Evil Ascendant
Disclaimer: I don't own the Diablo games or any derivatives there in, etc, etc dingos did not eat my baby, so on and so forth……
Summary: A boring beginning but later people will start killing each other. I promise.
Thanks: To Brightbear for fixing my mistakes. Maybe I will read that story…..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gheed looked down at his cards and sighed.
"Okay you win again Lucifer," he muttered resentfully.
"Why, thankyou Gheed, how noble of you to be giving to a cause such as mine."
"Ha! If you weren't who you are I would have sworn you were cheating."
"Well I do have god on my side and I very much doubt you can compete with him. Now my gold please."
Gheed put his gold pouch on the table.
"Take what you've won but remember I've counted that."
"Like you need to tell me merchant."
Gheed stood up and out of the wagon. Chain mail clinking, the Paladin spilled the coins out onto a crate and began counting out his winnings.
"When will he stop gambling with you when he just loses more money?" Ramesh asked.
Lucifer turned and considered the man. Clad in the loose fitting clothes of the Desert Tribes, Ramesh was one of the regular guards who ride with the caravans between the western towns and Lut Gholein. His skin browned by the constant abuse of the sun he was one of the ones the Paladin had spoken to on the journey to Lut Gholein.
"He does look like he will never learn doesn't he," Lucifer laughed coarsely.
"Compulsive gamblers usually take a while to come around. You want a drink of water?" Ramesh asked leaning over to the water barrels.
"Alright Ramesh."
Ramesh hummed cheerfully. Lucifer looked out over the long desert and laid back. It seemed like the wagons were taking an age to cross the desert. Ramesh had good reason to be cheerful. Lucifer turned around to his current companion. With his family in one of the many desert villages he had been trapped when the Rogues had been forced to flee their fortress monastery. He was returning to his wife and children after spending the passing weeks in constant fear for his life. That was good enough to make anyone happy.
Since a group of adventurers were slain almost to the man defeating the accursed Andariel in combat the base of power for the demon up rising in the West had reached a manageable level and Lucifer could continue to Kurast finally and retire. Age was finally catching up with him and after years of campaigns and fighting he was returning to his beloved Kurast. Ramesh handed him a tankard and sat down opposite him.
"You seem tired my friend."
"I am too old for this."
"You wait until we reach Lut Gholein and you will see great celebrations. We shall see if you are young then, eh?"
"Proper bedding, Ramesh, you cannot deny an old man his bed. That is all I want."
"Your are not as old as you think my friend," Ramesh replied shaking his head. Lucifer sighed and removed his full helm placing it next to one of the crates. Pulling back the hood of his chain mail he drank deeply from the worn bottle neck.
"There is one thing I wish to ask you?"
Lucifer looked up at Ramesh. Ramesh paused as though something in Lucifer's face confirmed what he thought. The paladin's face was worn with the effects of a warrior's life his short brown hair greying and a small diagonal scar along the lobe of his left ear breaking the even features of his face. A bone ridge where his left eye brow should be was instead a ribbed outcropping of bone running from the tip of his eye socket to the top of his brow. Evidence of a blow that had fractured the eye socket. Lucifer's pelt was old and worn but still proudly bore the dulled colours of his order. The black belt around his waste contrasting with his dusty chain mail. The chain mail was old the shine having disappeared long ago while newer links and steel charms covered the numerous small holes in the armour. Lucifer's crown shield was well polished but had small nicks and stubborn dents spoiled the well made craftsmanship. His equipment gave him the distinct appearance of a old armour rack collecting dust. Except for Lucifer's helmet. The helm was spotless and kept well enough Ramesh could see his own face in it.
"How old is that helmet?"
"How old do you think it is?"
Ramesh turned a piercing stare on Lucifer. Lucifer laughed and set his tankard down.
"The truth is the helm is old. Very old. It is a relic of my order from the Sin wars."
"Incredible!" Lucifer smiled and rapped a mailed fist on the shinning silver of the ancient full helm. "Indestructible more like"
"How is it that it is in such fine condition after so long?"
"It was made with a technique long since lost to the rigors of time. Don't know how it was done but like I said it's practically indestructible."
The caravan rocked to a halt and Ramesh gripped his spear. Lucifer returned the hood back over his head and placing the helm back on his head as they both escaped the aggressive confines of the canvas topped wagon. Two travellers were speaking to the teamsters at the head of the caravan from under the shade of a small parasol.
"Looks like we stop here today. It's starting to get too hot to travel anyway."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mistress?"
"What is it, Jaina?"
"Warriv believes we should stop for the day. He thinks it is too hot to continue today."
"Then we prepare camp here."
"Yes, Mistress," Jaina stepped out and signalled the caravan to a halt.
Lady Jen Farr slid down from the back of the lead wagon. Amazons began working around the caravan as they quickly and efficiently set up the camp for the day.
"Jaina?"
"Yes, Mistress?"
"Form the wagons up ready for camp."
"Yes Mistress."
"Kree?"
"Yes, Mistress?"
"Post sentries."
"Yes, Mistress," Lady Farr watched silently as her cohorts carried out tasks and followed wordless orders.
Teamsters began stringing tarpaulins between the large wagons and preparing the mid day meal. The other people in the caravan took cover under the shade of the parasol. She strode over to the makeshift shade and sat cross legged by a wagon wheel. She unbuckled her leather cap and laid it down in front of her tying back her blonde hair into a tight bun. Slowly the Amazons migrated back to where she rested others mostly the elder ones fell asleep under the parasols. Lady Farr closed her eyes and slept. Outside in the sun four Amazons stood guard under cloaks drenched with water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Salena led Selig's horse around to the last caravan and tied him to the ladder. She laid her bow and the rest of Selig's belongings on the wagon. She walked up to the occupied carriages and hopped into it. Selig was sitting next to a large water barrel talking to one of the desert people. On the other side of the wagon a Paladin still clad in full chain mail sat next to the door. His armour was old and tattered and he still had his helm on. The helm itself was new shinning like it was straight from the forge. She sat down between the barrel and the paladin. She wrinkled her nose as the distinct aroma of chain mail greeted her. A sticky combination of sweat, steel and in this case a slight hint of rust and dried blood. Perfectly charming. She sighed, it would be a long journey indeed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: I don't own the Diablo games or any derivatives there in, etc, etc dingos did not eat my baby, so on and so forth……
Summary: A boring beginning but later people will start killing each other. I promise.
Thanks: To Brightbear for fixing my mistakes. Maybe I will read that story…..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gheed looked down at his cards and sighed.
"Okay you win again Lucifer," he muttered resentfully.
"Why, thankyou Gheed, how noble of you to be giving to a cause such as mine."
"Ha! If you weren't who you are I would have sworn you were cheating."
"Well I do have god on my side and I very much doubt you can compete with him. Now my gold please."
Gheed put his gold pouch on the table.
"Take what you've won but remember I've counted that."
"Like you need to tell me merchant."
Gheed stood up and out of the wagon. Chain mail clinking, the Paladin spilled the coins out onto a crate and began counting out his winnings.
"When will he stop gambling with you when he just loses more money?" Ramesh asked.
Lucifer turned and considered the man. Clad in the loose fitting clothes of the Desert Tribes, Ramesh was one of the regular guards who ride with the caravans between the western towns and Lut Gholein. His skin browned by the constant abuse of the sun he was one of the ones the Paladin had spoken to on the journey to Lut Gholein.
"He does look like he will never learn doesn't he," Lucifer laughed coarsely.
"Compulsive gamblers usually take a while to come around. You want a drink of water?" Ramesh asked leaning over to the water barrels.
"Alright Ramesh."
Ramesh hummed cheerfully. Lucifer looked out over the long desert and laid back. It seemed like the wagons were taking an age to cross the desert. Ramesh had good reason to be cheerful. Lucifer turned around to his current companion. With his family in one of the many desert villages he had been trapped when the Rogues had been forced to flee their fortress monastery. He was returning to his wife and children after spending the passing weeks in constant fear for his life. That was good enough to make anyone happy.
Since a group of adventurers were slain almost to the man defeating the accursed Andariel in combat the base of power for the demon up rising in the West had reached a manageable level and Lucifer could continue to Kurast finally and retire. Age was finally catching up with him and after years of campaigns and fighting he was returning to his beloved Kurast. Ramesh handed him a tankard and sat down opposite him.
"You seem tired my friend."
"I am too old for this."
"You wait until we reach Lut Gholein and you will see great celebrations. We shall see if you are young then, eh?"
"Proper bedding, Ramesh, you cannot deny an old man his bed. That is all I want."
"Your are not as old as you think my friend," Ramesh replied shaking his head. Lucifer sighed and removed his full helm placing it next to one of the crates. Pulling back the hood of his chain mail he drank deeply from the worn bottle neck.
"There is one thing I wish to ask you?"
Lucifer looked up at Ramesh. Ramesh paused as though something in Lucifer's face confirmed what he thought. The paladin's face was worn with the effects of a warrior's life his short brown hair greying and a small diagonal scar along the lobe of his left ear breaking the even features of his face. A bone ridge where his left eye brow should be was instead a ribbed outcropping of bone running from the tip of his eye socket to the top of his brow. Evidence of a blow that had fractured the eye socket. Lucifer's pelt was old and worn but still proudly bore the dulled colours of his order. The black belt around his waste contrasting with his dusty chain mail. The chain mail was old the shine having disappeared long ago while newer links and steel charms covered the numerous small holes in the armour. Lucifer's crown shield was well polished but had small nicks and stubborn dents spoiled the well made craftsmanship. His equipment gave him the distinct appearance of a old armour rack collecting dust. Except for Lucifer's helmet. The helm was spotless and kept well enough Ramesh could see his own face in it.
"How old is that helmet?"
"How old do you think it is?"
Ramesh turned a piercing stare on Lucifer. Lucifer laughed and set his tankard down.
"The truth is the helm is old. Very old. It is a relic of my order from the Sin wars."
"Incredible!" Lucifer smiled and rapped a mailed fist on the shinning silver of the ancient full helm. "Indestructible more like"
"How is it that it is in such fine condition after so long?"
"It was made with a technique long since lost to the rigors of time. Don't know how it was done but like I said it's practically indestructible."
The caravan rocked to a halt and Ramesh gripped his spear. Lucifer returned the hood back over his head and placing the helm back on his head as they both escaped the aggressive confines of the canvas topped wagon. Two travellers were speaking to the teamsters at the head of the caravan from under the shade of a small parasol.
"Looks like we stop here today. It's starting to get too hot to travel anyway."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mistress?"
"What is it, Jaina?"
"Warriv believes we should stop for the day. He thinks it is too hot to continue today."
"Then we prepare camp here."
"Yes, Mistress," Jaina stepped out and signalled the caravan to a halt.
Lady Jen Farr slid down from the back of the lead wagon. Amazons began working around the caravan as they quickly and efficiently set up the camp for the day.
"Jaina?"
"Yes, Mistress?"
"Form the wagons up ready for camp."
"Yes Mistress."
"Kree?"
"Yes, Mistress?"
"Post sentries."
"Yes, Mistress," Lady Farr watched silently as her cohorts carried out tasks and followed wordless orders.
Teamsters began stringing tarpaulins between the large wagons and preparing the mid day meal. The other people in the caravan took cover under the shade of the parasol. She strode over to the makeshift shade and sat cross legged by a wagon wheel. She unbuckled her leather cap and laid it down in front of her tying back her blonde hair into a tight bun. Slowly the Amazons migrated back to where she rested others mostly the elder ones fell asleep under the parasols. Lady Farr closed her eyes and slept. Outside in the sun four Amazons stood guard under cloaks drenched with water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Salena led Selig's horse around to the last caravan and tied him to the ladder. She laid her bow and the rest of Selig's belongings on the wagon. She walked up to the occupied carriages and hopped into it. Selig was sitting next to a large water barrel talking to one of the desert people. On the other side of the wagon a Paladin still clad in full chain mail sat next to the door. His armour was old and tattered and he still had his helm on. The helm itself was new shinning like it was straight from the forge. She sat down between the barrel and the paladin. She wrinkled her nose as the distinct aroma of chain mail greeted her. A sticky combination of sweat, steel and in this case a slight hint of rust and dried blood. Perfectly charming. She sighed, it would be a long journey indeed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~