>>6339741Well, even if they have a good reason for this, it wasn't very nice to ambush Hassan. You steel yourself with resolve, and before anyone can protest, you raise your sheathed saber, attacking Umaz with the blunted weapon! Your speed and training seem to surprise even her as she turns to block your strike, and gets hit hard in the right arm, forcing her to uncover Hassan's mouth.
"Let me GO!!" He struggles with greater conviction and breaks out of Umaz's grip, joining your side. She's rubbing the place where she was hit, but did you catch a satisfied smile crossing her face... ?
"Relax, please!" Chernabel has landed on the surface, a few feet away from you. "I apologize for the rough treatment, but we can't take any chances here." A tense silence follows. Hassan has retrieved his staff, and seems ready for action.
"This is a very delicate operation," she continues, as the tendril of her staff wraps itself back into a knot on its own. "I guess you don't know about the disappearances, but we've been dealing with quite a nasty case of--"
She doesn't have time to explain before a horrid moan floats up from the lower tiers, something between a desperate sob and a wail of pain.
"Oh. There she is."
The source of the sound seems to be rapidly approaching you.
