[While on a rescue mission gone crazed, a holy warrior and a rogue fight bandits, demons, and the urge to rip each other's clothes off.]
The mission, rescuing a princess, could be going better.
Séa is an earnest paladin, honest and gullible. Tash is...
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They sallied forth into Dooch's cookery. The froggish demon carried the princess's two travel bags. He flap-footed his way behind Chantelle and Zorexis, who molded themselves to each other as they walked. The trio resembled a couple on honeymoon trailed by the hotel porter.
Ghomarck shuffled along stiffly. Séa's armor gleamed as it never had before, but a shadow crossed her face the instant they entered the food preparation room.
Tash's eyes slid sideways to inspect the paladin's tense expression. Something's afoot.
Zorexis pulled Chantelle to a stop in the geometric middle of the room. He faced her. Telegraphing his amorous intentions, he bent to kiss her mouth. Dooch dropped the bags and screeched, "What's the custom for goodbye? Is it just kisses or are you two going to copulate?"
Séa tapped Tash's elbow, then unhooked her war bow. Under the cover of Dooch's strident vocalization, she whispered, "Something watches."
"Where?"
"By the stairs, I think." Séa nocked an arrow to her string. Contrary to her words, when she pulled her string back, she aimed for the door of the orange room.
The rogue's attention riveted to the paladin. She barely heard Chantelle snap, "Shut it, Dooch," and then coo, "Hurry back, my love."
Tash's brain spun. What's she up to?
"Duck," the paladin said in conversational tones.
Tash obeyed. She fell to a low crouch with as much zip as her springy body could muster. Secondarily, she pawed for her own bow. She felt more than saw Séa spin in place. The war bow's string sang, and an arrow tore the air over Tash's head. Mid-air, toward the stairs, a small black shape rippled into existence. Its bat wings, one of them torn by the passage of Séa's arrow, beat spasmodically. It emitted a keening cry of anguish and outrage from a humanoid mouth and its fingered hands madly waved. Its legs ended in claws. A barbed tail trailed from its torso.
Chaos reigned. Chantelle and Dooch screeched a cacophonous duet of fright. Ghomarck fumbled for his belt knife and wheezed, "What? What?" The paladin and the rogue nocked new arrows as fast as their fingers could fly. Zorexis rounded on the women. His mouth snarled and his eyes blazed carbon red.
Two arrows struck the flying demon. The war arrow impaled it through the chest, and the elven-feathered shaft pierced its neck. It fought to escape up the stairs, but its strength failed. Sideways, it crashed on the stone steps, snapping one of its wings.
"Quasit down!" shrieked Dooch.
The incubus shaped his hands like claws and bore down upon Séa and Tash. "Meddlers!" he spat.
Tash reoriented and nocked another arrow.
But a moment later his forward motion shuddered to a stop. His hands dropped to his side, stiffly, as if forced by an effort of will. His blazing eyes darkened to bland human hues, with which he glared at Séa. He hissed, "Who are you? What are you, that can see the invisible and defeat a furion?"
