!Questioning the Intruder ((Invitation Only))

As Kale explained herself Od was very sure of two things; One was that he had no desire either to share the details of his past, and the second, both Kale and Rendaz has surely had a worse hand in life than he had. If he reserved the right to maintain the obscurity of his more modest story, the last thing he felt he or anyone else had any business doing was forcing the story out of someone else. What Kale said was entirely reasonable, and with a sad look at Rendaz he realized he couldn't bring himself to side with him, even as he wanted to.

Rendaz's accusations towards the raptor were not acknowledged with any response save for a dull glare and a sigh, since Od felt them to be unreasonable. His only right to stand in the way was his position as dean and aiming to maintain the well-being of students and, in this case, staff as well. Perhaps that was a point to make at a later date, though.

When the quaking began, Od's tail feathers bristles and splayed wide to waver steady his center of balance. He would have managed the unexpected attack well enough if the stone beneath one foot didn't split and rupture upwards. He quickly bounced forwards, a little closer to Rendaz. He gathered his balance back into control and spun his head in time to see Everly crumple to the floor. A troubled frown deepened across his face, deciding it was time for quick action before the situation escalated. While the disruption could break up the fight, it could just as easily push everyone over the breaking point.

Being at the moment closer to the Ruckarl, as well as assuming any attack on the harpy was the worse choice of the two for the future of his own well-being, Od made a daring move and silently hoped the mechanics professor would still allow him to brew him beverages. With a swift, swooping motion the raptor bared extended incisors intending a well-aimed bite at Rendaz's jugular vein, where the drowsiness and paralysis would be most immediately effective.

A wary, stubborn glance was given at both of the deans opposing him, mistrusting both of their intentions. In fact, he felt inclined to share this darkened, cautious gaze with the other bodies in the room who were only too lucky to be graced with his disputing presence. A shrewd, distasteful sneer rested on his lips, but it soon reflected vague surprise as the trembling that seemed to occur.

A crumb of rock bounced off his face, and he looked up to the ceiling, lips curling in an expression of worry. If the dungeon was about to collapse, he wasn't intending to spend another minute in what would ultimately become their early graves. But a soft thud interrupted his thoughts of escape, and he tossed his head carelessly in the direction of the fallen headmistress. His worries ceased almost as quickly as the tremor did.

The fool probably couldn't handle the situation. And just why was someone so fragile appointed as headmistress? He wasn't allowed to continue his disapproving thoughts - the intervention from Od wouldn't allow him.

As soon as the fangs pierced his skin, he let out a terrible hiss of pain, eyes widening with shock. As an almost instinctive retaliation, he whipped out his claw, aiming to scratch his attacker's face off. Only, it didn't. His arm didn't move once, even though he'd commanded it to. He could only stare at Od in horror, only able to ask silently, What did you do?! And he knew full well what he did.

"Yooh..." he started, struggling to form his words. His jaw hung uselessly, slurring every sound he tried to make. It felt like relearning to talk, strangely enough. "Yooh... 'rai...'or..." He felt unsteady, and though he would try to shift his leg to regain balance, it didn't work. Nothing was working. He lurched, before finally collapsing in a useless heap to his side, the one thing within his line of sight being Kale's disgusting talons.

Kale's form visibly stiffened at Rendaz's comments. Not a child? She had never been a child. She turned slowly to look at the mechanic, eye wide in something akin to absolute hatred and disbelief. Her expression couldn't seem to be able to settle. How dare he....assuming that she thought the world was fair? A rather harsh scoffing 'heh' escaped her mouth and her wings flared as she spun of her feet and reared back her hand, fully intent on raking her bloody nails straight across his eyes. The room shifted and threw her off, her wings flared out as she caught her balance, toes splaying as she halted her movement.

The harpy clamped her hands over her ears at the sound and small rocks bounced off her wings as she hunched them up to protect her body. Wide eye turned to the fallen headmistress at the thump and her brain scrambled. If that was Everly's power, she needed to get out. She would not have this cursed roof falling on top of her. Straightening as the quake ended, Kale had just enough time to watch Od bite Rendaz and she paused. She had never thought that the passive history professor would outright attack, but she guessed that man had always done what he felt needed to be done. The owl gave the man a cold look as if he had taken away her opportunity, and as she tore her lingering gaze away from Odqura to turn her attention to the crumpled ruckarl, it was obvious that the man had been saved her wrath.

Hissing lowly and brushing the dust from her shoulder, the owl stalked forward delicately to crouch next to Rendaz in his line of sight, hard talons scratching against the floor mercilessly as she curled her toes in anger. Blood dripped from her front, the pure amount of it on her seemed to make it slow in drying. She lowered her voice as she leaned in towards him so only he could hear.

"Of course I know something, you fool. You think I am unprepared? You don't know anything, trust me. You, and everyone in the academy, has been playing in to my plans since I got here. You think that'll change now?" She gave a small scoff, pausing before continuing. "The world isn't going to just keel over, I know that. That's why I intend to make it." She sneered down at him, lips twisted and eye hardened into a cold, unforgiving and conniving expression. It was probably one of the most honest faces she had ever given. "I've won."

Standing, Kale schooled her expression and nodded to Od. "Thank you." She looked away, as if somewhat ashamed. "I have to check on something, this can't be left as it is. I promise, I'll do what I can to fix this." She lied straight through her teeth and glanced around at the others. "Please make sure Headmistress Everly and Rendaz are cared for. I'll come see them later with hopefully some better news." She nodded again, feigned concern and regret in her voice, casting a last look to Everly on the ground before stepping rather deliberately over the form of Rendaz, sweeping gracefully out of cell. Her talons clicked, getting fainter and fainter as she strode confidently down the hall, smirk finding it's way on to her face. Now, she really did have to check...that stupid man...

The harpy scoffed and was covered in the light of the day outside as she exited the dungeons in victory.

Everly stirred as the sound of clicking woke her from her fainting spell. It was something that women often did in her time, and she shouldn't be ashamed of it, so she told herself. But everything had seemed to change in the short time that she was out.

She propped herself up, still sitting on the floor, but up and aware of her surroundings once again. Kale was gone, and Rendaz was lying rigidly on the floor. Oh god, he was dead! The headmistress looked wide eyed at Odqura, her brow furrowed violently.

"Is he dead?" she asked in a panicked voice. "Oh this is exactly what I was afraid of! Or is he not dead? Should we take him to the infirmary?" There was no blood on the ruckarl professor, but maybe on the side that was pressed to the ground, she imagined the worst, a half-missing face, arm torn off. She wouldn't be able to handle that right now, and was already feeling another wave of nausea pass over her. "Where's Kale?" If she killed Rendaz, she wouldn't get away with it.

She looked to Od, glad he was there, and hoping that he could give her some sort of answer.

After the bite was delivered, guilt was the foremost emotion. But simultaneously, Od knew he had done what was neccessary. Rendaz's slurred accusation tore at his guilt like a wound, but he held his expression impassive. Odqura chanced a glance back at the harpy. Her cold look was met with his own, stern and authorative, because he knew he had spoiled her opportunity to attack the ruckarl. Od spun his gaze back to Rendaz and hissed quietly to himselfas he was too late to help break the fall. He made to rush to Rendaz's side, but held back tensely to allow Kale her moment. When she was through, Od wasted no time kneeling swiftly beside his fallen colleague and resting what he knew would be an unwelcome hand on Rendaz's shoulder.

Kale's words of gratittude and assurance rang false in Od's ears but he wisely remained silent and did not impede her exit. Whatever the harpy was up to was still unknown and considered a dangerous territory. It would be folly to act unimformed, and there was now a more urgent matter to attend to.

When the headmistress woke, Od breathed a sigh of relief. The gentleman in Od would have him at the lady's side, but as it was, he was currently busy securing a paralized ruckarl arm over his shoulders.

"He is not dead, Headmistress," he assured Everly. "Merely paralized. But his life will be in danger shortly if I do not get him to the infirmary." He rose then, and with one hand holding Rendaz's wrist to keep his arm in place behind Od's neck and one arm wrapped around the ruckarl's ribs, Odqura's new patient was lifted with him.

"Professor Kale has parted for the time being. I am afraid this incident was my doing." He frowned sternly, obviously unhappy with the way events had played out, though he was still certain it had been the wisest course. As such, he did not offer further explanation.

"You'll have to forgive me, Headmistress, but I must hurry." Od nodded apologetically for leaving her, even though there were still others present, and quickly bowed Rendaz and himself from the dungeon.

Everly watched, shocked, as Od carried the Ruckarl out of the dungeons. She looked back over to where the decrepit body of the intruder still sat, shackled and bound, and she shuddered. As the headmistress lifted herself off the floor, she began to feel as if all of this had just been a bad dream. But then she looked down at her dress, the stains of splattered blood a dark contrast on the fabric. She tried to furiously brush the stains off, but the removal of dirt only made the splatters more visible.

She held her hands in front of her, seeing the blood there as well. Her skin began to feel as if it were crawling. Dropping her hands to her sides, Everly closed her eyes and took a deep breath to avoid the onset of another fainting spell. As she exhaled, she looked towards the other two men in the room, witnesses to the drama.

"I hope you'll excuse me," she said, her voice deceivingly calm and polite. "I must return to my rooms and clean up." Her eyes fell for one last moment on the body of the intruder, but she quickly pulled them away. Everything: the body, Kale, Rendaz, it could all be taken care of later, she told herself. She turned her back on the scene and exited.