Vey instructs all of the undead to not let Sera go up the stairs under any circumstances, but also not to hurt her under any circumstances. Really, push come to shove, Vey would rather let her go than kill or hurt her, but if keeping her is a possibility it will choose that option every time. That task complete, Vey sets out on the path towards the road, mentally preparing itself for a potential fight.
As it nears its estimation of where the road is, Vey begins crouching lower to the ground, and skulking between patches of concealing brush, bushes, and trees in an attempt to be less noticeable. Eventually, it reaches the road-really just a twenty foot wide patch of dirt between the trees at the bottom of two hills-and lays down comfortably underneath a large thornbush.
Vey reiterates to itself that the point of hiding like this is to give it time to cast its buff spells before it initiates combat, not to actually hide from anything for a prolonged period of time, so the shoddiness of its hiding place is actually a good thing, since it will be able to leave it quickly.
Vey waits, and waits, and waits, until two whole hours have passed without even a wayward forest creature crossing the road. Vey begins to wonder if maybe it was a fool's errand to come here in the morning as opposed to midday, but supposes its chances of catching one of the probably quite rare traders or single transport wagons is about the same either way. Its mind drifts to plans for the future, ruminating on the past, and doubting its treatment of Sera at present.
Vey feels torn between the ‘undead’ part of itself that wants Sera as an experiment, a thing to use and throw away, and the awakened sapient part of itself that wishes it could find some way to treat her as an equal and a companion, which is something Vey doesn’t know how to express verbally. Sera had explained that she’d heard stories about the [Awaken] spell, and how what it actually does is heighten a being’s mind to a similar structure as a mortal, which directly clashes with [Undead Lieutenant]’s expressed purpose of making a more efficient undead military leader.
Vey suspects that is the reason it occasionally feels so conflicted and confused is the ‘humanlike’ part of its mind(presumably humanlike, as the caster of the [Awaken] spell was a human) and ‘undead monster’ part of its mind vying for control over its decisions. This had led to the interesting idea of trying to ‘barter’ with its own subconscious. If given opportunities to let loose the ‘monster’ so to speak, maybe it will be easier to live and act as the ‘man’ so to speak.
The more Vey thought on this, the more its outburst and cruelty towards the adventurers back then made sense. Vey had been repressing itself, holding itself back from being the cruel, calculating killer it had been initially designed to be. Vey’s introspection is interrupted by a low rumbling sound in the ground, and Vey turns its head to the noise.
It sees two wagons, on second thought a carriage followed by a wagon, as well as three individuals trotting along on horses beside them, all traveling at a slow, efficient pace. Vey estimates them to be several hundred feet out, and it internally debates with itself if this is really the group it would like to ambush. Isn’t it too soon? I’ve only been observing the road for less than a day, and those horses will be impossible to catch if the riders decide to run… Vey argues with itself briefly, before it sees that the group is too close for hesitation now. The only thing Vey can offer to itself as reassurance of its decision making is that it did promise to be back for Sera in at least… three and a quarter more hours or so from right now.
Alacritous Cogitation, Layered Augmentation.
Vey feels the gears in its head turning at several miles a second, feeling perfectly aware that it isn’t the one actually doing the thinking, the skill is. What a monumental task doing all of that work itself would have been. Vey thinks, before it realizes something interesting. Could I use Alacritous Cogitation to forcefully cast a spell I haven’t prepared in advance? But doesn’t have the time or will to test that just yet.
18/34 of its mana disappears instantly as the effects of [Mage Armor], [Cutting Hand], [Fists of Stone], [Telekinetic Tentacle], [Mirror Image], and [False Aura] apply simultaneously, and Vey immediately stands up, using its increased strength to push itself out of the thornbush and into the road. Vey turns to face the oncoming wagon, carriage, and horses, a mere 40ft out, the surprise on the horsemen and carriage’s driver visible, and Vey holds up an arm.
“[Web].” Vey says with cold anticipation in its voice, letting the sight of the layer of nearly impossibly strong spiderwebs coat the ground, as well as the horses and wheels instantly. The sound of several horses neighing and expressing surprise, as well as the sight of two tripping, launching their riders to the ground in heaps bring a sense of satisfaction to Vey it didn’t honestly expect to feel from something so simple. “[Fog].”
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“Shit! Bandits, and they have a caster! They used a couple skeletons as bait, everyone on guard for more hiding in the trees!” Vey hears one of the men call out, and several verbal responses. Vey doesn’t wait for the men to pull themselves out of the web before advancing into the fog, spotting one of the men that was thrown off of his horse, and driving its hand through the back of his skull.
“You might not have realized it yet, but I’m not here for prisoners or theft. [Scorching Ray.]”
A streak of light and heat lances through the fog, taking the head off of the man that had tried to coordinate the defense. Vey spots several more armed men it hadn’t seen circle around from behind the first carriage and fan out into the fog, all of them obviously scared and some of them visibly shaking. That feeling of bloodlust it hadn’t felt in so long starts welling up inside of it again, and the look on the carriage driver’s face, that look of fear and hopelessness, a look it remembers from the sorcerer girl it butchered.
“I’ll play fair and kill the strong ones first. Let’s enjoy ourselves.” Were the honest words that came from within the fog.
At its provocation, one of the guards rushes into the fog with a warcry, “DON’T LET THESE SCUMSUCKERS SCARE YOU!” The man spots movement in the fog, and slashes at it, barely missing one of Vey’s [Mirror Image]s. Vey offers him a consolation prize of the [Telekinetic Tentacle] grappling his arms to his body, and Vey’s right arm soon pierces his heart.
Some of the guards walk through the fog, struggling to not step in the restraining spiderwebs and stay alert for threats at the same time. Vey sees one pair of guards is staying back by the door to the carriage, and Vey immediately weaves through the fog and webs, using some of its images to distract the other men. The guard on the left of the pair manages to spot Vey, and turns on the skeleton with purpose in his eyes.
“[Burning Hands]!” The man shouts as he casts, and a torrent of short range fire leaps out from his fingers at Vey. The skeleton simply ignores the fire, and the damage it takes from it, and grabs one of the man’s wrists.
“[Ghoul Touch].” Vey casts, and the man falls over, unable to move his arms and legs, and gagging the way Sera did when she first saw the corpse-room. Vey spots the second man-actually, woman-bringing a light mace down on Vey’s skull, and Vey allows it to land, but deflects most of the blow away with its [Mage Armor], sparks of bluish purple light flying off of solidified magical aura as the impact disperses. 12/32 Mana remaining. Better conserve some. Vey thinks, and immediately brings down its left fist for the Slam attack of [Fists of Stone]. “Die.”
The woman fighter blocks the Slam with her mace, a significantly worse plan than trying to dodge, as the skeleton's bladelike right hand slashes down at her elbow, and she can feel her control of the limb fail as the tendon snaps. She cries out in pain, and is silenced by Vey’s left leg sweeping under her. The last thing she sees after she hits the ground is a skeletal hand arcing down towards her neck.
Four to go. Vey assures itself as it runs into the fog once more, skewering from behind a guard that was somehow losing a sword fight with an illusion and some fog. Three. Vey pivots, spotting the last competent looking guard, an older looking dwarf with a battleaxe, who has apparently figured out the trick with the illusions.
“[Scorching Ray].” The dwarf tries to roll to the left to avoid the blast of heat, but finds that Vey’s Alacritous Cogitation assisted aim is far more capable than mere instinct as his beard goes up in flames a fair bit of his lower mouth melted. The dwarf stands his ground, and charges at Vey with axe raised. Vey isn’t fast enough to dodge, but is confident in its ability to kill the dwarf of the counter, and so takes the axe on its right arm with [Mage Armor], feeling the largest single instance of damage it has ever taken as it does so. Vey’s left hand and [Telekinetic Tentacle] pin both of the dwarf’s arms together, and Vey twists its body around the screaming dwarf, landing a Slam to the back of his head. Vey pulls out his left arm and tentacle before absentmindedly crushing the skull of the unconscious dwarf beneath its feet as it scans for the remaining two targets.
One guard is missing from Vey’s initial viewing, but Vey sees him trying to calm one of the panicking horses, clearly trying to run. Vey ignores him and dashes for the remaining guard-a female elf-who seems to be trying to protect the terrified carriage driver. She doesn’t spot Vey until the skeleton is already within melee range, but guesses wrong when choosing between slashing at Vey or its single remaining illusion, and gets to experience simultaneous disemboweling and all of the broken ribs for her failure. Vey has its tentacle grab her by the head and smash her face into the ground as it turn to catch the fleeing guard.
The coward has already mounted a horse, and is struggling with the reins and wildly trying to kick the horse into a sprint, and failing. Of course the horse isn’t moving, you didn’t help it out of the webs. Vey muses, and throws another [Scorching Ray], which leaves a clean fist-sized flaming hole in the man’s neck, and he falls off of the horse with a thud. Vey turns to the carriage driver, a man he initially intended just to save for last just to be sporting, but with the last dregs of its Alacritous Cogitation, comes up with a far better usage of his life.
“Everything you know, everything you have, and I will make it quick.” Vey offers, and sees some of the elderly man’s composure return as he comprehends the offer.
“Th-th-the marquis’s daughter… sl-sl-sleeping in the carriage… Some coins and documents, I don’t know or have anything else I swear! Please let me go!” The man’s begging becomes incomprehensible to Vey after that, though his sobbing cries do not stop. At least, not until Vey’s hand removes his disgusting head from his body as the blood-stained skeleton confidently struts towards the carriage door.