The amethyst tower.

Strangely the transmutation does not works... which implies the creatures must have some form of true life, since transmutatng a living being is tier six magic "Are you done?" The golem asked calmly as the other six surround him

"Sorry" Malachi said and rolled off of her

"Nope" Ephraim replies as he pushes them back with a magical shockwave in an attempt to escape their ploy to sorround him.

Cerise climbed to her feet, and hurried over to the creature talking. "Please stop this," She begged him.

As he throws them back one of the creatures behind him fires a beam from its chest designed to trap ephraim in stasis. At the same time Valstad reaches the scene, and heroically... passes out from the exhaustion of moderate physical activity

Ephraim uses the same propulsion spell to launch himself away from the beam.

A second beam hits him in mid air, and he ends up sailing into a tree, he is in stasis and therefore unharmed, but it still looks funny

Cerise gave a little squeal at the sight, and grabbed the creatures arm, eyes wide and pleading. "Stop, please, we mean no harm!"

The creature seemed to scowl at her "get back in line with the other test subjects  to be or I'll crush your skull"

"Come on, be reasonable!" She cried, clinging onto his arm.

the creature responded by back handing her and throwing her into the ring of townsfolk once again.

She cried out at the impact and stumbled into the small crowd, less than graceful this time. Her hand instinctively went up to her stinging reddened cheek, as she stared at the creature. She was used to discipline and pain; she had received many an injury during practice. But it doesn't make her go off in a huff, or cry. Rather, it hardens her resolve. A line of flames raced their way in front of her, creating a barrier between the towns people and the creatures.

One of the creatures fired their stasis beam at her

A little gasp escaped her lips, before her body locked in place. She tried to will herself to move, to run away, even if it meant abandoning the townspeople, but her efforts were fruitless. Her eyes were wide, as she felt the consequences of her actions for the first time since seeing the smoke. She wasn't sure what they were going to do with her and her group, but she doubted it would be pleasant.

The consequences would be steep indeed each member of the group was put into stasis, and carried by the metal creatures as they herded the villagers forth through the forest. The creatures carried the group into the backwoods away from the road. The creatures made small talk about feeding the interlopers to the test subjects so they wouldn't need to go hunting later, or if the Lady Celine would find another use for them. They talked about Ephraim who was skilled with magic, he would probably be of some use, the one who passed out would need to be tested, and the other two were far too stupid to be more useful than kibble.

Cerise was low key panicking at this point, because she really didn't want to die by being eaten. Especially by those she tried to protect. And look where that got her. She was trying to think of a way to escape, but her lack of skill and knowledge in that area made her give up quickly.

After about a half hour the creatures arrived in a large clearing in the forest where stood a looming palace marble white, and rather beautiful, it bore a more eastern style with lots of globes and several small towers, and arches, in the center was an eye of Sauron style tower with an orb of amethyst energy floating in it instead of a sauron eye. Valstad was starting to wake up, and though immobile was facing cerise, and absolutely glared at her as they were taken in through the palace gates through the lovely marble rooms laced with gold; While the prisoners were split off from there group, and taken to an underground dungeon. they were taken through a beautiful garden into a throne room where a rather attractive woman who looked perhaps in her late twenties was sitting on a throne, although it's likely she as a master wizard was quite old and had reconstructed her body as wizards of that tier often do.

Ephraim has been cursing up a storm this entire time ,although he can make non sound. The waves of fury that he radiates ,caused both by Cerise's utter idiocy ,and their predicament are nearly palpable.

Cerise just looked at them both sheepishly. She had good intentions of running over here, it just... hadn't turned out as planned.

The woman on the throne seemed entirely unconcerned with the people brought before her, as the creatures that ere clearly under her command bowed then spoke of the attempted intervention , and embarrassing failure of the group in great detail, then made their bid to use them as food for the test subjects. After hearing their story the woman on the throne presumably lady Celine spoke "So two are too stupid to he useful, one is powerful , but too unimaginative, and the other is.... dangerous ." Lady Celine said as she looked them all over she ended looking giving Valstad the last look, she seemed to contemplate things a bit more at the look of him. "Have them executed and Fed to the test subjects starting with him" she ordered indicating Valstad

Ephraim raises a brow 'Dangerous , this guy passed out from a jog'

That's when Ephraim remembers his mentor, a man who known as a great magical duelist strongly resembles santa clause around the gut and chest, indeed as far as powerful wizards most see fitness as a waste of time, they can simply magic themselves fit when they reach the sixth tier if they wish, but many wizards of the sixth tier don't even do that. The group is dragged to the dungeon, a drab place compared to the rest of of the palace with most doors being sealed with sturdy iron doors and brick, only a single clit to let one see in and out with another for food, both slits slid open and closed, and all were closed as they were for the test subject. Cerise and the others were deposited in a cell with iron bars, and left in stasis to await execution, it was best to execute one at a time since stasis needed to be removed to execute someone. Valstad though was taken to another room with an iron door labeled "execution room" Two of the creatures went in with him, while the other four stayed with the four metal creatures already guarding the hall

Ephraim fumes at his situation, he's not going to die like this! He thinks of every spell he knows that could possibly break through this . but can think of none. It's not like he's frozen in ice or entrapped in some physical prison. He's just stuck in a stasis beam. Hmmn perhaps if he speeds up the effect of the spell it'll dissipate quicker than it normally would!

Valstad too was formulating a plan, he suspected they'd need to take him out of stasis to execute him such was the nature of the stasis field; while he could not cast spells while in one the field also preserved his body from any form of attack or natural decay thus the need for the metal creatures to take him out before his execution. The young wizard would need to act fast they would not give him much time between the moment the field went down, and the moment he would be killed, but fortunately he already had a plan metal conducts electricity, judging by the glowing chest these creature had some sort of magical item working as a power supply, and if Valstad recalled correctly magical power supplies tended to react poorly to being struck by lightning so....
It wasn't a minute later when the execution room was blown open by an explosion, a swarm of electrical locusts (they were not living creatures of course but a very precise magical non autonomous drone attack being controlled remotely by valstad) flooded out zapping the guards as they spread through the dungeons hallway each little zap traveled to the magical core of a metallic creature and blew it the fuck up. When the halls were clear a very smug looking vasltad stepped into the hall and cast a spell to remove the stasis from the others.

Ephraim doesn't seem to be all that surprised, he'd probably have done the same thing "Thanks"

Cerise had never seen anything like it, and her eyes were huge, filled with wonder as she took in the locusts. When the stasis was removed, she pulled both of her boys into a big hug. "Oh, thank you! I thought we were going to die."