Muninn found it quite amusing how easy it was to manipulate people with a few shiny pieces of metal. Copper, silver, gold, mithril these metals meant nothing to her. The orbital station's fabricator could create them near endlessly thanks to the divinity of the Forest Father. She smirked as Lemmy led her around the first floor with a dumb grin across his face.
She wasn't interested in anything upstairs now that she understood that her target was beneath them. As he showed her the reception desk and went over the various interest rates and security personnel. The security were apparently all from the local Flying Tiger Material User School nearby as their disciples were common security forces in the city.
Muninn had not had much experience with the material users before she became a hrafn were known to be powerful magic casters. Humans on the other hand specialized in the material arts ki, prana, lifeforce and chakra. Her thoughts had wandered so she brought them back to the present and found that the young man had taken them upstairs.
She wasn't sure what was going on but for some reason she was in the office of the bank owner. The man was surprisingly not human but instead a djinn. Muninn was surprised that the three eyed man was in fact the owner. The djinn rarely took it upon themselves to do something as mundane as run a business. Of course when you live forever she assumed you would eventually get around to doing everything.
She contacted Huginn mentally. "I zoned out, what is going on?"
"The owner here wants you to be a VIP member." Huginn said though he sounded as bored as she felt. "The amount you want to store here is apparently enough to put you in an exclusive club."
"Well should I?" Muninn asked.
"Sure it may give us more options in the future." Huginn said. "But get us down stairs already. We have to recruit the healer."
"Alright alright." Muninn said out loud. "I will be more than happy to join after I see the downstairs area. Where will my money and investments be stored? I specifically requested that I see that to ensure that my finances are taken care of."
"But of course ma'am but, first as a precaution may I see one of these mithril coins" The bank owner said his voice was higher pitched than his large frame would imply. "It is a quality check as I am sure you understand."
A maidservant walked over from beside the bank owner with a silver tray lined with velvet.
"Can we hurry up with this?" Muninn said as she walked past the servant. "I have a very tight schedule."
Reaching the desk, she placed her hand on its polished surface. In a flicker of magic, three pristine stacks of gleaming mithral-plated platinum coins appeared, perfectly arranged.
The djinn leaned forward, his three eyes narrowing as he examined the coins with a discerning gaze. One coin floated into the air and his eyes widened. The room fell silent, the weight of the moment palpable. Muninn's smirk deepened—this was a game she had already won.
***
Lemmy was practically beaming now, not only had he helped a future VIP of the bank but he would be her personal account manager. She didn't know what that meant for the young man but apparently it would be life changing for him. On the way to the lower level they took an elevator which was the first time Muninn had ever ridden one. Teleportation was used between floors of the space station and stairs were common in her homeland.
As soon as they reached the floor Muninn detected a strange magic subtly mixed into the ambient mana. As her systems registered it she received a more detailed explanation.
Cognitive Data Relay… Scanning… Magic Phenomenon Description
Magic/Material Content: Lifeforce Manipulation
Spell Quality: High
Effect Name: Consciousness Disruption
Description:
A high-precision technique within the medical and covert application branches of Lifeforce Manipulation. This phenomenon enables a Lifeshaper to modulate neural energy flow, directly influencing synaptic activity governing consciousness states.
"Oh, it looks like we are finally seeing something interesting," Muninn said internally.
"Yeah, just don't get yourself arrested." Huginn responded.
"Why do you just assume I am going to do something crass?" Muninn said as she covered her mouth in shock. "I am sure whoever is doing this will be reasonable and willing to talk."
Lemmy was the first to fall unconscious, the man crumpled to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. Muninn fell second though she wasn't affected but just in case the guards were resistant they wouldn't think this was her doing somehow. She didn't need to worry, the supposed high level security barely made it two steps before both of them fell unconscious as well.
"Am I free to use my magic here," Muninn said lazily.
There was a pause before Huginn sighed. "If you need to but, remember your magic is far more potent now. It is also mixed with the aspects of another True and its follower Greater. Limit your spell usage as much as possible until we know what a mixed power like yours will do."
Muninn smiled viciously she had only been able to use her electrokinesis while aboard the space station. It had changed from when she was alive as a druid. Before it was an emerald green. However, after her encounter with the being that nearly killed her in the first place her lightning had taken on darker properties.
Cognitive Data Relay… Scanning… Magic Phenomenon Description
Magic/Material Content: Mana Manipulation
Spell Quality: Extremely High
Effect Name: Venomous Electrokinesis
Description:
An advanced phenomenon within the destructive application of Mana Manipulation. This technique generates a volatile electrical discharge infused with necrotic mana properties, simulating the behavior of biological venom at an energetic level. The resulting arc delivers a dual effect: acute neural disruption from high-voltage impact and sustained damage through mana-induced cellular breakdown.
While she told Huginn she would behave she was secretly kind of hopeful she would be able to let loose a little. She had yet to see what her black lightning would do to a person given how venomous the beings that gave her this ability were.
The elevator came to a halt, and the doors slid open to reveal two men in masks armed with knives. They wore all-black attire, their faces obscured, but the peculiar assortment of their party made them unmistakable.
The first was a towering seven-foot-tall gnoll, his presence dominating the cramped space. Beside him was a goblin, his bald head and exposed skin covered in bright, garish tattoos. The last was a human, his mask pulled down to reveal a face that radiated irritation more than menace.
"We got more, boss," the goblin called out, his voice rough. "All of 'em are out."
"Then hurry up and drag 'em out of there," came a voice from somewhere out of sight, dripping with frustration. "And put 'em with the others. We're on the clock!"
The gnoll and human stepped forward, efficiently dragging Muninn and Lemmy out of the elevator. As they did, Muninn's sharp ears caught a muffled exchange nearby.
"Why in the Divines' names did I have to come to this? I'm a healer, not a thief!" a man's voice rang out, dripping with indignant exhaustion.
"Shut up and do your job," barked the boss, his tone razor-sharp with irritation. "You owe Monty, remember? Unless you want to pay back in blood, you'll keep that mouth of yours shut and help us crack this vault!"
Muninn's eyes snapped open the moment she heard the healer's voice. There he is, she thought, a grin spreading across her face. It had to be Nikandros.
The trio of would-be kidnappers, oblivious to her feigned unconsciousness, had thoughtlessly slumped her against the wall alongside four other groggy victims. They shuffled off to collect the two unconscious guards from the elevator, leaving Muninn and the others entirely unsupervised. Amateurs. They hadn't even bothered to search anyone for weapons or valuables.
Stretching languidly, Muninn rose to her feet. She took a moment to adjust her vest and shirt before casually strolling down the hall in the direction of the voices. There was no attempt at stealth; her stride oozed confidence, and besides, everyone else here, save the healer—was just magical target practice in her mind.
"I get that," Nikandros's voice rang out again, heavy with frustration, "but you don't need a healer for this. You got artificers… kind of. What am I supposed to do here? Heal the door open? Check the vault's blood pressure?"
A sharp thud echoed as the boss struck something, likely the vault door. "You'll carry the bags when we're done, and you'll shut up until then! One more word, and I'll shut you up myself!"
Another voice, this time female and strained, chimed in. "We need to hurry. Keeping this many people unconscious is hard. If anyone else comes down here, we're in real trouble."
Muninn rounded a corner, finally spotting the group. She saw a lookout posted near the vault room, a human, but one lacking the distinct red hair common in the region. He was already opening his mouth, likely to challenge her, but he didn't get the chance. With a flash of near-imperceptible speed, Muninn used Blink, appearing beside him in an instant. Her fist connected with his jaw in a blur, sending him crumpling to the floor like a rag doll.
"How much longer?" the boss's gruff voice boomed from just beyond the door to the vault. "What's taking so long, Zarakz?"
A frantic nonhuman voice answered in a hiss. "Ah! Big boss, not mad, yes-yes? Almost done! Almost done!" The speaker, presumably Zarakz, stammered nervously. "Vault tricky! Sneaky-sneaky magic. Traps with zig-zag zap energy—big ouch, yes! But Liak, smart-sister Liak, she fix-fix! Almost ready for open. Maybe, uh... two scratch-shiny time?"
"One scratch-shiny!" Another equally nonhuman voice hissed, sounding indignant. "Zarakz talk slow! Almost click-click done now!"
"What in the Infernal does that mean?" the boss snapped, his patience fraying.
Nikandros's voice cut through the bickering. "It means the vault is warded. They're disarming enchantments, which will take another minute or two."
"If you're lying to me, I'll make sure you regret it," the boss growled dangerously.
"No lie, no lie! Zarakz no dumb-dumb! Big boss trust, yes? We finish good-fast!" Zarakz babbled, the words coming in a panicked rush. "Just tricky vault! Tricky magic! Zik-tar promise! No regret for big boss—only shiny-shiny treasure soon!"
Muninn stepped into the vault room and saw a group of five people. Her perception sped up far beyond a human and the world slowed enough for her to examine everyone. Two humans, a man and a woman, two kobolds and a satyr. She had to admit that this group of thieves was a rather eclectic mix of people. With the three at the elevator their team also had a goblin and a gnoll.
The most dangerous of the group was the woman, she was the lifeshaper that was putting anyone that came down to this level to sleep. She had a dark tailored overcoat with deep green accents. The most jarring thing was the paper talisman she had over her face which swirled with her energy. A likely temporary conduit for her lifeshaping powers, though Muninn had very little knowledge of the lifeforce or the lifeshapers and dismissed the information Huginn sent her.
The man appeared to be a prana practitioner and had a well toned physique though most of it was hidden under layers of protective equipment, a mixture of plate armor, a black enchanted suit and a hooded cloak for extra mystique. The armor had to be enchanted as well as it didn't make a sound. He was the obvious next most dangerous person.
The kobolds, however, weren't what she expected, not that she'd ever met any in person. Small, feathered… reptiles? Birds? Goblin-sized but far more delicate, both were swaddled in belts, pouches, and strange tools. One shimmered with vibrant emerald plumage, each feather catching the light like a gemstone. The other was a dull brown with not much in terms of coloration. They were in the middle of doing something to the door.
The satyr lounged against the far wall, yawning lazily, utterly unconcerned. The healer looked to be in his prime, tall and lithe, his goatlike legs crossed casually. His small round glasses looked barely functional, more fashion than utility. A leather satchel was slung over his shoulder, and while his upper body was modestly dressed in a shirt and vest, his lower half was adorned only with a simple loin drape.
Time sped back up as she lowered her perceptions back to normal leaves. The room went silent as they all recognized the intruder in their space. There was a tense moment as Muninn placed a hand on the door and closed it behind her with a vicious smile. Her magic sparked around her as ominous black electricity that was silent despite its power.
She whispered a spell and the electricity jumped from her hand and covered the door in a spell of silence. She didn't want anyone disturbing her from what was about to happen next. She smiled at her newest test subjects.