Here is part 2 of my Diablo series, which takes place in the beginning of the second Act (of the game). Anyway, on with the fic!
"The Puppetmaster"
By Alpha Draconis
Adrian, the Puppetmaster, groaned with heavy weight of the Saber cat in both his arms, for he wasn't used to dragging half alive cat women through the hot deserts of Aranoch. His NecroMage (Skeletal Mage) and Clay Golem slightly trailed behind their master exchanging glances of their confusion, anger, and utter disapproval of their master's decision to be the hero. Adrian sighed a happy sigh of relief, seeing the City of Lut Gholein; even his two minions seemed relieved. Adrian made sure to cover the Saber Cat with her cloak, to draw less attention to him and his new friend.
Adrian walked through the gate into the city, and noticed Griez staring at him, while Adrian tried his best to ignore him.
"Hey Puppet...guy!' he yelled to Adrian. Adrian groaned and thought, I took the time to learn your name the least you could do is remember mine.
"Yeah?" Adrian replied still walking.
"Who's the corpse?'
"Uhh... Someone in desert who was being attacked by the Saber Cats."
Well it was truthful, he just kept out the part of her bring a Cat herself.
"Oh." He said, sounding almost disappointed, but Adrian had no time to wonder about that for he had arrived at Elzix's Inn. Warriv had told him that the top floors had nice rooms, perfect for weary travelers like him.
~~~~~~~~~~Several Minutes and Hundred Gold Later~~~~~~~~~~
Adrian hauled the unconscious Saber Cat up several more stairs and unlocked a door to his Inn room. It was a very good room, he thought for this coastal city. It has a balcony with a beautiful view of the ocean, a large bed with silk sheets, and washroom with a bath (much to his surprise), and works of art displayed throughout the suite. Adrian laid the Saber Cat down on a chair, and couldn't help but to run and jump on his bed.
"Now THIS is living!" He yelled across the room to his two monsters, who just looked at each other and shrugged. The Saber Cat moaned in her unconscious state. "Oh yeah." Remembered. "You guys stay here." He said to his minions, while leaving the room. "I need to get some healing potions. Let's just hope ht old fossil hasn't sold them all..."
"Err, what's that? Wheeling motion?" Lysander replied straining to hear the Necromancer.
"I-SAID-HEALING-POTION!" Adrian yelled directly at the old man.
"Oh, well didn't you say so?" Adrian groaned. "I have minor and light healing potions available now, as well as some antidotes, and Oh! Yes, I just fermented a new batch of Stamina potions."
"Good, I'll take one of each." Adrian replied. Lysander eyed him oddly.
"You seem to be in good health... Methinks these aren't for you. Am I right?' He sheepishly grinned.
"That is none of your concern old timer." Adrian simply replied. Lysander smiled and exchanged the elixirs for the gold. Adrian thanked them man and walked across the market to Deckard Cain, who was still standing in his usual spot.
"Hello my friend." Cain began in his usually happy tone.
"Hi Cain..."
"What's wrong? You seem... distraught."
"Oh... it's nothing, well... I rescued a maiden from the Saber Cats."
"Well that's good, to know that can rescue some of the innocent now, back in Tristram, the warriors found no survivors, and rescued no one."
"Uh yeah, Tristram." Adrian thought to where he and the Courageous Five had traveled to Tristram. He had found Wirt's body, and narrowly escaped Griswold. He still had Wirt's leg. It was always a grim reminder of what would happen if good did not prevail. He then realized Cain was still talking to him.
"... So with the next Caravans arriving tomorrow, you barbarian friend will be joining us very soon, but I don't know about the others."
"That's okay Cain. Umm... What did you say before that?" Now it was Cain's turn to groan.
"I said Atma wishes to speak to you."
"Oh, thanks Cain, after that I better checks on the two stooges, I wonder if they've trashed my room yet..." Adrian walked out of the marketplace top the other side of town to the tavern. He wandered in as several drunken guards, stumbled out. Atma instantly called Adrian over to where she was.
The Necromancer stepped in the kitchen as the barmaid walked out.
"Excuse me. Puppetmaster?" The owner of the tavern asked with fear in her voice.
"Please, call me Adrian."
"Right, Adrian I have a favor to ask of you."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. When you asked a favor from a Necromancer, they would always collect. "Continue." He urged.
"Well, a few weeks ago, a monster deep in the sewers, begun to take the lives of our townsfolk. My husband and son were no exception... Anyway I was wondering if you could destroy the foul beats and put an end to his reign of terror?"
"My barbarian friend shall be arriving soon. Tomorrow we'll take out the bogeyman in the sewers."
"THIS ISN'T A JOKE!" She yelled. All eyes in the tavern (sober or not) looked over at her. "I'm sorry..."
"Entirely my fault." Adrian said. "I should have kept my mouth shut, now if you'll excuse me, I must be off." With that Adrian walked out of tavern, and set off to his inn room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adrian unlocked the door and found his skeletal mage still wandering/patrolling his room, while the Golem was sleeping like a baby on the balcony. Hey, they may be artificial beings, but they have feelings too!
"How is our guest?" Adrian asked the Necromage. With much study of skeleton mastery, a Necromancer can summon minions with the ability to communicate.
"Over there." The hoarse, scraping voice of the skeleton replied. Adrian walked over to the sleeping beauty, and he took the potions out of his backpack and begun using them. After bandaging up her wounds, and sterilizing her cuts on her arms and legs (he would have done her chest, but he was too bashful too remove her armor) he laid her down on his bed. By now his Golem awoke, belched (what a slob!) and then walked into the suite and sat down on the floor next to his master who was in deep thought.
"I don't know Golem, do you think I did the right thing? I saved her from death, but she's the enemy, and will probably turn against me the first chance I get. What do you think?"
Golem stared blankly at him for a minute. "Oh forget it! Look like she's coming to..."
Indeed, the tan coloured Saber Cat was beginning to awake. She was a little groggy but was fully awake when she realized she didn't know where she was, she jumped up, alert and ready for combat.
"No it's okay! I mean no harm-" He was cut off by a ceramic jug smashing against his head as the feline beauty begun to throw anything she could grab at him. " I *ow* mean *slam* no *smash* harm! Now can we all calm down?"
The cat put down the lamp she was ready to throw, and decided to hear him out.
"You would have bee killed in the desert by the other Saber Cats. I, we rescued you and are trying to heal you."
She eyed him oddly for a moment. "Yeah I know, a human helping out a Saber Cat. Don't ask me why, but it seemed like the right thing to do."
The cat was now sitting on his bed totally calm. "My name is Adrian. What is yours?" For a second he wondered if she could speak English, but his question was answered.
"M-my name is Shelia." She shakily, almost uncertainly replied.
"Alright. Now that that's settled, you should take a bath to clean your wounds, you took a fair beating out there and potions won't heal everything."
She sneered. "I hate water."
"You're to have to bath."
"I HATE water."
"Well you're going to take a bath whether you like it, or-" CRASH!
Adrian lay on the ground with the smashed remnants of a clay pot all around his head. The Golem turned to the Necromage and said.
"I think she like him."
TO BE CONTINUED!
In the next chapter, Adrian's old barbarian friend comes to Lut Gholein; Radament (monster Atma hates) shows his ugly, mummified face, and more of Shelia past is revealed.
"The Puppetmaster"
By Alpha Draconis
Adrian, the Puppetmaster, groaned with heavy weight of the Saber cat in both his arms, for he wasn't used to dragging half alive cat women through the hot deserts of Aranoch. His NecroMage (Skeletal Mage) and Clay Golem slightly trailed behind their master exchanging glances of their confusion, anger, and utter disapproval of their master's decision to be the hero. Adrian sighed a happy sigh of relief, seeing the City of Lut Gholein; even his two minions seemed relieved. Adrian made sure to cover the Saber Cat with her cloak, to draw less attention to him and his new friend.
Adrian walked through the gate into the city, and noticed Griez staring at him, while Adrian tried his best to ignore him.
"Hey Puppet...guy!' he yelled to Adrian. Adrian groaned and thought, I took the time to learn your name the least you could do is remember mine.
"Yeah?" Adrian replied still walking.
"Who's the corpse?'
"Uhh... Someone in desert who was being attacked by the Saber Cats."
Well it was truthful, he just kept out the part of her bring a Cat herself.
"Oh." He said, sounding almost disappointed, but Adrian had no time to wonder about that for he had arrived at Elzix's Inn. Warriv had told him that the top floors had nice rooms, perfect for weary travelers like him.
~~~~~~~~~~Several Minutes and Hundred Gold Later~~~~~~~~~~
Adrian hauled the unconscious Saber Cat up several more stairs and unlocked a door to his Inn room. It was a very good room, he thought for this coastal city. It has a balcony with a beautiful view of the ocean, a large bed with silk sheets, and washroom with a bath (much to his surprise), and works of art displayed throughout the suite. Adrian laid the Saber Cat down on a chair, and couldn't help but to run and jump on his bed.
"Now THIS is living!" He yelled across the room to his two monsters, who just looked at each other and shrugged. The Saber Cat moaned in her unconscious state. "Oh yeah." Remembered. "You guys stay here." He said to his minions, while leaving the room. "I need to get some healing potions. Let's just hope ht old fossil hasn't sold them all..."
"Err, what's that? Wheeling motion?" Lysander replied straining to hear the Necromancer.
"I-SAID-HEALING-POTION!" Adrian yelled directly at the old man.
"Oh, well didn't you say so?" Adrian groaned. "I have minor and light healing potions available now, as well as some antidotes, and Oh! Yes, I just fermented a new batch of Stamina potions."
"Good, I'll take one of each." Adrian replied. Lysander eyed him oddly.
"You seem to be in good health... Methinks these aren't for you. Am I right?' He sheepishly grinned.
"That is none of your concern old timer." Adrian simply replied. Lysander smiled and exchanged the elixirs for the gold. Adrian thanked them man and walked across the market to Deckard Cain, who was still standing in his usual spot.
"Hello my friend." Cain began in his usually happy tone.
"Hi Cain..."
"What's wrong? You seem... distraught."
"Oh... it's nothing, well... I rescued a maiden from the Saber Cats."
"Well that's good, to know that can rescue some of the innocent now, back in Tristram, the warriors found no survivors, and rescued no one."
"Uh yeah, Tristram." Adrian thought to where he and the Courageous Five had traveled to Tristram. He had found Wirt's body, and narrowly escaped Griswold. He still had Wirt's leg. It was always a grim reminder of what would happen if good did not prevail. He then realized Cain was still talking to him.
"... So with the next Caravans arriving tomorrow, you barbarian friend will be joining us very soon, but I don't know about the others."
"That's okay Cain. Umm... What did you say before that?" Now it was Cain's turn to groan.
"I said Atma wishes to speak to you."
"Oh, thanks Cain, after that I better checks on the two stooges, I wonder if they've trashed my room yet..." Adrian walked out of the marketplace top the other side of town to the tavern. He wandered in as several drunken guards, stumbled out. Atma instantly called Adrian over to where she was.
The Necromancer stepped in the kitchen as the barmaid walked out.
"Excuse me. Puppetmaster?" The owner of the tavern asked with fear in her voice.
"Please, call me Adrian."
"Right, Adrian I have a favor to ask of you."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. When you asked a favor from a Necromancer, they would always collect. "Continue." He urged.
"Well, a few weeks ago, a monster deep in the sewers, begun to take the lives of our townsfolk. My husband and son were no exception... Anyway I was wondering if you could destroy the foul beats and put an end to his reign of terror?"
"My barbarian friend shall be arriving soon. Tomorrow we'll take out the bogeyman in the sewers."
"THIS ISN'T A JOKE!" She yelled. All eyes in the tavern (sober or not) looked over at her. "I'm sorry..."
"Entirely my fault." Adrian said. "I should have kept my mouth shut, now if you'll excuse me, I must be off." With that Adrian walked out of tavern, and set off to his inn room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adrian unlocked the door and found his skeletal mage still wandering/patrolling his room, while the Golem was sleeping like a baby on the balcony. Hey, they may be artificial beings, but they have feelings too!
"How is our guest?" Adrian asked the Necromage. With much study of skeleton mastery, a Necromancer can summon minions with the ability to communicate.
"Over there." The hoarse, scraping voice of the skeleton replied. Adrian walked over to the sleeping beauty, and he took the potions out of his backpack and begun using them. After bandaging up her wounds, and sterilizing her cuts on her arms and legs (he would have done her chest, but he was too bashful too remove her armor) he laid her down on his bed. By now his Golem awoke, belched (what a slob!) and then walked into the suite and sat down on the floor next to his master who was in deep thought.
"I don't know Golem, do you think I did the right thing? I saved her from death, but she's the enemy, and will probably turn against me the first chance I get. What do you think?"
Golem stared blankly at him for a minute. "Oh forget it! Look like she's coming to..."
Indeed, the tan coloured Saber Cat was beginning to awake. She was a little groggy but was fully awake when she realized she didn't know where she was, she jumped up, alert and ready for combat.
"No it's okay! I mean no harm-" He was cut off by a ceramic jug smashing against his head as the feline beauty begun to throw anything she could grab at him. " I *ow* mean *slam* no *smash* harm! Now can we all calm down?"
The cat put down the lamp she was ready to throw, and decided to hear him out.
"You would have bee killed in the desert by the other Saber Cats. I, we rescued you and are trying to heal you."
She eyed him oddly for a moment. "Yeah I know, a human helping out a Saber Cat. Don't ask me why, but it seemed like the right thing to do."
The cat was now sitting on his bed totally calm. "My name is Adrian. What is yours?" For a second he wondered if she could speak English, but his question was answered.
"M-my name is Shelia." She shakily, almost uncertainly replied.
"Alright. Now that that's settled, you should take a bath to clean your wounds, you took a fair beating out there and potions won't heal everything."
She sneered. "I hate water."
"You're to have to bath."
"I HATE water."
"Well you're going to take a bath whether you like it, or-" CRASH!
Adrian lay on the ground with the smashed remnants of a clay pot all around his head. The Golem turned to the Necromage and said.
"I think she like him."
TO BE CONTINUED!
In the next chapter, Adrian's old barbarian friend comes to Lut Gholein; Radament (monster Atma hates) shows his ugly, mummified face, and more of Shelia past is revealed.