Chapter 45: Capture

IRO

Iro was left behind to keep watch while the rest of the group ventured into the night. Being a snow-white canine, he wasn’t exactly the best choice for a midnight reconnaissance mission at councilman Matalie’s estate.

He was alone, waiting for the others to return with news about Siuei. Was she even there? He wished he had company. It was past midnight, and he was struggling to stay awake. But the fear of being discovered was enough to keep his eyes open.

Suddenly, the bushes nearby rustled. Iro jumped, but let out a sigh of relief when Zeltaria and Cerys emerged.

“Still here, I see. I guess we haven’t been spotted,” Zeltaria said, crouching down next to Iro.

“Did you find anything?” Iro asked, keeping his voice low to avoid drawing attention.

Zeltaria nodded. “There’s a guest house at the back of the estate with lights on. I think that’s where we’ll find her. What a joke.”

She rubbed the back of her head, looking disappointed.

“I thought when we started getting death threats and kidnapping attempts, it would be something ~serious~, like the old days. Something to break up the monotony of pointless council meetings.”

Cerys placed her hand on Zel’s shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry, Master, I’m sure there will be plenty of trouble yet.”

Zeltaria chuckled softly, covering Cerys’s hand with her own. “Thanks, Ceri.”

The bushes rustled again, and Aranya and Holly joined them, gathering around Iro.

“Everyone’s here. Find anything interesting?” Holly asked, her voice filled with excitement.

Aranya nodded, her whole body moving with the motion. “I found some good tree lines to work with, and set a few traps already, Miss Zel. I’ll set more when we move on.”

Zeltaria nodded at Aranya before standing up. She looked at each member of her group before turning to face the estate.

“The guest house is on the far side of the estate. Holly, take Iro and go around the north side, Cerys with me.

“Ara, keep setting traps where you think they’ll cause the most trouble. Focus on the south and west sides, and we’ll try to drive them out that way if we can.”

Aranya nodded and stood up, stretching her hands and legs as she prepared to move.

Holly picked up Iro by his collar and slung an arm around his neck. “Looks like it’s you and me, buddy.”

Cerys stood close to Zeltaria and addressed the group. “Remember, our safety is the most important thing. If you think you can’t win a fight, retreat. But we ~have~ to succeed tonight.”

The group nodded in agreement. Then Zeltaria said the words they were all waiting for: “Let’s go.”

Holly and Iro made their way around the north side of the estate, staying within the trees outside the walls.

The estate wasn’t designed like a fortress and could be easily breached, but they wanted to remain undetected until they had to be.

Soon, they could see the guest house. Holly let out a low growl of excitement.

“It’s been…decades since something like this, Iro.” She turned to grin at the canine. “I hope you won’t think too differently of me after tonight.”

Iro shook his head slowly. “I could never. Every day I learn something new about everyone living with Zel and the family. I’ve learned to just roll with it.”

Holly chuckled and turned to look at the flickering lights in the guest house’s windows. “Glad to hear it. Now… we just wait for a signal…”

ZELTARIA

Zeltaria and Cerys walked with Aranya for a few minutes before the spider began climbing trees and disappeared into the night. That left the Succubus and centaur alone to watch the guest house.

“Do you think we’ll really catch them, master?” Cerys whispered. “We don’t have any weapons except what we can find. Our haste might be our downfall.”

Zeltaria hummed softly. “I know it’s…~reckless~, but we might not get another chance like this.” She looked at Cerys with faintly glowing eyes. “We had to take it.”

Cerys nodded and began to move forward. “Good. As long as we’re on the same page, Master.”

Zeltaria smiled to herself. She was grateful to have such understanding friends.

She followed Cerys and, finding a good spot, easily climbed over a section of the wall. Cerys took a running start and leaped over, landing on the soft grass on the other side.

Across the estate, Zeltaria saw a flash of white climbing over the wall. Iro and Holly had made it in.

She looked west, hoping to see Aranya, but the trees were too dark. Shrugging and hoping for the best, Zeltaria quickly moved towards the guest house.

When she got there, Zeltaria pressed herself against a wall, and Cerys did the same. She hoped Holly would have the sense to ~check~ inside before breaking in.

Zeltaria peeked into a window and her heart raced when she saw Siuei.

The enkeli was standing at a table, quickly scribbling on a map. Two other male enkeli were in the room with her, and, most surprisingly, Ilia was on a nearby couch.

Zeltaria grimaced when she saw that Ilia was naked, covered in whip and riding crop marks, and oozing white fluid from her bare pussy.

“Enkeli up to enkeli things, it seems,” Zeltaria muttered.

Cerys caught a glimpse of the scene and her spirits plummeted. “They’ve been the same for centuries. Have they always been this way?”

Zel agreed, pulling away from the window. “So, what’s our plan?”

A sudden, loud crash answered her question.

Peering back through the window, Zel saw Holly had burst through the front door and was already wrestling with one of the male enkeli, expertly throwing him to the ground.

“Looks like we’re going in loud and fast. Let’s move!” Zel called to Cerys, sprinting around the side of the house and through the door.

Siuei was already yelling in shock and fury when she choked upon seeing Zeltaria. “Y-y-you!” she stuttered, pointing an accusing finger at the red Succubus.

Cerys moved around Zeltaria and met the other enkeli with a powerful punch, sending him flying back. Meanwhile, Holly pinned her opponent to the ground, grinding his face into the carpet and restraining his arms behind his back.

Iro was keeping a watchful eye on Ilia and the back door of the guest house, likely at Holly’s request.

That left Siuei for Zeltaria.

“~Me~,” Zel replied with a smirk. She began to approach the smaller enkeli, a wicked grin spreading across her face as she conjured a long-tailed whip of inky black magic. “Ready for round two, little bird?”

Siuei watched in terror as Zel advanced, the whip growing from her palms. She sneered as she saw her two guards were already incapacitated.

“Not on your life!” she yelled, flapping her wings and making a break for a window. She crashed through it, landing clumsily in the grass outside.

Zel cursed and dashed back outside, only to see Siuei had recovered and was preparing to take flight. Small cuts from shards of broken glass left trails of blood on her white feathers.

Iro joined Zel, and they watched helplessly as the enkeli took off, disappearing into the trees to the west with a cackling laugh that quickly turned into a disgusted screech, echoing across the estate.

Zeltaria grinned. “~Aranya~.”

They raced after the enkeli, arriving just in time to see Aranya had crawled among her webs in the trees, beginning to wrap the struggling enkeli in a cocoon of spider silk.

Aranya left only the enkeli’s head exposed as her powerful spider legs spun Siuei around and around.

“G-g-g-g-get this thing off me!” Siuei screamed as Zeltaria arrived with Iro.

Zeltaria placed a hand on her hip, watching with morbid fascination as Aranya secured their captive. “Excellent work, Ara. I’ll have to give you a bonus for this.”

Aranya giggled in a way Iro had never heard before, like a predator toying with its prey. “I’d be delighted, Zel…I already have a few things in mind.”

She finished wrapping Siuei and cut some of the silk threads holding her up, allowing the nearly mummified enkeli to slowly descend and land at Zel’s feet.

Aranya jumped down, landing heavily on the ground and looming over Siuei. “I do enjoy watching this one ~squirm~.”

Siuei began to sob and beg for mercy. Iro felt a brief pang of pity for her, but was more concerned about Aranya’s sudden mood shift.

Just then, Cerys and Holly appeared with Ilia slung over Cerys’s back like a sack of potatoes. “We thought we should bring this one, too.”

Zeltaria nodded and leaned down to intimidate Siuei. “Your whole scheme is falling apart, girl. But I’m not heartless.

“So, tell me, would you prefer I hand you over to the authorities with evidence of your kidnapping, attempted murder, and antigovernmental plots, or should I ~discipline~ you myself?”

Siuei cursed in the enkeli language, spitting at Zeltaria. “Liu’a, yi’fu’o!”

Zeltaria smirked and signaled for Aranya to pick up the writhing enkeli. “I’m glad to hear it. I could use a chance to let off some steam. Gag her if you need to, Ara.”

Zeltaria stood and smiled as Aranya secured their captive. She gave everyone a final, grateful look. “Let’s go home.”