Phaze came back and reported that the path he took was relatively safe but that a led to a very strange garden. They talked amongst each other again and decided to risk it.

Quillerian had not known what Phaze's idea of strange was but he was still unprepared.

They were now in an old garden. It was no longer green, and all the old beds were filled with dried up roots. There were about a dozen very well crafted statues which depicted both humanoids and coursers alike. The attitude of the statues were as if they were dancing or partaking in revelry.

Benedict's mouth actually dropped open at the scene.

"Why does the fountain in the middle still have water after all of this time?" Ruin asked.

Quillerian wondered that himself. Why was everything else so barren except the fountain?

"Maybe it is being fed by some sort of underground spring?" Benedict suggested, coming out of his surpised stupor.

Quillerian didn't bother to speculate instead he went over to investigate with Phaze and the others trailed not too far behind them.

Just in case there was trouble, he left the skeleton at the door with his burden.

As they drew near the water started to swirl in the base of the fountain.

"Oh damn.. this doesn't look good," Phaze muttered, "I think we should-"

Before he could finish his sentence the water kicked up in to a huge maelstrom that surged towards to Quill as if trying to drag him in.

Quill reacted quickly and scattered and the others followed suit. Whatever was controlling the fountain was not at all satisfied to let them go and it attacked again.

"This is diabolical, we need to retreat!" Ruin cried.

Just as he said so, bursts of water, spiraling the same sinister way, sprng up to block their path.

"What is this now?" Quillerian fretted.

Phaze was dodging easily between the spouts by teleporting and he managed to get out of the mix. From his vantage point he started to call out instructions for each of them to avoid the hazard.

Eventually under his direction they all emerged from the range of the deadly fountain.

"There is a muddy path along the edge that leads out," Quillerian reported.

"How did you have time to notice all of that while we were fighting for our lives?" Benedict asked him.

Quill decided it didn't really need an answer.

Phaze teleported over to check it out and then came back with a report, "It's viable, we should be able to make it."

"I'll go first with the skeleton," Quill said, "Follow me in the usual formation."

"Will do," Benedict agreed and Phaze and ruin also indicated that they were on board.