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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7611340" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 299</p><p></p><p>The street remained straight and unobstructed as they made their way further into the interior of the abandoned city. They passed buildings made of granite blocks with facings of marble or sandstone, any of which would have been considered a palace back in Arresh. The facades of those structures showed some signs of decay, with cracks in the surface stone, or tiles that had fallen away to reveal the plainer stone beneath. But this part of the city was remarkably preserved compared to the outer precincts they had traveled through to get here.</p><p></p><p>“There are no insects,” Xeeta said. “No birds, nothing at all.”</p><p></p><p>They had already noted the quiet, but the sorceress’s announcement added to the sense of unease that this ancient tomb of a city created.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s get where we’re going,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>For a time they picked up their pace, but the dark alleys and shadowed doorways that surrounded them soon urged them back to a cautious approach.</p><p></p><p>The street finally came to an end, depositing them onto another broad plaza. This one was similar to the one where they had encountered the girallons, right down to the huge pillars that rose up from the ground, but it was both larger and cleaner, without even occasional weeds rising up from the cracks in the ancient stone blocks. The entire place was dead and quiet. The buildings that surrounded the square were all impressive, but their attention was drawn to the far side, where a truly monumental structure loomed over its considerable neighbors. A huge dome rose up to an apex that had to be at least a hundred feet above the ground on which they stood. The building was situated well back from the square, behind a low wall that warded some sort of enclosure that they could not view from their current vantage. Pillars half again the size of the ones that filled the square supported a portico at the front of the giant building, but they were too far away to see whether there were doors or some other kind of entrance.</p><p></p><p>“I’m just going to venture a guess, but I’d say that’s where we’re going,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“That place makes the Royal Palace back in Severon look like a farmer’s cottage,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“It must have taken a fantastic effort to build,” Quellan said. “Especially in a place like this. And to survive so long…”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, yeah, it’s impressive,” Kosk said. “Let’s get this over with.”</p><p></p><p>They were alert to another ambush as they made their way across the square, but this time nothing emerged from the surrounding city to threaten them. Clearly whatever effect that had disturbed Quellan so much on passing through the open arch also kept the residents of the jungle at bay. But the quiet only added to the sense that they were intruders there, and it did nothing to reassure them that this place was safe.</p><p></p><p>There was a gap in the wall that separated the grounds of the giant building from the open square, so they headed in that direction. The wall itself was only about seven feet tall, less of a fortification than a line of demarcation between the rest of the city and this place, whatever its purpose. The stone blocks had been carved at one point but time and the elements had worn the figures away until all that was left were vague outlines of what might have been people, animals, or really anything.</p><p></p><p>The space before them was empty and barren, but enough remained to suggest that it had once been much more elaborate. Large bare patches of packed earth might have once been gardens. There were a few plants visible here and there, but they were straggly and pathetic, poking up tentatively from the ground as if afraid of being seen. There were a few smaller outbuildings, open pavilions or small walled enclosures that appeared to be placed to emphasize the decorative features of the area. A pair of large pools, each about thirty feet wide and over a hundred feet long, flanked the main path that led directly to the front of the huge building ahead of them. Smaller paths wound through the empty garden plots, connecting to some of the other structures before eventually rejoining the central route at its destination.</p><p></p><p>“This place must have been beautiful once,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“It still is,” Xeeta said. “But in a sad, empty way.”</p><p></p><p>“I can’t believe that no knowledge of this place has ever spread,” Quellan said. “None of the accounts of the Syvalian crew that found the Book mentioned anything like this.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, you can write the definitive study when you get back,” Kosk said. “For now, let’s find our boy and what we came here for.”</p><p></p><p>The dwarf’s sense of urgency spread to the others, and they followed him as he made his way directly down the central path. It was easily twenty feet wide when it passed between the pools, the paved route flanked by an empty stretch of bare earth to either side. The pools were full of murky water that dimly reflected the light of the stars above. They could have been a foot deep or a hundred; there was no way to tell from casual observation, and all of the companions gave them a wide berth as they continued forward.</p><p></p><p>Kosk was about halfway to the end of the pools, and maybe ten feet ahead of the rest of the group, when he came to a sudden stop and raised his hand. The others all stopped as well and tensed, listening. “What is it?” Glori asked after a few seconds had passed.</p><p></p><p>“I thought I heard something,” Kosk said. They all listened for another stretch of time. “It must be this place getting to me,” he said.</p><p></p><p>They started forward again, but had only managed a few steps when they all detected something; a faint vibration that seemed to rise from the ground at their feet. Again they searched for the source to no avail, but after a few moments Xeeta pointed and said, “The pools!”</p><p></p><p>The murky surface of the water had begun to ripple slightly, confirming what they’d felt, but as they all looked at the point that Xeeta had indicated they could see that the disturbance was becoming stronger. That was the only warning they got before the surface erupted and a huge <em>thing</em> emerged from the pool.</p><p></p><p>It had the look of a giant crab or other crustacean, or at least it did until it pulled itself up over the lip of the pool and rose up onto four hind legs to stand partially upright. It was huge, standing taller than Quellan, its chitin-encased body extending all the way back into the pool. Its forelegs ended in massive claws, and a fringe of glistening tentacles dropped from the front of its head where a mouth should have been.</p><p></p><p>The companions had only had a moment to prepare, but they had put that time to good use. Even as the creature got its footing on the edge of the pool multiple attacks slammed into it. The water that dripped from its armored body flashed into steam as Xeeta blasted it with a series of <em>scorching rays</em>. A moment later an arrow from Rodan’s bow found one of the gaps in the creature’s armor just below its head, stabbing deep into its body.</p><p></p><p>The creature reared up in a fury, but before it could attack Quellan drove into it. He slammed its shield into its body, trying to push it back into the water. Its lower legs scrambled for purchase on the raised edge of the pool. The cleric lifted his mace to strike, but before he could strike another loud eruption behind them announced that the creature was not alone. A second one appeared from the other pool, its claws snapping as it clambered up out of the water and joined the attack.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7611340, member: 143"] Chapter 299 The street remained straight and unobstructed as they made their way further into the interior of the abandoned city. They passed buildings made of granite blocks with facings of marble or sandstone, any of which would have been considered a palace back in Arresh. The facades of those structures showed some signs of decay, with cracks in the surface stone, or tiles that had fallen away to reveal the plainer stone beneath. But this part of the city was remarkably preserved compared to the outer precincts they had traveled through to get here. “There are no insects,” Xeeta said. “No birds, nothing at all.” They had already noted the quiet, but the sorceress’s announcement added to the sense of unease that this ancient tomb of a city created. “Let’s get where we’re going,” Kosk said. For a time they picked up their pace, but the dark alleys and shadowed doorways that surrounded them soon urged them back to a cautious approach. The street finally came to an end, depositing them onto another broad plaza. This one was similar to the one where they had encountered the girallons, right down to the huge pillars that rose up from the ground, but it was both larger and cleaner, without even occasional weeds rising up from the cracks in the ancient stone blocks. The entire place was dead and quiet. The buildings that surrounded the square were all impressive, but their attention was drawn to the far side, where a truly monumental structure loomed over its considerable neighbors. A huge dome rose up to an apex that had to be at least a hundred feet above the ground on which they stood. The building was situated well back from the square, behind a low wall that warded some sort of enclosure that they could not view from their current vantage. Pillars half again the size of the ones that filled the square supported a portico at the front of the giant building, but they were too far away to see whether there were doors or some other kind of entrance. “I’m just going to venture a guess, but I’d say that’s where we’re going,” Kosk said. “That place makes the Royal Palace back in Severon look like a farmer’s cottage,” Glori said. “It must have taken a fantastic effort to build,” Quellan said. “Especially in a place like this. And to survive so long…” “Yeah, yeah, it’s impressive,” Kosk said. “Let’s get this over with.” They were alert to another ambush as they made their way across the square, but this time nothing emerged from the surrounding city to threaten them. Clearly whatever effect that had disturbed Quellan so much on passing through the open arch also kept the residents of the jungle at bay. But the quiet only added to the sense that they were intruders there, and it did nothing to reassure them that this place was safe. There was a gap in the wall that separated the grounds of the giant building from the open square, so they headed in that direction. The wall itself was only about seven feet tall, less of a fortification than a line of demarcation between the rest of the city and this place, whatever its purpose. The stone blocks had been carved at one point but time and the elements had worn the figures away until all that was left were vague outlines of what might have been people, animals, or really anything. The space before them was empty and barren, but enough remained to suggest that it had once been much more elaborate. Large bare patches of packed earth might have once been gardens. There were a few plants visible here and there, but they were straggly and pathetic, poking up tentatively from the ground as if afraid of being seen. There were a few smaller outbuildings, open pavilions or small walled enclosures that appeared to be placed to emphasize the decorative features of the area. A pair of large pools, each about thirty feet wide and over a hundred feet long, flanked the main path that led directly to the front of the huge building ahead of them. Smaller paths wound through the empty garden plots, connecting to some of the other structures before eventually rejoining the central route at its destination. “This place must have been beautiful once,” Glori said. “It still is,” Xeeta said. “But in a sad, empty way.” “I can’t believe that no knowledge of this place has ever spread,” Quellan said. “None of the accounts of the Syvalian crew that found the Book mentioned anything like this.” “Well, you can write the definitive study when you get back,” Kosk said. “For now, let’s find our boy and what we came here for.” The dwarf’s sense of urgency spread to the others, and they followed him as he made his way directly down the central path. It was easily twenty feet wide when it passed between the pools, the paved route flanked by an empty stretch of bare earth to either side. The pools were full of murky water that dimly reflected the light of the stars above. They could have been a foot deep or a hundred; there was no way to tell from casual observation, and all of the companions gave them a wide berth as they continued forward. Kosk was about halfway to the end of the pools, and maybe ten feet ahead of the rest of the group, when he came to a sudden stop and raised his hand. The others all stopped as well and tensed, listening. “What is it?” Glori asked after a few seconds had passed. “I thought I heard something,” Kosk said. They all listened for another stretch of time. “It must be this place getting to me,” he said. They started forward again, but had only managed a few steps when they all detected something; a faint vibration that seemed to rise from the ground at their feet. Again they searched for the source to no avail, but after a few moments Xeeta pointed and said, “The pools!” The murky surface of the water had begun to ripple slightly, confirming what they’d felt, but as they all looked at the point that Xeeta had indicated they could see that the disturbance was becoming stronger. That was the only warning they got before the surface erupted and a huge [i]thing[/i] emerged from the pool. It had the look of a giant crab or other crustacean, or at least it did until it pulled itself up over the lip of the pool and rose up onto four hind legs to stand partially upright. It was huge, standing taller than Quellan, its chitin-encased body extending all the way back into the pool. Its forelegs ended in massive claws, and a fringe of glistening tentacles dropped from the front of its head where a mouth should have been. The companions had only had a moment to prepare, but they had put that time to good use. Even as the creature got its footing on the edge of the pool multiple attacks slammed into it. The water that dripped from its armored body flashed into steam as Xeeta blasted it with a series of [i]scorching rays[/i]. A moment later an arrow from Rodan’s bow found one of the gaps in the creature’s armor just below its head, stabbing deep into its body. The creature reared up in a fury, but before it could attack Quellan drove into it. He slammed its shield into its body, trying to push it back into the water. Its lower legs scrambled for purchase on the raised edge of the pool. The cleric lifted his mace to strike, but before he could strike another loud eruption behind them announced that the creature was not alone. A second one appeared from the other pool, its claws snapping as it clambered up out of the water and joined the attack. [/QUOTE]
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