Everything goes as planned.

Uklag stands on the metal plate he had prepared yesterday. The door to his base is wide open and in his robes and his staff he looks like the gatekeeper of some bad drama play. However the smile on his lips is nothing he has to play when Alratha walks up to him.

“They will be here shortly.” She says, her voice slightly muffled by the facemask. Uklag looks outside, the day has come and gone by already but that could only work to his advantage. “Very good, get out there again and take out whoever uses a ranged weapon once the main party gets in here. Take the lethal approach. Come back once that is taken care of.”

Alratha departs and Uklag looks at the crowd behind him, the succubi have gotten two chairs from Celine, who is standing behind them with a happy expression as she massages Analea’s shoulders. Aelana looks incredibly interested on what is to come next. Droy has a similar expression, albeit more nervous. Finally Zal is standing just behind him, a tablet with a glass and pitcher filled with water in hand.

“Thank you, Zal.” Uklag says, takes a sip and puts the glass back on the table. The sound of metal plates rubbing against each other echoes through the natural cave entrance and soon enough a party of nine woman stand in front of the entrance door.

The party is made of mostly by spearwoman with light leather armour, leather nail boots and a helmet. The knight wears her full plate armour, showing that she is someone who has served at least four years as a knight. Lastly the mage is wearing a green robe, her shaved head only reveal stubble’s of blonde hair, her apprentice is clad in a black robe but Uklag pays no further attention to her.

“Hello, ladies.” Uklag says in a friendly tone and waves. The voice that echoes from the plate helmet isn’t amused, “Vile scum, we have come to take you in the name of Estaran Law. Be prepared to…..” “Lay down your weapons and bla bla bla.” Uklag interrupts her.

“Tell me: Have you ever heard of the term magnetization? No? Then this next part will be a surprise.” Uklag laughs and sends a mighty thunderbolt into the plate under him. Runes glow in white light as they absorb the magical impact and spread it through the two lines and feed it to the bigger blank plate outside.

The night is disrupted by several loud bangs as spears and helmets suddenly get sucked to the ground. The knight is hit the hardest as her whole body is getting sucked downward by the magnetic pull only the mage and the apprentice get off without any damage.

A duel of mages ensues, Evocations of opposite types clash into and neutralize each other. However the female mage has a crippling disadvantage: She can only use Evocation, Uklag however is not only more powerful than her in that aspect but can also assault her with Alteration. Only with the help of her apprentice the invader is able to hold her own for a while but then lightning strikes her twice and she goes to the ground.

“Archers!” the now lying knight screams. There is no answer, only laughter. “Did you forget you are searching for two people?” Alratha asks and steps out of the shadows. “This is why you didn’t want to use any metal in the design.” She says and steps just close enough to be out of arms reach for the spearwomen. Ironically their nail boots nail them to the ground.

“Yes. This plate takes whatever magic I feed it and amplifies it in certain ways. I’m quite proud of it I must say.” The knight seems less proud of it all. “You fiend! You won’t get through with this.” Uklag smiles, “I’m afraid I already have. I want to find out who you were under that helmet but that can wait, you have someone with you that peeks my interest.”

He means the apprentice who had been looking very satisfied ever since her teacher had been thunderstruck. Her black robes harmonizes very well with her dark hair, which is bound into a single long braid that reaches down her back. Her skin has a healthy tan and her black lips spread into a smile when she notices Uklag’s eyes on her.

“What is it?” she asks with confidence, her voice is melodic. “You just seem so unnaturally calm and happy about this situation. I would love to know why.” The mage steps of the electromagnetic plate and towards Uklag. “Because I really hate that woman. I have overtaken her years ago anyway – I could really use a new master.” Outraged mumbles and shouts follow her every step.

Uklag doesn’t stop her as she enters the base and stops just in front of him, her grey eyes look at the twins and then at the rest of his companions. “You know.” Uklag slowly says and raises his hand. Then he rips the robe right off her. The woman is surprised as she is only left in her underwear. “If you are going to try and use Alteration on me you should be better prepared for some consequences. Tell me your name.”

“C-catherine.” She finds herself unable to say anything else. “Catherine, you just made the grave mistake of invading my mind. If I am to take you as my apprentice you will follow my every command, understand?” The confident mage quivers from an unnatural coldness, “Yes.” “Yes, MASTER UKLAG.”

“Yes, Master Uklag.” She corrects herself. “Good, now strip of the rest.” Catherine does as she is commanded. Her breasts are normal in size and hang slightly according to the laws of gravity, as usual for mages her body is trained but she has managed to keep it on a level where her muscles aren’t to defined but visible nonetheless and a nice ass to complete the look.

Uklag puts his hand on Catherines forehead. “You have studied forbidden magic, I like that but maybe you should gather some first-hand experience on the matter.” He penetrates her meek spiritual defence and reaches for the core of her thoughts. Soon the skin of the magistrix begins to flush as her mind is overwhelmed with lustful fantasies. “You see, a skilled mage can overpower a victims true feelings.” He changes lust to pain and Catherine starts to scream under his hand. “Bend them to his will, not only give pulls into a certain direction.” Next he makes her happy, a thankful smile on the sheepish face.

“But true power is to break a person from the inside.” Uklag pulls back all other influences and starts to tear at Catherine’s personality. The magistrix feels as Uklag rips her mind to shreds but is unable to do anything about it, tears roll over hear face as her mind struggles to defend against the overwhelming might of the desert mage.

Just as her last line of self is about to break under the assault and completely annihalite every feeling of self she has Uklag stops. Her mind needs a moment to recover but when it finishes, Catherine finds herself collapsed at Uklags feet. The mage is looking down on her, rage burning in his eyes. “Never try to invade my mind again unless you want me to shatter yours, apprentice.”

Catherine just nods weakly, she knows that she just has cast away her soul to someone truly worthy of the title warlock. With a smile Uklag turns back to his visitors, “I’m so sorry for that. For a start, Alratha, can you look if the mage is alive please?” The assassin walks around the crowd who has fallen silent at this point, only the knight is still defiant in her words. “This magic of yours can’t hold forever, warlock!”

“She is dead, Master Uklag.” Alratha says and drops the hand of the corpse. “Okay. Now miss knight, you would be right in your assumption, I believe I can hold this field up for at least another hour though. Do you believe you can defend yourself against my lovely blood-whore for an hour in your position?”

She finally falls silent at that. “Exactly. But I have no interest in killing you anyway – that mage was an accident. Instead I will take you capture. Zal, Droy, Celine if you would do them the honour.” One after another spearwoman is bound up and forced into the deeper parts of the base, to the dungeon. In the end only the knight is still lying on the ground. “11 intruders, 3 dead, one surrendered. That makes seven captives.” Uklag says, “I will now start to undo the binding, we can’t move her with it active, Alratha remove her helmet I want to check something.”

It takes some fiddling and the assassin needs the help of Droy to lift the piece of metal against the magnetic pull that is only slowly fading but then copper coloured hair is visible. The knight lifts her head, a defiant look in her blue eyes. Uklag had partially hoped for the brown haired knight he had met a week ago but apparently fate was smiling at someone else tonight.

“YOU!” Alratha laughs at the knight, “Yes, me you damn murderess.” The knight tries to spit into Alratha’s face but only hits her left boot. “Am I to assume that this is the knight that captured you?” Uklag asks and finally steps of the plate.

“Yes, although she could have never done it alone.” “I have bested you on my own and you know it.” Alratha laughs again, “Yeah, right.” Uklag slams his staff into the ground and pulls the attention to him. “I have an idea. Knight tell me your name.”

“Tienal.” The blue eyed woman says. “Very well. Once the spell ends you and Alratha will fight. If she wins you will let me put this collar on you, Tienal.” Uklag waves at Zal who hands him a leather collar with his emblem on it. “If you win you may take all your subordinates and regroup for a second attempt at finding me.”

The knight eyes the collar with suspicion. “What does it do? Bind me to your will or something.” Uklag shakes his head, “That would be way to boring, but I hate ruining surprises so just be assured that it won’t take over your mind.”

Tienal doesn’t believe him but she accepts anyway, “For my honour.” She says. After a few minutes the plate loses its magnetic pull and the knight gets up, unsheathing her sword. “Alratha, you are not allowed to kill her.” The assassin makes a disappointed noise but smiles soon after, “I thank Saeletra for this chance.” “As do I.” With that the two fighters charge at each other.

The fight begins.