City of Torment Read Online Free PDF

twinkling bubbles. Jittering shadows danced madly across the cavity’s walls. Nogah released the bolt. The stroke discharged the full brunt of her and Curampah’s redoubled strength into the mind flayer’s necrotic flesh. Its left arm, half its torso, and its left leg flashed away into ash. Another mental assault blossomed from the illithid, but its aim was off. Only the merest edge of the psionic cacophony brushed her awareness. “Finish it,” she commanded. But what could they do? They couldn’t produce another lightning stroke immediately. They would have to call on ranged battle prayers� Curampah tensed to launch himself from the sea coach’s deck. Nogah snagged his harness with her free hand, restraining him. She hissed, “Fool! Don’t stray from the coach or the sea’s heavy foot will smash you!” The illithid squealed something, a warning, Nogah thought, then melted into a column of spinning water. The column widened and dispersed, leaving nothing behind but drifting silt and sediment. “That was more than a corpse reanimated by chance,” breathed Curampah. “It was dead, yet could still call upon the mental abilities it possessed in life. I think it may have been partially vampiric. Yet we defeated it!” “We chased it away�but we failed to destroy it,” interrupted Nogah. “Because of your incompetence.” She pointed at the junior whip with her staff. “If I were less merciful, I would slay you here and now and offer your unworthy hide as a sacrifice to the Sea Mother.” The junior whip froze, uncertain. He knew she didn’t make threats lightly. Nogah considered ramming the pincer tip through his throat, despite her talk about being merciful. No�but it wasn’t mercy that stayed her hand. It was practicality. Despite nearly killing himself, and allowing the undead illithid to slip away, she still needed him. If Curampah hadn’t been present, the illithid would likely even now be supping on the contents of her skull. “Bah,” she said. “We wounded the thing, nearly tore it apart. It won’t seek us out again soon, at least until it has regained its strength and form. We have some time. Let’s investigate what it guarded all alone down here in the depths.” The structure was nestled into the great cavity’s rear wall. Though some of its outer rooms had crumbled, an inner core structure of greenish stone remained intact. A jade dome emerged from the rougher surrounding stone. Tools were scattered everywhere: shovels, picks, buckets, and a variety of more arcane equipment apparently useful for digging. Most had almost rusted away. Nogah also finally recognized the strange mounds arranged around the greenish outcrop. They were tailing piles, the refuse of a mining operation. She saw no open mine tunnel. The mine mouth must be under the dome. “The illithids thought they were digging up something special here,” she murmured. “Special enough to protect the mine mouth with this building. Not that it offered much protection when the water broke in.” “The dome reminds me of a temple, almost,” volunteered Curampah. He gestured. “It even has a ceremonial entrance.” A six-sided extension protruded from the side of the smooth green rock like a tumor. Nogah guided the sea coach to rest next to the extension and saw Curampah was correct. Within the protrusion was a dull black metal door, also six-sided. It was apparently still sealed against the surrounding water. She leaned over and touched the door’s matte black iron. A familiar feeling thrilled up her arm and into her heart. The strange influence of her dreams lived behind the door! The Sea Mother had guided her truly. “We must enter,” she directed. “How, Daughter of the Sea? If we stray from the nautilus…” Curampah finished by squeezing his hands together. “Do you think I am so ill-prepared?” Curampah looked at her with half-lidded eyes, waiting. “Bring me my chest. Be quick!” The junior whip soon returned