The Final Trap

by steelmongoose

Set the in the world of Diablo 3. Two adventurers meet by chance and decided to tackle the dangers of an old temple together. Will they recognize the final trap waiting for them in the depths before it is sprung?

The Final Trap

To the west, the blazing desert sun was returning to its shelter beyond the edge of the world, growing bloated as the fierce yellow of midday became the tawny orange of evening. The blunt stone fingers of distant mountain peak seemed to hold it as a merchant would, eyeing the beauty of a shiny bauble at arm's length, reluctant to slip it back into its box of velvety night as he inevitably must.

Footsteps marked by the shuffle and crunch of sand and pebbles competed with the hiss of the ever-present wind that fastidiously swept away any prints left behind, eager to scour away any trace that mankind would make upon its harsh landscape. The same wind made the twisted limbs of what few hardy trees that survived clinging to the mountain's feet sway languidly while tufts of tan grass, their roots as long as a man was tall, whispered amongst themselves at the figure's approach.

A lone figure paused at the base of this particular mountain, his formerly white robe a tattered smear of grey against the ochre and rust of the desert around him, eyes sheltered from the sun and blowing sand by a cowl tracing along a rude, switch-backing path that would lead him up. At the end of this trail a line of alabaster columns could be seen clinging to the bosom of the mountain, a stark contrast to the sand-polished uniform the land had covered itself in. The directions had been correct; this was the place he sought.

The man paused yet again when he reached the top, eyes swiftly taking in the rest of the detail that distance and perspective had denied him at the base of the trail. The entrance to the temple was carved from the very rock it was situated in, taking the form of a thirty foot statue of some long dead king seated upon his throne, his crumbling skin painted with white plaster while red adorned his lips and his right hand, cupped as if holding something of great value. His left hand, several fingers missing, was curled into a fist, whatever he was holding having become an unidentifiable pile of rubble at the base of his throne ages ago. The king's large stone eyes gazed intensely at the ground, to an altar sundered in two, no victim of slow erosion but of some deliberate force. The figure's posture changed suddenly, broad shoulders rolling to loosen the muscles there while calloused fingers traced sun-warmed steel hidden underneath the cloak. He was not alone, and the one who had come before him had not noticed him yet.

This other traveler was a finger of black against the sun-bleached rocks and sand, his slim figure garbed in loose-fitting pants tucked into tall leather boots caked with the dust of the trail. Black silk embroidered with gold made up the coat the stranger wore on his upper body, the tails in the back almost brushing the ground. A saffron head-band encircled his brow, running over hair dark as raven's feathers pulled into a short ponytail. Trained eyes roamed over his garb, seeking weapons but founding only several small belt pouches and a golden scroll case. His slight build, strange garb and the tone of his skin marked him as one who hailed from the island nation far to the north. This one had traveled almost as far as he had to get here.

The darkly-garbed man held an odd-looking scroll out-stretched between his hands, its surface and edges oddly warped and convoluted. Seemingly satisfied he rolled up the item and placed it back into the case.

The robed figure crept forward slowly, gauging distance and the stranger's body movements.

" No need for that, " the slimmer man said, wheeling about to face the new arrival, " I sensed you shadowing my steps earlier and offer no harm if you wish none upon me. "

The figure paused, standing up straighter but his muscles never losing their tension. A thick-fingered hand reached up and clutched the robe, pulling it off and tossing it aside into a dusty heap, its purpose served.

The man revealed was tall and broad, his long limbs graced with the hard muscle formed from a life hardship and war. The pale scars of countless battles took their place beside winding veins on what exposed flesh there was, while the creases and wrinkles at the corners of the eyes and mouth spoke of many winters as well. The big man's hair was long and wild, traces of its original red color found here and there amongst the storm cloud grey it had become, the same being said for the week's worth of stubble on his jaw and chin. Deep-set eyes blue like newly forged steel looked over the stranger with wariness, his fingers never leaving the hafts of the two rune-etched axes tucked into loops on his broad belt. His garb was rough and well-worn; thick boots plated with steel, a knee-length kilt of coarse wool dyed with intersecting lines of green and black, and a studded leather baldric crossed his mostly bare chest before terminating into a metal shoulder plate decorated with the image of a snarling wolf's head. He cut an impressive figure, one that would make even seasoned veterans uneasy, but the younger man remained nonchalant, arms loosely folded across his slender chest.

" You are no simple wanderer of the desert, northman, that is clear enough. Nor did you happen by this location by accident, " the younger of the two observed. The other responded, the accent of his homeland thick and his voice deep.

" From two different corners of the world the same legend spoken by different lips in different tongues brought us here. I will not mince words; I seek what is inside and will brook no interference, " he stated flatly, taking a bold step forward, looking as solid as the earth he stood on. It was the other's turn to narrow his almond-shaped eyes, studying the new arrival's face with the focus of a rearing snake.

" Hardly an auspicious start to what we both know will be a journey filled with great risk. Since you are so adamant, you can enter first. I will not stand in your way, " the wizard responded gesturing his head towards the black doorway set into the foot of the stone king's throne.

" And allow me to deal with the dangers first while you follow in my wake? I think not, " the barbarian sneered, " any man worthy of calling himself such would be ashamed to allow others to clear a path for him. "

The young wizard looked ready to offer some venomous retort but instead held his tongue, rolling his jaw in thought.

" Perhaps, " he offered quietly, " our stars are fated to cross here and now. Perhaps we are to tackle this evil place as comrades, not foes. Surely you can see the wisdom in that? "

" There may be truth in what you say, yes. To arrive at the same place on the same day considering the distance we have both traveled does feel like it has the hand of my ancestors in it, " the big man conceded with a nod, his posture easing slightly.

" Then let us walk shoulder-to-shoulder into the unknown. I am Lin Du, wizard and scholar of Xiansai, " he offered with a bow, planting a loose fist into a cupped hand.

" Rudger, son of Ulfen Redaxe, Shadow Wolf tribe, " the barbarian responded in a clipped tone, " now let's be on our way. We both know what slinks out in these lands once the sun goes down. "

Slipping out of the sun's light and into a world of shadow the unlikely pair descended broad steps half-buried in sand, the tiny wind-blown mounds undisturbed by any footprint, probably for decades. The walls were deeply carved with scenes of robed figures traveling down the very stairs they now trod upon, the hearts of victims sacrificed upon the altar outside clutched in one hand and an obsidian knife in the other. What little noise the two made as they moved seemed like the roar of a tide in the tomb-like stillness, even a stifled cough from raised dust echoing around them.

At last the stairs ended on stone that had never felt the sun's warmth or light, the walls that had accompanied them here falling away into a void of faint mist as the ceiling rose into unfathomable blackness. Small beacons of light, scarcely illuminating the pillars they were set into defined the walls into a chamber a hundred feet wide, while the blazing eyes of gigantic statues glowed with the same arcane light, their graven hands raised upwards in mute supplication. There was a sound of running water too, like that of a brook, the humid air carrying with it a metallic tang that both men found disturbingly familiar.

Rudger's hands slipped down and gripped the handles of his twin axes, the simple runes etched upon the gleaming metal flaring up with a brilliant orange glow, the heat spreading until the entire head of the axe appeared alight, casting a steady pool of light around him.

" Stick close, the darkness in these places can hold many dangers, " the barbarian warned.

A ruddy light suddenly flared up beside him, Rudger turned to see a crimson orb the size of an apple hovering inches above Lin Du's open right palm.

" Brought my own, thanks for your concern, " the wizard replied with a tight smile, turning his eyes forward as a signal to continue.

The stone blocks that made up the floor carried on for only a few paces before ending at the edge of a basin filled with a thick, dark liquid. Tentatively putting the toe of his boot into the rippling pool Rudgar touched the bottom with little effort.

" Only a few inches deep, whatever it is, " he observed with a grunt.

" And no way around it, " Lin Du added, noting the narrow rim that dropped away into the mist below.

The barbarian took the first step and then another, fluids sloshing around his boots.

" It's…warm, " he relayed with a sour twist of his lips, " you don't suppose this is blood? " he asked, twisting around to view Lin Du behind him. The wizard's reply was to crouch at the edge of the basin and dip his fingers into the liquid, bringing it up to his nose and rubbing it between his fingers.

" No, not blood. I understand now. Ground water is heated by volcanic activity far below us and the pressure brings it up here, carrying with it high amounts of minerals and dissolved metals, as well as passing through a strata of reddish clay. All of this so that the acolytes of this place could feel as if they were treading through blood as they made their way to worship. It's both disgusting and impressive at the same time, " Lin Du remarked with a shake of his head.

" Then I can't wait to be rid of the sight of it. Let's move on, " the barbarian growled, sloshing ahead.

Boots dripping with the muddy water the two trod now upon more of the polished basalt slabs that made up the underground temple's architecture, the edges of the drop-off lined with finely carved balustrades set with black iron braziers that burned without heat or fuel. On the other side of the broad walkway a row of arches stood like broken teeth, half of them now laying in ruin, irregular chunks of rock either laying in heaps or having fallen down onto one of the dimly visible balconies and walkways below. Rudger paused suddenly mid-stride, axe raised to signal Lin Du to do the same. Long moments of held breath passed, but no threat revealed itself to their straining senses.

" What did--? " Lin Du started, but the barbarian hissed at him to be quiet.

" A scrape of metal on stone, to our left, I heard…there is it again! " Rudger paused mid-sentence as a faint repeat of the noise reached both sets of ears.

" Where's it coming from? " Lin Du whispered back, turning around but finding no lurking shapes behind them. The first clink was soon accompanied by another, then rapidly several more sounded in the dark, seeming to come from every direction. A hurried shuffling began to carry through the gloom, the slap and thud of bare flesh striking stone, and this in turn heralding the arrival of a smell that a graveyard would make if it could yawn.

" Ghouls, " Rudger intoned darkly, " always smell them before you see them. "

Pale, hunched bodies scampered along the floor ahead of them, sparks rising whenever one of their crude, hooked blades scraped against stone. Hairless and gaunt they were animated mockeries of the human form, distended jaws filled with sharp, huddled teeth from which shreds of their last meal hung, driven by the evil that animated them to kill and eat until nothing remained.

" See to your defenses! " Rudger roared, dispensing with subtly as he brandished his dual blades and crouched low, awaiting the ghoul's advance.

A flicker of movement caught the barbarian's eye, however, and he watched as a ghoul, with the leaping dexterity of a jungle monkey scrambled over the balustrade to his right and rush toward's Lin Du's blind back.

" They climb the walls too! " the aged barbarian warned, blazing weapons burying themselves deeply into the ghoul's chest, the sizzle and pop of flesh burning from the enchantment barely audible above the echoing howls of its fellows. Freeing his axes from the twitching body with a jerk of his wrists Rudger set his sights on the edge of the abyss, where the clack of blade sinking into stone signaled the approach of more climbers. While no shaman or druid Rudger was not without ability to command the elements, calling upon the north wind of his homeland as he slammed his axes onto the stone floor, a gust of flame and roaring wind lashing outwards to strike a pair of ghouls about clamber over the edge of the room. The stone railing burst apart, sending chunks of stone, flame and the pair of ghouls up into the air before tumbling back down into the abyss from which they had crawled. Another blast ten feet to the left ended another ghoul's bid for a meal, the balustrade swaying precariously as its supports were forcefully ripped away.

Ignoring the threat to his rear for the moment Rudger quick strode over to the loosened stone rail and set his foot upon it. Muscles rippled and the barbarian hissed a long breath out between clenched teeth as the carved stone began to grind and shift. With a final surge of effort and a bellow the heavy object finally came loose, toppling over the edge and scraping heavily against the wall as it disintegrated, taking decorative gargoyles, stone sconces and half-a-dozen ghouls with it. Rudger felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he sensed another one of the ghouls standing right behind him, blade undoubtedly raised to drive a hooked, rusty tip into his flesh. Spinning around, hoping to deflect most of the impending attack the barbarian was surprised when he saw the ghoul suddenly lurch to the side, a small explosion of vibrant purple energy ripping the ghouls nearly in half. Looking to his companion Lin Du stood with his left hand up, the first two digits pointed outwards and a look of intense concentration on his delicately features.

" You've lived this long with stunts like that how? " the wizard smirked, gesturing at another ghoul and ending its existence in the same way, an orb of brilliant violet energy streaking outwards like a comet and impacting the ghoul's chest before detonating a fraction of a second later, leaving a gory crater still glowing with residual arcane power.

" Let me show you, " the barbarian promised, viewing the mob of ghouls mere paces from his position, heart pumping faster and faster as the fury of battle began to seize his body, blood roaring in his ears until he could hear nothing else. The axe in his right hand lashed out first, cleaving through a ghoul's skull while leaving a path of seared flesh in its wake. The left descended next, cutting a downward arc that started at the shoulder and ended at the abdomen of another undead monster. Rudger's twin axes continued to methodically scythe through the ghoulish throng, each howling, lifeless face disappearing in a flash of fiery metal. The barbarian's feet began to shift, making the most of the momentum of each swing by turning his entire body around with it, the blows falling so rapidly now that their individual movements were lost, blurring together in the blazing whirlwind of destruction he had become.

When Rudger's violent barrage finally came to a staggering stop no fewer than twenty ghouls lay along the path he had taken, dismembered bodies twitching atop the bloody wash their demise had created.

" How's…that? " the barbarian asked, shoulders heaving as he gasped for breath. Lin Du's eyebrows raised slightly and he nodded as a gesture of concession.

" Impressive, but it leaves you winded afterwards. Power requires precise control at all times, " the wizard countered, turning to face the scattered ghoul stragglers as they lurched forward, murder in their cold eyes, unfazed by the deaths of their kin. Lin Du raised his right hand up to chest level, the red orb hovering over his palm beginning to pulsate and grow in radiance until it had doubled in size and brightness.

A thick beam of the same light stabbed out suddenly, ribbons of crimson energy bleeding off of it as it struck the lead ghoul square in the chest. The undead staggered only slightly, the energy producing very little force but instead inflicted damage in a different way, melting away flesh, muscle and then bone like t was a jet of water meeting wet clay. Insensitive to pain or fear the ghoul staggered forward drunkenly before the beam finally chewed through his torso and out the other side, coring him like an apple. The shaft of searing magic continued on, severing another ghoul's arm while obliterating the skull of the monster behind it. Ever outward it struck, reducing cold animated flesh to black ash, the ghouls loping forward until a significant enough amount of their body had been burned away to sever the dark magic that bound them to undeath. Lin Du guided the beam with a dispassionate calm, if it were nothing more than the focused light of a lantern, ceasing only when every ghoul within sight had been reduced to a blackened jumble of limbs and teeth. The orb hovering over his hand shrunk to its original size and radiance while Lin Du wheeled about and performed a mocking bow toward Rudger.

" Equal results with less effort, " he challenged, an impish smile on his youthful face. The barbarian grunted, shaking his head.

" Flashy tricks and arrogance instead of a stout arm and a keen blade. Afraid to break a sweat? " Rudger scolded.

" I have many 'flashy tricks' in my bag, old man. Stick close and I may use them to keep you alive down here, " Lin Du countered, the wry grin never leaving his face.

Off the in darkness behind them a furious roar sounded, echoing off the walls and passageways as it made its way to the two of them, carrying with it the promise of more mayhem to come.

" Come then and bring your bag of tricks, we will need all our skills to see ourselves to the end of this, I am certain, " Rudger stated flatly, squaring his shoulders and taking the lead as they progressed deeper into the dimly lit temple.

While undoubtedly commissioned by what was once a very powerful and numerous cult the temple showed signs of its age and past conflict. Draperies of rich purple held back with braided golden ropes hung thin and faded like the skin of a desiccated corpse, teak book shelves set into recessed stone archways had become warped with age and the ever-present damp, the tomes and scrolls they once held safe and dry little more than moldering rat nests now. Other shelves had been reduced to shapeless ash, whether burnt for warmth, by accident or out of spite was unclear.

" Most of this damage looks to have been caused around the same time, perhaps a large purge of cultists some centuries ago, " Lin Du commented, running his hand along the charred remains of writing desk and rubbing the soot between his fingers in idle contemplation.

" And once you set the terriers on a granary infested with rats you have to plug up the holes or you'll just have to do it again in a few months. They should have destroyed that bloodthirsty statue and collapsed the entrance to keep people out and the evil trapped within. A foolish waste of effort otherwise, " Rudger snorted, kicking at the bloodied ribcage of some animal on the floor, the bones no more than a week old.

" Perhaps those who came to purge this place never came out, " Lin Du offered prophetically, " and besides, if they had done as you say we would still be outside looking for another way in. "

Again the deep, bestial bellow sounded, closer this time and accompanied with the sound of chunks of shattered masonry tumbling off the edge into the abyss below. The floor they trod upon narrowed, the inky chasm closing in on either side until a bridge scarcely six feet across presented their only way forward. Ahead the temple floor widened again and turned left sharply, the decorative archways and balustrades returning to the side of the floor, but large dark shapes lumbered along them, brutish and ape-like in their movements. It was only when one stepped into a pool of light cast by a nearby brazier did their new foe reveal itself.

Whether by virtue of birth or through some magic the man before them stood eight feet tall even hunched over, his rippling ivory musculature making Rudger's build look child-like in comparison. Black leather straps, like the harness of a beast of burden, crisscrossed the giant's face which was twisted in a witless leer, his widely-spaced yellow teeth permitting chains of drool to ooze slowly to the floor below. His garb was simple, consisting only of a loin cloth and some wrappings on his feet, yet on his right arm a shoulder-length leather glove sat, studded with metal plates, buckles and spikes. The brute's left hand grasped the handle of a great club that currently rested on his shoulder, the head a crudely forged block of metal decorated with blunt flanges. The pale giant bellowed again, the cry echoed by the two of his ilk that followed him, an animalistic howl of discovery and challenge. Rudger tensed and gazed at the lead giant over the blazing heads of his axes, his eyes never leaving the club that looked ready to pound his bones to flinders.

" Foolish beasts. With this narrow bridge they can only come at us one at a time, " the barbarian grinned as he watched the lead giant study the narrow stone walkway and tentatively take a step onto it. From seemingly no where a ball of bright flame suddenly darted past them, within inches of striking Lin Du.

" We are to fools! Look, " the wizard corrected, pointing to the dimly lit archways behind the giants. Another flare of orange light revealed three figures, heavily shrouded in purple and green robes with hoods ending in a distinct point, hiding amongst the pillars and casting their destructive spells behind the protective shield of their muscle-bound guardians.

" I will keep them ducking, handle the brutes and then put an end to these cultists! " the wizard instructed, sending off a magic missile that impacted a stone pillar in a blossom of purple flame.

With a silent nod Rudger stepped upon the bridge, unflinchingly meeting the blood-shot eyes of his massive opponent. The giant swung his club around in great sweeping arcs, determining the distance and meaning to intimidate the smaller man, a tumble off this bridge as lethal as a solid blow to the side of the head. Rudger paced forward slowly, face a mask of intense concentration, stopping just short of the brute's considerable reach. The giant glanced down on either side, as if suddenly aware of the fall that awaited him as well. Rudger took that moment of hesitation to act, filling his great lungs with a deep breath and issuing a war cry of his own, force of it enough to stir the small pebbles at his feet. The giant reeled, a flicker of fear rapidly shifting to blind rage as it roared back and hefted up its great club in both hands, the metal starting to glow a bright red in anticipation of the strike.

Rudger could hear the air whistle as the large weapon descended towards him, hopping backwards at the last possible second, the force of the air being moved almost a blow itself. The metal head hit the stones of the bridge with a thunderous crack, a flange biting deep into the dense, dark stone, spidery fractures issuing forth from the point impact. Angered that he had missed the giant tugged at his weapon to free it, the barbarian seizing the moment to dash forward, side-stepping the stuck great club and bringing both axes down on the berserker's extended arms. Flesh and bone parted and blood sizzled as the fiery axe heads passed through both forearms cleanly, barely pausing as it cleaved through the metal-studded glove on the right. The giant staggered back in shock, registering that he had left his hands and lower arms behind, still gripping the club, only a moment later as he held the stumps up for inspection. Rudger's left axe struck out again, cutting deep along the giant's left knee, severing the tendons there, preparing his opponent with a guiding cut like he would a tree about to be felled. The barbarian's leg lashed out in a sweeping kick, striking the brute's ribs with enough force to send him staggering over the edge of the bridge, his injured leg buckling under the weight of his massive upper body. Howling in pain and fear the giant's stumps slapped uselessly again the stone edge before he dropped away into the misty gloom, vanishing from sight in an instant.

A second club swung out in a low arc, smashing into the side of the bridge and sending large chunks of stone tumbling after the fallen giant. Rudger felt the ground beneath him shift, stone grinding as the two powerful strikes were too much for the ancient span. Tossing his right axe at the giant, embedding deep into the brute's torso Rudger leapt from the doomed bridge, free hand reaching out and grasping one of the large metal rings set deep into the giant's flesh near the collar bone. The berserker staggered back, torso bent to the side as he tried to accommodate the barbarian's significant weight. Planting his feet back on solid ground Rudger kept the giant off-balance by pulling down on the ring and then drew the blade of his left axes across the brute's neck, blood gushing out over his foe's naked torso. Retrieving his thrown axe from the gurgling giant's body a brief flurry of blows finished off the kneeling guardian, leaving only one between him and the craven cultists still trading shots of magic with Lin Du.

The third giant revealed exactly how much of an unthinking brute their kind was by trying a slow but powerful overhead smash like the first had. Rudger side-stepped the blow easily, raising his own arms above his head even though the giant was still outside the range of his axes. Calling upon the spirit of his father, and his father before him the barbarian focused the spiritual energy into the form of a giant, glowing mace of golden energy, positioned as if he held it in his hands. With a brief shout of effort Rudger slammed the over-sized weapon down, drawing the weapon across the top of the giant's head before it impacted the stone walkway with a burst of shattered stone and yellow light. The magical weapon dissipated the instant its task was completed, leaving a small crater in the stone and the last guardian staggering drunkenly about, blood leaking out from where the scalp had been pierced by shards of broken skull. A rough shove was all it took to send the mortally injured brute toppling over the edge, his fall silent.

One of the cultists screamed in alarm as their last defense from the barbarian's axes fell away, pointing desperately at the threat just paces from their location. Lin Du had only managed to injure one of them, but then he was just the distraction, keeping the cultists ducking and fearful so they could not target the barbarian. As Rudger walked forward he grinned as he saw all three robed figures begin to shudder, but then stopped as the shudder became a convulsion, the thin men doubling over as if in tremendous pain.

" They are channeling a demon into their bodies! Kill them swiftly! " the wizard called from across the way.

Rudger, no stranger to the demonic, could nevertheless stand horrified for a long moment as the infernal energy rippling through the cultist's bodies bent bones and warped flesh to suit its will. One of the two bones that made of the forearm of a human ripped outwards through the flesh, becoming a serrated scythe-like blade while the skin on the other peeled back like a banana's, finger bones ripping through their fleshy coverings to become razor-sharp claws on the end of an elongated arm packed with twisted muscle. Legs, suddenly unnecessary, disappeared under the frayed hem of the mutated cultist while his eyes and lips melted away, leaving a leering skull in its place.

Shaking himself free of the shock Rudger quickly assessed his environment as the newly transformed cultists hovered towards him, the sharpened exposed bones promising a painful, bloody end. The archways on the left side of the hall were sagging and unstable, shored up in places by timbers wedged under piles of broken masonry. This was his opportunity. His fiery axes rose and fell again, striking the floor and sending out a fiery shockwave, bursting apart the old, straining wood into a shower of splinters. Stone ground and rumbled as the archways teetered before pitching forward, hundreds of pounds of dark rock suddenly crashing down on the cultist's newly mutated bodies. The lead monstrosity swept its clawed hand back, entire body twisting around to aid the power of the blow just as its right side was borne down by the collapsing architecture. Its hiss sounded like a snake in a hollow log as the claws scored four shallow cuts across Rudger's mostly bare torso before it met its end, the extended arm shuddering wildly before going still, the only part of the beast not covered by debris. The barbarian breathed a sigh of relief as bright orange orbs drifted up through the cracked stone and drifted off into the darkness, the power of the possessing demons as broken as the bodies they had inhabited. Glancing down the shallow cuts that oozed blood Rudger judged they were minor even by civilized standards and walked back to the ruined bridge.

Lin Du stood on the other side, arms cross, quickly appraising Rudger's wounds and dismissing them as easily as the barbarian had. Rudger examined the remnants of the bridge, stumps of brickwork poking into the bottomless darkness below.

" Can you jump that? " the barbarian asked, glancing at the twelve foot gap between both sides, silently knowing the answer just as he knew it would be a simple matter for one such as he to clear it.

" I cannot, no, " the wizard replied matter-of-fact, his voice surprisingly clear of regret considering this would be the end of his adventure down here.

" Then it is here we part ways. It appears there are limits to your bag of tricks. Good luck in your travels, " Rudger said with a nod of his head.

Lin Du did something odd then. The slender man tilted back his head and raised up his hands, as if asking the gods why they would allow such a thing to happen, but then Rudger felt a distinct tingle across his skin as the wizard began to raise up off of the floor, hovering in mid-air. Now several feet above the walkway a radial burst of energy erupted out from under his boots…and then he was gone. In the time it takes an eyelid to blink Rudger felt the same energy wash over him again and felt a slight gust of wind ruffle his hair. Beside him stood Lin Du, who maintained his neutral demeanor as he cocked his head to the side as he spoke.

" I said I could not jump it, I did not say I had no way to cross."

The barbarian frowned, knowing what secret pleasure the wizard was getting out of proving that magic had once again easily surmounted what was physically difficult.

" Fine. You can handle the next batch of foes while I loiter around in the back, " Rudger said with a scowl.

"Agreed, " Lin Du replied with a cat-that-caught-the-bird smile and a nod, once again activating the red orb over his right hand and leading the way past the ruined bodies of the temple residents.

" I am curious, " Rudger mused as the pair walked past ancient bones clad in rusted armor, all facing in the direction they were travelling, " how did your people learn about the artifact that we both seek? "

" I would ask you the same, but fair's fair, I'll answer first, " the slim wizard responded, ducking under a half-toppled column. He reached back and tapped the golden scroll case hung from his belt before he spoke.

" This contains the legend of Zu the Mad, a deranged scholar who searched the length and breadth of this world with but one disciple seeking two things; ultimate evil and ultimate good. His reasoning was that if two such diametrically opposite things were to come into contact, it would remake the world into a paradise of balance, eradicating both impulses that bring mortals to ruin in their lifetimes. When at last he could travel no more he instructed his only disciple, who had been tattooing their journey on his master's body, to flay him alive and preserve the skin so that others could take up his cause, " Lin Du explained. Rudger grimaced, remembering the odd texture and shape of the leathery scroll he had seen.

" And this is what you seek, to remake the world? " the barbarian queried, listening to the wizard's response intently.

" Nothing so dramatic, I assure you, " Lin Du chuckled, " he was called 'the Mad' for a reason. What I do believe, however, is that this artifact that Zu researched and came close to finding will grant a single wish to those who ask it for selfless reasons. This is my purpose here, " he finished, inclining his head so that he could view his companion. " And why do you seek this thing? "

Rudger paused before answering, sorting out what exactly he should say to this stranger.

" My people believe that when we die an honorable death, we will meet our ancestors in a great hall full of feasting and song. It is the eternal reward for a life lived in service of the vigil. There is a trickster, however, who lives among them, Lokwi, who occasionally steals one of the golden cups engraved with the name of the hero who drinks from it and hurls it from the heavens in the form of a falling star. It is also said, that if a warrior were to seek out and find one of these fallen cups, he would be granted a great boon from the warrior who lost it. I need such a boon, " the barbarian stated quietly, a tone of sadness creeping into his voice. Lin Du said nothing to this, turning his gaze back to the fore and seeming to ponder the big man's words.

After descending several more staircases and a rickety wooden ladder that barely supported Rudger's bulk the pair found themselves standing before a massive wooden door bearing the marks of axe strikes that had caused little damage to its iron-bound surface. More bones littered the floor, poking out of sagging piles of rust that were once armor, so brittle they crumbled to white powder when stepped upon. A raid that had ended poorly. Judging by the high walls on either side of the door both men could guess that at one time they were packed with archers, raining death upon the besiegers while they pounded futilely against the formidable barrier.

" Shall I? " Lin Du asked, holding up the red orb.

" No, let me knock first, " Rudger countered, walking up to the double doors and, after examining it for several long moments, began to bury his axes blades deep into the ancient timbers, dust shaking loose with each blow. A handful of strikes later a series of deep, burnt gouges littered the surface of the stubborn portal. Rudger walked back then, raising one blazing axe to halt the wizard's comments before they were spoken.

Digging his heels in Rudger faced the door squarely and charged forward, shoulder leading the way. The metal wolf's head design struck the wood first, and from it a corona of blue light radiated out, flowing along the weakened cracks in the wood and ripping them asunder. The whole of the door burst apart, thick planks reduced to jagged fragments in a single instant of destructive power, the barbarian staggering back from the force, an action that saved him from the arrow that flew at him from the room beyond a second later. The sound of more bowstrings releasing prompted Rudger to roll to the side, seeking the protection of the ruined doorframe as arrows sunk into the wood or skittered across the stone floor.

Standing just beyond the field of debris created when the door shattered a huddle of animated skeletons stood, the tattered shreds of their former armor and livery the only thing hanging off of their ashen bones.

Those among them with aged yet serviceable longbows had fired first while the others, rusted helms atop their skulls and broadswords in their fleshless grip mustered to form a battle line, death able to take from them everything but their discipline and duty as temple guardians. The shields the soldiers all bore looked at first glance to be bucklers but when they advanced as one towards the pair of living intruders an oval field of glowing blue energy blossomed outwards from the central metal hub.

" Looks to be about two dozen; six footmen and the rest archers, picking apart anyone foolhardy enough to charge directly at them and letting the swordsmen deal with what's left, " the barbarian observed as he peered around the edge of his cover, crouched low and ready to charge or retreat at a moment's notice.

Lin Du's response was to step out long enough to hurl a magic missile at the advancing undead, the spell impacting harmlessly against the energy shields in a cloud of violet sparks.

" That is encouraging, " the wizard quipped, drawing a disbelieving look from Rudger, " they are well equipped and disciplined. We must be nearing our objective for guardians such as this to block our path. "

Another volley of arrows made them both duck behind the safety of the stone wall again.

" We'll have to work together on this like last time. You draw their fire, I will try and flank the swordsmen and cut them down from the side. Ready? " Rudger listed off, shifting his weight as he prepared to bolt from cover and rush the line of skeletons.

" No. You said I would handle the next foes we encountered and I intend to do so. What's more I won't even need you to act as a distraction, " Lin Du announced smugly, grinning as he stepped out into the open as arrows took flight once again, arcing with deadly accuracy towards the unarmored man. The barbarian grimaced and shook his head in disbelief, already calculating how he was going to rush past the undead defenders when his companion was on the floor riddled with arrows.

What happened next, however, made even a seasoned veteran gape in amazement. The wizard made a casual gesture with his left hand, as if shooing away an annoying pest, the motion instead causing a hemisphere of magic to radiate outwards from his location, seven paces wide in every direction and gently rippling like the surface of a wind-stirred lake. The flight of the arrows as they descended immediately slowed as if they now flew through gelatin, slow enough to reach up and gently pluck out of the air like snowflakes rather than deadly steel. Lin Du used this time to leisurely step away from their intended path, stepping clear of the mysterious bubble of slowed time and, as he had on the bridge, rose off the ground and vanished. He appeared between the two ranks of skeletons, behind the footmen but in front of the archers, who immediately drew their bowstrings back and retargeted the wizard's new position…only to have him vanish yet again. The next time Lin Du appeared it was behind the skeletal archers, the red orb positioned over his open palm already starting to glow brighter, casting his face with a hellish light as he grinned wickedly.

As before the beam shot out, the crimson energy quickly chewing through what little matter there was available, lashing out unopposed until it struck the back of the shields held by the still advancing footmen and stopped abruptly. Lin Du swept the beam back and forth, slicing through the skeleton ranks like a reaper's blade through dry stalks of wheat. Undead guardians faltered, trying to turn about to strike at the wizard but crumpling into inert piles of bone and fine ash moments later, rusted weapons and armor clattering hollowly against the stone floor. When the last of them fell the slim wizard reigned in his power and returned the orb to its original size and luminosity, looking contemptuously down at the remains of those who had opposed him. Rudger straightened and slipped out from behind the doorframe as the time bubble collapsed back into nothingness, the arrows, mere feet from the floor, speeding up to normal and impacting the stone with a shower of sparks.

" Come, " Lin Du beckoned with a toss of his black hair, " our goal is near. "

Passing through a second great door that offered little resistance to their combined efforts the pair trod upon floors that, except for signs of age, were free from the destruction that marred the temple prior to this point. They were the first to make it this far, the prospect urging the two forward with renewed purpose. The dark stone began to gleam as the cool moisture from far below grew thicker, gleaming beads of water forming on the stonework and exposed skin, Rudger's axes beginning to hiss like angered serpents as the flames fought against the growing damp. A mist crept in as well, rising from the unknown depths, stealing away the sight of anything but itself, muffling footfalls and tickling the back of their necks with clammy fingers. Ahead, a source of light, as golden and glorious as a sunrise started to become noticeable as they walked down broad steps trimmed with flaking gold leaf, their collective vision blinded to all else but the radiant lure reaching out to them in this place of danger and uncertainty.

" Your legends, " Lin Du ventured slowly, eyes flickering between the light ahead, the floor beneath and the man beside him, " did they tell of some sort of final test or…? "

" Trap, " Rudger nodded, " yes it did. Just before the reward would be given, there would be a final obstacle, as hidden and cunning as the god who threw down the cup in the first place. To bypass it was to outwit the god of trickery himself. "

" Zu was sure his genius would allow him to bypass the final trap, but fortunately for me, he never lived to see it, let alone test his mind against it. I am…curious to see what yet lies in store, " the wizard admitted, his eyes burning with an intensity that the cloying mists could not smother.

Rudger's next step touched nothing, his senses screaming for him to halt as muscles strained to hold himself back from tumbling over the ledge. He threw out his arms for balance, the axe in his right hand almost striking Lin Du in the face, the wizard having to jerk back suddenly to avoid it.
" What is wrong with you?! " he demanded, his anger fading as he noticed how statue-still the barbarian had become . Rudger eased himself back and planted both feet on solid stone, heart pounding as he considered how close he had just come to an inescapable death.

Lin Du whistled low as he swept the toe of his boot over the previously unseen precipice.

" An unseen danger indeed. A fraction of a second slower or an ounce of effort less and you would have plummeted to your death, myself close behind no doubt, " Lin Du breathed, patting the barbarian's broad shoulder to help ease the sudden tension. Rudger nodded mutely, eyes scanning the perimeter of what had previously been the way forward. The final stair was twelve feet wide, the thick stone railing following the outer edges then suddenly stopping as if the entire section had been cloven away by a titanic blade. There was something else too; a raised, rounded portion on his side of the stair, his left foot inches from its edge.

Lin Du noticed it a moment later, their eyes meeting as they searched for its purpose.

" A pressure plate, I would guess, " Lin Du mused, making no move to test it, however.

" Perhaps used by the cultists to raise some sort of platform or dispel the mists to show the real way across, " Rudger offered, nudging the mound of stone with the toe of his boot.

A minute of hesitation passed before Rudger slammed his foot down upon the stone circle, pressing his weight upon the trigger and feeling the stone beneath sink down to become flush with the rest of the stair. An empty, breathless moment passed before a deep rumbling like a waking giant sounded from below, rock grinding against rock as the noise grew more distinct with each massing second. Both men stood tense, anxiously searching the mists for some sign of a trap or that something else was amiss, but the only thing to garner the attention of their questing eyes was a block of stone, six foot long and three wide that had slid up on Lin Du's side of the staircase. On the last square foot of the newly risen landing was an embossed circle like the one Rudger now stood upon: another pressure plate.

Treading carefully Lin Du made his way across the new section of walkway, and pausing with a glance back to Rudger, stepped upon the pressure plate. Again, there was a rumbling from deep below and out of the mists a platform identical to the one Lin Du was positioned on slid up, pressure plate and all.

" I see their purpose now. Two are needed to move forward, helping the other by alternating the platforms forward. It was indeed a stroke of good fortune that we happened upon one another, " the wizard declared with and sage nod of his head.

The pair continued slowly on in this manner, discovering as they went that the old platforms behind them slid back down when weight was no longer placed upon the plate, and that pressure was required for the full duration of time it took for the newest platform to rise up. The glow before them became brighter still, shafts of light managing to pierce the heavy mist, clearly an object of great power lay ahead of them.

A square pillar of stone stood before the pair now, its base broad and shadowy but the top brightly lit as if by direct sunlight. Smooth, unmarred balustrades stood on three sides of the platform, the open side facing towards the pair. Its only other feature was a simple column, five feet in height, upon which the source of the light could be viewed, cutting away the mists and wearing a halo of rainbows as its radiance refracted off the nearby water droplets.

" Rainbows, here of all places, " Rudger snorted in disbelief.

Wizard and barbarian stood dazzled at the golden object, Lin Du seeing a scroll case with twin dragon heads capping each end, the eyes blazing orange while Rudger careful studied an elaborate chalice, runes set around the rim glowing brightly. At long last they once again stood on solid ground, the twin passageway falling away behind them, the two of them scarcely noticing so fixated where they.

" We mustn't lose our heads at this most critical juncture, " Lin Du said in an almost dreamlike stupor,

" we need to decide if the sudden drop off was the final trap, or that some other danger still threatens us before I claim the heaven-sent scroll. "

Rudger's eyes immediately moved to fix upon Lin Du's face, brow crinkling in a dark frown.

" It is a cup, and I believe my need is greater. We may have faced these perils together, but there is only one prize. "

The wizard's eyes too, left the object now, scanning over Rudger's posture and the grip on his axes, analyzing his potential threat for the first time since they had met on the surface far above.

" We can discuss this, like civilized men. Each will tell the purpose of their quest, and then we will reach a consensus on who shall claim the wish for themselves. You first, " Lin Du prompted, his eyes narrowed and lips pressed into a firm line.

Rudger took a deep breath, rolling his knuckles as he shifted his grip on the hafts of his axes, adjusting for the ambient moisture while calculating that he had but two strides to make before getting within striking distance of the wizard.

" My people have been the guardians of the sacred mountain, Arreat, since time immemorial. The arrival of Baal and his great army proved to be enough of a threat that an outsider slipped past our watch, tricked or defeated our greatest champions, and gained entry to the caverns within. Hours later the mount exploded, leaving a shattered ruin in its wake. We had failed. What were once a proud, united people have now broken up into spiteful factions, each blaming the other for failing to uphold our vigil. Brother slays brother, father kills son, entire villages are put to the torch. It is madness. I will return the cup to its rightful holder and use the power of the wish to restore Arreat to its former state, giving my people a sense of purpose and community once again so that we may all face the coming darkness as one. "

Lin Du spoke next, enunciating each word carefully like he were explaining something simple to a slow child.

" For the first time in recorded history the auguries of our greatest sages all say the same thing; that a great evil is approaching, unlike any seen before, and Caldeum is the key to stopping it. I have been to that once great city. I have seen the corruption, the rioting poor, the squabbling mage clans, the beasts that slink in the shadows, barely held at bay by the sun's light. If Caldeum falls, so too will Xiansai. The city was once held in check by its emperor, Hakan, but he has since grown ill and now his ineffectual child rules in his stead, doing nothing but cowering in his throne room while the city falls into chaos around him. I will use the scroll to restore the emperor's health, giving humanity a strong front with which to face this coming evil and stop the prophesized end of my people. "

Lin Du's words had barely drifted away into the mist before Rudger spoke again, his words clipped and angry.

" I speak of restoring honor and purpose to an entire people and you speak of restoring the health of a single man! What foolishness! I will not let such an opportunity slip out of my fingers, to go home empty-handed and watch my people slowly spiral into madness and despair. "

" And I will not let you waste this power to restore a mere symbol of your primitive kin's failure! It all begins with Caldeum, and I will not let it fall! " the wizard spat, the glow on the red orb over his hand increasing in radiance.

Lin Du saw it all now so clearly. This aged brute wouldn't have made it far in this place before the body he was so proud of would have failed him, so he needed the wizard's power and cunning to see him to the end. Rudger spat upon the floor, grinding his teeth as he considered the arrogant whelp before him, relying on his strong back and steady hand to see them through the toughest challenges so he could swoop in and claim the prize at the end.

Something changed in the air between them, some sudden shift or body or eye and the two burst into action, Rudger making up the distance between the two of them in a heartbeat, axes swinging in from the left while the glowing orb shot out its deadly beam of crimson light. Rudger's strikes were precise and deadly, one blade cutting across the wizard's unarmored throat while the other gutted him, glistening intestines slithering out into the golden light of the artifact behind them. The barbarian's cry of attack was mixed with one of pain, however, as he felt as if he had toppled into a campfire on his right side, skin muscle and bone evaporating from the spell's power.

Lin Du crumpled like a dropped marionette to the floor, legs folded awkwardly beneath him as he shuddered a moment and died, his last breath forming gory bubbles around the broad cut in his neck. Rudger staggered back, his breathing unsteady and shallow, for the first time in his life his hands too weak to hold onto his axes and they tumbled to the stone, the heated metal sizzling in the spreading pool of their mingled life's blood. Rudger didn't have to look down to the gaping crater in his flesh to know the wound was a mortal one, exposed ribs gleaming perversely white in the artifact's golden rays. Turning woodenly on his feet the barbarian's vision dimmed as he shuffled forward, the rest of the cavern fading to black, only the cup before him visible over the desperate groping of his fingers.

" Must…save…, " Rudger gasped, his legs finally giving out on him as he collapsed to the floor, the tips of his fingers brushing against the base of the column the closest he would ever get to the object he had crossed the world for before life left him.

The final trap had been sprung.