"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.
