In the largest room of the stronghold sat the red-haired mage, Mitta Hermet. It was here, in the center of the entire building, that tables and benches were located for dining. In one corner stood a wooden bed, lined with furs, perfect for a short nap and rest. At the opposite end of the room, one could see a modest bookcase, whose main occupant was the mentioned mage. The entire room was warmed by a fireplace placed in the center of the wall.
Three corridors led from this room. One led to the main entrance, another to the living area, and the last led to the storerooms, behind which was the entrance to the dungeons.
Mitta Hermet kept the place clean, which stood out from most bandit groups. People of their kind usually didn't pay much attention to the cleanliness and coziness of their hideouts, having much more interesting activities on their minds.
Our Mitta, however, came from minor nobility and did not grow up on the streets like the vast majority. Although he was thrown out of his home and privileges were taken away, old habits remained.
This was his domain, his place. He wanted everything here to be arranged according to his taste. Although not everyone shared his aesthetics, they eventually relented when Mitta created a cozy place for himself to hang out.
He acted as a contact person, and his job was to communicate quickly with other groups and call for help when needed. His role in the team was not very engaging, which meant that he had a lot of free time. Unfortunately, being bored got on the nerves of the other members of the group, so he was allowed to take care of passing the time in his way, giving the others a break from his annoying whining.
“Jim, are you okay down there?” Asked Mitta, putting the book down.
“Sure, why do you ask?” Jim replied.
“You guys were a bit held up downstairs this morning. What did you and Carl do down there?”
“Nothing of the sort. The pet didn't want to eat, so I asked Carl for help.” Explained Jim.
“Oh, well. And how is our princess doing?”
“Elf girl? Why do you ask?”
“Tomorrow the leader is going to the city. He will certainly also look for a buyer for her. We wouldn't want her to be in bad shape, would we? I'm already leaving aside the fact that Carl rarely mentions her lately.”
“Everything is fine with her. No worries. She's definitely more alive than before.”
Elrianthe sat in her cell on a fur-lined bed. She was eating roast chicken while sipping on red wine.
'Ah, this is the best day I've had in this burrow.' She thought.
Immediately after discussing the next steps, Elrianthe ordered Carl and Jim to give her their food, and they themselves were to feed on what she was getting. The same applied to their comforts and clothing.
The consultation was brief and focused mainly on determining the best strategy for attack. The first target was to be the mage in charge of communications, who, it was thought, would not cause much difficulty. With the leader and the guards leaving the stronghold, the mage would be left alone for some time, which presented an ideal opportunity for action. After a moment's thought, Elrianthe presented her plan, and each participant was assigned a role. There were no discussions or objections.
However, in the face of unquestioning acceptance of her idea, Elrianthe began to worry whether such in unison would do her more harm than good. If everyone follows her plan without hesitation, there is a risk of making a fatal mistake that could be avoided if someone dared to voice their opinion. This is especially important because Elrianthe was unfamiliar with this world and had to rely on the knowledge of others.
'If only I could read minds or... learn someone's memories? That would be extremely helpful.'
She needed someone who could advise her, but with little choice, she decided to trust Alison.
“Alison, come to the side for a moment.” She whispered after consultation.
“Yes, my lady?”
“I would like to appoint you as my advisor. I encourage you to express your opinions and comments on my activities. Your job will be to ensure that we don't make catastrophic mistakes, and to ensure that I'm always up to date.” Elrianthe declared.
“Thank you for your trust. I will do my best.” Alison said, bowing.
“So... What is your opinion of my plan?”
“I don't have any objections. The plan you proposed is very good and should not be a challenge.”
“Good. It remains for us to wait for the signal. You can leave.”
“Can I warn you about something first?” Alison asked as she was about to leave.
“What is it?”
“Your power. Is it mind control?” She asked quietly.
“Yes, how did you know that?”
“I guessed when Jim changed right after the conversation during the torture. That's why I want to warn you. Please keep your power a secret.”
“I understand that this is not a welcomed skill.”
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“This is more important than it may seem. You are an elf, which in itself causes fear among weaker people who may be afraid for their lives. In addition, your power poses a serious threat to entire kingdoms and their rulers. If someone finds out about it, you could become the number one enemy in the entire world, and letters of pursuit will be posted in every settlement on the continent. We cannot allow this to happen. Even with your power, such a situation could be a death sentence.” Alison warned, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
'She's overreacting again, but maybe she's right.' Elrianthe thought.
“Good. I'll keep that in mind. Can other people also find out my power as easily as you do?”
“It seems to me that if they witnessed its use, they might be suspicious. The best precaution would be to avoid onlookers while using your abilities or hide them behind an illusion.”
“An illusion? Interesting idea.”
Elrianthe sent Alison away when she remembered that she had two development points at her disposal that she hadn't yet used. Maybe with a little luck, she'll be able to get some useful skills.
[ Do you want to go to the Development Tree ( Yes ) ( No ) ]
“Yes.”
[ Development Tree ]
[ Choose one of the available options. available choices: 2 ]
[ +10 points of life ]
[ +20 points of magic ]
[ +1 skill level < Domination > ]
[ Random effect from the available pool ]
‘I can raise the level of < Dominance? > It's tempting, but I'll take more mana this time.’
[ Received an increase in the maximum amount of magic points by 20 points ]
[ Current amount of magic points: 200 ]
‘Now I can use < Domination > twice if necessary. Good. The next choice will be…’
[ Choose one of the available options Available choices: 1 ]
[ +10 points of life ]
[ +30 points of magic ]
[ +1 skill level < Persuasion > ]
[ Random effect from the available pool ]
Elrianthe stared at the window for a long moment, when suddenly something came to her.
‘Wait a minute. Do these options change? I picked Magic this time, so next time I'll get 30 points already. Hmm, now I understand. Life and magic increase after each selection... The skill option changes each time but is always based on the ones I already have. Okay, I would take +1 level if it involves < Dominance > as before, but in that case, I will choose randomly.’
[ < Master's Doping > skill received ]
[ Master's Doping - the selected puppet will receive a bonus that boosts its physical stats by 50% for 15 minutes. Cost: 30% of maximum magic for the duration ]
“Interesting.”
The rest of the day was spent in intensive preparations. Carl and Jim secretly smuggled in food, clothing, weapons, and armor, although there were few options for the latter. Elrianthe especially insisted on the support of Taygeer, who was her main strike force.
The weapons they brought consisted of two daggers and two short swords, which were nowhere near suited to his fighting style. As for the armor, it was far too small for his posture. Alison, with typical sharpness, suggested redesigning a few pieces so that Taygeer could benefit, if only slightly, from the extra protection. Nevertheless, Elrianthe was of good cheer, thinking that no one upstairs expected an attack from within.
The next day, over breakfast...
“Do you want anything from the city?” Gaz asked, preparing to leave.
He was a tall man with short brown hair and a beard, and the many scars on his hands and face testified to the many battles he had fought - not just with humans. He's the leader of this entire gang.
“Sure.” Mitta snapped. “Will you bring me something new to read?”
“Sure. How about a newspaper?“ Gaz mocked.
“Never mind...” Mitta reflected, clearly disappointed.
“In that case, I'm leaving.” Declared Gaz, throwing his bags on his back and heading for the exit.
“Well, then we're off too.” Matt said.
Matt and Duncan were on guard duty, keeping an eye on the hideout and making sure it was safe. After breakfast, they always went out together, since no one stood outside at night, which could expose them to attack if they went out individually. Although such a risk seemed unlikely, this was the habit. Usually one of them returned after less than an hour.
When they left also Carl and Jim got up from the table. Mitta then noticed something unusual that caught his attention.
“Carl?” He called out, leaning out from behind his book.
“What's up?”
“Why are you carrying a weapon?” Asked Mitta.
“Oh, the slaves have been nervous lately. It's such a precaution so they know who's in charge.” Carl replied, scratching his head.
“I understand. Let me know if you need help. Sometimes I start talking to myself out of boredom.” Mitta lamented, returning to his reading.
Jim and Carl nodded to each other and separated. Walking down the corridor toward the entrance to the keep, Jim made sure they were left alone, then locked the door, preventing the guards who had gone out on patrol from getting inside. Carl went downstairs, where Elrianthe, Taygeer, and Alison were already waiting.
“It's time to take over.” Said Elrianthe, unable to hold back a smile.
Upstairs, Jim, turning back to Mitta, called out, wanting to get his attention.
“Mitta, come here for a minute.” He called out from the hallway.
“I'm busy!” Mitta shouted back.
“Mitta, come here. I'll show you something interesting.” Convinced Jim.
“Fuck... Okay, I'm going.” He replied, standing up.
He put the book down on the table and with a slow step headed toward the exit.
*Boom*
Mitta turned suddenly when he heard a loud bang on the door from behind him. A huge cat-like creature ran out of the corridor, rushing toward him with incredible speed.
“Jim!” He called out in panic, pulling out the magic wand he always carried in his belt.
Transferring magic to his weapon, the tip of the wand shined, and a fireball began to form in front of it.
“Die, you damn-”
*Bang*
Jim, running up to Mitta, hit him with all his strength with the plank in the head, which caused it to break, but most importantly interrupted the activation of the spell that could seriously injure Taygeer.
*Boom*
As Taygeer rammed into the mage with momentum, battering him, Mitta flew like a ball, hitting the wall behind him with such force that the old brick-lined grout sprinkled to the ground.
Laying semi-conscious on the floor, Mitta became completely defenseless. His wand fell out of his hands and was picked up by Carl, who emerged from the corridor to the dungeons, right behind Taygeer.
Before Mitta managed to wake up and comprehend what had happened, he was already being held by the cat-man and Carl, and the organizer of the show was approaching him.
“Hello, handsome.” Elrianthe said, leaning toward him.