A.N. So, I've been inactive for almost a year…I think. I've been busy and haven't had time to update my fanfics to the point that I've lost my original storylines. So, I've decided to start a very strange fanfiction; a Diablo/Mahou Sensei Negima crossover. DON'T exit out yet, I have my reasons at the bottom of this very long chapter. So here we go.
Disclaimer: I don't own Diablo or the game's plot or universe, they are owned by Blizzard Entertainment (as are WOW and Starcraft.) I don't own the Negima Universe or any of the canon characters. I do own my characters and some of my personally crafted spells.
Strength of Spirit
Chapter 1 (Diablo Universe)
Uncertain Paths, Unstable Powers
The sun rose over the Rogue Encampment, casting its glow across the great plains. The camp bustled as the Rogues on guard duty traded places with the morning watchers. Dozens more rogues stood in an orderly line and fired consistently at various targets across the range. Several figures convened around the fire.
"By the Great Eye, I'm bored!" Moaned one of the rogue guards, "What the hell are we expecting to find here? Some red goblins and quill rats, that's all that we ever get! They're no threat to us!"
Her partner sighed.
"Hannah, we don't know for sure if anything else may be out there. You know that Flavie has reported more demons than normal have been sighted on the Blood Moor. They've been gathering in that cave across the way."
"We don't know what their plans are" Hannah argued, "They might not be after us"
"My lady," both rogues jumped as the brown haired paladin Triam walked up to them. "Surely we are the only force of light that remains in this corrupted place, we must prepare for the worst at all times."
"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right" the druid Mernic said, following Triam out into the blood moor.
"Wait!" Hannah shouted in panic, "Where are you going?"
"My lady, we are going to vanquish those foul demons who have occupied this Den of Evil." Triam's ally and trusted friend, Ursa called as he and the barbarian Ornlu joined the group of travelers.
Hannah watched as the group of four men marched off into the distance. Then she began plucking at her bowstring idly. Yep, definitely a boring day.
"Hey, Triam! Was it really necessary that all four of us come on this mission? Ornlu and I could have easily cleared out the den ourselves"
Triam turned from the path and looked back to Mernic.
"I though that we might offer our assistance, with the four of us we should empty the den in half the time. Besides, we must cleanse the evil from this cave lest it become forever tainted."
"I see your reasoning, but-"
"Monsters!" Growled Ornlu, "Fightin' now, talkin' later!"
All heads turned to Ornlu as he pointed to a group of eight walking corpses that meandered about the moor in confusion. To the untrained eye, they appeared to simply be zombies, but Triam's keen senses alerted him of a strange energy that surrounded the bodies.
"They have some sort of special power" Triam said as the zombies suddenly gained interest in something that the group could not see. As Triam and Ursa began to debate about the most likely source, the group of zombies shambled off in the direction of the river.
"Arr! Paladins, let's figure their power out later." Ornlu grumbled, "righ' now they're getting away!" All four warriors shared a moment of sheepishness, before Ornlu charged towards the zombie group. A startled cry came from the river shore, galvening the others into action.
A medium heighted man, covered in blood, stood alone before an army of Fallen. In his hand he gripped a simple sword. At his feet lay a rogue girl, injured and unconscious. Steel clashed and flesh ripped as the man fought desperately against the demons, unaware of the approaching threat.
"Look out!" Ornlu roared as a shaman cast a fireball at the warrior. The man managed to move aside, cleaving apart two foes in the process. He stared angrily at the shaman and hurled his blade at him. Ornlu laughed at the warrior's stupidity; even though he had just deprived the shaman of his throat he had lost his only weapon. The barbarian loosed a fierce war cry and leaped directly into the fray.
Several seconds later, Triam plowed into the demonic company's flank, scattering two fallen with his shield. Mernic and Ursa drew weapons and clashed with the zombies. In short order the three men disposed of the remaining fallen demons, after which the bloody man collapsed to his knees. The paladin rushed to his side.
"He's injured!" Triam called back to Ornlu, "Go help the others! I'll take care of these two!"
Ornlu grinned bloodily and charged towards the other battlefield where Mernic and Ursa still battled with the zombies. Triam walked towards the two fallen figures, healing powers at the ready. He gaped as the man pushed himself to his feet, despite his horrific wounds, and staggered over to the slain shaman.
"Stop, let me heal you!" Triam said. The man shook his head and pulled his sword from the shaman's throat with a sickening squelch.
"Heal….rogue…first" He gasped. Then he doubled over and coughed up blood. "She's…hurt much worse."
Triam looked worried, but obeyed the man and bent over the rogue's prone form. His eyes widened as his healing powers revealed the extent of her injuries. A major gash up the side of the rogue's left arm bled profusely while another wound oozed blood around the jagged sword that had impaled itself in her stomach. The entire scope of her injuries, Triam knew, exceeded his abilities.
Gritting his teeth, Triam began praying, appealing to the heavens to heal the rogue's injuries. The wound on the rogue's arm slowly closed, too slowly. After a minute Triam realized that he couldn't heal her in time when a light red mist passed before his eyes. At first Triam thought he had imagined it, but then he noticed that the haze was being absorbed into the rogue's body, and that the speed of her healing had increased. The wounds closed in a short amount of time, far quicker than Triam had thought possible.
"Sorry for interrupting," The man said conversationally. Triam jumped as the man, now uninjured and clean of blood, knelt next to him with his hands held above the rogue. His white hair flowed behind him in the light wind and red mist issued from his hands. The man continued, "You were taking too long, Master Paladin. I thought I might aid you."
Triam gaped, "You-you're a necromancer!" The man smiled sheepishly.
"Guilty as charged" he sighed. Then he growled over his shoulder, "Damnit! Don't linger around those corpses, head for the ones that still have blood!" Triam looked over his shoulder and paled. A crimson homunculus towered over the slain demons. As the paladin watched, the creature plucked up a fallen and bit down on it. After a moment, it spit the demon out and moved on to the next one. Blood on the ground seemed drawn to the beast as it proceeded to suck the life blood from the demon corpses.
"What are you doing?" Triam asked, regarding the bloody golem with disgust. The man laughed before replying.
"Healing the rogue. I'm using a curse known as Life Tap; it drains the life energy from one being and transfers it to another. Normally Necromancers use it to steal life from their foes, but I'm using it in reverse and transferring my own life force to her. That's where the golem comes in; he's draining the blood from the dead demons and transferring their remaining life energy to me. Essentially, I've turned one of my curses and summons into a quick healing power." The necromancer's eyes narrowed slightly, and he clenched on of his hands while drawing a small dagger with the other.
Triam's sword was at his throat in an instant. The necromancer tensed and said, "I'm not about to kill her" Suddenly the rogue began moaning and thrashing around violently.
"I find that hard to believe" Triam said dryly. He drew back his sword in preparation to swing.
"She's been poisoned!" The Necromancer protested, "If you kill me, she won't survive! I contained the poison into her arm, but I can't force it out, so I have to extract the tainted blood."
Before Triam could even blink, the necromancer had sliced a small chunk off of the rogue's arm and clasped his other hand to the wound. After a moment of intense concentration, the necromancer withdrew his hand and a sizable floating sphere of blood laced with traces of purple and green. With a grimace, he drew out a small glass phial from his robe and siphoned off the green liquid into it. He repeated the process with the purple liquid. Then he pulled out from his pocket a small glass bottle filled with red liquid, a healing potion.
The necromancer forced open the rogue's mouth and poured the liquid in. The rogue's eyes flew open as she swallowed the liquid. "Easy now" cautioned the white haired man, "You've suffered some serious injuries and shouldn't exert yourself." She ignored him and pulled herself to her feet.
"Hey Triam!" Ornlu roared, "If you're done healing them, we need help!" The three people looked on in horror as Mernic was lifted off his feet by a zombie and hurled through the air with astonishing speed. Triam felt a surge of energy run through him and ran. He ran faster than he'd ever run before, feet nearly flying across the ground. Even so, he arrived only just in time to drop his sword and shield and barely catch the falling druid.
"Thanks" Mernic groaned as Triam set him down, "I owe you…how many now?"
"If I kept track, it may have been…five?" Triam said with a smile, "But that doesn't matter now; how did they do that?"
Mernic's face grew grim, "We discovered their powers the hard way. Ursa believes that those damned undead have some sort of Fanaticism driving them; they're too strong and too fast!"
Steel ripped through flesh as the necromancer entered the fray head-on. Ornlu couldn't help but admire the man for his bravery.
But not his strength, Ornlu smirked as the man took a punch to the gut and went flying. The barbarian bellowed in indignation as two zombies jointly struck him, and he found himself following the necromancer's example.
Ursa knelt amidst three zombies, kept alive only by the aura of sanctuary that he desperately struggled to maintain. One of the zombies moaned and shambled towards him, only to slide back across the ground as the aura repelled him. A drop of sweat rolled down Ursa's brow and the circle of energy contracted marginally.
"For Zakarum! For God! For Salvation!" Triam roared before charging to aid his fellow paladin.
A great fury enveloped Ursa as one of the zombies brought Triam's charge to a stop with a single hand. Triam's shield caved in around the zombie's hand, locking him into point-blank combat with the monstrosity. Just as the zombie drew back his arm for a final blow, it found itself missing an arm and a leg as Ursa hacked blindly at the nightmare that threatened his comrade in arms.
Ornlu drew a second axe from his belt and hurled it at the nearest zombie, splitting its skull. Then he, Mernic, and the necromancer with the rogue in tow forged towards the two paladins. A punch knocked Ornlu off his feet; in retaliation, the enraged fighter kicked out and broke the offending zombie's shin, causing it to fall.
"I'm just about fed up with you!" the necromancer shouted. He plunged his sword deep into the head of the zombie that had been trapped by Triam and Ursa. Then the necromancer knelt and slammed his hand into the ground. "Defending Circle Bone Prison!"
A horrible forest of bones erupted from the ground, resolving into a great circle that surrounded the group. The thicket of bone offered protection for the group, at least for the moment.
Ursa gaped, "Necromancer!"
"Guilty as charged" the man said, echoing his earlier response. "I hope you don't object to my…improvised defenses, but I'm a bit low on energy."
Ursa scowled and raised his sword.
"Ursa, don't!" Triam shouted.
The necromancer raised his own sword in time to deflect Ursa's initial strike, but Ursa bashed the necromancer with his shield. As he staggered backwards, the necromancer sliced his own hand with his blade and smeared his blood upon it. The sword absorbed the blood and black flames began burning on the steel of the blade. He pointed his blade at the paladin.
"I'm warning you, Ursa – if that's your name; I've got nothing against you, but if you persist in attacking me, you'll find yourself in dire need of new combat gear."
"For the glory of Zakarum!" Ursa roared, and stubbornly charged. The necromancer contemptuously cut through Ursa's sword when he parried. As the paladin recoiled in shock, the necromancer stepped forward and casually stabbed through Ursa's shield, through his arm, and through his body. Ursa's eyes widened in shock, Triam gave a shout of concern, Ornlu bellowed angrily, and Mernic's eyes narrowed in rage.
Black flames burned around the blade of the sword as the necromancer drew the sword horizontally out of Ursa's body, mangling his shield in the process. Triam was about to strike the necromancer down, when his mind registered the total lack of blood flowing from the stab area.
"He's not injured," the necromancer remarked as Ursa crashed to his knees. "If I ignite my blade I can prevent it from actively harming a human while damaging everything else. He'll be fine, his gear on the other hand…" He trailed off.
"Very clever," Mernic remarked, "But meanwhile, WE STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE ZOMBIES!"
"Maybe we're trying the wrong approach" the necromancer said thoughtfully, "Fighting them head on is suicide, we should try distance warfare. If the two paladins can provide some sort of protection, the rest of us can fight from a distance."
"I might not be able to fight, but I can identify some critical spots on them" the rogue offered.
"That would be appreciated." The necromancer said. "Now then, let's begin!" He raised his hands and dropped them, dispelling the wall of bone.
Triam scowled and called upon his sanctuary aura. After a moment, a bright circle of light extended from his position, far larger than Ursa's previous attempt. Ursa chanted a brief prayer and tendrils of fire began to lick the ground around his feet. Mernic noticed the Holy Fire spreading across the ground and shouted, "Eight spirits of Ral, I call upon thee! Race across the earth and consume mine enemies!" Three tendrils of raging fire burst from the ground at Mernic's feet and flowed towards the zombies, but Mernic wasn't done.
"Three spirits of Tir, lend me thine endless strength! Invoke staff TirRal!"
The fiery tendrils suddenly increased in size and intensity as they intercepted the zombies. Howling, three of the remaining five zombies burst into flames, but only one fell. The others redoubled their efforts to break through the aura.
"Five spirits of Thul, I call upon thee! Freeze mine foes with arctic winds!" A stream of ethereal blue fog roared across the battlefield, covering the zombies with a crusting of ice. A half dozen throwing axes embedded themselves into undead flesh, courtesy of Ornlu, but still they did not stop. Even the fires of Ursa's aura seemed to do nothing of notice.
"Not good!" Triam shouted as one of the zombies stepped into the circle. Instead of being repelled, the zombie projected an aura of its own and Triam gasped in shock as his sanctuary aura shattered.
"We're done for!" The rogue wailed. The necromancer cuffed her lightly across the head as he passed. "Calm down" he murmured, then shouted. "I didn't want to use this, but the enemy is too strong!" He raised his sword above his head and began casting a spell.
"Vex! Vex! Lo! Jah! Twenty-two spirits of Ral, I call upon thee! All things that oppose me turn to dust! Burn, Phoenix!"
Fire roared around the sword and the necromancer slashed downward. Upon striking the ground, the blade released a firestorm easily three times as large as Mernic's. In the blink of an eye, each of the remaining zombies burst into flames. And still they did not stop.
"It's not working!" The rogue shrieked.
"It WILL work!" Triam said, "It has to" Such fierce conviction burned in his eyes that a palpable chill ran through everyone present. As if his words held infinite power, the zombies began to moan in pain before keeling over, motionless.
"Amazin'! Tha's one hell of a firestorm!" Ornlu whistled, "You've got some competition Mernic!"
Mernic stalked angrily over to the necromancer and poked him in the chest. "How did you, a necromancer, learn how to cast a firestorm? Moreover, how did you cast one of such a high level? Who are you?!"
The necromancer sighed, "I'll explain, but we need to find some defensible position first. Suffice to say, that I'm not who I appear"
"Okay," the rogue said, "you can explain back at the Rogue Encampment."
Rogue Encampment
"By the Great Eye, I'm bored!" Hannah moaned
"My god; shut UP!" her partner screamed, her eyes bloodshot. "You've been saying that all day! We understand that you're bored, so STOP TELLING US!"
"People coming," Hannah said dully, "oh, joy…"
"It's the guys from before and… Cassandra!" the other rogue shouted. "They look like they walked through hell!"
"Oh, by the Eye!" Akara exclaimed, "This must mean that the den is cleansed!"
Rogues throughout the camp began cheering and congregating about the gate. Once the travelling group arrived, they found themselves beset by a horde of questions. Unable to answer them all, or even comprehend them angered Ornlu, who let out a shout of "QUIET!"
"I'm afraid we bring disappointing news. We have not cleared the den" Triam persisted through the startled exclamations of the rogues, "we were set upon by a group of undead that caused us a lot of trouble. We also ran into Lady Cassandra and this man while they were about to be overcome and slaughtered. These delays prevented us from reaching the den, for the damage sustained by some of us was disabling."
"I knew they weren't to be trusted!" Kashya shouted triumphantly, "Rogues! Tomorrow we move! We'll clear the Den of Evil, a feat that the 'great' warriors could not perform!" The captain of the rogues stalked off accompanied by most of the warriors.
Later, as the ragtag group sat around the fire, the necromancer leaned back and sighed.
"I suppose I should explain now" he said, "My name is Talus. I received instruction from several of the Priests of Rathma as a child, but that life wasn't for me. On my sixteenth summer, the priests expelled me from their order. Left with nowhere to go, I wandered across the land, desperately trying to survive. Along the way I acquired a variety of skills, but the branch that interested me the most was elemental magic. I sought out sages and elders, begged them to teach me, and began to rebuild my existence. In my nineteenth summer, my masters presented me with this sword, and charged me with finding runes of power with which to build my strength. I created the Phoenix, a fire based blade that forever changed my soul. I specialize in fire type magic and what few curses I learned while training with the priests. I can summon skeletons and undead but" he held up a hand to forestall any protests, "I've only done so when my life hung in the balance. I do not normally use any minions; I prefer to fight my own battles. That and they make me uncomfortable."
Everyone stared at Talus in silence. After a moment he looked around nervously.
"What?"
Mernic laughed, "That's a hard story to swallow. I mean really" he looked around the fire, "Who's ever heard of a necromancer who doesn't summon minions?"
"Not me, tha's fer sure" Ornlu laughed, "I'm not sure we can trust yer, but as long as ye fight with us an' not against us, I got no problem with yer."
"Nor do I have a problem with Talus," Cassandra stated, idly plucking her bowstring, "If it weren't for him and Triam; I wouldn't be here right now."
"I don't trust you either," Ursa stated, "And if you betray us, I'll be the one to strike you down."
"If you say so," Talus said wearily, "Just remember what happened last time." As he spoke, the fire flared up briefly and everyone could see the shape of a bird spreading its wings within the flames.
"While I have no problems with letting you accompany us, you do raise a question." Triam stood and began pacing slightly, "You said that you would rather not summon minions, so why did you summon a blood golem today?"
"I should have said that I dislike summoning undead minions," Talus clarified, "I've used different golems in order to protect myself before. They are my shield, quite literally in the case of iron golems. I obviously can't fight just any enemy that I want."
"Well, well," Ursa smirked, "I must say, I've never even thought I'd meet a necromancer that wasn't totally arrogant. Let's hope it stays like that."
Talus scowled, stood, and stormed off. Cassandra glared at Ursa before getting up and pursuing the necromancer. Triam looked over to Ursa, "That was unnecessary," he stated.
"Aye," Ornlu growled, "Wha's he done to yer?"
"We may not like him, but he's not proven himself untrustworthy," Mernic continued.
"He's a necromancer!" Ursa protested, "His entire order defiles the dead!"
"He has not done so yet" replied Triam, "Unless he does, reserve your judgment and stay your hand."
"Talus!" Cassandra cried out, hurrying after the necromancer, "Talus, wait!"
He turned and stared at the rogue dully. "Yes?" He intoned. "Is there something that you need?"
"I'm sorry about what Ursa said; he was totally out of line! I'm still grateful for you saving me; if you hadn't, I'd be dead or worse, corrupted."
"Thank you for your gratitude, Cassandra," Talus smiled, "But I believe that you're the only one in the group who feels that way."
"That's not true!" She exclaimed, "Even Triam spoke up for you after you left, your actions today probably saved our lives."
"Ursa doesn't approve of me, Triam does," Talus said, "I'm not about to start a feud between two paladins. There's no way that'd end well."
"Ursa can go get himself beaten down again for all I care!" Cassandra retorted, "Um, Talus? What's wrong?" Talus had gone as stiff as a board and his eyes widened in shock. After a moment he found his tongue.
"Is that man supposed to be sneaking into that caravan wagon with a large sack?"
Cassandra whirled around. True enough, the rotund merchant, Gheed, could easily be seen trying to sneak into one of Warriv's wagons. Cassandra hissed in contempt.
"No, he's not. That rat! He's been stealing other people's things to sell as his own! Talus, do something or I'll shoot him!"
"I'd be glad to," Talus replied, still sounding slightly nervous "But I do need both of my hands to work this spell." Cassandra looked down and squeaked as she realized that she was clasping one of the necromancer's hands tightly with her own. She let go, blushing lightly.
"Sorry" Cassandra muttered.
"No big deal," Talus said, then murmured, "Wait for it…wait for it…" Then he exclaimed "aha!" in delight, for Gheed had just resurfaced with a two handed sword and an elegant azure bladed dagger. Talus mumbled, "Hope Warriv forgives me for this" and held his hands out, projecting a small burst of energy through the air.
Gheed yelped in shock as the dagger he held began growing at an alarming rate. His shock changed to horror when he dropped the blade and it began to assume a semi-humanoid build. The iron golem turned to Gheed and growled, a horrible screeching sound, causing the "merchant" to scream in terror. As he turned to flee, Talus flicked his other hand slightly and blackness enveloped the merchant's vision. Gheed fled from the iron golem, crashing into wagons and rogues alike, the latter of which began firing arrows at the metal monstrosity that pursued the fat man with single-minded determination.
"We're under attack!" Warriv shouted as Gheed tripped and fell to the ground and lay there shivering. Rogues appeared from every corner of the camp, bows drawn, and began firing. The iron golem found itself the target of about fifty enraged and terrified rogues and snorted in disinterest as the arrows clattered harmlessly off its metal hide.
"At ease!" Talus shouted and cast a burst of energy at the golem, which stiffened, broke apart, and clattered to the ground. As the rogues sighed in relief, Gheed continued screaming, lamenting about his lost sight. The irritated necromancer snapped his fingers and the dark film over Gheed's eyes faded. "Well, Gheed," he said contemptuously, "You're lucky that it was Cassandra and I that caught you in the act of stealing. Had it been Warriv…you'd probably be dead, since you were stealing from him."
Kashya stormed up to Talus and grabbed the front of his robe. "What the hell were you thinking?! Who told you to take matters of our encampment into your own hands?"
"I did" Cassandra said indignantly, "If he hadn't dealt with Gheed, I would have. Permanently."
Kashya dropped Talus unceremoniously to the ground and stalked over to Cassandra instead. "It wasn't your place to decide his fate! You should have told Warriv and let him deal with it! You're still an apprentice, not even a rogue! No, I take that back, you're not even an apprentice. Now get out of this camp, girl!" And she struck Cassandra across her face harshly.
As she hit the ground, a wave of absolute rage and contempt washed over the rogues. Talus rose to his feet; his eyes flashing dangerously. The energy pressing down upon the group intensified as Talus walked over towards Kashya. "Get away from her" one of the rogues shouted, and fired an arrow at the necromancer. Talus' sword literally blazed into existence and deflected the arrow as Talus met the offending rogue's eyes. After a moment the girl collapsed, sweating profusely and frothing at the mouth.
"You would cast her into the wilderness during times like these? How could you do something like that, yet ignore something as despicable as petty theft? I'm disgusted, captain" and he laced the word with contempt, "If you think that I will respect your judgment after this; you're wrong. Kashya; I challenge you to single combat! Tomorrow, at sunrise, on the blood moor!"
Talus extended a hand to Cassandra, who pulled herself up. Then he whispered into her ear, upon which Cassandra nodded with tears streaming down her face. Talus' face hardened and he guided the distraught girl away. Kashya watched them go and sighed, that had been a rash mistake. Tomorrow she would have to beg for Cassandra's forgiveness.
"I'm sorry I caused that, Talus" Cassandra wept, "She was right; I should have just gone to Warriv, and now what will I do?"
"Well, since you've been banished from the rogues, first we'll get your things and pack them up." Talus said calmly, "And it isn't your fault; I shouldn't have gone overboard with the Iron Golem"
In short order, the two reached Cassandra's tent and quickly packed up her few belongings. Cassandra left there her short bow that Kashya had replaced and her quiver of arrows. When Talus commented about it, she simply said that the weapons were not hers and so she would not take them. After Cassandra shouldered her pack, Talus led her to the smithy, Charsi.
"What can I do for you…" Charsi's cheerful tone faded slightly as she noticed Cassandra, "I heard you were banished…unfortunately, customs rule that I can't sell you anything Cassandra. I'm sorry, in more ways than one."
"Well," Talus said conversationally, "Are you forbidden from selling anything to me? As far as I know, I can't be banished unless I lose my duel tomorrow."
"That's…true" Charsi said hesitantly.
"Then it's settled!" Talus practically chirped, "Cassandra; which weapon do you want?"
"But I can't-" Charsi protested
"Sell to her" Talus interrupted, "Now, if I purchase the weapon, there should be no problem, right?"
Understanding dawned in Charsi's eyes, and she smiled. "Of course, there is no problem."
"But-" Cassandra sputtered, "Talus, I can't let you do that! My current situation is not your fault!"
"Fine," Talus sighed, "Charsi, could you please give me that long sword on the wall with the missing pommel?"
"Sure, but I'll fix it first," the smith said, "I've been meaning to do that for a while now."
"Oh, there's no need" Talus said, "Its condition was the reason I picked it; it's just what I've been looking for."
"Alright" Charsi sighed, "That'll be four hundred fifty gold pieces."
"Done," Talus said, reaching into a pouch at his waist and withdrawing his hand after a moment. It was clear that whatever he held in his hand was not gold. Charsi gasped as Talus opened his hand and revealed a Sapphire, smooth and flawless, and placed it into her hand. Talus picked up the sword and turned to leave. "Keep the change"
Charsi could only stare in shock as the necromancer and former rogue apprentice walked away.
"Why did you do that?" Cassandra asked in frustration. "You could have bought twelve swords in perfect condition! You could have purchased one of Warriv's wagons!"
"What use would I have for a wagon?" Talus scoffed, "How would I carry a dozen swords?"
"You could use one of those metal things that you summoned earlier to carry them, or you could raise a skeleton or something!"
"I'd rather not have to worry about that. Oh, and speaking of the iron golem; I need to pay a visit to Warriv." On the way, they passed the mangled heap of iron that had once been a dagger. Talus snapped his fingers at it and the iron golem sprang back to life, quickly hurrying to its master's side.
Approaching the wagon, Talus turned and said, "Stay here for now." Cassandra stopped and watched as Talus took a few more steps, then called back, "I meant the golem, not you." Embarrassed, Cassandra hurried to catch up to Talus; arriving at Warriv's wagon just as he did.
"To what do I owe this visit?" Warriv asked in surprise as Talus and Cassandra approached.
"I came here to settle a debt" Talus said
"W-what kind of debt?" Warriv asked rather nervously. His eyes darted around.
"When Cassandra and I caught Gheed breaking into your wagon; I used one of your daggers and now wish to purchase it." Talus held out a pouch of gold coins and dropped it into Warriv's hand. The merchant weighed it carefully.
"This is too much for any of the daggers I had!" Warriv exclaimed, "Which one did you use?" Talus whistled, and the iron golem shambled out from behind the caravan.
"It's not which dagger, but how useful it was to me," Talus remarked, "I've been unable to create a golem of such quality from any dagger I've ever used before."
"Well, I appreciate your generosity, but this is really too much" Warriv said. "Is there anything I could get you? I've got some good travelling armor."
"A full set of woman's travelling clothes and two black robes then" Talus said.
Warriv gathered the requested items, sighed, and said, "You're lucky; judging by the weight of this bag, you had about fifty gold pieces to spare. That's a donation I can accept"
"Good doing business with you" Talus said, smiling broadly. As he walked away chuckling Warriv opened the pouch and shouted in astonishment when he saw a perfectly round ruby nestled in the gold coins. He looked up, but Talus was gone.
The next morning
"The single combat between Captain Kashya and Talus will now commence!" Announced Hannah, "The stakes are thus; if Talus loses, he is henceforth banished from our encampment."
"And if I win?" Talus asked, "What happens then?"
Kashya snorted, "Like that's ever going to happen"
"Begin!" Hannah shouted before leaping nimbly out of the staked combat area.
Kashya wasted no time in stringing her bow and firing two barbed arrows directly at Talus. The necromancer waited calmly until the arrows were almost upon him, then he stepped aside.
"Not good enough" he shouted mockingly, "I've seen Amazon children shoot better, captain"
The rogues collectively winced, and Hannah moaned, "Oh, he's so dead."
"I'll roast you alive!" Kashya shouted, firing an arrow that not only burst into flame, but split into a deadly arc of arrows. Talus sighed as the deadly wave approached, and ducked under it.
"I take it back!" Talus amended sarcastically, "You're much better than them…at missing!"
Kashya screamed in rage and launched arrow after arrow, some bursting into flames while others howled with arctic winds and still others splintered into arcs. Not a single arrow touched Talus who, in an astonishing display of agility, managed to dodge each and every arrow. "Fight back you coward!" the rogue captain goaded in frustration.
"Hey, I'm not the one who has lost control of her emotions like a little child," Talus quipped back, "I'd say that I'm winning here, captain!"
Kashya's eyes flashed and she suddenly and dramatically increased the speed and accuracy of her shots. Talus, caught by surprise, found himself unable to dodge all of the shots and took half a dozen shafts in his arm. He screamed in pain as he yanked out the arrows, each coated with flesh. He downed a healing potion and said, "Okay; now this is getting good!"
Talus' sword appeared in a burst of fire and he retrieved a buckler from its place on his back. Kashya's next volley simply deflected off of the metal shield, and Talus lifted the sword to a ready position. Power gathered into the sword and Talus shouted, "Vex! Vex! Lo! Jah! Twenty two spirits of Ral, I call upon thee! All things that oppose me, turn to dust! Burn, Phoenix!"
As before, the monstrous fire burst from Talus' sword and rushed across the ground. This time they only had one target, so all three streams of fire aimed for Kashya from different directions. Kashya ignored the fire and shot another arrow directly at Talus. He caught it on his shield and the arrow shattered, depositing a raging fire of its own on Talus' buckler.
Talus shouted in surprise and cast aside the buckler, then ducked to avoid the next wave of arrows. His concentration broke and the streams of fire burned out. The buckler by this point had been reduced to a puddle of molten slag by the intense flames from Kashya's arrow.
"Okay, not good" Talus muttered, "Golem!" The iron golem suddenly burst from the ground, emerging from where Talus had hidden it the night before. The next immolating arrow struck it head on and annihilated the golem in ten seconds. So much for that summon, Talus thought, Time to try something different.
"Vex! Vex! Lo! Jah! Burn, Phoenix!" Talus threw his sword into the air and thrust both of his hands upward. The sword again burst into flames. Metal melted and morphed hideously until the sword stood as a new iron golem. Another immolation arrow crashed into the new golem and burst into flames. Talus laughed as the golem's body sucked up the fire into its body. Before Kashya could fire the next arrow, the golem charged at her.
As the captain's bow came up, a burst of magic flared from Talus' hands. "Fangs of Trag'Oul!" He shouted as an arc of energy-infused splinters, not unlike Kashya's arcs of arrows, soared from Talus' hands and towards Kashya. She ducked under the spell, but as she aimed her bow, the arm of Talus' golem came down and snapped the bow in half. A sharp blade extended from the golem's arm and planted itself upon the rogue's neck.
"Yield you good lady?" Talus asked, initiating the ritual of surrender.
"I yield" growled Kashya, "The battle is yours"
"Good," Talus sighed and sank to his knees. The iron golem walked back to him obediently and burst into flames, melted into a sphere of molten steel, and resolved once more into Talus' sword.
"Thanks Phoenix, great job" Talus sheathed his blade and rose, "Well; that took more out of me than I thought it would. Now Kashya; since I won, will you readmit Cassandra to your encampment?"
"No"
"What?!"
"No," Kashya sighed, "I would, but our customs and laws forbid us from admitting anyone into our camp that has been banished and dishonored. I'm sorry, but she can't ever be a rogue again. She can lodge in the camp until she chooses her new path, but that is all."
"Fine" Talus snapped, "I suppose that's all I can expect from you." He turned his back to Kashya and strode over to a distraught Cassandra. "Everything will be fine, let's go"
Later
"Cassandra, no matter what you choose, you will need a weapon. A bow may break, or you may run out of ammunition. A spear can be shattered, and it requires two arms. The sword will be the most reliable weapon you will come across." Talus retrieved the sword he had bought from Charsi as he spoke.
"But a sword by itself would be useless. The sword must be a part of you, it must contain a part of your soul. You must," here Talus overturned a small bag he had been carrying, "Find the word that is you, at your very core."
Cassandra stared at the sizable pile of runes that had spilled from the bag. At Talus' invitation, she looked through them. Several of them looked very powerful but Cassandra passed over them without hesitation. Others looked visually aesthetic but she ignored them as well. Talus grew nervous as Cassandra passed over half of the runes without a second glance.
Suddenly, Cassandra's hand ran over a few runes that seemed to send a chill up her spine. Without a doubt these runes were calling to her. Cassandra carefully selected the runes from the pile in the order of urgency. After she assembled the runes, Cassandra fitted them into the sockets of the sword. To her delight, the sword had five sockets; the same as the number of runes she had selected. Talus raised an eyebrow in surprise as he read the runes that Cassandra fitted into the blade.
"Amn El Ith Tir Sol?" Talus chuckled. At Cassandra's confused look he explained, "It's interesting; the runes you selected form the ancient spelling of 'honor.' I find it oddly fitting that your soul's reflection is 'honor' when your captain decided to banish you. By all rights, according to them, you have no honor." As Cassandra moved to remove the runes, Talus hurriedly explained, "I didn't say that you actually have no honor, just that Kashya claims that you've been dishonored. In my opinion, and in your soul, you still have your honor."
Cassandra grabbed the hilt of the sword and lifted it to eye level. "So, how am I supposed to use this sword anyway?" She tried a practice swing and nearly decapitated herself. Talus had to stop himself from slapping his own face in exasperation.
"Okay," He said, "This will take some time. The first thing to remember about your sword…"
The next day passed by uneventfully as did the day after that. Kashya had barricaded herself in her tent for the entire time. Rogues had to bring her food so she didn't starve. The raid on the den of evil was postponed indefinitely. On the third day the two paladins, Mernic, and Ornlu ventured out to eliminate droves of zombies, quill rats, and fallen that had begun to congregate in the blood moor. They returned late in the afternoon, stained with the blood of a dozen foes each.
Several weeks passed with the four men heading out every few days to clear out the moor. Kashya had forbidden them from attacking the den until she assigned rogues to accompany them for additional protection. Oddly, it was Ornlu who convinced the rest of the group to agree. The paladins had not wanted to risk the rogues' lives, and Mernic had been insulted, saying that his powers were more than enough to clear the den singlehandedly. Ornlu reminded them of Triam's reasoning of greater numbers clearing the den in less time and with less risk.
Meanwhile, Cassandra spent her time training in the use of her sword. By the end of the second week she had managed to master the blade's energies, but Talus insisted on additional training. He taught her skills beyond mere swordsmanship, including elemental spells, some rudimentary curses, and even – to her initial discomfort – how to raise the dead. She also tried to keep up her practice with a bow.
Finally the day came that Kashya emerged from her tent and called the warriors together. She eyed them warily, reluctantly admitting that their skills might be greater than her own. She produced a list of names and called four rogues to their meeting.
Hannah, Nora, Jennifer, and Joan seemed wary of heading directly into the den of evil, but they nodded when they received their assignment. Joan, in particular, seemed excited to be travelling with the warriors. When asked, she just replied, "My cousin became a paladin."
Just before the group had made ready to depart; Talus strode out of his tent, arrayed in full battle gear. For him, this meant leather armor and his sword, but he also sported a black cloak. Another figure, garbed in the same attire, emerged from the tent. The second person's hood covered their head, obscuring their face.
"We're coming too" Talus said firmly, gripping his sword pommel.
"Who the heck are you?" Kashya asked the other person rather rudely.
"I'm surprised that you've forgotten me after so little time," A calm female voice said from under the hood, "Since it was you who banished me from the rogues, captain" Cassandra dropped her hood. Kashya stared at her former pupil, thunderstruck.
She had changed so much! Her hair no longer had its deep brown hue; it flowed around her shoulders, white as bone. Her eyes had changed from brown to bright green and glowed when clouds obscured the sky. She had apparently discarded her bow as her hand had clamped on the pommel of a sword on her hip. But the biggest change was in her demeanor; she no longer seemed to be unsure of herself, she had found who she truly was.
"Allow me to introduce you to Cassandra, apprentice necromancer and mage" Talus smiled, "We shall accompany you into the den of evil, with your consent."
"You've corrupted her!" Ursa shouted. He drew his sword in preparation to strike at Talus.
Steel flashed in the morning sun and Ursa found a blade at his throat. Following the blade to its owner, he saw Cassandra standing calmly, arm outstretched. "I'd back down if I were you" She stated. "We're not here to fight, not you anyway." After a moment, she returned her sword to her belt.
"Let us go then" Triam said pointedly ignoring the conflict, "The den will be cleansed."
"I swear," Talus groaned dully, "The monsters here have definitely gotten weaker!" He raised his hand and a crackling shaft of emerald energy lanced through the air and obliterated a pair of fallen. With the exception of Cassandra, the entire party stared at Talus uneasily. He'd spent the whole morning hurling spells of increasing power and brutality at the foes they'd come across with no signs of stopping. Smoking piles of slag were often the only remains of the weak enemies they'd come across. Somehow, in under a month, Talus' power had increased far beyond their own.
"By Trag'Oul, I'm bored!" A bolt of black fire soared from his hand and exploded on a quill rat. The poor beast died in a moment.
"I should think" Triam paused as Talus incinerated a trio of zombies on the path, "Not that they are weaker, but that you have definitely become stronger."
"Thank you" Talus smiled, "The den is up ahead, let's go!" Within minutes the group arrived. Triam and Ursa went first, followed by Mernic and the rogues, then Ornlu, and finally the two necromancers.
They traveled ten meters before they were ambushed. Droves of fallen, backed by shamans shrieked as they charged. Triam and Ursa fell back to protect the rogues and Mernic as they began launching volleys of arrows, or in Mernic's case; crossbow quarrels. Ornlu roared and charged, cleaving open the skulls of half a dozen demons, mashing brains across his battle axe. Talus and Cassandra followed him, but without war cries. Triam angrily considered ordering them to guard their flanks when a semicircle of bone and rock erupted from the ground just behind the group.
"I sense… death within this place" Cassandra murmured as she danced through the mass of demons, leaving a score of corpses in her wake. Talus wasted no time and went straight for the shamans to prevent the battle from getting out of hand. Sporting a spinning shield of bone, Talus charged through the fallen with impunity. A moment later, Triam and Ursa charged, the threat to the rogues now significantly reduced.
A minute later the demons all lay dead.
"Well," Talus said breathlessly, "Now that was a real challenge!" Charred bones collapsed around him, his energy no longer focused on maintaining the shield. "Moving on"
He'd just taken a step into the dark tunnel ahead when a giant fist connected with his gut. Cassandra watched in shock as her mentor soared through the air. Mernic conjured a powerful gust of air and caught Talus in mid-fall. A terrible howl filled the cavern as three gargantuan beasts lumbered into it.
"Just great" Mernic groaned, "I've heard of these beasts. We can't fight them, their fur is too thick for arrows to harm them and they can crush any of us in one blow!"
"Does that mean we're already stumped?" Ornlu growled, "I'm not one ter give up on this fight!" The barbarian howled right back at the behemoths and charged. He slammed his axe brutally into the neck of one, decapitating it, but another brought its fist back for a devastating strike. Suddenly its eyes clouded over with a light blue haze and its attack slowed dramatically. Seizing the chance, Ornlu beheaded the second creature as well. Meanwhile, Talus had run a flaming blade through the head of the third. Three corpses crashed to the ground.
"Okay," Cassandra said, rubbing her hands together eagerly, "These guys, we can work with!"
"Go for it" Talus said, conjuring up a golem from the cave wall. His student gathered her energy as he had taught her and reached into the realm of the dead. There she plucked three spirits out and embedded them in the corpses. A skeleton clawed its way out of each beast, gleaming white and eyes shining brightly. Each minion quickly scavenged a scimitar and a shield from the slain fallen before returning to Cassandra.
"I thought you didn't like summoning!" Triam roared in disgust, "How could you teach your…student that foul art?!" Ursa and the rogues added similar exclamations of outrage.
"I got over it during training" Talus shrugged, "After all: a man must accept his path in life. If he cannot follow the way that god has chosen for him, he is no man, no; he is lower than the meanest beast, for even the beasts know their place. That is why I have strode forward with my head upright and my gaze unfaltering; to fulfill the path set out for me." Triam and Ursa stood in shock; the "unholy" necromancer had just quoted, word for word, part of the Sacred Scripture of Zakarum. Even worse; he had applied it flawlessly to himself and his student, justifying their practices in a way that the paladins could not object to; for that would be tantamount to objecting to their own faith.
"Two months in Kurast surrounded by the council of Zakarum will do that to a man" Talus sighed, seeing the paladins' expressions. "We're not going to use our minions for evil, we'll use them to keep the rest of us alive."
Cassandra beckoned to one of her summons, "Kasma; scout the passage ahead!" The skeleton in question nodded and stalked down the tunnel carefully. "Let's go!"
They cleaned out the den easily for the most part. Out of the seven caverns and the entrance room, all but one contained nothing but broken corpses. Talus and Cassandra had even taken the liberty of blasting numerous holes in the ceilings of each room that they cleared. Now light shone into the once pitch black cave.
"This is the last cave!" Triam declared, causing Talus and Cassandra to roll their eyes. "Let us defeat the foul beasts and return to the rogue camp!" Before they could storm the cave, however, four zombies shambled out followed by a monstrosity.
A teal zombie, ten feet tall, towered over the entire group. Talus and Cassandra looked on in awe while the others looked upon it with terror.
"Corpsefire…" The necromancers muttered in unison. Talus turned to the paladins, "Take out the minions, Cassandra and I will handle Corpsefire! Watch out though; he can-"
"Use magic!" Ornlu shouted in warning as a bolt of lightning issued from one of Corpsefire's hands. Cassandra raised her blade and shouted "Amn! El! Ith! Tir! Sol! Pierce uncertainty and show the way! Guide, Honor!" The lightning changed trajectory and struck the upraised sword. Instead of shocking Cassandra, the sword absorbed all of the lightning.
"My turn!" Talus shouted, "Trag'Oul's Talon!" He conjured a spear of bone and hurled it at the giant teal zombie's head. He struck it between the eyes, but Corpsefire just spewed a fireball from his mouth. Again, he aimed for the other group, ignoring the necromancers. "Vex! Vex! Lo! Jah! Protect them! Phoenix!" The sword spewed a giant stream of flame. The conflagration wrapped around the paladins and rogues in a protective sphere and absorbed the fireball. Corpsefire moaned and launched an icy spear at Ornlu. The giant man hurled his axe and shattered the missile.
"Okay, that settles it," Cassandra said excitedly, "I want him as a minion!" Talus nodded and charged Corpsefire who continued to ignore them and cast another lightning bolt at the rogues. Cassandra redirected the bolt into her sword as Talus began hacking away at the giant undead. Meanwhile, Triam and Ursa made short work of the undead, having blessed their swords. Any zombie that passed the holy knights ended up filled with arrows from the rogues. Ornlu had charged ahead into the dark cavern and the sounds of combat could be heard.
Just as Ursa decapitated the last minion zombie, Corpsefire roared and began casting a spell that both necromancers recognized. "Poison!" Talus shouted in warning, but Cassandra swung her sword; releasing the two lightning bolts it had absorbed. Each bolt fried one of the zombie's eyes out, and Corpsefire's head exploded.
"This den has been cleansed of evil" Proclaimed Triam.
"Heh," Mernic chuckled, "Is that all of them?"
"Will that be enough to earn the rogues' trust?" Talus asked of the rogues that had aided them.
"I can't speak for Akara or Kashya," Hannah said, "But I'm convinced."
"But I" Ursa asserted, "am not. You have defiled the dead; prepare to meet your fate!"
Triam and Ornlu, who had just returned, groaned. Mernic activated a scroll and projected a window through space towards the rogue camp. The rest of the party filed through. Triam went last, saying "Deal with this yourselves!"
Ursa laughed and drew his sword again. Talus sighed and readied his own. Cassandra, meanwhile had begun the task of raising Corpsefire. Steel clashed as the paladin and necromancer dueled across the cave. As soon as Cassandra tried to raise their former foe a bolt of black lightning lanced from the zombie's arm and struck the paladin who promptly vanished in a cloud of darkness.
"Okay, that's not good" Cassandra remarked, "How do we explain that to Triam?"
There will be no need. A terrible voice emanated from Corpsefire's body, despite the fact that his head had exploded. For neither of you shall be returning to them! Red lightning gathered around the zombie's arm, but before the unknown spell could be cast, another powerful voice rang out.
No! You will not destroy them as you have so many before! A robed man appeared in a burst of light. In his hand he grasped an ethereal blade of azure blue. And he had wings, really big wings.
You are too late to stop me Tyreal! The terrible voice gloated, They will be mine in this world forever! Imagine the power of these two as generals of Hell's armies! Hahahahahaha!
"What makes you believe that we'll submit to you?" Talus shouted, his voice sounding weak compared to the others.
Fools! Not even death can save you from me! Know this; I am your master now! I am Diablo, Lord of Terror!
Never! Tyreal shouted, I will use any power at my disposal to shield them from harm! I will send them to a world beyond your foul grasp! And then I will lead the other heroes against you and the legions of hell! You shall fall, Diablo, and I will be there to witness it!
A circle of magic formed around Talus and Cassandra as the red lightning roared from Corpsefire's arm. Both necromancers cried out in pain as their souls were ripped from their bodies and flung across the spirit realm. But they did not vanish, for Tyreal appeared before them and spoke.
I was unable to save you in your world, so I'm sending you to be with my daughter in her world. It is a world where magic is little known by most people. Therefore you must endeavor to keep your own identities as magic users and necromancers in particular as secret as you can.
"How…how will we know your daughter?" Cassandra asked.
Talus laughed brokenly, "I'll bet that she's got giant wings for one, that can't be too common."
Her name is Setsuna. And no, she does not normally have giant wings protruding from her back. When you meet her you should explain that you've met me, to not frighten her as you know her identity.
Tyreal told the two many things, including the method of spell casting in their new lives, the people they would meet, and the four people he was charging them to protect. He also told them of certain pacts that could be made and how to address the people of the new world as well as a plethora of other facts.
Now, go Talus and Cassandra, go and make the best of your new life. I will be watching over you both.
Wisps of smoke whirled about the two necromancers, spinning faster and faster. Green began peeking through the gray and suddenly the smog of the spirit realm disappeared, revealing the edge of a forest and the giant school beyond.
Welcome to Mahora Academy.
A.N. Don't ask, don't ask, don't ASK!! The reason I'm doing a Diablo/Mahou Sensei Negima crossover is because of three reasons.
1. I've never seen one done before, so I wanted to see how it'd turn out.
2. I lost interest in the Diablo universe a while ago, but not in the characters.
3. Negima needs some more good guys who have cool powers.
Has anyone else noticed that? In EVERY anime, EVERY manga, and EVERY video game the bad guys have sharper swords, bigger guns, and cooler costumes, skills, weapons in general, and the almighty GRAVITY DEFYING HAIR!! Why can't more protagonists be utterly badass too? I mean really, I've only seen about four totally awesome protagonists and two of them are in Final Fantasy. They are:
Vincent Valentine (disagree at your own peril, he's sitting right next to me)
Cloud Strife (Because everyone needs an obnoxiously large weapon with other large weapons stored inside it…mmmm, overkill)
Nagi Springfield (the genius idiot "bleah, bleah, what's with these birds?" lol)
Negi Springfield (say otherwise and be hit with his artifact and Magia Erebra)
Anyway, I'll try to update soon, but be warned: the next chapters will not be anywhere near as long.
Talus: So what's the word count for this chapter anyway?
Ornlu: It's over 9000!!!!!
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.
Ja ne
~Dusk Ado~