Okay is it me or do these chapters seem to be getting progressively longer? Anyway, I changed how a few things happen in this chapter and I like to think it was for the better. I changed them because it made more since for some things to happen differently compared to how they happened in the game. All that aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
It was impossible to imagine how Deckard Cain managed to survive in the ruins of Tristram cathedral for six days after falling into the crater after the star fell and while the undead were attacking with no food or water and considering his age, he must have been in his seventies, at least. There must have been much more to this old man than what met the naked eye. He had no injuries, not so much as a scratch or bruise and he walked just fine despite having to haunch over due to his old age. Someone or something must really favor him or he was incredibly lucky.
Upon returning to New Tristram, the guards were happy to see Deckard Cain was alive and well. They escorted him and Li-Ming to his house while one of the guards went to go search for Leah. "Thank you gentlemen. I'll take over from here." Li-Ming said. The guards nodded and went on their way. Deckard Cain sat in a chair next to the fire place in the next room while Li-Ming went to get him some water. Leah came barging in, forgetting to shut the front door as she ran in. She saw her uncle and her eyes widened in happiness and a bright smile spread across her face. "Uncle! You're alive!" She ran up to him and hugged him. Deckard Cain hugged back, Li-Ming stood there with a cup of water in her hands and watched them reunite after six long days.
Somewhere inside Li-Ming felt envious of Leah. After being uncertain of her uncle's fate, she got to see him return to her alive. Li-Ming had no one in her life to share anything special with, the only person she could ever call friend was dead. There was nothing that Li-Ming would do if it meant seeing Isendra again. All she wanted was to say good bye or at least apologize for not being there to save her before she died.
"I knew you were alive. I just knew it." Leah said, still holding on to her uncle.
"Thanks to you and your friend here." Deckard Cain replied.
"Our time is running short." Li-Ming said while handing Deckard Cain the cup of water. "What can you tell me about the fallen star?"
After taking a drink of the water that Li-Ming handed him, he said, "Not much I'm afraid though the prophecy of the end days surely points to it as a sign that the end has begun."
"Please, uncle, not more of your stories. All that matters now is that your back."
His reply made Li-Ming feel impatient. When she saved him, she could have sworn that he said they were going to discuss the matters of the fallen star, now she felt that he was wasting her time. What was there to talk about if you didn't know much about the subject? But since he mentioned it, there was something she wanted to know.
"How do you know about the prophecy?" Li-Ming asked.
"The prophecy of the End Days is contained within the Horadric tomes I inherited from my ancestor Jered Cain. It is a warning to those who could interpret it regarding Hell's ultimate invasion of our world, written by many different people throughout history in many different lands." Li-Ming had never heard of these tomes that Deckard Cain spoke of and felt compelled to ask if she may look at them, but the fallen star was within her grasp and she was growing more impatient by the second but she also needed to know what that hostile spirit was that haunted the cathedral ruins that now stood in her way.
"Come one uncle, why don't you go lay down. You're very tired." Cain nodded and Leah helped him up from his chair.
"Hold on! There's one more thing I need to know." Li-Ming exclaimed. "What was the spirit that was chasing you while you were down there?"
"That was the ghost of the Skeleton King." Cain replied. "He was once our beloved lord, Leoric. He was driven mad by Diablo's evil. He had lost both of his sons and his very soul-before he was finally defeated."
"Leoric's tale is sad, but I am here to find the fallen star, and the Skeleton King stands in my way."
"If you wish to defeat him, than the key to defeating him lies in his old crown. Seek out our blacksmith, Haedrig; He knows of its whereabouts."
Why couldn't things be simple when they would be most convenient? If it wasn't one thing it was another, but if she wanted to get to the fallen star, she had no choice but to do as informed. She left the house without saying another word.
"Leah, is your friend always so persistent?"
"I can't say really. She's only been in town since last night, but she does come off the way."
Okay, all she would have to do is ask around to find out where the blacksmith was. There was a forge across the street, no doubt where this Haedrig worked but no one was there, so the blacksmith must be taking a personal day.
Two soldiers came running up two, both panting and one of them said, "Li-Ming, come with us! It's an emergency!"
"What's wrong?" One thing after another. At this rate it wouldn't be until next week that she would be able to finally get to the star.
"It's the Blacksmith. " They motioned for her to follow and they rushed for the blacksmiths home. One of the guards opened up the cellar door to the blacksmiths home where Captain Rumford and another man with thick brown hair and goatee were engaged in an argument.
"But she's my wife!" The man shouted at Rumford.
"I understand Haedrig. I know this must be very difficult for you. I wish there was some other way, but this has to happen." Rumford turned and noticed his men return with Li-Ming. "Thank heavens you're here."
"What's happened?"Li-Ming asked.
Rumford held his arm at the distressed blacksmith and said, "Maybe you can talk some since into him. We need to get through this door but Haedrig refuses to let us through."
"What's wrong blacksmith?" Li-Ming asked.
"It's my wife. She's locked in the cellar like all those who've been bitten by the undead. They're here to put them down before the turn." Li-Ming saw where this was going and her heart went out to the blacksmith. "But I can't bring myself to do it. How can I kill my own wife?" Haedrig was desperate for some miracle to happen to prevent what he knew must happen. He and his wife shared a very happy, loving and fulfilling marriage. He never wronged his wife, and they always took care of each other. Haedrig was on the brink of tears.
Rumford walked up and said, "Haedrig. None of us want this to do this, but if you love her will do this so she won't have to suffer."
"If it will help, I will do it so you won't have to. But on one condition." Li-Ming almost felt disgusted with herself for making him do this during such a hard time such as this but her mission right now was all she cared about.
Her offer was rolling around in his head. She was offering to do what he wouldn't be able to. No one wanted to kill people you've known for years, it was difficult for all of them. All except her. She was new here and it would be easier for all of them if she were to do it, the guards didn't seem to be objecting.
"Thank you. What are you asking in return?
"Deckard Cain said you can help me find the crown of Leoric."
"I'll tell you all you want to know. Just make sure she dies peacefully, not as some mindless monster."
"I'll do what I can." Li-Ming replied softly.
Haedrig unlocked the door to the other room where there were quite a few people lying in cots, all sick from their wounds they received from the attack brought on by the undead. None of the diseased were strong enough to stand, their breathing was labored and wheezy and their skin was as pale as ghosts. It was a depressing sight and Li-Ming was almost regretting her decision to help, but these people needed to be laid to rest.
The guards unsheathed their swords and all walked to different places in the room.
"My friends, I'm sorry we have to do this!" Haedrig announced, sorrow filling his voice.
Li-Ming placed a hand on Haedrigs shoulder and said, "You are helping them. You don't need to be sorry." Haedrig said nothing in response. He wished there was some other way they could do this but the only way to make sure they won't come back was to decapitate them.
All the guards were hesitant, some even had tears falling from their faces. The diseased only watched as the guards prepared themselves, some even smiled and nodded to let them know it was okay and that they were ready. Rumford was the first, he swung his sword downwards and a snapping sound followed by the sound of blood spewing from the person's neck was heard. The other two guards did the same. They repeated this process for only a few minutes but those minutes felt like an eternity as they killed their friends.
Only the blacksmiths wife remained who laid at the end of the room and was lucky enough to have been sleeping when the guards were taking care of everyone else.
'Haedrig?" His wife said in a weak voice as Haedrig knelt down and woke her.
"Mira, my love." Haedrig held her hand in his and he began to cry. "I'm sorry Mira!"
She turned her head and saw Li-Ming and some of the guards and realized why they were here. She reached out and placed her free hand in his cheek. "There's no need to be sorry my love. I know why you are here and I do not blame you. You have given me a life worth living and don't you ever forget that. I love you Haedrig."
It touched Li-Ming's heart to see the love these two shared for one another. She didn't know anything about romantic love, she had never been…close, to anyone in that since and she doubted she ever would. She was once again reminded of Isendra but she quickly brushed the feeling away. She was growing tired of reliving that memory.
"I love you too." Haedrig was sobbing and he wept holding onto his wife who held him back as he did. He wanted to give her one last kiss on the lips before leaving but if he did he too would be infected. He only looked at his wife as Li-Ming readied her sword, holding it over Mira's neck. Mira looked at her with a smile but there was something more to her stare than that and it kind of made Li-Ming uncomfortable.
"Mira, look at me sweetheart." Haedrig said. She did as he asked and Haedrig nodded to Li-Ming giving her the go ahead. With one swing Mira's head came clean off and Haedrig closed his eyes as he cried for his wife.
"You're all brave for doing what you did here today." Li-Ming said to Haedrig and the guards as she sheathed her sword. "Never let what happened here weigh on your mind. You all did a good thing, these people had a chance to die as the men and women that they were instead of the monsters they would have been. You should all be proud of yourselves." Rumford gave her a nod but kept to himself.
"Blacksmith." She tried to be as delicate as possible. Haedrig was in a vulnerable position and she didn't want to complicate things any further for him. Haedrig looked at her and she gave him an expecting stare. "The crown?"
"Give him a rest would you, for pities sake!" One of the lesser guards yelled.
"Look, Deckard Cain informed me that your old king, Leoric, has returned from the dead thanks to the power of the fallen star! If you wish to live I need to know where the crown is!" Li-Ming got down on her knees so as to be eye level with Haedrig. "I know this is a difficult time, but I need to know where the crown is."
Haedrig took in a deep breath and wiped his tears from his face. "You can find it with his chancellor-my grandfather. You can find his tomb in the cemetery in the weeping hollow."
"Thank you Haedrig. I'm sorry for your loss." She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and got up to leave.
"If there's something you could do for me?" Headrig asked.
"What do you need?" Li-Ming replied.
"If you see my apprentice out there. Would you tell him to get back to town?"
"I will keep my eyes open."
"Hold on" Rumford stopped her before she left. "Be careful when you go in there. I've heard there are traps that were set to keep people out of that tomb and there is word that a terrible thing guards those halls."
"What kind of thing?" Li-Ming asked
"A monster. There have been thieves reported to have gone into that crypt and the guards that were sent there come back with nothing, not even after waiting for hours."
"I'll keep my wits about me. Thank you captain." She said then left.
All this pain, all of this death because of this fallen star. If anything, all that has transpired fueled her ambition. She not just wanted to find the fallen star because it was her destiny but because finding it may put an end to the turmoil that plagued this town since the star fell from the sky. Whatever magic it contained couldn't be good if all it did was bring the dead back to life to feed on innocent people. She felt so bad for the blacksmith and didn't want to imagine the kind of pain he must have been going through. She knew the pain of loss but not like he was going through. She had lost a friend but Haedrig lost his wife, his love. She hoped that it wouldn't change the man. The people of Tristram were good people from what she has experienced and have suffered enough.
A wooden bridge outside of the back gate lead her to a trail with posts leading the way all lit by lanterns. She took that as a good sign since someone would have had to light the lanterns and that indicated that there were no dangers that would complicate things for her along the way. With the sun setting, the weeping hollow, as it was called, had a chilling effect to it. The trees were big and compacted into each other, they were so close she was surprised that they were even able to grow. She wondered what kind of creatures must lurk in these woods. No doubt the undead were among them, she was on her way to a cemetery, most likely where the undead came from when they started attacking, so it stood to reason there must be a few lurking about, looking for anything to fill their ever hungry bellies with.
She figured from now on she would keep from thinking about such things as she stumbled upon a lone zombie. It was hunched over and it somehow had caught a rabbit that it was currently eating. The poor thing had a huge chunk ripped from its belly and pieces of its insides dangled freely. The zombie noticed Li-Ming but before it could up and attack she cast a lighting spell on it and zapped it until it was dead.
She walked some more and came across a clearing and the cemetery sat a few yards ahead of her. The trail she was following had been damaged because a large tare in the earth split it in half. She wondered how this could have happened but figured it must have been damage caused by the impact from the fallen star when it collided with the ground. She finally made to the main gate and entered the grave yard. With some walking around she counted how many tombs there were and counted four, each one on a different corner of the cemetery. She had no idea which one was the right one, the thought of her spending all night in these tombs until she finally found the correct one frustrated her, it would be just another setback. Hopefully, with any luck, her first choice will be the right choice.
She picked one and opened the tomb with some effort, discovering a staircase that lead downward into pitch darkness. She went down and could not see anything ahead of her, save for a small blue light some distance down. It was her only sign that anything of importance was down here, she held her hand up and casted a fireball in her hand to give her some light so she could at least see what was in front of her. Now that she had some light she could see coffins that were sitting in compartments that were built into the wall with statues of fallen warriors standing a few feet away. Being alone in the dark tomb made her ultra-alert, she kept all her senses about her. At one point she thought she heard footsteps behind her and she quickly turned around only to find no one was there and it could have been a trick of the brain but there times she thought she saw shadows move in the darkness, she looked down a corridor and she saw a solid black mass run down the hall until it couldn't be seen anymore. If this wasn't the right crypt it was going to be a long night.
The blue light came into focus and she could see human bones and skeletons, dressed in old armor, scattered throughout the room before she went in. As for the light, it was sitting in an elaborate glass jar in the center of the room and Li-Ming could feel its magic. Hoping to observe it, she stepped closer to it then the doors in the room closed shut on their own. Li-Ming was trapped, blue orbs shot from the jar and went off into separate directions, each one landing on a skeleton. The blue orbs were souls and they were possessing the skeletons. She looked down at the jar in surprise, it was a defense mechanism, a trap for those who would come in here and steal from the crypt. "I don't believe it! A trap!" She said. The possessed skeletons surrounded her and she drew her sword, there were so many she would have no choice but to use magic down here if she wanted to live. With one hand she concentrated a wave of force spell and fired it into the crowd. The skeletons she hit broke apart as the force of the blast pushed them back. She fired again at the group running up behind her, their bones flying back throughout the room. A skeleton came up her flank and swung its sword, it missed as Li-Ming ducked and she cut upwards against the skeletons armor then shot a wave of force directly at it.
More souls shot from the jar, possessing more of the skeletons and that's when something occurred to her. She looked at the jar and thought that maybe if she destroyed it then the souls would stop coming and she would be able to rid herself on the skeletons before they over powered her. She switched to a fire spell and shot a fireball at the jar, completely obliterating it. The souls inside scattered in all directions and the skeletons went limp and fell, some breaking into pieces when they did. For such a trap to be down here, there must have been something in this crypt worth protecting, something that needed to not be found and there was only one thing she could think of. To Li-Ming's relief the doors opened up again and she promptly left the room.
It was pretty uneventful in the crypt since the trap and Li-Ming lost track of time. She had no idea how long she had been down there now but it felt like forever, her stomach growled and she placed her hand on her belly. Maybe she should've eaten something before she left, she was in such a hurry that she had forgotten to feed herself. It wasn't the first time this has ever happened. There were plenty of occasions when she was at the Yshari Sanctum where she would go whole days in a row without eating because she would be too involved with her reading and practicing her magic to remember that food was a necessity. Many blamed it on her obsessive nature and some even joked that her death would be from malnutrition. Maybe next time she would remember to at least pack a snack, even if her journey brought her to a dark, smelly and possibly haunted crypt like she was in now.
After adventuring through the crypt she came across a stairwell that lead to a lower level, so far she saw no signs of the monster Rumford warned her about, maybe they were just stories and those who had adventured down here died by some other means. Even if there was a monster down here she had nothing to fear. She was a powerful wizard prodigy and was protected by destiny. When she made to the bottom of the stairs she noticed the ceiling was higher and the corridors and were more elaborate with royal carvings. "Now this looks like a crypt fit for a chancellor." She said.
On the other side of the corridor an old metal gate stood ajar, with one door hanging on a single hinge. She passed through it and saw a collapsed pillar with bodies lying next to it. She knelt down and inspected them. They looked like they had been dead for some time because there was some decay and they looked as if something had crushed them mercilessly because she noticed one had a crushed skull and some of their limbs had been pulled right off of their bodies.
All of sudden, loud banging on the door ahead, startled her and she backed a way. Whatever was on the other side was big. She looked at the bodies and thought whoever these people were must have locked it in. Another bang on the door and the door cracked, Li-Ming drew her sword, another bang. A monstrous roar came from whatever was hitting the door and with one final bang, the door crashed apart into splinters and chunks of wood.
A large monster with huge spikes sprouting from its arms, shoulders and back walked forward towards Li-Ming on short stubby legs. It won't be able to move fast so maybe she would be able to use that against it. Putting her plan into action she cast balls of arcane energy at its legs and the monster blocked her magic with its massive arms. Her magic did some damage but its arms remained intact and the monster roared again, this time in anger. Resorting to a new plan Li-Ming ran towards the monster and the monster tried slamming her to the ground. Its attack would have surely killed her but she was quick to move out of the way and the monster swung again, swinging its arm to the side where Li-Ming stood and knocked her back against the wall with such force it knocked the wind out of her.
She attempted to stand but was too disoriented and she fell. The monster tried to crush her again with one hand but Li-Ming cut its hand with her sword and the monster brought its hand back and growled. She started to crawl but the monster grabbed her by the torso with both hands, pinning her arms and squeezed. Li-Ming struggled but the monster was too strong and its grip never wavered, luckily for her she had a trick up her sleeve. Starting from her chest, solid diamond started covering her whole body, and the diamond formed long, sharp points as it grew all around her, stabbing right through the monsters hands. The monster screamed in pain and threw Li-Ming across the room and she collided with another wall, but she did not feel it this time, her diamond skin spell made her invincible and nothing could damage her while she was in this form.
She had little time to act, her diamond skin could only protect her for a short amount of time before it wore off. She ran up to the monster and fired balls of arcane energy at its legs and they connected with their targets, exploding and blowing the creatures legs off. The monster fell on its belly, Li-Ming jumped back and kept her distance as the monster flailed its arms wildly. She formed an ice spell and fired a beam that froze everything in its path depending on its mass. The monster began to freeze, starting from its hands and face and the ice worked its way down slowly. When the monster was frozen solid, Li-Ming fired an arcane missile at it, destroying the monster.
Diamonds fell to the ground as her spell wore off and Li-Ming fell to her knees. Her head pounded with a bad headache and her back hurt from her meeting with the wall. Her body felt stiff as she got up and entered the next room. A statue of a hooded figure stood at the end of all with an old moth eaten pillow holding the crown. She walked slowly and climbed down a small stair case in the middle of the room. It served no purpose other than decoration and tall statues stood above the railing above her, looking down at her. She grabbed the crown, lifting it from its resting place and observed its features.
It was damaged, the crown at lost its shine with age and parts of it were broken off, she doubted anyone could get a decent price for it if they tried to sell it. Hopefully, despite his grief, she could convince Haedrig to repair it but that would have to wait until morning. Right now, she was so tired from her fight with the monster that all she wanted to do when she got back to town was get some sleep.
So let me know how guys liked the changes I made, I really hope I did a good job with them and I hope you guys liked the fighting in this one I know I had fun writing those scenes. Lol. But ta-ta for now and I'll get to work on chapter five shortly.