Accolon was surprised that morning to see Merlin but seemed genuinely pleased to have him along. Selvina had eaten quickly and was ready to follow the legatus to wherever they needed to go to put a stop to Iktarosh's return.
"With you here, Merlin," Accolon was saying, "we could perhaps go in through the main entrance. Surely your magic would be powerful enough to work the locks."
"Can you use dark magic?" Selvina asked the old wizard, remembering how Rhiannon had mentioned one would need mastery of both nature and dark magic types to open the doors.
"I focus on the nurturing aspects of nature magic meant to keep the balance," Merlin replied. "I rarely tampered with dark magic."
"All you need to do is bring a plant back to life."
Merlin raised a bushy eyebrow. "Nature does this on its own every year with the change of the seasons."
"So you can do it?"
Merlin nodded. "With ease, my dear."
"Then it's settled!" Selvina exclaimed with a great smile. "We go through the front doors!"
Merlin, however, did not agree. "I would much prefer a secretive route, Selvina. We want no one knowing we are there, after all, as the empress could return here any moment. It actually troubles me that she has not yet returned."
Accolon nodded. "I would have expected her here by now."
"Do you think anything happened?" asked Selvina.
"I could take a few minutes to peer with my far-sight..."
"There is no time, Merlin," Accolon said hurriedly, his words coming out jumbled. "As you said so yourself, she may be arriving here at this moment. We need to be in those hidden tunnels before we are seen by wandering eyes and more and more of them are waking up as we speak."
"Indeed," agreed Merlin. "Lead the way, Accolon."
Selvina was disappointed that Merlin hadn't taken the time to seek answers to Rhiannon's, and thus Jack's, whereabouts but she agreed there was little time to tarry. She eyed Accolon with furrowed brows, disappointed with him as well. If he truly had feelings for Rhiannon he would have taken the time to find out. If there was a deep connection between the two he'd fare the best out of all of them if Rhiannon found out what they were up to. Something felt off but she couldn't quite discern what it was.
Soon after, Accolon and Merlin left the room, closely followed by Selvina and Tinkerbelle, the latter two giving the sleeping Amalthea a final look of concern.
"I'll stay with her," said the fairy. "You have Merlin and Accolon with you, Selvina. You'll be fine. Amalthea needs someone to watch over here. That queen-baby Svala could be looking for her."
Selvina paused, caught off-guard by the sudden change of plans. She glanced at Tinkerbelle and Amalthea and then at Merlin and Accolon, already near the end of the hall. With a quick nod, she said, "Good idea, Tink. You're right. I'll be fine and Amalthea should have someone here to keep her safe. You're perfect for the job."
"You're right I am! Now go before you lose them!"
Selvina flashed Tinkerbelle another smile before racing out of the room and closing the door behind her.
****
Accolon lead Merlin and Selvina into areas of the castle that seemed to be visited by no one. There were cobwebs and dampness in every corner and the stench of mold was overpowering.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Selvina asked, pinching her nose and trying to ignore the cockroaches scurrying into dark crevasses.
"As the general of the empress's armies I am required to know every instance and portal an enemy may use to infiltrate this keep," the white-haired elf replied. "I have travelled these halls several times to ensure that they cannot be breached easily. Some of these passages lead to hidden doors outside the walls but they are of no concern to you at the moment."
They descended an extensive stairway into pitch black and when the ordeal was over, Selvina's legs ached and burned painfully. Accolon, thankfully, waited a few moments to let her recover and then was off again. It was too dark to see and thus Merlin lit the tip of his staff, its shining light fighting valiantly against the smothering darkness.
They passed several connecting passages until they turned a few corners and stopped at the end of one hall. A hole in the wall led into more blackness and Accolon pointed to it.
"At the end of that passage is a stone door that can only opened from this side," he instructed. "It will be cramped and uncomfortable but you must remember that these passages were made for dwarves, after all." Without another word, Accolon bent down and slipped into the hole, disappearing completely.
Merlin gave Selvina a comforting smile and pat on the shoulder and let her go next. She bent down and entered the slimy tunnel, fighting hard not to gag. Merlin followed behind her, his light a beacon of hope and security.
The tunnel went in a straight line and the trek through it was uneventful, if unpleasant. Accolon motioned for Selvina and Merlin to wait as he unsheathed his blade and plunged it into a crack in the wall ahead of him. He then muttered several unintelligible words and turned his sword like a key. He then pulled out his blade, sheathed it, and they all watched as the wall opened up and swung wide, revealing an empty expanse ahead. The opposite wall of the huge pit stared back at them several hundred feet away as bluish lights danced across its surface.
"We're here!" Selvina said, recognizing the lights. "Iktarosh is suspended directly above this hole."
Accolon poked his head out of the tunnel and looked up. His eyes narrowed at what he saw. "Selvina speaks the truth. We have arrived and Iktarosh is there. It will take time climbing up this steep pit, however."
"I can help with that," said Merlin. "Legatus, allow me to lead from here."
Accolon nodded and pressed himself against the side of the tunnel as Merlin moved ahead of him. The wizard peered through the hole, looked down, from side to side, and then up. He sighed deeply at the sight above before he closed his eyes and spoke a few words. He pressed his hand on the tunnel's floor and, immediately after, a flat slab of stone protruded out from the bottom edge of the opening, extending out over the pit. Merlin walked onto it and looked left.
Selvina heard the sound of more slabs grinding out of the wall and watched Merlin step out onto another one, staying close to the pit's wall. Accolon let Selvina go ahead him and she did, albeit slowly.
Her heart was racing as she walked onto the flat slab of stone that hung over the pit. She looked down, knowing she shouldn't, and saw only darkness. How far down it went was a mystery she wished to never solve. She gazed ahead and noticed the Merlin was constructing a crude sort of ascending spiral staircase alongside the wall of the pit. It had no railing, however, and Selvina stayed as close to the wall as she could as she gingerly raised her foot to the next step. The stone steps weren't slippery but they had a few inches of space between them, enough for a leg to fall through, and the fear of it happening flooded Selvina's mind.
Accolon walked behind her, urging her to hurry. Selvina understood the need for urgency but try as she might she couldn't move any quicker. She felt childish and pathetic for slowing Accolon down and thought of allowing him to pass her but it wouldn't change much. Both men would still need to wait for her to reach the top before doing anything to Iktarosh. They could most likely stop the god's resurrection on their own but it would be unwise to drop a statue down a pit with Selvina still inside it, especially since she'd once again be Faeryum's only hope after the god's disposal.
Hurry, damn it! Selvina urged herself. Just hug the wall and move up those stairs already! Merlin and Accolon are waiting! Do you want to be the reason Iktarosh comes back?
Selvina pressed her hands against the wall and dug her nails into it as she moved one foot onto a higher stair. She ascended it without issue but took a few moments to slide her hands up before climbing the next stair. It was steady progress but agonizingly slow.
Something cold brushed against Selvina's fingers and she screamed, pushing her hands off the wall and stepping back. She lost her balance and swung her arms out, flailing them wildly as she fought to regain her footing. The dark nothingness of the pit's unseen bottom loomed hungrily.
Accolon's hand soon pressed against her back, supporting her fully, and Selvina calmed down. She lowered her arms, thanked Accolon graciously, and then eyed the wall, hoping to spy whatever had touched her. To her surprise, she noticed that it was a vine. She trailed its length with her eyes and noticed that Merlin had already reached the top of the pit and had summoned a vine to cling to the wall as a safety rope.
Blushing with embarrassment, Selvina grabbed the vine with both hands and held it tightly as she climbed up the stone staircase sideways like a crab. Having the vine to hold on to was a great relief and her progress soon quickened to a respectable rate.
Before too long all three of them had reached the top of the pit and Merlin dismissed his stairs, the stone slabs shuddering before sinking back into the pit's wall. The vine shrivelled and crumbled into pieces, dropping down into the darkness, lost forever.
Merlin looked up at the suspended statue and furrowed his brows. "We are late. There are already cracks on the body."
"Cracks?" Selvina asked worriedly. "What do you mean cracks? Is he breaking out?"
"The statue is Iktarosh, Selvina. I have never witnessed a god returning to life but I believe the stone is now more of a hard skin covering his body instead of just a god-shaped chunk of rock. Once it flakes off, Iktarosh's live body will be freed."
"Well let's stop it from happening! What do we need to do?"
Merlin eyed the massive chains clinging to the god's ankles and the swirling tendrils of magic racing along their lengths. "Little can be done about the chains suspended from the ceiling but if we break the ones tied to his ankles, we may slow the flow of dark magic enough to delay his return, giving us time to find a solution for the remaining chains."
"How do we break them?" Selvina asked, walking up to the one of the chains and watching the magical serpent-like tendrils slither out of the ground and swirl along its length on their way to sink into the suspended god. There were far more of them than the last time and they were moving at an increased pace.
There must be a vast supply of dark magic somewhere, she thought, her thoughts immediately going to Jack. I should have had Merlin use his far-sight before leaving the room. At least I'd know if Jack is alive or not...
Half-heartedly returning to the matter at hand, she wondered how anyone could snap the chains apart. Each link was huge, larger than she was, and every one of them was made of thick, sturdy iron.
"Metal is only a refined form of earth," Merlin said as he lowered to one knee and placed a hand on the ground. "Much of nature's power and potency comes from the earth." He then took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Selvina watched with wide eyes as the chain's first link began to glow red. The air around it grew warm and moments later the metal link began to melt, drops of superheated iron dripping to the ground. It didn't take long before the link was too weak to hold on to the rest of the chain and it broke apart. The long length of chain swung back with a snap and dangled over the pit, clinging to the god's ankle but no longer supplying it with dark magic.
Merlin admired his work and turned around, preparing to do the same to the other ankle's chain. Accolon stood in his way, however, and he eyed him curiously.
"I have no quarrel with you, Merlin," said Accolon, his expression unreadable, "but Iktarosh must live. Rhiannon is right to breathe life into him. He is the one true solution to the Writer."
Merlin's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression stern. "You know that is a lie, Accolon. Cleanse your mind of these fallacies and see the truth!" He gestured to Selvina. "She is Faeryum's only solution to the Writer, there is no other. The gods themselves have chosen her, Accolon. They did not and never would choose Iktarosh."
"The gods are beings of great power, Merlin, but even they can be wrong. They would not bring Iktarosh back because they fear him. They fear his power. They fear what he can do to them. They know he can, if he wished to, slay them."
Merlin took a step toward the other chain but Accolon's face hardened and he unsheathed his sword, lightly pressing its tip on Merlin's abdomen. "I warn you, wizard, do not continue. I have always admired you, Merlin, and all that you have done for Fearyum but need I remind you that we are at war and you are, after all, my enemy. Killing you here and now would not be murder, it would be victory."
Selvina's heart was beating so rapidly she feared it would explode. Her skin was cold with sweat and her body trembled. She didn't know what to say or what to do and the look in Accolon's eyes was terrifying her. He would kill Merlin if he had to, that she had no doubt. She saw Merlin take a step back and relax slightly.
Gathering courage, she asked, "Why did you bring us here, Accolon? If you never wanted Iktarosh to be stopped, why are we here?"
Accolon gazed at the suspended god and smiled a wicked, frightening smile. "He will be hungry. Accolon will be weak and in need of sustenance before he can face the Writer. Iktarosh is the god of conquest and his power grows if he quells the destinies of certain, special mortals.
"It is why he created us. The Four Creator Gods' destinies were tied to their dragons and their balance of the world. With sentient beings capable of putting an end to the reign of dragons Iktarosh's power only grew with every slain wyrm. You, Merlin, are forever destined to uphold the balance of this world. You're somewhat of a dragon yourself."
Accolon set his eyes on Selvina then and it froze her on the spot. "And you, Selvina, are chosen by those Four Gods and their Thirteen servants to save us from the Writer, a petty mortal, albeit a troublesome one. With both yours and Merlin's destinies broken and prevented, Iktarosh would be more than powerful enough to stop the Writer with little issue. He could then go on and spread his greatness over Faeryum and the rest of this world."
"You have lost your wits, Accolon," Merlin growled, his bushy brows frowning. "This is madness, do you not see? Iktarosh does not spread greatness! He spreads death and destruction! He spreads the end of things!"
"He did not create us to watch us die!"
"He created us to use for his own will! Iktarosh wanted slaves to use against the dragons and other gods of this world. Once those were all disposed of he would have had no more use for us and disposed of us as well. We were forever just a tool for Iktarosh, nothing more. It was Irtue who believed we were more. It was because of her that Iktarosh failed."
Accolon suddenly grew angry and he lifted the tip of his sword, pointing it at Merlin's throat. "Do not speak to me of Iktarosh's sister! She betrayed him! She betrayed her own kin!"
"Iktarosh betrayed his own parents! It was the Four that created HIM!"
"Guys!" Selvina screamed, wanting this all to stop and go back to better times. "Stop your fighting! It's not going anywhere! The longer you stand here and fight the more time Iktarosh has to come back to life!"
"As he will," snarled Accolon. "Rhiannon's vision will come to pass, Merlin."
Merlin stepped back and stomped the butt of his staff on the ground, his face growing suddenly dark. "No, it shall not." He then swung his staff wide, launching a blast of wind that threw Accolon back dozens of paces away. The elf redirected himself in midair and landed on his feet, bending down and sliding back slowly before coming to a stop. He then charged ahead, blade held at the side.
Selvina backed away from the fight, her mind blank. She watched as Merlin and Accolon dueled for a brief moment, staff and sword clashing together, slashing and sweeping, swinging and bashing, and stabbing and chopping. Despite Merlin's age he held his own well against Accolon. The elf was faster and more agile but Merlin was precise with his attacks and far more experienced.
Then, Merlin had vines suddenly sprout from the ground, breaking through solid stone. The melee fight was beginning to sway in Accolon's favour and the old wizard could not keep up with him. The vines writhed about before finding the elf's legs and wrapping around them like snakes, holding him fast. He chopped at them with his sword, cutting them free but the vines only multiplied in number, forever reaching, grabbing, and constricting.
Merlin hurried to Iktarosh's second ankle chain, breathing heavily. Selvina hurried to his side and kept an eye on Accolon as the wizard went to work. The chain's first link glowed red and heat emanated from it in waves, warming Selvina's chilled body. She watched as Accolon managed to free himself of the vines and charge toward Merlin. The dancing blue light shined off his sword as he ran with hatred in his eyes.
"Merlin!" Selvina cried in warning.
The Avalonian wizard ceased his work and stood up, holding his staff horizontally before him. He uttered a few unintelligible words, closed his eyes, and then spread his hands. He opened his eyes next and the staff, floating in midair, suddenly began to rapidly spin in a counterclockwise rotation. Its spinning intensified to such levels that a continuous gust of wind shot forth, crashing into Accolon and instantly slowing his run to a crawl.
The elf fought to keep moving forward but the wind was powerful and he was forced to stab his blade into the ground just to stop from getting blown away. He unsheathed a dagger and, teeth gritted tightly, reached ahead, fighting against the wind, and stabbed in a few feet ahead of himself. Holding on with all his might, he then pulled his sword out of the ground and tried to stab it a short distance forward.
Selvina watched in amazement as Accolon advanced ever so slowly, fighting against Merlin's spell with only muscle and determination. The wizard had gone back to superheating the link of chain and though he was doing well, Selvina sensed he was weakening.
"Are you going to be ok?" she asked him as he groaned and moaned during his work.
"I have to hold two spells at once, Selvina," he said through clenched teeth. "If I lose concentration on the wind spell, Accolon reaches us, but if I lose concentration on the heating spell, the chain will not break. This would be a simple task for me if the flow of magic was not so unbalanced. It is fighting against me, threatening to break free, like an animal in a cage, wanting no one to control it."
Eventually, however, the link did snap apart and the second ankle chain swung over the pit, dangling uselessly. Accolon cried out in anger and lost his concentration, Merlin's wind blowing across the room to slam in the opposite wall with a heavy thud. Selvina felt hope rise up in her and she turned to Merlin to share the mood.
The wizard, however, took his time standing up. Selvina helped him to his feet and he nodded to her, smiling briefly. He walked up to his staff, dispelled the incantation, grabbed it out of the air, and placed one end on the ground. He then leaned on it heavily and took a few moments to catch his breath. He wiped sweat off his brow and gazed at Accolon, who was getting to his feet.
"It is over, Accolon," he called out to him. "Iktarosh will never return."
Accolon tossed his long hair behind his head and grinned wickedly. "Two chains still hang, wizard. You have no victory yet."
Selvina glanced up at the two chains in question and pursed her lips. "What are we going to do about them, Merlin?" she asked the exhausted wizard. "Iktarosh is still getting fed dark magic."
"I understand this, Selvina," he said with a note of annoyance. "I can conjure a spell to reach up there and break those chains but it will require time and much concentration, something we have none of at the moment."
"So what do we—"
A loud crack echoed across the chamber, bouncing off the walls and pounding against everyone's ears. Three heads turned toward the sound and found themselves looking up at the suspended statue. A long crack ran along its abdomen, from shoulder to hip.
Merlin shook his head and widened his eyes. "No. We were too late."
"What?" Selvina shrieked in disbelief. "But. We. You. How could—"
Another crack echoed as it spread along the god's body. Tiny chunks crumbled off the statue as small cracks spread like spiderwebs. Stone flaked off Iktarosh's head and body and did not stop until it revealed what was beneath. Chips and chunks flaked off like rain, cracking off the god's body and dropping down into the darkness of the deep pit.
"At last!" Accolon shouted with glee. "He is here!"
Suddenly, there was a great rumble in the ground and the entire chamber shook. Accolon spread his arms, keeping his balance, as Merlin held on to his staff. Selvina stumbled, slipped and fell on her backside, crying out in pain. The chains clinging to Iktarosh rattled loudly as the god's statue swung about slightly.
The rest of the stone flaked off the statue's body, revealing Ikrarosh's facial and bodily features. Within minutes the chains were no longer attached to a statue but the hanging form of a live being with a horned head, feathery wings, and a humanoid body.
Selvina trembled in horror. Iktarosh was there. He hadn't moved or shown any signs of life but he was there, no longer a statue. Seeing him as an actual body of flesh made his existence reality. Whether he was alive or dead didn't matter at that moment. Selvina was staring at a god, not a fictional figure of legend or myth, but an actual god.
"Iktarosh!" Accolon cried out, arms spread and face beaming with almost maniacal glee. "God of Conquest, Father of all races, you are reborn! Take your first breath, break your chains, and live again!"
And then, to Selvina's absolute terror, Iktarosh opened his eyes.