"They're in the mountains?", Otilia exclaims as she watches Xayan pointing on a map. "And how are you able to tell their precise location? That's really impressive."
"Yeah, Xayan is so great, I don't know why I am here anymore", Leon mumbles loud enough for the woman to hear.
"I'm going to help you get your memories back. You're probably all much stronger than me, why am I here?", she answers him, trying to make him understand that he is important, probably much more than her in the future.
"Well, you are the one who helped us..."
"And now Xayan is helping the two of us find your friends. You're all friends, right?", Otilia asks turning to Xayan.
"No idea", he says and she gives him a sharp look. "I remember that in time I learned to approximate the distance between us. You feel when they are close, you feel when they are far, you just need training to see how far. It's... a journey", he answers her initial question.
"Aren't they going to be waiting for us? I stole two of their men. It can't be this easy all the time", she expresses her worries.
"I have an idea", Leon says. "I was reading this book you have, the one about hallucination magic and apparently you can steal someone's looks. Normally, it takes a really long time to make them, but with our power, it should take around 20 minutes. I can't really use my magic, but you can, can't you? You did it in the Red Light District with Xayan. We just need five cloaks and... five victims, I guess. "
"We also need you to tell us all the tools you can bring with us, Otilia. Also, I do not think it is wise to return here. I suggest going here", Xayan informs them pointing somewhere on the map.
"What's that?", Otilia wonders. "Seems to be nothing..", she says seeing nothing marked.
"The mountain is a strategic place. The two dragon riders were keeping something important in there. I think they are kept in there in order for our kidnappers to gather enough of their magic and unlock the gate of that place. I don't know if it's a physical gate or some sort of portal, but I'm going to bet on my friends opening it", he answers.
"What if they remember almost nothing like me?", Leon says.
"One of them will, I think", the other man answers. "I can't point out why, but I can sense it, one of them is more beast than man."
"I will bring five cloaks with me", Otilia interrupts their worries. "I have three explosive balls and these scrolls", she says while unlocking a drawer. "If you rip these scrolls apart, they are going to release poison. You don't need a mask, though. I have the antidote, it's a small stone you need to keep under your tongue. Don't swallow it! Nothing will happen, but the raw stone is too expensive for me to lose it in your stomach! I also have these rings I made long time ago, I only have two and you don't have to wear them now, but it allows people to communicate telepathically. I keep a few other things, but I am afraid only I can use them."
"What things?", Leon asks with curious eyes.
"Different powders kept in sachets, but they can only be used by my magic. I split them into colors, so I don't confuse them. Inside the red bag, there's the love powder. Inside the blue one, the truth serum. Inside the purple one, the one that reveals your darkest fears. And inside the yellow one, the one powder that shows you the thing you desire the most. Of course, they might not work on someone who is very strong, but I'm usually stronger than the people I want to trick. Oh, wait, wait, I have something for you two", she exclaims.
She jumps around the room until she reaches the opposite wall. Pressing the walls, she reveals a secret door that she opens with no trouble. Inside, swords and magic stones are stacked chaotically in some apparently hidden room. She steps inside and seems to be looking for something in the pile.
"Here, here, I found them. I will give you these", she rejoices but the men look more shocked, wondering what other things are being kept away from them in the house.
She hands two swords to the men and some tiny magic stones, different from the ones meant to protect them from poison. The ones she just took out of that room have different colors and reflect the light, while the previous ones are opaque and brown, like mud. The swords are identical, but the magic stones are visibly different and the men assume they have different purposes.
"You only need physical force to wield these swords, there's no magic involved from your part. If someone attacks you, just swing it around and hope for the best. As for the magic stones, the fun part starts here. Leon, I noticed that you are compatible with the white ones, they create defensive walls around others, but make no mistake and do not overuse them because they are not hard to break. Ri, you get red and blue, the red one can create small fires and the blue one can temporarily freeze someone. Be really careful with the second one, it might reflect back on yourself and I'm not in the mood to carry you", she informs them carefully.
"You're really moody today", Leon says. "Well, you're like this everyday", he adds.
"Shut up", she cuts him off, asking herself what's the deal with him. "Put your swords on, put your stones in your pockets, I have everything in my bag, you two need to hurry."
They listen to her and do what she says quietly. Xayan takes the map with him and teleports them to the desired destination. Usually, wizards would have to teleport multiple times in order to reach a place up in the mountains, due to how far it is from the cities, but with a bit of effort, the man with glowing purple eyes only has to do it once. It only takes a few seconds to reach the point, but Otilia throws up behind the tree right away, while the men seem to be untouched.
"I thought it would be like the last time, but I can feel my insides turning around. What happened?", she complains.
"I think we hit a barrier, but we managed to get in without sending a signal", the wizard says in a calm tone, maybe too calm.
As the men look around, they notice the trees standing tall over the ground, covering the sky. Fortunately, faint rays of light penetrate the green shield, showing them their surroundings. Otilia wants to say something as her dizziness fades away, but Leon shushes her with a forefinger to his lips. They are not alone, that is clear to the men now, as people seem to be marching around. Grateful to the majestic trees hiding them, Otilia sighs and takes a few steps towards the spot where voices can be heard. Some men in military armor are sitting around a campfire, looking at the sky.
"Lin and Abel are going to be soon back and it's our turn to tour the perimeter", one of them informs the other.
"Nobody could ever enter here without approval, what is here anyway?", the other man complains, visibly upset he has to start his work soon.
Otilia watches them and thinks for a few moments, then smirks. She tries to listen to the lifeforms around the area. Two people marching towards the camp, she knew about them. Two men in front of her, she saw them already. Seven people seem to be doing some sort of physical activity, but they are too far and probably won't come here for a while. Underground, two pairs are sitting still in two different places. Guarding probably. And three other men are walking around. She wouldn't have been able to make such predictions if she were in a place with more than 50-60 inhabitants, but here Otilia shows a confident smile. As the pair she was waiting for approaches the campfire, she tells the others with her eyes to get ready.
"What a tiring day", some voice says, belonging to one of the men approaching the spot. "There has been some crazy things happening. Apparently the masters have been robbed."
"What?", one of the persons who was there beforehand asks shocked.
"Yes, that's why we have to march around this place periodically, even with a barrier. Truth be told, I heard one of the masters saying they don't know how strong the enemy is."
"Man, don't scare...", the man starts speaking, but he doesn't manage to finish as Otilia hits him and another one hard on their heads. Leon and Xayan took care of the other two and the four of them now lie in there, bleeding.
The three companions drag the bodies away in the safety of the woods and Otilia takes a close look at their faces. Making slight modifications using hallucination is one thing, but to be someone's clone is more complicated. She takes a knife and cuts out small pieces of facial skin from three of the men, trying to not leave scars that are too big.
The ritual of stealing faces begins.