The group of foolishly giggling Duergar failed to notice the two men hiding behind the rock.
Only the Mind Flayer controlling a slave's body glanced around in confusion, as though it had heard the faint sounds Balin and Renato made while rappelling down the wall.
The exposed grayish-pink brain trembled slightly, psionic light dancing across its surface.
But its psionic senses detected no thinking beings nearby. The Mind Flayer paused for a moment, then continued along the planned route, leading the Duergar on their patrol.
Their jumbled footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
They were close enough now. Renato and Balin exchanged a glance and took out the crystal orb from the Bag of Holding. It was still glowing and shaking incessantly.
Renato had expected to wait a while, but the moment he took out the Psionics Beacon Eye, a hazy, shapeless portal of blue-black light opened beside them.
Amid unstable psionic arcs and crackling noise, the wavering portal spat out two figures.
The female Drow collapsed onto the ground, retching nonstop. She was covered in dust and grime, her long white hair falling in disheveled strands over her shoulders. Blackened electrical scorch marks marred her scale mail, and several repaired scales had cracked again.
Klauthsura's psionic disguise had vanished as well, revealing his towering Mind Flayer form.
His deep-purple skin was covered in tiny wounds, as though he had been subjected to death by a thousand cuts. Silvery-white blood dripped from his tentacles onto the ground. He could barely stand, his body swaying as the psionic light in his eyes flickered.
"This damned teleportation... urgh." Tristana's voice came in fits and starts, punctuated by dry heaves.
The Drow was faring even worse than Renato had during his first psionic teleportation. But he ignored Tristana as she lay on the