When the crowd followed the procession out of town, you went with them. “Wait, they’re taking him there already? Aren’t we going to wait for him to recover?”
“The shaman has determined that he is fine enough,” your companion told you. “In fact, considering where most of his injuries lie, I’d say the change will heal him almost completely.”
“That sounds…pretty convenient, actually.”
By now, it seemed the whole village had joined the parade through the swamplands, winding its way around murky pools and clusters of vine-covered trees. The smells, which had dimmed a little inside the village, now hit you with full force once again. Nobody else seemed to have a problem with it, though. They all just marched behind their leader in grave silence.
At last, after almost an hour of damp wilderness, you came upon a sign of civilization. Stone ruins rose up in a clearing in the trees, probably the foundations of some ancient palace or temple. Passing between the remains of an archway, you entered an open courtyard and gasped. In contrast to the drab, monochromatic landscape of the swamp, this place was filled with color and light. Glowing purples, electric cyan, splashes of reds and pinks, there seemed no end to the dizzying palette. To your shock, it all seemed to be coming from countless bioluminescent mushrooms, flowers, and algae the likes of which you had never before seen, and at scales you doubt were even possible in your old experience. How could such a miserable environment produce this kind of exotic beauty?
Carefully, you reached out and tapped a mushroom nearly as tall as yourself. In response, a ripple radiated over its surface from the point of contact. Oddly, you could almost swear you heard faint giggling.
Before you could really lose yourself in this alien wonderland, you noticed that Zarsh’s escort had set him down onto the multicolored ground and stepped away. The rest of the lizard folk arranged themselves on the side closest to the exit, keeping a respectful distance from their leader. By now, their silence had become eerie. After a while…