That makes three chapters this week. I do certainly hope that you guys like what I've done with it so far. I'm really loving writing it. I am so so inspired for it I can almost grantee I'll have another chapter up within two or three days.
Darkness. That was all she could see. An apparition appeared ahead of her but was walking away but it seemed familiar. "Isendra?" There was no way it could be. She was dead, but there she was. "Isendra!" Li-Ming ran to her. She was running as fast as she could. Isendra was walking ahead of her but no matter what, Li-Ming could not catch up with her. "Isendra wait! Please!" She begged. Isendra turned and smiled at her. Li-Ming smiled back and reached out to her. She almost caught up with her until a massive demon fell upon them.
Li-Ming was knocked back by the force, smoke erupted from underneath them as the ground cracked. The large demon stared at her with red glowing eyes that showed nothing but utter hatred, its mouth seeped with smoke and ash and intense heat radiated from its red body. Two long, thick horns protruded from its head. Its teeth were jagged and its tail was like a mighty serpent.
"Nephalem!" It dragged out the word with a deep, growling voice.
"Isendra! Get away from that thing!" Li-Ming warned. Isendra did not respond, she just stood there with the same smile before she froze solid before Li-Ming's very eyes. This couldn't be real. Li-Ming's heart pounded in her chest, tears fell from her eyes. She was reliving her greatest failure.
"You have failed her!" The demon spoke as if it had read her mind. It raised its giant hand with claws like an eagles talons. "JUST AS YOU WILL FAIL THEM!" Faster than Li-Ming could blink the demon smashed the frozen statue of Isendra, sending pieces of her flying.
"NOOO!" Li-Ming cried. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and wept.
"And you will be next." Li-Ming raised her head and the demon charged for her.
Before the demon reached her Li-Ming awoke with a beating heart and sweaty sheets. She sat up and rubbed her palm against her forehead in attempt to recollect the nightmare but remembered very little. She remembered feeling helpless and small and that was about it. She never had nightmares before, or at least not any that she could remember but this one struck a chord.
She heard someone open the door to the room and Leah opened the curtain. "Hey! You're finally awake."
"What time is it?" Li-Ming asked still trying to remember her nightmare.
"It's almost noon. I thought you would want to sleep so I didn't want to wake you." Leah responded lighting some candles to lighten the windowless room since the fire place was out.
Li-Ming smiled and said, "That's kind of you but you don't have to spare me. Your uncle is still out there. I wouldn't have minded had you decided to wake me when you did."
"I'll keep that in mind." Leah said amused for some reason. "By the way, I took the liberty of cleaning your robes while you were sleeping," Li-Ming perked up and noticed the chair she set her robes and armor on was empty and instead her cloths were now sitting neatly on Leah's desk." I also brought in a bucket with water and a fresh towel if you wanted to wash up before we left."
"Leah, it's like you've known me for years." Li-Ming said smiling. She got up and stretched not really concerned about being only in her undergarments or the that she was suffering from a messy bed head since it was just her and Leah. "Please excuse me if I sound ungrateful because truly I am not. But why do all this for me?"
"Well after what you did for us last night I thought it was the least I could do. But anyways, I'm going to leave you to it. I'll be outside when you're ready."
Li-Ming nodded and Leah left the room. She went into the other compartment and found the bucket that Leah was talking about. Li-Ming sighed, it was so unconventional, there was surely going to be water all over the floor when she was done. She'd would have preferred to soak in a tub with hot water. But did she really have room to complain? Leah was being kind to her and she had come quite the distance and a bath was definitely called for. For now it would suffice, Li-Ming wetted a cloth that was sitting on the bucket and washed up.
Thoughts of her uncle flooded Leah's mind. She wasn't able to sleep last night or the past few nights since the star fell, taking her uncle Deckard with it. She didn't want to believe that he could be dead. She had to make sure and some part of her told her that he was still alive. She really hoped she was right. She didn't know what she would do if she ever lost him. He was the only person that she was close to.
She heard Li-Ming step out of her room fully dressed with her hair pulled back in the same pony tail she had last night, looking renewed, prepared to take on anything this day would more than likely bring.
"You ready?" Leah asked.
"I was born ready." Li-Ming replied with enthusiasm. "Is there anything you want to take with us before we head out?"
"No. I've already packed some essentials. Food and health potions mostly."
"Than grab your bow, we are leaving."
Leah grabbed her bow from the table and they both set out of town to search for Leah's uncle. Leah had an anxious feeling in her stomach. She couldn't tell if it was because she was excited to see her uncle and know that he's alright when they found him or if she was afraid of the possibility that he may be dead.
"Before we can do anything we need to open the Cathedral first." Leah stated. "The guards locked it up before they were ambushed, Rumford told me they fought their way back to Adria's hut. My mother's old home. The key must still be there."
"Than that is where we will start."
Old Tristram didn't look so bad during the day, it was a lot less gloomy. Evidence of Li-Ming's battle with the undead still covered the streets of the old ruins. Leah noticed how much more damage there was to some of the buildings and minded her footing, not wanting to step on any of the undead's left over body parts.
"You did all of this?" Leah asked more rhetorically than anything.
"Yes. Impressive is it not?" Li-Ming asked with pompous curiosity.
"More like scary."
Her response was not what Li-Ming was expecting. She grunted quietly in aggravation and asked, "What makes you say that?" She tried hiding her frustration.
"For one person to do all of this with magic. It must be dangerous."
"Nonsense!" Li-Ming responded bitterly. "Magic is nothing to be afraid of when the person using it knows what they are doing and how to control it." She had seen the end results of what happens when someone loses control of their magic. She felt she was better than that.
"I guess you're right. Has your power ever scared you in the past?"
"Never." Li-Ming replied and left it at that.
A locked gate at the end of the ruins of Old Tristram blocked their path. Li-Ming inspected the large lock and thought about blasting the gate open until Leah pulled out a key and said, "Here, let me open the gate. Rumford gave me the key this morning when you were still sleeping." Li-Ming stepped aside and Leah unlocked the gate, throwing the huge lock to the side. The rusty gate creaked as Leah pushed it open and they continued on their path.
"So where's your mother if she lives here?" Li-Ming asked, facing Leah.
"Oh! Well she died when I was young and I don't much about her. I was raised by uncle Deckard." Leah responded looking down at her feet as they walked.
"I'm sorry." Li-Ming felt bad for asking.
"Oh no! It's okay. Don't worry." Leah assured.
"What of your father?"
"I was told he was a great warrior, but he was lost when Tristram fell to the demons."
There were no more questions after that. It was a tragic story. Li-Ming felt it comparable to her own if not more so. Li-Ming's parents were still alive but after she went to the Yshari Sanctum they made no efforts to see or communicate with her. Maybe she and Leah had a lot in common, and she was just starting to figure that out.
"Over there. That' Adria's hut." Leah pointed out. It was a small wood cabin with a stone foundation that had fallen under intense disrepair. Bushes and thick vines reached up the side and the front door was missing and the contents inside were ruined from exposure to the weather. The whole place smelled like mold and must. Neither of them could see anything that looked like a key inside of the small house. Li-Ming went to investigate one of the shelves when part of the floor fell from underneath her, almost taking her with it, exposing a ladder that led downward.
"A hidden cellar!" Leah exclaimed.
"Shall we take a look?" Li-Ming asked, holding out her hand allowing Leah take the lead.
The cellar was cold, mice ran across the floor, looking for places to hide, most taking shelter in barrels or holes in the wall. "I think there was more to your mother than you know." Li-Ming indicated.
"People said she was a witch. But I never believed it." Leah said with affirmation in her voice.
Down the corridor the stone floor gave way to dirt and soil, leading to a cave with a large, old cauldron in the center of the room. Leah took in the sight, she place her hand on the rim of the pot and tightened her grip on it.
"Are you alright Leah?"
She turned to Li-Ming who looked a little concerned for her. "Yeah. I'm fine. It's…It's a lot to take in, that's all." Leah looked past Li-Ming and saw corpses rise from underneath the sand, they were wearing the same armor as the guards in New Tristram. Their flesh was intact enough that Leah could make out who it was. "Captain Daltyn!" Leah shouted.
There were four of them and Li-Ming was quick to act. She cut down two of them with her Spectral Blade spell with ease and Leah shot one in the head with her bow, leaving only the former captain. Li-Ming attacked but the former soldier parried her attack with the shield it was carrying. Li-Ming was caught off guard. This one had apparently retained some of it's of memory. The zombie grabbed Li-Ming by the collar and threw her back away from it and Leah with surprising strength. Leah shot two arrows in its back and it turned to face her. Leah shot another arrow but it blocked with its shield. Li-Ming picked up one of the swords one of the other zombies was carrying and charged.
Swinging the sword downwards, the zombie turned in time and blocked Li-Ming's attack and pushed her sword away with his, causing her to stumble, leaving her open for attack. The zombie swung its sword horizontally, going for Li-Ming's neck but she blocked it and they locked blades. Li-Ming took this opportunity to summon a ball of arcane energy into her hand. She aimed at the monsters stomach and fired, the ball exploding on impact, causing the zombie to explode into pieces.
"Are you alright?" Leah asked.
"I'm fine. I wasn't expecting this one to be so intelligent." Li-Ming took the sheath from the guard who's sword she now held and wrapped it around her waist then sheathed the blade.
"He was the former Captain of the local militia. He was the one who went off with Rumford to look for my uncle." The key they were looking for was hooked around the former captain's belt. Leah picked it up and held it out to Li-Ming. "Here's the key…What I've seen down here, it's disturbing. I want to learn more about my mother but that can wait. We need to save uncle Deckard first."
"I will search for your uncle. You may stay here and learn what you can if that's what you want to do."
Leah didn't know what to say. Li-Ming's offer was tempting but she didn't want to leave Li-Ming to search for her uncle by herself. She had already done so much for the entire town, she would feel bad to leave her. But still, she didn't know anything about her mother and there were answers to be found here that may tell her all she wanted to know. "Thank you! I'll find a way to repay you. I swear!"
"No need. I am happy to help in any way I can."
Surprisingly, the Old Tristram road leading to the cathedral was clear of any creatures or undead that may have been missed. There was no way to tell how many more zombies were still lurking about but with the Wretched Mothers gone, Rumford and his men will be able to handle them should they find their way to the New Tristram gate. A large tree that had fallen from its place, leaving a deep hole in ground where its roots once held it, now laid broken in half, the top half somewhere down below the cliff that the lower half was delicately balanced. Li-Ming felt sorrow at what she saw dangling from the thick roots. Two bodies, a man and woman hung from the roots, their necks stretched and broken from the ropes that held them and looks of terror permanently marking their expressions. If she had the time, Li-Ming would have set them free from the ropes so they could rest with some dignity. She wasn't sure if there actually was any dignity in death no matter how you died because one or another it was always ugly. She guessed it was a matter of principle. "May your souls rest in peace." She said to the hanging bodies and walked on.
She didn't think that the two people hanging back there was work of the undead. Someone else who was still alive must have been responsible. There was no other way unless it was consensual suicide. If that was the case she guessed she could understand that going out your own way would be better than being eaten alive by the undead. Given the six days that Tristram was under attack it was a possibility. They probably got lost in the forest and were being chased by who knows how many of the undead and saw no other way as they lost hope. It was a sad way to go, she didn't blame them but she personally would never go that route.
Soon enough Li-Ming came across an old decadent structure. It had to be the cathedral, there were no other buildings out here of this size and architecture. If this was the cathedral she was looking for then the two big double doors would be locked since she recalled Leah telling her that the guards locked it when they left. She tested her luck and pushed on the doors, neither moved. It was definitely the one which meant the fallen star was somewhere inside. She unlocked the doors with the key Leah gave her and pushed the doors open, followed by loud creaking sounds that echoed through the main hall.
Light shined down through the hole caused by the star as if the heavens themselves were beckoning, lighting the entire hall. The magic that Li-Ming has been feeling since she arrived had gotten stronger upon her entering the building. A crater sat ahead of her at the end of the all. Blue light emanating from the bottom from where it landed. Li-Ming covered her eyes from the light and peered down, seeing that the fallen star had crashed through several floors before finally stopping. She was doubting that Leah's uncle was alive judging from what she was seeing, but she made a promise and if Leah's uncle was alive he could still be here which was fine since the star was here to which was her main objective to begin with.
Jumping down the crater Li-Ming landed on top of a stair well a few feet away from the rest of the crater. She wasn't going to risk jumping again so her only option was to navigate her way through the underground ruins of the old Gothic church. Impressed was an understatement, this place was massive. She didn't want to know how long it took to dig all of this out so this place could be built here but it was certainly no easy feat. One could easily get lost in this place if they lost all since of direction because there was no light to be had down here but all Li-Ming had to do was follow the pull she felt from the magic radiating from the star. The stronger the pull the closer she was and the only way she could go was down. She grabbed an old torch from the wall, lit it with a fire spell and followed the pull.
So many corridors with so many rooms with books and tomes that would catch Li-Ming's interest. A little conflict erupted in her head. She would have loved to stop and explore and read what books may lay down here. There was so much to learn but there wasn't enough time. Maybe one day, she would come back to this place and read until her heart was content. Or she could convince the guards to take some of the books out of here and set up an archive somewhere in town.
Would her ever going brain ever find rest, she was so conflicted between what she wanted to do and what she needed to do so often she sometimes forgot the difference between the two. She needed to find Leah's uncle and she needed to find the fallen star and here she was thinking about books and tomes when there were lives to save. She loved knowledge in all forms and hated putting it off but now was not the time for silly things. Her mind was set on the star and she was so close now that personal indulgence would serve only as a distraction from her goal.
Staying focused on the pull of the magic Li-Ming came across a big set of double doors that opened up to a set of stairs leading downwards. Before she reached the bottom of the stairs she could hear a voice telling something to stay back. Li-Ming peaked around the corner and saw an old man, with a long white beard cross the remains of the floor next to another crater caused by the fallen star before part of the roof came down and took that part of the floor with it making it tumble and fall down the crater. The old man was lucky.
"Could that be Leah's uncle?" Li-Ming thought. She was about to go to him before a blue ghostly apparition a fearsome skeleton dressed in elaborate royal armor rose from the floor before the old man.
"The Skeleton King." The old man stated with a voice of disbelief.
"The power of the fallen star awakened me! And soon all shall suffer as I have suffered!" His voice was gritty and deep and filled with anger. The skeletal apparition raised his hand and blue orbs emerged from it surrounding the old man, skeletons dressed like soldiers replacing the orbs. "Guards! Bring me his bones." The apparition said before vanishing from sight.
Li-Ming darted down the stairs and quickly sprang into action. She unsheathed the sword she took from the undead that was in Adria's basement and sliced underneath one of the skeleton's rib cage, severing the spine in half. She didn't want to use too much magic down here, knowing that she could accidently harm the old man or worse cause the entire place to collapse. "Old man! I will save you!" She yelled to him.
He did nothing but stand in fright as Li-Ming cut down the skeletons. One came in from her right and attempted to swing its sword. Li-Ming parried it then used her free hand to cast a wave of force at the creature, the intensity of the spell pushed the skeleton away from her, making it fall into pieces. Another one came in from the front but missed as she jumped back to avoid getting hit casting another wave of force at its direction, hitting more than one this time. One more remained, this one stood in front of the old man, keeping her from being able to use what little magic she dared down here.
She thought of an approach and went for it. She charged straight for the skeleton and the creature thrust his sword forward attempting to stab her. Li-Ming jumped to the left and used her opening to take out its legs. She cut right through its knees and the skeleton fell on its front side. Li-Ming followed up with cutting its head off, ending the battle.
She sheathed her sword than turned to face the old man. "Is your name Deckard?" She asked.
"Yes. My name is Deckard Cain. You have my thanks stranger but why would you risk yourself for me?"
"You live." She replied, feeling he should act a little more grateful that she went through so much trouble to find him. "Fortune smiles on you old man. I'm here to bring you back to Leah."
Placing a hand over his heart, he sighed a breath of relief. "It is wonderful to hear that Leah is well. I've feared the worst."
"Come on. If you wish to see her again we need to find a way out of here." Deckard Cain walked to a bookshelf on the wall and pulled out a book revealing a secret passage way leading to the outside. "How did you know? Is that why you ran here to get away from that thing?"
He smiled and nodded. "I learned of this passage way through old maps I found trying to escape."
"Well let's get you home so you can rest. You've been through quiet the ordeal. I'm sure Leah will be most pleased to see that you're okay."
A relieving breeze hit them as they opened the door to the outside. "We must discuss the fallen star. Follow me back to Tristram and I will explain things to you once we get there." Deckard Cain said. With the hordes stopped and Leah's uncle found, only one last thing stood between her and the fallen star. Whatever that apparition was would most likely come after her as it did Deckard Cain and as soon as it was dealt with, the fallen star was hers.
Now I know there may be one or two things I've skipped but I skipped them as a matter of pacing. But if any of you have any suggestions for me do let me know. I would be interesting in hearing your ideas. But for now cheers and I'll be back with chapter four soon.