As I ascended the stone steps, careful to avoid slipping in the still coagulating blood which adorned them, I prayed that the mages had been wrong, that my best friend was still alive, that I would get to see her smile and hear her laugh at least one more time. But deep down I knew these were false hopes.

As sights go Zanik's corpse wasn't particularly gory, which, paradoxically, was half the problem, instead of a number of dismembered limbs, the sight of which tended to discourage the human eye to investigate further, her body was in reasonable condition, if you discounted the wounds from the torture.

Her fingers and feet were bent backwards and there were methodical cuts all over her body, the cuts placed, with the calculated precision of an expert, to minimise blood loss and maximise pain. But what really did me in was the look on her face.

She looked so scared, and her eyes were filled with the bitter realisation that this time noone would be able to help. I could see the corpses of the three HAM members responsible, well technically two corpses. It was instantly apparent that two of them had died defending the staircase while the third his comrades overcome, had made a dash for Zanik and cut her throat before a fire wave had literally reduced him to bone and ash.

Despite my efforts tears came unbidden to my eyes, I forced the emotions back down telling myself that tears had never helped anyone. A second later it struck me! Tears! Zanik had died before, and been resurrected with the power of Guthix's will and the Tears of Guthix.

A plan began to form in my mind because even though Guthix - according to Juna - considered Zanik a traitor there were many things and creatures with healing powers.

Of course I had a last plan if that should fail, but I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

As I prepared to leave on my new suicide mission :Stop a war and resurrect best friend, I took one last look at Zanik and crossed back over to her and knelt down. I kissed her gently on the forehead, her death recent enough that her body hadn't even had time to cool, it something I would never have dared do when she was alive.

"I'll bring you back. I promise." My voice cracked as I tried to keep a lid on my emotions but it was for nought, just another glance at her corpse was enough.

Like a crystal waterfall the tears descended as I lay against the wall, Zanik cradled in my arms. I don't know how much time passed before I regained control of myself, although the fact the sun had set was probably something of a clue. And I could only presume that the only reason noone had been sent to look for me was that Malignius had intervened, the necromancer would have understood my need for solitude.

Eventually, when the tears had dried on my cheek, a thin crust of salt forming, I carefully lifted Zanik up and led her down on her back on one of the few patches of floor unstained by blood, folding her arms across her body then wiping a tear I descended the staircase.

Author's Note: I know it's short but I'm trying to give it definite partitioning. Also can someone plz review as I feel like I'm wasting my time here

Author's Note 2: This chapter has been rewritten and has in fact almost doubled in length. Sorry about that, though in my defence the chapters do get better later on.