can close the portal and everything will be back to normal."

Kayla got the feeling these rogue tights had no capacity to listen to reason, and as the last bit wound itself around Chelsea's body this was confirmed. There was no longer frantic movement in the room, save for Kayla and Chelsea wiggling around. The nylons had finally settled in, all wrapped around the girl's bodies keeping them firmly tied.

"Looks like this is strike three for me," Kayla said with a slight chuckle.

"I'm so sorry," Chelsea said with true regret in her voice, "I can't believe I botched that spell!"

"Hey, how were we supposed to know it would open a portal to such an...unsavory dimension. Seriously though, don't worry about it. It's not your fault."

"I know," Chelsea said, "I still feel bad. But hey, this is totally fixable. I just need to scoot over to my wand and see if I can grab it. Give me a minute."

She was only able to move little bits at a time, however slowly but surely Chelsea inched herself closer to her wand. She was almost there when the portal started to bubble and churn.

"That doesn't sound good..." Kayla said as the bubbling grew more and more intense.

Emerging from the portal came more items of clothing, only this time it wasn't nylons. It was two pairs of dark knee high socks, followed by a bunch of longer thigh high socks.

Kayla and Chelsea looked at each other and gulped. Kayla knew where this was going...the only question was did Chelsea? She got the feeling she might considering the look on her face and the fact that she once again tried to reason with the leg wear.

"Hey, whatever threat you think we pose, I assure we do not. You can just let us go and I'll close the portal. I give you my word as a witch!"

But Chelsea's words did nothing to stop the socks from slowly advancing toward the girls. Kayla eyed the knee sock as it slowly started working itself into a ball, the one in front of Chelsea doing the same. In the meantime, the longer thigh high socks traveled behind the girls a few pairs positioning themselves on either sides of their heads.

This was so that they could grab the edges of their mouths and yank their jaws wide open. Behind her glasses, Kayla's eyes were wide with dread as she prepared herself for what was about to come...

In unison, the two balled up socks flew at the girls heading straight for their mouths at lightening speed.

*WHUMPH!*

"MMMMMMMMPH!"

"HHHHHHHHMPH!"

Kayla and Chelsea both yelped as their entire mouths were stuffed full of sock. Once the initial packing was jammed all the way inside, the other thigh high socks started winding about their heads. Kayla lost count of how many pairs were wound about the lower half of her face, but it was an absurd amount! She stole a peek at Chelsea, and yeah with that many socks wound about her face she looked ridiculous.

After the girls were well and proper gagged, the portal finally closed.

"FFFMMPH MMMMPH!"

Chelsea bounced around, shaking her head and trying to dislodge her massive gag. Of course, there was no just shaking it off. It was well and stuck there, and the only way it was coming off was if Chelsea got to her wand.

"CCCHHHMPH! CCCCHHHMMPH!"

Kayla finally got the attention of her friend, who took a break from her vigorous struggling to look over at Kayla.

"Mmmmph?"

"Hmmmph!"

Kayla motioned with her head at Chelsea's wand. The poor girl had been so intent on getting free via her own struggling she'd forgotten that the only way they were actually going to get free was magic. Tied up as tight as they were there was just no other way and it was up to Chelsea to scoot over to her wand and set them free.

"Hmmmmph."

Chelsea continued her slow and steady efforts of bouncing over to her wand as Kayla watched, unable to hardly move given how she was tied. Her limbs ached, and she could not wait until she was finally free. It had been a long day and this was the third time she'd been tied up. She wasn't sure how much more her body could take!

Chelsea on the other hand was full of life and vigor as she slowly bounced toward her wand. Many muffled grunts and squeaks later, Chelsea finally was able to get a hold of her wand. She carefully aimed a few shots at the nylons around Kayla's body and they fell away to the floor. Kayla sat up and undid the many many layers of socks from around her mouth.

She then slide over to Chelsea, and helped get her gag off next. She figured with Chelsea's mouth free she might be able to utter a spell that undid her binds faster than Kayla could.

"Bleh," Chelsea said as she spat out the sock lodged in her mouth, "what an ordeal, right?"

"You can say that again," Kayla said, "are you okay, or do you need me to get you untied?"

"I got this."

With her wand in hand, Chelsea closed her eyes and uttered a quick spell. The nylons flew off of her, shooting around the room before falling down slowly like a bunch of confetti.

"Wow, beautiful," Kayla said watching the hosiery float all around her.

"Yeah it would be," Chelsea chided, "but that was really uncool what those tights did..."

Kayla laughed, "yeah, that was pretty lame I will admit. What was their deal anyway? Why is the clothing dimension so angsty?"

Chelsea shrugged as the two girls chuckled.

"Okay," she said, "I think it's high time we get you home."

"Yeah," Kayla said, "I think you're right. It's been fun...but I'm ready to just like take a nap or something."

"Well, I will make sure I don't screw up this spell," Chelsea said as she scooped up Kayla's shoe, "second time's a charm, right?"

Kayla held up both her hands with her fingers crossed, "you got this!"

Chelsea took a moment to concentrate, drawing in all of her focus. She finally cast the spell, aiming it right at Kayla's shoe. Another portal opened, the two girls holding their breath waiting for something disastrous to happen. Nothing did, and it looked like it had worked!

"Nice work!" Kayla said, holding her hand out for a hig five.

Chelsea enthusiastically high-fived Kayla, twirling around with excitement.

"I guess this is goodbye then," Kayla said.

Chelsea gave her a playful punch in the arm, "hey, don't get all sappy on me."

Kayla smiled, "no but seriously, this was fun. Even if it did start off in like the craziest way possible...and I'm still not convinced that this all wasn't just some kind of dream...but this was fun. I mean, take away all the peril and stuff but like...it was nice meeting you Chelsea."

Chelsea smiled back at Kayla, "it was nice meeting you too. And who knows, maybe our paths will cross again someday."

"I would very much like that."

Grabbing her shoes and slipping into them, Kayla gave Chelsea one last wave goodbye before stepping through the portal. She emerged on the other side, right back in the museum from where she started. She took a look around. The thieves gear was still scattered around, but there was no sight of them.

"So maybe it wasn't a dream after all," Kayla said.

Standing up, she brushed off her skirt and was about to leave the museum when something else on the ground caught her eye.

"No way..." Kayla said as she bent down to pick it up.

It was the book! From before! The book that had whisked her away to Serenephais! It was still intact, but Kayla didn't dare try and open it. She took it back to the display case from where the thieves had retrieved it. It belonged in a museum, where it could just sit and collect dust and no one else could get hurt.

Unless...

Kayla eyed the book, realizing if she was ever going to get back to Serenephais that was her ticket.

Kayla shook her head. No, what was she thinking? Was she really considering committing art theft? Stealing a precious artifact from a museum was a serious crime after all. Then again this book was dangerous and what if what happened to Kayla happened to someone else?

She went back in forth in her mind, debating with herself on what to do. At some point she would need to make a decision, and after analyzing everything in her head she came to the very profound and well thought out answer to the situation: