barendd nobeard vs speaker
She glanced up, casually, and scanned the room. Nothing was out of place, but something seemed wrong. She scanned the room again and for some reason, her eyes were drawn to the smoke. It wasn't just floating to the ceiling, like smoke normally does. It was....staying in place. (photo 4) No, it was moving, but moving very slowly. Like the solar system billions of years before, it seemed to be random bits just slowly coalescing. She hoped that whatever it was would take form more quickly than the planet beneath her feet. She returned to her work, making a mental note to check the smoke periodically. She did not share her observation before he left to search the temple. Looking back later, she realized that was probably a mistake.
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He kept running to the temple. "Where to search? Where to search?" his mind asked himself over and over. The temple was large, and it could be anywhere. "The precious flower....the precious flower," he kept repeating internally, as if trying to summon the object by force of will. He ran up the steps, to the main door of the temple, and stopped to catch his breath. With one final deep breath, he opened the door and peered inside. The temple was brightly lit by the afternoon sun--shadows were short as it was just past noon, and the golden status was dazzling. He could not stand to look in its direction, and his hand instinctively went up to shield his eyes. He turned away from the dazzling reflection, then started toward the side of the temple. It hit him immediately, almost as if she was sending him a telepathic message. Or maybe he was just recalling some bad movie. "Walk into the light," he muttered, amazed that he had some sense of what to do. Certainly the precious flower will be hidden in the temple. And what better place to hide it than the spot which almost forced you to turn away--the last place you would search under normal conditions. Yet, the current extraordinary conditions had somehow tipped off his brain. He approached the statue, he eyes adjusting to the glare. As he approached, he saw a few others there, going about their own prayers. He brought his hands together, as if praying. There, on the middle toe, right next to a child. (photo 1) Some sort of beaded flower--an offering. There weren't many people around, but enough to make taking the flower risky. There was no time for subtlety; he snatched the flower and ran, ignoring the stares and cries of the temple visitors. The small child laughed as he ran away, and the adults halfheartedly ordered him to stop. They didn't seem overly concerned. After all, the thief had taken a small token, but ignored the baskets fill with gold coins that comprised the toes of the statue.
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The smoke was taking form, and she was alone. She wished she had told him before he left to search the temple, but it was too late now. It was condensing, but not into any recognizable shape. She walked over to the smoke, and peered intensely at it. Thinking about it later, that was probably another mistake. She began to feel light-headed and light-footed. She was floating for a few seconds before she even realized it. She tried to cry out, but no sounds emerged. Soon, she was horizontal, and eventually vertical once again, but upside down with her feet at the ceiling. And her head right above the smoke.
He opened the door. "I got it!" he shouted in triumph. "I found it right--" he stopped, as he watched her floating above the strange cloud. Before he could react further, she disappeared. She just headed into the smoke and vanished. But that wasn't the strangest part. What really bothered him was the sound. As she disappeared, he clearly heard the sound of a splash. A large splash. And then she was gone.
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She plunged into the smoke, which was suddenly wet (photo 2), and headed straight down. She could not seem to reverse her direction. Thinking back to the events of the last hour, she couldn't help but think, "Not telling him about the smoke was probably a mistake. Ditto, examining the smoke by myself."
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He ran to the smoke, screaming, but stopped abruptly when he was no longer in the room. He was outdoors, the smoke obviously some sort of teleportation device. "What now?" he wondered. "What now, indeed," a gravelly voice answered. The man whirled around. The smoke was gone, but the sight of two figures he had seen before (though in separate places) unnerved him.
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Back at the temple, authorities questioned the patrons. They questioned the man who had placed the flower there. It was a personal totem, offered freely, and of little monetary value. Almost an hour had passed before the parents realized their child was missing.
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The elemental Lich laughed. "Air," it said, remembering the smoke, "water," it continued, thinking of the woman, "and now, earth," it finished, gesturing to the land around them. Indeed, the very ground seemed to have taken hold of the man's feet; he was stuck fast. "All that is left is fire, my friend," it said, smirking. It still held the child with one arm. "Be still, my precious flower," it said to the child. A few strange words were uttered, and the child went limp. It dropped the body on the ground.
"Damn!" thought the man, "I never was good at riddles."
"No, you weren't," it said, reading his mind, "that's why I chose you to help me." It began to gesture. Strange words issued forth from its mouth, and the man was suddenly very afraid.
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The woman continued down, drinking more water every few seconds. In a short amount of time, her lungs were filled with water and she could no longer breathe. At the same time, the man's lungs filled with fire, as the meteor swarm decimated his mortal frame.
The lich crossed its arms, satisfied with its handiwork (photo 3) "It's all in the timing," it chuckled to itself, "I really should have minored in Chronomancy." It picked up the child. "Now, to plant this precious flower, so it can bloom at the appointed time." It sauntered off, whistling a jaunty tune; the lack of lips apparently no impediment to its musical endeavors.
