The Dresden Files: Prime Evils

by Cybertramon001

The Nephalem had wondered where the Great Evils had escaped to after Malthael freed them. But soon they are dragged to a new realm. Meanwhile Harry Dresden, detective and Wizard of Chicago, meets some truly evil monsters. Monsters calling themselves the Great Evils. Now the two must join forces to quell their most dangerous threats yet. Waiting for a rewrite.

1. No longer in Sanctuary, Nephalem

This is another story I just couldn't resist, having come up with it after a long time on Diablo 3. I know that having Nephalem in the Dresdenverse will make Harry look weak, but when your companions have killed Satan and Death, anyone would look weak. And he's a better detective than they are.

This is set after Reaper of Souls, and during Death Masks.

And for the only time, Diablo and Dresden files don't belong to me. Diablo belongs to Blizzard and Harry Dresden is the property of Jim Butcher. I'm not making any money off this.

Chapter 1: No longer in Sanctuary, Nephalem

Li-Ming groaned as she woke up with a headache. She couldn't understand why. Korgaroth and Lyndon had been the ones having a drinking contest. She had been much more sophisticated and had started thinking of the potential uses of the aura of death they had been granted to fight Malthael with. Then she was forced to go to bed by Valla, and woke up in this dank cave. Had some manner of demon or spirit abducted her? Well no matter. She can always find out after burning whatever foul creature she found here. She stood up and smoothed out her robes, careful not to let the claws of her gauntlets catch on stray threads again. She crept through the cave she was in, careful not to make any sound. Until her head stopped throbbing, she was still vulnerable. She cursed as her boot knocked a stay rock away, making a clattering noise. Damnation! Valla and Lyndon were better at this than she was. Many times during their battles, she was surprised to see once violent demons lying dead with slit throats. As she got further in, she spotted a bright light just round the corner. And tall, humanoid shadows reaching the roof. Strange. It wasn't bright enough to be natural, but it did not have the flicker of a fire. She crept up on them, her back leaning against the rock wall. She got as close as she could, and listened.

"…still don't like this." A high, panicky voice said.

"Oh, will you just shut up?" A leathery voice replied. "We need blood to summon this damn thing, and plenty of it."

"I…I thought we were just going to hit a local hospital. You never said we were going to kill someone Greg."

"You're a fucking idiot. And I told you; call me Malthazard, The Lord of Shadows."

"Will you assholes be quiet?" This voice belonged to a woman. "It's not easy to find a demon's name at the best of times, much less with you two whining."

"Drew's the one whining. I still can't believe you let him join. I mean, what kind of name is Driz'Dead?"

"It's from Dungeons and Dragons." Drew whined. "It means 'bringer of pain."

"See? He's using a name from some stupid game."

There was a thud from a book being slammed on a rock. "Just shut up. Once we've summoned this demon, we can all go our separate ways. Drew can go back to his games, I can go back to my studies, and you can go back to controlling whores." She gave a loud exclamation. "Found it! Prepare the circle!"

"We've had it prepared for 5 fucking minutes." Greg said. Li-Ming decided this had gone on long enough. Her head had stopped aching, so now she can attack with gusto. They'll be dead before they could finish the summoning.

And if they weren't, she'll just kill the demon too.

She stepped into the room they were summoning in. As she walked into the light, she finally got a good view of it. Three people were standing around a circle of blood. They wore black cloaks that hid their features, but one was tall, another was fat, and the third was short. Over by the far wall a naked woman was dead, her wrists and neck slashed open. An old musty book was sitting on a large rock, next to a strange cylinder that the light was coming from. The summoners stared at her with surprise on their faces.

"Who the fuck are you?" The tall one asked. This must be Greg. She smiled as she summoned her focal item. A small orb of darkness manifested in one hand, amplifying her magic potential.

"I am Li-Ming. A wizard trained by the Vizjerei in the art of magic."

"Shit." The fat one whispered. Drew then. "The White Council's on to us." Li-Ming had never heard of this 'White Council'. Perhaps she was in a previously unknown part of Sanctuary. "I'm out of here." He stammered. "I'm not fighting them."

"You can't leave the circle, you fat idiot." Greg snarled. "Or else that demon's going to kill you."

"I'll give you one chance to leave now." Ming said. "Disobey, and I will have no issues with slaying all of you."

Stupid. While she had been threatening them, the woman had been whispering her incantation. The circle lit up with fire as something big crawled out. It looked very much like a Fallen Brute, but lankier. Still, it shouldn't pose any more trouble than they did. Drew started running as fast as his chubby legs could carry him. Greg cackled as the demon tried to rush her. He stopped cackling as she froze it solid just as it was about to reach her. With a smirk, she unleased a small wave of force. The demon shattered into a dozen pieces, ricocheting around the cavern as they flew. Greg started babbling some foreign word, but he stopped as she flicked her sword and he was slashed into chunks by her Spectral Blades. The woman shot a stream of fire at her, but she turned her skin to diamond, walking through it till she was right in her face. The spell was nowhere near damaging enough to faze her. The summoner was weeping, snot dribbling from her nose. Ming didn't go for anything special. She just slit her throat on the edge of her blade. As the diamond skin wore off, she walked over to the light-tube. It was flickering now, the light almost gone. As it went out, Ming summoned a familiar to light up the room. Under its glow, she looked at the tube. Strange buttons were on top of it, saying things like 'on' and 'off'. Perhaps it was an oil-lit lamp. They were becoming more common as monsters stalked the night. She left it behind as she set the book on fire. Best not to let that fall into the wrong hands. She followed the path Drew had taken in his flight. She was fine with him escaping. Hopefully, his fear of the Council will stop him from trying again. It wasn't too long before she reached the entrance of the cave. The world was still night, but the stars were different from the ones back home. She saw a series of lights in the distance. A town. Splendid. She could go and get some information about the land and ask where this Council was stationed. Once she met them, perhaps she could figure out how to return home. She smiled as she strolled away, her focus dissipated.

Things will be better by morning.

(-(-)-)

Bart Thompson trembled inside his lair. He had an army of demons and they were falling to the intruders. This could not be happening. He had only noticed they were here when he lost connection to one of his sentries. He couldn't get word of how many there were, but all the explosions and thud of arrows suggested at least half-a-dozen. How could arrows be so effective? They should be breaking against the demon skin. All was quiet now. The toughest demons he had guarding him rolled their shoulders in anticipation. A rolling sound broke the silence, getting their attention. As the looked, a small spiky ball rolled into view. It just sat there doing nothing, until one of the demons stepped closer.

It didn't even have time to roar as the ball exploded.

Smoke filled the room as the demons roared. Another toppled over as a bolt jutted from its skull. Shadowy chains wrapped around their feet from another arrow as something else wrapped itself around a demon's neck. The wrapping exploded, decapitating the demon, scorching the others, and throwing Bart back against the wall. As he looked on in fear, two large spinning stars flew out of the smoke and neatly sliced two more demons in half. Another two were killed as a dozen knives embedded themselves in their bodies. The last one looked on in fear, until he was peppered with dozens of arrows fired in the span of a second. As it fell over and faded, the attackers stepped out of the smoke.

It was only one woman. She was covered in form-fitting leather, showing off her curves as she walked in stilettos. Two quivers rested on her hips next to two small crossbows. Her left arm was covered by a large piece of armour, with more covering her vital areas. Pouches seemed to be everywhere, and she had a red cape billowing behind her. A black hood covered her head, leaving only her burning eyes staring at him. In her hands, she held a massive crossbow decorated with the face and horns of a screaming demon. She didn't say a word to him. She just pointed that crossbow at his face.

He never even heard it skewer him.

(-(-)-)

The Red Court Vampires laughed as a strange man entered the hall. He was dressed in strange red armour. It had spikes, bones and feathers on it, with a massive mask over his head. In one hand he held a green voodoo doll, while in the other he had a small curved knife. To think this fool could just wander into their domain. He will make a fantastic meal. The man looked up at them, crouching down so that his mask was most prominent.

"Evil creatures." He said in an African accent. "The spirits are angry at you. You have taken their lives, their dreams, their families and their friends. You have caused so much suffering for your own selfish desires, luring them in with false promises."

"And what will you do about it, little human?" One of the nobles taunted. "You must be stupid if you think you can take us."

The man lifted his mask so that they could see his face. He was bald, with big hoops in his ears and hanging from his jaw. His white, milky eyes shouldn't be able to see. But he looked at the noble and smiled. He shook his doll several times as he started chanting. Wailing ghosts rose up from all around, as skeletal dogs and a wall of zombies came bursting from the ground. A giant rose with them, swinging his giant fists as he roared. The vampires saw in fear that they were soon outnumbered by the dead.

"At least I am not so stupid as to bury the restless dead under my own house." He retorted as he put his mask back on. A fiery skull formed in his hand, and the dead charged as he threw it. A tornado of piranhas rose from the ground as tiny creatures swarmed them.

The vampires weren't laughing anymore. They just screamed as they were buried under a wave of undead.

(-(-)-)

Another Red Court group weren't doing much better. They had attacked a tall woman that had wandered into their midst, but they were blown away by her strikes. She was dressed in a long red robe, with armour covering her body. A spiked headdress was attached to a helmet that hid all but her eyes. They didn't really see her after that. One moment she was tapping a vampire's pressure points, then she was leaving it to bleed out as she struck seven more from seven sides. A glowing circle formed in front of the door, and they found they could not pass through. A giant bell squashed several more, before waves of light burned the rest. Some tried to spit on her, but a glowing barrier intercepted them, burning yet more. She passed through the circle, chasing down the remaining vampires and crushing them. If they were unlucky, she would use a long staff, or some blessed claws to slash them. The survivors gave one final charge. But after ringing another bell, she spun her staff like a turbine and shredded her way through them.

It didn't take the monk long to rid the world of these monsters.

(-(-)-)

The Red Court was really having a bad day. Another warrior was attacking a stronghold. This one was an old man, covered in incredibly heavy armour. He was not fast, but the vampires couldn't find a single patch of skin for their drug saliva to work on. He had so many spikes on his shoulders that he was carrying several corpses on them as he walked through the halls. He threw axes at them with enough force to cleave through several in a row. Some were speared through by javelins, only to be pulled to him and thrown back at others. The walls crumbled from his might, as tremors quaked with each step. By the time he was done, nothing was left standing. Every surface was covered in blood. As he left the ruined manor, he smiled and flicked a small piece of metal at the wall behind him. With a loud groan, the entire place collapsed in on itself. The work he had done, and the monsters he had destroyed were buried in rubble.

(-(-)-)

The final member of this powerful group was the Crusader. Decked in blessed armour and shield, wielding a massive hook-flail, and trained in the art of Holy magic. She used the light as her weapon, burning away evil where it stood.

So naturally, she somehow ended up in another vampire manor.

The vampires wept as she smote her way through their numbers. Light rained down on them, her shield burned them as she passed. Heavenly warriors appeared and destroyed them. Her flail carved through dozen score with unimaginable ease. Lightning blasted through the roof and struck the monsters where they stood. Nothing was left of the manor by the time she left, the ground now hallowed and poison to evil.

Just another day for a Crusader.

(-(-)-)

Li-Ming groaned in frustration. Bad enough that everyone looked at her like she was crazy. She got that enough back home at times. Bad enough that all the strange coloured lights and magic objects stopped working around her. Bad enough even that they wouldn't accept her damn coinage.

Now the local guard were questioning her.

"As I explained to the previous gentleman, I am from the city of Caldeum. And I demand to know my current relation to it, and my items back! Do you have any idea how many demons I had to slay before I came across that blade? I lost count at 75 in a single area!"

"Right." The man drawled. He was wearing a strange blue shirt that clearly lacked any kind of protection. He'd be slaughtered by monsters the moment he took a step outside. He looked at her strangely as she pointed that out earlier. "Miss Ming. I think someone has gotten too into their computer games tonight. And you have been accused of disturbing the peace. I'd calm down and stop this acting right now if I were you."

"Acting? Disturbing the peace? Sir Guard, I have merely been wandering these streets trying to find some information to aid me in returning to my home and do some work. And you really need to keep a better eye on your own town. I found three dark wizards summoning a demon not 2 hours ago. If I had not slain them for their deeds, you'd be under attack as of this moment."

That got his attention. He placed one hand on his hip, where he stored a strange black item. Ming looked at it with apprehension. It was holstered in the same area Valla kept her crossbows. It must be some strange weapon of this land. "You're admitting to murder?"

"I did not murder someone. I killed them." She was at the end of her patience. If he didn't let her go this instant, she'll show him true power. "Would you rather I let their demon and wickedness run free?"

"I'm afraid you are now under arrest for murder. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. If you attempt to resist arrest, I will have permission to open fire."

That did it. She was infuriated. "You want an open fire?" She said, her magic disassembling the manacles holding her in place. "I'll give you an open fire!" Her skin turned to diamond, causing the strange bits of metal he fired to bounce off. He ducked as she let loose a disintegration beam through the mirror. A large hole led her back to the main section, where she turned to follow the hallway the guard with her items had gone down. She used her mastery of force to bash open the doors and throw the guards that tried to attack her away. She didn't find anything until she got to the last door. Ripping it off with a wave of her hand, she entered to find her potions, her wand and her sword on a shelf. As she put them on, she wondered why they were not attacking any more. Did they realise it was smarter to avoid her? Apparently not, as one guard struck her from behind. His stick did no damage, but she still slammed into the shelves she was in front of. She turned around, drawing her sword as she did so. The guard stared at her in horror, clearly expecting his stick to do more than that. As he raised it again, she sliced it in two with her blade. The metal stick fell with a clang, leaving the guard with a little nub. He stared at it, before running back down the hallway. As she smirked, her head was filled with new images.

She was looking into a mansion, dark and cold. It was in good condition, but it felt somewhat lifeless. As she stared harder, she saw some people standing in the room. She gasped as it became clearer. Korgaroth the Barbarian. Valla the Demon Hunter. Ishtar the Monk. Naziba the Witch Doctor. And Serenity the Crusader.

Her friends.

She was brought out of her revel by a loud boom, like one of Valla's rockets. As she opened her eyes, she saw a guard in black armour, holding a stick that fired many small metal pieces at her. Fortunately, her barrier had formed and blocked every piece. As he stared his stick, she used her blade spell to slice his armour off, leaving him near starkers. She charged her teleportation spell, watching as he ran off in fear. She smiled as the portal formed around her, leaving only a vortex behind before she closed it as she left.

(-(-)-)

Teleporting was a skill she learnt as her Nephalem blood awakened. If she pictured their home camp in her head, she could open a portal from anywhere to head back there and recuperate, whilst also emptying her bag of unwanted gear, repair damaged items, craft new gear and socket gems to boost her power. Then, she could enter the vortex again and return to the exact place she had teleported from. Incredibly useful, powerful, and it never failed.

Which was why she was surprised to step out of it at least 7 feet above the ground. She landed on something soft, before rolling onto something hard and pointy.

"Li-Ming!" Ishtar complained. "Get off me right now."

"Sorry." She apologised as she stood back up. Ishtar glared at her from the ground, her portal closing behind her. She must've just gotten here. "My portal opened up over there, for some reason."

Ishtar cursed. "You were probably too focused on something else right now to fix on the right location." Ming felt annoyed. In all their adventures this was the first time it ever happened. The others soon arrived from their own portals, which Ming was irritated to see worked perfectly. Ishtar gave her a look as everyone crowded together. They stood there for a bit before Serenity clapped her hands. They don't know her real name. According to Crusader customs, when a crusader falls their apprentice takes up their armour, the weapons, and even their name.

"This looks a lot like the manor I just came from. But I don't sense any evil in here. Let's see what everyone's been up to since we woke up in this strange land."

Everyone apart from Valla and Ming had woken up somewhere inside a manor filled with vile monsters. They promptly slaughtered every last one of them and in some cases, brought the entire place down around them. Valla had attacked a small army of lesser demons just to get to know the locals. And Ming told them about her harrowing time with the guards.

"So." Valla said. "You were seen by the town guard as a disturbance, and fought your way out of their jail."

"Well, they were still interrogating me. But yes."

"They'll be looking for you."

"Let them try. We'll be out of their hair as soon as we figure out where in Sanctuary we are. Anyone know how we do that?" Everyone offered suggestions, but they all amounted to 'don't do what Li-Ming did'. As she cursed every last one of them, Naziba finally spoke up.

"While you have been busy insulting each other, I have made contact with the local spirits. And I'm afraid we will not reach familiar land anytime soon. We are on a world, where Sanctuary never existed." They could hear a pin drop in the silence. They weren't even on Sanctuary anymore? How is that possible? "Furthermore, even if we were home it is the wrong time. At least 5 hundred years have passed since they used things we thought of as advanced." He went on to explain everything the spirits told him. Ming still felt unsure about trusting spirits. At the start of their adventures, she didn't believe they really existed. Now though, she knew enough to know they didn't not exist. Once he mentioned food though, she forgot about caring. She hadn't eaten a thing since last night. Naziba pointed out the fridge, and a little box machine that could heat food. Ingenious!

"There is also something else we need to know." He continued as Ming put the food into the 'microwave' and got it working. "Due to the chaotic nature of humans, magic causes slight mishaps around technology." Ming shrieked as the machine exploded, splattering her with food as she was thrown back against the wall. "Like that."

"You call that a 'slight mishap'!? She stormed as she got back up. Food was caught in her armour and stained her robes. It took hours of cleaning to get the blood off it the last time. Now she didn't even know where the nearest river was. Luckily, to make up for his lapse in concentration, Naziba pointed her in the direction of the baths. As Ming stripped out of her filthy armour and robes, she had a look inside a strange metal box. Above her head, there was a spout for water to come through. A handle was at arm height, with a red line on one side and a blue one on the other. As she stepped into the box, she pulled the handle towards herself. She nearly squealed as cold water doused her. As she grabbed the handle, she twisted it somewhat to the left, the water turning scalding hot. She stepped out and had a closer look at the handle. She reached in again, and gently titled the handle to the right. As she did, the water became cooler, until it was now manageable. She sighed as she stepped back in, washing all the muck from her hair. She found a sweet smelling block on a shelf that made bubbles against her skin. It reminded her of those fancy and expensive bars of animal fat the nobles used to clean themselves with. She got one of them once as a birthday present from her mentor, Isandra. It was wonderful against her skin. As she rubbed it all over herself, she nearly squealed in delight at washing off with such a wondrous tool. She squealed for real as the water quickly alternated between scalding hot and freezing cold. She hopped out of the shower, burning herself as she stumbled and grabbed hold of a bar holding towels. As she screamed in pain, she nearly got skewered by Valla holding a crossbow.

"What happened?" She asked. "Where is the enemy?"

"There is none." Ming replied as she covered herself with a towel. "The metal cube started changing temperature with a mind of its own. As I got out of it, I burned myself on this bar here." They were interrupted as something went boom, and water flooded down the hallway. Korgaroth cursed as he got washed down along with it. They all raced to find a cupboard blown open, a metal cylinder ruptured. As Naziba looked at it, he nodded his head as a spirit told him what happened. "Ming's magic caused the water holder to change temperature and explode. I apologize. I did not realise it too was technology."

"But thank you, for testing all these new items for us." Ishtar said. Ming gave her a heated glare, blinking the suds from her eyes.

"Is there anything in this place that will not explode just by me being near it?" She wiped a hand over her face, cursing as her eyes burned. Serenity poured a jug of water over her head and offered her another towel.

"We all have access to magic." Naziba said. "Some of us more than others. Perhaps if you find a way to supress your magic, things will work for longer."

"They have a fireplace here." Korgaroth said, having come back from being flushed away. Ming turned to face him, then kept going in a circle. He had taken off all his clothes, and his manhood dangled free. All the women looked at him with varying forms of horror. "Got my clothes drying over it. Where can I find one of those towels?"

"In that cupboard there." Serenity scowled. "And could you have waited until you asked before undressing? I do not want to see that." Ming grumbled as she covered her eyes. First she got arrested, then everything was breaking around her, now she saw Korgaroth's manhood. Which god did she anger to deserve this?

(-(-)-)

Naziba was right. After crafting a spell to supress her own mana, things were far less likely to break. They were all amazed with the lighting, which could illuminate a whole room with a flick of a switch. Even Ishtar couldn't resist playing with it for a bit. They found some clothing that was in Ming's size while she washed her garments by hand. Unfortunately, Korgaroth just kept his towel on. He had a noticeable bulge, and was sitting right in front of her. When she had to bend down, she'd end up seeing 'it' again. Valla found a large pot and a tray, and was currently using them to cook some stew over another fire. Some strange white box on the ceiling started beeping until Korgaroth buried an axe into it. Ishtar meditated while Naziba conversed with the spirits outside to learn more about the world they were in. Serenity was exploring the house, finding strange things and testing them. They occasionally heard her yell as something took her by surprise. Once her clothes were clean, she placed them near the fire just when Korgaroth grabbed his items. Like a complete brute, he threw the towel over her head and dressed right there in front of them. She gagged. It smelt like he had cleaned his behind with this.

"I know you are a proud Barbarian." She said once she untangled herself from the noxious item. "And that you are used to being, well… unclean. But do you have to act like such a pig?"

"Oink, oink." He grunted, getting a bowl of stew from Valla. Ming sighed, before getting behind him to grab a bowl for her and Ishtar. After last night, she drew the short straw of waking her from her meditation next meal. She looked around for something long, then grabbed a nearby poker to prod her with. She didn't need to be gentle. It takes a lot to wake her up. She poked her once, twice. On the third poke, Ishtar reached out and snapped the poker with one hand. No one batted an eye. The first time, Kormac volunteered and got a dislocated arm for his troubles. Most of the time they would just toss rocks at her. She grabbed her bowl from where Ming had set it, not even thanking her for her troubles. Honestly. She was the heavy-hitter, but no one even thanked her that often. She knew they care about her. They've been through too much not to. But a little appreciation would be nice.

"This stew tastes funny." Ishtar said after a few mouthfuls.

"Be grateful." Valla replied. "Most of the food here is not very fresh. And you lot never complained during my last meals."

"This reminds me of the time you served us demon flesh. Was good. You're a good cook."

Ming spat out her latest mouthful, choking in surprise. Korgaroth slapped her on the back, nearly breaking her spine in two. "We had demon flesh?"

"We were out of supplies. We did not expect to pick up Kormac and Lyndon." Ming shuddered. There probably were something more edible around. Valle just really despised demons. Well, more than the rest of them. They had taken her entire family when she was a child. They were surprised as a loud bang echoed through the house. Serenity walked back in, holding a metal stick. Everyone looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I found this in a cupboard. It makes a loud noise, and lots of little holes in walls." She threw it to one side, where it went boom again. The large glass window shattered, while Naziba leaned in to take a look. They all just stared at each other for a moment.

"This world is doomed." Ishtar finally said. Naziba shook his head before entering. As he grabbed a bowl of stew, he started telling them everything he learnt. Ming couldn't believe it. She got her journal so she could make some documentations of this new world. They would have to create some protection from magic, but think of all the potential.

They were in the land of America, where people could go from famous and wealthy, to poor and forgotten within days. To the world at large, things such as demons, magic, angels and ghosts were all make-believe. Anyone who claimed otherwise was seen as insane and deranged, as Ming learnt before. They had mention of Anu and Tathamet, but they went by the names God and Satan. At the beginning, God made all things in seven days. His angels went around bringing fortune and light to all. But one angel, Lucifer, wanted to rule instead. He gathered together like-minded angels and led them in a coup against God. But God was all-knowing. He smote Lucifer and his allies, casting them down into Hell. Lucifer became Satan, God's greatest enemy. Anything He made, Satan would destroy. When God made the first humans, he gave them paradise. All they had to do was not eat from the tree of knowledge. But Satan tricked Eve into eating an apple, who then convinced Adam to do the same. Angered, God cast them out of Eden, and they were forced to live in an evil world.

"I do so love the fact that apparently knowledge and women are the root of all evil." She said sarcastically. All the women in the room agreed with her. They had cast down the Prime Evils. No one could call them servants of Satan. "Well this is all incredible, really. But it doesn't explain why we ended up here. Or how."

A strange black rectangle on the wall lit up. The room was filled with noise as a moving picture appeared on the rectangle. Korgaroth threw his axe at the picture, but Serenity intercepted it with her shield. In the picture, there were 5 men sitting on chairs. The picture flickered, but they could still see the men clearly.

One was a short blond man in a black outfit, with a white undershirt peeking through. His smile was nearly blinding. Next to him was a broad man with black hair. He too had a weird robe, but his was silver in colour. Sitting next to him was a very tall man. Only Korgaroth was as tall as him. But unlike the barbarian, the man was very skinny, like a pole. He wore a black cloak that only reached his knees at the front, with stubble over his chin.

He was next to a fatter man with a bald head. Everyone was laughing at something he said. Finally, a priest sat next to him, his dark skin making his white collar stand out even more. The picture changed to show just the tall, fat and short one. The short man was saying something.

"An-an-and beside him-hi-hi-him, H-h-harry Dresden. Dresden. Dresden. Dresden. Chicago-go-go-go's only professional wiz-wiz-wizard." The picture repeated itself a second time before bursting into smoke. Valla threw the rest of the stew over it, leaving sparks arcing from the box.

"Well that answers your question Ming." Serenity said as she passed her robes to her. Ming ducked behind a long chair to change her clothes. As she did so, Naziba was talking again.

"People wearing armour are very strange in this world. The spirits say that we can wear long coats to hide it, but we can't wear our helmets or weapons." Everyone groaned, but dutifully put their extra weapons away. Valle kept her small crossbows, since they could fold up and be unnoticeable, while Korgaroth was able to hide his throwing axes. Once Ming was dressed, she threw her sword into her pack. Serenity went through the house until she found large billowing cloaks. Several looked as though she had just stitched them together on the spot. But they managed to cover most of their armour easily. They rearranged items until they were as armed as they could without compromising their disguise. Once they were done, Ming went to grab her lean armour.

And walked right into a large case, bruising her shins badly.

"Damnation!" She yelled, hopping on one foot and rubbing her injured leg. As she hopped over to a chair, Korgaroth opened the case.

"It is our stash." He confirmed, showing them all the items they had stored in it over their long adventures. It was a remnant of past adventurers. It had been first used by Prince Aidan and his allies during their fight to free the Skeleton King from Diablo. Then Ming's mentor Isandra and her allies used it for their quest to stop Baal and Mephisto from corrupting Sanctuary forever. But surely it wasn't that solid.

"Good." Valle said. "We can store our unneeded items in there." Korgaroth nodded, before lifting onto his shoulder and moving out of the way. Naziba finally ate his stew, now gone cold. He frowned a bit as he tasted it.

"This reminds me of when you served us demon stew." He said.

(-(-)-)

"6 tickets to Chicago." Korgaroth said to the coach driver. The man looked at him as though he was insane. But he grunted and held out his hand. Earlier, they had found a store that was still open and traded some of their coins for the coinage of this world. They seemed to use paper for the larger amounts, which actually would save some room in their bags. They stomped their way to the back of the very long coach, taking a seat each as the doors closed on their own and the coach moved without horses. According to the spirits, the mechanical horses were now inside the coach. Ingenious. Everyone went into a meditative state, with Korgaroth and Valle seemingly asleep. According to the merchant, Chicago was a great distance away. For their time, it would take a week to arrive. On this, they would be there by tomorrow evening.

Ming smiled as she got out her journal. Placing her inkwell on the nearby ledge, she curled up and continued to write about the new things of this land.

When they get back home, the other magi would be jealous of her.

There's the first chapter. I really enjoy killing the Red Court after what they did to Susan in Grave Peril. So I thought it'd be funny having them get slaughtered by the Nephalem. Valla and Li Ming are the only 'canon' names for the Nephalem, as they were used for characters in 'Diablo 3: Heroes Rise, Darkness Fall'. At the end of their stories, they mention how they were going to look for the Fallen Star in New Tristram, making them the player Demon Hunter and Wizard. Naziba I got from the Diablo wiki, where it is used to address the Witch Doctor. My Witch Doctor is the same one mentioned in the book, who tried to stop their ritualistic killing, and was reported leaving to find the Fallen Star. Korgaroth, Ishtar and Serenity are all original characters. Yes, I know Serenity is probably not a real Crusader name, but I didn't know what else to call her. So Serenity it is then.

Later on in the story, we'll have a few chapters to see how the group changed from ragtag misfits into a real group of warriors. Updates are probably going to be slower, as I'm also working on a few other stories too.