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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4870917" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 63</p><p></p><p></p><p>Gral did not wait for the elemental vortex to emerge fully from the pool. Even as the outer edges extended toward him, he lifted his staff and fired a ray of frost into the water. The blast froze where it touched, leaving a glistening layer of ice along the outer edge of the phenomenon. The ice began to crack almost at once, absorbed by the still-swelling waters of the pool, but by then Gral was safely past and on his way. </p><p></p><p>Carzen was caught off guard by the surprise appearance of the bolt-throwers from the ceiling, and stood looking dumbly at them until they stopped spinning, the pointed tips of their bolts pointed straight at him. That realization shook him out of his funk, and he lifted his shield just barely in time to absorb the impacts. The bolts struck hard enough to send a jolt up his arm through the shield, and as he peeked out over the upper edge of the barrier he saw that they appeared to have some sort of automatic reloading mechanism, the devices whirring as the throwing mechanism retracted and new bolts were slid into place.</p><p></p><p>Carzen didn’t wait around to witness that wonder; he was already running for the exit. </p><p></p><p>Vhael had emerged into the central corridor in time to see the Guardian emerge from the shaft, shattering the barricade they’d put up like a battering ram. Because of the angle he couldn’t see far enough into the room to see Surina, but he knew where she was even before a globe of fire erupted under the Guardian, saw it dive forward out of his view. Even with his own orders echoing in his mind, he’d taken a step forward before he could think, his sword coming up in his hands. But while his view of the chamber broadened, a cloud of gas filled the place, obscuring everything—chasm, warlock, Guardian—in a roiling confusion of white mist. </p><p></p><p>He hesitated, but before the struggle between duty and desire could resolve itself in his mind, a massive black sphere, easily eight feet across and studded with hundreds of short spikes, appeared around the far corner of the passage, coming straight toward him. </p><p></p><p>He could have retreated back to the relative safety of the south corridor, but that would have taken him farther from the rendezvous, farther from the Guardian. He could have dove forward, trying to beat the sphere to the central room where Surina faced the creature, but it would have been a close chance against the onrushing sphere. </p><p></p><p>Instead, he turned and ran, first west to the bend, then down the long length of the passage north. The sphere rumbled on behind him, closing the distance rapidly, barely slowing as it negotiated the turn behind him, if anything seeming to pick up speed in the stretch despite any apparent source of animating power. The mystery of the damaged corridor was now answered, the spikes scoring the floor and walls as the sphere moved. Vhael ignored the relative safety offered by the side passage leading to the blood chamber—another false choice—and instead ran to the doors to the next room, the one where Carzen had been assigned his share of the ritual. The globe was right on his heels as he darted through the open doors, and he could feel the wind caused by its passage on his back as it rumbled by. </p><p></p><p>“General, look out!” Gral shouted from across the room, near the far door. Vhael looked up to see some sort of mechanism affixed to the ceiling, one of two that hadn’t been there before, turning toward him. The other one, he saw, was clogged with ice crystals, although it was still twitching, its mechanisms trying to operate. </p><p></p><p>He didn’t stop to ask questions, running toward Gral. Something struck the wall behind him, likely shot by the thing above, but he didn’t pause or look back. Gral held the door for him and closed it behind him. Carzen was there, his sword out. Vhael looked around for Gez, but Carzen saw and shook his head. </p><p></p><p>“Didn’t see him, I went to the other room, but the room was empty, and this noise… screaming… I had to retreat. I saw Gral, and…”</p><p></p><p>“Seal the doors,” Vhael commanded, hurrying down the hall toward the room where Gez had been assigned his part of the ritual. He avoided the blood marking the floor, but there was no sign of the ghosts that had set all this in motion. The spirits had predicted that the Guardian would destroy them, and the brief glimpse he’d gotten of it had not left him confident. </p><p></p><p>It was not too late; they could flee, leaving this place and its terrors behind. He doubted that the Guardian would follow; it was bound to this place, its purpose set by creatures who had likely died before he’d been born. </p><p></p><p>No. They had come this far, and they would…</p><p></p><p>His thoughts were interrupted as the double doors ahead of him exploded outward. The heavy slabs of iron-reinforced wood were blasted off their hinges; they shot forward, one bounding into the exit passage, the other caroming off the wall to his right, flipping twice before sliding to a stop at his feet. </p><p></p><p>The Guardian came through the opening it had created. The creature rose to its full height, huge and monstrous, its wings spreading behind it as it pushed through the threshold. The weak pulsating light glistened off its scales. </p><p></p><p>The green dragon radiated power and malevolence. In its jaws it held something clasped tight, and it wasn’t until it dropped it that Vhael recognized it as what was left of Surina, now a bloody mess that was missing its arms and legs. </p><p></p><p>The dragon opened its jaws and roared a bloody challenge before charging forward to put an end to K’rol Vhael.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4870917, member: 143"] Chapter 63 Gral did not wait for the elemental vortex to emerge fully from the pool. Even as the outer edges extended toward him, he lifted his staff and fired a ray of frost into the water. The blast froze where it touched, leaving a glistening layer of ice along the outer edge of the phenomenon. The ice began to crack almost at once, absorbed by the still-swelling waters of the pool, but by then Gral was safely past and on his way. Carzen was caught off guard by the surprise appearance of the bolt-throwers from the ceiling, and stood looking dumbly at them until they stopped spinning, the pointed tips of their bolts pointed straight at him. That realization shook him out of his funk, and he lifted his shield just barely in time to absorb the impacts. The bolts struck hard enough to send a jolt up his arm through the shield, and as he peeked out over the upper edge of the barrier he saw that they appeared to have some sort of automatic reloading mechanism, the devices whirring as the throwing mechanism retracted and new bolts were slid into place. Carzen didn’t wait around to witness that wonder; he was already running for the exit. Vhael had emerged into the central corridor in time to see the Guardian emerge from the shaft, shattering the barricade they’d put up like a battering ram. Because of the angle he couldn’t see far enough into the room to see Surina, but he knew where she was even before a globe of fire erupted under the Guardian, saw it dive forward out of his view. Even with his own orders echoing in his mind, he’d taken a step forward before he could think, his sword coming up in his hands. But while his view of the chamber broadened, a cloud of gas filled the place, obscuring everything—chasm, warlock, Guardian—in a roiling confusion of white mist. He hesitated, but before the struggle between duty and desire could resolve itself in his mind, a massive black sphere, easily eight feet across and studded with hundreds of short spikes, appeared around the far corner of the passage, coming straight toward him. He could have retreated back to the relative safety of the south corridor, but that would have taken him farther from the rendezvous, farther from the Guardian. He could have dove forward, trying to beat the sphere to the central room where Surina faced the creature, but it would have been a close chance against the onrushing sphere. Instead, he turned and ran, first west to the bend, then down the long length of the passage north. The sphere rumbled on behind him, closing the distance rapidly, barely slowing as it negotiated the turn behind him, if anything seeming to pick up speed in the stretch despite any apparent source of animating power. The mystery of the damaged corridor was now answered, the spikes scoring the floor and walls as the sphere moved. Vhael ignored the relative safety offered by the side passage leading to the blood chamber—another false choice—and instead ran to the doors to the next room, the one where Carzen had been assigned his share of the ritual. The globe was right on his heels as he darted through the open doors, and he could feel the wind caused by its passage on his back as it rumbled by. “General, look out!” Gral shouted from across the room, near the far door. Vhael looked up to see some sort of mechanism affixed to the ceiling, one of two that hadn’t been there before, turning toward him. The other one, he saw, was clogged with ice crystals, although it was still twitching, its mechanisms trying to operate. He didn’t stop to ask questions, running toward Gral. Something struck the wall behind him, likely shot by the thing above, but he didn’t pause or look back. Gral held the door for him and closed it behind him. Carzen was there, his sword out. Vhael looked around for Gez, but Carzen saw and shook his head. “Didn’t see him, I went to the other room, but the room was empty, and this noise… screaming… I had to retreat. I saw Gral, and…” “Seal the doors,” Vhael commanded, hurrying down the hall toward the room where Gez had been assigned his part of the ritual. He avoided the blood marking the floor, but there was no sign of the ghosts that had set all this in motion. The spirits had predicted that the Guardian would destroy them, and the brief glimpse he’d gotten of it had not left him confident. It was not too late; they could flee, leaving this place and its terrors behind. He doubted that the Guardian would follow; it was bound to this place, its purpose set by creatures who had likely died before he’d been born. No. They had come this far, and they would… His thoughts were interrupted as the double doors ahead of him exploded outward. The heavy slabs of iron-reinforced wood were blasted off their hinges; they shot forward, one bounding into the exit passage, the other caroming off the wall to his right, flipping twice before sliding to a stop at his feet. The Guardian came through the opening it had created. The creature rose to its full height, huge and monstrous, its wings spreading behind it as it pushed through the threshold. The weak pulsating light glistened off its scales. The green dragon radiated power and malevolence. In its jaws it held something clasped tight, and it wasn’t until it dropped it that Vhael recognized it as what was left of Surina, now a bloody mess that was missing its arms and legs. The dragon opened its jaws and roared a bloody challenge before charging forward to put an end to K’rol Vhael. [/QUOTE]
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