I hope you enjoy this chapter and offer constructive feedback on what you think of it. Thank you and have a Great Day!
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Chapter Notes:
Hey guys! I am so sorry for having taken so much time. I made a few change in the first few chapters. I got a new job that is physically taxing. I got sick . I got GF and family problems. And then I got C0vid. Life gave me lemons and took them right away without giving me the chance to make lemonade. Life is a b!tch.
The story is written from the third perspective of the people in it... their perspective is flawed from the get-go, they are unreliable narrator, that IS the point. Both because they have a limited grasp on their immediate reality or because they blame others or do not admit their own flaws and mistakes.
After all, every villain is the hero of their own story.
-Spoiler Warning for 𝕯𝖎𝖆𝖇𝖑𝖔 𝐈𝐈𝐈-
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Chapter 32: A Strange Bande of Heroes
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"Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the power they are graced with."
— Brodi Ashton
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-𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚-
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"Here." Valla softly says, holding a bowl of stew to the tall blonde crusader who, after nearly an hour, has finally stepped out of her grim covered armor.
"Thank you." Silently speaks Johanna while Li-Ming uses a few spells to heal the cursed injuries that do not heal by themselves or by the use of a healing potion.
"Eirena." Valla holds another bowl of stew to the enchantress.
"Hmm! That smells divine." Says Eirena after catching a whiff of the food that Sonya has prepared for them. "Oww." The enchantress winces as she tries to sit up, her back straightening painfully as she does so.
The large monk sighs silently and walks behind the grimacing enchantress before taking the bowl off of her hands.
"Come child. Slowly get up and try not to pull a muscle in doing so." He softly tells her. Eirena nods and, as he said, gently gets up. The monk puts a hand behind her back to probably get a feel for where the problem is coming from.
After a moment, the hands of Kharazim start to shine a yellow/golden color, Eirena sighs with relief, and after a minute the monk asks her to cross her arms on her chest. Another few minutes later and the Enchantress is sitting with her bowl empty and a blissful expression on her face.
"Kormac is still patrolling?" Johanna asks while cleaning her equipement.
"Yes. He is making sure that the remaining guards have enough sleep before taking another shift." Valla responds as she restocks her crossbow bolts and makes sure the enchantments on her quivers and weapons still properly feed said bolts to one another. Weapons that can create Arcane energy bolts are rare and hard to maintain in the long term by people who aren't master enchanters.
"Where is the… thing you brought?" Li-Ming asks the crusader, her features taking on a curious appearance.
"He is eliminating the remaining demons outside the keep." Valla responds, sighing. "He is moving too fast for me to follow… All I see is a blur in the distance, a flash of steel and then silence." She says while looking at the opened window of the balcony.
"I have seen it too." Another woman says in an accent that makes Valla smile every time she hears it.
"But killing demons is not the only thing that blur is doing."The demon hunter turns to the 8 feet tall and a half Barbarian who is followed by the Necromancer, the snow entering the room with them.
"Yes. The Void-spawn is bringing any villager or lost soldier still alive it can find out there." The necromancer continues. "People… along with any kind of useful supplies. The keep's stores are now full enough to withstand another siege and winter."
"Good. These people will need it." Johanna speaks. "He promised to not steal anything from us and from the people of this place… yet I fear that the battlefields outside are now void of anything we can loot." She smiles, shaking her head. The scoundrel snorts in amusement.
"You call it a "HE"... why?" Li-Ming asks, holding her scepter tighter against herself.
"Because… he is a boy?" Johanna says with an eyebrow raised.
"That thing isn't a boy! Do not let its appearance fool you! We need to find a way to send it back to whence it came!" The wizard raises her voice, her jaw trembling and lips pale.
"Well… Fuck you too, lady."
Valla turns around faster than any of them, pointing her hand crossbow to the blue eyed creature sitting on a barrel, swinging his legs, a frown on his face.
"Really?!" He throws his arms up in indignation. "I walked into this room nearly two minutes ago! And I wasn't even trying to hide!" He says, surprising most of them except the monk among their group. Kharazim walks closer to the… boy, claps his hands together and bows respectfully.
"I apologize for my friends' behavior and inaptitude to show respect for a guest." The monk says… the small boy gives an exact bow in return. "I must also apologize for my lack of a proper greeting earlier... The loss of one of our own has shaken me more profoundly than I thought possible." Kharazim tells the small being with a mournful tone.
"You have nothing to apologize for… I know what it is to lose someone…" The glowing blue eyes of the boy then take on a distant look before sighing. "I am named Kal-El… Or Jaune Arc. Both are equally valid." He says with a small smile and a shrug.
"I know that you won't recognize my titles or the names from my universe… my realm. But, I am as your Archangels call, a Planeswalker. A Traveler. From where I come from, I am a Ward of the Crown of Asgard, the Realm Eternal. The only son of Jor-El and Lara of the noble House of EL of Krypton, adopted son of Nicolas Arc, Salem the immortal Queen of the Evernight and Circe the daughter of Helios, the titan-god of Sol." He bows again but to all of them this time.
"Pleasure to meet you all!" He waves his small hand at them after rising up. Except Johanna, Eirena who both already knew, and the monk who doesn't seem surprised by what the child is, all look at him in muted surprise.
"I am Kharazim, a Veradani Monk of Ivgorod." Kharazim bows lightly again, presenting himself. "I have travelled across many lands and trained all my life to serve the Thousand and One gods. With their insight, I walk the dagger's edge between peace and war. By their grace, I can heal the wounded. When they need to see, I am their eyes. When they would ignite the light of truth, I am their torch. When they wish to strike, I am their iron fist." The monk says with a small and tired smile before turning to Valla.
The demon hunter sighs… She really wanted to go take a hot bath.
"I am Valla." She gives a nod. "I am a demon hunter… I kill demons wherever they are… And that's pretty much it." The monk clears his throat, narrowing his eyes at her. "Fine…" She sighs again.
"My family was butchered by hellspawn." She shakes her head, the memories of that night still…painful. "To witness such a thing is enough to leave your mind in ruins. The madness killed my sister, and left me frightened and alone. Until I was rescued. Rescued by survivors, who had joined together to rid the world of the creatures of Hell. They saw in me the strength to resist the demons. And they forged me into a weapon."
"When my Order learned that a meteor had fallen on Tristram, and that the dead were rising in its wake... I was dispatched to send them back to their graves." Valla shows her surroundings. "And here we are." She then smiles mischievously before turning her eyes to Li-Ming who now looks at her with an open mouth.
"Traitor…" The wizard tells her. She turns to the blue eyed boy-like creature and snorts. "I am Li-Ming of Xiansai!" The wizard huffs imperiously. "A master of limitless arcane power!"
"And here we go again…" The thief at her side whispers.
"Since my youth, I have been told that I was special, a magical prodigy of vast potential. I came to the prestigious Yshari Sanctum, seeking what knowledge I could glean from the masters. But I found them fearful of the truth. I then knew that I would learn nothing from them. But the old books, the prophecies they contained, showed me all that might come to pass, and all that I might become." Li-Ming says with pride.
"Then, when a star fell from the heavens, I knew it was the sign I had been waiting for, that my time had finally come. I left the old masters behind and traveled west, to Tristram, to stop the darkness that the star foretold...and to fulfill the destiny that is still calling to me." She states, posing like a hero, her fists at her hips.
"...Okay." The child says with a large smile hidden behind his small hand, silently chuckling, making the wizard huff again.
"Another tasteless beast…" Li-Ming huffs.
"Oh no! That was a good presentation." The being known as Kal-El says with a smile… "But, believe me kiddo… Fate and Destiny are not as friendly as you think they are, and you do not want them to have their sights on you." He tells Li-Ming with unblinking and unnerving eyes, the same smile still on his face.
Li-Ming for her part only swallows at his words before huffing again.
"I am no child, creature! I am 23 seasons old, not some newborn maiden." She says, her pose not wavering for even a second. "You are the child here!"
"...About that." Eirena whispers.
"Enough bickering, wizard." The necromancer stands and then faces the blue-eyed boy who is still sitting on the barrel… His eyes freeze the white-haired woman as their gazes meet.
"You are a necromancer… I have seen you fight demons with the help of the dead through the memories of the stones and those of the spirits of the deceased that still linger in this plane of existence." His head slowly turns on its axis, like he is assessing the Scythe-wielding woman.
"Most necromancers I have heard of — have not the best interest of the living in mind. But your actions prove that your goals are at least noble, and your soul still shines brightly while your mind stays mostly untouched, both uncorrupted by the Necromantic energies of your art. And so, I will cast no judgement upon you —until seeing otherwise." The Necromancer slightly bows at his words.
"Thank you, O Bright One." She sighs in relief. "I am a Priestess of Rathma, or as outsiders call me—a necromancer. I have trained since childhood, deep within the jungles of Kehjistan, to become what I am now, in order to preserve the delicate balance between the forces of life and death." The child-like creature looks at her and listens to her tale with interest.
"All that grows must also wither and die. All dies and rots, and will then nourish the living. This is the Great Cycle of Being, and we, the Priests of Rathma, use our dark art to create it. Though most do not understand us, we go where we are needed. My master had learned that a star fell in the west, drawing the dead from their graves. He commanded me to journey to Tristram and return them to their rest. For if the Cycle is not upheld, it would mean the end of all things."
"I am the Chosen of Ordan, the Master Necromancer of my Order, and my name is Lyra." The white-haired necromancer bows again… surprising everyone present, not because of her words, but by her name…
After all, it has been months since they all met, and not once did they hear her name. Calling her The Chosen has been a pain in Valla's ass since the beginning.
"Greetings, Priestess of Rathma." The blue-eyed being bows, giving his respect to Lyra before turning his eyes to the still praying Witch Doctor, Nazeebo. The madman hasn't been the same since they learned of Leah's tragic fate.
"I see that you are in tune with the Green, the Grey, the Red, the Rot, the Divided and even the Netherworld." The boy says as he watches the old man slowly turn his head toward him. "I find it strange that our universes, even if separated, have their own forms of voodoo magic and art…"
"You can feel them… the spirits?" The Umbaru asks, the wisdom returning to his eyes.
"In everything, yes." The boy smiles, still swinging his legs and gently tapping the barrel he is on with his heels.
"They are unsure of your presence in this world… of your purpose here." Nazeebo whispers, dropping small bones at his feet.
"I have no other purpose than to help and observe. To learn what I can from this small planet and its inhabitants. What I take, I will give back a hundredfold. The spirits of this world have my word. 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕟 𝔸𝕣𝕔 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕠𝕟 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤."
"Good! Good!" Nazeebo smiles widely as he looks back to the bones in front of him. "I am Nazeebo." The Umbaru puts his mask on the ground.
"I have wandered to places beyond imaginings, far from the jungles of my youth. My knowledge has grown vast over the many moons I have walked upon this blessed earth. The people, they think me banished, mad — shunned to the end of my days. They say I defy the spirits. But I say no, I follow them." Nazeebo sends the bones back on the ground and nods.
"The spirits have shown me alone that the sky-fire was where the end begins. They say this must not be. I live to serve the spirits, and so I go to send back these Evils to their Hells." The old and strange man then sits back, before launching the bones on the floor one more time… Smiling, the man then mutters to himself and his spirits, completely unaware of the world around him.
"Well… It's been a long time since he spoke that much." The thief whispers, the glowing eyes of the child find his… "I-" The man swallows and slowly breathes in, "My name is Lyndon, but people mostly call me the Scoundrel." he nervously says.
"And for good reasons." Chuckles Johanna.
"Yeah, yeah…. Laugh it off." Lyndon smiles, his nerves coming back.
"Hmm." Johanna turns her head to the strange boy. "We were cut last time I tried to present myself, no?"
"We were." Kal-El says with a small voice.
"I am Johanna Anajinn. Crusader of the Zakarum faith." She respectfully bows her head, a large grin on her face. "At twelve, I swore the oath, leaving home and family. At sixteen, I saw my master die. I took up her shield and her name, and on that day, I became a crusader; armored by faith, driven by duty, bound to kill the enemies of Zakarum. Sworn to live as a crusader, and to die as one."
"Now, corruption returns to the hearts of men more than ever. I see it in the eyes of the mad, hear it in the howling of the damned. The falling star in the west had led me to the town of New Tristram. The crusade called to me, so I went."
"I am also searching for an apprentice. Someone to train in the art of righteous warfare. Someone to carry my shield, my name and my crusade after I fall in battle. Not everyone is suited for this life. The Crusade is a heavy burden, but someone has to carry it. I am searching for an apprentice… Would you or one of your sisters be Interested?" Johanna smiles much wider now.
"... Maybe? What does the Zakarum church stand for?" The boy asks a little bit skeptically.
"Oh, do not worry. I do not follow the church directly, only the Light." Johanna reassures him.
"That explains why you did not attack me the first time we met." The Necromancer says, "Most of the Paladins and Inquisitors I have met, hunt me and those of my Order the moment they hear of us." Lyra nods slowly.
"Yeah… I was a littles scared of that too." The boy says.
"Yes. I can imagine that these fanatics can be…problematic to yours." Johanna cringes a little. "But I am no paladin, nor I am a Templar. I am a Crusader." She sighs and looks to the boy. "I feel much Light in you… Even if it's different from my own. You called it Aura if I remember."
"Yep!" The boy nods before gently jumping off the barrel, he shows his hands that slowly start to shine the purest of white. "Aura, the Light of the Soul." He smiles. "Every being with a soul has one. Each with its own color. And as you can see mine is pretty rare as it is white."
"Rare…? What is rare about white?" Lyndon asks, now very curious.
"...Oh! I forget that your species isn't much advanced in science yet." The boy sighs.
"Pardon-me?!" Li-Ming huffs for the hundredth time today. "Are you calling us primitives?" She indignantly says.
"Yes." The blue-eyed boy states, turning his head toward the Wizard in a blur too fast to be seen. "Your species is a young one. One who has not yet done much research in the Electromagnetic spectrum. Maybe that knowledge is known by wizards and other holders of knowledge… But until writing and reading is known by more than only the wealthy and the érudit, then YES… You species will remain a primitive one, and not only to my kind."
The boy then sighs, kneels and then places a hand on the ground. Dust and sand start gathering around him, he raises his hand as more particles gather around it. When he has enough, a cloud bigger than his head, every particle then fuses together in waves of heat. What he has now in his small hand is a small pyramidal prism of such transparency that it leaves Valla speechless. From his other hand, a white beam of light starts to shine… Many colors then shine through the prism the moment he puts the beam in contact with it.
"White isn't a color… it's all of them." He smiles.
Valla is more than surprised when Li-Ming runs to her bag and takes a few pages and an enchanted quill. The wizard runs to the boy and looks to the prism and the many lights dancing in it.
"Fascinating…" The girl starts scribing on her papers. "What else do you know?!" She asks the boy without even looking at him.
"A lot…?"
"The stars! What do you know about them?!" Li-Ming turns her manic eyes directly into his.
"Most are gigantic spheroid of plasma held together by their own gravity. Nuclear fusion reactions in their cores support the stars against gravity and produce photons, or as you call it — light, and heat, as well as small amounts of heavier elements." He rapidly says, a little confused by the young woman in front of him.
"How big?!"
The boy sighs and extends his free hand, the beam of light changes into motes of lights and shows a sphere blue and green in color.
"This is a planet called Terra. It is similar in size to the world we walk upon." The wizard and even all the others watch with undivided attention to the projection of light into the boy's hand.
"Yes. Your world is a ball of water, earth and air floating in an limitless ocean of stars. A planet that orbits another ball much bigger." Next to it spawns another one… This one is much, much bigger and brighter.
"This is a sun just like yours… and yes, it is classified as a star too."
"Is this common knowledge from where you came from?" Johanna asks, her eyes still on the gigantic ball of light in Kal-El's hand.
"Yes… Most civilizations across the stars know of that." He smiles at their expression.
"The gods are truly in everything." The monk says with a large smile full of wonder and mostly hidden behind his beard.
"If they are, then where were the gods when Mount Arreat was turned asunder?" The tall barbarian woman whispers with a shake of her head.
"Mount Arreat?" The small boy asks, making Sonya sigh. She turns her head fully and looks the boy in its eyes without even flinching from the Void in them.
"My land… or what used to be it." Sonya deeply sighs. "It was an open expanse of land and mountain, very large in size, snow-covered tundras, with an extensive network of ice caves under it. It was... Twenty years ago. Now, it only resembles a volcanic wasteland."
"I am sorry…" The boy softly says.
"Don't be, lad." The very tall woman says with a small smile. "It was hard to lose our home and purpose… I am Sonya of Harrogath, and I am a mighty Barbarian warrior."
"After surviving the destruction of my home and death of most of my tribe, I was tired of the empty battles I once craved. And so, I wandered, outcast, while my tribe cursed the gods who abandoned us. Our home may be in ruins, but I stand firm. I know that there is a better life for my people, somewhere." She whispers, her eyes still fixed on those of the child. "And when the shooting star struck the city of Tristram. The dead rose in its wake. I thought that this might be what I've been looking for these long years, an enemy worthy of my blade."
"Very large blades…" The boy whispers with a shy tone, looking not only at the two very large weapons that sit near the Barbarian, but also at the very muscular woman. The boy swallows and turns his eyes away, red lights shining in them.
"My Oh My~" Valla says with the biggest grin she has had in years now on her face. The boy's eyes become much redder when the Barbarian flexes her muscles in pride. "Our strange visitor has a type, it seems~" Valla says, making the boy whimper.
"Are you not a little young to be attracted to old and strong women like me." The barbarian teases him too, bending a little and showing more of her cleavage.
"You're not old! I mean- You are a beautiful woman- and strong... and... I am... really bad at this..." His small rent makes the barbarian and most of the other chuckle.
"You still have a few years in front of you before trying to seduce and impress women." Sonya says with a soft smile.
"But… I am nearly 700 years old now…" The blue-eyed boy sadly whispers. Most of their eyes widen.
"What?" Asks the barbarian, now frozen by what she just heard.
"I age slower than humans. Much slower." He shrugs, his gaze lost at his feet. "Do you know what it feels to be an adolescent for centuries, hmm? Being small sucks."
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Chapter End Notes:
Ooh~ It definitely seems that our Strange Visitor has a taste for strong women... 😏😏😏
I'll post the next chapter maybe today or tomorrow. Cya :D