The Kidnapping of Lady Saresyn

One afternoon, Lord Agrippa and his faithful servant Sir Tristan were taking a leisurely ride around the Rune Castle stables. Suddenly, they both reined their mounts to a stop simultaneously.

"Do you notice something strange, my Lord?" Tristan said. "I feel more vulnerable than I have since I last left the walls of the castle."

"Yes, I sense the same thing," replied Agrippa as he dismounted from Swiftmoon. "It's almost as if the protective magic around the area has vanished altogether." With an inquisitive expression he began peering around, catching sight of a stable boy in a nearby stall. "Hold still, I need to test something," Agrippa called as he began casting a spell. As he finished his gesticulations, the hapless worker shuddered and staggered, then fainted.

"Just as I suspected," Lord Agrippa said to himself as Tristan rushed over to heal the unconscious boy. "That spell should not have worked here!

But who would have the power to make such a mighty attack against my home, and why have they not struck further?" As Tristan returned to his Lord's side, he noticed that Agrippa's face was drained of color, and heard him whisper, "Perhaps they already have..."

*** *** ***

As the Lady Saresyn drifted back toward consciousness, she first became aware of a dull ache filling her entire body. Eventually, the haze in her mind started to clear, and she became aware of voices nearby. Since her head was covered by some sort of rough cloth bag she was unable to see anything, but she could just make out the conversation.

"Are you sure this is the right person?" Said an especially deep and scratchy voice. "I though we were supposed to be looking for an attractive woman!"

"If everyone had the same standards of beauty as you, I wouldn't want to see what the next generation of children would look like," countered a haughty voice. Besides, who else would be sitting around in that old fool's bedroom?"

"I don't know how she can stand being near him," a third voice commented. "I suppose shes just after his money, though I wouldnt do the same if you offered me the gemstone of Riga!" At this there was a great deal of cackling. As the laughter died down, the scratchy voice said, "Look, I think she's coming around!"

Lady Saresyn could feel several pairs of hands lifting her up, and suddenly the bag was ripped away from her head. She gasped in horror as she saw that her kidnappers were none other than the three great sorceresses: Lady Bane, Vortex, and Baba Yaga!

"What do you want with me, you horrible fiends?" Lady Saresyn demanded bravely, though fear clawed at her heart. "Your actions shall not go unpunished for long!"

"Yes yes, we've heard it all before," said Vortex as she rolled her eyes. "I've got some bad news for you, mistress - the good side doesn't always win."

"It seems like they do when you three are involved," said Lady Saresyn. She knew that she would have to act quickly, and began attempting to cast an evocation despite the ropes binding her wrists together.

Baba Yaga growled ominously. "We won't soon forget Lord Agrippa's actions against us. If it wasn't for him, we'd be ruling the entire world by now! But this time..."

Her words were cut off as a number of thick green vines burst up from the ground, entangling the three women. Lady Saresyn immediately made a break for the door, not bothering to look back. But before she could cross the room, someone grabbed her from behind.

"How stupid do you think we are, girl?" Lady Bane snarled. Lady Saresyn turned back around, finding to her dismay that all the plants she had summoned lay brown and shriveled on the floor. "Perhaps we should explain our entire plan to you, so you'll have time to escape? It won't matter. Decara is so far from civilization that there'd be no chance for you to get out anyway."

Sinking to her knees in despair, Lady Saresyn sent a prayer to the Powers that she should not die in vain. As she hoped for vengeance, she heard the sound of a blade being drawn behind her, and then she felt no more.

...to be continued.