Hearing Talib's answer doesn't reassure Talienda. In fact, it only highlighted the biggest weakness in the ruse, her. She begins to understand why they had been against her posing as some urchin. She's too squeamish. A fact that is soon reinforced by the screams of the people being maimed and killed by the goblin that had crawled free.
"I shouldn't have come," Talienda mutters as she stares horrified by the butchery occurring the bleachers closest to the pit. The young noblewoman moves to put some distance between herself and the goblin, torn between trying to help and trying to not blow their cover.
The Falcon closes the door behind him and does a quick survey of the room. I don't think I gave her enough time to hide, but you never know. He leaves the chest once he learns that it's locked and leaves the statuette for later. He quickly opens the wardrobe to check that Cornela isn't hiding there, then reaches up to pick up one of the boxes and look inside it.
The fighting downstairs is getting louder. Does that mean there's nearing the end of the spectacle? I'd better hurry. Maybe I'll have to resort to leaving a note, to make contact with Cornela at a later point. Not ideal, considering how she must feel now.
Rissi watches the strange goblin, noting the impossible things that it is doing. Recognizing the strange for what she is certain it is she calls to Talienda, "Stay behind Sekla. That goblin is using magic! Maybe a witch!" She winds up again as if she were going to throw her last tomato, but mutters some strange words and reaches a finger into her belt pouch before pointing at the goblin, then stepping back as her own spell takes place.
Talienda doesn't need to be told a second time and moves to get behind Sekla. All the while, she can hear the damning chorus of screams behind her.
Sekla brandishes her brutal battle-ax, settling into a ready crouch as she eyes the goblin witch. She exudes little more than wary readiness, her breath remaining steady, her control absolute.
She doesn't, however, move to engage; as long as the goblin doesn't molest Talienda, she's more than happy to watch it attack the perverse crowd that took such delight in the torment of the goblins.
The goblin continues laughing, either not hearing or not caring about the part as she turns to the guards running towards her and vomiting yet another swarm.
Just as they are finally approaching the green humanoid dressed in little more than a burlap sac, a terrible sound like dozens of inhuman screeches comes from above. The guards exchange glances and two of the four turn around and move towards the smaller door that did not lead to the main hall.
Inside the wardrobe the Falcon finds two opened, cyphered letters and one unfinished letter addressed to her father. Before he can start reading it, however, he hears a click coming from behind him. When he turns around, he's just in time to see the statuette opening its mouth and releasing the loudest, most high-pitched sound he has ever had the displeasure of experiencing. Even barely being able to think with the noise, The Shining Falcon has no doubt everyone in the building is hearing this.
The Falcon closes his eyes out of instinct, even though that does nothing to drown out the noise. Rather, the lack of visual stimulus turns out to make the noise sound even louder in his head. He shakes his head and tries to clear the fog from his head. She trapped her room? Two other thoughts come to mind, both with a wry smile. Well, at least they've got the signal I promised... and I'm glad I gave that guy a gold for disturbing his sleep, instead of a silver.
Turning his focus to more pressing matters, The Falcon pockets the three letters, then quickly puts both hands to his ears and bolts out the door. Straight down and hopefully I'll be able to meet up with the others.
Talienda looks up at Talib as she hears more screams, her eyes pleading with him to help her.
"I don't know what to do," she whimpers. "Sh-should I help?"
Talib takes in the escalation of violence playing itself out in and around the ring, as well as the subsequent alarm from upstairs. He shakes his head at the scene, half-annoyed and half-impressed by the sudden bedlam. "Well, I suppose this spares me the bother of orchestrating a distraction..."
"Focus on the mission," he says to Talienda, then addressing the rest of the group. "That is the signal. We need to help extricate the Falcon."
The inquisitor grabs his flail and starts to inch towards the smaller door. He attempts to keep to the wall, behind the guards moving in the same direction, and safely out of the way of goblin-related shenanigans. He motions for the others to slow down, stalling until he detects the Falcon or until all of the guards have entered.
Talienda nods, feeling her cheeks burn as she's reminded of why they are here in the first place. Using the cover of the others, she quickly casts a spell and points her finger over by a hole that looks as if goblins could squeeze through. A moment later, the chittering of a half-dozen goblin laughs adds to the cacophony.
"Hopefully that works," she mutters.
When Talib moves, Sekla breathes a sigh of relief, finding a surcease to the building tension in action at last.
Making sure to keep Talienda well in sight, she brings up the rear of the group, constantly scanning the crowd, watching the guards, waiting to see if they catch on to their group's intentions.
She nearly bumps into Rissi when Talib urges them to slow down, and takes the opportunity to turn and press her back to the wall and take in the crazed crowd once more. To take time to check the exits, the goblin witch, the reaction of the guards. To make sure nobody is paying them undue attention.
Rissi follows Talib, hoping to avoid a mass melee considering how things were escalating. She keeps a watch on the witch, hoping to see her slip and tumble in the grease....