Giovanni nodded curtly. "Don't let your guard down."
It wasn't like Venenzio needed it said, but it was worth mentioning anyway. They knew nothing about what this sudden lockdown entailed and they had no need to be caught unaware.

Venenzio gave him a single nod and then stepped towards the tree, vanishing behind its massive trunk.

Getting past the guards might not have been such an easy feat if they weren't so distracted. All of them peered into the forest past the gates, petrified. No one was looking for something to be sneaking out of the Hold and into the trees.

... which was exactly what Giovanni did upon finding a suitable spot to vault the outer wall, following the shadows of the faintly swaying trees away from civilization.

The world beyond the gates was dark and much colder than usual. These woods bore trees that grew in thickets, thorny vines and branches sharpened like blades. Everything was utterly silent as Giovanni made his way through, weaving around thick trunks and ducking under low branches. Not a single creature stirred the leaves, nor did anything call out in warning.

His trained ears soon picked up on a soft scuffle - the sound of feet walking rapidly amidst the brush. As he neared the sound, a familiar shape grew more distinct, back-lit by a flickering blue light. Roo.

He ducked behind a thick tree trunk, keeping a keen eye on her form. What was that blue light? And why was the purpose behind this midnight incursion into the gnarled depths that had everyone at the Hold so on their toes?

Roo crept through the trees, her hand tracing trunks, slipping between the shadows like she belonged to them. She seemed to know what route she was taking; there was no hesitation in her step. But the further they delved into the woods, the stiller the air became, and a faint sound - like someone tuning a mic, badly - began to echo in his ears.

His brow furrowed at the sound, at the strange situation. When Venenzio had talked of the Lumanlisc clan making deals with devils... well, similar imagery came to mind. He pushed the superstitious line of thought out of his mind lest it distract him.

“Where are the kids?” she managed.

"Unless?"

But in that moment he had been distracted, Roo had vanished. In her place was a deer. Its antlers curved in odd, geometric forms, stark white against smokey fur. Its eyes, large and double-pupilled, stared at the Sangrian.