Regina eyed Ajax with a tilted head. She opened her mouth to ask another question but felt a blade touch her shoulder. Seeing what Sakaala wanted, she stepped to the side, trying to remember the question she was about to ask. Then there was a loud noise that hurt her ears a bit.

The halfling watched everyone begin running about with the ringing of the bell. She began running behind them, despite how much faster she could move with her psionics. After her received a weapon, Ionathan asked Regina a question. She tilted her head before closing her eyes in concentration. "I see where Genevieve is but something feels off. We need to hurry." She began running again, using her psionics to increase her speed and lead the group to where she sensed Genevieve.

It didn't take long for her to arrive at the scene. She slid to a stop behind the intruder, all her daggers floating around her, each one aimed at the man's vitals. "You have 10 seconds to tell us why you're here or you die." she said as menacingly as she could, hoping the figures of Emil, Ionathan, Sakaala and Ajax were still behind her to intimidate the man more. She held up both hands, beginning to slowly count down on them, waiting for an answer.

The sounding of the bell proved to be as alarming as one could imagine in that it was truly both surprising and unexpected, but moreover that it was magical and clearly so; unlikely was it that Lady Genevieve would so much as use an enchanted bell without being under some form of sufficient duress. While there was doubt the would-be assassin would have headed off, and so quickly no less, to meet the true target, it was more credible that another might have been present.

Wrapping her palm about the frame of the splintered door, her attention settled upon the strange ambiance that seemed to rise above the bell's sounding. It was as though there was an uncanny silence for a moment as the sorceress looked on, eyes fixated upon the length of the hall, the ringing dulled and distant; a presence, some sort of magical aura or energy just felt to tingle the air. The sort of thing only one schooled in spellcraft would know... or someone with enchanted blood as her, but it all did not sit well in her golden furred breast; something was strange, and it was not the bell. Her assessment did not linger longer, for the younger of the two knighted men stepped behind her and down the hall, swift to arm himself thereafter and turn another weapon over to his superior.

Sakaala stepped behind them with a cool exhale, mind attempting to ready her body to act with unmatched alacrity, drawn from a font of power deep within, driven by presence and force of personality.

"In the face of Diagorides' destruction of her wall, it is my hope that the lady will not mind us borrowing these ornaments."

The lioness' regal voice responded, "I have reason to believe she has other concerns now."

Of the collective this was the general consensus, to which Sir Hepburnberg inquired of the small woman after; the half-blooded man's dark green eyes had seemed to narrow earlier, and his lips pull in a concealed smirk, but now? Having finished assessing the weight of the gilded sword in his hand with a practiced manner, his attention seemed elsewhere.

But their answer was short lived...

"I see where Genevieve is but something feels off. We need to hurry."

The moment the halfling opened her eyes once more, she was off, increasing her rate far beyond what the rest were prepared for. The huntress snarled lightly, her jowls quivering about the edge of her canines; the small one's brashness was going to get them killed, if not just her. It was one thing to work with prideful men of bloody trade who all thought themselves the best swordsmen in the world, as she had in her past days, yet it was another entirely to contend with a psychic who seemed ruled by her personal involvement. Not that emotion should be devoid of course - the aged ranger knew this better than anyone else - but it was a tool one needed to employ with care.

Setting upon Sir Erran's shoulder a partially gloved palm, her stance asked the pair of knights for a moment more - awaiting on Diagorides, clearly. She anticipated their surprise, even perhaps the questioning, so she replied before there was further wasted discussion as to what she was doing.

"Once he is with us," Her growled words and tenseness of her enormous paw-like hand eased as she continued, eyes still set upon the halfling who had bolted ahead down the hall, "I will imbue us with a rapidity you might not know men had."

Withdrawing from the youthful knight's robed shoulder, those same ebony padded fingers began gesturing in the air in a slowed motion that somehow blurred all the same. The lion-woman - the monstrous being among them - called upon some form of magical power, holding it at the ready with its roiling aura shuddering silently about her numb hand and arm. She mouthed strange, unfamiliar words, but even in her silence there seemed to be power latent in them.

For the Huntress now, all she simply needed to do was speak them aloud.

@ArenaSnow@Belwicket@IcePezz@Jon Y@vietmyke@Zero Hex

[Oops, made a mistake.]

The mage expected a last pitch attempt to eliminate him, although he did have to admit the bell system was quite intricate. As the floor ruined behind him and stability dropped below him, he made a reflexive jump to the doorway just as a hole opened to swallow him whole.

He turned as a halfling arrived. A quick scan indicated there would be more opponents following the halfling, and ones of magical affinity. The opponent before him was obviously quite magic capable, though he could not pin the exact branch down. Freeform? he wondered. He steeled himself as the halfling raised and prepared a set of daggers and made her threat.

"So you are the slave of the corrupt one," he mused in an overly condescending tone. "I will tell you in two - remove your dark master." There would be more enemies to follow, and while the golem form would not fall to pointy objects, he would rather maintain the illusion; experienced hands would know how to deal with golem constructs. He sent a gust of concentrated wind mostly aimed at knocking the knives out of the air as he turned to walk in the room. He was sent flying when the door made impact with his rear, sending him sprawling and temporarily stunning him before opening again to accept any who would take advantage of the short window of opportunity.

@Belwicket @IcePezz [@Anyone else arriving]

Before Ajax could respond to the beastwoman or enjoy the obvious shock his might had caused, his attention was drawn towards the ringing of the bell, unnaturally amplified that it blasted seemingly across the entire house. Even the mess in Ajax's floor seemed to vibrate from the sound, though whether it carried out through the hole in the wall or not with a storm going on, it was hard to say. Something was amiss, obviously, and he wondered whether the first intruder had been but a diversion. If so, it had been a good play. If not, things were getting more interesting by the second.

Ajax, more out of curiosity than any real concern for the owner of the mansion, trotted right out into the hallway with the others, absolutely not surprised that the tiny one rushed headfirst into an unknown danger while leaving behind two knights arming themselves, a beastly swordswoman and a man that had just exploded a wall. He would not miss her if she got herself killed. Ajax was ready to follow, but stopped in his tracks as Sakaala paused to summon arcane forces. He grinned at them and shook his head before bumping his chest with his left. "Don't waste your time, I cannot accept something I have not gained. Go now, I'll follow".

It was not empty pride or anything of the sort but a very real, accurate statement. His body had been honed and forged into a lethal weapon head to toe, but there is no power without sacrifice and this was one of his. Just as it rejected harm, it also rejected aid. Healing magics would not work on him and attempts to enhance his abilities were rendered nil. He could recover even from grievous injuries given time, but very little actually helped to speed up the process. As his companions sped off with magical haste, Ajax flagged down one of the few maids that had burst into activity around him like a colony of ants.

"You wouldn't happen to know the shortcut to the mistress' chambers would you?". It was worth a shot. What kind of enchanted mansion didn't have hidden passageways?

The thump of the man's might hand upon his chest and his powerful, sure grin keened the monstrous mage's interest as her hand stayed the magic that had welled up from within her, but there would be time yet for her questions... just not now. The reply to his statement was but a steady nod, her fierce eye upon the man then returned to its focus upon Regina who had come to a halt down the hall. Whatever was transpiring there, the aging warrior and her knightly companions were about to encounter it as well.

"Hathaam." She spoke aloud amidst the noise of the servants who seemed to be whipped into a frenzy. The very air stilled around Sakaala, Sir Hepburnberg and Sir Erran, or so it seemed as her arcane invocation altered the fundamentals of reality for them. This manipulation of magic was no small feat, but this was the form the sorceress wielded most comfortably; aspects of its mystic power had become innate to her with time, such as her uncanny speed and almost precognitive ability.

As she moved, taking but one step even to the other men she moved like living lightning - to an observer unaffected, she seemed to blur with motion. Blade at an angle behind her, its grip firmly within her grasp, the enormous musculature of her savage form leaned into the movement with her free hand outstretched lightly. She had more than readied her mind and body, as while the forceful gust of wind waked around her having passed the halfling, rustling her tattered half-cloak and streamlining her golden fur to her body, she narrowed her attention upon the hooded man who staggered from the blow of a slamming door.

An open target as any, she unleashed an open palmed strike toward the center of his figure, hoping the surprise and momentum would wreck havoc upon him. Fingers curled and curved inward, the bite of the vicious elven blade in the other hand was not far behind if he so much as resisted in the slightest; the lioness was not about to kill the man unless need be, but she had a suspicion as she bore down upon him that injury to subdue him would not be what was called for.

@ArenaSnow@Belwicket@IcePezz@Jon Y@vietmyke@Zero Hex

"You wouldn't happen to know the shortcut to the mistress' chambers would you?". It was worth a shot. What kind of enchanted mansion didn't have hidden passageways?

She was young, like the rest of them, even matching in the mousy brown hair pulled back into a loose braid. Her big brown eyes set against the hulking man, a crinkle rose in her brow. She could get the whip for this, if it came to it ... if she survived ... and if she didn't... well... Without any words, the girl nodded and headed back towards the guest quarters. She led him to the grand hallway where they had all once stood, even his door was still ajar, the pitter patter of rain drops echoed through the void that was this side of the cottage.

On the wall, just across from one of the doors was an odd tapestry. It was gold and gaudy just like the rest of them, but there was a pattern within the cloth. The girl waved her hand over the tapestry and like magic, a door knob appeared. From the folds of her dress, she pulled a key and quickly unlocked the door. Stairs led down to a dank and narrow hallway and a rotting stench seeped from every shadowy corner. Yanking a torch from the wall, she handed it to him along with the key. "This will lead you directly to her room, this key will give you access to anything you need. She must be stopped. Now go!"



She wasn't ready for the blow to the wall, despite his warning to step aside, and she clearly wasn't ready for the power in his swing as the wall collapsed beneath the force of the punch. Stone and wood splintered everywhere and the floor grumbled beneath her feet. Such a movement might have easily knocked her into the shadow realm. It had indeed become that easy for such a thing to happen. But she didn't. It was her chance at escape, but there was something inside her edging her to stay. She wanted desperately to see them all, tell them all to leave now. This was not their battle, and only more blood would be shed should they get involved. She didn't have much time to think about anything thought. A loud swing knocked at the door was her cue to leave, and so she did. Quickly scaling the stone siding of the building, she made her way back down to the muddy pavement below.

Curses slipped from her mouth as she trudged through the rain, rounding the side of the house to the front. And then she felt him. "That dirty rat!", she spat, "He could've at least told me .... " But the more she thought about it, the more she understood. She let out a heavy sigh before tracing his steps into the cottage. "May the gods see me struck down before he lays a hand on any one of them ... before this gets too out of hand"

Ajax fought down a self-congratulatory "hah!" when the maid looked him up and down then led him towards the secret passageway he had requested, not without some clear reluctance. One did not enjoy a long life in Ajax's line of work without picking up on a few things, such as the habits of spellcasters or people with enough money to hire some. They loved their little rat holes, they did. Ajax was left with a foul-smelling tunnel, a key in hand and some more questions. Questions he was going to ask, because his presence was mostly likely not needed and he could likely make there in short order as well now.

"She must be stopped? Your boss? You know I've been hired by her, right? Have to say, I wasn't expecting you to say much of anything, let alone that. Do explain, I begin to tire of all this blatant intrigue".

While Emil watched the little halfling take off down the hall, he found himself stopped by the beast-woman. Again, he instinctively stiffened as the monstrous woman placed her palm on his shoulder. He made a mental note to apologize to Sakaala later, he knew that she should trust the warrior, as they had pledged themselves to the same cause, and his constant unease around her did nothing for their sense of unit cohesion. Sakaala asked Emil and Ionathan to pause, stating that she would grant them power as soon as the fighter Ajax arrived- to which he promptly walked by, and declined.

Sakaala spoke a word of power, and then the air seemed to still around them, and it took a moment for Emil to realize what had just happened. While he felt nothing in himself changed, he noticed a sudden deliberateness in the motion of everything around him- people moving, even the air around them. Emil watched as Sakaala took off in the direction the halfling ran. Emil nodded to himself and followed suit- chasing after the beast-woman, his halberd at the ready.

The scene he entered was strange. There had been a mage threatening their host- who had been seemingly subdued by the combination of Sakaala, the halfling, and Ajax- who had somehow caught up to them through means Emil would ask about later. As of now, the mage was on the ground with a sword pointed at him wielded by Sakaala. Emil contended himself with staying in the background of the following scene, paying attention to his surroundings in case the mage tried to play some sort of trickery on them.

Enemies surrounded the mage in under a minute with a speed he well underestimated, keeping him on the floor and for the moment leaving him with a few seconds for preparing his next move, slightly disoriented as he was.

It was clear the house had been well prepared. He had figured he was well prepared enough, but as his situation worsened and the hallway - thankfully with a sizable hole in the floor - became filled with new arrivals, he was thankful that he had prepared himself.

A loss here would damage any future attempts short of a combat group of mages, and that would be a very messy affair indeed. He would need to kill the sage quickly and have the Order mop up her cronies. All affiliations with such a corrupt master needed to be eliminated. And there was the artifact to account for.

He looked into the eyes of the lioness. While some would fear one such as who stood before him, his seniority in the Order allowed him many travel experiences, and while he had not met one exactly such as - her? -, he had enough travel behind him to know the difference between raw fear and healthy respect. That one such as her would serve a being as corrupt as the sage was a sad thought. Not waiting for the halfling to prepare an attack or the lioness to engage further, he prepared and released a hasty, but efficient spell to expel the air in his immediate area outwards, focusing towards the lioness and the doorway while pulling a tall fallen candlestick towards him and swiftly coming to his knees with the talisman in his other hand to prepare a much more effective counter.

He wasn't sure the limits of his enemies, and while being a Ritari of the Magi afforded him the discipline and skillset to take on magically attuned opponents, it wasn't part of his plan to fight the very house and a growing number of enemies, so far magically attuned.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Belwicket@IcePezz@Jon Y@vietmyke@Zero Hex

"The key will open the way to her most prized possession. It has ruined her, corrupted her. She means to rule this realm beneath her heal and once she has gained control of the demons from hell ... she will use them here to do her bidding, and destroy anyone in her way. Now Go! Before this house swallows you all!"

The girl squeaked, looking every which way as she spoke. Then ran ... away from Ajax, away from the hallway, disappearing into the house. Whether or not her answers were enough for him, they were all that she was getting for fear kept her from saying any more. Such a fear was written all over her face, her dilated pupils, the beads of sweat that trickled down her pasty pale forehead, trailing over a taunt jaw as the rest of her flesh drained of its color.

Suddenly a chill ran through the house, the wood moaned as if an old man rising from a settled position. It would take a miracle if they could get out of this one alive.



Isabeau sneaked in, right through the front door. Whether or not the protective wards were still up and active, she wasn't sure. But from the feeling she got, it didn't matter. She felt the vibrations of power, magic flood the house, and then there was that tingling sensation again. The talisman. Sticking to the shadows, she hurried up the stairs. No innocent blood would be spilled this night, not if she could help it.

As she came upon them, the energy in the room was enough to tear her insides out and suddenly she wanted to vomit. She had become so sensitive over the years, especially the more she slipped into the shadow realm. And between the protection spells, and the magic being thrown back and forth between the opposing sides, and whatever Genevieve had dished out earlier, had it not been for the talisman, she just might have slipped into oblivion.

If she intervened, especially now, she knew it would only cause more strife, more doubt of her motives and reasons. Of course Regina stood at the front of the line, ready to fight or die. She often wondered if the girl just thought herself invulnerable to the cold grasp of the reaper, or if she was just so blind of her reckless actions that the thought of them getting her and others killed never even crossed her mind. And for a moment, it pained her to see the hin. She could never ask for forgiveness, and would never expect it either, but had just hoped that in time, she might understand, at the very least understand why she had to betray Genevieve.

The others had one by one filed up behind Regina, each taking in the threat that was the Magi. If it actually came to a fight, she would have to step in ... if it came to a fight, it would surely end very badly.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity @Belwicket @ArenaSnow @Jon Y @vietmyke @Zero Hex

The intention that carried with the hastened sword, its edge gleaming amidst the chaos that was ever steadily gaining momentum, was not so much a deathly blow as it could have been, but a mortal warning. The shunt of air intervening well, it caused the enormous leonine form to absorb the brunt of its impact and be driven back by a few paces, but not before the swing connected; a sonorous hum filled the air for the aging mithral weapon sung in reply to the wind its blade carved through, ending in a powerful clatter of buckling metal and the thud of wood. The tall, narrow profile of the candelabra that had laid across the fine wooden floor, the same the Ritari had been clinging to in order to rise up to his knees moments before, was cut clean in two.

The metal smoothly sundered, it spoke volumes to what it and its bearer could do to a man.

Her arm and shoulder raised in a defensive posture to shield her upper half, the Huntress leaned into the wind until it waned, the remains of the old, formerly ebon robes she wore about her massive person fluttering about in their tatters; the magical gale's strength having caused her to drag the sword across the once fine wooden floor and leave a clean hewn path in its wake. The gap had increased, but it meant truly nothing to the hastened veteran, who peered with the cold eyes of a hardened hunter at the mage.

It was all very much business, but this man strangely had done nothing to try to kill her yet, despite the pressure and menace she exerted on him.

As the winds subsided and her remnant clothing settled about her powerful, beastly frame, she willed the shielding arm down slowly and idled a spell; she knew that any arcanist worth his salt would recognize the gesture, as she made no attempt to disguise the spell in her people's now dead tongue. It was then the abjuration began to coalesce about her palm, wrapping itself in a nearly transparent aura, readied for what she predicted to be the counterattack with the sword hand keeping the blade steady and no higher than her waist. The intent was to either take the brunt of his own attempt to dispel the hastening magic that sheathed her, or to encourage his own actual spell's cast; something that he seemingly was intent to do as he grasped a foreign talisman.

"You are outmatched and outnumbered, mage." Sakaala's keen ears flicked at a strange, cold chill that accompanied the creaking of the once grand manor but continued all the same in her strong voice, "As while I do not know if you or your order serve this 'Zargon', still your spells and perhaps you might yet keep your life."

Both eyes, the one keen and the one blind, narrowed and her brow furled low as she attempted to read the invader's demeanor and person; from what it was she was told, this was a fight between two wizardly collectives, with some greater stake over these stones... that portion of which directly concerned her. She could care less as to which one were more "righteous" in their quest, but more to that this evil be hunted and rightfully destroyed; men, particularly those with magic, were petty things and perfectly content to squabble just like the commoners they thought themselves ordained over.

The expression he had shared earlier was strange - when his eyes met her own, almost with a gleam of curiosity, respect, fear and disappointment as one - as was that he made no effort to actively kill her with the obvious magic he could command. She played in reply, cocking her muzzle and head ever so slightly to the side, glancing over to where Lady Genevieve had fallen then back to him. Whether he did or did not pick up on her innuendo as to just who he was and what his business truly was, was perhaps irrelevant, but the scarred ranger needed to try at the least.

She did not trust the mage and she certainly did not trust Lady Genevieve.

@ArenaSnow@Belwicket@IcePezz@Jon Y@vietmyke@Zero Hex

The mage teetered as the candelabra was sliced, slamming the top end into the floor to keep him in balance. As he looked at his opponent, he realized how the situation was going.

The supposed agents of the dark sage had spent little effort on destroying him. While there was always the possibility of a trick, the impression he gained from the lioness in particular was one more weary and concerned for self-protection in this affair as compared to an all out attack to protect the sage's interests. He was no mind reader, but something was to be said by what appeared to be the use of a defensive rather than offensive spell in retaliation, not the typical response of someone acting to kill. He would be curious of the spell's origins in another situation.

As the lioness spoke, most of the words were ignored save for a name. Zargon. It was a name he well knew from ancient lore, the name of the Dark One. Rewinding, he thought over the words spoken. It appeared he was suspected of working for such a demon, even as he saw the sage as working for the very same demon. Assuming it was not all a trick, of course, something for which he prepared by phasing out his current spell and bringing his talisman to the side even as he mentally set it to collect energies in a discreet fashion in the event any sudden move was made. He had two roads: Fight and lose a perfectly good golem form and leave the talisman behind, or break some words and better determine his opposition. He kept one eye on the doorway as he adapted a slightly relaxed posture but every bit ready to attack at any sudden move, eyebrows furrowed slightly and the dark blue of one keeping contact with that of the lioness.

The long scrape caused by the dragged sword widened very suddenly, creating a maw prepared to consume both the lioness and the sage as it expanded across the floor. He sent the strongest strong gust of air yet towards the lioness as he rolled to the side, just as the ceiling buckled and sent the contents of a room filled with everything from gold to wine bottles downwards to crush most of the room's center and to partially block the doorway.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Belwicket@IcePezz@Jon Y@vietmyke@Zero Hex

Regina had felt Sakaala coming before she heard the lioness's voice. She knew that she was not as big a threat as her ally, opting to step to the side to allow the beast woman to have the mage's attention. Both Sakaala and the man spoke and readied spells. Regina, however, was trying to use this time to get into the man's mind. Just as she was about to, though, the ceiling collapsed. She launched a dagger past the man's face, wanting him to see it miss him. "The next one won't miss." she said, floating herself closer to him. "Tell us why you're here before I have to dig through your mind." She hoped he wouldn't make her force into his mind. She doubted she could at this point, not without some much-needed rest first. If he were to truly study her floating form, he would see a bit of a falter in her concentration.

Ajax hid the key within his loincloth and mouthed a foul curse in his native tongue as the young servant fled, terror warping her features. At least he had been right, or so he had reason to believe, and he wondered whether the rest would actually side against a former partner of theirs. He hoped the groaning and creaking of the house would sway them. He was not magically inclined and could not actually discern what dark arts had gone into creating this massive death trap, but he could feel the sorcery, smell its foulness. By the gods, how he hated all matters concerning wizards and their ilk. Fat lot of weaklings them all.

As the manor seemingly came to life around him, Ajax smashed one of his massive fists into a wall. Without preparation, it still left a sizeable crater with an obvious outline of his knuckles right in the center. "You'll not find me easy prey", he hissed with a grin as he bent down low in a four-point stance. Weight balanced forward with both fists on the ground, legs coiled tightly and ready to spring him forth. It was a way to maximize explosive movement and leverage in one direction: straight ahead. With a warcry as inhuman as any demon's Ajax exploded down the secret hallway as his feet blasted chunks of the floor backwards.

Ajax was by no means an agile man, but his extremely powerful legs allowed him to build up ridiculous speeds in bursts and that is exactly what he did as he charged through the passageway. The house sensed his approach and tried to stop him, forming walls and collapsing parts of itself to try and block his way. Time and time again Ajax smashed into the obstacles shoulder-first with the force of a 300 pound cannonball before bringing his elbow and forearm to bear, blasting aside what the charge had not already reduced to rubble. Gaping maws formed on the floor were cleared with beastly leaps that bore little in common with an athlete's practiced vaulting.

So caught up in his charge he was that Ajax did not really see the door at the end of the corridor, and so he burst through the scene quite literally through what had before looked like a mere wall before stomping down to grind himself to a halt. Very dynamic, but not at all subtle.

As Ionathan followed Emil he paused before another suit of armour that had a flanged mace, he was tempted to take it, Ionathan preferred maces when in a battle. While it was not as elegant or romantic as a sword, its overall damage to armoured and unarmoured opponents was the reason he preferred them. Reaching his hand out to take it he drew it back after a moment of through. They had already borrowed a longsword and a polearm, taking the mace would just be insulting, and dishonourable. Because of his distraction Ionathan arrived latter that the other, so he stacked up by the door so that his presence was not known by the intruder. He soon was happy of his decision when a gale force wind erupted from the room along with what he could tell by the floor shaking a colossal amount of objects falling to the floor.

Waiting until the chaotic noise had died down he went to go through the door only to be stopped by debris of fallen items. Looking through an opening in the debris Ionathan saw Regina close to the intruder, daggers at the ready. Ionathan quickly racked his brain for something he could do and came to the conclusion that he could use his guardsman status so that he can try to defuse the situation.

“This is the Waeldershorian guard! Cease hostilities! We can talk about this like honest gentlemen! I’m going to start pushing away this rubble, do not be alarmed”

@Belwicket @vietmyke @AdamantiumWolf @Zero Hex @The Harbinger of Ferocity @IcePezz

Regina frowned, hearing Ionathan's call. "Now's not the time for pleasantries!" she called over her shoulder, allowing 4 of her daggers to fall from the loss of concentration. Turning back to the intruder, she pointed one hand at him, 4 more daggers aimed for his shoulders and thighs. She sheathed most of the other daggers, even recalling the ones that had fallen from her, except her 2 longest. With her psionics now focused only on herself, she was able to send out a mental wave to find all the minds around her that weren't shielded. She felt the man's, Genevieve's unconsciousness, Sakaala, Ionathan, and Emil, as well as many maids. She wasn't surprised she couldn't sense Ajax, despite knowing he was there. Looking down, she saw it would take too long for her to get herself across the gap, opting to land beside Sakaala instead. "I think you can handle him better than I can at this point." she said, turning to look at the beast-woman and the large man. "And you two would be better backup than me as well." She walked past them, spinning to face the mage again. With wide eyes, she spun back around, looking down the hall. With a look of confusion, she started walking away from the scene. "Was that..." she began, poking into the maids' minds to try to verify what she saw. "Was that Isabeau?"

The heave that came with the floor's boards as they groaned, ached and soon enough splintered into a gaping divide was more than enough to spur the lightning fast reactions of the enchanted leonine monster; yet for as much as she moved, the hurricane wind carried her even more distant. In truth, were it not for the agility of her own feet and the magi's grand manipulation of elemental air, she would have gone further - much further at that. She leaned into it with the force of a beast as grand as she was - both woman and lioness - yet it still pushed her to the wall.

There had been no time to think, not yet at least, for as she peered from behind her shoulder and arm once more, swinging the sword to the ready in a graceful pose before her in a double arc, she noted the figure across the room who vanished behind a collapse of stone and wood, trailed by golden finery, bottles of aged wine, and royal cloths. It was only with the perceived slowness of time that came with her magic that she was able to stare as she did at him - the dust and clutter filling the air rapidly.

Her scarred face and tattered jowl proved emotionless and cold as she simply embraced the situation at hand.

She was deprived her prey, the entirety of the center of an upper floor having nearly consumed him but now instead having concealed his escape, but it was deeper still than just that. Men sent upon a mission to kill do not stay their blades without reason, and as the last bits of the collapsed portion of the manor met the pile before the cadre of mercenary adventurer, knights and psion, she remained idle before calmly sheathing her sword once more across her muscular, armored back. The blade's whispering song silencing as it hung upon her without any material scabbard, the old Huntress debated what just transpired internally; she knew he would remember the expression she provided him before and now.

Perhaps if she were anyone else she would doubt that her enemy attempted to save her life, but Sakaala was distrusting of all mortals... at least at first.

“This is the Waeldershorian guard! Cease hostilities! We can talk about this like honest gentlemen! I’m going to start pushing away this rubble, do not be alarmed."

Turning to look over her dust coated shoulder, some motes of which then fell from her, a set of daggers hurled themselves upon the debris where the man had been not even a second before - both Hills and Sir Hepburnberg having assaulted the room, blades and blunt at the ready.

"I think you can handle him better than I can at this point."

"As much as I would like to stay and speak or test one particular wizard's mettle, this place is soon to fall upon us." Sakaala began, hurrying at what she considered a short few steps to the edge of the room and before a window with unnatural grace, "Get your things and I will get the woman - we are to be leaving."

Each step and slight bound or motion over the stone scattered loose, of which had sprawled out toward the edge of the room, provided her little issue, and the most motion that seemed to come with her was what had been the cloak she shrouded herself in; the rest of her lean, athletic form moved in a graceful blur. Looking back to the two men as she wrenched the metal and glass open through muscle alone, she sent shards cascading outside into the muddy soil and rain.

"A hunt is no good if the hunters are dead."

@ArenaSnow@Belwicket@IcePezz@Jon Y@vietmyke@Zero Hex

Isabeau kept in the shadows, positioning herself in such a way that she can still keep an eye on the happenings, just in case anything got out of hand. It was more important to keep the Magi in her sights than anyone else. And while she had lost him for a moment as he made an escape into Genevieve's room, she wasn't overly concerned. Conversation typically meant that blood would be slow to spill. And gauging the others, they would fight if need be, but it didn't seem to be their first choice considering all things.

She had managed to keep a calm head about her, focused and hidden. However, her concentration was broken when a large mass came crashing through in the bedroom. She didn't think they would battle here, not with the house mounting its own attack on the living within it. Had the old hag summoned forth one of her monstrosities to kill them all?! The break in concentration would've allowed Regina to sense her. The house nearly collapsing on them all didn't quite help. She knew Regina had sensed her though, she could feel her mind prodding through.

There is no time for this, goddammit!, she muttered quietly, finally moving from her spot. It was just a few paces to the doorway, she just needed to get into the room. She loosed a breath, and then she was off. Weaving herself in and out of this realm and the realm of shadows, treading as light as she possibly could. Traveling through the shadow realm was dangerous enough. It was becoming like a constant game of tug-o-war. She couldn't quite tell which side was winning, and the damage it was doing to her would soon become irreparable. On a simpler note, if her bursts weren't short enough, she could lose sight of where she was going, and end up colliding with objects or people.

The room was in shambles, planks of wood shot up towards the ceiling, tearing through glittering shades of gold and rose cloth. Genevieve lay limp on the floor, a mop of grey hair covered her face and sprawled over her back, lackluster and frazzled. Her body blocked a large wardrobe set at the far end of the bedroom, the one single ornament untouched by this madness.

Returning from the shadows, she somehow bypassed the debris and everyone that trickled into the cramped space. She nearly walked right into the Magi. Fortunately for her, as the cottage continued in its attempt to swallow them all, a violent quake sent her crashing backwards to the floor, right on her rump. She scrambled, looking to find anything to hold on to. Glancing up to look at the Magi, she realized there was something else ... Someone else. Ajax had been the loud crash, having broken trough a wall? A door! A secret passageway! The edge of her mouth curved slightly and she stifled a laugh. She shouldn't have been all that surprised, but she was, and perhaps a bit relieved to see him.

"We have to get out of here, now! This house is going to come down on us at any moment." she muttered. Her lips moved, but her voice was barely audible.

"Then let's get out of here!" Regina called back, looking at Sakaala. It was then she saw Isabeau by the mage. She was instantly torn between joy to see her again and anger about her leaving her. Regina stared at her for a few seconds before tearing her gaze away. "Let's go!" she called, pointing to the door. "And someone grab Genevieve!" She began moving towards the door herself, using what little of her psionics she could to make a path for both her allies and Isabeau and the mage. "Hurry!" she yelled, looking around. "I think most of the maids are already outside!" With the idea, she searched the house mentally, telling everyone she found to find everyone they could and tell them to get out.