Her sister nodded in agreement, then dashed out the window. Her roar was in Stasia’s ears as she sprinted down the steps. She expected to find an ambush. What she did not anticipate was to find a red-cloaked paragon with coppery-red hair towering over the bodies of the slain archers. He turned her way, and he beamed with excitement upon seeing her.

“Ax, isn’t it?” he asked. “You’ve been quite a thorn in our side.”

There was zero chance Stasia could defeat a paragon alone in such cramped conditions. She lifted her ax, acting as if she would fight anyway, then grabbed a flower vase from the shelf next to her and flung it for his head. He shifted his weapon to block it, but the clay shattered upon hitting the steel, covering his face in soil. The paragon swore up a storm as it stung his eyes and covered his tongue.

Stasia dove out the window to join the chaos beyond. Perhaps out there she could link up with the others, or at least get Mari to help her. Frightened people shouted as she landed amid the crowd. With battles erupting in all directions, it seemed the people were of two minds. Half pushed near the stage, seeking to avoid the bloodshed. The other half rushed the exits despite the fighting, hoping to either be let through by the soldiers or sneak past during the confusion.

Stasia maneuvered quickly through their numbers, fearful that the paragon already gave chase. She let the sound of battle guide her, especially the roars of her sister. It seemed the soldiers positioned by Pilus had formed a line to the west, and so to them she ran. Mari dashed among them, a predator most vicious, to form the backbone of the entire force. Soldiers fell to her bone wings and razor-sharp claws. Stasia could only catch the occasional glimpse, given the people between them, but the screams and sprays of blood marked her location well. She spared a glance behind her, but so far it seemed the ax-wielding paragon did not yet chase.

Before she could reach the line, an enormous brass bell came crashing down through the center of the crowd. Stasia leaped aside, narrowly avoiding being crushed as it rolled to a stop. Baffled, she looked to the bell tower from whence it came. For a moment she thought her eyes deceived her, but there was no mistaking either combatant. High up where all could witness, Cyrus fought against Imperator Magus. An impossible fight, even for someone who had shown such promise as Cyrus had over the past months. And should he somehow win, there was the matter of soldiers filling the intersection. If everyone in the resistance fled, Cyrus would find himself surrounded and alone. They had to ensure no one remained.

The answer came in the smoke that billowed to the air from Clarissa’s groups scattered throughout the city.