Evil Ascendant
Disclaimer: I don't own the Diablo games or any derivatives there in, etc, etc dingos did not eat my baby, so on and so forth……
Summary: People start killing each other.But not that much.
Thanks: To Brightbear for fixing my mistakes. Maybe I will read that story…..
Chapter 3
Three chapters in four days!:)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ragnok looked across the burning desert. Broggart had told him to hold this small town and it vexed him severely. He was a warrior of the Brazen Claws clan, berserkers who had protected the lands surrounding ancient Mount Arreat for eons. Now he was reduced to guarding a few idiots stupid enough to live in this unholy desert. The sound of feet crunching gravel echoed across the main street of the town. Ragnok turned around to set the figure across town with an iron stare. The black cloaked figure breathed in, distorted by the noise of rattling bones and the faint jingling of chimes. The hair on the back of Ragnok's neck stood up on end and he tightened his grip on his maul.
"Your time hath come, young one," the creature intoned.
It's disturbing death rattle echoed as it raised it's left arm. The moth eaten robes fell away as the pale skeleton hand emerged from the robes. Ragnok's war cry died in his throat as a splinter of pure white energy lanced out from the hand and blasted through him. Surrounded by the ripples in the air, he fell to the ground as he felt his chest tighten. He felt pain grip around his heart and his chest felt cold. Silently screaming on the ground, Ragnok left for the great halls of his forefathers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His luck had finally run out. The others in the small party had taken straws to see who would have to wake Salena. Everyone else was readying to begin travelling. Lucifer reached the spot where she slept propped up against a rock. He stood above pondering how best to wake her. Finally he nudged her with his mailed boot. She rolled over and continued sleeping. This was agonizing. He nudged her harder in the back. She mumbled softly. He sighed, he didn't have time for this. Lucifer reached out putting his thumb and forefinger over her nostrils. Salena snorted and began waving her hands around her face. Quickly withdrawing his hand he crept back to the safe anonymity of the camp and made himself look busy. Even though he was about ten years her senior he sometimes didn't know how to treat women. Lucifer turned and casually looked at her. She was staring right at him. Lucifer sighed deeply. Sometimes the life of a soldier was a hard one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mistress?"
"Yes."
"Warriv believes we shall reach Agmar soon."
"Range ahead of the caravan. We do not wish to be surprised."
Kree nodded and sprinted off ahead of the caravan.
"How does Kree fair in her training?"
"She is a natural with the bow. If she survives this campaign she might become one of our finest archers."
"Her skill with spear is reasonable but her javelin throws could do with work."
"Arrange for some training when we arrive. Flace could do it."
"You don't want to be cruel to the girl Mistress."
Kree sprinted back to the line of caravans and pulled herself into their caravan. Her face was distraught as she tried to keep her fear under control.
"Mistress, Agmar burns!"
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"Behold travellers, the desert jewel! Lut Gholein!"
"Not now, Ramesh. I need a bed and a good bath."
"You sure do."
"What?"
"Lucifer, the stench of your chain mail has plagued us since Selig and I first joined the caravan."
"Then let us make for Lut Gholein and find Broggart's monster!" Ramesh roared gesticulating so wildly he nearly fell over.
"How droll."
"Yes I thought so too," Lucifer replied coolly as he returned his gaze to Lut Gholein.
A creeping sense of foreboding troubled him. Something tugged at the edge of his mind, irritating him and setting him on edge. Lucifer did not normally travel in his chain mail. A man in armour is not often a popular sight. Perhaps he should make sure the evil was entirely defeated here. Not this temporary measure. The barbarians would be a frightening force in battle and would hopefully, barring serious incident, be able to defeat the evil in the desert. They were a hardy people as to which he could very well testify. Aide the barbarians in the desert or arrange passage as soon as possible? He would wait and see. Despite his mandate to return to Kurast, he would do what was best in service to the light. The Travincal were old and, well, practically useless. The Paladins had separated from them long ago when they had become political and over bearing. That had been when he was but an initiate. The chapter masters were old experienced Paladins. Relentless, realistic, devoted to pursue the devotions of their ways to the bitter end. Three attributes that severely limit politicians when found in wise men of the world. The churchmen could wait. His body could probably survive the rigors of one last campaign. Providing he didn't find himself on a sword.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jaina! Raven head formation! Kree! Send word to the other travellers stay with the caravan, we will deal with this."
The two amazons leapt down from the caravan and Kree signalled the wagons to a halt. Lady Farr tightened the buckle on her cap and leapt down to the ground following Jaina to the side as the Amazons followed the standard drill and formed up in groups of twelve. Two blocks of javelin armed warriors formed up behind a line of spear wielding Amazons. Archers formed up, flanking the main block on both sides as Jaina barked orders.
"To the ridge!" Lady Farr roared.
The bronze skinned Amazons ran up to the ridge to the village in perfect step. The Amazons automatically took a defensive stance. Lady Farr scowled as she looked at the town. A few of the small huts were smouldering as Sabre Cats picked through the wreckage. The Amazons were out numbered but were more organised, skilled and choose the battle field. Farr looked down the slop towards the town and sucked in a deep breath.
"Fire!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maree picked through the room of the inn. Nothing. She left and returned to the tavern's main veranda. One of the main pockets of resistance was wiped out here by whoever slew these villagers. Maree looked on as the warriors in the street sifted through the ill gotten loot. Her pride had stumbled across the prize rich town and were quickly becoming rich from the considerable trade items of a caravan stopped on the road from the West. Screams began to echo through the town square square. Mrrr, their pride leader looked up and roared. The Sabre Cats would defend their prize.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Diablo games or any derivatives there in, etc, etc dingos did not eat my baby, so on and so forth……
Summary: People start killing each other.But not that much.
Thanks: To Brightbear for fixing my mistakes. Maybe I will read that story…..
Chapter 3
Three chapters in four days!:)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ragnok looked across the burning desert. Broggart had told him to hold this small town and it vexed him severely. He was a warrior of the Brazen Claws clan, berserkers who had protected the lands surrounding ancient Mount Arreat for eons. Now he was reduced to guarding a few idiots stupid enough to live in this unholy desert. The sound of feet crunching gravel echoed across the main street of the town. Ragnok turned around to set the figure across town with an iron stare. The black cloaked figure breathed in, distorted by the noise of rattling bones and the faint jingling of chimes. The hair on the back of Ragnok's neck stood up on end and he tightened his grip on his maul.
"Your time hath come, young one," the creature intoned.
It's disturbing death rattle echoed as it raised it's left arm. The moth eaten robes fell away as the pale skeleton hand emerged from the robes. Ragnok's war cry died in his throat as a splinter of pure white energy lanced out from the hand and blasted through him. Surrounded by the ripples in the air, he fell to the ground as he felt his chest tighten. He felt pain grip around his heart and his chest felt cold. Silently screaming on the ground, Ragnok left for the great halls of his forefathers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His luck had finally run out. The others in the small party had taken straws to see who would have to wake Salena. Everyone else was readying to begin travelling. Lucifer reached the spot where she slept propped up against a rock. He stood above pondering how best to wake her. Finally he nudged her with his mailed boot. She rolled over and continued sleeping. This was agonizing. He nudged her harder in the back. She mumbled softly. He sighed, he didn't have time for this. Lucifer reached out putting his thumb and forefinger over her nostrils. Salena snorted and began waving her hands around her face. Quickly withdrawing his hand he crept back to the safe anonymity of the camp and made himself look busy. Even though he was about ten years her senior he sometimes didn't know how to treat women. Lucifer turned and casually looked at her. She was staring right at him. Lucifer sighed deeply. Sometimes the life of a soldier was a hard one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mistress?"
"Yes."
"Warriv believes we shall reach Agmar soon."
"Range ahead of the caravan. We do not wish to be surprised."
Kree nodded and sprinted off ahead of the caravan.
"How does Kree fair in her training?"
"She is a natural with the bow. If she survives this campaign she might become one of our finest archers."
"Her skill with spear is reasonable but her javelin throws could do with work."
"Arrange for some training when we arrive. Flace could do it."
"You don't want to be cruel to the girl Mistress."
Kree sprinted back to the line of caravans and pulled herself into their caravan. Her face was distraught as she tried to keep her fear under control.
"Mistress, Agmar burns!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Behold travellers, the desert jewel! Lut Gholein!"
"Not now, Ramesh. I need a bed and a good bath."
"You sure do."
"What?"
"Lucifer, the stench of your chain mail has plagued us since Selig and I first joined the caravan."
"Then let us make for Lut Gholein and find Broggart's monster!" Ramesh roared gesticulating so wildly he nearly fell over.
"How droll."
"Yes I thought so too," Lucifer replied coolly as he returned his gaze to Lut Gholein.
A creeping sense of foreboding troubled him. Something tugged at the edge of his mind, irritating him and setting him on edge. Lucifer did not normally travel in his chain mail. A man in armour is not often a popular sight. Perhaps he should make sure the evil was entirely defeated here. Not this temporary measure. The barbarians would be a frightening force in battle and would hopefully, barring serious incident, be able to defeat the evil in the desert. They were a hardy people as to which he could very well testify. Aide the barbarians in the desert or arrange passage as soon as possible? He would wait and see. Despite his mandate to return to Kurast, he would do what was best in service to the light. The Travincal were old and, well, practically useless. The Paladins had separated from them long ago when they had become political and over bearing. That had been when he was but an initiate. The chapter masters were old experienced Paladins. Relentless, realistic, devoted to pursue the devotions of their ways to the bitter end. Three attributes that severely limit politicians when found in wise men of the world. The churchmen could wait. His body could probably survive the rigors of one last campaign. Providing he didn't find himself on a sword.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jaina! Raven head formation! Kree! Send word to the other travellers stay with the caravan, we will deal with this."
The two amazons leapt down from the caravan and Kree signalled the wagons to a halt. Lady Farr tightened the buckle on her cap and leapt down to the ground following Jaina to the side as the Amazons followed the standard drill and formed up in groups of twelve. Two blocks of javelin armed warriors formed up behind a line of spear wielding Amazons. Archers formed up, flanking the main block on both sides as Jaina barked orders.
"To the ridge!" Lady Farr roared.
The bronze skinned Amazons ran up to the ridge to the village in perfect step. The Amazons automatically took a defensive stance. Lady Farr scowled as she looked at the town. A few of the small huts were smouldering as Sabre Cats picked through the wreckage. The Amazons were out numbered but were more organised, skilled and choose the battle field. Farr looked down the slop towards the town and sucked in a deep breath.
"Fire!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maree picked through the room of the inn. Nothing. She left and returned to the tavern's main veranda. One of the main pockets of resistance was wiped out here by whoever slew these villagers. Maree looked on as the warriors in the street sifted through the ill gotten loot. Her pride had stumbled across the prize rich town and were quickly becoming rich from the considerable trade items of a caravan stopped on the road from the West. Screams began to echo through the town square square. Mrrr, their pride leader looked up and roared. The Sabre Cats would defend their prize.