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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Phasmus" data-source="post: 506054" data-attributes="member: 1827">The holding cell was made of the same hewn stone as the rest of Zoyster's underground hideout. Smooth, probably shaped by magic, and grey and featureless. In the center of the cubical room was a metal table. Secured to the table by 'his' wrists and ankles...was Quadim. Not the quiet monk they had come to know though. Instead he sported the alien features of a doppelganger.Semaki paused just inside the doorway, her mind and heart raging against one another. She knew what doppelgangers were; what they did. Spies. Saboteurs. Seducers. And often...too often...agents of the mind flayers. Could it have been an act? Could it... No! Resolutely, she took a step forward.Quadim jerked and awoke...grey eyelids uncovering featureless white orbs. He squirmed on the table, not as if trying to escape his bonds, but rather shrink away from the woman who was approaching. "Semaki, no," he protested weakly. "Please...don't look at me..."The elf narrowed her eyes and nodded. All question and doubt vanished, and she went to Quadim's side."This isn't me, Semaki!" Quadim pleaded. "I didn't...I don't know what happened!" His voice cracked as he spoke...had he human eyes, his tone suggested strongly that they'd be shedding tears. Then he added, in a dry whisper. "I don't know if I can go on like this. Maybe the wizard was right..."Semaki's face hardened a bit at the mention of the whisper, but she still said nothing. Her right hand dropped to her side though, and with the whisper of steel on leather, drew her sword. A classic 'archer' sword, only three feet of blade, but done in the tasteful, elegant style that typified any elf handiwork. Its blade gleamed in the magic light that shone from the rock above them, making a silver-blue slash that hovered in the air between elf and monster. "Tell me," Semaki said in a heavy voice that was devoid of any hint of elven melody. "Tell me what you want.""Release me," Quadim replied in a quiet voice that, despite the inhuman rasp, sounded very much like the Quadim she had known. "If I am to die, I would die free."Semaki only barely hesitated, putting her sword down on the table and going to each limb in turn, freeing him from the shackles.Before she could reach it again, Quadim's smooth grey hand curled around the hilt of Semaki's sword and lifted it. It glinted dangerously. Semaki paused where she stood but made no effort to step away."All my life I have sought order in my life and self," Quadim said in a hollow monotone as he gazed upon the sword's blade. "Perfection in body and mind...through discipline." His shoulders quivered. "And now...I see that all I thought was a lie...a deception. I don't know who I am anymore. I don't even know what I am. How can I live like this?" He turned his pale white eyes to Semaki. The hand with the sword moved towards her...reversing its grip and extending the hilt. "Take it," Quadim urged. "Take it and..." he broke off and looked away.Semaki's icy white fingers, marred only by the dancing blue sigils of her tattoos, closed around the hilt and gently eased the sword out of his hand. "Tell me," she said again, though her composure was thinner now, her eyes moistening as she became surer of what his answer would be...what it must be. "What do you want me to do?"Still looking at the door, Quadim asked in a toneless voice, "Would you  kill me if I asked?"The elf nodded slowly. "If you asked," she answered, almost too softly to hear. Her voice mourned not one passing, but two, though how exactly she conveyed that was hard to say.Quadim did not ask what Semaki would do after she struck him down, and she didn't volunteer that information. Even so, the knowledge of it resonated between them.There was a long period of silence.Then, with a peculiarly...wet...sound, Quadim's skin began to change. It lightened, roughened a bit. His head became rounder, grew thin hair that didn't quite hide the marks on his skull. After a few seconds, Quadim sat on the table before Semaki as he had been when they first knew each other. His dark eyes could shed tears now, and were shiny with them. "It won't be easy," he said softly, his voice rich and warm and human, "but given the choice between you and anything else...I must choose you."A sword hit the hard stone floor and clanged resoundingly. It was the only sound for several minutes in that cell, save for an elf's weeping, muffled by a monk's tunic.When they emerged from the cell, Semaki was helping support Quadim, who was still a bit stiff from his confinement. Shayuri raised a questioning eyebrow, but decided to leave well enough alone. Both Semaki and Quadim looked...content. That was enough.They were met in the larger room by Shar, Mana, Mark and Piklum...and Zoyster, who was talking to them. They all turned around. Mark's hand dropped to his sword hilt on seeing Quadim and Shar's eyes narrowed warily. Mana smiled shyly and backed up to lean against the wall. Piklum, the irrepressible, waved jovially and called, "Hey, welcome back! Can you turn into anyone now? Turn into me!"Semaki glared daggers at Piklum, and Quadim shook his head. "This is who I am," he said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I will be no one else." Semaki squeezed his hand gratefully.Mark opened his mouth angrily, but was smoothly cut off by Zoyster. "I owe all of you my deepest apologies, and to Semaki and Quadim in particular. An explanation is the least I can do to try to make amends.""Save your apologies, wizard," Semaki spat, anger again rising to the fore. "We've heard enough and want nothing more to do with you.""Actually," Mark noted with a trace of smugness, "we've agreed to help...""*I* have agreed to no such thing!""Please...please," Zoyster again broke in. "The time is late, and there's much to hear."Quadim tilted his head towards Semaki and whispered something to her. Semaki stiffened, but finally nodded, looking sulky.Zoyster gestured. "Follow me, please." As he led them through the winding corridors he spoke. "As you're all surely aware, we live in constant danger from infiltration by illithid spies and thralls. However," he said quickly, raising a finger to forestall an angry comment from Shayuri, "as your sorceress is well aware, there are methods of detecting and dealing with illithid domination that do not require what some of you were subject to." Zoyster paused and gestured with his staff, causing a pair of large double doors at the end of the hallway to open before them. The room beyond was larger, with shelves of books spaced around the walls, and several tables and desks scattered across it. "Unfortunately," he went on, "it seems the illithid are well aware of this also...and have arranged to make life more difficult for us."Shayuri's expression changed from one of sullen annoyance to one of surprise, even eagerness, as she saw the rows and rows of books. As Zoyster strode to a shelf on the far side and began digging around, the sorceress drifted to a nearby shelf and scanned titles. Mark remained respectfully silent, his posture rigid...almost standing at attention. Shar had turned to one side and was muttering something to Xag, who giggled and waggled in his orbit around her head. Mana put a hand to his head and said in a voice that echoes in the rocky chamber amplified, "It's these...lines on our heads, isn't it?"Zoyster grunted and nodded, turning back around with a large roll of parchment in his hand. "I'm afraid so, my boy. See here, all of you."He spread the parchment out over a desk. On it were drawings and diagrams of human heads...each with a webwork lattice of scars over them."What are they?" Shayuri asked, setting a book she'd picked out down and touching a fingertip to a drawing."We don't know," Zoyster admitted heavily. "We've learned, through hard mistakes, that ordinary methods of detection don't work. We speculate that the scars are side effects of a new method of domination that doesn't require any kind of mystical power. As such, it cannot be easily detected without an unfortunately thorough search of the subject's mind...and cannot be suppressed, dispelled, or otherwise interrupted by any means we've found so far."This information was digested in silence by the various people in the room. Shayuri, on sudden impulse, asked, "Xag? Have you heard of this tactic before?"The whirling grey rock immediately piped up, "Nope! It's news to me. You have to watch the squids though! They're crafty. Like, uh, things that are...crafty."Shar sighed. "Which reminds me...I think it's time to hand over Xag."Zoyster raised a bushy white eyebrow. "Hand over?"Mark stepped forward and eagerly broke in. "Yes. You see, we were sent here to bring Xag to the Resistance. He...it's an item of great power, made to fight the illithid.""I see. May I?" Zoyster held out a hand.Shar snatched at Xag, who swerved crazily out of the way. "Hey!" he cried, "Relax! I can do it!" The stone zipped away from Shar's head and performed a single orbit around Zoyster before returning to Shar.Zoyster's eyes widened, and he placed a hand to his temple. His breath caught."What is it?" Mark asked. "What happened?""It seems Xag will be remaining with you for the time being," Zoyster finally said as he recovered his composure. "I myself have some...thinking to do. You are all free to go, of course. But I must ask something of you."Semaki scowled. "You dare ask us a favor after what you did?"Zoyster merely nodded. "I realize you may not be inclined to help, but do hear me out. We've recieved word that a party of scouts is approaching and will reach this spot within two days. They are thralls." He let that sink in, then continued. "We cannot kill them. Their deaths would attract even more attention, and we can't risk it. Instead, if you would see fit, you could leave here and loop through the forest widely around this site, eventually connecting with the trail you left when you came here. The scouts would follow your tracks, guiding them around this part of the forest, and onwards into the empty wilds. Once that is done, you would be welcome to return here. I'm sure a suitable reward could be arranged, if that will help your decision.""You want us to be bait," Shayuri said flatly."Not exactly. Should the plan be successful, you will never see them. Here." He held out a gourd carved with mystic runes. "As you leave, pour some of the contents of this on your soles. It will prevent you from laying tracks leading to here. Then, do it again before returning here, after you've connected to your earlier tracks. They will not be able to follow you, save where you wish it.""Why should we help you, wizard?" Semaki asked angrily.Zoyster waved a hand at the door sadly. "It is not I you would be helping, lady. It is the hundreds of other people currently living here. Refugees from Caron, mostly. Left to my own devices, I could escape easily enough...though I've no doubt I would stay to fight. But should this sanctuary be discovered by the illithid, these poor souls who hide here would have nowhere to turn to."Shayuri sighed and looked away.Semaki's mouth twisted into a rictus, but finally she nodded. "Very well. For them. Not you!""On their behalf, I thank you. I thank you all." Zoyster gestured widely. "I'll have a room prepared for you. A night of rest would not come amiss before you begin, I think.""We gladly accept your hospitality with thanks, Zoyster," Mark said formally."I think not." Semaki padded to the door of the study. "I will sleep outside." Before anyone else could say anything, the elf was gone. Quadim hastened after her.Shayuri stood for a long moment, an agonized expression on her face. On the one side, her friends, on the other...a warm bed, and books. Finally she slumped and picked the book up off the table. She would explain to Semaki. Surely this would be all right. It was just for one night.When Zoyster led the others to an empty room with cots set up in it, Shayuri followed. As the others tiredly set down their things and doffed their armor to sleep, Shayuri curled up on the cot, automatically tucked the little thrall-skirt around her legs, and began to read the book of elven history she'd found on Zoyster's shelf... Finally she too slept, the book lying open on the floor below her cot. A leather thong marked the last paragraph that she'd read.In the last days, when The People had all but left the land, and the empire that had been was as bones in the cradle of the earth, there was set aside a hallowed ground to sequester the Nine for all time. Five lords of magic, peerless in their might, were set with four of the highest and most holy priestesses within the alfheidar to guard the Nine and keep their power from corrupting the world again. Their spirits accepted the shackles of the baelnorn willingly, and they gave not their bodies, but their very souls to their pledge. And over the hallowed earth was placed a ward of undeath; that any who died in a vain attempt to wrest away the power would be charged in death to defend it.Morning came, and a simple but fine breakfast served. Zoyster joined them early on, looking paternally pleased. When Shayuri asked if they had a crossbow to spare, he even threw in a quiver of bolts. He also gave them a map outlining the ideal course for them to take, to lead the scouts astray.They met Semaki outside who looked a bit sour, but not as much so as Shayuri had feared. It occurred to the sorceress later that perhaps Semaki hadn't minded some time alone with Quadim. The thought brought an embarrassed blush to her coppery cheeks.Just before setting out, Mark produced the gourd Zoyster had provided and applied a splash of the ointment within to his soles. Even Semaki had to admit that the magic was effective. The armored warrior left not a single disturbed blade of grass in his footsteps. A few minutes later all the party was so girded, and they set off, following the river towards a location on the map dubbed 'Ruines.' There they would scrape the ointment off, and begin to lay the false trail.For most of the journey the party walked in silence. It was a fine spring day, with the trees shimmering radiant green and birds of all kinds twittering and calling. The river sploshed jovially alongside them at a leisurely pace, like a friendly dog tagging along. Somewhere along the way Semaki and Quadim had unobtrusively started holding hands. Mark took point; striding instead of walking, rolling his shoulders in a suitably dramatic, heroic way. Clearly he thought Zoyster might he scrying. Shayuri walked in silence, consumed in her thoughts. Bunki, her ferret, perched on her shoulder and groomed her hair. Mana was nearly as exuberant as Mark, if considerably more genuine about it. Bursting with energy and glad to be out of the underground, he surged ahead, then waited for the others, only to surge ahead again. Shar, for her part, was unusually pale and withdrawn, occasionally rubbing her temples. And Piklum...ahh, Piklum. He was missing.No one noticed until the splash.Semaki turned and looked at the others questioningly, realizing almost at once that it was too big a noise for a simple rock. Shayuri nearly bumped into her before snapping out of her thoughts. "What is it?" the sorceress asked, craning her neck to look as well."Piklum is missing," Semaki said. "I heard a splash."Almost as one, the party, save Mark and Mana, spread out along the banks of the river, calling out. The current was not fast on the surface, but on entering the icy runoff water they found that it was deceptively strong. They fanned out farther, calling his name, questing for branches or other obstacles the slug-like halfling might have gotten stuck in. Finally, they had to admit defeat."I'm sure he'll be all right," Shayuri said uncertainly."We'll keep watching for him as we go," Semaki noted. "If he washed downstream, we'll see him."Mark nodded. "Good idea," he said impatiently. "We'd best hurry. The scouts won't wait for us."And so they journeyed on. The "ruines" were not altogether far past where Piklum had vanished in a puff of water. The river became split by a large central island, with a crossable ford at the tip. Atop this island was visible broken, crumbling stones. They scraped the remaining ointment off their shoes and boots, knowing that to the trackers it would seem as if the group had been walking in the river until this point. They crossed the ford, still scanning the area for any sign of Piklum, but without success.The island was about the same as the bank they'd left. Intemperately overgrown shrubs and grass threading between loose clumps of broad-leaved trees and the occasional mossy boulder. The main difference was that, protected from direct viewing from shore by a large hillock, an old stone tower rose perhaps three stories before the brickwork finally had given way some time in the far past. Rubble surrounded the ruin, but the bottom section seemed reasonably intact. The door was even in place.Mark eyed the structure with some distrust, but his voice was jocular. "All right, so where to next? Across the river to the other side, then around and..." He paused as Shar cried out in something like pain. "What is it?"Shar shook her head. "It's not possible..."Mana looked curiously at Shar and Shayuri asked, "What's not? Are you all right?"Semaki peered at the door, seemingly oblivious. Something about it seemed...wrong..."It's new," Semaki said suddenly, making heads turn towards her. "The door. It's not as old..."The door opened with the sharp CRACK of breaking wood.Things seemed to happen in slow motion. Semaki jumped away from the door, just as something large, spindly, and grey-green whickered out. There was an impression of jagged serrated edges, of dull highlights off of a hard carapace. Mark was grabbing his sword and running at the creature. Semaki, her eyes open in shock, was scrabbling for her own short blade. Quadim was roaring something and flashing forward with impressive speed...Lurching out of the dark doorway was what looked like a preying mantis, but nearly seven feet tall from its triangular head to its clawed, narrow feet. Long feathery antennae twitched and it jittered with incredible speed away from Mark as his sword flashed in a broad arc towards it. The wide swing overextended the warrior, and the mantis took ruthless, instant advantage of that momentary opening. Chitinous, serrated forelimbs lashed out and pinned Mark's body between them, holding him steady for when the suddenly gaping mandibles descended and dug through armor and flesh alike. Mark howled.Shar launched herself towards the fray, incanting a supplication to Delta as she went, and Shayuri launched a pair of scintillating magical darts at the monstrosity. Even as she did, she realized that something about the creature was...unsettling. There were the suggestions of fingers outlined in the carapace of its forelimbs. The hint of a humanoid nose in its arthropod's face. Then Quadim and Semaki attacked as one, the thick shell deflecting Semaki's blade, but doing little to help against Quadim's assault. It staggered and emitted a piercing screech that was something between a woman's scream and an insectile squeal. Distracted by Quadim, the mantis-thing released Mark...who returned the favor by releasing a loud cry of battle and swinging his large rune-encrusted blade directly at the thing's back. Chitin crunched and buckled under that massive attack; another horrible cry rent the air. The massive insect twisted, knocking Mark back with one sweep of its claws. Just as the world went grey, then black in his eyes he saw Shar hovering over him...her expression was unusual...almost gentle.More magic bolts, and between that and the combined efforts of Semaki, who's next thrust was far more effective when it found an aspiration pore in the thing's carapace, and Quadim, the wretched thing finally collapsed in a jittering pile of spindly, armored legs and leaking abdominal fluids.Mark managed to get back to his feet, his nearly mortal wounds all but completely healed by a generous outpouring of divine power from Shar. "What WAS that thing?" he demanded."I'm not sure," Shayuri replied, approaching the fallen thing carefully. "If I didn't know better, I'd think it was originally human though. But I have no idea what magic would do this...even a polymorph would leave the original mind intact."Quadim quickly poked his head in the door and looked around. "It's clear inside," he reported, wincing when Semaki gave him a silent glare for risking his life that way."Maybe there's clues about what it was there," Shayuri mused, drifting into the tower.Mark shook his head. "No...it's not important. Look, we did what we came to do...let's move on. The scouts...""...will be at least a day behind us," Semaki said calmly. "We have time.""I do not like it here," Mark gritted, staring fearfully at the tower."Good GODS!" Shayuri shouted from inside the dark. Both Quadim and Semaki bolted inside.The sorceress was staring at a corner that at first seemed to have a stack of bizarre objects...resembling burlap sacks perhaps. On closer perusal though, one could see that they were in fact bodies, covered in a sort of hardened goo. Worse still, the bodies were not...entirely...human. Instead, most seemed to be frozen in between human and insect states, with chitin spikes and plates protruding from agonized faces and grotesquely rupturing skin. They were all, mercifully, dead. Most of them had huge holes eaten in them, and missing limbs. A terrible miasma hung in the air though. It smelled of crushed ants and rot.In Shayuri's hands was a tattered old book. Semaki touched Shayuri's shoulder gently, eliciting a jump from her. "Are you all right?" the elf asked sympathetically.Shayuri nodded too quickly, then swallowed and straightened. Her second nod had more conviction. "I almost didn't notice...but I did a detection cantrip," she responded in a dry, soft voice. "There's something magical in the...pile." She swallowed.Semaki looked at the stack of corpses with a distasteful expression. "Is it worth it?" she asked."I don't know. It looks fairly strong."The elf nodded, but before she could take more than a step towards the grisely stack, Quadim was past her, and throwing the topmost...thing...off. His face was a mask of revulsion. Two more toppled to the floor, with awful brittle crunches mixed with pulpy squishes. Then Quadim asked, "Is this it?" He started to reach down, but Shayuri interrupted him, almost panicked."Don't touch it!"The monk jerked back, and let Shayuri replace him. Sure enough, there it was. A sword, not much larger than Semaki's, but radiant with magic energy. It was embedded in the chest of one of the unfortunates...horribly, its own hand was on the hilt. The sorceress' luminous silver eyes squinted, searching...searching...there. Her skill was still a bit tender, but the signature of Transmutation was distinct. A very versatile school, to be sure...but she thought of the insects, and what might have caused the transformations, and shuddered. "It might not be safe. I need some cloth."Quadim complied, providing a strip from the hem of his tunic. As he did, Semaki picked the book up off the floor from where Shayuri had dropped it.As Semaki began to read, Shayuri incanted, making a quick but complicated gesture. The sword slowly raised out of the insects body, dislodging the thankfully not-so-tight grip it had on it. When it was hovering in midair, Shayuri took the cloth and wrapped it carefully around the hilt...only then did she gingerly take it and place it in her backpack. "We can't use this until we've had it more completely analyzed," she explained. "It could be dangerous, especially given what we've seen here."Semaki began to read aloud."I'm hungry...hungry all the time. They did this to us. I don't know why! We can't get out. Lenford can't break it open...says it's barred on the outside. I've begun to change...my eyes are different. Some of the others too, but I'm farther along. Our food's nearly gone."She paused, then started again, making it sound like a journal."They..." she squinted. "They are dead. I had to...I couldn't stop... I'm already hungry again... If only...there was nectar...like before... It filled me. It made me whole. I want more... I'm sorry, my friends...at least you didn't have to...change. Changing. Still. It hurts, but mostly...not as much as hunger..."Another pause, and now Semaki's eyes were watering."I can barely hold the quill..." she paused, seeming to skip ahead. "I can't think. There's only the hunger left now. Gods take pity on me...let me die..."The elf dropped the book and stumbled outside where she coughed and half-doubled over. Quadim hurried to her side, but was waved off. "I'm all right," Semaki insisted.Shayuri picked up the book and examined the last entry. During the part Semaki had skipped, the words degenerated into mad, chaotic scribbles. The last part of the page was torn off. Or, she quickly realized on seeing the pattern of the tear, eaten off. Suddenly feeling ill, she slipped the book automatically into her pouch and exited the tower. "I suggest we all get out of here now," she said thickly. "For all we know, it may be something in the area that does it. We should go."Mark nodded, very pleased with the idea.Shar said in a calmer voice than any could ever remember from her, "You're right...and you're wrong. You all have to go away from here. I have to go...somewhere else.""What?" Mark asked, shocked. Shayuri's mouth dropped open."I've felt the presence of Delta," Shar explained wearily. "She has made Her will known to me. The illithid are...attacking Her. She needs my help."Shayuri's mouth opened farther, then snapped shut with a little *click* of teeth. "They're attacking a goddess?"The priestess nodded. "Delta's freedom and chaos are anathema to them, even as they to Her. They are using their control over Her followers against Her.""But what can you do to stop that?" Mark demanded."Whatever I can. Whatever I must." Shar sighed and shook her head. "I wish you all well. Perhaps we will meet again." She didn't seem optimistic of that though. "Xag?""Huh? Oh! Right. Um...eeny meeny my-knee...MARK!" The hurtling pebble suddenly altered course and whipped at Mark, causing him to recoil with a startled squawk. When he recovered, Xag was comfortably circling his head. "Heya," it said jovially."Uh...hello," Mark replied uncertainly. Then his native upbringing kicked in. "This...is an honor, Lord Xag. I'll do my best to...""Don't even start that with me, kiddo. I don't even HAVE an ass! You can't kiss it! HAW!"Shar smiled and waved. The others said their goodbyes. And then she was gone; walking off towards the river and vanishing behind the shrubs.Those remaining turned and walked the other way, crossing the river again and forging ahead into the deeper woods on the other side.It was perhaps another hour or two, not long past midday, when they saw the thick, inky strands slung between trees. The webs got thicker as they progressed. It was not entirely a surprise therefore when three unusually large spiders saw fit to hurl themselves down from the trees at them. Two smaller ones, and one large one. And yet, these creatures too bore the subtle hints of humanity in their features. All three were dispatched with almost disappointing ease, with Semaki able to use her archery skills while Mark held the onslaught back. He took a pair of mild bites, which Mana treated competently. Though the wounds itched, the venom didn't have much more effect than that on him. They pressed onwards.According to Semaki, finally they were nearing the north edge of the forest. From there they would return to the large tree they had stayed at once before, the lone tree called The Encampment that jutted alone out of the plains they had come across to reach the Resistance enclave. There they would again salve their feet, and tracelessly return to the enclave.They did run across an unusual thing however. A clearing in the woods had a large conical hill in it. The hill was made of loose, piled dirt, and was perhaps ten feet tall. Its peak seemed flattish, but it was hard to tell. Neither Semaki nor Mana seemed to know what it was, and while curious, the group was eager to get out of the freakshow forest, and so decided to continue on by. Whatever it was, it didn't seem especially threatening.Fifteen minutes later Semaki whispered in Shayuri's ear, "We're being followed."With it pointed out to her, Shayuri could see. Shapes to either side, zipping from tree to bush to tree. Mark, Quadim and Mana looked around as well when notified."What do we do?" Mana whispered."There's nothing left for it. They mean to ambush us," Mark gritted. "We form a defensive line, and hope we are too much for them.""Quickly!" Semaki hissed.Quadim, Semaki, and Mark quickly formed a triangular formation which Mana and Shayuri ducked into. As if on cue, things burst out of the forest around them. Grey and sickly shiny, their features a blur of human and ant. Shayuri cast a defensive spell as the creatures closed with dreadful speed...and the battle began.Very quickly it became clear that although numerous, the 'mants' were fragile things. Semaki took one down with a carefully aimed bowshot as they charged, then switched to her sword. Mark and Quadim attacked at once, slicing and crushing another pair. Shayuri dispatched one with another pair of force missiles, but a second one managed to wiggle in close enough to rake her...fortunately its talons skittered off the invisible field around her. Mana's scimitar blurred and hacked off one of its arms. The battle went quickly. Less than a minute later, the group stood unscathed amidst a small ring of dead bodies."That wasn't so bad," Mark noted, fingering his hair as the wind picked up in the leaves with a sighing rasping sound."Run," Quadim said, abruptly.Semaki's eyes widened. "Run," she confirmed. Both wasted no time following their own advice.The others followed, though Mark sputtered, "What? Why?"Shayuri looked over her shoulder...and gasped.It hadn't been the wind. The sound was the pattering of feet getting nearer. Hundreds and hundreds of feet.As they ran, a living carpet of halfling-sized ants surfaced out of the underbrush behind them. Glassy, murderous compound eyes glared. Mandibles gnashed. Disturbingly humanlike claws reached out for them.And slowly...ever so slowly...the ants were gaining.Suddenly the forest was thinning, falling away. Mana whimpered, his breath wheezing in his lungs. The vast golden plains were stretching out now, and in the distance was the large solitary stalk of The Encampment. "We're not going to make it," Shayuri gasped, her breath burning like fire."Get to the tree," Semaki urged. "Put your backs to it. We'll have to fight.""It's too far!" Mana cried out. "I can't...I can't...""You CAN!"The pattering footfalls sounded like rain, but when they entered the tall grass, the ants collectively made a huge tempestual roar like a hurricaine might.The tree didn't seem to be getting any bigger.Quadim suddenly grabbed Semaki around the waist with one arm and sprinted toward the tree, rapidly leaving the others behind.  Mark began to pull ahead as well. Shayuri grabbed Mana's shoulder, wishing beyond wishes that she had just exercised a bit more, had just practiced running a bit more. So close...so close. She raised a hand to try to fight off as many as she could...a wave of dizziness, a moment of nausea......and she ran headlong into the Encampment tree. Mana crashed into her from behind."What?""No time!" Semaki scolded. "Backs to the tree! Weapons ready!""No," Mark said abruptly. "Hold your fire. Let them come." He swallowed and looked up at the tree. "Just let them come."The hurricaine grew...grew...grew until it was a maddening howl that seemed to reside as much inside their brains as in the air around them.The grasses at the edge of the clearing around The Encampment parted, admitting things that looked almost comically like children in grey waxy armor...if not for the terrible jaws and clawed hands. And so the Swarm descended upon the party like the wrath of every god combined.</blockquote>

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