Chapter 583 – The Beatdown

"As if I'd sit still and let you!" Petyr rushed in, her warhammer infused with a Smite.

Cackling, Jhene drew the ghastly energy from the chimera skull. Her muscles bulged. She grew an extra two feet in height. The sclera of her eyes turned black. Petyr brought the warhammer down over Jhene's head, the impact sending a shockwave rippling behind her and knocking the other succubi off their feet. A single trickle of blood dripped down the empowered succubus face. When Petyr pulled the warhammer away, Jhene's wound regenerated.

"My turn!" Jhene threw a fast straight punch.

Petyr sidestepped the blow, only to have a knee driven into her chest. She skidded backwards, wincing.

"Are you all going to fucking stand there and watch or help?" Petyr whirled around furiously.

"Amethyst, leave Jhene to me and Petyr. You and the others keep the rest of the succubi off our backs and rescue Qoro" Vestrid walked forward, drawing both of her maces and rounding her arms.

"You won't see me complaining!" Kanae pulled Cockcalibur out of her pussy.

The drakeling joined Petyr's side and elicited a sharp click of the tongue. Both of them faced a hulking foe of indomitable might, whose Hobgoblin Ancestry made her much more fearsome. Jhene took a swipe at Vestrid and met a mace to the bottom of her chin. The strike jostled her noggin, and she shook off the daze to go for another attack.

But the Saint Priest was a lot more deft on her feet. With every hit Vestrid dodged, she returned with two more, three more, four more until it became a flurry of assault. She danced around Jhene, and each successive attack seemed to hit progressively harder.

"Stand still, you fucking lizard!" Jhene roared.

Vestrid's expression became increasingly more unhinged. Her lips peeled back and eyes snapped wide open. A growing crimson aura which engulfed her intensified in color. Petyr looked reluctant about intruding in their tango. However, Jhene's tail swept across the ground and caught Vestrid unaware. It knocked the drakeling flat on her back, snapping her from whatever hypnotic state she had fallen into. She rolled away just as a massive fist cratered the ground.

"That was exhilarating! Was anyone keeping count? How many attacks did my Unyielding Battle Trance tally up to?" Vestrid asked.

"No one was keeping track, idiot!" Petyr retorted.

Unyielding Battle Trance. It must be similar to Minestra Val'doun's Berserking Battle Trance, but of a different archetype. Kanae was interested in learning about Vestrid's skill, but the cultists were making their move.

"You two incubus, fall into the shadows and wait for an opening. Kanae and I will make one for you to rescue Qoro," Hilde said, summoning forth a pack of dire wolves.

"F-Fall into the shadows how?" Motta complained.

"Don't you have stealth skills? It's innate to your race!" she exclaimed.

"Petyr never lets us fight! Three hells, I haven't gained a level in years!" Vesh threw his hands up.

"Ugh. Useless!"

"Here they come!" Kanae warned and transformed Cockcalibur into Titan's girthy member.

A dozen succubi descended upon them. Hilde's dragon breathed fire and scattered the group. Each dire wolf lunged high into the air to knock down one each. Kanae shoved Motta back, then clobbered a succubus aiming for him over the head with Cockcalibur. Two more threw themselves into her.

"False queen!"

"You wear what belongs to the Queen-Mother!"

Kanae struggled to lift Cockcalibur in any meaningful way to defend herself. She clamped her tail pussy on one succubus' crotch, then conjured Magic Hand to finger the other. They tensed up, certainly not expecting her to attack in such a way.

"What's the matter? Can't handle a bit of sexy time during battle?" Kanae sneered.

"Nnngh… You'll never make us— HEY! Resist her, you fool!"

The succubus getting her clitoris and pussy played with by Kanae's tail had fallen into a state of bliss.

"Ahhh! I'm trying! But I've never felt this before… It feels so good!" she cried.

Kanae quickly brought them both to climax. Amidst their orgasm, Motta tiptoed up to them and clocked both succubi over the heads with a heavy branch.

"That was an opening, right?" Motta asked, giving her a hand.

"Good enough." Kanae pushed them off, and Motta pulled her up.

Hilde and her beasts had taken care of the rest. All that remained was the succubus holding Qoro hostage. She took a step back with the charmed boy with a knife to his throat.

"Don't come any closer! We don't need him, but you clearly do." The succubus grinned.

"You're not going to hurt my brother, are you?" Vesh, in his regressed elven form, walked up to her from behind and acted all timid.

"Not one step closer, or your brother gets a gaping wound in his throat," she said.

As an elf, Vesh did possess vague similarities to Qoro. Kanae inched forward, still unsure of what he was planning.

"Take me instead. I promise I won't struggle," Vesh insisted.

The succubus let her guard down. She motioned for Vesh to come closer, and he did. When he came within reach, she grabbed him and shoved Qoro away. Kanae pulled Toro's son into her arms.

"You're so cute. Maybe I'll have you as my personal pet," the succubus said, burying her face into his shaggy hair.

"Sorry. I'm spoken for!" Vesh headbutted her, disarmed her of the dagger, and swapped their positions.

"D… Damn you!" she cried.

"Now that is how an incubus operates." Hilde chuckled.

Meanwhile, Kashar, Petyr, and Vestrid fought Jhene to a standstill. Their battle ripped through the earth. The alraune's mycelia achieved little in holding her still. Jhene easily tore through the thick roots Kashar commanded. Against her unbridled strength, both Petyr and Vestrid had been forced on the defensive instead. Neither Kanae nor Hilde could find an opening to join the fight.

Jhene grabbed Kashar by the leg and slammed her down. The alraune disintegrated into the soil just as a heavy foot punched through the ground. Vestrid held the hobgoblin from behind, and more roots sprung from the earth to bind Jhene still.

"Let's see you stay standing after a Divine Smite!" Petyr swung for her head, but Jhene caught the head of the warhammer with one bare hand. The divine energies erupted, yet their stalemate continued.

"Now's our chance!" Hilde exclaimed.

However, Vesh beat them to it.

"You're mine!" Vesh plunged the dagger into the back of Jhene's neck, but the blade shattered.

Jhene flung everyone off her. She spun around to grab Vesh struggling by the face.

"Fucking incubus." Jhene smashed him into the ground, hard enough to crack the earth, then tossed his limp body into the gorge.

"Vesh, no!" Petyr dove off the cliff after him.

"Who's next?" Jhene snarled.

"Hold it!" Motta yelled and drew Jhene's attention.

The orc incubus held a cultist succubus hostage. He had no weapons. Instead, he had Hilde pointing her staff at the succubus' head.

"Perhaps one of your sisters?" Hilde suggested.

"You wouldn't dare, Hilde. That's a sister to you, too." She glared.

The former Mistress of Subjugation scoffed at her successor.

"Oh? But I am not family anymore. Ambrosia and Mother exiled me. As far as I'm concerned, this is merely killing cultists. You may leave instead, Jhene. You've already taken what you wanted here anyway," Hilde said.

"I thought better of you, Hilde. Fine. We'll leave. Now let her go," Jhene demanded.

Hilde nodded to Motta, who released the succubus. The succubi of the Cult of Lust and Depravity unfurled their wings and lifted into the air. Jhene waited until they were all up before rising herself. She spared one more look at Hilde, then flew after them.

"Quick thinking, Hilde." Kanae sighed.

"It wasn't me. It was actually the incubus who came up with the idea." Hilde pointed at Motta.

"I don't know what came over me. I saw Vesh get hurt badly, and I just— Wait, Vesh!" Motta ran over to the edge of the cliff.

There was nothing but the coursing waters below.

"Kashar, can you sense them?" Kanae asked.

"Yes, they are alive much farther downstream just before a fork," Kashar explained.

"You go. Hilde and I will stay here to make sure there are no stragglers," Vestrid said.

Kanae and Motta flew down the river. They found Petyr and Vesh on a large rock in the middle of the raging waters. She had him lying flat on his back.

"Is he…" Motta gulped.

"Alive. I casted Lay on Hands on him, but he hasn't come to consciousness yet. Jhene, that fucking bitch. I'll break her neck the next time I see her," Petyr mumbled.

"Let's get you both out of here before the water rises. Motta, you pick up Vesh," Kanae said, then gave Petyr a hand herself.

They lifted both of them out of the river and back onto the rising, where the others were waiting. All that was left of their battle was the headless carcass of Kashara Island's chimera, whose skull Jhene had claimed for whatever the cult had plans for. The alraune Kashar pressed a hand to the still body.

"Incredible… One succubus possessed the gift of Mother Gaea. Another was able to slay that which was said to have brought calamity in its wake. Just who are you outsiders?" Kashar asked in awe.

"Well, we were supposed to be just passing by. Jhene won today. What now?" Kanae groaned.

"I'm going back to the ship with Vesh. It's not safe for him out here. I told him that…" Petyr grumbled, conflicted with anger and sadness.

"My dragon will take you back. I'll remain with Kanae," Hilde said.

"Hmph. Don't expect me to thank you." The high elf turned the other cheek.

Qoro slowly came to as the Charm over him diminished. He blinked in surprise for a few moments until it all came rushing back.

"Oh, no. Vesh! This is… my fault, isn't it? If I hadn't been captured…" Qoro balled his hands into fists.

"No one's at fault except the succubi. Qoro, go back with Petyr. Kashar is too dangerous for you," Kanae explained.

"Alright…" He sulked

Motta went with them. They climbed onto Hilde's dragon, and it lifted into the sky in the direction of the ships. To Kanae's surprise, Vestrid stayed put.

"You're not going with them?" Kanae asked.

"And bore myself waiting on the ship until we leave again? This island is much more exciting. Besides, you're still here. The others always say things are more fun with you around." Vestrid flashed a toothy smile.

"Who is filling you with that nonsense?! Ugh, never mind." She shot a look at Kashar, who was bouncing with excitement.

Kanae hadn't forgotten the promise of giving her a taste of Nectar of the Grove. The biggest danger, that being Jhene, was over. She needed to collect her thoughts and consider what to do next. If they really were being watched, then going to Tau'we to search for that temple would be the wrong thing to do. The cultists were still searching. Let them search with their heads up their asses for a while longer.

"Is there any reason why we aren't leaving yet?" Hilde raised her brows.

"Well, you know… Everyone's exhausted. Just came off of a fight… and I…" Kanae cleared her throat, throwing glances Kashar's way.

Hilde eyed the both of them and quickly caught on.

"It has been some time since I've had quests!" Kashar clapped her hands together once. "May I invite you three to my home?"

"An invitation from an alraune, hm? A first for everything," Vestrid said.