Ties that Bind, Part 2

You linger there in the dark, silent classroom, considering your next moves for a moment. But soon you reach a decision. Your Lust reserves will hold, for the moment. Right now, the most important thing is to learn more about this situation.

Still in your feline form, you pad over toward the teacher's desk at the front of the room, gesturing to Mockingbird before ducking under it for a bit of extra concealment. The rogue takes your meaning, following you there out of sight. She takes your small, furry form into her lap, petting you as you close your eyes and reach out with your dreamwalking power.

Elianna's soul is shielded by a divine ward, just as you expected. You set about the difficult task of bypassing the invocation, calling on all your knowledge of the supernatural and how to interfere with it. It's long, arduous work, stretching even your enhanced intelligence to its limits... but eventually you do find a way through, slipping into the cleric's dreamscape. And upon arriving there, you find that the dream Elianna is caught in is...

Well. Unfortunately, the dream is exactly what you were afraid it would be. A nightmare, one of you fucking Mockingbird. The rogue is bound in hellish chains, her eyes empty and vacant as your sneering doppelganger pounds selfishly into her limp form, heedless of any Pleasure but his own. You can see no trace left of the spunky, headstrong young woman who has come to delight in your touch over the weeks you've known her. All that can be seen here is a used-up shell. A mind-broken slave to her tormentor.

Not exactly the most flattering picture of you. But considering the fears that plague Elianna over Mockingbird's safety, it's little wonder that her subconscious has dredged up such images to torment her with. You dispel the nightmare with a sharp slash of your hand, and immediately you can feel a bit of the elf's inner turmoil ease.

It's tempting to try and follow up on that. But between the time you lost sneaking into the Bard's college and the time you lost getting through the wards around her dream, you know you can't afford any delay. You shift the course of the dream, diving headlong into Elianna's recent memories. How is she planning to entrap you?

You search back for the early memories of the cleric's arrival at the college, and soon the dream shifts to give you your first view of your other target. Elianna is speaking privately with a woman who can only be Lyra Orilana. The heroines' bard.

Her long, sandy blonde hair runs down her back in a ponytail, framing her delicate features. The hair is tucked behind her ears, revealing their slightly pointed nature, though not nearly to the extent of Elianna's full-blooded elf ears. Lyra does wear a rapier at her side... though the weapon doesn't strike you as practically an intrinsic part of her, not in the same way that Khaytala's shortsword or Verika's bow feel like a natural extension of their respective wielders.

In contrast to Elianna's buxom appearance that radiates modest, maternal warmth, Lyra's body is more slender and lithe. Her performer's garments are cut to show a generous amount of her cleavage, though even that cleavage is pleasantly medium-sized. To your eyes she looks to be in her late forties... but for a half-elf, "late forties" still only translates to "barely out of her teens" if placed on the scale of human growth and development.

And that difference is mirrored in her maturity and temperament as well. She doesn't share Elianna's composure or gravitas, looking up at the far-older elf with eyes full of anxiety. "You... you can't be serious..." she says in a small voice. "He's already taken that many of us? Even after we were alerted? Even Nevati? Even Fallhazel?"

"Yes," is Elianna's grave response. "Which is why we cannot afford to underestimate him. We must take every precaution to protect you and your family. And to ensure that if he does try to seduce you, we will capture him instead."

Lyra swallows. "What should we do?"

"From now on, neither you nor anyone close to you is to go anywhere without a guard," Elianna says. "Multiple guards, with the pairings switched randomly each day. That way, even if he subverts one of them, the others can act as checks. And if you feel a sudden rush of attraction toward anyone—anyone—that seems even the slightest bit out of place, then inform me immediately, and I will test them."

Your lip twists in a rueful smile. Elianna has taken to heart the brief experience you gave her with your allure, and is putting that experience to dangerous use. That knowledge will make the cleric particularly hard to entice in person, without being caught. She now knows exactly what to look for, and has had weeks to clear her head from the temptation you began back in Nelin.

Elianna continues. "I will also cast daily invocations on as many people as I can, to shield their dreams from outside influence. You, Wren and Moira, at the very least. Along with as many guards as I can manage. The demon uses dreams as a means of attack, and we must try to defend ourselves from it as much as possible."

That could have been a serious problem... had your intelligence not received a boost from the brand. But you've now confirmed with this very dream that you can indeed circumvent Elianna's invocations. Which means that all she'll be doing is running herself that much more ragged.

"Finally, there is one more precaution I wish to take," the cleric says. "One that I will need your help to put in place. I wish you to assist me in the holding daily services in the college chapel. For the duration of this crisis, they will be mandatory for everyone not on active guard duty."

Lyra gives her friend a puzzled look. Curious yourself, you search forward in Elianna's memories. Your time may be short, and you'd prefer to observe the result of her request firsthand. Fortunately, you have no difficulty finding a memory of one of the services in question.

The dream changes to a scene of Elianna addressing a crowd, packed into the chapel until it's standing room only. Guards, teachers, and students of all ages, an eclectic group of the most promising young musicians who have come from the nearby nations. And you can see even more people still filtering in, each of them tested with holy water after entering this area of holy ground.

When everyone has gathered, Elianna rises, walks to the lectern, and begins to give her sermon. It's a rather... pointed message, all about the need to be honest and avoid deceit, how cruel it is to manipulate and lie to others for your own Pleasure. But it's only at the end when the cleric truly lays her cards on the table.

"Some of you may have already heard the rumors," she says. "That Kovora has violated Selal's divine law yet again, by summoning agents of the afterlife into our mortal realm, allowing them to twist and distort the natural balance of the world. These rumors... are true. A demon—an incubus—is even now hunting members of the pact of heroines. I must ask for your vigilance. Not just the guards, but everyone here. This demon could be anywhere, taking any form. Even slipping into our very dreams."

A frightened murmur sweeps through the chapel. "Some of you may already have felt his touch," the cleric continues. "Some of you may already have given into him, and fear coming forward. To such lost lambs I say: be not afraid! His allure is more potent than any one person could be expected to resist alone. And I give you my solemn word that you will not face any judgment, should you ever find the strength to repent and warn us of his plans."

Here the cleric pauses, before pressing forward. "That said, some of you... may have found him convincing," she says. "Some of you may have come to believe his kind words. Some of you may have come to believe that his cause is worth supporting. Some of you may... care for him."

"To such lost lambs I say... even he is not beyond redemption. But he will never find true peace on the course that he now walks. Whatever element of compassion his goals may hold, his methods cannot be tolerated. But if you do the right thing and help us to capture him, only then can we attempt to reform him. Only then can we find a way to do the right thing, in the right way."

Oh, now that is a clever move. No matter how persuasive she is, she knows that anyone you've subverted in her audience will likely be enamored with you, and would feel horror at the thought of handing you over to die. So instead of pitting her plea for righteousness against that impulse, she's trying to avoid a direct clash as much as she can. She's still playing to her listeners' guilt, but at the same time she's offering them an out. A way they can tell themselves that they're doing the best for both sides.

It's even mostly the truth, given that they do intend to capture you, according to the dream of Alicia's that you observed before leaving Kovora. Of course, you doubt that Elianna is actually gullible enough to believe that you will "reform". But you don't detect any signs of lying from her when she promises to try and take you alive. At the very least, you know that she and Alicia are hoping to find a way to save Lily themselves... even if you also know their righteous methods won't be nearly enough to actually pull it off.

It's then that the final piece to Elianna's strategy steps forward.

The cleric takes a step back as Lyra approaches the lectern. All eyes are on her as she stands there, head bowed. Then she raises her gaze, her eyes shining... and she begins to sing.

Her voice is heartbreaking in its beauty, filling the chapel with a simple, clear melody that swells up within the souls of all who hear it. Her song is a simple one, a patriotic ballad that is probably an old favorite in the area. A tender, tragic song of chaste love and noble duty and self-sacrifice. A tale of a girl who saves her country, even at the cost of her own happiness.

You raise your estimation of Elianna's cunning another few notches, as well as her determination to clutch at every possible advantage in her desperate struggle for Mockingbird's soul. A sermon is one thing... but Lyra's song is something else entirely. The raw emotions such a song can stir are dangerous indeed. Perhaps more dangerous to your particular approach than anything else the heroines have thrown against you thus far.

The song is so captivating that, for just a moment, even you forget your purpose here in this memory. And when it finishes, you feel the sting of tears threatening to escape your eyes. Whatever else she might be... you can't deny the beauty of what you've just witnessed. You can't deny that Lyra Orilana is a peerless wonder of the musical arts.

The only problem is that peerless talent is bent toward thwarting your plans. Elianna is trying to ensure that any allies you seduce in this place will be—in turn—guilted every single day into returning to the heroines' side and betraying you.

Of course, even against a bard of this caliber, you don't think you'd lose in a contest of charisma. At least... not outright. Not so long as you can keep addressing any doubts as they crop up. The real danger will be if you try to spread yourself too thin. The more new converts you make here—and the less time you have to spend keeping an eye on each of them—the greater the chance that one might eventually be swayed by the overwhelming feelings that Lyra's song can inspire.

Mockingbird, at least, you aren't terribly worried about, given just how much time you've had to bond with her, convincing her of the necessity of your way. But any fresh seductions you make here won't have nearly that much work put into them yet. Those could still be unstable enough to pose a risk.

A chuckle escapes your lips. This entire college has been set up as one huge trap. Each part of it specifically designed around countering your usual tactics and abilities. Not that you didn't expect that to be the case... but even so, the sheer scale of it is impressive. You pull your lips back into a wide, toothy smile.

Now this will be a challenge.

You can sense that your time is quickly running out, but you quickly search forward, trying to find any more information that you can use. Particularly, you use these last few minutes to look for any memories of Lyra's family. If the bard has any weakness, it will most likely lie with them. And you do indeed sense a notable memory of Elianna's relating to that subject. Without hesitation, you dive in.

The memory begins with the sound of voices as Elianna walks through the hallways of the school. The voices are muffled, but become steadily clearer as the elf approaches her destination. It's a heated argument, one that is soon clear enough for Elianna to make out the words.

"...and you won't even tell me what's really going on!" The voice is a young one. Unfamiliar to you, but clearly agitated. "A demon is out there hunting mom, and you won't let me do anything to help fight it!"

"Honey, the last thing we want is for you to get involved in any of this!" says another voice, the tone suggesting someone older. You detect just as much worry in the second speaker's voice, although she hides it slightly better.

"Why not?" demands the first speaker, her voice nearly breaking with desperation. "What was the point of studying all that magic and swordplay and everything else I'm learning here, if you won't let me help when everyone is in such danger!"

"Because we're the ones who are supposed to be protecting you!" comes the answer. "One day... one day you will be the one who will have to take up burdens like these. One day you'll be ready. But not yet. Not against an enemy like this. Just... trust the Holy Mother's plan. She knows what she's doing."

"No!" the younger voice says, only growing more agitated. "I won't stand by and just... just watch either of you get enslaved! Especially not just because someone from that church is saying I should!"

"Moira..." You can hear the sigh in the older woman's voice. But it's here that Elianna reaches her destination, opening the final door that separates her from the arguing pair.

Both of them turn to her as she enters, a guilty expression flashing across the face of the younger one. The girl is in her mid-to-late teens, her dark hair running down her back in an intricate braid. She wears the uniform of this school, though based on how you saw most of the students in the chapel wearing theirs, you suspect that she's flaunting the dress code in a few small ways that probably feel more bold and transgressive to an adolescent like her than they actually are.

The other woman is quite a bit older. From the context, you're certain that this is Lyra's wife, Wren. She's a tall, somewhat-plain woman with short brown hair. She, like her beloved, is also in her late forties. However, like her adoptive daughter, she is also human. Which means that unlike her wife, her age rests on her after the human fashion. She's kept herself fit... but you can see gray in her hair and wrinkles in the corners of her eyes. Even more, there is a slight air of... tiredness about her. One she works hard to conceal, but which you sense from her regardless.

It's an awkward moment. But Elianna raises her hand in a calming gesture. "Please, my child," the cleric says quietly. "I understand your worries all too well. But I do believe that this is the best chance we have. If you act on your own, you will only leave yourself more vulnerable to the demon's wiles."

Moira's lip twists, and you can see a fire in her eyes. There are clearly words she wants to say... but after glancing over at her parent one more time, she swallows them. "Of course, Mother Imfiel," she says stiffly instead, lowering her gaze. "If you truly do not think I can be of any help... then I will bow to your wisdom."

So she claims. But you're pretty sure she's lying.

You'd like to investigate more... but unfortunately your time is now well and truly up. You can feel the dream ending, and you spend your scant remaining time blurring Elianna's memory of dreaming the scenes you examined, concealing them with the forgetful fog so common to sleep. And then you awaken, still wrapped in Mockingbird's lap in your little hiding space under the desk in the empty classroom. A classroom that is now starting to catch the first hints of morning light.

You'll need to get moving. And more importantly, you'll need to decide on what course of action to pursue. You can't count on more than a few days until Alicia arrives, which means you'll need to make the most of those few days. And considering how tight the defenses here are, your choices may be more limited than usual.

Still, you're not without options.

The main decision right now is who you're going to target first today. Both heroines are highly protected, and approaching them directly in the current situation will be difficult. But there are a few routes you could pursue. If you wanted to target the bard, you could begin by trying to win over one of her family members, and using their connection to get at Lyra in a vulnerable moment. The problem is, Elianna has ensured that even they have protections of their own. They'll still be easier to subvert than a full-fledged heroine, of course, but you'll still need to create an opening.

On the other hand, you could also go after Elianna, though she'll probably be the hardest of all. Using your allure—in person, at least—is almost certainly not going to work, at least not until you've worn her down more. She knows exactly what that feels like now, and getting discovered by a holy cleric is not going to end well for you. You could look for an opening to seduce one of the nuns who serve at the college's chapel then send them to seduce her. You would be sending them to certain capture, of course... but they might be able to start wearing down her resolve a bit in the process.

Alternatively, you could try to send Mockingbird after her, using the temptation of another chance for Elianna to talk to her as an opening. The rogue, of course, would have a far greater chance of getting away afterward. Though you've no doubt Elianna has also made extensive preparations of her own for their next meeting, meaning there would still be an element of risk that the cleric might manage to detain her, leaving you without an easy food source. Especially considering that Elianna has had time to clear her head.

You could also send Mockingbird to spy on any of the other possible routes, gathering more information that you could use. Or you could have her accompany you, giving you far more options in whatever route you decide to follow. She could easily incapacitate and normal guards, which would allow you to act with far more impunity in your seduction if she remains by your side.

Or, if you wanted to take a more overt route... you could just start summoning tentacle demons to shake things up. They'd spread as much lust as they can before they're taken down, and it might be able to either create a diversion for you to act, or maybe incite a little lust themselves if they can reach one of your targets directly.

There are multiple possibilities, though they all have their risks. And of course, each one might influence your various targets in different ways, prompting them to difference responses. But as this new day dawns, you'll need to decide which path to follow.