Dahak Returns II
Finding Niko laying on the center of a path, Xena and Gabrielle picked him up and took him with them. He showed no sign of wounds and the next day:
Niko opened his eyes to the light of the sun, yet realized that
the sun was shining unusually strange that morning. He stood up in horror
waking Xena and Gabrielle up. Apollo wasn't there yet. Niko looked up at
the sky, which was blood red, then to the leaves which had dew on them. The
dew was strange to. He rubbed some on his fingers and looked in horror as
everything was covered in droplets of blood. >
> "Xena," said Niko with a strain in his voice. "It is Dahak, he has
found a way into the world........">
> Niko then moved to the trees that were covered in blood and
realized that they were dying. He felt the pain of the trees and realized
that something had to be done to stop Dahak. "What are we going to do?" he
asked as he fell to the ground crying for the dying trees and plants.
Off in the distance there was a loud rumble, accompanied by the sounds of
crashing waves. A startled Gabrielle was the first to hear the chilling
moan, echoing through the trees, "It's almost as if it is the sound of
someone (or something) in pain" The group stood in silence for a while
then..... "Oh, wailed Niko, I think I understand now... Dahak's evil
prescence must be affecting te seas as well! The God Poseidon must also be
in extreme anguish, as all of nature is connected, and he IS the sea itself!
"Poseidon, said Xena, but he is a God!"
"I am afraid not even the other Gods will be spared if Dahak is allowed to
reign" said Niko."We must do something! Gabrielle cried, "where do we start?"
Everyone looked at Gabrielle and had no reply for they had no clue where to start. Niko finally spoke up. "We must save Serey, she was sacraficed, by Hope......."
"Hope?" Gabrielle whispered painfully.
>>Gabrielle picked up her staff with a determined glare. "Hope os my
>>problem." she said. "I will work this out." With that she walked >away
>>calling Hope's name as she went. She knew she had to be near by....>>"Gabrielle," said Niko as he rode up on his horse. Niko had blood smeared over his entire face yet was washed away by the streams of tears he had for all the suffering trees and nature. "It isn't Hope that is causing the problem. Hope couldn't make it rain blood. Neither could Ares, my god Cernonnos or Rhita Gwar. Only one thing is strong enough to make this happen. This is coming from the all great evil Dahak himself. You can't fight Dahak alone. And it isn't just your problem. Dahak killed my family, destroyed my friends, and is against all I believe in. I am going with you, as well as Apollo." Apollo, on Abaris, and Niko rode next to Gabrielle, handing her an extra steed. "Who else is with us?"
As the group accumulated, the sky became darker with the approach of Dahak. Little did they know that only two of them were strong enough to defeat Dahak alone. Serey and Niko.
Niko heard a cry in the distance, which sounded like Serey. He rode as fast as he could to the spot only to realize that it wasn't Serey, it was Gabrielle. "Gabrielle," he asked. "What is wrong?"
Gabrielle looked to him and smiled. She raised her hand and flame shot towards Niko. He dissapeared. Gabrielle entered the path and so her mother who just sent Niko to a strange place. "Hope," she asked. "What did you do to him?" Gabrielle recieved no answer and Hope dissapeared smiling.
Niko woke up to find himself chained to a wall in a castle. He saw Serey laying on an alter and pregnant with Dahak's child. "Serey," he whispered but nothing came out. He yelled her name but no sound could be made. Finally, he began to pray. "Danu," he thought. "Please, I need you. I have served you faithfully for more than 18 years, ever since my birth. I ask you now, I need power, greater than that of Dahak. Please, I beg of you."
Niko began to cry when suddenly, light illuminated him and the chains dissapeared. He thanked the goddess and ran over to Serey only to find Dahak appear in front of him.
"That's it," he said as he lifted his hand sending Dahak flying into the wall. "Don't get in my way Dahak, for now, I have the powers to defeat you."
Niko pulled out a vile of water from his world and poured it over Dahak saying an incantaion:
"One to seek him one to bind him, one to bring him one to find him. dark to light, evil to good, rid this evil from this world," he said as the water began to burn the skin of the creater uncontrollably. Dahak transformed from his mortal form to a hideous monster, which Niko was expecting. Niko lifted his arms towards Dahak and lifted him helplessly into the air. Dahak began to moan in pain but still fight back.
"Serey," he said, "If you want to save your child, we have to put this monster back where he belongs. He took one world. Don't let him take ours!"
Dahak's power was released from Serey. Serey looked down at her stomach which looked to just about burst by now. She saw red rays come from it to Dahak. She figured it out. Just as long as this child lives, Dahak lives also. Right then she sat down. Her water broke. She was going into labor. The rays glowed brighter. There was nothing she could do. She had an instinct inside her that said that the birth of this child, not only will leave her powerless, but Dahak more powerful himself. And with this child comes her powers. The two would be unstoppable. Suddenlt it hit her. She found it. She found that part of her that controlled her powers. She had found it and she could feel it. She knew for sure now of what she had. Her powers allowed her to feel Niko's and Dahak's power. Niko's was just stronger than Dahak's. But she knew that even if the two combined their powers, her powers still would soar far better than theirs. She knew right then that when this child was born, it would take her powers. From the beginning it would not allow itself to be exorcised. Dhak's power would increase and he would not let the child be exorcised. Serey could feel Dahak's power grow with every second, as the rays of powers which she could now view soared into Dahak. The baby was coming. Serey screamed with pain. She looked at Niko, who was working hard to hold off Dahak. She pulled a dagger from her boot. Which she had kept on just in case. She held it up over her stomach. Dahak felt this and looked in pain. "NO." she heard him say. But before Niko even had time to look, Serey plunged the dagger into her stomach. Suddenly everything stopped. Serey was breathing with difficulty. She looked down at her bloody hand and the bloody dagger which was stabbed into her up to the hilt. Her stomach shrank back to normal and Dahak was killed with Niko's magic. Serey looked forward blankly for a moment. Then she looked down at where her baby was just moments ago. Her eyes teared up and she began to cry. She looked around at the others. "I didn't find my peace. And now I guess I never will." She said. She wasn't thinking clearly enough to try and save herself. From all around she saw ancient druids and keeper's of the earth. "Thank you, mother." they said to her. Then she gently smile. "Well, now I've found my peace." she said, then took one last breath, and was gone. Her spirit could be seen happily floating above her body. "Thank you Niko. For helping me find my way. My way as mother of the Magi druids.) I hope you will continue to thrive and prosper on the glorious earth. Till we meet again." And she disappeaered. Leaving her cold bloody body leaning against a far wall on the ground.
Finish the story in part III of Dahak Returns
