Cynthia was getting contemplative now. It was a sure sign that she was a little bored. She’d been walking through the dungeon for nearly four hours. Three would have been fine; a jaunt for treasure in and out. Once one passed four, she was starting to contemplate if this was going to be a multi-day crawl and whether or not she needed to go back.

Dungeons were such interesting things. They were symbols of hidden, tyrannical power - a place where victims could be tortured painfully, or hidden away from the waking world. There would be sacrifices to some lord or lady’s appetites for sex, money, or power that would be ensconced far from the light and heat of the sun.

She’d seen her fair share of them. In fact, she considered herself to be something of an expert when it came to clearing out dungeons of beasties, baddies, or ghosts! Things only got tricky when there were other humans there. Cyn would hate to have to hurt someone unless they really needed or deserved it. Besides, if she did meet a fellow human in such a place, it usually meant that they had made it their home and they were waiting for her. The ninja didn’t want to think of the many times that she’d found herself bound, gagged, and stripped to her skivvies after a particularly unlucky day in a dungeon. It made her shiver and blush - partly from shame at her defeat, and a tiny sliver of lust.

The kunoichi took another few steps, keeping her coat close. It was as if wearing her clothes and the trappings of a warrior meant that she could cover up that part of her - even though the elements that always seemed to fall prey to traps and tricks, and often had a certain affinity for such foibles were mental, rather than physical. It was an involuntary response.

Much in the same way, she, like any dungeon-crawling and foe-clearing warrior, had a nose for treasure. It was an involuntary sense for a chest filled with magical loot and valuables. She told herself that gold had a scent, but that was just a way to explain it to someone who couldn’t understand the same sensations as her. Cynthia’s special senses only worked for her, the same way that her love of a hand on her mouth followed by a fat gag could only be explained to her.

She shook her head again. She was getting distracted. Turning her head to the left, she came across a large room within the dungeon. It was a naturally occurring cave lit by a few shafts to the world above and a series of glowing crystals embedded in the walls. Wooden platforms and crude constructions circled around a long-destroyed structure at the center- some old pillar with a chest atop it. She tip-toed forward, completely aware that every sound seemed to reverberate through the whole room!

When she reached the wooden planks, she put one hand on it first. Best to test her weight. When it seemed sturdy enough, she climbed onto it. There was a creaking sound, but it didn’t give way. One agonizing step at a time, the stealthy kunoichi made her way through each tier and over each walkway until she reached the chest. She could practically hear her heartbeat. She was so profoundly excited for what was inside! She placed one hand on her sternum, massaging the area near her heart. It was as if she was telling herself that it was all real - that she was about to enjoy a full chest of loot without a creature in sight!

The chest’s lid popped open of its own accord. She felt her heart skip a beat in surprise. A trio of the creatures were bursting from the chest. Sparkling gold coins flew into the air, showering throughout the chamber. She was ambushed, and clearly they didn't care about gold. No, Cynthia quickly understood that she was the treasure! 

The first of the three near her landed on her head. Cynthia stumbled backwards, unable to turn to see it. He rode her like a jockey; its small, gloved hands covered her mouth and nose. She yelped at the sudden pressure of the leather glove against her face, and frantically batted her hands backward to get it off.

While she was guided down the ramps, the second took a tall leap from the chest and landed around her arms! She stumbled a bit, afraid that she’d fall from the rickety wooden platforms built around the chest. But, just when it seemed that she was about to go for a tumble, the gremlin-like creature pulled her backwards. She couldn’t turn her head to see it, but she realized that it had lassoed a piece of rope around her forearms, and had pulled her back from the brink!

She wasn’t about to thank the creature for saving her… especially not when its friend was still gagging her tightly, preventing her from using any of her magical charms or illusions. She certainly had no further thoughts about their intentions once it started winding tight silk rope around her wrists. 

The creature laced the rope around both her wrists, and then her chest. Cynthia fought, but it was difficult. She wasn't sure if this was a fight she would win. They were tying her upper body as well; threading the silk rope between her breasts, separating them, segmenting them, showing them off... she was rapidly becoming a stand for them to play with. If she couldn't get out soon, she'd be a rope-covered piece of treasure in their larder. 

The ninja grunted something into the creature’s gagging hand. It was trying to wrap a soft cloth around her lips. Lucky for her, she was too busy spitting it out and shaking their head. Her squeaks and threats were becoming less and less effective; she shook but they held firm. Her words came out as Mmmngf!.

Hardly a dignified response, but certainly in keeping with the three bands of rope that now covered her wrists. The gremlin behind her tied another band of cord around her elbows. It forced the ninja’s shoulders back, as if she was on parade. Her chest jutted forward, with her bosom jiggling once at the sudden, taut change in posture. 

Cynthia felt their grip loosening at her change in pose. That would have to be enough. She took the chance, and fell backwards. She landed on the wooden platform, and the two little creatures were stunned as they were suddenly pinned between Cyn and the ground! They released their grip on her face and hands, making mewling sounds as they rolled off of her.

    She didn’t waste any time. Cyn ran forward, hoping to undo the tight bonds around her arms on the way out. She shifted in the sleeves of her jacket. For now, it seemed, she was unable to get the tight ropes from her wrists! Twisting and turning at them didn’t do anything aside from pinch and remind her that she was tied up.

    The ninja jumped down one level, then another. It was only when she got to the bottom platform that something went wrong. The same wood gave out, and she found herself suddenly trapped halfway through the old, collapsed wooden boards! Cyn kicked her legs, trying to free herself, but soon enough the little monsters surrounded her. If she had been able to see them, maybe she could have kicked them away, but her luck had run out. She could only feel them as they grabbed her legs. One of them stroked the back of her knees, and another rubbed at her calves. She blushed at the abrupt molestation of her shapely legs. Two more of them grabbed at her ankles, teasing at her sandal-clad feet before slapping a thick pair of leg irons around them.

    “Let - let me go! Let me out of here, you miserable miscreants!” She shouted and struggled in the wooden platform. She could feel the timber stretching, starting to give way. It was probably too late. After locking each of her legs in large, heavy cuffs, the creatures took the liberty of attaching a heavy chain between her legs. Running away was going to be somewhat problematic, unless she could move with her legs so heavily weighted.

    She finally fell through the platform to the stony floor. She’d like to imagine that she was ‘free,’ but looking down, she knew that she wasn’t. The prisoner’s shackles were large, heavy, and gave her legs just a few inches of leeway. Certainly not enough for running; maybe enough to show off her fishnet-clad legs. While she pouted, the creatures - now dozens in number - moved her forward, escorting her like a living wave. They carried her deeper into the old dungeon. Some taunted her with gold coins; others with her sandals. Her shouts of ingratitude and fury seemed only to make them giggle.

Placing her on the floor was good, Cynthia thought - it meant that they might leave her, perhaps give her a moment to recover and plan. It was neither of those; it only gave the tiny creatures more leverage as they proceed to approach her with a gag. She furrowed her brow at the sight of three or so all prepared to silence her.

“Get away! Keep your mitts off of me! Don’t even try - the first one to touch me gets a kick to the face!”

One of the creatures locked another chain around her ankles.

“Fine, then the first one gets a knuckle sandwich!”

Another grabbed her hands and slipped a pair of leather mittens over them. They were restrictive and forced her hands into tiny balls. They were useless for picking locks, casting spells, or escaping. She chafed at the increasing bonds, squeaking left and right and coaxing sounds from her leather and rope bonds as she stretched them.

“Then…”

She wasn’t sure what her next threat would be. At least she didn’t have to think too hard. As her mouth opened, the first shoved a wad of cloth between her lips.

She tongued it around, trying to spit the cloth out. The second creature slapped a wide strip of sticky, gummy tape over her lips. It carefully pressed the edges down, making sure she couldn’t simple rub it off.

A third stretched a wide white bandana around her face; it covered her lips and carefully packed the gag in place. It was almost elegant, in that it made the messy cloth and pouty lips behind disappear beneath a single piece of white. It stretched one more piece of white cloth over her lips and nose. No need to be stingy with a ninja, after all!

Cynthia was starting to feel hopeless, and starting to come the curious realization that dungeons were, if nothing else, for storing captives.

She wiggled and writhed, but with her arms tied to her back and legs carefully chained, it was a futile gesture. She saw the dungeon getting darker, older; fewer crystals lit the way and no light poured from the outside.

One of the gremlins made a sound that sounded like ‘treasure’. She realized only now that the baited chest was just one part of this dungeon’s goods. The creatures brought her to a small, dark cell, attaching a long chain to her ankles.

They lowered their treasure into a deep, dark donjon cell for safekeeping before scattering at the sound of another treasure-seeker entering the dungeon. She swung left and right, trying to use what little momentum she had to escape.

It was no use. The ninja was bound and gagged. All she was missing was a blindfold or hood, and she knew that if they wanted to, they could do anything they wanted. Brick her up inside, sell her to bandits... her heart sank. She struggled again, trying to crunch her body upwards but there simply wasn't enough room in the small cell they'd lowered her into. She came to the realizing that she had lost. Hope drifted from her as she breathed in and out, mewling and moaning.

The creatures were all long gone. They had a new trap to prepare, after all, and they would soon have to make space for more treasure!