The assassins of the TriCobra sect didn't know it, but the battle was already won.
[Deploying Godnet with full force. Using 'Astral Curse' to take control of consciousnesses of targets. Successful results from Target 1, Target 2, Target 3… Target 19. Leader of the target group has proven to be resistant against the curse. Increasing focus on target. Employing resources that were being used until now to affect the other enemies. Resistance has been broken through. Astral Curse was successful. However, system suspects that inbuilt precautions might exist to deter against any harm that can come in the state known as 'Mental Prison', which is what the targets have been subjected to. It is advised to proceed with caution. Original objective of negating threats has been achieved successfully. Awaiting further orders.]
Most of what the system gave him was good news, but its suspicions were troubling.
Using the Basilisk's Breath, Daneel slowed down time for himself and began a conversation in his mind.
"Probe into these precautions. I want to know everything about what can and can't be done to my prisoners."
He had heard of protecting formations that could be cast on one's body which would act even if they were out of commission. In fact, he had even used the system for this very purpose multiple times, so it was to be expected that the Church might also have placed strict precautions to ensure that their members would not give up vital secrets if captured.
What he had done was basically use that moment of distraction to make them believe that they were in a state where they could do nothing except stay where they were. But unless Daneel could manipulate them as he wished after getting them here, wouldn't it all be for naught?
As the answer came from the system in a few moments, Daneel listened with bated breath.
[Probing completed. The mechanism being used by host to take control of targets is protected against in three ways:
When under the control of a mental prison, if the targets are harmed physically, a hidden formation in their minds will activate which will give them a second of time to act while also allowing them to take full control of their power. At this stage, it has been detected that this blow might be fatal to host.
Secondly, any interrogation or further change to consciousness will also result in a precaution being triggered that will inflict self-injury on the targets to break them out of the mental prison.
Thirdly, in one minute, a precaution will trigger that will free targets from mental prison. The precaution is such that it will also block all further attempts from the same method, thus rendering host's Astral Curse ineffective. It is advised that host must leave while the curse is still effective. No method has been found for host to continue to remain in control of the situation and the targets after this time has elapsed.]
Dammit!
He couldn't hurt them physically, and he couldn't do anything to them mentally.
As if he had found sleeping beauties in the woods, Daneel could only leave from where they dwelled while they slept harmlessly, lest he wanted to give a kiss to wake them up, which would be the stupidest thing he could do.
Gritting his teeth, he saw that he had been wrong: he had been hoping that he might be able to take complete control of these 20 individuals, so that he could extract powerful spells and information about the Church, while also gaining control of any other figurines that they might be holding.
On further thought, he actually realized that if he really had been able to defeat 20 top-level individuals of the Church this easily, that the war would have been child's play.
He had grown in power, but he was not invincible, so right now, he decided to stop wasting time while mooning over something that he could not obtain, yet.
His thoughts moved quickly as he looked for a way to make the best out of the situation, and right away, his eyes fell upon the three who had recovered and were now having an urgent conversation while shooting furtive glances at him.
Not even a moment later, Daneel worked out a plan and spoke in his mind.
"Towards the end of the minute, is it possible to use everything we have to attack their consciousnesses so that they lose the memory of what happened in the past few minutes? They cannot know of the mosquitoes, or of the assassins working with me."
[Accessing records. Cognition module is working out a solution for the task given by host. Ancient spell "Forget Me Not" has been chosen for the task. Using an overload of sensory input, it is possible for amnesia to be triggered in the target's consciousness by making it shut down to protect itself. By changing this sensory input to take the form of multiple versions of the memories which need to be forgotten, amnesia can be ensured. However, this will trigger the precautions placed within all targets. Would host like system to proceed?]
With a smile, Daneel said, "Yes…do it remotely, so that we can leave before it is done. They must not know that I did not act alone. With nothing else to go on, they will blame the one variable in the continent, so the secret of the TriCobra Sect's involvement will be safe. Oh, and, again, watch."
Saying so, Daneel flew up.
Seeing him move made all the three assassins enter defensive poses, and as they watched him idly fly toward the 20 who stood still in the air despite the mosquitoes that had stopped eating all the flesh available to them, their gazes tightened and they moved so that they stood closer to each other.
Daneel reached a point right at the center of the circular formation that the 20 had arrived in. Along with him, the hundreds of fist-sized mosquitoes that had eaten their way out stared at the assassins, who tried to avoid the eyes of these flesh-eating monsters as much as possible.
With another yawn, Daneel spoke.
"I told you it was all under control. Don't worry, they're harmless…I'm talking about these guards, not my hearties. They can tear a hole in you before you cry for your mothers. But for this task, I think I'll use my new servants. Answer a question that I have, or you take up the noble task of donating…an arm and leg for my friends here who are still hungry. You choose."
As soon as he said this, the bodies of the 20 moved, and now, they were all facing the assassins.
As the reality of the situation began to dawn in their minds, the assassins grew restless, while constantly eying the reptilian to see what decision she would make.
They knew it, clearly. If they fought now, a loss was certain, and as the mosquitoes stared hungrily at them, an answer seemed like a small price for keeping their limbs intact.
The reptilian came to the same conclusion. With a sound filled with irritation, she spat on the floor and said, "Ask."
The question rang out in the large room.
"What were the orders given to you when you came here? Why have you been acting strangely ever since your arrival? Speak, and we can leave right away."
The answer came after a pause during which the reptilian gave him a hard and hate-filled look, and when Daneel heard it, he could hardly believe his ears.
"We were ordered by two leaders of the TriCobra sect before our departure. We must follow the orders of both. Lord Hydra commanded us to use subterfuge to take control of the Artefact, if we could. Our actions were due to the orders of Lady Alastair. We never wanted this question asked. So…we planned to make ourselves seem so high and mighty that you would never even dare to raise your voice against us. We planned to take control of your mind so that this moment wouldn't come…but we failed. Lady Alastair…commanded us to obey all the orders of her pet Basilisk, the Godking of Angaria, and heir to a third of the TriCobra Sect. You are our superior, so we…are yours to command."