I turned back. Not a great idea I told myself. But then was no other choice, right? I came to the corridor where I had been hiding. I went the opposite way of which I had come. A young witch lay dead in front of me, her youthful features burnt beyond repair. Evidently she had died a painful death. I kept walking. And then reached a flight of stairs. I climbed up. More corpses, both friend and foe lay sprawled across the stairs. The fighting had been hard here. Some of the fallen were the instructors at this Temple. The rest their students.
I reached the top. A narrow corridor was in front of me. I walked seventeen steps forward turned to my right. There it was, an ice knight, now shattered and half molten.
I began casting, "Greetings, Soldier of the Frozen Wasteland. I, Member of the Council, request entry to the forbidden chambers."
No response. Uh oh. Definitely not a good sign. As I wondered whether to cast a second time or not, the figure rose and said, in his deep hollow voice, "You may pass."
Thank goodness! There was no other way to get into these chambers. I'd hate it if I were locked out. He moved aside and a door revealed itself behind where he stood. I opened it and walked inside. A great hall I had stepped into, the likes of which would make any king jealous. A great throne stood at the end opposite to me. Lesser thrones were arranged in crescent in front of the great throne. 7 lesser thrones for the councillors. The great throne for the Lord of Ice. Someone who hadn't appeared in over a thousand years.
I walked towards the throne and at the middle of the hall, I turned right. There was a door leading underground. I went ahead. The darkness was staggering. I summoned an ice lamp. Even with that, I could barely see ahead. They should've renamed this place the Bat Chamber. Surely no one can see through this? I marched ahead solemnly. I began to feel an aura, reassuring yet imposing. I was close to my goal now.
I saw light bursting out from a chamber. Strangely the passage I was in, was still unlit. Interesting magic. I stepped into the chamber.