The moment Rylai knocked on the door, Lanaya could feel someone at her back. She whirled around, ready to strike, her shield up in an instant. The creature who stood a few feet behind her raised its hands, empty palms up for her to see, and took a step back. "Whoa, careful there!"

A second creature, identical to the first one, stepped around the corner of the house. It looked at the Assassin and then at its twin. "You never learned not to sneak up on an assassin?"

That was when the door opened. And now Rylai and Lanaya were in the middle of three creatures of which the assassin didn't yet know if they were friend or foe. She moved to the side and pulled the Crystal Maiden with her until the two women weren't between them anymore.

Though the Templar Assassin was more than ready to fight, Rylai ignored it. At least she stayed where she had been pulled, which made Lanaya feel a little better. She didn't drop her fighting stance and especially not the shield of Psionic Energy that surrounded them both.

"Trick or treat!" the Maiden announced cheerfully.

A forth creature shoved the third to the side to peer out of the door. "Oh, it's Halloween! Nice costumes you two!"

"Thank you!" Rylai was completely relaxed and absolutely undisturbed by the fact that more and more of them appeared. Lanaya in contrast was tense and not sure that this would have a good ending. The Geomancer wasn't a threat when he was alone but as soon as he existed more than two times, and here were four of him at the moment, he was extremely dangerous.

"I'll get you some treats!" It was the second one who spoke, turning around and disappearing around the corner he had come from.

"Hey, wait!" The first one ran after him. "What are you going to get?"

The third one rolled his eyes. "I know what they will get for you. I have something better." He pointed a finger at the Maiden and Lanaya flinched at the sudden movement, her hands itching to hit him. "Don't leave before I'm back!"

Grinning, the forth one looked them over once more before he, too, went back into the house.

"Um, okay, and how do I know if I waited for the right one? I can't tell them apart. How can he say I have to wait until he's back?" Rylai blinked, puzzled, and looked at Lanaya. Seeing her standing there in her battle stance, her Psy Blades ready, the shield still up, she raised her brows. "Really?" Then she shook her head. "Relax. The Geomancer is a little strange, or maybe the strangeness is only because there are so many of him, but he's alright."

The Templar Assassin wasn't convinced, but with things like that Rylai was usually right. So she put the shield down and stood up straight. Not that it wouldn't take her a split second to get ready to fight again.

Number four, or three? - well, Lanaya didn't know who was who there - so: one of the four, came running around the corner of the house. He was followed by a second and a third one. All three stopped in front of Rylai. They looked at Lanaya once, then focused back on the Maiden. Of course they did, since Rylai was smiling and clearly delighted by the sweets they had brought. (Not like the Templar Assassin, who couldn't care less about that.)

The forth Geomancer appeared in the still open door, carrying something, too. And a fifth one stepped out of the house. It seemed there was no end to the number of these creatures. And then they all talked at once. They pushed and held the things in their hands out for Rylai to take, everyone wanting to get attention. It was the last one who was only grinning, not saying a word as he held his hand out, something lying in his open palm.

He waited until the Crystal Maiden turned to him and when she gasped at whatever he had, his grin got impossibly wider. "They look like snowflakes!" Absolutely in awe, she took one of the things out of the Geomancer's hand. Lanaya couldn't see much but she would definitely not step into this mass of Geomancers to get a better look. She could wait until they were alone.

"They are wonderful. Thank you very much!" Rylai smiled at the Geomancer full force, which made the other four pout, one even sticking his tongue out at the last one. Another one shoved the last, which made him stumble and almost drop the sweets in his hand.

The Crystal Maiden put her hands in her hips and looked at every Geomancer sternly. "Stop shoving. All of your sweets are wonderful and I'll gladly take them all and I'm sure they will all taste wonderful, too. There is no need to get nasty."

Lanaya almost laughed. All five of them looked at the ground, clearly feeling bad about how they had behaved and about being chastised. By such a tiny woman.

"Now come," with a smile Rylai petted every Geomancer. "I wish you all a happy Halloween. And thank you very much!"

As they left, the five stood in a row, grinning and waving.

"What did he give you?" Lanaya was curious. And then marvelled at the tiny snowflakes made of sugar. No wonder the Geomancer had grinned so broadly. They were the perfect treat for the Crystal Maiden.