Chapter XXXIII

At the top of a flight of stairs and in the middle of a circle of symbols stood a sorcerer wearing an elaborate blue robe. He had a shock of black hair, unkempt and melding into a greyish beard that completely covered his neck. In one hand he held a staff topped with a sigil of intertwined snakes, a symbol that Geldar immediately recognised.

"He's a Vizjerei!" the Paladin shouted moments before taking cover behind his shield to evade another rain of fire.

"Ahhh!" Talina screamed and jumped back as a wall of flames came rushing at them. yet it was Barak who managed to placate to rogue mage, leaping at him with such ferocity and delivering a blow with his sword that knocked him to the ground.

"You are unworthy!" the sorcerer roared savagely, springing to his feet and knocking the Barbarian back with his staff, a blow that left a burning brand on his armour.

Yet this was all the time Geldar needed to run at the sorcerer with his shield, once his opponent was stunned he slashed with his sword. Yet the weapon went wide as the mage dodged it and missed completely.

A greenish cloud that suddenly grew from a thrown javelin indicated that Talina had used her poison ability, and red flames above the rogue sorcerers head meant that Norleche was tapping away at his life-force.

Geldar and Barak attacked together, the Paladin on the left and the Barbarian on the right. They boxed the mage in with an impenetrable barrier made by their defending arms. The mage started to protest, but the blows came thick and fast until finally the sorcerer collapsed to the ground, covered in blood. His body then burst into flames and was consumed until nothing was left but a charred skeleton.

"It happens," Norleche told them all, "mages don't want their bodies reanimated, this prevents resurrection."

"But aren't there other ways?" Talina asked.

"Yes, but they are far more difficult," Norleche replied, he kicked the corpse with his foot and it dissolved into dust. "See what I mean?"

Talina examined the symbols and counted them, she looked up glumly. "There are only six," she said wryly. "Which one is the real one?"

"None of them, I don't think," Geldar said, he walked up to a stone lectern where a blue-covered book lay closed. "I think this is what we are looking for." He opened the book, the pages were covered with faded but still visible writing. Geldar carefully turned, as if searching for something.

"What does it say?" Talina asked, peering over his shoulder. "You're the one who's lettered."

"I don't know," Geldar confessed, "the character is somewhat familiar to me, but I can't read it." He picked up the book and turned the volume over in his hands. "We'll have to ask Drognan."

The old sorcerer was very quiet as he pored over the pages of the tome. There were several pages he paid particular attention to, and on a scrap of velum he made a few calculations with a stick of charcoal.

"Well?" Talina asked as patiently as she could, which wasn't very patient.

"It's a Sarian script," Drognan replied mildly, "not very well known and commonly used by magi who wish to hide their works," he looked at Geldar, "even the Zakarum are wont to use it, but only those high up in the order."

Geldar smiled and nodded as the wizard kept on reading and taking notes.

"So about the symbols…" Norleche began.

"They're disguised in here," Drognan said without looking up, "otherwise anyone would be able to read them. I need as few hours to transcribe this text."

"Do you think we should tell Deckard Cain about this?" Talina asked Geldar as they walked away, twilight was approaching and the shadows loomed longer.

"By all means," Geldar replied as they approached the inn, Cain said in his usual place on the bench outside. He looked rather said but brightened when he saw the group approach.

"Why do I smell evil magic about you?" the Horadric sage said with a dry chuckle.

"We just had a fight with a rogue sorcerer," Geldar answered. "I think he was a Vizjerei."

"Describe him," Cain requested, Geldar did so with a bit of help from the others. "Hmm," he looked rather thoughtful. "That Summoner sounds like someone I met back in Tristram." Shame that his visage was so twisted by Evil," he concluded.

"I wonder why Jerryn didn't tell us about this," Geldar asked.

"I've noticed that the Lord Jerryn doesn't reveal anything until the last minute," Talina said cuttingly.

"Have heart, Talina," Norleche chided, "he has his reasons for keeping his secrets. He has said that much."

"I hope that this false Summoner found peace in death," Cain said, sensing a storm. "Unfortunately, it is more likely he will be dragged down to Hell by the demons he was bound to. Let this be a lesson to all of you," he said solemnly, waving an accusatory finger. "Demonic magic is a quick path, but its powers are seductive and deadly."

"Well, we did find Horazon's journal," Talina said triumphantly, "Drognan is translating the passage we need so we can go and find the Tomb."

"Something just occurred to me," Norleche said quickly. "Is Drognan a Vizjerei?"

"What makes you think that?" Geldar asked him.

"Just a feeling, a conclusion to some thoughts I've had," the Necromancer replied.

"The question we should be asking," Cain reminded them all, "that if Drognan was once a Vizjerei why is he not one now?"

"Well it depends if no longer considers himself one or…" Geldar's voice trailed off.

"Or he was expelled from the order," Norleche finished, "yes, that occurred to me as well and I have the impression that he left. But as for the reason well…I wouldn't like to ask him."

"Why not?" Talina challenged. "It would be a simple enough question."

"Why is never a simple question, Talina," Cain told her calmly, "it is often the hardest question of all to answer. Such as," he looked at Talina more directly, "I have often wondered why you have not approached me in private as you explained to me months ago that your people urgently needed my counsel? Why have we not stolen away in the night and headed south such as Sinclair's kidnapper did?"

Talina hesitated, considering the question.

"There you are," finished Cain with satisfaction.

The Tomb of Tal Rasha was not all that Horazon had included in his journal, there were descriptions for practices there that made Drognan's stomach turn over. He snapped the book shut and put it out of sight, once the true tomb had been located Drognan planned to commit the book to the flames. There were some things that were better off being not known, and if they were known it was better that they were lost.

He put these thoughts from his mind as he saw Talina, Geldar, Norleche and Barak walking up to him. He smiled and slid a sheet of velum across the table, beneath a large triangle was his translation of the journal entry.

"That is the symbol," the old sorcerer told Geldar before he could ask, "there are instructions on there how to get to the Tomb."

"Seekers of the Tomb of Tal Rasha will find it through the Portal," he looked at Drognan quizzically.

"There's an incantation at the bottom for opening the portal," Drognan supplied.

Geldar went on reading.

"But know that the glowing glyphs that are recorded here in my Arcane Sanctuary are the signs of the six False Tombs. The missing Seventh Sign marks the Tomb of Tal Rasha…Of the Horadrim he might be called the foremost.

"It was a shining, but brief moment for the mage clans when they set aside their differences and worked together against the common enemy.

"The Horadrim relentlessly pursued the Three across the desolate Empire of the East, and even into the uncharted lands of the West, leaving the Archangel Tyrael's hands unblemished.

"Presuming the Three to be vanquished, the Horadrim's unstable fellowship began to dissipate. "Abandoning their sacred charge to safeguard the three Soulstones, the disparate Mage Clans began to squabble amongst each other over petty differences.

"The conflicts not only dissolved their brotherhood, but strengthened the Evils which they had buried beneath the cold earth."

Geldar looked at the others, their faces were set as they considered the enormity of the task before them. If the Wanderer got to the Tomb before they did…

"I must caution you all," Drognan said with a business-like air. "The mark of the True Tomb of Tal Rasha, is sought, if not already known, by Diablo. I needn't elaborate on the implications of that." he paused dramatically before continuing. "Larger forces are moving inexorably towards us. You must now make haste to the tombs."

"I need to speak to Cain," Geldar said, turning away and walking towards the inn with the velum still in his hand.

Talina ran after him. "Wait!" she called.

Geldar did not turn. The Amazon sprang forward and grabbed his arm.

"Geldar," she said breathlessly, "we need to consider this."

"When I came here I did not intend to contend with Terror and Destruction," Geldar explained patiently, "apart or together."

"We may have to, and do we really have a choice?" Talina said. "We can't go anywhere while the port is still in a lockdown."

"I don't want to risk it," Geldar protested.

"What's this I hear?" Barak said, walking up with Norleche. "You are actually declining a fight. I though the Paladins were willing to sacrifice their lives for others."

"My own life, yes," Geldar replied, "but not the life of my nephew. If this ends with my death it also ends with this. And," he nodded to Norleche, "you're not always going to be here to pull me back."

"Geldar, we need you," Talina said fiercely, "we've managed to work together as a unit so far and if it comes to—the worst," she hastily amended, "then we'll have more of a chance, no matter what we face."

"If you should perish, I give my word that I will take up your quest for your nephew," Barak said solemnly.

"And so do I," Talina added.

"And I," Norleche said, though he looked rather doubtful.

"Thank you, that means a great deal," Geldar said, he was touched by such loyalty.

"Well," Norleche said after a long moment of silence, "the first thing is to go back to the Arcane Sanctuary."

Grudgingly, they all compiled.