Chapter 4: Marching Past the Gates of Death
Falvie and Kari were lying on their stomachs looking down into the desert. According to Marko there were two thousand goatmen. What they saw certainly proved it.
"Four hundred of us fighting that many," said Kari, "Even with golems helping us, that would be suicide."
"Let's hope Marko has a good plan," said Falvie, "or else we're all dead."
They hurried back to where their forces had gathered. Marko was sitting on his stallion, his face impassive.
"So?"
"You're right," Kari said, "How are we supposed to defeat two thousand goatmen?"
"We'll only have to fight one thousand," said Marko.
He dismounted and walked onto the rise. Everyone watched him as if he was insane. Suddenly blue light shot up from him and pierced into the heavens. The goatmen saw him and started advancing slowly. Suddenly, the clouds parted and a sphere of molten rock appeared. It struck the army of goatmen that was at least a mile away from them. A wave of fire spread all across the land, burning everything it touched. When the flames were extinguished, barren land remained where goatmen had stood. Marko unsheathed his sword and raised it above him.
"We attack!"
Fire golems appeared and charged with him. The others followed, whether on horses or foot. They crashed into the ranks of goatmen and the slaughter began. Kari didn't even see Marko and only knew where he was because of the goatmen flying through the air. Her Katars severed many heads from their bodies and she continued to fight throughout the day. The Rogues stayed back and fired arrow after arrow, picking off many goatmen before they even reached the battlefield. Finally Kari saw goatmen exploding. They tried to scatter and run but were cut to pieces by the axes and swords of the barbarians. Qual-Kehk himself was in the thick of battle, cleaving any goatman in range with his massive battleaxe. Suddenly a massive ring of lightning swept through the battlefield. Every last goatman standing feel and any that tried to get up was killed quickly. Marko was standing in the middle of the battlefield and had his free hand placed on the ground. He had cast a nova spell and killed the last remaining goatmen. The warriors retreated back to their camp having won the battle. Kari quickly caught up with Marko.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'll be fine. I just need rest. How many did we lose?"
"I don't know. Just get to your tent. You need rest more than any of us. You and your golems probably accounted for half of the goatmen we killed today in battle, not counting those you killed with that meteorite."
Marko nodded reluctantly and Kari led him to his bed. He was asleep right after lying down on the blankets. Kari took off his sword and armor for him. Blood even stained his clothes but that would have to wait. When she came out she found several others outside, waiting.
"Marko's fine," she said, "He just needs rest. How many did we lose?"
"Thirty sisters," Falvie answered, "and fifty barbarians. The wounded are being tended. They'll live."
"We'll have to probably stop for a while," said Kari, "Well, I guess that's a good thing. Let's get some rest. We all need it."
Marko woke up late the next morning. He immediately took off his bloodstained shirt. He grabbed all of his dirty clothes, including his armor, and took a fresh change of clothes with him. There was a clean lake that the caravan was camped by. He wasn't surprised when he saw many men bathing, though the women had somehow erected a wooden wall and set up a place for themselves. He set his clothes by the bank and dove in, taking his dirty clothes with him.
"Marko!"
Qual-Kehk was one of the men in the lake. The water seemed to have washed away some of his tiredness. He threw Marko a bar of soap.
"Wash well," he said.
Marko nodded. He lathered himself and then rinsed the soap off. He then moved to his clothes. He managed to get the goatman blood off easily enough and then attended to his armor and cape. The cape was fine and a quick dip in the water took out any dirt that was in it. The armor he had to scrub a little with a borrowed rag. Soon it was shining black again. He got out of the water, dried himself off with a towel, and changed into his fresh clothes. The dirty clothes and cape he had washed he took back with him. The armor was a little annoying to carry but he managed. Outside his tent he used rope and tied one end to his post and another to a tree branch. He then hung his clothes out to dry. At least now he had a chance to rest. Qual-Kehk had also returned and was reading a book he had brought along. Marko himself sat back and took out the corrupted and pure fragments.
He laid them out in front of him and examined both. The energy that the two emitted were the exact opposite of each other. When he held both he felt a burning sensation, as if the two powers were trying to fight each other. It was only natural. He picked up the pure fragment and tried to probe it. The internal structure of the crystal was fascinating. It was intricate and delicate, yet at the same time strong and sturdy. The structure flowed over itself and also seemed to overlap at certain points, but none of the flows ever ended. They were endless and continuous. He put down the pure fragment and picked up the corrupted one. Again it tried to influence him with dark thoughts, but he beat it back and nearly shattered the crystal with his power. He didn't do that yet. He still needed to learn about it.
The corrupted fragment's structure was no different from that of the pure crystal. However, the energy channeled in the crystal was completely different. He peeled through the layers of power and corruption and finally found the heart of the crystal. It was blacker than a moonless night, and darker than the coldest void. This crystal held a piece of the Void of Hell, where creatures more evil and powerful than anyone could possibly dream of existed. It was like a gateway to the darkness. There was more however. Power wasn't the only thing this crystal held. It also held a hunger. A hunger for any living thing. A very dangerous thing. If he wasn't able to find a way to remove the corruption, the fragments at Mt. Arreat might someday become a threat. The dark energy in the fragment seemed to be covering over something. Though the corruption was strong, the light was still there. Weak as it was, it still existed. However, all that remained were less than embers. The fire had been extinguished, and all that remained was the fuel that had fed the fire. Now they fed a different fire. If he could somehow create just a tiny spark and maintain it, he might be able to remove the corruption. However, he was still too tired to try today. It would have to wait until he was refreshed.
"We shall meet again someday, Marko."
The leader of the barbarian force bowed and Marko returned it. Kashya kissed him on the cheek, causing him to blush and the others to laugh.
"Come visit soon," she said, "You will be missed."
"I'll see what I can do."
The Rogues and barbarians left the caravan and started out for their homes.
"Warriv, let's go."
The merchant nodded and waved to the head wagon. Marko snapped his reins and quickly the caravan was moving out. Kari and Falvie rode close to Marko with Qual-Kehk behind them.
"So what exactly is in Lut Gholein?" Kari asked, "Every time I ask it seems as if you're dodging."
Marko licked his lips and seemed to consider her words.
"I've trusted you a lot," he finally said, "I told you I was going to try to remove the corruption from the Worldstone, and for some reason I'm starting to feel like I can trust you with anything, even my life. Well, I guess I can trust you with this too. My sword is part of a set. There is a shield, armor, cape, and crown that goes with it. The sword is called Valor of the Light, the shield is known as Shield of the Just, the armor is Defender of Hope, and the crown is Glory of Heroes. The cloak is the Shadow of Courage. I believe the shield is somewhere near Lut Gholein."
"And you're trying to find this set? Why?"
"With the complete set, a mortal could become as powerful as an immortal. With only part of it, see what I have become."
Kari nodded. She understood most of what Marko meant.
"So you're going to retrieve the Shield of the Just. Are you going to try for the others as well?"
"I have to find the others first," said Marko, "The crown and armor are still lost."
"What does the Glory of Heroes do?" Falvie asked, "and where is the cape?"
"By itself it can shield me from any magical spells, even Apocalypse, though my cape already does it somewhat. However, if the entire set is complete, the crown will bind them together and harness their power into one. The cape is somewhere around our next destination."
"Are you trying to be a god?" Kari asked him.
"No. However, with the power of even three of the items, I will be able to do what I need to."
"Marko, you say we're going to travel together. Well, give us a straight answer. Stop with all this 'I have to do' stuff. Just tell us in plain words. What do you mean to do with all that power?"
"I plan on seeding another Worldstone."
Qual-Kehk and the two women gasped. The first Worldstone had been placed by the High Heavens as a shield for humanity against the corruption that would have swept across the world from Hell. However, with the Worldstone destroyed, that shield was gone. Far better than a corrupted Worldstone, however.
"So you mean to cleanse the pieces of the shattered Worldstone," said Qual- Kehk, "then bring them together. Is that why you are trying to figure out how to remove the corruption?"
"I am going to do nothing of the sort," said Marko, "Mt. Arreat is not the place for a second Worldstone. The corruption there is too dangerous. I mean to cleanse it but the fragments will remain. I mean to plant the second Worldstone at another place."
"But who else can be trusted to guard such a thing?" Qual-Kehk burst out, "We of the Highland have watched over the Worldstone for generations!"
"And in the end you failed," Marko said, "I am not trying to anger you, but that is what happened. Before I left I challenged the Ancients once more for the right to enter Mt. Arreat. They simply asked that I reveal my plan, and they approved. The Ancients can keep the corruption from spreading from the mountain, but only for so long. Once the Worldstone is planted, the corruption in the Worldstone Chamber will be lifted."
"You really are a bloody hero," Kari muttered, "What you're going to try to do is beyond the power of even the High Heavens right now!"
"And how would you know that?" Marko asked in a curious tone, "The High Heavens wouldn't care if humanity fell as long as the forces of Chaos don't defeat them. However, you might actually be right. Without a fragment pure of corruption, another Worldstone would take several millennia to grow large enough to match the size of the one I have. Once it reaches that size, it must be planted. By then, I doubt our world could be saved from the corruption."
"You never cease to amaze me," said Falvie, "One day your name will be uttered only in awe and admiration."
"As if it isn't already," said Qual-Kehk, "Perhaps you are right that we failed our duty. Who do you plan to guard the Worldstone this time?"
"The Mage Slayers."
Falvie and Qual-Kehk looked at Kari, but she was as surprised by his answer as the rest of them.
"The Mage Slayers hunt out corruption in mages and therefore are suitable guardians for something this important," said Marko, "I only pray that they do not also fail. There may not be another warrior like me to replant the Worldstone."
"How many women have asked to share your bed?" Falvie asked suddenly.
Kari looked at her in surprise and felt her own face turn red. An amused smile appeared on Qual-Kehk's face.
"Whatever made you ask that?" Marko said, himself taken by surprise.
"I would expect that any woman that knew who you are would have asked."
"Don't get any ideas. Any who have asked have never succeeded in getting into my bed."
"Perhaps you should ask a woman into your bed yourself."
Marko broke out in laughter while Kari felt her face turn redder. She tried to laugh too, but it came out nervously and shaky.
"Now what exactly made you ask something so random?" Marko pressed.
"I wanted to see your reaction. Many men would boast of their fine abilities."
Kari wasn't sure she could have listened for much longer. Fortunately, Warriv called a halt and the caravan stopped. They were soon pitching their tents. Kari was rather surprised that it was almost morning. They had left when the sun had set and it seemed they had traveled for the entire night. She ate a quick meal and went to bed. The night air had been refreshing but the sun would be blistering hot in the morning and she did not want to experience it more than she had to.
"Marko."
Marko turned his head and looked at Warriv. The caravan had been forced to stop because of what looked like a massive tower overlooking the desert. It was more of an obelisk and looked menacing even this far away.
"Shall we go around it?" Warriv asked.
"That would be a good idea," Marko agreed, "Unfortunately, they've probably already seen us."
"It matters not," Warriv assured him, "Providing we can avoid whatever dwells in that tower, we shall be safe."
Marko wasn't so sure about that. The darkness emanating from the tower was greater than what Warriv thought. He wasn't exactly sure what it was for, but it couldn't be good.
"I don't think we can avoid it," he said.
Warriv looked at him and waited for him to continue.
"There's something about that tower. We can't avoid it. Whatever's inside will attack even if we try to go around it. We might as well fight back."
"And what exactly is that tower for?" Warriv asked, "I do not remember ever seeing it."
"Neither do I," Marko replied, "However, it's dangerous and we won't be able to run from it."
"When could we ever run from evil?"
Marko cracked a smile and went up to talk with the others. Once he had gathered all of them he had Warriv stop the convoy. The group galloped off towards the tower.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kari asked, "I mean, you did say that something evil was here."
"Why else are we riding towards it?" Marko responded.
Falvie had managed to get her bow ready with an arrow ready to shot. The horse continued galloping, their hooves making thudding sounds on the dry desert ground. As they got closer to the tower dust started to blow into their faces. Each wrapped something around their head to keep the sand out of their mouths and eyes. Marko merely put on his hood, though it made him look far more menacing. Kari almost thought she saw a dark aura surrounding him, but quickly concluded it was shadows playing tricks on her eyes. After a few more minutes Marko suddenly pulled the rein of his horse and came to a halt. The others quickly stopped with him. They were still a little ways off from the tower but Marko got off. He took out what looked like a metal stake and drove it into the ground. He then tied all of their horses' reins to the stake and they started walking.
"Why couldn't we just ride all the way to the tower?" Kari asked.
"We're actually at a disadvantage if we ride on horses and fight," Marko explained, "It would be better if we simply walked."
He took out his sword and kept it ready. They encountered no trouble as they made their way to the tower. Soon they were at the gates. Marko fired a white beam of light from his hand and shattered the steel gates. They walked in, wary of any possible danger, but not seeing any. Marko raised his sword and light started shining out of it. It acted like a torch for them, lighting their path. Marko kept looking around them, as if he could see things in the dark that were invisible to the rest of them. Kari kept her Katars at the ready, not wanting to be caught off guard. Suddenly a crow swooped down at them. All of them lashed out but the crow managed to get past them. An arrow then struck it from behind. Falvie had found her mark.
"Keep moving," Marko said to them, "We're not out of this yet."
They pressed on and finally the outlines of the walls and floor appeared. However, the detail was still blurry. Marko suddenly stopped and Kari nearly ran into him. She peered out from behind him and saw what looked like a painting of a massive dragon. The creature had two massive horns coming out of its head and massive jaws showing in its mouth. Its wings were spread out and made the creature look even larger than it really was. An angry look appeared on Marko's face when he saw the painting.
"What is it?" Kari asked.
"The Dragon of the Abyss."
Kari turned and looked back at Qual-Kehk.
"What is that?" Falvie asked.
"It is the most powerful creature that resides within the Abyss of Hell," Qual-Kehk explained, "Its power is greater than the Three Prime Evils combined, and is capable of defeating any archangel of the High Heavens."
"Rumor has it that this was the creature that stopped Izual from destroying Shadowfang. Izual would have succeeded if not for the dragon, and that is the only time the dragon was ever seen."
"What did the three Prime Evils think of it?" Falvie asked.
"They feared and respected it," Qual-Kehk replied, "Of course, it is a very powerful creature, but legends say it is still waiting for its master."
"The Master of Darkness," Marko finished.
Suddenly all of them felt a tingle of energy surge through them.
"Something's behind this wall," Kari said.
"Everyone back away," Marko ordered.
Slowly they moved away from the massive painting. Just when they'd moved a few steps the stone exploded and shards were sent flying towards them. Marko used his cloak to deflect them and moved in front of Kari and Falvie. Qual-Kehk held up his battleaxe and the pieces of stone bounced off the flat blade. Finally the stones stopped flying. However, something was standing in the shadows among the stone fragments.
"Oh shit."
The creature slowly walked out of the shadows, ignoring the dust that floated around it. As it entered the light a dark aura became visible. The creature was massive, as tall as an Overlord but didn't carry the weight. It wore full-body armor but wielded no weapons. A growl could be heard as the creature advanced towards them. Suddenly Marko waved his hand and something struck the creature's armor. Whatever it was bounced off and destroyed part of the ceiling. The creature looked at it, then at Marko, and finally smiled.
"That's impossible," he murmured.
Marko charged the beast and struck it with his sword. The creature avoided several slashes but one finally caught it in its side. It roared and the intensity actually threw Marko back. Falvie fired two cold arrows and both found their mark. However, the freeze effect only lasted for two seconds. Qual-Kehk took that opportunity and swung his battleaxe at the creature. It struck the arm of the creature but bounced off. The creature angrily grabbed the battleaxe and threw Qual-Kehk across the hallway. Kari attacked it from behind, kicking and slashing with her Katars. However, the creature caught her leg and threw her into Falvie. Marko got up and fired a focused beam of blue light this time, causing the creature to halt and keeping it from advancing. He then charged it and attacked with his sword again. The creature was barely able to avoid the first two swings and the third found its mark. It roared again but Marko was ready. He jumped up and pointed his sword down. When the beast looked up it was too late. Marko's weapon punctured its skull and drove deep into its head. He then turned it and sliced off most of the creature's head. Somehow, it remained standing and moved forward to continue fighting. Falvie fired five more arrows, all explosive. They slowed the creature down and Qual- Kehk brought his battleaxe down on the creature's neck. It cleaved right through most of its upper body while Kari sliced through the rest of its body. When they were done, the beast was in many small pieces.
"Let's get out of here," Kari suggested.
The others agreed using their feet, running out of the tower. Once they were out, it slowly collapsed upon itself. The four found their horses where they left them and returned to the caravan. They immediately set off again.
Marko shook off the strange feeling and continued riding. The others were all silent and he didn't really care why. After two weeks of hard riding, they were finally reaching Lut Gholein. Time hadn't exactly passed and nothing exciting had happened after the tower, though he had to assume that was a good thing. He had studied the two fragments more and had finally figured out a way to draw the corruption out of the red fragment, but he still needed something to hold the corruption. That would have to wait for another day. The gates of Lut Gholein opened and revealed the buildings of the great port city. Warriv was leading the way and shouting.
"Make way for the Hand of Light! Make way for the Hand of Light!"
Marko didn't bother to stop the man, though Kari looked at him with a bit of worry in her eye. The girl was really starting to make him uneasy, even though she never seemed to notice it. Whenever she was around he couldn't keep his heart from throbbing. He had to fight it down every time and it was tiring. He hoped it passed soon. He had never felt like this around anyone he had known before.
"Halt!"
The caravan stopped as large men leading a squadron of soldiers appeared.
"Marko!"
Marko dismounted and walked to the man and hugged him.
"Greiz! So you still haven't left!"
"The king still pays us to guard the city," Greiz explained, "He'll be very happy to see you. After what you did to help him, I'll be surprised if he doesn't throw a city-wide party in honor of you!"
"So how is Jerhyn these days?" Marko asked.
"A far happier man. He got married."
"Really? And I didn't get invited?"
"He would have but no one knew where you bloody were. But then again, you have been moving around a lot. Come to the palace." He then saw Kari, Falvie, and Qual-Kehk. "Who are your friends?"
"Let me introduce them. This is Kari, a Mage Slayer from Kehjistan. Falvie is a Rogue, though I would think you can recognize one. And this is Qual-Kehk, a barbarian Master at Arms."
"Strange company you have," Greiz commented.
"Many say I am a strange man. Come, let us go to the palace."
"Right. You would not believe what you have missed though!"
As they walked down the streets a crowd had gathered. Many knew Marko at sight because of his earlier exploits. They followed him all the way to the palace. "Now, the new queen is a stickler for proper conduct and protocol," Greiz continued, "If she tries to make you act all formal and such, don't think too much of it and just play along. You don't want to get on her bad side."
Kari groaned. "He's been doing that with everyone that follows protocol too much."
"Well, I suggest you don't here. I doubt you want to ruin your friendship with Jerhyn."
"I'll try to act proper for Jerhyn."
The two guards eyed the crowd nervously. One went inside and a few moments later Jerhyn appeared with a woman at his side.
"Marko!"
Jerhyn rushed down the stairs and shook hands with him.
"It has been a long time, your highness."
Jerhyn waved his hand.
"No need to speak to me like that. We're friends. Just call me Jerhyn."
"Very well. And this fine lady must be your wife."
"Yes. Shara, come here and meet Marko Lyther, the Hand of Light."
Shara walked down slowly and with a touch of nobility. She curtsied to Marko and he returned it with a bow.
"My husband has told me of your exploits," she said in a cool voice, "It would please me if you would stay in the palace while you are in Lut Gholein."
"I would be honored," said Marko, "though I have some old friends that I intend to visit before I settle down and rest."
"Of course. You have been here before. When you return, merely ask one of the servants to show you to your room." She then caught sight of the others. "Are these your traveling companions?"
"Yes."
"They shall have rooms in the palace as well. It is the least I can do for what you did for my husband and the city of Lut Gholein."
"I thank you again."
Shara nodded and went back into the palace.
"Interesting woman you chose for a wife," Marko said to Jerhyn.
"Yes. She is magnificent, though lately she has been worrying a lot lately about the rumors of an army of goatmen. Well, we can catch up later. When you return, we must catch up. I will be in my office. Just ask one of the guards to take you there, providing it isn't too late."
"I shan't be long," said Marko, "I will see you in a few hours at most."
"Goodbye Marko."
Marko bowed again and left with Kari and the others behind him.
"You certainly have gotten around a lot," said Qual-Kehk, "You know the king of Lut Gholein and many of its citizens, I presume."
The crowd was still there and followed them. Marko waved and they cheered as he walked along the streets. Soon, however, the crowd dispersed and the people went back to their works. They walked into the marketplace and Marko approached a woman standing in front of a blanket covered with weapons.
"It has been a long time, Fara."
The woman looked up at him and gasped.
"By the light, Marko? Is it you?"
Marko nodded. Fara moved up to him and hugged him.
"You are still alive. I worried that you had gotten yourself killed having adventures."
Fara let him go and looked him over.
"Well, you're no worse than when you left. And you're sporting new weapons too."
"Everyone, meet Fara. She was also a paladin before she retired, but she is still handy with any weapon. Fara, this is Kari, a Mage Slayer, Falvie, a Rogue, and Qual-Kehk, Master at Arms for the clans of the Highland."
Fara studied the two women intently.
"So which of you is Marko's companion?" she asked.
Before Marko could speak Fara silenced him with a wave of her hand. Kari's face was turning beet red while Falvie giggled.
"Neither of us," Falvie answered.
"Then why is this young girl's face turning red?"
Kari's face reddened even more, though partly because of Fara calling her a girl.
"Fara sometimes treats me like a son," Marko suddenly said, "if either of you are wondering why she's asking you."
"And you do need a mother to look after you. Half the time you're running off killing demons, the other half you're getting drunk in a tavern!"
"That sounds more like something Elzix would do," Marko replied.
"Yes. So why have you returned to Lut Gholein? Not to just visit me, of course."
"Actually, you're partially the reason. Fara, I want you to come with me."
Kari wasn't surprised he asked Fara. He had said he was searching for people wed to battle, and Fara certainly looked it.
"Go with you? Where?"
"I'm sure you've heard rumors that the Worldstone protecting this world has been destroyed. Well, they're true."
Fara nodded gravely. "I was afraid of that. But what does that have to do with anything?"
"I'll tell you if you join us. But know this. What I am trying to accomplish is for the good of humanity, and I may be the only one that can do it. However, that does not mean I can do it without help. Qual-Kehk, Kari, and Falvie are traveling with me, and I'm going to need them to accomplish my mission. If you're there, it might make it easier."
"No need for flowery speeches," Fara said, holding her hands up in front of her, "I have wanted to travel around some more and maybe see how much things have changed."
"You're not going to regret this."
Fara snorted. "If I do regret it you'll be the first one to know."
"That I am sure of. We're staying at the palace."
"I'll stay here until you go. Might as well sell off all these weapons before you leave though. I assume I'll need the gold?"
"I have enough to see us through all this," said Marko, "I've salted away a large amount everywhere."
"Good," said Fara, "cause I don't have much on me."
"I'll come back tomorrow to talk some more," said Marko, "I need to go see some other people."
"Meeting old friends. Well Marko, just make sure you don't get stabbed or something."
The four walked off.
"Fara means well," said Marko, "though she does show it in odd ways."
"Who are we going to meet this time?" Falvie asked.
"The owner of the public house."
The two women looked at each other and shrugged as they followed him. An older woman was looking around, her back against them. Marko approached her.
"Hello Atma."
The woman turned around and a look of surprise appeared on her face.
"I thought it was you," she said, "I must thank you again for avenging my husband."
"It was nothing. Radament was a threat to everyone."
"Who have you brought with you?"
"These are my companions. Kari, Falvie, and Qual-Kehk."
"My. All of you look like you're ready to march to war."
"We might have to," said Marko, "There are rumors of trouble in Kehjistan."
"Yes. I had heard that another army of demons had laid siege to Kurast. Or at least an army of demons is gathering. If they attack, Kurast may not survive another siege."
"Dark times never really left us," said Kari, "Even after Baal and his brothers were killed."
"Well, perhaps Marko here will be able to finish what he started with warriors such as you helping him."
"I hope you have been well, Atma."
"I am fine. I am not in danger of committing suicide, if that is what you are worried about. Elzix doesn't let me."
Marko nodded deeply.
"Perhaps I will see you again before I leave," he said, "Say hello to Elzix for me. I have to return to the palace."
"Of course. Thank you for coming to see me Marko. If I ever had another son, I would wish it to be you."
Marko smiled and waved as he turned to leave. The other three also bade farewell to Atma and followed Marko.
"Who is she?" Kari asked.
"Atma is the owner of the public house. She lost her husband and son to Radament before I arrived. I went down into the sewers and killed the creature."
"You've certainly done a lot of things," said Kari.
"You could ask Falvie about some of the things I did before fighting Andariel. She knows most of the little adventures I had."
"I think I will."
"Qual-Kehk, there is a man named Lysander. Find him and tell him I want twenty bottles of the headache medicine I commissioned him to make." Marko threw him a small purse of gold and handed him a note. "Pay him with this and if he gives you any trouble show him the note. If he still is stubborn come to me so I can bash some sense into his head."
Qual-Kehk grinned. "It will be my pleasure. I will see you back at the palace."
Marko nodded and continued to the palace. The two guards outside let the three in without question.
"I suggest the two of you get some rest," he said, "Tomorrow we'll be doing a lot of research to find the Shield of the Just."
"Where are you going?" Falvie asked.
"I still have an appointment with Jerhyn."
"Come on," Kari said to Falvie, "You still have to tell me about Marko's adventures."
The two women walked off and left Marko. He easily found his way to Jerhyn's study. He knocked on the doorframe and Jerhyn looked up.
"Marko! Come in, come in."
Marko walked in and sat down across from the king.
"Now, we have so much to catch up on. I've heard that you are now called the Hand of Light, and you are the one that killed the three Prime Evils."
"That was me. Took me a long time and a lot of grief, but I did it."
"You must tell me how you did it."
"Well, there wasn't much to it. I first had to find the Prime Evils, and once I did, I just attacked them. Mephisto I took down outside of Kurast, Diablo I had to go down to Hell to fight, and Baal I went to the Highlands and defeated him in the Worldstone Chamber."
"There are rumors that the Worldstone has been destroyed," Jerhyn said carefully.
"Completely true. I have two of its shards with me right now. Tyrael didn't have much of a choice."
"Tyrael destroyed the Worldstone?" Jerhyn said in surprise, "But why would an Archangel do such a thing?"
"Because if he didn't, you or I wouldn't be standing here. He bought us time. With a corrupt Worldstone, the legions of Hell could pour through uncontrolled, not having to send in forces group by group. With the Worldstone destroyed, the barrier between us, the High Heavens, and Hell are falling, but at least we have some time to prepare."
"Yes. I will have to increase the size of the guard."
"But you still have time," said Marko, "Tell me, how is it that you become married after I leave?"
Jerhyn smiled. "Shara came to the city with another merchant caravan. She is noble born and when I laid my eyes on her, I fell in love immediately. I was still putting the city back together after you had destroyed the armies of demons that surrounded Lut Gholein. I got to know her and I asked her to marry me. I was the happiest man alive when she accepted."
"And you didn't invite me," Marko said in a fake hurt voice.
Jerhyn laughed, seeing through it.
"We did not know where you were! No one did. I sent messengers out using the waypoints, but they returned with no news. I had wanted you to be my best man."
"I would have come if I only knew. Unless this happened while I was down in Hell. There I probably could not have come."
"Ah well, it matters not. That is all in the past. But tell me. You say that I have some time before the barriers fall completely. How much time do I have?"
"Enough to raise an army. And hopefully enough time for me to accomplish my mission."
"And what mission is that?"
"Let's just say that if I accomplish my mission, you might not need that army for very long."
Jerhyn nodded. "Then I wish you good fortune and success. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"There are two things actually."
"And what do they be?"
"I believe that a mystic shield lays either beneath Lut Gholein or around it. Perhaps your library and archives hold a key to its location."
"Search to your heart's content. But why do you need this shield?"
"Because I can harness its power to complete my task."
"Very well. What is the other thing?"
Marko sighed. "I have been gathering warriors to travel with me. Currently four have joined me. I want to add a fifth."
"I hope you do not mean me," said Jerhyn, "for I am no warrior."
"No, not you, but someone that you might be reluctant to let go."
"And who is that?"
"Greiz."
Jerhyn settled back into his chair and stared at Marko for several silent seconds.
"You are serious."
"I am," said Marko, "I need veterans, men and women that I can trust to have my back when the time comes."
Jerhyn let a smile creep onto his face.
"If Greiz is willing to go with you, I will not stop him. However, you may need to convince him with gold."
"That is something I have plenty of. Providing no one raided my account."
"Your money is fine," Jerhyn assured him, "Your gold is taking up a very large amount of space in the vault. I had not thought you were this rich, but it seems you are."
"Well, I'll speak to you tomorrow if you want to continue our discussion," said Marko, "I have to find Greiz and make him my offer."
"Of course. You must take time to dine with us tomorrow. My wife would love to get to know you better."
"I will be there. Should I wear something formal?"
"What you have on is fine, though you may want to slip out of that armor."
Marko smiled. The suit he wore under the armor would probably do, and the cape would make him look flashier.
"I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight Jerhyn."
"Goodnight Marko."
Kari exited the bathroom and entered the room she shared with Falvie. The two had insisted on sleeping in one room together. Both had become closer after their travels. The two were wearing bathrobes for the moment. Falvie was lying on the bed and Kari sat down next to her.
"So, tell me about Marko's adventures," she said to Falvie.
"Well, when Marko first came to our camp, Kashya was very suspicious of him. However, Akara needed his help and asked for it. Demons had gathered in the Den of Evil and she was afraid that they were massing for an attack on our camp. Marko went in and cleaned it out completely. That was the first thing he did. Kashya then asked him to kill Blood Raven, one of the captains that led the Rogues against Diablo in Tristram. She had been corrupted and brought back from the dead. Marko waited a little while before confronting her. When Kashya demanded an explanation on why he was waiting, he told her he wasn't about to charge in and fight Blood Raven unprepared. Apparently he was discovering he could use Necromancer skills and was trying to figure out how to summon a golem. Well, he learned and killed Blood Raven. He earned Kashya's respect, if not her trust."
"And he did all this before he had even mastered his true powers? I'm surprised it took him so long to kill the Prime Evils."
"He certainly makes all of his accomplishments seem easy. Anyways, Akara then asked him to rescue Deckard Cain. I'm sure you've heard of him."
"The Horadrim," said Kari, "He's supposed to be the last one of his kind."
"Yeah. Well, Marko had to travel to Tristram using a portal and he complained about the entire battle. He had to take down two camps of fallen ones, corrupt Rogues, giants, and other things just to get to the portal. After that, he was set upon by goatmen, more fallen ones, shamans, skeletons, and a very powerful zombie that Cain said used to be the town's blacksmith. From Marko's description of the battle, it was long and very hard. Cain returned first but Marko followed a few hours later through a waypoint, proclaiming that Tristram was free of demons."
"How does the man do all this?"
"I don't know," said Falvie, "but he's done it. Of course, he then heard of an evil Countess that lived in the Black Marsh. He just had to go and investigate. Nearly got one of my sisters killed, but in the end he came back with her alive and with a huge pile of gold and equipment, though both were hurt bad."
"Did he ever tell any of you what exactly happened?" Kari asked.
"Well, my sister did tell me that they found the ruins of the tower that the Countess lived in. They went down into the cellar and found the Countess and fought a small army of demons. They did manage to win but the golem and two skeletons that Marko took with them were all dead. I was rather surprised that the golem was dead. It was very powerful."
"So what else did he do?" Kari pressed.
"He got back Charsi's magical malus. It had been left behind in the barracks at the monastery when we abandoned it. He killed a large monster called the Smith to get it back. When he came back there was a large hole in his armor and he wouldn't speak much of it. We had to drag the news out of him. Charsi took a while fixing his armor, so he used a spare he had and went out again to fight."
"How bad could the fighting have been? I mean, a big hole in the armor does happen from time to time. Even I've had that problem."
"He went down there with two skeleton warriors, a skeleton mage, and a golem. He came back alone."
"Okay, maybe he did have a lot of trouble," Kari admitted, "How powerful was this Smith?"
"Strong enough that none of us ever dared to go down there by ourselves or even in groups."
"So, after he got the malus, what did he do?"
"He did a lot of things," said Falvie, "He cleared out everything in the monastery. When I went with him down there, bodies littered the entire place. I wasn't sure how we were going to clean the place. I mean, the bodies of giant spiders, fallen ones, skeletons, all kinds of things were down there. It was rather ridiculous. Nothing was alive except for a few bats. When I asked to face Andariel with him, he said no. When I said I would follow him, he had Kashya tie me up until he finished her off. He created two portals leading there and back and came back a lot. Sometimes he came back poisoned, but other times he just needed to heal. However, every time he came back he summoned another golem and used his skeleton armor trick. When he came back for the last time, he was rather proud of himself. He claimed he had killed Andariel. Of course, everyone was happy. A dozen of my sisters, myself included, went with him back into the monastery and they came back and confirmed his story. Andariel's body was lying on the ground."
"And of course from there you had to start cleaning up everything," said Kari, "How long did it take?"
"Well, dragging out the body took a long time, but it was cleaning all the blood and guts that were left behind from Marko's battle that took the longest. Akara had to cast a lot of spells to remove all that."
"And he traveled to Lut Gholein, where we are all here now."
"Yeah. I suggest we get some sleep. Marko did say that tomorrow we would be doing a lot of research and I might fall asleep from reading if we don't get some rest now."
Kari giggled and nodded in agreement.
"I never was good at studying," she said, "Goodnight Falvie."
"Goodnight Kari."
End of Chapter 4
Z98
Falvie and Kari were lying on their stomachs looking down into the desert. According to Marko there were two thousand goatmen. What they saw certainly proved it.
"Four hundred of us fighting that many," said Kari, "Even with golems helping us, that would be suicide."
"Let's hope Marko has a good plan," said Falvie, "or else we're all dead."
They hurried back to where their forces had gathered. Marko was sitting on his stallion, his face impassive.
"So?"
"You're right," Kari said, "How are we supposed to defeat two thousand goatmen?"
"We'll only have to fight one thousand," said Marko.
He dismounted and walked onto the rise. Everyone watched him as if he was insane. Suddenly blue light shot up from him and pierced into the heavens. The goatmen saw him and started advancing slowly. Suddenly, the clouds parted and a sphere of molten rock appeared. It struck the army of goatmen that was at least a mile away from them. A wave of fire spread all across the land, burning everything it touched. When the flames were extinguished, barren land remained where goatmen had stood. Marko unsheathed his sword and raised it above him.
"We attack!"
Fire golems appeared and charged with him. The others followed, whether on horses or foot. They crashed into the ranks of goatmen and the slaughter began. Kari didn't even see Marko and only knew where he was because of the goatmen flying through the air. Her Katars severed many heads from their bodies and she continued to fight throughout the day. The Rogues stayed back and fired arrow after arrow, picking off many goatmen before they even reached the battlefield. Finally Kari saw goatmen exploding. They tried to scatter and run but were cut to pieces by the axes and swords of the barbarians. Qual-Kehk himself was in the thick of battle, cleaving any goatman in range with his massive battleaxe. Suddenly a massive ring of lightning swept through the battlefield. Every last goatman standing feel and any that tried to get up was killed quickly. Marko was standing in the middle of the battlefield and had his free hand placed on the ground. He had cast a nova spell and killed the last remaining goatmen. The warriors retreated back to their camp having won the battle. Kari quickly caught up with Marko.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'll be fine. I just need rest. How many did we lose?"
"I don't know. Just get to your tent. You need rest more than any of us. You and your golems probably accounted for half of the goatmen we killed today in battle, not counting those you killed with that meteorite."
Marko nodded reluctantly and Kari led him to his bed. He was asleep right after lying down on the blankets. Kari took off his sword and armor for him. Blood even stained his clothes but that would have to wait. When she came out she found several others outside, waiting.
"Marko's fine," she said, "He just needs rest. How many did we lose?"
"Thirty sisters," Falvie answered, "and fifty barbarians. The wounded are being tended. They'll live."
"We'll have to probably stop for a while," said Kari, "Well, I guess that's a good thing. Let's get some rest. We all need it."
Marko woke up late the next morning. He immediately took off his bloodstained shirt. He grabbed all of his dirty clothes, including his armor, and took a fresh change of clothes with him. There was a clean lake that the caravan was camped by. He wasn't surprised when he saw many men bathing, though the women had somehow erected a wooden wall and set up a place for themselves. He set his clothes by the bank and dove in, taking his dirty clothes with him.
"Marko!"
Qual-Kehk was one of the men in the lake. The water seemed to have washed away some of his tiredness. He threw Marko a bar of soap.
"Wash well," he said.
Marko nodded. He lathered himself and then rinsed the soap off. He then moved to his clothes. He managed to get the goatman blood off easily enough and then attended to his armor and cape. The cape was fine and a quick dip in the water took out any dirt that was in it. The armor he had to scrub a little with a borrowed rag. Soon it was shining black again. He got out of the water, dried himself off with a towel, and changed into his fresh clothes. The dirty clothes and cape he had washed he took back with him. The armor was a little annoying to carry but he managed. Outside his tent he used rope and tied one end to his post and another to a tree branch. He then hung his clothes out to dry. At least now he had a chance to rest. Qual-Kehk had also returned and was reading a book he had brought along. Marko himself sat back and took out the corrupted and pure fragments.
He laid them out in front of him and examined both. The energy that the two emitted were the exact opposite of each other. When he held both he felt a burning sensation, as if the two powers were trying to fight each other. It was only natural. He picked up the pure fragment and tried to probe it. The internal structure of the crystal was fascinating. It was intricate and delicate, yet at the same time strong and sturdy. The structure flowed over itself and also seemed to overlap at certain points, but none of the flows ever ended. They were endless and continuous. He put down the pure fragment and picked up the corrupted one. Again it tried to influence him with dark thoughts, but he beat it back and nearly shattered the crystal with his power. He didn't do that yet. He still needed to learn about it.
The corrupted fragment's structure was no different from that of the pure crystal. However, the energy channeled in the crystal was completely different. He peeled through the layers of power and corruption and finally found the heart of the crystal. It was blacker than a moonless night, and darker than the coldest void. This crystal held a piece of the Void of Hell, where creatures more evil and powerful than anyone could possibly dream of existed. It was like a gateway to the darkness. There was more however. Power wasn't the only thing this crystal held. It also held a hunger. A hunger for any living thing. A very dangerous thing. If he wasn't able to find a way to remove the corruption, the fragments at Mt. Arreat might someday become a threat. The dark energy in the fragment seemed to be covering over something. Though the corruption was strong, the light was still there. Weak as it was, it still existed. However, all that remained were less than embers. The fire had been extinguished, and all that remained was the fuel that had fed the fire. Now they fed a different fire. If he could somehow create just a tiny spark and maintain it, he might be able to remove the corruption. However, he was still too tired to try today. It would have to wait until he was refreshed.
"We shall meet again someday, Marko."
The leader of the barbarian force bowed and Marko returned it. Kashya kissed him on the cheek, causing him to blush and the others to laugh.
"Come visit soon," she said, "You will be missed."
"I'll see what I can do."
The Rogues and barbarians left the caravan and started out for their homes.
"Warriv, let's go."
The merchant nodded and waved to the head wagon. Marko snapped his reins and quickly the caravan was moving out. Kari and Falvie rode close to Marko with Qual-Kehk behind them.
"So what exactly is in Lut Gholein?" Kari asked, "Every time I ask it seems as if you're dodging."
Marko licked his lips and seemed to consider her words.
"I've trusted you a lot," he finally said, "I told you I was going to try to remove the corruption from the Worldstone, and for some reason I'm starting to feel like I can trust you with anything, even my life. Well, I guess I can trust you with this too. My sword is part of a set. There is a shield, armor, cape, and crown that goes with it. The sword is called Valor of the Light, the shield is known as Shield of the Just, the armor is Defender of Hope, and the crown is Glory of Heroes. The cloak is the Shadow of Courage. I believe the shield is somewhere near Lut Gholein."
"And you're trying to find this set? Why?"
"With the complete set, a mortal could become as powerful as an immortal. With only part of it, see what I have become."
Kari nodded. She understood most of what Marko meant.
"So you're going to retrieve the Shield of the Just. Are you going to try for the others as well?"
"I have to find the others first," said Marko, "The crown and armor are still lost."
"What does the Glory of Heroes do?" Falvie asked, "and where is the cape?"
"By itself it can shield me from any magical spells, even Apocalypse, though my cape already does it somewhat. However, if the entire set is complete, the crown will bind them together and harness their power into one. The cape is somewhere around our next destination."
"Are you trying to be a god?" Kari asked him.
"No. However, with the power of even three of the items, I will be able to do what I need to."
"Marko, you say we're going to travel together. Well, give us a straight answer. Stop with all this 'I have to do' stuff. Just tell us in plain words. What do you mean to do with all that power?"
"I plan on seeding another Worldstone."
Qual-Kehk and the two women gasped. The first Worldstone had been placed by the High Heavens as a shield for humanity against the corruption that would have swept across the world from Hell. However, with the Worldstone destroyed, that shield was gone. Far better than a corrupted Worldstone, however.
"So you mean to cleanse the pieces of the shattered Worldstone," said Qual- Kehk, "then bring them together. Is that why you are trying to figure out how to remove the corruption?"
"I am going to do nothing of the sort," said Marko, "Mt. Arreat is not the place for a second Worldstone. The corruption there is too dangerous. I mean to cleanse it but the fragments will remain. I mean to plant the second Worldstone at another place."
"But who else can be trusted to guard such a thing?" Qual-Kehk burst out, "We of the Highland have watched over the Worldstone for generations!"
"And in the end you failed," Marko said, "I am not trying to anger you, but that is what happened. Before I left I challenged the Ancients once more for the right to enter Mt. Arreat. They simply asked that I reveal my plan, and they approved. The Ancients can keep the corruption from spreading from the mountain, but only for so long. Once the Worldstone is planted, the corruption in the Worldstone Chamber will be lifted."
"You really are a bloody hero," Kari muttered, "What you're going to try to do is beyond the power of even the High Heavens right now!"
"And how would you know that?" Marko asked in a curious tone, "The High Heavens wouldn't care if humanity fell as long as the forces of Chaos don't defeat them. However, you might actually be right. Without a fragment pure of corruption, another Worldstone would take several millennia to grow large enough to match the size of the one I have. Once it reaches that size, it must be planted. By then, I doubt our world could be saved from the corruption."
"You never cease to amaze me," said Falvie, "One day your name will be uttered only in awe and admiration."
"As if it isn't already," said Qual-Kehk, "Perhaps you are right that we failed our duty. Who do you plan to guard the Worldstone this time?"
"The Mage Slayers."
Falvie and Qual-Kehk looked at Kari, but she was as surprised by his answer as the rest of them.
"The Mage Slayers hunt out corruption in mages and therefore are suitable guardians for something this important," said Marko, "I only pray that they do not also fail. There may not be another warrior like me to replant the Worldstone."
"How many women have asked to share your bed?" Falvie asked suddenly.
Kari looked at her in surprise and felt her own face turn red. An amused smile appeared on Qual-Kehk's face.
"Whatever made you ask that?" Marko said, himself taken by surprise.
"I would expect that any woman that knew who you are would have asked."
"Don't get any ideas. Any who have asked have never succeeded in getting into my bed."
"Perhaps you should ask a woman into your bed yourself."
Marko broke out in laughter while Kari felt her face turn redder. She tried to laugh too, but it came out nervously and shaky.
"Now what exactly made you ask something so random?" Marko pressed.
"I wanted to see your reaction. Many men would boast of their fine abilities."
Kari wasn't sure she could have listened for much longer. Fortunately, Warriv called a halt and the caravan stopped. They were soon pitching their tents. Kari was rather surprised that it was almost morning. They had left when the sun had set and it seemed they had traveled for the entire night. She ate a quick meal and went to bed. The night air had been refreshing but the sun would be blistering hot in the morning and she did not want to experience it more than she had to.
"Marko."
Marko turned his head and looked at Warriv. The caravan had been forced to stop because of what looked like a massive tower overlooking the desert. It was more of an obelisk and looked menacing even this far away.
"Shall we go around it?" Warriv asked.
"That would be a good idea," Marko agreed, "Unfortunately, they've probably already seen us."
"It matters not," Warriv assured him, "Providing we can avoid whatever dwells in that tower, we shall be safe."
Marko wasn't so sure about that. The darkness emanating from the tower was greater than what Warriv thought. He wasn't exactly sure what it was for, but it couldn't be good.
"I don't think we can avoid it," he said.
Warriv looked at him and waited for him to continue.
"There's something about that tower. We can't avoid it. Whatever's inside will attack even if we try to go around it. We might as well fight back."
"And what exactly is that tower for?" Warriv asked, "I do not remember ever seeing it."
"Neither do I," Marko replied, "However, it's dangerous and we won't be able to run from it."
"When could we ever run from evil?"
Marko cracked a smile and went up to talk with the others. Once he had gathered all of them he had Warriv stop the convoy. The group galloped off towards the tower.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kari asked, "I mean, you did say that something evil was here."
"Why else are we riding towards it?" Marko responded.
Falvie had managed to get her bow ready with an arrow ready to shot. The horse continued galloping, their hooves making thudding sounds on the dry desert ground. As they got closer to the tower dust started to blow into their faces. Each wrapped something around their head to keep the sand out of their mouths and eyes. Marko merely put on his hood, though it made him look far more menacing. Kari almost thought she saw a dark aura surrounding him, but quickly concluded it was shadows playing tricks on her eyes. After a few more minutes Marko suddenly pulled the rein of his horse and came to a halt. The others quickly stopped with him. They were still a little ways off from the tower but Marko got off. He took out what looked like a metal stake and drove it into the ground. He then tied all of their horses' reins to the stake and they started walking.
"Why couldn't we just ride all the way to the tower?" Kari asked.
"We're actually at a disadvantage if we ride on horses and fight," Marko explained, "It would be better if we simply walked."
He took out his sword and kept it ready. They encountered no trouble as they made their way to the tower. Soon they were at the gates. Marko fired a white beam of light from his hand and shattered the steel gates. They walked in, wary of any possible danger, but not seeing any. Marko raised his sword and light started shining out of it. It acted like a torch for them, lighting their path. Marko kept looking around them, as if he could see things in the dark that were invisible to the rest of them. Kari kept her Katars at the ready, not wanting to be caught off guard. Suddenly a crow swooped down at them. All of them lashed out but the crow managed to get past them. An arrow then struck it from behind. Falvie had found her mark.
"Keep moving," Marko said to them, "We're not out of this yet."
They pressed on and finally the outlines of the walls and floor appeared. However, the detail was still blurry. Marko suddenly stopped and Kari nearly ran into him. She peered out from behind him and saw what looked like a painting of a massive dragon. The creature had two massive horns coming out of its head and massive jaws showing in its mouth. Its wings were spread out and made the creature look even larger than it really was. An angry look appeared on Marko's face when he saw the painting.
"What is it?" Kari asked.
"The Dragon of the Abyss."
Kari turned and looked back at Qual-Kehk.
"What is that?" Falvie asked.
"It is the most powerful creature that resides within the Abyss of Hell," Qual-Kehk explained, "Its power is greater than the Three Prime Evils combined, and is capable of defeating any archangel of the High Heavens."
"Rumor has it that this was the creature that stopped Izual from destroying Shadowfang. Izual would have succeeded if not for the dragon, and that is the only time the dragon was ever seen."
"What did the three Prime Evils think of it?" Falvie asked.
"They feared and respected it," Qual-Kehk replied, "Of course, it is a very powerful creature, but legends say it is still waiting for its master."
"The Master of Darkness," Marko finished.
Suddenly all of them felt a tingle of energy surge through them.
"Something's behind this wall," Kari said.
"Everyone back away," Marko ordered.
Slowly they moved away from the massive painting. Just when they'd moved a few steps the stone exploded and shards were sent flying towards them. Marko used his cloak to deflect them and moved in front of Kari and Falvie. Qual-Kehk held up his battleaxe and the pieces of stone bounced off the flat blade. Finally the stones stopped flying. However, something was standing in the shadows among the stone fragments.
"Oh shit."
The creature slowly walked out of the shadows, ignoring the dust that floated around it. As it entered the light a dark aura became visible. The creature was massive, as tall as an Overlord but didn't carry the weight. It wore full-body armor but wielded no weapons. A growl could be heard as the creature advanced towards them. Suddenly Marko waved his hand and something struck the creature's armor. Whatever it was bounced off and destroyed part of the ceiling. The creature looked at it, then at Marko, and finally smiled.
"That's impossible," he murmured.
Marko charged the beast and struck it with his sword. The creature avoided several slashes but one finally caught it in its side. It roared and the intensity actually threw Marko back. Falvie fired two cold arrows and both found their mark. However, the freeze effect only lasted for two seconds. Qual-Kehk took that opportunity and swung his battleaxe at the creature. It struck the arm of the creature but bounced off. The creature angrily grabbed the battleaxe and threw Qual-Kehk across the hallway. Kari attacked it from behind, kicking and slashing with her Katars. However, the creature caught her leg and threw her into Falvie. Marko got up and fired a focused beam of blue light this time, causing the creature to halt and keeping it from advancing. He then charged it and attacked with his sword again. The creature was barely able to avoid the first two swings and the third found its mark. It roared again but Marko was ready. He jumped up and pointed his sword down. When the beast looked up it was too late. Marko's weapon punctured its skull and drove deep into its head. He then turned it and sliced off most of the creature's head. Somehow, it remained standing and moved forward to continue fighting. Falvie fired five more arrows, all explosive. They slowed the creature down and Qual- Kehk brought his battleaxe down on the creature's neck. It cleaved right through most of its upper body while Kari sliced through the rest of its body. When they were done, the beast was in many small pieces.
"Let's get out of here," Kari suggested.
The others agreed using their feet, running out of the tower. Once they were out, it slowly collapsed upon itself. The four found their horses where they left them and returned to the caravan. They immediately set off again.
Marko shook off the strange feeling and continued riding. The others were all silent and he didn't really care why. After two weeks of hard riding, they were finally reaching Lut Gholein. Time hadn't exactly passed and nothing exciting had happened after the tower, though he had to assume that was a good thing. He had studied the two fragments more and had finally figured out a way to draw the corruption out of the red fragment, but he still needed something to hold the corruption. That would have to wait for another day. The gates of Lut Gholein opened and revealed the buildings of the great port city. Warriv was leading the way and shouting.
"Make way for the Hand of Light! Make way for the Hand of Light!"
Marko didn't bother to stop the man, though Kari looked at him with a bit of worry in her eye. The girl was really starting to make him uneasy, even though she never seemed to notice it. Whenever she was around he couldn't keep his heart from throbbing. He had to fight it down every time and it was tiring. He hoped it passed soon. He had never felt like this around anyone he had known before.
"Halt!"
The caravan stopped as large men leading a squadron of soldiers appeared.
"Marko!"
Marko dismounted and walked to the man and hugged him.
"Greiz! So you still haven't left!"
"The king still pays us to guard the city," Greiz explained, "He'll be very happy to see you. After what you did to help him, I'll be surprised if he doesn't throw a city-wide party in honor of you!"
"So how is Jerhyn these days?" Marko asked.
"A far happier man. He got married."
"Really? And I didn't get invited?"
"He would have but no one knew where you bloody were. But then again, you have been moving around a lot. Come to the palace." He then saw Kari, Falvie, and Qual-Kehk. "Who are your friends?"
"Let me introduce them. This is Kari, a Mage Slayer from Kehjistan. Falvie is a Rogue, though I would think you can recognize one. And this is Qual-Kehk, a barbarian Master at Arms."
"Strange company you have," Greiz commented.
"Many say I am a strange man. Come, let us go to the palace."
"Right. You would not believe what you have missed though!"
As they walked down the streets a crowd had gathered. Many knew Marko at sight because of his earlier exploits. They followed him all the way to the palace. "Now, the new queen is a stickler for proper conduct and protocol," Greiz continued, "If she tries to make you act all formal and such, don't think too much of it and just play along. You don't want to get on her bad side."
Kari groaned. "He's been doing that with everyone that follows protocol too much."
"Well, I suggest you don't here. I doubt you want to ruin your friendship with Jerhyn."
"I'll try to act proper for Jerhyn."
The two guards eyed the crowd nervously. One went inside and a few moments later Jerhyn appeared with a woman at his side.
"Marko!"
Jerhyn rushed down the stairs and shook hands with him.
"It has been a long time, your highness."
Jerhyn waved his hand.
"No need to speak to me like that. We're friends. Just call me Jerhyn."
"Very well. And this fine lady must be your wife."
"Yes. Shara, come here and meet Marko Lyther, the Hand of Light."
Shara walked down slowly and with a touch of nobility. She curtsied to Marko and he returned it with a bow.
"My husband has told me of your exploits," she said in a cool voice, "It would please me if you would stay in the palace while you are in Lut Gholein."
"I would be honored," said Marko, "though I have some old friends that I intend to visit before I settle down and rest."
"Of course. You have been here before. When you return, merely ask one of the servants to show you to your room." She then caught sight of the others. "Are these your traveling companions?"
"Yes."
"They shall have rooms in the palace as well. It is the least I can do for what you did for my husband and the city of Lut Gholein."
"I thank you again."
Shara nodded and went back into the palace.
"Interesting woman you chose for a wife," Marko said to Jerhyn.
"Yes. She is magnificent, though lately she has been worrying a lot lately about the rumors of an army of goatmen. Well, we can catch up later. When you return, we must catch up. I will be in my office. Just ask one of the guards to take you there, providing it isn't too late."
"I shan't be long," said Marko, "I will see you in a few hours at most."
"Goodbye Marko."
Marko bowed again and left with Kari and the others behind him.
"You certainly have gotten around a lot," said Qual-Kehk, "You know the king of Lut Gholein and many of its citizens, I presume."
The crowd was still there and followed them. Marko waved and they cheered as he walked along the streets. Soon, however, the crowd dispersed and the people went back to their works. They walked into the marketplace and Marko approached a woman standing in front of a blanket covered with weapons.
"It has been a long time, Fara."
The woman looked up at him and gasped.
"By the light, Marko? Is it you?"
Marko nodded. Fara moved up to him and hugged him.
"You are still alive. I worried that you had gotten yourself killed having adventures."
Fara let him go and looked him over.
"Well, you're no worse than when you left. And you're sporting new weapons too."
"Everyone, meet Fara. She was also a paladin before she retired, but she is still handy with any weapon. Fara, this is Kari, a Mage Slayer, Falvie, a Rogue, and Qual-Kehk, Master at Arms for the clans of the Highland."
Fara studied the two women intently.
"So which of you is Marko's companion?" she asked.
Before Marko could speak Fara silenced him with a wave of her hand. Kari's face was turning beet red while Falvie giggled.
"Neither of us," Falvie answered.
"Then why is this young girl's face turning red?"
Kari's face reddened even more, though partly because of Fara calling her a girl.
"Fara sometimes treats me like a son," Marko suddenly said, "if either of you are wondering why she's asking you."
"And you do need a mother to look after you. Half the time you're running off killing demons, the other half you're getting drunk in a tavern!"
"That sounds more like something Elzix would do," Marko replied.
"Yes. So why have you returned to Lut Gholein? Not to just visit me, of course."
"Actually, you're partially the reason. Fara, I want you to come with me."
Kari wasn't surprised he asked Fara. He had said he was searching for people wed to battle, and Fara certainly looked it.
"Go with you? Where?"
"I'm sure you've heard rumors that the Worldstone protecting this world has been destroyed. Well, they're true."
Fara nodded gravely. "I was afraid of that. But what does that have to do with anything?"
"I'll tell you if you join us. But know this. What I am trying to accomplish is for the good of humanity, and I may be the only one that can do it. However, that does not mean I can do it without help. Qual-Kehk, Kari, and Falvie are traveling with me, and I'm going to need them to accomplish my mission. If you're there, it might make it easier."
"No need for flowery speeches," Fara said, holding her hands up in front of her, "I have wanted to travel around some more and maybe see how much things have changed."
"You're not going to regret this."
Fara snorted. "If I do regret it you'll be the first one to know."
"That I am sure of. We're staying at the palace."
"I'll stay here until you go. Might as well sell off all these weapons before you leave though. I assume I'll need the gold?"
"I have enough to see us through all this," said Marko, "I've salted away a large amount everywhere."
"Good," said Fara, "cause I don't have much on me."
"I'll come back tomorrow to talk some more," said Marko, "I need to go see some other people."
"Meeting old friends. Well Marko, just make sure you don't get stabbed or something."
The four walked off.
"Fara means well," said Marko, "though she does show it in odd ways."
"Who are we going to meet this time?" Falvie asked.
"The owner of the public house."
The two women looked at each other and shrugged as they followed him. An older woman was looking around, her back against them. Marko approached her.
"Hello Atma."
The woman turned around and a look of surprise appeared on her face.
"I thought it was you," she said, "I must thank you again for avenging my husband."
"It was nothing. Radament was a threat to everyone."
"Who have you brought with you?"
"These are my companions. Kari, Falvie, and Qual-Kehk."
"My. All of you look like you're ready to march to war."
"We might have to," said Marko, "There are rumors of trouble in Kehjistan."
"Yes. I had heard that another army of demons had laid siege to Kurast. Or at least an army of demons is gathering. If they attack, Kurast may not survive another siege."
"Dark times never really left us," said Kari, "Even after Baal and his brothers were killed."
"Well, perhaps Marko here will be able to finish what he started with warriors such as you helping him."
"I hope you have been well, Atma."
"I am fine. I am not in danger of committing suicide, if that is what you are worried about. Elzix doesn't let me."
Marko nodded deeply.
"Perhaps I will see you again before I leave," he said, "Say hello to Elzix for me. I have to return to the palace."
"Of course. Thank you for coming to see me Marko. If I ever had another son, I would wish it to be you."
Marko smiled and waved as he turned to leave. The other three also bade farewell to Atma and followed Marko.
"Who is she?" Kari asked.
"Atma is the owner of the public house. She lost her husband and son to Radament before I arrived. I went down into the sewers and killed the creature."
"You've certainly done a lot of things," said Kari.
"You could ask Falvie about some of the things I did before fighting Andariel. She knows most of the little adventures I had."
"I think I will."
"Qual-Kehk, there is a man named Lysander. Find him and tell him I want twenty bottles of the headache medicine I commissioned him to make." Marko threw him a small purse of gold and handed him a note. "Pay him with this and if he gives you any trouble show him the note. If he still is stubborn come to me so I can bash some sense into his head."
Qual-Kehk grinned. "It will be my pleasure. I will see you back at the palace."
Marko nodded and continued to the palace. The two guards outside let the three in without question.
"I suggest the two of you get some rest," he said, "Tomorrow we'll be doing a lot of research to find the Shield of the Just."
"Where are you going?" Falvie asked.
"I still have an appointment with Jerhyn."
"Come on," Kari said to Falvie, "You still have to tell me about Marko's adventures."
The two women walked off and left Marko. He easily found his way to Jerhyn's study. He knocked on the doorframe and Jerhyn looked up.
"Marko! Come in, come in."
Marko walked in and sat down across from the king.
"Now, we have so much to catch up on. I've heard that you are now called the Hand of Light, and you are the one that killed the three Prime Evils."
"That was me. Took me a long time and a lot of grief, but I did it."
"You must tell me how you did it."
"Well, there wasn't much to it. I first had to find the Prime Evils, and once I did, I just attacked them. Mephisto I took down outside of Kurast, Diablo I had to go down to Hell to fight, and Baal I went to the Highlands and defeated him in the Worldstone Chamber."
"There are rumors that the Worldstone has been destroyed," Jerhyn said carefully.
"Completely true. I have two of its shards with me right now. Tyrael didn't have much of a choice."
"Tyrael destroyed the Worldstone?" Jerhyn said in surprise, "But why would an Archangel do such a thing?"
"Because if he didn't, you or I wouldn't be standing here. He bought us time. With a corrupt Worldstone, the legions of Hell could pour through uncontrolled, not having to send in forces group by group. With the Worldstone destroyed, the barrier between us, the High Heavens, and Hell are falling, but at least we have some time to prepare."
"Yes. I will have to increase the size of the guard."
"But you still have time," said Marko, "Tell me, how is it that you become married after I leave?"
Jerhyn smiled. "Shara came to the city with another merchant caravan. She is noble born and when I laid my eyes on her, I fell in love immediately. I was still putting the city back together after you had destroyed the armies of demons that surrounded Lut Gholein. I got to know her and I asked her to marry me. I was the happiest man alive when she accepted."
"And you didn't invite me," Marko said in a fake hurt voice.
Jerhyn laughed, seeing through it.
"We did not know where you were! No one did. I sent messengers out using the waypoints, but they returned with no news. I had wanted you to be my best man."
"I would have come if I only knew. Unless this happened while I was down in Hell. There I probably could not have come."
"Ah well, it matters not. That is all in the past. But tell me. You say that I have some time before the barriers fall completely. How much time do I have?"
"Enough to raise an army. And hopefully enough time for me to accomplish my mission."
"And what mission is that?"
"Let's just say that if I accomplish my mission, you might not need that army for very long."
Jerhyn nodded. "Then I wish you good fortune and success. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"There are two things actually."
"And what do they be?"
"I believe that a mystic shield lays either beneath Lut Gholein or around it. Perhaps your library and archives hold a key to its location."
"Search to your heart's content. But why do you need this shield?"
"Because I can harness its power to complete my task."
"Very well. What is the other thing?"
Marko sighed. "I have been gathering warriors to travel with me. Currently four have joined me. I want to add a fifth."
"I hope you do not mean me," said Jerhyn, "for I am no warrior."
"No, not you, but someone that you might be reluctant to let go."
"And who is that?"
"Greiz."
Jerhyn settled back into his chair and stared at Marko for several silent seconds.
"You are serious."
"I am," said Marko, "I need veterans, men and women that I can trust to have my back when the time comes."
Jerhyn let a smile creep onto his face.
"If Greiz is willing to go with you, I will not stop him. However, you may need to convince him with gold."
"That is something I have plenty of. Providing no one raided my account."
"Your money is fine," Jerhyn assured him, "Your gold is taking up a very large amount of space in the vault. I had not thought you were this rich, but it seems you are."
"Well, I'll speak to you tomorrow if you want to continue our discussion," said Marko, "I have to find Greiz and make him my offer."
"Of course. You must take time to dine with us tomorrow. My wife would love to get to know you better."
"I will be there. Should I wear something formal?"
"What you have on is fine, though you may want to slip out of that armor."
Marko smiled. The suit he wore under the armor would probably do, and the cape would make him look flashier.
"I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight Jerhyn."
"Goodnight Marko."
Kari exited the bathroom and entered the room she shared with Falvie. The two had insisted on sleeping in one room together. Both had become closer after their travels. The two were wearing bathrobes for the moment. Falvie was lying on the bed and Kari sat down next to her.
"So, tell me about Marko's adventures," she said to Falvie.
"Well, when Marko first came to our camp, Kashya was very suspicious of him. However, Akara needed his help and asked for it. Demons had gathered in the Den of Evil and she was afraid that they were massing for an attack on our camp. Marko went in and cleaned it out completely. That was the first thing he did. Kashya then asked him to kill Blood Raven, one of the captains that led the Rogues against Diablo in Tristram. She had been corrupted and brought back from the dead. Marko waited a little while before confronting her. When Kashya demanded an explanation on why he was waiting, he told her he wasn't about to charge in and fight Blood Raven unprepared. Apparently he was discovering he could use Necromancer skills and was trying to figure out how to summon a golem. Well, he learned and killed Blood Raven. He earned Kashya's respect, if not her trust."
"And he did all this before he had even mastered his true powers? I'm surprised it took him so long to kill the Prime Evils."
"He certainly makes all of his accomplishments seem easy. Anyways, Akara then asked him to rescue Deckard Cain. I'm sure you've heard of him."
"The Horadrim," said Kari, "He's supposed to be the last one of his kind."
"Yeah. Well, Marko had to travel to Tristram using a portal and he complained about the entire battle. He had to take down two camps of fallen ones, corrupt Rogues, giants, and other things just to get to the portal. After that, he was set upon by goatmen, more fallen ones, shamans, skeletons, and a very powerful zombie that Cain said used to be the town's blacksmith. From Marko's description of the battle, it was long and very hard. Cain returned first but Marko followed a few hours later through a waypoint, proclaiming that Tristram was free of demons."
"How does the man do all this?"
"I don't know," said Falvie, "but he's done it. Of course, he then heard of an evil Countess that lived in the Black Marsh. He just had to go and investigate. Nearly got one of my sisters killed, but in the end he came back with her alive and with a huge pile of gold and equipment, though both were hurt bad."
"Did he ever tell any of you what exactly happened?" Kari asked.
"Well, my sister did tell me that they found the ruins of the tower that the Countess lived in. They went down into the cellar and found the Countess and fought a small army of demons. They did manage to win but the golem and two skeletons that Marko took with them were all dead. I was rather surprised that the golem was dead. It was very powerful."
"So what else did he do?" Kari pressed.
"He got back Charsi's magical malus. It had been left behind in the barracks at the monastery when we abandoned it. He killed a large monster called the Smith to get it back. When he came back there was a large hole in his armor and he wouldn't speak much of it. We had to drag the news out of him. Charsi took a while fixing his armor, so he used a spare he had and went out again to fight."
"How bad could the fighting have been? I mean, a big hole in the armor does happen from time to time. Even I've had that problem."
"He went down there with two skeleton warriors, a skeleton mage, and a golem. He came back alone."
"Okay, maybe he did have a lot of trouble," Kari admitted, "How powerful was this Smith?"
"Strong enough that none of us ever dared to go down there by ourselves or even in groups."
"So, after he got the malus, what did he do?"
"He did a lot of things," said Falvie, "He cleared out everything in the monastery. When I went with him down there, bodies littered the entire place. I wasn't sure how we were going to clean the place. I mean, the bodies of giant spiders, fallen ones, skeletons, all kinds of things were down there. It was rather ridiculous. Nothing was alive except for a few bats. When I asked to face Andariel with him, he said no. When I said I would follow him, he had Kashya tie me up until he finished her off. He created two portals leading there and back and came back a lot. Sometimes he came back poisoned, but other times he just needed to heal. However, every time he came back he summoned another golem and used his skeleton armor trick. When he came back for the last time, he was rather proud of himself. He claimed he had killed Andariel. Of course, everyone was happy. A dozen of my sisters, myself included, went with him back into the monastery and they came back and confirmed his story. Andariel's body was lying on the ground."
"And of course from there you had to start cleaning up everything," said Kari, "How long did it take?"
"Well, dragging out the body took a long time, but it was cleaning all the blood and guts that were left behind from Marko's battle that took the longest. Akara had to cast a lot of spells to remove all that."
"And he traveled to Lut Gholein, where we are all here now."
"Yeah. I suggest we get some sleep. Marko did say that tomorrow we would be doing a lot of research and I might fall asleep from reading if we don't get some rest now."
Kari giggled and nodded in agreement.
"I never was good at studying," she said, "Goodnight Falvie."
"Goodnight Kari."
End of Chapter 4
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