FicWad

'How might it be worse?' Harry couldn't help but asking.

'They might offer you to Sseth, their serpent god,' came the mental reply.

'...I thought you were serious for a moment there.'

'I was. Don't worry, my followers are almost here.'

The yuan-ti finally dragged Harry into the ritual chamber that Harry had cleaned the previous day. He glared at the high priest that slithered up to him.

"Be glad young human, you get to be a part of a mossst important ritual. You also get to determine the resssult of our exsssperiment," the high priest said to Harry.

Harry just spat in the yuan-ti's eye. He got a backhand to the face as a reward.

"Enough! We need the human in asss bessst condition posssible."

Harry watched as the yuan-ti set up a pentagram and pouring various potions on different areas.

'Do you have any idea of what they're doing?' Harry asked Talos.

'I must confess that I have never seen a ritual like this. I can tell you that you are not going to be sacrificed,' Talos answered.

'Is that supposed to comfort me?'

'No, I was just stating a fact.'

A yuan-ti slithered up to Harry and dragged him to the center of the pentagram and forced a potion down his throat. The surrounding yuan-tis started chanting in parsletounge but Harry didn't hear. He felt like his body was being ripped apart. Distantly Harry heard Talos' voice.

'Harry! Just hold on a few more minutes. I think I know what they are doing but try to hold on.'

Harry didn't know how much longer he could hold on. It felt like something was trying to rip his soul out. After what felt like hours, Harry heard the sounds of fighting and that brief moment that he lost concentration was enough. His soul was ripped from his body and was sent flying into a tiny gem. The yuan-tis quickly cast some more spells and Harry could feel his body again.

'Talos, what happened?'

'They did something I didn't know was possible. Harry, you are the first humanoid to unwillingly become a lich.'

'A what?'

'A lich is an undead spellcaster that has his soul placed into an object called a phylactery. Harry, you have just become practically immortal. The only way for you to be killed is if your phylactery is destroyed.'

'So I'm still dead?'

'Technically yes.'

"Hurry! We mussst continue the ritual," the yuan-ti high priest shouted as the sounds of fighting neared.

The priests slithered to different positions as the sounds of fighting reached the door.

'What are they doing now?' Harry asked Talos.

'My guess is they plan on binding your will to them. But it's just a guess,' Talos answered.

The door to the ritual chamber then burst open and a man covered in plate armor with a massive ax rushed in and beheaded one of the yuan-ti guards. A man with pointed ears, leather armor, and two daggers ran in after him and slit the throat of another guard and ducked as a bolt of lightning shot over him and fried one of the priests performing the ritual.

"No! Ssstop them!" the high priest shouted.

Harry growled and leapt at the high priest and tackled him to the ground. Harry grabbed the priest's throat and started choking the serpent creature with his undead strength.

A green-skinned man with a massive sword rushed in and started to cut through the yuan-ti priests. A black skinned, white haired man with a mace ran through the door and killed the remaining yuan-ti guards.

"Harry Potter?" the black-skinned man asked.

"Yes, who are you?" Harry answered as he stood up.

The man kneeled and answered, "My name is Lyeyst Hon'em. My lord Talos sent me and my party to free you."

"It's about time you got here! I've been waiting here for months, and just when they kill me, you decide to show up!"

"My apologies, we were in northern Faerun and were only recently able to gain access to a portal here."

'At least all of the yuan-ti have been slain Harry, now there is nothing stopping you from just walking out the front door. Go with them, they will help you get used to your new body,' Talos told the new undead.