Life as a bandit came with more than a few difficulties, but if you were the kind of person that could make it work – the kind of person with enough skill to use a sharp blade and few enough morals to do so – then it could be a very comfortable way to make ends meet. There was none of that toiling in the fields or balancing books to deal with. You just had to deal with a few minutes of excitement every couple of weeks, and then you were set.

Okay, it was a little more complicated than that, especially if you were a solo operator. But that was the nice thing about people living past the edge of the law: Like attracted like. Thieves hung out with thieves. The strong gathered around the strong.

And there was no bandit in the nation who was stronger than Marlee Crystal-Eye.

Fate had not handed Marlee an especially kind hand, but she’d made it work for her. Born as Marlee Scrit, the fourth daughter of a scribe who really wanted a son, she had struggled for her identity early on. She’d had no head for numbers, her handwriting was illegible, and her patience was legendarily short. No teacher had been able to handle her, not seeing her as worth the effort.

Thus, she’d been left to her own devices. From a young age, she’d taken to running the city streets with whatever gang would take her. It had been a rough and tumble life, one that saw her limping home covered in cuts and bruises on many nights… But it was there that she found her true talent: Fighting.

She was quick with a punch and even quicker with a kick. Her eye tracked her enemies weak points instinctively, and her attacks hit with crippling precision. Though she’d been a small girl to start with, she showed off an impressive level of durability, always getting back up no matter how hard she was smacked down. Fighting was something she did well, she had learned, and thus she jumped at any chance to do more of it.

Over the course of her formative years she continued to hone that talent, seeking lessons from first the other fighters that she knew, and then from travelling warriors who passed through her city. As she grew from being a lanky child to a well-muscled teen, she learned how to handle dozens of weapons, from how to cut with a knife, to how to crush with a mace. By the time she was 18, everyone knew she was the toughest girl around.

And for a while there, she did consider the merits of becoming an adventurer, living her life on the road and questing for her coin. It was a tempting calling, one that offered fame and wealth if she was good at it.

But ultimately she’d found a different path. The awkward life she’d led, the lack of care from her family and the harshness of the streets had all led to the blooming of a dark seed in her heart – one that had no patience for doing hard work for others. After all, wasn’t it much, much easier to use her skills to take what she wanted from them instead?

Marlee’d dipped her toes into banditry carefully. Robbing lone travellers at night, with her face hidden and her clothes disguised. Playing the part of a bar maid during the day, beneath all suspicion. Her figure was nothing amazing, and her short brown hair made her mostly forgettable, but she was cute enough that no one suspected her of being up to anything.

She’d made quite a good living that way for a couple of years, and begun her own bandit crew, a group of like-minded thieves. Together, they’d taken on bigger and bigger scores, expanding their nightly activities to heists and raids, all while no one suspected a thing.

But then came Glenvale.

That was where things had really gone wrong, and where her fate had been written in stone. It was supposed to be a simple job. Some noble had been moving his wealth through the region and had stopped in a small town for the night. Marlee and her crew had thought that his wealth would look better in their pockets, and they’d gone in for a raid.

What they hadn’t expected was for the noble’s guards to include an experienced adventurer – a man who turned out to be far stronger than anything they’d planned for.

By the end of the night, a lot of people were dead, including all of her crew, and Marlee had lost an eye, with just a scar across her face to take its place. The entire town was on fire, most of her equipment was broken, and she barely managed to limp out of there in one piece. It was a complete disaster.

On the plus side, though – she hadn’t had to share the treasure with anyone.

Recovering from Glenvale had been hard. The wound had been expensive to heal, and there was no magic that would fix the eye she’d lost. Instead she’d had the mage shape the largest gemstone she’d found in the noble’s chest, a cloudy white diamond, into a replacement. She still couldn’t see out of the right side of her face, but at least it looked intimidating.

That was when Marlee Scrit had truly disappeared, and Marlee Crystal-Eye had been born.

With her new eye and distinctive scar, there was no hiding from her reputation anymore. She was branded a bandit, and every guard in the nation knew her face. There were no more trips into town for her, no quiet weeks spending ill-gotten gains beneath the law’s notice. Now she needed to steal just to have enough food to live.

That had been fine. She was good at stealing. She was real good at stealing. And once she’d recovered from that awful night, she’d had no need to hold back anymore.

Marlee had become a devil in the night. There was no traveller who was safe from her. People whispered her name in taverns across the nation in fear and dread. People who saw her threw down their valuables and ran in the other direction rather than risking a fight.

And once again, over time, people had come to join her. Strong people, this time. Jasker the Cracked Blade had his own reputation, and after she defeated him in a duel, he’d become her reliable second in command.

Lonely nights in hidden tents in the woods turned into nights of sinister laughter and snivelling company. Their small camp kept growing. Soon there were too many of them to move around every night, and their temporary camps were replaced with a permanent settlement, a secluded base hidden deep in the forest, at the foot of the mountains. A nice and defensible location, findable only if you knew the way.

A bandit village. And at its heart, Marlee Crystal-Eye was the bandit chief.

Now, she and her men were the terror of the region. No one moved through their territory without paying their price, or losing their goods. And their territory was expanding day by day.

The law tried to stop them, of course, but it was far too late for that now. They were too many, and their forces too strong. Even roaming adventurers were no longer a threat. In many ways, the bandits were the real power in the nation.

Honestly, part of Marlee missed the smaller days, when she hadn’t had quite so many powerful fighters under her command. She hadn’t gotten to take part in the fighting personally in a long time. No one lasted long enough to reach her.

But she had bigger things to concern herself with now. Being a bandit chief meant she was in charge of… Well, everything. Planning, scheming, assigning duties, kicking the ass of anyone who disagreed with her, the usual stuff. None of these mouths would feed themselves after all.

Which was why today she was studying a map of a river port that lay just at the edge of her territory. It was a prosperous place, one they hadn’t raided before, and it made for quite the tempting target. There were some defences, obviously – the river made it impossible to attack from the east, and they had a good chain of watch towers set up in the surrounding forest, but if they hit hard and fast they could probably breach the walls before the guard could mount a proper counter attack…

It was easy stuff, to be honest, but the night was quiet, and she didn’t have much else to occupy her. As much as she might wish for something exciting to happen that would get her blood pumping like it had back when she’d been living on the edge, things like that didn’t come along every-

Crash!

 

- day…?

The bandit chief looked up, frowning. Something, or someone, had just assaulted the village gates. She knew the sound well – she’d had to get them repaired countless times. It seemed they were under attack.

Sighing, she rolled up her map and shoved it into a desk drawer. She’d have to get back to it later. Then, begrudgingly, she stomped across her wooden hut and slumped into the big throne across from the doors. The place where the bandit chief greeted any would-be heroes who actually made it to her chambers.

Alas, while she may have wished for a thrilling fight to get her heart racing again, there was a reason she hadn’t had one in such a long time. Her village’s defenders were good at their jobs. No one had made it this far in years.

One of the annoying things about not getting to fight anyone these days was that she had to sit here, in the big chair, listening to her minions getting to indulge themselves in her place. Ugh, it was infuriating.

Although…

Although actually, now that she listened, the fight was lasting a bit longer than it usually did, wasn’t it? And was it just her, or had the sounds of battle drawn a lot closer to her door than ever before? Huh. Had some powerful adventurer returned from abroad? Was there a destined hero at the door? Where had this come from?

Well whatever the answer, please, mysterious invader, don’t stop now. She was looking forward to this.

Finally, the door in front of her burst open – no, it shattered into a rain of splinters - as a dark shape crashed through it, landing and rolling on the floor in front of her with a thump. The bandit queen blinked as she peered down at it. Jasker?

Her second in command was no slouch. Anyone capable of beating him in a fight had to be the real deal. Eye wide, heart finally starting to beat, she looked back to the doorway.

It was a woman, Marlee was slightly pleased to see. And she was surprised to see that she was apparently alone. This was no adventuring party bursting in and laying siege. This was a solo operation.

Well wasn’t that something.

They were a strange one. A witch, if the bandit were to guess. They wore a flowing black robe – a rather revealing one that showed off the voluptuously curvy body beneath it. But what really marked her as magical had to be the long green hair, and the purple eyes. Those were pretty clear giveaways. Marlee had paid a mage adjust her own eye colour to red years ago.

The concerning thing, though, was that she didn’t seem to have so much as a scratch on her…

Stepping through the debris with her staff in hand, ignoring the unconscious second in command on the floor, the woman looked up at her with a confident smirk. “Marlee Crystal-Eye? The name is Grace Starnight. I’m here to collect your bounty.” Then she winked at her.

Ah, a bounty hunter! That got a grin out of the bandit chief. Her personal bounty was a point of pride – she was worth thousands of gold to anyone who could take her down. It was half the reason people tried to attack her camp in the first place.

“I’ll give you credit,” Marlee chuckled, rising to her feet and unsheathing her sword. “You’ve gotten further than most. But there’s a reason no one’s ever seen a single coin of that bounty.”

“Well, it can’t be because of your underlings,” Grace laughed, nudging Jasker’s unconscious body with the base of her staff. “But sure. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The bandit smirked – and then shot forward, her sword slashing at almost inhuman speed. Just as she expected, Grace dodged backwards, weaving around the strike, and then deflected the follow-up with her staff. Her defences were good – but the fact that she didn’t try to counter her made it clear her offense was lacking.

“Is that all you have?” She laughed, her sword locked with the witch’s staff for a moment. “I thought the woman who fought her way in here would have at least something to her.”

“Oh, I have plenty,” the green haired woman replied, not giving an inch. “But it’s you I’m interested in, my dear. All this rage and anger I see inside you…” Her eyes sparkled. “But no care for anyone else, not even your subordinates. Ah, you’re a piece of work, Marlee~”

The bandit chief growled, her eye narrowing. What, was this woman looking into her head now? Rgh, this is why she hated dealing with magic users. Well fine then, time to see what she made of this.

Darting backwards, the bandit summoned up all of her power – the might of her aura, learned from victory in countless battles! Raising her sword, she flashed forward, then to the side, and then backwards – darting all around the room at incredible speeds, leaving afterimages in her wake.

Soon it was impossible to tell where she really was, and what angle her attack would come from. And in that instant, she struck, focusing all of her power into one single devastating blow that would fell even the mightiest warrior, aimed straight at the woman’s back!

The witch made no attempt to dodge – but, just as she was about to strike, Marlee saw those purple eyes impossibly look in her direction, a smirk on the woman’s lips.

Then her sword plunged in, looking to impale the invader straight through…!

… And stopped dead the instant it made contact, not even cutting into her robes. It was as if the woman was made of solid metal.

Stunned, the bandit could only stumble backwards as the witch turned to face her. “What are you?!” That had been her most powerful attack! And this woman had just let it hit like it was nothing.

“I told you,” the green haired witch giggled. “I’m Grace Starnight. And you, Marlee… You’re just what I’ve been looking for. Someone evil enough to deserve to be one of my test subjects.”

“You-!” The red eyed warrior ground her teeth, trying to think of a plan of attack. This woman – no, this creature was far stronger than expected. She needed to come up with a way to deal with her now.

But Grace wasn’t going to give her time.

“Yep! I’ve decided.” The witch walked forward, advancing on the retreating bandit with a smug smile on her face. “I’m not just collecting your bounty – I’m collecting you.”

She reached into a pocket and drew something out. A glass vial, filled with a dark liquid. And before Marlee could react, she threw it straight at her.

The bandit raised her blade to block the attack, but the glass vial shattered at her feet instead. Instantly, a cloud of thick purple smoke billowed up around her. The air filled with the scent of exotic flowers, but in an acrid way that left her nose stinging.

Then, before she could even question what had just happened, the world began to spin. Helplessly, the bandit chief tried to raise her hand, to charge at Grace once again… But her sword just dropped from suddenly numb fingers, and Marlee found herself toppling to the ground as everything went dark.

She didn’t even feel herself hit the floor.

-

When she woke up, it was daytime. Or, at least, so she assumed from the light shining in through the unfamiliar window over her bed.

All of her surroundings were unfamiliar, actually. She found herself laying in an unknown bed, nestled in the corner of a house she didn’t recognise. Wooden floors, and wooden walls too, though those were covered in purple and blue wallpaper… It was far too nice to be any bandit’s dwelling.

And no bandit could ever possess so much stuff. Metal wire contraptions hung from the ceiling, spinning lights dancing between silver and gold struts in patterns that the bandit had no way of understanding. Decorated mirrors hung on every wall. Cabinets lined every wall, some filled with scrolls or books, but most filled with strange, exotic looking objects – bizarre plants, weird animal bones, glowing glass vials, bottles of milk, and plenty more oddities besides.

Plus there were all the blankets thrown everywhere, clothes strewn around on the floor, cooking supplies left out on the counter next to the stew pot… Quite frankly, the place was a mess. It was her first time seeing it, and even she could tell that. It had a cozy vibe to it though.

Never mind about that, though. She needed to do more than just find her bearings. She needed to work out why she was here, and probably, how to escape. The last thing she remembered was fighting with that witch Grace, and then…

Well, this wasn’t jail or the executioner’s block, so despite the green haired woman’s words, she hadn’t been handed in for the bounty. So, why…?

The bandit’s speculation was cut short as the door to the room opened. Quickly, she lay back in the bed, pretending to still be asleep, only keeping her one eye very slightly open. But even at a squint, she could recognise the figure of Grace Starnight walking into the room.

Okay. She had to be careful here. She knew that Grace was powerful. Best to avoid a fight if she could help it. Ideally, she could wait for the woman to turn her back and then snap her neck, but Marlee didn’t mind if she just waited until she left instead.

So she was patient. She watched as the witch moved about the room tinkering with a few cabinets, before moving over to one of her counters and playing with something there. Something small and round…

Hey, wait a second – that was her eye!

“Hey!” She bolted up right in the bed, feeling at her scarred face. “Give that back!”

Whoops.

But Grace didn’t look surprised. The green haired woman just smirked back at her, tossing and catching the cloudy crystal with one hand. “I was wondering when you’d stop pretending to be asleep. Good morning, Marlee. I hope you had a pleasant night’s sle- Ah, stop right there.”

The bandit – who jumped out of bed and charged straight at the witch – found herself suddenly frozen in place. She couldn’t move a muscle, not even so much as a twitch in her fingers! Her single red eye was locked in place, staring at the smug witch.

“Sorry, lovely,” Grace said, chuckling as she shook her head. “That won’t work. I’m afraid that while you slept, I took the precaution of slipping you a small potion.” She reached into her robe and pulled out a small, half-empty vial of pink liquid. “It forces you to obey every word I say. Just to make sure you don’t do anything silly~”

What? Marlee’s eye would have widened, her fists would have clenched, she would have yelled and asked questions, demanded answers…

But her every failed attempt to do any of those things just proved that what the woman was saying was true.

“You can straighten up, sweetheart.” The green haired witch giggled, leaning forward and bopping the bandit on the nose as her body followed her commands. “I know that kind of pose can be a strain to hold for too long. Ah, but I’m being rude. How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? You can talk to answer.”

Suddenly, Marlee found control of her mouth returned to her. She didn’t waste the opportunity. “You bitch!” She screamed in the woman’s face. “How are you doing this?”

“And quiet~” Just like that, her voice was gone again. “Oh that’s right! I didn’t explain. So sorry. You see, I’m an alchemist.” Grace pulled out a chair from under a desk and took a seat in front of her helpless captive, studying her appreciatively. “I find rare ingredients, and I use them to make spectacular potions that can do almost anything. That was the reason I was visiting your home world, actually. I thought I’d check it to see if it had any new ingredients for me. And of course since I’m not a thief, I decided I’d cash in your bounty to pay for my new supplies. I’m a nice person like that, you see.”

Obviously, the bandit didn’t really agree with that last part.

The witch wasn’t paying her much mind, though. Instead, she was frowning. “Alas, I couldn’t find anything interesting on your world. Such poor ingredients. I probably won’t be going back there. But don’t worry, you won’t miss it.” Her purple eyes flicked up to meet Marlee’s red, glittering. “Not once I’m done with you.”

Wait… What was that supposed to mean?

Grace grinned at her, as if she really was reading her mind. “Don’t worry. You’ll enjoy it,” she said, hopping back up to her feet. “Now, it’s time we got started! Remember, I told you – I need you to test a few new potions for me! And I’ve got plenty that I’ve been waiting to try!”

The witch grabbed Marlee’s stiff arm and spun her around, pulling her over to another one of her cabinets. This one was old oak, well varnished, and with a glass front, revealing dozens upon dozens of colourful glasses and vials, each filled with different mixes of potion.

The bandit felt a stab of fear run through her heart as Grace pulled the cabinet open, and selected a vial filled with bubbling red liquid.

“This one to start with,” she said, swirling the glass for a moment. “I’ve been wanting to see how potent it is… Here, take it.” The witch handed the vial over to Marlee’s unresisting hand. “There’s no point in trying to fight me, dear. Just enjoy yourself – and drink it all down~”

She was right. As much as the bandit tried, there really was no point in fighting her. The potion tasted minty as it washed over her tongue. It was a bitter swallow.

Then there was a surge of heat, and Marlee’s vision spun. She winced despite herself, trying to focus her vision. Suddenly there was two of everything… Wait.

She blinked. Closed her left eye. Apparently she was allowed to do that much, as long as it wasn’t acting against Grace. But… She could still see. She could see out of her right eye.

“Lovely! Look at that!” Grace clapped, clearly excited. “Practically perfect healing! Even the scar is gone! And my, you must have had that for years and years, right?

Her scar… Gone? A tangle of confusion blossomed in the bandit’s heart. That scar had defined her life. It had made her who she was – destroyed the old woman she had been. Once she’d been scarred, there had been no avoiding becoming the legendary Crystal-Eyed bandit.

But over Grace’s shoulder, she could see her reflection. She could see it with her right eye. It was gone. The scar, the wound, the damage, all of it. Marlee Scrit stared back at her, as if the past 10 years had never happened. As if she’d never become the bandit queen…!

“Now now.” The witch drew her attention back to her, patting her on the cheek. “I know you’re feeling a lot of emotions – what interesting colours your thoughts make! - but you do know you’ve gone much too far to be let off with just a little healing, yes? How many people have you stolen from? How many have you killed? Hm?”

Marlee swallowed. She’d long lost count.

“I thought so. No, you’re far from done here. So!” Another potion was shoved into her hands, this one an oily blue. “Bottoms up!”

As casual as the words sounded, they were an order. The bandit knew that when her body obeyed, and the taste of sea salt splashed through her mouth. There was a brief tingle in her eyes – in both of them – and as she looked up, she caught a glimpse of her reflection again. Baby blue irises stared back at her. The blood red shade she’d gotten used to was gone.

“Okay,” the witch chuckled. “That one wasn’t a test. I just thought you’d look cuter this way – and I was right!” Marlee’s eyes flicked back to her, and she cooed. “Adorable! But right, yes. This one.” She held up a new bottle. The liquid in it was glowing white. “This is the test. I’m trying out some sunbeam recipes. Drink up.”

The bandit swallowed, looking down as her hand took the bottle automatically. Desperately, she wanted to refuse, now knowing from first hand experience just what these potions could do. But her body still refused to obey her. She lifted the glass to her lips, and threw it all back.

It was hard to describe the taste – like a warm summer’s day, but for your tongue. The liquid slid down her throat with ease, and she couldn’t help but sigh as it passed down. Then the bandit’s scalp began to itch. Wincing, she lifted a hand, trying to soothe her head – but before she could reach up, she saw, to her horror, her reflection’s hair shimmer. Before her eyes, it changed colour – shifting from mud brown to deep, shining blonde.

Marlee was stunned. It didn’t look like the work of any dye or bleach she’d ever seen. Her short hair came across as naturally blonde. It was eerie.

Blonde and blue eyed, her scar erased… She barely recognised herself in the mirror anymore…

“Aha!” Grace didn’t seem to care about her reaction though. She had gone straight to rummaging around in her cabinet again, and now she pulled back, holding a pink vial this time. “Yes, this should do it. If it does what I think it does, it should work well with your new appearance!”

What was that supposed to mean?! Marlee tried to communicate the question with her eyes, her thoughts racing, but the witch just smiled mysteriously as she pushed the potion into her hands. She didn’t even need to vocalise the order – her intent was all too clear.

This one was thick with the taste of strawberries, mixed with honey and sugar. Sticky and sweet. It was… nice. Syrupy. She found herself sucking on the liquid, trying to gather it on her tongue, but the sensation fizzed and foamed up through the roof of her mouth. Her shining blue eyes crossed as it bubbled up into her brain, and a goofy grin crossed her face as her head filled with strawberries and cream.

Thick, sticky cream.

It was such a weird feeling. Like her thoughts were all getting stuck in the sweet swamp that her mind was turning into. Her panic over her situation, her fear of Grace, her desperation to escape, all of it vanished under the creamy goodness, swept under a wave of sweet froth. Suddenly it just didn’t make sense to stress out so much anymore. Didn’t make sense to think so hard. Didn’t make sense… Just, like, in general, y’know?

Her sharp cunning was gently blunted. Her quick wits slowed to a crawl. Her shining blue eyes dimmed, her smile growing just that little bit wider as she swallowed the last of the pink potion down. And then, she just couldn’t help it anymore. She giggled.

Grace giggled with her. “Aww, just when I thought you couldn’t get any more adorable. Your thoughts are so light and fluffy now! Look at you, all dumb and sweet. Nothing like that mean ol’ bandit, are you?”

Mean ol’ wha…? Marlee swayed on her feet, the cogs in her head spinning as she tried to work out what the witch was saying. But alas, those cogs were gummed up to the extreme now, and soon her attention was slipping, question forgotten. This silly lady was, like, totally wrong! She was a bandit! Yeah, she was the bestest, meanest bandit ever, heehee~

The green haired woman sighed happily. “Oh I’m definitely keeping you. You can be my sexy little maid! I just need to do a few alterations…”

She stepped back to her cabinet. This time, though, she pulled out two specific potions. She looked between them, before offering one. “Let’s try this one out first.”

Happily, the bimbofied bandit queen took the potion and put it to her lips. She didn’t even think to do otherwise – thinking was rather difficult for her now.

The taste of peaches was her reward – as was, a second later, the sound of leather stretching and stitches popping. There was a momentary sensation of tightness around her hips, and then a slightly chilly draft.

Looking down, the blonde’s lips pursed in confusion, as she saw the formerly sturdy fabric of her leather leggings hanging down around her knees, the stitching ripped to pieces. And, like, was it her, or was there something else different down there?

Puzzled, she put a finger to her cheek, shifting her stance enough that her now massive ass swayed from side to side. Hmmm. She could totally work this out, she was sure!

But before she could, another potion was thrust in front of her face, distracting her and utterly obliterating her train of thought. “And now the other!”

Sure thing! Smiling, Marlee took the second vial and quaffed it, gulping down the refreshing melon flavour. Mmmn, yummy! Now, what had she just been- Ooooooooh!

The bandit groaned giddily as her leather top burst open, her chest swelling out, her breasts quickly growing to the size of her head. Pleasure rushed through her empty mind, leaving her dazed and drooling in the middle of the witch’s room. And Grace just watched the show, delighting in her captive’s transformation.

It took a while for her brain to boot back up. Slowly, the cotton candy her thoughts had been turned into spun together, thickening into strands that could maybe fire up a synapse or two, on occasion. What had she been trying to do again? Like, she was trying to solve the mystery of what had happened to her clothes, right? She looked down and sighed, pouting. Oooh, if only she could see past her massive boobs, then maybe she could work it out!

Nearby, the green haired witch was breathing hard, practically drooling herself over the display. “Okay. Okay. Wow, you came out… nicely. Mm, that cowgirl milk really added volume…” She licked her lips, before grinning. “Almost perfect. Almost ready to be my maid. There’s just one more adjustment to make…”

She stepped closer, reaching into her robe and pulling out one last crystal vial. This one was special, not mixed in with the stuff in her regular cabinets. It was a white potion, flecked with swirls of black silt. There was something about it, something that radiated power. Something that said this potion, more than any other, meant business.

Of course, Marlee paid no attention to any of that. She just saw a new potion and happily drank it down.

No sooner had it touched her tongue than she heard something odd. A kind of… hissing. Blinking, she raised her hand to the side of her head, feeling a strange breeze blowing out of her ears. It tickled, and she couldn’t help one last giggle, even as her brain fell silent.

The crackling, hissing sensation was washing through her mind, overwhelming it, breaking everything up into little black and white specks that drained out through her ears. Unseen by the blonde, the motes of memory streamed like a river, running down into the empty vial that the potion had been in…

Her days as a Bandit chief dissolved. Her memories of fighting, stealing, and raiding meted away. Countless nights camping, hiding in the woodlands, all of them unspooled. And then the corruption delved deeper, sinking into her core memories. Her meeting with Jasker. The day she got her scar in Glenvale. Her childhood, her family in the city… All of it broke apart bubbling up into motes of memory that flowed out of her head.

Even the name Marlee itself unwound, pulled apart into individual dissolving letters, its importance leaching away with each one until finally that word was forgotten.

The stream slowed, and then stopped. The empty headed blonde’s eyes slid shut. The crystal vial sealed itself, black and white memories swirling within.

Grace plucked it from her captive’s lax hand, raising it up to eye level and giving it a swirl. “Essence of Bandit Queen… I should be able to make a few interesting potions out of this,” she said, grinning. Then she looked to the blonde. “First, though… Mimi? Mimi. Wake up, Mimi~”

She opened her shining, vacant blue eyes. Mimi? Was that her? … It must have been. She didn’t remember any other name. Actually… She didn’t remember much of anything. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

But the green haired lady was there, taking her hand comfortingly. “There’s no need to frown, Mimi. You don’t need to remember a thing. You’re safe in my cabin, with me. I’ve cleansed you of the evil of your old life. Now, you can start a new one – as my beautiful, sexy, bimbo maid, helping me test my potions, and having fun together. Would you like that?”

Mimi pondered that for a moment. It felt like a big, important question – but the only part she’d really understood was the ‘having fun together’ bit… And that sounded super fun! So she just nodded eagerly, her still bare chest jiggling with the motion.

“Excellent.” Grace grinned, pulling her new maid along by the hand towards the door. “I’ll need to get you a new uniform soon then – but first, I think we have a different kind of testing to do in the bedroom~”

Mimi just giggled and eagerly followed along.

Fate had not handed Marlee an especially kind hand… But Grace had dealt Mimi in on a different game entirely, and the bimbo was certainly going to enjoy her new a whole lot more~