A Nu-destiny

She began to take stock of the situation. Their adversary - whoever he may be - had so far demonstrated ability to extinguish flame and either transport objects (such as clothes) or remove them from reality entirely. And though his actions appeared hostile, neither her nor Fred had been subjected to any damaging magic as of yet. What did that mean? Was their hidden assailant merely unable to perform such magic, or did he possibly have some human decency and was merely trying to make her leave his lair?

He wasn't decent enough to leave me any underwear, she thought.

Astra looked lost in thought, and so Fred took his chance to take in the full figure of his would-be princess rescuer. He felt lecherous, naturally, but the opportunity was too blatant, too inviting. Surely any other hot-blooded male would do the same?

She was slender and pale-skinned, with long flowing red hair. A pure, unsullied red it was too, like the kind found on the edge of a blistering inferno. Her green eyes rested on uniquely pronounced cheekbones, and her lips were full, but not thick. Her body was toned, with modest proportions, but not too modest. Her legs were long, the muscles taut. In fact, her whole demeanour suggested countless months....perhaps years....of exercise and hard physical training.
But to what end? thought Fred, the torchlight illuminating his confused expression. She's a princess. Of all in the land, why has she been sent to rescue me?

Astra decided that if this hidden mage had wanted them dead, he would have burned her to ashes the moment she had stepped inside the caves. He was probably just trying to humiliate her, send her running squealing from the cave in her birthday suit. Of course, it was embarrassing, not least of all because she was standing next to an equally naked man, who, who....

"And what are you looking at?" demanded Astra, anger sweeping all other thoughts from her mind. Fred's blush reached almost to his waist, and he almost fell over turning away from her. "Nothing." he murmured.
Now Astra sensed the near-overwhelming urge to run, to find some clothes, some cloth, some leaves, anything.

No, she thought, mastering herself. Clothes or not, she was a princess still. Dignity could still be retained, even when everything else was taken away. She, Princess Astra, was going to walk out of this cave, at her own pace, her mission completed.

"Follow me, Frederigo." ordered Astra, walking towards the path through which she had entered the room - there were no other exits. "Keep the torch held high."
Fred muttered his assent and fell into line behind her. He resisted the temptation to stare at her rear, and instead concentrated on holding the torch high. After a few minutes, they reach the initial junction, where Astra had previously taken the left path.

Something was wrong.

"What's wrong, why have we stopped?" asked Fred, almost bumping into Astra.
"The exit's gone." said Astra quietly.
"What do you mean?" inquired Fred. "What about these two paths?"
He waved the torch in the direction of the middle and right passageways.
"No, no. There were four paths from this junction. These three, and the one through which I gained access to this whole cavern. There were four, do you understand me?".

For the first real time since entering the darkness, Astra felt scared. Scared and naked. Two more facts presented themselves to her thoughts. The unknown mage could control rock and stone itself. Either a Geomancer, or a very, very powerful Transmogrifier.

And he didn't want them to leave.

"Let's keep moving." whispered Astra, who could not bear standing at that junction a moment more, staring at the bland stone wall where once the way out existed. Fred said nothing, and she turned to the two passages that remained unexplored.

1. Astra chose the middle path.
2. Astra chose the right-hand path.

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