My eyes were dazzled by the brilliance of the power in front of me. In the centre of the chamber stood a great crystal, graceful yet immensely strong, made of the purest ice. Magical energies flowed through it, amplified by the might of the crystal. Behold, I told myself, the glory of the Lord of Ice.
Now, I suppose I should explain what this crystal is all about. Long ago, there was a powerful ice mage. He was the last Lord of Ice. As he lay on his deathbed, he requested to be brought to this very chamber. Once he reached here, he commanded everyone save the council to depart. He then began casting a powerful spell and even as the council watched in awe and some amount of horror, his legs began to disappear as a great crystal of ice began to build in front of him.
He then spoke his last words, as the council watched his floating head finish murmuring incantations.
"Councillors of this Temple! You have served under me for three and forty years. Yet, none of you witnessed the true power of ice which I have now channeled. This crystal will remain the test for generations to come. Only the one who can wield the power of this crystal shall be declared the next Lord of Ice. My strength flows through this crystal. And this chamber shall be forbidden to intruders. I have ensured enough security for this chamber. As long as there is no Lord of Ice, this temple is doomed to fall."
And then his head vanished as well and the councillors left. Even as they left the chamber, darkness shrouded the passage. They made it to the other side without getting lost in the labyrinth that had been magically created. They stepped out of the Council Room and sealed it with the Frosted Gatesman.
Pretty cool story, huh? I still didn't think it was fair to have only Lords of Ice and no Ladies but it wasn't something I could've done something about. Until now. I moved towards the crystal. I could feel the hunger for knowledge, the seemingly limitless power and complete mastery of ice magic course through it. I had to try channeling the power of it. There was no other way I could possibly help my allies.
I stretched a hand towards the crystal. I touched it. And instantly, I regretted it.
