#### Mages Finally, the bandits were dealt with. Some injuries, some minor wounds, but everyone was mostly alive and well. **"Well, I'd like to think we made this world just a little better now. Well done. I have no doubt you will be able to face anything en route to Weisstraugh and anything that remains in the fortress itself. Before this rude interruption, I forgot to mention to expect traps and countermeasures against intruders. What kind, I do not know. But I believe that by working together you can overcome anything. So then..."** The Cloaked Man started pulling out gold coins out of his coin pouch and placing them in stacks of five on the table. **"If you take this job, simply take the gold. I cannot stop you from simply running away with it, but would you want to? After all, the reward for this job is more than just gold. Far more. Also, you may need to elect a leader between yourselves. Someone to carry the scroll and the gem, and generally call the shots. Generally, disorganized groups fall apart pretty quickly. But that I will leave up to you."** The Employer suddenly stopped his speech, remaining totally quiet. Someone was coming, again. More bandits? No. This time was different. whoever they were, they were organized, and still out of sight. With a loud crash, one the village entrances fell apart, leaving only one. From which heavily armored soldiers appeared, with the obvious Luminous Knights insignia. **"Looks like our info was correct. And they took a major headache for us. Alright, listen up! Surrender peacefully and you will get a fair trial, seeing as you helped cleaning up the place. Resist, and we will stick with our original orders to eliminate you."** Their captain's demands were clear. Bandits were one thing, but paladins... They were trained, they worked as a team, and they had Luminosity. The group wasn't so sure about the outcome of this battle. But... **"You showed your skills before. Now allow me. That, and this is PERSONAL!"** The Cloaked Man was visibly angry with the paladins. His hatred could be easily felt. **"Don't take another step or we will atta..."** the captain's words were interrupted by the mage appearing behind him and releasing an azure blast of energy. The blast crystallized the poor man. Within moments, only a statue of azure crystal was left of the captain and the paladins nearby him. Teleporting out of their counterattack, the mage released a torrent of crystal shards at the remaining paladins. It was rather pointless, as the sheer power of his spells easily punched through their Luminosity defenses. The few survivors that remained started to retreat. **"Shatter!"** With violent force, the crystallized remains of the paladins shattered, with millions of shards flying in every direction. With the Cloaked Man's command, the shards changed direction towards the fleeing paladins. The "fight" took no longer than a minute. And all that remained was four crystal statues just outside the village walls, the look of terror forever stuck in their faces. **"Bastards... Also a word of advice: don't touch the crystals. The stuff spreads on contact with flesh. Now then, no more interrupt..."** he was once again interrupted, but with someone popping out of his shadow. Literally. The man was young, with a blue robe and short red hair. Without a doubt, he was also a mage. **"Sorry Boss. It seems I may have underestimated their skills and their numbers."** the boy apologetically told his boss. **"Unfortunate, but it was a possible outcome. Seeing as she sent you here, is Mimel cleaning up?"** **"Uhh, the big guy arrived way earlier than we expected. She is fighting him. But not worry, right? It's Mimel, she can't lose. Right, Boss?"** the redhead boy said nervously. **"You made a mistake underestimating their recruits. Do not ever underestimate their superiors."** the cloaked man said firmly. Turning around, the boy finally noticed the group staring at them. **"Oh. OH! Hello there. There's quite a lot of you. I guess I should thank you for taking this job. It means a lot for us, and we're already spread thi..."** _SLAP_. **"Seth, just stop talking. Please."** his boss shut him up quickly. **"Now then, those who are interested take the advance payment. One of you will also have to carry the map, the scroll and the gem. It will take you roughly a week to get there. I will await your success eagerly..."** And so, the group took upon this quest. Leaving the village and passing the sad crystal statues, they could see that someone else appeared near the two. From the distance, it was hard to make out, like shadows were concealing it's form. And it's presence could be felt too. And unlike the Crystal Mage's, it felt sinister and terrifying, giving slight shivers to some members of the group. -------- #### Luminous Knights Something was very wrong. The battle was successful - nearly no injuries. But, the bandits never fight to the last. Nor are they this suicidal. **"What the?!"** their captain shouted, inspecting one of their corpses. Kneeling over a corpse, he was inspecting the back of the stiff's neck. **"There is some kind of brand on the back of his neck. Recruits, check the other bodies."** the captain ordered. A sharp yelp could be heard from the captain and the two more people who where leaning over the corpses, some kind of brand being burned into their napes. The sudden shock made the over move - they could feel something trying to pierce their skin, be in on an arm, a leg or torso, and taking over control. Alicia quickly shot her Swords of Light skywards and shattered them, destroying the illusion. Up in the sky, some kind of multi-armed wraith was present, from each arm a tether extended to a brand. Dead bandits including. Quickly cutting of their tethers with Luminosity, the paladins realized one horrifying fact. The brand, when applied on the nape, is instant. The three unfortunate comrades were now under enemy's control. But the remaining paladins were ready to destroy the wraith, and end it's control. **"Oh I wouldn't do that if I were you."** their captain, and the two others started speaking in unison. **"That tether there isn't just to look cool. If you strike my avatar down, the tether will act like a fuse, leading all the way to their skulls. Unless you think they can survive their brain being roasted from the inside, you should not use your precious Luminosity.** He was right, the paladins were taught not to use luminosity to break mind or body affecting magic. As Luminosity burns magic indiscriminately, doesn't matter if it's within the body. **"Now then. Your captain informs me that an Overlord named Levran is coming here. Good, that's simply perfect. Now then, be good little paladins and don't move. I need to prepare a proper greeting for your superiors!"** With that, the controlled paladins started moving. The bandits suddenly stood up as well, their wounds closing rapidly, limbs regrowing. **"Worry not. I just need to brand your nape. Afterwards, I can put you back together, just like new!"** their opponent taunted them via the voice of their teammates. **"Defensive fighters, try to pin down our comrades without harming them. Others must destroy the brands on the bandits. I will look for the one controlling the avatar. He must be somewhere in the line of sight of this place. Go!"** Alicia commanded them. ... Finally revealed, as the final act of defiance, the mage made the three controlled paladins ignite their own brands. Instantly losing control, the terror in their screams and faces as their skull was cooked from the inside shook everyone. But the mage himself was exhausted. Wearing a blue robe, with short red hair, he was nothing more than a boy. **"You killed Mara you bastard!"** on of their teammates shouted, rushing towards the now exhausted mage. Just as he was about to reach and cut down the boy, something emerged from his shadow, with long glowing dark blue claws. Within an instant, he was mangled brutally, his plate armor looking like paper before this attack. The new attacker was hard to make out. Cloaked in shadow, it looked like a little girl. With massive magical claws. Her eyes were pure white. No pupils at all. **"Thanks Mimel. You saved my hide, again."** the boy thanked the creepy girl. Every paladin could feel it. Some sort of sinister presence radiating from the girl. The one that chills you to the bone. A galloping horse could be heard in the distance, rapidly approaching. **"Crap, it's the Overlord. It's too early!"** the redhead panicked. **"Go!"** the girl quietly said, and the mage seemingly fell into his shadow. Now it was only the girl. A girl that was visibly far more powerful than what they just faced. She looked no more than 10. THUMP. A white, glowing spear hit the spot where the shadowy girl was standing, kicking up dirt up in the air. The shadowy traces burned off by Luminosity, the girl was found standing in another shadow nearby, like she was always there. A magnificent horse sped past the paladins, with a big, burly man running towards Mimel, another glowing spear in hand. Bald, muscular and with armor of impressive size and thickness, he was, without a doubt, Overlord Levran. Miss. Yet another shadowy illusion. They all took a look around. Now there were multiple Mimels, and they all suddenly vanished. Out of the paladin's shadows, multiple clones of Mimel attacked. Luckily, the paladins were expecting that and started defending themselves from their own shadows. Positioning themselves away from any other shadows but their own, they were fending of the attacker. Finally, after a good minute of dread and dispersing the shadow clones, they ceased. Instead, Mimel began to focus on the Overlord. The real Mimel was there. Their speed was insane, recruits barely able to perceive the movements of the fierce combatants. No regular human could ever move and react so fast. Jumping from shadow to shadow, the girl assaulted him from all angles, yet unable to get a hit in. Levran spears, however, just kept coming and coming. He was creating them - spears of Luminosity made solid. The recruits have heard about some crazy abilities the Overlords come up with, but never saw one in action. It looked like a stalemate, until out of a shadow a massive black cat appeared, cloaked in shadow just like Mimel. Even employing the same abilities as Mimel. The two started coordinating their attacks against the Luminite, and it seemed as if he could no longer keep up. **"Enough of this!"** he screamed, a bright flash of Luminosity repelling the attackers. Levran raised his right hand, with palm facing the sky. Just above his hand, a bright white circle appeared, with a symbol inside. **"Grand Flare!"** he uttered the incantation, and from the symbol a massive orb of light appeared, nearly blinding anyone trying to look directly at it. Waves of Luminosity energy started pulsing from it to all directions, forcing Mimel and her familiar to retreat. Even from a great distance, the recruits could feel the intense heat of this Grand Flare. The bright light even banished all nearby shadows, making them save, for now. ---------- #### Alicia von Eternus The strange brands on their necks were worth investigating. Before even having the time to reach a body to inspect, she heard a sort of muffled scream from the captain. Turning around, the very same brand was being burned into his neck. The sudden turning around made the attacker miss, and it hit her left shoulder instead. A searing pain could be felt, as she slowly felt the influence spreading and taking control. Above, the attack come from above. Conjuring up 4 Swords of Light, Alicia shot them skywards and activated Piercing Light. A wraith-like ghostly creature was revealed, multiple arms holding the tethers connecting to the brands, and controlling them. Quickly conjuring another sword to cut free, the tether acted as a fuse and the Luminosity flame went towards the brand on her shoulder, scorching it slightly. Thankfully, it did not get to penetrate deep, otherwise she would have lost an arm, or worse. Like those who received a direct hit... Their opponent was right. They could destroy the avatar and release the mage's control over her teammates, but it would kill them. And their enemy was ready to attack, knowing that the paladins are left with no options. Battlefield command, leadership, Alicia was taught that as well. She remember the words told to her, that sometimes the best decision is not always the most popular one. That getting emotional will just get more men killed. By trying to save a few you may kill many. But she wasn't about to give up on their lives. However morally right or wrong her childhood was, she was prepared for moments like these. Moments where her existential problems were meaningless. The "avatar" was just a conjuration, a decoy. The mage behind this was hiding nearby, in the line of sight of this place. There was little time to debate strategy, or to even come up under plan, especially under such stress. But Alicia was prepared for this. With their commander incapacitated, it was up to her to give out orders, consequences be damned. The orders were given, and Alicia's task was to find the mage. He had to have a line of sight to this area, which means he's in an elevated position. Only such places nearby were trees. Judging by his preferred angle of attack, Alicia was trying to determine just which tree he was in. The location of the avatar, how high up in the air it is, and how it's facing them. Eventually, all of those clues lead Alicia to a tree that showed signs of climbing. Conjuring up another set of Sword of Light, she fired towards the tree on the far side of the road. The tree shook, a sort of falling, tumbling noise could be heard as a relatively young boy fell down from it, people controlled by him stopping dead in their tracks. **"Damn you!"** he said while standing up, forcing the branded paladins ignite their own brand, killing them. Visibly exhausted and out of mana, the avatar disappeared shortly. Enraged by the death of his friend, a paladin rushed towards the mage, only to be cut down by... something. The shadowy figure looked like a creepy little girl. Her very presence here was unnerving. With a sound of galloping horse rapidly approaching, Alicia took a sight of relief. Reinforcements, they had to be. Sending the mage away, this... Mimel was left standing before them, only to be attacked by Levron. She was not content just with fighting an Overlords, she attacked everyone at once. Cutting down the clones appearing out of nearby shadows, including her own, Alicia commanded the team to spread out so each and every one of them has to worry about several shadows. Eventually, the onslaught ended, as Mimel decided to focus her efforts on Levron. The real one was dramatically faster than the clones, and so was Levron. The intense battle ended with him unleashing his Grand Flare and driving her off. For now, they were safe. But sure as hell none of them will be able to sleep tonight. --------- #### Eddy One rude interruption after another, this time it was paladins of all things. Eddy was not eager to fight them. He knew it was never worth the risk. But this guy, this mysterious employer, he demolished them. It didn't even take a minute. With some sort of freaky crystal magic, the paladins were wiped out before they even understood what hit them. Nor did their Luminosity defenses help them. And then this Seth appeared. He failed something? Who's this "invincible" Mimel? What is she cleaning up? Eddy did not even want to know. It's better that way. Most likely, it had something to do with Luminous Knights, and that ancient repository of knowledge they are supposed to find? It was clear as day they weren't looking for it to learn how to pull rabbits out of big hats. Picking up his stack of 5 sovereigns, Eddy picked up all the items on the table and approached Darthalia. **"Hey, do you mind carrying these, seeing as you are experienced dealing with fragile objects. You're Darthalia, right?"** he asked her while intently analyzing the map. **"I know this road up to here, after that, I'm clueless. Do you have any knowledge of this area? It looks like there could be some kind of road straight to Weisstraugh."** he asked her as they were walking away. She seemed to be the one to live remotely, the types who live in a small hut in the middle of nowhere. If anyone knew those parts, it was her. Especially the parts they should avoid, like Scars. It was going to be a long week. Passing by the crystal remains of the poor sobs, some other presence appeared in the village, a sinister, terrifying one. Shrugging it off as pointless paranoia, Eddy continued onwards with his new "pals", discussing their route with Darthalia and a few others. It is going to be an interesting week.