Bohr watched his crew take the limp Wood Elf away while also keeping a careful eye on the cloaked figure that paced back and forth. Whatever it was made him nervous as it acted more like a caged animal than anything. Still, his gaze kept straying to the green-eyed man, whose jaw was set firmly as if he was disappointed by the performance. The green-eyed man caught him looking, and Bohr stilled again, like he was caught by a predator.

Now Bohr knew how to handle himself in situations; he wasn't one of Skarra's trusted inner circle for nothing. Although the things he had to do and people he had to betray to get there were a different matter entirely. Yet when the green-eyed man and he locked gazes, there was a sense of unease and fear that came. Fear he hadn't felt in quite some time.

Bohr's attention was drawn back to the opening of the cage as his crew pushed in an overweight pinkish-white Goblin. It was ugly by Bohr's standards with a flat face, differing eye sizes that were as black as night, stubby arms and legs. It went a step further towards ugliness with its overly large hands and feet. The Goblin didn't speak the common tongue and instead growled and grunted at Bohr as they used to do when Goblins were still primitive, living in tribal cave communities. Bohr understood what it was saying, but in his mind, where they managed to get this one from was beyond him.

The cloaked figure stopped its pacing once the Goblin entered. However, unlike the last, the cloaked figure took a step away. Bohr noticed and did his best to hide a smile, that is until he glanced at the green-eyed man that seemed to be concentrating on the pinkish-white Goblin.

To Aldrin's ears, he was surprised he understood the Goblin's growls and grunts. "Please let me out! I didn't even do anything!" Aldrin heard the Goblin plead to the Night Goblin, Bohr. "Please! I know you can understand me! We are distant kin! I just want to go home!" The pinkish-white Goblin uttered in primitive grunts, groans, and growls.

Aldrin walked forward like he was caught in a trance until he was at the cage, clasping at the bars. The Ghoul Baron slowly walked over and kneeled to speak with Aldrin without anyone trying to overhear what was being said. "They are all just innocent people caught in the right place but at the wrong time. Don't hurt him too bad but make it believable," Aldrin whispered, his eyes never leaving the Goblin that still tried to plead with Bohr.

The Ghoul Baron hissed quietly, then shifted its head in acknowledgment. "Does the Master require that one for services?"

Aldrin shook his head. "No, but do you know how long it takes for someone to transform into a Ghoul under your control?"

Through the bond, Aldrin felt extreme elation emit from the Ghoul Baron's strand. "A few hours for the strong ones and minutes for the weaker ones. Does the Master wish for me to change the Goblin?" It whispered.

Aldrin's eyes roamed over the poor pinkish-white Goblin, then he switched to Bohr. The Night Goblin kept having a wandering eye, and most of the time his eyes landed on Aldrin. While he wasn't bothered by it, what bothered him was that he had to subtly use his Vampiric Aura to keep him from looking too closely. However, Aldrin chose to look at it as a practice of using his aura as a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer. It didn't deter the Night Goblin much, but it did keep him with a healthy dose of fear and unease.

"I do but the Night Goblin instead. We will wait until we get to their Minotaur champion before we commit to any action. For now, keep playing along and stop acting like an animal. The Night Goblin is too damn nosey for his own good," Aldrin told the Ghoul Baron before slinking back to his friends and Ty.

Bohr raised his hand, and the shrieks and shrills of the pinkish-white Goblin escalated. From outside the cage, the two gang members acting as guards threw over a set of throwing knives, and an iron scepter. Seeing the weapons land in front of him in a puff of sand, the pinkish-white Goblin ceased its chattering pleads. With a heavy sigh and a downtrodden expression, the Goblin shakily picked up the weapons.

Aldrin's ears picked up the Goblin's whispers, and it tore at him. "Gotheda, my love, if you can hear me, wherever you are, I shall see you soon." Aldrin clenched his fists in restraint not to rush forward and stop this, dismantling the entire gang in one fell swoop. He looked at Moira, who stared indifferently, but Evie's jaw clenched in anger as she crossed her arms.

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Aldrin reached out through the Servant Bond to Evie. "The Goblin begged to be released now he speaks to a lost loved one. I'm going to rip this gang apart, piece by piece."

Evie showed no outward explosive reaction as she kept her face as neutral as possible, but the corners of her eyes tightened and she gripped her arms a little tighter around her biceps. "This is barbaric," Evie replied, the only reply she would give as she watched Bohr's hand strike downwards, signaling the start of the brawl.

The Ghoul Baron launched forward, and much to the shock of everyone, the Goblin threw his weapons down and stared serenely at the charging Ghoul Baron. Aldrin rushed forth, much faster than anyone realized, except for Bohr, who was stunned to see such speed from a Human. There were no enchantments or jewelry visible on Aldrin, but to Bohr, he was tempted to Inspect him. Although he was hesitant because of what the reaction might be from such an outlier. Let alone the niggling feeling of fear in the back of his mind, but his desire to know won.

Name:???

Class: Velgrave Revenant

Tier: 3

From Bohr's perspective, Aldrin's gaze instantly snapped in his direction. They locked eyes and very briefly, Aldrin let his vampiric nature rise to the surface, racing and rippling across his face how a pebble might shatter the serenity of a pond when he felt the cold gaze try to pierce through him, to see what was hidden.

Time stilled, the din of the crowd faded into the background along with the scent of iron and ale. Unfathomable fear, dread, and terror welled inside Bohr. He wanted to scream and shout, let alone run, but he couldn't. It was like his own body was betraying him in the face of what he knew to be true. A cold sweat washed over his body as he continued to stare into Aldrin's eyes, which shifted into slitted pupils. "Zivri was right," he uttered. "And we are already too late," he said shakily, his knees threatening to buckle, but through sheer will alone, he stayed standing.

Aldrin's Vampiric Aura swelled and tightened around Bohr like a noose. He had been figured out before he was ready. Before any preparation had been done. Now all he could do was pin the Night Goblin in place for the time being. Aldrin split his attention between holding Bohr and communicating with Evie. "The Night Goblin forced my hand to reveal myself. He tried to Inspect me, and out of a knee-jerk reaction, he saw what I am before I could cover it."

"Shit! What do you want to do? We are outnumbered if he says anything!" she quickly replied. She then nudged Moira and whispered what happened. Moira tensed as she listened and discreetly looked around for the number of exits.

"I'll have to enthrall him," Aldrin replied, bringing forth the full might of his Willpower.

Charming Gaze Activated!

The Target's Willpower is higher than yours!

A Battle of Wills begins!

Aldrin groaned and wanted to roll his eyes. "Nothing can ever be easy, can it?" He felt his mind and another brush up against each other, and this mind felt different, stronger than the previous minds he's encountered. He knew he was in for a ride when Bohr's eyes brightened, shaking off the subtle influence Aldrin tried to consume him with.

"Indeed, nothing can, Vampire," Bohr chastised with a wicked grin.

Darkness encroached on the edges of their vision, obscuring everything in their peripheral vision. Like two beacons, only Bohr and Aldrin remained bathed in light.

System Notice:

A Battle of Wills:

The rules are simple: dim your opponent's light with images, memories, and sensations. Once your opponent's light has died out, the victor is either free or has dominated the loser, depending on who initiated it.

Outside forces will not be a factor, nor will time. Any ailments caused here will not be reflected in reality. However, extreme trauma can cause the mind to break. You have been warned.

Thus began Aldrin's first Battle of Wills.

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