Act XXII
"So, um, sir, how exactly do you know where Diablo is?" "I just do." "OK...well, why do you need to bring me?" "Would you rather be in the prison?" Kaylee sighs. "Asking me another question isn't an answer! Stop being such a jerk and just tell me, please?" The man stops moving and looks up at the moon. "There's a good reason for it. You should know that we can't waste time." Kaylee feels her anger starting to rise. "Stop with the excuses! I refuse to follow you any more until you explain yourself!" The man turns to look at Kaylee and slowly removes the hood of his cloak as he sighs. Beneath the hood is the head of the oldest looking man she has ever seen. "My name hasn't been used for over ten thousand years, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that I don't even remember it myself." "Ten thousand years? Yeah, right." "I was a student of Lile's before the evils first attacked. Me, along with a small group of rogues found her unconscious in a desert city, known even in my time simply as the Lost City. She was the only survivor of an attack made by the Outcast. We brought her to our monastery where she trained every day, swearing revenge on the Outcast. We tried to keep up with her, but her skills rose at an incredible rate. Not long later, Andariel attacked our monastery and we were forced to flee. Lile ended up in a rogue encampment where she got an apprentice named Slater. As for me, this part is a little blurry. I ended up in the Lost City where I was attacked by someone who looked and sounded exactly like Lile. I still don't understand who it actually was, none of the evils have an ability to transform, but I was turned to stone for nearly a year before a young necromancer named Slater freed me. We set out immediately to kill Mephisto. On our ship, we were attacked by Diablo, who we made quick work of, however, our ship crashed soon after and we went under. I found myself on a small beach in the Kurast Jungle when I awoke. I had learned where to find Slater in my dream and I quickly left, he needed my help. I found him in Mephisto's lair, hanging by a chain above a lava pit. I quickly got him down and killed Mephisto, rushing Slater into a portal we believed to go to Hell. I waited in the lair for only about half an hour before I was attacked by Lile. This wasn't the usual Lile though, she was tainted by an evil force. She knocked me into the portal and didn't follow. Thinking the people were demons, I figured they'd lead me to the evils. Although I found out they were simply infected by evil and that I was only in the Rogue Encampment, not Hell, they did lead me to Nihlathak. I met up with Slater there and we made quick work of Nihlathak. Then, an angel, Tyrael, teleported us to the World Stone Chamber where Slater and I killed Baal. I remained there as Slater left through the portal to Hell to finish his mission once and for all. I know little of what happened that day, but Hell itself was destroyed. I remained in the chamber, there was no exit. The World Stone kept me from all human needs and made me age at an incredibly slow rate. As long as I remained there I could've lived almost forever. Now, ten thousand years later, a portal was opened and I was able to leave that place. I was told telepathically by Lile to find and aid you in any way possible. So, that is my story Kaylee. May we please continue on now?" The man pulls the hood back over his head and begins to walk again. Kaylee, speechless, begins to walk after him.
- - -
Sven rushes out the door with his sword raised, the glare from the sun forces him to squint. "Diablo! Where are you!?" He hears demonic laughter come from behind him and quickly turns around, nothing is there. "Come on out, demon, are you scared!?" He hears the laughter again, from above this time. He quickly looks up and sees nothing. "Come on!" Sven starts waving his sword around, partly from fear, partly from anger. He stops, facing the door and sighs. There's a loud whooshing sound from behind him, followed by footsteps and the ground shaking. "So, are you actually here this time, demon?" Diablo laughs evilly. "Turn mortal, and fight." Sven smirks and turns around to find Diablo standing there. "Finally, let's do this."
- - -
The man stops abruptly and signals Kaylee to do the same. "What's wrong?" "SH!" He seems to be staring into the darkness, but Kaylee can't make out a thing. "Footsteps...two people." Kaylee listens closely and just barely makes out the sound of footsteps. "One grown woman and a boy, a teenager." A female's voice is heard in the distance. "Well done, druid. It's a pity that even without our surprise attack, you're going to die." From the darkness comes an even darker figure, it was James, but it's evident he's long gone. Both arms are slender and tanned, the right leg is the same as the arms. His voice has changed incredibly, to a much less deep tone, his hair has grown long and a dark black color. This wasn't James, it was a woman who had taken his body over entirely. "What do you want from us, you wretched woman." The figure laughs. "I want you to die." "Try it." The woman leaps at the man but he's able to dodge her attack entirely. "You are still nothing, woman. You will not regain your power quickly enough to defeat me." The figure smiles at the man. "Finally, a worthy opponent. It's been a long time." The man frowns. "I hope it's worth it, it'll be your last fight."
- - -
"Do you really think that you can win on your own mortal?" Sven raises his sword. "I know that I can." He runs at Diablo and brings his sword down but Diablo moves quickly to the side. "You'll need to do better than that, boy." Sven swings again, missing completely. Diablo punches him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards to the ground. "You don't have a chance against me." Sven quickly gets to his feet. "Yeah, right."
- - -
The man slowly walks towards the figure. "Go ahead, attack me, from anywhere." The figure moves so fast it almost appears to teleport in front of the man and raises its fist to attack. The man grabs the figure's arm firmly and holds it still. "Nice try." He swings the figure in a circle around him and throws it. It lands hard on the ground and appears to stop moving. The man turns to Kaylee. "We need to go, now." Kaylee shakily nods her head but freezes before she can run over to the man. The figure has grabbed him by the neck and he can't escape. "Let go, woman!" The figure smirks. "What's the matter? I thought that you were more powerful?" The figure squeezes her arm tighter around his neck. "Let him go!" The figure laughs and seems to disappear entirely, with the man. Kaylee stands in the darkness, unable to see anything and it begins to rain. "What now?" "Kaylee, it's your turn now." Kaylee freezes with terror. "No...please tell me that isn't..."
- - -
Before Sven can move, he feels a sharp pain in his head that almost knocks him to the ground. "What the hell?" Everything gets blurry and bright colors seem to move around everywhere. "Jesus, it's like a bad trip..." He tries to jump at Diablo but just stumbles a foot ahead. He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "C'mon!" He feels his eyes open, everything appears to be normal, but he can't control his body, something else is controlling him. He feels himself lift his sword once more and looks to Diablo, everything but Diablo fades to black, they're floating in empty space. Diablo seems so far away, everything seems to be in slow motion and Sven feels himself rushing Diablo. "No, this isn't right. There's something very wrong here." Sven's mind quickly goes back to the jail cell. "You'll join me because I own your soul." "What?" "You heard me, boy. As long as I have your soul, I have complete control over you." Sven comes back to the situation at hand, still rushing at Diablo. "No...no! This isn't right at all! Let go of my body, James, I have control over the situation, you have no hold over me!" Everything begins to blur again. "Leave me alone!" He reaches Diablo and feels himself raise his sword over his head. "You can't control me!" He begins to bring the sword down, time seems to freeze as the sword stops at Diablo's face. The darkness begins to fade away, slowly. Sven is no longer in a desert, it is night time and rain is falling around him. He looks down to his sword, Diablo is gone and in front of his sword is Kaylee, on her knees, staring at Sven wide-eyed, tears covering her face. "S-Sven..." Time seems to start again and Sven lowers his sword. "I'm sorry Kaylee...I promise you, I won't allow it to happen again." Sven sighs and pulls Kaylee up to her feet. "I'm sorry." Kaylee manages a small smile as she leans forward and hugs Sven. "Sven...you're so warm..."