I turned and ran while Evilenko chewed on the once dangerous beast. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. Back to the only place I knew would be safe. Back to the Rogue Encampment. As I ran I didn't notice the pins of the small, but painful pins of Spike Fiends attacking me as I ran. After I felt like my lungs would collapse I leaned against a tree. Gasping for breath I looked at where I was. Everything seemed so familiar. Then in the distance I saw it. The Rogue Encampment waited for me in the distance. With all new vigor I ran to it. Tears streaming down my face I saw one of my fellow sisters guarding the camp.
"HALT!" She shouted, sending an arrow directly in my path. "Please" I sobbed, "let me in sister. I have to see Akara." She lowered her bow and motioned for me to enter. I walked into the encampment and slowly made my way to Akara's tent. She emerged when she saw me coming. In her purple hooded robe and winkled face she looked at me questioningly. "What disturbs you child?" She said softly, her blind eyes staring into my very soul. "It's that man." I said feeling the need to cry again but steeled myself and continued. "I don't think that-" I cut myself off as I saw the man emerge from the tent. His red eyes looked at mine. "Silly rogue." Evilenko rasped. "Evilenko had town portal." He said pointing to a shimmering blue portal in the center of town.
Without thinking I pulled my bow out and launched an arrow directly at his head. A blur of movement and a crack. Every near rogue pointed their bow at me ready to attack at my next movement. No person could dodge a rogue's arrow at close range. But in Akara's hand was my arrow. She was still staring at me. "At ease, young Dianna." She said. Then motioned for everyone to lower their weapons. "Sorry, rogue." Evilenko said bowing. "I not leave rogue again." He said. I shuddered. "Akara may I please speak to you?" I said trying to avoid Evilenko's red staring eyes. She nodded and entered her tent. I followed while Evilenko stayed outside. "What would you like to discuss child?" She asked.
I sighed and told her what happened with Evilenko and Treehead Woodfist. When I finished she was silent for awhile then nodded. "In some places, people eat those monster. They eat anything they can get their hands on. Maybe Evilenko is from one of those places." She finally said. "But he at it raw, right after he killed it!" I said pushing the matter further. Akara went out of the tent and when she came back she gave me a cup of special tea she always has brewing. "This will calm you." She said simply. After I drank it she continued. "Evilenko comes from a different place then you and I." Akara said. "He might have different beliefs and ways of thinking." She finished. When I tried to say something she put her hand up for silence. "You are tired young one. Now sleep, I'll wake you at dawn." She said gently leading me out of the tent. I nodded sleepily and shuffled to my tent. Laying down I couldn't help remember the sound and sight of Evilenko ripping the flesh off of the giant beast.
I awoke as the first bits of sunlight entered the morning sky. I quickly readied my equipment and exited my tent. There on the ground by the fire, was Evilenko. He was curled in a ball. His long arms circled his bent legs and his large hands covered his shoulders. He still wore his battered and bloodied leather armor. I quietly walked up to him. Careful not to make a noise. His mask moved in time with his breathing. Curiosity gripped me and I wondered why he would wear such a mask. Reaching for it I was going to pull it off. When I touched the end of the mask. Evilenko's eyes snapped open. He leaped back with amazing agility and landed on his hands and feet. Pushing himself up his red eyes looked into mine. "Bad rogue should keep hands to rogue." He said harshly. I looked away from the red eyes and stared into the fire.
"Cain, time to get." He said picking up his strange blade and tied it onto his back. I looked at him and he motioned to the glowing blue portal. "Rogue first." he said. I nodded and entered. Evilenko quickly followed. We started walking in silence. It was oddly quiet. As we entered the Stony Plains the silence was broken. "Rakanishu!" Came from our left. We turned to see a Carver. The blue cousin to the red Fallen. I fired an arrow through it's eye to silence it. But the tribe had heard it's cry. A Carver Shaman and a dozen other Carvers charge at us. Evilenko took a slash at one of them with his blade, effectively cutting it in half. With a chant from the Shaman it healed and it's body slowly pulled itself together and stood up. "RAKANISHU!" It yelled running to attack once again.
I aimed an arrow at the shaman and fired rapidly. After it wouldn't go down after the fifth shot I launched an ice arrow directed at it's heart. When it hit, the shaman turned an even more blue. Then when it tried to lift it's staff it shattered into bits of ice. I turned to see how Evilenko was dealing with the Carvers. They had him surrounded and where closing in. He jumped backwards, over a Carver. He twirled his blade from one side to another. Then gripped it in both hands, blade parallel to the ground. He leaned downward until the blade was level with the Carver's necks. By now the Carvers where reformed and where charging at him. With a shout he launched himself forward. With the sickening sound of metal on flesh Evilenko ended up on the other side of the group of Carvers. Some gripped their necks before their heads rolled from their shoulders but most just dropped while their necks became a fountain of blood.
Evilenko swished the blade a few times, flinging blood from the blade. Then he slowly put it back on his back. I shivered in the cold. A few stray drops of blood splattered against my armor. I almost didn't realize he was slowly making his way away from me deeper into the Stony plains. I cursed and followed quickly feeling the rocky ground under my feet from which it was named. Catching up to him we walked in silence until we reached a large circle of large pillars of stone. The entrance to Tristram. There guarding it was none other then the Rakanishu that the small devil beasts battled for. A dark blue tinted demon raised his hand in attack. "RAKANISHU!" he shouted and the surrounding Carvers charged toward Evilenko and I. Pulling back arrow after arrow releasing them into the skulls of the monsters. Evilenko jumped toward the first one his entire hand engulfed it's head. A muffled cry and a snap. The carver dropped to the ground dead. He charged slamming them into each other. When he was surrounded he pulled out his blade and spun it rapidly to his sides chopping the small monsters. I dispatched the remaining few all that was left was Rakanishu.
He growled and charged towards us. Evilenko used his blade and raked it across the demon's chest. It only left a small wound from which electricity flowed from, climbing up the blade into Evilenko. A roar of pain Evilenko fell to his knees. It raised it's scimitar above it's head ready to decapitate Evilenko. I closed my eyes using the power taught only to my sisterhood. I released the arrow and with a strangled cry and a thump i knew i hit my target. I slowly opened my eyes. There on the ground was Rakanishu. The ground around him frozen. Evilenko was also covered in frost. "G-Good rogue." He shivered. He reached into his belt and drank down a healing potion.
The red liquid flowed into his body accelerating his body's cell division causing him to rapidly heal. When the energy stopped he sighed. Looking at the fallen body he flipped it over and searched in its clothing. Finding only a small ring he tossed it aside and searched the surrounding area. He found a sturdy bow along with some thick leather armor. I scoffed when he came back with them. Looking down at my clothes, thin leather shirt and skirt. Not even worthy of being called armor. He stared at the armor and put it down. "Rogue's" he said walking away. Surprised he gave me the armor that was clearly newer and sturdier than his. The bow he could have sold. I tried the bow. It was much better than mine. The only thing was wrong was the horrible shape it was in. "Must get this to Charsi." I thought to my self.
A sudden flash of light made me looked up. There Evilenko stood. In the middle of the stones. They glowed with an ethereal light. Lightning flowing between them. Suddenly a portal ripped the air. Crimson as blood. It shimmered. "Rogue ready?" He said his features shadowed by the light the portal was throwing off. Once again his eyes seemed to glow. From the portal or if maybe his eyes did glow. Maybe I would never know. "Yes, we must rescue Cain." I said softly. With a nod he entered into the portal. Into the hell that was once known as Tristram. I could never have been prepared at what I saw.
Blood everywhere. A body burned, arrows stuck into its back. I saw the buildings on fire and the goat men walking with their large axes covered in blood. I couldn't help but dropping to my knees. The carnage, blood. It was too much, it would rattle even the most seasoned warriors. I couldn't stop the bile from rising from my stomach. My guard was totally down. With a cry the goat men charged. Waiting for them to slaughter me like the many others I clenched my eyes closed. The next sound was metal against metal, then a bray. I opened my eyes in time to see a goat head rolling towards me. I looked up. Evilenko stood. Three goat men dead around him."Up rogue." He growled. I shakily stood up. "They're dead... All of them. Dead." My eyes glazed over with tears. Suddenly my head was snapped to the side. Evilenko had just slapped me. "Concentrate rogue." he growled again. I held my face. The pain bringing me to my senses. I nodded ready to destroy hell's minions.
The next few moments where a blur. I don't remember anything except killing over and over. Skeletons of the people of Tristram now helped destroy them. I freed them from their torment. After I finished I fell to the ground panting. I feel tired and drained. But much stronger. Evilenko stood leaning against a burning building. "Better rogue?" He rasped holding out his hand. I took it, seeing how it dwarfed mine. I pulled my self up and brushed the dirt from me. Evilenko turned his head and looked up. He pulled blade out and slashed a rope. A cage came down from above my head and slammed right next to me. I glared at Evilenko about to swear at him when i saw a gray clad person in the cage. "Cain?" I muttered helping him out of the cage. He was muttering clawing at me but I was able to hold him down. He was too weak from age and starvation.
He stopped moving and lay still. I was wondering if he was dead when Evilenko picked him up by the back of his robes. Unceremoniously taking him through a freshly opened, blue swirling town portal. I was about to follow when he exited back through. "Not done." He rasped. He pointed and I followed his finger. There stood Griswold. He was no longer human. Rotted down to a zombie. I held my hand to my face to stop my self from vomiting again. He moaned and charged towards us. Evilenko crouched and put arm pointed behind him. I launched arrow after arrow at his flesh, which was strangely solid. When he neared Evilenko charged. Using momentum from his small charge and from the swinging or his arm. It went straight into his head. Snapping it loudly. The undead blacksmith only groaned. Punching Evilenko straight in the chest Griswold sent Evilenko flying.
The zombie took no time to stop as he turned on me. I charged my arrows with ice to slow him down. Backing up to keep distance between us I didn't realize where I was going. I tripped over the fallen body of Wirt, giving no time to run as Griswold was upon me. He pulled back a powerful fist and it was grabbed. "My. Rogue." Evilenko said straining with the zombie. With a beastly yell Evilenko slammed his head into that of the zombie. Griswold's head caved in from the force of the blow and he dropped lifelessly to the side. "Ok rogue?" Evilenko rasped. I nodded and slowly picked my self up. "Good." He muttered before a trail of blood trailed down the side of his face. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the ground. I gasped and pulled out one of his last town portals. I quickly pulled him through the shimmering blue portal. Hoping he didn't inflict too much pain on himself at the cost of slaying the undead blacksmith.
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