Disclaimers: If you haven't had enough of these already, just imagine the funny look I'm giving you. There ya go.
Part 6Taking me long enough!
It was night once the party arrived back in Lut Gholien again, but they wasted no time in getting to Cain for the next bit of information they would need. Consulting the scroll once more, he told them that in order to find the shaft of the fabled Horadric Staff, they would need to look for the lair of the large sand maggots. As everyone knew, they had once been served at Atma's, for a mere 5 gold per serving. Now, however, they had grown huge, poisonous, and hungry. Somewhere deep within the lair of the voracious creatures lay the seemingly simple wooden staff, on which so much depended. Az'Ral quickly pulled everyone aside.
"We're running out of time."
These simple words, though everyone knew them, seemed to take on a different meaning when spoken by the weary necromancer. Perhaps it was his tone, or just the way he said it, but everyone knew this was not merely a reminder that they had better get going. It meant more.
"What do you mean?" asked Rage.
"I mean…that we are going to be too late. We may already be too late. I…don't think I can explain right now, but I promise I will…eventually. But I don't believe that we can continue to do this as a group of seven. True, the individual battles may go faster, but it will take us longer in the end. What I'm trying to say is that we still have to find the shaft, the headpiece, and the tomb of Baal itself. If we…split up, then we should be able to gather the pieces, and find the tomb more quickly. I pair will find it easier to avoid fighting than seven."
There was a pause, as even Spirit Wing seemed to consider this new plan. The companions looked at each other, minds made up. They knew it was risky, but they also knew it may well be their only chance to get through to Baal before Diablo did.
"Alright." Said Rage. "Judging by the fact that we all have the same expressions on our faces, I take it that we're splitting off? Three groups, in pairs. Spirit Wing will, of course, go with Darkangel. How else shall we do this?"
"You and Firiel go together." Said Az'Ral. "Your might and her magic should balance out."
"Just like before, my large barbarian friend." Said Firiel, putting an arm across his broad shoulders. She had to stand partially on her toes to accomplish this.
"Iconnus, you want to party with Angel and Spirit Wing again?" asked Rage, returning Firiel's half-hug.
"More than ready. We have to make up for our performance on the last time we split off."
"Right. So Az'Ral, Shadera…make us proud!"
"Yes Sir!" the two said in unison. They looked at each other and laughed.
"So." Said Darkangel. "Who wants to do what? There's a shaft, headpiece, and tomb to find."
They all stared blankly at each other.
"Doesn't matter much, I suppose." Remarked Az'Ral. "Should we...what, flip gold pieces? Draw coins, cast bones? Any preferences?"
"Excuse me." Came a voice. "Cain called me over to ask me some questions, and I couldn't help overhearing. You are looking for the Tomb of Tal Rasha?"
They turned around. Firiel seemed to recognize the old man at once. "Drognan!" she exclaimed. "Do you have any idea where the Tomb might be found?"
"No, but I believe I know where to look for a clue. Somewhere nearby is the entrance to a place called the Arcane Sanctuary, an extra dimensional refuge for a great Mage. His name was-"
"Horazon." Interjected Shadera.
"By the Stars! An assassin!" Drognan exclaimed as he noticed who had spoken.
"Yes," she said coldly. "But don't let that stop you, Mage. You have information concerning Horazon's Sanctuary." It was not a question.
"Ah, yes, I do." The old mage continued, somewhat nervously. "It is nearby, or at least, the entrance is. Very possibly in Lord Jerhyn's palace. He has told you of his problem? I believe he is ready to grant you entrance to the palace. If he is, tell him you will be exploring the lowest levels of the storage cellars. I believe they hold at least a clue as to the Sanctuary's whereabouts. Once you find it, look for a journal. The book is certain to have The Imprisonment of Baal mentioned in it."
"No, he has not." Said Firiel. "But if he is granting us access, and that is where we need to go, then I will speak to him. When I return, I will expect someone to summarize what is going on." She blinked out, with a small prickle of static to cover her disappearance.
"Drognan, if you would please give us some privacy, we would like to discuss our next course of action amongst ourselves." said Rage.
"Oh, certainly. I will return if I can find anymore information…though I thought I had something else to tell you…no matter, I will come back if I remember." The red robed mage walked off, muttering to himself as he tried to remember what he had been about to say.
"Alright." Said Shadera once he had gone. "So we ask Cain where to find this headpiece, and then go our separate ways. Meet back here in well…everyone has a week. If…if a group doesn't make it, the rest just have to forget about them and carry on. We cannot linger more than a week. Too much depends on it."
"We can't wait a week." Said Az'Ral flatly. "Three, four days at the most we can't stand around debating this! As said, too much depends on us. We have to go. Before this night is over."
"Speaking of which," Darkangel said, "this isn't my homeland, but the night seems to be lasting awfully long. Anyone else?"
"Now that you bring it up…" said Az'Ral. "You're right. When I was young-"
"Necromancer, you're still young. Never forget that. None of us can ever forget that." Iconnus broke in.
Az'Ral sighed wearily. "I know my friend, I know. But when I started out…first left Rathma, I felt so…unburdened. Now I'm being tossed around, like a tree fern in a high wind. Barely clinging…barely." He snapped his head up and looked around with pain filled eyes. So much loss.
"But never mind. That's neither here nor there. When I still lived in Rathma, I studied for long hours underground. My body unconsciously attuned itself to the sun's movements. I always knew when I could break away from my work and she would be…I mean…uh, I always know where the sun should be, and right now…she should be right overhead. Right overhead."
Shadera looked at him curiously, but said nothing about what the necromancer had implied. When he was ready to let go of some of that pain, he would, and she knew there was nothing she could do to hurry that. "The Darkness is magical in nature, I cam sense that. This is no natural eclipse."
"This changes nothing." Rage growled. "We still have three things to find, and three groups to find them with. We go on as planned, and if we find out what is causing this, so much the better. But this eclipse is not our concern."
"I believe it is, heroes." Said a gravely voice. Cain's. "Drognan tells me that he too knows of magical eclipses. He meant to tell you while he was talking, but he couldn't quite remember. Happens at our age, you know. This 'night' has lasted for a day and a half, though you were all in the Halls and had no way of knowing it. Strangely, this event is tied up in your search for Baal, because the headpiece to a Horadric Staff is found in a Temple of creatures known as Claw Vipers. And it is they who are causing this eclipse. How, we do not know, but if you find what you are searching for, you are likely to find out how to bring the sun's rays back to us."
"Foul magic!" cursed Rage. "To purposefully darken the skies so the sun cannot share her life-giving warmth and light with the world is unforgivable. Firiel and I will deal with this sacrilege, and bring back the headpiece at the same time! This is a concern to me now!"
"Well, that solves part of our problem." Said Darkangel. "But now, who will look for the Sanctuary and who squishes bugs?"
"I must admit, to look upon the legendary Arcane Sanctuary of Horazon is something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do." Shadera said thoughtfully. "If it is alright with you and Iconnus, and, of course, my fighting partner Az'Ral, I would like to look for the Sanctuary."
"This Sanctuary must surely be the product of a twisted mind." Remarked Iconnus. "I am relieved that you have chosen to do this."
"And I have no objections." Said Az'Ral. "However, if you wouldn't mind taking this," he handed Darkangel a small corked bottle, "and collecting some maggot poison, I would be in your debt. Either the blood or the saliva will do, if you have the opportunity to do it without much risk. But do not touch it bare-handed! And try to keep it away from the Righteous Paladin's cleansing aura. That would ruin it."
Darkangel had somewhat of a doubtful look on her face as she took the bottle, but she agreed anyway. After all, he was a friend, albeit a strange one.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The party had been sundered. Cain had helped the other two groups with the Horadric devices known as "waypoints." These Waypoints teleported the two groups; Rage and Firiel, Darkangel and Iconnus; deep into the desert. There they would split off and look for their quarries. Az'Ral and Shadera were left, standing on the town's Waypoint and wondering if they would ever see the others again. Az'Ral was startled to find how much he cared for his departed companions, especially Iconnus. The relationship between the necromancer and the paladin had developed into something totally unexpected. Something akin to friendship.
But Iconnus was gone, as were Rage, Darkangel, and Firiel. This was the point of no return.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Az'Ral and Shadera had gotten Jerhyn's permission to enter his palace. Now all that was left was to find their way down, either to the Arcane Sanctuary itself, or to a clue as to where it could be found. The two companions followed Kasim, a palace guard who acted as their guide through the palace and its many rooms.
"H-here," said Kasim nervously. He did not in the least like the idea of traveling with a necromancer and an assassin. Best that he get them to the lower level and 'lose' them so he might get away. Maybe off to Atma's. Yes, Atma's would be perfect. Food, drink, women. Something to help him forget this miserable duty he had been given…
"Here, what?" The impatient assassin interrupted his pleasant reverie. Damn her! "You have been leading us through this gods forsaken palace for hours. I'm starting to get irritated. Where. Are. We."
Kasim gulped. "H-here, my l-lady. Where else? T-this door leads to the Harem's rooms. Below them are several floors of storage. N-now, if you could excuse me-"
"Hardly." Said the necromancer, grabbing his shoulder. "You come with us."
By what right?! Kasim thought indignantly. "I will not." He said aloud. "I am not being paid for this. I will not come."
Az'Ral's eyes blazed. "Yes, you will. If I have to kill you and drag you along myself, I will. But you are coming."
The little man gulped. Shadera looked at Az'Ral. Az'Ral glared at Kasim.
Finally the mercenary broke under that simmering stare and pushed open the door. Steps led into darkness. He pulled a torch off the wall and started down.
"Quite a bit of coercion there." Shadera remarked.
"Pah. I've had enough of that shifty little man. I'm going to kill him.
"Are you really?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He is as likely as anyone I've ever seen to betray us down there. If he can save himself at our expense, he will. But only if we keep him around. I don't plan on giving him the opportunity to run out of here, or feed us to whatever creatures live at these lower levels."
Shadera shrugged. "Good point."
They walked down the steps to find Kasim and his light gone.
"Hells. You were right. Still, I can find him. Grab one of those torches back up there and let me meditate for a moment"
Az'Ral obeyed, curious as to what she was doing. Returning with the torch, he saw Shadera standing, arms out to her side. She was quietly muttering something under her breath. Her arms moved in an arc above her head as her outline blurred…shifted. "Kai!" she screamed, and snapped her arms down to her side. The assassin's outline broke off, a perfect duplicate. A shadow of herself. Her eyes opened suddenly, though her body stayed motionless.
"Go," she whispered. "Find him, and return to me."
The Shadera-Shadow melted away, even more silent than its creator could have been.
"Let's get going. She'll return to me and fade within a few hours, whether she has dealt with that mercenary or not. If she returns without his blood then he has already been slain. There is no need to concern ourselves with him any longer.
This was a side of Shadera that Az'Ral had not seen before. If there had been any doubt as to why her kind were called assassins, it had certainly been erased. Strange, the knowledge that she could kill so coldly did not unsettle him. She would kill you without qualm. The dark voice spoke once again. No, he thought. She is my comrade, it is why we fight together. She has nothing to gain from my death, and no reason to kill me.
Yet.
I did not ask for your opinion.
The voice fell silent, its interruption far more unsettling than Shadera. I am imagining things. That 'voice' means nothing. It is simply a darker side of myself, a side that gives in to darker thoughts. Still, I thought I had buried it long ago.
"Az'Ral?"
Startled out of his thoughts, Az'Ral quickly focused his eyes on what was in front of his face. Unfortunately, that happened to be Shadera's ample chest. He snapped his gaze up to her face and tried to ignore her smirk.
She laughed. "Care to share your thoughts as we walk?" she asked.
They walked in silence for several minutes as Az'Ral thought about it.
"Yes" he said hoarsely. "I need to talk. This weighs heavily upon me. I…I feel as if it is eating away at my very soul, and I cannot explain it. Can…can I trust you, to keep this a secret between the two of us?"
"I am an assassin, my dear necromancer. I am sworn to a life of secrecy."
"Then I may take that as your oath?"
"Yes."
AUTHOR'S NOTES!
And so, we are finally finished with another chapter! Woo hoo!…I think. Thank you all who have waited for this so long. You guys are the best! Thank you all, once AGAIN, for the great reviews! Even though it's been so long. You guys really ARE the best. Funny, how when I write the Author's Notes I totally abandon italics as a way of emphasis. Just use capitals. Meh. Random thought, I suppose. Anyway, so in this chapter…I have almost no idea what we're doing. Yeah, I admit it. Basically I wanted to add a bit more of a time squeeze, but mostly set it up for a bit more on our beloved necromancer's past history. Soooo, if all went right, read on, and I'll see if I can clear up some of the mysteries! (Peh. Mysteries. What's she talking about?! We never cared about the CHARACTERS, just the fights. Common, yeah! The fights! Fightfightfightfight!) Ack! No you don't! Really, I'm on medication for those voices. Working on getting rid of those guys…
Now that once again my subconscious has taken over the keyboard, it's time to get going with the typing! Oooohhhh yeah!
Take care all, and I promise I'll try to update more.
~~Qualinesti~~