Confronting the Royal Family of Deirdre

Two airships left Clampit's Vale the following day. One airship carried Lady Bayannon and the villagers, even though many of them were **** to leave, and required plenty of persuasion from the lesser noblewoman. The archaeologists had to provide further proof of what was to come, and reports of a major buildup of "Sabretooth Triad" Orcs, complete with siege weapons and heavy cavalry, convinced everyone.

The other airship took the Briarwolf Guild, as well as Valnora the Succubus, towards Deirdre. Valnora & Cat had spent the morning sharing tales of their respective exploits to one another, if they weren't busy kissing and touching one another. Regardless of the tale being spun, the succubus had now taken the form of the petite human woman that she used to get the espionage job from the family in the first place. In that form, Valnora was Cat's height, about no heavier than 110 lbs., brown hair of shoulder length, and brown eyes; with that petite, toned frame, and a 32c bosom that would certainly be a far cry from her 38ee breasts in her demon form. She & the half-elf were careful about not having too much or too hardcore sex, as that was what they were doing during the flight.

Janissa stayed quiet throughout the flight, looking at the fields below, at the charred remains of farming houses and villages, and bands of Orcs and Goblins marching on, or building their own farming area. The trauma of being captured, then sexually tortured and assaulted was still raw in her head, and she had sought Trini's comfort instead of sleeping with Cesar, which she normally did. It may've thrown Cesar in for a loop, but he understood otherwise, and had worked with Lady Bayannon on the necessary paperwork overnight, to grant her amnesty and a place in the guildhouse--at least for now. He also wasn't sure of how much time they'll have before Matron Mother Indira uses blood magic to fuel the geomancer magic that she got from the ancient ruins. To his knowledge, though, they at least bought themselves a certain amount of time--rescuing as many as they could, including Valnora in the fortress--to do whatever else they could do before the city is brought down from underneath.

As they approached the city, they could already see evidence of the geomancy that the Dark Elf leader now possessed, although it was uncertain of how many captives had been sacrificed for it. There were sinkholes surrounding the city, perhaps as a way to trap as many of the humans in the city as they could. In the distance, there were evidence of the mountain passes having been cut-off, either by intentional landslides, or by lifting the land up to create very steep inclines. Janissa let out a small chuckle, hearing the sounds of Cat & Valnora working to get fully dressed while still kissing each other. The High Elf had donned her spare clothing, but her Elven Longbow, a bow that she had for years, was long gone. The human longbow on her shoulder felt so heavy, and the quiver of human arrows on her back felt pretty cumbersome.

The airship docked on one corner of the castle, with the citizens of the city crowding at the front gates, shouting out their complaints, and giving the guards a very hard time in containing them. The few guards and servants that were there secured the craft to the tower. The high sense of tension filled the castle, as they could hear the other guards and servants inside talking about the recent events. As they made their way to the throne room, they could hear the king's advisors talk, discussing options on what to do. Valnora, in her form of that agent, took the lead, and led the guild in.

"...but these Orcs can't possibly have this kind of magic." One of the advisors told the king.

"They must have some special ally with them. Our army is trapped in the outlying farmlands." The king's military advisor told the king next.

"They do." Valnora interrupted the court, and tossed her "evidence" of the Orcs' allies--medallions of the Dark Elven houses working with the "Sabretooth Triad" Orcs, drawing the royal court's attention. "You want to know why they've captured all of those women, m'lord? Their virgin blood is going to be used as sacrifice for blood magic by the Dark Elves....that are right beneath our feet."

"Ursula?" The king looked to the succubus in her human disguise. "How did you manage to return?"

"The Briarwolf Guild rescued me, while they were busy rescuing one of their own, who was captured by the group of Dark Elves, who are allied with these Orcs and Goblins that are all over your farmlands." Valnora looked to the king. "This is more than just another raid, I'm afraid. This is act of conquest, and it's not just the Orcs and Goblins from Dubrovny that want your lands. Do you know that your home is right underneath a Dark Elven capital city, and why their Matron Mother wanted the relics from the dig site that the archaeologists were unearthing? It was an Ancient Elven settlement, that much is given, but before that, it belonged to a group of Geomancer Dwarves."

"Geomancer Dwarves, Ursula?" The king looked to her.

"Yes, m'lord. If you don't act now, you, your family, and everyone trapped in this city will perish, when the Dark Elves use the geomancer magic they've captured, along with the blood of the virgins that the guild was unable to rescue, to make your city crumble from right underneath you." Valnora looked up calmly in her Ursula form. "You at least have some time to evacuate. For if it wasn't for the guild's rescue attempt, this city would be gone by now."

"That's preposterous, Miss Ursula!" One of the elder advisors spoke out. "How can you be so certain that Dark Elves are working with these Orcs?"

"Because that is what I witnessed while I was in the Sabretooth Triad's fortress." She responded. "Aren't the Dark Elven medallions enough evidence for you?"

"What about our armies? They're trapped in the farmlands, and unable to reach this city!" The military advisor spoke next.

"They're lost to you, if not wiped out by now. The Orcs' forces outnumber them 5-to-1, even greater if there are Dark Elves with them." Ursula/Valnora responded. "The more time it takes for you to take action, the less time you have to get out, while you still can. My rescue, as well as half of the other captives, has bought you time, what will you do with it?"