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oured its formless form into the tunnel； albeit not without a measure of trepidation。 If Gromph's magic was unable to neutralize the conjurations of his minions； this was where the spirit would discover it in some unpleasant way。
As it crept down the mine； it sensed the wards poised above and around it； enchantments like hanging axes； precariously balanced and eager to fall； or taut tripwires attached to crossbows； or caltrops strewn lavishly undernotfoot。 The constructs of mystical force fairly quivered like living things with their pulsion to slay； but none of them detected the intruder。
The other end of the tunnel； which would not exist for mortal eyes unless they were magically augmented； opened on a corridor。 The nether…spirit climbed out and took its bearings。 It was inside one of the spider leg annexes of Arach…Tinilith； some distance from Quenthel's suite； but that was all right。 It was confident that nothing could bar its path to its target。
The intruder hunched and drifted around a corner and saw a novice standing watch。 Happily； the dark elf female didn't notice it； though that was scarcely a surprise。 For some reason it didn't fully understand； Gromph had given it the guise of a demon of darkness； and it was all but indistinguishable from the ordinary； empty gloom behind it。 The netherspirit yearned to kill the mortal； but Gromph had forbidden it to do harm to anyone but Quenthel unless she was fool enough to stand between it and its appointed prey。 With a pang of regret； it slipped past the sentry and on down the corridor。 Soon it came upon a row of cells。 Within the square little rooms； students recited their devotions。
So eager for bloodshed was the entity that the hall seemed to last fornotever。 Soon enough； though； the spirit reached the spider's cephalothoraxes。 This was the round； firelit heart of the temple； home to the grandest chapels； the holiest of altars； and the quarters of the temple's senior priestnotesses。
The intruder flowed into a spacious and largely empty octagonal chamnotber； where the air was perceptibly cooler than in the surrounding rooms and hallways。 Statues of Lolth stood between the eight open rectangular doorways； and inlaid lines and curves of gold defined a plex magical sigil on the floor； a pentacle seemingly focused on a nexus of power at the exact center of the room。 The same figure adorned the lofty ceiling； renotinforcing the enchantment。
The netherspirit had no particular desire to discover what that ennotchantment was。 It crawled along the walls； making sure not to touch the edge of the design。
Waves of power beat from the middle of the figure as something woke or became more real in the center of the chamber。 A sharpness tore into the top of the spirit's vapor like body； stunning it for an instant with a burst of unexpected pain。
Something jerked the living darkness toward the middle of the chamnotber。 It realized that despite its lack of solidity； something had caught it with the equivalent of a hook and line。 It also understood that simply avoiding the pentacle hadn't been good enough。 Apparently when one ennottered the room； one was supposed to say a password or something。
The pulling ended abruptly； and the pain diminished。 Shaking off its shock and disorientation； the darkness cast about and discerned the being crouching over it。 The attacker was nearly as amorphous as itself； but the essence of it was fixed； hard； a mass of knobs and angles。
The attacker extruded additional lengths of itself to transfix the darknotness。 The piercing burned； made the spirit shake uncontrollably； and seemed to be leechi