[IRP] Power Begets Power

[Lavi]

Satsume gave nod and a look of conviction.  "Let's do this."

Cecilia walked over to the room's bookshelf, where a collection of various works were kept to make the room more homely. Cecily scanned her finger across the various bindings before selecting a seemingly boring volume: one titled "The Market Economies, Explained." Turning the pages, she nodded as she found what she was looking for. This is one of the tomes that she had disguised within the castle, inscribed with the incantations for Elthunder. The group was ready to depart, when there was a knock on the door again.

"Milady, it is Violet," the maid reintroduced herself back into the room. "It appears Lord Lucian is on his way to the main hall to meet with the marquess."

The corners of Cecily's lips curled into a smile. "Thank you. It seems splitting up is unnecessary, after all."

"We must move quickly, though. There are plenty of ways for them to escape the main hall if we are spotted too soon," she added, for the rest's benefit. "Follow me."

Cecily gestured for Violet to check the hallways for them. Once the coast is clear, Cecily led the group into the halls to take the quickest path to the main hall. It was only a matter of minutes before a guard spotted them.

"Stop! Where is your escort?!" the guard called after them as he made his way towards them.

"The lady of the house needs no escort!" Cecily snapped back at him.

The guard froze, stunned by recognition of her voice. Cecily picked up her pace as the group's guide to the main hall. Behind them, the guard eventually recovered from his stupor. "She's here! Lady Cecilia is here!"

Their group would make it to the entrance of the main hall as the clanging of metal of stonework alerted them to the approach of the castle guard. The Lausian guard that intercepted them carried a plethora of weapons, though primarily lances, which they raised against the group to fight. A heavy armored knight was the first to take initiative, raising his axe in his charge, but Cecily immediately struck him down with a bolt of her magical tome. The knight toppled to the floor as the others recoiled from the anima magic.

"Do what you need to. We cannot afford to waste time with this rabble," Cecily told the others.

If any of the guards were killed, Cecily would accept their loss; if the marquess and his son opted to escape, then all of this would have been for nothing. Soon, the castle garrison that was warded away by Satsume's ploy will return. Time is not on their side.