Amor Vincit Omnia

(Love Conquers All)

Part One: Sun and Shadow


"I'm just a little bit older, plus a whole lot wiser
I might advise you, or I might pulverize you."
- Gang Starr
"Battle"


Chapter Eight: Enter Caesar

Weary, battered, and demoralized, they staggered out of the dank crypt into the hazy afternoon light and made their way back to the previous night's campsite in silence. Neither had much of an appetite. Baal sat hunched over, head in his hands, while Saiya stripped off her robe and sponged away the blood and grit out of the cuts dotting her body.

"What do we do now?" she asked finally.

Baal dropped his hands and looked up at her, defeat evident on his face. "We head back to New Tristram and tell them that we failed."

"What?" said Saiya, shocked to hear him giving up so easily. "There has to be another way to defeat the Skeleton King! It's been done before."

"Yes, but never permanently. Face it, Saiya, we've lost our chance. Someone beat us to the finish line, and whoever that is, they're in control of the situation now. I only hope that they intend to use the crown to destroy the demon, and not for some other purpose."

Saiya nodded glumly. Knowing that her body needed nourishment, she mechanically ate a piece of bread and washed it down with some of their precious clean water. She tried to meditate, but her thoughts were jumbled and refused to settle, so she eventually gave up and laid out her bedroll, stretching out with her head pillowed on her bunched-up robe, staring up at the grey sky. She wanted a bath, but there was no untainted stream within walking distance.

Baal got up. She heard him moving through the thick shrubbery around their camp, but he returned a few minutes later, and she figured that he'd just gone to relieve himself. When he settled back down, he let out a sharp hiss of discomfort that got her attention.

"What is it?" she asked, sitting up.

"Nothing," he replied, looking embarrassed. When she leveled a flat stare at him, he sighed and said, "My back is a bit sore."

"Let me see," she said, fetching the healing supplies from her pack and scooting over to where he sat.

"Huh?"

"Take off your shirt and let me see," she repeated. When Baal hesitated, she said, "Don't be ridiculous; I've seen you fully naked, remember?"

Rolling his eyes, he nonetheless removed his tattered cloak, weapons belt, and leather vest and set them neatly aside before taking off his plain black undershirt and turning around so she could see the damage.

It was far worse than she would have guessed by his cavalier attitude. The center of his back was one massive bruise, the skin at the contact site red and raised and dotted with beads of blood. The surrounding area was blossoming into shades of deepest blue. When Saiya gently ran a hand over it, he flinched, the muscles in his back trembling under her touch.

"This is pretty bad," she said quietly. "I'm going to rub some cream into it and put a bandage on, but you should probably sleep on your stomach tonight so you don't make it worse."

"I don't have a bedroll," he said.

"You can sleep on mine," she offered unthinkingly.

"What about you, though?"

"Oh. I'll just … sleep on the grass. It's not too bad."

"Well, if you're sure," Baal said, obviously still reluctant.

Saiya dabbed the soothing cream on her fingers and smeared it over his back, massaging it in as tenderly as she could. It was terribly painful for him – she could tell by the rigidity of his posture and the way he clenched his teeth – but he made not a sound. After she treated his wound she laid a clean cloth over it and wrapped his entire torso snugly in bandages, from his armpits to just above his navel. She marveled at how smooth the skin on his back was, the faint down between his shoulder blades, a single dark mole just to the left of his neck.

"By the way," Baal said, breaking the silence, "I haven't thanked you properly yet."

"What for?" Saiya asked.

He turned his head so that he could look at her from the corner of his eye. "You saved my life. That monstrosity would have continued to batter me until I was pulp if you hadn't stepped in."

"I was just returning the favor," Saiya replied modestly. "You actually saved my life first, when you shot it to keep it from attacking me after I fell down. Anyway, you don't need to thank me. Friends watch each other's backs."

"Are we friends?" Baal asked bluntly.

"I can't answer for you," said Saiya, "but for my part, yes, you're my friend."

He seemed confused, which in turn confused her, because in Saiya's mind, friendship was pretty simple. It wasn't the sort of thing you had to negotiate, like a business partnership. Either two people liked each other and were friends, or they disliked each other and weren't. She liked Baal and enjoyed his company, and she assumed that the feeling was mutual. Hence, they were friends.

A moment later, Baal explained his uncertainly by saying, quite without self-pity, "I wouldn't know, honestly, because I've never really had a friend before."

Saiya was too shocked at first to reply. Even growing up in the temple, surrounded by grumpy, stern old men, she had developed friendships. With Jijamae, the fat, motherly woman who had cooked and cleaned for the monks; she had called Saiya her 'little duckling', and fed her all sorts of extravagant treats. With Miki and Mimi, the twin girls from the village. With Piotr, the other child living at the temple. Piotr was five years younger than herself and a deaf-mute, and had run away from an abusive father who would beat him until he lost consciousness. He was painfully shy and timid at first, but had gradually warmed to the monks and Saiya as he came to trust them.

Even after she left the temple, Saiya had no problems making friends. Captain Rumford … Aidel, Jan, and Pip … even Baal himself. She wondered how it would feel to have no close human connections, no one to care about your fate. It seemed like it would be a lonely, joyless existence.

"Well, you've got a friend now, if you want one," she said, smiling at him.

"All right," said Baal. He smiled back: not his usual smirk but a real, open grin. An unbidden urge to lean forward and kiss him took hold of her.

Fortunately, in the moment before action caught up with thought, Baal turned away, saying, "Damn, I'm starving," and began to rustle through their food bag. Saiya excused herself and all but fled until she was out of his sight and could sit down on a rock and wonder what the hell had just happened to her brain. Baal's words from their first meeting came floating back to her: "You are just a child." At the time she had been indignant, but now she felt keenly her inexperience with such matters as romance and sex.

As a monk-in-training, she had yet to take the vows of chastity that the rest of her order were famous for. That was, in fact, part of the reason why the head monk had sent her out into the world: he wanted her to have the opportunity to fall in love, to make love, to find out for herself whether a life of celibacy and prayer was the right one for her. She had been ordered to return to the monastery if – and only if – she did make that choice.

But Saiya didn't know what she wanted. She had never before felt much of an inclination to have sex or to take a lover. She was mildly curious about it in the way that one might be curious about a foreign food one had never tried. But she had hardly sought it out; if anything, she tried to avoid men who had seemed interested in her.

But if Baal was interested in her as a potential partner, he didn't show it. He barely accepted her as a friend. In a way, Saiya thought, developing an attraction to Baal was safer because it was less likely to lead her into a decision she would later regret. On the other hand, she wasn't even sure that she was attracted to him. The random pulse of desire she had felt was gone as suddenly as it had come. So, she reasoned, there was no need to read too much into her weird, fleeting compulsion to kiss him. He was male, he was good-looking and not a threat; that's all there was to it. A coincidence. She resolved to think no more about the matter.

Returning to the campsite, she found Baal tinkering with his favorite crossbow. When she asked what he was doing, he replied that he was working on a way to improve the firing speed. She left him to it and resumed her mediation, this time going so deep that dusk had already fallen when she next opened her eyes. Baal had finished his alterations, and was testing the new rapid-fire mechanism on a fallen log. It spat out bolts at a much quicker rate, nearly one per second.

They ate dinner cold again, unwilling to risk a fire so close to the graveyard, and then Baal laid down face first on Saiya's bedroll. Within minutes he was asleep, his back rising and falling slowly, quiet snores coming from his open mouth. Saiya, trying to get comfortable on the ground (which was somehow full of rocks, thorns, and holes where there had been none before), watched him slumber until she drifted off herself.

Neither of them woke until the sun was already well up the sky. The aches of the previous day were twice as bad after a night of tossing and turning. Saiya could barely move her arms, and judging by his bleary scowl, Baal felt just as sore.

They wasn't much conversation as they started the long trek back to New Tristram. Saiya simply couldn't think of anything to say that would not sound ridiculous. "I wanted to kiss you last night, but I changed my mind," was hardly a good note to start a discussion on. What she really wanted to ask was what Baal intended to do next if defeating the Skeleton King was no longer an option. Would he skip town and go hunting elsewhere? Try to find an alternative method of ending New Tristram's demon plague? Most importantly, was she still welcome to travel with him, or was he eager for their impromptu partnership to end? All of these were questions she badly wanted answers to, but she was afraid of what he might say.

They traveled slowly on account of their battered condition, and, having failed to reach the town by nightfall, were forced to camp out again – thankfully by a fresh stream this time. Saiya scrubbed her robe thoroughly, hung it on a bush to dry, and then jumped in herself. The water was shallow, barely rising to her waist, and the creek bed was unpleasantly muddy, but it was clean, and that was all she wanted.

After her long-awaited bath, she removed Baal's bandages so his wound, which had been compressed under the cloth and his skin-tight clothing all day, could breathe. It looked uglier, as bruises always do the next day, but Baal winced less frequently as she rubbed more ointment onto it. They sat around the small fire, him shirtless and her in only her underclothes, and exchanged stories, competing to see who could come up with the wildest tale, the only condition being that it had to be absolutely true. Baal took the prize with an outlandish narrative featuring a flock of flamingos, a barrel of the finest Caldeum rum, and a pair of lacy garters – although Saiya's rendition of the adventures of a cheese-obsessed poltergeist that haunted the monastery for a week before being exorcised was a close second. It was absurdity, but it helped relieve some of the tension that had been brewing since their discovery that the crown was missing.

That night, Baal slept on her bedroll again, and Saiya stretched out in the short grass on the other side of the fire. She woke up several times, hearing noises in the darkness: twice an owl, once something more sinister that ventured near but was rebuffed by the barrier of her protective mantra. At dawn, she opened her eyes to find that her back was soaked with dew and a spider had spun a web from her cheek to her shoulder. Saiya shuddered and swatted it quickly away. She hated spiders.

As it turned out, they had made camp only a few miles outside of New Tristram. As they approached the northwest gate, a man hailed them from the stockade wall. Saiya recognized him as Captain Rumford and waved back.

The Captain came running out to meet them. "I watched all yesterday for your return," he panted. "I was beginning to grow concerned. Are either of you injured?"

"Just a few bumps and bruises," Saiya reassured him. "Nothing serious. Why were you worried, Captain?"

"Well, the crown-"

"We didn't find it," Baal interrupted brusquely.

"I know," said Rumford. "Caesar got to it first. He and his companion brought it into town the day before yesterday."

"What!" cried Baal, outraged.

"Who?" said Saiya.

"Sorry," said Rumford, "I thought you'd already made his acquaintance. Caesar is the wizard who came into town shortly after you two. I had no idea he was also seeking the crown, or I would have warned you."

"He must have been the one who slew all those demons in the crypt," Saiya said to Baal. "But how did he get back so fast?"

"Warping," Baal replied through gritted teeth. "He's a mage, remember?" Seething, he kicked at a nearby stone and sent it flying into the woods.

"At least you're back safe and sound," Rumford said, trying to placate him. "Caesar told me that he'd seen no trace of anyone else while he was at the catacombs, so I had begun to fear the worst. I was on the verge of sending out a search party."

"We appreciate it, Captain," said Saiya, patting his arm.

"Where is the little bastard?" Baal demanded. "I have a few things to say to him."

Rumford looked alarmed. "I don't think-"

"Just tell me!"

"At Haedrig's smithy," the Captain said, "overseeing the repair of the crown."

Baal stormed off without another word. He had not drawn his crossbows, but his fists were clenched and his every movement hinted at violent intentions. Rumford put a hand over his eyes and cursed under his breath.

"I'll go with him," Saiya said, and sprinted after her friend. She didn't have time to take her brass knuckles out of her rucksack, but she doubted that they would be useful anyway if Baal picked a fight with a wizard, especially one capable of such destruction.

The Hunter was already inside the smithy when she burst through the double doors. She was just in time to catch the tail end of his angry sentence: "-you outside, now!"

Haedrig was not present, but the people they were looking for stood by the forge. One of them – the male – Saiya knew on sight, though she hadn't connected him with the mysterious Caesar.

"Baal," she murmured, "that's the man who took our room at the inn."

"Oh, I know you," said the wizard, not at all bothered by two angry, well-armed people charging in upon him. "You're the girl from the Slaughtered Calf. Your name is Sala, isn't it?"

"Saiya," she corrected, with a bite in her tone.

"Ah, that's right. My apologies, Saiya." He turned a deadpan gaze on Baal. "And you are?"

"Someone you don't want as your enemy," Baal growled. "I'm here for that crown behind you. Give it up and there won't be any problems."

"Problems!" laughed the wizard. "What problems-"

In an instant he was sighting down the barrel of a crossbow pointed right at his nose. Saiya dropped into a fighting crouch, prepared to back her friend up if necessary. She didn't think that Baal truly intended to murder Caesar, much as he might deserve it, but she wanted to be ready in case the wizard and his companion fought back.

Caesar was still laughing, apparently not the slightest bit intimidated. He did not flinch when Baal fired a precursor shot into the post just to the right of his head. The woman with him was also at ease. She was a strange one. Her age was indeterminable – she could have been in her twenties or her fifties, it was impossible to tell. She had smooth skin as dark as ebony, and a tangle of black hair with feathers and bones woven in. Her attire was tribal in nature, and her face was devoid of any emotion, jet-black eyes watching the commotion impassively.

"Cool down," said Caesar, and with a wave of his wand, Baal's boots were frozen to the floor and he was holding a perfect ice sculpture of a crossbow. The Hunter swore loudly and tried to move, but his feet would not budge. He overbalanced and landed awkwardly on his rear, the soles of his shoes still fixed firmly to the wood by the clinging ice.

Saiya started forward, but the wizard swished his wand again and she was relocated to the rafters before she could blink. Furious, she nonetheless had to admit that she and Baal were outclassed in this instance, and would never be able to win on brute force alone. For a moment, she contemplated unleashing the power of her bell (let's see if that ass finds anything to smirk about then!) but it only seemed to be an option in life-or-death situations. Besides, she had no wish to destroy Haedrig's smithy. No, she would have to be trickier.

Caesar was advancing now, wand outstretched, confident that he had the upper hand. He stopped right in front of Baal, who was struggling to free himself.

"Well now," said the wizard, "are you ready to talk sensibly, or do you want to keep going? I have an unlimited number of ways to mess with you, you know. I could freeze you completely and put you in the town square as a lovely ice statue. I could warp you right to the other side of the world. Or … I know! You're a cocky fellow … how would you like to be a chicken for a while? Great for the humility, chickenhood, it really teaches you your place. Yes, I rather think life as a chicken would suit you very well."

"Baal!" Saiya called down from her spot in the rafters. He looked up at her, and she shut both eyes tight and shouted, "You're doing it all wrong. Remember the first thing you taught me!" She hoped that he would correctly understand her meaning, but there was no time to wait and see. Taking one of the blinding powder balls out of her pocket, she chucked it as hard as she could right at Caesar's feet.

It had the desired effect. Baal turned his head away, and Caesar staggered back as a cloud of sparkling dust enveloped him. He dropped his wand to rub at his eyes with both hands, and that's when Saiya jumped down from the roof beams, grabbed the front of his shirt, and punched him in the face.

"That's for taking over my room." She hit him again. "That's for stealing the crown." One last strike right to the nose dropped him to the floor. "And that's for nearly killing us by freezing that stupid behemoth and not finishing it off. Now do you want to talk?"

Caesar stared up at her through streaming eyes. His nose was gushing blood; Saiya was pretty sure she'd broken it but she couldn't bring herself to care. It was not acceptable for a monk to take pleasure in causing others pain … but damn, it had felt good to hit him.

Baal, freed now from the binding ice, came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Good work, Saiya," he said, bending down to pick up Caesar's wand. "I think I'll hold onto this for the time being."

Caesar looked over at his silent companion, who held up her hands as if to say, "This isn't my fight, I'm staying out of it." The wizard got slowly to his feet, pressing a hand over his nose.

At that moment, the door opened and Haedrig entered, hammer in hand. He stopped dead at the sight before him and bellowed, "What in the fires of Hell is going on in here?"

"Sorry," Saiya said guiltily. They had not made much of a mess, but still, it was rude to have a brawl in someone else's establishment. "We were about to go outside."

She stepped out through the open door. Baal motioned for Caesar to follow her. He brought up the rear, shutting the door behind him. Out in the sunlight, all three stood looking at each other for a long moment.

"All right," Caesar said, his voice thick and indistinct through his swollen, bloody nose. "I can see that I've managed to piss both of you off. But I have no quarrel with either of you. Really."

"Well, we've got a quarrel with you," snarled Baal. "Thanks to your interference, our long journey to the north was completely wasted, and we almost lost our lives to an enemy that you neglected to kill."

The wizard shrugged, arms outstretched with palms facing upwards. "How was I supposed to know that anyone would be going through there after me? As for the crown, you had no claim on it. I'm sorry that you were inconvenienced, but I got it first, fair and square. Unless you want to fight me for it, there's not too much you can do."

"We need that crown," Saiya exclaimed, frustrated by his selfishness. "It's the only way to save this land from the demon plague. What are you going to do with it, hang it on your wall?"

Caesar frowned. "Actually, I have the same goals that you do. Ghor and I came here seeking the fallen star, and King Leoric stands in our way. We want to destroy him as well." Then his face brightened as he turned to Baal. "Why don't we team up? With my magic, Ghor's voodoo arts, Saiya's fists, and your experience fighting demons, we would be invincible!"

"No thanks," said Baal coldly. "Just hand over the crown and bugger off. Saiya and I are fine on our own; you're not needed."

Saiya rolled her eyes. He could be so childish sometimes! Grabbing his arm, she hissed, "Can I talk to you?" and dragged him far enough away that their conversation would be private.

"What's your problem?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What's yours?" she countered. "I think it's a logical course of action."

He looked at her as if she'd gone insane. "I don't want to work with them," he said. "I don't trust them. Have you forgotten that their carelessness almost cost us our lives?"

"No, I haven't," said Saiya, "but I do believe that it was an accident. And he's right that we'll have a better chance of defeating the Skeleton King if we all work together."

Baal shook his head in disgust. "A few minutes ago you were beating him up. Now you want to work with him. Well, Saiya, throw in with them if you want to, but I refuse."

"Don't be so difficult," she pleaded. "You have to admit that it makes sense."

"No."

"But-"

"And that's final." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" cried Saiya in one last-ditch attempt to make him see reason. "Baal, can't you see that it's better to have them with us where we can keep an eye on them than out of our sight? Even if we do get the crown back from them, what's to stop them from teleporting right to the cathedral and getting ahead of us anyway?"

Baal hesitated, started to walk away again, and then turned back with a sigh of frustration. "I don't like it," he said, "but I guess you're right."

Saiya restrained a grin, not wanting him to think she was gloating. She nodded, and together they walked back to where Caesar was waiting.

"We've decided to accept your offer," Baal said without preamble, "but only until we beat the Skeleton King. After that we're done, got it?"

The wizard inclined his head. "Agreed. I don't think that you'll regret it."

"I'd better not," Baal muttered.


Now fully edited and updated with new content! If you find any typos, please notify me so I can fix them. :3