Discord conjured up an invisibility cloak and threw it over the Changeling, before bashing him on the head and knocking him unconscious.
"Yes, the Changeling's in the bag, now lets get back to Met. Help me carry him, and remember to fly casual; we don't want to be attracting any attention." Discord wrapped the Changeling fully in the cloak, and grabbed one end of it in his mouth, not wanting to highlight their captive with the tell-tale glow of telekinesis.
Frozen did the same, and together they carried the hefty load back to their small camp, dumping the bag gently onto the ground.
Discord cast aside his disguise as they landed. "Well we got one, but if we wake him up, won't the others know about it? Don't you Changelings have a hive mind?" He asked, as Met walked over to them. "Ordinarily yes, but as their queen, I act as a conduit for their consciousness, and with me cut off from them, these links will have been broken; they are likely all very confused." She unwrapped the cloak and studied their unconscious captive with concern; detached as they might be, they were still her hive. "I hope you have not caused him too much distress." "Only one way to find out!" Discord announced, throwing a bucket of water over the Changeling.
(Yeah, I was hoping you would; he's going to have to reveal the source behind Met's blocked connection, possibly some artefact or spell being used by Mauron, I leave it up to you )
The changeling looked up at Met with a look of partial recognition, but his eyes quickly glossed over as he let out a feral hiss. (Gotcha!)
"My qch..ueen is Mauron. Nopony else," it said with some difficulty. The changeling was so far gone it couldn't remember its own name.
"Mistress is lord of stonesss, has a very beautiful ruby pendant around her neck. Good minionss get to gaze at the ruby, it makes usss feel happy.."
Discord nodded and looked at Frozen. "That must be why she's so interested in these rocks; she's using gems to craft magical items. I'd say that gives us another reason to deal with her. Now we just need some way to separate her from that pendant..."
Frozen nodded and touched his hooves to either sides of the changeling's head, lulling him into a hypnotized state and eventually a soft slumber. He laid him down and tried to make him as comfortable as he could. "Poor fellow.."
"I suppose we'd better head back and see if we can't find a way into that tower then," Discord said, watching Frozen's compassion with a quiet sense of pride. "I will stay here with him, to keep him safe as much as us." Met said, solemnly, standing over the sleeping Changeling.
Frozen nodded and changed back into the form of a changeling. He nodded to his father a as affirmation he was ready.
Discord changed back to Changeling form himself, and took to the skies, heading for the fortress. "He said something about good minions seeing the pendant," Discord pondered aloud. "If we can infiltrate a group of said minions as they enter the tower, that should give us out best shot; we only need take the pendant, and all Mauron's defences will turn against her, so we don't need much of a window."
"True," Frozen said, "I don't think she would be expecting shape-shifting saboteurs!" Frozen landed on the wall and looked around to get his bearings. "Likely she is at the top of this tower. Those who build these tend to lack subtlety."
Discord chuckled. "Yes; her downfall will be as ironic as it is justified." He landed with Frozen, and nodded with agreement. "Yes, that's where I'd rule my private kingdom from." He inspected the base of the tower, and saw there was only one heavily guarded entrance. He saw no windows or breaks of any kind else where in the tower. "We could fly up and check, but I'm fairly certain that is the only point of entrance," He said, pointing to the main gate.
