Yes, let's rescue an Amazon Queen, Part 1. (Small strike .)

When you add the number of royal guards with you, to the contingent of magicians of varying arcane arts, and the spies and scouts that Akina adds in, the size of your strike team totals no more than 50. Your royal guards are generally heavy-armored, with a shield in their off-hands, and either a longsword or mace with their main hands. Vessa's group of magicians--all appointed by Regent Gilbert when you were younger--comprise of a mix of elemental mages, with those who are more specialized in white magic, or other healing arts. The handful of scouts and spies that Akina can spare, are there to scout ahead for potential dangers, or to find and disarm any booby traps that may be in the way.

So with your small team assembled, you ride off from the confines of the Phebian Keep, heading along a trade route that goes to the range of mountains in the northeast, closest to Mt. Sargasso. The peaks are not as high as the Frostpeaks, but they are jagged, and generally steep. Some believe that the minerals from the volcano's ashes is what helps keep the soil in the surrounding lowlands fertile, especially the Elven Forest to its west. The Elves' ancient project of building lava channels also remain to this day. Otherwise, there are very few trails that cross the mountains at this time, with the trail up ahead just wide enough for one wagon, or 2 people on horseback side-by-side. Getting there is relatively slow-going, even on horseback, due to the earth beneath you that have become soft and muddy from the day's heavy rains, plus rocks that have become slippery. Your team reaches the base of the volcano by day's end, with scouts guiding the way to a cave opening. It is wide enough for people to go in, but too small for the horses. Therefore, you order the team to set camp by the cave, so that the horses can be kept there. So while some of the soldiers and mages rotate nightwatch, you get the best sleep that you can get overnight.

When the following dawn comes, the highest ranking scout that was appointed by Akina to be a part of the strike team, enters your tent. As you don your armor, you listen to the scout discuss the details of the underground caves and caverns, all of them leading into what may be a decrepit, ancient Dwarven settlement. Also, you hear little or no information about any lesser demons that could be waiting, just a fair number of underground creatures that are lurking in there. It is a risk that you're willing to take, leaving a few of the soldiers and magicians to watch over the camp, while you lead the rest of them inside. Time becomes virtually lost to you inside that cave, as torches are lit, and crystals that emit light are used. Your royal guards do a decent job of dealing with any of the cave-dwelling creatures, although the handful of lizardfolk that dwell inside, provide more of a challenge.

Eventually, you reach the decrepit Dwarven settlement--a series of buildings that have been carved into the bedrock, and some of the doors are either missing gear-like mechanisms that open and close them, or have been sealed shut outright. You see a faint glow in what appears to be the place where the settlement's leader likely governed in, and carefully lead the **** there. Your scouts do a good job at disarming any of the booby traps that are in the way--ranging from a pressure plate that connects to a series of hidden Dwarven crossbows, to cutting wires to set off other traps prematurely. The closer you and your team get to the source of the faint light, the more you can hear voices--female voices. As you near a set of double-doors that likely leads into the throne room, a scout comes over to you.

"Report." You speak softly to the scout.

"I spotted four women in the throne room," the scout tells you, "likely women that are either villagers for Phebis, or taken from trade caravans. There is also a female demon in there, with red skin from the pigment given by the torch lights."

"Can you tell us more about the demon?" You ask the scout.

"She looks tall and strong," the scout replies, "with leather armor, and a whip by her side. I got as close as I could, and saw a body on the floor, with a pentagram carving centered around it."

"What about the body?" You ask.

"She looks like an Amazon woman, from the body shape, and the kinds of clothing on her." The scout replies. "She might be preparing the other women for some kind of sacrifice."

"Best that we make all due haste, then." You tell the scout. "Carry on."

"Aye, your highness." The scout replies with a salute.

You hear a series of screams, as you lead the strike team into the throne room. When you open the doors, you find that while you were getting the scout's report, the demoness that now stand in front of you, had already made her blood sacrifice. Her claws are dripping with the freshly spilled blood of the four women, whose throats have been slashed. On her clawed hands, is a bowl for her to collect the blood. She turns to face you and the team, and hisses.

"Do you believe you can come in here, to the rescue of that Amazon Queen, mortal?" The demoness asks you. "You ever hear of a succubus?"

"Female demons that can use the life energies of their hosts to take up their forms." You reply. "Where are you keeping the real Amazon Queen?"

"My mistress has her in a place safe from this room, for what I am about to do." The succubus tells you. "I thank her for using the blood of that other Amazon woman down there, to bring me to this mortal plane, to bring us one step closer to fulfilling the master's plan for your world, starting with your allies."

"What do you mean, foul demon?" You ask her.

"When my mistress gets the Amazon women to attack the keep of your allies, and your encamped army," the succubus reply, "all the blood that will spill, will give her all the energies she need to open a gate to the Netherealms. All of the demons will then pour out, and make your world burn. However, you won't be able to see that, for I have enough blood here, to keep you and your men occupied, until you die!"

You watch in horror, as she pours the blood into another pentagram carving on the floor, initiating a flow of blood magic. The succubus begins to chant in the demonic tongue, as a small gateway opens. You order your soldiers to stand ready, while you get Vessa and the mages to start working on closing the gate. Then the first wave of demons pour out, with the succubus now joining the fray, grabbing her whip from the side, and begins her own attack. Your royal guards do their best to push the demons back to the gateway, all the while protecting Vessa and the other mages. All of a sudden, you hear the succubus crack her whip, wrapping it around your feet. As she hisses, she pulls you into close proximity of her, as your royal guards scramble to come to your aid. But then the succubus casts a spell, forming a magic barrier that keeps them away. Now it is just you, and what little training you had in swordplay, facing the succubus.

"I will enjoy killing you for the mistress, mortal." The succubus tell you. "Then I will drink away, while I watch your lands burn from the strife that follows!"