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Diablo: Jungle of Shadow

Chapter 3: Water

Zagan was irritated.

Not livid. Not angry. Not enraged. Not any of the emotions that were the mainstay of the Demonic Hordes. Just...irritated. Because while he'd suffered inconvenience, it was still nothing more than that. He'd been here for decades, operating within this area of Sanctuary, doing his master's work. Enough to please him, but not enough to draw the attention of mortals opposed to Hell, or those who might seek to use Hell's powers for their own ends. Granted, Hell had been distant ever since he arrived on this wretched world but...well, he had his role in this universe, as did any other demon or angel. Only Man was without purpose. Which made them ideal to be swayed to the cause of Chaos.

Or consumed by that cause...

Yet twice he'd been robbed of his prey, and all within the space of a day. Twice, he'd had his prey at his mercy, only for them to disappear in a flash of white light, powerful enough even to give his fire pause. He knew that some mortals were capable of wielding magic, some even powerful enough to traverse the Ether. Yet neither of the boys had given any indication of magical talent, even less than the physical kind. If what Zagan had heard was true, Man had hidden potential being suppressed by an object of immense power, but to spontaneously reveal itself? Angels might be adept at such despicable trickery, but mortals were another story.

Well, no matter. He'd achieved success before against far more dangerous opponents. He was immortal. He had all the time in the world. Whilst his prey's time was running out as surely as the sands of an hourglass. Like dust...and ashes.

After he and his master took their fill, it would be all that was left of them.


Felix the dreamer, a.k.a. Felix the mummy's boy, a.k.a. Felix the poor sod who was stuck in a tree, was surprised to find that his unfortunate predicament was shared by another poor sod. A poor sod who was two summers older than him. A poor sod who looked far less of a poor sod than he was. A poor sod who just happened to be his older brother. And, for that matter, looked just as surprised to see his sibling as Felix was.

Which was strange. Because Felix hadn't been the one to appear in a flash of white light just a few seconds ago.

"Seth..." the young boy asked. "Is that you?"

"No, I'm not. I'm just some guy who happens to look like your big brother."

An awkward silence passed between the two sons of Passanius, made even more awkward by the fact that they were sitting on branches as if playing a game from their youth. And with Felix letting go of said branches to hug his sibling...well, things became very awkward indeed. Yet Felix didn't care-Seth was here, and he wasn't alone. And while he did not possess the gift of reading minds, he took comfort that at the very least, the elder son of Passanius was willing to let the younger son have his moment of comfort.

"I've...been here..." Felix spluttered, fighting back tears of relief. "Since...last night. The thing...the...the..."

"A thing..." Seth said slowly. "Great description."

"I..."

"A thing of fire. A thing that's a demon. A thing that probably made you as terrified as I was..."

Felix withdrew from the embrace, his relief partially replaced by surprise. Seth had always been the strong one. For him to admit to fear like this? And to the existence of demons?

"I thought you didn't believe in all that..." the young boy said cautiously. "Heaven...Hell...the tales of the Zakarum and Vizjerei...are you saying-..."

"All I'm saying is that I know what I saw," Seth interrupted bluntly. "A...thing of fire. A demon. Apart from that...well, I don't know, and I don't care."

Typical Seth...Felix reflected. Just like dad...only believes what he sees or hears. Maybe even less.

Granted, Passanius had put some credit in the tales of woe gripping the East, but Felix had always gone a step beyond that of the trader. Heaven, Hell, angels, demons...he found it fascinating. Something beyond what he could see or understand. Something to believe in, albiet not necessarily under the teachings of the Zakarum. He'd wanted to see...to experience more. And ironically, that wish had been granted last night.

"So, um..." Felix began. "I don't suppose anyone else is with you? I mean, I appreciate you teleporting here, but..."

Seth let out a sigh. "Father didn't want to risk it." He met his brother's eyes, as if to apologize for Passanius's decision. "I'm sorry Felix. I tried...really I did...but he wouldn't listen. I came alone. And after seeing that...thing...out there...well, maybe that's for the best."

"What?"

Seth's eyes met the ground. "Only the two of us need to die out here."

Silence descending between the two brothers, only broken by a faint breeze above the canopy. It was an eeriness that Felix had become used to over the time he'd been here. Waiting for rescue, listening for the sounds of the jungle and failing to hear them bar what could be the sound of a river. If Seth noticed the silence, he didn't care. Didn't care anymore than what he thought was imminent death. And while Seth had ever been the realist, he was not a fatalist. And Felix still had enough hope...or faith...that a difference still existed between the two.

"Seth...it isn't over," the young boy began. "I mean...we're still here right? I mean...you appeared out of nowhere. I appeared out of nowhere. We-..."

"Wait a minute...you appeared in this tree as well?" Seth asked, meeting his brother's gaze again. "As in...appeared appeared?"

"As in a white light that had the same effect of a transportation spell, yes. I mean...one moment I was called into the jungle, the next this...thing bore down on me. And when I thought all was lost...well, I found myself here. A miracle of the High Heavens as some might call it."

"But not me..." Seth murmured. "Miracles are rare. Miracles are for true followers of the Light. Miracles...don't strike in the space of a few hours."

Felix smiled faintly, glad that his brother was returning to his rational self. "Well, that's one way of putting it..."

"And you said you were called...like a voice? In your mind?"

Felix nodded.

"It was the same for me..." Seth continued, talking to himself as much as his sibling. "A voice...like my conscience. I was nothing but prey to that demon. Like the housekeeper uses cheese to lure in a rat, or the fisherman uses a worm to lure in the fish...he called us in. Except we're free. We're not in his mouse hole anymore." He rested a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We might have a chance."

"And we might have to think of some more metaphors."

Seth smiled faintly...then stopped. Reality check, Felix knew. And not a pleasant one.

"Except we don't know where our own hole is."

"Our what?"

"The convoy," Seth said firmly. "Our father. A man who might be willing to leave us out here, but is still surrounded by men who know how to wield weapons."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "You think metal would do anything against a thing like that?"

"Probably not," Seth admitted. "But...strength in numbers. Problem is, where's the convoy in regards to our position?"

"We follow the sun," Felix said, gesturing to the orb of fire above the canopy. "It's hard to make out, but-..."

"Felix, I know that Seram is to the south," Seth interrupted. "But the convoy could be in any direction. We could be anywhere in Toraja, and without proper supplies or arms..."

"But arms won't do anything!" Felix exclaimed. "It's a thing of fire. F-I-R-E. Metal is forged in fire. Heck, if you could summon a rainstorm it might help us, but..."

Felix trailed off, because it was clear that Seth was no longer listening. Or rather, no longer listening to him. In fact, he was listening to something else...

"Do you hear that?" the elder son asked eventually.

"Hear what?"

"That," Seth said firmly, as if accenting the word might help explain it better. "That...roar. That...that-..."

"Oh, the river?" Felix asked. "Probably the Argantek. It runs through-..."

Seth shook his head. "Not loud enough, and unless we've been transported dozens of miles from the convoy, too far away. On the other hand...if it's a stream or tributary..."

Felix saw what Seth was thinking immediately, and didn't know what to think in turn. You're thinking outside the box no, eh? Or don't be an idiot came to mind.

"Felix...that thing is made of fire..." Seth began. "That thing's also the number one threat to our survival, and if his calls to us are any indication, can probably find us. So..."

"Seth...I know fire puts out water," the sixteen year-old interrupted. "But that demon isn't stupid."

"No...but he is solid."

"...what?"

Again, Seth was going into his own world, picking up a twig off his branch and fiddling with it, as if it helped him think. If they ever made it back to their father, he might think that his elder son had "done a Felix on him."

"That demon's made of fire..." Seth said slowly. "But if that was the case...why didn't he catch up to me?"

"He was playing with you?"

"Maybe...but while I was running, I noticed that many branches and trees had been destroyed, as if physically." Seth snapped the twig to demonstrate. "Fire doesn't do that. Bodies do. And given his size...well, he can burn the jungles, or outright uproot them."

Felix nodded slowly, seeing his brother's point. "So you're saying the demon...he's not fire, but rather surrounded by it?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But if there is something solid in him...then we can hit him."

"Or be incinerated."

"I'm willing to take that chance," the elder son of Passanius declared, extending his hand as if to seal a pact. "How about you?"

Felix thought about it. The thought of taking on a demon, like something out of the tales his mother once read to him. Only there was no knight. No mage. No hero. Just two boys. Two brothers. Two sides of the same coin.

Grasping his sibling's hand, he hoped that would be enough.


There was a river behind him, and Seth didn't know whether he was on the side of crazy, or the side of insanity.

Granted, that was probably a moot point. The plan he and Felix had spent the last few hours setting up relied on many things, but their level of sanity was pretty much superfluous. After that...well, he'd let his own mind do the figurative and literal talking. Were he to fall under the influence of whispers in his mind, prescribed treatment of bodily and spiritual cleansing to remove the demons from...he shook it off. Far more important things to worry about, and those possessed by demons within their minds were often beyond saving anyway.

"Zagan, demon of the Burning Hells! This servant of the Light calls out and challenges you!"

And chances were he was beyond saving now. And not just for the most pretentious challenge he could come up with.

Did the demon know where he was, standing beneath the trees, under the shadows of a setting sun? Could he hear him, or sense him? Would he lure him in with whispers in his mind as before, or would he be willing to come to him? Not that the demon would have anything to fear from a simple villager of Seram, but if his theory about the basic elements was true, then the demon might eschew caution in this setting.

"Demon, the Light stands firm! The Light is patient! The Light will outlast the dark!"

The Light...probably has nothing to do with patience. Maybe the pretentiousness though...

The Light is but a delusion of both Heaven and this world. And Hell shall conquer both.

Despite the whispers of the demon, Seth smiled. Pretentiousness was apparently universal to Man, demon and angel alike. Now all he needed was an angel to actually show up and prevent him from losing his life.

Zagan's presence was apparent long before he actually neared. Twilight was imminent and the low levels of light within the jungle reflected this. In the gloom, Zagan's fire was the only point of illumination. Yet the elder son of Passanius suspected there was more to it than that. In their first encounter, Zagan had caught him unawares. Here however, he was making no effort to hide his presence. He was confident in his chances of success...and unlike his foe's, it was confidence that was well founded.

Fear...terror...despair...weep...

Seth didn't know whether it was his own mind talking, or the demon. The fear...it was taking hold again. He stood his ground, watching his foe advance, determined not to run. Which wouldn't be hard. Not falling under his now lead-like legs would be the real challenge.

You are unarmed...I expected you to at least fashion something out of your settings.

"I need not weapons nor armour. The Light will provide me with all the spiritual armour that I need."

Silence fell over the jungle. Sound non-existent, all that was left was horrific sight, and suffocating smell. At least, until Zagan let loose unearthly laughter, like the cackling of birds gone mad.

Hilarious...I shall miss you, mortal. For all the lies and hypocrisy of Order, there is something that only Heaven and its servants can provide. Of course, it will do you no good in the end.

"The end comes...for you...demon..." Seth rasped, trying to maintain his act, but struggling against the raw terror emanating from the creature. "You lured me in...searching for..."

What?

The terror receded slightly. Puzzled, Seth glanced up towards the flame, where Zagan's head would be if he possessed such a thing. He couldn't make out any visual expression (probably just as well), but something told him that he'd caught the demon off its guard.

Mortal, I know the servants of Order...and Men...spurt lies by compulsion, the demon growled eventually. Yet I am curious...lured you in?

"The voice in my head," Seth said firmly. "Like how you lured in my brother."

Ah yes, the little imp. The same wretch that disappeared before my eyes...the same way you did. But no, human, I never spoke to you.

"But the voices...in my head..."

Your own insanity.

Seth felt unease welling within him, and not only because of the fact that he was looking at a creature over three metres tall. In light of Felix's account, he'd been sure that his 'conscience' had been Zagan, speaking to him as he had to his younger brother. But if not...well, the demon probably had no reason to lie, and there was the fact that both of them had been whisked away at the last moment...had he ever stopped to consider that?

He might have then and there. He might have wondered if the true servants of the Light were walking against the demon and if so, why they weren't being more overt. But there was the antithesis of the Light right before him and it was rapidly closing the gap.

It matters not. You shall be taken. Your terror shall feed me and my master. And before it's all over, you will pray...beg...to be taken by the fires of Hell. You will-...

"Now!"

Seth dived to the ground, but not in submission. He shouted, but not at his foe. He prayed, but not to the realm of angels. He closed his eyes, but not in despair. Rather, if this was to be his end, he didn't have to see it. If not...he would see the results in a few seconds. And as a roar reverberated through the Torajan Jungles, as he bellows continued, as he felt the beat of his heart against the jungle floor...well, he was still here. And as the plan had worked, Felix was in the trees above.

Seth's theory that Zagan had some corporeal form had proven correct. That was why the two sons of Passanius had spent the last few hours binding a fallen tree with vines, rigging it like a battering ram used in the sieges that Felix spent so much time reading about. Only it would be suspended in the air, with the younger sibling cutting the vines with a sharpened rock at the right time. When Zagan was close enough to the river, leading to a demonstration whether the laws of the elements still applied to the beings of Hell. And as he opened his eyes, Seth saw that they did.

Water! Filth! Lying, decrepit filth!

"Keep talking demon..." Seth murmured, watching as the fire was extinguished by nature, as black clouds of smoke rose into the air, only to disappear. "They're your last words."

We shall never die! The thought of us is forever! We shall live on in the bleeding hearts of Men! Your world will be ours or fall to the powers of Hell!

"Forgive me if I don't tremble in my boots."

Confidence born of ignorance! You shall burn! Your bodies the playthings of hounds, your souls the feast of the Prime Evils!

Seth didn't answer. For all he knew, Zagan was telling the truth. Perhaps the woe besetting the East was the sign of something greater.

But as the demon disappeared beneath the river, he could at least take solace that Zagan at least, wouldn't be around to see it.