God of Discovery [high fantasy, slow build, mlm]

The pillar, part 6

"Is the ice breaking again?" Haur asked, jumping to his feet. He swayed, the effects of the narcotics still too strong, then stumbled down to his knees when the ground's shaking intensified.

"Not the ice," Thar replied and dropped into a crouch, hands and feet anchoring into the ground by turning the snow into ice.

D'Argen used his mahee to balance himself, his feet anchoring into the ground. It was shaking too much though and when Yaling suddenly dropped, D'Argen followed her on instinct. It was not a break in the ground like before, no chasm and freezing water waiting for them. Yaling just lost her balance and the snow under them shifted.

Thar used his mahee to harden it in intervals, giving D'Argen and Yaling icy footholds to keep them balanced. It took Haur a bit longer to find his own balance but once he did, he stood tall. He looked completely sober when he turned to the other three. Then he paled, all the blood draining from his face and making him appear sickly. His eyes were focused past D'Argen, Yaling, and Thar.

Towards the pillar.

D'Argen turned, lost balance, and fell to his knees.

The large group of mortals around the pillar were screaming, scattered and running. They were pushing at one another but it was impossible to tell whether they were pushing toward or away from the pillar.

Three were already in the water.

As D'Argen watched, another two fell in. One of them dragged Nocipel down with him. Fortunately, Nocipel was able to use his mahee to pull both himself and two of the mortals out with a small wave. The wave pushed the other three further down. One of them popped up and grabbed Lilian's ankle. Lilian's head cracked loud against the ice when they fell and were dragged down into the water once more. Abbot dove in after them and one of the mortals pulled him into the water as he used the artist's body to try and climb out.

The mortal got out only to be shoved back in. Another three fell into the water. Another two after that. There was not enough water between the pillar and the ground. Not everyone's head was above the surface.

The entire time this was happening, the ground was continuing to shake. The pillar was sinking. The markings on its surface were cracking.

D'Argen could not wait for an order from Haur or even permission. He opened his mahee as wide as possible and aimed for the base of the pillar, where it disappeared behind the struggling bodies. He slide to a stop before he came too close and elbowed and shoved mortals out of the way. Then he dropped to his knees right beside the pool and reached in.

The water was freezing. It climbed up his arms and his teeth started chattering immediately. He grabbed a flailing hand, latched on tight, and pulled. The mortal that broke the surface in gasps was not who he was looking for. D'Argen uttered a spell to give his muscles more oxygen to breathe and he used that new strength to yank the mortal out of the water completely.

He pulled two more out of the pool before he grabbed Abbot's metal collar. He yanked as hard as he could and felt the wires break, the beads slip through his fingers, when something pulled the artist back down. D'Argen lost balance and was about to go face-first into the water when strong hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back.

Haur locked his legs and yanked. D'Argen tried to grab something solid. A hand clasped around his and that was enough. Both of them pulled until Abbot broke the surface in sputtering coughs. The water raised him higher and right over D'Argen's head, throwing him further away from the pool.

The empty pool.

Nocipel must have gotten everybody else out even as the ground and pillar continued to shake.