Ssarak Dyreackthanose

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Since the guards did not immediately attack, Ssarak retained hope that they could get through this encounter peacefully. Alaira had made that more difficult, but perhaps it would not be impossible. As the guards were shouting at Alaria, he sent another telepathic message to the others. _"This is good, they have not attacked. We may be able to move on peacefully yet. We need to talk down Alaira. If she still tries to attack...I can stop her, but I may need help restraining her."_ He said. He hated that he was having to plan against an ally, a fact that came across clearly in his tone, but so far, these guardsmen were guilty of no wrongdoing, and Alaira had attacked them. If they did not stop Alaira, it would be murder. All it would take would be a single thought to send Alaira to her knees in pain, and he was ready to react, physically and mentally, in an instant.

It was shortly after his message that the pair of men approached from across the bridge. Like the others, the man who seemed to be in charge appeared to have understandable anger, so Ssarak was quick to respond. In order to make it seem more like they were on the same side, Ssarak also answered with frustration, but was sure that his gaze directed it towards Alaira. "What happened is that our fool of a friend became too presumptuous. She convinced herself that your guards were somehow vampires in the daylight trying to ambush us. In her paranoia, she decided to find evil where it did not exist. Alaira, release the man! Let's all get on with our day without your unnecessary violence. Think, if these gentlemen were indeed the bandits or marauders you feared, would they not have already attacked?" Of course, Ssarak was still worried that the guards had ill-intentions, but as long as they remained alert, they would not be caught off-guard by a sudden attack. 

It was then that Ssarak felt it. After all the classed he had been to, all the private lessons with Satori to further hone his skills, he recognized it immediately. It was a psychomantic probe into his mind, deflected by his ward. Someone, likely the robed man by the way he was acting, had attempted to read his mind. Immediately, Ssarak sent a telepathic warning to the others. _"Be aware, one of them is a psychomancer."_ At the same time, he quickly grabbed Alaira's arm to pull her off of the guard so that she could not accidentally harm him in her inevitable and painful reaction once the man's magic reached her mind.