Lowen rubbed his chin in thought before he asked.

"Is there something we don't know about Clovis? Could he be important or something? Is he a noble and we just don't know or is there something else we're missing?"

Roland shook his head.

"Just when things start making sense, again I'm thrown for a loop, I don't know, I just don't get it."

As Lowen and Roland pondered over this mystery, suddenly Bren came to. Lowen and Roland jumped back cautiously as Bren slowly sat up. Rubbing his face, he felt pain shooting up to his head, the blow from Lowen was just way too powerful. Although Bren was under that goblin's control, he could still think, see and feel. Shaking the pain out of his head, he quickly jumped up scaring Roland. Lowen seeing this, took a defensive stance. The fighting, however, did not reignite, instead, Bren quickly shouted.

"We have to save him, we have to save Clovis."

Lowen stepped forward and asked.

"You, are you ok now? are you... you?"

Bren again yelled.

"Of course it's me, now hurry up, we have to go rescue my nephew."

Bren was just about to turn around and race off towards the direction he came from. when Lowen suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Stop, if you go back there again that goblin will take control of you. I don't know how you escaped his mind control but if you go back there, there's a possibility he may control you forever or even just be bored and command you to commit suicide. Once that's done, your nephew's fate will no longer be his but instead, the goblins to control."

Hearing this, Bren's face suddenly turned pale in horror, he thought and thought and thought but he just couldn't think of a way around that goblins power. He looked at Roland and remembered that he and the goblin had recognized each other and figured Roland had some answers. Bren walked over toward Roland and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him high into the air, he roared in anger.

"Roland, just what in the hell is going on? Who was that goblin? Why does he want my nephew?"

Roland became flustered and began to panic and couldn't answer properly, that's when Lowen stepped in.

"That's enough."

Bren however just grew angrier and began to squeeze and choke Roland. Lowen didn't agree with this action, so in one swift movement, he used his shadow steps and appeared right in front of Bren with his sword at the edge of his neck. This time with an, even more, harsher tone, Lowen again spoke.

"I said that's enough, now drop him or don't, and see what happens next."

Bren now wavered a bit but still, he did not release Roland. Lowen gently poked his blade against Bren's neck and a small line of blood began to drip down. Seeing how serious Lowen was, Bren's grip immediately loosened and Roland collapsed to the ground, gripping his neck, he began coughing and gasping for air.

Bren took a step back, he put his hands down yet gripped them tightly in bitterness. Lowen as well stepped back and with a thought, his sword coiled back around his arm. The two stared at Roland as he continued to cough and gasp for air, after a few minutes, he regained a bit of his composure. As he leaned his back against the huge boulder, instead of having a look filled with anger, he seemed more disappointed with himself. This whole problem seemed to have stemmed from him and Benjamin.

(If only Benjamin didn't die and instead he slew that fucking goblin. If only I just burnt the last of my life and killed him, then none of this would have ever happened.)

Roland, with a defeated look on his face, began to explain the whole situation from over a year ago. He told him about the men crossing into the territory of the goblins and how Benjamin had saved one of the men and also how he slaughtered many goblins and even took a few captive. Roland told Bren everything that took place and the more Bren heard, the more things began to fit together, especially when Roland told him about the mind control and how Benjamin had suffered the same experience. In the end, they still had no clue what that goblin leader wanted with Clovis.

There was still something that Roland hoped Bren could help him figure out.

"Bren, at the time when Benjamin told me about him being controlled, I had asked him how he retook control of himself but he had no clue. I wonder, you had the same experience, do you understand anything about what happened to you or how you broke his control?"

Bren thought for a while but in the end, he himself didn't understand.

"I don't know how, at first when I was attacking you, even though I wanted to stop I couldn't. I could see you, I could understand what was happening around me but I couldn't control my body whatsoever but after Lowen knocked me out, when I came to, everything was back to normal. I myself don't get it. How are we supposed to rescue my nephew with that goblin guarding them? Not only that, he has hundreds of goblin soldiers and when you tried to kill him, he was obviously guarded buy an earth mage."

Roland also added.

" That mage was a second circle mage."

Lowen nodded in agreement, he felt it too, that mage was definitely a second circle mage. Roland looked at the two and asked hesitatingly.

"What shall we do? How can we rescue Clovis and not die? I just got my life back and I'm not ready to give it up just yet, so if this plan is shit, I'll tell you right now I'll be stepping back."

Bren again began to grow angry, he couldn't believe how selfish Roland was, to give up so easily if he didn't think the plan was good enough, what kind of bullshit was that. At the same time though, Bren's mind was stuck, he had no clue what to do next. It's hard to admit but he's been a follower all of his life. When he was young, Clovis's father had taken him in and he had followed him ever since. After that he served as Clovis's second-in-command, he had never had to come up with a plan, only execute them but now here he was out in the sticks with no clue what to do. Bren and Roland both couldn't help but look toward Lowen for some type of answer but even Lowen was at a loss. The goblins power was too mysterious, Lowen thought and thought but he could see very little options to deal with that goblins ability. It was at this moment that Bren said a few words in passing that caught Lowen's attention.

"Why did he take over me anyway when you were so close? I mean it doesn't make sense tactically does it? He clearly saw the fight with the Alpha, he should have known that you were the most powerful, weird so weird."

Lowen's mind raced with thought.

(Why didn't he take over me? I'm faster and stronger. If he had taken control over me, things would have been settled much easier but instead, he specifically targeted Bren, why?)

Lowen looked between the three of them as questions buzzed within his mind. Lowen had a sudden thought.

"Roland, back then before he attacked your village you had said that you were confident that he wouldn't, why was that again? "

Roland looked at Lowen curiously but answered anyway.

"Because at that time my power was that of a second circle mage, he knew I was more powerful than him, that's why."

"Then tell me, why did he, later on, attack you, he knew you were there, he knew you could kill him instantly but still he attacked. Is he stupid, I don't think so, I think he did it for a reason."

Roland and Bren both looked at Lowen questioningly, just what does he mean to say they thought. Lowen started to pace back and forth trying to put the pieces together, once again he spoke.

"I think... now this is just a theory but what if he didn't understand his powers fully at that time. At first, when he was first brought to the Village and woke up he was all set to use his powers but then stopped the moment he sensed you, maybe at that time he wasn't sure. The next time though when he attacked your village did he do or say anything weird?"

Roland thought for a moment but in the end, he shook his head.

" I...I can't be sure, I don't remember if he did anything weird or not. Why do you ask?"

Lowen ignored that question and continued.

"You told me once before that as mages advance their circle to higher levels their mental facilities evolve. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't afraid of your power but your ability to resist his power with your increased mental fortitude. Could it have been when he controlled Benjamin he grew too confident and figured maybe he could control you and so when he attacked the village, even though you were more powerful he thought it wouldn't matter but because you are a mage at a higher circle than him, his mental power couldn't beat your mental fortitude. I think at that time he tried to use his powers on you and failed, Roland could that be possible?"

Roland wondered, he thought back to that night but he couldn't recall if the goblin had done anything strange or not. He did feel the goblins power but that was only for a moment, could it have happened then. Roland continued to wonder before shaking his head.

"I... I don't know, it could be."

Bren looked at the two and grew more and more frustrated.

"How does any of this help? Are you saying that the goblin won't be able to take over you or Roland? That doesn't change the fact that the goblin will still be able to take over me, after that I might just get to Roland before you can protect him, so what can we do?"

Lowen continued to pace back and forth before he abruptly came to a stop, looking at Roland he wondered about the talismans.

"Roland, that talisman was one that spread silence right?"

Roland nodded.

"It makes sense that the goblin leader couldn't control me since I'm a mage but at the same time, why didn't that goblin take control of Bren right at that moment, instead he waited, why? I think it was because of the silence, I think he needs to be able to vocalize a command in order to control you. That's the only thing that makes sense, otherwise, if he doesn't need to talk to command you, then he could have taken control over Bren immediately and had him kill you before I ever retreated back to your side."

Roland and Bren's eyes both flashed in understanding, this did make sense. Lowen spoke up once more.

" I believe if we seal off your hearing then you'll be able to face that goblin without worry, what do you think?"

The three stared at each other and nodded. If they did this, the chances of winning immediately shot up. Bren again asked.

"With all that being said, what's the plan?"

" I still don't know, I think before any of that though I should go scout and follow them and figure out where their base is at. After that, I'll come back and we'll figure something out."

Bren quickly disagreed.

"No, it should be me that finds them otherwise…."

But Lowen quickly interrupted him.

"Stop, if we send you and I'm wrong about the power of the goblins and he takes control over you again, then who knows what'll happen but with me being a mage, going by past events I think my theory about him not being able to control mages is much more plausible. Our best bet, for now, is me going ahead while you two rest and recover your strength."

Before Bren could say anything else, Lowen already turned and rushed back to where the goblins were at, once he got near, he would hide his presence and follow them like a shadow.

As Lowen raced toward his objective, he had confidence in something else. Even if his mental fortitude as a mage did not protect him, he believed that just like with the power from old man Sid's odd cursed eyes, he could defend himself by protecting his mind with ki.

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A few hours later, deep within a mighty mountain, through a branching cave system, goblin after goblin made their way through. After a while, a few of them dragged a young man into a room and chained his wrists and ankles. As the chains rattled from a goblin soldier inspecting them, he soon nodded and left the room. As the goblin walked out, the goblin leader walked in and the iron door slammed shut. Clovis stared at the small goblin leader with deep hate as well as trepidation. The goblin leader on the other hand only stared happily at his captive. With an ugly smile that stretched across his face, the goblin leader said.

"Finally, you're finally here, now the next phase shall begin."