The Revelation
Myrrick sat on the stairs, pondering his mission here. It was close; he could feel it! Soon he would enter the Burning Hell and kill the remaining Prime Evils with his own hand, by then Joanna's soul could rest in peace. After that, what is next? Next? At first, he thought to return to Mt. Arreat after finished his mission, but then he might be still around...and that the least thing he wanted: incite another fight! The druid gritted his teeth,
No! I won't return to Mt.Arreat! This thing must end! Suddenly, he heard someone coming from behind. When he turned around, he saw Aliza stood not far from the stairs. She asked shakily,
"Hi, may I join you?" Myrrick didn't answer; instead he turned back again. Then the rogue sat beside him.
"Perhaps I'm disturbing you, but you looked serious than usual...may I know what troubles you?" The druid stared her blankly. Aliza immediately said,
"If you don't want to answer, it's all right...I just want to know only..." Instead Myrrick asked her back,
"Do you have a family, Aliza?" The young rogue shook her head,
"No, my parents have been died long time ago. They left my elder sister and me. She is the reason why I want to be a rogue," He continued,
"Oh, she must be a very special person for you...is she still around?" Hearing the question, Aliza answered sadly,
"She has gone when Andariel forced the Sisterhood out from the monastery. Kashya told me that she and the other rogues bravely put defense in order to protect our retreat. Yet, nobody comes back alive after that. I think she already..." Myrrick said with sympathy,
"I'm sorry, Aliza. I don't mean to..." The rogue instantly brushed her eyes,
"No, that's all right! After our parents died, she's the only thing I have...we were close and always helping each other. Akara once said that my sister is very skillful in anything she does, even if she doesn't choose to be a rogue! She taught me about the marksmanship, but she's still the best...I will never beat her!" Then she smiled,
"However, we made a promise once...whenever both of us fall in love to the same person, we'll fight each other..." Myrrick surprised to heard that,
"Why did you make such promise? I thought you were close..." The rogue laughed in myrrh,
"She was tired to hear my complaints that she always bested me, therefore we decided that we'll set this once and for all. Now she's no longer around; the promise was useless...oh, well!" Both of them were silent until Deckard Cain came,
"Here you are! Myrrick, Caldash has arrived...he is here with Orb'al and Zylene!" The Horadrim coughed a bit, before continued,
"Tyrael summons all of us to come to the Hall; it must be about our quest to find Izual!" Slowly, the druid rose and said to Cain,
"I'll be there, Cain!" Then he turned to the rogue,
"Come, Aliza!" The girl nodded before left the place with him. At the same time, Akivsha appeared from the shadows of the pillars. She whispered,
"Is that you?"
Meanwhile, Caldash strolled at Halbu's stall. He took a shield and examined it carefully. The merchant explained to him that the shield named Stormshield was indeed very unique. Not only indestructible, it also increased his attack rate. It looked sturdier than his previous shield. After the paladin paid the price for the shield, Halbu also asked whether he would change his sword as well. Caldash stared his sword, the Sazabi Cobalt Redeemer. The sword always accompanied him whenever he went, and also ended Mephisto's life. He said that he wouldn't change his sword. At that time, someone commented,
"You are never changed, aren't you?" The paladin turned back to reality and saw Jamella behind him. Then he answered,
"Some people do, like you for instance..." The female merchant chuckled,
"Really? When we're still acolytes in Westmarch, the people always talk about the serious-minded Caldash..." The paladin already cut her,
"...and the free-spirited Jamella. Who never thought that it was you who were chosen to stay at Pandemonium Fortress?" Instead laughed, Jamella turned serious. Then she said,
"I'm sorry to what happened to your family and master, but there is no point to bring your vengeance along," Caldash didn't answer; he went away from her. He said sullenly,
"The Three took their lives and I shall take their lives in return for justice..." Suddenly Jamella said with a mock laugh, something unthinkable in Pandemonium Fortress,
"What justice? Come on, is that what you believe about justice? Caldash, what you have now is vengeance, not justice! Justice supposed to be merciful! I thought you were smarter than that!" The paladin replied coldly, yet the merchant was unfazed with that.
"Did Mephisto show mercy to my family? Did he show mercy to Master Khalim? That's what the Prime Evils deserve, the merciless justice..." However, Jamella stared him defiantly,
"You blames yourself for not being able to protect your family and master! What you want now is to end your miserable life! You are not pursuing the Three for justice, Caldash, but for vengeance and suicide only!!" She shouted,
"Do you think your action was in accordance with the Light? Then let me tell you something! The Light is not to serve your selfish motives! You are surely fail, Caldash!" Then she left him stood like a statue alone. The paladin stared his new shield, while thinking something.
She is right; the paladin is not supposedly lost their weapon easily...the shield and the sword is the reflection of their pure and unadulterated commitment! If they lost, then it's already impure...is that what happened to me right now? Then Orb'al patted his shoulder that jolted him. Zylene asked him,
"Sir Caldash, are you all right? The Great Tyrael called us together at the Hall..." Caldash replied,
"I'll be coming with you..." He turned to the young barbarian who nodded with understanding. Sometimes he was thankful to have a companion like Orb'al. He never spoke any words, but his actions spoke louder than words. He said to him,
"Thank you, Orb'al!"
When they entered the Hall, everyone but Tha'el already gathered inside. Myrrick immediately greeted Caldash when he saw them,
"Welcome, Caldash! It's glad to see you here again..." The paladin stunned only. It seemed the druid has forgotten what happened at Kurast. He merely said,
"Thank you..." Then he went forward without said anything to Myrrick. In other hand, Aliza and Zylene talked to each other. Akivsha watched them, wondering whether they still remember what she said to them inside the Black Temple. She cursed inside for her failure to not controlling her mind. Then she turned to Caldash. For now, he was no longer a threat for them...at least for now. Xelana and Orb'al ignored them like nothing. Suddenly, the Hall was filled with a bright light when Archangel Tyrael appeared among them. Gently, everyone knelt in respect and awe. Then Tyrael spoke,
"Heroes, you are going to travel into the Burning Hell. Once you're outside this fortress, you are at your own! Even the High Heavens can't do anything for that. You will be completely under the demon's mercy...if they know that!" The archangel turned to the Amazon,
"Xelana, you will guide these warriors to the Plains of Despair where Izual resides. Afterward, go to the River of Flame; you will find the Hellforge there. It is up to you to decide where you want to go first, heroes! Once you found the Hammer, return here immediately and I will send you to the Chaos Sanctuary where the Prime Evils reside," Xelana bowed with respect,
"I will do your order, Great Archangel!" Tyrael continued,
"Please follow Xelana, since she has been here before you! She knows the environment very well...beside the Burning Hell is not a trivial place. The demons always look for the straying victims and outnumber them...be careful with that! May your faith strengthen you!"
Few hours later, everyone gathered in courtyard. The necromancer still coughed after smoking too much.
. Myrrick stood in the middle, while he held the Horadric Cube. He asked,
"Do you have any gems?" Zylene produced a chipped diamond, while Aliza showed an emerald and Caldash gave a sapphire. The druid took those gems and put them inside with mana and health potions. When he pressed the button, a red light appeared along the cube. After finished, Myrrick took the full rejuvenation potions.
"Did everyone got their rejuvenation potion already?" Everyone nodded, including the necromancer who stayed away from them. Then the rogue asked,
"Why do we have to stock the full rejuvenation potion?" The Zann-Esu explained,
"Journey into the Burning Hell is very dangerous, Aliza. We don't know what dangers we will encounter; beside we can't always rely on the shrines. That's why I told Myrrick to have a full stock of rejuvenation potions."
The druid added,
"Thanks to Zylene for telling me this formula! I wonder what we could do if you're not around..." The sorceress blushed only. Then Xelana rudely called them,
"Are you finished yet? We are not going to picnic here! Where is your 'mysterious friend?" Myrrick believed the 'mysterious friend' was Akivsha. He answered,
"Xelana, can you wait later? We still waiting Akivsha; I believe she will join us sooner!" The explanation didn't satisfy the amazon. She fumed all around, while the other watched her helplessly. Then she transferred her wrath to Tha'el, who still stared her,
"What are you watching, pervert? Are you watching me?" Shocked, Tha'el denied the accusation,
"Me? Come on! I simply admire God's creation here..." Xelana went to him, while the necromancer fidgeted his finger nervously. Then she grabbed him. When close to him, the amazon started to smile and spoke seductively,
"Don't lie, I know you're watching my body...hoping to touch my butt...groping my breast...do you think I don't know that?" Tha'el gulped several times, as she drew him closer until her chest bumped him. He said with a smirk.
"You're so nice...there's something else that I'd rather look at," Suddenly Xelana shouted aloud and lifted the necromancer, before slammed him to the ground very hard. Zylene and Aliza could only gasp in shock. As Tha'el groaned, the amazon smiled over at him sweetly
"Just make sure those eyes of yours don't land on me, otherwise you'll regret it severely and that's the advice of a friend." Slowly, the Rathma rose from the ground. He said indignantly,
"With friends like you I don't need enemies,".
Myrrick turned to another direction and saw Akivsha. Somehow she wore a different armor from the first time they met. As she went closer, he greeted her,
"Hi, Akivsha! Nice armor..." The assassin turned to him, before said,
"Thank you, I just got this from my sister! This is Natalya's Odium set...this will improve my fighting ability!" The druid nodded, and then he asked again,
"Akivsha, do you have a family?" Akivsha stunned with the question,
"Why are you asking that?" Myrrick was speechless, yet he continued,
"I...just curious only...probably you knew already that this quest is very dangerous, there is possibility that we won't return alive," The assassin stared him, and then she answered,
"I'm an orphan, Myrrick...I have nobody to take care of me, and the Order is my family. They raised and taught me well; in return, I'm doing this mission to repay their kindness..." The druid countered,
"You don't have to do this, if you don't want, Akivsha! Death is not the solution..." Akivsha turned to him, this time she said softly,
"I'm an Assassin and assassinate the Prime Evils is my utmost duty and devotion to the Order...that's the only reason why I'm here. I believe you have the same feeling, do you?" Myrrick didn't answer; then she reminded,
"We must go now, everyone has waiting you..." The druid nodded, before went the separate way. Akivsha said inside her heart,
What am I doing? Am I started to mellow? Meanwhile, Myrrick has the same thought,
She's right, everyone has his or her own motives to come here and none is better than the other...
Few hours later, the heroes left the fortress and went to the Outer Steppes. Desolation and sorrow greeted them in this wretched land. They could saw some stakes with the tortured soul around. The ruins were almost ubiquitous around the place. What depressed Myrrick was the absence of the living things around the place. He missed the blue sky, the green grasses and the flowers. He was sure that everyone has the same feeling like him.
When he turned around, he saw the rogue and sorceress looked depressed. In other hand, Tha'el was feeling joyful. The druid shook his head; he couldn't understand the Rathma's mind, probably he enjoyed the sight of death and life alike no matter what. Caldash, Akivsha, and Orb'al were very calm. Myrrick turned to the amazon who guided them.
She looked focused and undisturbed. Then he asked,
"Xelana, what brings you to this place?" Without turning back, the woman warrior answered,
"I was picked out by the Goddess Athulua to undergo the test. Those who passed the test will become the Valkyrie, messenger of the Goddess. It is my family tradition that the best among them always chosen as Valkyrie.
For 5 years, I worked my way as a mercenary to perform the impossible task. Then I have to kill the villainous Andariel, if succeeded I would have finished the test..." The druid felt guilty when he heard that,
"I'm sorry to disturb you from fulfilling your dream...but I won't regret my action!" Xelana looked him from her shoulder, before turned back,
"It doesn't matter, then I meet Archangel Tyrael on the way to Black Sea. He convinces me to go with him to the Pandemonium Fortress...and here I am! It is almost a month here, yet I feel like I spent years here," The rogue instantly asked,
"Years? How could that be?" The amazon explained,
"In Burning Hell, time is fleeting very fast than in the mortal plane. If you spent time long enough here, I believe you'll be older than you were..." Zylene joined in,
"But Jamella and Halbu looks like here yesterday..." Caldash answered from behind,
"Time is not affecting those who are inside the Fortress, Zylene! Jamella and I studied together at Westmarch 15 years ago and she's much older than I..." Zylene and Aliza exclaimed in surprise,
"Fifteen years ago?!" Suddenly Xelana gestured the band to stop,
"Shh, we have a company!" Instantly, everyone readied their weapons. The paladin immediately brought his newly bought Stormshield, while Akivsha pulled the Suwayyah. Tha'el unsheathed his trusty dagger, and Orb'al raised his axes. The amazon brandished a javelin, which she put in offensive position. The noise came from all side. The heroes immediately formed the circle, backing each other. Everyone got very tense, when Xelana said,
"Get ready for 'burly brawl'!" Before she had finished, the Oblivion Knights, Mega Demons and Finger Magi poured to them like a flood. At the other side, Regurgitators and Vile Mothers joined the fray. Orb'al shouted his battle cry as he could. At the same time, Caldash cast the Fanaticism aura for his party mates. Myrrick didn't waste any time; he summoned his beast immediately. The Dire Wolves charged forward, while the Grizzly mauled anything on its path. Akivsha threw her traps around them. In a moment, the Lightning Sentries and Wake of Fire kicked in, unleashing the fire and lightning wave and consuming the unlucky demons on their path. The paladin simply hacked his way with his sword; now he already cast Vigor to make himself move faster. Meanwhile, the barbarian had used Frenzy and cut his path with axes. In other side, Zylene was crowded by a swarm of Finger Magi. Instead afraid, she sent Frost Nova that chilled them before Aliza picked them with her arrow one by one.
Surprisingly, Tha'el looked calm though he faced a band of Undead Magi. As they attacked him, he sent Dim Vision, before followed up with Lower Resist, Weaken and finally, Amplify Damage. The necromancer swung his dagger swiftly, before he sliced away his foes through their torsos or necks. For him, fight with the Undead was a trivial thing. Then a Mega Demon came to him with a roar, however Tha'el shot the demon down with Bone Spear.
He said mockingly, "Is that the best you got, boy?" He turned his attention to the amazon. Xelana fought with untold savagery and ferocity. She bashed the nearest Oblivion Knight to oblivion, before turned to the others. The Undead Warriors swarmed her, yet she managed to avoid them. Instantly, everything around her went to 'the bullet time'. As the warriors slashed to her, the amazon dodged and evaded any single attack that coming to her while stood still. In return, she sent multiple jab to the Oblivion Knights, while fending off them. However, some of them pulled her from behind. Xelana instantly dropped her javelin and kicked it with such force to the Undead in front of her. The javelin unleashed the lightning bolt that struck them squarely. Using the chance, she pulled back her arms, thus threw the Undead who held him forward. Snatched the javelin again, Xelana sent a full swing that pushed her opponent away. With the cry, she held her javelin high before struck it to the ground. The amazon used the momentum to lift herself from the ground and sent the kicks, while went around in a circle. The attack sent the Oblivion Knights reeling. As the finale, she shouted,
"Valkyrie!" The bright light appeared as a Valkyrie appeared, and instantly finished the rest of the enemy!
In a mean time, the druid has summoned the Spirit of Wolverine to aid his mates. Aliza shouted to Xelana,
"Xelana, how long these demons will go away?" The amazon chuckled only,
"Go away? Ha, it's nothing compared to now! I had killed 1,000 of them single-handedly in one day!"
The rogue couldn't believe what she heard,
"A day? How do we pass them?" Then Tha'el asked Myrrick,
"Do you want me to resurrect one or two of them, druid? To lighten our burden?" Instead, Akivsha sarcastically answered,
"How do we know you won't use your minions against us?" The necromancer watched her with annoyed look,
"Be realistic, assassin! Do you think I'm going to turn against you in this kind of situation?" Myrrick interfered their arguments with a shout,
"Will you stop the crap? I was hardly pressed here..." The paladin replied,
"You're not the only one who are pressed hard here, Myrrick!" Caldash managed to deliver a knockout bash with Stormshield to a Mega Demon. The Zann-Esu said with tone of encouragement,
"Keep the pressure! Eventually, they will go away!" Unfortunately, it wouldn't happen! The undead and demons still continued to press them hard. Finally, Myrrick couldn't hold his patience anymore. He lifted his hand and shouted as he could,
"Volcano!!" In a sudden, a huge, fiery volcano erupted from the ground and swallowed his foes. At the same time, the druid commanded to his party,
"Let's get out from here! I have enough with them!!" Everyone didn't wait the order; they already left the place. To keep the demons from pursuing them, Akivsha threw several traps.
"That's so close! I don't think I can stand any longer there..." Aliza quipped as she leaned at the nearest rock to rest. Zylene took her time to cast Warmth, while Orb'al simply sharpened his axes. The assassin sat in a meditating position. Tha'el simply played with his dagger. Meanwhile, Myrrick stood at the rock and scanned the surrounding. Xelana watched him impatiently. The paladin called,
"Myrrick, what are you doing? Are you thinking something?" Turned back, Myrrick hopped down and knelt not far from them. Then he said,
"I suggest that we should split up..." Everyone but the necromancer was stunned with his decision. The amazon asked,
"I'm sorry, but Archangel Tyrael advised us to..."The druid turned to her and answered,
"I know, but we might achieve nothing if we are attacked frequently! Therefore we must split into two group; the first group will looking for Izual and the other go to find the Hellforge..." Worried, Zylene commented,
"Is it not more risky to split up, Myrrick? The demons might attack..."
"Yes, but they are more likely to attack us when we are together. I will take the chance...by then, we can finish our quest!" Nobody answered, and he continued,
"First group will be composed of Xelana, Caldash, Zylene and me, while the rest are led by Akivsha..." The assassin protested,
"I'm disagreed! Why is the necromancer joining my group?" Myrrick pulled her quite far and whispered,
"I need someone to keep eye on him, and there is none better than you, Akivsha! The other reason is that I might killed him accidentally..." She replied sharply,
"You know that I might do the same to him; there is no guarantee..." The druid silenced her by lifting his hand,
"I know that, but you'll think twice than I...do you understand?" The assassin didn't protest anymore, however she noticed that Xelana paid her a smirk. It made her disgusted very much. At the same time, Zylene watched the barbarian worriedly. Then Myrrick turned to the amazon,
"Xelana, do you know where the Hellforge located?" The female warrior pointed the rock ladder below and explained,
"Well, just follow the trail to the City of the Damned and go southward to River of Flame! You are not going to lose by then. For us, we simply continue to the Plains of Despair; it is not very far..." Tha'el spontaneously quipped,
"That doesn't sound to difficult...." Akivsha, Orb'al and Aliza paid him a dark, sidelong glance,
"What?"
Not for long, they already sneaked their way to the Hellforge. Myrrick's plan worked well; the demons didn't attack them frequently after they split into two groups. Akivsha, Aliza and Tha'el waited behind the rock. Then they saw the barbarian returned to their hiding place. He quickly reported what he saw through the sign language. The necromancer had a difficulty to understood what he said,
"Huh? I don't know what you are saying..." The assassin explained,
"Orb'al said the Hellforge was half-empty...it seems the demons had moved their armaments to other place. He didn't see Hephasto the Armorer," Aliza commented,
"It doesn't make any senses! Tyrael said the forge supposedly heavily guarded...what are they doing by emptying the Hellforge?" Tha'el snapped,
"It doesn't matter by now, just find the Hammer and get out from here fast!" Akivsha replied,
"This is the first time I agree with you, Rathma!" Later, they sneaked into the forge where a few blunderbores guarded the place. Watching from quite a distance, Akivsha gave her code to the rogue to take out the guards. Aliza nodded, and then aimed her arrow to the lone blunderbore. Instantly, the arrow whizzed, claiming the life. The monster moaned for a moment before he flopped dead. His fellow wondered to what was going wrong and came closer to the body. Silently, the assassin use Fade to slip unnoticed and positioned herself behind the creature. She instantly sent Tiger Strike that killed the monster without any noise. At the same time, Orbal hacked the rest who hadn't aware about the intruders. Few moments later, they have cleared the place, but there was no sign of Hammer. Akivsha hit the pillar in frustration, and then Aliza called her from their hiding place,
"Akivsha, do you see the Hammer?" The assassin replied,
"Nada, it isn't here! Hephasto must be brought it along..." While Aliza still listened, a huge shadow loomed behind those heroes. Tha'el poked her shoulder nervously,
"Er...I think I know where he is now..." The rogue was unable to reply, when she saw the huge demon was towering behind them. The feature showed clearly that he was something more than human, yet it was grotesquely distorted now. Two horns sprouted from both sides of his head. Then he swung his hammer down with a speed like lightning bolt. Aliza and Tha'el barely rolled out from danger, as the hammer hit the ground with a loud crashing sound. The small crater formed beneath its legs. Then he watched Akivsha with malice and contempt, before licked his lips,
"Do you think you are smarter than Hephasto? Your fragile body shall adorn my collection..." The assassin answered indignantly,
"You may try it, demon! I'm going to take the Hammer from your ugly, dead hand! You can say hello to the Smith!" Suddenly, Hephasto was silent after heard the taunt. His face was twisted into an unfathomable expression until he bawled like a big baby,
"My pupil..." The heroes were stunned when they watched him crying. A moment later, the Armorer wiped his tears and stared to them again. His eyes turned into a blazing flame. Then he growled with an inhuman tone, fixing the attention to the assassin,
"You're the one who killed my pupil; you must pay with your life! Death for you!" Without warning, the demon charged forward Akivsha. The attack knocked off Aliza outside, while the assassin flew very far before hit a boulder rock nearby. She bit her tongue as the painful sensation crept along her body.
Not again! She groaned, both master and pupil are like to hit the same place! She touched her ribs that once broken when she fought the Smith. When Hephasto attacked again, she evaded it easily. The hammer shattered the rock next to her. Akivsha threw a Lightning Sentry to the demon. However, the Armorer ignored the electrical bolt and kept chasing her. In a sudden movement, the assassin turned around and sent Tiger Claw and Dragon Tail simultaneously. To her surprise, the attack didn't hurt Hephasto, even an inch! She was bounced back to the ground, as the demon leaped to catch her. Tha'el instantly pulled her out, while Orb'al leaped to deliver his double axe attack.
The Armorer instinctively blocked the attack and swept the barbarian away with mighty sweep. Orb'al rolled several times to reduce the force and landed on the ground safely. This time, the demon fixed his attention to him and attacked with bestial fury. The barbarian matched him with the same fury. The sparks flew everywhere when the hammer and the axes clashed each other.
Akivsha immediately brushed the necromancer away, "Leave me alone!" The Rathma was unfazed, but he was quick to answer,
"Well, I just want to help...you could be killed awhile," Slowly, the assassin controlled herself,
"How is Aliza?" Tha'el turned to the rogue who started to awake,
"She's fine, but I have something to talk with you. You might not like this, but I think we need some help right now..." Instantly, Akivsha already realized what he wanted,
"Never! I would rather burn in hell than accept help from your minions!!" The Rathma smirked coldly,
"We've been in hell, dear...look yourself! Do you think that you can fight decently with that brute? For how long the barbarian will stand?" They turned their attention to Orb'al who already cornered by Hephasto. Though she hated the necromancer's guts, he was right! They desperately needed help! Then she stared him and hissed,
"Fine, you can call your minions, but not more than three! Understood?" Tha'el grinned only,
"Loud and clear!" He waved his hand...and a band of Skeleton Warriors and Skeletal Magi arose from the ground. Then he commanded the Undead to attack Hephasto. Akivsha called him angrily,
"Did I tell you to have three minions only?" Her hand held the katar and Suwayyah tightly, though shaken with anger. The necromancer replied calmly,
"Before you kill me, you should wait and see first!"
Tha'el's minions swarmed the huge demon like ants, taking him by surprise. However, Hephasto roared loudly and shrugged its shoulder, sending the Undead flying. Then he proceeded to crush them with his Hammer. In a second, the necromancer's minions had been reduced into a handful of Skeletal Magi. They shot the elemental projectiles, yet it did anything but stopped the demon. With a hateful growl, the Armorer sent the spectral hit, coupled with Charge. He bashed them to pieces and turned toward the heroes. Aliza warned,
"He's coming!" However, Tha'el seemed thinking something,
"Er, which spell I have to use now? Dim Vision? No! Decrepify? Nope! Confuse? Terror?" The earth shook as Hephasto stomped his way to them. Then Akivsha shouted impatiently,
"Any spell can make it! Just pick one, will you?" They could saw the demon ran toward them very fast. Soon, he would be there! Unable to wait, the assassin lifted herself and took her weapons. She held the katar on the left hand and the Scissor Suwayyah on the right. The rogue went closer to her,
"Akivsha, what are you doing?" She answered, "I can't wait until he found the proper spell! If I must die now, let me die in a good fight!" Slowly but sure, the distance between them and Hephasto became closer. At that moment, the necromancer exclaimed,
"I know! This one can make!" Akivsha stared the huge demon as their distance became shorter. Suddenly the bone wall blocked her sight. Hephasto crashed the wall with a deafening sound, and then everything was silent. Aliza and Akivsha turned to Tha'el who smiled widely. However, the sound of cracking heard as the corrupt Armorer hammered the wall. The assassin sighed,
"So much for the defense!" The white-haired sorcerer replied, while casting Bone Armor around him,
"It is easy to say that! I wish not to die today..." The rogue continued,
"So am I!" As they prepared for the worst, Hephasto had shifted his attention to...Orb'al. For a while, the barbarian used the chance to drink the rejuvenation potion, and he was ready to fight again. Crossed his axes above his head, he let his War Cry out, taunting the demon. Without thinking, the Armorer strode to his direction. Before their distance was close, the barbarian leaped. Instead avoiding, he landed very close in front of the demon. Before his opponent realized it, Orb'al swung his axes like a hurricane, and then put Whirlwind and Frenzy in effect. The maneuvers made Hephasto had difficulty to defend himself from the furious attack.
Sensing a chance, the necromancer rushed from the crumbling wall. He instantly summoned a Clay Golem as he pulled his dagger out. Meanwhile, the Armorer was busy to block the barbarian's attack. Tha'el quickly gestured the golem to tug the demon's right leg. Later, Hephasto felt something tugged his right leg and saw a lumpy creature holding it. He tried to shoo the golem, however the Rathma swiftly sank the dagger to his thigh. Howled with pain, the demon swung his right arm, sending the necromancer sprawled far away. Even so, Tha'el managed to cast something in a split second. At the same time, the Armorer felt his body was wracked with pain. The wiry sorcerer smiled triumphantly as he wiped his bleeding nose,
"Taste my Iron Maiden, demon!" Growled, the demon tried to catch him. Suddenly, he stumbled to the ground. When he turned to his leg where the necromancer has wounded him, the wound turned black and produces a putrefying smell. In another word, his leg was rotting. Once again, Tha'el mocked,
"What's up, big guy? Have you taste my poison?" Hephasto forced himself to stand, though his wounded leg was unable to support his weight. He immediately summoned a band of Venom Lord to aid him,
"S^$#^, he has a help..." Tha'el cursed. In a moment, the same demons were struck by fire and lightning attack. Akivsha and Aliza cut the rest. The assassin shouted,
"Don't stand there like an idiot, finish him!!" The necromancer replied,
"I will, but would you kindly give one of them for me?" The rogue asked,
"For what?" Tha'el smiled only, "You'll know soon..." Then Akivsha nodded and use her Psychic Hammer to knock a Venom Lord to the sorcerer's direction.
Back to Orb'al, he managed to corner Hephasto back to the Hellforge. He was tirelessly pressing his attack, not giving an inch to his opponent. In other hand, the Armorer felt weakened. The necromancer's poison and Iron Maiden curse has taken its toll. By now, he couldn't even feel his right leg anymore as the gangrene spreads over. Only his unholy will that kept him standing. With a loud cry, the barbarian now went into Berserk and his attack became erratic, yet none less fierce than the first. The demon pivoted to bring his hammer to crush the barbarian's head. Instead avoiding the attack, Orb'al forced his way by striking the right side. Hephasto had no idea until he tried to follow with his attack. By then, he saw his right arm already gone. The severed arm was lying on the ground, it still holding the Hammer. The barbarian exulted with his success, while the Armorer was frozen with fear. Before he tried to flee, a dumb-founded Venom Lord blocked his way. Nervously, he screamed,
"What are you doing here, stupid? Get away from my way!!" Tha'el replied coldly,
"I'm sorry, but you're not going anywhere..." Suddenly the winged demon gargled in his blood, as the necromancer slit his throat with such incredible force and hissed a spell,
"Corpse Explosion!!" The dying demon instantly exploded violently, sending flesh and bone everywhere.
Hephasto writhed in agony as the explosion hurt him. His vision became blurred and he stumbled helplessly. Orb'al stood stoically, yet he didn't attack. Tha'el shouted,
"What are you waiting for? Finish him!" But the barbarian didn't move, instead watching the blinded demon that groveled on the ground. The Rathma screamed impatiently,
"Damn, don't stand there! Kill him!" Orb'al lowered his axes and spoke again with sign language. Akivsha explained as she came over and took the severed arm,
"He won't kill a helpless foe, especially after you cheated him by using poison and sneak attack...it would dishonor his pride," The necromancer turned to her with a confused and frustrated look,
"Well, I don't risk my life to follow what so-called honor and bla...bla...bla! Only with our wits, we can win the battle and survive!" The assassin stared him incredulously,
"You won't understand it, Rathma! That's the way of the warriors like him..."
"Do you think you're different from him? What about the traps and sneak attack?" Akivsha gritted her teeth, when she heard it. The rogue quickly separated them,
"OK! Can we focus to our objective right now? Take the Hammer and go back to the Fortress!" The necromancer left them, while the assassin pried open the severed arm and took the Hammer. As the barbarian walked over the fallen demon, he felt something tugged his leg. Hephasto took his leg and begged weakly,
"Warrior...kill me! I beg you...I don't want to live like this..." At this point the demon's right leg has been blackened due to the poison. The barbarian hesitated, yet the demon insisted,
"Kill me...let me free from this suffering...please!" Finally, Orb'al took an axe and sending a long slash that split Hephasto's head open. The metal clunked with the rock floor when the axe passed through. The others watched it with mixed emotion, while the necromancer snorted only. Aliza said,
"I hope the rest are more luckier than us,"
Meanwhile, Myrrick and Caldash wandered around the Plains of Despair. The rest watched them from behind. As far as the druid concerned, there were no clues about whereabouts of Izual. Then he turned to the amazon,
"Xelana, are you sure this is the place?" The female warrior looks annoyed with the question,
"Of course, this is Plains of Despair! I never commit any mistake..." The paladin knelt and examined the ground where they stood. Myrrick asked,
"Did you find something, Caldash?" The holy knight took some dirt and showed it to him,
"The place is different from the rest. Take look to the dirt," The druid noticed that there was a speck of ice crystals at the dirt. Zylene went closer to examine the dirt, and then said,
"This is not an ordinary ice crystals; they were produced by elemental magic,"
"How could that be?" Their conversation was broken by Xelana's call.
"Oh, guys...I hate to say this, but it seems we have a company here!" Everyone saw that the Oblivion Knights surrounded them. Myrrick and Caldash pulled their swords, while Xelana and Zylene put their weapon in defensive stance. However, the undead didn't do anything. To their surprise, the Knights instantly scurried away from their place, leaving them alone. Zylene commented,
"They're gone..." The amazon replied, "Nice answer, genius!" The druid couldn't understand what happened. When he turned to the paladin, Caldash only shrugged,
"Don't look at me; it wasn't me!" Then an unearthly howl echoed around the plain. Xelana commented nonchalantly,
"Well, someone's coming home..." The heroes turned their attention to above and saw a large blue-skinned demon flying on the air. It wore the golden armor and brandished a long sword. Three horns added the terrifying appearance. When the demon descended to the ground, a low growl slipped through its mouth that filled with the long teeth and 2 huge tusks. Myrrick and Caldash prepared their shields. Strangely, Xelana distanced herself from them. For a while, nobody made any movements. The creature inquired,
"Who dares to disturb my peace? I won't let you go alive!" Lowering his shield, the paladin asked carefully,
"We are looking for Izual, do you know him?" The demon narrowed its eyes to him, and then roared furiously,
"There is nobody named Izual here! I must destroy all of you!" It unleashed the Frost Nova toward the heroes. Myrrick shouted aloud before casting his spell,
"Cyclone Armor!!" Caldash didn't want to lose too; he shouted as well,
"Salvation!" Those spells managed to reduce the freezing impact of Nova. Afterward, those warriors charged the demon with their war cries. Zylene turned to the amazon who took a safe distance. She called her,
"Xelana, we must help them!" Instead, the female warrior answered,
"If you want to help them, go ahead..."Incensed, the Zann-Esu said,
"We can't leave them now!" Xelana yelled back to the sorceress,
"Will you kindly shut your mouth? Trust me, I know what I'm doing..." Still, the explanation did little to convince Zylene. She watched the battle worriedly.
Back to the battle, Myrrick and Caldash fought the blue demon courageously. The creature showed an inhuman endurance and speed; sometimes it made they had a hard time to keep paces. Not mention, it somehow had a good swordsmanship. The druid tried to block its attack that coupled with freezing effect. In other side, the paladin clashed his Sazabi Cobalt Redeemer many times with the demon. The demon sends a horizontal slash to his midsection, but Caldash instinctively parried it with Stormshield. He followed later with Smite. The demon knocked back, yet it was able to stand and continue the fight. The druid quickly cast his spell,
"Fissure!" Before the heat vapors came out from the crust of the earth, the blue demon avoided the attack by flying back to the sky. Then it landed again not so far from the heroes. The Zakarum knight switched the Salvation aura to Vengeance. Not only that, he charged the demon with Charge. The creature whirled its body to avoid the attack. When the paladin passed, it turned around and sends a horizontal, vertical and horizontal slash in consequent manner to his opponent. Instead Caldash received those blows with his Stormshield, even so he was reeling backward due to the force. Couldn't wait any longer, Myrrick reverted to his Werebear form. In his bestial form, he tried to maul the blue demon. Yet, the demon kept him on the distance with its Frost touch.
After waiting for 5 minutes, Xelana rose and called the Zann-Esu,
"Sorceress, I have a plan, but I need you to carry my plan..." Though skeptic, Zylene replied,
"What is your plan?" Return to Myrrick and Caldash who still fought the demon, they had a little progress to forcing the blue creature down. Then they heard the sorceress called,
"Myrrick! Caldash! Stay away from the creature..." Both warriors surprised, yet they obeyed her warning. The creature stunned with the development, and instantly turned its attention to the sorceress. Zylene whirled his staff, while whispering his spell,
"Thunder Storm..." A dark cloud came from nowhere and hung above the blue demon. The creature still couldn't understand. Then the realization came as the bolt of lightning started to strike. Zylene continued to whisper the spell, while whirling the staff. As the whirl became faster, the lightning bolts became more frequent and closer to where the demon stood. Howled with anger, it hurled itself toward the sorceress. Yet, she continued the spell without hesitation. However, someone blocked the creature; it was a fair-skinned woman with a bright light. Myrrick shouted,
"Valkyrie?" The Valkyrie instantly shot her arrow to the blue demon with incredible speed and accuracy. It howled as the strike pushed it back to the site where the Thunderstorm still hung above. At the same time, those bolts of lightning converged into a huge one. The creature roared in pain as the bolt struck him. Instantly, the cloud dispersed. The demon was in a kneeling position, while its bluish skin turned black due to the strike. Even Caldash could smelt a burning smell. Then something happened. The creature opened its eyes and began to stand, though the burning wounds prevented to do so. Its golden armor cranked, as it stood. At that moment, the amazon yelled her war cry and jabbed the creature several times. Groaned, the creature turned back and tried to catch her. Once again, everything went to 'bullet time'. Xelana avoided the movement by rolling forward and positioned herself in front of the demon. She shouted aloud,
"Power Strike!" She struck her javelin at the unprotected part and drove it deeply through the flesh. The creature screamed in agony as the weapon pushed through. The blood gushed over like waterfall. Xelana smirked only before she kicked the javelin with her legs and then somersaulted backward. The demon tried to pull the javelin, but no avail. Next, something exploded inside. A burst of electricity came out from the javelin and then broke through from the demon's body, before it exploded. Myrrick and Caldash shielded their eyes from the light. After a while, everything was over. The huge demon lies dead on the ground. The amazon merely fixed her ponytail, as she watched the result with satisfaction. The paladin commented,
"Such a superb tactic though looks foolhardy and high-risked..." Xelana paid him with her seducing smile,
"Thanks to the little mage, it wouldn't work without her help..." Zylene only blushed as the amazon mentioned her name. The druid commended,
"Amazing, Xelana! Thanks for both of you!" Meanwhile, a mist surrounded the demon's carcass and formed something like a winged, shrouded figure. Slightly, the figure almost looked like Tyrael but only lesser in stature. The heroes watched it with curiously. Later, the figure spoke with subdued voice; it was clear he was confused,
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The paladin answered,
"You must be Izual then...we've come here to seek the answers for our question; Archangel Tyrael said that you might know the answer," The figure pondered only,
"Tyrael..."Caldash added,
"It's about the Soulstones. The Prime Evils has corrupted and use them to manifest to the mortal plane..."The figure called Izual still deep in thought; he didn't answer the questions.
"Tyrael...Soulstones...Prime Evils..." Something unexpected happened then. The banished angel suddenly chuckled, before broke to an insane laughter,
"Tyrael...hahahahahah...the foolish Tyrael!" He turned to the heroes, who dismayed with the sudden change and said with a malicious voice,
"So, he was sending all of you here for the fool's errand? Tyrael was a fool! It was me who tells the secret of the Soulstones to the Three!!" Everyone but Xelana shocked with such information; Myrrick could only gripped his Isenhart's Lightbrand tightly. Izual continued his talk without any remorse or sympathy,
"When realize that the Three would never release me, I decide to exchange my freedom with such information! Not only that, I also told them how to use the Soulstone! Guess what they give me later; they threw me out! Tyrael shouldn't send you here only to rescue me...you're better rescue yourself! This is just the beginning of the end..." Unable to control his temper, Myrrick strode forward and asked the fallen angel,
"What do you mean with 'the beginning of the end'?" Instead afraid, Izual answered mockingly,
"Oh, I won't tell you...you must find it yourself...farewell, you idiots!" Before the druid could grab him, he dissolved into nothingness and everything was silent for a while. Xelana commented,
"So much for the information! Druid, what're we going to do next?" Myrrick didn't answer; it was clear that he was upset with what Izual told them. Caldash gave comforting words,
"Don't let his words discourage you, Myrrick...may the High Heaven forgive his soul! Let's go back to the Fortress, I believe Akivsha and the others have been there," The amazon nodded, before said,
"I'm agree, beside our 'friends' can't wait to have their hands upon us..." She pointed to the Oblivion Knights who already returned after Izual's presence sent them away. Without wasting time, Myrrick opened the Scroll of Town Portal and they instantly passed through it, back to the Pandemonium Fortress.
Inside the Fortress, everyone already gathered. Akivsha simply put bandage to her injury, while the sorceress tended Orb'al's wound. Meanwhile, Myrrick and the rest were inside the Hall to report the quests to Tyrael. A thick smoke filled the place. When everyone turned around, they saw Tha'el smokes his pipe. Realizing that, the necromancer said,
"Sorry! Don't worry, just continue your conversation..." Deckard Cain watched him with displeasure,
"Could you put off your pipe for a while? The Great Tyrael is here...we have to keep reverence to this place," Instead, the tall, white-haired man answered ignorantly,
"So? Ignore me then, that's easy!" Myrrick's face reddened due to anger, before he went to the necromancer, Caldash stopped him. The Archangel shook his head tiredly, before he pointed his finger toward the Rathma. To their amazement, the smoke rolled back into Tha'el's pipe. Suddenly the necromancer's eyes almost bulged out and he hurriedly went out to cough the content of his lungs. Xelana blurted,
"Did anyone tell you that smoking is not good for your health?" Myrrick smiled before Tyrael called their attention,
"Heroes, I was thankful that you're returned here safely. Yet, the tidings that you bring both are good and ill. What Izual told you, are disturbing to all of us...it is indeed that the Prime Evils had known the Soulstones beforehand. "Caldash asked the holy being with respect,
"No offense, Great Archangel! You seems don't angry to Izual, though he has maligned your name," The Archangel sighed,
"I knew why he's doing that; he blamed me for not helping him out when he was outnumbered! I wanted to help him, but the High Heaven had ordered me to stay; so I don't have any choice but leave him alone. It's true that what Izual did, had cost the lives of the innocents...but then we must understood his suffering that drove him to insanity for millennia. The past cannot be changed, yet we must focus to the present and the future," Then he addressed Myrrick first,
"The good thing is we have the Hammer in our hand! With the device, we can destroy the Soulstones..." The druid said with a clear voice,
"Diablo and Baal are still around, we have to kill them first! Then we can destroy those Soulstones at the same time!" The holy being nodded in agreement, before answered,
"They probably still inside the Chaos Sanctuary...I'm going to tell Hadriel about your coming; he's the angel who assigned to guard the way to the Chaos Sanctuary. For mean time, prepare yourselves first. Fighting Lord of Terror isn't an easy thing; he was very powerful though not so much as Mephisto and Baal. Not mention, he has acquired a powerful body!" Cain added,
"You must be careful, heroes! Before Diablo possessed him, Rayne was known as a skilled warrior in weapons and arcane arts...I have reason to worry for the demon might utilize his knowledge to defeat you..." Xelana cut him vehemently,
"We're not afraid! We're going to succeed!" The druid agreed,
"Xelana is right; we'll succeed to end Diablo's reign of terror once and for all! I promise you, Great Tyrael!" The Archangel said,
"I have confidence in your ability, as long as all of you are working together nobody would stop you...now, take a rest before going to the Chaos Sanctuary." Once again, the holy being folded his wings.
Far inside the Burning Hell, Diablo stood on the nearby cliff. He watched the fiery sea impassively. Then someone called the crimson demon,
"Mephisto is dead..." Diablo didn't move, yet he answered,
"I know! So is Hephasto...however the plan must goes on!" The Lord of Destruction sighed only, and then he told his brother,
"I'm going to gather our minions, but I still need my soulstone first! Without it, I can't use my power completely," Diablo answered surprisingly, with a baritone voice,
"The Soulstone was with Marcus. You can find him at the Rogue Monastery...say hello from me!" Baal licked his tongue with malice,
"What about those warriors?" The red demon turned his gnarled face, the red Soulstone sprouted from his forehead. His yellow eyes blazed like the surrounding. He hissed with a terrible voice,
"I will end their journey here!!"
Author's Note: OK, don't go away! What will happen when Myrrick and the others meet Lord of Terror for the last
time? Watch the finale in "The Beginning of The End"!
P.S: Thanks for the Constructicons! It is an honor to be reviewed by characters from 'Transformers'! I hope you enjoy this one!
Myrrick sat on the stairs, pondering his mission here. It was close; he could feel it! Soon he would enter the Burning Hell and kill the remaining Prime Evils with his own hand, by then Joanna's soul could rest in peace. After that, what is next? Next? At first, he thought to return to Mt. Arreat after finished his mission, but then he might be still around...and that the least thing he wanted: incite another fight! The druid gritted his teeth,
No! I won't return to Mt.Arreat! This thing must end! Suddenly, he heard someone coming from behind. When he turned around, he saw Aliza stood not far from the stairs. She asked shakily,
"Hi, may I join you?" Myrrick didn't answer; instead he turned back again. Then the rogue sat beside him.
"Perhaps I'm disturbing you, but you looked serious than usual...may I know what troubles you?" The druid stared her blankly. Aliza immediately said,
"If you don't want to answer, it's all right...I just want to know only..." Instead Myrrick asked her back,
"Do you have a family, Aliza?" The young rogue shook her head,
"No, my parents have been died long time ago. They left my elder sister and me. She is the reason why I want to be a rogue," He continued,
"Oh, she must be a very special person for you...is she still around?" Hearing the question, Aliza answered sadly,
"She has gone when Andariel forced the Sisterhood out from the monastery. Kashya told me that she and the other rogues bravely put defense in order to protect our retreat. Yet, nobody comes back alive after that. I think she already..." Myrrick said with sympathy,
"I'm sorry, Aliza. I don't mean to..." The rogue instantly brushed her eyes,
"No, that's all right! After our parents died, she's the only thing I have...we were close and always helping each other. Akara once said that my sister is very skillful in anything she does, even if she doesn't choose to be a rogue! She taught me about the marksmanship, but she's still the best...I will never beat her!" Then she smiled,
"However, we made a promise once...whenever both of us fall in love to the same person, we'll fight each other..." Myrrick surprised to heard that,
"Why did you make such promise? I thought you were close..." The rogue laughed in myrrh,
"She was tired to hear my complaints that she always bested me, therefore we decided that we'll set this once and for all. Now she's no longer around; the promise was useless...oh, well!" Both of them were silent until Deckard Cain came,
"Here you are! Myrrick, Caldash has arrived...he is here with Orb'al and Zylene!" The Horadrim coughed a bit, before continued,
"Tyrael summons all of us to come to the Hall; it must be about our quest to find Izual!" Slowly, the druid rose and said to Cain,
"I'll be there, Cain!" Then he turned to the rogue,
"Come, Aliza!" The girl nodded before left the place with him. At the same time, Akivsha appeared from the shadows of the pillars. She whispered,
"Is that you?"
Meanwhile, Caldash strolled at Halbu's stall. He took a shield and examined it carefully. The merchant explained to him that the shield named Stormshield was indeed very unique. Not only indestructible, it also increased his attack rate. It looked sturdier than his previous shield. After the paladin paid the price for the shield, Halbu also asked whether he would change his sword as well. Caldash stared his sword, the Sazabi Cobalt Redeemer. The sword always accompanied him whenever he went, and also ended Mephisto's life. He said that he wouldn't change his sword. At that time, someone commented,
"You are never changed, aren't you?" The paladin turned back to reality and saw Jamella behind him. Then he answered,
"Some people do, like you for instance..." The female merchant chuckled,
"Really? When we're still acolytes in Westmarch, the people always talk about the serious-minded Caldash..." The paladin already cut her,
"...and the free-spirited Jamella. Who never thought that it was you who were chosen to stay at Pandemonium Fortress?" Instead laughed, Jamella turned serious. Then she said,
"I'm sorry to what happened to your family and master, but there is no point to bring your vengeance along," Caldash didn't answer; he went away from her. He said sullenly,
"The Three took their lives and I shall take their lives in return for justice..." Suddenly Jamella said with a mock laugh, something unthinkable in Pandemonium Fortress,
"What justice? Come on, is that what you believe about justice? Caldash, what you have now is vengeance, not justice! Justice supposed to be merciful! I thought you were smarter than that!" The paladin replied coldly, yet the merchant was unfazed with that.
"Did Mephisto show mercy to my family? Did he show mercy to Master Khalim? That's what the Prime Evils deserve, the merciless justice..." However, Jamella stared him defiantly,
"You blames yourself for not being able to protect your family and master! What you want now is to end your miserable life! You are not pursuing the Three for justice, Caldash, but for vengeance and suicide only!!" She shouted,
"Do you think your action was in accordance with the Light? Then let me tell you something! The Light is not to serve your selfish motives! You are surely fail, Caldash!" Then she left him stood like a statue alone. The paladin stared his new shield, while thinking something.
She is right; the paladin is not supposedly lost their weapon easily...the shield and the sword is the reflection of their pure and unadulterated commitment! If they lost, then it's already impure...is that what happened to me right now? Then Orb'al patted his shoulder that jolted him. Zylene asked him,
"Sir Caldash, are you all right? The Great Tyrael called us together at the Hall..." Caldash replied,
"I'll be coming with you..." He turned to the young barbarian who nodded with understanding. Sometimes he was thankful to have a companion like Orb'al. He never spoke any words, but his actions spoke louder than words. He said to him,
"Thank you, Orb'al!"
When they entered the Hall, everyone but Tha'el already gathered inside. Myrrick immediately greeted Caldash when he saw them,
"Welcome, Caldash! It's glad to see you here again..." The paladin stunned only. It seemed the druid has forgotten what happened at Kurast. He merely said,
"Thank you..." Then he went forward without said anything to Myrrick. In other hand, Aliza and Zylene talked to each other. Akivsha watched them, wondering whether they still remember what she said to them inside the Black Temple. She cursed inside for her failure to not controlling her mind. Then she turned to Caldash. For now, he was no longer a threat for them...at least for now. Xelana and Orb'al ignored them like nothing. Suddenly, the Hall was filled with a bright light when Archangel Tyrael appeared among them. Gently, everyone knelt in respect and awe. Then Tyrael spoke,
"Heroes, you are going to travel into the Burning Hell. Once you're outside this fortress, you are at your own! Even the High Heavens can't do anything for that. You will be completely under the demon's mercy...if they know that!" The archangel turned to the Amazon,
"Xelana, you will guide these warriors to the Plains of Despair where Izual resides. Afterward, go to the River of Flame; you will find the Hellforge there. It is up to you to decide where you want to go first, heroes! Once you found the Hammer, return here immediately and I will send you to the Chaos Sanctuary where the Prime Evils reside," Xelana bowed with respect,
"I will do your order, Great Archangel!" Tyrael continued,
"Please follow Xelana, since she has been here before you! She knows the environment very well...beside the Burning Hell is not a trivial place. The demons always look for the straying victims and outnumber them...be careful with that! May your faith strengthen you!"
Few hours later, everyone gathered in courtyard. The necromancer still coughed after smoking too much.
. Myrrick stood in the middle, while he held the Horadric Cube. He asked,
"Do you have any gems?" Zylene produced a chipped diamond, while Aliza showed an emerald and Caldash gave a sapphire. The druid took those gems and put them inside with mana and health potions. When he pressed the button, a red light appeared along the cube. After finished, Myrrick took the full rejuvenation potions.
"Did everyone got their rejuvenation potion already?" Everyone nodded, including the necromancer who stayed away from them. Then the rogue asked,
"Why do we have to stock the full rejuvenation potion?" The Zann-Esu explained,
"Journey into the Burning Hell is very dangerous, Aliza. We don't know what dangers we will encounter; beside we can't always rely on the shrines. That's why I told Myrrick to have a full stock of rejuvenation potions."
The druid added,
"Thanks to Zylene for telling me this formula! I wonder what we could do if you're not around..." The sorceress blushed only. Then Xelana rudely called them,
"Are you finished yet? We are not going to picnic here! Where is your 'mysterious friend?" Myrrick believed the 'mysterious friend' was Akivsha. He answered,
"Xelana, can you wait later? We still waiting Akivsha; I believe she will join us sooner!" The explanation didn't satisfy the amazon. She fumed all around, while the other watched her helplessly. Then she transferred her wrath to Tha'el, who still stared her,
"What are you watching, pervert? Are you watching me?" Shocked, Tha'el denied the accusation,
"Me? Come on! I simply admire God's creation here..." Xelana went to him, while the necromancer fidgeted his finger nervously. Then she grabbed him. When close to him, the amazon started to smile and spoke seductively,
"Don't lie, I know you're watching my body...hoping to touch my butt...groping my breast...do you think I don't know that?" Tha'el gulped several times, as she drew him closer until her chest bumped him. He said with a smirk.
"You're so nice...there's something else that I'd rather look at," Suddenly Xelana shouted aloud and lifted the necromancer, before slammed him to the ground very hard. Zylene and Aliza could only gasp in shock. As Tha'el groaned, the amazon smiled over at him sweetly
"Just make sure those eyes of yours don't land on me, otherwise you'll regret it severely and that's the advice of a friend." Slowly, the Rathma rose from the ground. He said indignantly,
"With friends like you I don't need enemies,".
Myrrick turned to another direction and saw Akivsha. Somehow she wore a different armor from the first time they met. As she went closer, he greeted her,
"Hi, Akivsha! Nice armor..." The assassin turned to him, before said,
"Thank you, I just got this from my sister! This is Natalya's Odium set...this will improve my fighting ability!" The druid nodded, and then he asked again,
"Akivsha, do you have a family?" Akivsha stunned with the question,
"Why are you asking that?" Myrrick was speechless, yet he continued,
"I...just curious only...probably you knew already that this quest is very dangerous, there is possibility that we won't return alive," The assassin stared him, and then she answered,
"I'm an orphan, Myrrick...I have nobody to take care of me, and the Order is my family. They raised and taught me well; in return, I'm doing this mission to repay their kindness..." The druid countered,
"You don't have to do this, if you don't want, Akivsha! Death is not the solution..." Akivsha turned to him, this time she said softly,
"I'm an Assassin and assassinate the Prime Evils is my utmost duty and devotion to the Order...that's the only reason why I'm here. I believe you have the same feeling, do you?" Myrrick didn't answer; then she reminded,
"We must go now, everyone has waiting you..." The druid nodded, before went the separate way. Akivsha said inside her heart,
What am I doing? Am I started to mellow? Meanwhile, Myrrick has the same thought,
She's right, everyone has his or her own motives to come here and none is better than the other...
Few hours later, the heroes left the fortress and went to the Outer Steppes. Desolation and sorrow greeted them in this wretched land. They could saw some stakes with the tortured soul around. The ruins were almost ubiquitous around the place. What depressed Myrrick was the absence of the living things around the place. He missed the blue sky, the green grasses and the flowers. He was sure that everyone has the same feeling like him.
When he turned around, he saw the rogue and sorceress looked depressed. In other hand, Tha'el was feeling joyful. The druid shook his head; he couldn't understand the Rathma's mind, probably he enjoyed the sight of death and life alike no matter what. Caldash, Akivsha, and Orb'al were very calm. Myrrick turned to the amazon who guided them.
She looked focused and undisturbed. Then he asked,
"Xelana, what brings you to this place?" Without turning back, the woman warrior answered,
"I was picked out by the Goddess Athulua to undergo the test. Those who passed the test will become the Valkyrie, messenger of the Goddess. It is my family tradition that the best among them always chosen as Valkyrie.
For 5 years, I worked my way as a mercenary to perform the impossible task. Then I have to kill the villainous Andariel, if succeeded I would have finished the test..." The druid felt guilty when he heard that,
"I'm sorry to disturb you from fulfilling your dream...but I won't regret my action!" Xelana looked him from her shoulder, before turned back,
"It doesn't matter, then I meet Archangel Tyrael on the way to Black Sea. He convinces me to go with him to the Pandemonium Fortress...and here I am! It is almost a month here, yet I feel like I spent years here," The rogue instantly asked,
"Years? How could that be?" The amazon explained,
"In Burning Hell, time is fleeting very fast than in the mortal plane. If you spent time long enough here, I believe you'll be older than you were..." Zylene joined in,
"But Jamella and Halbu looks like here yesterday..." Caldash answered from behind,
"Time is not affecting those who are inside the Fortress, Zylene! Jamella and I studied together at Westmarch 15 years ago and she's much older than I..." Zylene and Aliza exclaimed in surprise,
"Fifteen years ago?!" Suddenly Xelana gestured the band to stop,
"Shh, we have a company!" Instantly, everyone readied their weapons. The paladin immediately brought his newly bought Stormshield, while Akivsha pulled the Suwayyah. Tha'el unsheathed his trusty dagger, and Orb'al raised his axes. The amazon brandished a javelin, which she put in offensive position. The noise came from all side. The heroes immediately formed the circle, backing each other. Everyone got very tense, when Xelana said,
"Get ready for 'burly brawl'!" Before she had finished, the Oblivion Knights, Mega Demons and Finger Magi poured to them like a flood. At the other side, Regurgitators and Vile Mothers joined the fray. Orb'al shouted his battle cry as he could. At the same time, Caldash cast the Fanaticism aura for his party mates. Myrrick didn't waste any time; he summoned his beast immediately. The Dire Wolves charged forward, while the Grizzly mauled anything on its path. Akivsha threw her traps around them. In a moment, the Lightning Sentries and Wake of Fire kicked in, unleashing the fire and lightning wave and consuming the unlucky demons on their path. The paladin simply hacked his way with his sword; now he already cast Vigor to make himself move faster. Meanwhile, the barbarian had used Frenzy and cut his path with axes. In other side, Zylene was crowded by a swarm of Finger Magi. Instead afraid, she sent Frost Nova that chilled them before Aliza picked them with her arrow one by one.
Surprisingly, Tha'el looked calm though he faced a band of Undead Magi. As they attacked him, he sent Dim Vision, before followed up with Lower Resist, Weaken and finally, Amplify Damage. The necromancer swung his dagger swiftly, before he sliced away his foes through their torsos or necks. For him, fight with the Undead was a trivial thing. Then a Mega Demon came to him with a roar, however Tha'el shot the demon down with Bone Spear.
He said mockingly, "Is that the best you got, boy?" He turned his attention to the amazon. Xelana fought with untold savagery and ferocity. She bashed the nearest Oblivion Knight to oblivion, before turned to the others. The Undead Warriors swarmed her, yet she managed to avoid them. Instantly, everything around her went to 'the bullet time'. As the warriors slashed to her, the amazon dodged and evaded any single attack that coming to her while stood still. In return, she sent multiple jab to the Oblivion Knights, while fending off them. However, some of them pulled her from behind. Xelana instantly dropped her javelin and kicked it with such force to the Undead in front of her. The javelin unleashed the lightning bolt that struck them squarely. Using the chance, she pulled back her arms, thus threw the Undead who held him forward. Snatched the javelin again, Xelana sent a full swing that pushed her opponent away. With the cry, she held her javelin high before struck it to the ground. The amazon used the momentum to lift herself from the ground and sent the kicks, while went around in a circle. The attack sent the Oblivion Knights reeling. As the finale, she shouted,
"Valkyrie!" The bright light appeared as a Valkyrie appeared, and instantly finished the rest of the enemy!
In a mean time, the druid has summoned the Spirit of Wolverine to aid his mates. Aliza shouted to Xelana,
"Xelana, how long these demons will go away?" The amazon chuckled only,
"Go away? Ha, it's nothing compared to now! I had killed 1,000 of them single-handedly in one day!"
The rogue couldn't believe what she heard,
"A day? How do we pass them?" Then Tha'el asked Myrrick,
"Do you want me to resurrect one or two of them, druid? To lighten our burden?" Instead, Akivsha sarcastically answered,
"How do we know you won't use your minions against us?" The necromancer watched her with annoyed look,
"Be realistic, assassin! Do you think I'm going to turn against you in this kind of situation?" Myrrick interfered their arguments with a shout,
"Will you stop the crap? I was hardly pressed here..." The paladin replied,
"You're not the only one who are pressed hard here, Myrrick!" Caldash managed to deliver a knockout bash with Stormshield to a Mega Demon. The Zann-Esu said with tone of encouragement,
"Keep the pressure! Eventually, they will go away!" Unfortunately, it wouldn't happen! The undead and demons still continued to press them hard. Finally, Myrrick couldn't hold his patience anymore. He lifted his hand and shouted as he could,
"Volcano!!" In a sudden, a huge, fiery volcano erupted from the ground and swallowed his foes. At the same time, the druid commanded to his party,
"Let's get out from here! I have enough with them!!" Everyone didn't wait the order; they already left the place. To keep the demons from pursuing them, Akivsha threw several traps.
"That's so close! I don't think I can stand any longer there..." Aliza quipped as she leaned at the nearest rock to rest. Zylene took her time to cast Warmth, while Orb'al simply sharpened his axes. The assassin sat in a meditating position. Tha'el simply played with his dagger. Meanwhile, Myrrick stood at the rock and scanned the surrounding. Xelana watched him impatiently. The paladin called,
"Myrrick, what are you doing? Are you thinking something?" Turned back, Myrrick hopped down and knelt not far from them. Then he said,
"I suggest that we should split up..." Everyone but the necromancer was stunned with his decision. The amazon asked,
"I'm sorry, but Archangel Tyrael advised us to..."The druid turned to her and answered,
"I know, but we might achieve nothing if we are attacked frequently! Therefore we must split into two group; the first group will looking for Izual and the other go to find the Hellforge..." Worried, Zylene commented,
"Is it not more risky to split up, Myrrick? The demons might attack..."
"Yes, but they are more likely to attack us when we are together. I will take the chance...by then, we can finish our quest!" Nobody answered, and he continued,
"First group will be composed of Xelana, Caldash, Zylene and me, while the rest are led by Akivsha..." The assassin protested,
"I'm disagreed! Why is the necromancer joining my group?" Myrrick pulled her quite far and whispered,
"I need someone to keep eye on him, and there is none better than you, Akivsha! The other reason is that I might killed him accidentally..." She replied sharply,
"You know that I might do the same to him; there is no guarantee..." The druid silenced her by lifting his hand,
"I know that, but you'll think twice than I...do you understand?" The assassin didn't protest anymore, however she noticed that Xelana paid her a smirk. It made her disgusted very much. At the same time, Zylene watched the barbarian worriedly. Then Myrrick turned to the amazon,
"Xelana, do you know where the Hellforge located?" The female warrior pointed the rock ladder below and explained,
"Well, just follow the trail to the City of the Damned and go southward to River of Flame! You are not going to lose by then. For us, we simply continue to the Plains of Despair; it is not very far..." Tha'el spontaneously quipped,
"That doesn't sound to difficult...." Akivsha, Orb'al and Aliza paid him a dark, sidelong glance,
"What?"
Not for long, they already sneaked their way to the Hellforge. Myrrick's plan worked well; the demons didn't attack them frequently after they split into two groups. Akivsha, Aliza and Tha'el waited behind the rock. Then they saw the barbarian returned to their hiding place. He quickly reported what he saw through the sign language. The necromancer had a difficulty to understood what he said,
"Huh? I don't know what you are saying..." The assassin explained,
"Orb'al said the Hellforge was half-empty...it seems the demons had moved their armaments to other place. He didn't see Hephasto the Armorer," Aliza commented,
"It doesn't make any senses! Tyrael said the forge supposedly heavily guarded...what are they doing by emptying the Hellforge?" Tha'el snapped,
"It doesn't matter by now, just find the Hammer and get out from here fast!" Akivsha replied,
"This is the first time I agree with you, Rathma!" Later, they sneaked into the forge where a few blunderbores guarded the place. Watching from quite a distance, Akivsha gave her code to the rogue to take out the guards. Aliza nodded, and then aimed her arrow to the lone blunderbore. Instantly, the arrow whizzed, claiming the life. The monster moaned for a moment before he flopped dead. His fellow wondered to what was going wrong and came closer to the body. Silently, the assassin use Fade to slip unnoticed and positioned herself behind the creature. She instantly sent Tiger Strike that killed the monster without any noise. At the same time, Orbal hacked the rest who hadn't aware about the intruders. Few moments later, they have cleared the place, but there was no sign of Hammer. Akivsha hit the pillar in frustration, and then Aliza called her from their hiding place,
"Akivsha, do you see the Hammer?" The assassin replied,
"Nada, it isn't here! Hephasto must be brought it along..." While Aliza still listened, a huge shadow loomed behind those heroes. Tha'el poked her shoulder nervously,
"Er...I think I know where he is now..." The rogue was unable to reply, when she saw the huge demon was towering behind them. The feature showed clearly that he was something more than human, yet it was grotesquely distorted now. Two horns sprouted from both sides of his head. Then he swung his hammer down with a speed like lightning bolt. Aliza and Tha'el barely rolled out from danger, as the hammer hit the ground with a loud crashing sound. The small crater formed beneath its legs. Then he watched Akivsha with malice and contempt, before licked his lips,
"Do you think you are smarter than Hephasto? Your fragile body shall adorn my collection..." The assassin answered indignantly,
"You may try it, demon! I'm going to take the Hammer from your ugly, dead hand! You can say hello to the Smith!" Suddenly, Hephasto was silent after heard the taunt. His face was twisted into an unfathomable expression until he bawled like a big baby,
"My pupil..." The heroes were stunned when they watched him crying. A moment later, the Armorer wiped his tears and stared to them again. His eyes turned into a blazing flame. Then he growled with an inhuman tone, fixing the attention to the assassin,
"You're the one who killed my pupil; you must pay with your life! Death for you!" Without warning, the demon charged forward Akivsha. The attack knocked off Aliza outside, while the assassin flew very far before hit a boulder rock nearby. She bit her tongue as the painful sensation crept along her body.
Not again! She groaned, both master and pupil are like to hit the same place! She touched her ribs that once broken when she fought the Smith. When Hephasto attacked again, she evaded it easily. The hammer shattered the rock next to her. Akivsha threw a Lightning Sentry to the demon. However, the Armorer ignored the electrical bolt and kept chasing her. In a sudden movement, the assassin turned around and sent Tiger Claw and Dragon Tail simultaneously. To her surprise, the attack didn't hurt Hephasto, even an inch! She was bounced back to the ground, as the demon leaped to catch her. Tha'el instantly pulled her out, while Orb'al leaped to deliver his double axe attack.
The Armorer instinctively blocked the attack and swept the barbarian away with mighty sweep. Orb'al rolled several times to reduce the force and landed on the ground safely. This time, the demon fixed his attention to him and attacked with bestial fury. The barbarian matched him with the same fury. The sparks flew everywhere when the hammer and the axes clashed each other.
Akivsha immediately brushed the necromancer away, "Leave me alone!" The Rathma was unfazed, but he was quick to answer,
"Well, I just want to help...you could be killed awhile," Slowly, the assassin controlled herself,
"How is Aliza?" Tha'el turned to the rogue who started to awake,
"She's fine, but I have something to talk with you. You might not like this, but I think we need some help right now..." Instantly, Akivsha already realized what he wanted,
"Never! I would rather burn in hell than accept help from your minions!!" The Rathma smirked coldly,
"We've been in hell, dear...look yourself! Do you think that you can fight decently with that brute? For how long the barbarian will stand?" They turned their attention to Orb'al who already cornered by Hephasto. Though she hated the necromancer's guts, he was right! They desperately needed help! Then she stared him and hissed,
"Fine, you can call your minions, but not more than three! Understood?" Tha'el grinned only,
"Loud and clear!" He waved his hand...and a band of Skeleton Warriors and Skeletal Magi arose from the ground. Then he commanded the Undead to attack Hephasto. Akivsha called him angrily,
"Did I tell you to have three minions only?" Her hand held the katar and Suwayyah tightly, though shaken with anger. The necromancer replied calmly,
"Before you kill me, you should wait and see first!"
Tha'el's minions swarmed the huge demon like ants, taking him by surprise. However, Hephasto roared loudly and shrugged its shoulder, sending the Undead flying. Then he proceeded to crush them with his Hammer. In a second, the necromancer's minions had been reduced into a handful of Skeletal Magi. They shot the elemental projectiles, yet it did anything but stopped the demon. With a hateful growl, the Armorer sent the spectral hit, coupled with Charge. He bashed them to pieces and turned toward the heroes. Aliza warned,
"He's coming!" However, Tha'el seemed thinking something,
"Er, which spell I have to use now? Dim Vision? No! Decrepify? Nope! Confuse? Terror?" The earth shook as Hephasto stomped his way to them. Then Akivsha shouted impatiently,
"Any spell can make it! Just pick one, will you?" They could saw the demon ran toward them very fast. Soon, he would be there! Unable to wait, the assassin lifted herself and took her weapons. She held the katar on the left hand and the Scissor Suwayyah on the right. The rogue went closer to her,
"Akivsha, what are you doing?" She answered, "I can't wait until he found the proper spell! If I must die now, let me die in a good fight!" Slowly but sure, the distance between them and Hephasto became closer. At that moment, the necromancer exclaimed,
"I know! This one can make!" Akivsha stared the huge demon as their distance became shorter. Suddenly the bone wall blocked her sight. Hephasto crashed the wall with a deafening sound, and then everything was silent. Aliza and Akivsha turned to Tha'el who smiled widely. However, the sound of cracking heard as the corrupt Armorer hammered the wall. The assassin sighed,
"So much for the defense!" The white-haired sorcerer replied, while casting Bone Armor around him,
"It is easy to say that! I wish not to die today..." The rogue continued,
"So am I!" As they prepared for the worst, Hephasto had shifted his attention to...Orb'al. For a while, the barbarian used the chance to drink the rejuvenation potion, and he was ready to fight again. Crossed his axes above his head, he let his War Cry out, taunting the demon. Without thinking, the Armorer strode to his direction. Before their distance was close, the barbarian leaped. Instead avoiding, he landed very close in front of the demon. Before his opponent realized it, Orb'al swung his axes like a hurricane, and then put Whirlwind and Frenzy in effect. The maneuvers made Hephasto had difficulty to defend himself from the furious attack.
Sensing a chance, the necromancer rushed from the crumbling wall. He instantly summoned a Clay Golem as he pulled his dagger out. Meanwhile, the Armorer was busy to block the barbarian's attack. Tha'el quickly gestured the golem to tug the demon's right leg. Later, Hephasto felt something tugged his right leg and saw a lumpy creature holding it. He tried to shoo the golem, however the Rathma swiftly sank the dagger to his thigh. Howled with pain, the demon swung his right arm, sending the necromancer sprawled far away. Even so, Tha'el managed to cast something in a split second. At the same time, the Armorer felt his body was wracked with pain. The wiry sorcerer smiled triumphantly as he wiped his bleeding nose,
"Taste my Iron Maiden, demon!" Growled, the demon tried to catch him. Suddenly, he stumbled to the ground. When he turned to his leg where the necromancer has wounded him, the wound turned black and produces a putrefying smell. In another word, his leg was rotting. Once again, Tha'el mocked,
"What's up, big guy? Have you taste my poison?" Hephasto forced himself to stand, though his wounded leg was unable to support his weight. He immediately summoned a band of Venom Lord to aid him,
"S^$#^, he has a help..." Tha'el cursed. In a moment, the same demons were struck by fire and lightning attack. Akivsha and Aliza cut the rest. The assassin shouted,
"Don't stand there like an idiot, finish him!!" The necromancer replied,
"I will, but would you kindly give one of them for me?" The rogue asked,
"For what?" Tha'el smiled only, "You'll know soon..." Then Akivsha nodded and use her Psychic Hammer to knock a Venom Lord to the sorcerer's direction.
Back to Orb'al, he managed to corner Hephasto back to the Hellforge. He was tirelessly pressing his attack, not giving an inch to his opponent. In other hand, the Armorer felt weakened. The necromancer's poison and Iron Maiden curse has taken its toll. By now, he couldn't even feel his right leg anymore as the gangrene spreads over. Only his unholy will that kept him standing. With a loud cry, the barbarian now went into Berserk and his attack became erratic, yet none less fierce than the first. The demon pivoted to bring his hammer to crush the barbarian's head. Instead avoiding the attack, Orb'al forced his way by striking the right side. Hephasto had no idea until he tried to follow with his attack. By then, he saw his right arm already gone. The severed arm was lying on the ground, it still holding the Hammer. The barbarian exulted with his success, while the Armorer was frozen with fear. Before he tried to flee, a dumb-founded Venom Lord blocked his way. Nervously, he screamed,
"What are you doing here, stupid? Get away from my way!!" Tha'el replied coldly,
"I'm sorry, but you're not going anywhere..." Suddenly the winged demon gargled in his blood, as the necromancer slit his throat with such incredible force and hissed a spell,
"Corpse Explosion!!" The dying demon instantly exploded violently, sending flesh and bone everywhere.
Hephasto writhed in agony as the explosion hurt him. His vision became blurred and he stumbled helplessly. Orb'al stood stoically, yet he didn't attack. Tha'el shouted,
"What are you waiting for? Finish him!" But the barbarian didn't move, instead watching the blinded demon that groveled on the ground. The Rathma screamed impatiently,
"Damn, don't stand there! Kill him!" Orb'al lowered his axes and spoke again with sign language. Akivsha explained as she came over and took the severed arm,
"He won't kill a helpless foe, especially after you cheated him by using poison and sneak attack...it would dishonor his pride," The necromancer turned to her with a confused and frustrated look,
"Well, I don't risk my life to follow what so-called honor and bla...bla...bla! Only with our wits, we can win the battle and survive!" The assassin stared him incredulously,
"You won't understand it, Rathma! That's the way of the warriors like him..."
"Do you think you're different from him? What about the traps and sneak attack?" Akivsha gritted her teeth, when she heard it. The rogue quickly separated them,
"OK! Can we focus to our objective right now? Take the Hammer and go back to the Fortress!" The necromancer left them, while the assassin pried open the severed arm and took the Hammer. As the barbarian walked over the fallen demon, he felt something tugged his leg. Hephasto took his leg and begged weakly,
"Warrior...kill me! I beg you...I don't want to live like this..." At this point the demon's right leg has been blackened due to the poison. The barbarian hesitated, yet the demon insisted,
"Kill me...let me free from this suffering...please!" Finally, Orb'al took an axe and sending a long slash that split Hephasto's head open. The metal clunked with the rock floor when the axe passed through. The others watched it with mixed emotion, while the necromancer snorted only. Aliza said,
"I hope the rest are more luckier than us,"
Meanwhile, Myrrick and Caldash wandered around the Plains of Despair. The rest watched them from behind. As far as the druid concerned, there were no clues about whereabouts of Izual. Then he turned to the amazon,
"Xelana, are you sure this is the place?" The female warrior looks annoyed with the question,
"Of course, this is Plains of Despair! I never commit any mistake..." The paladin knelt and examined the ground where they stood. Myrrick asked,
"Did you find something, Caldash?" The holy knight took some dirt and showed it to him,
"The place is different from the rest. Take look to the dirt," The druid noticed that there was a speck of ice crystals at the dirt. Zylene went closer to examine the dirt, and then said,
"This is not an ordinary ice crystals; they were produced by elemental magic,"
"How could that be?" Their conversation was broken by Xelana's call.
"Oh, guys...I hate to say this, but it seems we have a company here!" Everyone saw that the Oblivion Knights surrounded them. Myrrick and Caldash pulled their swords, while Xelana and Zylene put their weapon in defensive stance. However, the undead didn't do anything. To their surprise, the Knights instantly scurried away from their place, leaving them alone. Zylene commented,
"They're gone..." The amazon replied, "Nice answer, genius!" The druid couldn't understand what happened. When he turned to the paladin, Caldash only shrugged,
"Don't look at me; it wasn't me!" Then an unearthly howl echoed around the plain. Xelana commented nonchalantly,
"Well, someone's coming home..." The heroes turned their attention to above and saw a large blue-skinned demon flying on the air. It wore the golden armor and brandished a long sword. Three horns added the terrifying appearance. When the demon descended to the ground, a low growl slipped through its mouth that filled with the long teeth and 2 huge tusks. Myrrick and Caldash prepared their shields. Strangely, Xelana distanced herself from them. For a while, nobody made any movements. The creature inquired,
"Who dares to disturb my peace? I won't let you go alive!" Lowering his shield, the paladin asked carefully,
"We are looking for Izual, do you know him?" The demon narrowed its eyes to him, and then roared furiously,
"There is nobody named Izual here! I must destroy all of you!" It unleashed the Frost Nova toward the heroes. Myrrick shouted aloud before casting his spell,
"Cyclone Armor!!" Caldash didn't want to lose too; he shouted as well,
"Salvation!" Those spells managed to reduce the freezing impact of Nova. Afterward, those warriors charged the demon with their war cries. Zylene turned to the amazon who took a safe distance. She called her,
"Xelana, we must help them!" Instead, the female warrior answered,
"If you want to help them, go ahead..."Incensed, the Zann-Esu said,
"We can't leave them now!" Xelana yelled back to the sorceress,
"Will you kindly shut your mouth? Trust me, I know what I'm doing..." Still, the explanation did little to convince Zylene. She watched the battle worriedly.
Back to the battle, Myrrick and Caldash fought the blue demon courageously. The creature showed an inhuman endurance and speed; sometimes it made they had a hard time to keep paces. Not mention, it somehow had a good swordsmanship. The druid tried to block its attack that coupled with freezing effect. In other side, the paladin clashed his Sazabi Cobalt Redeemer many times with the demon. The demon sends a horizontal slash to his midsection, but Caldash instinctively parried it with Stormshield. He followed later with Smite. The demon knocked back, yet it was able to stand and continue the fight. The druid quickly cast his spell,
"Fissure!" Before the heat vapors came out from the crust of the earth, the blue demon avoided the attack by flying back to the sky. Then it landed again not so far from the heroes. The Zakarum knight switched the Salvation aura to Vengeance. Not only that, he charged the demon with Charge. The creature whirled its body to avoid the attack. When the paladin passed, it turned around and sends a horizontal, vertical and horizontal slash in consequent manner to his opponent. Instead Caldash received those blows with his Stormshield, even so he was reeling backward due to the force. Couldn't wait any longer, Myrrick reverted to his Werebear form. In his bestial form, he tried to maul the blue demon. Yet, the demon kept him on the distance with its Frost touch.
After waiting for 5 minutes, Xelana rose and called the Zann-Esu,
"Sorceress, I have a plan, but I need you to carry my plan..." Though skeptic, Zylene replied,
"What is your plan?" Return to Myrrick and Caldash who still fought the demon, they had a little progress to forcing the blue creature down. Then they heard the sorceress called,
"Myrrick! Caldash! Stay away from the creature..." Both warriors surprised, yet they obeyed her warning. The creature stunned with the development, and instantly turned its attention to the sorceress. Zylene whirled his staff, while whispering his spell,
"Thunder Storm..." A dark cloud came from nowhere and hung above the blue demon. The creature still couldn't understand. Then the realization came as the bolt of lightning started to strike. Zylene continued to whisper the spell, while whirling the staff. As the whirl became faster, the lightning bolts became more frequent and closer to where the demon stood. Howled with anger, it hurled itself toward the sorceress. Yet, she continued the spell without hesitation. However, someone blocked the creature; it was a fair-skinned woman with a bright light. Myrrick shouted,
"Valkyrie?" The Valkyrie instantly shot her arrow to the blue demon with incredible speed and accuracy. It howled as the strike pushed it back to the site where the Thunderstorm still hung above. At the same time, those bolts of lightning converged into a huge one. The creature roared in pain as the bolt struck him. Instantly, the cloud dispersed. The demon was in a kneeling position, while its bluish skin turned black due to the strike. Even Caldash could smelt a burning smell. Then something happened. The creature opened its eyes and began to stand, though the burning wounds prevented to do so. Its golden armor cranked, as it stood. At that moment, the amazon yelled her war cry and jabbed the creature several times. Groaned, the creature turned back and tried to catch her. Once again, everything went to 'bullet time'. Xelana avoided the movement by rolling forward and positioned herself in front of the demon. She shouted aloud,
"Power Strike!" She struck her javelin at the unprotected part and drove it deeply through the flesh. The creature screamed in agony as the weapon pushed through. The blood gushed over like waterfall. Xelana smirked only before she kicked the javelin with her legs and then somersaulted backward. The demon tried to pull the javelin, but no avail. Next, something exploded inside. A burst of electricity came out from the javelin and then broke through from the demon's body, before it exploded. Myrrick and Caldash shielded their eyes from the light. After a while, everything was over. The huge demon lies dead on the ground. The amazon merely fixed her ponytail, as she watched the result with satisfaction. The paladin commented,
"Such a superb tactic though looks foolhardy and high-risked..." Xelana paid him with her seducing smile,
"Thanks to the little mage, it wouldn't work without her help..." Zylene only blushed as the amazon mentioned her name. The druid commended,
"Amazing, Xelana! Thanks for both of you!" Meanwhile, a mist surrounded the demon's carcass and formed something like a winged, shrouded figure. Slightly, the figure almost looked like Tyrael but only lesser in stature. The heroes watched it with curiously. Later, the figure spoke with subdued voice; it was clear he was confused,
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The paladin answered,
"You must be Izual then...we've come here to seek the answers for our question; Archangel Tyrael said that you might know the answer," The figure pondered only,
"Tyrael..."Caldash added,
"It's about the Soulstones. The Prime Evils has corrupted and use them to manifest to the mortal plane..."The figure called Izual still deep in thought; he didn't answer the questions.
"Tyrael...Soulstones...Prime Evils..." Something unexpected happened then. The banished angel suddenly chuckled, before broke to an insane laughter,
"Tyrael...hahahahahah...the foolish Tyrael!" He turned to the heroes, who dismayed with the sudden change and said with a malicious voice,
"So, he was sending all of you here for the fool's errand? Tyrael was a fool! It was me who tells the secret of the Soulstones to the Three!!" Everyone but Xelana shocked with such information; Myrrick could only gripped his Isenhart's Lightbrand tightly. Izual continued his talk without any remorse or sympathy,
"When realize that the Three would never release me, I decide to exchange my freedom with such information! Not only that, I also told them how to use the Soulstone! Guess what they give me later; they threw me out! Tyrael shouldn't send you here only to rescue me...you're better rescue yourself! This is just the beginning of the end..." Unable to control his temper, Myrrick strode forward and asked the fallen angel,
"What do you mean with 'the beginning of the end'?" Instead afraid, Izual answered mockingly,
"Oh, I won't tell you...you must find it yourself...farewell, you idiots!" Before the druid could grab him, he dissolved into nothingness and everything was silent for a while. Xelana commented,
"So much for the information! Druid, what're we going to do next?" Myrrick didn't answer; it was clear that he was upset with what Izual told them. Caldash gave comforting words,
"Don't let his words discourage you, Myrrick...may the High Heaven forgive his soul! Let's go back to the Fortress, I believe Akivsha and the others have been there," The amazon nodded, before said,
"I'm agree, beside our 'friends' can't wait to have their hands upon us..." She pointed to the Oblivion Knights who already returned after Izual's presence sent them away. Without wasting time, Myrrick opened the Scroll of Town Portal and they instantly passed through it, back to the Pandemonium Fortress.
Inside the Fortress, everyone already gathered. Akivsha simply put bandage to her injury, while the sorceress tended Orb'al's wound. Meanwhile, Myrrick and the rest were inside the Hall to report the quests to Tyrael. A thick smoke filled the place. When everyone turned around, they saw Tha'el smokes his pipe. Realizing that, the necromancer said,
"Sorry! Don't worry, just continue your conversation..." Deckard Cain watched him with displeasure,
"Could you put off your pipe for a while? The Great Tyrael is here...we have to keep reverence to this place," Instead, the tall, white-haired man answered ignorantly,
"So? Ignore me then, that's easy!" Myrrick's face reddened due to anger, before he went to the necromancer, Caldash stopped him. The Archangel shook his head tiredly, before he pointed his finger toward the Rathma. To their amazement, the smoke rolled back into Tha'el's pipe. Suddenly the necromancer's eyes almost bulged out and he hurriedly went out to cough the content of his lungs. Xelana blurted,
"Did anyone tell you that smoking is not good for your health?" Myrrick smiled before Tyrael called their attention,
"Heroes, I was thankful that you're returned here safely. Yet, the tidings that you bring both are good and ill. What Izual told you, are disturbing to all of us...it is indeed that the Prime Evils had known the Soulstones beforehand. "Caldash asked the holy being with respect,
"No offense, Great Archangel! You seems don't angry to Izual, though he has maligned your name," The Archangel sighed,
"I knew why he's doing that; he blamed me for not helping him out when he was outnumbered! I wanted to help him, but the High Heaven had ordered me to stay; so I don't have any choice but leave him alone. It's true that what Izual did, had cost the lives of the innocents...but then we must understood his suffering that drove him to insanity for millennia. The past cannot be changed, yet we must focus to the present and the future," Then he addressed Myrrick first,
"The good thing is we have the Hammer in our hand! With the device, we can destroy the Soulstones..." The druid said with a clear voice,
"Diablo and Baal are still around, we have to kill them first! Then we can destroy those Soulstones at the same time!" The holy being nodded in agreement, before answered,
"They probably still inside the Chaos Sanctuary...I'm going to tell Hadriel about your coming; he's the angel who assigned to guard the way to the Chaos Sanctuary. For mean time, prepare yourselves first. Fighting Lord of Terror isn't an easy thing; he was very powerful though not so much as Mephisto and Baal. Not mention, he has acquired a powerful body!" Cain added,
"You must be careful, heroes! Before Diablo possessed him, Rayne was known as a skilled warrior in weapons and arcane arts...I have reason to worry for the demon might utilize his knowledge to defeat you..." Xelana cut him vehemently,
"We're not afraid! We're going to succeed!" The druid agreed,
"Xelana is right; we'll succeed to end Diablo's reign of terror once and for all! I promise you, Great Tyrael!" The Archangel said,
"I have confidence in your ability, as long as all of you are working together nobody would stop you...now, take a rest before going to the Chaos Sanctuary." Once again, the holy being folded his wings.
Far inside the Burning Hell, Diablo stood on the nearby cliff. He watched the fiery sea impassively. Then someone called the crimson demon,
"Mephisto is dead..." Diablo didn't move, yet he answered,
"I know! So is Hephasto...however the plan must goes on!" The Lord of Destruction sighed only, and then he told his brother,
"I'm going to gather our minions, but I still need my soulstone first! Without it, I can't use my power completely," Diablo answered surprisingly, with a baritone voice,
"The Soulstone was with Marcus. You can find him at the Rogue Monastery...say hello from me!" Baal licked his tongue with malice,
"What about those warriors?" The red demon turned his gnarled face, the red Soulstone sprouted from his forehead. His yellow eyes blazed like the surrounding. He hissed with a terrible voice,
"I will end their journey here!!"
Author's Note: OK, don't go away! What will happen when Myrrick and the others meet Lord of Terror for the last
time? Watch the finale in "The Beginning of The End"!
P.S: Thanks for the Constructicons! It is an honor to be reviewed by characters from 'Transformers'! I hope you enjoy this one!