"I got ya" says Shiv. "Pile back into that room you came from and I'll reverse the portal's orientation. Should get ya home just fine".

Sypher watches until there remained no more of the enemy left to rise up again.  He did not fully understand how such things worked.  His lessons told him that a demon banished on the Prime Material Plane was only banished for a time and might return one day, long after Sypher's body rested in the grave.  Defeated here, he was unsure and made a mental note to ask Shiaran later.

Sypher turned to Glut, his mind warring between two opposing thoughts.  In the end, kindness, mercy, and love won out over all else and he extended a hand to Glut.  His words are simple but convey a host of implications.  "Thank you."

Glut looks down at Sypher's hand, and then back up to him. He sighs, before clasping it. "There is something admirable about paladins. Perhaps in another life, we could have been friends. Go now, before the horde turns its hungry eyes to you and yours".

Beloc turns his eye from the bloodthirsty horde and makes his way back to where the first entered this place. "There is no reason to linger here any longer than necessary. We have other matters to attend to."

He looks over at Sypher. "Shall we go liberate the royal family now?"

Sypher nods and without further hesitation heads through the portal.

~~~~

Shiaran looked around at all the chaos, shook her head, and headed for the portal.  So much information, but a lot of what she saw and experienced made her feel ill.  She pretended at non-caring for things a lot, but her brother knew.  Deep down, Shiaran was good at her core.  These things, this use of magic...especially by Elm...

Sometimes knowledge was not power.  Sometimes it was just self-destruction.

Shiaran headed through the portal without a backward glance.

R.E.B.O.R.T. wastes no time following in behind Shiaran.

As everyone enters the room, the portal winks shut behind them. Outside the north wing room, there is a commotion. A muffled voice frantically yells "Get it off, get it off!"

The commotion outside grabs Beloc's attention as he pops through the portal. He draws his blade and immediately heads that direction.

Shiaran, though behind Sypher, is first to react and heads to the commotion.  Sypher chose to wait behind to make sure everyone made it through first.  She admired his loyalty to his friends and knew he trusted her to handle the next conflict until he got there to support her.  She still held her sword, but dimissed the coldfire until she knew better what they faced.

Beloc and Shiaran burst through door across the hall from the portal room. As the entry flies open, a chorus of startled gasps greet them. Inside, Oro, Gazra, Apache, Sigurd, Kallium, Garyl, two unidentified women, and a regal looking man stare at the pair. Gazra is the first to break the silence, his heavy voice booming with laughter.

"Did ya get em'?"

Seeing a room full of friendly faces, Beloc relaxes and lowers his weapon.

"Elm has been dealt with", he says confidently.

Apache tries to keep his cool as best as he can as he trots over to the druid. He sits down in front of him calmly, but his furiously wagging tail gives him away. Beloc kneels down and affirms a job well done. "You kept them all safe, I see. Well done, boy."

Sypher enters the room and assesses the situation.  Upon seeing the regal man, he falls to a knee, head bowed.  "Your majesty."

The regal looking man raises his hand upwards, palm open. "Please, stand young man. We'll dispense with the formalities in due time"

A younger woman, dressed in much of the same finery as King Ghendrake, huffs and squeals a bit behind him. Looking beyond him and standing over her, is Oro. With a gloved hand, he pulls at a leech-like creature attached to the back of her neck. It finally releases its bite, squirming and writhing in his grip. The young woman squeals again. King Julius winces, before turning back to embrace his daughter. "There now, all done". The woman rubs the back of her neck, twisting her face into a disgusted expression.

Oro speaks up, addressing the group. "If there are no objections, I'll be disposing of this last soul-leech. Lest Rebort here chooses to study it".

The younger woman whips around to face him. Her tone is somewhat distressed, but not commanding. "Eww, that's disgusting! Please Mr. Oro, toss it in the fire like the rest of them". She rubs the back of her neck again, shuddering this time.

Oro looks over again at Rebort, while King Ghendrake starts to speak again. "You have done us, and this kingdom a great service by dispatching that treacherous fiend, Elm. There is much work to be done with undoing his schemes and plans. Firstly" he says, pointing to Garyl. "Take word to the Captain of the Watch.. MY Captain of the Watch. Tell him get word to the Luminaire battle fleet. I don't care if he has to send smoke signals to do it. They are to open fire immediately on the scourge at our door step. And you" he says pointing at Sigurd. "Rest assured, the actions of your companion will not affect diplomatic relations with the Firewyrms. I would ask that you speak to the Master of Press to include her likeness in his next release". He reaches in his pocket and removes a small metal coin with a seal on it. "Present this to any guard, and inform him you'll need escort to the Press Master's home. We need to find Irja Ginnar if we're to wrap up our loose end, and having the kingdom know what she looks like is our first step"

He turns back to the core group. "As for you four" he sighs, taking a second to breath. "I need to know everything that you know of these recent events, and if you would indulge me, who you are".

Garyl has already sprinted off and Sigurd is right on his heels as they depart.

R.E.B.O.R.T. steps up and gives the creature a rudimentary glance. "It does not appear any sort of mundane creature that I have encountered before."

He looks over at Beloc and asks "Are you able to categorize this?"

Beloc leans in slightly and wrinkles his nose as he examines the creature. "I'm not sure what that is exactly, but there's nothing natural about it at all."

R.E.B.O.R.T. quickly produces an empty glass jar from one of his many hidden compartments. "Then yes, I will collect this for research purposes. Perhaps we can find a way to counteract whatever effect it has on people at a larger scale, should this happen again."

Oro drops the foul thing into the jar and the lid snaps shut. With little care for politics, R.E.B.O.R.T. spies the creature through the glass, jiggles it a couple of times, then finally puts it away for safe keeping.

"Soul Leeches.  Nasty.  Necormancer tools.  Best to just burn them.  Rest, food, sunlight, and water for a week and you should be fine."  Shiaran looks into the jar Rebort is holding and scrunches up her face.

Sypher stands and offers another short bow.  "I am Sypherion Whiteraven and this," he indicates Shiaran, "is Shiaran Whiteraven, the last of the Whiteraven House to our knowledge."  He leaves off there to give the king time to digest that information as it seems to be potent all on its own here in the capital.

Beloc gives a short, but courteous bow. "I am Beloc S'Vicus, former Warden of the Glen and emissary for Lithuanwe Meliam."

R.E.B.O.R.T. also reports in after the others have identified themselves. "I am the Riddick & Ewes Bio-Organic Reconnaissance Trooper. Rebort, for ease of use."

King Ghendrake listens intently to everyone's introductions. At the introduction of the Whiteravens, his eyebrows raise. "This day certainly will be one for the history books. Surviving Whiteravens, and two of them at that. Who'd have thought that all these years later, your lineage carries on".


He motions to his family. "As you have surmised, I am King Julius Ghendrake XIV. This is my wife, Kherina, and our daughter, Rowina", he says, motioning to the young woman with the former leech problem. "The services you've performed for our kingdom this night are beyond measure, and I would imagine that this isn't the first time you four have more than pulled your weight for the good of our people. I would request that you, and the rest of you", he motions towards Oro and company "stay with us until the keep is secured and the night has passed".
This message was last edited by the player at 13:09, Fri 31 May 2019.

"Thank you, all of you, from the bottom of my heart".

The queen doesn't say anything, but wipes something from her eye, smiling.
This message was last updated by the player at 01:24, Fri 31 May 2019.

"As Your Majesty commands."

Shiaran is less quick to acquiesce to the king's request.  "Your Grace, we felt that Elm was an immediate threat and your lives hung in the balance.  This demanded that we take these actions without delay.  However, our primary mission is still urgent and ongoing.  To be honest, we can only stay till the sun rises."

She glances at Sypher to see if he would contradict her, but he only nodded in silent agreement.