Four Adapts of Elvin line.

                 Four Adapts align.

                 White holds back time.

                 Red casts the dome.

                 Green holds the tome.

               Blue carries home the fate of all.

Maxwell carried Merryn over a hill and followed a pathway behind his large stone mansion. He headed towards two intertwined gnarled trees, in between them, a long stone staircase.

Pushing back the hanging vines that wriggled about on the walls and made his way down towards the prison.

He shoved at the wide door, tapped the orb lights, that cast back the shadows. Gripping a hank full of her hair in hand, he exposed her neck. One swift cut. That would end this.

It was maddening that Unnamed needed this woman alive. He took a deep breath, and wished the vines hadn't premeditated the prison with their vomit inducing sweet smell. These were different then the ones under her skin, they didn't require the lifeforce to survive.

Descending the stairs, he placed her on a cot and bent down with his fingers in front of her mouth, a soft breath warmed them.

Shouldn't have paralyzed her, some peoples lungs collapsed from it. Unnamed's punishment would be dark and cold if she died too early.

He stepped out, and locked the bars. Even if she woke up somehow she'd stay put this time. Just to make sure, he wrapped several jackknife fibers from end to end through the bars.

Not even the god could escape this. One whiff of the fumes and poof back to sleep. He chuckled. She wouldn't be messing up his plans this time. Nor would it. He went over to a water pitcher and poured a drink, in the cup he sprinkled a white herb in it. Good thing he had remembered or he would have gone to sleep soon.

He stat on a bench near the table and drummed his fingers.

Perhaps it was rash to have used the sleeping venom on her? She need to to be conscious for the elicitation. Damnable woman, if she was an adapt--no matter that can be dealt with.

On the dark stained oaken desk, the scrying orb glowed faintly. He moved it over and looked into it.

The vines in the valley continued to creep along until they reached a forest. It was now a few miles from the portal. The vine tower wrapped around the trees, one by one until all were pulled down, broken in half, or ripped out by their roots.

The animals, and birds in the forest become ensnared as it shot out thick vines, that had it's mouthed leaves wide open. The animals shrieked and thrashed as they were absorbed into it's mass. The ravaged forest became silent.

A dark joy rose in him as he watched, soon Unnamed would be resurrected. He taped the orb and glanced at Merryn. She lay there still. He turned back to the orb.

It continued to work its way towards his mansion. It is now only a few miles from its destination. The Masses of Acolytes on top of it now, directing it forward towards the portal. The ones atop chanted breaking the silence and swayed as it moved along.

As the vines moved they grew new growth that shot out ripping and pulling onto any vegetation unlucky enough to be near it. The vines built on each other weaving in and out becoming stronger, taller and wider in the process. Until a dome shape formed.

The tower made its way towards a town near the mountains. The tower crept along the ground, it pulled it self forward, engulfing every living thing it touched. The tower left a trail of destruction in its wake, dead trees, bare soil, and the discarded bones of the animals it has devoured. It made a putrid pathway devoid of life where it passed.

The Acolytes in unison bend forward, touching the tower and chanted faster.

Jason was near instructing those still in line.

He moved the orb in closer.

Jason spotted him and came closer. "It is growing in strength and will be ready soon."

"Glad to see you're growing more competent." He paused.

"Has Kar contacted you yet?" The man was unreliable, but his power would be needed soon.

"Not yet."

"Have them work faster I have the vessel."

Jason nodded.

He moved the scrying glove over to the tower of vines. They grew into a monstrous dome, intertwined with whole tree trunks, limbs sticking out of the mass, bloody disfigured corpses of humans, and animals, along with mud, boulders, and any vegetation it happened to run into.

All along the dome Acolytes used their combined magic to direct the dome to move. He figured the dome was a good 30ft tall now, still tiny compared to the height it would soon be.

A few of the Acolytes climbed around it casting runes. Good soon it would be ready and Unnamed's full power would awaken.

The Acolytes spied a good sized fishing village nearby, having the dome turn to it, the dome sloped up the village in a matter of seconds, people, houses, cattle, and all. The terrified villagers, became a pile of skulls and bones behind it.

He was glad he wasn't opposing Unnamed, that would make his plans that much more difficult.

He put the Scrying Orb back on the desk pleased with the advancement. Impatient for his servants to come back with the slabs, he gathered up his energy, and applied them to the two sacrificial daggers lying on the table before him.

He softly chanted: "Ex vita in morte" while holding his hands over them until the spell finished. A dark energy radiated from them. They cast a an eerie glow that caused the shadows to move like angered wraths around the room.

He put them in a small velvet lined chest, and carried it under his arm.

Such a nice gift should not be wasted. He smiled and went over to her again. Most people lived and had no complications with the sleeping venom, but as she was injured it was best to check.

The deep wound on her side was a bloody mess pooling onto the cot. The vines would soon stem the flow until it it healed. It was better to have her in this weekended state, all the easier to finish this.

He walked out of the room and down a vine covered hallway. He couldn't stand to be around her long, as images of his son burning came back to haunt him, when ever she was near. He clasped his hands and intertwined his fingers and squeezed them hard together, before continuing forward.

The hallways walls were darkened as the vines had covered up most of the floating light globes. Most had several vines wrapped around them dangling down and also often growing upward towards the ceiling.

The air was thick, musty and smelled of dead things. It was too bad as much of the engrave work on the wood crowning at the ceiling would be destroyed once the vines sunk into it. Not his favorite environment, but this uncivilized creeping about would be over soon enough.

He'd taken down all of the pictures in the hallways once the vines appeared, locking them away in storage. His sons painting he wrapped in silk and placed into a walnut box.

He turned the right corner.