[centre]Niraph, Town Walls

The forests and darkness made visibility poor, but even the darkest night could not mask the threat nearby. Many guards at the walls nocked their bows, but they knew it was futile - there were maybe thirty guards and an undetermined number of the enemy. The best they could do was look intimidating, but if it came to blows, they were bound to fail.
"Fomorii!" one of the guards called "Someone ring the bell!"
But no-one did. No-one dared move fron their spot, lest the enemy think they were running away. Some [i]did[/i] want to run away, others offered up silent prayers to their gods and some just tried to hold back tears.
It wasn't just guards who heard the cry. Soon everyone in town was out in the streets, quietly panicking. Niraph was a relatively poor town - there had only been one major House in the past fifty years, and they'd all moved on. High Lord Lyrus had been born here, delivered by the same kindly healer that still resided there. They were subject to Wildling attacks, low harvests, bad weather, but they never thought this was how it would end. Death at the hands of an army of maurading demons was not the dignifyed, quiet end the civillians wanted.
The village Elder and the Chosen quickly pushed their way to the front. There was a general mumble, not loud but enough to instill an atmosphere of fear.
The two Council members went up on the gates, looking at the unit of Demonrexa. It was hard to tell their numbers, but it was a lot, not to mention the big ones, who counted for three at least. Niraph had stone and wood walls, they had a horde of soldiers and ballistas. It was an easy fight.
At this point, the Elder turned to the crowds. He didn't shout, but his voice was clear and loud and it silenced the crowds. "Niraph. I have been Elder in times good and times bad. I have never given up faith in this town, or its people. But if it comes to blows tonight, I want you to run. Leave everything behind and run. Head to the forests and hide. And don't return here either. We are strong, intelligent people - one of the other towns will accept us. I will attempt to communicate with the Fomorii, but if it goes badly, remember what I have said."
The town was stunned. They had never heard such negativity come from the Elder. True, they had suffered a lot under his care, but he had always reassured them that they could get through it. Here, he may well have said "We're doomed". Many townspeople burst into tears.

The Elder turned and looked out at the Demon army. Then, without warning, he lowered himself off the wall, hitting the ground with a grimace. He slowly walked closer to the Demonrexa, stopping about halfway between them and the town.
"Good evening, gentlemen" he said, trying and failing to keep the fear out his voice "Why have you come here? And why do you come brandishing swords and ballistas?"

 Healer's office

"Hold on." the Healer began rooting about in the bedside cupboard "Might-of-nine... Gunus Depoisoner... Ah, here it is."
He stood up, brandishing a small, red bottle.
"Drink. Drink the whole bottle. It tastes awful, but it will help. The pain and the coughing will go away for a while. I'll get you cleaned up." 
He gave the Succubus the bottle, pulled the covers back a little so she didn't feel so confined and grabbed a cloth. After soaking it in water, he cleaned the phlegm off her face. He got a new cloth and soaked it, this time rubbing her entire body - she needed to be kept clean, and if you can't move, that gets a bit difficult.
"Sorry" he mumbled, as he went around her legs and chest - he didn't care how immodest one was, some things just didn't feel right.
The muffled cries got through the walls, but the healer didn't respond at first. Then, a slow smile came across his face.
"Shenda, did you hear that? I think you're going home soon..."[/centre]
------
[centre] Drakar, Crowthorne Keep 

"Lyrus, wake up!"
The familiar voice brought the High Lord back into the land of the living. He sat up in bed to see a face standing over him. For a split-second, he thought it was the girl from his nightmare. Then his eyes focussed and revealed an equally terrifying, yet far friendlier sight.
"Luna! I... it... there was..."
Luna sat down on the bed "You were having nightmares again." she said in her soft, reassuring voice.
"Yes. H-how did you know?"
The Lady smiled oh-so-subtly "It's becoming a habit. Every night for the past four months you've woken up, scared out your wits. These things become predictable. What's going on?"
Lyrus took a deep breath, about to tell her everyhing - the Wildlings, the slavers, Niraph and all the other things...
And then he stopped. He sighed and muttered "Nothing. Just bad dreams"
The look on Luna's face told him she wasn't buying it.
"If you want to play it like that, fine. But you need to tell someone. Will you need any help getting back to sleep?"
"N-no, no, I'll be fine. I just need a minute or two" Luna had asked him that every time he woke up from a nightmare. He had always refused, partly out of politeness and partly out of fear - he had no idea how she was supposed to help him get to sleep, and he didn't really want to find out
"Alright then. Goodnight, lunacio (Little one)"
"Night"
And at that, the Lady turned and left the room, leaving Lyrus to a fitful, unpleasant sleep, filled with monsters, Wildlings... and demons.[/centre]