<span style="font-weight: bold">Beegirl</span><br/><br/>The beegirl looks thoughtfully at you, as if she hadn’t considered this. Her brain, after all, must be truly tiny. “Housze is oldz… hasz stoo-ood for manyz yearz. Girlsz not livesz therez nowz. Hive isz quite newsz… but if girlsz triesz beforez, obviouszliesz not suczeedz…” She smiles, brilliantly, as if an idea has just struck her. “If more girlz comesz, warriorsz of Queen Zbygnezz will stingsz them till they leavesz, or<span style="font-style: italic">diesz</span>,” she buzzes about gently before Cyra’s face. “Wesztern Hive be friendsz with pretty Pyromage Kariz, yeszz? Not burnsz downz friendsz home, yeszz?”<br/><br/>It’s hard to ignore the fact that, even for Cyra small upper mouth, she’d be no more than an mouthful… “Can offersz honieszzz?” she buzzes, proffering a bucket no larger than a thimble. A little of the sweet-smelling substance inside splashes, trickling down her shapely leg…<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Katina</span><br/><br/>“Flee-now-fun-later,” Katina snaps, hustling you along. The kitchen is clean, well-appointed in a farmhouse style. The door Katina opens is substantial, and as she does so the stone stairway beyond seems to suck the heat from the room. Without pause, she clatters down it. The room below is large enough, though the stone shelves stand empty, whatever foodstuffs might’ve been stored down here, they’re long gone, and there’s noplace to hide. Katina hustles on, and swiftly, another door is reached and opened. The thick scent of oak and wine hits you headily as she opens it. Once, the floor of this winecellar would’ve been as white as the walls, but years of barrelslips and winespillages have stained it a deep, liquid red. Barrels and bottles stretch on into the distance, spun with the merest smattering of ancient cobwebs. “We didn’t get further than this,” Katina explains, “we probably have a little time, to find the best place to hide.” Behind you, at the back of the group, Ishidora closes the doors…<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Resha</span><br/><br/>NB: As I understand it, Cyra set fire to one of the outbuildings, not the manor itself (Let me know if I’m wrong, Sansuki)!<br/><br/>Reaching the far side of the house, you find a smallish servants door standing open - beyond is a short flagstone corridor, a few closed wooden doors leading off it, and, at the end, you can see the sinks and stoves of a substantial kitchen. Luckily (for Katina and company), Resha passes the cellar door without opening it, heading out into the hallway and up the grand main staircase. In stark contrast to the servants’ areas, the landing and hallway beyond are opulently decorated, featuring thick carpet and curtains and deep colours. Paintings hang from the walls, portraits of beautiful girls in rich robes, heavily bejewelled, armed in the highest-fashion with small daggers or sceptres or wands. Two lesser corridors lead into the wings of the manor, but the widest and grandest…<span style="font-style: italic">points</span>... down, past an array of closed-off rooms, towards a pair of most ornate doors…