Their small talk did not last long. Before the last words had faded, a sudden spray of tiny electrical sparks flashed through the air.
Klauthsura abruptly straightened, its body tensing and its tentacles curling tightly downward.
The sudden movement startled Flori so badly that he nearly pulled the trigger, his crossbow jerking.
"Neither of us has any time left to test the other." Klauthsura spoke faster. "My psionic concealment has failed. The Elder Brain has detected the disturbance here."
"Once it notices the deaths of so many slaves, the Elder Brain will gather its forces and send its servants to attack this place."
Klauthsura raised an arm and spread its five fingers. The shrine of Laduguer before it suddenly warped and blurred, dissolving like an illusion.
In its place stood a pitch-black torch.
The torch stood about chest-high, fashioned from seven intertwined sections of Mind Flayer spines.
The bones bent in exaggerated curves, but no flame burned at the torch's tip. Only a faint ring of golden light revolved within it.
A trace of sacred energy suffused the halo, repelling anyone who approached. Renato took half a step forward and felt an invisible force pushing back, as though he stood before a soft wall.
"The artifact has a protective Warding Barrier around it." Klauthsura pointed at the torch. "I need time to break it."
"You and I both fight to preserve our free will. Whatever our intentions toward one another, we both need to free this artifact now-so I believe we can form a temporary alliance."
Klauthsura's voice echoed through the empty hall.
"The artifact is called the Mind Ripper. It can oppose the Elder Brain and resist enslavement."
"My slave can provide you with spell support." The Mind Flayer beckoned the Drow priestess over, and she stepped forward. "I