"You look pleased," Neil said as Emmaline returned to the Tower from her morning errands. She was dressed in a jerkin of supple leather with sleeves of gray silk slashed with a dull red. To further her disguise she had her hair done up on an elaborate braid, rather than the looser styles she normally favored. 

"I am," she admitted, jingling a pouch of coins at her belt. Neil arched an eyebrow.

"I sold the Tower," she smilled, climbing the steps to the stone arch. Neil stared at her in consternation. 

"We don't own the tower," Neil replied. Emmaline shrugged evasively.

"I uh... didn't make a big point of that," Emmaline explained. Drawing up a deed of ownership was a bit of a pain. Using magic to alter an existing deed was much easier. It would pose a problem when the real owner showed up with the real deed, but Emmaline would be long gone from the scene by the time anyone was actually comparing paperwork. Further discussion was interrupted by a sudden rumbling crash from the east. Emmaline assumed it was just another seige gun but the look on Neil's face told her otherwise.

"It that a cannon?" Emmaline asked uncertainly. Neil looked grim.

"It is a sap," Neil explained, his engineering school training able to discern the sound of cracking and tumbling masonary from simple cannon fire.

"Is that bad?" she asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"It is when... never mind. We need to get out of here as quickly as we can." Emmaline needed no further incentive, she hurried up into the tower and grabbed the last of her possessions, largley bottles of half processed alchemical recipes she had been working on, as well as the wyrdstone case and the last of the Bugman's and chocolate. She came down to the door where Neil was waiting for her and leaned in to kiss his cheek. Before her lips could touch she saw a trio of men burst from an alley, yelling in terror. A pair of beastmen, stag headed and covered in dirt and mud lopped out after them. One of them spitted a terrified civilian on a crude spear. Dozens of other beastmen burst out of the alleys, howling and screaming. Emmaline squeaked in panic but Neil shoved her back into the tower and pulled the door shut. Arrows thudded into the door as Neil threw the heavy bar.

"Shit," he muttered and Emmaline had to agree. She ran up to the third story and looked out the window. Beastmen were pouring into the city, an ugly pall of dust and debris rose to the sky from the east. The background stutter of gunfire had risen to a fever pitch. They were cut off.