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It sparkled brilliantly with the power only a strong love could convey. Dancing through the air, it plummeted towards its enevitable end. With a final sparkle, the tear splashed on the photo sending fragments of its form in all directions.
Zane stared at the photo for hours. His cheeks were lined with the trails his many tears had created. He remained undisturbed until a sound battered the walls of his conciousness. Pulling him from his trace, he recognized the sound of knocking.Taking one last look at the picture, he whispered "For now and forever," before setting it down. Standing up and trying his best to clear his face of long hours of sorrow, he made his way to the door.
He was greeted with a solemn expression from the guard whom he had asked to raise him at this time. The guard knew why Zane was currently in the guest quarters of the building and tried to convey his sympathy for his situation. Zane nodded at his messenger and closed the door as he focused on the sound of the soldiers steps as they faded away.
Zane inhaled deeply and exited the room. As he walked towards what could be the most difficult experience of his life, his mind could only linger on the photo and what his reasons for this meeting were. Zane walked through the long corridors to his destination and, having felt as if he just stepped out of his room, Zane approached his seat in front of a board full of aged and irritated men and women. They knew the reason he called them here and their decision was made before he sat down.
"I..." Zane choked. He took a second to gain command of his voice and tried again. "I asked for this meeting to beg that the ancient practice be allowed. That the law forbidding its use be removed." He glanced up to the faces that scrutinized his every movement and word only to find no sympathy in their faces.
"Again Zane," the man in the middle of the panel spoke. "We have discussed this with you both formally and informally before. We are sorry for your loss, but your request is denied. Necromancy shall remain forbidden both for its disgusting attributes and its potential to unleash the forces of hell whether intentionally or not. Furthermore, you are forbidden to seek out any of the outlaws who practice this art against our permission. If you are caught with them, the same fate reserved for them will also fall upon you."
Zane could only stare at the floor. His body went slack and his eyes unfocused. After his denial, he hardly heard anything else that the man said. "Guards," the aged man whispered "please remove Zane from this room and bring in the next petitioner."
Zane rose slowly, guided out by a soldier who had a sturdy grip on his arm. Zane remained as if a zombie, unaware of his surroundings. He was left outside the wizards hall standing in the rain. He walked home in a daze and was soaked when he reached his door. He entered and very quietly made his way to bed. The water soaked through the bed as he cried himself to sleep.

-*****-_-*****-

Shadows, though they were not simple shadows, weaved around the room. A large pentagram was drawn on the floor in a crimson color, the color of blood. Clothes and other small objects lay in the middle of the symbol. A mans shadow stretched across the floor. He held an odd white dagger in his hands that hovered above the pentagram, point down.
"I want you back..." Zane mumbled, tears rolling down his eyes. With a deep intake of breath his face hardened and he prepared to meet his wife and child again. It had been months since the Wizards panel denied his request to do what he now attempted. It had taken weeks for his mind to return to a state that allowed him to think clearly. It took him only a day after that to decide he would go against their wishes.
"Zel Nephi-duai," he began to chant. He spent his days since his decision gathering all the information he could on how it worked. He found books in the forbidden section of the libraries. He searched out contacts that knew necromancers. He had decided he could wait no longer. On a very dark night, he began.
"Come to me... I call you forth Evelyn, and you Meg." Zane pricked his finger on the dagger. He knew from the books that his blood should rise up the dagger he had fashioned himself from the bone from a local graveyard. He did not know the enchantments for it but decided they were not needed. He was calling his family back, he did not need protection from them.
Zane smiled as his blood ran up, defying gravity. The shadows weaved faster around the room. He heard a feminine voice fill his head. "Dearest Zane," the voice sounded pure and Zane smiled as he looked up at where she would now be standing be. As his gaze touched the pentagram something struck him hard in the stomach. The dagger flew from his hand as he gasped for breath.
"You fool. You think it so simple to meddle with death?" A Deep voice boomed through Zane's head forcing his hands to his ears. "Your wife and child are safe, I made sure of that. I would like to thank you for opening the portal for me to come through. For that I will spare your life, for now." The demon knelt down beside Zane and whispered "but that doesnt mean I wont cause a little pain."
Zane screamed, but there was noone to hear.

-*****-_-*****-

Light shone through the window meeting Zane's eyes. He slowly awoke and moved his hand to block the light. Confused, he sat upright. Pain shot through his body. The memory of what happened rushed back with the pain and Zane wailed. Huge gashes marked the walls of the room and his wifes clothes lay tattered and destroyed. The door to the room was torn off its hinges and some of the windows were nothing but shards of glass.
Zane stood up and made his way to where the door hung before, feeling the effects of the demons punishment with every step. Looking around outside, Zane stood stunned. There was a trail of burned grass, bushes and trees leading away from the house. Littering the path was the burned carcasses of the area's animals.
Zane looked down at his outfit and saw blood staining a good portion of his clothing. Zane closed his eyes and whispered the words of magic, modifying a known spell to work for this situation. As he opened his eyes he saw the stains fade and threads reweave themselves together. Next, he put a hand over his right side and spoke the words to remove pain. The injury was still there and he needed to be careful, but he wouldnt feel pain from that area for awhile.
Confused and astounded at what happened, Zane barely thought about his family and what the cause of this all was. "I need to fix this quickly before someone gets hurt and traces this back to me," Zane said as he walked back inside. "Where is it?" Zane searched the house, moving piles of wood and rubble aside.
Zane jerked his hand back in shock from a pile of glass he was moving aside. Blood ran down his finger, dripping down to the floor. "Damn," he cursed looking for something to stop the bleeding. As Zane searched, he noticed the dagger on the floor. A drop of his blood fell on it and raced over it, spreading like a disease to envelop the dagger to the hilt. As Zane bent to pick it up, the dagger glowed out in a brilliant light, blinding him.
His eyes refocused and he retrieved the dagger. As he held it in his hand the cut on his finger sealed itself. "What the...?" Zane wondered, afraid of what was happening to the dagger and to himself. He set the dagger back down, now determined to leave it behind. He walked out the door and started down the path.
As he left the clearing of the cabin, Zane noticed an odd feeling in his left hand. Looking down, he discovered the dagger he had just thrown away. Zane threw it again and it hit the ground softly before floating up and flying back to his hand. Since he couldnt get rid of it he slid it into his belt. Afterall it could come in handy in his current task.

-*****-_-*****-

Zane came within view of the Wizards Hall. He tracked the demon through the forest and back into town. It had left a clear trail of death and it knew where it was going. Zane followed the trail and at the edge of town he discovered the first human body. The man must have been a simple farmer but he now lay dead, run through by his own tools. Each death after was more gruesome and more disgusting than the last.
The people who survived ran frantically through the streets. The demon had caused panic among the town. Zane could not help but think that this must have been what it was like when Diablo had walked to world in search of his brothers. Those stories had always scared Zane, and now he had released a demon of his own upon the world.
As he neared the Wizards Hall doors, he noticed they were left wide open. Blood stained the entrance and the body of a wizard was left charred and staked to the door by his own staff. Holding his nose, Zane made his way into the building.
He walked the halls of the guest rooms where he had stayed that day before his meeting with the Grand Masters. A chill ran up his spine as it just now occured to him that the demon may still be in the area. His stance changed to one much more defensive. One that trembled with fear. Zane had no idea what he was going to do when he found him. As he made his way room to room, he began to hear chanting.
Ideas running through his head frantically, he slid his way toward the room that the strange words came from. His breathing quickened and as he neared the entrance to the room the chanting stopped. Afraid the demon heard him Zane panicked an ran back down the hall. He heard quick footsteps behind him and sinister words were mouthed.
As Zane ran, bones erupted from the floor and encased him where he stood. They ran up his legs and bound his hands in a tight trap. Human skulls, animal ribs and assorted pieces of every once living being surrounded him in brilliant white. The footsteps of the demon approached from behind and Zane closed his eyes and awaited his death as he imagined all the others he found along the way had done.
"Who are you?" a voice spoke into his ear. Instead of the deep voice he remembered from the demon, this was much more human but commanded just as much authority. Zane was too shocked too speak. He still didnt know if he should be relieved or remain terrified.
"Again, who are you?" the man walked in front of Zane. His outfit was pure black and trimmed in symbols that glowed an eerie pulsing silver. He wore a cloak that covered much and had the same odd sybmols lining it all the way down. It had the odd texture of scales and it reflected light in much the same way. Zane knew what he was now, and he
"Zane..." he muttered, afraid to look away from the authority the mans eyes demanded.
He stared at Zane, eyes glazing over, peering into his soul itself. After what seemed like an eternity his eyes refocused and breathed a sigh. "My name is Jyn. I do not recognize you and yet you carry a very special dagger. Where did you get it, surely it does not belong to you?"
To nervous to lie, Zane confessed. He told his tale of how he came to posses the dagger and his reasons for having it. As he neared the part regarding the summoning of his family, he stuttered. Jyn's gaze was as hard as stone and condemned the man for his foolish actions. When Zane finished, they stood in silence for minutes.
With a wave of his dagger Jyn released the spell on the bones and they scattered to the floor. Zane dropped, not expected the release and not ready to catch himself. With a few words, Jyn drew a symbol into the air with his dagger that blazed a bright blue. He then raised his hand to symbol and it faded to silver as he dragged the symbol down. As he did, the bones sank through the floor, to be buried once again.
"You are quite possibly the most foolish man I have met in my life, and I have lived a very long time." Jyn stated as he gathered his things. "Get up, you're going to have to come with me.
"You're not the first one recently to call me foolish," Zane said, feeling even worse for what he had caused and how ignorant he had been. "Why do I need to come with you?"
"You're going to have to help me send this demon back to hell. What you see around you is just the beginning of what he will do. From the dead here I have retrieved answers and I believe I know who this demon is. Forget your wife and child Zane, they are gone. You must now commit yourself to what is here and now, and what is here is very deadly." Jyn looked down at Zane who still sat on the floor. "I will say, what you have done is very impressive. I am amazed you were able to create that dagger, nevermind that you were able to use it. We leave now, let us go. If I linger much longer the remaining wizards and the Zakarum will find me. They don't take kindly to Necromancers."
As Jyn walked out the door Zane sat a moment longer, shocked to hear the word. It was one thing to know what he was, and another to hear the man say it himself. Zane was surprised that the Wizards panel had said the word. Most would refer to it as the forbidden art, or some other mysterious word that danced around their meaning.
Zane hurried to follow the Necromancer, afraid of being left behind. As he caught up the Necromancer paid him no attention. Together, the two of them followed the trail of the demon out of town, heading west.

-*****-_-*****-

Weeks passed. The pair travelled finding utter destruction along their path. The farther they travelled the more controlled the demon seemed to become. What was once mass slaughter and chaos became disguised murders and merely distraught family members.
Everynight before Zane slept Jyn would teach him the ways of necromancy. He began by explaining the balance which was the need for the powers of the high heavens and the low hells to maintain a strict balance. He then moved on to the forces of life and how they could be manipulated, and even through death they could still play with the strings of life.
Zane learned quickly. He was a sorcerer before and was used to words of power and how they could be manipulated. He still had much to learn in the ways of how necromancers needed to think and what to consider, but he had the power to wield. Sorcery and necromancy were more related than he would have thought. Both required innovation in the art to accomplish what you needed. It was unlike wizardry in which you had rules to follow and only certain spells that you could not easily modify. Everything flowed together.
"Are you listening?" Jyn said impatiently. Sometimes he seemed as friendly as the people Zane grew up with. Othertimes Jyn was annoyed and seemed as if what he did was a job.
"I'm sorry, my mind was somewhere else. What am I to learn today?" Zane replied. His mind wandered often lately, driven to the limits with his chase.
"Today you are going to learn to summon the bones of the people who have walked the lands before you. They will be yours to command for attack, or to create barriers. If you will remember I captured you when we first met with this method."
"I do remember yes... quite a powerful spell" Zane remarked, his mind already thinking of ways in which that spell could be altered or combined in use with other things he knew.
"Okay, we begin" Jyn said as he instructed Zane in what to do. He showed him the symbol that must be drawn with his dagger. It flared bright red and fizzled out in the air. Within an hour Zane had created his first wall of bones."
"Hey, I have an idea" Zane said, taking a few steps back. Jyn eyed his curiously but let him continue. "Watch this."
Zane raised his dagger and drew forth the symbol he just learned. The fire aura of the symbol let off its red glow and Zane took his free hand and grabbed it from the air. As he raised his hands and spoke the ancient words the bones raised up creating a long sharp spear. Then, squinting his eyes he concentrated and the spear burst into flames.
His hand that held the symbol jerked to the right. The spear of bone flew toward a tree and exploded upon impact setting the tree ablaze. The fire produced no ordinary flame for it only effected its target and the tree was quickly reduced entirely to ash with no evidence of harm to anything around it. He smiled showing a confident happiness at his accomplishment.
Zane turned to see what Jyn thought of his spell to find the necromancer staring at him as if in disbelief. A moment passed and Jyn nodded before sitting down and letting his mind fade into his own version of sleep. Zane, upset at his friends lack of enthusiasm, walked away to sleep somewhere more private.

-*****-_-*****-

It had been a full three months since the day Zane had released the demon. They had finally tracked it to what Jyn believed to be its target all along. They now trecked through thick forests heading towards an ancient temple.
"Khejani Temple" Jyn explained, "was created long ago by a group of Vizjerei with the intentions of creating a portal to other planes. The nearly succeeded, but a legendary necromancer saw it as too great a risk to the balance and he killed them all. I'm afraid of what the demon would want here."
"I wouldn't know" Zane remarked, moving on. Something about the temple struck him as familiar though he was sure he had never read about it growing up. Unaware of his surroundings, Zane bumped into Jyn who had come to a sudden stop. "What's wrong?"
Jyn stood very still, his eyes surveyed the forest with intense interest. Something had suddenly struck an odd cord with him, some kind of warning. Perhaps the balance was alerting him to a change in his path. A shadow flickered in the trees and Jyn immediately pulled out his dagger. "We have trouble."
Zane looked at him curiously before seeing the shadow himself. His dagger was out within moments as well. He slowly lost defensive his posture as what was before them came into view. It was more than one simple beast. It was a horde of disfigured creatures. Their bodies contained parts of every type of animal and seemed almost sewn together. They outnumbered the pair by a large margin.
"This will be exciting" Zane said letting out a nervous and very terrified laugh. With that, their dance began. Immediately they both drew forth symbols in the air. Surrounded, they each got eachothers backs. Zanes symbol effortlessly sliced through the air and blazed a burning green. With a thrust of his dagger he sent the spell he had drawn flying towards a creature in the middle of a large group.
The creature stopped and it began to bloat. Blood poured out of its mouth and ears as its eyes popped from its skull. The entire body of the creature suddenly exploded releasing a large green cloud of toxic gas. Snickers rose from the crowd as they got to their feet after being knocked back from the blast. They didnt breath.
A smile played on Zane's lips. The gas he summoned didnt need to be inhaled, it was toxic to the touch of flesh. The fiends wailed as their flesh dripped from thier bodies and their muscles deteriorated. His victory was cut short as one came from his side and was upon him.
Jyn was also quick to summon a spell. His dagger quickly sliced a bright white symbol into the air. His hand shot through the symbol, fingers spread. The ground rumbled deeply and cracks began to form beneath the advancing horde. Huge bone spikes crashed through the ground impaling many and preventing the others advance. A bone wall was made from the spikes and bodies allowing Jyn to turn his attention to his friend.
Jyn realized there were far too many around for them to kill them all before they were overcame, he needed to level the playing field. "Zane, I am about draw a spell that is going to help, but it may leave me greatly weakened. It will be on you to save us both if that happens. I am going to curse all of them, be ready to strike."
"Got it, I'm ready" Zane confirmed as his dagger carved through the neck of an advancing zombie.
Jyn's dagger hovered in the air as he readied himself to cast on this many creatures at once. Breathing in, Jyn quickly sketched the glyph in the air. The blazing black flames of an eye appeared beneath his dagger. With a final second to prepare, Jyn breathed out and drew a slash through they eye before crashing his dagger through it sending the spell at them all.
The advancing horde suddenly began tumbling over, as did Jyn. Zane began slaughtering all that he could. They were completely blind and were easily disposed of. Jyn slowly rose, regaining his strength. As the creatures numbers dwindled the two necromancers finally began to breath sighs of relief. Wtih a final spell, Zane cast his bone spear and sent it soaring through the skull of the final zombie which exploded on impact and was incinerated to ash within moments.
He turned his attention to Jyn to help him remain standing. Jyn ignored his help and slowly walked over to a barely alive zombie that remained on the ground. Jyn's dagger struck out in the air and he whispered the words of power before he slammed the dagger down into the dying creature. It slid through its flesh as if it were not there, releasing a bright light that turned red within moments of creating the wound. A crimson light began to raise through the dagger and swirl out and around the necromancer's arm as it travelled towards his chest.
With a sudden twist of the dagger, Jyn ended the spell and the glowing red aura was drawn into Jyn's body. When he stood again, the creature lay dead on the ground and Jyn looked as though he had just woken. "Shall we move on?"
"I...what did you do?" Asked Zane.
"It's called a life tap. That is one spell I will not be able to teach you, not now. It is a transfer of the very essense of one being into your own. It replenishes your life force, but it also takes a part of the victim into you to do so. It can be very dangerous."
"I dont want to ever be on the receiving end of that" Zane remarked as Jyn started walking off.
"No Zane, you don't."

-*****-_-*****-

They travelled through the forest for two more days. The night of the second day, they arrived. The temple was falling apart, the entrance no more than a decayed hole in the side of a mountain. Jyn pulled out his dagger and silently whispered a few words and it blazed to life giving off a bright white glow. With their light ready, the pair entered the temple, prepared for anything.

"Keep your mind clear, you have no idea what horrors he may have summoned to prevent our interference. What you saw in the forest was nothing compared to the demons I have seen in my lifetime," Jyn stated as he led the way.
"I have an idea, something to help protect us" Zane stated as he drew his own dagger. "I had this idea before but wasnt sure if it would work. As a sorcerer I used to create elemental armors, which gave me the idea for this." With Jyn looking on, Zane began to draw the glyph in the air for his make-shift spell.
The symbol was the containment sphere, its form a circle with a dot in the middle. It could be used to represent many ideas of protection or alertness or even to imprison someone. Jyn had an idea of what Zane planned to use it for. With a swift motion the dagger was brought before Zane's palm and he pricked his own hand. Blood ran up the dagger and the glyph flared to life. It spun in the air and tilted on its side.
The drawn symbol, infused with Zane's blood, floated to the ground, spinning faster as it went down. As it sank into the earth the ground began to tremble. After a few moments, hundreds of bone fragments rose up from the ground spinning as the glyph had, surrounding Zane. He spoke a word of power and the bones slowed as the circle began to contract.
Jyn stared in awe as they formed on Zane. The bones came to a stop and rested, creating a perfect armor made of pure white bone. Enchanted with his own blood, it was sure to greatly relieve any damage he may incur.
Jyn smiled to himself. "So inventive," he remarked. "If you had been formally trained you would have received one of these," jyn remarked as he lifted the cloak he wore. "This is enchanted with the scales of Trag'Oul. They are as hard as steel but as flexible and the human body."
Zane now understood what gave his cloak its reptilian shine. Still wishing to impress, Zane drew the pattern of the starburst and spoke a few words. As he raised his dagger, his armor of bone began to glow as Jyn's dagger did. When he finished the spell, he was a walking light.
"Very useful," Jyn commented, "it's too bad you are wasting so much time on this when we are so very near the demon. What if he were to be here at this very moment. He would cut you down while you were playing with your toys. Lets get moving and be quiet."
They made their way through the tunnel. It opened to a wide chamber that had layers of dust on it. "Look there," Zane pointed to the ground. A large print was made in the dust that fit no human or animal foot.
"Surely that is our demon. Though I wonder what these smaller prints are over here," Jyn wondered. "They seem to be some kind of small animal. They are all over. This place has been so long abandoned I am sure it is just many weeks of small animal prints from the forest."
"Are you sure about that?" Zane said, his back to Jyn. As Jyn turned around he was directed to a point far away in the pitch black part of the chamber. Low to the ground there was a pair of bright red eyes that stared at them. "What is it?" he remarked as he drew his dagger. Just as his dagger left its sheath, hundred of eyes appeared all around the one they had seen.
"Oh shit..." Zane commented, slowly stepping back. As he did the first of the creatures began its way towards them, slowly at first. "There are so damn many!"
Jyn's dagger was already at work. The chamber rattled and bones burst through the ground creating a huge bone wall that stretched from one wall to the other. As the glyph faded Jyn looked to the side of the chamber and back to Zane. "Come quickly, there is a hallway over here. That wall should hold them for awhile."
"I'm not so sure about that," Zane said as he quickly made his way to the hall. Jyn looked up and a pair of the devilish red eyes were already standing on top of the wall.
"Run! They must be using eachother to climb it" Jyn said as he ran behind Zane. One of the small creatured launched itself from the wall and flew landing where Jyn was seconds before. Zane glanced behind as they passed into the hall and witnessed the creatures flowing over the walls. There were so many not even a speck of the white bone wall could be seen through them.
"Do something Jyn! They are going to overrun us!"
"I used up too much energy for that wall, I cant do anything. Expecially since I am too preoccupied to think at the moment."
"Fine, keep moving, I have an idea!" Zane stopped running and quickly turned to face the advancing horde of creatures. The eyes glared at him from the ground, walls and ceilings. Zane prayed that he could pull off what he was thinking. The first thing Jyn had taught him was the teeth of Trag'oul. Zane drew a glyph in the air. A perfect circle with lines radiating out in all directions from its center.
With a spoken word the glyph flared to life. Zane backed up a few feet before he closed his eyes. He tapped his innate power of sorcery and the glyph burst into unnatural fire. "Here goes nothing, and everything" Zane said as he drew up his dagger.
After a quick word of power and an even quicker prayer, Zane threw his dagger in the direction of the glyph. He could see the monsters on the other side almost upon him. The dagger flew threw the air spinning rapidly towards the glyph. With a sudden burst the dagger transformed with the spirit of Trag'oul, still spinning. As it crashed through the glyph, the two magics combined. Fire burst from the spirit dagger, spinning and flaring in all directions.
Within seconds Zane could see only a wall of flame and spirit entwined within one another. It flew down the hallway leaving the bodies of the creatures to fall to the ground where they stood. The fire consumed their bodies and the daggers power ripped their souls from their bodies, casting them out and fueling itself with their power.
A final burst of flame spit out and the dagger lost the power and fell to the ground. A trail of souless bodies lay between it and Zane. His spell had worked. He smiled before a sudden weakness struck him hard. He fell to the floor, his body threatening to fail him. His dagger zoomed back through the hall to his side, glowing with the souls it had claimed. Zane took it in his hand and drew from it the force of their lives.
Zane screamed in pain as he took their life force into himself. Jyn came running back when he heard his scream, unable to tell what had happened. Zane lay crumpled on the floor.
"Zane! What happened!" Jyn checked his pulse and his breathing, both were steady. Jyn helped him to stand. "Are you okay Zane? I saw what you did, my god I would have never dreamed something like that possible.
Zane opened his eyes, a slight smile on his face. Jyn suddenly let go and backed away. "Something wrong Jyn?" Zane asked, puzzled by his reaction.
Jyn stood in disbelief. Zanes eyes glowed red. His eyes losing focus, Jyn turned and continued down the hallway. "It's nothing Zane...it's nothing. Lets go."
The hallways lead out into another large chamber, this one filled with mystical objects. Vizjerei were known for the enchantments and both men had no desire to find out what kind of magic protected them from being taken. "Jyn," Zane called him to stop. "You knwo what's going on here. What is this demon trying to do?"
Jyn studied his students question. Afraid he would find out soon enough, he decided he might as well be prepared. "This temple, as I said, was used to try and create a bridge from one plane to another. It's my belief that this demon has come here to bridge the gap from this plane to his own."
What are you saying," Zane said, shocked. "Are you telling me he is trying to open the way to hell?"
"That is exactly what I believe. The wizards that created this place failed. They would have eventually succeeded if it were not for the necromancers, however they would have destroyed the worldstone without having known it. Now that the stone is destroyed already, the demon will not face much resistance in opening this portal. The tools are here for him to do it, all he needs is the power which I can now that he has."
"Great! The portal could already be opened couldnt it?" Zane asked, astounded at what Jyn had withheld from him.
Jyn considered his question, and nodded. "All the more reason to make haste, lets go."

-*****-_-*****-

The temple was huge. They searched it for hours and found no further trace of the demon or his minions. Finally, in a room far below ground, Zane called for Jyn.
"What is it?" Jyn asked angrily as he hurried over. He had reprimanded Zane before for being loud when there might be demons around. "What did you find?"
"Look," Zane said, pointing to the middle of the room. There was a human body covered in blood laying upon an alter. The poor souls chest had been ripped open. Jyn approached the body to see what was done in detail. He could still feel the heat from the body in the air. He turned to Zane "This is a fresh kill. I can still feel his body heat."
"His heart is gone," Zane commented as he examined the body along side Jyn. "Do you have any idea what the demon needed this man's heart for?"
Jyn pulled out his dagger and touched it to the blood of the dead man. "We are about to find out." With a swift motion he quickly drew the symbol in the air representing the afterlife. A square with a line extending upwards and one downwards from its center. As he spoke the words for his spell, his dagger was pointed down at the ground. The blood it had gathered from the man spread over its blade. Jyn dropped the dagger as the room when silent.
It tore into the floor to the hilt and the blood that surrounded the mans body began to withdraw. It gathered and pooled as it began to rise. It took the form of what Zane could only imagine was what the man looked like before he was horribly slaughtered.
"Tell me what I need to know and you can move on in peace," Jyn commanded, wielding his authority over the spirit with absolute confidence.
"What....do...you want?" the spirit whispered.
"What did the demon do to you? For what purpose did he kill you?"
"He did...not say."
"Then tell me where he went, surely you saw him leave. You would have survived for nearly half a minute without your heart, what happened in that time?"
"The demon...he went...down."
"Down where, there are no stairs here!"
"Down...by the lever...beside you."
Jyn glanced down. He noticed what he assumed was just a small pillar. He motioned to Zane who walked over and pushed on the disguised lever. With a rumble, the altar began to move aside revealing a staircase down into darkness. Jyn spun his dagger so that the tip pointed upward. The blood rushed down, spilling back over the body of its creator. Released from his spell, it splashed onto the floor and rested in large pools.
"Thank you for the help, you may rest now" Jyn said, as he began the descent into the dark.

-*****-_-*****-

This was it. Sweat rolled down Zanes face as he tried to recall all the spells he could think of. His mind brushed against the spell he used to summon this demon. Memories of his family came back in a torrent demanding to know why he had not thought of them recently. Tears dripped down his face intermixing with his sweat. Jyn looked back, sensing his friends troubles.
"This is the time you must be strong. You cannot let your emotions take you now, not here." Jyn waited for a nod before turning around and continuing. As they walked on, the began to hear chanting, and a faint glow began to filter through the dark. Ahead, the tunnel opened into a vast chamber. The source of the light and the noise originated within.
The necromancers set their bodies against the wall as they inched their way forward in an attempt to see what was going on inside. Jyn peered around the wall. A man in a once white robe knelt before another altar. His robes were drenched in blood and judging from the gashes, some was his own. He sat before a giant circle that sat upright, made of pure shining silver stone.
Jyn turned to Zane to find him in a state of shock, staring past him. "What is wrong? You must control your fear" Jyn whispered. Zane slowly drew his dagger, his fingers trembling on the hilt. Jyn followed his gaze and his dagger was immediately brought up to match Zane's.
A voice as deep as the caverns they explored boomed through their heads. It seemed as if the very walls shook. "How nice of you to follow me. I am afraid you are too late, the portal is almost open and your souls will belong to me. Why don't you join me?" The demon stood before them no more than thirty feet away.
He towered high above, his head nearly crashing into the ceiling. Spikes lined his back and flowed down to the tip of a giant tail. He stood no four huge, muscular legs that ended with large sharp claws. His pure red eyes glared at the pair before he chuckled. The laugh was the most horrifying thing they had ever heard.
"Are you scared of my beautiful appearance? I suppose I can change into something abit more flexible down here" the demon's voice boomed in their heads again. Jyn covered his ears but the voice did not lessen its assault. As they stared at the demon, he let out a piercing howl as his form began to change. He shrank in size slowly as the large spikes on his back withdrew.
"Is this better? I can still dispose of you even in this form. I have no fear of your pathetic powers. I have learned a great deal in my trip here, and part of what I learned is how truly pathetic humans are."
Jyn cleared his throat and walked into the chamber, Zane following behind him. The demon was a head taller than either of them now and stood awkwardly on two feet. Jyn played with his dagger. "A demons downfall is always his confidence. You would do well to learn from yourself demon."
Jyn fell to the floor, Zane landing upon him. Jyn, surprised, screamed out as a ball of flame burned overhead narrowly missing them both. It crashed into the wall and spread as if liquid over the wall before evaporating. They both scrambled to stand and Jyn searched for the source of the fire. The man whom Jyn first observed at the altar in the disgusting white robes had stood. He was already in the process of casting another spell.
Jyn looked at Zane, "I will take care of the wizard. He is possessed by the looks of it, this will be no easy battle. I am sorry my friend but you must be the one to battle this demon. You summoned him and he is most susceptible to your own magic."
Zane stared a moment longer before turning his attentiont to the demon. He nodded, and looked back to his friend. "Be safe. Come to help when you can." Zane began his walk toward the demon who let out another monstrous laugh.

-*****-_-*****-

Another bright flare warned of another ball of flame that would soon be hurled his way. Jyn quickly brought his dagger forward and drew the symbol of protection. Throwing his dagger into the floor the symbol burst a brilliant yellow. As the fireball burned its way through the air a shield of bone burst up from the ground creating a half shell around the necromancer. The fire blasted the wall and was directed around him. Jyn withdrew his dagger and the bones fell to the ground.
As he regained his view, he noticed the wizard had disappeared. Jyn knew Wizards could cast invisibility spells from experience, so he had a spell ready for him. Drawing the symbol of the eye, JYn added lines radiating outward and pressed his palm to the symbol. The gylph roared to life and twisted around his palm before flying into him. His vision reeled with light before coming into focus.
As Jyn caught glance of the wizard, a spelled dagger was on its way through the air aimed right at Jyn chest. Jyn threw himself sideways just in time as the dagger flew past him slicing through his shoulder. He cried out in pain as he launched an attack of his own. The teeth of Trag'Oul flared to life travelling towards the wizard. In a split second he blinked and teleported out of the way.
Jyn cursed at both his wound and his failed attack. Already the wizard was casting another spell. Jyn was running out of time and needed to do something drastic. An idea struck him as he brought forth another bone wall to dissolve the shard of ice that flew at him now. Jyn needed time to perform what he had in mind. He first had to think of a way to keep his attacker busy.
Jyn began to draw a glyph. His dagger quickly produced the glyph of thorns and combined with Jyn's words a spell burst forth towards his attacker. Huge bone spikes erupted from the ground in a line heading towards the Wizard. He smiled and teleported to the side only to have the bones change course as if homing in upon him. Jyn seized his chance to begin his spell while the Wizard was busy dodging the bone spears.
Concentrating, Jyn's dagger again roared to life as he sketched the symbol of life. The most intricate of symbols, it contained many parts and was a very large glyph that tookup the whole of his vision looking forward. The symbol complete, Jyn knelt and grabbed a handful of dirt. This was something he heard about but had no idea how to accomplish so he prayed that this would work. Stealing the idea from Zane, Jyn whispered the words of power he thought would work and threw the dirt threw the glyph.
The gylph moved with the dirt, transforming it. With a deafening thud a giant sphere of mud and rock slammed into the ground. It began to unravel in a specific manner. As Jyn looked upon what he had summoned, before him stood a hulking golem of the earth. Animated by his spell, it turned to Jyn for direction. Wasting no time, he pointed to the Wizard who was dodging the last of the bone spears. "Kill him."
The golem nodded and turned to glare at the wizard who shook in fear of the giant beast who had its eyes on him. The wizard threw more fire at the golem and it crashed into his chest. When the fire stopped, the golem was untouched. With a loud roar the golems hands shot into the earth, the mud and stone looking as if they merged with it.
The wizard cried out as beneath his feet the hands of the golem burst forth. Mud and stone ran up his legs holding him in place as it creeped further up his figure. Magic roared to life bouncing off the golems attack in a flurry of violent movements. The creeping mud shot out and grabbed the wizards hands, preventing any further magic. Screaming, the wizard moved franctically trying to break through the hold. The golem finally reach the wizards head and enveloped him entirely.
As the golem pulled his hands out of the earth the stone and mud encasing the wizard solidified. A Large rock emerged from the mud of the golem into his hand and with a windup he threw it at the mud prison. It shattered, the pieces of the wizard as hard as rock.
Jyn fell to one knee, the energy required for the golem had been draining him slowly the longer it remained alive. With a final wave Jyn released the spell and passed out on the floor. The golem came to a sudden stop and melted into the ground.

-*****-_-*****-

"I am so sorry to have to kill the human that gave me and all of Hell access to this plane" the demon mocked as he began to circle Zane. "Are you going to try and fight me Zane? You, who I so easily could have slaughtered back at that cabin. You're pathetic Zane."
The voice filled his head pushing the thoughts on him. Zane trembled in fear and lifted his dagger in the direction the demon stood. "You're going back where you came from." The laughter filled his head again. The poisonous melody from the demon hampered Zane's thoughts.
With a sudden flash the demon disappeared from sight. Terrified, Zane spun around trying to find his attacker. The laughter continued to echo in his mind and the world went black. Zane looked down to find the bone armor fade and fall away. His surroundings darkened and as he cast a light spell, a thousand images of the demon stood before him. Zane fell back, nearly dropping his dagger.
A thousand voices threatened to split his head open. "How are you going to fight me when you cannot even find me Zane. How're you going to fight your worst fears." Zane cried out as he brought his hands up to cover his ears. "Get out of my head" he shouted.
"Poor poor Zane. All this way and you cannot even stand. What would your wife think? What would your little girl think Zane?
"Leave my family out of this you bastard!" Zane grabbed his dagger, "Dont even speak about them again!" Zane drew to glyph of silence and modified it for his purposes. Smiling he crashed the dagger through it and it exploded, converging back to his ears. The demons voice became normalized and Zane stood. "I'll make you pay for that, all thousand of you!"
Zane carved a glyph into the ground. With his innate power he summoned fire and smiled as he launched a forceful blast into the glyph. Immediately the ground rumbled as hundreds of bones blast through the ground. They stabbed through the images of the demon and incinerated anything they touched in the same torrent of flame that Zane poured into the glyph. Zane heard the muted cry of anguish from the demon as all the images disappeared.
Prepared for his next attack, Zane ran through his head any spells he might be able to use. Gentle footsteps echoed from behind him. Zane spun around to meet his attacker. Zane's heart stopped as his dagger fell from his hand. He stared into the eyes of his wife. Everything seemed to come to a stop, there was no wind and time itself stood still watching the moment between them.
"What....you're not real. This is another trick of that damned demon!" Zane ripped his dagger from the ground with his call and it flew straight into his hand. He pulled it up ready to banish this vision when the melodic voice of his wife entered his mind.
"Wait, Zane. It is me, put down your weapon. I love you, for now and forever." The ghost glided towards the now frozen Zane. A tear rolled down his cheek at the sound of their vow. "Don't be afraid."
"How... How did you get here Evelyn? Where is Meg?" Zane chocked, hardly able to breath.
"She is safe Zane. You must listen I cannot be here long. You must defeat this demon and only you can do it. You must break his spell if you are to succeed."
"What spell? I just banished the images he summoned. He is nothing before the fury I have for him." Zane gathered his voice back with the mention of the demon. His hatred fueled his body back to life.
"No Zane. You must listen to me. You are in a dream of sorts. This demon, he has the ability to force you to see things, to feel what he wants you to feel. It seems so real that he can kill you that way, a cut in your dream becomes a cut in reality. Zane, you have not moved since the moment you split from your partner. You fell to the floor shortly after he engaged battle and you have been in this dream ever since. You must wake up or he will kill you while you remain totally unaware." Alena pleaded for Zane to listen. Her voice began to fade.
"Alena... how do I do that? It feels so real, how do I banish what I see before me? I dont feel any different! Alena! Your voice is fading, don't go! You have to help me. I love you so much please don't leave me again!" Zane began to cry as he raced towards his dead wife. Her form seemed to stay the same distance no matter how fast he ran.
"You can do it Zane, you must do it." With the final whisper she faded and Zane crashed to the ground distraught with grief. "ALENA!"
Seconds passed before he moved. As he stood up he came face to face with the demon who stared at him not inches away. With lightning speed his clawed fist came racing up and slammed into Zane's chest. He flew backward slamming into rock. The demon suddenly appeared beside the fallen Zane, looking down in disgust and triumph. "Who dared interrupt our meeting Zane?" His voice was still quiet in Zane's head.
"I know someone came to you, what did they tell you!" The demon kicked Zane who again flew and crashed into the other wall, his dagger falling from his hand. Zane, badly injured, stood and glared at the demon who chose to walk towards him. Zane studied him, thinking of his wifes information. The demon looked no different. The cave was the same as he had seen originally. How could he possibly wake himself up.
As if in answer to his prayer, a glyph flared to life in the distance. It was a bright yellow glow, the symbol of protection. It simply vanished as if nothing had happened. Zane tried to think what it was. The only possible solution was that it was Jyn. It had to be something real, some connection to what was really happening. It was slipping through the demons illusion. Somehow Zane had to be near one and hoped that Jyn drew one that would help him.
The demon began to run towards him and Zane's dagger zipped through the air energized with hope. A bone wall crashed up, throwing the demon backward. Zane looked frantically for another glyph to appear. A few yards away, on the other side of the demon, the glyph of the eye appeared. Zane knew this was his chance. He had to do something before it disappeared but the demon blocked his way to it.
The glyph was glowing brightly now, it wouldnt last much longer. The demon smiled as he tore the barrier between them down and began his advance again. Zane's dagger roared to life, almost of its own accord. It drew the symbol of love in the air, a bright glowing red. Zane knew this could help him but he didnt know how to make it work to his advantage. As the demon neared it suddenly clicked and Zane whispered the words of power to activate the glyph of love. The glyph also refered to as the glyph of connection.
A Line burst forth connecting his glyph to the fading glyph of sight. Zane cried out as the power of the connection struck him. His head threw back with the scream and the feeling of movement struck him. As the feeling passed, Zane raised his head. His hands covered his ears and he was knelt on the ground. Looking up he saw the demon, a look of surprise on his face. The demon was fairly small, the illusion of his size having faded with his shock. It suddenly struck Zane how his wife had come to help him. Anger welled within and his fist struck the ground sending cracks in all directions.
"You bastard. You brought my wife with you didnt you! That's why she was there in your illusion. When I summoned her she came and you jumped the ride! You've held her with you ever since. She is the link you need to remain here isnt she?"
The demon's face regained composure and his laugh echoed once again through Zane's mind. "Was, my dear Zane. She was my connection to this world. I have been here plenty of time to solidify my hold. I no longer need your wife to remain here. I keep her for myself."
"Wrong answer, demon." The glyph of summoning roared to life beneath Zane in a bright crimson color. Zane's dagger was held before him in his hand. The glyph of love, or connection, was drawn again. This time it's target was the demon. The beam shot out towards the glaring demon. The demon moved to get out of its way but something held its legs in place. Stone and mud had seeped up unknown to him and solidified around him, holding him in place.
Zane looked over to see Jyn kneeling over the symbol of life with a small golem beside him, arms buried into the earth. Jyn smiled as the beam from Zane's spell struck the demon in the chest. The demon was lifted from the ground and Zane pointed his dagger at the demon, directing the connection. With the power of the glyph, Zane connected the demon to the large glyph of summoning. Jyn's spell released as he fell down, the golem once again flowing back into the earth.
The demon whirled into the air. Zane pricked his hand and spilled his blood onto the circle. He placed both hands upon its outer ring and chanted the words. The demon was pulled to the center and Zane looked into it's eyes as he mouthed the final words. "Back to hell with you!" With a final roar, the demon flew down into the portal Zane had opened. As Zane moved his hands the portal closed, finishing the de-summoning.
Zane looked up to see Jyn passed out on the ground, and with a sigh of relief, Zane joined him.

-*****-_-*****-

Zane wokeup to find Jyn still out across the cavern. Grabbing his dagger and resheathing it, Zane slowly stood. His ribs ached and his head pounded beyond words. He slowly made his way towards the unconcious Jyn. "Hey, wakeup Jyn. It's over." Jyn did not stir.
"Jyn, hey come on wake up." Zane kneeled beside his friend and rolled him onto his back. Jyn still gripped his dagger tightly in his hand as if he battled in his dreams. A look of sorrow covered his face. "Jyn, wakeup. You okay?" Zane, concerned, decided to look for water. As he turned, a stabbing pain shot through his back.
Peering down, Zane could see the brilliant white shape of a bone dagger protruding from his chest. Stunned and unable to think he slowly turned to look into the eyes of Jyn, tears rolling down his face. "I am so sorry Zane," he whispered. "The balance demanded it... your potential was too great a disruption. I am so sorry." Jyn stepped backwards as a hint of anger crossed Zane's face. With a shallow breath, Zane took his final step towards Jyn and fell to the ground. His pulse was gone by the time Jyn reached down to check.
Pulling his dagger from his friend, Jyn said a short prayer in the hopes that his soul be accepted to heaven for his good deeds. Jyn drew the symbols of magic to send his friend to burial in the ground. With a final goodbye, Jyn gathered his things and began to leave. The balance already pulling him to his next task.