Iris took a moment to survey the scene, her gaze sweeping over the fallen bodies of the dwarf woman and the two other poachers. A sigh escaped her lips, a mix of relief and grim acknowledgment of the realities of their circumstances.

“Can you use your illusion magic on all of us? Make us look like them?" she asked, turning to Akane. The kitsune tilted her head in a sign of comprehension, then let out a single, determined bark.

Her vulpine eyes began to glow a swirling mix of yellow and black, and her tails shimmered with a magical aura. Small, luminous motes emerged from her form, dancing around each member of the party, Mocha included. Like a cloud of iridescent fog, the magic enveloped them, and when it dissipated, an uncanny transformation had taken place.

Each member of the party now bore the appearance of one of the poachers. Iris looked down at herself to find that she wore the visage of the dwarf woman. It was a disconcerting sight, to say the least, but she knew that the illusion was their best bet at navigating the chaos outside.

One of the men gasped, and quickly pulled at their waistband and looked inside. “I’m a man!”

Akane chuffed in amusement, whipping the back of the woman’s head with her tails.

Iris chuckled. “Bree or Kaira?” she asked the man.

The rugged telv smirked. “Bree, of course. I’m the one who actually has a fascination with the thing now dangling between my legs.”

Another of the men huffed, a blonde man with a ponytail. “They look like a wrinkly, limp mushroom.”

Iris started choking. “Well, at least I know which of you is Kaira.”

‘I’m a person!’ a gruff telv woman nickered, causing everyone to laugh.

“That’s not disconcerting,” one of the last two men said. “Gryff, by the way. Mocha, I suggest not talking. They’ll see through your disguise in a moment, like when Akane barks in her person form.”

Iris nodded. “He’s got a point. Also, no more sword, Mocha. I’m going to need it.”

The horse begrudgingly returned the sword, which seemed to promptly change into the form of an axe similar to the dwarf’s. Iris inclined her head to the kitsune in thanks.

Akane used her magic once more, and the kitsune assumed the form of an orkun woman that she had… ripped the throat out of before entering the mess hall.

That fox really enjoys throats.

Akane's magic rippled once more, and the bodies of the three poachers morphed into gruesome facsimiles of Iris, Kaira, and Gryff. Iris's gaze landed on her own illusionary corpse, prompting a sardonic laugh. “Well now... never thought I'd look down on my own dead body. Gotta say I look good even then.”

Kaira, illusioned with the guise of the blonde telv man, grumbled, “I gotta say, I do not like seeing myself like that.”

Gryff, equally perturbed by his own lifeless duplicate, readily agreed. “Same, but it will throw them off. Let's get out of here before I have to see it too much more.”

Iris glanced around at her party, committing their illusioned faces to memory. “Alright, we need to make our way to the cages, release the animals, then get into the headquarters for any information we can gather about the Marauder Prince’s whereabouts.”

The group spoke their acknowledgments and then fell into step behind Iris, as she made her way to the door. Exiting the mess hall, they moved cautiously. Iris, in her new dwarven form, projected a commanding presence.

Noticing a man staring, she barked, “What are you gaping at? Secure the gates!”

Startled, the man stuttered, “Yes, Lieutenant Heta,” before scurrying off.

As they navigated through the fort, no one questioned their illusionary disguises. Some even shot fearful glances towards Iris, reinforcing her assumption that the dwarf woman, this ‘Heta’, had wielded a great deal of fear and respect. She decided to lean into that persona, hoping it would offer them a measure of protection and authority.

The party continued their trek, doing their best to blend in while navigating towards their secondary objective–the animal cages. Releasing the animals should provide enough of a distraction to allow them to get into the command building. Iris kept her stern expression, emulating Heta's apparent demeanor. The illusionary disguises seemed to be working perfectly, allowing them to move freely without attracting undue attention.

They passed groups of poachers and bandits, none of whom seemed to suspect anything amiss. The illusion, combined with their commandeered attire, was convincing. The surrealism of the situation did not escape Iris. It was a strange experience, walking among enemies who perceived them as allies. Even her attempt to act in the camp hadn’t been this easy.

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Unnoticed and unchallenged, they pressed forward. With each passing moment, the tension within the group built up. But for now, they had the element of surprise and the deceptive power of Akane's illusion magic on their side.

Overpowered kitsune illusions… I wonder what level she is.

As they progressed deeper into the fort, a group of men strode up to them, stopping in front of Iris. “Lieutenant Heta, the gate is secured as per your orders,” one reported, giving her a curt nod. “Commander Jonan has requested your presence.”

These bitches really are trying to pretend at being soldiers, aren’t they?

Iris, maintaining her stern expression, grunted in acknowledgment. “Where is he?” she asked, trying to keep the suspicion from her voice.

The man tilted his head in confusion. “With the cages,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I thought you knew…”

“Of course, I knew,” Iris retorted sharply, not letting him finish. “But with all the chaos, he might've moved. Can't expect everyone to stay put when there's a fight on.”

The man nodded, seemingly accepting her explanation. “Understood, ma'am,” he replied before signaling his companions to leave.

Once they were out of earshot, Iris shared a glance with her party. Without a word, they understood the urgency of the situation. They had company at the cages, and creating a distraction wouldn’t be as easy.

Putting her focus back on their path, Iris led them toward the direction of the cages, her mind already racing with plans and contingencies. She couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip.

As Iris and her party arrived at the cages, a chilling sight greeted them. A wide range of beasts, snarling, hissing, whimpering from their cages, awaited them. Drakyyd with their long, pointed horns and reptilian scales, wolves growling low in their throats, and to her disbelief, a terrifyingly massive owlbear. A few other less threatening creatures like deer were present too, but they seemed out of place in this dreadful menagerie.

A high elf man with a thick beard, a prominent scar stretching from his cheek down his neck, stood by the cages. Another tall telv with a staff adorned with a red gem on its head was by his side, an aura of magic emanating from him. Eight other men, armed and ready, were positioned strategically around the area, their eyes alert and on the lookout.

The elf turned, and his eyes landed on Iris. “Heta!” he called out, relief evident in his voice. “I heard you took care of the magic user.”

Iris nodded, stepping forward as she internally grappled with the situation. She was face-to-face with the bandit leader, Jonan, and presumably another magic user. The latter would undoubtedly prove a problem should a fight break out. Maintaining her composure, she replied with a grunt, “Had to be done. The damn fox was making a mess. Speaking of, seen it?”

She looked over the men present, her eyes eventually settling on the caged beasts. Her mind raced, forming strategies and counter-strategies, preparing for what she knew was to come. If they were to have a chance, they would need to play their cards just right. Iris steeled herself, ready for the next move in this dangerous game.

“There's been no sign of that fox,” the bearded elf—Jonan, presumably—said, his gaze flicking over the men accompanying Iris. Jonan's gaze narrowed as he studied the men accompanying her. There was a moment of tense silence as his eyes lingered on each of them, scrutinizing their appearances. Finally, he gestured dismissively at the men. “The rest of you can leave. Secure the dead and search for the fox.”

Kaira glanced questioningly at Iris. Iris gave her a slight nod, indicating it was alright. As Kaira and the others started to turn away, Jonan's voice cut through the air, halting her in her tracks. “Wait,” he commanded, his gaze turning back to Iris. “Where's Kurril? Is he coming?”

Iris had to think quickly. She couldn't betray any uncertainty. She tilted her head, mimicking Heta's gruff demeanor, and responded, “I haven't seen him. I suspect he'll be here soon.”

The only warning was the blazing hum of her [Danger Sense] before the ground beneath Iris's feet trembled subtly, a barely perceptible shift, but to a seasoned adventurer like her, it was as loud as a thunderclap.

Magic.

Powerful earth magic.

She barely had time to register the realization before a colossal hand, wrought of stone and earth, erupted from the ground.

Iris tried to [Lightning Step], but the man’s spell was already closing around her; she had been targeted before even realizing it. The massive earthen grip clamped around her with crushing force, lifting her from the ground. Pain flared through her body, but she swallowed down the scream threatening to rip from her throat.

The illusion around her form shattered as she was held aloft.

As quickly as the hand had ascended, it slammed back into the ground, taking Iris with it. Her breath was stolen away as she crashed into the earth, the world spinning around her. She gasped, struggling for breath, but it was as if the very air had been squeezed out of her lungs.

With another rumble, the earthen hand closed over her completely, encasing her in a prison of dirt and stone. Darkness swallowed her vision, the weight of the earth pressing in from all sides. The muffled sounds of her companions' shouts of alarm and surprise reached her ears, their words unintelligible through the layers of earth.

She tried to breathe, but the heavy soil filled her mouth and nose. The pressure on her chest was unbearable, every attempted breath a struggle. Iris's mind raced.

She [Focused], trying to find a solution.

Iris was a mage she could get out of this.

She was the hero.

She had to.

But as the crushing pressure continued, and her struggles for breath grew more desperate, panic began to set in. The edges of her vision started to blur and darken, her body screaming for oxygen. As suffocation's cold grasp began to close around her, everything fell silent. The world slipped away into darkness, leaving her with the oppressive sensation of the earth closing in, the last remnants of her consciousness fading into the crushing black.