Ivan stumbled forward, catching himself before he fell, “You twisted son of a…”
“Tsk, tsk, Ivan. You wouldn’t want to curse in front of your youngest, would you?” Merglan smirked smugly.
Ivan thrust his blade at Merglan, but he sidestepped the weak jab while drawing his own blade. “What? Did I push the princeling’s buttons?” Merglan said, swiping aside another weakly attempted stab from Ivan.
What’s he talking about? Anders thought to himself. Ivan isn’t a prince, is he?
Ivan wavered, his energy draining from both the physical parrying as well as having to keep Merglan from entering his mind.
"What's the matter, Will? Can't summon the energy like you used to?" Merglan batted aside Ivan’s sword as he fumbled to strike at the sorcerer once again.
Dropping his sword, Ivan fell to his knees, clutching at his head and shouting, “No!”
Merglan focused his mental energy on Ivan, trying to break through his mental wall.
Silently observing this exchange, Anders felt the hold on his own body lighten. He moved forward somewhat sluggishly trying to quietly close in on Merglan. He saw Zahara out of the corner of his eye trying to snake her way past Killdoor to help him. Killdoor was much larger than Zahara and faster; he kept her pinned.
Anders dragged himself with all his strength, realizing he wouldn’t make it the short distance to Ivan before Merglan broke into his teacher’s mind. Anders drew on his remaining energy, weak as it was. He focused, channeling it through his body as he struggled to raise his arm toward Merglan. He somehow managed to send a bolt flying from his palm. Merglan saw the flash but was too consumed with Ivan to deflect it. The bolt hit Merglan’s shoulder, knocking him over and sending him skidding across the stone floor.
As Merglan fell, his spell on Anders and Ivan broke, releasing them. Anders dashed to Ivan, helping him to his knees. At the same time, Zahara leapt over Killdoor, spraying flames down on him and sending him shying away briefly. She rushed to their side.
As she landed, Merglan recovered from Anders’ attack. Rising to his feet, he began to laugh a deep and horrid sound that grew out of years of hatred and scorn. He flashed his arms out and locked all three of them in place. He seemed to glide through the air as he came toward them. Blood trickled down the side of his face where his head had hit the stone floor.
Coming to a stop, he said, "You think you can defeat me, boy?"
Anders felt a crushing weight bearing down on him as Merglan tried to search his mind. Anders willed him out, but the sorcerer persisted.
“You think you’re the chosen one, prophesied to defeat me because you’re the son of a prince?” Merglan chuckled as he bore down even harder on Anders’ mind.
Anders couldn’t move, he could hardly think. While Merglan talked nonsense at him, he focused on keeping him out. If Merglan broke into his mind, he would lose himself to Merglan’s will. He couldn’t allow it to happen. He wouldn’t allow it to happen.
Just as Merglan began to pry open his thoughts, he heard a voice. It was Ivan’s. Somehow Ivan had broken through Merglan’s mental grip on him enough to speak. “You will not take another from my family,” Ivan commanded.
Anders felt the squeeze on his mind lessen as Merglan addressed Ivan, “Who do you think you are, William!?” Merglan shouted. “Or should I call you Ivan since you’ve convinced everyone into thinking that Kaufen’s son is dead and gone?”
“You might take me down in this fight, but I will not allow you to take another from my family,” Ivan said through clenched teeth.
Merglan stepped closer, mere inches from Ivan's face, "And you think you can stop me?" Sweat formed on the evil sorcerer's brow. He was breathing heavily from the strain of keeping all three sorcerers paralyzed for so long. Yet he chuckled, “You didn’t stop me from killing your father. You couldn’t even stop me from taking your beloved wife away in that freak storm. And you couldn’t stop me when I killed your dragon right before your eyes.”
Ivan spat into Merglan’s face, somehow still resisting Merglan’s complete control over his body.
Merglan wiped the spittle from his cheek with the corner of his cloak and stared into Ivan’s eyes, “You didn’t even realize it when I took control of your son.”
Anders couldn’t believe what Merglan was saying. Ivan was heir to the throne and had been all this time. He was a husband to a wife who Merglan killed in a freak storm, the storm Anders’ mother died in. If what Merglan was saying was true, Ivan was Anders’ father.
“What are you talking about?” Ivan spat.
“Oh, come on, you can’t possibly be so ignorant? The sapphire in his sword,” Merglan said, pointing to Anders' hand. "I imbued it with energy from my body when I killed its owner. I knew you and ‘the chosen one' would come looking for them. I hatched a plan. I knew you would eventually discover its power. All I had to do was make sure the power had been corrupted, giving the boy the thrill to kill. I felt him use it, Will. I felt when your son channeled my power to slaughter unarmed creatures, and he loved it."
“No,” Ivan said.
“Yes. I knew you would come looking for me eventually. When my loyal queen warned me of your departure, I knew you’d be coming into my web. I instilled the hate into your son when he used its power. After that I just needed you to get close to Lageena, then she transported you here, to me.”
“How?” Ivan asked in disbelief.
“I learned many things from the Norfolk during my training. I discovered their secrets behind the crystals. They don’t all work, but I spent the last two decades of my life harvesting them and restoring their powers. Oh, Will, you wouldn’t believe the things these crystals can do,” Merglan trembled, his eyes fluttering closed.
“Now!” Ivan shouted and attacked Merglan.
Suddenly Anders felt control return to his body, and he looked to Zahara who turned her head, wide-eyed. Anders took advantage of the situation, leaping onto her saddle as Killdoor attacked. Zahara dodged out of the way, Killdoor’s talons scratching across Anders’ exposed back as he missed. Anders shouted in pain and Zahara took flight. The darkened room’s ceiling rose high into the air above them. Zahara had enough room to turn before Killdoor engaged them again. He scratched at him, biting at his neck as she flapped her wings against him. Anders struck out with Lazuran at the beast, cutting into its scales with the sharp elven blade. Killdoor released his grip and turned in retreat. Anders looked to the ground where Ivan and Merglan screamed, battling each other’s minds. He knew Ivan wouldn’t be able to hold him for long. He wasn’t even sure how he’d been able to break the spell in the first place.
Zahara, what do I do? Anders asked, watching Ivan being crushed by Merglan’s will.
We need to escape before he kills us all, she said frantically.
How? Anders asked searching for an exit but not seeing one in the dark room.
Use the crystal in the sword, she said as she prepared for Killdoor’s attack. The large black dragon flew at them, releasing a plume of fire as he came at them. Zahara turned, swerving to the side, the flames licking her belly and singing Anders before they escaped the column of fire. Anders now! she shouted.
Reluctantly Anders summoned the sapphire's power. Before he could regret the action, he allowed the energy to rise from the pommel of the sword. The tendrils of energy wrapped around his arm and bit into his skin. He drained the energy from the crystal, letting the tempest consume him. The thrill of anger rushed into his veins, pulsing within him. He struggled to control the rage and direct it toward Merglan.
The sorcerer was locked in a mental battle with Ivan when Anders forced his mind to engage. As he locked minds with Merglan, he became aware that his body was now useless in defending himself from Killdoor. He couldn’t do anything to stop it. He’d linked minds with the most powerful human in the world, and he hated him for it.
Anders’ rage was immeasurable as he wrestled with Merglan’s consciousness. The powerful sorcerer gave in at first, unaware that Anders would strike. Recovering from the initial blow, however, Merglan forced Anders back, taking control of his facilities.
Anders, no, Ivan shouted as Merglan struggled to force each one of their minds back. Get out of here while you can.
I’m not leaving you here! Anders shouted as he tightened his grip on Merglan. The man’s mind was a wealth of strength, unlike anything Anders could have imagined. Part of Merglan’s energy was flowing within him now and Anders not only had to force Merglan to his will but control the pure hatred that consumed him.
