Room with a Twisted View

Caught off guard, Fred and Astra both leapt backwards, responding with an unhuman sound somewhere between a hiss and a yowl.

"Now what is this cursed globe going to do to us?!" Fred exclaimed.

This time, however, the globe had no affect on them. Instead, it was the chamber around them that suddenly wavered and changed. The room's rough hewn walls became smooth and polished, and turned from the dull gray of stone to a shiny, deep obsidian that seemed to absorb light. The huge block in the center turned to an actual altar, bronze and brass and granite, with censors of silver and copper around it. The globe itself now rested in a jeweline-encrusted holder, surrounded by blood rubies and amber and jade.

Finally, pictorgraphic carvings appeared, distinguishable from the black wall only by their relative lack of darkness. They showed someone - or something - shrouded in a cloud, laying waste to land after land, subjugating and conquering whole continents. Who or whatever it was, it was clearly aided and abetted by two vicious, grotesque creatures, kept on fiery leashes attached to spiked collars around their necks, who wantonly slaughtered at their masters' command. Dominating everthing, though, was a single unmistakable symbol - the glyph that had come to dominate their lives and actions since finsing this treacherous place!

Astra gave a low moan as she recognized the two murderous minions as herself and Fred. "This - this - we can't allow this to happen!" she moaned, turning away from the scene.

"Agreed!" Fred nearly bellowed. "No more talk! We must leave - now!"

"That may be easier said than done," she replied bleakly, pointing a taloned finger toward the wall. Fred turned to find the entranceway to the chamber gone. He and Astra were sealed in! Worse, the doorway had been replaced by an alcove which contained...

1. A black and gray egg, which seemed to be on the verge of hatching.
2. A small black cloud, throbbing and writhing - and growing.
3. Two steel collars, ringed with cruel, protruding spikes!
4. A human heart.

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