The Other Witch; The Circumstances Worsen

"Oh yes, nice man."
"Even the monster in the closet was afraid of him, so we figure he must be at least as powerful as Dad."
"What kind of monster fits in a closet?"  James was the only one to say it, but Salvia knew she and Braga felt the same way about that statement.  Mad scientists, yes; but they weren't really supposed to be this particular sort of dysfunctional adult.  Still, the news that Krell had made it off world, and encountered this couple, and apparently was familiar enough with them to have been one of the handful of people aware of their pregnancy, was quite welcome to her.
"James, if I encounter a monster in a closet, I'll answer that question.  Until then we're both just going to have to suspend our disbelief."
"He and Rea were headed to Stormguarde last we heard.  They haven't been back since."
"And then when that sorceress showed up, we decided to wait things out here.  I doubt they even know there's a problem."
Hack brushed Salvia's question aside as he stepped to the front of the group.  "You mentioned her in your message.  What do you know of this sorceress?"
They both shrugged.  "She was wearing the crown, came down to the elevator and told Sharon she was in charge.  Sharon came downstairs and told us we should go somewhere safe, then she left.  We just reset the portal to come out here."
"You don't think she could be in trouble do you?  Sharon's such a good receptionist, never lets anyone in without a proper warning."  Despite her being mad and all, the concern Cyssie was showing for her employee seemed honest.  It was more than could be said for some, or even most, of the mad scientist's Salvia had met.
Hack bowed his head and thumbed the handle of his sword.  He considered the situation with the same stoic patience that he regarded all situations.  "I think that Gravaga is in great danger.  I am glad that Sharon has fulfilled her duties with such dedication and selflessness, she served House Immersfeld well for many years.  It would be a pity if an ill fate were to befall her."  He turned to face Salvia, Braga, and James.  "It is worse than I thought.  Our enemy already wears the crown, she has claimed the throne and cast the Gravagan people into disarray.  Some will follow her as their ruler, others will stay loyal to their creator.  Still others will use this situation to wrest autonomy from the Empire proper.  There is no telling what horrors could occur if this is allowed to continue.  We must consult with the Countess of Stormguarde, the Warring Emperors, the Alpha, the R'abuut Council, and the Earl of Star Haven.  If we are to wrest the control of Gravaga from one who wears the Dark Crown, then we shall need the strength of nations."
Salvia shuddered to think of what magics must be in the crown to make it so powerful.  She had always been told, by Father Krell as often as not, that there was no force as strong as Gravaga at war.  Not since the Frostbourne war had any army been marshaled to meet it in battle, and even the unrelenting dead that Arcania's Lych had set against it had only broken against the might of Thalia's armies.  But to marshal the army of even one of the nations Hack now sought would be an act of Mythic proportions, to say nothing of uniting the Warring Emperors.  Theodisus the fourth of Seclora had spent all hundred years of his reign trying to exterminate the plague-touched Nielda of the Old Empire.  And Toln the first, only recently coronated, had served on the front lines since he was old enough to wield a sword.  Neither would welcome the prospect of cooperation.  The others would be a little easier, but none of them could field as large of armies as those of the Nieldic Empires.
"The 'R'Abuut' council?  So that's like, a council of rabbits or what?"  Again, James's caustic insight reared its head.
"Yes," Braga replied, stepping in before the others could respond, "The R'abuut council, or as properly translated 'Clerical and Religious Governance council', is the supreme leadership of the Harakai people.  It takes the form of a semi-democratic Presbytery, using religious officials in place of political ones.  The Harakai operate on a form of Theocracy, rooting in..."  Salvia tuned out when she realized Braga was about to deliver a lecture on Harakai history and politics.  Clearly he was missing the point, that R'abuut sounded suspiciously like 'rabbit', which was basically what the Harakai were once you boiled away the rigorous code of honor and piety, third-party enforced birth control laws, and tradition of meditative martial training.  Since they were basically rabbits, albeit eight foot tall rabbits, their primary assets were a four month gestation period, the ability to consume any and all vegetation, and well practiced self defense techniques ranging from running faster than anyone else to jumping a three-story building.  And that was before you counted their offensive capacities.  Only reason they hadn't taken over the universe a few thousand years ago was a deeply ingrained fear of predatory mammals, such as Ga-Vok.  Most Humans, and many Nielda, found this fact hilarious, on account of a tall Ga-Vok, such as Braga, being eye-level with the bellybutton of your average Harakai.  But such was the way of things.  
Stormguarde and Star Haven would be easy sells, and their troops, though few in number, were heroic in strength.  What was more important was that both had long standing ties to Gravaga and would have few objections to joining their crusade.  Countess Courtney Yellsdana, besides being rumored to be a bloodline descendant of Count Dracula himself, was a longtime ally and sometime thrall of Thalia Immersfeld.  Earl Hariel of Storm Haven was a hero of the Frostbourne war and was known even now to be dedicated to the well being of the Universe at large.  Both were known to have traveled with Thalia's enemy, the one Braga called 'Old Cloak'.  
The Alpha would be rough though.  The Ga-Vok were never truly at peace, and sending an army abroad would place not only his people but his hold on the confederacy at great risk.  Alpha's ruled through strength, physical strength more often than not, and if he committed to many forces abroad he would not have the strength to fight off attempts to take his...Whatever the Ga-Vok equivalent to a thrown was called.  James probably would have called it 'the warm spot by the fire and the spot at the end of the bed', and honestly Salvia wasn't sure that it wasn't.  If Braga's tastes were any indication, Ga-Vok really did like those things, even if there were chairs and whole beds to rest on.  
In any case, they had quite a road ahead of them.