Angel of Death
Chapter 3: Wailing Doom
Elikar cursed as he felt his arm go numb from the impact, almost causing him to drop his shield. The great axe had left a large, ugly mark on the faded red design, and had he been just a little slower, it would have taken off a good sized chunk of his head. As it was however, Elikar was fast enough do unto the monster as it would have done to him before it had a chance to recover from its swing. Blue ichor sprayed outward in an obscene crescent as a cruel gash appeared on the monster's human-like face. The monster fell back, missing an eye and half of its flat nose, as another demon rushed in roaring, swinging a two-handed sword overhead. Raising his shield and deflecting the blow, almost by instinct, he slashed one-handed to slice the attacker's wrist neatly off, then twisted and cut across the chest to send the demon howling to the ground, where it was trampled by its comrades attempting to get a piece of Elikar. Axes and swords whirled around him in a globe of blades as he parried, blocked, stabbed and slashed. Though he killed several more demons, eventually, it was too much and he rolled backwards with his shield above him to escape being mobbed.
Taking a look around himself, Elikar realized that he had become separated from his comrades. All other human fighters in the area had already been killed. Heads, arms, legs and various pieces of human and demon torsos lay scattered about like so much bloody refuse. He could hear the sounds of fighting behind him, and the Lunas city wall lay to his left. Peering in front of him, he could just barely make out one of the twin towers that marked the city gates. "Dammit, we have to get to the gates and close them if we're ever going to stop the tide of monsters," he thought grimly.
Elikar's attention turned back towards the demons that were now charging towards him, swords and axes swinging as their roars filled the air. Hefting his two-handed sword in his right hand and his shield in his left, he ran forward to greet them. Rolling under the first swing, he swept the tip of his shield sideways, the serrated edge slicing the thick muscles of the calf cleanly. His sword shot out on his right as he rolled, slicing through shin bones and muscle. He could hear the demons roaring in pain, even as he lept to his feet and ran the rest of the way through the demons, dodging blows and returning them as he flew past. He doubted he scored any kills, but most of the monsters would be several limbs short after his passing. He continued running, his plate mail clanking against him and slowing him down dramatically. After almost two hours of fighting, the weight on his shoulders was rapidly taking its toll, and his feet felt like lead bricks that he dragged across the dirt-covered ground. Looking behind him to see if the demons pursued, he saw that the majority were missing legs, or pieces of legs, and thus could do nothing but crawl or hop about.
As Elikar neared the gates, he noticed that the sounds of fighting grew louder. In particular, he heard a strange, high-pitched screaming sound that he was certain could not be of this world. "Even the village wenches could not scream this piercingly," he mumbled to himself. To his right, Elikar noticed Gareth and Carsis working their way towards the main gate, swords rising and falling in perfect rhythm, cutting a swath through demon flesh as they cursed and slashed. Deciding that his friends could handle themselves, Elikar continued to stumble towards the gates, where the enemy was thickest.
The first demon he impaled did not even sense Elikar as the blade entered its back. Sliding the monstrosity off of his blade, Elikar slashed sideways, cutting the heads off two monsters and embedding the blade deeply in the cheek of a third. He tugged on the blade, hard, to attempt to dislodge it but without avail, the tough demon bones gripping the blade tightly. His attention diverted, he did not notice the demon's sword until it had cut an ugly line in his shoulder, sliding sideways across his collarbone. Hissing in pain, Elikar gave one hard tug to pull his blade loose, then spun around and slashed backhanded to cut the demon's face cleanly in two. Unable to tend to his shoulder due to the danger, he could only clench his teeth from the pain and continue forward. The scream was getting louder.
Not fifty feet from the gigantic gates of Lunas, Elikar noticed that the monsters were focused on something in their midst, and thus did not even notice him as he weaved in and out of their ranks, killing almost at leisure. He worked his way like a butcher through the ranks, wincing at the screaming which had now reached an ear-splitting level. As he neared the gates, he had to drop his shield and hold the side of his head in pain, but so focused were the demons that they failed to notice the helpless man standing not twenty feet behind them. Elikar had to stop that noise soon or go insane. But the screaming seemed to come from every direction at once.
Elikar sensed the motion before he could fully see it, but some of the blade still got past his own and a new line opened in his armor, a field of crimson spreading through the chain links under the plating. Without his shield, and his head almost shattering from the noise, he was unable to parry the demon's axe swipe, which caught him full in the chest, knocking him to the ground and cracking several ribs. Elikar's ornate sword flew out of his hand as he hit the ground hard. Cursing from the pain, he blinked to clear his eyes. An emotionless face looked down upon him as two arms swung a shining silver blade downwards to cleave Elikar in half. Before he had time to do anything however, he felt a sudden wind above him, and a deafening, piercing, screech blasted through the air. The demon above him suddenly fell apart in several pieces, clean slice marks across the torso and head. Almost every joint had been cleanly sliced, the bone protruding slightly, a sickly yellowish white. Above him stood a towering, lean man. Though frail-looking, Elikar could almost feel a physical aura of power around him, as if he consciously projected it. His head had not a single hair upon it, and had an almost golden sheen to it. What interested Elikar the most however, was the strange weapon he held. The sword was a monster, a full four meters of cold blue-black blade. The blade was just slightly curved and seemed useless for stabbing. The blade was extremely thin along its entire length, seemingly sharp enough to draw blood from the air. The height of the blade was strange - a mere two or three inches high at the base, near the handle, which suddenly widened gracefully into a half-foot high head. The surface of the head was strange too, not solid like most blades. Archaic patterns and symbols seemed to have been cut out of the blade that once in a while flashed black-blue.
The man held the gigantic weapon out to his right side with one hand while he extended the other to help Elikar to his feet. "Greetings friend, I am Amuro. It seemed like you required assistance. In your damaged state, I doubt you'll make it very far, so follow me, and I will protect you."
"I thank you for your help, but I don't really need protecting, just my sword and my shield - " Elikar coughed. He noted that the piercing screaming had stopped.
"You can trust me. . . it will be faster this way. If I let you fight on your own, I would forever be returning to save you. It would be quicker if you stayed with me."
"I can still fight, despite my wounds."
"Yes, but not well enough to stay alive my friend. You have several broken ribs and many smaller wounds. Be smart and live."
Elikar, not wanting to argue, shrugged, "Very well. I think you for your help then."
"Retrieve your weaponry and come with me. I would heal you, but I have not the power."
Amuro started off at a moderate walk towards a group of monsters, his sword still held off to the right with one hand. Elikar bent over and picked up his sword and shield, wincing at the pain in his midsection and almost struggling under the weight due to loss of blood. He marveled at how the man had managed to remain unhurt through all the fighting, and how he could hold that monster of a sword with one hand. The man had just reached a large group of several dozen demons as Elikar caught up. He heard, "Be careful not to get in my way" before the man suddenly blurred into motion. His feet, rather than moving like a man running, seemed to simply slide motionless along the ground with demonic speed. The man leaned forward as he slid, bringing his sword over his right shoulder. Before the words had finished entering Elikar's ears, the man had already slid past his first victim. The demon had just raised its sword when the man's gigantic blade cut him neatly in half. Before the body had barely started to separate, the man was on to his next victim, sweeping the blade sideways so fast Elikar only saw a black blur before the blade suddenly changed direction, rising then sweeping downwards diagonally, slicing two demons in half and removing the leg of a third. He spun and slashed backhanded, decapitating several demons in passing.
The piercing wail slammed into Elikar like a tide, almost bowling him over, forcing him to drop his sword and shield to clutch his head in pain. Noticing this however, Amuro stopped his butchering for a second to weave his hand arcanely above his blade while whispering an incantation. The moment he was done, he became a blur again, slashing in and out of the group of demons while they stood helpless to defend themselves. Elikar, however, was more preoccupied with the sudden absence of pain and deafening screams. Retrieving his sword and shield once more from the ground, he stumbled into the fray, coming up behind a demon that seemed to be held almost in paralysis. Its muscles twitched rapidly, but it seemed unable to do anything productive, and both hands gripped bladed weapons at its sides, unmoving. Elikar raised his sword to decapitate the monster, but before his hand was even above his shoulder a figured blurred into existence in front of the monster, slashed rapidly, then blurred away, searching for another victim. The demon fell in a heap of dismembered body parts as Elikar sighed, looking around for more demons. There were none. The handful remaining out of the original several dozen were being rapidly butchered by the blue-black blade. In a flurry of blurred motions, the last of the demons fell in a heap of body parts. Amuro turned towards Elikar. "Come with me, there remain more demons to butcher."
Elikar was a seasoned battle-veteran, a soldier in countless battles between the kingdoms, and he had seen many incredible champions, whose strength and sword skills seemed almost god-like. Never had he seen such a man as the butcher that now turned and walked towards the gates. He did not wear armor, nor did he have a shield. He was dressed in a blue and black embroidered shirt that hugged his body tightly, and wide, billowy black-silk pants that were extremely narrow at the ankles. Around his body flowed a long black silk cloak which billowed back behind him as he strode away. All in all, he dressed more like a battle mage than a swordfighter, and yet he seemed to have no power with Mana. On top of that, he wielded with one arm a blade the likes of which Elikar had never seen in all his traveling, a blade that a normal fighter probably would not even be able to lift with two arms. And his speed was something out of nightmares, blurring in and out of existence as he butchered demons. And yet, the slashing was not wild, since every demon had either been cut in half, or taken apart at the joints. Shaking his head in wonderment, Elikar walked quickly to catch up.
* * *
Gareth turned towards Carsis, "Where do you suppose that screaming is coming from?"
"It doesn't sound like a human, and we haven't heard a demon scream. It seems to be coming from the direction of the gates."
"How convenient, seeing as how we're headed there anyway."
Carsis nodded in agreement while casually slicing off a demon's face as it charged forward from the right. Gareth went low and slashed sideways, splitting scales to gouge out the demon's intestines, and the monster fell over, spraying blue ichor into the air. The two fighters looked around them. That had been the last demon in this area, the only remaining sign of demonic activity was at the gates. The humans in the area had all either fled or been butchered. The latter seemed more likely, as human corpses, whole and in pieces, littered the ground. The crows were going to have a feast.
The two warriors walked to the left, towards the gates. As they approached, the screaming they had noticed grew louder and louder, coming in waves. Gareth cursed at the noise, while Carsis only winced and continued jogging, greatsword held down at his right side. They saw a group of thirty-odd demons near the gates with their backs turned towards them. Gareth and Carsis snuck up behind them, taking care not to rattle their armor. Stepping lightly, they drew within arms-length of the demons, raised their swords, and killed the two monsters standing closest to them. The other monsters did not turn around. As the two continued butchering them, the monsters made no movement or sound, like stone.
"What's wrong with these guys?" Gareth asked, decapitating a demon.
"They seem to be paralyzed. Their muscles are twitching but they don't seem to be able to really move." Carsis said, cutting a demon in half. The two men rapidly dispatched the entire group of demons, then continued towards the gate. After a few dozen stpes, Gareth dropped to his knee, clutching his head. Carsis looked like he wished he could do the same."
"This noise is getting extremely painful," Gareth cursed, clutching his head and shaking, as if trying to dislodge something on his back.
"It is," Carsis agreed, "but from here it sounds like it's coming from every direction. I wonder what it is."
"I don't CARE what it is. I just want it to stop!" Gareth yelled.
As if on cue, the screaming suddenly did just that. The noise died away to a dull, high-pitched whistle, then to a whine, and then nothing. Silence. Except for the roars of dying demons. "What the -" Gareth said, looking about hesitantly as if the noise would start up any second now, "what happened?"
Carsis, free of the pain, suddenly noticed a figure in blue-stained armor. "Look Gareth, it's Elikar!" he pointed to his left.
"Well I'll be damned. Looks like the boy is still alive. He's got more in him than I thought."
"I told you, he's been fighting monsters all over Sanctuary."
"I wonder if he knows what that noise was."
"We should get over there quickly."
"I second that."
The two ran as fast as their armor allowed towards Elikar, and the gate. Elikar seemed lost in thought, walking towards the gates in a daze, not seeing his two friends coming up behind him on his right. Gareth clapped him on the shoulder, shaking Elikar out of his thoughts. Elikar spun around while raising his sword, before noticing the tanned, grizzled face in front of him. "Gareth, old man! I thought the demons would have butchered you," he said, chuckling.
"Of course, but I had Carsis with me, so I was pretty safe, even with my squeaky old joints," Gareth joked, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder at the big man that was jogging towards them.
"Greetings, Carsis. How goes the fighting?" Elikar said to the larger man.
"The slaughter is quite good. There hasn't been a battle like this in many years," Carsis said, almost cheerily.
"The areas around the gate are cleared, but most of the humans have been slain. The only remaining demons seem to be at the gates," Gareth broke in.
"Well, there won't be many left."
"Sure, after we're through with them," Gareth snickered.
"No, no. We may not even get a shot at them." Elikar said, shaking his head.
"Eh? What do you mean?" Carsis said, concerned.
"We aren't the only experienced fighters here. Do you remember that screaming sound? The one that made your head feel like there was broken glass spinning around your brain?"
Carsis and Gareth both nodded. "Sure, I couldn't even hear myself think," Gareth said.
"Well, that noise was coming from a strange new fighter named Amuro."
"A new fighter? Amuro?" Carsis asked.
"Yes. I've never seen him, or his kind before. He looks human enough, but he fights like a demon. And he moves faster than anything I have ever seen." Carsis and Gareth simply stood there, thoughtful. "Well, if he's out there butchering demons, I say he's more than welcome. Less work for us," Gareth said.
"He dresses more like a battle mage than a warrior. He doesn't wear any form of armor, nor does he carry a shield. And yet, he has not a single wound on his body," Elikar continued in wonderment.
"Well, isn't that something?" Gareth said.
"And his sword, I do not know where he could have gotten such a weapon. It's a four meter blade, but he wields it in one hand most of the time."
"One hand? Are you sure? Maybe he was moving so fast you couldn't see his other hand?" Carsis asked.
"You could be right, but I am pretty sure it was one hand."
"Impossible. A four meter blade can barely be swung with two hands." Gareth said.
"Of course you're right, but he also moves faster than anything ever could, so he is already quite extraordinary."
"Where is this man?" Carsis said, "I want to see him for myself."
Elikar pointed towards the gates, where a huge mass of demons stood, paralyzed. "Just follow the paralyzed demons."
"He can paralyze demons too?" Gareth asked, "seems like a handy ability."
"I don't know how he does it, since I can't sense him casting a spell. It must have something to do with his weapon." Elikar said.
The three of them jogged together over towards the gates. As they neared the demons, Gareth suddenly cried out, "By the Gods! Did you see that?" Excitedly, he ran towards the demons full tilt. Carsis followed quickly after, while Elikar winced and jogged behind. Black blurs flashed among the demons, and they fell two or three at a time in lifeless heaps of demonic meat. Gareth could only stare, mouth agape. Carsis stood beside him, shaking his head in disbelief at the bloody sight unfolding before him. Elikar, came up behind them, watching for the second time as a group of demons was butchered by a whirling fury of black slashes. Within minutes, fifty or so demons lay dead on the ground, with more joining them every moment. The man continued through the gates, slaughtering paralyzed demons as he went. Gareth, Carsis, and Elikar followed closely behind.
As they passed through the gates, a large red-black circle came into view. It was roughly ten meters high, and pulsed with a hellish light. And it spewed demons onto the battlefield. Elikar pointed, "A HellGate! We must reach the portal and destroy it if we are ever going to stop this siege!"
"But how the hell are we going to destroy a magical portal with swords?" Gareth cursed.
Carsis shrugged, "we'll worry about that once we reach it."
At the rate Amuro was felling demons, it didn't seen like it'd be long. Black slashes started appearing at a faster and faster rate. The man worked quickly, systematically butchering demons in small groups, moving rapidly towards the portal. The three companions soon found themselves treading on a carpet of demon arms, legs, and dismembered torsos. Every once in a while, there would be a neat pile of exactly two arms, two legs, a head, and a body, neatly sliced at the joints and fallen in almost the correct configuration. Everywhere they looked, blue flowed like water over the battlefield.
As they neared the portal, they suddenly heard a deafening roar, and a true monster appeared before them. "An Overseer," Elikar hissed. The demon was much larger than anything else on the field, towering ten meters above their heads. It was massively built, a hulking brute of a demon, with limbs as thick across as tree-trunks. Several layers of metallic scales blanketed its body, and bladed edges appeared almost at random on its person. Cruel metallic claws clicked as the Overseer let out another earth-shattering roar. The beast took a step forward, causing the ground to shake. A low rumble filled the air.
"Shit. I really wished Diablo wouldn't make 'em so damn big!" Gareth cursed.
"I want to see how Amuro handles this guy," Carsis said thoughtfully.
Amuro, meanwhile, did not seem to notice the Overseer that was slowly moving towards him, step by lumbering step. He continued to slash away at the lesser demons that crowded around the portal. His slashing pace was accelerating, to the point where his sword seemed to leave black streaks in the air as it removed body parts at an unearthly rate.
The Overseer raised a bladed fist and brought it crashing to the ground, shaking the land violently and knocking the three companions off their feet. Gareth cursed as he lost his footing on the shifting soil, while Elikar and Carsis caught themselves on their shields and slowly stood up. Amuro was still ignoring the monstrosity, somehow remaining on his feet, never losing a beat in his rapid killing. Roaring, the Overseer closed the remaining distance and took a swipe with its fist, claws extended and glinting in the sunlight. Amuro didn't see the blades coming, turning to decapitate another demon, then cutting diagonally upwards to slice two demons in half. The approaching claws were carving a path through the demons, impaling them on the cruel blades. Amuro still hadn't noticed. Gareth yelled, "Duck!" as the blade came closer and closer. The lethal blades sliced through thin air.
Everyone blinked.
Amuro had somehow lept from the ground to the Overseer's shoulder, nine meters above the ground. From the ground, the three warriors saw a large black crescent and suddenly the Overseer's arm continued flying through the air, powered by its remaining force and unimpeded by the shoulder joint. The Overseer roared in pain swinging its other arm upwards in order to swipe Amuro off its shoulder like an insect. As the hand neared him, Amuro ducked and slashed upwards as the bladed hand passed over his head, slicing the hand off neatly at the wrist. Howling, the demon swatted with its stump, hitting itself as Amuro took off towards the Overseer's neck. There was a huge black streak as Amuro ran past the thick coils of the throat, and there was a sudden tide of dark red. Amuro barely leapt out of the way in time. As the head separated from the body, a dark, bubbling tide of red poured from the gaping wound, hissing and crackling as it hit the ground. Wherever it touched, the ground boiled and sizzled like water on a fire, rapidly turning from brown or green to deathly black. Demons, living and dead alike, were too close to their Overseer to avoid the acidic blood. Hissing, the blood corroded demon scales, flesh, and bone, leaving nothing put blackened craters in the ground.
Suddenly, a loud, demonic voice filled the air with its harsh tone. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, echoing off the city walls and reverberating with an unholy power, "You pitiful humans may have defeated me here, but the new Warlord will make your existence short and painful. He is coming to Sanctuary, and all must fall before his might. Power the likes of which has never before been seen in Sanctuary. . ." With that, the Overseer's body toppled to the ground in a lifeless heap, where it dissolved into a black, featureless mass. From the falling carcass, a horrible apparition appeared, peering vehemently at Amuro, before dissolving into a chaotic maelstrom of energy with a deafening roar and shooting into the ground, back to the Hell which had spawned it.
Taking care to avoid the black mass which was still bubbling away merrily, Gareth, Elikar, and Carsis made their way towards Amuro. He was talking to himself when they reached him. "Quite an interesting development."
Elikar nodded thoughtfully. "So one of Hell's Warlord is behind the recent plague of demons."
"No. The Overseer mentioned a new Warlord," Carsis put in, thoughtful as well.
Amuro laughed harshly, "And the old Warlords wouldn't have the courage to attack again. Several of them were mercilessly butchered during their last campaign."
Elikar looked at him sharply. "By whom?"
"A very powerful warrior, legendary in his strength. The last of a long line of those sworn to protect Sanctuary from the forces of Heaven and Hell alike."
"Who?
"It does not matter any longer. He is no more."
"No more? What happened to him?"
"It does not matter. With him gone, we must continue the struggle for him."
"Who is 'we'?" Carsis asked suddenly.
"My siblings and I. We shall continue our father's work."
"Your father?" Elikar asked sharply.
"Yes. Our father. We know nothing of him, save that he had always fought against the influence of any immortals."
Gareth coughed loudly. "I think we should continue this later. We still have to deal with this portal."
"How are we going to destroy an energy portal with swords?" Elikar asked, looking over at Amuro.
Amuro only shrugged. "I have not the power. However, I have made arrangements. He should be arriving. . . now."
Gareth, Elikar, and Carsis looked around curiously, while Amuro bent his head to his chest, eyes closed, thinking. "There!" Gareth pointed. Following his outstretched finger, Elikar and Carsis look up behind them in time to see a man dressed in the rich blue traveling robes of an Archmage materializing above them. The man floated in the air, eyes closed, mouthing strange incantations known only to him. His fingers weaved an arcane pattern in the air as he continued to silently mouth words of power. After several seconds, a blue aura, like a brightly burning flame, appeared around his body. Where they weaved, his fingers now traced blue patterns in the air, and from under his eyelids, blue flame licked as though to singe his eyebrows. He too, was bald, and from his head, a crown of blue flame danced excitedly, much faster than natural flame. Slowly, the mage opened his eyes and raised his head to look upon the portal. While still silently mouthing incantations, he extended a hand, unnaturally long fingers splayed out like a spider's web. The flaming aura around him flared brightly as he spoke the last words of his spell out loud, his voice booming with an unnatural, ethereal echo across the deserted battlefield. As the echo of those last words died away, a column of blue fire shot forward, striking the mirror surface of the red portal. The portal shuddered at the impact, the mirror surface breaking into waves. The mage continued feeding power into the blue energy column, slowly breaking away the portal's moorings in the mortal world. With a final shudder, the portal shattered brilliantly and collapsed in upon itself, blinking out of existence.
"Well done, Amura," Amuro said loudly, opening his eyes and looking at the mage.
"My thanks, brother. It really was no trouble." Slowly, the mage lowered himself to the ground, a slight dust cloud rising from his landing.
"It seems that we have a new Warlord on our hands that needs to be disposed of," Amuro said grimly.
"Another one? Is that the cause of the recent demonic invasions?"
"I do not know for sure. However, I have been thinking upon the recent demonic activity, and it seems to widespread, and above all, too. . . well, too successful for a Warlord."
"Then you think it is one of the Three come to Sanctuary then?"
"I fear that it must be."
"But then what is the purpose of the Warlord?"
"I do not know. The way the Overseer -" Amuro nodded towards the still bubbling carcass, "- was speaking of him, this Warlord may be different."
"Hmm. . . perhaps," Amura bent his head, thinking, "Perhaps this Warlord is an avatar of one of the Three? Or perhaps one with the combined might of the Three?"
"I've decided that the Warlord's nature matters little. It will matter even less when we finally track him down and put an end to him."
"I doubt it will be that simple, my friend. The Warlord has been remarkably effective so far. The majority of the south has fallen silent, most victims disappeared without a trace a-"
"Excuse me, but just who are you people?" Gareth asked exasperatedly.
"Eh?" Amura turned and looked at the old warrior that addressed him. "I am Amura, Archmage from the Citadel of the Sky," the mage said, bowing from the neck. "Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
Elikar stepped up, "My name is Elikar, I am a knight of Khanduras. These are my friends and companions, Gareth, and Carsis."
"Well, Elikar, Gareth, and Carsis, I suggest that you tend to your wounds and leave before more trouble comes," Amuro said, turning back towards his brother.
"Not so fast. I want some answers first," Gareth said. "First of all, was it you making that infernal screaming noise? And second of all, what manner of weapon is that?" he said, pointing at the sword that Amuro held at his side.
Amuro looked at Amura, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged. The man sighed. "Very well. I can answer both questions with one answer. The screaming noise that you heard comes from the sword. You see here the symbols cut out of the blade. These symbols confer a powerful necromantic enchantment on the blade. When the blade is swung at high enough speeds, air passes over the symbols, which creates a magical banshee wail. This wail paralyzes all enemies within hearing distance. As for the blade itself, those in Kurast call it 'The Screaming Black Blade of Destruction,' but it is better known in Khanduras as - "
"Wailing Doom," Elikar suddenly whispered in awe.
"- yes, the Wailing Doom." Amuro said, eyeing Elikar curiously. "You look like you have some knowledge of it."
"Yes. I heard of that blade from my father, but I had never seen it myself, of course. He told me tales of how it could slaughter entire armies as they stood powerless to defend themselves, and of the banshee scream that always accompanied its passing. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it earlier."
"Well. He did not see it either, or he would not have lived to tell you tales. I have always fought alone, and all who have stood against me have met their ends on this edge," Amuro whispered, running a finger along the edge of the blade.
"Okay, okay. That's all fine and everything," Gareth said rudely, "But what are you doing in Lunas?"
"Demon hunting of course," Amura said, before his brother could reply. "I sensed the dark aura of this demon army and teleported here to save the city."
Gareth looked around, "A whole lot of saving you did here. I don't see a single townsperson. Alive anyway. Got plenty of dead people for the crows, but that doesn't do the people a whole lot of good."
"We were also summoned here to meet someone," Amuro said. Amura shot him a look, but the man continued, "We are apparently forming a group to hunt the Seven Fallen Stars." Carsis' eyes widened at this.
"The Seven? But adventurers have been trying to find them for ages. Most have either died or given up," Carsis said.
"That is true. We think the ones that died trying actually did find a few of the Seven, but were killed by guardians of some sort."
"Guardians?"
"Yes. Artifacts of such power as the Seven are bound to be guarded by something, to prevent some fool from stumbling upon one of them by accident and using it to rule Sanctuary or something foolish like that."
Carsis nodded thoughtfully.
"If you are done with your questions, we must search the city for our contact," Amura said.
"Perhaps he's already dead, because you weren't fast enough in getting here," Gareth muttered.
Amura looked at the wielder of the Waling Doom, and chuckled. "No, it's not likely that she'd be killed. It'd take a lot more than a horde of demons to kill that one."
Chapter 3: Wailing Doom
Elikar cursed as he felt his arm go numb from the impact, almost causing him to drop his shield. The great axe had left a large, ugly mark on the faded red design, and had he been just a little slower, it would have taken off a good sized chunk of his head. As it was however, Elikar was fast enough do unto the monster as it would have done to him before it had a chance to recover from its swing. Blue ichor sprayed outward in an obscene crescent as a cruel gash appeared on the monster's human-like face. The monster fell back, missing an eye and half of its flat nose, as another demon rushed in roaring, swinging a two-handed sword overhead. Raising his shield and deflecting the blow, almost by instinct, he slashed one-handed to slice the attacker's wrist neatly off, then twisted and cut across the chest to send the demon howling to the ground, where it was trampled by its comrades attempting to get a piece of Elikar. Axes and swords whirled around him in a globe of blades as he parried, blocked, stabbed and slashed. Though he killed several more demons, eventually, it was too much and he rolled backwards with his shield above him to escape being mobbed.
Taking a look around himself, Elikar realized that he had become separated from his comrades. All other human fighters in the area had already been killed. Heads, arms, legs and various pieces of human and demon torsos lay scattered about like so much bloody refuse. He could hear the sounds of fighting behind him, and the Lunas city wall lay to his left. Peering in front of him, he could just barely make out one of the twin towers that marked the city gates. "Dammit, we have to get to the gates and close them if we're ever going to stop the tide of monsters," he thought grimly.
Elikar's attention turned back towards the demons that were now charging towards him, swords and axes swinging as their roars filled the air. Hefting his two-handed sword in his right hand and his shield in his left, he ran forward to greet them. Rolling under the first swing, he swept the tip of his shield sideways, the serrated edge slicing the thick muscles of the calf cleanly. His sword shot out on his right as he rolled, slicing through shin bones and muscle. He could hear the demons roaring in pain, even as he lept to his feet and ran the rest of the way through the demons, dodging blows and returning them as he flew past. He doubted he scored any kills, but most of the monsters would be several limbs short after his passing. He continued running, his plate mail clanking against him and slowing him down dramatically. After almost two hours of fighting, the weight on his shoulders was rapidly taking its toll, and his feet felt like lead bricks that he dragged across the dirt-covered ground. Looking behind him to see if the demons pursued, he saw that the majority were missing legs, or pieces of legs, and thus could do nothing but crawl or hop about.
As Elikar neared the gates, he noticed that the sounds of fighting grew louder. In particular, he heard a strange, high-pitched screaming sound that he was certain could not be of this world. "Even the village wenches could not scream this piercingly," he mumbled to himself. To his right, Elikar noticed Gareth and Carsis working their way towards the main gate, swords rising and falling in perfect rhythm, cutting a swath through demon flesh as they cursed and slashed. Deciding that his friends could handle themselves, Elikar continued to stumble towards the gates, where the enemy was thickest.
The first demon he impaled did not even sense Elikar as the blade entered its back. Sliding the monstrosity off of his blade, Elikar slashed sideways, cutting the heads off two monsters and embedding the blade deeply in the cheek of a third. He tugged on the blade, hard, to attempt to dislodge it but without avail, the tough demon bones gripping the blade tightly. His attention diverted, he did not notice the demon's sword until it had cut an ugly line in his shoulder, sliding sideways across his collarbone. Hissing in pain, Elikar gave one hard tug to pull his blade loose, then spun around and slashed backhanded to cut the demon's face cleanly in two. Unable to tend to his shoulder due to the danger, he could only clench his teeth from the pain and continue forward. The scream was getting louder.
Not fifty feet from the gigantic gates of Lunas, Elikar noticed that the monsters were focused on something in their midst, and thus did not even notice him as he weaved in and out of their ranks, killing almost at leisure. He worked his way like a butcher through the ranks, wincing at the screaming which had now reached an ear-splitting level. As he neared the gates, he had to drop his shield and hold the side of his head in pain, but so focused were the demons that they failed to notice the helpless man standing not twenty feet behind them. Elikar had to stop that noise soon or go insane. But the screaming seemed to come from every direction at once.
Elikar sensed the motion before he could fully see it, but some of the blade still got past his own and a new line opened in his armor, a field of crimson spreading through the chain links under the plating. Without his shield, and his head almost shattering from the noise, he was unable to parry the demon's axe swipe, which caught him full in the chest, knocking him to the ground and cracking several ribs. Elikar's ornate sword flew out of his hand as he hit the ground hard. Cursing from the pain, he blinked to clear his eyes. An emotionless face looked down upon him as two arms swung a shining silver blade downwards to cleave Elikar in half. Before he had time to do anything however, he felt a sudden wind above him, and a deafening, piercing, screech blasted through the air. The demon above him suddenly fell apart in several pieces, clean slice marks across the torso and head. Almost every joint had been cleanly sliced, the bone protruding slightly, a sickly yellowish white. Above him stood a towering, lean man. Though frail-looking, Elikar could almost feel a physical aura of power around him, as if he consciously projected it. His head had not a single hair upon it, and had an almost golden sheen to it. What interested Elikar the most however, was the strange weapon he held. The sword was a monster, a full four meters of cold blue-black blade. The blade was just slightly curved and seemed useless for stabbing. The blade was extremely thin along its entire length, seemingly sharp enough to draw blood from the air. The height of the blade was strange - a mere two or three inches high at the base, near the handle, which suddenly widened gracefully into a half-foot high head. The surface of the head was strange too, not solid like most blades. Archaic patterns and symbols seemed to have been cut out of the blade that once in a while flashed black-blue.
The man held the gigantic weapon out to his right side with one hand while he extended the other to help Elikar to his feet. "Greetings friend, I am Amuro. It seemed like you required assistance. In your damaged state, I doubt you'll make it very far, so follow me, and I will protect you."
"I thank you for your help, but I don't really need protecting, just my sword and my shield - " Elikar coughed. He noted that the piercing screaming had stopped.
"You can trust me. . . it will be faster this way. If I let you fight on your own, I would forever be returning to save you. It would be quicker if you stayed with me."
"I can still fight, despite my wounds."
"Yes, but not well enough to stay alive my friend. You have several broken ribs and many smaller wounds. Be smart and live."
Elikar, not wanting to argue, shrugged, "Very well. I think you for your help then."
"Retrieve your weaponry and come with me. I would heal you, but I have not the power."
Amuro started off at a moderate walk towards a group of monsters, his sword still held off to the right with one hand. Elikar bent over and picked up his sword and shield, wincing at the pain in his midsection and almost struggling under the weight due to loss of blood. He marveled at how the man had managed to remain unhurt through all the fighting, and how he could hold that monster of a sword with one hand. The man had just reached a large group of several dozen demons as Elikar caught up. He heard, "Be careful not to get in my way" before the man suddenly blurred into motion. His feet, rather than moving like a man running, seemed to simply slide motionless along the ground with demonic speed. The man leaned forward as he slid, bringing his sword over his right shoulder. Before the words had finished entering Elikar's ears, the man had already slid past his first victim. The demon had just raised its sword when the man's gigantic blade cut him neatly in half. Before the body had barely started to separate, the man was on to his next victim, sweeping the blade sideways so fast Elikar only saw a black blur before the blade suddenly changed direction, rising then sweeping downwards diagonally, slicing two demons in half and removing the leg of a third. He spun and slashed backhanded, decapitating several demons in passing.
The piercing wail slammed into Elikar like a tide, almost bowling him over, forcing him to drop his sword and shield to clutch his head in pain. Noticing this however, Amuro stopped his butchering for a second to weave his hand arcanely above his blade while whispering an incantation. The moment he was done, he became a blur again, slashing in and out of the group of demons while they stood helpless to defend themselves. Elikar, however, was more preoccupied with the sudden absence of pain and deafening screams. Retrieving his sword and shield once more from the ground, he stumbled into the fray, coming up behind a demon that seemed to be held almost in paralysis. Its muscles twitched rapidly, but it seemed unable to do anything productive, and both hands gripped bladed weapons at its sides, unmoving. Elikar raised his sword to decapitate the monster, but before his hand was even above his shoulder a figured blurred into existence in front of the monster, slashed rapidly, then blurred away, searching for another victim. The demon fell in a heap of dismembered body parts as Elikar sighed, looking around for more demons. There were none. The handful remaining out of the original several dozen were being rapidly butchered by the blue-black blade. In a flurry of blurred motions, the last of the demons fell in a heap of body parts. Amuro turned towards Elikar. "Come with me, there remain more demons to butcher."
Elikar was a seasoned battle-veteran, a soldier in countless battles between the kingdoms, and he had seen many incredible champions, whose strength and sword skills seemed almost god-like. Never had he seen such a man as the butcher that now turned and walked towards the gates. He did not wear armor, nor did he have a shield. He was dressed in a blue and black embroidered shirt that hugged his body tightly, and wide, billowy black-silk pants that were extremely narrow at the ankles. Around his body flowed a long black silk cloak which billowed back behind him as he strode away. All in all, he dressed more like a battle mage than a swordfighter, and yet he seemed to have no power with Mana. On top of that, he wielded with one arm a blade the likes of which Elikar had never seen in all his traveling, a blade that a normal fighter probably would not even be able to lift with two arms. And his speed was something out of nightmares, blurring in and out of existence as he butchered demons. And yet, the slashing was not wild, since every demon had either been cut in half, or taken apart at the joints. Shaking his head in wonderment, Elikar walked quickly to catch up.
* * *
Gareth turned towards Carsis, "Where do you suppose that screaming is coming from?"
"It doesn't sound like a human, and we haven't heard a demon scream. It seems to be coming from the direction of the gates."
"How convenient, seeing as how we're headed there anyway."
Carsis nodded in agreement while casually slicing off a demon's face as it charged forward from the right. Gareth went low and slashed sideways, splitting scales to gouge out the demon's intestines, and the monster fell over, spraying blue ichor into the air. The two fighters looked around them. That had been the last demon in this area, the only remaining sign of demonic activity was at the gates. The humans in the area had all either fled or been butchered. The latter seemed more likely, as human corpses, whole and in pieces, littered the ground. The crows were going to have a feast.
The two warriors walked to the left, towards the gates. As they approached, the screaming they had noticed grew louder and louder, coming in waves. Gareth cursed at the noise, while Carsis only winced and continued jogging, greatsword held down at his right side. They saw a group of thirty-odd demons near the gates with their backs turned towards them. Gareth and Carsis snuck up behind them, taking care not to rattle their armor. Stepping lightly, they drew within arms-length of the demons, raised their swords, and killed the two monsters standing closest to them. The other monsters did not turn around. As the two continued butchering them, the monsters made no movement or sound, like stone.
"What's wrong with these guys?" Gareth asked, decapitating a demon.
"They seem to be paralyzed. Their muscles are twitching but they don't seem to be able to really move." Carsis said, cutting a demon in half. The two men rapidly dispatched the entire group of demons, then continued towards the gate. After a few dozen stpes, Gareth dropped to his knee, clutching his head. Carsis looked like he wished he could do the same."
"This noise is getting extremely painful," Gareth cursed, clutching his head and shaking, as if trying to dislodge something on his back.
"It is," Carsis agreed, "but from here it sounds like it's coming from every direction. I wonder what it is."
"I don't CARE what it is. I just want it to stop!" Gareth yelled.
As if on cue, the screaming suddenly did just that. The noise died away to a dull, high-pitched whistle, then to a whine, and then nothing. Silence. Except for the roars of dying demons. "What the -" Gareth said, looking about hesitantly as if the noise would start up any second now, "what happened?"
Carsis, free of the pain, suddenly noticed a figure in blue-stained armor. "Look Gareth, it's Elikar!" he pointed to his left.
"Well I'll be damned. Looks like the boy is still alive. He's got more in him than I thought."
"I told you, he's been fighting monsters all over Sanctuary."
"I wonder if he knows what that noise was."
"We should get over there quickly."
"I second that."
The two ran as fast as their armor allowed towards Elikar, and the gate. Elikar seemed lost in thought, walking towards the gates in a daze, not seeing his two friends coming up behind him on his right. Gareth clapped him on the shoulder, shaking Elikar out of his thoughts. Elikar spun around while raising his sword, before noticing the tanned, grizzled face in front of him. "Gareth, old man! I thought the demons would have butchered you," he said, chuckling.
"Of course, but I had Carsis with me, so I was pretty safe, even with my squeaky old joints," Gareth joked, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder at the big man that was jogging towards them.
"Greetings, Carsis. How goes the fighting?" Elikar said to the larger man.
"The slaughter is quite good. There hasn't been a battle like this in many years," Carsis said, almost cheerily.
"The areas around the gate are cleared, but most of the humans have been slain. The only remaining demons seem to be at the gates," Gareth broke in.
"Well, there won't be many left."
"Sure, after we're through with them," Gareth snickered.
"No, no. We may not even get a shot at them." Elikar said, shaking his head.
"Eh? What do you mean?" Carsis said, concerned.
"We aren't the only experienced fighters here. Do you remember that screaming sound? The one that made your head feel like there was broken glass spinning around your brain?"
Carsis and Gareth both nodded. "Sure, I couldn't even hear myself think," Gareth said.
"Well, that noise was coming from a strange new fighter named Amuro."
"A new fighter? Amuro?" Carsis asked.
"Yes. I've never seen him, or his kind before. He looks human enough, but he fights like a demon. And he moves faster than anything I have ever seen." Carsis and Gareth simply stood there, thoughtful. "Well, if he's out there butchering demons, I say he's more than welcome. Less work for us," Gareth said.
"He dresses more like a battle mage than a warrior. He doesn't wear any form of armor, nor does he carry a shield. And yet, he has not a single wound on his body," Elikar continued in wonderment.
"Well, isn't that something?" Gareth said.
"And his sword, I do not know where he could have gotten such a weapon. It's a four meter blade, but he wields it in one hand most of the time."
"One hand? Are you sure? Maybe he was moving so fast you couldn't see his other hand?" Carsis asked.
"You could be right, but I am pretty sure it was one hand."
"Impossible. A four meter blade can barely be swung with two hands." Gareth said.
"Of course you're right, but he also moves faster than anything ever could, so he is already quite extraordinary."
"Where is this man?" Carsis said, "I want to see him for myself."
Elikar pointed towards the gates, where a huge mass of demons stood, paralyzed. "Just follow the paralyzed demons."
"He can paralyze demons too?" Gareth asked, "seems like a handy ability."
"I don't know how he does it, since I can't sense him casting a spell. It must have something to do with his weapon." Elikar said.
The three of them jogged together over towards the gates. As they neared the demons, Gareth suddenly cried out, "By the Gods! Did you see that?" Excitedly, he ran towards the demons full tilt. Carsis followed quickly after, while Elikar winced and jogged behind. Black blurs flashed among the demons, and they fell two or three at a time in lifeless heaps of demonic meat. Gareth could only stare, mouth agape. Carsis stood beside him, shaking his head in disbelief at the bloody sight unfolding before him. Elikar, came up behind them, watching for the second time as a group of demons was butchered by a whirling fury of black slashes. Within minutes, fifty or so demons lay dead on the ground, with more joining them every moment. The man continued through the gates, slaughtering paralyzed demons as he went. Gareth, Carsis, and Elikar followed closely behind.
As they passed through the gates, a large red-black circle came into view. It was roughly ten meters high, and pulsed with a hellish light. And it spewed demons onto the battlefield. Elikar pointed, "A HellGate! We must reach the portal and destroy it if we are ever going to stop this siege!"
"But how the hell are we going to destroy a magical portal with swords?" Gareth cursed.
Carsis shrugged, "we'll worry about that once we reach it."
At the rate Amuro was felling demons, it didn't seen like it'd be long. Black slashes started appearing at a faster and faster rate. The man worked quickly, systematically butchering demons in small groups, moving rapidly towards the portal. The three companions soon found themselves treading on a carpet of demon arms, legs, and dismembered torsos. Every once in a while, there would be a neat pile of exactly two arms, two legs, a head, and a body, neatly sliced at the joints and fallen in almost the correct configuration. Everywhere they looked, blue flowed like water over the battlefield.
As they neared the portal, they suddenly heard a deafening roar, and a true monster appeared before them. "An Overseer," Elikar hissed. The demon was much larger than anything else on the field, towering ten meters above their heads. It was massively built, a hulking brute of a demon, with limbs as thick across as tree-trunks. Several layers of metallic scales blanketed its body, and bladed edges appeared almost at random on its person. Cruel metallic claws clicked as the Overseer let out another earth-shattering roar. The beast took a step forward, causing the ground to shake. A low rumble filled the air.
"Shit. I really wished Diablo wouldn't make 'em so damn big!" Gareth cursed.
"I want to see how Amuro handles this guy," Carsis said thoughtfully.
Amuro, meanwhile, did not seem to notice the Overseer that was slowly moving towards him, step by lumbering step. He continued to slash away at the lesser demons that crowded around the portal. His slashing pace was accelerating, to the point where his sword seemed to leave black streaks in the air as it removed body parts at an unearthly rate.
The Overseer raised a bladed fist and brought it crashing to the ground, shaking the land violently and knocking the three companions off their feet. Gareth cursed as he lost his footing on the shifting soil, while Elikar and Carsis caught themselves on their shields and slowly stood up. Amuro was still ignoring the monstrosity, somehow remaining on his feet, never losing a beat in his rapid killing. Roaring, the Overseer closed the remaining distance and took a swipe with its fist, claws extended and glinting in the sunlight. Amuro didn't see the blades coming, turning to decapitate another demon, then cutting diagonally upwards to slice two demons in half. The approaching claws were carving a path through the demons, impaling them on the cruel blades. Amuro still hadn't noticed. Gareth yelled, "Duck!" as the blade came closer and closer. The lethal blades sliced through thin air.
Everyone blinked.
Amuro had somehow lept from the ground to the Overseer's shoulder, nine meters above the ground. From the ground, the three warriors saw a large black crescent and suddenly the Overseer's arm continued flying through the air, powered by its remaining force and unimpeded by the shoulder joint. The Overseer roared in pain swinging its other arm upwards in order to swipe Amuro off its shoulder like an insect. As the hand neared him, Amuro ducked and slashed upwards as the bladed hand passed over his head, slicing the hand off neatly at the wrist. Howling, the demon swatted with its stump, hitting itself as Amuro took off towards the Overseer's neck. There was a huge black streak as Amuro ran past the thick coils of the throat, and there was a sudden tide of dark red. Amuro barely leapt out of the way in time. As the head separated from the body, a dark, bubbling tide of red poured from the gaping wound, hissing and crackling as it hit the ground. Wherever it touched, the ground boiled and sizzled like water on a fire, rapidly turning from brown or green to deathly black. Demons, living and dead alike, were too close to their Overseer to avoid the acidic blood. Hissing, the blood corroded demon scales, flesh, and bone, leaving nothing put blackened craters in the ground.
Suddenly, a loud, demonic voice filled the air with its harsh tone. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, echoing off the city walls and reverberating with an unholy power, "You pitiful humans may have defeated me here, but the new Warlord will make your existence short and painful. He is coming to Sanctuary, and all must fall before his might. Power the likes of which has never before been seen in Sanctuary. . ." With that, the Overseer's body toppled to the ground in a lifeless heap, where it dissolved into a black, featureless mass. From the falling carcass, a horrible apparition appeared, peering vehemently at Amuro, before dissolving into a chaotic maelstrom of energy with a deafening roar and shooting into the ground, back to the Hell which had spawned it.
Taking care to avoid the black mass which was still bubbling away merrily, Gareth, Elikar, and Carsis made their way towards Amuro. He was talking to himself when they reached him. "Quite an interesting development."
Elikar nodded thoughtfully. "So one of Hell's Warlord is behind the recent plague of demons."
"No. The Overseer mentioned a new Warlord," Carsis put in, thoughtful as well.
Amuro laughed harshly, "And the old Warlords wouldn't have the courage to attack again. Several of them were mercilessly butchered during their last campaign."
Elikar looked at him sharply. "By whom?"
"A very powerful warrior, legendary in his strength. The last of a long line of those sworn to protect Sanctuary from the forces of Heaven and Hell alike."
"Who?
"It does not matter any longer. He is no more."
"No more? What happened to him?"
"It does not matter. With him gone, we must continue the struggle for him."
"Who is 'we'?" Carsis asked suddenly.
"My siblings and I. We shall continue our father's work."
"Your father?" Elikar asked sharply.
"Yes. Our father. We know nothing of him, save that he had always fought against the influence of any immortals."
Gareth coughed loudly. "I think we should continue this later. We still have to deal with this portal."
"How are we going to destroy an energy portal with swords?" Elikar asked, looking over at Amuro.
Amuro only shrugged. "I have not the power. However, I have made arrangements. He should be arriving. . . now."
Gareth, Elikar, and Carsis looked around curiously, while Amuro bent his head to his chest, eyes closed, thinking. "There!" Gareth pointed. Following his outstretched finger, Elikar and Carsis look up behind them in time to see a man dressed in the rich blue traveling robes of an Archmage materializing above them. The man floated in the air, eyes closed, mouthing strange incantations known only to him. His fingers weaved an arcane pattern in the air as he continued to silently mouth words of power. After several seconds, a blue aura, like a brightly burning flame, appeared around his body. Where they weaved, his fingers now traced blue patterns in the air, and from under his eyelids, blue flame licked as though to singe his eyebrows. He too, was bald, and from his head, a crown of blue flame danced excitedly, much faster than natural flame. Slowly, the mage opened his eyes and raised his head to look upon the portal. While still silently mouthing incantations, he extended a hand, unnaturally long fingers splayed out like a spider's web. The flaming aura around him flared brightly as he spoke the last words of his spell out loud, his voice booming with an unnatural, ethereal echo across the deserted battlefield. As the echo of those last words died away, a column of blue fire shot forward, striking the mirror surface of the red portal. The portal shuddered at the impact, the mirror surface breaking into waves. The mage continued feeding power into the blue energy column, slowly breaking away the portal's moorings in the mortal world. With a final shudder, the portal shattered brilliantly and collapsed in upon itself, blinking out of existence.
"Well done, Amura," Amuro said loudly, opening his eyes and looking at the mage.
"My thanks, brother. It really was no trouble." Slowly, the mage lowered himself to the ground, a slight dust cloud rising from his landing.
"It seems that we have a new Warlord on our hands that needs to be disposed of," Amuro said grimly.
"Another one? Is that the cause of the recent demonic invasions?"
"I do not know for sure. However, I have been thinking upon the recent demonic activity, and it seems to widespread, and above all, too. . . well, too successful for a Warlord."
"Then you think it is one of the Three come to Sanctuary then?"
"I fear that it must be."
"But then what is the purpose of the Warlord?"
"I do not know. The way the Overseer -" Amuro nodded towards the still bubbling carcass, "- was speaking of him, this Warlord may be different."
"Hmm. . . perhaps," Amura bent his head, thinking, "Perhaps this Warlord is an avatar of one of the Three? Or perhaps one with the combined might of the Three?"
"I've decided that the Warlord's nature matters little. It will matter even less when we finally track him down and put an end to him."
"I doubt it will be that simple, my friend. The Warlord has been remarkably effective so far. The majority of the south has fallen silent, most victims disappeared without a trace a-"
"Excuse me, but just who are you people?" Gareth asked exasperatedly.
"Eh?" Amura turned and looked at the old warrior that addressed him. "I am Amura, Archmage from the Citadel of the Sky," the mage said, bowing from the neck. "Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
Elikar stepped up, "My name is Elikar, I am a knight of Khanduras. These are my friends and companions, Gareth, and Carsis."
"Well, Elikar, Gareth, and Carsis, I suggest that you tend to your wounds and leave before more trouble comes," Amuro said, turning back towards his brother.
"Not so fast. I want some answers first," Gareth said. "First of all, was it you making that infernal screaming noise? And second of all, what manner of weapon is that?" he said, pointing at the sword that Amuro held at his side.
Amuro looked at Amura, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged. The man sighed. "Very well. I can answer both questions with one answer. The screaming noise that you heard comes from the sword. You see here the symbols cut out of the blade. These symbols confer a powerful necromantic enchantment on the blade. When the blade is swung at high enough speeds, air passes over the symbols, which creates a magical banshee wail. This wail paralyzes all enemies within hearing distance. As for the blade itself, those in Kurast call it 'The Screaming Black Blade of Destruction,' but it is better known in Khanduras as - "
"Wailing Doom," Elikar suddenly whispered in awe.
"- yes, the Wailing Doom." Amuro said, eyeing Elikar curiously. "You look like you have some knowledge of it."
"Yes. I heard of that blade from my father, but I had never seen it myself, of course. He told me tales of how it could slaughter entire armies as they stood powerless to defend themselves, and of the banshee scream that always accompanied its passing. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it earlier."
"Well. He did not see it either, or he would not have lived to tell you tales. I have always fought alone, and all who have stood against me have met their ends on this edge," Amuro whispered, running a finger along the edge of the blade.
"Okay, okay. That's all fine and everything," Gareth said rudely, "But what are you doing in Lunas?"
"Demon hunting of course," Amura said, before his brother could reply. "I sensed the dark aura of this demon army and teleported here to save the city."
Gareth looked around, "A whole lot of saving you did here. I don't see a single townsperson. Alive anyway. Got plenty of dead people for the crows, but that doesn't do the people a whole lot of good."
"We were also summoned here to meet someone," Amuro said. Amura shot him a look, but the man continued, "We are apparently forming a group to hunt the Seven Fallen Stars." Carsis' eyes widened at this.
"The Seven? But adventurers have been trying to find them for ages. Most have either died or given up," Carsis said.
"That is true. We think the ones that died trying actually did find a few of the Seven, but were killed by guardians of some sort."
"Guardians?"
"Yes. Artifacts of such power as the Seven are bound to be guarded by something, to prevent some fool from stumbling upon one of them by accident and using it to rule Sanctuary or something foolish like that."
Carsis nodded thoughtfully.
"If you are done with your questions, we must search the city for our contact," Amura said.
"Perhaps he's already dead, because you weren't fast enough in getting here," Gareth muttered.
Amura looked at the wielder of the Waling Doom, and chuckled. "No, it's not likely that she'd be killed. It'd take a lot more than a horde of demons to kill that one."