To say that Amal was getting annoyed was an understatement. He did not think of these creatures as the aristocrats of his country, but they paid him as much heed as an Emir, and would split him in half if he got in their way at all. The lizards all stopped in a circle as earlier by the pool, but after a small discussion in their strange tongue, many of the smaller beasts Emmaline began to refer to as skinks loped over to the foodstuffs, save for the leader. 

Satisfied for now that they wouldn't butcher Emmaline indiscriminately, Amal followed the skinks over to the strange assortments of fruits and salted meats. He sat next to them, all having knelt to munch on the edibles without hesitation. The Saurus he had fought knelt beside him, chomping into an aged leg of meat. Amal could not tell if the thing was looking at him as it ate, or if its eyes simply gazed outwards blandly. 

Meanwhile, T'krit called for what Emmaline now knew was a Kroxigor to wade into the translucent pool. The mighty humanoid seemed hesitant, but after another urging it stepped into the waters, careful as it could. Slowly it lifted its arms and grabbed Emmaline gently, and she suddenly realized it was placing her inside the pool! The magics in the water nearly blinded her magesight, and it seemed to reach up and grab her with its energies. 

Once her body was dipped into the pool, there was a hush that fell over the room that Amal could almost feel in the air, and he turned to watch in amazement. Around Emmaline, bubbles began to form. Out of the twirling waters rose ten figures; skinks. Red of skin and slightly larger than the normal, with blue frills along their backs. On their body was a sleek coating as if they had hatched from eggs beneath the waters. 

It was almost comical, watching Emmaline standing in the middle of the pool wide eyed in some primordial ritual that spawned strange reptilian beasts. T'krit let out a cry of triumph, and then began to shake his stick once again that caused a rumbling in the cavern stone. Emmaline squealed and got out of the pool as quickly as she could, the clothes hugging her skin as a separate tunnel entrance suddenly opened with a slow grinding of rock. 

Amal found himself just next to the opening tunnel, and he flinched as it slid, sunlight pouring into the dim cave. He covered his eyes with his hand, squinting from the light. His eyes adjusted to reveal a sight he had never seen in his entire life. It was the second most beautiful thing he had ever seen, above the crown of Settra and below Emmaline's naked body. It was a city of collected ziggurats and statues of frog-like overlords. Great obelisks twice the size of the Kroxigor stood vigilant in strange patterns along the town square. It wasn't the architecture or the statues that made it beautiful to Amal, no. 

The city was made of pure gold. 
[@Penny]