THE JOURNEY THROUGH ETERNITY

A Diablo 2 Fan fiction – Rated: Teen

CHAPTER 5

"Weird Experiences"

I felt excitement rushing through my veins, my heart beating fast. I am motivated all of the sudden and I want to seize the opportunity as soon as possible. I wonder what he's like. Is he funny, or serious? Is he short, or tall? Is he something else I could not speak of now?

I don't know, and I must move quickly to kill the curiosity out of my thoughts. I can't wait to see what he's like.

I moved my legs and started to walk towards the door, but stopped for the moment. I forgot something.

I glanced at the mirror.

Yes, my appearance needs to be good if I want to meet Warriv outside of this room – I'm having a weird morning look.

I raced down the stairs as silently as possible, because I don't wish for people to yell at me for my disrespect – and that is a nuisance for me in my opinion. I don't even want other people to wake me up for no reason just because of unnecessary noise. Let's just say, don't do to other people what you don't want to be done to you. It's that simple. I live my life like that.

Then I looked around this huge room where people dine, when I reached the bottom. And quickly, I saw Warriv sitting in a table just a short distance in front of me, all alone eating his breakfast. He was reading a book of some sort while chewing the food he just devoured with an interesting look. It's like he's studying.

I came closer to him, and tried to read the gold text printed across the cover. It read 'The Zealots of Zakarum.' I wonder why he's reading that.

"Warriv," I called softly. I reached the table when he heard it and then he looked at me. He gave me a smile and greeted.

"Good Morning, Leashya. So how's your stay?" He asked cheerfully.

"Great, I guess…" I answered immediately. There's no use in wasting time.

He picked up his dining utensils. He pushed the fork into the roasted meat, and used the knife to cut it to a small separate piece. He ate it.

"So, I think I gave you motivation for that 'hunt for the Necromancer' thing, huh?" he asked while reading.

I smiled. He looked at me wondering why I was silent. He got my message.

"Okay, so before we begin having an incredibly short discussion, may I get you something to eat – I mean its early morning and you should take a breakfast."

"Sure," I told him.

Warriv called the lady dancer nearby that serves food when not in duty in the town square. He told her to get me some food, and I didn't hear what he said what to get for me, but I don't care. I trust him. Why should I be suspicious?

He turned back at me, "I got you a chicken breakfast: 2 fried eggs and a chicken leg – is that okay?"

I nodded.

"Good." He drank from his cup (Whoa, I didn't know that was there…) and continued, "Jheryn told me about this guy, living near Greiz's headquarters, at the edge of Lut Gholein."

"Is he the Necromancer?" I asked upon hearing, not really thinking. I just burst out like that.

"No," he answered. "But he knows the Necromancer."

"Are you sure he is not 'pulling something off', like a trap?" I questioned, I really don't want a mess.

"I don't think so, since Jheryn trusted this guy. He's been living in Lut Gholein for the past five years and he's a nice guy according to him." He responded. "He also said he's an intelligent guy, and he keeps a mini library filled with interesting books in his home."

Okay. So that is fixed.

"Are they friends with the Necromancer?"

Warriv ignored his food for a while and looked at me. He looks like he's thinking but I also think that he's thinking I'm going a bit too far. What can I say? I'm just interested.

"I remember Jheryn said that guy is friends with the Necromancer. But he is a Necromancer, who knows what he could do?" he answered.

The lady arrived serving my food in front of me.

"Do you need something else?" the lady asked.

"No thanks, this is enough." I told her. "Thank you."

I looked at my food. It looks nice but, thinking it is a chicken and an egg of the same animal makes me feel pity of some sort. Poor chickens, even their young don't get a chance of being alive for few moments.

Anyway, it's food. I tried to remove that thought and took few bites.

After eating, we took a walk out of the tavern and planned to get Jheryn from the palace. But when we got to the town square where there are a lot of people, we found Jheryn, talking to some of the citizens of his city.

He told us he was just checking what's what on his city. He is concerned so that he will try to improve some of the conditions needed to satisfy his people. He's a good landlord.

So, after talking to the guy that he was talking to when we found him, he knew where we are headed, and said "Oh yes. Come, follow me."

We walked through an empty, shaded, narrow road, between the north wall and behind the inn that was opening soon. The inn's backside is okay; I was looking above me and saw a beautiful design of balconies of rooms at the top floor – maybe designed for wealthier people who decide to rest in an inn. The bottom floors don't have balconies, but the windows are remarkably designed. It's dark as I look through, but having a thought in my head that it is still opening, no one should be there.

Beyond the road was a house with a small barred window beside its wooden door. Unlike this side of the road which was shadowed by the inn, it was located at the corner where the early afternoon daylight casted itself. So it was completely seen from here. It was a tall house; maybe another story or two in total, and unlike the first story, there is no window or hole. In addition, the width of this house is really short, like only three people can fit in it side by side.

We reached the house, and all of us stopped in a line across the house. I was right; three people can only fit on this house if it's just a wall where we could rest our backs.

I was at the very right, and after looking at it closely, I looked at my right. A guy was there with light armor and a scarf. His back was on me, so I really can't describe what he looks like.

"That's Greiz" said Jheryn. "Don't look at him right now, it's seems like he's on a very bad mood."

I turned my eyes away from him and told myself, focus on the Necromancer… Kill curiosity or get smacked on the head.

It's good that I made it.

Jheryn stepped forward and walked towards the door. He knocked on the door.

"Hseel…" Jheryn called. "It's me Jheryn, and I've got some of my friends. They want to ask you something…"

Warriv and I walked towards Jheryn.

It was silent. After few seconds, Warriv breathed.

"Maybe he's not there…" Warriv whispered.

Cluck...

All of us turned our attention to door knob, and it moved. The door opened.

And out of the door came this skinny person. He's wearing a white long sleeved shirt with a black sleeveless open vest over it which mismatched his very pale skin and bony appearance. He has a long chin, blue eyes, and white, long, wavy yet untidy hair that run's from his head to his back. He's also wearing something over his eyes which I haven't seen before and is made of glass, and black puffy pair of pants secured with a rope with small bags on it. He also wears a pair of dark brown boots, which looks old but expensive at some point. He looks wrinkled and old but in some strange feeling I'm having, I feel he's young and active.

I stared at him. I don't know why, but I just did.

"Welcome!!" he said with a strange crackling high pitched voice that sounds like he's just exhaling enormous amounts of air at each word he pronounced. He looked at us, nodding and after that, he bowed with his left hand high up in the air and with his right hand down across his abdomen. "My name is Hseelgouhd, spelt H-S-E-E-L-G-O-U-H-D, but you may call me Hseel…"

That is one very strange name.

"May we come in?" Jheryn asked nicely.

"Of course you may great Lord Jheryn…" he said and stepped back out of the way. "And so are your allies whom I believe…"

I walked in the house looking at him while smiling.

"An Amazon…" he blurted as I passed by.

Warriv followed.

"And Warriv from the Rogue Encampment… You are pretty well known." He said as Warriv passed by.

I looked at Warriv, he smiled too – flattered. Well, that's what he looks like.

My eyes wandered. It is really amazing, how he put in stuff in neatly. They're also too compressed considering the size of the house, and organized at the same time. The library Warriv told me about is simply his whole house. There are ladders that could extend up to the top books at the very top of the tall building.

"Hmm…" Hseel said. "Feel free to look around."

I looked beside me, and a bookcase was there filled with black books numbered from one through – whatever. There are too many of them.

I picked one dusty book with a golden "XII" sign at the side. I turned it and read the cover.

The Ways of the Darkness

"That is a book given to me by a friend." Hseel said looking at the book.

I opened it.

A giant circle with an upside-down star inside was drawn across the book with blood that seemed to be very old. It has words below it that says…

'A diabolical symbol sometimes used by the evil necromancers…'

Does that mean some Necromancers are not evil? I turned one page.

'Necromancy is merely a practice – a practice to help restless spirits. Some spirits don't get judged immediately unless they are to accomplish a mission, that's why the necromancers have to gain permission from a soul in order to summon them when needed, also to accomplish the summoned soul's mission. Some just need help, like to tell someone something for them to rest for that is already settled.

'But some necromancers use their ability for their wicked intentions and sometimes help evil spirits that are destined to hell. The result of the absolute unspeakable duo could lead to a dark age of death and destruction. The legions of Zakarum are only there to destroy them, but their wrong is that they thought all of the necromancers do the same.

'Stay away from them, but still you must achieve your sole purpose. Do not be afraid, and be brave. Use your allies, the good souls, to fight for you. Help them with your skills, curse your enemies and destroy them all. All you must do must be a benefit for all of mankind.

'To people who read this who's not a necromancer, you now know what world a necromancer is living in. It now depends on you, whether you believe it or not. Necromancers are simply serving its patrons, the souls, their own ends…'

I closed the book. I understand the world more clearly now, I think. So is this why not a necromancer is not found elsewhere? Does Warriv know of this?

But why is the book titled, The Ways of the Darkness?

"Oh," Jheryn said, looking around. "We were here to talk about the necromancer, my friends here – Warriv; you know him and Leashya here, the sister of Chieftain Kashya of the rogues…"

"Sooo…" Hseel walked towards me. "You are the sister of Kashya?"

He walked in circles around me. I'm starting to blush – because he's observing me. No one observed me like this before.

Then he stopped. "So what question should I answer?"

I was silent.

"Speak."

I remained silent. He's creepy.

"Uhm…" Warriv began. "We are looking for the Necromancer. Do you know him?"

Hseel quickly turned his head and it sounded like it was a snapping branch of a tree, his head facing Warriv, who was startled.

"Ooooooh…" Hseel said in an eerie ghostly voice. Then he began whispering like he was telling a spooky story, "Oh, I know the NECROMANCER!!"

He's starting to scare me. Warriv jumped at the very spooky tune of how he said the word "Necromancer." Jheryn looks the same.

"Uh…" Warriv started. "Whe-where's he found?"

Hseel stepped back dramatically and closed his eyes, then said, "I am afraid I cannot tell you."

Warriv stood up for himself. Then he looks upset, "Why? We've come all the way here and…"

"Shhhhhhhh…" Hseel signaled Warriv. "Unless…"

I was just waiting for that.

"I come with you…" He continued.

That's it?

Warriv and Jheryn looked at Hseel.

"I wouldn't leave you all alone in the desert wandering around not knowing where to go!" Hseel told them. "I'm not a meanie!"

He said "meanie." I chuckled.

"Fine," Warriv said, irritated. "Should we go now?"

"No," Hseel replied. "Let me prepare my stuff first…"

"Are you done yet?"

Warriv waited impatiently outside the closed door behind one of the bookcases. Hseel said it could be called a secret passage, but what's a secret if there's a bunch of people in his house he never wanted to leave, and if you really want to get to your room and pack important stuff up?

"Sorry about Hseel's behavior." Jheryn apologized. "I knew him like that and, I thought it's funny."

"Don't apologize, Rhyn." Warriv replied. "The one who should apologize is HIM!!"

When he said the word "Him" he looked like he was charging at the door with his fist up trying to punch. Fortunately, Jheryn was behind him and stopped him before he even touched the very essence of the Secret Passage door.

"Cool down Warriv, please…" he said. "Please don't let your inner self exposed to our humble host. It is our duty as guests…"

Even guests have duties.

I looked around from the near corner of the room where the table lies. My curiosity, I think, is endless. I just glanced at the wooden table I am leaning on and noticed a skull with a lit candle. The candle's wax – they never melt. It is ever lasting, and it definitely amazed me.

There was a wooden chest nearby, and in it is another skull on top of a lot of worn and old parchments with runes I can't decipher and illustrations I couldn't identify. Beside the skull lies a wand made of yew, with a small marble skull hanging off its small chain attached to the handle.

I wonder why he had those.

"Okay! Me done!" Hseel suddenly exclaimed. He still looked cheerful after how Warriv's been acting. It's as if he never heard him.

Warriv seemed to calm down. Jheryn let him go.

Hseel looked around.

"Candle amazed you?" Hseel asked me, smiling.

"Um, sort of…" I replied awkwardly.

"Nah, they are but gifts. You never know how much a necromancer wants his privacy from all these Zakarumites patrolling around every city." He explained quickly. "So far, the only one I know is Fara – but she's away for now, went back to wherever she came from. I think she's investigating something – somehow she knows something's wrong with the Church of Light."

"You know her pretty well," I remarked.

"Yep," he replied. "Good friends…"

He suddenly looked lonely for a second, away from Jheryn and Warriv's sights. But his cheerful self returned to his face after a brief moment, relieving me as well.

"So! What're we doing here? Shouldn't we be looking for the necromancer?" he said.

He walked past Jheryn and Warriv.

"Hey, wait up!" Warriv called to him.

I never stepped on the sands of this desert for years.

There are palm trees everywhere, at least around somewhat moist areas. Trees surrounding some kind of ditch, I guess. Despite that, everything around is hurting my eyes because of the brightness the mystical sun above us.

But after a while of silence, walking a path that seemed eternal and seems like it leads to nowhere, a cold chill ran on the very edge of my skin and a mist seemed to appear out of nowhere.

I feel a dark energy in this place. It is still the desert but the mist blocked the sunlight. After seeing an infinite-seeming desert, this is quite a shock to me because all I see is nothing but mist right in front of me. I doubted about something for no reason.

But I still feel Jheryn and Warriv in front of me – also Hseel.

"Hseel," I asked quite in a louder manner than I normally use, because I know of his distance from me.

"Yes, dearie?" Hseel's voice said. Yes, he is still there.

"Are you sure he's here?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied immediately. "Have you ever seen mist in a desert? Ofcourse he is here."

"Alright," I said, and quit doubting.

"Warriv, Jheryn, you to Leashya," he instructed after the little talk we had. "Stay here. I am the only one allowed in here currently and if you stay away you'll get lost. This is the only place you can see at least for each other while waiting."

"I can't even see a thing," I complained.

"Oh, that's because you're too far from the tree." He said. I wondered – what tree?

A pale, bony hand appeared in front of me. It touched my clothing, and it pulled me.

Then I saw them.

Warriv laid his back on a tall palm tree in the middle of the mist. Everything seems so clear in this small space, but this space is surrounded by a very thick gray mist that seemed solid from here. Jheryn was there standing near Warriv looking at me and Hseel. Hseel let me go.

"So, do not follow me – and I will return shortly," he instructed. "Alright?"

"Yes," the three of us said lazily in unison.

"Okay…" Hseel said and he quickly disappeared in the mist.

My mind is driving me crazy: I want to see the necromancer face to face.

The three of us looked at each other.

Warriv stood up and walked around. His face seemed curious all of the sudden and when I try to look him in the eye he looks away.

He's planning something.

Finally someone broke the utter peace.

"Are we just going to stand here and wait?" Warriv suddenly asked. "Come on Leashya, I know you also want to follow him."

"But Warriv," Jheryn said. "We will get ourselves in trouble when we do."

Jheryn eyed me.

"Jheryn's right, we need not to follow him. Besides he's bringing us the necromancer, wouldn't that be enough?" I told him.

"…No!" Warriv replied. "I need to see the necromancer – who he is!"

I shook my head. Yes, I want to see who he is too, but Hseel said not to so – no.

"There's your 'Kashya' attitude." Warriv said.

"What?" I said a little insulted. Not because he compared me to Kashya, but she is also my sister.

"Bossy, not expressing yourself…" he replied to me in an insulting way. "What else?"

"What? What?" I asked repeatedly, completely confused and not knowing what to say.

"Do you want to be like Kashya?" he asked suddenly.

"No – but – I mean…" I stuttered.

"Then let's do it!" Warriv said.

"But Hseel said…"

Warriv looked at me as if he's saying "What now?"

Jheryn was silent all along but now he finally spoke up.

"Don't believe him Leashya. That's Warriv, he deceives."

"Hey!" Warriv called, now he's the one insulted. "You're saying it as if I've done something really bad. And the word is ugly!"

Warriv looked back at me in a way the same as before.

I sighed.

"Okay, okay…" I finally surrendered. I want to prove myself, too – but my interest is making me mad if I just stand here. "Now what?"

Jheryn sighed. "You fell for it."

"I know, I know." I admitted. "But it won't hurt just to take a little peek right?"

Jheryn stared at me. "Believe me, it will."

I smiled. Warriv smiled.

"Always the 'follower,' huh?" Warriv asked Jheryn.

"Yes. Before you can lead, you must first learn to follow you know." Jheryn said. "Good luck."

"Thank you," Warriv said. "Now, come on Leashya."

I walked towards him.

"So, we're going to split up." He explained.

"What? What about you?" I asked.

"We're going separate ways. I'm going off alone this path," then he pointed an empty, misty space. "And you go there," then he pointed the way I am supposed to go through.

"Agreed, but how do we see through this very thick mist?"

"Here,"

He reached for his pocket and brought out two similar rings.

"I have these, two rings. These rings are both Rings of Radiance, but this one," he held one ring higher. "This one is the Defender's Ring of Radiance. This ring is what I should be giving to you."

"What does it do?" I asked again.

"My ring gives me the advantage to see at least a little in the middle of the mist," he explained. "Your ring, it does the same – but it also makes you see me, the person you're supposed to be defending. That's why it's given the name. Special rings they are, yes?"

"Yes they are," I replied.

"I got them from Geed. They gave it to me after winning a wager."

I chuckled.

"Here you go," he gave me the Defender's Ring of Radiance. "And off we go."

He disappeared through the mist. I followed.

For a moment, all that I could see is mist. I looked at the ring Warriv gave me. I put it on.

Abruptly, the mist moved away from me, about two feet from all sides. I looked around. There was a faint image of a man, margined by a patch of light. Warriv, it must be. He started walking. I walked parallel to him.

After just a few moments, the ground descended to a wetter place, an almost impossible sight in this desert. But with all the cold, I never had second thoughts.

The ground just gets soggier, until there is already water flowing about. There are now long sedges growing around me, and from that moment I knew I am in a swamp.

And a foul, unpleasant smell filled the air. It is as if it came from the dead.

Dead and Necromancer – we should be close.

But what if I am the one going to meet with the necromancer? What if it is not Warriv? What if Hseel wasn't there to stop him? What if –

Warriv stopped. I also stopped.

Warriv looked as if he's checking his boots. I wondered. I also checked mine.

The sight frightened me.

There are corpses – pale, corpses floating. They all look like they're staring at me. I shuddered for a while, but I managed myself to calm down. I also saw Warriv walking the unknown path again, and I also did – trying not to interfere with the corpses' way. They might grab me, you know.

I'm starting to think this necromancer is evil. But Hseel – why is he friends with him?

Necromancy is merely a practice – a practice to help restless spirits.

Yes, but these corpses…

"YAAAHHH!!"

I heard a very huge splash it seems, and I looked around me. Everything's still. I looked at Warriv. He's… Trapped…

Only his head was moving. The rest of his body didn't show any movement – as if they were turned to stone.

Help him… Someone help him… Oh, I should be helping him! I ran towards him even with the shallow water slowing me down. I didn't stop and didn't care what corpse I've hit, I just ran towards him until his face is clear.

I was right. His body was turned into stone. His body was like, the perfect art sculpture of some sort. Like Magic.

"Why did you follow me?" a familiar voice said in the mist.

"Uhm…" Warriv stuttered.

"I told you not to follow me," the voice said.

"I'm so sorry Hseel!" I apologized. I turned to Warriv, "I told you!"

"It's okay Leashya. It is your duty to defend him, right?" Hseel replied, still unseen.

"Yes, yes, I know."

"Very well…" Hseel said.

The mist around us vanished. A cloaked hooded man appeared right in front of us. "Yeah, you caught me."

Warriv commented. "So Hseel, you're the…"

"Shhhh… Quiet. I never even gave my formal introduction yet."

We were silenced. He removed his hood. It revealed him not wearing spectacles.

"Behold!" he raised his arms, a gesture of summoning. Bones are lifted from the ground and circled him rapidly. "I am – OW!"

A bone hit him on his forehead. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…" he muttered and covered his forehead with his palms. I laughed quietly.

All the bones fell down.

"Ah, never mind that…" he straightened his back from his stoop of pain. "Okay… Okay…"

We were still quiet, watching him.

"Okay, I should give my name…" he said. Then dramatically:

"I – AM – DHOUGLEESH!!"

"You're not Hseel?" I asked him.

"I am Hseel! Don't tell me you didn't notice my name…" he said, not really believing in what I just said.

"What about it?"

"D-H-O-U-G-L-E-E-S-H… Dhougleesh!" he explained. "H-S-E-E-L-G-U-O-H-D… Hseelguohd!"

"You flipped it."

"Correct."

"How creative," I said. "Flipping names, you can't really tell unless you write it down."

"That's the point!" he yelled.

The ground shook. The water rippled. We stopped talking for a while.

"What's that?" Warriv asked.

I felt it again, the Dark energy – a presence. It wasn't coming from Dhougleesh.

"You feel it too?" Dhougleesh asked.

"Yes, I do." I replied.

"What?" Warriv asked. It is clear he hasn't sensed it.

It is becoming colder. Ice crystals are forming on water. I feel uneasy.

"Relax Leashya," Dhougleesh said. "I can handle this…"