Well, second from last chapter. Cliffy? Most probably

Not much to say. I'll probably put up the next chapter tomorrow, as a sorry for updating later than planned.

Nothin' from Azan either. mind you, its not his fault he's minourly ill...

Reveiw for the sick author! It would help him get better!

Chapter 7: The Last Hurrah

"How much further? We're running out of water here, my skinny friend." Ravi checked his pockets for any sort of liquid. The only thing he found was a few handkerchiefs and a bogey. Ravi ate the bogey and carried on.

"Not far, Ravi. I know there is a waterhole around here somewhere…" Syamack paused. He didn't really. But it was best to keep hopes up.

Wombomtom took out his spyglass and looked on the horizon. He'd never been to the Al-Kharaid desert. The furthest he had been was the mines. But that meant nothing compared to the far east desert. It was vast, with few water supplies. Syamack dismounted and glimpsed the horizon. Waves and waves of heat. Ravi shouted out:

" I see an Oasis!"

He ran forward into the heat. Syamack shook his head. It was a mirage. Ravi dived into the 'water' and landed flat on his face, gulping in sand. Qwerty laughed. "You obviously don't know the desert!" She said, chuckling.

"I knew that was a mirage."

"Of course you did. Of course."

"Wait!" Wombomtom rose in his saddle of his camel and looked onto the horizon. Smoke was rising into the sky. "That's no mirage. Lets investigate."

They went into a gallop, the camels grunting under the weight they were carrying. As they got closer, they saw what looked like a temple. A load of standing stones, with a few wooden burning building nearby. Corpses littered the ground. Qwerty rolled over a body. "These men are Guthixian. This was a Guthixian outpost." She picked up a emerald amulet on the floor. The emblem of Guthix blazed on it, pulsing with nature.

The only thing that hadn't been destroyed was the temple, in the middle. They all marched towards it.

"Help me."

Wombomtom whirled around. "Did anyone hear that?"

"Hear what? I don't hear anything." Qwertyasda listened. She couldn't hear anything apart from the sand blowing in the wind.

Ravi cried. "Watch out!" A sickle flew over their heads. It landed in the stone, a whisker away from Wombomtom.

"Come back for more, eh? Zamorakian scum. I'll take you all!" It was a druid, in delirium. Qwertyasda held up her Guthixian Amulet high, in view of the old druid.

"Yes, yes. You are friends of Guthix. Welcome to my…humble abode." He giggled with laughter. "At least, it used to be. Swarms and Swarms of evil came across the desert. We fought them off as well as we could.." He spluttered out blood. "Their leader was like a beast I have never see before. I guess 6 feet tall, two large swords, and evil like never beheld."

"We've met him before." Whispered Ravi.

"What were they here for?" Asked Wombomtom.

"The vial…the vial of destruction."

Qwertyasda looked puzzled. "The vial of destruction…?"
"Yes, the vial which evil has sacrificed much for. The elixir of life, the strength of the gods, and the intelligence of a thousand wizards. Long have we kept it, defended it from evil, but, now, we have failed Him…"

He fell to the floor and started whimpering. The whimper slowly faded, and the group had realised he was dead.

Qwertyasda, suddenly, fell into a trance. She was drooling incessantly and gibbering.

"The sacrifice has been made- the ritual is in place- at the Palace of Chaos's nephew…."

"Qwerty! Qwerty! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Wait a minute…she said 'Palace of Chaos's nephew…That's Jchan!"

Qwertyasda snapped out of her trance and back into the real world. She then, dramatically, fainted into the sand.

"Syamack, put her on the back of your horse. We're going to the Fort Of Despair, immediately.

Syamack gestured an 'o' with his fingers.

"Jchan, here we come!" Shouted Wombomtom, and fell off the back of his horse.

Fort Of Despair, Wilderness

"Excellent! Well done! Finally, the vial!" Jchan could not contain his excitement. 5 years, and he had finally got what he wanted.

"Austin! Come here!"

The servant bowed. "Yes, my lord?"

"Call the prison guards. Tell them to bring up the prisoners from the GGSP HQ raid. Prepare the sacrifice."

"Of course, my lord."

Austin rushed down the vast stairs. Jchan was finally to become immortal, and Shamir would be the final piece of this jigsaw.

He stared out of his window. The scaffolding for the tower was in place. The stones were being lofted into place. Soon the prisoners would confront their worst nightmares.

Suddenly, one of the captains of the guard burst through the door.

"Sir, a breach in the walls, south side! The remnants of the GGSP!"

"What?!?! Speak sense, imbecile!"

"Sir! Its true!"

"Too much beer, I think…I'll sort you out…" Jchan lifted his scythe and swathed a gap between the mans head and his neck. He chucked the head out of the window.

"And that's an example to the rest of you!"

Wilderness Plains, South Gate of the Fort

The GGSP jumped down the walls. The south gate was theirs. All they needed to do now was find their way to the centre; and that by itself was no easy task. Qwertyasda was busy crudely cremating the Zamorak guards on a large bonfire; that gave away their position. The usual members (and a few survivors from the Guthixian outpost) were working out their plan, stealing various weapons, and getting prepared. Qwertyasda, Wombomtom, Ravi and Syamack went up onto the wall to discuss the plan.

"Right. How long have we got to discuss this?"

A huge cry and beat of wings filled the air. Ravi considered the question.

"Erm…..about 30 seconds."

"Right. Here is the plan. Qwertyasda, Ravi- you go around the walls, taking down any guards you come across. If we need help, look for a large Daemon. Me and Syamack will go through to the centre. The rest will stay at the camp and help all of us when needed."

Qwertyasda sharpened her claws. "Sounds good to me."

"Then lets go!"
Wombomtom and Syamack leapt off the walls (Syamacks slim body frame made the fall hurt him considerably) while Qwertyasda and Ravi stringed their bows.

"This is it," Thought Wombomtom, "The Last Hurrah."

Wombomtom and Syamack, Path Of Doom

"I never knew Jchan had a whole city here," Exclaimed Wombomtom. "I thought I was just a defensive fort."
Thud.

A huge crack emerged on the floor as Shamir jumped down from a nearby house. "Its Showtime, my friend."

"I was always better on stage, Shamir."

"You will pay for your arrogance, fool. Do you not know that this is the only path to the Underworld? Legions and Legions of dead, rotting humans once like yourself walk under your very feet. You know what they call this street? No? They call it the Path Of Doom."

"The only doom you will face will be your destiny."

With that remark Wombomtom and Shamir lashed out at each other, parrying and thrusting with their swords. Syamack drew his bow and fired a more than accurate shot into Shamirs side. This time, though, he withdrew it with no more than a small grunt.

"You hit me there last time, my friend. These are barely anything to me, just sticks." He withdrew it and chucked it with lightning speed back to Syamack. Wombomtom cried as he fought Shamir, "Run back to camp, Syamack! I will deal with this beast." Syamack, respecting his friends wishes, turned back to the camp.

Qwertyasda And Ravi, East Fort Walls

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7…." Qwertyasda, annoyingly, was keeping tracks of the archers she had killed with her claws.

"Qwerty, I have probably killed more than you in a lifetime." Said Ravi, as he fired another shot from his longbow towards a tower.

"I very much doubt it, Ravi. I…" She was interrupted by a huge bellow of a trumpet.

"That's Toms trumpet! Stay here, Qwerty- I don't want any guards on my back." Said Ravi, running back to the south gate.

"I'll hold them off for as long as possible."

"Thanks. And….." He paused. "And good luck, Qwerty."

Qwertyasda gave him a smile, then put an arrow in her bow and concentrated on the tower. 1 down, 99 more to go.

Ravi raced along the walls, being targeted by the fort guards. He weaved and dodged the magic attacks of the warlocks, and got to the guard tower. What a relief. He approached the threshold of the tower…..

"Well, well, if it isn't my old friend, who thinks he can sneak out of my fortress. Well, it doesn't seem as that is going to happen."

Ravi's voice turned into a snarl. "Jchan."
"The very same. I have come to give you a proposition. You may surrender now and join my elite, or I will strike you down here and now. I give you a minute to decide."
That minute was probably the biggest he had ever experienced- full of thoughts, betrayal, and deception. Should he betray his line of friends; the people who had help him get his life back on track? Or chuck it away for world domination.

Jchan had waited long enough. "Times up. What's your decision?"

Ravi put on the best act he could. "Jchan…you are my father."
Jchan looked bemused. "What?!?!"

"Surprise, surprise." Jchan looked down, and saw a huge sharp thing sticking out his stomach. He screamed. He ran around the wall, blood pouring out of his stomach. Then he fell off the wall, a scream which was so unearthly Ravi did not forget it.

He wiped his forehead, and whistled a sigh of relief. That was it. Jchan had gone.

But what was going on? The ceremonial chanting was still going on in the centre- perhaps they did not know he had died. But that was impossible. His butler would have heard him….

His butler.

Ravi climbed down the wall and drew his sword back out of Jchan's stomach.

Austin Saul had taken Jchan's place.

Sacrificial Tower, Fort Centre

Austin Saul, eyes eagerly lit with a fire of eagerness, cried out to the guards, who were confused. Jchan was dead. The ceremony must stop.

"The ceremony is not stopping! The tower is in place, and Zamorak shall have me, instead of that fool."
The GGSP prisoners, who were pulled up with the use of pulleys, were lined up on top of the tower. Austin read them their fate:

"Each and every one of you pathetic Guthixian scum will be thrown into this tower, one by one, and cemented in, for everyone to see your foolishness and stupidity. Many followers will come here as pilgrimage; and maybe for that you should be thankful."

He then cried the chant, as the prisoners were thrown in.

"Zamorak demands sacrifice! You will be the honoured ones, flesh, and blood!"

He delighted in the screams of the women, men and children as they fell into their doom. He couldn't wait for the cement to be poured in. He chuckled. This was great entertainment.

The Path Of Doom

Shamir withdrew, again, still on his toes. Blood trickled down his forehead. He wouldn't let this Guthixian beat him!

"Given up, yet, old friend? I was always better, you know." He gasped out the words. This fight had gone on for almost half an hour.

"Shut…up….imbecile!!!" He lunged at Wombomtom with his gigantic blade, cracking the floor slightly. Wombomtom dodged hastily.

Wombomtom cracked his neck, getting ready for the next attack. But none came.

Shamir was grasping his head, crying out in pain. What was happening? Wombomtom refused to strike the last blow.

"How…how have I failed, master? What has happened?" His chest, beating faintly, exploded open and a huge amount of flesh went with it. His eyes went wide open, bloodshot, and he fell backwards.

"I…have…failed…" His eyes closed slowly, and his hand slowly opened, dropping his blade. Tom dropped down to his knees, ready to mourn for his old friend. But then-

"BLOOD! BLAST! AND FIRE!"

A huge chant erupted from the centre of the fort. The tower was filled with screams and cries of help.

Suddenly, Wombomtom realised what had happened. Jchan had been killed. But by whom, and why was the ceremony continuing?

He reached for his sword. Kill first, ask questions later.