The wall slid back with a slow grinding of stone, and dust fell from the mechanism as a new passage opened up, bringing with it a slight brush of wind as the air pressure changed. As old torches ignited as they passed within, the light caught off the many treasures arrayed within - casting a golden and flickering glow across the faces of the those that trod these secret paths. The torches burned in response to some ancient spell or enchantment placed a long time ago. Servants and bodyguards alike knew better than to touch the treasures within not just because they were convinced they would be protected but also because they were loyal to the land and their protectors. They came to the heart of the underground complex and beheld there the chamber that had won both the Duke and his childhood friend their first hide tanning and a ringing scolding of the ears. They beheld the face that had intrigued them so many years ago; the horrible almost living face was part of the magical door that now stood before them. The whole chamber was a ghastly homage to the minds of the original creators. It was as though some twisted and tormented creature was walled into the very stone. Morreck beheld this place with a kind of fascinated, sick revulsion - but here was hope for them all. The door was made in ancient times, leading into the magical chamber - they said it was constructed to withstand an army of Trolls or worse…once the portal was locked there would be no escape.

Now that self same thing stared at them all with accusing eyes, bones sprouted from the sides of the wall and into the arch that formed the door. Around the left and the right side of the face, curved white formed a sickening kind of crest - as one bone pierced the top of the head, and two more curved around and forwards over the eyebrows (One eyebrow bisected by an angry scar, running from the forehead down to the beginning of the nose.) The whole thing seemed to pulse as if alive, red viscera filling the back wall of the arch, where the visitors could see the mouth agape and leading into the chamber beyond, it would be like walking down the throat of a demon of Chaos.

Morreck's father, Duke Dylan Ferol had beaten both boys soundly when he had found them playing in the lower catacombs close to where the chamber was, both children were standing and staring at the face and mouth - rapt in their attentions. He had gone into a protective, but angry rage at their actions and had told both boys that they were lucky as the devil, for the room was not meant to be a play-room nor was it any kind of place to be. For the door to that chamber once closed would lock automatically and the walls were such, that no one would hear their screams to be let out. The door was strong enough they would not have been able to batter it down or to break it.

They would have starved to death he counseled, eyes full of pain and anger those eyes mirrored in Morreck's own now as he saw Ralph push away from his arm and stride weakly towards and into the chamber, the mouth still invitingly open as it had been all those years ago. His friend gestured him back with the point of that evilly glimmering sword, the blade seemed to be growing in presence and power as time leaked on.

"Goodbye Bucktooth." Ralph said through tear and pain filled eyes. "The beast in the sword almost has me, I can feel his mind pulling my own down into that blade." His eyes began to glaze. "You will know you will know what to do." At this moment he was dead in all but body, and his head fell forwards onto his chest.

Before Morreck could move, the Adept's head raised once more and a voice rolled forth like a hissing swamp, bubbling in chaotic chords.

"I am free!" As the last word was spoken the Duke beheld his friends eyes once more open, and his heart went cold in his breast, for those eyes were now devoid of life and shone like black spaces between the stars. He knew that voice, he had heard it before and the fear of what was to happen caused him to jolt into action…with the memories of that evil cadence rattling in his ears from the battle scarcely a week before - he spoke a single word, one he had been entrusted with as a young man - by his father. Closing his eyes against the howl and bellow of inhuman madness that broke from within as the mouth slammed shut with a wicked crack, Ralph's friend could hear the frenzied sounds of the Chaos Lord's blade as it struck futile strokes against the inner walls of the chamber.

The castle shook as a terrible roar erupted from the chamber, rattling the fixtures and causing dust to fall from the ceiling above their heads.

Morreck smiled a grim smile and walked angrily away. "Squeal all ye like demon king, hellspawn ye'll not live long with that body…it can't live on only air." He laughed a sardonic and grief-stricken laugh. "And after that, ye can lurk in that damned blade as long as ye like! Till the stars fall and the land breaks asunder!"

As he paced away from the door, lost in his own thoughts, the Duke offered one last statement to the air.

"Farewell" He turned to look at the door. "Blunderfoot I might have known it would be you who saved the world single-handedly, before you were done…Farewell old friend, we owe you more than we can ever say in simple words." A tear slipped down his face and he wiped it away with a dusty finger. And with that last act, he led his servants and bodyguards away from that chamber, which held the power of a god imprisoned behind that twisted portal, for eternity.