Yliakum Journeys (vol.1)

[Xylaal]

       With a piercing war hoop Xylaal rushes toward the Ulbernaughts alongside Zhai, her silverweave daggers flying through the air. Slashing and lunging at the first ulbernaught she sees. He happens to be a particularly intelligent one, as ulbernaughts go, and dodges her attacks like a beast half his weight. Xylaal instantly adjusts, almost flying around the back of the ulber, but the ulber turns on its heal and a humongous claw pierces through Xylaal's chest. She drops her daggers on the ground as the beast lifts her into the air toward the other ulbers. She shouts with her last breath, head raised to the crystal, "Talad, Talad!"  In a frenzy they tear her up, limb from limb, pieces of the Nolthrir falling to the forest floor in a curtain of crimson and green.

The Death Realm awaits her.
       

[zhai]

As she sees her friend fall. Zhai roars and turns to a state of berserk. Her blades, faster than ever, go at the ulber who dared attack Xylaal, not stopping until his head is chopped off and rolling. There's no magic she can cast to help Xylaal now... only hope her prayers will aid her in finding the way out of the death realm. But now is not the time to pray but to kill and she is just getting started...

[zorbels]

Zorbels see's Xylaal get struck down and cries out softly "Xylaal......" She looks down at her palm still holding the red liquid that Anduin had given her. She flies out towards the Ulbers with an idea forming in her head with each step taken. She yells at the top of her lungs "EVERYONE! DOWN!"

Zorbels reaches Zhai and tackles her, diving her into the ground. She throws the red liquid at the ulbers hoping she threw it far and hard enough. A huge boom could be heard for miles away. As the ground shakes violently, Zorbels watches orange flames fly high into the sky and feels wet body parts of ulbers falling on to her as she lays beside Zhai shocked. Snapping out of her shocked state she looks around the camp "Is everyone alright?"

While waiting for answers she turns herself towards Spetyco and stares at him a cold darkness clouding her eyes. She grips her swords and begins to whisper ancient words to enchant her swords with the gift of weakness. A powerful spell her father taught her once she was ready. As she encants her swords she takes Zhai hand and thrusts the power into her. Once she hears the camp members one by one reply their well being she speaks softly to Zhai "Just touch your swords and they will become enchanted with the power of weakness. Pass on the spell to others, a simple touch is all that is needed. But hurry the spell won't last long. They will help us defeat Spetyco. She looks up at the hooded figure and smiles with lips drawn thin, speaking to him with a strong well steadied voice. "You will pay for killing Xylaal."   

[LARAGORN]

Laragorn approaches the campsite as the last of the ulbers head for the group.

As returns to head down the hillside, a mighty blast shakes the ground under his feet. At the bottom there is a mess of ulber parts everywhere.
Rushing into the camp as the others are preparing their attack, he yells out “Aphtarin, Yes I know your name” he signals Zorbels to come to him. “You think you have the power? You think everything you could want is in that book? Read from it now, if you will” There is a brown book tucked in the belt of Laragorns back. Laragorn raises his hand and a large boulder comes to him.
“Where is your power?” Laragorn asks.
With a wave of his hand it crashes into the false Spetyco “Aphtarin” The boulder does not kill him, but he is seriously injured.

[Spetyco]

Aphtarin is injured, but his injuries quickly heal.  Dark clouds begin to stir overhead and fire rains down on the campsite.
"You fools!  Did you really think you could defeat ME?!?  There is much more to me than you know.  If you kill this body, you will only kill the real Spetyco, then I will return to my body and his soul will go to the Death Realm.  The only way to truly destroy me is to kill my body which is safe away from here!"  The false Spetyco looks down at the campers.  "Attack them," he commands the serpent, "Kill Laragorn and then get that little kitty, Zorbels!  You will all pay!"

Surounding the real Spetyco's body were glyphs set there to keep him unconscious.  As the henchman dosed off and his control over the gobbles began to slip, some of them wondered into the inner chamber.  One of them saw the glyphs and grabbed them, then carried them away.  Moments later, the real Spetyco began to stir.  "Wha... what happened?"  He gets up a little groggy, then looks around.  "I'm awake!"  Then without a moment to spare he jumps up and quickly makes his way out of the cave.
As he stumbles out he runs into Anduin.
"Who are you?  Nevermind, it doesn't matter!  Do you have a sword?  Good!  Please, kill me!  It's the only way to stop him.  If you won't give me your sword and I will do it myself.  There is no other way now!  Please, kill me!"

[LARAGORN]

“I knew the book had too much power to let slip into the wrong hands. I had just enough time to put my journal in the red cover before it was ripped from my hands.” Laragorn explains. “You have no more power, than you had before. Now that shall be taken from you.” His eyes full of hatred as he speaks to Aphtarin. As soon as your body is killed, the real Spetyco will return to us.” Laragorn turns to Zorbels, “Do we have someone here that knows the ways of magic? We only have a little time once the body is empty to bring Spetyco back” He asks her as he keeps an eye on the villain.
Without warning Aphtarin gets to his feet……..

[Spetyco]

"You will all pay!"  The voice booms causing the ground to shake.  Anduin is still a little shocked by Spetyco's sudden appearance, so Spetyco, in Aphtarin's body, just takes his sword and runs himself through.  As he starts to fall he tells Anduin, "Now cut off my head!"  Anduin quickly understands and obeys.

As the serpent begins to charge the group it stops suddenly, then looks around dazed as if coming out of a dream.  Everyone stands and looks mouths dropped as they see Aphtarin suddenly drop to the ground.
The serpent quickly recovers and resumes its attack, though now without a conjurer as its guide it attacks randomly.

[spyke01]

Anduin, appalled by Spetyco's request, and saddened by the loss of any life, stares down at the limp form at his feet. The blood still drips from his blades as he stickes them into the ground at his sides. Anduin drags the body to a secluded area nearby and crosess Spetyco's arms over his chest and gives him the last rights as is customary of his family. His family knows nothing of the underworld, or what happens there, only that respect is given to the dead.

Placing a leaf over each eye, and a fern in his crossed arms, Anduin begins speaking in his native tongue saying "May the afterlife bee green and vibrant, may your paths be long and easily tread, and you adventures joyous."

Hoping to help in some way, Anduin begins making his way back towards the campsite.

[zhai]

Zhai overhears Laragorn's request to Zorbels and hastes to them. "I may know how... cover me". Zhai runs to the fallen Aphtarin. Using what she learned while her own spirit was trapped in drakness by an evil entity, Zhai closes her eyes and starts chanting strange words. In a thunder, soul leaves her own body. Darkness is dispelled as her prayers turn her into a beacon Spetyco's soul can use to find his way. "Come Spetyco, come... Let me show you the way... Do not fear the darkness... Listen to my voice... Come"

[Spetyco]

Spetyco finds himself in the darkness again.  He had expected to find himself in the Death Realm, hopefully with Aphtarin, but instead he finds himself here again.  He looks around expecting to see nothing, but off in the distance is a light.  Then he hears someone calling his name.  "Zhai, is that you?"  This could be another trick.
"Nooooooo!  What have you done!?!"  Spetyco turns around and behind him is Aphtarin.  His soul is being pulled away, but he is desperately reaching for Spetyco, determined to take him with him.  "If I die, you die!  You fool!"
Spetyco hesitates no longer and moves as fast as he can towards Zhai's beacon.
"I'm coming," he yells.

....

The serpent sees the warriors gathered around the campsite with weapons drawn and then he spots little Tovera.  She's hardly a mouthful, but an easy target, so it heads directly towards her mouth open ready to swallow her whole!
Hokinon sees the child's eminent danger and rushes over to save her.

[zhai]

The beacon turns brighter as Spetyco approaches. Zhai can see him now. She reaches for him with her arms open. "Take my hands, Spetyco". She smiles as all darkness around them pull away. Beneath them, the real world starts appearing as if in the center of a maelstrom. Down there, Spetyco's body lies dead. "You will feel a strong pull, the shadows won't let you go but fear not. I'll take you back." As they start leaving the darkness, a thousand hands reach to grab Spetyco. "Don't let go of my hands. We're almost there. Do not look back...".

[lanser]

Hokinon races across the site towards Tovera throwing a knife at the rapidly descending serpent closely followed by a second and then draws his short sword. As he closes the first knife bounces off the tough hide but the following blade finds a chink between the scales sinking into soft flesh.

Reachin the little fenki at the same time as the serpent he barges her out of it's path slashing at it's snout as the jaws close on him...

[Spetyco]

Spetyco reaches Zhai and grabs hold as tight as he can.  He feels a thousand hands pull at him, but he does not let go.  Then he feels someone's hot breath breathing down his neck and he hears Aptharin's voice in his ear, "Do you really think death will stop me?  Did it stop me before?  You know I have been to the Death Realm, and I know its secrets.  You have only postponed the inevitable.  I will come back and when I do I will be even more powerful!  No one will be able to stop me!"
At that moment Spetyo makes it into his body.  He gasps for air, choking.  Then rolls over and looks at Zhai.
"Thank you my friend," he says still gasping.  "But I don't think it is over yet.  We have only delayed Aphtarin's plans.  He and I have both been to the Death Realm, and we know the way out.  I found him there, imprisoned by Talad, but I freed him with the help of his servant, Andruis, the big ugly guy that is always following him around.  He promised to help me out of the Death Realm if I freed him."  Spetcyo looks down in shame.  "This is all my fault.  I must go after him!  He must be put back into his prison!  It is the only way!"
Spetyco is relieved to find his own sword in his hands.  He looks up at the crystal overhead, "Don't try to follow me, Zhai.  I must finish this myself.  Talad has decreed it!"  And with that, Spetcyo kills himself with his own sword.  "Good luck, my friends," he says with his final breath.  And then with a wink to Farren, "We will meet again."

[steuben]

tovera turns towards the snake as it approaches. she screams. she stumbles as hokinon pushes her out of the way. she scrambles backwards. she trips over he pack. she lands hard on the ground. her daggers spill out of the pack. her hand closes around the hilt of one of them. she watches in horror as the jaws begin to close on hokinon. convulsively she throws the dagger. it nicks hokinon as it flies. somehow it manages to bury itself in the back of the mouth of the snake. the hilt seems to glow slightly in the shadow of the snake's mouth. the snake paues in surprise.

[zhai]

As she is back in her body and Spetyco leaves for the death realm, Zhai turns to Zorbels with an idea: "Levrus! Levrus can trap the snake again! Where's the book? Who has it?"