Chanceleord went to the Council Hall of Cromilil to gather with whoever, amongst the leading councillors officers and merchants of the city, was brave enough to take leadership for a city which seemed doomed to whatever fate Guthelm of Grumandria or Charlerion of Pelancir had in store for it. They knew not who the leader of this fleet was. Only that the fleet was huge and covered the whole horizon of the sea, the harbour and the river.
The wizard Aribor had been with Valdark in the service of Guthelm of Grumandria as the ships entered the harbour. He came looking for certain persons on the general orders of Valdark; the offspring of the various leaders of the subjugated city. The House of Chanceleord was hereabouts. He had it on the maps the invaders' spies had created before the attack. There had been no need to bring prisoners to locate the place. And yet, now that he was here there was no sign of the place. Aribor walked up the street where the House should be, but there was just a wall where he might have expected. Damn those spies, he swore under his breath, they did not perform their tasks correctly. The place must be around here nonetheless. If he could not find the place he would have to go to the greater effort of requisitioning some locals to find it for him. He walked up the road again past the position on the map and again reached the junction of roads before he expected. "Damned inaccuracy," he swore, loudly this time.
Aribor, sorcerer of Grumandria spoke through the psychic space, into the building, "I know you have one of great beauty within these walls. I have seen her!" He had cast a spell of search and it had sensed great beauty emanating from those walls. He knew its direction, but when he traversed the place could find no entrance. There was a wall and the beauty lay behind, but there was no entry point. Could she be a prisoner there, walled in by the merchants who ruled here? It seemed unlikely. The merchants did not take or keep prisoners unless they had committed great crimes. He tried to see closely with his mind; a tantalising flash of jet black hair, strong piercing dark eyes and a smooth perfect nose. He could not see all, but was caught in the web of her beauty.
Usually he could see inside any house or construction, seeking out whatever he desired. He searched out and found the souls of Guthelm's enemies. If his Lord wanted to find a local resister or a rebel he could search for such a soul. Such souls were usually passionate, thriving, angry. When he took the right potions and sent himself through the buildings of villages or towns he could sense such souls. They screamed out at him, demanding attention, shouting their rage. Quiet souls, at peace, could avoid his search. He would come with his Lord's retainers to arrest these men, for questioning or destruction, or to be used to make stronger magics still.
Aribor was not under direct orders at this moment. Sorcerors of Grumandria, and some of Pelancir, ranged the city with their men. He was one of many. The city folk would be dealt with according to their hearts or the master's direction. They were all at his master's mercy, and already it was evident there would be no real resistance.
Aribor felt able to enjoy the sack of the city in his own way. He always enjoyed this time, when a city or territory crumbled into Guthelm's hands. He served his lord well, doing his bidding most of the time, but there were times, such as these when he could afford to follow his own interests. He liked to go out on his own among the vanquished, searching for virgins, harlots or men's wives, seeking their beauty, their naked essence. It had been a long time since he had attracted a woman by his youth and manliness. He had long since stopped trying. He might sometimes be able to entice the women of his own camp, but these were the ugliest or the desperate crones, and unless he was feeling a strong need for relief they did not, or could not satisfy him. He looked for and aspired for more. Among the conquered women, like the rest of the Grumandrians, he took his fill or his share. But he searched for the most exquisite beauty wherever he could find it or sense it. He knew there was great beauty in this strange building with no door.
Aribor walked around the area where his soul sense was strong, until he could appreciate the boundaries wherein she, the beauty, resided. She, whoever she was, was just the woman he desired, but he could not see her face clearly. Somewhere within she was, but why were there no entry points, and when he tried to look closely at the buildings his gaze was easily shifted to left or to right.
She, the woman of his desire, was hazy, as if in a gathered mist. Even if he saw her in the streets of the city he would not know who she was unless his search were with magic. He had not been a wizard for 25 years without knowing there was magic present here. A building or set of buildings was here protected. He guessed that probably the mage who constructed the protection sought to hide himself and his family from the conquerors.
Aribor was more concerned with the woman within. There was one female there who possessed the special beauty he required. The protector's reasons for protecting this place were of little importance to him now. If certain individuals of this city were spared the inquisitions of Guthelm's lieutenants why should he care. The city was taken. Its citizens would be like cattle soon, ready for slaughter or husbandry at the whim of the new rulers, captains, knights and ordinary soldiers, even the goblins and trolls who accompanied them. He had more important concerns on his mind! He would try to communicate with this protector. Maybe he could offer help to them in return for access to the beauty.
Aribor tapped the physical walls with the stick of his whip, and used his mind to test the walls of magic. After some investigation he determined a strong mind presence within, not the beauty, but the one who must be the protector. He would be able to announce himself to that mind.
"I am a wizard of the horde of Grumandria. I see you are hidden from prying eyes, protected from all but the most determined of wizards. I have detected a woman of great beauty within your walls. She is youthful, dark of hair and eyes, slender of body and nose. She is most beautiful and I wish to cherish her. I wish to make a bargain with you. I can bring other wizards of Grumandria upon you. We could bring our magic to bear upon you. We can evaporate or crush, turn your magic around, throw bolts at you, or lay spells to close or keep you in, suffocating the air from you."
