THE FINAL VICTORY OF ZAROS
As the last resistance at Annakarl was being swept away, Zamorak and his generals prepared to face Nex. Little was known about this mysterious figure, despite interrogations of several high-ranking Zarosian commanders.
“We must prepare as if we have no idea what she is like,” Drakan said.
“Perhaps that is because we don’t? Fools, nothing shall stand in my way!” said Zamorak. “She is no more than a slight bump in an otherwise smooth road. Her forces will be defeated, and Gharrock added to the glorious Zamorakian Empire.”
In truth, Zamorak’s overconfidence would lead to his downfall. Across the wooded north of Gielinor, Nex’s remaining forces were taking up positions in copses, valleys, and other defensible positions. She never meant for any of her forces to defeat Zamorak, merely slowing him down.
“Fools, get the portal open!” Nex yelled. “Our lord will be ready soon.”
Slowly, over the years since his defeat in Gielinor, Zaros had been regaining power in other planes, drawing on the life force of those planes, much like the way Guthix does in Gielinor. Nex planned to have him summoned just before Zamorak arrived at the fortress, then she and Zaros would wipe out Zamarok’s armies, and re-conquer Gielinor.
“Milady, he will be here in three days,” reported a Mahjarrat mage overseeing the portal.
“Excellent, now I just hope that the fools can hold Zamorak off for that long.”
At Annakarl, however, a similar summoning was taking place. While Thammaron was a powerful demon, more powerful ones lurked beneath the surface of the twisting nether. K’ril Tsutsaroth, the demon equivalent of a god, was being woken by the forces of Zamorak. Bilrach, a Mahjarrat mage, had built a portal in the courtyard.
“Arise, K’ril Tsutsaroth, and take your place amongst the servants of Zamorak!” he yelled. A massive shadow blocked the portal as the demon lord approached. Bilrach suddenly fell to the ground, clutching his chest and writhing in pain. Then all was still. The portal exploded into millions of small slivers. Five massive demons stood in place of the portal.
“I serve no one!” K’ril Tsutsaroth bellowed. “I am master!”
“Is that so?” Zamorak said slyly as he glided into the courtyard. “I must admit, I had my doubts about your power so I told them not to summon you.”
“Puny Mahjarrat! I am much more than you will ever be!”
“Nevertheless, I have need of your services. There is a troublesome upstart to the north, and I do not want to dirty my hands in defeating her.”
“I will not serve you! You are mortal! I am demon-kind! Last son of the ruling Tsutsaroth clan! You will bow to me, and perhaps I will spare your puny life.”
Taking a step toward K’ril Tsutsaroth, Zamorak said “Is that so? I was under the impression, that, as a god, I hold more power than even the king of demons. You will serve me!”
“I. Will. Not. Serve. You.” K’ril Tsutsaroth said, with obvious effort.
“You will serve me!” Zamorak yelled.
“I will serve you,” K’ril Tsutsaroth admitted, defeated.
Few knew that they had just witnessed a battle between two beings that had the potential to destroy this plane and many others. Those that did were shocked by the amount of power that had flowed through the air as these two massive beings fought one another. However, the battle had been over before it began. Zamorak had learned to control his power during his exile. He could easily overpower twelve demons the size of K’ril Tsutsaroth. During the battle, however the fifth demon that had come through the portal had left. The other bodyguards were bent to K’ril Tsutsaroth’s will, but the fifth demon, Reaiver, had only recently been defeated by him. He was still rebellious against his power, and wanted out of his control. During the struggle, K’ril Tsutsaroth had let down his mental control of the demons. The other three had been controlled for so long, they began to show loyalty to the demon noble. Reaiver, on the other hand, had broken free as soon as the demon prince let down his guard. He ran to Nex as soon as he was free.
"What do want, demon?" asked the guard captain at Ghorrock.
"I have urgent information for Nex pertaining to Zamorak."
"How do we know you are not a spy?"
"You can't. But as we speak, the Demon Prince, K’ril Tsutsaroth, is closing upon the fortress. I escaped his control while Zamorak bent him to his will."
"Fool, this is no lie, my mages have foreseen it!" yelled Nex, bursting through the door, slamming the guard captain against the wall. "I can hold him, possibly even kill him, but I cannot do it alone and hold off the forces of Zamorak."
"I will fight the Zamorakians while you slay Tsutsaroth. I have a grudge to settle against him, and this will satisfy it."
"The Mahjarrat will aid you in your venture. As we speak, the Empty Lord draws near this plane. If we can hold Zamorak for two days, he will arrive and destroy him."
"Very well, milady, I will lead the defense of the portal."
"See to it that you do not fail, for I would not like to be you if you do."
Reaiver then went to the walls of the fortress, strengthening defense positions along the walls. Thousands of Mahjarrat, humans, and every race imaginable were occupied with the defense of the fortress to ensure the rebirth of Zaros.
Across the north, K’ril Tsutsaroth prepared to lead the attack against Ghorrock. Zamarok's forces, numbering nearly three million, gathered in Annakarl's confines. They prepared to march.
"Milord, I sense something. A great force is coming." Zemouregal said.
"I have felt it, as well. It is the Empty Lord. We must move, now!" Zamorak replied.
K'ril Tsutsaroth marched at the head of a massive column. He swept aside the pitiful defensive works made to slow him. The scene was set for the final victory of Zaros or his final defeat. Vampyres flew overhead as the Mahjarrat marched to war. Demons, brought to this plane by Tsutsaroth, marched with Thammaron at their head. Delrith, the demon captured by Wally many years later, marched beside. Zamorak sat in Annakarl, watching the huge force march out, into the doom of the world. After three hours of forced marching, the force arrived at Gharrock. Battle horns rang out along with battle cries, howls and shouts, as the largest battle in history was joined, three million Zamorakians, against the last great army of Zaros, nearly one and half million. In the throne room, Reaiver and Nex sat, waiting for the inevitable fall of the walls, all that mattered was when. Tsutsaroth slammed into the walls of the fortress, shaking bricks and stonework out of it. The demons climbed the walls, while the Vampyres, eager for blood, flew directly onto them. The Mahjarrat dueled one on one, as was their custom. After nearly two hours of beating, the walls fell to Tsutsaroth. At the head of a demon contingent, he marched straight for the throne room, his bodyguards sweeping aside the remnants of a once mighty force. In the throne, Tsutsaroth and Nex faced off, as Reaiver and his brethren squared off. Nex drew first blood, scoring a hit on her opponent's shoulder. Tsutsaroth roared, shaking the ceiling. He fired bolt after bolt at the Zarosian, but she avoided them all, they veered off and hit walls and doors, opening the chamber where the portal lay.
"So witch, this is what your plan? Summon him, and hope he can overpower us?"
"He consumed entire planes in preparation of his vengeance against the Betrayer. He is more powerful than any god before or after him. He is coming, demon, and there is nothing you can do about it." "I can kill you, fool."
Tsutsaroth's twin scimitars flashed as they met the claws and ultra-hard skin of Nex. Nex screeched and fought back, carving deep furrows into Tsutsaroth's armor. He seemed to flicker, then vanish into thin air. He reappeared in the portal chamber, and cleaved his massive scimitar through the portal. It burst in a flash of light that mortals would have been killed by.
Nex screeched at a volume that was heard many miles away, by Zamorak, who smiled, for he knew that his plan to transport Tsutsaroth had worked. Nex then went into a fury the likes of which would never be seen again. Tsutsaroth was hit in the melee, and had to withdraw, and after Tsutsaroth left, none were powerful enough to cease the madness. She went outside, into the still roiling and changing battle, and went, if possible, even more crazed. Thousands of warriors, Zarosian and Zamorakian alike fell before her claws, and then she left, as quickly as the rampage began, it ended resulting in the withdrawal of Zamorak's Forces from the fortress. Nex hid in the mountains, gathering her strength for the final battle of Zaros...
END PART 4
