A Chance Encounter

The spy was good at his job, of this none had any doubt. What they doubted was his ability to get along with his employers, and hence why he was again looking for a new noble to impress with his abilities. The city he was in at the moment was... well the name escaped him, but it didn't really matter now did it? He had heard rumour of a nosy Baroness, or was it Countess? Either way, they wanted information and didn't care how it was gotten, his perfect type of customer.

He sent off the usual introduction letter along with where to find him, and a description just to be sure, and busied himself scoping out the city. The guards constantly stared at him, as if they instinctively knew he didn't belong, but everybody else seemed to ignore him. No matter, he thought to himself, at worst he'd get thrown in jail this way. While he was on his way back to the room he had rented, he found himself waylaid in an alley.

As he turned a corner, he heard the unmistakable clink of chain armour behind him, and in front of him was a short, golden haired elf who looked quite annoyed. Glancing behind him, two orcs towered over him, their expressions as lifeless as stone. Turning back to the elf, he decided to treat her like a potential client.

"And who might you be?" The spy asked, bowing. "Have you perhaps heard of me?"

"You're trouble. You keep poking around in this city, and mother won't like that." The elf said, very annoyed. She crossed her arms before continuing. "However, you're a good spy, so maybe mother can make you into a loyal one. Take him."

With lightning speed, the two orcs grabbed him before he even had a chance to process what the elf had said. What was going on, how did orcs move that fast? He tried to shout, but a rag gagged his mouth, before the world went dark as a sack was placed on his head.

"Mother will have to break you." The elf whispered in his ear, before he felt a sharp pain on his neck, and he lost consciousness.

"Sure he's a good fit, Tanya?" One of the orcs asked the elf as he lifted the unconscious spy and tossed him over his shoulder.

"If it comes down to it, I'll just steal his shape." Tanya replied dismissively. "Wouldn't be the first one."

---

The spy awoke in a cold cell. While the matter of what managed to knock him out so quickly needed investigation, where he was at the moment was a much more pressing concern. Looking around, light streamed in through a window high on the wall, far out of reach from anybody except the best acrobats. Looking around the cell, his thoughts felt muddied, like somebody was trying to tamper with them.

"Quite the fighter aren't you?" Tanya asked, standing on the other side of the bars.

"You!" The spy shouted, turning to look at the elf. He knew this was the woman who had kidnapped him earlier, but for some reason he couldn't be angry at her.

"You already feel mother's thoughts, don't you?" Tanya asked, smiling. "Be a good little spy for mother."

"Yes." The spy whispered. "Mustn't disappoint mother..."

Tanya smiled, seeing how susceptible this man was to mother. But she needed to make sure the spell wouldn't break once he left. He was a man, which meant she had to test him the same way mother tested every man. She detested it, but mother was always right, and she was mother's good little girl. She unlocked the door to the cell and stepped inside before locking it again. She knew what the spell would be saying in the man's mind, and steeled herself for it to come.

The spy wrestled with his thoughts. He was a gentleman, and certainly not the kind of beast to do that to a woman, even if she threw him in this cell. But a part of his brain urged him to give in to the horrific thoughts, and do what he wanted to her. She was looking at him with frightened eyes, and seemed to be shrinking away from him.

"You." He breathlessly whispered, approaching her. "Tell me why I feel this."

"I-I'm mother's gift." Tanya stammered. No man had ever taken this long. Most had just pounced on her and tore her clothes off the moment the cell door opened. "D-Do you not like me? I can take any form you wish."

"Do you want this?" He whispered in her ear.

Tanya paused for a moment. She knew mother's magic was powerful, but she never heard of mother knowing the words of a conversation.

"No." She admitted. "I hate it."

"Then leave." He whispered, gripping her shoulder tightly. "No matter my urges, I am no monster."

"You'll die!" She said, raising her voice. "One sin isn't worth your life, idiot! Just fucking rape me and you'll live! Mother'll kill you!"

"Yes, mother..." He whispered again, his eyes glossing over.

This was it, she thought to herself. But he surprised her once again by grabbing her and throwing her against the far wall, breathing heavily.

"No! Living as a slave isn't living!" He shouted. "I'd sooner die!"

"Just be a good mindslave for mother!" Tanya shouted. "You stupid fucking man!"

The spy screamed again as the spell boomed commands into his mind. Tanya was starting to feel bad for him, for being such a principled man. Her heart quickened and she gasped when he started to approach her again. Was he finally going to give in? She was laying helpless and injured on the cell floor, she wouldn't be a match for him. He fell to his knees and straddled her, breathing heavily. To her annoyance, all he did was rip her shirt off before collapsing on top of her, crying.

"It's just not in you, is it?" Tanya asked softly, placing her arms around him. She sighed, this meant she'd have to take his knowledge and his mind.

"Got you." He whispered, grabbing her throat and squeezing. "Mother's displeased with you."

Tanya started struggling. It was one thing to be sexually assaulted all the time for mother, but she wasn't about to die for her. "Like hell she is! I'm mother's special girl!"

As the man kept squeezing her throat, she realised he wasn't making any sexual moves toward her. Was he trying to kill her? No, she wanted to live! Squirming under the man's tightening grip, she did the only thing she could think of and used wildshape, turning into a raven. Thinking quickly she took flight and escaped through the window of the cell, not looking back even once.

Back in the cell, the spy collapsed to the ground for a moment. One of the last thoughts that were his own was wondering if trading his freedom to give that woman a chance was worth it. He decided that maybe it was for the best, he was a scoundrel his entire life and now he did something good, but then the full force of the enslavement spell enraptured his mind.

"Mother won't be happy with me." He said out loud, looking around. "She wanted her dead. No matter, she'll probably want me to hunt her down. Guards!"

The guards standing at the cell door nodded and unlocked it. One came in and helped him to his feet.

"Are you injured?" He asked the spy.

"Only my pride. I imagine Mother'll be mad at me." The spy said, shaking his head.

"We've all been there, lad." The guard said with a laugh, slapping his back. "Surprised she wants Tanya gone. Well let's get you up to Baroness Barclay's chambers, she'll want a full debrief."

He nodded, and followed the younger guard up the stairs and into the mansion. It was quite plain, he supposed, but he wasn't sure what sort of woman Mother was yet. Resolving to be on his best behaviour for Mother, he dusted off his clothing when they arrived at the chamber.

"Good luck, Sir." The guard said, and walked off.

The Spy wasn't worried of course, Mother would think for him. She just needed to tell him what to do, and he would do it. He knocked twice before opening the door. Sitting on a chair near a window was an older woman in a purple dress. There were wrinkles on her face, and she had long grey hair. She smiled warmly, and gestured for the spy to sit.

"Mother, how nice to meet you." He said.

"Ah, my new spy." She said, smiling. "Tell me, how is Tanya?"

"Escaped, I'm afraid. I didn't know she could use wildshape, and I spent far too long fighting your embrace." The spy admitted, looking downcast. "If only I had known how good it felt to follow orders, this wouldn't have happened."

Leona frowned. She had half-expected both of them to be dead, but Tanya breaking the spell and escaping wasn't in her plans. No matter.

"Such things can be expected." Leona answered. "I want you to hunt her down and drag her back here."

"And if she won't come?" The spy asked.

"Kill her on the spot." She answered, folding her hands on her lap.

"I'll need some help on the way, mother. I'm only one man." The spy stated. "She could be anywhere."

"Take this amulet." Leona said, pointing at the one sitting on the table next to her. "It'll point out mother's special little children to you, and they'll help you."

"Of course, thank you mother. I'll get started immediately." The spy said, rising to his feet.

"Go visit the girls downstairs first." Leona said with a wink. "Strapping young men need some relaxation first, if you catch what I mean."

"Is that an order?" The spy asked with a grin, knowing damn well it was.

"It is." Leona said, grinning. "Be as rough with them as you want, I can always get more sex slaves."

---

He felt refreshed as he left the mansion, and confident. Mother hadn't given him a timeline, but he knew she wanted it done as soon as possible. After speaking with some of the servants, they pointed him in the direction of a tracker nearby in the Baroness's employ. His house was on the edge of the woods, and he quickly found it with no issue. Knocking on the door, a young man answered.

"Yes, can I help you?" He asked.

"I need the services of a tracker, and I was told you're a good one." The spy said, smiling. The amulet felt warm against his skin, and he knew what this meant.

"Ah, sorry." The man said, rubbing his head. "They must be mistaken, I'm not a tracker."

"Oh?" The spy asked, still smiling. "Mother tells me you are."

"Oh? Oh!" The young man said. "Of course, come in!"

The spy looked around as he stepped inside. A modest home at the edge of society, it was clearly the home of a master tracker, what with all the furs of animals. Taking a seat near the fireplace, the young man joined him after locking up the door.

"So, who are you tracking?" He asked.

"Tanya Torvaris, I'm afraid. Mother wants her quite dead." The spy said, shaking his head.

"Well that's surprising. She was in charge of the information network, and one of mother's oldest slaves." The tracker replied. "No matter, not our problem, eh?"

"Of course of course. How am I going to find her? Her knowing wildshape threw me off quite a bit."

"Mother didn't even brief you on Tanya?" The tracker asked, surprised.

"Some sort of test, I imagine." The spy offered, to which the tracker nodded. "All in good fun, eh chap?"

"Right right. So for Tanya you're gonna be a bit well... fucked. She's a natural shapeshifter." The tracker explained. "The woman of a thousand faces. You do have one thing going for you, though."

"Oh? I do?"

"She's only got so many. She's gotta kill someone to get a new face. If she's trying to lay low, she's going to use faces she already has." The tracker explained.

"What if she just hides in the woods in wildshape? I'll be in quite the pickle." The spy asked.

"Then either way she's not our problem anymore. If she decides to become a squirrel for the rest of her life, then the problem solves itself, doesn't it?"

"Maybe for you!" The spy shot back. "I still have to find her!"

The tracker laughed in response, and winked. "I can get you to within a few miles of her, once. After that, you're on your own. A one time displacement spell."

"Better than nothing, I suppose." The spy said with a sigh. "How long do you need for preparations?"

"Just a few minutes, old boy." The tracker said, grabbing a book off the table and flipping through it.

In a couple minutes, a casting circle was formed around the spy, and he disappeared in a flash of light. Afterwards, the tracker grinned and laughed out loud.

"So, Leona's going after Miss Torvaris, huh?" The tracker whispered under his breath. Never knew who might be listening.