[Carillon]

... On the subject of enchantment spells and bending minds, I shall have to speak to Aryell about something the next time I can catch her for a lesson. I have been meaning to ask her whether there is any way to tell whether someone's mind is truly bent to your will, or whether they are merely acting the part. I helped deal with a bandit problem very recently in Vehl, and one of the bandits proved blastedly strong-minded. Incredibly so, actually. And a cursedly good actor to boot. Not only did my enchantment spells not take, but he was able to pretend they did and it was very difficult for me to be certain. That just will not do. When I enspell someone to get information from them, I need to know that information is correct. Luckily I caught most of his lies before we left him hidden and bound, drugged by one of my sleeping draughts, but it made our task much more difficult and was embarrassing.

I do not like to be embarrassed. He paid later, for that and for other things. His superior had captured four children, two boys and two girls, and was holding them hostage. He proposed a trade: us for them. Unfortunately, there were too many arrogant fools in our company who don't understand the principles of negotiation and bargaining. There is a time and a place for bargaining, but there are some people who are too mad, too powerful, too arrogant or too desperate to bargain. When dealing with them, persistent attempts to take control of the situation will only escalate tensions. Tensions escalated, alright. Due to the bumbling efforts of several of our would-be negotiators, including the Ilsaran cleric Alleina and Brian's father Rain, all four children were killed. One of the girls had her throat cut first, and then the other three were slaughtered during the ensuing struggle.

The first child's life being lost was a tragedy, but perhaps can be excused by my companions not realizing how serious the situation was. They thought they could outsmart our foe. It's a flimsy excuse, but it is an excuse. The other three are inexcusable. Their selfishness and stubbornness cost those children their lives. Throats slit and necks broken, they were cut down because we were too proud to bow our heads. Even I would have done it, I think. Traded myself for ransom, I mean. I am sure there is a price you can set on a child's life. Everything has a price. I reckon the price as considerably higher than my own pride, though. All the bandits were killed, but it is little consolation. I heard the children were taken to the temple in Vehl and raised, and are being kept there until they are claimed or someone decides what to do with them. I plan to go and visit on the morrow.

The bandit I had drugged paid some of the price. I admit, I was angry, and the others had forgotten him. I hadn't. I went back, and waited until he awoke. I am quite certain my face was not a welcome sight, pretty as it usually is. I had no looking glass with me, nor would I have stopped to check if I had, but I believe I looked quite frightening. My blood boiled with rage and I could feel the magic crackling all around me. Lightning magic has been my focus lately, and I could feel the hairs on my head lifting a little into a wild black mane as I sought the power within me. That would have been too easy, though. I didn't want it to be easy. And I wanted information. We took it slow. Very slow.

I expected to feel something afterwards, but I didn't. Not what I was expecting, at least. I just felt rather calm. His soul was black, as was his heart, and his mind was twisted. I have no doubts about that, so I do not feel bad about killing him. It made me think about Steel and his Dread Blade axioms though. I am not sure he would approve. Maybe he would think it was unfair to keep the thug restrained with a spell while I hurt him. No matter--I didn't feel like giving him a sporting chance.

He talked, in the end. Nearly everyone will, unless they are so crazy their minds have already broken. Senseless tragedy. The children's father crossed his boss, and he killed the man and took his offspring. There were other details too, all worth knowing though none important enough to mention here. I did not enjoy his pain, though I expect he enjoyed it less. By the time he was done talking he was already broken. I just killed him. A light touch, almost a lover's caress, and he burned from the inside out. Perhaps Steel would approve of the fact I met his eyes as he died, at least, cupping his face gently with both hands to fuel the fire, feeling the Al'Noth pour through me ... Fire magic is so easy when you are angry. My own protections and resistances protected me from most of the heat so I held my hands there and watched the flesh burn from his face, layer by layer, until there were no more screams and even the bones were nothing but dust.

I scattered the ashes so no one would look askance if people remembered him and came looking for him. No one even asked, though.