Back inside the mansion, she found that a portion of the ballroom had been occupied by a wooden stage. The servants were in the process of carrying in the last sections of the modular stage, and the guests were beginning to gather around.

To thunderous applause, Radwind walked up on the stage and immediately gestured for the crown to quiet down.

“My dear guests! It has been a wonderful evening! No doubt you have all enjoyed yourselves! But now… The party’s… About to start! Please share a drink with me in a toast to the continuation of Imperium, and the glory of the Emperor!”

“All hail the Emperor!” The crowd shouted five times in unison. Servants carrying trays with crystal cups filled nearly to the brim with red wine began making their rounds. While looking up to the stage, she suddenly found herself holding a crystal cup in her hands, the wine barely remaining within the walls of the cup.

“Am I supposed to… Drink it?” She turned to Elistin.

“Yes, but you shouldn’t. Just to be safe. If you are curious, I’ll let you try some when we get back.”

Up at the stage, Radwind raised his cup, and everyone else followed suit.

“A toast! To the Emperor!”

“Cheers!”

Despite the toast, not a whole lot of people drank the wine, but Radwind emptied the cup into his mouth without a hint of worry. Suddenly, a gasp of shock rolled over the crowd. Up on stage, Radwind had frozen in place, clutching his throat. The cup laid shattered at his feet as he made some guttural noises.

“Hah! I got you good!” Just as quickly, he returned to normal, causing a sigh of relief shortly followed by applause.

“Imagine if the wine was actually poisoned! What a lazy way to die!”

A thudding sound echoed across the ballroom, followed by a wet crack, and a dull thud. Then panic erupted. Radwind had fallen over. The content of his head starting to pour out through a hole in his skull. The guests all turned into wild animals. People began scrambling for the doors. Panic was total and instant, with each noble visibly ready to kill to get out.

“Rein! Carys! Help me protect Indas, Tilia and Ferran! And make for the exit near the stage!” Elistin shouted over the panicking masses. As they waded through the oncoming horde, Rein doing his best to absorb the impact of any wayward noble to shield the others. Already the signs of stampede laid strewn across the increasingly reddening floor. Screams of pain and terror mixed with one another, as nobles trampled each other to escape. Particularly children and teenagers had fallen victim to the bulldozing effect of the moment; Their bodies shattered and bleeding on the floor. As they continued. She came across a freshly torn jaw, and soon saw the owner, a little girl, lying in a pool of her own blood. Nearby was likely the girl’s mother, her face shattered, and currently being trod upon by a particularly heavy-looking nobleman.

“Almost there… Looks like we’re free of the worst for now.”

Ahead, the door swung open to reveal Farsilden waiting for them. He was armed with a longsword and had clearly been in a fight.

“My Lady. Follow me, there is little time. Indas and Carys, bring up the rear, Ferran and Rein, take point.”

Immediately after his order, ripping noises could be heard from Carys as she cut her dress to facilitate movement, and used strips of cloth to tie the loose ends tight.

She looked down at her own dress, and made a hesitant glance over at Elistin. To her relief, she nodded to her, and she tore a gap in the dress using the combat knife from the emergency pack. Immediately she felt relieved at being able to move mostly freely and rushed up alongside Rein to gain favorable distance.

“You still think this party is boring?”

“It’s okay now that I can move and breathe.”

“You really should leave those pumps too.”

She was about to drop the shoes when she saw a pair of hooded figures appearing through the door ahead, weapons raised. She immediately hurled her knife at one of them, but missed. Continuing the rush as they split up, she threw one of the shoes at the figure, which too missed and upon hitting the wall, shattered in pieces like glass.

The hooded figure countercharged her and made a wide sweep with a longsword, which she managed to avoid. The assassin immediately followed up by knocking her off balance with a kick, causing her to fall to the floor. Her attacker coming in for the kill she knocked the last shoe on the sword causing it to split in half while she rolled to avoid his finishing attack. Avoiding it, she found herself unable to move, being pinned down by a heavy boot upon her dress.

“Ferran, thrust!” Rein shouted to her. She raised the sharp end of the shoe just as Rein kicked her attacker, causing a slip. A moment later, the sharp end pierced deeply into the assassin’s throat, causing some guttural choking and a flow of blood to drip down on her face. She rolled the drowning man aside and uprighted herself to find Rein repeatedly stabbing the other attacker.

“That was… Easy…” Rein sighed. “Glass pumps huh Ferran?”

The others began catching up to them.

“Ferran? You murdered him with your shoe? That’s awesome!” Tilia smiled excitedly.

“Do you hear that?” Guards up ahead… Quick. Farsilden, bloody your blade, Carys take Rein, and Tili, help Ferran. We were just attacked and gravely injured during it.”

The others nodded.

A patrol of guards soon appeared and simply passed them by as they pretended to limp their way towards the carriage. The guards immediately began securing the dead bodies.

“Ah, excuse me, may I ask…”

“Not now soldier. My lady and her children are gravely injured and we must seek first aid. Have some of your troop escort us to the carriages, immediately!”

“A… Ah yes my lord!”

“Don’t my lord me, I use my hands for my livelihood.” Farsilden grumbled.