Frauds and Opertunities

The command tent was silent except for the silver bowl, as everyone concentrated on the image before them. Victoria leaned back in her chair. "Victor, implement strategy 3A but prepare for 3C possibilities."

"Yes your holiness." Victor said before he left the tent.

Victoria glared at the metal men in the image. "You four, don't respond to commands verbally or physically. But prepare to fallow if they run off."

Pasht sighed. "All this because they saw the scouts?"

Victoria shrugged. "They are smarter than we predicted. But they are already in the trap."

Dolos pointed to one of the crystals "If I remember correctly. Black is fear."

Victoria chose her words carefully. "Yes, but these individuals are solders and will obey orders. Even if they are afraid."

Dolos caught the implied meaning. They were testing the emotion of fear on the fake voice. He then looked down at the name cards. "Which one is Albus?"

Pasht smirked. "The small elf." A flicker of red was swallowed by the expanding black hue.

Dolos grind a bit. "At least the metal ones care about your cub." Pasht glared back.

The manifestation of a blade cutting the lock filled Albus' crystal with black and de-synchronized the image. Albus' image was filled with imagery of a dark night lit up by homes ablaze. And a metal man using a similar blade to cut down a flexing individual. Albus screamed forced to relive his past.

Dolos looked at the crystal. "There doesn't seem to be any manipulation. It doesn't care about our fear."

Yelling came from multiple directions as Victoria smiled. "Right on time. Fallow them as if your life depended on it. And don't let them leave your sight."

Brando picked up Albus and they all started running after the metal men.

Dolos looked at Victoria. "What's the next part of the plan?"

Victoria took the silver bowl and pored out the water. "We have tested fear and compassion, and nothing happened. Now we need to test the other common emotions."

Dolos smiled. "Are they going to love and sleep with the metal men?"

Pasht couldn't stop a laugh as Victoria's smile vanished. "I want to rule out everything but aggression before we get to it."

Dolos bowed his head. "I did not mean any disrespect."

Pasht stopped her laughing and Victoria sighed. "I understand your question is valid and makes a good point. But we must not be complacent in our assumptions."

Dolos gave Victoria his undivided attention. "I understand your concerns. But I do not believe those two are behind the voice."

Pasht glared at Dolos. "Where's your proof?"

Dolos sighed. "I don't have any."

Pasht laughed. "No surprise."

Dolos stood up and walked towards the crystals. "If they did have the power to put a voice in their minds. Then why did they enter the camp? They could have implanted an idea to escape. Why did they walk to the cub if they could control its thoughts?"

Victoria looked at the crystals. "Maybe they are faking?"

Dolos smiled. "I am the god of fakes and forgeries. I can tell you for a fact those actions are not fake."

"But you have no proof."

Dolos sighed at Pasht's assertion. "I propose a test to prove my point. But only when it doesn't jeopardize Victoria's plan."

Victoria stood up. "I will do my best to fit it in. So, what is the test?"

Dolos smiled. "All I need is for them to use the slow area spell before you test aggression."

Pasht looked confused. "Wouldn't that slow everything in the area down?"

Victoria smiled. "Yes, but we can use magic to speed our people up to normal speed."

Pasht was still confused. "What will that prove?"

Dolos faced Pasht. "Their communication is insanely fast but natural based. If we slow time around them enough."

Victoria smiled. "We should see who is affected first and last. Giving us a general direction of its source."

Pasht smiled. "And if it doesn't start by them. It can't be from them. Not bad proof."

- - -

Nick and Hasso ran as fast as they could while Jaeger trotted beside them. Hasso took a glance back. "I only see the slaves fallowing us."

"Let's keep running until they are gone as well."

"What about your energy level."

"Less then half. But enough to get away from them."

"The slaves in rags and chains? And how much less than half?"

"I don't trust anything from that camp, and I'm almost at one third."

"I think they would agree with you for the most part. And I think we should stop."

"Why on earth would we stop?"

"First, we are not on earth. Second, we need you at above one third to take them down if they are hostile. Third, we have been running non stop for almost six kilometers, through hilly terrain and no trail. They are tired. There is no better time to stop than right now."

Nick slowed to a stop and faced Hasso. "What would we get for interacting with them?"

Hasso pointed to Jaeger. "They could help us find a watering hole and food for Jaeger. They could point us in the direction of an animal trail. Need I go on?"

"I don't like them."

"You don't have to like them to benefit from helping them."

"Fine, should we wait here?"

"Fine by me."

- - -

The four ran after the metal men. Auri was in front tracking while Brando still holding Albus fallowed close behind and Tullia struggled to stay in sight of them.

Albus started struggling. "I can walk on my own!"

Brando continued running. "Your legs are too short. You would fall behind faster than Tullia is."

"How far have they ran north?"

"I think it is about two to three times around the town fence line by now. The outer fence line not the one around the keep."

Albus noticed that Brando was starting to slow down. "What's happening?"

"Auri is giving the signal to slow down."

"Great, now let me down!"

Brando did as requested. "They have stopped for some reason."

Albus looked back over the hills they climbed. "I hope Tullia didn't get lost."

Brando took a seat on the ground. "I tried to give her all the clues I could, I need to take a break. Climb that hill but no farther, I don't want you getting lost also."

Albus climbed the hill as Auri started to jog back to their position. "I see I am still better than you at running."

Brando sneered. "I had added dead weight."

Albus started to wave his hands on top of the hill. "Tullia, over here!"

Brando looked over. "How far away is she?"

Albus ran down the hill towards the south. "Not far. I'll be right back."

Auri sighed and sat down beside Brando. "He is head over heals for that girl. Were you ever in love like that?"

Brando sighed. "Yeah, it didn't work out."

"Still as stone walled as usual."

"I like my love life and work life separate."

"Is it because of that relationship?"

"Yeah."

"Want to hear about my love life?"

"No."

"Why are you so agitated?"

"We were sent off after a vary dangerous threat unarmed and no supplies to speak of."

"True. But what can we do about it now? What does being upset get you?"

"I understand your point but I can't control my emotions like that."

Auri looked over at the edge of the hill Albus climbed. "Looks like they are back."

Brando smiled. "Just when I thought I was cracking your hard shell."

Albus was trying to help an exhausted Tullia towards the others. His hand that touched Tullia shined a faint white glow. "We are all here. She needs a break."

Brando glared at Albus. "You are not supposed to use magic until they take the collar off you."

Albus guided Tullia down in the small clearing they were in. "We are not in their line of sight, and this only takes away exhaustion."

Auri sighed. "If it gets her back on her feet sooner then keep at it. I'll get back to observation."

Auri got up as the others sat resting while they could.