Arianna woke up to find herself strapped down onto a long rectangular stone surface, like the top of a table. A chill ran up her back from the cold stone touching her bare skin. Couldn’t those bandits at least give her a blanket or something? Turning her head, she could not make out anymore details except that she was still in the forest.
“Ah, good. Our princess has awakened.”
Kyrena emerged from the trees and stood beside Arianna’s prone form. “Did you have a good nap, dearie?”
The princess glared. “What do you want from me now? You’ve taken my money and even my clothes.”
“Yes, and you are going to give me much more,” Kyrena said with a wicked grin. Coming closer, she put her hand on the princess’s flat stomach, her fingers tracing over her soft navel.
Arianna shivered. Much to her embarrassment, a maidenly blush colored her face. “Ugh, don’t you dare touch me, you degenerate scoundrel! I will not be violated in such a way!”
“Well, that was unexpectedly adorable,” Kyrena laughed before settling back into her usual predatory smile. “But you misunderstand my intentions, princess. Perhaps, understanding where you are will help you realize what I am doing.”
Waving her other hand, she summoned a floating mirror in the air behind her, allowing Arianna to get a side view of where she lay. What seemed at first like a flat table turned out to be the top of a huge stone anvil, clearly carved by some ancient hand and left here unattended for some time. “How does this help me realize anything?” She asked sullenly.
“Oh, come now, girl,” the Bandit Queen snorted. “What are anvils used for? Shaping tools, weapons, armor. Of course, this anvil can do so much more. You’ve no doubt heard of magic weapons and armor, coveted by heroes and adventure seekers everywhere, blessed with supernatural abilities and, sometimes, even minds of their own.”
“And what, pray tell, has this to do with me?” Arianna sneered.
“I was just getting to that,” Kyrena said. “You see, while many magic items can be created with spells and enchantments, the ancients mastered a much more potent method in order to produce some truly powerful weapons, the stuff of legends. They knew how to forge a weapon from the very soul and flesh of a person.”
The elf patted the stone. "Here is how they did it. It's taken me years of countless experiments, but I finally figured out how to use it."
Arianna’s eyes went wide. “Then, you mean…”
Kyrena’s hand began to glow over the princess’s body. “Right. So, what shall we make of you, princess? A blade to match that sharp tongue of yours? Of course, I have been wanting a new set of armor for myself. What would be more fitting for a sorceress than armor made from royalty? Then again, perhaps you would be better used to make something more refined like a pretty little hand mirror to feed someone else’s vanity as you did your own. Hm, so many choices.”