A sudden explosion

We'd begun walking, passing from the chamber into a wider hall with several doors and passages off of it.

"I don't feel a significant difference in time between this world and my homeworld," I was saying. "Could it be something temporary that Golthuem did when he captured you?"

Melissa sniffed disdainfully, unwilling to honor Golthuem's name with so much as a frown. "That would not surprise-"

An instant later, everything was chaos. A deafening crack sounded, echoing off the stone walls and reverberating up through my feet. The floor seemed to pitch to one side for a moment as I lost my sense of balance, and I felt a line of white-hot pain pierce my chest near my left shoulder. I hit the stone floor hard, the impact sending a new flash of pain through my shoulder, and I looked down to find a crossbow shaft with wooden fletching sticking out just below my clavicle.

All around me, a battle raged. A half-dozen women in armor were appearing, invisibility charms falling away as they attacked the Crimson Knights with hammers, axes, and swords. Someone was firing a crossbow into the chaos, punching through the armor of several knights. Two laid motionless on the floor, a crossbow shaft protruding from each of their chests, but the rest fought on like they hadn't noticed their wounds. Alaysha opened her mouth in a cat-like hiss as she traded blows with a heavily-armored woman with a sword and shield, but produced an inhuman growl instead.

Melissa and Schedara were moving through complex gestures, like some elegant but deadly synchronized dance. Energy arced from their hands, or sprung up where they pointed, burning and hurling their attackers across the hall.

I worked fast, claiming every mind I could lay eyes on, and having each of them do the same. As I did, I fought for breath in the suddenly smoke- and electricity-filled room, and yelled out a ragged, "STOP!"

A hush fell over the room as nearly everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to me. I say nearly everyone because a pair of combatants who'd fought their way around a corner continued fighting, but all eyes turned toward them as if they were rudely speaking in a theater, and one of the Crimson Knights was positioned at the right angle to see one of them. A few seconds later, they went quiet.

"Heal me," I ordered one of the Sisterhood's paladins, gesturing at my shoulder, and she immediately stepped toward me and laid her weapon on the ground to begin seeing to my wound.

"Melissa," I coughed, wincing at the pain in my shoulder, "the air."

Melissa made a circular gesture with two fingers, and fresh air flooded into the room.

My shoulder went numb, and I felt a dull pulling sensation as the paladin removed the bolt from my shoulder. Her hands glowed with a gentle golden-white light as she poured healing energy into me.

"Well," I began to sit up as the healing continued, "that assassination attempt was far too close for comfort."

Alaysha bared her fangs for an instant, then looked away, remembering Melissa's command to obey me as she would herself.

"Don't get me wrong," I reassured Alaysha as the paladin finished, and I tested my shoulder out as I made sure all the new members of the hive mind had all the necessary mental commands. "I don't think it would have succeeded, but I already know they came closer today than ever before." I reached out a hand, and one of the attackers helped pull me to my feet, furrowing her brow in confusion as she did so. I grinned at her confusion, brushing the backs of my fingers down her cheek. "The explosion in the armory was a nice touch, Sister Marcella. Well-timed with the attack."

"...Thank you?" The veteran Sister of the Last Lantern replied, more and more confused by the situation. "How do you know my name?"

"That is a good question," Melissa spoke softly, raising an eyebrow at me, evaluating me.

"I know everything about you," I patted Sister Marcella's armored shoulder, then turned to look at Melissa, "the same way I know the Crimson Knights, the defenses of this castle...and that the Sisterhood won't be a problem any longer."

As I spoke, one by one I had everyone in the room turn to look at Melissa, their eyes clearly visible. I pushed Melissa, nudging her mind in the right direction.

Realization dawned on Melissa as she looked around, her knights and the Sisterhood agents standing side by side. 'This is good,' I led her to think. 'I can use this. The larger his power base, the more firm my control when I take over.' Finally, she smiled. "Impressive. You can do this anytime, to anyone?"

"As we speak," I nodded. "The fighting has already stopped. Through the knights' blood ties, I reached others outside, and they took even more. As each member of the Sisterhood joined the network, their knowledge revealed the locations of the others. The entire attacking unit is now mine, along with a growing majority of your own forces here at the castle. This little...Resistance you've been fighting won't be a problem much longer. Isn't that right, Marcella?"

Sister Marcella blinked in confusion, then her eyes fluttered as I let her feel more of what her subconscious mind was sharing with the hive mind. Plans were already in motion to send agents to every stronghold and safe house, consuming and absorbing their entire faction in the most bloodless war imaginable.

After a few seconds, Sister Marcella straightened, then stepped neatly back from me to kneel, bowing her head. "It is true... Master."

"Right then," I rubbed my hands together, brushing ineffectually at my torn, blood-stained, and dust-covered vest. "You all have this situation well in hand, and I have some...precautions to handle. See to the wounded. No need to waste good lives. And Melissa?"

"Hmm?" she hummed seductively, enjoying the possibilities this change would bring.

"Rule well," I smiled, and walked back the way we'd come to open another portal. 'And keep working on that project I gave you,' I instructed her subconscious mind. 'I intend to enjoy all of you - your body and your power - and you will make that possible.'