As the sun was setting on the day, the party was gathered in the tavern part of Beryl’s Inn. Even though the sun was only just starting to set, the tavern was cleaning up, people were finishing up and everything was packing up for the day. It was definitely early for it, but it also gave them a chance to talk, somewhat privately. They were off in a corner, nursing drinks as they talked, but they’d have to pack up before long as well, or they’d incur the wrath of the bartender and her wait staff, who wanted to go to bed.
Terrabeth sighed, “... everything is frustratingly normal, then I ask someone about their son or daughter and they just give me these confused looks.”
Arlie blinked at the statement, “How many times did that happen?”
Mirrelle interjected, “Lost count after fifty or so.”
Everyone shared looks. Terrabeth commented, “I’m starting to doubt my memory.”
Arlie frowned, “Now that I think about it, there seems to be fewer children than I would expect, especially young children.”
Terrabeth looked up from her mug, “What do you mean? We saw plenty of young kids, the Quills couldn’t stop bragging about their twins. When I visited the Forrestors, they had three kids there, although they were rather confused when I asked about little Abby. Told me I imagined her and all that. Same thing happened with the Maverns, when I asked about young Eris and Bren.”
“Tanyi? Could you look into the local register for me?”
“I was thinking the same thing, I’ve not known Terrabeth to confuse imaginations with the real thing. We might try the local copy, but if the mind mage is as thorough as I suspect those records would be altered. I can requisition someone forward a copy of the register from Mylria, it might be a bit out of date, but should be more accurate.”
Arlie nodded, “Yes, and if we compare the two, any children on the Mylria copy but not on the Wilamark copy would represent a pattern.”
Tanyi nodded, “Exactly, standard investigative procedure.”
Terrabeth frowned, “What are you thinking?”
“Our mind mage may be involved in a child trafficking scheme,” she replied, then she focused on Terrabeth, “Now the kids that everyone denies having? How old are they?”
Terrabeth was silent for a moment, “Oldest was six I think, the rest were all younger, why?”
Tanyi sighed and then nodded, “Unfortunately, that tracks. Younger children, particularly those under the age of six, would be prime targets.”
“That’s horrible!”
Arlie didn’t want to think about it, so she focused on her friends, “Lily, did you and Rose find anything?”
She shook her head, “Not much, but we did manage to get a copy of the guard schedule. We tried to get the patrol route map as well, but that one was under an oddly heavy guard.”
Rose placed several pieces of paper on the table, and elaborated, “Guard rotation looked pretty normal about two months ago, things started getting hectic about then, almost erratic.” She held out one of them.
Tanyi looked at it, “Interesting, I see what you mean.”
Clara spoke up, “That tracks with what I was able to dig up about Old Perth. Seems he started getting real forgetful, would assign someone the same task twice in the same day, or he’d assign three different squads to the same patrol. Garrison commanders tried to conceal it, but it was just getting worse, so they convinced him to step down. That’s how we ended up with the Captain Perth we talked to this morning.”
Arlie interjected, “Sounds like his mind was starting to go. Happens sometimes with the elderly, but it’s usually treatable. Did no one try?”
“Well the boys and I didn’t find any record of that.”
Tanyi frowned, “Think it could have been the work of our mind mage?”
Arlie frowned, “Maybe? I wouldn’t really know, then she gestured at the stack of books she’d received not long after she’d sent her letter. I still need to go through the books Aunt Ria sent me. I figure I’ll be up half the night reading.”
Tanyi commented, “Well, try to get some rest.”
Lily frowned, “I think we should go out and investigate at night.”
“Oh?”
She put forward one of the more recent schedules, “They’ve been systematically reducing nighttime security. Before Old Perth started acting weird, they had standard security assignments, six guards on rotation for each watch tower, two active during any given shift, while each gate had three shifts and four guards on duty. They also had nightpatrols, six-man squads sent out every two hours and expected to return after four. That’s basically all stopped. This one was yesterday’s rotation, no patrols of any kind, no staff in any of the towers, and only two guards per gate. From what I can tell, they basically stopped night watch a month ago.
Tanyi looked at it, “I knew it was lax, but basically nothing? Someone seems to want free rein at night.”
They all shared looks, if this was what they thought, that meant their rogue was most active at night, possibly trafficking children out of the village, perhaps more. There was no telling if it was just that or if more wasn’t going on. Clara concurred, “Right, we should keep an eye out, but I don’t think we should go out alone. Stay in groups; the mind mage will have a harder time if they can’t get us alone.”
Lily gestured, “I think we should get going, seems the bar is about ready to close and the other table is leaving.”
They looked and nodded; any other town or village, and they’d have had more time. It definitely seemed like something was up at night. At least they’d arranged rooms. Terrabeth was staying another night at her Mom’s with Mirrelle but they’d had more time to reinforce their wards. Arlie and Terrabeth had strengthened them all together. Arlie and the rest were staying here at Beryl’s inn and in the same rooms as the night before. Something that made security a little easier to approach, since they’d been able to secure things with reinforced wards.
_____________________
Arlie settled at the desk in her room, still slightly damp from a quick bath and grabbed the first volume Ria had sent her. The book was thick, leather-bound with gold and silver inlays, etched with enchanted runes, and a blood lock. She pricked her finger with the provided needle after dipping it in alcohol as she’d been taught. Then pressed her finger gingerly against the lock, a silver plated part fitted to the binding to hold it closed and enchanted. It clicked and snapped open, recognizing her as a valid reader. Arlie knew enough about blood locks, to know they were usually locked to a particular family, in this case likely her own, but as it unlocked, she noticed the sigils on the inside of the lock. It had three, instead of the usual of just one. That was odd, that would imply it was keyed not to one family but three. Why do that?
The question sat in her mind for a minute before she discarded it, and turned to the first page. Where she was greeted with an introduction, written by the Archmage who’d penned this volume.
In this volume, we explore how to identify, counter and ward against spells that twist the mind. Young mage, pay great attention to these pages, as I share my wisdom, there is greater threat to a mage, then the subtle and insidious influence of mind magic. Always remember the most powerful element, isn’t fire, lightning, water, or earth, nor is it one of the trinity, but mind. Sure a holy mage of light with affinity for fire, can turn entire forests into wastelands of ash, or reduce entire cities to molten craters, but that’s one mage, a powerful mage to be sure but just one. A single mind mage however can bend a dozen mages to his or her will and then bring that collective might to bear. One mage can bring down a city, but a single rogue mind mage can bring down an entire civilization. That is the difference in power, but the power of the mind is also far more subtle, slower.
That brings us to our first subject, identifying the use of mind magic. It is a subtle magic, one not so easily noticed, but the signs can be seen long before any real damage is done. When looking at a victim, they may seem perfectly normal, but little signs of a change may show in their personality or actions. That will gradually grow as the influence of the mind mage increases...
________________________Terrabeth groaned. A sharp percussion, reverberated throughout the room. “Go Away!” she responded, her lips smacking slightly after before she rolled over and let the darkness take her. Another percussion disturbed her, then a shifting of weight, Mirrelle’s voice filled her ears, “I’ll deal with it.”
“...sure,” she replied, her half asleep mind just wanted to sleep, and her wards felt intact. Justifying her simple desire to relax and sleep, she let the darkness take her again. Paying no attention to Mirrelle’s actions, beyond her getting out of bed to deal with the annoying knocking on the door. It was the middle of the night, far too early for this. Idly she heard, Mirrelle crack the door, then slipped into darkness and fevered dreams.
Suddenly, she was aware of a weight, then the smell of naked lust pervaded her awareness. The sweet scent of female lust to be specific. She blinked, idly checking her wards but none of them were broken. A familiar face was above her, straddling her, “Ready for more sex, cutie?”
Before she could even think about it, she responded, “Yes.”
“Wonderful!” exclaimed Visha and she gasped as without warning Visha’s tail penetrated her naked folds. Some part of her wondered when she ended up naked, and where were the sheets? Off to the side she noticed Mirrelle standing, entirely naked, her nipples were fully engorged, her pussy extra puffy was twitching as it drooled, her eyes glazed. Yet she wasn’t alarmed or anything by the sight, some part of her knew this should concern her but it didn’t.
She moaned as heat in her core built. Visha made several quick thrusts in her pussy. Terrabeth noted the swaying of Visha’s breasts and started to move, but Visha stopped, “Not yet, just let me bring you to a mind-fogging orgasm first.”
Another moan left, her sparks rippling up her spine, even as questions filled her fogging mind. “How...” she moaned, “did you get in?”
“Mirrelle let me in, I thanked her with sex of course.”
Something felt off about that, “Did you blast her with your pheromones? She’s all glassy eyed,” she grunted out between moans. Then her vision fluttered as another wave of pleasure roiled through her.
“Sure did, made her extra compliant, she’s pretty cute too. I’ll be taking her with me when I leave, you won’t mind will you? Don’t worry, I’ll get her back to you before sunup.”
Eye’s half lidded, she bit her lip for a moment, as Visha started massaging her breasts. “We...” a moan escaped her, “Aren’t supposed to... go out alone.”
Visha giggled, “Don’t worry, she won’t be alone, she’ll be with me.”
Some part of her wanted to protest but the thought was lost as Visha’s tail slammed once more into her womb, like a bolt of lightning, a surge rippled up her spine and her mind vanished in fog as the heat in her core exploded.
______________________
Tanyi silenced the waking stone, a useful little enchanted stone that could be set to make a noise based on the alignment of the moons. One needed some knowledge of how the two moons moved through the sky to get the right time, but anyone could figure it out with some observation. By now it should be about a handspan before midnight, late enough that the mind mage might just be out.
Clara was in the corner, strapping her sword to her side. Neither of them were dressed in their armor, but something else. Armor would be nice but they didn’t want to draw attention. With that in mind, they’d picked a loose blouse paired with short pants, instead of boots they’d pulled on some soft shoes they’d thought to pack in their travel bags. An outfit well-suited for stealth, which is exactly the mission they were taking.
Clara spoke up, “Should we check on our charge before we leave?”
“I was planning on it, she said she was going to stay up reading. There is a chance she might still be awake.”
“If she is, we should put her to bed. Can’t have the princess falling asleep in the morning.”
“No we cannot,” she said, while opening the door. Clara followed her half a step behind. Tanyi strapped her own sword to her side, as the pair headed out into the hall and towards the room the Princess was staying in. Tanyi reached the door first, and knocked.
The door swung open on the second and Princess Arlie Contrey was standing there, barely dressed, her large breasts for her frame on full display. Tanyi froze there for a second. Arlie yawned, “Has something happened?”
“No, we were just checking on you before heading out to do some nighttime investigation,” she looked the princess over. Were her panties soaked? “Have you had any rest?”
She frowned, then shook her head. “Reading, a bit of distraction with Lily and Rose just a bit ago, then some more reading. There is a lot to know about mind magic.”
Tanyi sighed, “I imagine so,” she stepped into the room, feeling the ward wash over her, the same way it had when she’d left her own room. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, and in bed. You won’t be much use if you don’t sleep.”
She didn’t protest much, them stopped halfway to the bed, “Right, right! If you are going out...” she frowned, “what was that spell?” her eyes landed on the book on the table, and it suddenly flew into her hands, pages rapidly turning. “Strengthen the spirit, ward the soul, protect this stalwart soul, shield the essence of the shell from that which will twist it. Blessing of the Mental Fortress!”
Tanyi gasped as the spell invaded her flesh, like little prickles. Then she blinked as her core grew wet, and suddenly the Princess was looking more... delectable. An urge to play with those breasts struck her, but she pushed it down. Looking to her side, she noticed that Clara was fighting with the same feelings.
She tucked Arlie into the bed, grabbing the grimoire, the words on the page stuck out ot her, particularly a warning at the bottom, Warning, don’t cast this on a target while in an intense emotional state such as anger, lust or the like. Doing so will reflect your state on the target.
She closed the book and put it on the desk with a sigh, “Well Clara, how about a quickie in our room before we go?”
Clara fidgeted, “That sounds more appealing than it should.”
Tanyi closed and locked the princess’s door, “Well she magically aroused us, of course it does. I’m just hoping we can work it out of our system.
_____________________
As it turned out the answer was no. Clara was pretty cute, when she orgasmed and now they were on the street, naked from the waist down. Their pants and panties had ended up soaked, but they still had the shoes. Clara commented, “Next time, don’t let the princess whammie us with magical lust.”
Tanyi replied, “I’ll keep that in mind, now be quiet.”
Clara quieted, immediately but only because she noticed the same thing, she did. A shadow at the edge of the square, the two quickly vanished into a shadowed corner of a nearby alley, just as two figures emerged from a side street, followed by a village woman they’d seen yesterday. Tanyi remembered the woman, Terrabeth had been a little surprised to see her so heavily pregnant, she owned the local bakery, Emeri something, but her eyes weren’t really on the woman. Instead she was focusing on the figures beside her. They were naked with lanky forms, oddly shaped legs, clawed hands and feet, menacing red eyes, and dark shiny black skin. It wasn’t hard to guess who they were, but Emeri didn’t seem frightened of them. If anything she was being quite friendly, her voice drifting over. “Sure thing, I can unlock my bakery for you. What do you want to add to my bread?”
The fiend on the left replied, but Tanyi didn’t catch it.
Clara and Tanyi shared looks, and prepared to follow. Things had become more interesting than they had assumed. Now what were hellfiends doing in town? She couldn’t imagine it was good, but it seemed she’d find out if she followed along. Emeri didn’t seem to be in immediate danger, so there was no reason to charge the hellfiends like rank amateurs with swords drawn. Follow for now, but if an opportunity appears they’d want to capture these two, and interrogate. What they say might prove most illuminating. With all that in mind, they slinked through the shadows, drawing closer, as Emeri took her companions into her bakery.