Venturing below
the females encountered a set of tunnels leading off in various directions
after spending considerable time in the underground it began to dawn for them that it had been made to disorient any intruder. While they had met resistance in the form of various monsters who was guarding the underground tunnels. While they had not been fighting in a setting they would have preferred
no monster sentry had provided any significant threat. Especially since they had made their advance only after activating their hexcraft powers.

While they had gotten several smaller wounds and scratches from these encounters
the bleeding had quickly stopped. The healing ability of a witch was much faster than on any ordinary person
and would become invisible without a trace after only a single day. After a few more encounters with the underground beasts
it started to dawn to Lillithira that while they had claws and fangs that could be a serious threat to any opponent
they never would attack any vital point
in fact these monsters didn\u0027t attempt to kill or cause serious harm at all.

After a few more encounters with the guardian beasts it started to dawn to Lillithira that the guardian beasts did not try to kill or maim them
but rather appeared to capture or delay them from venturing further. After so many battles
they started to feel fatigue. But just as they started to consider to go back
they found an entrance that did lead further down into a deeper level. \u0027If we can\u0027t find any of those people on the next level
we\u0027ll just have to give up and go back up again.\" Lillithira said and walked down the stairs. As they descended
they noted a change of their surroundings. The dimly lit passageways gradually transformed into wide rooms. The walls no longer made from rock and earth
but now polished and decorated. The ceiling also got higher
where hanging light fixtures provided a warm light. Those light had the vials filled with spell oil
which spread a pleasant smell and made hubble-bubble sounds as it burned. Luxurious furniture and thick carpets could be seen in every room
where each one appeared to have been set apart for various purposes.

Presumably
this were living quarters for the stranger
while the previous floor had served as a defensive courtyard to repel any intruder. The furniture and various utensils and tools that could be seen gave the impression that someone had lived here for many years. A fact that had Lillithira wonder
if this place with such an apparent age and aesthetics
actually could have been built only short time ago. \u0027Now while I don\u0027t know the identity of this other party
\u0027 Lillithira thought to herself and shook her head as if she tried to clear her mind. \u0027Is anything such even possible for a mere mortal?\u0027 Her thought was interrupted by Tona who blurted out. \"Amazing
I\u0027ve never seen anything like this. But I\u0027m sure these things come from the capital. I\u0027d really like to go there some day.\" Her voice filled by awe and curiosity. \"Tona
do not for a moment forget what we are. If they discover that you\u0027re a witch in the Divine city
you will never be allowed to leave again.\" Lillithira chastised Tona for her naïvety
while she continued to search the area. \"What? Would I get arrested even if I committed no crime?\" \"What can I say
things are not what they used to be. While I haven\u0027t heard of any witches that have gotten arrested or imprisoned lately. But even if you\u0027re innocent
once the queen has laid eyes on you
they will get you. No witch is innocent in the eyes of the Queen.\"

The two continued to search the area while they tried not to make any more noise. They encountered another stairwell
but this one had thick bars
preventing them from going further down. Lillithira started to wonder about the extent of this underground complex. As they continued their search
they encountered a room filled with objects neither of them had ever seen before.

Inside they found piles of various materials
cupboards filled with locked boxes
vessels filled with colorful liquids
minerals and plants.in the following room they found a library
filled not only with paper books but also texts o thin crystal and metal plates. And a statue of a woman that had small writing on all parts of the surface. On a table they found one item that looked like a thin sheet of ice
where glowing letters flashed and moved under the surface. In front of it
there is a very precise finger instrument. On the top of the shelves there was boxes that appeared to be made from foggy ice
while the girls could not see clearly
they thought they looked like small dolls but with the bodies contorted in weird positions
as if they had been warped by some tool or apparatus.

Further in they found a room that smelled of metal
here they encountered a furnace
cauldron and an anvil. There were also various molds and huge devices with a purpose they were unable to fathom. In addition they encountered a tank with a multitude of pipes which held a liquid that smelled oddly sweet.

Tona\u0027s eyes went wide when she found several gorgeous outfits in one mirrored costume room. Some of the dresses jeweled and floral
others was bizarre garments made of materials they never seen before
and certainly would not protect anyones modesty. Oddly shaped armor
some of which was twisted in ways that did not appear very useful. There were also some creepy dress that didn\u0027t look very clothing-like. Tona stared at the variety of available clothing
her mouth open in a stupor. And she would only reluctantly leave the clothing closet when Lillithira urged her on.

Now and then they noticed a dark figure standing in the corners of a room. These had white masks and was dressed in black capes. But as they would not move
and only would stare out in the distance
they assumed those were dolls. At one point they jumped when they thought the neck of one doll had moved
but this did not happen again. But after this incident they moved more cautiously.

When the two witches started to think they had searched everywhere
they found a long passageway leading away from the rest of the complex. At the end they encountered a door made of thick metal
at first they thought this room would be the site for dangerous experiments
but when they looked trough a small inspection hole they could see several men imprisoned inside. While they appeared to be strong men
they were shackled by the legs and chained to an iron ring on the floor.

Next to the door they noted winches
pulleys and wheels with chains hanging down with rings at the end. By pulling and turning those winches
the chains attached to the shackles would become shorter and the men\u0027s movements would be even more restricted. There were also unused shackles in the room
and the size of those appeared too large for any man. With such a heavy door and oversized fetters
the original purpose of this prison might not have been to detain humans
perhaps it had been made to keep the kind of monsters that the females had encountered on the upper floor. Peering trough the small hole in the door they found that the men also wore shackles on their wrists. The six men
the same number that had gone missing from the gang cheered excitedly when they saw the two witches appear in front of them.

\"Are you…. you here to rescue us!\" The man who had spoken had a silver horn on his temple. Lillithira felt a sense of discomfort when she watched the man. His expression was unfathomable
not quite what to expect from a person who would show relief of being released from captivity. But she also knew that a person from a different culture might show expressions that would be hard to interpret
so she shrugged the notion off and asked. \"How did you end up here
who captured you people?\" The man with the silver horn replied. \"We never got a good look at him
but he was a scrawny fellow. One day he came to our camp and asked us if we wished to earn a nice coin
and then he brought us with him. We ended up in the forest where we were attacked by monsters
and then were captured and brought here. And that\u0027s just the way it happened!\" Whatever truth there was to this story
the two witches felt relief of the prospect of being able to rescue the men before they became subjects of horrible experiments. \"If you two didn\u0027t meet him while you went down here
then he shouldn\u0027t be home right now
right? But we don\u0027t know when he\u0027ll be back. Please
can we make a quick get away here?\" the man with the silver horn implored while looking down at his shackles. The man was right
it could be considered very lucky to get them out without fighting the dungeon master. This was the enemy\u0027s home base
and it would definitely be very disadvantageous having to fight him and the monster guards at the same time. The best way was get the men unshackled and perhaps made them join forces and ascent back to the surface as soon as possible.

The witches looked around and found two sets of keys hanging on the wall near the door. Picking up one set of keys Lillithira found that each of the set was as long as her little finger without teeth on the outside. They all looked somewhat like a pin for insertion
but each slightly different. Lillithira assumed the set was for the manacles
and looked for some kind of marks to tell which fetter each was supposed to be use for
but could not see anything.

She took the second set
and found the key to the prison door
and unlocked it. A creaking sound of ungreased metal echoed trough the long hallway. Walking inside she brushed the dangling chains to the side with her hand to look closely at the shackles she did find that each had a small keyhole. To remove the fetters
she would have to try each and every key one by one to see which one would open the lock. \"This will take too much time Tona! Lets work together
you try with some keys on another cuff.\" They placed their weapons on the floor and Lillithira handed some of the keys over to Tona
and then crouched down by the feet of a man and began to try the keys. Both of them exhausted after having to fight their way trough the first level
and they had been using quite some of the witch power as it had been activated for quite a while by now. So to give it a rest and a chance to recharge for whatever what they might encounter while returning to the surface
they decided to release the power for the time being. And finding the right key to unlock everyone\u0027s shackles would definitely take time.

She sighted softly
and then touched the lower part of their belly. The pulsing power in her womb ceased
and her perception of her surroundings began to return to normal
as the wondrous power was absorbed back into the womb. \"I might accidentally have broken a key here .\" Tona said
she was not very good of delicate work in ordinary circumstances
and she realised that having the hex increase her strength even further was not a very good idea. So also she touched the mark on her lower abdomen to recall the witch power before resuming her attempts to open the shackles. Lillithira tried the keys one by one and it took many attempts before she finally managed to unlock one manacle that held the mans leg. She decided not to unlock any shackles on any man yet
and focus on the leg irons. So that if the was underground lord appeared
they would at least be able to use their legs in an attempt to flee.

Lillithira leaned forward again
and continued the tedious work of trying all keys on the next man. At this point she did feel a bit of liquid trickling down her thigh. It must have been excessive fluid from using the Hex so much she told herself. Lilithra\u0027s blushed and squeezed her legs together while hoping that none of the men would notice. Eventually the second man\u0027s fetters came off
and the process was repeated by third and also the fourth man had his legs released. One of the men went up on his feet and walked up to the door and started to look out at the passage to see if anyone were coming
while three others waited in front waiting to have their fettered hands unlocked. As one more man was released from his shackles
Lillithira heard a clicking sound.

Her first thought was that it was Tona who had released yet another prisoner
but she was immediately aware of a cold sensation on the throat. And then realised that one of the heavier shackles that had been on the floor now was locked around her own slender neck. For a moment Lillithira was completely confused by the sudden change of the situation. She considered the possibility that she accidentally had put her own neck in the dangling collar when she moved around. But the manacle on her neck had a chain that passed trough a ring in the floor
it simply could not have happened by accident.

Lillithira looked at Tona who stood with a confused look in her face
and found that also she now had a heavy metal collar around her neck. She span around to look at the men
only to see they now were grinning
and the shackles that had held the hands of the few that remained now unlocked
as each man held a key of their own in their hands. A rattling sound started to be heard
and the chain began be pulled and reel in. Lillithira tried to regain her footing
but the chain had already become too short. She fell to her knees
her hands groping around the iron collar
trying to prevent the pressure against her throat. And looking for a means to open it
but no clasp or mechanism could be found
it seemed the collar
like the shackles
could only be opened with one of the small keys. As the chain was pulled tight trough the ring in the floor
Lillithira got strangled
and in a flash she were on her knees with the head close to the floor. She look up sidewise to find that the man who had been pretending to keep a lookout at the door
had been operating the machinery to wind up the chains. She realise that no one had been lost or missing
that they had been lured into a trap. A play staged by the owner of the dungeon with the men in the prison used as bait.

How despicable! Anger welled up inside her
but it was juxtaposed by one ominous sinking feeling of grief of the duplicity. It had been a cunning ruse
and must have been planned in detail to haul them in step by step
first by the idea that several persons had gone missing
then having them exhaust themselves by using their hexcraft in fighting
and last the final step with a mental challenge in finding the right keys. Where they would be forced to discard their magic ability to be able to carry out the delicate task with the locks. While the owner of the dungeon had not yet met the two witches
he already had learned all about them and their habits from the inhabitants of the settlement
and he certainly was someone who was very cunning and knew the abilities and traits of witches very well.

\"Curse you! I will never forgive this treachery!\" Tona yelled furious of having been taken advantage of
she was so agitated that she did not budge to the tightening chain. But her hind legs got caught by a rope
that the men had picked down from the wall
and she lost her foothold. Their handiwork was very quick
not surprisingly as they all wee hunters skilled at tying up any rampaging beast they had managed to capture. Tona was momentarily dazed as she fell down
while the pull on her chain on her neck tightened even further. Before she could scramble to regain her posture and while her front arms still were free
the weight of the horse body had her immobilized. She could only desperately hold on to the collar with both hands and endure. \"Uhrrrgh!\" A moan of mixed bitterness and frustration escaped from Tona\u0027s mouth. By now the men had picked up the manacles and prepared to restrain them further. \u0027This is not good at all
\u0027 Lillithira thought to herself. While she still had the set of keys in her hand. She knew that she might have an opportunity to remove the collar later. But she did not intend matters to progress further
she had to deal with the men right now. She released the grip her left hand had on the metal collar and let it slip down to her abdomen
reaching for the mark to activate the Hex once again.

But as her fingers started to trace the pattern of the mark
the man with the silver horn grabbed her wrist. There was no time to resist
the collar pulled tightly on her neck until she was dazed and gasped for air. The man used the opportunity to force her slender wrists to her back. She struggled with all her might
but without the power of her Hex
Lilithira had no more strength than an ordinary teenage girl. So the strong arms of the hunter effortlessly hold her hands on her back as a second man locks the manacles in place. The men released their grip
and she try not to waste the opportunity. She struggles frantically with her hands behind her back
ragged breaths wheezing from her mouth. \u0027Ah
hiss!\u0027 But no matter how she twist her body and extend the fingers
she\u0027s unable to reach the mark on her lower belly. Beside her
Tona was grabbed by two other men and while she continued to resist desperately
but unlike her lower body was strong
her arms were no more than of a human woman. Eventually
with a cold sound
her hands get locked in manacles as well. Kneeling with the hands on her back
and the face pressed against the floor
Lillithira\u0027s situation became even more distressing as the chain continued to be pulled in. She was soon forced to crawl with minute movements of her knees
face down scraping the floor
to get even closer to the ring in the floor with her hips raised up exposing her private parts. \u0027Ungh!\u0027 The humiliation of her posture makes her moan
by the time she reach the end the collar and metal ring meets
Lillithira is left kneeling completely unable to move her body
the only part with a small degree of freedom is her hands that struggles frantically behind her back
ragged breaths leaking from her mouth. The men collect all the keys
their weapons and armor and bring the items out of reach in a corner of the room.

When Lillithira continue to curse the men with a resentful voice
one of them responds by pulling a device made from two balls connected by leather straps from his pocket. \"Open your mouth
\" the man said as he approach. She realise that the item is a gag
but while one of the balls have a strap going trough on both sided
the second ball is slightly smaller and hangs from the first one hangs slack by a single leather cord. With her hands fettered on her back
she would have no means of removing the gag.

While the usual means for a witch to activate her power is to touch the mark on her belly
but some witches can also activate the power without touching. And that was to recite the words of a long song and that reaches the womb in a stream of blood. it was however a method that required concentration
something Lillithira did not have at this very moment. If their captors would leave them alone
they might get a chance of trying. But if they were gagged
also that means to escape would be lost. But it appeared that the men already had been told about the secret abilities the witch posses from the dungeon master. \"You better obey me now.\" The man said and slapped Lillithira\u0027s raised buttocks hard as it was thrust up high. \u0027Ugh!\u0027 But no matter how hard she was spanked
Lillithira kept her mouth stubbornly shut. And the jaw is the strongest part of the body
and therefore difficult to force open against someone wish. When the men realised that she would not comply
he brought a pair of flat jaw pliers with a sharp edge. The men grabbed Lyricilla\u0027s hair and pulled to have her look up
then they parted her lips rudely with their fingers and pushed the tool between her upper and lower teeth. No matter how hard she tried to resist
the tool now slowly opened her mouth. \u0027Argh!\u0027 As Lillithira\u0027s mouth was forced open
she felt a sharp pain as her jaw nearly dislocated. And the man easily inserted the muzzle gag in place. The balls inserted in her mouth as her jaws was more wide than what she could ever open them on her own. When the tool was pulled out from between her teeth
she did bite down naturally on the larger front ball by the natural pressure of her own jaws. She tried desperately to push the ball out with her tongue
but it did not have the force to push it past her teeth. Unable to remove the gag Lillithira had to yield to the situation that she never would be able to spit the ball out of her mouth. The man brought the leather straps around her head
and then secured it in place behind her head with a click
locking it in place so that it never could be removed. \u0027Uuumm!\u0027 No matter how Lillithira tried to shout out her protest
only meaningless hums could be heard. Her power witch powers blocked and her freedom to speak had now been taken away.

Watching her struggle on the floor
the men finally noted that she was wet between her legs. \"Hey! Now what? Are you getting excited of being treated like this?\" To the men\u0027s eyes
she was nothing more than a collared and bound female who were shamelessly wetting herself from the excitement of being unable to defend herself. She could only listen as the men laughed and humiliated her with taunts and mocking insults. \u0027\u0027Ugh. Ughhhh...! From now on
this crypt was no longer a prison for beasts or men
and it was destined to become a torture chamber for the two witches.

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