A Sinner’s Chance

It took longer than I had anticipated to catch up to those who had attempted to rob my carriage, night had fallen but I was the only one with any issue seeing in the dark. Steria had the eyes of Khetoran, which worked much like a cats, so as long as there was a modicum of light she could see well. Both Arya and Renae, the Banshee, could see in the dark with no issue, Arya due to her Skill, and Renae by virtue of being undead.

However, this also meant that it was actually harder for them to notice the stark contrast of firelight in the darkness. Stopping the horses I beckoned for the girls to follow as I dampened all the sound of our movement towards the camp before having Arya and Steria move around the perimeter to ensure none could escape. Renae stayed with me as the closer she was the easier it would be to prevent her attacks from affecting the other two. Just as I was about to charge in I heard one of the lackeys sitting at the fire ask why they were after the carriage.

Interested, I waited as I listened to the reasoning behind the attempts. It seemed he thought I had some kind of item that allowed me to fight a Hero, or at least something that would let me blackmail him. I could barely contain my laugh as I heard his arrogant ignorance at what had happened. I didn't know how he'd found the carriage even, but since he looked like someone used to wealth, a bit of interrogation would easily get him to talk.

Thinking I wanted to make an entrance to really shake up the five idiots, my arms and legs became carapaced as I tied my hair up before whispering to Renae that she should wait until I talked about her, telling Steria and Arya to match the timing as well. With my preparations done I utilized all of Vellastria's eroticism while also channeling the full power of Seduction.

The men were of course surprised to see me as I made my way into their line of sight, not a single set of eyes taking me as a threat. However, their tune changed when I insulted the Hero as weak, the words infused with Vibro and Heresy, a small trick I'd picked up from Renae. The effects were subtle, since I was still new to combining magic in such a way, likely only working because the two I was working with were my highest Affinities, one of them surpassing a hundred percent even.

I continued to lay on the fear-inducing magic as I approached. "To think there are fools stupid enough to cross not only the woman who defeated the Hero, but the daughter of Duke Alcrem Eldur. I might be a married woman now, but the house hasn't abandoned me yet."

The finely dressed man I took to be the leader suddenly stood up before kneeling, beads of sweat forming as he pressed his head to the ground. "Forgive me. I didn't know you were from a duke's house, I thought you were from some minor noble's house. I can give you reparations, whatever you want, I can surely get it for you."

I raised an eyebrow at his offer, someone who had clearly illegal connections could come in handy, but I'd rather have someone I could trust to handle those kinds of affairs if needed anyway, but I smiled forgivingly regardless. "I don't mind forgiving you, it isn't like you actually managed to steal anything." The man's head perked up as he looked at me hopeful. "But I need to ask my companions what they think. Renae, could you come out?"

The man shook slightly as he heard the name but managed to remain calm, likely thinking it was only a coincidence. However, the color drained from his face as Renae floated into the small clearly, hovering beside me. Matters only became worse when Steria and Arya joined the fray, one a High Elf with particularly strong blood, and a powerful looking Catkin Therian. At least, that was what I imagined he saw them as since it wasn't likely he could see the truth behind their actual races.

"So Renae, what do you think, should I absolve them of their sins?" I said casually to the undead girl who responded with a shake of her translucent head.

Renae nodded. "I do indeed think they should be absolved." she said, much to the relief of the five men. "They deserve a fitting punishment so that they may atone. I suggest flaying them alive."

I could only smile as I held back my laughter from the faces of the men who had gone from thinking they were safe, to the deepest pits of despair in a matter of moments. "I've got a better punishment, but it seems that they will die either way, let's capture them then."

The men had already started to move by the time I finished speaking, mostly in a terrified panic as they tried to flee, only to be stopped by Arya or Steria, before they fell unconscious due to the wail of Renae. While I only really cared about the man dressed in fine clothes, the four other ruffians had a purpose to serve as well so we tied them up using my silk before strapping them to surrounding trees. I wasn't about to have them be anywhere near the carriage, especially since Steria and Arya needed to sleep, something I urged them to do as I worked on preparing the clearing for a ritual.

As always I was thankful for the enormous mana pool that let me use magic I wasn't suited for. I couldn't ever get away with using it in combat unless I switched back to formations, something I'd considered multiple times, but my Domain simply wasn't big enough to get good use other than defense, something that would only hinder me. The utility and use in enchanting were really the only reason I was actually skilled in the elements anyway, something evidenced as the dirt beneath me slowly but surely flattened out and turned to stone, a small altar rising in the center, a magic circle being created at the same time.

As expected doing such a task took me a stupid amount of time, something that would impress any Earth Mage worth their salt for the wrong reasons. The mana expenditure wasn't something to scoff at either, but I made sure to take it at a pace that didn't drain me too quickly, while it would have made short work of a few things, unless I had easy access to something to recover mana it would be even more inefficient. I could have simply had Steria or Arya stay awake, but I would rather have them well-rested and take extra time than let them be tired and finish sooner.