[Solo] The Nosdyn Chronology Chapter 8.

[Nosdyn]

(Note: Continues about a week or so after the events of Chapter 7 and is part of an on-going series. I didn't go too overboard with it in the last chapter, but I'll put the warning here anyway as well, MAY contain some erotic content.)

That night...

Tharak held Lilly in his arms, they'd slept peacefully together after they'd fashioned the bracelets for the group of them. Tharak knew at that point, Xyllea could no longer harm them. It was critical this occurred that way, especially for his father's sake. He awoke at some point, well in the night...something troubled him but he was not sure what it was. In his movement, he awoke his companion. "Sorry, Lilly, I didn't mean to wake you." He said to her.

She nodded. "What is troubling you?" She asked.

Tharak thought about it for a moment. "I am worried for my father. He may not be able to harm her when the time comes...I don't think he can. I don't want to see him suffer anymore." Tharak said.

Lilly nodded. "He still loves her." Lilly responded.

Tharak listened to his friend. "I've become aware of that now too..I don't know what will happen that day, none of us do. I'm just afraid for my father."

Lilly held him close to her, as he hugged her as well. "We will do what we can to keep him safe, to protect him." Lilly promised.

***

N'Jal stood before her champion. The scrying techniques she was showing him were potent. N'Jal pointed to the form that was Xyllea. "There she moves through Ettermire periodically. I've been watching her since we have started this. She alternates at night between these three points in Ettermire back alley districts. Something is there that their government either knows or doesn't know about." N'Jal said.

Nosdyn observed quietly. "Xyllea's movements are not erratic in nature." Nosdyn told his master. "There are choke-points there, and there." He said carefully, displaying the knowledge he had. "Whatever is being done in those places, were carefully chosen to prevent full-scale assault."

"There is something else. She periodically leaves the city of Ettermire to this location here." She pointed to the scrying tool, and there, a single structure appeared...well outside of Ettermire's influence.

Nosdyn knew that structure. "It's a temple of Lloth." Nosdyn said calmly. "She probably has some of her contacts already influencing policy in that group now."

"Are you certain?" N'Jal asked.

He nodded. "I would do the same in her shoes...it's an effective strategy. Poison your enemy from within." Nosdyn realized that temple would be the most strategic location for a drawn out final battle with Xyllea. "That is the place this will occur." Nosdyn said.

N'Jal nodded. "I shall place scouts to track her movements and we will prepare. When the time comes we will trap them in that temple, and confront her one last time."

Nosdyn thought carefully. "My master I have one final favor to ask of you. Illsandra...her ghost made me swear to try to save her, reach her if I can. Give me a chance to try...this one last thing I beg of you."

N'Jal nodded. "I will grant you your wish, Nosdyn."

[Nosdyn]

Later that same week...

A scout returned to N'Jal with urgent news. She was one of the first ones that had been trailing Xyllea's movements around Ettermire. The scout walked up to her master, and Nosdyn was present.

"Speak." N'Jal ordered.

"She will move to the temple tomorrow, about midday, we can strike at that point." The scout said. She saluted the master, and Nosdyn and returned to her duties.

Nosdyn looked at N'Jal at that point. "It is time."

***

They arrived at the temple of Lloth, following Nosdyn's own advice they would be certain that Xyllea was present at the exact time it would occur. There we be no cowardice, or trickery that time.

***

Xyllea looked at her contact. "It's all there you are certain?"

He nodded. "Yes...the exact amount you asked for." He handed the package to her.

Just then...it all went to shit.

The temple of Lloth was under attack from an all-too familiar enemy.

"No..." Xyllea said to her contact. "Get as many out of here as you can, we must cover our tracks."

But it was already too late...

***

Nosdyn entered the temple first. He was somber, he had a different mission from everyone else. He would honour Illsandra's final wish to him. He spotted her immediately. He began to slowly march towards her, the same as the last time. He lowered his hood so she knew it was him. He kept his eyes locked on her...that sympathy and understanding was there. Save her...if you can... Illsandra's words repeated themselves in his mind over and over.

At some point, he was directly in front of her.

***

Xyllea looked at Nosdyn. "How have you found me here?" She asked, there was malice in her voice, hatred.

[Nosdyn]

Nosdyn thought back once more...to the day he first met her. Xyllea...the day he risked certain death to save a lowly apprentice. He walked right up to her, he did not activate his weapon, he was not angry. There was a sort of peace in his eyes...come what may of whatever happened next. He stood in front of her at that point. And did the single most courageous thing he thought to do at that point, he placed his hand on the side of her face...as she had once done so often for him, supposedly to help him heal. "You are sick Xyllea, confused." Nosdyn began. "When I first met you, I chose saving your life over defeating an enemy. I didn't ask for anything back, I didn't ask for reward. You were an apprentice...who was rejected by her guild." Nosdyn said calmly. He saw in her eyes there was a fury there, a hatred. But he continued to talk to her...try to reach her if he could. "Please Xyllea, honour our union this one last time. Let me help you."

By then all of N'Jal's forces, including N'Jal were inside the temple of Lloth. But all of the fighting stopped, all eyes were on Xyllea and Nosdyn.

Then...right before their eyes, the unthinkable happened. Xyllea reached for her dagger, an augmented weapon, and suddenly stabbed Nosdyn in the chest. It would be a lethal injury, she'd see to it. "Fall, monster." She suddenly said.

Right then, at the end of all things...the truth had become apparent to Nosdyn. She was gone...the woman he'd given himself so freely to was sick and insane, she was gone. He started to cry at that point and fell to his knees as she removed the dagger from his chest. Blood was already trickling down his mouth from what ever sorcery the blade was augmented with. "If that is your wish." Nosdyn whispered to Xyllea, and he accepted his fate. He didn't try to fight the circumstances, he would simply allow himself to die with dignity.

Just as Xyllea began to walk away from Nosdyn...thinking she had won...the single most terrifying thing any of them would ever witness in their lives...happened.

A single, primal scream from N'Jal herself. She'd had enough of Xyllea at that point...three times at that exact point...she'd done horrible things to those two proud demons. And now...before her own very eyes she attempted to strike her champion down. She attacked Xyllea, with all the fury and mastery she knew, she would make the bitch suffer ten-fold for everything she'd done to these two demons. Mortals often thought of N'Jal as a monster...but she knew the truth mortals like Xyllea...they were truly evil and such truth disgusted her. By the time N'Jal was done making Xyllea suffer, her body was already burning away into ash. She'd unleashed the fury of hell itself onto her.

She rushed immediately to her champion's side, she'd honured his request to try to reach her one last time...he'd been fatally injured as a result. N'Jal placed her hand on the side of his face. Blood was trickling profusely from the side of his mouth. "Please don't leave me."

Nosdyn heard her voice call to him, it was becoming difficult to focus from whatever sorcery Xyllea had hit him. "I tried my master...I tried to save her...thank you for granting me this one last thing."

All who were present were stunned by what had transpired. Tharak watched his father...

"NO!" N'Jal yelled. To cheat death itself for his sake, she would stop the hands of time itself. She would not let her champion die in such a cold, dishonorable way...he deserved better than what Xyllea had done to them all. At that point, she suddenly teleported her soldiers, including Tharak and Lilly back to their home. She would not risk Nosdyn...she knew such magics always had affected him adversely. Nosdyn, she would carry herself, she spread her wings and flew towards the cave carrying Nosdyn in her arms. For the first time in a really long time...N'Jal cried knowing her champion was on the verge of death.

[Nosdyn]

Later that day....

They arrived. N'Jal paced back and forth watching her healers. She was angry, Xyllea had done the single most dishonorable, cowardly act she'd seen a mortal do in a long time. "Save Him." She ordered of her Servants. She could not contain her rage at that point. "Use every sorcery I've taught you. You will not allow his death under any circumstances." N'Jal was serious, she would do everything in her power to save Nosdyn son of Tharak.

***

Tharak cried. In front of his companion, Lilly, he cried. "She injured him...maybe fatally. Gods...how did this get so fucked up?" He knew his mother was sick, but he did not believe it would have gotten that downhill. She injured him...maybe fatally. I have to let N'Jal and her Healers do their work.

Lilly placed her hand on the side of his face. "The master will save him, I promise you she will." Lilly told Tharak.

He nodded. "I know Lilly...somehow I know, N'Jal wont let him die. They have a connection." He said calmly. "I didn't see up until today."

Lilly looked at him. "Me and you have such a connection." She said to the boy honestly.

He nodded. "Yes Lilly, we do. And thank you...thank you for always being there. I just can't believe mother would have done that to him."

[Nosdyn]

The next day...

Since they'd brought Nosdyn home they worked around the clock. But the priestess was noticing something well into the second day, she just had to make sure before she troubled the master with her concern. At one point she, herself, looked at N'Jal. "My master...it's not working. Nothing we're doing is slowing the effects of whatever Xyllea did to him. The sorcery is acting as a counter-agent to whatever we attempt." She said to N'Jal. "My master...he's fading."

N'Jal nodded at that point and understood. "Step away from him...I must do this myself. I believe I know what this magic is." She walked over towards the alter where Nosdyn lay on and she placed both her hands on his head. As she had done one other time since Fate brought them together...she entered his mind...she would have to save him herself.

***

Nosdyn awoke in the same fog-filled dimension as before. He somehow knew he was dying. Strangely...he was at peace with it. Each time he'd entered the place some horrible tragedy happened. A voice called out to him...N'Jal. "I am here, my master."

N'Jal entered the dimension and walked right up to him. "The situation is grave Nosdyn. My healer's magics are no longer of any use to whatever Xyllea did to you. I can save you but I need one thing from you." N'Jal would always ask him for permission, she'd grown to respect and admire him since the time they were adversaries.

Nosdyn thought about what he was hearing, but he trusted N'jal, he would give anything for her. "What would you ask of me?"

N'Jal was right in front of him at that point. "I need your love once more for this to work." N'Jal said.

Nosdyn knew, in other words...she needed his permission. But he didn't mind it really...he belonged by N'Jal's side. He pulled her close to him and physically showed her his answer rather than speak it. He kissed her deeply.

That would have been enough for N'Jal to work her power over death itself...

[Nosdyn]

A month later...

Nosdyn awoke one morning, he was weak and in a lot of pain...but he awoke. He turned his head towards N'Jal and smiled at his goddess. "That marks twice now." Nosdyn said to her weakly. She'd stopped death itself to save him twice.

She'd been sitting next to Nosdyn the entire time...her magic over death itself worked...She placed her hand on his forehead. She cried before her champion. "You are made of strong stuff, Nosdyn." She smiled at her champion as she cried...she sincerely loved him. She would do everything she could for him.

Nosdyn nodded. "I will do everything you ask of me...always." Nosdyn said. "I am sorry to have troubled you so much. I had to try...to see if I could save her. In the end I could not."

"She chose her own fate." N'jal said just then. "Recover your strength, I will be here the entire time."

[Nosdyn]

A few nights later...

Nosdyn sat up at that point. He saw N'Jal had indeed been waiting by his side, as she always would. He nodded towards her, he was still a little weakened by the sorcery that was used on him.

N'jal saw her champion awaken, and she hugged him. "Don't do this to me again." N'jal suddenly said.

He nodded in her embrace. "I'll try...sometimes things happen that are beyond our control." He hugged his master back, holding her close to him. And they wept in each other's arms. "Thank you for stopping Xyllea." Nosdyn told her. He understood, each time that N'Jal had encountered her...she'd held back out of respect for Nosdyn and his son. He couldn't even imagine what that must of been like for her...knowing her servants, her family suffered because of Xyllea. Nosdyn recalled the first time N'Jal attacked Xyllea, N'Jal even then, held back. He was beginning to understand what N'Jal stood for what she was about. "I know."

N'Jal looked into his eyes and put her hand on his face. "Tell me..."

"You held back...each time because of me. I want to thank you...for giving me that one last chance to save her." Nosdyn understood at that point, on some level N'Jal did sincerely love him and his son. "I know it must not have been easy for you knowing the horrible things Xyllea did to me and my son."

"That...last time...I could not hold back any longer. She hurt you in front of us...I almost lost you." N'Jal cried in front of him. "I am just glad that this nightmare is over now."

[Nosdyn]

Meanwhile...

Tharak and Lilly waited patiently by other's side. They'd all suffered because of Xyllea...because of what she'd done to them. He had hadn't done much since the day they returned from the battle with Xyllea. The memory kept playing itself over and over in Tharak's mind. He looked at Lilly at that point. "There has not been any news yet...but I trust the master."

Lilly nodded quietly, she knew the boy suffered, he was worried about his father. "Have Faith." Lilly suddenly said.

Tharak nodded to her. "I'm just scared is all..."

***

A short time later...

Nosdyn and N'Jal stepped into their lab. "Boy. Do not be so sad. Our master has the power to control death itself." Nosdyn said to his boy truthfully.

Tharak heard it immediately, his father's voice...and ran to him. He embraced his father and began to cry. "Father...I am so sorry for what she has done to us..."

"It's okay boy...it's over Xyllea will be at peace now." Nosdyn said profoundly. "Your friend took care of you this whole time did she not?" Nosdyn asked of Lilly and Tharak.

Tharak nodded calmly he motioned for Lilly to approach them. "She's been by my side the whole time."

Nosdyn nodded, as the elder he'd encountered that time with Xyllea once said about him and Xyllea...Nosdyn spoke to his boy. "You two make a beautiful pairing. I am sorry to have worried you all." Nosdyn had a look of peace in his eyes. "Xyllea is gone." He said to them with a nod to N'Jal. "Let's all take some time off for ourselves...we've earned it."

[Nosdyn]

The next day...

Nosdyn sat next to N'Jal. He remembered the undead that once served under him in his Guild. He'd come a long way since those days, it had been a long and hard road since then. He recalled a time, something he told one of his closest allies...."So this is how you spend eternity." Nosdyn said out loud and chuckled. He had not been terribly wrong either. The past often had a way of returning to bite you in the ass when you were not ready or prepared. He noticed N'Jal was looking at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Something I told a friend once. He was one from the temple when I first was engaged against you. I was young and foolish in those days. I didn't see as clearly as I do now." Nosdyn sighed, but he held no more malice for N'Jal those days were done. "It was at that point I discovered that I was immune...my people were immune." He turned to her. "I can never be like you." He nodded though. "But it's all right I meant what I said to you that first night...when Xyllea caused my exile. Me and you...we are more alike than you will ever know." He nodded.

N'Jal hugged him at that point. The priestess was sleeping next to them too. She'd been worn out hours earlier..."You've done well my champion." N'Jal said to him. She knew there would be more lessons, things they would learn from one another...

***

In the side chamber...

The two were working together at that point. They both had fierce minds, fierce intelligence. Tharak was writing notes down in a journal, compiling everything that he had learned up until that time, constructing an entire research library of their work. Once he was done writing for that particular session, he looked at Lilly. "I want to teach something." He told her.

Lilly paused what she was working on and walked over towards her companion. "What would you show me, my lord?" She asked of him.

"I want to teach you the language of my people. As my father taught me when I was very young. So me and you can speak to each other in that tongue. No Secrets Lilly." He suddenly said, continuing the tradition his father had started, he extended his hand for her.

"No secrets." She agreed, and shook his hand.

That night...the teachings would begin in earnest.

[Nosdyn]

Epilogue...

One year later...

Nosdyn had not been far off from the truth, the past often had a way of returning to haunt you.

Standing before the cavern was a forgotten soul...one who had gone missing for a very long time. He yelled the demon's name at that point he was working up the courage to do what needed doing. He needed their help. "Nosdyn, son of Tharak!" The man yelled. There was no malice or hatred in his call, there was a different sort of emotion in it...desperation.

A short time later Nosdyn and his Son did emerge from the cave. Nosdyn immediately recognized the man who he was looking at, and he saw a memory in his mind of the first time he met Lancaster. "...Llukai." Nosdyn did not have any hatred for the man, he always held a respect for him.

"Nosdyn, I need your help." He suddenly said. "I cannot do this thing on my own."

Nosdyn considered what he was hearing. He walked up to the man, unafraid. He placed his hand on Llukai's shoulder. "Llukai, I once swore to your father I would always help you in times of need. Let's go inside, before N'Jal we will discuss what is this thing you need help with." But somehow...Nosdyn already knew what was wrong. He guessed it had something to do with that rotting cancer in Ettermire's heart...

And he wouldn't have been terribly wrong either. They all went inside that night to discuss what needed to be discussed...

-The End-