Chapter X: Perspectives

Elisa's POV:

We had appeared on what looked like to be a beach. Near us, I could see the Jungle.

Where the hell are we?!

I took a deep breath in, feeling salt. It meant we were near the sea. I glanced at the Dark Wanderer. Why would he want us to arrive here?

Think, Elisa, think!

There were not many places on Sanctuary where one could fall upon a jungle such as this one. And there were even less near the sea. Adding to that the logical reasoning that after freeing Baal Diablo would want to seek out his other brother Mephisto, that could only leave one place…

Kurast.

I gulped in fear.

'My… Brother…' a weakened voice said.

I turned to face Baal, disgust feeling me. He was more made of bones than flesh. I was astonished he could merely speak, let alone walk. Magic, perhaps.

Weirdly enough, I was not afraid for my own safety. Even though I knew Baal might be a tiny little bit angry that I just threw his soulstone at Raik, he was currently too weak to attack me directly. And Diablo wouldn't endanger me, considering the fact he injured himself to keep me.

Yes, injured.

The Wanderer at my sides spat blood, coughing. He shivered and then groaned, 'Tyrael will pay for this…!'

No, you're the only one to blame here. After all, you were injured because you let Tyrael hit you just in order to throw me in that portal. And you also knew I didn't have the Stone at the time.

So the next question I would ask the Wanderer, as soon as we'd be alone, would be simple: why?

'Brother,' Baal said, 'We… need to get to Mephisto…'

The Wanderer snarled, his brown eyes shining in wrath, 'I will not serve you!'

If Baal's face had enough flesh to show confusion, I was almost certain it would do so. But I wasn't particularly surprised. When I arrived, Aidan seemed to be only a shadow within the entity that the Wanderer was. But since my arrival, he seemed to be battling more fiercely the Evil possessing him.

Perhaps this is why he injured himself to bring me with him… Perhaps it was Aidan the one responsible for this action. Could it truly be as simple as that, though?

No. Why? Because Diablo had told Andariel he didn't want to kill me. And that alone was pretty weird.

'You don't have the entire control of your vessel…?' Baal enquired. At the expected lack of responses from Diablo, he added, 'We shall part ways then.' A glint of amusement entered the Lord of Destruction's eyes, 'I don't want to be slowed, you see.'

And with that mockery – which, coming from something which was barely alive, felt quite ridiculous – Baal disappeared. Glancing at the Wanderer, I observed the trail of blood running from his back to the ground. It was a quite bad wound…

Surprisingly enough, I found myself saying, 'You need to be healed.'

Even though I didn't particularly wish to help my captor, with Diablo suffering it was also Aidan suffering. And I believed the Prince had already enough to bear without adding to his endless pain a physical injury.

'Not a single healer will agree to look at me,' he merely growled before starting to walk towards the jungle.

I sighed, following him. What choice had I? In the jungle I would be lost. And at least with the Lord of Terror at my side, I wouldn't have to worry about fighting evil unarmed.

'That's true. May I ask you something?'

The Wanderer paused for an instant, perhaps to look at me or perhaps to lean back on a tree. He glanced at me, his eyes slightly narrowing. 'What?'

'Why did you bring me with you? I am of no value. Only a burden. For the "Diablo" part I am only an element which will persuade Aidan to fight back more fiercely and for the "Aidan" part I can quickly become a problem if you start having to spend energy on saving someone else than yourself.'

My new companion remained silent. When he resumed walking a few moments later, I wondered if I should drop the subject. Even though he was frail, I knew he could become in an instant really powerful. I couldn't even think to dare anger him.

But…

'Did you refuse to answer because you don't know? Or is it because the reason is something you're touchy ab-'

I felt the strongest magic I had ever encountered placate me on a tree. Glaring at the Wanderer, I heard him growl in a slightly less human voice, 'I am not "touchy" about anything!'

I raised a doubtful eyebrow, not daring enough to point out the obvious flaw in his statement, though. Instead, I merely commented, 'If I were you, I wouldn't spend my energy on dominating people already forced to follow you. Were you to fall from exhaustion, I doubt the other demons who are usually cowering at your sight will be nice with you.'

The Wanderer sharply inhaled, his eyes observing me carefully. I could see mistrust in those eyes, or perhaps… suspicion.

But who is it that you doubt? Me or yourself?

'Why are you following me? You are not bound to me and I am too… tired to catch you if you try to escape into the jungle,' he eventually said.

I huffed. Was he serious? 'I don't know, perhaps the fact that we're in the middle of nowhere helps, don't you think? Even if I could easily manage to safely escape, where would I go? And more importantly, how would I fight the monsters from this land?'

I felt the grip around me softly lessen. Now, if I wished to move my arms, I could. But not walk yet. Glancing around the jungle, I happily realised we were alone. Or at least, it seemed like we were.

'Are you usually so unafraid when facing… me?'

I blinked. Why did he care about that? Finding myself at a loss of words, then remembering that I was still bound to a tree by him, I managed to say 'I don't understand. I'm afraid. It may not appear like it, but I'm not particularly brave.'

And I kind of like living, too.

Even though my rational mind told me Diablo wouldn't kill me unless he had a "good reason" to – but then he and I would probably disagree on what a good reason might be – I was still afraid. Partially, at least. Afraid for my friends, afraid for Sanctuary, and myself too. After all, I was alone in a jungle with the Dark Wanderer.

Speaking of the devil…

'Yes, but you are not… terrified by me.'

What was he talking about? Of course I was terrified by him! He was the bloody Lord of Terror, I doubted anyone was not terrified when facing him! I was about to reply when we heard a cry of wrath, 'Diablo!'

I raised an eyebrow. What was happening? I rapidly gathered an answer when a few seconds later I heard loud footsteps, followed by a glint of red in this jungle of green. Finally, the arriver stopped in front of us, almost snarling at us.

Andariel was here.

But she was not her usual seductive – or submissive when facing Diablo – self. No, right now, she was covered in blood, her golden eyes sparkling with a need for revenge. I glanced at the Wanderer, wondering what was going on here. Remembering Diablo's order that Andariel had to go to Caldeum and search for Adria, I realised that Diablo's plan may have failed.

Since it now appeared quite clearly that the Lord of Terror's objective had been to… get rid of Andariel. By using Adria. But since it wasn't the mysterious witch standing in front of us but the great Maiden of Anguish, I suspected it was rather the contrary.

As if to prove my point, Andariel threw on the ground an object. Adria's head. I shivered whilst I stared into those brown eyes that had stared at me many times in Tristram.

I sense a soul in search of answers…

I feared this statement would remain true for quite some time.

'I eliminated your pitiful servant, Diablo! You dared try to kill me, but not by your hands- no, the Prime Evils are too prideful to do their own work, right? You asked a mere human to kill me! How dare you?!'

The Wanderer glanced at Adria's head. He then said, 'Dried blood, rigid muscles and pale skin, that's what remains of the Witch. I did not care about her. And my plan wouldn't have destroyed you, quite the contrary. It would have made us more powerful and would have guaranteed our victory upon our enemies…' His eyes narrowed, 'Adria did not fail, Andariel. You did.'

Andariel looked quite shocked at the Wanderer's words. She observed him for a few seconds and then spat, 'This "alliance" between us is over, Diablo! I don't know why I even thought joining you was a good idea. We had the Sin War for a reason, and I will inform the others of Baal's return.' Andariel's eyes sparkled in delight when she added, 'I'll inform them of your defeat, with your Soulstone in my hand.'

I barely had the time to blink before Andariel attacked the Wanderer with poison. I dodged her second attack which, while targetting the Wanderer, could have very well ended up in touching me.

Unfortunately for the Wanderer, he was unable to counter Andariel's blow and fully received it. He let out a cry, his eyes almost tearful.

He's going to die…?

Andariel seemed to have reached the same conclusions as I since she triumphantly grinned, 'I will take my time with you, Diablo, your suffering will know no bound and even you will learn to fear!'

The Wanderer's eyes shone with a glint of wrath, 'I am not Diablo!'

He then took a stick in his hands, holding it like Aidan would have with his sword, and ran towards Andariel, ready to kill her. He crushed his weapon against her, and even though Andariel was not particularly injured, he continued to do so again, even using his bare hands.

The Maiden of Anguish looked quite amused by his obviously pointless efforts. She even laughed when the Wanderer fell from exhaustion.

'Look at you! Pathetic, weak and terribly "human", since you claim you are not Diablo. Oh, I will take a great pleasure in killing you!'

She lifted him and then threw him against a tree. The shock made me shiver, even more so with the realisation of two things.

First, the Wanderer will either lose or flee.

Second, when this will happen, Andariel will try to kill me.

Glancing at the jungle, I quickly understood I didn't mind much being lost or having to escape some monsters as long as I was alive. This was why I ran with all my strength inside the jungle, feeling exhausted but determined.

On my way, like I had assumed I would, I saw many monsters. But fortunately, with a lot of strategy and a hint of luck, I managed to escape them until I saw a harbour.

A harbour with humans on it!

I ran until I reached the entry, feeling many enchantments around the place. However, they didn't feel harmful. Or at least, not to me.

'Human…!' I heard a voice cry behind me.

I shivered, and looked behind me. In front of a portal, the Wanderer stood. The red oval disappeared behind him, and he started to almost crawl towards me. Feeling dread settle inside me, I didn't even think about my actions as I ran into the harbour.

The Wanderer walked until he reached the enchantments, and then stood motionless. Considering his pained and wrathful expression, it was obvious he couldn't pass through the magic.

Bless whoever made them!

'Elisa…? Is that you?!'

I glanced behind me, and felt relief and joy at the sight of my friends, Raik Cain and even Charsi standing together.

The blacksmith rushed towards me, and hugged me tightly. I felt her tears on my dirtied tunic, 'You're back! You're back, you're finally back! You're back…!'

I patted her shoulders, 'I am.'

I glanced at Raik, and saw around his neck the presence of Baal's soulstone. I feared for an instant of the consequences it would have upon the Druid, and noticed that aside of exhaustion – which could be caused by many things other than the crystal – he was fine. He was even smiling, and crying in relief upon seeing me. I grinned at him.

It was Cain who reminded me of our current problem, 'Aidan?'

Raik lost his smile and Charsi took a few steps away from the enchantments. Looking behind me, I saw the Wanderer observe our group with hatred.

Raik unsheathed his sword and looked ready to fight, but the Wanderer merely disappeared into the jungle, probably understanding that he would die were he to fight. My friend tried to follow him, but I stopped him, saying, 'We have more important things to discuss. He is currently the least of our problems.'

The Druid seemed quite sceptic at the mere possibility of a Prime Evil being a lesser problem than anything else, but eventually agreed since he knew that in the jungle, with the surrounding monsters, he would probably die too.

So instead, with teary eyes, he embraced me tightly, 'It's good to see you back.'

I nodded, 'You too. Now, I think we need to discuss what happened in the Desert, as well as the consequences of what that entails.'

'All right, but not before I give you back something.'

Frowning at my friend, I still followed him through the seaport. It was a shallow place compared to the glorious Kurast I had heard of. I had never seen the city myself, but some of my Sisters had.

When we arrived in front of Raik's stash, he picked a certain item. My eyes gleamed, 'My bow!'

I took it immediately, feeling the soft touch of the wood underneath my fingertips. I grinned, observing the magnificent artefact.

'I took it back from the Rogue Encampment. It was a perilous mission, but a successful one at least,' the Druid explained. 'I hope you like it.'

'Oh thank you, Raik. My bow was perhaps one of the things I missed most.'

Charsi chuckled, and teased me with a, 'Not our great company?'

'You are human beings, not things last time I checked. In any case, I'm surprised to see you here. With Andariel gone, shouldn't you be at the Monastery?'

Charsi sighed, and shook her head. 'No, I wanted to help in rescuing you, so I accompanied Raik. And besides, I've always wanted to explore the world, you know.'

I nodded, aware of the blacksmith's dream. Glancing at Raik, and at the Soulstone around his neck, I then said, 'I'm glad you caught it in time. This stone you're holding is not any common rock.'

Cain acquiesced, 'We know. It is Baal's Soulstone, and it is fortunate you were able to give it to us. If it were to fall into our enemy's hands, I dare not imagine the consequences… Tyrael, the Archangel who founded the Order of the Horadrim, sent us on a quest to destroy it. We must seek the Gates of Hell, hidden in the Kurast's temple. From there, we will go to the Hellforge and irremediably destroy it.'

'That sounds like a plan. But that's not all: there's a change in Hell's dynamics.'

Raik frowned. 'What kind of change, exactly?'

'Andariel is now against Diablo because he tried to kill her. The reason why is still unknown to me. But in any case, the Maiden of Anguish is now determined to destroy the Prime Evils, and I fear she will ask Duriel and the other Lesser Evils to start a war on Sanctuary.'

Cain's eyes widened, 'A war between the Forces of Hell on Sanctuary will be a disaster: between those who would join a side and the massive amount of victims it would entail…!'

I sighed, 'Exactly. This is why we need to create a strategy in order to prevent that from happening. I have one in mind, but I sincerely hope you or Cain will find a better one.'

'Explain your thoughts to us, my friend.'

'It's quite simple, really: Andariel wants Diablo. Right now, it's the only reason why she's on Sanctuary. If she gets Diablo, she'll leave and thus Baal and Mephisto too if they wish to avenge their Brother, right? This would make Hell a battlefield, instead of Sanctuary.'

Raik and Cain became thoughtful for a moment. Then Raik's face turned into a confused expression while he asked, 'And why exactly would you want us to find a better plan? It seems quite good.'

'Perhaps, but here's the thing: Aidan is still conscious inside Diablo's body. And even though I refuse to repeat my errors with Moreina and Jazreth – counting on their humanity and their strength to overthrow their corruption – there's a difference between not expecting Aidan to vanquish Diablo and sending him to slaughter just because it's convenient. May I remind you: I was kidnapped by the Lord of Terror and here I am, completely unharmed.'

Cain nodded, 'You are right, Elisa, this must be considered. In any case, our current priority is the Stone. Once it is destroyed, we may take the time to think. Now, let us go see the townsfolk, perhaps one of them will help us to access the temple more easily.'

Raik and Charsi vigorously nodded, but I shook my head, replying, 'I personally will rest. I'm exhausted, I haven't slept since I was captured.'

Comprehensive gazes met mine as Charsi brought me to our group's tent. She took a blanket, gave it to me and then said, 'I know it's not decent to sleep in, but we're out of gold.'

I nodded, and didn't even think to say anything else before falling on the ground, the blanket still in my hand as I fell asleep.

'How may I serve you?' Gillian asked, her kind face observing me.

I bit my lip, feeling nervous. My new cap on my skull felt unbearably heavy, but even here in town I was too afraid to put it in my inventory instead of my head. I knew the others mocked me for it – they all took their armours off in town – but… better safe than sorry.

Glancing at the barmaid, I stuttered, 'E-Er, I, um… Well, that is to say, I… Umm…! I… You know? And… I mean…' At the girl's confused face, I felt myself blush, 'Oh, I'm so embarrassed…'

She gave me a kind smile, 'Don't worry, it's all right. Take your time.'

I nodded, feeling somewhat encouraged by her. Taking a deep breath in, I said, 'The others told me your grandmother had… foreseen our arrival?'

Well, they rather told me your grandmother was a crazy old woman who should die soon because she's the only reason you stay here, but I can't exactly tell you that.

Gillian's face suddenly became enthusiastic, 'Yes she did! She has the Sight, you know! Why do you ask?'

'W-Well, I wanted to ask you…'

This is ridiculous, Elisa, if the others hear about it you'll be mocked for decades in the Monastery, so stop this!

But unfortunately for me, my words were out of my mouth even before I had the time to think about it, 'Did she see anything else? Will we succeed?'

Will I survive?

The barmaid frowned, shaking her head, 'No, I'm sorry, she didn't say anything about this. Do you want to see her, maybe? She's quite ill, but perhaps if I ask her she'll agree to let you in. Very few people here give credit to her – I know it, even if they think they're good at hiding it. I'm sure grandma will be pleased to meet someone else who thinks her predictions to be true.'

I chuckled, my nervousness brutally increasing, 'O-Oh, no, I wouldn't want t-to impose… Thanks for the invitation, though. And… Did she say any other prediction at all?'

Gillian sadly nodded, 'Oh, yes... But even I doubt it's going to truly happen. Yesterday morning, she couldn't stop rambling about the "Stones" and Hell. She also told me that this would be the beginning of a war… I think she was delirious. She does have the Sight, but her illness is real too.'

I chuckled, 'Y-Yes, it's difficult to imagine… that happening.'

Gillian grinned, 'Exactly!'

Author's note:

So, what do you think? I know, I know, it's been a while, but with this covid, I had many many things to take care of, thus less time to go here, hence why there hasn't been any chapter for a few weeks. In any case, I'm back now!

About Gillian's grandmother... weeeeell, let's just say she's going to reappear from time to time.