Wait a second… you’ve got two mages… and they can both teleport! You’ve got a plan, you begin as the sounds outside the building creep closer, but they’ll have to work fast!

“Yes…” Oti nods, still cool as a glowing cucumber, “If we give her to the Teksouls-”

Toppel’s monocle, well, topples from its perch on her eye! “H-HEY! DON’T JUST GIVE ME AWAY LIKE THAT!”

You weren’t planning on it, now shaddap and listen! They said teleportation leaves behind a residue, right? Oti tenses up.

“Correct. Now if there aren’t any other facts you need confirmed, can we divert our thoughts towards an actual plan?”

Here it is, you continue with a cocky grin: Toppel will teleport one object–one large enough to seem like one of us! And Oti-

“... will do the same…!” Toppel mutters before the realization hits her like a brick! “Yes! Yes, that might just work!”

Yea, you grin, ‘The Ole’ Switcheroo!’

“And where, pray tell, will we depart from, hm?”

He’s not gonna like it, you retort, a chill running down your spine as you recall Tzah-Tzie’s ‘shortcut’ into Crossroads, but the sewer might be the best bet…

Oti’s biting rebuke is put on hold by a faint whirring from beyond the wall followed by the uncanny sound of something CARVING through! What the Hell are these things capable of anyways?! Before you can get an answer, both Oti and Toppel pick their targets and sling some spells as you and Obber watch with baited breath!

C-can they go any faster?

Oti doesn’t even need to glance your way for you to feel his ire! Nor does Toppel. Guess it’s a mage thing? In any case, it doesn’t take long for two magical ripples to rock the apartment–doesn’t take too short either, but beggars can’t be choosers!

“There,” Oti grumbles over the sound of the gut-wrenching drilling, “Just sloppy enough.”

Toppel chimes in with a curt nod. Guess that’s that! Right, you hiss, show us to the cellar! Stiffening at a quiet click from his sister’s mouth, Obber leads the charge out the apartment and down the hall while the mages float close behind!

Trying your best to keep up on your very non-magical legs, you pick up the pace as you hear the other doors lining the hallway preemptively lock as you scramble by!

“Quick! In here!” Barks Toppel as she ushers everyone into what appears to be a cramped room! Stuffing yourself between Obber and Oti, you send her a sidelong glance as the path you came from shuts with a quiet hiss! What… where are we?

“Ho-HO! This, my primitive pet, is just a taste of magical machinations!” She answers with a smug grin! “Behold… the SCENDOCHAMBER!”

>CONTD.