[center][b]Inside the Ruined Palace Tower:[/b][/center]

At first when Cecilia's spear struck the large blue crystal, nothing of any considerable noteworthiness occurred. A simple '[i]tnk![/i]' noise sounded, as if the woman had just playfully jabbed at your average lrage, common rock on the ground. However, as Annabelle began to shatter the myriad green and pink lesser crystals that lined the entire whole of the tower's cavity, slowly but surely a change was happening. The glow from the small crystals began to diminish for each large collection that was destroyed, and likewise, the blue hue of the larger, imprisoning crystal began to fade, making it ever slightly more clear and akin to see-through glass, rather than blue-tinted crystal.

It didn't seem like the crystal had any malevolent or insidious mechanism to protect itself either. As the smaller crystals shattered and disappeared, no other change than the decresing color-saturation and the dimming of the outward glow would be noticed. It seemed the Spellblade had managed to successfully find a means with which to do... Something... to the crystal, without having to risk her or her companions' health. Huzzah! As the color drained from the crystalline prison, Cecilia would also notice that any strikes she made against it were beginning to chip away at the outer surface, and as the thing grew weaker from continued destruction of its smaller brethren, these small chips would gardually develop into cracks.

Continued crushing of the small crystals seemed to be the way forward to cracking the big blue one after all.

[i]Meanwhile, on the plaza below...[/i]

The burly lizardman, the buxom high elf and the - now unconscious - paladin, were quite lucky. Behind them, the church they had been in seconds ago finally collapsed entirely, causing a huge wave of dust and gravel and petty debris to flood out of the alleyway they had just left. A huge, billowing cloud rose from the location where once the imposing structure had been, slowly descending like an unwanted blanket on the area just around it. Distant shouts of surprise and confusion could be heard from far away.

[center][b]West Gate of the Forgotten Ruins:[/b][/center]

"General Nomoronth!"
"What is it?"
"We've finally secured both the north and south gates completely! They're fully under our control, sir!"
"Good and?"
"... And? Oh! Reports suggest that we've managed to deal with most of the adventurers and mercenaries from the south. The majority of their remaining numbers seem to be falling back towards the eastern gate now."
"East gate? What about the forces of the eastern nations stationed there?"
"Ah, yes well... It seems, sir, that once we seized both of the north and south gate, they turned around and abandoned the ruins... The east gate is completely unguarded, according to our scouts."
"... So, they didn't even try to stay and resist. Hmph, cowards."
"Sir?"
"Nothing. What about the Palagrian force south of here?"
"Sir! Reports state that they're slowly pulling back towards their own borders."
"Has any enemies fled their way?"
"Not since they took actions against the retreating merchants from earlier today."
"Heh, wise choice, [i]dogs[/i].... If you stayed, we could've accused you of interfering in Imperial affairs..."
"Sir, what now?"
"Hm? YOu need to ask, [b][i]boy!?[/i][/b] Have our forces march on the east gate from both north and south! Take it, hold it and then begin to move into the center of these decripit old stones! Don't let anyone stand in our way! Cut every non-Imperial down, no prisoners, no mercy."
"S-Sir! Understood!"

The young aide ran off once again, leaving the stone-faced general to watch his lackey's back with a discontent sneer. At least now things would begin to progress faster, and with any luck, their men would seen encounter whichever fool sellsword had acquired this fallen treasure, and then they could just wrest it from their cold, dead hands. Really though, what possible [i]treasure[/i] fell from the sky? A moonrock? Some kind of shiny star bauble? What a complete waste of time and men.

The general let out a tired, irritated sigh and turned around, surveying the impromptu camp that had now been established. So many of these reserve-troopers had suffered injuries from those blasted southern adventurers and their cutthroat-masters. So many had needlessly lost their lives as well. While he held no respect for these still-wet-behind-the-ears pups, they were still soldiers of the Empire, and more importantly, they were under [i]his[/i] control. To lose soldiers to something as pointless as a hunt for some phantom treasure? Ridiculous. It almost made the man want to laugh at the sheer absurdity.

... But he wasn't the type to laugh... So instead he kept watching his men and his camp go through their motions, waiting for further news.