Out of the Shadows, Part 2

After pondering for a moment, you reach a decision. "Let's start by 'making friends' with some of Verika's friends," you say, giving Khaytala a wicked smile.

The fallen heroine smiles back, caught between excitement and uncertainty regarding what's about to happen. She probably didn't expect to be making such an aggressive move quite so soon, or so overtly. But you can tell that she trusts you. Trusts that it will work out well for everyone involved in the end.

The two of you continue onward, deeper into the forest, until you Khaytala informs you that you're approaching the broad vicinity of the elves' hidden sanctuary. You set up camp in a secluded glade and continue on foot, senses alert for any opportunities to strike.

Now it's you who take point. Your stealth skills are average by demonic standards, but you'd match them over all but the most exceptional of mortals, and combining that with your now-peerless perception that allows you to note and react to the presence of others from a far greater range, you're able to handily avoid detection as you scope out the area.

Unfortunately, no ideal targets fall into your lap right away. You spend a couple of days searching the area, but the few times you do come across elves traveling to or from their village, it's always in numbers that strike you as a bit too risky. Your luck changes on the second day, however, when fate throws you not just one perfect opportunity, but two.

The first one you come across is a young elf woman, her blonde hair hanging down her back in a single, simple ponytail. She's carrying a bow, with a quiver of arrows on her back, and she—like you seems absorbed in tracking prey of some kind.

Her body is wrapped in a series of criss-crossing brown fabric that display her fit, lithe figure and decently-sized breasts to very good effect... at least in principle. However, she doesn't seem entirely comfortable in it, like she's pushing herself to reveal that much skin.

"That sounds like Relis," Khaytala tells you, after you double back and describe the prospect. "One of the hunters for the village. She actually has a 'rivalry' going with Verika, though it's... pretty one-sided. Verika didn't want to tell me the details, so I didn't ask, but... it sounds like there's some history between them. All I know is that it seems like she's insecure over how easily Verika surpasses her, no matter how she tries to close the gap."

Interesting. Even if she's not on the level of a heroine, you suppose a hunter's skills might prove useful in a pinch. And if she's obsessed with Verika, she might be in a relatively better position than most random elves to give more information on your true target. On the other hand, depending on the situation and who's available, those skills could become eclipsed by Khaytala... or Verika herself as you draw her in closer. And her rivalry could result in complications as well.

You continue your sweep as you ponder the positives and negatives... and you're still considering when you notice the second opportunity. This time it's a group, like some of the ones before... but it's a small enough group that the benefit might be worth the risk.

They're led by a tall, buxom elf, her curvaceous figure wrapped in a green, flowing garment, a wooden staff held in one hand. Following her attentively are three younger elves, two girls and a boy. They're wearing similar clothing, although theirs is pure white. Both the boy and the oldest girl also carry staves of their own.

The adult elf is talking at length about the various medicinal and magical properties of various plants as she points them out, occasionally quizzing the younger elves on all manner of obscure taxonomical questions both natural and supernatural, while they hang on her every word. You seem to have stumbled across a lesson between a teacher and her pupils.

You quickly write off the younger of the two girls as a target; she clearly isn't mature enough for the delights you offer to be enjoyable for her. She can't even be out of her twenties; not even pubescent yet, as elves go. Anything you did with the child as she is right now would end up being more traumatizing than tempting. Pointless, counterproductive cruelty.

The older students, however... they have some promise. Still young and inexperienced, of course, but those are probably well into their forties. The older girl is still small and slender in that particular elfin way, but despite the flowing garment you can tell that she's started to develop some budding curves, and you can tell that she's starting to come into more grown-up desires. Even more so from the boy; you can read the young adolescent horniness in so many of his actions as he interacts with both the older girl and his teacher.

You slip away to inform Khaytala of this latest opportunity. "Oh, that's Syvel," she responds. "She's their village healer. And her students are Esile, Leati and Belan." The heroine smiles fondly. "Belan in particular is such a sweetheart. He even spent some time following me around the last time I was here, to see if there was any help I needed from him."

Very interesting. It seems the lad might have a thing for Khaytala as well. Ah, to be young, horny and mortal. They might be novices at sex, but they're experts at letting it go to their heads regardless.

You have a wealth of options before you. Taking all four of them isn't an option for multiple reasons, but you do have Khaytala on your side. You could have her keep the other three occupied while you lured either the teacher or the girl away to claim them. Not exactly her strong suit, but at least she wouldn't have to directly lie. It should be simple enough that the two of you could probably pull it off with... well, minimal suspicion. Hopefully.

Or... you could provide the distraction, and have Khaytala seduce the boy instead. He doesn't seem like he'd put up much resistance, especially if you used a Corruptive Boon to grant Khaytala a limited degree of aphrodisiac touch herself. You could hardly ask for an easier target for her first attempt at such an endeavor.

They're all mages, which could be useful in and of itself. And while the older one would probably have more direct pull in the village—which might or might not come in handy—the younger ones might be able to avoid suspicion and get away with certain things that an older elf couldn't.

Either way, you doubt that you'll find better opportunities to claim an ally than these anytime soon. The question remains, though: which opportunity will you take? And how?