Eyes wide, Merrin likewise stepped back. Her slender rapier against this hulking giant of a - what was it? Earth elemental? - seemed a nearly laughable thought. It was laughable no longer when the thing stepped forward with another groan like stone rending, footsteps shaking the tunnel, and Merrin could almost imagine a glint in the black slits of its eyes.

Wyvern tensed and sprayed a plume of bright flame at the living rock. A useless course of action, as was proven when he ceased and the stone was barely blackened. The monster cocked its unwieldy head at the spooked silver dragon and Wyvern moved back, wings and tail held close to him in the confines of the tunnel.

There was a long moment of silence. Then pandemonium ensued.

A rain of stalactites littered the tunnel floor when, with another deafening roar, the monster swung its makeshift weapon wildly. It moved with deceptive, alarming speed, scattering the humans and dragons before it.

Merrin deftly avoided the tail end of another wild swing, accompanied by an earth-shattering bellow, but was not quite quick enough to avoid the next one. It did little more than glance off, but she was sent careening into the nearest stone wall to have the breath knocked entirely out of her. Time to go, then.

She picked herself up rather painfully, a hand to her bruised rib cage, and stumbled a few steps down the corridor of stone. "Come on, before the next one comes!"

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To his ultimate surprise, Garthag felt something that he had not experienced in a long time, absolute fear and feeling that he was like a bug ready to be squashed by a human hand. Garthag jumped away from the elementals attack and cursed, he heard the words of Merrin and decided to heed them for once. He wasn`t willing to fight an elemental that would surely not give up until it had done every bit of damage it could.

Garthag stumbled after Merrin and gazed at her quietly as she seemed to be hurt, `better she than me` Garthag thought.

"What in the blazes are we doing here again?"

Garthag asked with clear frustration as the elemental was not a thing he wished to be dealing with.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The same bestial sweep that'd sent Merrin careening off her feet also impacted Kendath. The terrifying maul slammed into the tunnel walls, sending debris tumbling. Kendath threw himself to the ground and launched into a roll, beyond the flying rubble. The maul came down again, and he happened to glance up... and saw what appeared to be the entire tunnel collapsing on him.

It was, in reality, a boulder the size of a dragon's head. A streak of jade, and suddenly the boulder shattered in a spray of smaller but still formidable rocks. He reflexively threw his arms up. A hefty impact jolted his entire sword arm - the arm still holding his falchion. He heard a snap. Half a steel blade clattered to the ground.

Stupid, stupid, stupid...

Kendath could do nothing now but stuff his broken weapon back into its scabbard. He heard a snarl from Gyre as she faced off the elemental. "Go!" she cried.

"Stop being noble," he shot back. He launched into a full run behind Merrin, Gyre hot on his heels. The earth elemental's thunderous steps boomed behind them.

Abruptly Gyre paused and narrowly avoided a blow from the maul. She snapped her tail up and whammed it against the tunnel wall. The stone foundations trembled. Bellowing in outrage, the elemental brought its maul down again. This time it did strike, impaling Gyre's heaving flank. Blood blossomed on her green scales. She screamed her defiance and rammed her tail once more.

The entire tunnel began coming apart.

"Run!" she shouted, launching herself ahead as rocks began pounding on the elemental.

_________________

Merrin flung her arms over her head, hardly even pausing to wince at the flash of pain this sent down her side. She heard the beginnings of a warning snarl from Wyvern before a lash of his tail sent her sprawling - and a moment later a boulder five times her size thundered down to crash where she'd been a split second before.

Now feeling thoroughly bruised and not a little disoriented, Merrin scrambled to her feet and ran full pelt down the tunnel, stumbling on every other step due to the tremors of the uneven floor. She risked a glance over her shoulder and nearly turned around when she beheld Wyvern struggling to keep the rampaging elemental from advancing - and succeeding while rocks nearly buried him with every other tremor.

Such was the force of his mental command - KEEP GOING! - that she didn't consider it again. Stone rained down around her and Merrin hadn't quite caught up to Kendath and Garthag when she looked over her shoulder once more. If, at that moment, she had not seen silver bound from beneath a sliding pile of loose rock, Merrin would have turned around had he wished it or no.

_________________

"Wyvern!" Gyre cried. Her desperate eyes alternated from her rider to her fellow dragon. She'd closely befriended Wyvern on their journey, and at last duty overruled her concern for her rider. "Go, Kendath!" she shouted, and twisted around to join Wyvern. Blocked by two defiant wyrms, the elemental could only rage and swing its maul as the tunnel collapsed around it.

Dust stinging his eyes, lungs burning, Kendath almost skidded to a halt before a cold trickle of rationality took over. He had to trust Gyre. There was nothing he could do here. Nevertheless, he did spare a glance over his shoulder. His heart nearly stopped then and there. Where was Merrin? Finally he caught sight of her lagging behind, glancing frequently back at her dragon.

He bolted back towards her, seized her arm, and dragged her on faster. The ceiling trembled again, and he slammed into her, carrying her to the side as a titanic stalactite crashed down in their path.

_________________

Feeling nearly crushed and almost as dazed, the moment Merrin scrambled to her feet she tried to rush headlong into the collapsing tunnel. Only Kendath's grip, which still held firm despite their fall, prevented her and she turned, covered in dust, expression that of desperation. "Wyvern! We have to go back, we have to!"

Her last words were drowned out but Merrin still whirled, fighting to turn back for her dragon. Another tremor flung them both off their feet again, and Merrin landed hard against the tunnel floor still crying Wyvern's name.

Rock dust and pebbles falling like rain made it hard to see in any direction, but Merrin would have wholeheartedly turned back, even to be buried in falling stone.

_________________

Garthag cursed and stopped on his heels, he concentrated and created a lance of magical energy that he threw towards the stalactite to destroy it. The lance pierced the titanic stalactite or at least created some sort of an opening in it to pass trough. Garthag pushed Kendath and Merrin onwards in order to save them, unbelievable as it seemed he was actually saving these fools lives all tough he could have left them to rot. Well in any case they were required for his future survival and regaining of power he guessed. The dragons were left behind and Garthag gazed once their way, but looked at Merrin and Kendath.

"Leave them!"

He shouted over the rumbling of the collapsing cave as he realized that they wanted to go back to help the dragons.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The stalactite exploded on Garthag's spell, and Kendath saw the perfect opportunity to make a dash for it. He was either hallucinating - likely - or simply being optimistic at the wrong time, but he could have sworn he saw a glimmer at the end of the tunnel.

Now if only Merrin would cooperate....

With frightening strength, Kendath spun her around and pinned her against the tunnel wall. "Listen to me!" he shouted over the roar of the world crumbling around their ears. "There is nothing you can do! Nothing! Wyvern sacrificed himself to save you, so at least pretend to be grateful."

She seemed to have calmed down a bit, so he seized her arm again and led her full speed towards the end of the tunnel. Both his words and his actions had been harsh, but he shook it off. Merrin would thank him later.

_________________

Garthag had already ran trough from the opening and with a clear smile on his face he headed for the end of the tunnel. It was close, close enough that the dragons had to be sacrificed. Garthag stopped at the end of the tunnel and gazed Kendath quietly, but then saw a glimpse of the dragons and grinned. An image of the dead Kalma came into mind and Garthag knew that it was better, if they wouldn`t see their dragons dead at all. He had killed his own dragon that had partly enslaved him, but also granted more power he could have imagined.

Garthag could live with such actions, Merrin and Kendath on the other hand could not.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Merrin wrenched once more at his grip on her arm - but there was no flash of silver behind them, no touch on her consciousness. "No! He's there, he is, we have to go back, we have to - " There was no reaction. She did not attempt it again. Wyvern sacrificed himself to save you...

She didn't realize through the bone-jarring shaking of the earth around them that tears were spilling down her cheeks, making tracks in the dust there, and Merrin didn't hear her own sobs until the stone stopped crumbling. The moment she could do so she whirled to be confronted with a wall of broken rock. There was no hope of getting through that, no hope that -

"Wyvern..." she gasped through her tears. She groped for a touch on her consciousness, for anything to say he was there...

Nothing.

_________________

"What have you achieved by coming to this point? Honestly tell me what have you achieved by traveling back in time, acquiring the crystals and fighting your way here?"

Garthag suddenly inquired as he stared into the horizon, there was a certain degree of mock in his voice, but pure interest was the main intention. Had they embarked on their quest and gained nothing?

"All of us have come to this point and all for what? Nothing, I lost my powers and drained of a part of my soul. And now you lose your dragons, your gods have surely made a mockery out of this all Merrin."

He said with a quiet tone, it wasn`t an attack or anything personal, just the bitter truth, but when Garthag said it, it was obvious that they could more easily deny it because he was a `bad` person.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The tunnel opened up to a rocky landing in the mountain foothills. The sun - strangely languid in the dusty haze - beat down upon snowcrested peaks and jagged spurs. The mountains stretched, a monotony of gray, in all directions. So much for Elkor's arcane prowess.

Kendath still held Merrin in his arms, though he was hardly conscious of it. His stare was transfixed at the settling pile of debris that marked what formerly was the tunnel entrance. He stood rigid, his eyes boring a hole through the stone. His subconscious mind registered one name.

Gyre.

Garthag's caustic words finally sank in - to disastrous effect. He released Merrin and whipped around, impaling Garthag with the full intensity of his gaze. A dagger appeared in his hand without his even realizing it. "It is by our mercy that you still breathe," he hissed, rapidly closing the distance. Some part of his mind warned that though the mage had lost his once formidable powers, he still retained his magic.

And Kendath found that he didn't care.

His blood hammered in his ears. His knuckles whitened on the hilt of his dagger. His cataract of emotions - frustration at their predicament, concern for Merrin, shock at losing Gyre - spilled forth. Garthag was asking for death.

"What we accomplished is none of your concern," he said quietly. "We fought for a purpose on that damnable mountain against those damnable Shadowers. What is your purpose in this lifetime, mage? Where are your powers now?" He drew back, breathing hard. "You disgust me."

_________________

Garthag stepped forwards with his eyebrows raised and with his eyes nailing onto Kendath, he was simply asking Kendath to go ahead and stab him. He looked at Kendath with valuating eyes and made cold conclusions. Kendath was one who wasn`t afraid to show his emotions, something that could be considered brave and foolish. Garthag finally smirked and chuckled.

"Disgust? Is that what you feel towards me Kendath? No pity? Oh no, you are incapable of that aren`t you? You have no pity towards those that live only for power? Allow me to clarify something to you, people change, people make choices that lead them to appreciate certain things in life. You appreciate your friendship with Merrin, the dragons that gave their lives were devoted to serving a cause and did so admirably and I... I want power.

Why?"

Garthag asked with an annoyed voice and his hand formed a fist.

"Because I do not have what you have Kendath, I do not have anyone, I do not have a cause to devote myself to and when I joined my brethren gained a cause yet now that is lost. Others have other values and things in life, I was once weak and couldn`t stand myself, so I devoted myself to power so that I would have to be disgusted with myself everyday....

Hmh... and look where it has led me now..."

Garthag said as he turned around and gazed at the sky.

"Back to square one, back to being meaningless, without a true purpose in life and by the way, if you want to stab me... now is the time"

Garthag pointed out with a quirk smile.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

It was as if a wall, impenetrable and unyielding, held Merrin back from what she wanted beyond anything at that moment. Mentally she fought it, pounded upon the rock until forced to collapse. She was suddenly, bleakly alone like she'd never been since Wyvern hatched. Not since then. Her mind seemed lost in an oblivion, no comforting presence always lingering to meld with her own consciousness.

And Gyre. Gyre was gone. Gyre and Wyvern, who had seemed indefatigable, always there, always faithful...Merrin faintly registered that Garthag was saying something, something about the gods, but she could not make herself think of anything but her dragon.

Merrin squeezed her eyes shut as if to block it out, block everything out. But all she could see was Wyvern.

Dropping to her knees she buried her face in her hands. Why Wyvern? Why? Gods, not him! I can't do it without Wyvern!

"...Back to square one, back to being meaningless, without a true purpose in life and by the way, if you want to stab me... now is the time."

"We are not 'back to square one'." Merrin found herself on her feet facing Garthag, hands in fists at her sides, eyes still full of tears threatening to spill over. "Wyvern died for this. He died for this purpose." Her voice broke and Merrin continued even while she cried. "If...if Wyvern can...so can I. And I will. I will - I won't let him die for nothing!"

_________________

"It is not the word, Wyvern died for you, but that was his choice. We make choices in life that leads us onwards Merrin. You chose once to turn down my help, but you haven`t done so now. Is it because this time you can only gain from me without giving anything back in return? Am I only bearable to deal with when I am enslaved?.... don`t answer, I guess the answer is yes... Kendath you mentioned the shadower's?

One of them was behind draining of my powers, a lich. Seems we have a common foe at least"

Garthag said with a calm tone still waiting a dagger to pierce his back as he eyed the skies before him, it would be an ideal place to die and by the ideal persons. Finally he sighed and gazed at Merrin.

"For one who you consider disgusting I can only say this, there is only one path and I am willing to walk that path as you seem to do so as well. You achieve what you have fought for, I gain back my powers and get my revenge upon that damned lich. Those should be our goals unless there is anything to add?"

He said with clear determination in his voice.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

No... Kendath wanted to say. Wearily he lowered his dagger. Gain from you? We'd sooner have you dead. What else could we have done? But the inescapable fact remained that Garthag was, in a sense, right. He knew how to channel the Crystals. His arcane knowledge could prove invaluable to the Renegade cause.

The Renegade cause. The insensible desire to chuckle, to throw his head back and laugh... The old Kendath would have slain Garthag without a qualm, without a thought for the so-called "Meiltha cause." But the old Kendath was dead - broken like the Meiltha falchion that still hung from his belt.

So was Gyre.

Kendath steeled himself for the sorrow, even the rage perhaps. It didn't come. He felt nothing. No pain. No grief. He was a husk, a hollow shell incapable of feeling....

Garthag's voice pierced the emptiness, "I was once weak... so I devoted myself to power...." It was echoed by another voice, alien yet so agonizingly familiar, "You are weak, Kendath. ...What would you sacrifice for power?"

At long last, Kendath turned his gaze back to Garthag. "How is my dragon?" he asked tonelessly, then elaborated further, "How is Demon?"

_________________