Sue
Mizu, seemingly pressed for time, decides to push herself far harder then usual - allowing her to quickly the dispatch the last two guards, sending them into the ground dead - and staining the packed dirt red. The arrows miss her - again, as expected. Having dispatched them so quickly the guards assembling on the opposite side of the gatehouse have yet to fully assemble, meaning she has at best thirty, maybe sixty seconds of time to plan out her next decision - and to enact it as well.

Ashnard spends several minutes popping off the tops of the barrels and crates. Within each he finds what looks to be well made bronze pieces, many resembling bones - uncannily, he even finds a skull that looks as if a perfect replication of the Macen Skull - with pearl white teeth included. Upon each piece a complex set of runes have been inscribed, though none seem active. All the pieces seem to have been made semi-recently, meaning it's unlikely they are to be what they were sent here to look for. With the crates and barrels checked, he pushes open the unlocked door to reveal a stairwell - leading upwards, presumably to the roof, and downwards. The stairwell is dark and dank with several arrow slits allowing the moonlight to beam through, and no one is in it.
Joe
"Well then, guess it's time to take my leave~" 

*She would say with giggle as she backed away from the gates and head toward the castle walls. If she were a skilled caster she might have been able to take care of those meager 24 guards with no issue, but alas, she had chosen to be a master of the spear. She was wise enough to know which battles were winnable or not.*

*So instead she opted to focus on the task on hand and climb up the castle wall. She wasn't sure if the Canifor went up as well, but it seemed like the only way into the castle besides fighting through the horde of guards. She would reach the top and examine the area for any clues on where to head to next*
Fay
"Just what kind of twisted experiments are the Silnari up to *This* Time?"
Ashnard muttered under his breath, letting a derisive scoff as he examined the menagerie of marked skulls. A macabre sight, really- even for him. 

Well, good thing the crates are made of wood. 

Ashnard pressed his palm over a few on them and activated his flame runes infused via tattoos across his limbs. The effect would be a slow one, with fire eating away at wood and eventually spread out of control if left undisturbed. Certain to buy him some precious time by distracting the guards, as he hoped. Finally, he tossed a poison dart between the hearth and the decorative carpet. The flammable poison that leaked out of it would reach the fireplace after a few minutes for a finishing, *Explosive* Touch to welcome the guards putting it out. 

Ashnard smirked on his handiwork and glancing at it a final time before heading down the stairway, into the castle's lower levels- using the darkness as his most useful ally. 

```44 HP
7 Focus
5 Mana
2 Blood Charges
Action 1: Flame rune touch on crates
Action 2: Poison dark on the ground between fireplace and carpet
Movement: Stairway downstairs```
Sue
The guards watch as Mizu slips out of view, right of the gatehouse. They don't see her again until she's scaled the wall, standing upon the battlements. Once spotted, from her position, the shouting of men can be heard as orders are given. Being that most people left the wall to join the formation, she is safe for now. She finds herself between the gatehouse, and the tower. Her position enables the archers from atop the tower to begin firing at her - the arrows whistling past and clinking against the stonework. Many of the guards below can be seen scrambling to enter the first floor of the keep, so they can reach the second story.

The crate bursts into flame. The poison dart bounces off the stone floor, skidding for a bit. The flammable poison still seeps into the carpet - but unbeknownst to Ashnard, also leaks into the unlit hearth - dripping down the grate that leads to the first story hearth. As ashnard passes the thresh-hold between the room and the stairwell he hears a rumbling WOOSH as the liquid catches the embers in the first story hearth, bursting into flames and sending a strong flame upwards as it explodes upwards through the chimney. When he finishes descending the stairs he comes upon two doors - one locked, and the other without a lock. Through the unlocked door he can hear yelling - presumably guards - as they rush towards the door to the stairwell...
Joe
*Mizu would rush toward the tower, suspecting that it might be the location where the artifacts were stored. If not, well, she can take of the pesky archers that were there for the time being. At the very least she was serving as a distraction.*

```
HP: 65/65
Focus: 9/10
Defense: 29
Movement: Dashing to the tower
Action 1: Defend
Action 2: Dash
```
Fay
Ashnard heard- and smelled of the volatile ignition having gone off sooner than he planned. Though for better or worse, it also reached much further than he had initially expected and gave him the impression these hearths were connected. It also meant the guards would hear it, however, and rush toward its likely source- toward *Him*.

Following the stairway meant a certain encounter, so going for the locked door was the clear option. After unlocking it with his good ol' claw trick, that is. Hopefully time would be sufficient to lockpick, get in and close the door behind him so the rushing surge of guards wouldn't even think to come after him.

```Lockpicking attempt```
Sue
Mizu dashes across the length of the wall, masterfully avoiding all arrows slung her way. She reaches the door - made of wood, with a lock placed upon it. Upon trying it she would find out it is locked - go figures, of course it would be locked with possible intruders. The tower stretches upwards, one more floor before reaching the very top. Guards on top of it shout orders to one another, apparently they're sending down a couple men to "Deal" With the intruder. Meanwhile, the door to the gatehouse swings open and three guards - lightly armored, wielding short swords with bows slung over their backs come bursting out. Twelve tiles away from her - they immediately spot her and begin approaching. Meanwhile, a large BOOM can be heard coming from the castle - flames shooting out of the arrow slits on the second floor, and out of the Chimney. 

Ashnard wastes no time at all opening the locked door, rushing inside and closing the door just as the other door is flung open as a stampede of guards come rushing through. All of them aiming for the second floor. Not a single guard thinks to check the other door - which leads into an even damper stairwell, heading straight down. It is extremely dark - to the point where not even his low-light vision can help. Though at the bottom of the stairs, a fair distance away to be sure, there is a faint light - like that of a torch. The stench of oil, a hint of chemicals, and the smell of smoke hangs heavy in the air.
Fay
Oil, chemicals, and smoke. In other words, he's heading to the right direction- with guards being none the wiser of where he went, or whether he'd been there at all. Perhaps they'll think Mizu the culprit behind that explosion as well if she keeps going in that direction. Not like that would weight on the canifor's conscience. 

Ashnard pointed a palm forward, reigniting the flame runes just enough to produce some light and see where he's walking. The last thing he wants is to step on something sharp; wouldn't be the most pleasant experience without footwear. Upon ensuring that no unpleasant surprises awaited on his path, he put out the rune and followed toward the dim light, light on his feet as he'd ever be.

```Sneaking mode active.```
Joe
*Well if the tower was going to send guards down to 'deal' with her, that would mean she didn't need to waste time opening the door. That meant she simply had to deal with the 3 guards approaching her now. They might even have keys on them if she were lucky. She would quickly dash toward the three of them and in a swift motion thrust her spear toward the middle guard's neck*

"You guys never learn, do you, That or you all simply want to die~"

```
HP: 65/65
Focus: 9/10
Defense: 23
Movement: Dash toward guards

```