I hope you enjoy this chapter and offer constructive feedback on what you think of it. Thank you and have a Great Day!
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Adventure Mode—Enable
For those who didn't play any Diablo 3, this part of the story is what happens after the fourth Act. There are some shifts happening as the presence of Jaune/Kal stirs the threads of Fate in a number of other ways. This is referred to as "Adventure Mode", a game mode introduced with the Reaper of Souls add-on. It provides bounties and Nephalem Rifts as endgame content.
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Chapter 39: Snow, Training... and More Snow
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"Life is a journey, not a destination."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
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—
-𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐦-
—
-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩-
-𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫-
"Right… left and right again." Kharazim says and nods on top on the pole he stands on as he puts the small boy through a few exercises, to help him use his new legs correctly. "Good. Now you will go for a few laps around the keep. And If you fall—"
"I get up and keep running." The boy speaks through clenched teeth, with a visible limp in his steps.
"Good." Kharazim nods. "Now run, boy." And run the boy does. Even with his new legs, he runs like the wind and… falls like a stone. The monk sighs while scratching his forehead.
"Well, at least that seems to work." The crusader behind him says.
"Yes. He is the kind to learn more when falling." The monk huffs, turning to Johanna. "A little like you did so many years ago." He smiles.
"What can I say? I have a thick skull." Johanna shrugs. "So… Where now?" She asks, sitting next to him.
"Hmm…" Kharazim thinks for a few seconds. "Does Sonya still want to meet her cousin? Magnar?"
"I think so. But why not ask her." Johanna smiles, looking at the red haired barbarian walking their way. "Has your missive reached your tribe?" She asks Sonya.
"It did." Sonya grunts, sitting on the tree trunk Johanna and Kharazim share, making the whole thing shake. "That bull-headed son-of-a—" She breathes out while clenching her fists so hard that the sound is heard throughout the training grounds.
"What has he responded to put you in such a state?" Johanna asks as she raises an eyebrow.
"'Says he can't meet. Something about the tribe comes first and food for the next winter." Sonya crosses her arms, huffing loudly.
"Maybe they can relocate?" Kharazim asks. "I have heard that the coming winter will be one of the worst we have experienced this century."
"... Maybe. But where?" Sonya scratches her head, finding some kind of bug there. "Urh, I really need a bath."
"I concur." Johanna says, shaking her hair and the dried mud in it. "A hot bath…" She sighs dreamfully.
"Kal." Kharazim speaks, making the boy stumble at their feet. "Draw baths for them. Even for the other women if they want one. But no cheating and no running; use your hands, buckets and the water of the stream. You can use your gifts to sterilize the waters, but nothing else. And you, no helping." The monk says to the flying golden Golem and the very strange Goblin.
The boy only responds with a nod before leaving— "Oof." falling and leaving again, accompanied by the two pets.
"Most other boys who look his age are barely able to follow instructions without complaining." Sonya says, looking at the running— "Oof." …falling boy.
"It depends on the culture. Children from Ivgorod are taught from birth how to behave properly. And Kal is the son of noble families, and has learned royal etiquette from what he calls Asgardians; a god-like species. His stoic attitude when training and learning does not surprise me." Kharazim says as he gets up. "So, any words from Valla and Lyra?" The monk asks the Barbarian.
"Aye. Grim news, I am afraid." Sonya replies. "It seems that New Tristram is still attacked by legions of undead and demonic cultists. She also told me that these cultists have been more numerous since Leah came back there." She growls.
"You think that it is Adria who is responsible for their presence there?" Johanna asks no one in particular.
"Hmm… Maybe. But now, it seems that we cannot leave the girl alone. Not until the witch is dealt with." Kharazim states, clenching his hands into fists.
"Agreed." Johanna nods. "So we return back to Tristram and clean it of the vermin that still cling to it like fleas?"
"Yes. The people there have already suffered too much. We cannot let this continue… and it will give the boy another way to train." The monk sighs deeply.
"Aye. I can see that he stays away from the villagers' children." Sonya says.
"Yes. But not only other children. Even when I put him through some drills he is scared of hurting me, like someone who is afraid of breaking some fragile vase." Johanna confirms.
"And rightfully so." Kharazim agrees too. "But we have made progress on that." He nods once firmly.
"Should we prepare ourselves to see Kal becoming a monk?" Johanna jests.
"... Maybe not a monk of Ivgorod or under the orders of the Patriarchs… But it would not surprise me if I have nothing else to teach him in a year or so." Kharazim says, crossing his arms, surprising them.
"What do you mean?" Johanna asks more than curiously.
"His capacity to learn is… supernatural." He turns towards them, his gaze heavy with meaning. "He learns what others take months or even years to learn in just a few hours or, at worst, days. For a species that lives that long… it is both breathtaking and terrifying. And since he has a deeper connection to his soul and his spirit, he makes most masters of my orders look like toddlers." He says, unable to hide his smile.
"That seems to please you." Johanna says.
"Of course! Who does not want good students?" He keeps smiling.
.
.
-Johanna-
An hour later, Sonya the Barbarian, Johanna the Crusader and Myriam the Mystic, all share a room filled with baths and something none of them has ever seen. Something called a shower… A thing both simple in construction and utilization. It is not so different from a waterfall, but at least this one uses hot water. Through it, they can enjoy their baths while being cleaned. Bathing in water that does not turn almost black because of dust and other foul matters that cover them is something quite pleasant.
"Here, celsa." Myriam holds at her a glass bottle of a strange purple liquid.
"What is it?" Johanna asks, opening the cork and smelling fragrant liquid inside.
"Soap, of course." Myriam smiles.
"This must have cost you a fortune." Johanna puts a small amount into her hair and the water of her bath.
"No. Not even a coin." Myriam responds, taking the bottle back and putting some in her own hair too before passing it to Sonya.
"Olive oil, citrus and… I can't place the last one." Sonya says as she tries to identify the ingredient by scent alone.
"Orange peel oil!" Myriam chuckles. "The boy found a very old and quite large ship, deeply submerged south of Bastion Keep. He said most of its cargo had survived the depth of the ocean. There were many luxury products on board, and he found a lot of gold too." She smiles, getting deeper into her own bath.
"...How much gold are we talking about?" Sonya asks, now very much interested.
"And why do you want to know that?" Johanna asks back as she narrows her eyes.
"Because if my bull-headed cousin has enough supplies for the winter, maybe he can be persuaded to relocate our tribe." The barbarian smiles.
"Would the grasslands of New Tristram be the place you hope to settle by any chance?" Myriam chuckles, knowing already Sonya's answer.
"Well yes." Sonya begins while cleaning her hair. "There are not many people left alive in this small town since the dead came back from the grave. I'm sure we can bargain with Bron the Barkeep since we know he is now in the mayor's office. And with most of the milicia gone, they are going to need new protectors." She grins.
"And that is why you really need gold, do you?" Johanna sighs, covering her face with a hot towel.
"That and supplies, yes. And since I had barely enough to buy a new axe, I am now forced to ask for vomit boy's coins." She says as she undoes her own braids.
"And—" Johanna removes the towel from her eyes to look at the barbarian. "I was going to ask you how you were going to do that... But I'm pretty sure I know exactly how you're going to do it." Her suspicions are proven correct when Sonya flashes a wolfish smile. "You could just ask him, you know?"
"Huh. But it won't be as fun." The barbarian states, putting her hair back and her feet on the bath's edge. "Oh Kaaaaal~" Sonya calls for the boy.
After a few seconds, a small voice emanates from the wooden door.
"Yeaaaaaah…?!" The boy speaks with a bit of apprehension in his voice.
"I have something to ask you. Come on in!" The barbarian says.
"...I'm not sure that's a good idea…?" Kal responds.
"You have many sisters, aunts and mothers in your family. I am sure that I have nothing you haven't seen yet!" Sonya presses on. "And my bath is getting colder~"
"... Being small sucks…" They hear him grumble after a minute of silence. "I'm coming in…" He sighs as Sonya smiles.
.
.
-𝐀𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫-
"There is so much gold…" Sonya whispers, shocked by the amount of coins that Kal has found at the bottom of the sea.
"Yeah… There were a few ships and smuggler's caches along the coast. And a lot of monsters too." The boy breathes out, still not looking at the barbarian.
"This is what you were hoping for?" Johanna asks, smiling at the still gaping barbarian.
"Oh yes~" Sonya responds as she flexes a few muscles when the eyes of the boy find hers. "With this my tribe won't have any problems for at least the next ten winters. And if the people of New Tristram accept our offer, then we won't have to settle into some swamp." She breathes out before spitting at her own feet.
"And this does not bother you?" Johanna asks the boy.
"Nop." Kal shrugs. "This is only a small portion of what I found since I came here." He says, turning toward them and seeing their shocked expressions. "What? You only asked for what I found in the ocean. I don't understand how or why your people keep stashing gold coins almost everywhere for someone else to find! I mean... all the caches I've found have been abandoned for almost two decades!"
"I…don't know… I have always asked myself that too." Sonya says, looking at the large pile of coins.
"So… what now?" Kal asks, still not looking at the barbarian… and especially not at her muscular thighs. "Because that would be— Who the fuck are you!?" He nearly shouts, looking at an empty space in front of him.
"Kal?" Johanna tenses, taking a stance toward whatever he sees. "What do you see?"
"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦… 𝘈𝘢𝘩. 𝘏𝘮? 𝘖𝘩 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭." The voice of something they all believed to be gone for good makes itself known.
"Zoltun Kulle…" Sonya growls at the forming ghost.
"𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦." The ghost of Zoltun Kulle says, rolling his ghostly eyes.
"Begone, spirit. Your time in this world has already reached its end." Johanna points at him with her weapon.
"𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦, 𝘕𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮." He smiles.
"How did you come back and what do you want, apparition…?" Sonya asks through clenched teeth, knowing full well that none of them can destroy it.
"𝘐'𝘮 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣." The ghost shrugs. "𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦," Zoltun Kull points to the small boy with a bonny finger, "𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨." He smiles wickedly at the boy.
"Fuck you." The boy voices, only for him to be slapped behind his head by Johanna.
"Language." Johanna sighs deeply. "What do you want?" She asks the ghost.
"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬. 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱." Kulle says, crossing his arms. "𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘯, 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 "𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺". 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐. 𝘈𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶."
"...It's not far from where my tribe's camp is currently located…" Sonya says, still watching the ghost closely. "But if this is a trap, or another way for you to come back to life—"
"𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘴… 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘢." Zoltun Kulle rolls his eyes yet again, snorting.
.
.
-𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐲𝐚-
-𝚃𝚠𝚘 𝙳𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝙻𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛-
Nearly a year ago, Sonya would have had to walk for months, if not years, to traverse these lands. While town portal scrolls exist and can be used to greatly reduce the distance of journeys, they are rare, insanely expensive and can be used only once.
But now, even with Sonya's distaste of magic, she can only appreciate one of the best inventions made by the mages of old; The Horadric Waypoint plexus.
Waypoints are part of a network of teleportation nodes created by the Horadrim after the Sin War to provide instant travel from one place to another. The reason why this was so crucially necessary was that they did not know where the demons could appear next and it was essential that they could swiftly combat the forces of Darkness, even when the attack was located in an outlying region with a considerable distance from a town or settlement harboring Horadrim mages.
This plexus is built up from runed stones infused with "magical" power of enough strength to teleport a user to another similar stone. The traveler must physically stand on the stone to use its power.
Sonya knows that the knowledge to create new waypoints has since been lost, but some of these "magical rocks" can still be accessed and used by someone who has a Horadrim runed key to an already discovered waypoint. They remain as a legacy to the Horadrim's once-great power, so much so that even Sonya cannot deny the value of these devices.
Even the boy said that it is a marvel of mystical engineering, created with angelic know-how, probably given by Tyrael to the first Horadrim members so long ago.
But you could ask yourself; why is Sonya thinking of that? The answer is simple, really.
The platforms can open between them portals, from any point to another … That means that thanks to her and the key given to her by Deckard Cain, may his soul rest in peace, her whole tribe can now travel from the coldest part of this world to New Tristram without the two years of travel needed.
But first… before planning anything, she needs to convince her stubborn cousin.
"Great Rao… I hate using these wormholes…" The boy says as he passes the portal, taking a deep breath before his stomach can empty itself and looking at the glowing gateway with disdain.
Sonya chuckles deeply, the sound emanating from her throat more akin to a mountain rumble than the delicate feminine laughter of a city girl.
"Ah, for a creature of your caliber to be bothered by something so benign is pretty silly. Chin up, child. We have many leagues to walk before reaching my tribe." Sonya says, pointing to the distant mountains and the smoke coming out of Arreat, the shattered mountain behind them while the boy rolls his eyes.
"Sonya. Be nice." Johanna tells her before turning her gaze to the young lad. "Take your shield and weapon, Kal. Keep them in your hands at all times." The crusader states.
"Why…?" Kal asks, squinting as doubt enters his eyes.
"Because this is how my master trained me. And now, it is your turn to learn the same way I did." Johanna smiles. "You may not become my true apprentice, but I will teach you all the same." She nods firmly.
The boy grumbles before taking the small wooden shield and flail the crusader gave him earlier. Kal then adjusts the high quality linen clothes, mail and leather on his form with a sigh. Since what happened to him, his choice of cloth has been more than limited, but thanks to Haedrig Eamon, Kal has at least a few changes to put on his back. Yet, from seeing him constantly moving and scratching his skin, Sonya is sure that the boy has yet to make modifications to his new equipment that he was pressured to use. It was Kharazim's idea to at least give the boy some measure of human normality before leaving onward to New Tristram.
Since he left the High Heavens, Kal has been more than distant with what you could call normal, mortal people around him. Their group also quickly understood that without mental stimuli, Kal does some really weird things…
Months ago, their whole group decided to split up, with only Johanna, Sonya, Kharazim, Kormac and Haedrig Eamon—the blacksmith, staying at Bastion Keep to defend it from the few remaining roaming demons and helping the people there to rebuild their defenses.
Valla, after receiving a missive coming from the Deadlands, returned to the Demon Hunters Guild not far from here and received the mantle of Ordermaster. She came back a few weeks later with a dozen other Demon Hunters and neophytes before using the Horadric Waypoint toward New Tristram and Westmarch—the City of the Light, the mercantile and martial capital of the country of the same name. A place with sprawling streets with gutters thick with sludge and refuse, and Gothic architecture. It serves as the berth of the country's navy.
The Demon Hunters got there not only for recruiting and to expand their forces, but also killing demons that hide in both the dark and light, and creating a spy network.
But they were not the only ones to go to Westmarch.
Lyra, the necromancer of their group, who had been asked to come to Westmarch by Myriam, to whom her dreams had led her there, and Lyndon, who had decided to go in search of his brother and to tackle the Thieves' Guild, which kept sending assassins after him, decided to unite their forces against what could stand in their way.
Both Valla and Lyra together as a team is already overkill for any situation… But when you put someone as good as Lyndon and the other Demon Hunters who are mostly led by Myriam's prophetic visions… and you find yourself with a group that even the gods should fear.
But contrary to the others who traveled to the largest city, Li-Ming alongside Eirena, Nazeebo, Covetous Shen—the Jeweler, all traveled back to New Tristram. To hide and protect Leah from anything and anyone too stupid to try targeting the poor and still shocked girl. It was when they heard of the undead that were still awakening around the town and the demonic cultists that Kharazim, Kormac and Haedrig Eamon decided to head back there too.
Sonya can only hope that Leah's mind is as clear as it was before her possession by Diablo… her very father.
But the Nephalem are not the only ones to have moved around as Tyrael, the former Archangel of Justice and the new aspect of Wisdom of the High Heavens, has begun to reform the Brotherhood of the Horadrim. After perusing Deckard Cain's journals, Tyrael discovered the existence of a group of scholars calling themselves the First Ones. These reclusive scholars, based in Gea Kul, had dedicated their lives to the study of ancient and hidden Horadric texts. Tyrael recruited the First Ones, along with mages and warriors from other orders, to bring back the Horadrim Order.
And yet… What Tyrael is doing now is still a mystery to them.
And then there is Kal.
Since most, if not all, of the people in Bastion Keep avoid him like the plague, Kal had started to disappear, never appearing more than a few minutes here and there. The people then started to fear him more and more… calling him names and throwing hearsays and other rumors among them, sometimes… even cruel ones.
Sonya and even Johanna came to blow with a few zealots because of this.
That is one of the reasons why Kharazim took him as a student. With his mind and Aura, it didn't take long for Kal to show how good he is at learning the monk's mystical arts. And because of this, Johanna became quite interested in training him. Maybe even convert him to the Zakarum, or as what most barbarians simply call; the Inner Light.
After all, Kal, even for a being born of the Void and someone who can melt in the darkness with the most absurd of ease, is a soul who shines brighter than the sun.
"This sucks! How can you wear something that uncomfortable?" This comment makes the barbarian and Johanna chuckle again.
"It is meant for the harshness of training, Kal." The crusader states, looking at him and the Angelic goblin who helps him scratch his back. "And if you want better equipment, you need to make it yourself." Johanna lightly says, smiling… until she sees the light shining in Kal's eyes. "...What have I done…?" The crusader whispers.
It is then the turn of the lad to smile.
.
.
-𝙰 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝙻𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛-
"We are almost there!" Sonya yells at her companions… and their own companions, pointing toward a nearby cave that will protect them from this unnatural blizzard.
"เ ๔єՇєςՇ Ŧ๏ยг ɭเŦє รเງภร เภ เՇ!" The golden flying golem chirps… something.
"What did it say?!" Sonya asks the boy who doesn't seem perturbed by wind and cold.
"Probius said that there are four living beings in the cave." Kal replies without shouting, and yet she and probably even Johanna hear him as if he spoke directly in their ears. "It's a family of bears. One mother and her three cubs. They are terrified. Something in the storm is hunting for them… and I'm pretty sure for us too." He says, looking at the cave and then their surroundings with bright, glowing and unblinking blue eyes.
"Can you use your Mind Art to calm them?! I do not wish to harm them!" The barbarian says, and yes… she has always liked bears. She even used to have one as a pet when she was younger.
"I am already doing that... But, you will need to go in there first… My scent is too alien to them. The mother thinks I am some kind of… wraith? Elemental? It's hard to understand animal minds mostly driven by instinct." He explains as he holds his weapons thigher, his eyes still looking around as the blizzard slowly gets worse.
"Anything else before we enter a mother bear den?!" Sonya shouts, trying her best to be heard through the freezing winds.
"Yes… Just go in slowly… and I may have promised her that we would share food with her and her cubs. It has been days since she and her youngs have eaten anything. Whatever has been killing animals in this region is waiting for her to weaken." He states, his eyes stopping far away on something only he can see.
"Do we have at least enough to feed such a massive beast and her whole family?!" Sonya yells while Johanna walks next to her, putting her large shield to cover them from such violent winds.
"Yep. Buddy has enough in his bag for… Let's just say "a lot of people". Probius, dim your lights and go with them. Stay outside the cave where no enemy can reach you, warn them if something other than me comes in the direction of the cave." Kal tells the golden machine.
"คץє คץє, ςคקՇคเภ!" The thing called Probius replies happily… even if Sonya still has no idea what it says.
"We need to go!" Johanna shouts at her side. "We can stay here much longer!" She says with bluish lips.
It seems that even Nephalem' endurance is not infinite, as after 32 hours of being stuck in the worst blizzard Sonya has ever witnessed in her life, they are both reaching their limits. Limits that don't seem to apply to Kal as even now he stands like there is no wind at all.
Johanna is the first to move toward the cave, followed by the Angelic Goblin and the gilded golem. Sonya is about to follow when a light catches her gaze… she shakes her head and walks behind the others. But… something still eats at her mind.
She turns back her head one last time and glimpses at Kal's unmoving eyes… and sees no red lights in them. Maybe… just maybe it was her own eyes and tired mind that were playing tricks on her.
She can only hope…
.
▫ᵒᴼᵒ -KΛL- ᵒᴼᵒ▫
.
Kal turns his head when he feels Sonya finally heading away, silently watching them walk toward the cave's entrance. He breathes in the freezing wind as he tries to calm his mind. It takes all of his will to not let his furry show, to not let the Wrath that threatens to flood out of his soul and mind, burn throughout this fragile world.
Since Johanna started teaching him the way of the Zakarum, or as she calls it; The Inner Light, Kal has had a harder time controlling his anger. After all, the energy the crusaders use to power their bodies, abilities and techniques, isn't called Wrath for nothing. And just like light, it can burn hot.
In itself, this Wrath, this Inner Light, isn't good or evil, but it is righteous, and like everything put to the extreme if you let it go that way; no absolutes are ever good. To be sure of that, you only need to look in the past and even the present, at what people, zealots, have done in the name of righteousness. They harassed people, burned people, killed many other people…
…may they be guilty... or not.
Righteousness, as long as you know right from wrong and always choose good over evil, is always benevolent, until, of course, you step over the line and become self-righteous. The former is a pleasant fragrance welcomed everywhere and by anyone who is not a unrepentant criminal or a monster, the latter is like the stench of smoke in the nostrils for just about everyone except the self-righteous itself.
What Johanna calls Wrath, is Aura's kindred as it works nearly the same way. The Light is a type of mystical force that can be called upon by individuals aligned with it, most notably Angels. And it is the opposite of Darkness... but, just like Yin and Yang, both cannot exist without one another. After all, the brighter the Light... the longer the Shadows. Too much fire and everything is burned away. Not enough fire and everything fades into darkness. They are two sides of the same coin, ultimately.
The temptation of vice, or evil, will always be there, right alongside virtue and goodness. The more virtuous the person, the more tempting the vices can be.
Kal's father, Nicolas, always has believed that maybe the reconciliation of light and shadow in oneself is what gives birth to a different kind of light, one that both heals and cuts, creates and destroys, burns and puts out fires. In order to truly achieve higher grounds you have to integrate your dark parts proportionately to your light parts. In order to be a "good person", one has to be able to be a bad person… and choose not to.
Kal chuckles lightly. For a young boy of a little over 700 years, he sometimes feels and ruminates like an old man.
He sighs and turns his gaze inward.
Wrath, or the Inner Light, is sometimes seen by the primitive people of this world as Divine or Holy Magic. Yes, it may be used to cast True Magical spells, but the energy and its variants are anything but magical. It is not only mystical in nature, but Divine,
…and that means that Kal can use it.
Various mortals are capable of using the Light. Individuals associated with its usage include Paladins, Crusaders, and Templars. Some individuals, just like Kal, are born with a natural affinity towards it. Usage of the Light grants mortals, or even not-so-mortals, an array of abilities, including healing, resistance, and even sharing the Light's power with those around him/her via some kind of aura. This is why Johanna can last so long in battle.
And like many other divine holy energies, Light is anathema to the undead. It may not be a malignant force by nature, but is vengeful against those who corrupt or transgress against the sanctity of Life. And just like Aura, the Light, or Wrath, whatever you want to call it, can be stored in physical objects, giving said objects higher resistance and increasing attack potency as they deliver more force upon impacts. But unlike Aura, who naturally and slowly recharges itself over some period of time, Wrath is fueled by devotion, hope and faith. It doesn't need to be faith only for a god or gods, but ideas… and beliefs.
Like the Paladin of legend in his own universe.
Sometimes called white knights, or holy warriors, these paladins meet the ideal of the knight in shining armor, acting with honor in pursuit of justice and the greater good.
Whatever their origin and their mission, paladins are united by their oaths to stand against the forces of evil. Whether sworn before a god's altar and the witness of a priest, in a sacred glade before nature spirits and fey beings, or in a moment of desperation and grief with the dead as the only witness, a paladin's Oath is a powerful bond. It is a source of power that turns a devout warrior into a blessed champion.
A paladin swears to uphold justice and righteousness, to stand with the good things of the world against the encroaching foulness and corruption, and to hunt the forces of evil wherever they lurk. All are bound by the Oaths that grant them power to do their sacred work. Although many paladins are devoted to gods of good, a paladin's power comes as much from a commitment to justice itself as it does from a god.
But unlike the people of his home universe, those who can use the Light here are not limited by any kind of Oath… Or is it?
Maybe one day he will know…?
Thinking of wrath, he slowly starts reciting a Crusader proverb in his head. "Our eyes are everywhere—in the tallest mountains and the lowest valleys. We go everywhere, and we see everything. We learn from our masters, who walked the lands before us. Our enemies may think we journey alone, but they are mistaken." This calms his mind… no, not calming, but focusing it.
He turns his eyes to the dozen or so demonic creatures filling the forest, all waiting for easy prey.
Kal read about them in one of Cain's many books. They are creatures called Frozen Horrors, completely made of ice and are supposed to mainly stay in caves. They are demon spirits intangible on the mortal plane; their only means of interaction, just like many other immaterial beings from the Burning Hells, is to possess ice or even other types of matter, not so dissimilar to elemental entities, yet much less powerful.
Kal empties his lungs as his perception of time comes back to normal… At least normal for him. He clenches his fists tighter, making sure not to break the weapon and shield in them. Kal takes another deep breath before looking at the flail in his right hand. It would have to suffice. This will give him the opportunity to control his strength…
Better those demons than brigants whose only desire is to feed their families. And knowing Johanna, this can be seen as a test.
He then puts his leather helmet on and takes his first step toward the first demon.
Not wanting to go too fast, he decides to walk there. It doesn't take long for him to reach the one that waited for the bear family to tire. Sure of itself, the demon roars and throws its large arms toward Kal's head. Kal, who decides to stay within speeds manageable enough to be followed by highly trained humans, crouches under the blow and delivers an upward strike to the demon's elbow with the edge of his wooden shield, breaking the offending appendage like a twig without turning said arm into many, many pieces. The monster doesn't have time to howl in pain when Kal turns on himself, letting the weapon gain momentum and delivering a flail's beater to the back of the demon's head… turning it completely into ice shards. "Not going to complain, that was supposed to be a lethal blow."
Kal would have preferred to use a sword, a mace or even a hammer… But when he saw Johanna's bright smile when she gave him that flail — put a stop to that. He is proud to say that Johanna is much better with a flail than any Tenno he has met… and that is saying something.
Thinking it has already won, another creature roars behind him as it launches its own attack. Kal breathes out gently and uses his little size to pass under the tall monster arms, letting his flail move with him; the weapon's spiked ball impacts the left knee of the Frozen Horror with just enough force to break it without separating from the rest of its body. Making the flail dance between his fingers, Kal channels Light into it and delivers another blow to the monster's skull, killing it before the demon's spirit can fly away and not giving it the chance to possess anything else again.
A few meters away, a demon growls in the middle of the pack it has brought with it.
Kal breathes in, letting his Wrath guide him, his whole body glows with golden and white lights, before jumping high in the air and descending into their chaotic formation not with earth-shattering force, but in a flash of burning light. Johanna and the other crusaders call this technique; 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍.
He breathes out as the shards of what is left of the demons melt into the ground. Turning his head and eyes around, he sees the many demons left. Some run toward him, some stay hidden behind trees and large rocks while others run away.
And yet… none of them will survive today.
He breathes in, ignoring the phantom pains in his legs… to then only become a blur.
...
💠⃟💠⃟💠⃟💠⃟
Chapter End Notes:
For Wrath, it is the energy resource of the Crusaders. Wrath is fueled by Crusaders' devotion to the Zakarum and, in a sense, is considered divine magic by the people of Sanctuary, but not every thing called magic is Magic.
"Crusaders dominate battlefields through sheer purpose. The support of the heavenly Light and the sanctity of their quest lend Wrath to a crusader's punishing attacks. As crusaders prepare for combat, their Wrath simmers, increasing slowly but steadily. When they cut down their foes, it boils over. A crusader overfull with Wrath is a dangerous adversary indeed: blessed with iron skin; swathed in scourging flames; blasting foes apart with bolts of radiant light, and springing back to life after defeat. Resourceful crusaders find means beyond dispatching enemies to fuel their Wrath. Their many skills allow them to recover spent resources through blocking attacks, suffering serious injuries, or when they're encircled by snarling demons."
-Diablo's Game Guide
So yeah, Jaune/Kal is going to learn new things, may it be from an Archangel, a Warrior Monk or a Holy Crusader. So no stagnation.
"Stagnation is death. If you don't change, you die. It's that simple. It's that scary."
— Leonard Sweet