Read Guild Wars: Ghosts of Ascalon for Free Online Page B

below. Dougal watched as pieces of the construct crumbled away. It hit the wall again and again, knocking loose more pieces every time until little of it was left but a few twitching skulls that seemed to stare up at Dougal and accuse him of thievery with their empty eye sockets.
    “So passes Blimm’s great creation,” Clagg cackled. “And now the Golem’s Eye is mine!”
    Dougal started to grin, but his sense of triumph faded when the bones lining the corridor began to thrum.
    Dougal looked about them. “You say the ruby is that thing’s mind?”
    The asura nodded, still delighted in his anticipated prize. “In a sense. Blimm designed the central cereo-impulse unit so that the guardian could assemble itself out of appropriate materials in the surrounding environment. I’d think even a human could grasp that.”
    “So, assuming the ruby is still intact, the creature could reassemble itself anywhere?”
    Clagg’s face darkened. “Isn’t that what I just said, bookah? It could re-form anywhere it could find enough appropriate …” The asura’s voice faded to silence asthe rattling of the bones surrounding the three of them grew louder. Clagg’s eyes opened wide as he realized what he had just said.
    “. . . material.” He finished softly, looking at the bone-lined chamber around them.
    “We should run, now,” suggested Killeen.
    As the bones began to peel themselves from the corridor’s walls, Dougal grabbed his torch in one hand, Killeen’s hand in the other, and ran. He didn’t look back to see if Clagg was keeping up.
    Through the chambers and passages they fled, the dry clattering of bone against bone behind them. They slowed only for a moment where the spider had ambushed Killeen, and again where the explosive trap had detonated. Only after they reached the far side of both chambers without incident did Dougal call for a halt. Clagg bent in half, desperate to regain his breath. Killeen was practically yellow from exhaustion as well.
    Over their deep gasps for breath, Dougal listened for the sounds of pursuit. Nothing.
    “We’ve outrun it,” he said at last, wiping the sweat away from his forehead.
    “Not possible,” panted the asura. “We are still surrounded by bones. Show me the Eye.”
    Dougal fished out the gemstone and held it out to the asura, but did not let go of it. The fire in the jewel’s heart was gone, and the stone felt dead and lifeless.
    “As I thought,” said the asura. “It is deactivated. Exhausted the stored malagetic field. It could recharge naturally over time, or someone with sufficient skill”—Clagg paused just long enough to indicate he meanthimself—“could reactivate it. Give it to me.”
    Dougal closed his fist. “Not yet.”
    Clagg snarled, “I hired you to retrieve the Eye.”
    Dougal said, “You hired
us
to accompany you into these crypts to recover the gem. We are still in the crypts. Once we are safely out and, may I add, paid, I will give you the gem.” With that, Dougal made a show of placing the gem in his breast pocket once more.
    Only, this time he palmed the gem and kept it in his hand.
    Clagg opened his mouth to abuse Dougal further, but looked at the human’s smiling face, said “Bah,” and stomped away in the general direction of the Skull Gate and daylight.
    Killeen said, “You think he is going to cheat you.” It was a statement, not a question.
    Dougal nodded. “Definitely. Well, likely. Best to be sure.” He looked at the sylvari, and she returned his gaze with a quizzical look. He coughed and followed the asura.
    The Skull Gate, a main entrance to the crypts beneath Divinity’s Reach, was named for the long tunnel lined with the lacquered skulls of the deceased. Nameless souls whose bodies had washed up when Orr sank, and when that lost kingdom rose from the depths once more at a dragon’s command. Dougal thought of the power of the Golem’s Eye unleashed here and shuddered.
    Up ahead, around a corner, was daylight. They