Saiben seemed to scream in rage at Cleonora's vanishing, however it wasn't long lived. The beams from Sulvanii burst through the window and incinerated Saiben's chest. He crumpled to the floor as those outside continued on.
Danalia laughed. "Sweetheart you're not my type." She told the woman. "However, you should stay, right where you are."
Then cast another spell but this time upon Selena.
She just waves her finger at the caster and then points over at Sulvanii saying, "You had your chance, hell it is.
Quince tries to dive in front of the attack still held by enemies suggestion. "Selena no. She must be defended."
Round 6
The caster can hear the sound of fire as he speaks in Ignan. Then he lands heavily beside her, he speaks in common as a whisper and growing in intensity. "That man burns, my anger still burns His arms slowly wrap around her as his falchion rests in its scabbard.
Krazok goes to look into the hut and says, "Oh!"
Quince realizes to late that the attack was coming from the Efreeti not the really . . . .really hot girl. He lurches toward the heat but it was too intense and he came to his senses.
He felt a great deal of shame and pain. He looked at his burnt hands and dropped to the ground to put out his clothing which had caught on fire.
Danalia screamed in pain as the heat from Sulvanii burned through her magical protections. "GET HIM OFF!! KILL HIM!" She demanded from Quince.
Round 7
"Go ahead Quince attack me!" He says without emotion and he pins the caster to his chest. "Now little bird, I told you I was going to take you to hell. Inch by agonizing inch. Then we will go there together."
Quince grabbed his morningstar not wishing to brave the flames again. "Let her go. I don't want to kill you Sulvanii. She MUST be defended." He called out in Celestial.
His mind twisted by the situation and the magic shone on display in his movements as his mace whiffed through the flames. He staggered back from the heat again.
Round 8
"Burn!" He growls out at her.
Round 9 & ...
He holds her and she screams, and she slowly burns.
Once she appears to be almost dead, or after Quince hits him a few times, Sulvanii vanishes in a cloud of smoke she is gone as well. Effectively ending the spell.
Quince makes another futile attempt.
Selena, Krazok, Quince, and your mounts head back to the bunker to find Jorne and Cleonora rushing towards you.
"So... what happened?!" He said after catching his breath.
She had healed them both with a channel and was running with them.
"Did you get them?!" Cleonora asked as she came up.
"... Where is Sulvanii?" She added worriedly.
Quince looked shaken, "Sulvanii took her. To hell he said. But whether that was poetic or not I couldn't tell." He held out his hands the sleeves of his clothing burned and tattered. "Her magic was . . . overwhelming." He winced at a thought and looked ashamed.
"Don't you worry about it Quince, the best of us have been controlled by magic. Even Selena was held by the magic. What is left of the man is in the hut. Sulvanii took the caster and the third is on the ground." He said with consideration.
"It is over." She states after Krazok.
Quince nods silently at Krazok's kind words, "Thank you."
He looks up, "Is anyone hurt?
"I healed them!" she states. "Shall we go home. Quince you know you can summon Sulvanii at any time right?" She points to the black lamp on Quince's belt.
Quince nods, "Yes on all accounts." He looks up, smiles, and summons Sulvanii with the lamp. He pulls forth the lamp rubs it.
Sulvanii appears in a roiling cloud of smoke that comes from the lamp and he lands heavily on the ground covered in blood. In his hand are two jars. His emotions seem to be in check once more.
"Let's go home!" he says with a satisfied smiled as the blood begins to burn off.
Getting to ash he asks, "Please bathe me Ash." Then ash breathes fire over him. He then mounts and the group is off.
Shaking himself from his melancholy Quince suggests, "The Spider is dead. Should we dispose of the corpse so that resurrection is less a possibility? That fire suggests one method."
Once home Quince pulls Cleo aside, "Justice was done. I hope that this allows you some respite. There is more to this than just what happened in these last weeks. It is my hope that even in your new labors you can find rest here."
As the conversation ends Quince smiles and tilts his head noting the change in demeanor and body language between Jorne and Cleo.
Quince turns to Sulvanii and jests, "I am glad I was unable to knock your block off. Not sure such a thing is possible. I have a few things to discuss with you in the morning. I look forward to breakfast."
Quince turns and nods to Krazok there is little to say but the eye contact is an unspoken acknowledgement of Krazok's kind words at Quince's despair.
He sees Selena but shys from actual eye contact and weakly smiles. That my mind and well my desires are so easily swayed by magic is a shameful thing. Had it been another that I was attacking I might have hurt a friend or in my eldritch fueled passion done something I regret.
"Good work Wardens. The people of my heart should sleep every easy knowing who watches our lands."
With goodnights said he leads Scram off toward the stables. Speaking quietly to the horse bearing a bit of his soul and reflecting on the night.
Quince joins Sulvanii for breakfast. He enters holding hands with Elizabeth. He looks to the Ifreeti "I hope you slept well. If you need sleep." He looks quizzically.
He enjoys a bit of the hearty breakfast that they often share. "The mission against the Red Spider went well. Though I was troubled by my own contribution. I shudder to think what would have happened. I mean you are hard to hit. But if it had been someone else I could have struck them when I fell victim to the magic."
Quince had sent word to a few others; Tristan, Krazok, Cleo, Bearik inviting them to breakfast about 30 minutes after the usual meeting time he shares with Sulvanii.
"I invited a few more to eat with us. This morning." Once they arrive he politely offers the hearty breakfast laid out.
2- Tatzleford and our fey allies. We have talked about this in passing but during downtime. Quince would seek out Melianse and Tiressia again with the growth of Tatzlford to help smooth over the idea of new allies (this is something we talked about before) this would also bring up with Melianse that the loggers would use the skunk river which would be less intrusive and do less destruction than the wide roads that would be needed for logging transport.
3- Krazok found and helped the Marthropple Expedition when we sent him on an elporation mission. Given his love for maps. Quince would love to talk to the gnome and compare maps and so on. If we are handling the battle against the trolls off camera in the down time then we have found the ruins this group is searching for.
"I was thinking of a few things that have been lingering on the to do list. A few months back Krazok you lead an exploration team into the Narlmarches. You met a Nixie, Melianse and some loggers. Part of the resolution of the dispute they had with the Nixie was our offer to bring her some Feather Tokens that can become trees." He points on the map. "The nixie lives near the Dryad Tiressia as well as Tazlford."
"This seems a good opportunity to check on things with Tazlford. Tristan once we can formally bring Tazlford will need to organize their defense I am sure you want to get a look at what is already there. Cleo you will want to check on the educational needs of Tazlford."
"Krazok you were the leader of the team that met Melianse so it would be good to have you with us. I did not have a chance to meet Melianse, I also would want to check on Tiressia and Falchos. This is a diplomatic trip so it would be good to have Bearik along as chief diplomat. Oh Cleo you can invite your professor who is familiar with the fey. She might enjoy meeting a few of our connections."
As an afterthought he mentions, "Oh he met the gnomes who make maps. Marthropple it would be nice to meet with a map maker. Perhaps he has info we have yet to gather."
"I actually need to disarm all the traps, Selena if you would help that would be greatly appreciated. Any other help would be nice too! Then we will mop up the body too." He states and gets to work...
"Yes it is surely well that you did not knock my block off..." He states with a sly smile responding to Quince, "In the morning then!"
He smiles a knowing smile and pleasantly states, "I do not need to eat or sleep, although I do so on occasion. I see though you were not the only one that failed to resist her magic. Ah yes a cloak of resistance would likely help you in resisting much."
He nods in agreement to the continued actions proposed.
He states, "I can make the introductions..."
He smiles, "Good. Sulvanii you are welcome to come. Kevros will benefit from your council. Though he is no fool and others will be here to assist."
"That would be the best way, also a soul jar trap but that would take too long to prep." Cleonora said. "Lets just, burn the bodies and go..."
"Thank you... everyone. For everything."
"It... well, we'll see." She muttered with a small sigh. "If he came back, who else will...?"
"I can bring Helena along. Might be a little rough if she speaks but her knowledge will be useful." Cleonora answered.
"Thank you for the treat of reciprocation. I was not expecting it, it definitely was great. I hope to try it again soon. I got caught up in the moment. I was surprised you swallowed." He said with honesty and a warm smile.
He would kiss you again, then quickly get dressed to escort you to the council meeting.
----
In your office: "I know I am a stud but stop it!" He says playfully hoping she will steer away from being pessimistic. "Also you don't have to worry about him or his goons. The bodies were destroyed and Sulvanii trapped their souls. Sure others might come... but I am here, and I am not leaving." He then moved up to you aggressively stopping before getting to you and laid a quick kiss on your lips.
He stood quietly at breakfast pacing back and forth never more than 30 feet away from Cleo.
"I uha... I honestly didn't know what else to do." Cleonora said as she blushed deeply before they kissed and finally got dressed.
--------
"I've killed... So many," Cleonora stopped in her words when Jorne pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She smiled at him when he pulled his lips from hers. "I'm sorry. This can't be easy hearing me go on about it."
"Jorne, you can sit down you know." Cleonora said softly.
Quince nods, "Please Jorne join us. You are welcome."
"It is fine, I am here to listen. I am open to hear anything you want to tell me." He says letting her know his stance and willingness to listen.
He takes a seat and occupies his wandering mind with filling his plate, glass, and then his mouth. He seems to be on edge and listening intently to the sounds around rather than the words being spoken.
"I am glad you are here Jorne. Honestly. With Cleo and another professor going I should have thought to include you. You seem on edge? Is there something more?"
"I know, he's been wearing the rugs of my office in to since he never leaves my side." Cleonora commented.
"He is a protector. You gave many such protectors a scare." He gives Jorne an understanding empathetic look. He looks back at Cleo, "Your own horror in all this I cannot fathom." A look of sincerity deep in his eyes, "But there are those around you who care, a community that you are an integral part, and when you were attacked it was a secondary attack on us all." He smiles warmly, "I know its a new sensation for you."
"This trip will be a nice change of pace." He squeezes Elizabeth's hand affectionately. "This will be fun. The Narlmarches is a beautiful forest."
"Just being vigilant, too much on my mind." He says between bites, "Ohhh the pancakes are really good, is this our own syrup?"
And when her hands lowered there was little else to be said. He would move in for a kiss and then move to hold her with his arms.
"The forests are beautiful but with the skunk river and the swamps, those parts are surely smelly." She adds holding Quinces hand.
"Well the deep swamps are further West. But yes the Skunk earns its name. But once you are a ways out the river is not that bad."
With the nice change of pace, on the designated day most of you pack up your mounts in the castle's stables.
Krazok is playing with his axebeak in the courtyard.
Bearik sits off in the shadows watching Krazok and those going to the stables.
"Do you want to share what is on your mind?" Cleonora asked softly, not wanting to push him.
When the time came, Cleonora packed up and with Helena showed up to head out with the group.
Quince moves over to where Bearik sits. "How is going?"
He says in his sagely manner, "Well enough Quince. Elizabeth is thrilled with you. I was commissioned by her to make sure you returned in one piece. Like she needed to say so."
"Just worrying so you don't have too. Thinking of ways to protect you, the academy, so on and so on..." He stated with a furrowed brow. Letting his brow smoth as he focused on the taste of the food.
Cleonora sighed softly when she heard his answer, though she didn't think that completely true she wouldn't push the matter.
He says in his sagely manner, "Well enough Quince. Elizabeth is thrilled with you. I was commissioned by her to make sure you returned in one piece. Like she needed to say so."
Quince smiles wistfully, "I am humbled. She is quite amazing. I know you are looking out for us. She's coming on the trip isn't she?"
"Oh that must have got lost in... well you had best go and get her. I will go prepare Sunshine." He points out with a bit of uneasiness.