Investigate a city square

The buildings loomed over the narrow street. Rasa was starting to feel hemmed in; being in a city was strange. It didn't help that there were more and more people around...

"Come on!" Verin called. She rushed ahead, with Alistair following close behind. Rasa swallowed her trepidation, and she hurried after them. They were practically shoving their way through a crowd.

Then Rasa stumbled out into an open space. A cobblestone-paved square stretched out in front of her, with nary a soul in sight. Everyone was standing at the edge of the square, looking at the...monster? What Rasa saw was a giant flower, sprouted right up from the ground. The blossom was mottled red and orange, shaped a bit like that of a rose, but looking large enough for a person to rest inside. The great bloom was surrounded by layers and layers of green leaves, slowly swaying—or trembling? Dark green tendrils extended from the plant, stretching out into the square, writhing urgently back and forth.

"One of these," Verin spit. She lunged forward. "Go!"

Rasa jerked in surprise. "What?"

"I'll cast at the bloom!" Alistair said. He put one hand to his forehead, the other hand stretched out—a fiery orb flashed into existence and streaked over to impact the blossom. Immediately the tendrils lunged for them, homing in on their position. "Keep them off me!"

"Oh!" Rasa said. "Right!" Verin was already hacking at the questing vines. Rasa pulled out her wooden baton, and she set herself. As a tendril came in from the right, Rasa struck.

This...was difficult! The vines whipped through the air, almost faster than Rasa could see. Her third swipe impacted with enough **** to crack the a vine's exterior, leaving it limp, but more leaped for her. The adventuress felt tendrils wrap around her body, pulling at her armor. In desperation she drew her knife, hacking at the ropy vegetation.

Then the square was lit by an orange flash. The giant flower burst into flame, and it withdrew into the ground, smoke billowing upward. The vines pulled back as well; they yanked at Rasa, but she managed to hack through them before they dragged her away. In moments all the vegetation had vanished down the hole.

The small party moved over to the hole, gazing downward. "Damn," Verin muttered. "It was growing down in the sewers, got big enough to poke up here..."

"Looks like this will take a while longer," Alistair said. Verin started climbing into the hole; while she did, Alistair glanced at Rasa. "You good?" She nodded. "Okay," he said. "Come on."