I take a large knife and make it really hot, and kill the butter people. My knife goes through them like a hot knife through butter

Then a bunch of cheese people come.

Krig's axe slammed against an undead's sword. To his surprise, the undead did not drop the sword! Krig looked shocked. He looked up at the undead.

Most undead were about twice the size of Krig, as was virtually all humans. But this undead had to be at least three times Krig's size. Krig backed off two steps. The undead advanced a step. Krig readied his axe.

He leaped up and whirled, lopping off the head of an undead behind him, landing on the balls of his feet facing the big guy. The big guy swung his massive sword, and Krig rolled backwards, away from the biting steel. The undead raised his sword over his head for a downward blow, and Krig dashed forward, hacking his axe at the undead's exposed belly. His axe sank in with a tearing noise, but it didn't go all the way through like usual. The undead brought his sword's hilt down on the back of Krig's head. Krig tumbled to the ground.

As Krig struggled to right himself, an enormous undead foot planted itself on his chest. He looked up, and saw the huge undead raise his sword for one final blow. Krig hunted around frantically for his axe, but he didn't see it. Lacking any other weapon, Krig chomped down on the undead's big toe. It came off in his mouth. The undead didn't notice, and it brought it's enormous sword straight down towards Krig's head. Krig twisted, and the sword landed in the dirt beside his head, cutting his right shoulder. The undead, furious, yanked its sword out of the ground and slammed it towards Krig's head again. Krig closed his eyes.

Nothing happened. Krig opened his eyes. The giant undead was gone! Krig's brother, Stor stood where the undead had been moments before, his great sword where the giant undead's head had been.

Krig leaped to his feet, spotted his axe, and picked it up. He nodded his thanks to his brother, and lopped off the feet of another undead.

------------------
Great people talk about Ideas
Average people talk about Things
Small people talk about other people
KRIG THE VIKING
Member of the Rebellion against AC

NSP: (NSP?? No smoking pot? No sex, please) OK..whatever..I would like to say..that I'm all caught up reading all of SOD..so now I can read as you all post. I'd like to thank all you writers..for writing a story that hasn't bored me to death..but has actually kept me up, waiting to read what would happend next.
Umm..what else. Oh yes..Gebohq has a very great idea for a fraction of the ending..including his character and Tessa..and I found it VERY interesting..it would definitely give the story a very nice twist. :-) Well..I should go. Come on your "determined writers" get posting! LOL. :-)


------------------
**Kim**
"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."

(NSP: yeah yeah, I'm getting into the swng again. Sorry y'all.)

*Within the Misty Mountains, Merlin, Ji'Tory, and Reyuan were walking together a bit seperated from the rest of the party. With a look of realization, Ji'Tory began to tak to Merlin.*

"bug was right," Ji'Tory said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's not going to stop with Bazaal."

"What do you mean?" Reyuan asked.

"I mean, once we stop Bazaal, that won't be the end," Ji'Tory said to Reyuan. "Evil will always be out there."

"Well yes, but" Reyuan began. "...I mean, you're right. Where are you going with this Ji'Tory?"

"I mean, we can't stop here, within ourselves," Ji'Tory went on. "Everyone has to learn what happened here, and pass it on to our children. We can't expect to know all that is evil, we have to keep searching within ourselves to become better. And to raise our children to suceed us."

*Merlin placed a hand on Ji'Tory's shoulder and spoke with his comforting vioce.*

"Ji'Tory, you're more right then you realize."

*Ji'Tory gave Merlin a questioning look, not quite able to belive what Merlin was hinting. The group continued onward to Bazaal's fortress.*

(NSP: I'm gonna fast-foreward here, so if anybody objects, PLEASE say so. Ohterwise, here we go.)

*The fighters reached the looming fortress, now witnessing the chaotic battle boiling in front of them. They sneak unnoticed and almost reach an entrance inside Bazaal's fortress when they see a short and familiar bearded man wielding an axe, who recognizes them and follows them into the fortress.

(NSP: Krig, I'd personally would rather see only Krig follow in, but if you wish, the others can jump in too. And Orca, this would be a good time to have your duel with Yimir. All that I ask is that you loose (valiently would be nice too )

(Woohoo! Bazaal's goin' down! (literally))

Krig saw the group of people he had met breifly weaving their way through the roiling battle. The participants in the battle were so engaged in the battle that most of them didn't even notice, leaving only a few undead to be dispatched by the party.

Krig looked breifly around for his fellow Vikings, but they were nowhere to be seen. Krig couldn't see over the heads of the undead anyhow. Krig took off after the party. If they were going to take down Bazaal, Krig wanted a peice of the action. Krig reached them just as the last one, Merlin, slipped into the small entrance.

Krig slipped in with a welcoming smile from Merlin.

------------------
Great people talk about Ideas
Average people talk about Things
Small people talk about other people
Member of the Rebellion agains AC

NSP: I'm workin on another post as of today. What is in the ball in kogi's mind? What will happen to him and the rest of the group when it is revealed? How much fun is it to keep you guys in suspense? Well, I only know it's very fun to keep you guys squirming.)

*Jelmask was kneeling in front of Bazaal.*

"So," ended Jelmask, after telling everything he knew about Meteor and Gebohq, "To get the king's reward, I chased them. While fighting, Gebohq cut off my hand! That's why I always wear gloves. Now, I'll get rid of them all if you let me kill Gebohq and Meteor! Just tell me where they are..."
Bazaal smiled in a sinister way and said, "They are entering the gate right now."

*Jelmask backed up then ran as quick as he could towards the gate*

+============================================

"I'll go ahead and see if everything is OK" said Meteor, and before Gebohq could say anything he was around the corner. Suddenly from around the corner was a scream. Gebohq ran around it and saw Meteor on the ground, with a dagger-stab in his stomach, and Jelmask, about to stab again with a bloody knife.......

As Gebohq instincively ran towards the scream, the rest of the party chose to follow suit and try to help whoever may be in need. All but Antestarr and Merlin.

From the moment they had entered the fortress, Antestarr had felt something. It was a feeling much more powerful than that of merely sensing Jaccik, or any other wielder of magic. The longer he stayed within the walls, the greater and more pronounced the sensation became. At first it seemed as if it were merely the residual aura of a strong magic user nearby, but it turned out to be much much more...

It began as a pulsing. The feeling of somebody pacing up and down a hallway. But slowly it grew from a pulsing, to a pounding. From a pounding, to the feeling that something was clawing at his very psyche, trying to get in, away from the horror around him. Unable to handle the sensation any longer, Antestarr fell to the ground. There, on his hands and knees he could feel it. The ground pulsed with an aura, as if it were the very lifeblood of the fortress. Sweat dripped from his neck to the floor as he stared blankly at it. For a moment, he could have sworn that a tormented visage flowed passed him as another pulse rode past.

"They are the souls of those who have died as a result of Bazaal's actions." Merlin stated calmly. "Those not fortunate enough to reach the kingdom of The Nameless One immediately after death, those with unfinished business upon this world, and especially those who were killed by Bazaal's own hand flow through this very fortress. It is their prison, yet their terror and anger merely strenghten it. These walls are held together through the power of these poor masses. If you listen carefully enough you may hear their agony."

Antestarr sayed silent for a moment. The power continued to flow through him, but he pushed it all aside to listen. He heard them. Voices wailing in anguish. Some merely screamed, others voiced "Curse you Bazaal!", still others used more colorful language. Yet all had the same thoughts: extreme hatred for what Bazaal had done to them mixed with intense desire to pass on from this world.

"Their power feeds this fortress, and as more innocent people die, the fortress continues to grow. What they do not realize is that the time of their release is at hand," Merlin continued.

"B..but why me? Why do they call out to me?" Antestarr asked, tortured from the mere feeling of the souls' anguish.

"You are more sensitive to them than any of us here. They feel your presence and gain hope for their future. To continue, you must cope with these people, but do not forget or block them. You need each other far more than you know." Merlin replied.

Antestarr stood up and wiped the sweat from his face. With grim determination, he vowed to see this ordeal through to the end, if only for the sakes of those suffering eternal "life" withing these cold walls.

[This message has been edited by Antestarr (edited July 19, 2000).]

[Back under this name again. Oh well. Anyway, I'm gonna fill in some stuff, and then move on to actually advancing the story]

The entire party of good warriors watched the undead army marching around Bazaal's Citadel from behind the cover of a large pile of rocks.

"Great," Bug groaned, "we have to sneak past all of them?", pointing out to the massive group of undead warriors, at least 20,000 strong.

Everyone else was inclined to agree, but Merlin's knowing look indicated that he knew something they didn't. "Soon they won't be worrying about us." he said slowly, seeming as if he was waiting for something. Sure enough, a battle horn sounded, and the dark forest surrounding the citadel seemed to come alive. Arrows rained down on the undead, striking them down with precision only Elves could achieve, and demons rushed out of the dark forest to meet the undead army.

But demons and elves working together? It seemed almost impossible, unless these were some kindof dark elves, or unless their leader was another nature lover who also sided with demons...The thought seemed to strike everyone at the same time, but Merlin was the first to voice it. "Orca." he slowly whispered.

Orca charged onto the battlefield, his armor glittering in its green and blue splendor. His huge sword easily hacked aside three of the beasts, but he was not here simply to defeat the army. Around the field, he could see his other elite rushing toward the fortress gate, and Orca, smashing through another skeleton, ran to meet them.

Meanwhile, Merlin had lead the group around the fighting and to a secret back enterance, through which the group slipped into the fortress.

Orca quickly reached the gate, along with the twenty-some other members of the elite group. "Alright, remember, we're after Bazaal. Once you've got him pinned, I'll steal his power from him, to supplement my own. With that, this world should easily be mine. Got it?" he asked, and recieved a unanimous affirmative reply from his troops. They charged through the gates.

Bazaal looked down at the gates swinging open to allow Orca's party through. "That fool! How dare he come and assault my fortress, much less so openly! Well, I assume my elite undead should teach him a lesson." Bazaal smirked, watching Orca and the group advance forward. The greater undead, mostly generals of the outside undead force, rushed to meet Orca, as expected. What was not expected was two things. The first was that Orca easily hacked the greater undead to pieces, the second the sudden appearence of Yimir. Bazaal was angered at Yimir's appearence inside his citadel, but he was even more outraged by the loss of his undead generals. Now he had two choices: Make his army fighting Orca's troops outside mindless warriors who would be easily slaughtered, or link himself to them and command them. He chose the latter. (NSP: This means Bazaal should be concentrating on controlling the undead when you find him, giving you a little advantage)

Orca quickly cut aside the last of the large undead generals. His sword he had brought was another antique from his collection, an ancient undead slayer's sword, which could cut through an undead's bones like they were thin air. To his sudden surprise, however, an evil laugh cut through the air and Yimir appeared in front of him.

"You!" Orca said, eyes narrowing in anger and face grinning in anticipation of the fight. He then spoke quietly to the rest of his elite "The rest of you, head to the throne room. I'll join you as soon as I humiliate this clown."

"Yes, me, Orca. I think its about time we...settled our differences." If it was possible, Yimir was smirking and grinning even more than Orca in anticipation of this fight.

Orca decided to seize the iniative by launching an unexpected attack. As Yimir prepared to deflect a magical attack, Orca lept at him, applying the full weight of both himself and his armor to knock Yimir to the ground. Yimir rolled over and prepared a fireball, but Orca's lightning was already shooting at him, and keeping him pinned down. Finally, however, Yimir managed to launch his fireball, giving him enough time to straighten up and destroy Orca's initiative.

Orca, however, would give him no such chance. He feigned another leap attack, then rolled to the side and hit Yimir with a fireball of his own. As Yimir was knocked back, Orca rushed through the inner gate. Yimir ran after him, only to crash right into the newly closed inner gate. Orca grinned. "Enjoy whatever forces Bazaal sends at you!" he said partingly and then rushed off toward the throne room.

[I know Orca didn't lose, but I want him there for the very final battle, when Merlin and party have to try and convince him to their side. They convince him to a temporary alliance to help take down Bazaal. Anyway, Yimir is still around too, and he can have another battle too, but if you want him dead Bazaal could spring a trap on him while he tries to unlock the inner gate.]

(NSP: I would just like to comment on Antestarr's last post..I really liked it :-) Very descriptive..and quite interesting :-) ...Not that my opinion matters in any way..but still..I still have the right to state it..don't I? LOL..:-)

(NSP: I won't be able to post until Monday morning, so if ANYBODY has ANYTHING they want to say/add/throw in/suggest/spew/write/hurl/jump at/question/etc., PLEASE do so. Otherwise, I'll be talking with Merlin about wrapping this up *and wouldn't cha know? I ahve something ELSE in mind. Sort of a prequel... I'll leave it at that, hehe)

(Krig loves this storyline/universe, and is glad - nay, overjoyed - that it will not end. Krig also has one small idea, Krig thinks that after it's all over, we should post epilogues of what happens to the characters afterwards.)

Krig stepped quietly behind the group of heroes. He looked around, sniffing the air. Bazaal's palace sure was dark and dank and smelly. Krig was sure he wouldn't want to live here. From behind him, the roar of battle could still be heard, faintly echoing through the stone hallway. In another direction, a slow drip could be heard. Krig gripped his axe tighter, ready for anything.

(Hey, everybody remembers Jason, right? I'd guess he'd wanna be saving his girlfriend right about now...)

------------------
Great people talk about Ideas
Average people talk about Things
Small people talk about other people
Member of the Rebellion agains AC

(NSP: I want to write another story set after SOD primarily about Orca and his followers, several hundred years after SOD, if nobody would mind.)

(NSP: Sorry about this, I wasn't able to get online Monday morning, so this was the next time I had. I'll be sure to post up as soon as I can. Epilogues are cool and so is your suggestion Orca (I'll write if I can/am allowed to). And I'll have to deal with Jason/Jessica/Tessa/Geb thing before anythign else Unless someone else wants to give it a shot of course Hope you will all like the ending)

-Geb

(NSP: Come on Geb, I can't wait to see how you word the ending with Jason/Jessica/Tessa/and Geb. I know it's going to be so interesting :-) Well...hope I don't miss too many SOD posts while I'm away on vacation :-)

(sorry for being away a bit. )

NSP: Ok...I'm just one bit confused with Orca's bit about the demons (as in they can't be REAL demons..and all the Stygians are dead/extinct. I wonder, did I accidently forget to remention that, sorry if I did.

---------------------------------------------

Bazaal stood in his throne room. Then realizing staying here would leave him open to attack...

Bazaal stretched out his hand and part of the was opened like a gaping wounds, which beyond stood stairs. Bazaal decened the stair, sealing the wall behind him.

After a LONG walk down well over a hundrend steps Bazaal descended into the deep underground sactuary beneath his tower where he sealed the walls and the door to defend himself.

The room was an empty stone box, having only a massive Iron door at one end, which was sealed by many wards and runes holding explosive energy and cold spells and various necromantic charms as well. And on the floor was a series of evil spell drawings which looked vaugely obscene.

Bazaal walked over and sat down in the center of a petagram which had candles at each place the star points met the circle. Bazaal sat down and the room went pitch black, then blue flames lept from the pentagram's candles illuminating Bazaal's hagard skeletal face.

Bazaal gained contact with one of his undead generals and Bazaal concentrated. The effect on the Undead general was horrific, red pin points of light flaired in its sockets, its bones went from bleached white, to grey, then to obsidian black, its inscior teeth became vile fangs, it grew to the heigth of 10 feet tall, its skeletal forearms increased in length and its fingers lengthened so that each digit was a razor sharp dagger....then it came toward Yimir...Bazaal knew since he would soon be immortal he had no need for children or heirs, and especially not for rivals.

---------------------------------------------

(I have to wait till the bit with Jemalesk is done...but after that I had planned for Merlin to side track the party to another area of the tower where Tessa and Jessica are together having Gebohq see her like a mindless slave, then forcing the confortation...etc...I'd like to write it...but I have to wait for the Jemalesk bit to be resolved first...)


[This message has been edited by Merlin (edited July 26, 2000).]

(back to da action. we left off with JK being stabbed by Jelmask...)

(NSP: Excuse my post here, it's REALLY sucks. I wrote it at 2 in teh morning, and it's basically just so we could move on. I'd welcome anyone else to post a better battle, but I honestly can't write this one well at all. I might go back and edit this one, I dunno. I fI can, I will.)

*Gebohq is the first to reach the corner and sees JK lay on the ground wounded. Jelmask, having expected to find teh group following, prepares a spell of blinding, to cast over the group, before killing htem all, and personally stabbing Gebohq. With only seconds to spare Gebohq dives after JK, nearly flying in the air, not thinking what any consequences might be of his action.*

*Gebohq kcocks Jelmask to teh ground, and starts to draw his sword to cut off Jelmask's head. Gebohq then hesitated, thinking about what Merlin had said about trying to love your enemies and to forgive them in hope they realize their errors. But in that time he hesitated, Jelmask flipped Gebohq off of him, scrambling for his daggar.*

*By this time, the others had reached to where JK was. Several of them immediately rushed to aid JK_meteor, while the others stood back to give the brawl between Gebohq and Jelmask some space. A kick here. A punch there. A jab with teh butt of a sword's hilt. It was all very confusing, and before anyone realized it, it was over. In the confusion of the fight, Jelmask stabbed himself.*

*Once Jelmask layed dead on the floor, Gebohq reached for the bag of ailments that Jelmask carried and treated JK_Meteor. The group then moved on.*

[This message has been edited by Gebohq (edited July 27, 2000).]

As the group moved past Jelmask, Krig withdrew his axe and chopped off the head of the corpse. Couldn't be too safe, especially with all the things he had seen in the past few weeks.

------------------
Great people talk about Ideas
Average people talk about Things
Small people talk about other people
Member of the Rebellion agains AC

(NSP: Geb, that was a great post. I wish I could have an excuse for "not-great-posts" I sure have a lot of those. But really..yours was great..even if you were posting at 2 in the morning. Great writers - like most of the SOD posters, have the potential to write great...probably 99% of the time. :-)

(I thought some of the Stygians were just kept imprisoned in their capital, but maybe Merlin said that they were all extinct earlier...In any case, unless we want to just say there were some alive but imprisoned, then they're evil beasts from the swamps (Basilisks, Wyverns, etc.) instead of Stygian Demons.

(NSP: If you did, I don't remember. Anyway, unless you want to say there ARE some that were alive and imprisoned, then substitute evil swamp beasts instead. (Wyverns, Basilisks, etc.))

As Orca rushed on through the citadel, he quickly realized he'd made a wrong turn somewhere. He was now deep within the catacombs buried under the palace, ruins of the ancient dark ruin the palace had grown out of when Bazaal had come. Yet, there seemed to be no retracing of his path, and so Orca continued on. Besides, perhaps the Catacombs would offer him some more power to use against Bazaal.

Soon, Orca came too a large room, guarded by two large statues. One looked like an angel, and its wings slowly, almost lazily moved, the other, a true demon, eyes lit up with the fires of Hell, and claws swiftly sawing at the air. These two statues were obviously alive through some enchantment, perhaps brought to guard whatever was in this room. Orca nervously stepped forward. The two statues rapidly closed in and spoke as one.

"You may not pass, mortal-one. You are not good enough to pass to the Light, not evil enough to pass to the Dark. There is no middle ground here, mortal. Turn back, for your side must definatly be chosen."

"I shall not comply by the orders of two ancient slabs of rock!" Orca snorted, drawing his sword and preparing to slice past the statues, when a huge magical field suddenly caught him and held him still while the two statues examined him.

"Perhaps he should pass afterall. He certainly does possess the spirit to triumph. To complete The Task. But, where, in the Light or the Dark?" the demon statue growled.

"In the Light. Bazaal has already drained most of the Dark's power." the Angel statue replied.

Just as suddenly as the two statued had moved to block Orca's path, they moved back to their normal positions, allowing Orca to see, on the other end of the room, a huge shining tunnel of Light. Somehow, he had to wonder what exactly the statues had been talking about...

(I'll be on vacation for two weeks, anyone else can finish this whole Orca thing if you want, just don't kill me off, or make me defect to either Merlin or Bazaal, I should just run after a bit, content to let good and evil duke it out, then later snap up the scraps)

(NSP: Seems like a lot of people are going on vacation at the same time. I'll be gone for a week...so right when I get back, I'll have to read up; catch up on the new posts...see what happened. Well...I still have to say I admire the SOD posters...I wish I was a great writer..hmm...oh well! :-)

(Hopes fellow writers will get back from vacation and continue story. Is jealous of other writers for having vacations.)

(NSP: Hey, I'm back. Sorry about leaving and not saying anything. I meant to. And I'll be working on finishing this up too, so y'all know. It'll be difficult, but I hope to do it soon. I'll be back when I can work something out And any of our OLD writers are welcomed to pick up again *hint hint, hehe*)

(nsp Well guys, i'm gonna be gone for the next 12 weeks so I won't be able to write till I get back. Don't worry, my charater's will be taken care of (I hope). Talk to ya when I get back, cya ^_^ /nsp)

PS: my sig is a clue to where I'm going.

------------------
"I can become enraged like Vegeta, if i smile, run...................very fast."
-"Life is cheap.....especially mine." -Hero Yui
"Semper Fi"

(NSP: So you know, I am REALLY going to finish this up. I just don't want to do a half-@$$ job of it. So be patient, it'll come around soon enough)

I noticed this had slipped down off the page, so I brought it back up. I just want to say, hurry up and finish this great story!

------------------
If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards!
[url="mailto:Rogue_Leader@massassi.com"]mailto:Rogue_Leader@massassi.com[/url]Rogue_Leader@massassi.com</A>

[NSP: Back from vacation, time to resume this little story]
Though slightly nervous, Orca proceeded slowly across the room and too the tunnel of light. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Orca prepared himself to enter, to face whatever was inside. Though his reason told him it wasn't a good idea, he finally gathered the courage to step through, and stepped in.

Instantly, the world disappeared in a bright, blinding flash, and Orca found himself standing on an ancient battleground. The bodies of various servants of Heaven, Hell, and Nature littered the battleground, decayed almost beyond recognition to anyone but a skilled observer such as Orca. A lightning bolt shot from the sky overhead, soon followed by thunder, and Orca looked up to see a massive storm in the sky. Something told him that something was about to happen.

Indeed, out of the lightning bolt formed an Angel, and soon a Demon rose from the ground to join it. The two stared at each other but seemed to be prevented from making any attacks on eachother. They were quickly joined by one of the Living Trees, servants of Nature, which appeared to be bound to its current position the same way.

The Angel spoke first. "Welcome to the Immortal Battlefield, mortal. I see you have discovered a gateway here. There are many"

The Demon cut her off. "because of the approaching Final Battle. You have no doubt been selected to come as a champion, for your power is great."

"Aye," remarked the Living Tree, "He is Nature's champion. We believe he shall allow us the Great Victory here. Let me warn you, Champion, that your mortal world may be torn apart when the Final Battle starts. You must detach yourself from that world, and enter ours."

"Sure, later, but for now I have something important to do in the mortal world. So if you could please let me go?" Orca hissed.

"Of course." the three said in unison, and a huge portal opened.

Orca stepped through, and crashed face first into the floor just outside Bazaal's throne room. "Stupid immortals, know where I'm going, but don't know how to gently put me there!" Orca growled and got up, then steeled himself to enter the throne room and face Bazaal.

(NSP: Sorry for not posting in a while, but I'm getting on to it. After this post though, I'm waiting for Antestarr, because he said he wanted to do the next post. Then, unless any of you are going to jump in *wait, let's laugh at that one* I'll finish it up. And you all can do your epilogues as you wish.)

*After the defeat of Jelmask, the group had wandered about in the huge fortress, lead by Jason and bug. Some of them eyed the walls suspiciously as if the intricicies of the walls would leap out at htem, yet others simply stared out into space, preparing htemselves mentally. bug turned to face the group as he walked to add his comments every once in a while.*

"Yeah, that's the beauty of this place," bug rattled off. "I could never draw you a floorplan of this place, because it's never teh same. Yet...once you've been here long enough, you don't have to wander around feeling lost. You look for certain things, like see here."

*bug pointed at a sign on the wall between two doors. It said "Go through the left then keep going in teh right to the slave room". bug gestures them through the left door, and they find themselves in a room with two identical doors and teh same sign.*

"This is one of those little things Bazaal threw in," bug said. "You just ignore these signs now and go through teh right doors until we reach teh slave room."

*The group followed bug and Jason through teh doors, finding themselves in the slaves room. A room that felt very unkept and unclean, one coudl tell this place was not the focal point of attention. Some of the fighters looked in shock at the people kept for sexual or serventile uses. It was shocking to see some in chains, but more shocking to see hte ones not chained, yet not resisting. bug snapped them back to his attention.*

"If we go through that door and down the hallway," bug said, "we should be right by Bazaal's throne room that looks on out onto where we saw all that fighting."

*The group was about to follow when Gebohq stopped and interrupted.*

"No," Gebohq said. "We can't leave...I can't leave. Not without finding Tessa first. I have to free her."

"Geb," bug said in his cynical tone. "It's quite useless even if you did manage to find her. She'd be under the control of one of teh dark wizards. Once we defeat Bazaal, we can come back."

*As bug was saying this, Gebohq's face grew more and more dissapointed, then turned into a face of almost defeat. Jason was looking at his toes, appearing as if he was keeping himself from saying something, or doing something. Merlin looked at Jason knowing full well what Jason was struggling with. He had talked about it with Jason, and Jason was sure that he wouldn't have to worry about it. But Jason didn't know that they would be passing through the slave room. Jason gripped his head as if trying to control from climaxing, but instead flopped to the ground. Everybody looked at Jason, puzzled to what was wrong. Then Gebohq saw them.*

*He didn't recognize teh first woman who walked comfortingly towards Jason, but he immediately recognized the second woman. It was Tessa, in her heavy slave clothes. Her eyes were vacent as she walked to the group. Jason kept uttering in a low voice to "go away", but the first simply stood there, rubbing his back, smiling vacently. Tessa hten grabbed the first woman and pulled her away from Jason.*

"Stay back from him Jessica, he doesn't want you!" Tessa said, then turned to Jason. "If anybody, he needs me..."

"No, stop it, stop it..." Jason told them futiley. Gebohq then understood what this was about: Jason had once used his ind to control both Jessica and Tessa, and he never broke the link between them. Fury began to rise at the implications of this, and as Merlin tried to calm down Gebohq, Gebohq simply pushed him aside and stomped to Jason.*

"Why didn't you tell me you were...were using my love, Tessa, liek this?" Gebohq said in anger.

"I-I didn't know we'd be going through here," Jason stammered. "Once we defeated Bazaal, it wouldn't have mattered anyways, they'd all be free. At least, that's what I hope..."

"You hoped?" Gebohq nearly screamed. "I'm gonna kill you!" Gebohq simply yelled, then charged and started to punch Jason senselessly. Instead of fighting back, which he could have very well done, Jason sobbed and cried, taking the punches in, as if he shoudl have to die to free those people. The others, now not stunned by the events, were pulling back Gebohq from the weakened Jason. Kogi held on to Tessa while Sakana held onto Jessica, who were struggling to be at Jason's side.*

"I-I'm sorry," Gebohq said to everyone. "That wasn't called for. I know Jason isn't the same person he use to be...but what can we do?"

*Merlin then walked up to Gebohq and Jason, speaking to both of them.*

"I will simply free those two from Jason's control," Merlin said calmly. He then turned to Jason and asked "Those are teh only two, correct?"

"Yes," Jason said quietly.

*Merlin then softly cradled Jason's head, and after a few moments, Jason felt through his mind a horrible yet quick pain, as if his arm was ripped off, then placed back as if it never happened. The other two blinked, their eyes not vacent anymore.*

"Where am I?" Tessa said.
"Where are my parents?" Jessica asked.

*Seeing Gebohq, Tessa rushed to him with joy in her eyes. "I don't ever want to leave you again," Tessa said.*

"Me neither," Gebohq said softly.

*Jessica then looked at Jason, who was still softly crying. Remembering what he had done, Jessica walked over and simply slapped him. She then stood, waiting witht he rest. bug meanwhile looked ratehr impatient.*

"Well, this is all nice, but we should be going now, don't you think?" bug asked. The others nodded in agreement and headed out the door. bug then mumbled something about "dead weight" and "too many people getting in hte way". The fighters then reached the huge curtains that closed the dorrway intot eh throne room. They walke through them.*

*The room was simply huge. The dark scaly walls climbed up to a celing not visible in hte darkness. The room was shaped in a triangular shape, the point facing away from the door. The floor slowly rised to the point, where the throne, alter and balcony were. teh alter was closest, and looked like a holy alter in all respects except it was much too glittered with riches. It also managed to look liek the desk of some important executive at the same time. Beyond that was the throne, teh back facing the group. If they could see all of it, they would see that the throne stood on a swivil much like the bones in a neck. The balcony beyond opened expansively to see hte chaotic and dying battle down below, the misty mountains beyond.*

*The group slowly advanced to the alter, feeling only the presence of a dark figure sitting in hte chair. Feeling he had some obligation to say something, Gebohq spoke up.*

"F-face us like a man, B-bazaal." Gebohq stuttered in fear. "Or are you t-too sc-scared?"

*Everyone looked at Gebohq as if he shouldn't have said anything at all. A voice fromt eh chair spoke calmly however, and they, except Merlin, were surprised at the voice, for it was not Bazaal's.*

"On the contrary, dear Gebohq," the voice spoke, "Bazaal is down in the lower levels, and somehow I don't think it's because he's scared of you."

*The throne swivils around, and they all see Jaccik in his white cloak laying back in Bazaal's throne. Jaccik stands up, and begins to walk around the alter, speaking to them.*

"I still have my obligation to cleanse you all from the earth, especially Antestarr here."

"Why didn't you tell us Bazaal wasn't here, Merlin?" Gebohq asked fustrated.

"The Nameless One has his reasons," Merlin simply responded.

"The great Nameless One will save you all, I'm sure," Jaccik said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I do not wish your presence here, old one."

*With a wave of his hand, Jaccik throws a white ball of light at Merlin. The light passes right through Merlin and hits the wall on teh opposite side, completely vaporizing a section of the wall. Jaccik sighed.*

"Very well," Jaccik said. "Stay if you wish, but I know you will not interfere with this battle because you can not according to your master you call the Nameless One. As for the rest of you though..."

*Meanwhile, before teh party had even stepped in, Orca entered from a side door, and had prepared to walk right up to the throne when the party bursted in. Orca hide expertly in the shadows, waiting for them to make teh first moves. He was as surprised as they to find Jaccik there instead, adn lsitened to their words. When jaccik was about to attack the group, Orca charged out of the shadows and, with one hand clasped on the Fearblade taking a swing at Jaccik's head, he used his other hand to point at Jaccik, where strong tree limbs seemed to shoot from his arm (as if the limbs were an extension of his arm), ready to wrap around Jaccik and suffocate him if teh blade had no effect.*

*Jaccik turned around in surprise, but quickly defended himself. With a wave of his hand and pulling it back as if pulling rope, a white energy was sparkling out of the tree that was part of Orca. The tree began to disentagrate, growing grayer and weaker. Jaccik was draining the life from the tree limb. Then before Orca could swing at his head, Jaccik spun around, his cloak enveloping himself, and seemed to dissapear. Orca swung and missed as Jaccik dodged unseen to Orca.*

*Orca hten stood still, trying to use all hsi senses to find where Jaccik was. He could feel Jaccik sneaking up behind him and spun around, grabbing the thin air. The rest watched as Orca seemed to struggle with nothing, and htey witnessed as they saw Orca seem to throw the invisible body against a wall. Jaccik was knocked out of his invisibility, laying there on the floor, trying to regain his composure. Orca stakled towards Jaccik, jumping up on hte alter, bringing his sword up, ready to leap on Jaccik who layed nearby teh balcony.*

*The fighters then saw a flying body outside the balcony window, and as Orca was about to leap on Jaccik, the dark shadow outside reached out his arm and grabbed Orca by the neck dragging him into the air above hte battlefield. They coudl hear Orca scream "Yimir!" and Yimir tossing Orca's body down to teh ground. They all watched in surprise as Orca flew back up, using hte powers of wind to keep himself up. The group could only hear the howling of the wind and only see a battle fought in midair.*

*They turned their attention back quickly as they saw Jaccik stand back up, brush himself off, and look at the group, ready for battle.*

(NSP: This is where I leave it for Antestarr to do teh battle with Jaccik. And so you know Orca, Yimir grabbed you from teh outside, because lie some demented vampire, he couldn't step into teh room with that magic gate you talked about (I'm assuming it was magic anywhos) so he stretched his arm to grabbed you and pull you out. Again, if you wish, you can take the fight wherever you want, I jsut wanted Orca out of hte picture for the fight agaisnt Jaccik.)

(NSP: Great job Geb, I think that was exactly what Orca would have done! Anyway, I'll now write the fight between Yimir and Orca. Oh, and at the end there should be an encounter and verbal fight between Orca and the group after Bazaal, Jaccik, Yimir, etc. are slain. It shouldn't turn into a real fight, though, just a hint of what's to come)

Orca and Yimir glared at eachother, preparing for battle, each using a cushion of air to keep themselves up in the air. They were now just outside the throne room window, with a very, very long drop for anyone who would lose control of his levitation spell. Yimir slowly started to move to the right, then suddenly lept to the left, landing on a newly formed levitation spell right next to Orca, who turned, holding his flame sword in one hand and with vines preparing to spring out of the other. Yimir laughed.

"Don't you have anything more original to do than that old move?" Yimir chuckled, hands now burning with raw elemental power.


"Of course," Orca responded with a sly grin, "This." As he said that, the vines evaporated and a beam of light shot out into the air. At first Yimir thought Orca was trying to hit him with it, but had missed wildly, but then he saw: It was a conjuring be. The air around them slowly formed together into a roughly humanoid shape, and slowly materialized into an Air Elemental. Yimir turned too it and readied an Earth spell to use against it, but the Air Elemental was faster. It wrapped its arms around Yimir, and the air around him seemed to disipate, making him struggle to breath. Yimir managed, however, to shoot a desperate blast of pure Earth into the elemental, which shattered apart, leaving Yimir free to breath again.

Orca, however, had snuck up behind Yimir in that time and already had his flame sword out. As Yimir whirled to face this new threat, Orca swept downwards, catching Yimir by surprise as the sword cut a gash in his leg and, more importantly, severed his levitation spell.

Yimir, in panic, grabbed onto Orca's leg, and maintained a firm grip. He was also preventing Orca from moving his legs enough to cut downward with the flame sword, and any spells had a high risk of severing HIS levitation field.

Destroying the levitation field, however, actually might not be such a bad idea, Orca thought, and he cut his mental power to the spell. As he plummeted downward, he saw the shocked look on Yimir's face, but Yimir figured Orca was only trying to get him to let go in shock so Orca could reform the spell. Yimir tried to create one under them, but failed miserably due to his lack of concentration, which was in turn due to the large wound on his leg and his panic.

Orca grimly watched as the tower flashed by, and the ground got closer. Yimir gave a terrible yelp as they came very close to ground level, but still hung on. Orca yelled down to him, "I hope you enjoy having all your bones broken. You'll still act as a cushion." Yimir realized with terror that his body would shield Orca from most of the impact, then the ground rose to meet him, and he let out a shriek of terror before the world went black.

Orca looked at Yimir's shattered corpse on the ground and winced. Even he would not wish such a fate on even one such as Yimir, but there was nothing he could do, or really wanted to do, about it. As for himself, his legs felt broken and wobbly, but a quick healing spell should fix most of that. Then he could start a search for Bazaal.

Yimir jerked his eyes open, having heard Orca's departure. It would seem, he thought, that having extreme enchantments place upon oneself was very beneficial at times, even if it had annoyed him at first, when he accidentally cast an enchantment on himself that would turn him into a Wraith when he died. Now his body slowly disintigrated and he rose up as a human-sized, black cloaked figure, holding a terrible blood-soaked sword in hand. He was a Wraith.

[This message has been edited by Nature_Paladin (edited August 17, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Nature_Paladin (edited August 18, 2000).]

(NSP: Oops, I fergot. Sorry Orca, I should have mentioned somehting before. You're psot was snifty, but Merlin had wanted Yimir alive, so, er...if you could, jsut some last desperate attempt of Yimir to have htem fall in water or something (still ratehr painful, but at leaast Yimir will be alive). Sorry again, an thanks. Besides, I don't think Yimir is fat enough to cushiona nybody's fall hehe)

*NSP: Hmm... I would have though Yimir would make a better frost giant... oh well. Personal opinion getting the better of me. I'm formulating my little piece in my mind for the time. Perhaps I'll write it in a drunken stupor later tonight sometime... Ah, nothing like college to get the creative juices flowing, eh guys? Well, maybe not, since half the stuff I think up comes to me while I'm bored or just contemplating. Well, anyway, I'll have my little bit up in a few (minutes, hours, days, whatever.)*

(NSP, Nature, you're a pretty good writer )

(NSP: Thanks Orca fer the change, I think that'll bne good enough anywhos. Now all I have to wait for is Antestarr to put up his post Mister-college-guy-that-he-is.)

(NSP: While waiting for Antestarr to post *ahem, any time now*, I'm gonna do a kinda backflash, to explain why the whole "send a magic whoop-*** bomb to Bazaal's place with the magic stones" wouldn't work. And i don't remember where the group was when this was suggested, so I'll just say they were in the misty mountains.)

*Inside the Misty Mountains, the fighters set up camp for the night. While everyone else was preparing themselves for the upcoming confrontation with Bazaal, setting up camp, and talking amongst themselves, bug sat idlely, handling his small smooth black stones in his hands. An idea had been formulating in his head, and he was sure it would work, but he wasn't sure if he coudl convice the others. Finally, he brought himself to take action. he stood up and yelled out to everyone "Hey, everybody. Stop what your doing! I have an idea!"

*Some of tehm grumbling, while others showed peaked interest, they all nevertheless grouped around bug. When he had all their attention, bug began to speak.*

"Remember these guys?" bug said, showing them the black stones. "These could let us transport right to Bazaal's fortress, if set in a circle. Or transport something much more effective. Like a magic bomb."

*The group wispered among themselves for teh idea was daring. Yet they thought, this could work out indeed. Only Merlin stood with a sad face at the idea. He told them not to do it, that this was not how they would defeat Bazaal, and teh otehrs dismissed him, saying who cared how we do it? Just as long as he's gone. The fighters prepared to build a magic bomb.*

*bug was placing the magic black stones in a circle and the magic users were forming what looked like a bubble, the bubble producing a deafining silence instead of an expected loud hum. When they had put all they could into the magic bomb, Antestarr, Sakana, Kogi, and teh otehr magic users gently placed it int eh middle of the circle of stones. bug chanted teh words needed, and with a ripple of matter displaced, the magic bomb was not there anymore.*

*They waited for a few moments, and nothing happened. bug told them that the only way they could be certain anythign happened was to go and find out for themselves. The group still found it odd that they couldn't hear Bazaal's fortress falling, but decided maybe liek the bomb, that it placed a silence over the explosion. As bug was reaching to collect his stones however, the ripple of matter came again, much larger this time, and made everyone step back. Liek glass being shattered, teh circle of stones broke apart, and teh stones themselves turned white, now useless. Everyone stood wide-eyed as tehy looked at what was before them.*

*Standing at approximately 36 feet high, a monster stood before them, its skin semi-transparent, and at it's heart, teh very magic bomb they had created. The monster looked like a gaint, dememnted female fairy, it's wings didn't look like they were for flight, but looked more like sharp daggars, yet soft somehow, like light rays. It was every color, yet no color, like a bubble, but teh overall skin was a gray and brown color. And most deadly of all, it looked like a shapeshifter, or somewhat, also like a bubble.*

*What they knew most of all though was that it had immense destructive power and that they would have to be careful how they killed it, for it's heart was a ticking time bomb.*

"Holy ****," bug screamed. "Bazaal must have set a trap to backfire on us if we ever used it!"

"Good thinking, hotshot," Shawn yelled.

"Shut up and defend yourselves until we can think of some way to stop this thing!" Gebohq said.

*They stood ready to fight.*

(NSP: I left it here actually for someone else to decide how to defeat it. Of course, if nobody thinks of a way and Antestarr psots, I'll put up something before finishing the story.)

*Acting quickly, Antestarr was the first to start an attack. Taking a few moments, Antestarr collected a ball of darkness between his hands. It grew so dark that so much of the sun avoided it and it in turn made his darkness spell an ice spell. Trying to aim anywhere at the monster besides the magic bomb, Antestarr prepared to throw. Before doing so, he called Jason to stand by to engulf his ice ball in fire before it hit the monster. Antestarr then threw it, and as it was flying towards the huge monster, Jason threw his fireball in a trajectory to meld into the ice ball. The effect, before hitting, looked like a fireball with a black, cold center, like some space meteor.*

*As big as the monster was, the spell managed to seem to swerve out of teh beast's way and it a tree behind it, which promptly froze and burned at the same time, melting and vaporizing.*

"The bomb inside must be so dense that its distorting the air and gravity around it," Kogi said. "We have to aim slighly off to hit it."

*While the other magic users were preparing to charge their magic attacks (being drained from making the bomb before), the fighters charged at the beast with their weapons.*

*JK_Meteor reached to it first, leaping to take a stabbing action at the towering monster. Before he could strike however, it swung one of its huge arms and sent JK flying to the side. Shawn was next, taking a lower route and trying to run between its legs and hit it from behind. The monster seemed to ignore him, and the others stopped as they saw Shawn take a swing at the beast. The tear shawn made healed right back! He tried again, but now the skin of the beast was actually moving around the blade BEFORE the blade struck. How would they ever seem to hurt it? they thought.*

*The fighters retreated, and the magic users were almost charged up, when the beast made an attach of it's own. It's sharp wings grew larger as its body grew smaller and simpler in shape, only its arms teh same length, with sharp claws at teh end. It began to move its wings, which were facing them, as the body began to spin incredibly fast. The wings were drawing wind to drive the fighters towards the spinning blade-like arms, and the gravity well made it even more difficult to escape. But just before any of them reached the spinning arms, Sakana launched his own counter-wind attack, keeping them from harm's way. When the monster seemed to not be able to expend any more, it started to revert to its original form, preparing to attack once more.*

*After quick decision making, Antestarr, Jason,and bug prepared for their attack. Once again, Antestarr drew a dark magic between his hands, so dense it turned to ice. As he threw the ball of darkness, bug threw out a magic attack in front of the darkness. The effect was like a horizontal lightning bolt that connected all over the mosnter's body as a spider's web. The spell though, launched like a MIRV, was simply a tracking path for another magic, guiding it to wherever bug wanted it to go. The ball of darkness in turn dispersed into the paths bug made and promptly froze the monster. Jason made quick work to launch a fireball at it to shatter and melt it to a pile of mush.*

*The magic bomb meanwhile still stood now on the ground, pulsing brighter than ever, ready to explode in just a few moments.*
*Remembering the sticks, Gebohq had everyone try a desperate attempt at containing the blast. With everybody working, they twisted the sticks into a net around the magic bomb, then backed off. Just to make sure, they asked Merlin to place a defense bubble around them, but he said that he would do no such thing. The magic users attempted to make one themselves, but didn't have time as they saw the bright flash between the cracks of the twings. Everybody fell flat on the ground.*

*Unexpectedly though, the sticks started to implode onto where the magic bomb was, tightening the net and leaving no cracks. It imploded even more, to teh size of a golf ball. A muffled sound could be heard from inside, and teh net grew to distorted shapes. It then disintergrated, and only a changed air could be felt around where the magic bomb had been.*

*Shaken to say the least, the group made forth to Bazaal's Fortress.*

(NSP: I hope that explained now why we didn't jsut "blow up teh place" as bug had suggested a few pages back. And I hoped you enjoyed the little fight that went on. And now, Antestarr won't have an excuse to postpone his psot with Jaccik, will he? hehe)

[This message has been edited by Gebohq (edited August 31, 2000).]

(NSP: Dude! I almost finished this story up without putting in my shameless plug over at elvenwood's amatuer artist and writer galleries. Here's the link to mine. Post comments there please I'd appreciate the press, hehe.
http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/loth/s/c/scottg/scottg.html

Hope you all like it.)

"Well, now that that little interruption is over with, where were we? Ah yes... I suppose now is the time that I'm supposed to give you one final chance to join me, Antestarr. I'm sure you can tell that if our power were one we could easily overwhelm anything that would dare stand in our way. But you are far too stubborn to accept anything I would offer you, so we'll skip the formality of an offer of partnership and get right to business." With these words Jaccik threw a non-lethal force ball at Antestarr. The force flung him across the room and directly into the wall.

His head pounded, but not with the pain from the collision.

Jaccik turned. "As for you 'adventurers', I'm merely supposed to hurry you along this mortal coil. I'm sure you haven't figured this out yet, but I'm only working with Bazaal as a mutually beneficial relationship. Even he doesn't know I'm only here as long as it will help me. You are all a nuisance to the both of us, though, so would you like to fall all at once or one at a time?"

The party looked about, turning to Gebohq for leadership.

"Too late," Jaccik said raising his hand.

-------------------

Bazaal felt the power above him about to be unleased. Soon he would be rid of several problems at once.

-------------------

(NSP: I'm gonna strech this one out a couple of posts so I don't have to cram it all in one sitting. So, stay tuned for the next installment.)