[IRP] As Firm as a Mountain

[WyvernSlayer]

Limstella’s expression scrunched into a skeptical stare as the young lady – wait, no… Wow, I’m pretty sure that’s a guy! She sort of glazed over the words that came out of the young lad’s mouth as she came to the realization that, despite the long hair and effeminate voice, Limstella was addressing a boy and not a girl.

“Well, no… Pherae is to the southwest. You’re going in the exact opposite direction,” she finally said. Limstella folded her arms and raised her eyebrow. The man appeared to be very interested in whatever her brother was up to. She decided to err on the side of caution and attempt to dismiss the stranger.

“Look,” said Stella. “I’m not really sure what’s going on. I was told to get a doctor, and I got one. Your guess is as good as mine.” There was a bit of an awkward pause. She looked back toward her house. She could see her father mulling about in the back yard.

“Do you know my brother? Because if not, then I suggest you head back toward Pherae.” She pointed a finger past the stranger, down the road. “Which would be that way.”

[Breadophile]

Ray made a mental note of the direction the woman was pointing in. For future reference, in case he actually DID get lost.

"I might know him. Us mages know a lot of people. Us mages are also crafty folk. I specialize in fire, which can cauterize wounds and purge poisons. It's just... not as convenient as the typical heal or restore staves. But of course if you had one of those people I assume you would not be in such a panic in the first place."

Oh how joyous it will be to get my hand on one of those rings some day.

Ray pondered how rich he could be.

"Though, I don't suppose your brother is named Satsume? Coincidentally, I saw that man around town not too long ago."

He also wondered why he went through all this trouble talking to this woman, when simply talking to Satsume could've gotten the job done just as well... And presumably as well as it could get, since it's not like there was a way to sneak into a household and stay hidden for a long time.

[WyvernSlayer]

Limstella turned her back to the stranger as he kept babbling on about being a fire mage and whatnot. I never asked for your life story, kid, she thought. But then he said something that made her stop in her tracks:

“I don’t suppose your brother is named Satsume? Coincidentally, I saw that man around town not too long ago.”

Apprehension gripped at Stella’s muscles as she slowly turned back around. “You… you know my brother?” The stranger’s look was an expectant one, as though he were anticipating a further reaction from her. Stella wasn’t sure what all of this meant. First Satsume comes home with a dying girl in his arms, and now he’s being followed by mages from the refugee camp? Does he know about this guy? What-

*slam!*

Limstella nearly jumped in surprise as the door to her house was practically bashed off its hinges. A quick look at the armored figure that was walking out made her breathe a sigh of relief. Satsume did have a habit of slamming doors when he was frustrated. Completely ignoring the mage she was speaking with a minute ago, she ran over to him. He was staring at the ground, absently packing tobacco into his pipe.

“What’s the matter, Satsume?” she asked.

“She’s taken the medicine. Nothing else we can do now but wait,” said Satsume, not looking up from the ground.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know.”

“Clearly you do, Satsume.” Limstella folded her arms. “You’re not one to be sweeping girls off their feet.”

“Who asked you?!” Satsume glared at his sister, then caught the familiar green locks of the probably-a-guy-but-maybe-a-girl behind her.

“Ray?” Satsume struck the match in his hand and lit up his pipe. “What are you doing here?”

[Lavi]

A loud noise jolted Cecily awake. Exhaustion and nausea still weighed her limbs down, so she settled with just laying on the bed for the moment. The noble gave a loud sigh and waited. No response: Theodore is not here.

Her grip tightened on the corners of her bed sheets as she considered the worst. If Theodore is dead, there is no one left to look after her. With Lausian assassins on the loose within Bern, she would have no chance of survival without benefactors. Bern won't harbor her: that would be the equivalent to recognizing Lycia's problems and taking a stance against the fledgling empire. However, she may be able to force Bern's hand.

Cecily took a deep breath and slowly forced herself into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. A quick scan of the room indicated that there is nothing to write with.

"Hello?" her voice was raspy and weak. No response. She could hear voices from behind the closed door, including what seemed to be Satsu-something, but she presumed that they couldn't hear her.

Instead of trying again, she looked around the room again, spying a tray, presumably used by the one who treated her, as it carried several bottles. After placing the bottles at her bed side, she threw the tray at the door and reveled in the ruckus she caused.

Within seconds, an older man opened the door. Someone that Satsu-something knows, she presumed. He took one glance at the tray at the door and gave her a questioning gaze.

"Pen, ink, and multiple sheets of parchment please," she told him, giving him a stern (if weary) look. Cecily will not take any answer other than "yes."

[Breadophile]

"Oh, you know, stuff. I happened to be going towards Pherae, but well... Kalin is the one with the sense of direction and the bird's-eye view, not me, so here I am." The boy said, the gentle wind blowing against his hair, somehow always staying out of his face and mouth.

"So who is this 'she'? Is that the banshee I heard from a certain house earlier?" Ray asked a question he already knew the answer to.

*Crash*, a tray went. The racketing sound echoed for several yards, despite the fact they were outside.

"And what exactly was that? What the hell is going on in the house?"

[WyvernSlayer]

Satsume’s head swung on a swivel as a slightly muffled clattering sound rang from inside the house. It seemed to get everyone else’s attention, as well.

“…The hell was that?” asked Limstella. Ray echoed a similar comment.

Satsume puffed on his pipe and had to consciously reach up and grab it away from his mouth with the hand that had instinctively reached for the weapon at his side. Lycia had made him especially jumpy.

“Boy, come in here and deal with your lady friend!” Satsume’s father hollered. Satsume relaxed upon hearing this. There was little urgency in his father’s tone, indicating a lack of real danger.

She must be feeling better, he thought, and rolled his eyes at having to prematurely empty his pipe AGAIN. He entered the house and met up with his father in the kitchen.

“She’s clambering for ink and paper,” he said. “I don’t have time to deal with it, I’ve got blades heating up outside.” Satsume sighed audibly.

“I’ll handle it, Dad.” Satsume watched his father leave the room, then crept over to the living room, where his father’s ledger lay open on a stand beside a bottle of ink. Satsume flipped through to the last few pages and tore them out. He snatched up a quill pen and a bottle of ink and made his way back towards his room.

Cecily greeted him with a weary smile as he pushed the door open. It was almost as if she was glad it was Satsume fulfilling her request instead of someone else. He noted that she was now sitting upright.

“You rang?” Satsume quipped. “I take it you’re feeling better.”

He made his way over to the stool beside the bed and perched on it. As Cecily gingerly reached out to receive the paper and ink, Satsume yanked his hands back.

“Not so fast, Princess. You owe me a few answers.” He set the items on the side table and sent a stern gaze to the girl in his bed.

“I want to know everything about why you’re here. Lycians of higher standing don’t go sightseeing in Bern these days. And you’re also a target of someone, which means you may even be a criminal, for all I know. Now that I’ve done my part to save you…” Satsume folded his arms.

“You owe me the truth, Cecily.”

[Lavi]

Cecily grumbled at Satsume's accusations. It was as though he did not think through his words. The peasantry can be so stone-minded, but it couldn't be helped. However, she did not feel that it was necessary for Satsume to know everything.

"I am a noble of House Laus. If I was a criminal, what kind of crime would I be capable of that would have covert agents tracking me down? It is not any ubiquitous crime, or else it would have been declared publicly. It is not something you must concern yourself with yet."

She anticipated an outburst and raised a finger to hold his tongue.

"I do appreciate your help and I may be forced to ask for your help again, but there are things that I must confirm for myself before sharing anything."

The noble paused, contemplating her own words. Cecily presumed that Satsume would not like her answer, but there were things that she wouldn't be surprised for him to figure out on his own.

"The assassins appear to be Lausian," she added. "One of them, at least. They will be back, if Theodore does not stop them all."

She stopped again, clenching her bed sheets tightly as her thoughts returned to her servant. Cecily knew she cannot linger on the subject. Dead or not, he is not here to protect her. Staying in Satsume's care would eventually place them at risk.

"Are you going to continue harboring me or leave me to fend for myself?" she asked him. "I can only give my gratitude in return, at this time."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

It took them some time to track down Cecily's whereabouts, but the trails out of the camp eventually led them to a nearby village. She is definitely here, under the care of a local family. It doesn't matter if they knew who she was: they will die alongside her if they attempt to get in the way.

Sheridan beckoned his men. Now is as good as any. They approached the house from multiple directions. A couple walked openly, plainly clothed, to appear as refugees wandering around. Others moved in from the shadows, to slip inside and finish the job.

[WyvernSlayer]

Satsume’s first impulse, naturally, was to argue with Cecily. She seemed to still be unconvinced that he wasn’t one of the bad guys. But it did sort of make sense. Is it because I’m Lycian? he wondered. If the assassins were indeed from Laus, it would stand to reason that she would hold him to a higher degree of suspicion, no matter the circumstances.

“Are you going to continue harboring me, or leave me to fend for myself?” she asked. “I can only give my gratitude in return, at this time.”

Satsume sighed and stood up. “Well, I can’t say I particularly LIKE your answer… but I suppose that’s all I should have expected,” he replied. “And unless you think you can fend for yourself…”

His voice trailed off. Satsume’s ears had picked up the sound of his father’s hammer in the armory out back. *clang!* *clang!* *clangclang!*

He shook his head. Did the hammer sounds just echo? Cecily was staring at him, as well – probably anticipating the end of his sentence. Her look changed from an expectance to bewilderment. Satsume listened again.

*clang!* *clangclang!*

That double-tap… it was not the sound of a hammer hitting hot metal. Satsume darted over to the window overlooking their backyard. “Dad?!” he shouted. “You okay?!” He was answered by the sound of something heavy slamming around inside the armory.

“Gods!” Satsume kicked aside the stool as he scrambled to get out of his house. Cecily was fixing him a look of concern. “Don’t move!” Satsume cried hastily. He sped out of the house as fast as his armor would let him. As he ran, he snatched up his sister’s shortbow from its hanging place in the living room. Satsume nearly took the front door off its hinges as he burst outside. Ray and Limstella were still loitering just beside the road.

“Stella, the armory!” he yelled. He tossed the bow at his sister’s head. “Dad’s in trouble, go! Now!”

“But, my quiver..!” Limstella protested. Satsume was already on his heel and headed back into the house. He knew someone was after Cecily, and she was certainly in no condition to fight. Hell, Satsume wasn’t even sure if she could fight. But he needed to keep her safe – if these people after her were really as good as she made them out to be, then running over to the armory would be exactly what they would expect him to do.

A sudden twinge of fear seized Satsume as he returned to his room. Fear for his father’s safety, no doubt. He tried to dismiss it with a shake of his head. Dad’s a tough one, he reasoned internally. And Stella is heading over there to help him. Ray was there, too. While the fact that he was present was a little surreal, he hoped that the young mage’s short temper hadn’t waned since they last met.

“Looks like your boys have found us, Princess,” said Satsume to Cecily. He turned and faced the doorway. His left hand settled on his spear and drew it. “And they’re trying to draw me away from you.”

Satsume could feel his heartbeat quicken, intensifying to a fever pitch. The fear he was trying to suppress was threatening to resurface.

“Keep an eye on the window for me.” Satsume touched the button on his weapon, and it shot out to its full length. He could hear the faint pitter-patter of footsteps lapping round the house. “Keep an eye on my family, Cecily, and I’ll keep an eye on you.”

[Breadophile]

"Looks like this could be interesting."

Ray hopped in through the window.

"Don't mind me." Though it wasn't obvious, he took care to avoid any friendly fire by Cecily.

"You guys looked like you were in trouble, and judging by the sounds, outnumbered as well. Let's see how strong they are against fireballs!"

Ray pulled out his fire tome. At that moment, some of the hairs on the back of his head stood up. Something was wrong...

He ducked, without turning around, as an arrow shot through the window and into the room, missing the back of his neck as it brushed the top of his hair and got stuck in the wall in front of him.

"Sniper! Take cover!"

[Lavi]

"It's not like I have much choice in the matter," Cecily sighed.

But it was not long before someone started coming through the window: introducing himself before Cecily could say anything to Satsume. His voice sounded sort of like the person she heard talking outside earlier and remained silent on that account. He had an Ilian accent. She had met some of them from the north before, on their typical pilgrimages around the world. Cecily had always admired their free spirit, but she never wanted to roam and partake in an adventure outside of the comforts of civilized society. It seemed as though her fate said otherwise.

Although she was not in a state to move, let alone fight, Cecily still had her means of helping the upcoming battle. As she built up mana in her lungs, she could feel her body straining against her will. She fought the urge to throw up as her mind began swimming, hugging herself tightly as she mustered the energy to begin a galdr.

Her song was far from perfect. It was airy and weak, not to mention shaky at held notes. But its melody held power, which was all that Cecily wanted. Satsume and Ray could feel its effects take hold. They could feel more capable of handling whatever was ahead, as the galdr optimized their biorhythm.

"I'll be relying on the two of you," Cecily told the two present. "May Elimine smile on you."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had successfully infiltrated the main house. However, it seemed as though the knight did not go to the rescue of the blacksmith, but it had at least forced the girl to go to the man's aid. With the two groups isolated, the assassins discretely surrounded the groups. At Sheridan's signal, they attacked simultaneously, using a smoke bomb to mask their entrance.

[WyvernSlayer]

Satsume reacted quickly to the sound of Ray entering the room, shifting around almost immediately while keeping both the window and the doorway in his field of vision.

“Don’t mind me,” said Ray as he settled his feet on the floor.

“For once, I’m glad you didn’t use the door like a normal person!” Satsume replied. As the two of them took up positions around Cecily, he could hear a somewhat frail voice singing. It sounded sort of like a lullaby, or a chant. Satsume could feel himself bristling with energy. He had experienced this before – it was very similar to the fife players that dotted the old Ostian military ranks. They would play as a morale boost, but oftentimes it seemed to have a tangible effect on the soldiers’ performance.

Just then, a projectile followed Ray through the open window, barely missing him and sinking into the far wall.

“Sniper! Take cover!” yelled Ray.

“Stay away from the windows!” Satsume yelled over his shoulder. His ears were picking up everything now – the sound of footsteps around the house, the distant shouting and sounds of combat in the armory, even the labored breathing of Cecily. Satsume took a quick peek outside his room. Two men were cautiously moving about the house, checking in the occasional room as they came ever closer. Both of them bore wide, curved blades. And they definitely look strong enough to chop through my armor, he thought. We’ve got to avoid a battle of attrition.

Satsume waved his hand to get Ray’s attention. As their eyes met, Satsume put his finger up to his lips. “Two of them coming in,” he whispered. “Get a spell ready!” He ducked to one side of the doorway, safe from the archer firing through the window. Now to get the goons’ attention.

Satsume slowly reached around to the side of the doorway and knocked hard on the wood siding, then quickly retracted his hand and kept out of sight.

“Over there!” shouted one of the assailants. The footsteps became quicker and louder as the two men prepared to burst into the room. Satsume clasped his lance with both hands and jutted it out across the doorway at ankle height as the first foot crossed into the room. It took all of Satsume’s strength to keep the weapon level as his foe tripped and slammed into the floor.

“Toast him!” Satsume cried.

[Breadophile]

Ray was having an average day, for him. 'Was' being the key word, that quickly changed and it became a good day. A very good day. Things were going to go well. He could make the magic go where ever, whenever and the incantations just flowed into his mind.

[Ray pulled out his tome and with a circular motion of his hand blew away all of the smoke.] is what would've happened, were it not for the fact that their positions were currently hidden.

Instead, upon Satsume's 'request', Ray prepared a spell. He had figured Satsume knew full well the implication of his command, and decided not to worry about the finer details. However, in this close range situation, a fire would most certainly kill them all with the window not being a valid escape, so he chose to pull out his lightning tome.

"Make sure you guys close your eyes when I cast the spell. It gets really bright."

We could probably blind a few of them with the same method, actually.

Ray got into position so he could stand up fully without being shot by the sniper.

“Toast him!”

"Teeeeeeeiiiiiii!" Simultaneously with his banshee scream, Ray, standing up completely, took his hands, pulled them back, and then pushed them forward along with one leg as though he were attempting to move a heavy object.

A small but concentrated lightning bolt tore a hole through the roof and blasted the poor sod in front of him. Ray was, at this point, the king of works of art that no one wanted to look at.

[Lavi]

She didn't want to admit it, but the sound of battle was rattling her senses. The Lausian noble is not accustomed to battle, nor was she interested in partaking in any such barbaric acts, and there was no way to hide it.

Cecily pulled the sheets close to her, as though it would shield her from the arrows and blades that the assassins wielded. At the very least, it shielded her from the blast of light made by the mage's lightning. She initially thought that the mage threw some kind of explosive until she smelled the magic's after effects. It didn't seem safe, but the noble had no reason to complain right now.

But even with Satsume's and Ray's help, one slipped through their guard, approaching from the window while the two were distracted at the door. Cecily could only manage a scream as she caught sight of his approach and threw herself (or fell? Being in a rather poor physical state) off of the side of the bed in an effort to flee from the hungry dagger as the assassin lunged at her.

[WyvernSlayer]

“Nice! Eugh.. *cough cough!*” Satsume sputtered through the smoke that had now enveloped the room, a direct result of Ray’s spell – and their subsequently crispy opponent. The second assassin had been staggered by the blinding bolt, which gave Satsume an opportunity to come tearing out from around the corner and sink his spearhead into the man’s side.

“Errrrrgh!” the man crumpled over, dropping his weapon and clutching at the wound. Satsume hastily kicked aside the man’s sword, removing him as a threat. He wiped some sweat from his brow. So far so good… I hope Cecily isn’t-

“Kyaaaah!”

His thought was interrupted by scream coming from the room. Cecily! Satsume whirled around and reached over his shoulder, plucking a javelin from its quiver. The smoke had already started to clear, and Satsume could pick out a not-Ray-shaped figure advancing on his bed. Picking up the glint of a blade in the figure’s hand as it raised its arms over Cecily was all the excuse Satsume needed to plant his back foot and step into his throw.

Thankfully, it was a short throw – maybe eight or ten meters – and Satsume never missed freebies. The tip of the projectile slipped neatly to the left of the attacker’s spine, erupting from his chest like a grotesque party favor. A spray of gore painted little red dots all over the bed (and unfortunately on Cecily, as well.) Satsume hurriedly made his way back into the room. Cecily was cowered on the far side of the bed, and her attacker lay slumped in front of her. He reached for the body.

“Are you alright?” he asked her, shoving the body aside and plucking the javelin from its back. “Sorry about the-”

*fwip!*

“FUCK!” Satsume yelped in pain, dropping the spear and recoiling away from the window. The sniper from outside, which he had foolishly forgotten about, had sent a bolt toward Satsume’s head. And he would have gotten him, too – save for the fact that Satsume had inadvertently shielded his head with his arm as he reached over his shoulder to put his spear back. Instead of dropping him like a stone, the crossbow bolt impacted on his bracer, punching through the thin strip of armor and lodging itself in Satsume’s left hand. He waved away Ray’s approach.

“I’m fine, I’m fine! Deal with the sniper!” Satsume grimaced again, and made a clumsy attempt to pull the bolt out of his hand. “Hrrrrrraaagh!”

No dice. His armor held it firmly in place. He’d need to take off his bracer to have any chance of guiding it out of his hand. Satsume propped himself against the foot of the bed and looked at Cecily. She still looked shaken at having survived the attack on her moments earlier. Satsume couldn’t help grinning at her. “Aha! Ahahahahaha!” he chuckled. “It’s like even when I win… I lose!”

[Lavi]

Cecily froze as the assassin collapsed on top of her. The warm splatter of blood across her face hinted at the man being dead. She shivered at the thought, but the noble could not muster the strength to push the body off of her quite yet.

And then the sir knight laughed. Is this truly the time and place for amusement? Particularly when lives, hers especially, are on the line?

Two more assassins burst into the room, one through the window and the other at the door. The one that came through the window jumped over Cecily in an attempt to attack the mage and knight. She recognized the silhouette of a lion's head on the hilt of the man's dagger: the kind of decoration that would be smelted at the royal forge in Castle Laus.

The sniper from earlier moved closer to the window, giving himself a clear line of fire on the occupants inside. The assassins were putting everything on the line in a final push.

The assassin at the door threw a knife at Ray and lunged at Satsume with his own dagger, while the second assassin waited until the knife flew its course before attacking the mage himself. The sniper at the window waited calmly for shots he could take, aiming to take advantage of any misstep on part of Cecily's protectors.

[WyvernSlayer]

Satsume had barely a moment to collect himself before two more assassins invaded his room - one through the window, the other skipping over the bodies in the doorway. How many of them are there?! he wondered. If this kept up for much longer, they would run out of room to fight in.

The assailant from the window was the first one to reach Satsume and Cecily. Satsume reached out to him with his unmolested hand, paying no heed to the dagger his opponent bore. Shifting his weight, and taking care to avoid the sniper's line of sight, he hip-tossed the assassin across his body, intending to launch him toward his compatriot. The dagger made futile marks on his shoulder plates as Satsume sent his man against the far wall with a crashing thud. This gave no pause to the other assassin - the one from the doorway leapt over the first, dagger overhead and poised to strike.

Try me, thought Satsume, as he rose out of his crouch and delivered a vicious uppercut to his airborne attacker. The impact halted the assassin's momentum, sending him backwards and causing Satsume to recoil in shocked discomfort. The assassin landed on the ground and did not move.

The one Satsume had thrown was getting back to his feet. He picked up his unconscious ally's dagger and brandished both with a fiendish grin. "Got you now!" he crowed.

Satsume's shoulders rolled forward. Whatever boon Cecily's song had provided him was nearing its end, and fatigue beginning to set in. He could feel the bolt in his hand throb with pain. And now, unarmed, he was to face down a trained assassin with a pair of blades, while avoiding a crossbow aimed through the window?

It was a tough spot, and he knew it. Satsume heaved a deep breath, and waved his foe towards him.

"Come and get me."

[Breadophile]

Ray had attempted another lightning spell shortly after his first, but had a miscast and he was stuck there with a raging headache. That feeling that it was going to be a good day was leaving. Daresay it would be pretty embarrassing if he could actually think straight.

Fortunately for him, the knife hit the area next to his neck. He then slumped over, grasping his head in pain as the meleeing assassin attacked where his head used to be. Said assassin must have took him for a neutralized threat, or at least moreso than the knight that launched his ally against the wall. He was promptly ignored.

He would question how he was alive, but he had honestly gotten tired of that at this point. It was always the same for Ray. Even when he loses, he still wins. Well, sort of.

He managed to regain his senses. Unfortunately, the assassin wasn't stupid enough to leave his back to him, so a sneak attack was out. Or was it? Maybe a sneak attack in a different sense.

He spoke a soft word as he took a deep breath and focused some energy. "Haaaaa..."

The assassin noticed him, certainly much closer than the knight, and went for another strike.

And a third strike did indeed come. A thrust this time. Ray tried really hard to catch it with his book. And he did. The dagger got lodged in the cover, but didn't breach the pages. Perfect. Maybe today *was* a good day after all.

"Next time, try a wooden dagger." he spoke as the assassin got a painful shock via his thunder tome.

Unfortunately, Ray was significantly more vulnerable than one of his allies and much more noticed than the other. The sniper found this the perfect time to strike.

*click*

"Eh!?"

*MISS* Right between the shoulder and chest.

Ray attempted to aim a lightning strike at him to retaliate, but thanks to his cloak being quite literally bolted down, it colossally missed and struck inside, cutting another whole through the roof.

[Lavi]

Ray's performance as a mage was revolting. Cecily watched as he misfired, and then blast a hole over the bed that she rested on the minute before. Surely no self-respecting tutor would have allowed him to travel using magecraft that was that heavily unrefined. It is almost sinful to let such an amateur defend her, a student of esteemed Etruscan mages and priests, from these assailants.

"," Cecily rasped.

No good. She could barely meld the power into her voice. Amateurish. Her tutor would tell her that it's unforgiveable to let a cold get the better of her. Although her condition is a little more serious than a cold, he wouldn't be wrong. Although everyone could clearly hear her song, Cecily only had the strength to direct the potency of her words at the sniper, being the easiest to target without accidentally affecting Satsume or Ray.

", ," she felt her body screaming against her will. By all rights, she should not be casting magic, particularly magic that uses her own body as the medium. Even so, she stilled the shakiness in her voice.

"…"

As she sang, the sniper fell to his knees with a blank expression. Unknown to Satsume or Ray, the song made him recall moments of his past: essentially reliving his blissful memories in the final moments before someone can end his life. Cecily learned about this particular spell from her research in Etruria. With those final lyrics, her consciousness faded.

The remaining conscious assassin lunged forward at Satsume. His first move as a feint as the assassin maneuvered his way to place Ray in the middle of himself and Satsume. The wounded mage would make for a convenient shield and he felt confident that he could remove Ray if the situation required it.

The assassin slashed at Ray with impressive speed, but kept his blades close to prevent any lethal harm to the mage. The attacks should keep Ray on his toes as Satsume responded to the assassin's tactics.

[WyvernSlayer]

“Gods!” Satsume recoiled as Ray’s second lightning blast ripped through the roof and impacted about two feet in front of him. “Quit that! You’re destroying my house!”

There was only one of them left inside the house now. Satsume was prepared to duck low and attempt to tackle the assassin, who was between him and Ray. That’s when he heard Cecily’s voice again – faintly but assuredly. Her song was different this time – he didn’t feel the surge of vigor that the previous tune had wrought. Rather, it seemed to threaten to distance him from the fight, coaxing his thoughts away to a happier place…

No! Come on, focus! Satsume shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. He needed to end the threat, and quickly. Unfortunately, said threat had taken advantage of his momentary lapse and doubled back behind Ray, putting the mage between himself and Satsume. Great…

The foe threatened with his daggers, trying to maintain space. Satsume ran through his options – he needed to find a way to advance on the assassin without putting Ray at risk, or a sniper bolt through his own neck. Satsume stole a quick glance out the window to make sure the sniper was still there. And…

“Huh.” He wasn’t in the window. Was it a trick? Wait… Cecily! Her song! Suddenly it all clicked for him. She had sung a tune to debilitate the crossbowman so he and Ray could fight!

Now, Satsume had a plan. Ray appeared to be threatening another spell – that simply would not do. Satsume reached out and grabbed Ray’s outstretched arm, freezing the mage mid-incantation. “Move,” he said tersely, yanking on his arm and tossing him back and to the side. The assassin saw this as an opportunity, making a move towards Ray as he fell against the wall. Satsume stepped in between them, taking a dagger point off the breastplate. The attacker was quick, but not very strong. Satsume grinned as the assassin’s gaze peered up at his face. He reached up with his injured hand and clasped it around the poor fool’s wrist. It hurt to put any pressure on that bolt in his hand, but Satsume had grabbed his foe’s wrist at such an angle that the tip of the bolt pierced the man’s skin and effectively neutered any strength he had put into gripping the dagger. The assassin squealed in pain and reached up with the dagger in his other hand.

“Hrrrgh!” Satsume gritted his teeth through the pain as he twisted his arm over, putting the assailant into a very uncomfortable wrist lock. The assassin sank to his knees, dropping the other dagger. Satsume picked the man up by his neck and slammed him against the far wall.

“Who sent you?!” he demanded.

The assassin gurgled incomprehensibly.

“Who SENT you?!” Satsume slammed the man against the wall again. He had a death grip on the man’s neck. The pain in his hand only served to shorten his temper. “Tell me, dog!”

The assassin gurgled again, and his head went limp – in Satsume’s anger, he had choked the life right out of him. “Goddammit.” He dropped the man’s body and clutched at his wound. That one was probably the only chance he had to get some information. He turned to Ray, who was picking himself up off the floor.

“Sorry. You were in the way,” said Satsume. He glanced over at the bed. Cecily was propped upright against the wall, eyes closed. Tiny bits of blood lingered on her cheeks and neck. Satsume staggered over to her.

“Princess?” No answer.

“Cecily…?” He touched her neck gently, feeling for a pulse – and breathed a sigh of relief when he found one. Whew…

“Hey! Satsume!” Satsume perked his head up at the sound of his sister’s voice. He leaned and peered out the window. Limstella was running back towards the house from the armory, bow in hand. “Need help?” she called.

“Get the apothecary!” he yelled back. “And where’s Dad?!”

“He’s fine!” Limstella slowed as she neared the window, kicking aside the comatose sniper. “A little banged up, but we’re both fine.”

“Good. Tell him to bring in his forceps.” Satsume held up his hand, showing the bloodstained crossbow bolt through it. “I’m gonna need some help with this.”

[Breadophile]

“Quit that! You’re destroying my house!”

"From my perspective your room was too dark. I'm just doing you a favor. That'll be 2000 G."

Just then, more chanting.

By the gods, where are all these happy thoughts coming from!?

They made him think of Kalin. At the same time, however, thinking of Kalin made him mad, and the thoughts quickly went away.

Hmm? Sniper's gone from the window. Wah! How'd the assassin get behind me!? Not good.

Lightning crackled from Ray's fingertips.

"Now, eat thi-Wha!?"

"Move" a resounding command from his ally.

Then a grab followed by a yank and then a bump into a nearby wall.

"Urgh..." He opened his eyes to see Satsume put the assassin in some hold.

“Sorry. You were in the way.”

"Token words. Hopefully a gust of wind won't throw you off a bridge any time soon."

Ray listened to the banter between him and his sister, who he had just noticed was creepily named after a construct from a century and a half ago.

"So how the heck did you manage to knock out someone by making them think of happy thoughts?"