"Say that again clearly, please."

(Vanyel is involuntarily leaning forward, and also sort of crying at the same time.)

Apparently 'please' was... literally just a request she is still physically capable of ignoring and keeping her hand in her mouth. And not swallowing any of the blood.

"Wansapplmillnbillgd."

...All right, that is VERY CLEARLY deliberate evasion.

Lancir crosses the room to her and grabs both of her wrists, wrenching her hand out of her mouth. "Tell me. What Leareth's objective is."

Lissa is so confused and upset and scared! "Lancir wha -"

He shushes her with a look.

"He needs to kill a lot of people to build a better god."

"What. How. How does that work."

"Wh..." Vanyel does not quite manage to actually say a word.

"You don't have an afterlife. You're just - gone - like you're asleep forever - all of you -"

This gets a baffled look. Lancir's mouth moves, opens, closes -

And then a glowing rectangle opens in the air directly in front of Carissa.

And Nayoki shoves her head through and starts set-commanding anyone wearing Whites and within her field of vision to STAY STILL.

:Carissa come through right now you have five seconds - what is happening -:

:I have no idea but you should get the kid too - kid -: She runs through.

Pexa is curled up sobbing on the ground and is being slow to react to the presence of a glowing rectangle. When Carissa moves she toddles to her feet and tries to follow.

Fortunately Leareth is not slow to react to anything. :Nayoki get the kid -:

Why is her day going like this.

:CROSS THE GATE: Nayoki shoves at the (adorable) little girl's mind - she can undo it in a moment -

- She sees a man raising his hand -

:STOP:

- a woman -

:STOP:

...

Leareth is the one holding the Gate (he's the only one in his organization and probably the only one in the world who can Gate to an artifact he has a search-spell anchored on). Which is kind of a large risk to be taking, but he's not kidding about the five seconds.

He waits.

The sobbing kid crosses the Gate. And sees him. And flings herself tearfully at him. "Daddy I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry," she says in Taldane. She is very obviously in a force field that's not going to let her get near him.

Carissa collapses on the other side of the Gate and tries to hold still because she's pretty sure that no matter how tolerant of bad behavior Leareth is, he's going to, at present, be twitchy.

Leareth - holds himself still very deliberately and does not react aggressively to the small child flinging herself at him.

Carissa: check. Kid: check.

The Gate snaps down.

:Are you hurt: Leareth barks to Carissa, who is very considerately holding still so he can orient.

:Leareth should I -:

Leareth already has both new arrivals pinned within a shield-barrier but why not. :Yes:

:Stay where you are: Nayoki commands both of them.

The tiny child's sobbing intensifies.