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The two women froze. "W... What?" Freda stammered.
"I haven't had visitors in ages," the crone purred. "I do age significantly more slowly than you would, so rest assured that the years you will so kindly be supplying me with shall not go wasted. I won't have to, ah, seek the services of anyone else for a very long time."
Astra pulled at her shackles with all her might, but it was no use. The chains held stubbornly. Next to her, Freda cried, "You can't do this to us! We have done nothing to deserve it!"
"Alas, that is the way of parasitic magic," the old woman said in mock sympathy.
While Astra continued to search for weaknesses in her chains, Freda frantically searched her mind for some argument, some offer they could make, but in truth they had nothing a wicked old crone like this might want. "Couldn't you... I don't know, use an animal or something?" she tried.
"No," their captor said shortly. "Besides, your beauty will help mine. Oh, I can't wait to be young again!"
-
The crone drew the curtains over the window, plunging the room into deeper darkness, and left through the door. The two girls suddenly began to feel drowsy.
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"This will be a very long and gradual process, but I can certainly start now." Eyes flashing in anticipation, the crone approached her prisoners.
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The crone pulled a vial of something out of her sleeve, and approached the girls. "Drink this," she purred. "It will all be over soon."
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The crone held her hands out towards the girls, who felt their energy draining away. Inside a minute, they had each aged by twenty years, and the crone was looking much fitter.
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"But," the crone said, raising an eyebrow, "if either of you should have any nearby friends even younger and more beautiful than you whom you would like to offer in your place..."
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Suddenly, Astra managed to snap one of her chains. This was not enough to free her, as she was still chained by three other limbs, but the crone did not notice and seemed about to leave.
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Suddenly, Astra managed to snap one of her chains. The sound was very audible, and the crone eyed her venomously. "It's not as if I have spare chains just lying around," she said testily. "I think I will drain you first."
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