Chapter 19
By Hdogg
Told by Dru Berry
The Ending Chapter
A/n: I'm baaaack! Miss me? Let's write!! WOOOO!
Thanks to Drowning Pool for their song 'Bodies'. WOOT.
Onward to Victory!
I felt an evil crackle well up in me as I hacked, slashed, and carved my way through these beasts. I'd show them who was boss!
I hacked the beasts to death until there was nothing more I could kill. I stood there, foaming at the mouth, as I looked around wildly for more to kill. They took Jenny away. I wouldn't stand for this. Bodies of all creatures that infested this catacomb lay at my feet. They're bones would make me a nice shield if I ever got around to it. I would rule these creatures but only after I had Jenny safe and by my side.
I would win! I would rule! Nothing would stop me from finding the only person that meant anything to me! I would be the one!
I laughed as I fell to my knees. Tears trickled down my face as I stared ahead of me into the darkness.
From behind voiced muttered out of the dark silence…
"Poor Dru…" A voice sniffled. "I hope Jenny's okay…for his sake."
Another voice, this one gruffer and with a commanding tone, said, "We'll save them both, don't worry. This nightmare is almost over…"
A strong, but kind voice ended the conversation with, "But another will only begin…"
I blink as I bent over. My stomach hurt. I looked down and saw a red gash. It wasn't deep, just there. It was in between the spot where my breastplate ended and where my belt began. My only true vulnerable spot.
"Dru…" Mo knelt in front in me and poked me in the forehead. "Let me or Dan help you. We need to continue moving…only one more level and we're there."
I blinked. Whoa…did I have a headache. I swayed in my spot but Mo steadied me. She gently hushed my fears away as her soft, steady hands worked their magic over my body. I quietly clung to the small girl as she pulled me up to my feet. Another, who was it, wiped away my tears from my face.
Mo ripped the seal off a small bottle and gently touched it to my lips. I hungrily drank the elixir. It smoothed my hot throat and renewed my strength.
Wobbling on my feet, I still clung to the small girl. She was a friend. She cared for me…how could this be? Tears filled my eyes as I remembered how I had met this girl. It was through my Jenny. My angel. I half growled as words slipped off my tongue. My claws itched for the blood that stole her! I would destroy them all!
"DRU!" A strong voice commanded. It was the one that had wiped away my tears from before. He slapped me in the face and grabbed my hands. I blinked. Claws, they were claws again. I looked into the stranger's face. I knew him…who was he…
He stood firmly between me and Mo. He didn't let go of my arm as he watched me carefully. He was a head shorter then me but his power was immense. I watched his shaggy brown hair start to lift in the slight breeze created by his aura. A soft, blue mist covered my body as it flowed from his hands.
I let my breathe out. I hadn't known I was holding it. I felt…relaxed. I looked around my surroundings as my reality came back to me. It was a dark and dingy place. Moss covered the walls, leaving no room for a handhold to climb up. I watched as the walls shifted into the darkness above me. I knew not what lay up there and I wasn't in mood to find out.
I looked down. I saw the dark, acidic puddle of blood that leaked soundly from an imp's headless corpse. I felt its blood seeping through my metal-plated boots. Its sharp burn could be felt all through my body.
I shuddered as the smell finally hit me. It was rancid and musty. I gagged and sagged against…Daniel. Daniel was his name. I looked down from my slumped position at Mo. My breath caught in my throat.
Though not shown in her gentle eyes, the skin and muscles of her left arm hung limply off it. Its use was little to none for her. She took no notice though as she busied herself. Working with a trained ease, she slowly conjured her magic. A soft green slow flowed over her body and glowed darkest over the limp arm. Slowly, the muscles pulled back to the bones and the skin resealed itself. Three faint lines blemished her soft skin. She looked up at me and her eyes only showed the kindness of her heart. Not a trance of hate or anger lanced her pale face.
"Are you all right, Dru?" She asked kindly. She pulled herself to her feet and tenderly reached for me.
I jerked away from her and Daniel. I backed into the wall as fear crept into my mind. It paralyzed me as I clung hopelessly to the slick wall. I looked down at my hands. My hands dripped with her blood! I hurt my only friends!
I fell to my knees and buried my head into my hands. Sobs choked me and my tears flowed without shame. I had become a monster! A monster that should not be alive…a monster that should not love.
A strong arm circled around my shoulders as a head lay against my shoulder. "Shh, it's all right Dru. No harm was done. It's all right." She rocked me gently. I clung her like a newborn, afraid to let go. Afraid that I would become the monster again.
A soft whisper filled my ears. I looked around. "Did you hear that?"
Mo looked at me, puzzled. "No…" She closed her eyes in concentration. She shook her head. "No…" She picked up the hand that had her blood on it and kindly pulled me to my feet. She slipped her small hand into mine and led me back to Daniel.
He stood nonchalantly with his hand on the hilt of his sword. His dark eyes watched me steadily. "Are you all right?" His voice was gruffer then normal and sounded forced.
I drew myself up to my full height as I towered over him. "Yes." I still had not let go of Mo's hand. I looked down at her. She was so young…and so small. I could not believe that small thing held such compassion as she did.
Again, I heard the whisper. It was so soft…so untraceable that I almost missed it. I shook my head as to get rid of it. "Dru…" My eyes and hand snapped fully upright. It was Jenny!
Mo noticed right away what it was. "Take us to her!"
I gripped her hand tightly and walked at a fast pace. We traveled steadily and far. We moved from corridor to smaller rooms, defeating anything that stood in our way. Whenever we fought Mo was always by my side, protecting me if she could. She used her magic wisely as she defeated the endless amounts of demons. After the battles, she would heal my wounds and quietly slip her hand back into mine. Her presence…helped keep me sane.
In all of the battles, I hadn't used my Druidic abilities to shape shift. I was afraid if I became the wolf again that I wouldn't be able to control myself…and that I may kill my friends. I shuddered. I refused to let myself hurt the people that cared for me!
We winded in and out of rooms and halls. We seemed to travel forever but we never got anywhere.
Mo stopped outside of a small doorway. "I know those voices…Yoodle-le-yeewhoo!" She called out into the darkness.
"You dork!" A voice shouted from the shadows. Aly jumped out and glomped Mo. "You silly Baka, you trying to get yourself killed?"
Larry lumbered past the two girls and slapped Daniel in the shoulder. "What's up, man?"
I crept into the shadows and watch them be reunited. I felt like I didn't belong there…I never did. I know Mo was looking for me when my presence escaped her but I stayed in my shadows. I did not belong among the innocence, among the happiness. My nature…was not a light one. I was a hardened criminal of a gang from the streets. My life was nothing but pain and that was the way it was meant to be.
A voice sneaked into my mind, '…if you are only meant to feel pain, then why do you love her so much?'
I replied, 'It is pain to love…I have lost her!' My face contracted as I sunk to my knees. My hope began to flee from me as my face fell into my rocks. I rocked back and forth on the ground, silently crying wishing for the pain to end.
The voices of the group faded away until I surrounded by darkness. A deep, endless darkness. A small shape, dark on dark, began to form. First I say the glistening of metal then slowly she began to form. Her face was hardened but her eyes shown with kindness towards me.
"Dear friend…she is near. I can feel her as you do." Her hand brushed along my cheek. "Have faith. There will be light again." With that, she gently placed her lips on my forehead and a cool breeze swept me to my feet. My vision cleared and I could see them all again.
All but Mo had all ready traveled down a long worn stairs. "Come, it is time." She whispered as she walked to the steps. As she looked back at me, I could feel my feet taking me to her. The coolness still swept all around me.
She disappeared into the shadows and I followed, shaking with each step. I could smell it. The rancid, dark smell of Death. It clung to the walls, to my clothes, to everything within its reach. I shuddered as I repressed the urge to vomit. Now was not the time of such pleasures.
Metal clanged against rotting flesh. Hollow screams bounced off the walls. Shouts of incantations traveled to my ears. I stopped at the last step. I felt…afraid. Afraid I would hurt my friend. Afraid I would lose my life. But most of all, afraid that I would lose her.
With one last deep breath, I charged.
Swinging my deadly axe, I cleaved through armies of fallen and dead archers. Some had vaguely human faces but the puss and mold discolored anything more then once white teeth. I swung until it felt like my arms would break. Nothing stood in my way! Walls of fire and poison erupted in front of me, only to be knocked away by an aura from Dan.
Mo skid to a halt in front of me, fleeing from a particularly large beast. She ducked under my legs and slid into the wall. There she collapsed and prepared a spell of ice. The air chilled as the beast charged at both her and me.
"SIKE!" She shouted above the roar of the flames and dying demons. A burst of white frost spread from her outstretched fingers and flew into the beast. It looked dumbly at the spot where it was hit as a small, but suddenly stream of ice began to cover it.
With a swing of my axe, I hit the icicled brute. As my axe sliced through it, the ice burst into needle thin shreds that melted as they bounced off my armor. Glancing at Mo, I asked, "All right?"
Mo nodded and smiled. "A little whipped here and there but I am as fit as a fiddle!" And as an after thought, "and about as hungry as a hippo." With that, she proceeded to pop bite-sized pieces of bread into her mouth. She smiled and literally skipper off to tackle Daniel.
I looked in front of me at a large, gem-encrusted door. It creaked now and then as if something was leaning against the door. I slowly took a step towards it, reaching out with my scarred hand. I wanted to pull the iron ring that hung from the bull's nose. As I looked closer, I saw it wasn't a bull but a faint image of Diablo. Ignoring all intuition that I possessed, I stroked the ring and traced it lightly my finger.
Let the bodies hit the floor!
Grabbing the iron ring, I pulled with all my might. The door swung open with colossal speed! I was thrown against the wall as an acidic voice whispered, "Freedom!" I shivered as a chord in that voice hit a space of familiarly.
Let the bodies hit the floor!
I looked up and into the doorway. Green smoke seeped from the door like tentacles. Out of the green rimmed emerge a spidery appendage. "I knew you'd come." The voice whispered dryly. A hand appeared on the side of the other half of the door. "Fools in love can never let you down."
Let the bodies hit the floor!
Then rising from the smoke came a half-naked, rotting body of a woman. Once beautiful with long red hair, she had turned into little more then an image of her former self. Andariel slid fully into the light of the chamber that contained us. With a flick of her hand, all the doors flew shut. We were trapped. Trapped like mice.
Let the bodies hit the floor!
Andariel smiled sickly. Her light blue lips curled hideously as she watched me. "You can have this back." She threw a ragged, black figure near me. With a sickening thud, the figure landed next me. I swallowed as I recognized the leathers and the katars. Hesitantly, I flipped the body over.
Beaten why for can't much anymore!
A wave of relief but a wave of pure hatred spread through me. With a sob of joy, I flung myself over Jenny and hugged her for all I was worth. Only, she felt so cold and limb. I looked down and panicked. She was turning blue and a small stream of green cloud was spreading from her lips!
"What…what have you done to her?!" I shouted jumping to me feet.
One---nothing's wrong with me!
Andariel laughed darkly. "She is becoming more powerful then she could ever dreamed. She gave her soul to me so that you…" She looked at me through deep blue eyelashes. Her green eyes rushed over me, "could be saved."
A cold sweat broke out all over me. I could hear Mo in the background, somewhere next me. Aly was in my line of version figuring her spear with a look of utter surprise. Dan and Larry were gripping their swords and circling Andariel. Only Stuart stood stock-still. His wand hanged limply at his side as his skeletons circled him.
Two---nothing's wrong with me!
The room started to spin as Andariel continued to laugh. I could see Mo trying to help Jenny. Dan and Larry attacking then Aly joining in. I saw Stuart commanding his troops and everything else. I watched as my friends were thrown one by one into the walls. Andariel's long stringer pierced Dan as Larry was stabbed with his own sword that the monster had stolen from him. All of Stuart's skeletons were broken and the dark cloud poisoned him. Only Aly stood still between Andariel and me.
Three---nothing's wrong with me!
Even when Aly was thrown into Mo and both collided into the wall, I could do nothing but stand there. I sank to my knees and watched as Andariel walked to me. A slow, suddenly stalk as she bent down to pick me up. Her long stingers gripped me in a powerful embrace as she dragged me up into the air. I felt drained. My fighting spirit had seemed slip away from me. She couldn't be dead…not my Jenny…
"Will you join me too, lover boy?" Andariel sneered in my face. "To be with your pretty?" Her acidic breath made me dizzy.
One---Something's got to give!
As I looked into her scarred face, I saw into her eyes. I saw into her soul!
Two---Something's got to give!
As I looked, before me appeared all the many she had slain. Their bodies fell as their spirits rose as her minions. Nothing could escape her. Though, as I looked into her, I saw a familiar face. I tried to reach and touch her but my body twisted with pain. The poison was dripping onto my skin and burning away my armor. As the poison peeled away my skin, it started to flow through my veins. I could fill myself changing. I screamed as Andariel dipped her lips onto mine. I shuddered as Andariel breathed into me. I felt cold…and unfeeling. With a last breath through my red eyes, I thought saw Jenny…
Three---Something's got to give!
My whole world was suddenly filled with blackness. And there I saw Jenny. She was alight with her own aura as she walked towards me. "Dru…help your friends. Don't give up." She walked up to me until her face was barely inches away from mine. "Help my friends, they need you. I'll be all right…if you save them." She whispered. She slid her hand through my hair and kissed my swollen eyes. "Don't give up yet…we still have many adventures to go on." I blinked and the darkness surrounded me…
I struggled against it. I twisted this way and that to loosen its grip. With a roar, I felt myself falling. With a heavy thud, I opened my eyes to see Andariel backing away from me. Her arm was completely severed. I looked down at my hands…but they weren't there. What I saw was a tan claw. I blinked and looked up. A wolfish grin spread over my mouth.
Now, let the bodies hit the floor!
I bent down low on my strong back legs and sprung. I leaped high into the air and crashed down on top of Andariel. I slashed my right paw across her chest as I buried my muzzle into her throat.
Push me again!
Andariel ripped me off of her and threw me against the wall. I twisted in the air and jumped back off towards her. I sank my teeth into her face as I clawed at her heart. I ripped and torn her as I tightened my grip on her face.
This is the end!
She howled in pain and I felt a spear hit me in the side. I yelped and let go. Dropping to the floor, I scrambled beneath her feet and behind her. I looked out from between Andariel's and saw Aly grinning before she fell to the floor.
Skin against Skin, Bone against Bone!
I attacked from behind ripping the sinew that held Andariel's knees. She stumbled and fell and I launched an attack on her spine. With a swipe of my large claws, I severed a good portion of her skin away from her. The blue shreds turned into green acidic gas as Andariel howled. The noise pierced my sensitive ears and caused me to stumble. I whimpered as I shook my head to free me of the sound.
You're all by yourself but you're not alone!
Andariel turned and hit me across my chest. I was thrown into the wall and heard several things crack. As I slid down, I saw Dan, supporting Mo, casting a duel spell. The holybolt/firebolt hit Andariel in the face and left shoulder. Charred flesh fell from a skull of black bone. Her face was no more then a skeleton of what she had once been, a human. Another howl from her churned my insides.
You wanted in now you're here!
Dan and Mo fell to the ground in a crumbled heap. They clung to each other and looked at me desperately. I could see from the corner of my eye, Larry standing up and holding a huge bastard sword. The berserker blood inside of him burned fiercely in his eyes. "RAAWWWRR!" He shouted lunging at Andariel. His sword slid deep into her abdomen and slid upwards. He carved her into two halves. A last, final piercing scream resounded throughout the chamber.
Driven by hate consumed by fear!
Andariel's body erupted into flame that shot through the ceiling. The force of the blast shook the room and the ceiling started to fall. Then the flames spread widely and struck the walls of the chamber. Rock flew everywhere, threatening to strike at any moment! I threw myself over Jenny and felt a strong force cover me. I looked up and saw Mo standing in the middle of the room, her eyes a piercing blue, holding her hands to the sky and summoning a powerful shield over us all.
Let the bodies hit the floor…
I looked down at Jenny. She looked so peaceful. Her black hair had gently fallen across her face and she seemed to be asleep. I looked closer. Something was different! My eyes widened in surprise as my jaw dropped open. Her body was starting to glow a fierce green! The blue tint faded from her as the flames began to die. I blinked and looked at her again. Only her lips had a slight blue tinge and her black hair shimmered with blue highlights.
"Jenny?" I asked softly, leaning close to her.
Her eyes fluttered open. "I knew you could do it…" She leaned up and placed her tender lips on mine. All I could do was smile and sweep her into my arms! She was alive! My angel was alive!
I kissed her back for all I was worth. I could feel a warm light on my neck. I broke off gently from my happy embrace and looked up. Bright, golden sunlight poured into the room and shone on Jenny and me.
She just smiled up at me with her eyes half closed. "A perfect day for a new adventure…"
I just laughed as tears ran down my face. We were alive! I laughed again and hugged Jenny. Nothing could spoil this day, this triumph! I stumbled up and swept Jenny into my arms.
Now standing, I could finally see the damaged that was done. Larry, was leaning heavily on his sword drinking what seemed like gallons of the red potion while Dan was leaning against him, smiling happily. Mo was helped Stuart with an antidote as Aly picked up random trinkets here and there. We were all alive!
I stepped over the bodies and pulled out a town portal. I mumbled the incantation and threw the parchment into the air. The shimmering door beckoned me into it. "Come all…let's go home." I said weakly. Mo was the first to jump in, followed by Stuart and Aly.
Larry, dragging Dan by the waist, smiled and said, "See you there!" He jumped into the portal headfirst with a whooping shout.
I smiled down at Jenny and took one last look around. Bodies were spread all over the floor. Some old, some new, some monster, and some human. I sighed as the fire nicked my boots. The fire would consume all that was ever here, marking it a place of death and destruction and thus it would always be. With no more regrets, I jumped into the portal, with a smile on my face.
We were alive. Onward to victory!!
A/n: HA! HA HA HA! I finished Act 1!! Thank you GOD! So…it may kinda suck, may be kinda corny but I tried! I tried for good damn six hours to rewrite this, prefect it, and make it well! You better like it! Hehehe.
Stay tuned for Act 2! WOOT!
Btw, there will be an Epilogue for this, hehe.
Stay tuned for Act 2! WOOT!
Btw, there will be an Epilogue for this, hehe.