Clara snuck through the forest, looking for any trace of the enchantress, Pyotr, or their approach. Nothing yet. She quickly headed to rejoin the others, almost shaking with anticipation. The storm had given the enchantress a big headstart, yes, but they'd more than made up for it. Thanks to Clara infiltrating her room that night, Drossie recreating the map she used, and Maia finding a shortcut on their holy maps, they were almost certainly catching up soon, if not already ahead of her. And that made Clara feel a bit better. She felt so terrible about what happened to Pyotr while she was away. 

Sure, she couldn't have seen it coming, but she'd had plenty of time while on watch all last night for her mind to lay out every possible way she could have avoided it and sure that'd be useful in the future but right now all it was doing was making her feel really really stressed and that certainly wasn't helpful but what else could she do really, and even now that they were in a better place she worried that the enchantress would be way more dangerous than they thought and might take another one of them under her control or even worse sacr-"Hey, Clara, you okay? We can take a rest, you know." Drossie gently stroked her horn, bringing her back to reality. Clara shook her head, smiling. "No, it's fine, I'm fine, I can still go, we don't need to rest!" Drossie was about to worriedly respond, but a faint sound drew all their attentions. Somewhere nearby in the forest... Metal struck against metal. "That might be him! Let's go!" Clara rushed away, and the other two followed.

The sounds of martial combat grew louder as the party approached. Clara couldn't help but worry Pyotr was getting hurt, but she knew he wasn't that easy to take down.  The motions of combat could be seen through the trees... Accompanied by a melodious, feminine laugh. Already all too familiar to them. The party stopped just before the road, hiding in the trees. Clara might be stressed, but she still knew stealth was their best approach here. If they knew what was happening, and she didn't, then they could deal with her before she ever had the chance to utter a spell. And as for what was happening... Well, at least Pyotr seemed okay...

Pyotr was standing mindlessly next to the enchantress, straight as a pole and almost motionless. The enchantress, on the other hand, was seated on the back of a cloaked woman on their hands and knees. Several bodies wearing similar cloaks lay around the area, and two cloaked men were currently fighting, their faces twisted in maniacal glee with a bright orange glow filling their eyes. The enchantress was laughing gaily at the display, gently directing the woman she was sitting on to watch with half-lidded, orange-glazed eyes. With a crack, one of the men felled the other, and the enchantress applauded. "Well done, toy~! You have earned your reward~..." She blew him a kiss, a shimmering spiral floating towards him. The second it touched him, he collapsed, still smiling. The enchantress giggled, then got up, raising her seat with her. She placed a finger under the woman’s chin to lock their gazes and smirked. "Now do you see what I mean, toy~? Numbers don't mean much without strategy~" The bandit leader nodded, her voice dreamy. "Yes, Mistress..." The enchantress gave her a headpat. "Good toy~! Now once you all wake up, you shall tell your 'boys' what I told you about ambushes~. Does that not sound so much better~?" The bandit leader nodded sleepily, murmuring, "Yes, Mistress..." and at the click of a finger collapsed onto the ground. The enchantress laughed and tapped Pyotr's shoulder. "Ahahaha, that was fun~! But come along toy, we must not tarry~! Ahh, I can almost taste it~!" She began leading Pyotr down the path. Right into the party's ambush.

They'd executed this strategy quite a few times in the past, to great success. Hide in the forest while Pyotr distracted their foes, keeping their focus drawn long enough for Clara to snipe their leader, Drossie to freeze the archers, and Maia to slow the rest. But it didn't work out this time. Not because Pyotr was dominated, because Maia could fill his role easily enough, but because they weren't used to doing it in such muddy ground. And as Drossie stealthily readied her frostbolt, she stepped just slightly too forward, slipping on the mud. She recovered, but the thunk of her boot against a stone boomed in Clara's ears like an explosion. The enchantress perked up. "Ooh, more hiding in the woods~? At least you know the proper techniques of ambush~! Perhaps I should reward your cleverness~!" She laughed, the sound beginning to echo unnaturally. **"Why not come out of hiding and present yourselves to me~?"** The suggestion filled the air, echoing all around them. Clara grit her teeth and braced against a tree as the enchanting sound slithered inside her ears. It softly slid around her mind, a warm tingle that attempted to adjust her thoughts, making the request seem not just logical, but the best course of action. As she resisted the pleasant compulsion, she looked at her companions. Maia seemed steadfast as always, but Drossie was struggling. Giving a miniscule shudder, her eyes fluttered, revealing a soft flash of orange. As casually as leaving a carriage, she stepped out of the woods onto the road. The enchantress laughed joyfully. "Oh, one of my toy's friends~! How adorable~! But where are the others, hmm~? I cannot imagine you would face me alone~..." Maia and Clara's gazes met, and they nodded. Ceasing to resist the compulsion, Maia leapt from their hiding place, manifesting their aweful celestial power. "STAND DOWN BEFORE THE DIVINE LIGHT OF SUCRIMIRABEL'VAE, WITCH! RELEASE MY COMPANION FROM YOUR COMPULSION OR FALL TO HER LIGHT!" The enchantress was unbothered by the intimidating display, merely laughing quietly. "Ah, such spirit~ I would so love to have you as well~! Toy," Pyotr snapped to attention, "defeat your friends for me~" Pyotr drew his blade and surged forward, launching a series of brutal attacks at Maia. The cleric narrowly dodged, but Clara grimaced and began quickly sneaking through the woods. The distraction bought her a bit of time, but she needed to do her part FAST.

Clara weaved silently through the trees to flank the enchantress. Luckily she was an easy target, merely standing and watching the combat as if it was a comedy instead of using her magic. Not that she needed to. Because while Pyotr could be a bit of a blowhard at times, when he was focused he was truly a force to be reckoned with. And right now, there was not a thought in his head other than felling Drossie and Maia. Clara could only hope the domination would wear off once she knocked out the enchantress. Luckily, she was great at doing that. Sneaking behind the enchantress, she readied her poisoned needle. Loaded with a powerful concoction of paralytics, narcotics, and soporifics, now including the essence of Onyxomnia she'd been forced to pay for, it was the perfect tool for nonlethal incapacitation. That, coupled with her knowledge of pressure points, was enough to knock out a Hill Giant in seconds. Approaching the enchantress's unmoving back, she plunged it in, just below the shoulder. The enchantress winced in an instant of shock, then stiffened. As she stood, a shudder began to run over her body.

Wait... No... She wasn't shuddering from the poison... She was shuddering from... Laughter...

Clara's own body felt paralyzed as the enchantress slowly turned to look at her, laughing cruelly. Her bright orange eyes blazed into Clara's as she cocked her head. "Hello~..." Clara's breath grew panicked as the enchantress calmly reached out, plucked the needle from her hands, and effortlessly crushed it in her fist. "Silly little mouse, trying to bite an elephant~... You have no idea how outclassed you are, do you~?" And as Clara watched in horror, what she had assumed was a mere enchantress began to unveil her true, terrible form...

The scent of something sweet and burning whirled permeated the air as the 'enchantress' shifted and morphed. Her red dress seemed to melt into her body, her skin becoming what resembled deep red silk. Her painted nails extended and hardened into garnet claws that glittered with infernal light. The cloak on her back split and extended into a pair of monstrous black wings that cast a shadow over the trembling rogue, blocking out all light except Hers, an unearthly glow emanating from her hair. The already vibrant orange locks now glowed and flickered like a wildfire, a terrifying yet mesmerizing display, dancing around a pair of spiraling black horns. Clara stared in awe and horror as a sinuous tail whipped back and forth before her, and the majestic demoness grinned down at her with eyes like vortexes of flame. She laughed, her voice seeming to come from everywhere at once. "Not so confident now, are you little mouse~?"

As Clara looked up at the demoness, she could feel her heart beginning to beat faster and faster. She had led them to their deaths. Instead of just staying back in the village and recovering, she pulled them along on a mission where they were now at the mercy of a terrifying monster from the Nine Hells. The demoness was grinning down at her, and Clara felt her stomach churning, she looked so much more powerful than any demon or devil she'd ever seen, and they were all going to be made into her thralls now once she got bored of watching her squirm. Clara didn't know if she should run or try and fight, because if she ran then maybe she'd survive, but then she'd be leaving her friends behind to have their souls consumed, but if she tried to fight back then she'd just be made to subdue her friends just like Pyotr was, and oh gods his soul was already destroyed wasn't it, this entire thing had been hopeless the entire time and they were all going to die or worse and it was all her fault and- 

"HEAVEN'S LIGHT BANISH YOU, DEMON! BACK TO THE HELLS!" Clara was snapped back to reality as Maia launched a blast of holy light at the demoness. The demoness turned her attention away from Clara and staggered back slightly, smirking at Maia. "Ugh, why would I want to go back there~? This plane is much more fun~! Toy, teach this little cleric a lesson~" Maia attempted to interrupt, but the demoness's voice drowned out the beginning of their sentence. "-EADY DEFEATED YOUR 'TOY'! NOW RETURN TO THE HELLS BEFOR-" The demoness pouted. "Oh, that is no fun~! Perhaps I should take a new one~" She extended her hand, fluttering her claws at Maia. "Looky looky, little celestial~!" The gentle glimmering light seemed to have a powerful effect on Maia, their knees quickly beginning to buckle. They began murmuring a prayer of protection, their voice slowly growing quieter as the spell seeped in. Clara stared in horror, breathing rapidly. She knew she should help, she knew she should do something, but... What COULD she do?! Her best technique was useless against a foe this powerful, so what chance did anything else have?! But if she didn't do anything, then Maia would become a thrall as well, but nothing she do would do anything, but... Well, there wasn't any way it could get worse for her if she tried... 

Swallowing hard, Clara readied her dagger and willed herself to move. The demoness wasn't looking, so she had an opening, small as it was. With every ounce of strength she possessed, she brought her dagger down onto the demoness's neck... And left naught but a small scratch, like a scuff on a dress. The demoness instinctively reached up to touch the scratch, pausing her fluttering for just a second. She smiled down at Clara, as if admiring a cute animal. "Aww, what a good strike, little mouse~! Shame your cleric forgot to bless your weapon, else that might have really hurt me~ Perhaps once I make you both my toys, I can have them do that for you~! Speaking of that, I must continue to-" But for once she was interrupted, by a divine chorus of magic. Clara glanced up, seeing the symbol of Maia's Goddess in the clouds. Their prayer to save them had worked! For now...

A shimmering pillar of purple magic shone down on Maia, and the demoness stepped back as the divinely empowered cleric approached. "BY THE MIGHT OF ALL THAT IS SWEET AND JUST, I SHALL BANISH YOU FROM WHENCE YOU CAME, DEMON! FLEE NOW OR SUFFER DIVINE WRATH!" The demoness looked up at the holy sigil in the sky, her composed demeanor cracking as she stepped back from the divine light. She grit her teeth and growled. "Awfully rude to bring divinity into this.” A vibrant gout of spiraling flame cascaded from her outstretched hand, but Maia endured it, their body crackling with power. Even so, Clara couldn't help but notice how exhausted their strides were. Their Goddess's blessing was only so powerful. Should she try and help them? What could she even do, though? What if she just got in the way? But she could see Drossie lying unconscious next to Pyotr, encased in ice by a lucky spell. She should go help them, right? But she couldn't abandon Maia! But she couldn't do anything, and what if Pyotr got defrosted, but the demoness was the true threat, but Drossie might be in serious danger and need a potion, but- A loud crack snapped her out of it. The demoness clutched her shoulder, a purple gash shining through her claws, as Maia stood hunched over, exhausted but refusing to fall. The demoness glared balefully, her wings spread wide. “You… Are not worth my time… Such a spoilsport… Fare thee worse, little celestial…” She flapped her wings, and a vortex of flame and ash erupted all around them. Stinging soot almost blinded Clara before she shielded her eyes, gritting her teeth as the fire buffeted her. She feared the worst, but as she the vortex cleared and she looked up… The demoness was gone. Vanished. 

Clara glanced around worriedly, but there was no sign of the demoness. Clara began to pant with relief. They had survived! They were safe! Or at least… She was… The others were faring far worse, and Clara felt a pang of guilt as she realized she'd never even been touched during the fight. Maia was prone, but seemed at least barely conscious, while Drossie was completely out… And had been for a while. Clara felt a surge of panic as she ran over to her friend. “Please don't be dead, I'm sorry I didn't help! I just… I…” She felt Drossie's pulse, and sighed in relief. In fact, looking over her wounds, she looked relatively fine. Pyotr had clearly attempted to deal with her nonlethally, and Clara sighed in relief. Perhaps there was still some of him in there after all. Perhaps the demoness's domination hadn't- Her thoughts were interrupted as she glanced at Pyotr, frozen in the ice. Her heart almost dropped into her stomach. Because his eyes, blazing so bright they almost seemed to melt the ice around them, were a vibrant, blank orange. 

Clara could feel the panic returning. She'd assumed that defeating the demoness would have removed her spell, but why had she assumed that?! The demoness was so much more powerful than any mage they'd met, of course her magic wouldn't be removed so easily! And if Pyotr was still dominated, who knows what he'd try to do? If they were lucky, he'd just stand around like a mannequin, but Clara had a sinking feeling he'd still be acting on that last command his Mistress gave him… And they were in no shape to endure that right now. She nervously looked around at the others. Maia was the only one that could cure him, and they were all spent from calling upon their Goddess, and could barely move. Drossie wasn't dying, but even if she fed her a potion what could she do? They had no reason to believe knocking him out would break the enchantment, and Drossie's eclectic list of spells didn't include any curatives. They needed to rest and recover before they could do anything, but the road wasn't safe! Those bandits would wake up any time now, and she had a feeling that advice the demoness had given would make them far more dangerous than your average brigand. But where else could they stay? 

As she looked around for any signs of good hiding places  she suddenly noticed a strange tree in the distance. Well, the tree itself wasn't strange, but the markings on it were. They were very, very familiar. A crude drawing of a half-elf sorcerer, with a flower on her head. Clara stared at the drawing, then looked around. Now that she had time to focus… She definitely recognized this place. She sighed, dejected. Was that really the best place to rest? And as she looked around, at her incapacitated party, she had to admit it was. She administered a potion to Drossie, and the three started dragging Pyotr's frozen body along a path they all unfortunately recognized. Clara smiled ruefully. It was fitting, she supposed. Where else to remove demonic corruption than a recently uncorrupted church?