Night had fallen. The air was thick with mist and an unnerving stench. The road was deserted of life, not even insects had ventured above ground. The ground held an unusual chill, as if the earth itself was dying. Crows and carrion birds circled overhead, ominously warning travelers of the danger that lie ahead. The only traveler to notice them, though, was hardly fazed. In fact, he was the only one either brave enough, or foolish enough to be headed towards impending doom. He was tall and elegant, garbed in a simple cloth tunic and leggings, and wore a long cloak that fluttered in the chilling breeze. His black locks fell past his shoulders, the bangs framing an angular face with piercing green eyes and a thin mouth. At his waist was a short sword that shone of silver. In his left, almost like a walking stick, he carried a an unassuming blue long staff, and slung around his neck was a brown traveler's pack.
"The stench of the dead is thick in the air. The fallen star must be close," he thought as he strode down the path.
He climbed a hill as he exited the treeline, spying New Tristram for the first time. Few lights shone in the homes. Many had packed their things and fled when the star hit, but there were some who stubbornly defended their home. The young wizard knew that the coming of that star had reawakened the dead, which had quickly laid siege to the town. He also knew that unless the flow was stopped, it would become nothing but ruins. In the distance, he could hear yelling and the clash of arms.
Picking up his pace, he subconsciously focused his energy for a fight and continued down the beaten path. Along the way were broken wagons and carts, accompanied by their deceased owners. The wizard wrinkled his nose and pressed on, determined not to let the sight unnerve him. It wasn't long till he saw it. Shambling aimlessly were a few of the risen dead. Noticing his arrival, they let out a groan and hobbled towards him.
"Too easy."
He extended an open palm. With a slight concentration of his energy, a glowing missile erupted from his hand. It struck the corpse in a small explosion of arcane energy, knocking it back. A second missile burst its torso apart. In succession, he quickly destroyed the remaining zombies.
The trees closed in as he continued down the path. The fighting was getting louder, and he noticed the bodies were increasing in number. Most had decayed significantly, some even skeletal, but here and there were the fresh corpses of a once living soldier. He knew that the dead had come back after the star fell but he never suspected it had gotten this out of hand. He hardened his gaze as he at last came up to the gates of town. There were four men on the ground, each garbed in iron armor and highlighted with red cloth. They had their swords drawn and seemed to be exhausted. Up on the wall were three more, each with a bow and quiver of arrows.
"Here come some more!" he heard one of them yell.
Out of the treeline came a much larger group of undead. Some of these were even armed with swords of their own. Slowing his pace, he waited to see how the men handled themselves under stress. He smiled slightly as he watched the swordsmen hold their ground as the archers fired. Several undead fell to the arrows, adding themselves to the ever growing piles. Eventually, the attackers got close enough to be a danger. With a yell, the soldiers swung at the undead, fighting furiously to defend the gates. The wizard noticed that one man in particular stood in front of the rest. He carried a larger two handed sword and swung with considerable skill. The wizard smirked as this soldier cut down three of the corpses with a single swipe. The smirk disappeared though when he noticed the tide was not stopping. It was time to intervene.
Drawing his sword, he quickly closed the distance between himself and the defenders. A few of the armed dead broke off from the main group to focus on him.
"That's it, come to papa," he thought as he chuckled.
Lifting his sword arm high, he brought it down into the head of the first cadaver, splitting him in two. He spun and cut into a second, parrying a swipe from a skeleton with his staff. He gave the staff a twirl and, channeling a burst of energy through the head, blasted the skeleton apart in a shower of energy and dust. The soldiers stopped their attack and focused on the newcomer, the entire group of dead forgetting about them and converging on the new threat. Despite the stranger's skills, the soldiers couldn't help but feel sorry for the young man. No one could take on that many dead at once. He had some moves but how could anyone fight a small army on their own?
"They just keep lining up to die!"
A malicious grin broke out on the wizard's face as he watched the entire swarm of dead focus on him. He sheathed his sword and brought up a much larger pool of energy. He extended his staff and free arm forward, facing his enemies. The soldiers cried out in alarm as a massive, purple ball of energy formed in front of the wizard. It grew to the size of a small boulder, at which point the caster called out in a haughty tone.
"Eat this!" he shouted, and fired the deadly bomb into the center of the group. The first few rows were mowed down easily, their bodies smoking and disintegrating as the concentrated ball struck home. As soon as it penetrated to the center, the wizard clenched his hand into a fist, detonating the ball into a shower of sparks, body parts, and dirt. The soldiers stumbled as the small shock-wave washed over them, but the young man hadn't even flinched. He looked up at the archers who watched with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
"You mind shooting down the few I missed, or are you just going to stand their like a bunch of piss-ants?"
They shook themselves from their stupor, and quickly did as suggested. Who was this man and just what kind of power did he wield so effortlessly? The wizard turned his attention to the men on the ground, and he strode to what seemed to be the leader.
"I have come seeking the fallen star. I heard it landed near here."
"It did. It landed on the cathedral in Old Tristram. Except you don't want to go there. It's crawling with the demons and undead," spoke the captain.
"Actually, I do. My personal reasons are just that, personal. However, judging from the current state of things," gestured the wizard with a wave of his hand, "it looks like you could use someone with my skills to stop the attacks at the source."
"If you're so eager to get yourself killed, be my guest. Just remember no one is going to come in after you." He turned around and yelled at the guards on the wall.
"Open the gate up! We're done for the night!" He returned his attention to the youth with odd power as the doors swung open.
"You'll want to talk to Leah at the Slaughtered Calf Inn. She and her uncle Deckard Cain were the only ones in those ruins when the star hit. Now, considering what you're here for, I doubt I have to tell you this, but I'll say it anyway. Don't cause any trouble for Tristram. We've had enough of it to last a lifetime..."
"I'll say..." muttered the wizard as he walked down the almost empty streets. Many buildings had been abandoned and were falling into disrepair. The few citizens who remained wore exhausted and hopeless expressions, their clothing dirty and worn. Dirt and in some cases, blood, caked their skin, their eyes sunken in from lack of sleep. He noticed how some were piling and burning bodies of the dead, be it their friends from yesterday or those long passed. There was a blacksmith and a few mercenaries, but other than that, there was nothing else of interest. As he came to the town plaza, he noticed a familiar symbol in the center. Stepping up to it, he knelt down and brushed the dirt away with his hand.
"A waypoint?" he thought.
Wondering if there were others nearby, he channeled some energy into the symbol, smiling when it glowed with a blue light. Some passerby villagers stopped to watch the stranger and he actions. Few paid much more attention though, and were soon back to their own business. His curiosity sated, he turned towards the only building on the square with light. Hanging over the doorway was a sign that said "Slaughtered Calf".
"What a morbid title for a place of rest," he wondered.
The interior of the building didn't seem to have much of a better atmosphere than the town outside. There were a few patrons here and there, drinking and eating in silence, while another section was dedicated to those wounded in the attacks. Some were stumbling around, groaning in pain and grasping their heads with their hands. As he looked around, he spotted a young woman in a red jacket seated at the bar. She seemed stronger than the rest of the locals, but at the same time, he could tell hope was draining from her.
"Excuse me, are you Leah?" he asked as he approached her.
She almost jumped when he spoke. She had been wrapped up in her own thoughts. His eyes widened slightly when she turned. Her brown locks framed a soft and small, but strong face, her brown eyes clearly showed that she had been crying. He noticed along her right cheek a thin, but barely visible scar. In her hair was a yellow, but slightly faded ribbon. In short, she was beautiful, but weary.
"Yes, that's me. You know me by name, but I don't know yours. In fact, I've never seen you in this town before, and I know almost everyone."
"You wouldn't. I just arrived tonight. My name is Cyan. I came here searching for the fallen star and to investigate why the dead aren't... well, staying dead. I was told by the captain that you were the one to speak to."
She smiled slightly at his attempt to lighten the mood, despite how dire their situation was. It didn't last, though, and soon she was back to her somber self.
"Captain Rumford is a good man. He's been at the gates almost constantly since the attacks started. Yes, I was there when the star fell. Unfortunately, it knocked my uncle into the catacombs of the church. I tried looking for him, but I didn't get far. The dead were already rising. I'm surprised I got away as I did."
She sighed and gazed at the sick and injured with a heavy heart.
"I don't want to give up on him, or this town for that matter. But it's been 6 days now. People are losing hope. I try and try to keep them fighting, but there's only so much we can do. We've barely had any reinforcements and there seems to be no end to these monsters, while we steadily grow weaker and fewer in number. Hell, I'm pretty close to giving up too."
"You need someone who can take the fight to the source, don't you," Cyan suggested.
"Yes and no. Everyone who has gone in hasn't come back, everyone except Rumford. He took a group of soldiers to investigate the crater, and to hopefully find any traces of my Uncle. They barely got to Old Tristram when they were overwhelmed. He was the only one to make it back. If you go in there, you won't be coming back," she said with finality.
"Yeah, I don't think so. I fought those things at the gate. They're no threat."
"You have no idea what's inside the Cathedral, do you. There are much stronger demons than angry spirits inhabiting decomposed bodies."
"Maybe then I'll actually get a challenge."
"You're not listening-"
She was cut off when a blood-thirsty scream sounded off in the tavern, shocking everyone present. They turned towards the sound to find the wounded contorting and yelling in agony. Their bodies became gray, their eyes gaining an eerie yellow glow.
"Oh no, they're turning!" cried Leah as she grabbed her bow. Panic broke out as the living scrambled for the door.
Cyan simply shrugged and charged up an energy ball in his hand. Nonchalantly, he threw it into the center of the group, obliterating each and every one of them. Leah could only stand and watch, shocked as this stranger made short work of the monsters that had plagued them all week.
"This is killing business..." muttered the bartender.
"Sorry about the mess," commented the wizard as he dropped a few coins on the table.
"Does that help with your confidence?" he asked her with sarcasm.
"How did... nevermind, I don't want to know anyway. Alright, look. Even if you did get to the Cathedral, there's no way you'd be able to get inside. The guards locked that place up tight before they were overwhelmed."
"Then I'll blast the doors apart."
"Stop being stubborn and just stay here where it's safe."
"Listen, I appreciate that you're trying to protect me, I really do. In fact, it's actually pretty cute." She huffed and crossed her arms at that comment. "But I've come too far just to be turned back by the pleas of a helpless little girl."
"I'm not helpless! If you want to die so badly, fine! Go ahead, dig your own grave."
Cyan sighed when she returned to her drink. He didn't blame her though. Her world was falling apart, and she had lost her strength.
"I can't guarantee your uncle's safety," he stated with a softer tone. "But if I find any trace of him, anything at all, you will know about it." He noticed her shoulders visibly relax when he made his promise. "If nothing else, try and get some sleep, for a few hours at least. You're a wreck, and you'll need your strength, I promise you."
Having said his peace, Cyan turned on his heel and left. Leah didn't look back, the stranger's words ringing around in her head. As she heard the door shut behind him, she released a breath she had no idea she held. And silently, she began to weep.
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A/N: There you have it folks. First chapter is up and ready. I always wondered about making a narrative of this game so I'm giving it a shot. I'll try not to make it a big copy-pasta of the game so please bear with me. R&R!