. 03 Escape

Ch.8 : Escape From Cromilil (Part 3)

"What can we do?" wept Serena, Remzain's mother.

"Mother, there is nothing we can do about Remzain now. She is out of our control. We have no further influence," said Princil. "The sorcerer would have told his people we were here if he did not acquire Remzain. They might have torn the building down brick by brick, and no magic can protect us from that.

"He promised to look after her, as a kind of contract," explained Princil. "I could sense his lust for my sister, but there was a strong devotion which suggested he might keep his word. I do not think he means to give her to any who would harm her. He means to keep her for himself. That is what I saw, but I can see no further.

"She is beautiful, she is clever! She will know how to measure men, and to measure the threats around her. We have to hope she will make the best of her captivity and find a way to free herself."

"Can you talk to her, through magic I mean? Can you communicate, find out how she is?" asked Serena.

"I do not have all the skills I would wish. Perhaps I might improve my arts in this field," said Princil, "but Remzain does not possess the skills of mind reading or mental communication. I would find it impossible to find her that way."

"The Grumandrian sorcerer was able to trace her beauty and her soul, you say?" suggested Ishtral, his secondmother. "So he located her. Perhaps you could do the same? Perhaps because you know her so well it will be easier. There is a bond between you, is there not? We saw it on the fateful day. Surely you can read her, or discover her whereabouts, even if you cannot communicate with her."

"Perhaps one day I will have all these skills," said Princil. "I will try to develop my abilities, and perhaps will attempt something in that direction."

King Guthelm sent a large part of his army up the coast, towards the northwest, in the direction of distant Vedalis along with Pelancirian and Goblin allies, and the Dark Elves. Towns and even cities were taken and despoiled as had occurred in Cromilil, although the Pelancirians refused to conduct massacres in the areas they conquered. Resistance from Shalirion began to slow their advance as professional soldiers were arriving from the northwest and the capitals of the Empire. Another large force of Grumandrians made their way down the Cromil Valley, but found the towns and villages abandoned to them. Eagerly they destroyed and plundered what they did find and continued southwards to take the heartlands of the region.

Alos was very satisfied. The fight back had really begun. Guthelm's army had come up this valley in strength, but they had not come with enough speed to surprise the people. The warning of the sack of Cromilil had been enough to warn them all of the serious threat which had come to Shalirion. Alos, by his energy and drive, had found himself elected leader of the band of those few who had managed to escape from Cromilil. They had come south down the Cromil valley to towns such as Lourd and Crallion where Alos knew many of the leading citizens as close friends and business colleagues. He had found himself accepted as leader by all in the area Guthelm now invaded. As Shalirion had had no need of a standing army of any size for many decades, and perhaps centuries, there was little formal structure for defence. In this region of Shalirion there had been no expectation of attack. All recent incursions by the barbarians had been far away in the northwest, where standing armies were more prepared for Shalirion's defence.

Princil developed a plan to cloak his surviving family in invisibility to make the journey through the city, and escape Cromilil at night. Much of the armies of Grumandria and Pelancir and the goblins and dark elves had left the city to bring conquest and destruction to other parts of Shalirion so they thought the city should have become easier to escape from. They could by pass the Grumandrian guards at the edge of the city by putting them to sleep. To do this Princil suggested Serena and Ishtral, and Ishtral's daughters, fair Samatha and brown haired Felyst, approach the guards on duty offering their sex. Princil would create a magic of sleep while they put the guards at their ease.

"We will do this," the females of the family offered. "You have done your part by creating the magic Princil."

The young wizard had already enhanced his secondmother Ishtral to make her completely gorgeous to the guards who would probably be easily distracted by any woman at this time of night when all was quiet and they were bored. Princil could see little enhancement that could improve his own mother Serena in any way.

Now he faded the spell of invisibility on the ladies, making them apparent to the guards when they turned the corner. He went with them but remained cloaked in invisibility. He had been able to enjoy the renewal of sexual acts with his secondmother Ishtral and his halfsisters which had enabled him to erect this magic. He knew that in the aftermath of the bloodlust of conquest, the half empty city was now much quieter and calmer and safer. Escape now seemed an easy matter to him, but they must not be complacent. If one, just one, of the guards happened to be unattracted to females, or so suspicious that he would not allow any distraction to take place then this approach could prove very dangerous. The ladies affected a pretence of having been drinking, perhaps returning from entertaining the occupying soldiers. Laughing and giggling they wandered unsteadily towards the guardpost at the gate.

The soldiers saw them, jumping to some kind of wakeful attention, although Princil believed that two of the three at least must have been drowsing at the least, as they seemed slow. The most alert soldier called out, "What do you want wenches? It is the middle of the night. You should be long in your beds by now.

"Just been having some drinks, entertaining some of your fellows sire," slurred the beautiful Ishtral. "We're just trying to find our way home, but I think we've had a little bit too much to drink."

"I am ready for a rest, I don't know about you girls," said Serena drowsily.

"What about it Gents? Can we sit down in there with you?"

Princil could see the guard looked a bit lost for words when he saw radiant Ishtral. The cascade of blonde hair around a very beautiful face was enough to make him respectful and suggestible. The other two seemed stunned as if they had awoken to a better dream than the ones they had been having.

"Have you any drinks we could share?" asked Serena. "We can keep you company for a while."

"I suppose it would not do any harm," said the wide awake guard. "Nothing's going on out here. You can help to keep us awake," he said, referring obviously to his two sleepyhead colleagues. He was obviously quite swayed by the beauty of these ladies. A few weeks of inactivity, drinking and debauchery in Cromilil had softened him and his colleagues to be willing to accept the possibility of some female company when it seemed to be offered.

"Let them in," said one of the sleepers. "Like you said they'll help to keep us awake!" The other, a younger man than the other two seemed pleased when Samatha and Felyst came in and sat on either side of him. Immediately Ishtral's soft hands wondered over the first guard as she sat next to him. Not believing his luck he reached to explore her. She allowed him to grope under her blouse, fumbling for her breasts. Serena's guard gave her the drink she had asked for, and quickly put his arm around her, determined to get what pleasure he could demand from this pleasant distraction as soon as possible.

It was now time for invisible Princil to step in and send these guards into a magical sleep, before they could get to enjoy the ladies of the family too much. Princil thought how easy it would have been now to kill these foreign beasts who had so ransacked their beautiful city, but it would be best not to cause alarm amongst the occupiers of the city or cause them to chase them. Besides his mother and secondmother and halfsisters would not have enjoyed to be involved in killing, where it was not necessary. These men were hungry for them and it would not have been pleasant to kill. Gently he whispered a spell, lulling the men into a sleep, no doubt full of sexual dreams involving ladies of Cromilil. Very soon they were snoring, and Princil ushered his mothers and sisters through the gate which they quickly found the key for in the guardhouse, returning them to the cloak of invisibility as they departed through the gate, for the Vale of Cromil and the resistance of their own people they hoped to find.