Chapter 12-4

 “Ah, what is the Chainer's Guild?” Garkhen asked as he stepped toward Illusin.

“We had thought it just what it sounds—a guild of metalworkers specialized in the making chains,” the Archmage explained. “Now... we shall see. Come, join hands.”

He held out one hand, which Garkhen carefully grasped. Almonihah took Garkhen's other hand, and Zakhin'Dakh, after a moment's hesitation, placed a talon on the Ranger's shoulder. Once his passengers were ready, Illusin chanted his incantation...

...and suddenly they were elsewhere. They were still near the water, for it was lapping up against a small dock to their left, but to their right was a large, low building, with a sign hanging in front of its large double doors. On the sign was painted a thick chain.

Almonihah's eyes narrowed. That chain...

“Chains...” Garkhen murmured next to him, unknowingly echoing his thoughts as the younger wizard who had preceded them walked towards them.

Before anyone could say anything more, there was the bang of a shutter being thrown open, followed by another, then by the twang of bowstrings. One arrow shattered against the air a few inches from Illusin's face.

The other took the initiate mage in the throat. Garkhen rushed over to him, roughly snapping the arrow and pulling it out so he could call upon Bahamut's blessing to heal him. To the Warder's relief, the mage was still breathing after the wound healed—he had not been too late.

Another arrow skipped off of his armor, and Garkhen summoned up a ward of wind to blow any more off-course. Almonihah, meanwhile, had gotten his own bow out, and fired back at one of the windows. Garkhen's ward blew his shot off-course just as it did their foes', however, resulting in it burying itself in the shutter next to the window.

Zakhin'Dakh, you won't fit, Almonihah stated in Great Eagle as he moved aside, glancing at Garkhen to see if he'd signal when he was around the ward. See if there's a back entrance, and jump on anybody who comes out.

The big griffon shrieked a challenge in response and took off, soaring up over the building. He started circling above it, waiting for any sign of movement below from the back of the guildhouse.

Illusin, meanwhile, had been chanting another spell. As he finished, he thrust a finger towards the guild's door, and a bolt of lightning lanced out. To the Archmage's clear dismay, it struck some sort of barrier in front of the door and dissipated without causing it any harm.

“They have it warded?” He asked incredulously. “And so strongly?”

More arrows arced out of windows, to be blown aside by Garkhen's ward. Finally the Warder gave his friend a nod, and Almonihah again nocked and fired an arrow at the archer in a nearby window. The man shouted in pain as the arrow struck him in the shoulder, and he sunk out of sight, to be replaced by another archer. Almonihah ducked aside as the archer returned fire, the arrow skittering off the scales of his arm, before firing back, this time getting his target in the throat.

“This is too slow!” Illusin shouted. He again began chanting, and this time he thrust his hand toward the open window. A green ray lanced out from his palm, striking the wall, which then began to flow and melt, leaving a gap large enough for a man to walk through, and revealing the corpse of the man Almonihah had shot.

Garkhen readied his mace and shield and charged toward the opening, choking down the feeling of illness at the thought of killing men. He saw no other choice. They were trying to kill him and his friends, and they could do untold harm with the Amulet. If he could, he would not kill, but... 

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Awwww, Garkhen... maybe if you bash them on the head soft enough they won't die.