A surprising amount of help and perhaps she does

Before the wrong kind of people have time to think about the mayor you spring into action. Xallia has to blow through a goodly amount of her mana reserves and all of you wind up dead on your feet. But it proves very worthwhile. You find, as Xallia predicted, clay urns enchanted to crack open on command concealed behind illusory stones in the wells. Every one of them brimming with Hollarth's stockpiled and distilled semen.

Among the village aldermen you find five of the eight have been so corrupted by Hollarth's promises that they have done terrible things - to the poor, to those that owe them money, even to their own families. A number of guards are nearly as corrupted, just less able to act upon their daemon inspired desires. But when you round them up and lock them away for trial you are surprised by the cheers and sudden support you gain.

Evil is truly its own downfall - for the people in this town have long understood that something was wrong, they simply had no way to stop it. Now a group of holy sisters have appeared and shown them plenty of evidence that most of their leaders were corrupt, that their wells were set to be poisoned, that their mayor had secreted away numerous foul poisons and tainted potions and had colluded with others to feed these to the most easily influenced. He even kept a journal, detailing which of the town's innocent women he would keep to himself, which he would stake out in the square to be gang-****, how he would corrupt them and who he would **** to watch as he did.

With a response like that you were a little unsure about what to do next. You supervised the rapid rebuilding and strengthening of the city's defenses, Glenda tried to help the less afflicted to regain their senses and their morals, Anya and Yulia combed through the books and items the daemon mayor collected during his long stay here.

Xallia, as invaluable as she was, you kept hidden. You didn't think the town would ever accept her. But it was Xallia herself who finally insisted. "I am a sister of the burning rose and I'll not hide away in some corner while the rest of you work to the bone." It must have taken quite a bit for her to say that in her more submissive state, so you arranged a meeting. You wondered if all of you would be driven from the town before the night was out.

Her introduction to the new leaders of the town was... strained at first. But the one alderman who hadn't resigned or been **** out - an ancient man named Carrian, now regarded as a local folk hero for resisting an incubus' powers for over a year, was the one to walk up to Xallia. He took her hand gently while others watched, smiled at her and said "I know what evil feels like - I shook hands with that tainted monster time and again. I heard his honeyed words day after day." He shook her hand and added "Welcome to our town sister. Thank you, thank you all, for saving us."

There was a massive feast after that, Carrian acting like a chaperone for Xallia, introducing her to everyone that mattered. As the day drew to a close she came over to you and sat down, looking quite stunned. "I never thought this could happen." she says, almost to herself. "I'm sitting here in a village square. People - normal humans - are walking and talking, dancing and singing. Some of them are giving me little looks that I know all too well, some are fearful, some are trying to pretend I'm not even here. But..." she sucks in a breath and you see tears in the reflected firelight. "...but they're not chasing me. They haven't got out the torches and pitchforks. Sabine, this feels so strange and so good."

You put an arm around her, unsure how to respond. You always assumed Xallia would have to hide herself, that your children would need to be hidden away from the world. But Xallia is right. It might not last, but the citizens here seem quite willing to put up with a succubus in their midst if she's well behaved. Saving the whole town helps a lot too.

"I mean, I'm not an expert, but I think Carrian is blessed somehow."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know as much as you must about the Gods above. But that man wields trust like a weapon, a shield and a set of scales. I just feel that he'd know if I lied to him. And he trusts me completely."

"Yes, he was amazing at the meeting," you say as you soak up the deep red and purple light of the setting sun.

Xallia looks up at you and laughs. "No, no. The meeting was nothing! Nothing!" She shakes her head and says "He took me home, introduced me to his family and asked his daughter to show me around town because he needed to go and talk to a another who wasn't as sure about me, about us. Sabine - he left me, a daemon of lust, with his youngest daughter. She's about twenty and she's gorgeous. He knew I wouldn't do a thing. That's a level of trust, a level of belief I can't even imagine."

You try to come up with something to say to her, though it's hard. You're a sister of the Burning Rose and you have a hard time imagining yourself doing the same. Perhaps he does worship a God or Goddess you haven't heard of, but how could that be? Before you have a chance to consider a young man runs up to you with a message from the walls. A group of women have been seen approaching.