The first rocket did not much in terms of attracting Bó's attention. Mistakes and accidents could happen even with the most disciplined and best trained crew on the ultimate occasion, so why bother about it ? The first bunch of arrows did go rather unnoticed as well as it was headed for a target far away from the Mokeu and the crowd was cheering way too loudly to hear the projectiles' hissing noises. Only when even in Bó's immediate surroundings started to panick and more screams could be heard from different places did he recognize something was really off here. And suddenly the place just felt so much more like home! Even though... this was a particularly sneaky bunch of contesters for the lead, weren't they ? And their general modus operandi quickly appeared to be illogical and counterproductive to say the least as well, for the competitors in the succession wars Bó was used to normally tried to kill each other primarily and not so much anybody else. What was the point of leading a tribe if there were no tribe members left alive to be lead ? Bó felt little interest trying to find out today so he was quick to get moving the best he could in order to get off the plaza. Being heads taller than those around him and looking so much differently overall, he realized just how much of a tempting target he probably was for those who had the high ground at the moment. Down here he could do nothing but wait for the next arrow! The Mokeu did not follow the general rush for the gates though. These could wait -- greater safety was to be gained within a bunch of solid walls right now instead of maintaining public exposure. Such a bunch really wasn't hard to find if one wasn't picky here and the door did only pose more of a temporary obstacle as he started kicking and ramming against it. Yes... Technically speaking this was an unwanted intrusion, but Bó had already won the battle of arguments against himself on that: exceptional situations required exceptional measures! He did hold his staff at the ready though as he dashed through the building's interior. The latter's layout was completely unknown to him, but anything that looked even remotely like a staircase leading upwards had to be the right direction and people tended to place those centrally, didn't they ? He wanted to get upwards until right under the roof, or preferably even find a hatch to get on top of it. Seeing the attackers face to face could never hurt! A sudden deafening explosion shook the entire building followed by the unmistakable crackling of black powder. In the panic outside a cart of fireworks had been left behind and tipped over just beyond the building, an ideal target for one of the archers on the roofs nearby. A single flaming arrow had been fired into the overturned heap the black powder igniting and going up in a sparkling fireball. The explosion itself made the entire building rock, sending furniture tipping over and glassware and ornaments shatter against the wood floor. Sparklers whistled about and skirted over the thatch roof outside as the walls splintered. The hard blast of the explosion had been enough to send Bó down hard on the floor as flames began lapping across the outside of the building. A sharp snapping of wood could be heard as cracks began to run across the ceiling. No sooner had Bó oriented himself than with a loud crunch an entire section of the ceiling came down and smashed against the door leading back outside. The door was blocked now forcing Bó to either try and force his way back through the rubble or head on up the roof and look for an escape. The pressing heat overhead was indication enough of the fires spreading up top, even so the room was now unstable as more shards came breaking loose from the ceiling and the walls began to groan and creak. A sharp scream could be heard from above though feint amid all the surrounding madness and destruction. [hr][b]Bó… A. tries to wrestle free some of the rubble blocking the door and make his way back outside. (Might) B. decides to make his way up to the roof and the scream, dodging the spreading fires around and overhead.(Dexterity) C. smashes through the cracking walls out into the nearby alleyway. (Chance)[/b][hr] Chosen option: B. [color=green]Passed![/color] It was one of those moments when one could possibly wonder about the ingenuity -- or rather the lack thereof -- of using fireworks on a large scale in a city that was largely built using highly combustible wood. Luckily though for festival's organisers, Bó did not have the time to be bothered with that kind of questions. The much more important thing for him was: How much of his precious fur would he lose to the fire before he'd manage to escape ? For a brief moment, Bó's legs wanted to go the route downstairs to tempting safety again while his head and upper body twisted very much towards the upwards direction where the scream had come from. No retreat! Retreating was for cowards! That fire would hurt maybe, but one's bad conscience could so, too! And... and... and if the building would collapse beneath his feet upstairs rather than above his head downstairs as he'd try to work his way out there, he'd also have to deal with far less burning rubble trying to smash, incinerate or suffocate him! Up was bound to be a good choice in every aspect! A large patch of cloth drenched in water would have been nice, though. As Bó ascended through the rapidly deteriorating structure, he did not even want to know what kind of things happened behind his back. The Mokeu felt satisfied by the thought alone that the roof would offer an alternative escape route towards one of the adjacent buildings or just a daring jump back down if he really had to. Also the barrage of evasive maneuvers he had to perform in order not to be scorched seriously did not leave much time to think about anything else in the first place. The screams he followed guided him into a room that just amazed him with the number of expensive looking things it was decorated with. Even more outstanding however was the woman that now looked at him, her clothes revealing a bit more of her skin that their maker had originally meant for -- as exquisite as they looked, they simply weren't fireproof either. A sudden loud snapping could be heard from below as the floor began to buckle and quiver. The explosions and ensuing fire had weakened the supports for the second floor, the boards beneath Bó began to crackle as they threatened to crumble inward. The rumbling overhead also suggested that the ceiling was giving way as well and threatened to collapse at any moment. The Folk woman sensing what was happening threw her hands to her mouth, halfway suppressing a cry of fear. Smoke filled the air causing Bó and the womans’ noses to burn and their eyes to water as the acrid smell of burnt wood and fabric stifled their lungs. The floor continued to buckle, a noticeably louder crunching could be heard and suddenly the boards between Bó and the woman split apart as splinters shot upward - the entire section of the building was about to come crashing down and bury them both in the rubble. [hr][b]Bó… A. leaps over the crack in the floor and grabs the woman over his shoulder - then leaping through the far window down below. (Dexterity) B. leaps over the crack in the floor, past the woman, and out the window down below. (Dexterity) C. leaps over the crack in the floor and grabs the woman over his shoulder, then makes a mad dash back down the stairs and out the front door. (Chance)[/b][hr] Chosen option: A. [color=green]Passed![/color] If the unburdened floor between them was already giving way, then the floor beneath Bó's not exactly lithe feet would certainly be next. A fall through burning building floors was not an option, but he also didn't feel like challenging the downwards staircase again with a woman on his shoulders. The window it certainly was, and there was no reason not to try and rescue her if she happened to stand in his way out anyway. The amber orbs that were his eyes were only able to produce blurry hints about his environment by the time the window's frame whizzed past them, barely not colliding with either of their heads. He had honestly not checked whether there was anybody standing on the ground below before jumping out. Even during the fall, Bó could feel the heated air blasting out the building's lower levels and rising upwards around them. Good thing that there was only solid ground to be felt and not something much softer at the end! Maybe searching for a building had not been such a good idea ? On the other hand now he felt the need for some sort of shelter even more. If not, then he might only have traded a woman's death by fire for a woman's death by arrow. And... who was she in the first place ? The oddity of holding a seemingly noble woman in his arms and on his shoulder in the middle of chaos struck Bó quite a bit now that the most immediate danger was over.