Spook stood at the back, across the circle from Meryn, hands in his pockets. It was uncertain where, exactly, he was looking. The mask gave him that advantage.

Alexander placed his hand on the circle. Nothing happened.

Telio placed his hand on the circle. Nothing happened.

Lily placed her hand on the circle. Nothing happened.

Emma placed her hand on the circle. Nothing happened.

Somewhere, a hawk screeched. Off to the side, the felidrakes popped and poofed and meowed and rattled their cages. A breeze rustled in the trees. A chorus of whistling rose up out of the ruined Temple behind them.

Nothing happ--

[b]BOOM[/b]

Violet light flashed, blinding.

When the light dimmed and everyone could see again, they would find a deep, dark hole gaping wide at the center of the magic circle.

Deep within the void, lightning sparked and sizzled. Winds howled. Waves seethed and crashed -- but all they could see was a thick, inky darkness that stretched on forever down, down, into oblivion. There was no doubt that falling into such an abyss would be a fate worse than death.

Their collective Dreams had opened a portal to a place of nightmares.

Something moved in the darkness.

[b]"Looks like it's unstable,"[/b] Spook mentioned in good humor.

Something scaly poked out of the portal they had created. It stared over the edge with beady glinting eyes, and flicked a black forked tongue. It was a hundred times bigger than a snake should be.

A second giant snake-head appeared -- and another. The three enormous snakes rose quickly out of the portal; a clawed foot scrabbled up onto the ground, clambering with difficulty up out of the abyss, revealing that the three snakes were connected to the same body.

[center][img]http://jp23.r0tt.com/l_02f2d8c0-881d-11e5-9690-430a46700023.jpg[/img]
[sup]art by [url=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/egq1D]Brett MacDonald[/url][/sup][/center]

Spook was entirely unphased. [b]"Don't let go of the circle,"[/b] he reminded them, like a kindergarten teacher instructing his students. He tipped his head up and beckoned to Lux, Meryn and Kelsier.

Even as he gestured them closer, the snake-beast climbed farther into the ground, struggling. One head hissed at Lily, another bared its fangs at Telio, and the third snapped its razorblade jaws at Emma.