Alchemist

From Grigbertz

One evening when Eloina was looking for a place to spend the night, she noted a small village some distance ahead of her. Glad that she would be able to sleep indoors for a change she walked on, but dusk fell quickly. Eloina knew it was tricky to walk safely in chains during nighttime even with her practice but was still convinced she could reach the village within half an hour.

Suddenly she saw light coming from a large house on her right hand side. She peered throught the forest to see what kind of house it was - it was quite large, had several floors and a tower that was quite tall. It looked dark and omnious but at the same time, the light that poured out of the windows was warm and inviting. Eloina decided that she would seek shelter here first and then try the village if no space was to be found here.

A small path led her through a well kept garden to the front door wich was large, made of some dark wood and carved with arcane symbols. A large door knocker was fixed to the door so that quests could attract the attention of whoever lived inside. Eloina was dressed in her coif and had a side-tied dress wich was simple but nice. She decided to try the front door instead of the back but when she reached for the clapper with her hands (as always, secured behind her back by Geitres bracelets) she couldn't quite reach it. She tried again, this time really bending forward and standing on the tips of her toes to try to reach it, but she could just get her fingertips on it, not move it. Frustrated, she gave up after a few tries and instead used her teeth on the knob fastened on the ring and thus managed to raise it a few inches before she would let go and let it fall.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

She did it three times before standing back and tried to look as cute and in need as possible. Footsteps could be heard from the inside and shortly the door was opened by a tall human female with dark hair done in a knot, dressed in a strict dark gown and holding a candelabra.

"Yes?"
"Excuse me madame, but I am in need of shelter for the night. Maybe you have a spot in front of the fire in the kitchen? I can do some chores in exchange."
"Are you serious, miss? What is this, a joke? Have the villagers sent you here?"
"No madame, I just came upon your house walking along the road. I've never been here before."
A smile came over the womans face and she stood aside, letting Eloina in.
"Is that so. Well, we can't really have you walking all the way to the village can we. I'm sure we can find some use for you." she said and when Eloina started to walk the woman instantly noticed the chain between her feet and exclaimed:
"My dear! What is this, why are you chained like this?"

Eloina told her the story about her jewellry and Geitre and during the tale the woman only nodded thoughtfully.

"I would like to examine those chains later, and I'm sure the good doctor will want to too, but for now please follow me. My name is Helga, and I tend to the needs of Dr Kunstler who live in this house. He is a famous alchemist but is not well liked in this region. That was why I was a little surprised to see you at our door, pretty young girls from the village tend to avoid this place... or so I've heard."
While Helga had been speaking, she had closed and bolted the door before picking up the candelabra and leading Eloina through a lavishly decorated dining room, through the kitchens where someone had been busy preparing a meal and up a small spiral stair to the second floor. Eloina had thought that she'd be left in the kitchen, perhaps helping Helga doing some tasks, but she followed the woman when she led. She was glad to be inside in the light and warmth and did not reflect more on what Helga had said about the townspeople. They came to a dark large room on the second floor of the building. Heavy curtains obscured what looked like very large windows and Eloina peered into the darkness that was somewhat banished by the candles in Helgas candelabra but she could only make out what looked like pillars. They were slowly heading for one so she would soon find out what it was. They walked on to the sound of Helgas footsteps and Eloinas chains.

"Now the nature of the services I'd like you to perform are a bit... unique but certainly not beyond your capabilities. One might say that you are perfectly suited for the task at hand."
While they had been talking, they had made their way to one of the stone formations Eloina had thought to be a pillar - now she could see it was instead a beautifully carved pedestal, sadly lacking a matching statue.
"Do you mean it's not normal chores that need to be done?" Eloinas eyes began to narrow...
"Correct. Let me see here, that coif will have to go." and with that Helga, with a small smile, reached out and undid Eloinas coif and removed it. Eloina was a little taken back by this but didn't resist although she was getting increasingly unnerved about this whole business.
"Madame! What are you doing?!?"
"Oh quit that my dear and remove your dress. There's a good reason we don't have many visitors here but your visit here was really very timely."
"Never! What is this place?" and Eloina turned around to run away but Helga grabbed her by her hair and forcefully pulled her back. Eloina tried to stop Helga from undoing her dress but her bracelets held her hands securely out of the way and she could feel them really keeping her defenseless. Her dress fell to the floor and it was not long before she stood there naked. Again she tried to pull away, but Helga still ha a hand in her hair and although she tried, Helga was the stronger woman.
"Now hop up onto this pedestal young woman or I'll have Tymon flog you! We're not going to hurt you, the doctor just wants to look at you." Eloina stopped struggling and looked at the pedestal. She bit her lip, noticed that Helga still had a firm grip on her hair and then sat down on the spot Helga had told her, she did not want to be flogged. The pedestal slowly rose out of the floor until she could look Helga in the eyes.

"Don't fall down my dear, sit tight. You see, the doctor is a brilliant but strange person. A very talented alchemist and a genious for sure, but not very successful with women - hence he has developed this habit where we serve him young ladies to look at... but since the villagers are unable to see the importance of the doctors work they have been unwilling to supply us, forcing Tymon to capture the odd girl. You can understand they don't like us but so far there's no proof."
"No proof? But the girls testimonies?"
"Oh no my dear, there are none. We have large cellars with some cells, it's just that the doctor needs some variation."
Eloinas heart went cold when she heard this. While they had been talking Helga had made a long chain descend towards them from the high cieling. It clicked mechanically as its end, wich had a hook attached to it, slowed down and hung in the air between them.
"And you are not known around here and already chained! It's all very convenient... it's a good thing you didn't arrive from the other way because had you passed the village first they would have been sure to warn you." Helga reached for the chain between Eloinas feet. She tried to stay away but keeping her balance on the pedestal didn't leave her much room to manouver nor could she kick around. And screaming? Who would hear her here? Helga grasped the chain and attached it to the hook so that Eloinas legs were raised sligthly, and then the chain started to ascend slowly again. Eloina suddenly became aware that she was in real danger of toppling and spent considerable effort to stay seated much to Helgas amusement it seemed. Helga made the chain ascend higher and higher, exposing poor Eloina who surely would be red all over from embarassment had she not been so focused on not falling down.

"I could have you hanging upside down my dear, but I think this position is more flattering." said Helga and stopped the chain. Eloina couldn't think of anything to say though she was both furious and a little scared. Her feet were raised and she could do nothing about the way she was exposed, it would have been better if she really was hanging from her feet because then she could atleast have tried to turn her back to whoever was watching... Helga smiled as if reading her mind.
"The doctor will come here to enjoy you in just a short while, enough time I think for this to have the proper effect on you." and she produced a small vial hidden within her gown somewhere. It held a red liquid and when Helga opened it Eloina could smell a sweet, not at all unpleasant scent.
"It's one of the doctors special concoctions wich will make you more amiable towards the good doctor. Even craving..."
"Craving?!" Eloina exclaimed. "Craving what exactly?"
"His touch my dear."
"I don't want him touching me anywhere! Let me go!"
"Oh, but you'll want him touching you here in a moment..." and then Helga dripped a few drops of the liquid onto Eloinas lower stomach, her outer labia and inner thighs. Eloina gasped! The liquid was not cold, but seemed to burn although it was not really warm either... Helga started rubbing it in, slowly, paying careful attention to Eloinas groin.
"No! no..." said Eloina, but her voice had lost the outrage that had been in it earlier.
"Oh that was quick, I'll have to note it and tell the doctor about the effects setting in at once." said Helga as she finished rubbing and caressing the helpless girl in front of her.
"Now the doctor will be here any moment so don't worry. Try to make him glad my dear, he has deserved it for working so hard these past few days." and then Helga turned around and left Eloina alone on the pedestal.

She didn't think much about her position or how uncomfortable it was - no, Eloina was under the alchemical spell. She could feel herself longing for someone to touch her, yet she was sure that these feelings weren't her own! She moaned quietly and tried to shift her weight around when she saw someone in the darkness of the room.

The doctor was a man of average height even though he slouched slightly. His hairline was reclining but his eyes clear and piercing as they looked Eloina up and down and she could se a smile spread over his face as he drew closer to her.
"Well well well! What a gem Helga has found!"
"Release me at once! You can't do this to me!"
"She speaks?" and suddenly the doctor slapped Eloina over her thigh. She jerked and gasped at the sensation and would have fallen to the floor had the doctor not caught her with a steadying hand on her back. He kept his hand on her thigh though, and although Eloina still felt the sting from the blow now she felt the warmth of his hand. And the concoction Helga had applied on her made her thoughts wander, made her want more.
"There's a good girl. Helga told me you reacted well to the potion, let's see the results." and his hand started to move slightly, moving towards Eloinas groin. Eloina closed her eyes and couldn't stop a small moan slip between her lips. I might as well give in, resisting alchemy is useless she thought and helpless as she was she thought that she could atleast enjoy the sensation. Then suddenly the doctor spoke again:
"What on earth is this?!?"

His hands stopped. And then he lifted them from her body. Eloina waited a second before opening her eyes and found the doctor peering at her chains. Frustrated, she decided to try his temper and speak again.
"Just my chains. They prevent me from resisting you..." but the doctor absentmindedly just noticed and continued to look.
"But they're dwarven, right? I can tell from the metalwork."
"Yes yes, but aren't you forgetting what you were doing?"
"Fascinating! Let me have a look at your wrists too."
"I can't turn around!" Eloina was beginning to feel rather frustrated right now. It was not as if her cravings had subsided. Then suddenly the doctor just grabbed her hair, held on and with his feet pushed the pedestal away under her. It crashed to the floor and Eloina suddenly hung dangling from her anklechains, upside down in front of the doctor who had released her hair as soon as the pedestal was pushed away. He spun her around to have a better look.
"Marvelous work! I'll have to get my gear for closer study!" and he ran off, jumping from foot to foot like a child.
"No, don't leave me now!" Eloina shouted after him but he had already started down the stairs, she could hear him calling to his attendants to bring his tools, light and whatever else he might need. She hung there, spinning slowly.
"Just typical.." she said.

The doctor was sitting in a room with Helga and a man clad in dark clothes. He was speaking with emphasis about how important it was for him to get his hands on the method the dwarves used to make their chains.
"And it's still gold! My tests prove it!" Helga was listening intently, nodding. The third man, Tymon, just looked at them idly. He wasn't uneducated but here the other two were the brains. As long as he provided protection and abducted a few girls for the doctor, he was well payed. What manner of alchemist after all, couldn't manufacture gold? But not like the dwarves, apparently. He'd never seen the doctor this fired up.
"I must have the secret!" the doctor concluded.
"But whe don't even know who made those things! And dwarves are notorius for protecting trade secrets."
"First step then is to locate the manufacturer."
"But even the girl doesn't know. And we used your truthcompelling mixtures."
"Yes..." the doctor stroked his chin absentmindedly. He hadn't shaved in a few days Tymon could tell. Mostly because he didn't have any cuts on his neck. Tymon decided to speak and coughed to get their attention. They looked at him.
"I've been listening in on Eloina speaking with the other girls in the dungeoun. She's on a quest looking for the dwarf that put the chains on her. Most likely the same dwarf that made them."
"Yes, so?"
"The dwarves might let her find them. After all, she's their prisioner even though she's not in their hands right now."
"Yes, so?"
"Let her escape and I will follow her. She will look for the dwarves and if she finds them I will report back to you."
Silence descended on the room as the doctor and Helga pondered about this. Tymon wouldn't mind spying on a naked, chained girl as a change to fending off the odd farmer come looking for his lost daughter. He had been standing in a dark corner the first night Eloina was brought to the display room, and he would be sure to pack some of that concoction before he left. Finally the doctor had thought on the matter.
"Fine, make it so. Tymon, see to the details. Make sure she doesn't understand we're letting her go but thinks she escaped us."
"Ofcourse."