10. As Below, So Above

My ears are still ringing. So much destruction. Cramus and Belus blew the wall out of the SV compound building, incinerating Thumas and his goons. We were not prepared for what awaited outside...
 
Beneath the monolith a chest full of spider eggs caused far more trouble than the drow or her spider minions. Despite conjured webs and Belus discovering which end of Cramus's wand was dangerous, she was dead before my vicious mockery reached her pointed ears. Mango was grateful to be rescued, but no good deed goes unpunished.
 
Flicker flicker little fire
Save us from the webs of spiders
Hairy legs and beady eyes
Smoking, curling to the skies
Flicker flicker little fire
Save us from the webs of spiders
 
While we razed the depths of the monolith with sword and fire. Above and unknown to us, undead and fire elementals tore the Dervish to shreds. The comparatively untouched compound was littered human and pegasi heads on pikes, bearing witness to the hell the Sand Voyagers wrought upon even the fearsome Dupari Lancers. Thankfully, we did not see Alecia Saltdaughter among them.
 
Half a hundred murderous soldiers surrounded and peered into the smoking wreckage. Thumas was gone. We had Tolnus. An desperate idea took hold.
 
I worked an illusory Thumas pleading the soldiers join him in surrender. "Tolnas has defeated us from within," he told them. "I made a mistake throwing in with Khalitharius and his armies. He will doom us all. The only hope is to beg mercy of, and band together with the remaining Lancers and Dervish - to hope the heroes of the pyramid can quench the efreeti fire." Understanding my play, Tolnus executed the customary justice - sending "Thumas" into the desert tied to a camel.
 
As we surveyed the barren dunes an icy fear gripped my chest. Where was our boat? Rent upon the sand, cradling a lifeless kobold and a severed hand. I saw my own anger and sorrow in Grimogall's eyes. Rarer than unicorns are the tears of orc-kind - an omen of the flood that will be our vengeance.