Chapter 8
Kasler paid Haedrig for his work and assured the blacksmith that Leoric was taken care of. He dressed there and hauled the other two bags to Dante's room. He knocked and cautiously opened it. Dante lay on his stomach, an arm and leg draped over the bed side. Laufey was there as well, one leg hanging off the bed, an arm lay across his bare chest and the other folded behind his head. The boar on the floor grunted loudly and pushed his body hard against a bed post to wake the pair. Dante made several disgruntled sounds and raised his head up, following Pumba's line of sight, he looked up at Kasler. As Kasler had learned to expect, Dante face was dark, hateful and bitter when woken up.
"Eh?" Dante growled.
Kasler was glad to see the fight hadn't phased his partners cheery mood in the morning. "Cain wants us. Let's go."
Cain, Leah and the stranger waited with Kasler and his pets. It was an hour until Laufey and Dante came out of the Slaughtered Calf inn. The pair were fully dressed, armored and in no mood to tolerate any nonsense. Cain's stoic face slid into a knowing smile as he watched the two approach the waiting party. The stranger still looked rough from the last night's events.
Kasler was tapping his foot impatiently. "Now that everyone is here. Cain," he turned to the old man, "can we continue?"
Cain cleared his throat a bit and looked to the stranger. "Tell me everything you remember. Every Detail."
The stranger looked distressed but breathed deep and explained what little he knew. "Falling...fire...a sword of great power." He gazed at his empty hand, flexing it slightly. "It was...part of me, but it shattered into three pieces as I fell."
"Hm..." Cain stroked his beard in thought. He looked up sharply at the hunters and Laufey. "It is vital we find those pieces." Turning back to the stranger, "I believe the sword made whole again will restore your memory."
The stranger merely nodded.
Leah stepped forward a bit and drew her uncle's attention with a gesture. "The goatmen are rampaging through the fields. Could the sword have anything to do with that?"
Cain tapped his staff hard into the ground. "Of course, of course!" Looking to the warrior party, "just as the dead rose around the stranger, the sword piece drove the goatmen to madness!"
Laufey sneered at the notion, "the goatmen barely deserve to have the word 'men' in their name. They're little more then feral beast anyhow."
"Regardless." Kasler interrupted, "we will search the fields."
Laufey took the portal to the cemetery where they found Leoric's crown. Kasler and Dante took it one after another, soon the three men stood in a group with the pets sniffing along the ground. They took the gate to the left of the graves and traveled the short road into the fields that Leah spoke of. The search was long and the monsters abundant. Savage beast, bat-like creatures, the common undead and Quill beast were added a top the shocking number of goatmen that wandered about. The goatmen grew more dense as they went farther north. Dense enough that the three had to again call out attacks and monsters positions. It would be a horrid embarrassment to fall to one of these creatures. Dante called to the group over after a time, just a stones throw away was a cave entrance. Around it were deep cracks in the ground that emitted a blue glow they all saw in the cathedral. They found the Khazar Den. They reloaded and double checked their equipment before diving below ground.
Narrow paths were tunneled out of the earth. Cauldrons bubbled with things better left unknown. Haphazard traps were tripped every so feet and there was little chance to avoid them. On a few occasions, the party had to stop and free a pet or companion from the remains of the trap. Skins of various sorts were stretched out on makeshift easels. To the parties concern, more then just goatmen and quill beast were found in the tunnels. Somehow the cultist beat the party to the den. As more were found, the party hastened it's search for the sword piece. They soon came to a dug out room that was filled with the familiar blue glow. Dante rained his arrows down and cleared the area before the cultist could finish whatever it was they were doing. To one side of the room, close its entrance, glowed a piece of a sword in a small crater.
The room was suddenly filled with a loud voice. "Who are you to take what is mine?!"
A creature floated before the sword piece, she was transparent and it looked as if flying giant insects were keeping her aloft. Her skin an ashen green and not a hair out of place from under her elabroate insect-like carapace headpiece. The party didn't like what they saw.
Dante cleared his throat and clasped a hand on Kasler's shoulder, "Well this is the guy who's going to take that piece. I'm the guys that is going to crush bug-totting ass and this guy," Thrusting a thumb behind him at Laufey. "is the guy that is going to whore you out to every lonely creatures we can find."
Kasler placed a embarrassed hand to his helmets front and let his Raven's Wing hang at his side. Laufey crossed his arms and looked the floating women over. "I can think of a few for her."
The women hissed at the group. "Regardless! I have claimed it." Pointing at the sword piece. "I am Magdha and I lead this coven. The shard is mine!" She declared loudly.
Kasler's body language said plenty to the witch. Still he scoffed at her. "I can only say, 'no' in so many ways. Which language would work best for you?" He took aim at her head.
Magdha lifted her head high and curled her lip at the adventures. "Very well." She cooed softly. "Let the games begin."
Bright orange circles appeared all over the ground. A wave of heat from each blurred the air around it. Cultist sprang forth from them, howling and hurling magic at the party. Laufey guarded as best he could but between that and trying to kill the enemy, he was spread thin. Kasler summoned up three sentries and let blast after blast going into the oncoming horde of mages. Dante kept to the center of the arrows he kept calling down as he fired hundred more directly from his crossbow. The pets killed stragglers and anyone who strayed to close to them.
As the cultist continued to spawn around the party. "This Magdha has a poor selection for underlings." Shouted Laufey over the screams of the dying.
Dante laughed loudly. "What makes you say that?" He shouted back, shooting down a cultist that managed to creep up on Kasler.
"These poor sods are continuing to attack us, but not taking into account the ever growing numbers of..." Laufey ducked and burned his attacker to ash. "their dead."
"Not the pick of the litter here!" Kasler added to the friendly banter. "I'll take it though." He rammed a shoulder into a lungeing cultist.
The last cultist fell to a combined shot of the three warrior's attacks. Dante kicked the shoes that remained. "Easier work. Still a lot of them though."
Magdha made herself known again. "Well fought heroes. You'll never posses the next piece." Her body faded and all that was left was her final words. "It's fallen were only the Ancients may tread."
Dante snatched up the sword piece and stuffed it inside his armor. "Best be getting back to Cain and the odd guy."
"They're separate people?" Kasler mused. The group had a hearty laugh as Laufey transported them all back to New Tristram.
Cain, Leah, and the stranger were waiting inside the Inn. They were having a meal when the group came in. Dante sat himself down, Laufey followed suit as Kasler remained standing. The stranger starred intently at Dante's chest. Laufey kicked his legs up onto the table, careful not to place his feet anywhere near the food and drink.
Dante produced the sword piece and laid it on the table. "Here is a piece of the sword. It was being held onto by a witch and her coven."
Leah's eyes widened a bit and she shied from the sword. "Uncle Deckard, they sound like those dark cultist you told me about."
"Very good Leah!" Cain beamed happily. "You have been paying attention." The old man shifted stiffly in his chair. "Stranger, does any of this jar your memory?"
The group all turned to the man. He looked at them with a worried expression. "I have no memory of this coven..." His expression changed to deep in thought. "...but I sense a far darker shadow guiding it's hand."
Kasler took the seat offered silently by Cain. "Their leader, Maghda, said the next sword piece fell 'where the only the ancients may tread'."
Everyone was silent for a moment in thought. Leah gasped quietly and looked to Cain. "That makes me think of the Drowned Temple near the Festering Woods. I remember you telling me about it, uncle."
Cain smiled and pushed his plate aside. "Exactly Leah. The temple was home to the nephalem."
Laufey took his feet off the table and sat forward. "..." He was listening intently now.
"Leah, your knowledge would be invaluable." Cain then gestured to the warriors. "You must go help our friends retrieve the sword piece."
"I don't mind going with Kasler." Leah smiled delicately at the black armored hunter.
Kasler raised a single eyebrow. "...That's fine with me..." His tone was questioning.
The party ate and repaired while in town. They sold off outdated equipment and filled Haedrig in on some of the events. The blacksmith's work was infinitely faster then the merchant and there was a unspoken appreciation for that. They left for the fields where they found the Khazar Den and headed northeast. The goatmen hadn't calmed since the sword piece was removed and there were plenty to kill. Coven stragglers were spotted and dispatched quickly so that they couldn't report back to Maghda. Perhaps the oddest thing the group came across was the trees that sprang to life and spewed poisonous plants at them. Of the monsters and people encounter, the trees were the worst. Leah droned on about nephalem as the group neared the northern edge of the expansive field, just to the east sat a short road going up a small hill. A bit up the hill stood a near frantic looking man. He was dressed in thick dirty brown leather robes, a simple hunting bow slung to his back and a full quiver at his side. The man had hair so dark brown it seemed black. Kasler advanced up the hill toward the man.
"You there!" The man pointed at Kasler and ran the short distance over to the group. "Please help! They're going to kill my friend!" There was truth in the urgency in his voice.
The rest of the group caught up as the man took a few steps toward a gate farther up the hill. "Thieves are going to kill my friend if we don't do something! Help me break these bonds, and see for yourself." He pointed at the gate's large lock.
Urgency filled the group as they hurried up the rest of the hill. Dante had the strength of an ox and was handed a metal pole to help twist the lock off.
"What do thieves want with anyone out here?" Kasler asked as Dante went to work.
The panic ridden man couldn't stand still. "She's just a farmers daughter, Sasha, but she has a relic the thieves are after.
Raised voices could be heard from just beyond the gate. "He's deserted you. Just hand it over." The voice was that of a gruff sounding man.
"My sweet love will save me." A softer sounded voice came after, the confidence rang strong in it.
The lock clattered to the ground loudly and the five adventures bounded through the gate. "Release the girl!" They ran up surrounding the bandits. "The relic belongs to her." Laufey growled darkly at the thief.
The bandit looked at the group in surprise and laughed. "You actually believe what this scoundrel tells you."he pointed his knife toward Sasha's friend.
No one backed down and weapon were gripped tightly in response. "Fine, you fools." The bandit waved over his friends. "We'll kill the lot of you."
Dante raised his crossbow first, and before the bandit could take a step, fired an arrow into his face. The other bandits shouted in anger and began to run at the party. Laufey stood back and watched as Leah and the accused scoundrel tried to take out bandits. A sentry rose from the ground, Kasler bid it to fire and within it's area of destruction now laid several dead bandits. There was cursing and soon came another set of bandits with their leader. The scoundrel called them out to the distracted warriors. Dante patted one of his wolves on its ribs and set his pets on the leader. The scoundrel, Sasha, and Leah, watched in mild horror as the leader was tackled screaming to the ground. Kasler's pets joined and soon the man was silent as the animals continued to rip his body to pieces.
Kasler removed his helmet. "Easy enough."
"Really was hoping for more of a fight." Dante removed his as well and they group gathered a few feet away from the scoundrel and Sasha.
The farmer's daughter was a plain beauty of a girl, sweet and some what misguided and naive. She tossed back a portion of his hair and smiled lovingly at the scoundrel. "Here's the relic, my love." She pulled it from the fabric belt she wore. "I hid it like you asked."
She lowered her voice and leaned closer to her friend. A devious smile, "father's grown suspicious of us." standing straight again, "but that won't matter once we're married. It won't take long, right?" She patted her doe eyes are the man.
"Of course, my dear!" The scoundrel beamed and tucked the relic into his coat's breast pocket. "Soon we'll settle down to a quiet life of tilling fields and raising brats...uh...children." He looked to see if Sasha caught his mistake.
Her dreamy expression said, no. "But first I have to sell this relic!" He said loud and proudly, make his way slowly over to the warriors. "Alas, I must travel away with my friends here to do so." He give a pleading look to Sasha and turned with another panicked look at the group.
Leah looked displeased as Kasler smirked at the man. "You want to travel with us? This isn't a luxury trip, you know."
The man motioned several times for everyone to start walking, risking glances at Sasha over his shoulder. "Yes, yes. Absolutely. The way is hard and all that. Should we go?"
"I rather like it here. Perhaps we should stay and see what the night has to offer." Dante elbowed Laufey, grinning darkly at the man.
Leah scowled at Dante. "I think he needs to stay and own up to his promise. Take his wife to the market and sell the relic." She stressed the word 'wife' as she glared at the man.
Kasler shook his head and started for the rear gate. "I couldn't care less, but if you want to go with us, lets go."
Outside the gate the man took out the relic with a devious grin. He eyed it closely as the party walked. "Wait a minute." He turned it over several times. "This relic is a fake!" he hurled it into the trees. "Gods! I should've known."
"Serves you right." Leah sneered at the disgruntled man.
The man was wasn't phased by Leah's scorn. "Seems like you lot could us a helping hand." Looking back a the gate briefly. "And I sure as hell don't want to stay around here."
It was starting to become a common find, the stone platforms that could teleport a user to any other activated portal. They stopped for a brief rest, the temples entrance was just down the stairs.
Dante took a large bite from his portion of bread and tossed some Edgar. "Stairs. Everything is stairs in this land."
"You should have seen the places I've been. These stairs are a child's work compared to the ones I've endured." Laufey took a deep drink from his water pouch.
The scoundrel rested with them and ate his own food. He caught Leah starring him down, he winked at her with a smile and chuckled as she snapped her attention elsewhere. "So scoundrel, what of your wife?" her distaste was heard clearly.
"...'Wife"..." He nearly choked on his food. "Do I look like the marrying kind to you?" He washed the bread down with a swig of water before speaking again. "By the way, my name is Lyndon."
"Heathen is more like it." Leah snapped a retort.
Kasler raised a hand and gave her a stern look. "Leah. His life is his own and we don't have room in our own business to be tutoring his personal life."
A blush rushed across Leah's face as she muttered. "...'our'...?"
"..." Kasler was confused and looked at his partner. Dante and Laufey were sitting together, hiding their smiles and laughter behind bits of food and drink. "Lyndon." Kasler ignored the two. "I don't mind you traveling with us, but we have more help then we can handle out here. If you want, you can help our friend Kormac keep Tristram safe." He sat back and took another bite. "Aside that, it's safe from the adoring Sasha."
Lyndon rose slowly and patted the dirt from his coat. "You had me at 'safe from Sasha'. I will be in Tristram should you need me."
