Diablo 2: Fallen - Chapter 2
By Amethyst Haze

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, its designs or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment, this story is simply a non-profit tribute and parody.

A message from Amethyst Haze

I'm proud to announce the rating of "Fallen" will be lowered to PG-13. It has come to my attention by several readers that the most complaints is that it's hard to find (due to the R rating) and that not many people know about it. Well, that's true. I set it at an R level by standards because, well, in the tradition of the first two stories in this series, it is pretty rated R. Considering they were NC-17 which I edited to a more suitable R level, it's understandable why I would do that. I am a responsible adult, I'm not going to purposely trick kids into reading stories by saying "Hey, it's G or PG!" But, I am also not their mother. A simple "R" isn't going to stop them from looking into it, but by saying that, understand I am not promoting those ideas. Simply said, THIS story is acceptable to receive a lower than R rating because it will not be as risque as my previous stories. That being said, do not think I am saying this to expect a lower quality in my stories. In closing.... WOOHOO!

Chapter 2: "Distrust is common in humans and demons"

With the passing of each day, the Ghrenters were becoming more and more agitated. Though the Hand of Zakarum's paladins--revered as the most holiest of warriors second only to angels like Tyreal--reassured the safety of their persons, they feared it would do naught for the safety of their souls.

Each night, one more man turned up dead and left in the same fashion: lying on their back, the earth scorched into a neat and tight circle around their corpse with four cracking punctures into the earth to form an even square framing their body and the burnt earth. What remained of their body was also the same: their eyes were torn out, cloth cut from their own garments shoved into their mouths and a missing ear. With each morning that a body was discovered, more accusations flew. So far, the victims have been male only. Such a common trait among the victims only made the fanatical "pointers" of the city surface to point a finger at all women of the city.

"It must be a woman spurned! Only such vicious natural sinners would be able to do such a foul thing to good men!" the voice boomed in the village square.

Valerius refrained from rolling his eyes as Kirsh, the eldest son of the wealthiest merchant stepped forward and pointed at each and every woman, continuing his tirade, "If it was any of you foul women who did this, I will personally see you all punished. Perhaps just like The White Lady herself, you need to be reminded who you serve." He smirked, self-satisfied with his threat.

A strange hush fell over the crowd. Fearful women's eyes darted amongst each other, terrified they might unknowingly be friends with the killer thus somehow be punished along with them should they be found.

"Perhaps," the voice belonging to Kirsh's father, a frail man draped in fine clothing, "It is The White Lady coming back to punish us."

Kirsh snorted, flicking the his goatee and arching a thick bushy eyebrow. "As a ghost? No, this killer is very much flesh and blood.' He swept his hand towards the small make-shift hut erected solely to hide the torn up corpses in. "Avellai is not capable of evil herself... but her believers might be." His snake-like steely eyes slithered and relaxed upon a petite woman of pale skin and powerful moss green eyes returning his gaze with all its power. "What say you, Lanai?"

Lanai, a woman holding herself tall and seemingly burning with a bold spirit, stared Kirsh down. "I say that you are a poor example of a man; A mere lion cub who roars at all willingly but has no wisdom of a full grown lion." She turned to the audience, gesturing gently in a feminine way. "Good people, do you really believe the women of this city would kill any men we live with?" She shook her head and clucked her tongue. "We know everyone, we meet in the marketplace and chat. Killing any man would mean we deprive one of our friends of a husband, a son, a father, a brother..." Her angry gaze turned to Kirsh again. "Use your good sense before throwing such wild accusations," she lowered her eyelids slightly and flicked a look of contempt towards the man. "That is... if you have any good sense or even a sense at all to claim."

Valerius, from the shadows, quietly regarded Lanai, staring at her in fascination. Lanai was a woman he had only crossed paths with once, and it was very brief involving only the exchange of gold for a few small bunches of grapes--a small indulgence he was longing for. She had merely made a tight frown with her lips when Valerius offered her double the gold she asked for. From his hand, she had plucked only what money was required for the transactions and curtly told him he should save his charity for this in deep need of it.

From afar, Valerius couldn't deny the unconventional beauty Lanai was. It had nothing to do with her fair face, but rather the brilliance of her spirit and the fire in her eyes. She spoke passionately, her voice not a lilting one to seduce the crowd, but one of intensity to capture the crowd with raw reason.

More heated words spilled from Lanai's lips as she and Kirsh verbally sparred for another round. The women were huddled behind Lanai, away from their families. Kirsh's voice cut through the air like poison through blood. Even Valerius' blood chilled at the sound of it, finding Lanai's voice a sweet serenade of sanctuary against the cacophony that came from Kirsh.

A sudden admiration for Lanai formed in Valerius' thoughts and a voice appeared from nowhere beside that admiration.

I wouldn't admire her, if I were you

Diemma, he thought with a sigh.

Found you, Paragon.

Why do you believe I should avoid her? Though Valerius was still suspicious of receiving advice from a demoness, he was gradually becoming used to it. Some of Diemma's advice turned out to be sound once the chance to be proven was given, but a leopard cannot easily change its spots. She might easily be trying to let him lower his guard to enable her a killing strike.

It is rumoured that Lanai inherited Avellai's magicks to heal upon the death of the White Lady.... maybe she inherited Her vengeance as well...

If so, I need to investigate this.

Pushing a stray lock of walnut-coloured hair away from his forehead, he quietly watched Lanai as she spun on her heel, gracefully tightening the side knot of her soft rose draping dress, her burning eyes meeting Valerius' very briefly before she stormed out of the village square, the women of the village quickly following her and glancing back apologetically to their male counterparts or their families.

You can never keep your nose safely where it belongs, can you? Diemma sighed, her voice weary.

And you can never not keep your own mind from reading mine, can you?

Touché. Diemma chuckled softly.

The day crawled by with the matching pace of a half-starved rat scampering weakly through the Kurast desert. All of Valerius' troop's eyes and ears were focused on Lanai ever since the spectacle in the square. As more investigation continued through the day, facts that remained were the following:

1. Lanai was a follower and was probably the only follower who fled or survived when the rest of them were slaughtered. It is possible she was one of the "sanctuary" to Avellai. The Sanctuary, being the few followers entrusted to listen to her words uncensored and advise her.
2. Lanai has a vehement hatred against the upper class Ghrenters who had forsaken Avellai.
3. Lanai is the youngest daughter of a failed merchant who committed suicide when she was but six summers.
4. She is often harassed by the upper class of the Ghrent.
5. She is beautiful when she is angry.

Hastily, Valerius struck out the fifth item in his mental list as he watched Lanai turn her chin up indignantly with the posture of one of high born privileges. He had been shadowing her for hours as the rest of his men scoured the city to find more leads. Within the hours he had been following her, she had managed to reduce brash young men to into meek and feet-shuffling cowards. She was as strong as any woman he had seen. One rash boy threw a stone at her which she snatched out of the air and tossed it back with twice the effort. The boy fell over, whimpering and crying while rubbing his shoulder.

Valerius could not help but stifle a chuckle at her antic which then caught her attention. Lanai's moss-coloured eyes turned to Valerius questioningly before she arched a delicate eyebrow in a challenging nature. Though Valerius leaned casually against a crofter's hut without any armour or weapons, from the reaction of Lanai's posture, he could see she was threatened still by him.

Walking towards the small and powerful woman, he gallantly offered her a small bow and held out his hand in greeting. "My lady."

She glanced down at his hand impassively then back to into his eyes. "Sir," she replied frostily.

"Might you be Lanai?" he started gently.

"You are one of the Hand of Zakarum," she returned with a statement.

"I am."

When the voice of the demoness hit him, he could've groaned out loud. Found you.

Not now, he snapped in his mind.

You are not one to order me around, the voice hissed back.

"Do you have business with me, or have you come to oppress more people under the false guise of justice?" she asked saucily.

He raised his arms in a display of a lack of weapons. "I come to talk."

"Are you already influenced by Kirsh?"

"I am influenced by no one."

"And the sun rises in the west," she countered flippantly.

The exchange of wit went on for minutes until finally Valerius sneakily managed to extract an invitation out of her.

"I am tired," Lanai spoke softly, the stiffness in her shoulders relaxing. "If you would like to continue this.... discussion, you may accompany me to my home."

Not being one to let a lead pass by, he nodded and she gestured which direction her home lay before walking down the path as the sun began its slow descent.

As he followed her to the hut, his eyes unwillingly lowered to her shapely and very lovely bottom

I dare you to grab her ass, Paragon, Diemma's voice suddenly inappropriately crowed in his mind.

Quiet, Demoness!! he hissed back, trying not to let his emotionless mask break.

A soft chuckle answered back, rolling through his mind like a soft wave. Are you not a man?

I am. A real one, thus I treat women with the respect they deserve, he replied, biting back an oath.

... Very smooth answer, Paragon.

Small, cozy and dirty best summed up the conditions of Lanai's home. It was a small dilapidated hut in the outskirts but out of the border of the burnt ruins. The air around her home was different though. A sweet perfume danced in the air, playing sensuously with Valerius' pulse as he sat down on a small and sturdy upside-down basket.

He found himself sniffing the air noticeably enough to invoke an explanation from Lanai. "There's a hill of lavender not too far from here," she nodded her head out of the window, opposite of the direction of the ruins. "When the wind changes direction the perfume can be carried here."

Valerius smiled pleasantly, the kind of smile that would normally disarm a woman.... but not Lanai. Her face remained stony.

I don't like her, Diemma announced.

Valerius ignored Diemma, his gaze not once wavering from the young lady in front of him. "Were you a follower of Avellai?"

"Yes," she bit out thinly, "but not in the truest sense of being killed along with her."

"Why were you not there?"

She stared at him oddly. "Because I wished to live."

"Do you mean to say you knew the rest would die?"

She frowned. "I mean to say that I choose my battles. The time was not right. I stand behind Avellai, but if all of us had died, what then?"

He nodded understandingly. "Live to fight another day...." he mused, his eyes wandering on the soft features of her face. Though the pillowy softness of her cheek cooed at him to cup it lovingly with his calloused palm, he resisted. She had a slightly pronounced jaw and other strong features that did not manage to dissipate the femininity of her appearance--she was like a fairy queen and an amazon rolled into one.

"Why is there such animosity between Kirsh and you?"

"Because Kirsh is a braying ass," she turned her eyes towards the setting sun over the ruins. "He harbours an unnatural hatred for women." She hugged herself, rubbing her arms as if she were cold. "There's something about him I do not like."

Valerius mentally agreed.

He's creepy, Diemma joined in. I have to agree with her, Valerius. That man is unsettling, stay away from him.

Stay away from him... like how I should stay away from Lutheric and my men like you suggested before? he asked incredulously.

Exactly. Valerius barely refrained from rolling his eyes in response.

Lanai's gaze shuttered as her expression softened to one of a confiding nature. "He hates anything related to Avellai, you know." She paused, a fleeting look of uncertainty shadowing her face. "He looks at you the same way he looks at me?"

"What do you mean?"

"... He wants you dead too."

Alarms went off in Valerius' head. Lanai's words could be a plot, a tactic to throw off guard in a different direction, just like Diemma was doing with her warning about Lutheric. He studied Lanai's face searchingly for a clue to her motives as she continued on.

"I don't know if you've seen it, but I've seen him staring at you in a way that reminds me of a hunter feline."

"What makes you so certain?"

".... Valerius," her glacial expression returned. "Everyone here knows who you are. We're not stupid. We all know you were the betrothed of Avellai." With that, she narrowed her gaze. "Why did the Zakarum send you? Or are you a rogue knight, coming back to avenge her?" She said that, you know?"

"What?"

Lanai stood up to her full height, the fiery tones of the sunset outside of the window bathed her skin in a warm ethereal glow. "I heard the villagers whispering about it. As she died, she muttering that she will be avenged." She stared down at him, her jaw set. "Is that why you are here? To avenge your lover in the guise of justice?"

The basket was knocked by his foot across the room behind him as he stood up with full force. "This is not about revenge, this is about a demon!"

"Oh really?" Lanai challenged, placing her hands firmly on her hips. "A woman dies in love with a man who she swears will avenge her. Meanwhile, years after her death, countless men connected to the killing of that woman--and some that are not--are turn up dead in gruesome ways, but luckily, several paladins, one of which is the lover previously mentioned, show up claiming to find the demon responsible." She sneered at him. "How does one not know that you are not this fictitious demon that reveals its other side to prove innocence, or that you are here simply to find out who's playing demon and stealing your right to avenge?" She glared at him. "I've heard tales of you, Valerius, about how the Hand of Zakarum trusts you wholly, but I for one will never trust you."

"ENOUGH!" Valerius roared, stepping forward so suddenly Lanai cowered and stepped back.

At that moment, silence ripped through the home. One could hear a pin drop. Instead, Valerius sharp senses heard something else.

Fsssht!

On impulse, Valerius lunged at Lanai as she cried out in terror. His full weight smashed into her, forcing her to the ground underneath the bulk of the paladin's weight. Lanai screamed, twisting and kicking beneath him while viciously pulling at his hair.

"No!" she screamed, her hands sliding beneath his chest to shove him off as best as she could. "Get away!"

Valerius ignored her weak attacks until one well-placed finger dug into the fleshiness of his ear.

"Cease, woman!" he hissed into her ear. "Lay still!"

"I will not lay meek while I am to be raped!" she howled, clawing at him.

Boldly, Valerius grabbed her face, one hand cupping each side, and turned it towards the wall a few paces behind her.

Embedded into the wall behind where she stood was a single arrow.

Her struggling stopped and she stared at the item that would have caused her death.

"Will you still never trust me?" he asked in a hush as he rolled off of her, drawing a hidden dagger in his boot.

His ears, trained for any soft sound, strained. He could hear his thudding pulse in the drums and feel the reverberation in his temples. A minute of silence passed before Valerius finally turned to Lanai and replaced his dagger.

"First off, I cannot avenge my lover if I was never that to begin with."

"You were her betrothed," she pointed out flatly.

"Love is not always included with betrothals or marriage."

The admission hung thickly in the air. In front of his eyes, Lanai remained speechless and wide-eyed. Silence reined in his mind, unbroken by Diemma's usual interruptions.

"No... it isn't," she bitterly agreed, her shoulder slumping as she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them. She looked at him cautiously. "At least you're honest about it."

"What kind of man would I be if I weren't?"

"... You'd be Kirsh," she muttered.

"I don't understand."

She raised her eyes to the blazing red sunset barely visible from her seated position on the dirty floor. "You're not the only one who has had a betrothal."

Unable to contain his surprise, Valerius asked, "You and Kirsh?"

She shook her head, her shoulders shuddering with the thought. "Heavens no. Avellai."

Valerius was stunned. "When did this happen?"

"It wasn't official. But it was decided, some time after you fled, that if you did not return at the time to marry Avellai, Kirsh would be the one."

"Who decided this?"

Lanai's eyes turned sad as she swallowed a lump in her throat. "Avellai did."

"Why?" Memories of Avellai's disdain for the young and overly arrogant Kirsh flashed through his mind. She hated Kirsh and any of his blood relatives. They were all cut of the same cloth and could never change. In fact, she claimed Valerius was the complete opposite; good, where Kirsh and his blood were evil.

She gazed at him stonily. "Apparently she had so much faith in you, she felt you would swoop in to be her saviour against any monster." She stared back at the sunset. "How sad that the time you arrive is a time too late."

Diemma.... he suddenly called out to her. Did you know about this?

Yes, she replied. Valerius was not sure if he could believe her.

Why did you not tell me?

... I respect Avellai as a woman, she emotionlessly reasoned. It is not my place to tell you the matters of her heart... particularly since demons alike don't quite understand it or have one... A sigh resounded. Mortals can be such strange and fickle creatures.

At that moment, Valerius couldn't help but agree with the demoness as a tear trickled down Lanai's cheek, glistening in the almost-dead sunset.