You try your best, but Arin is taken away!

You can hear the matriarch shouting out commands in Drowish, as you do your best to rally your royal guards, and make the push towards where Arin is, still in the tight grips of the succubus, Zrixsya. However, the further you and your royal guards push, the harder the Drow forces push back. That is buying their mages all the time they need to cast shield walls to block off the incoming bolts and arrows from above. Among the battle cries and sounds of dying soldiers, you can hear Arin's plea for help, which gets louder, as she is dragged closer to the portal. Then all of a sudden, you hear the sounds of people going through the portal, and Arin's pleas for help fading.

Now the Drowish sounds for retreat through the portal come, as they all fall back to the portal, one-by-one. First, the matriarch goes through, then her champions, and then the rest of them. Those that aren't quick enough to get through the portal are cut down. But as the portal closes, and your world essentially goes back to night, you let out a deep sigh. Arin has been captured, and who knows what the demons will do to her. Either way, Eliethiel is much closer to total destruction at the hands of the demons that you've fought a few years ago, and part of it is now your fault.

Later, in the castle keep.

"The Elves will not be happy of this outcome, m'lord." Vessa tells you.

"The Drow put us in a bad predicament, Vessa." You tell her. "Worse yet, none of us had realize that one of Arin's handmaidens was the succubus, Zrixsya."

"Akina's spies found the real handmaiden's body in a meadow along the road to Eliethiel." Vessa tells you. "It was so well hidden, that her fellow beastfolk had to rely on their deft ability to smell things, to find it earlier today. However, by the time they could reach you, the battle with the Drow was already joined."

"I see." You nod lightly. "With Arin gone, we should make arrangements for the Elves to return to Eliethiel, with the bad news, and make sure they're prepared for the worst. In the meantime, the troops must prepare to head to The Goldfields, and rescue Fiona from her abductors."

"They are doing that, as we speak." Vessa replies. "However, the scouts appear to be experiencing difficulties scouting in The Goldfields. Akina believes that Duchess Irene is slowing them down, but we do not know why. For now, m'lord, go get some sleep. We need you to be focused, when we ride to The Goldfields."

"Aye." You tell her, and retreat to your private quarters, to try to get some sleep.