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No one could deny that the servants of Asengav were having a really bad day. Bad enough that Justine was assaulting the mansion head-on, but to get the local chapter of Beacon to join her party in the quest for revenge? It was getting to be almost cruel, the extent of damages to life and property alike. 

Unfortunately for Mariette, her extensive defenses had another opening to exploit – right in the heart of her mansion.

Collector Delta was the first to exit the eldritch passageway, stepping out from the cooler air of Grandfather’s Catacombs into Mariette’s personal library. She appreciated how well kept it was, even in the middle of an all-out assault. Apart from the gothic aesthetic, Delta first noticed the wooden tile flooring in the room – curious enough, given that most people would use carpeting or rugs to muffle sound in such spaces, but also how it masked the bookshelves. Or, specifically, the fact that the bookshelves were actually part of the floor, almost as if that room had all been meticulously carved from a single piece of wood. Given how there was magic present throughout all of the wood in the walls, and what that implied, it was interesting to say the least.

Her ally, Scribe Xi, also took a moment to take stock of their situation. If Delta didn’t have the Third Eye, she might not have noticed her come through. After all, to the naked eye nothing was there. But her vision pierced through obfuscations to see Xi’s figure, covered entirely in bone spider’s silk. Frankly, it was simultaneously a ludicrous and vaguely hypnotic sight, the way the colors shifted along each muscle-like cord of eldritch silk. She could also see the lump over Xi’s right shoulder, where Delta’s familiar hid under the silk, boosting Xi’s magic with his proximity.  

Shifting her gaze upwards, she noted the stairs towards the north wall, extending the space by a second ‘floor’ in the library, and host to more shelves filled with various tomes, manuscripts, and scrolls. All of it made for an enticing collection, but they were on a time limit. Mariette might be busy defending against an assault within and without, but Asengav would eventually notice the eldritch hole bored right into one of his strongholds. Especially since, for all intents and purposes, Grandfather counted as another Horror.

Delta looked further upwards, briefly, and frowned at what she noticed.

There were voices coming from the direction of the foyer, and Delta recognized the voice of Alicia among them. Not surprising given her rank, and multiple reports of a personal vendetta against Mariette, but it could spell trouble. Her Third Eye would cut right through their illusions. 

[i]Beacon’s team is still making their way through the mansion,[/i] Lee noted. [i]Seems like they’re headed this way, specifically. We need to move.[/i]

Delta sent a brief thought of acknowledgement through the connection to her familiar, still frowning up at the ceiling with her Third Eye open. She quickly assessed the situation, then made her choice. [color=gray][i]Head on without me,[/i][/color] she sent. [color=gray][i]Both of you.[/i][/color]  

Xi paused mid-stride. She couldn't see Delta, as she'd used her own magic to bend light around her, so Xi didn't bother trying to face her. [color=blue][i]What’s she doing?[/i][/color] she asked Lee. At the speed of thought, he relayed the question to Delta.

In response, Delta simply sent the mental image of what she’d been frowning at, and let Xi connect the dots. 

It didn't take long for the realization to hit. [color=blue][i]Oh.[/i][/color]

[color=gray][i]Beacon and their allies won’t draw Mariette’s fire if they die. [/i][/color] Delta drew her wand. [color=gray][i]The higher their numbers remain, the more Mariette will divert her forces to counteract them. [/i][/color]

[color=blue][i]So you’re staying behind to even the odds.[/i][/color] 

[color=gray][i]Once the door opens, I’ll cast a spell on the floor, layering mirrors over the tiles. Anything standing above it will have its true form revealed in the reflection. Save for myself, at least.[/i][/color]

Xi nodded. [color=blue][i]Give ‘em hell.[/i][/color]

Lee smiled (or rather, sent the image of a smile). [i]Stay safe, Anna.[/i]

Delta aimed her wand at the floor, mentally preparing the spell. [color=gray][i]Likewise.[/i][/color]

[color=aba000][sub]“Connie, there’s a room beneath those stairs...”[/sub][/color]

Xi swore internally, quickly closing the distance to the other foyer door, further away from the voices and incoming footsteps.
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[@Ariamis][@Ponn][@PlatinumSkink][@Crusader Lord][@Majoras End][@AtomicNut][@Flamelord]