Well....that was different. The newcomer certainly had an...interesting...introduction. If his memory served him right, and he liked to think it did, she was a vida. A member of one of the Three Empires - which? He wasn't sure. All that was important that she was here and that meant another soul to worry about. Adrian had half a mind to simply leave with Nimba in tow - these peoples' lives were not his responsibility nor was he theirs. Their lives meant little to him by comparison.
Yet, despite the situation, Adrian couldn't help but chuckle at this woman's words. Stepping up to her, "I'm afraid not, my dear. Though, I'm sure we can quench your thirst later. For now, we must leave for safer parts. We are not welcome here," he locked eyes to every member of the assembled cast, directing his words to them all, "We've been here far too long." Looking back at the fair vida, "I will see to it that your thirst is satisfied in due time, miss." Though his posture commanding and his tone serious and direct, Adrian sensed a bit of flirtatious flare creeping into his tone. It was damn well instinctual to flirt with a pretty woman by this point. Call it an defense mechanism or, more aptly, a reflex.
Before further words could be exchanged, the violent shaking of the ground intensified, making the horses stumble and he (and everyone else) fall to their knees. It felt like a damned earthquake. Growling, Adrian spat in the sand. Cursing fate for bringing him to this gods forsaken land. His frustration was getting the better of him but he reined it in. He had to remain calm if he hoped to get Nimba, himself and - much to his ire - the rest of them out of there. Still, "By Ninous' bosom, what now?" It was a light curse but his nerves felt better for uttering it. He noticed several new people fleeing but it didn't put his mind at all at ease. A token few out of hundreds meant nothing.
And then, with an audible tearing, the earth split open to unleash a monstrosity of legends. A beast of the earth not seen in hundred of years now unbound from whatever slumber it once held to meet the floating entity in the sky.
A Hareton Worm.
The sheer size of the thing was staggering, what could only be a small part of the worm was visible, yet it was larger than a healthy chunk of the city. For a moment the ground stopped shaking as the gargantuan worm seemed to stare at the Monolith before letting lose an deep bellow - what sounded like a twisted version of a whale's call - so different than the alien symphony of the Monolith. The glowing orange marks scattered across its gray skin seemingly brightening in challenge.
Adrian could do nothing but watch as the two entities faced off - the Hareton Worm quelling in anger and challenge, a stark contrast to the Monolith's cool indifference. With a sharp roar the Worm shook the earth as it charged. Crashing through the city, annihilating everything in its path as it approached the floating entity. So many lives silenced in its destructive wake and yet Adrian could hear no panic, see no one else attempt to flee from the new threat.
The Worm then pounded itself against the Monolith's magnificent sandstone marker with such force that Adrian could hear the impact from where he stood...only to crash back down into the city - crushing buildings and people alike as if they where nothing. As for the Monolith? As far as he could tell the Worm's charge had had no effect at all, it simply sat where it appeared like an unmovable pillar. Its only movement the ever present rolling of gears and circling of its stone spheres.
Unwavering, the Worm crashed itself against the Monolith again and again. Destroying more and more of the city as it assaulted the ever quiet Monolith. After minutes of this the beast latched onto the Monolith's pillar before snaking it's way around it - seemingly intent on crushing the Monolith under the sheer force of it's vise. And still...nothing.
Moments past and finally....the Monolith sang. One long, steady and painfully deep note that seemed to sink into Adrian's very soul. It hurt him, made his ears bleed and yet....it was calming. As if preparing him for what's to come. In the back of his mind he felt another presence, different from the alien Monolith; protective. It seemed to wrap itself around him as a mother would protect her child from a coming threat.
At long last the Monolith's song ended and with it came the customary silence. No, it was more than that. Time itself seemed to stop in its wake. Even the once ever-moving Hareton Worm was still, wrapped around the stone obelisk. The entire world stopped by the Monolith's song.
And for what felt like a sickeningly long period of time, but could have only been moments, the stillness remained. The floating entity seemingly the only one allowed motion. And finally...as if the unknown being bored of the silence and the stillness...Adrian heard waves.
The sound of ocean waves! Thoughts of his past flooded his mind, memories of playing with his mother and sisters at the sea, sparring with friends on the beach, making love as the sea breeze swept by. It made Adrian long for home. But..but how could this be? They were so very far away from the ocean.
And then dawned a horrific realization: That was not the sound of waves hitting the shore. No, no, it was the falling of sand.
The Hareton Worm - the city of Gaudis itself - was breaking into sand. Flesh, blood, rock and bone. All fell in glittering piles of sand. It was almost beautiful; the last rays of the setting sun and the unearthly glow of the Monolith's gears reflecting off the falling grains in glittering majesty. Beautiful. Terrible; horrifying...but beautiful.
It took more than ten minutes for it all to settle to the ground and for more than ten minutes he and everyone else watched. Watched as dozens, hundreds! of years of history and the might of one of the world's wonders fall into dust. Thousands of lives - gone. There was nothing left but sparkling sand.
And all that remained was the Monolith. Resting in the air in indifferent alien majesty. A force of such absolute power that for a moment he thought even the gods were looking upon the scene in awe. The sands below reflecting light up upon it in a glorious display.
The Monolith's song a gift and a curse. The symphony of the cosmos to part the silence of the grave.