Forgotten; Worshipped (Imported from Ao3)

28

Aaron was happy, considering the circumstances. Twenty years ago he wouldn't have thought he'd find himself in this position; happy, despite all bad that had happened. He and Hercules had brought the shovel into the palace. Aaron had given Hercules permanent permission to enter through the tornado at any given time and had given him an enchanted amulet for it. He had made it himself in Alexander's crafting room, using two full blooms of singing paradise flowers and spun woolmilkpig's wool for the metal and the necklace of the amulet, infused with an entrance spell combined with a barrier passing spell and one of Aaron's hairs, the latter because the combined spells infused in the amulet would only let him pass through the tornado if something that resided within the palace was also infused within the amulet. He trusted Hercules, he trusted him with his happiness, with his life, with his everything. He had no reason not to trust him, really.

They were both back in the palace. Aaron just created a room for the shovel, and perhaps anything else that might relate to it. He managed to secure the room in the west hall with a red chain wrapped around it, because he wasn't sure exactly how dangerous this or relating artefacts might be alone, or combined, making sure that no one knew how to get them once in this room. The chains only responded to him and Alexander, only opening upon them knocking on them. It was a spell Alexander had once put upon them, he had told Aaron, as another security measure should the barrier spell - Alexander couldn't quite explain its complexity - ever be broken by anyone and the storm crossed, being an easier barrier to pass than the tornado. If any god or otherwise divine creature had the ability to get inside his palace, as a security measure, all doors would disappear into the centre and northern hall and immediately acquire black chains, the stairs to his crafting room would disappear and reverse - an abstract occurrence as it would result in the stairs being inverted and leading to odd places all over the realm below - as well as all the books in his library drop all words in a mess onto the ground, useless and an unreadable mess, and his gardens would be engulfed in a thick, poison and acid fog, not harming the plants themselves, but any creature not supposed to be there. The woolmilkpigs would be protected by the black chains, but would also defend themselves at a moments notice. The palace would immediately turn into a death trap. The halls alone would increase in their odd traits, showcasing them stronger and in a more deadly way. The northern hall would only have acid rain and below freezing temperatures, and immediately switch to boiling hot temperatures in a second. The east hall would change its form in such a drastic way that it would be about impossible to enter, or not to be crushed once within. The west hall would be in constant, rapid whirling movement, changing its gravity so intensely that you would be crushed by the fall within. The centre hall would unleash all curses written into its walls upon anyone entering, causing such fun changes as: turning you into a cockroach and giving everyone around you the irresistible desire and urge to crush you beneath their feet; turning your body inside out and unleashing the flesh-eating ants upon you; having you drown in glass shards or sand, or blood; or forcing upon you a curse that makes you desire to kill anyone within the room, and if there was no one, yourself, among other fun curses. Even the main hall, the only consistent hall in the palace, would turn into a deathtrap. Gravity would be increased in the room to such a degree that it would make it impossible to move, allowing for any of the most lethal creatures within the hall, in this case a giant snail producing a sort of acid that would eat you, taking many cruel hours to eat your whole body as the acid burned each and every cell within your body.

The palace was, therefore, fairly well protected, Aaron noted, even if any god or divine creature had the ability to cross the barrier. As word would get around, those that tried would figure it isn't worth it. As Aaron thought intently about this, his mind drifted to Hercules quite suddenly, wondering where he was. He pulled out his map and looked through it, checking the halls and gardens and eventually finding him in the library. With a happy hum he decided to join him there and made his way through a black door he willed into existence to lead him exactly where Hercules was in the library. Hercules jumped with a startled yelp as a door opened behind him that hadn't been there before. He sighed in relief as he saw it was only Aaron and he playfully glared at him. Aaron snorted and noted the book Hercules was holding. It was a collection of short stories.