Everything around them warped, only Xbal’s eyes remaining in focus. When the magic dissipated Cassie realized the softness of the bed beneath her and the brightness of the afternoon sun were gone. Instead she was lying on cool, slightly rough stone and they were surrounded by dim, green-hued light. Xbal was still above her, but as she tried to get her bearings he straightened and pulled back, disengaging their bodies and leaving her feeling empty. When he walked away she was bereft, unable to fight a rush of sadness and loss. After a moment she forced back the emotions and sat up, looking around. The sight that met her eyes made her gasp. It was a temple, apparently long abandoned. The roof was gone, replaced with thick, twisted vines which, with the sunlight filtering through them, gave the space its green glow. At the opposite end of the temple was a thick, raised stone slab, an altar of some type she thought, with a throne-like stone seat behind it. On either side of the wide room was a colonnade, freestanding columns at least thirty feet high, and through the encroaching vines carved figures and unfamiliar symbols were visible.
