Open Chronicles Those On High

[Lectrix]

Lectrix felt... weird. He felt like he was susceptible, vulnerable. He felt happy. The woman's words felt so soothing against his mind, the mind that Lectrix held so close to his heart. He could feel his defenses falling, his body getting heavy and tingly.

His mind was infected by her magic.

I knew it. he thought. She want's my mind. But why?

He kept fighting the magic, his intellectual mind pushing back against the net of magic that wrapped around his mind.

That would be... nice.
He responded, his voice caught in the effect of her magic
No. Not happening. He fought the magic, his hand twiddling with the handle of his knife. Your magic will not beat me.

But... not today. Witch.

He drew his knife, and with one swift movement he was behind her with his knife against his throat. He still felt her influence in his mind, but he had just enough willpower to not be susceptible to her words... for now.

Release me witch.

 

[Djana Mahin]

"Oh my." Djana did not sound at all shocked, though in truth she was almost rocked to her core.

It was only through years, decades, of tutelage that she managed to keep a straight face. A knife was held to her throat, but she did not seem at all aghast at the situation. Her skin prickeld with goosebumps, though her expression remained calm.

She pursed her lips for a moment.

"Perhaps not a Servant at all then." She mused. "Something...more?"

The question floated into the room, yet at the same time she did not release the net that she had cast upon his mind. Instead she pushed it further. The lattice grew, a new stitch added, more of herself falling away as she did so.

Making the weaves powerful was dangerous...it tempted the Great Lord, but she would not die here.

Not today.

She pressed upon the man's mind.

 

[Lectrix]

The pressure on his mind kept growing, so much so that he had to let go of her, pushing her against the wall. It wasn't her influence that made his mind crazy, but it was his anger fighting against it.

Get out of my head!

He yelled as he flicked his arm and threw his knife at her head. He was a marksman, and yet the influence and fight in his mind made him miss, the knife barely going over her head and hitting the wall.

He yelled and drew his silver knuckles, put them on and swung wildly at the woman, a swing that was ample in power, but horrible in technique, and easily dodged.

 

[Djana Mahin]

Djana kept her face calm even as the knife sunk into the wood above her head, burying itself with a loud 'thunk'.

Her expression twitched for just a second, and she opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off by the man raging. His voice echoed down the halls, and quickly she peered around for just a second to make sure no one was looking. Her eyes fell to him just as he stepped forward.

He swung at her, and a muted curse left her lips.

Djana was never much for fighting, she left that to the others. With two steps she quickly flung herself back, putting up her hands and casting yet another weave. "Shhh."

The Cultist whispered, attempting to force a calm over him.

"It will be alright." She coo'd, trying to force serenity into his mind.

 

[Lectrix]

Lectrix felt the next assault on his mind almost instantly. His vision began to get blurry. Somehow this next assault didn't feel invading. It felt soothing. He heard the woman's mouth move, but out of her mouth came the voice of his sisters. A voice that was trustworthy. Lectrix began to breathe deeper, looking at the woman with a fading anger in his eyes.

He kept hearing his sisters' voices, telling him it was ok, to be calm. The uninfected part of his mind urged Lectrix to keep fighting, but it was slowly giving ground to the curse of the woman. Finally, the part of Lectrix that he still controlled hatched a plot, a failsafe approach, and then forced itself dormant.

His breath calmed, his body heaving much less. His screams were gone, and the last thing he saw with his controlled mind was the green color that radiated from the woman's eyes.

Then he was gone. His body rose up, and he looked to the woman, her eyes pulling him as if he was a marionette and she was his puppet master.

 

[Djana Mahin]

"Finally." She breathed softly.

The man had been surprisingly...resistant. Definitely not a simple servant. Suspicious, and undoubtedly interesting. She smiled slightly, then slowly peered around the hallway to ensure that no one was going to sneak up upon them.

She remained silent for a time, listening, and then finally nodded to herself a bit more confidently.

"Now." Djana said, a smile touching her plump lips. "Why don't you tell me what you were doing here?"

She still used that soft, soothing tone, quietly adding her intent for him. "And we'll see what the Great Lord can do for you."

So it always went.

 

[Lectrix]

I was sent here to kill Lord Arad.

The words escaped his mouth without a second thought.

His mind was hijacked, his words were no longer his. His mind was dormant, with the new Lectrix under the influence of the woman answering to her every whim.

For now, at least.
,
Lectrix stood by, waiting for her response.

 

[Djana Mahin]

She perked an eyebrow. "Really now?"

Sent? By whom?

For what reason? So many questions loomed upon her mind, thoughts darting back and forth as she considered all of the possibilities now in front of her. It was clear this man was an assassin, perhaps a good one too. She mused for a few seconds, taking half a step back.

"You will wait until after the wedding night." Djana said slowly. "Until everything is done."

Yes...that would work in the Great Lord's favor. "Can you do that? For me?"

 

[Lectrix]

There's something wondrous about the human mind. Even when it sleeps, it is still aware. It still thinks, it hears, it feels.

Of course ma'am...

When the bit of Lectrix left that was still fighting heard the request, it hatched a plot. It decided to insert a small tidbit of request that may break this spell.

However, I'll need to retrieve my equipment.

At the end of this sentence, the rest of his mind went dormant again, awaiting to see if its plan would succeed.

 

[Djana Mahin]

She paused for half a second, musing. "Not yet."

Came her answer.

The weaving was not mind control. It couldn't turn a person into a drone or break them to a point where they could not think for themselves. It was a flaw of the magic she practiced, but something that the Great Lord left in place for his own reasons. It was not for her to understand why.

Just to use.

"But soon." She assured him. "First you must observe. Watch as he arrives."

Which would of course be soon. "Tell me what you can of his retinue."

 

[Lectrix]

Of course ma'am, but may I ask why?

Lectrix felt a little more free will with his new mind. He felt the need to obey, but still could ask his own questions.

And once he retrieved his equipment, maybe he could escape her influence. Somehow.

 

[Djana Mahin]

A sigh escaped her. She didn't have to explain herself, but due to the way the weaving worked she knew that doing so would be better. He was not entirely under her control, and the more she could convince him with her words the less she would have to do with magic.

"I need to see how they will respond." She said simply, patting his cheek.

There was much to still plan out, but the Lord's death might work in the Favor of the Great Lord. Particularly if he died after the ceremony occurred. She could move the pieces into place, get things to fall where she needed them to and nowhere else. Her lips pursed. "I doubt he will bring many warriors..."

Djana trailed off for a second in thought.

"Though if he does his death might create Chaos." She smiled. "Chaos would suit me."

 

[Lectrix]

I understand ma'am. My sword is yours.

My sword is yours? What the hell was he saying? He had no choice.

His mind was compelled to comply.

What will you have me do first, my lady?

 

[Djana Mahin]

"Watch from the walls." Djana said with a wave, her gaze dropping away from him for a moment as she glanced to the halls beyond.

She could hear footsteps echoing now, likely those of another servant. She frowned for a brief moment, glancing around before she straightened herself. She ran a soft hand over her hair, uncurling some of her locks before she replaced her expression with a soft smile.

"Find me after he's arrived." She had to plan this correctly. "Make sure to watch his soldiers."

A pause, and then quickly she added. "I need to know their quality."

They might be useful as well.

 

[Lectrix]

As you wish ma'am. No weapons?

Lectrix asked, eyeing the knife still entrenched in the wall and taking off the his silver knuckles. He knew the answer would be no, but if he could get the idea of a weapon in her head, he could maybe convince her to let him get his bracer.

He was hopeful on the inside, but his face remained expressionless. He walked toward the knife and put his hand on the handle, and waited for his master's command to pull it out.

 

[Djana Mahin]

"Not yet." A servant with any sort of weapon was suspicious.

This man was an assassin, a killer. She didn't need him getting caught, not when he could potentially make him a very valuable tool for her work here.

Not yet.

"Soon." She offered. "When the deed must be done."

Not before. The Lord's death had not been a part of her original plan, but she now realized that the Great Lord might be more pleased by his passing. Particularly if he was survived by his new wife.

 

[Lectrix]

Understood ma'am.

He removed the knife from the wall and handed it to her. Then he once again stood in front of her.

Where shall you have me first, my lady?

 

[Djana Mahin]

She flipped the knife in her palm, deftly slipping it into a small place on her skirts and hiding it from view.

"The Eastern walls." She told the man.

The East was almost never watched by any of the guards, a consequence of this keeps greatest enemy coming from the west. It would be safe to meet there, and more importantly it would be safe to talk.

One never knew who was listening.

"When the moon reaches it's apex." Djana told him. "You'll find me there."

 

[Lectrix]

Understood. I'll meet you there.

He fixed his clothing, as it had gotten wrinkled through the debacle. He bowed his head toward her, and turned to return to the kitchen.

Oh, you're fucking bowing to her now. God this is embarrassing.

Well, at least he was one step closer to figuring out her plan, even if he didn't have the means to act on anything his mind planned.

 

[Djana Mahin]

The next few hours went by as uneventful.

Djana spent most of the time simply placating the two sisters and talking about dresses. It was droll, but at the very least there was something she knew about.

Eventually the time came, and Lord Arafell made his appearance. The sounds of trumpets echoed throughout the keep, a call of arrival. All three women perked up slightly, the two sisters immediately rushing over towards the nearby window. Djana watched them for a moment, then slowly stood herself.

She wandered over to a second window, sitting down on it's edge and watching the countryside.

There what she saw shocked her. It was a retinue, but more than that, it was an entire army. If she had to guess she would have said a thousand men, each armored and dressed as though they were ready for parade. Dozens of flags and banners flew, hundreds of men marched towards the keep.

"Quite the wedding party." She commented quietly, frowning to herself.

 

[Lectrix]

Lectrix was working in the yard when the Lord arrived. He expected just a small group of nobles, the mans family, and a few soldiers. However, what Lectrix was faced with was way worse. The man had brought a small army, all fully dressed in armor and armed. Well, this job won't be as easy as I expected. He thought, continuing to tend to his chores. He was so close to the kitchen, to the supply closet, his armor and weapons... his bracer. He was so close to freedom, but the binds of obeying the adviser had him practically in chains, forcing him to obey her every word, and address her as his master.

He caught her gaze through the window of the noblewoman's room. He saw her frown, taking it as a sign that her plans weren't going well either. Maybe he could use this to convince her to allow him near his gear, just so he could get to his bracer.

 

[Djana Mahin]

Emerald eyes floated over the reaches of the army, her gaze trailing over the banners.

She knew some of the flags, but most were as foreign to her as could be. They were from the neighboring nation of course, a part of their families and traditions.

The situation was worse than she had feared. An army was not something she was prepared to deal with...yet from the reaction of the servants and the nobles in the courtyard she could tell that they had expected this. That forced a frown to her face, fingers tapping against the windowsill.

"It's an old tradition, meant to ensure that the bride is safe upon her return to her new keep."
​

The good lady was speaking to Djana of course, not to her sister. "How...noble."

She frowned as she spoke, though neither of the sisters would see it. Her mind began to spin out a dozen possibilities of how she could counter this, what she could do next.

The Assassin would have to act more carefully.

 

[Lectrix]

Lectrix waited till the moon was at its highest point and headed straight for the east wall. He knew the woman would be waiting for him. He had to go over to retrieve his next set of instructions and hear what the woman had planned for this new problem that they were presented with.

He knew he would have to be her tool, just until he could get to his gear. Even if he escaped her control, maybe he could use the situation to his advantage, tricking her into thinking he was still under her control.

All he knew is that she was a threat, a threat that could come back to do more damage if left to her devices. She had to die.

 

[Djana Mahin]

Her fingers drummed quietly against the parapet.

Below her in the valley outside of the Keep she could see the encamped army. The size of the force was too large for all of them to stay inside of the Fortress and nearly a thousand men had been left to simply fend for themselves. Their campfires lit up the night better than the moon.

None of them would be able to see up here of course, but she could easily observe all of them. Her lips thinned as she glanced down below, eyes wandering over each and every flame.

"You do so test me, Great Lord." Djana mused out loud to herself.

The army presented a challenge, one that she had not been previously prepared for. She could overcome it of course, just as she would anything else that got in her way...she just had to make sure to do it right.

Otherwise she would meet the Great Lord sooner than expected.

 

[Lectrix]

Lectrix arrived at the location where the woman stood, drumming her fingers and looking out toward the army that was below her. He used the upmost care in getting there, making his footsteps almost undetectable to the naked ear. He could do it, he could kill her right now. Except, he couldn't. He was still under her influence, and armed with no weapon, if he attacked now, she would able to set another net in his mind, making harder for him to cure himself.

Ma'am, I've arrived.

He said quietly, trying his best not to startle her. She was clearly deep in thought, most likely planning the next step in her plan, one that Lectrix couldn't discern. What was she playing at? What's her end game?