A Familiar Voice

The light wasn't very good in the dungeon, and the woman's long hair fell across her face almost as if she didn't want it to be seen. But her voice sounded familiar. "Don't I know you?" Astra croaked. (Thanks to all the wine she had drunk earlier, her throat was parched.)

"Hello, Astra. We met when I came on that state visit to Aqualaria with my father about a year ago."

"Exotica! What's happened to you?"

"When my father disappeared and Reaibn took over, he told me that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Then the bastard made me the dungeon master's assistant."

"It's not his fault. He's as trapped as we are."

"What do you mean?"

So Astra told Exotica about the Dark Ones. When she had finished, Exotica said: "Are you sure that he's telling you the truth? Perhaps he is controlling them rather than vice versa."

"I think so. He seems too frightened for it to be a pretence... Now, can you unlock my chains?"

"I'm sorry, but they are magic chains. You clearly haven't noticed, but they don't have any locks. Only Reaibn's magic can get you out of them."

"Great! Well at least they have enough slack for me to be able to feed myself."

Between mouthfuls, Astra said: "You say that your father disappeared. Do you know what happened to him?"

1. "Yes."
2. "No. He just vanished. He could be dead, but I hope that he's a prisoner somewhere."
3. Meanwhile, what of Fred and Reaibn?

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