"Gods and damnation they have a Gate too? What are they– who even has gryphons? And why are they attacking us?" Gemma takes a deep breath. "Bella, I'll get everyone in the building who's not dying to here. Not asking any of our staff to go outside to get here unless you can cover them somehow." 

"Can't, wouldn't suggest it." She yoinks Vanyel.

Vanyel lands in a moaning heap on the floor. He seems to be conscious enough to realize that he's somewhere else; he tries to lift his head, mumbles something. 

Painkilling doesn't cost mana. She does it. "What'd you say -"

"...Bella?" Vanyel rolls onto his back, blinks at the ceiling. "Ugh. Gate? Wha....?" 

"Yeah. Gryphon cavalry and footsoldiers invading. I won't be able to keep this up if I have to do anything else and I'm sorry in advance."

"S'okay... What?" A little more alertness comes into his eyes. "Whas'happening? Why?"

:Bella: Savil sends, not knocking first; her mindvoice is shaky. :Gate's down. Got a few hundred ground troops there – at least four different species. Also. They appear to be converging on Healers'. Do you have any idea why a goddamned army from who the hell knows where might be after you in particular?: 

I haven't been doing anything in or about foreign countries! I don't know, do gods sic armies on people?

:What? Bella, I don't know, but – if they did, is there a reason to think one of the GODS might want you dead?: 

My track record? she suggests.

Leareth this is your some number of seconds of warning that an army is after me and I might grab you for backup!

:–What: 

After about five seconds, Leareth orients enough to ask anything useful. :Numbers, magic, weapons?: 

Few hundred ground troops, four or more species, fiftyish gryphons, gated here, otherwise unknown.

:Gryphons. So either k'Leshya all the way from White Gryphon, or...Iftel? Urtho's Third Army had gryphons also. Iftel at least borders on Valdemar. Could be Vkandis' work, but - this is an extreme escalation. Any earlier attempts?: 

The last thing they tried was a couple weeks back and it fizzled so pathetically I was less worried afterward!

:I see: Leareth doesn't add anything, maybe to avoid distracting her.

There is a rushing sound above and then a loud crash on the roof. 

:Bella: Savil barks in her mind, :about twenty of the gryphons are going at the roof of Healers' with some kind of mage-artifact, and - ground troops are maybe thirty seconds away: 

I don't have real combat magic and everything that could act like it is mana intensive! I can knock out maybe ten individuals and then I'm out of arts for the day and I'm talking to you and painkilling Van! Which tears it, really, she's running down resources and not even making progress. She sucks mana out of everybody in reach, and yoinks Leareth.

He lands on his feet and instantly has his hands raised and the air shimmers. :I have us shielded - physical and magical attacks: He's looking around, eyes skimming the green robes. :...This is a Healing centre?: 

Yes. I was in the middle of my shift, I work here.

:I see. Good nearby node-sources, in any case. We will need to be efficient, however. They may try to Gate in more troops: Leareth looks around. :Is Vanyel injured?: 

Allergic to gates. I can keep it from hurting but I have to pay active attention and it runs down the same resource I'd be using to do mind stuff to priority targets. I can knock out about ten people.

:Noted. Can you sense where the minds are, outside? And does your arcane magic have any combat uses?: Something crashes again outside; Leareth absently raises a hand and throws more power into the shielding. 

Yes - can you use this - She lobs the sensory impression of everyone's location at him. And some but I used up a lot of mana getting you and I've already taken what I can from everybody here but you. I can take more from the attackers but only if they're about five feet away or less.

:Thank you, I can. Preferable to avoid such short range: He looks around; his eyes fix on Melody. :Mindhealer, no? What is your range?: