Ellara arced around, returning shortly after she'd left and landing in front of the rest of the group, morphing back to her 'base' form. (That was a tenuous word with her, but it did seem to be what she really looked like.) "Buncha unconscious street thugs. Not sure who hurt them." she noted. "Not sure who messed with them, but we should probably chase our lead here instead of worrying about every possible thing. We can always track it down later if we really need to."
"Told ya. Let's go in." Julie threw open the doors and strode in, or at least tried to.
"Very well. Let us proceed."
The inside of the old temple reveals some of its former grandeur, although dust, cobwebs and crates rather negate it nowadays. But the heavy stonework, the tall ceiling, and the alcoves that line the wall all speak of what this place once was.
It doesn't take long to spot a trail - if the displaced dust wasn't clue enough, the trail of dried drops of blood would certainly be a hint. It leads away from the main doors and up the stairwell.
Julie follows, heedless of if it might perhaps be a trap or false trail.
"Oh dear. This does not look good."
Just in case, she begins incantating under her breath, preparing more healing magic.
The trail leads through parts of the upstairs, through old officers and long abandoned corridors, and eventually up into an attic space. A door sits at the end of the walk, a dim glow visible underneath it.
Julie attempts to open the door, at the end of the round, so if other people feel like laying down buffs, they can.
Ellara shifted her body just a little bit, then began sniffing as they approached the door to see (or rather, smell) what she could from under it. It always helped to know how many people - if any - might be behind a door.
There was a click as the door opened. "Guests, Mr Percival? I don't recall inviting guests to my tea party. No, no, no barking Mr Percival - let them explain why they're here." The door jerked open, revealing it was tied to a string. A young looking woman lay in an old bed, with an unreasonablly large gun propped directly at the door. The long skirt she wears has been torn up to her hip, and her leg is bandaged around the knee and thigh. "Well, my dears? Mr Percival does so hate it when people don't explain themselves. His bark is truly terrible." Her eyes are bright in the candlelight, but the gun doesn't waver from the door, and it's clear from it's flared design it will hit everything in the door - and probably a good chunk of the corridor beyond.
Lady Karnelia's eyes widen in shock at the weapon suddenly pointed. She stutters a few words, attempting to scrounge up an explanation, hoping for dear chance that one of her companions will butt in.
"S-sorry to trouble you s-so, Miss. We were told we could find-"
"I've heard it said that if you don't wish for company, a lock is advised. As is the reason I tried this door in particular, there was a trail of dried blood leading to it. Do you need any assistance? Beyond the obvious sanitarium, of course." Julie raises a hand to keep the others from entering the gun's blast, assuming the gun does not seem to be so unreasonably large that it will go straight through the walls.
Ellara blinked... then quietly focused a bit. A barrier rippled into existence around her a moment later, just in case that thing went off. Best to be safe - and she'd let the others talk for now.
The woman chuckled. "Sanitariums are more of a winter past time, I'm afraid. And I don't believe that door has a lock. Don't worry about the blood, dears, I'll clean that up when I can. But it was awfully rude of you all not to say why you're here. Looking for who, exactly? There are any number of people in the city, after all."
"I'm pretty sure you know exactly who we're looking for, Lady Belmore." Ellara said, moving forward and curtsying slightly. "Ellara, of House Khalavest. As a gesture of loyalty, my family recently offered my services to the Crown - and as part of that, I'm helping locate Her Highness. Would you care for some healing? It's not my best talent, but my mother made sure I was good enough to patch most basic injuries."
"And I, Lady Julienne Hazier, as a definitely not a bloodthirsty pirate putting on airs of nobility, am 100% totally trustworthy in my good intentions for the princess." Julie puts a bit too much flair into her curtsy.
Lady Karnelia forces herself to approach the door once more, like a condemned prisoner walking to his noose.
"Lady Karnelia Meline Varnos of House Traegoh at your service."
Kiyomi will step in, "Was Amberlae hurt when you last saw her?" there's a pleading in her voice. This isn't about the fate of a kingdom to her. It's somebody who's frightened for her friend.
The Lady Belmore waved Ellara off. "I stopped the bleeding, but the bone is quite shattered. Not broken, but shattered like a vase touched by a clumsy child. It will take some fairly significant magic to repair that, I'd imagine. And I thank you for your service, dears, but..."
Serai nodded at Kiyomi. "Now that's a good question. But I'm afraid I'm not really likely to tell you. Although at least the Lady Hazier is honest. You see, there was a slight problem with the people who attacked us. They worked for the crown, too. So you can imagine my immense distrust at this moment. Why, it's why Mr Percival's shot has been coated with poison."
"I had the slightest feeling there would be some reason you wouldn't trust us. They did seem to have inordinate amounts of resources at their disposal, what with all the mooks they were able to hire to go after bear guy. I still doubt that innkeeper will be able to keep him alive."
Ellara frowned slightly. "Work for the crown... or work for the crown?" she inquired. The difference was important. "My service was given to Their Majesties, and they're the ones whose views matter to me." House Khalavest, by virtue of being populated with a bunch of magical researchers, had always been a bit... distant... from the other houses. They didn't bother with much political maneuvering, instead simply working to be a house that nobody wanted to mess with, but which wasn't much of a problem for anyone if it wasn't provoked. Like a snake... that spat explosions.
The woman laughs. "I work in politics, dear. I don't trust anyone. I simply trust people even less at the moment. As for whether it was the royals or someone else...I don't know, and that's the problem." The woman frowned. "The men who attacked were convinced that it was the King's own orders, signed with his seal and from his hand. I know the man, and I find it difficult to believe...but I've seen people do far more hideous things than murder their child for power."
"To want one's own child dead... how monstrous that would be..."
I would know something about monstrous parents, but that...
"And how unlikely." Ellara pointed out. "The royal family has to constantly balance the more... aggressive... houses. The last thing they'd want is a succession crisis that might embolden others to act. It's far more likely the message was faked by somebody with designs on the throne... and House Khalavest probably wouldn't like having someone quite that ambitious in power." In other words, she was sticking with the royals.
Kiyomi has always heard that the king is a doting and loving husband and father, and that the princess has always been happy. It is hugely out of character for him to do such a thing.
Serai nodded. "That was what we hoped. But what we hope does not keep our charge alive. And the first attack was in the palace proper. And so we ran. Needless to say, it went well." She nodded to her hip. "And now, I must ask your intentions, my dears. What are you hoping to do here?"
"To root out the conspiracy, defeat them, find the princess and return her safely." she says without hesitation. "or die trying."
"... What she said, only with less emphasis on return, what with how that doesn't seem to be safe, and with less loyalty to the last breath. I do have some loyalty to the concept of nobility, but that won't do me any good dead."
"Find the little lady, protect her from any who would do her harm, root out the threats, and then give her back to her parents." Ellara opined. "...Maybe after a rigorous check for magical domination..." Hey, it never hurt to be sure - and if it was brought up and conducted in reasonable privacy, Their Majesties wouldn't have to worry about their images being hurt.
Lady Karnelia nods at Ellara's statements. "I merely wish to offer my aid to Her Young Majesty."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "As far as I can see you're actually being honest. How intriguing. But...my ward is alone right now. Perhaps I'll have to trust you. Perhaps-". A small trail of dust floats down from the ceiling. Without changing expression the woman turns the gun towards the ceiling and fires. The roar of the gun dissolves quite a lot of the ceiling. And apparently the person standing above it, given the corpse that fell through. "Really? Disturbed just as we get to the interesting revelations? This is a poor story device."
Sadly, the other people above were not caught in the blast. Six more followed through the hole in short order, or through the thin plaster that formed the ceiling.
Lady Karnelia recoils as the six people enter the room. She steps back out of the room, using the door for cover, then incantates a spell to restore Little Sister's health further, cursing herself for having neglected this.
"Sister, I know you're afraid, but I need you to channel your fear to protect our new ally."
Little Sister, who had been hiding out of the room, nods, and lunges into the room with a bloodcurdling wail, leaping to strike at A1.
As Karnelia dashed in to attack, Ellara's eyes glinted dangerously, and a surge of energy gathered around one hand. She punched it forward, aiming for the man closest to the bed - and threatening entrance for everyone else. Assassins after a loyal servant of the Crown, were they? That made them enemies of the Kingdom... and perhaps aside from wanting someone to question, she saw no particular need to show mercy.
for
The enemy attacker managed to resist Little Sister's attack, but was struck by Ellara's strike. The two blows left them bloody and battered, the eyes visible through the mask he wore slightly glassy. They staggered back five feet, just about defending themselves as they went
Despite this the attackers turned, pulling small bags from pouches and throwing them at various targets
Despite her broken hip, Lady Belmore somehow managed to avoid both the Bombs hurled at her. Rolling, she muttered something, recocked the gun, and fired both barrel this time. At no point did she bother reloading.
But only one shot hit.
Julie bats the Tanglefoot bag aimed at her from the air with the flat of her blade, deflecting the goopy material to the side before it fully spreads, and then moves forward to go on the attack.
5 Anima, 3 copycat, 2 spell points, 4 stamina.
Kiyomi steps to the door. She seems scared by all of this as she crouches down. But inside, she's focusing on altering the perceptions of the attackers to distract them.
Three of them are seeing a swirling portal in the corner of the room. Shadowy incorporeal undead are silently coming forth and preparing to ambush their allies.
The bag chucked at Ellara hit her and-
-didn't quite manage to stick her to the floor as she twisted out of the way. Unfortunately, her evasive abilities were focused on avoiding damage, and weren't quite enough to dodge the rest of the bag. She raised her hand a moment later and pointed at one of the other attackers, aiming to deal enough damage that someone else could quickly finish them off.
for
Little Sister doesn't quite manage to avoid the sticky bomb, and is quite well stuck in place, not helped by her small size and strength.
She flails about hysterically, attempting to get herself unstuck.
Lady Karnelia turns a furious eye to A6, and begins chanting in an ominous tongue.
Surprisingly, two of the attackers fail to fall for the illusion, while another shouted a warning and moved to try striking them.
Another screamed in hysterical fear and backed away into the corner, clawing at the wallpaper.
Julie and Ellara's strikes inflict harm on two more, although not enough to drop either.
Two of the attackers moved to flank the prone lady, and press their attack.
Two more moved to attack Little Sister and Julie.
Ellara stepped forward as they attacked the group, and stabbed out with both of her claws - aiming towards the one who'd managed to survive a heavy barrage from her and Julie. One of her strikes was more accurate than the other, and it was that one that had a burst of energy to go with it. This she could do all day.
for
Lady Karnelia, unseen and unchallenged, dashes over to Lady Belmore's bedside, blessing her with a Shield spell.
The blow strikes through Little Sister, disrupting her ectoplasm, though she quickly reforms.
"Please! Stop! No!" she screams in terror at her assailant, flailingly striking back at A5.
Julie moves forward to strike at the ones attacking Lady Belmore, either A2, if Ellara's attacks did not defeat that warrior, or A3 if Ellara did bring that one down.
Kiyomi continues to focus on the visions to keep the two occupied in something other than killing us. She realizes that at some point they have to keep some alive to read their mind.
With three of the enemy down and two disabled by magic, the last one broke away (Karnelia and Little Sister get attacks of opportunity) and tried to flee through the hole created.
Grabbing the edge, he managed to yank himself up.
With a crack, Ellara's body shifted, wings erupting out of her back as she changed to a form with flight. She shot upwards a moment later. "Surrender and we won't kill you!" she called as she moved. "But if you try to run... there's nowhere you can go that I can't reach. We can't let you leave, but you can make things better for yourself." That was a pretty bold statement, yes... but between flight, burrowing, teleportation, and raw speed, she was pretty good at pursuits.
Kiyomi will watch those they have here. She will whisper to others, "who has rope?"