Twelfth chapter the trap

They woke up by the song of birds, the squeaks of mousse and the open maws of alligators.
After fine alligator breakfast the party set off.

Leaving the gryphons tied to a tree, they chopped their way through the incessant green jungle.
The air was hot and damp and made them feel as if they carried backpacks filled with rocks throughout their journey.

They met little wildlife and as they neared the city the chirpings of the birds and the roars of the tigers died out.
Only the thinning forest hindered them from a straight run to zul’gurub.
And slowly they neared the city. With every step, they came closer to their lost companion.

„Bloody jungle“ Ankthar cursed, „if it aint the creepers that fell you it’ll be the monkeys who stone you, and if you survive that the insects will eat you alive.“
„Stop whining exen´tor“ said irritable as he burned off an insect at the size of his fist.
„I´m not whining i´m,, ohh my …..“
the reason for Ankthars sudden silence as without a doubt one of the greates sight they ahd ever seen.

They had just walked upon a large ravine.
And on the other side of it , the great city of zul’gurub stood with all its towers and magnificence .
for ages the city had been deserted and the jungle had slowly crept in and taken over.
Now it displayed a beautiful harmony between civilization and nature.
But the city was obviously alive, creatures moving about, and big columns floated around the towers.

Some kind of an aura seemed to be a seep from the city, an aura of evil and madness.
Short walk from them was a bridge that connected to the city.
Two gigantic, lumbering trolls guarded the bridge with their unnaturally large tusks and bodies.
Exen’tor blinked and a new star was born.

The giant trolls were not standing there because of their own desires, they had been ordered and were bound by magic to stay there on that exact spot, to guard the entrance to the city.
Therefore they were rather grumpy by the time Exen’tor and his team neared them.
The trolls were big, really big , if they were to have any way of getting inside they’d have to take them out.

They neared the trolls and cucked in some bushes, staying well out of sight,
„Come on man take them out you’re supposed to be the leader “Mesfer squeaked into Exen’tors ears.
However as Exen’tor was readying a fire spell for one of them, they were suddenly encased in ice and Mizra was walking calmly towards the bridge.
„You know“ mesfer said ironically, „it looks like she’s doing all the work don’t you feel unnecessary?“
Shut it exen’tor replied and ran towards Mizra.
Mesfer held tight onto his shoulder,„ come on you know what we’re capable of, those freezing powers are nothing compared to ours.“
„I told you to shut it. “Exen’tor replied and threw the imp to the ground.
„Owww “,he said, „bloody blood elf.“
„You know my ears are bigger than yours“, Ankthar stated pondering.
„What?“
„Sorry i´m really elfish today.“
„Bloody,,, elf.“

They crossed the bridge of zul’gurub, as stealthy as a bright cloth wearing blood elves and a singing imp can go.
Carvings littered the stones of the bridge. On every stone were pictures , that seemed each to tell their own tale. And no stone was alike.
When they had crossed the bridge, they felt as if they were not allowed to breathe.
Partially it was because of the air that was so heavy that sweat even dropped from mesfer. Secondly because they knew there was something wrong.

One did not simply walk into this city without any real resistance.
They were on the doorsteps, in front of a gigantic archway.
The halls ahead were white straight and seemingly harmless. Exactly why they were suspicious of it.
„This is too easy“ exen’tor commented, „there should be guards, mystics, hidden assasins, something.“

They stood there for a while, pondering what exactly they should do.
At last Ankthar sighed and said decisively, „well we aint gonna save her standing herelets get in there“, and walked inside.
The rest of them followed, anxiously looking around for non present danger.
The hallway was also covered in carvings. One every stone there was a picture.
The hallway was curved and incredibly high, and so long that the end was not in sight.

When they had walked to the middle of the hallway the rumblings began.
The walls started moving and both ends of the hallway seemed to close.
And then the rumblings began for real.

„IT’S A TRAP, RUN FOR IT!“ Exen’tor yelled and ran towards the closer end of the hallway.
As he began running ,arrows rained upon him . trolls had appeared all over in the upper balconies of the hallway shooting arrows and everything projectible at them.
He dodged the first ones, blocked the next but they were too many. One hit him in the shoulder, another in his third leg and one scratched his face.
He fell to the ground, but instead of falling to the stony floor he fell through a hole that opened by some unknown trap.
So he fell to what seemed like his immediate death.

And somewhere in his fading consciousness he heard someone screaming his name.

They came to her while she was in her mediation. Surprised as they were they used the opportunity and tied her up on a sick that they then carried between themselves.
They carried her through the winding mazes of the temple, through the great halls and to the tallest point in the great temple. To her final resting place.
The sacrificial altar.

„Who are you?“ Sira’dreth asked frightened.
„Bwhahahahhaha she asks us the wrong question she does, who we are is not something that you can know for know.“
„Well then, what are you?“
„bwah you had to go straight to the boring part didn’t ya? No fun in your mind. Yet.“
„What are you?“ She asked growing more determined by the second.
„I AM YOU! And in the same way you are me! Hah you have inherited my spirit already! Ohhh how we are going to have fun! How WE are going to have fun.
The other fools wont know what hit them. Ohh and how we’ll burn it all. EVERYTHING. “
„Are you …., are you,…no you can’t be..“
„Noooo i´m not. of course i´m not, what kind of a plot would that be. Those bastards couldn’t just hand it over to you could they .“
She felt her consciousness coming back to her through some extreme physical pain.
„No wait, you can’t go. I haven’t unlocked. We haven’t uncovered….“

Tied on a vertical stone plate she woke up.