J'layah's "No!" rang out as her hands flew to protect the ring and she
gathered
> herself to run.  Twilight sprang to restrain her from escape, her black-mailed
> arms encircling J'layah like bands of steel. At the same instant, Balefire's
> claymore flashed in the sun, its point coming to rest at the throat of the
> one-eyed man's corpse.  "Something lives here still, albeit not Thule," he
> bellowed, "'tis a  presence of some kind inhabits this dead meat, and I will
> swear that it listens to us."  Bizzarely, his sword steady at its throat, the
> scarred warmage mercenary began to shout at the sun-blasted corpse. "Speak, or
> manifest yourself, whatever or whoever you be!  By Arkay, if you do not make
> yourself known, I will take this envelope of flesh you wear and slice it into
> gobbets so small a worm will snub them!  Show yourself, I say!"

As Balefire's challenge rang out J'layah, who had been straining
vigorously to escape Twilight's arms, suddenly became rigid, her eyes
rolling back in her head until only the whites showed.  Sensing
something was about to happen, Twilight tightened her grip and braced
herself for the unexpected.  J'layah arched her back - almost to
breaking point (oh, she would pay for *that* bone-popping manoeuvre the
next day!), then without warning she sagged limply, Twilight
hard-pressed to catch her before she hit the ground.

A shadowy form detached itself from J'layah's own shadow and slithered
across the ground to Thule's corpse, which began to rise with awkward,
jerking movements, until it stood upright, swaying unsteadily as it
surveyed the group.  Thule's single eye glowed red with a
soul-chilling malevolence. Balefire stepped back a pace, but his sword
remained levelled at the corpse's throat.  The rest of the party shifted
somewhat nervously, weapons at the ready (with the notable exception of
Alduin, who was scribbling furiously on some parchment).  In a rasping,
disembodied voice the creature that had been Heeram Thule finally
spoke.  "The heart.......Do...not...feed......the...h..."  
"Faugh! I grow weary of this enigmatic posturing!"  With a single
contemptuous swipe, Balefire separated Thule's head from his body, and
for the second time that day Thule died.  This time he stayed dead.

Balefire turned his back on the decapitated cadaver, and marched over to
where Twilight and Tabanallis were kneeling over J'layah's unconscious
form.  From his backpack Tabanallis produced a small glass vial
containing a greenish liquid, which he unstoppered and waved under her
nose, and in less time than it takes to execute a decent yawn, she was
awake.  "Wh-what happened?" she asked Twilight.  
"You were possessed by an evil spirit of sorts," replied Twilight whilst
trying to ascertain whether J'layah was really herself once more.  "Do
you recall anything?"  
J'layah thought for a minute.  "I remember leaning over to spit on
Thule's body, and seeing some kind of light, and then nothing.  No,
wait!" J'layah rubbed at her temples and frowned in concentration.  "I
heard a voice, commanding me to do.....things, and I could not disobey. 
It was awful!"  She paled visibly at the memory.
"Perhaps you had best return Balefire's ring ere we move on," urged
Twilight gently.  J'layah nodded and reached inside her shirt for the
thong on which she'd hung the ring, but her hand came away empty.
"Well?" Balefire was looking at her expectantly, and she suddenly found
it difficult to return his gaze.  In a small voice she said "I am afraid
I have........swallowed it."