Rilumin hoists himself onto a neighboring roof easily enough as Leo heads off for the guard again.
At the same time the cat folk breaks free of the enchantment. Eyes frantic she reaches into a bag at her waist, drawing forth a potion vial, downing it in a single swallow, upon which she vanishes from sight.
Well, since I didn't hear anything from her landing on the ground, I'm going to assume she is still on the roof. I'll shoot my four arrows as usual, one in each square (the one she was last seen in and the ones adjacent to that).
"Leo, get back here. She drank an invisibility potion."
"Destroyer's side!" Leo curses, glancing back. "Just get some blood!"
To Serelina. "I'm proceeding to the guard post alone. Rilumin could use a hand with the newly invisible foe, though she may just be attempting to flee after what we've just done..." he says somberly, and hustles forward to the guard post.
You should stick together. Things here are too tense to lessen our presence. Be quick if you can.
Destroyer's Side!" Leo whispers back, cursing, before turning and hustling back to return to Rilumin, shouting as he goes.
"If she gets away, she gets away! We don't have time to play cat and mouse. If you see any blood, consider it good. You don't need to tap her, just get what spilled!"
Rilumins arrows plunk into the wooden roof of the house.
There is a sound of scrambling on the roof, a couple of faint footsteps, then all is quiet.
"damn useless mages. Want blood but too faint of heart to extract it."
Rilumin leaps across, searching for tracks. He remains on guard in case she is still around, but he collects what blood he can and looks for a trail.
It is easy to spot a bit of blood on the roof where she had lain, clawing at her own arms. The trail leads north, dropping off into the street. For the time being Rilumin can follow the trail, though the going is going to be slower than her if her goal is simply flight at this time.
Waiting for the return of Rilumin and Leo, along with the guards, you catch someone ducked low passing beneath one of the windows on the south side of the tavern, moving west.
A second figure follows behind the first a couple seconds later.
Serelina says, "Someone just tried to sneak by the southern window, moving westward. Be on alert."
She then whispers to Leo, Both of you get back here, we have activity outside!
"They're calling us back, quick. There's activity outside the brothel. Find any blood?" Leo says to Rilumin as he continues to run down the street, back toward the brothel, and keeping his eyes open for anyone.
Roland glanced around the room as Serelina made her announcement, assessing for anyone getting antsy. He also wondered about the wisdom of calling both back We'll need to get the guard at some point, but said nothing. Instead, he addressed the various individuals gathered in the room. No point in getting too concerned, everyone just stay where you are for a bit more and we'll have this all sorted out.
Ian stands at ready, a slight bit more tenseness in his posture than before, but otherwise expressionless and bored-looking, sword resting on his shoulder casually as he keeps an eye out, waiting for whatever comes next.
Rilumin gathers the blood in a small vial and follows.
Excitable little fellow. Rushing off without backup is what got him shot in the first place.
Fifteen seconds pass, then one of the doors behind Rilumin opens, a man in a leather vest standing behind the door. A second man 10' away with a loaded crossbow takes a shot at the summoner, then the first man closes the door again.
As the attackers' opened the door, Roland thundered NO ONE MOVE at the collected captives and glared with his faceless void at each of them. He turned to deal with the attackers themselves.
Leo would be moving back toward the brothel, until he either saw an enemy or made it into the brothel. Consider that the content of my turns until one of those two things happens (or someone tells him otherwise)
Roland sighed as the door opened, more annoyed at the complexity of getting the various captives taken care of than the threat posed by the new intruders. Glancing at Ian to see what he was planning, Roland casually cast his pit spell out the door at the man furthest from the building. He then, equally casually, closed the door.
Ian strides out and swings a heavy two-handed blow at the enemy by the door, then back-swings with supernatural speed, sword blurring.
Ian charges forward and cuts the first man down with a single swing, spraying blood and gore into the street.
The second man leaps to the side as the pit opens where his feet were a moment before, then immediately books it, heading almost straight west between the buildings.
Ian walks back inside, not bothering to shut the door after him. Heavy steel boots clomp on the wood floor, making it creak under his weight as he approaches the older woman that was behind the bar. There's a light spattering of blood across one cheek.
"Kleonna. Were those two yours?" he asks in a 'you're already in deep s*!*' tone. He takes another half-drunk mug of old ale and downs it while she answers.
Whispering, Serelina says to Ian "Seems it was just a pathetic distraction. Please just get the guard quickly and return. Don't worry about the catfolk for now."
Looking around the crowd she says, "I hope there are no other heroes awaiting a bloody demise. It creates unnecessary paperwork."
Roland's voidless face showed no emotion, but the aasimar looked appreciatively at Ian. Good show, that ought to make them think twice about harassing us He was about to address the room again when the wizardess beat him to it. Instead he decided to say nothing, close the door as soon as Ian was back inside, and listen to what Kleonna had to say.
Leo receives another message from Serelina, telling him to, once again, turn around and run the other direction.
It is possible that those within the brothel are able to hear him, even without the aid of the magic spell. A distant "Destroyer's side!", passes through the walls of the building.
"Skip it, they're alright." Leo calls to Rilumin, who had already speeded past him with his enchanted speed. "Back to the guard post we go." Leo turns and begins running back to the post, assured that Rilumin will catch up and pass him in almost no time.
Rilumin turns around, becoming annoyed at this botched job.
Leo and Rilumin head back towards the guard house, exceeding the range of the message spell as they do so.
Rilumin hasted, reaches the guard house well ahead of Leo. Just as he does so a unfamiliar face dressed in plain commoners clothes steps out the door of the guard house. He looks a little startled at seeing Rilumin sprinting towards the door and hastily moves out of the way and starts walking briskly to the south.
Once again waiting for your companions to return with the guard you hear the scream of a woman from somewhere outside and to the west.
Rilumin opens the guard house door, stepping just inside.
"Agents of the Tower are requesting backup. The main action should be done, just need some hands to slap cuffs on and escort prisoners."
Roland sighed internally as yet another distraction from the mission at hand arose. Everybody stay calm, the guard will be here any minute now, he said, in a slightly bored, tired tone. He made no move to do anything about the sound of the scream.
Serelina also ignores the scream.
Ian seems to be the only one conflicted, staring off in the direction of the scream, gripping his sword. He lets out a half-sigh when he sees the others' reaction and sits down in one of the chairs, making it creak. He eyes the prisoners, setting his greatsword heavily down on the table and begins wiping the blood off it with a cloth.
Kleonna looks at Ian, some confusion on her face at the question, after a moment understanding what he has asked she gives a single nod in the affirmative.
In the guard house the sergeant and the four guardsmen with him have a look of shock as you burst through the door upon them. Two of the guards are stringing long bows, and the captain quickly shoves something behind his back, from which you hear a jingle of coins.
"Of.. of course." The sergeant stammers.
Leo arrives just behind you, missing this exchange.
Ian nods. "Not the brightest are they? Taking shots at people with the Tower symbol all over them." He shrugs. "We gotta do our jobs, but still, sorry about all this."
You get the sense that something is very wrong here with the guards behavior.
Leo huffs up, still not used to running so much. Popping in, he notices Rilumin's confusion and looking at the guards. "Did we catch you napping? Hurry it up, gents! I've got a lot of running back and forth left to do, and can't wait for you all to remember where you put your swords. Get to it!"
"Leo, watch the Captain. I'm pretty sure something nefarious going on here. Captain, explain yourself to my companion here. He will detect your lies."