There was so damned much I wanted to cover in this chapter and so this chapter now holds the record of being the longest one of this story. The next few chapters should be interesting because I have so much planned with the new characters coming into the fold. How I see it, it should make things intense. I look forward to seeing what you all may have to say about this one too because again, there is so much that I put into this one. So I'm going to leave you all to it and I hope you all enjoy it. ;)
There was a deeper side to things that was not always as apparent even to the most highly acute minds. Nothing was always as it seemed and they both knew that very well. Their minds were trained to be open and objective. Unyielding like a stone boulder being pushed uphill only for the one carrying it to have its weight heavily push upon his shoulders and he unable to push any further or have his life extinguished. His body crushed beneath the stone as it tumbled down again. That was their strength. Their minds and bodies having been pushed way beyond the physical limitations of man and hardened like the most perfect and flawless of diamonds, but there was still something that they were unable to see. The Gods of Order were as quiet and as untrustworthy as ever in these lands their voices were ever stilled; but, the Gods of Chaos sang with enthusiasm and their songs were as clear as the cleanest window. Zhota could feel their presence here as he could in many parts of the world and as could his apprentice. The wind blew like the breath of a hungry dragon and it stank of blood and corruption. There were lots of stories in these deserts and none at all joyous.
As it was in Ivgorod in the woods of Gorgorra, nothing in these lands were as they seemed. The Gods of chaos have birthed many illusions here and their influence spread with each day passed like a plague in the wind, spreading within one population until there was no one more to corrupt and the Gods of Chaos were the most dangerous kind of plague. They didn't stop spreading; they kept corrupting everything they touched, from the ground on which they stood to the air in which they breathed. It was toxic, but sadly necessary. Balance was the key to all things and the Gods of Order and Chaos where the scale on which the balance stood. How unsavory it was when the balance tipped against them and that was always disastrous no matter what side of the scale was heaviest. The Gods of Order were just as dangerous and when it was them who were the threat against the world; who would be there to stop them? That is why it was important to remember that neutrality was the final piece to the puzzle.
Humanity was that neutrality and the monks were its representatives. The grand majority of humanity would never realize this fact and though it saddened him to know this but, he also knew that there were always going to be those who would stand up to either the sides of the scale and preserve the balance; whether they were aware of it or not. That was their purpose, their reason for being; to preserve the balance as best they could. That's why they were there, in these deserts of this forsaken land. The balance had been violated and who else but they were best suited to tip it back to its center? Kehjistan will always be a prime victim for the Gods of Chaos and their never ending schemes. It was a polluted kingdom and was but a sponge to the waters of corruption. People in their positions of their self-induced power were easily persuaded with promises of advantage. An impure heart was always the most fragile one.
Their hearts were hardened and pure and their minds were complete and sharp. Zhota turned his stone hard gaze to his apprentice and saw how his training her since her childhood had achieved this very effect. Her glare was hard and piercing like a knife; her brows indefinitely furrowed and her expression serious and unwavering, even in the intense heat of the desert. Outside, her shielding and warding demeanor was unshakable. Having the ability to turn men away who would approach her for her beauty, but on the inside was a different tale. Inside, was confidence, valor and purity of self and spirit. Her focus; intense and still sharpening. Her body was a lithe weapon. Her arms slender but toned, a physical reminder of her raw strength that could crumple a sturdy wall made of the finest stone to pebbles.
Tilka had come a long way to achieve what she has and she has made him proud. When he first found her, she was but a small child. Scared and crying over her parents' bodies. They never found the one who murdered her parents and against his better judgement, he couldn't turn her down and leave her. He had taken her under his wing. He trained her, pushed her to be more and now she had no fear. She was everything Zhota believed she would become which is more than he could say about his own master whose words still guided him to be better despite his treachery against him and the Patriarchs. Akyev was a hard man and the best among the monks when he was alive. He was brutal in his methods and very easily disappointed. Zhota remembered hoping to one day make his master proud and he pushed himself beyond the brink to get there but that day never came. Then came the day when Akyev ordered him to do something that he simply could not do. He never could do even if he knew he should have, but it would have been wrong.
There was a child, a young child whose eyes were blankly white as milk that cried blood tears. He was an abomination that should have been destroyed, but Zhota couldn't bring himself to do it because even though he was a demonic spawn, he was innocent and his master tried to kill them both for his inability to follow his command. It was in that day that he learned that some things were better off unburied. He failed as a monk of the Patriarchs but he was not going to fail as a human being. He made this clear as he trained Tilka that there will be times when decisions would have to be made and the hardest choices were often the same as the right choices, and it would be her heart that would have to make this choice, not her mind. So far, Tilka had not come face to face with such a choice but he knew that whether or not he was going to be around to see it, that someday a choice like that will present itself to her and whatever she chose will determine the path her future will take. He Prayed to the Gods that on that day, that she will make the right choice. Just as he believed he'd done all those years ago when he saved that young boy.
Tilka looked at her master, his face pointing forward and his hands tightly holding to the reigns of the camel he was riding. His Long, brown beard moving slightly with the wind that blew through the canyon. No normal man would look at him and see how busy his mind was. His mind was a constant road of thought and she could see it every time, no matter how hard her master tried to hide it from her. He did everything right. His expression otherwise unassuming and disinteresting but she did not need to read his face to see it. It was in his eyes.
"You are lost in thought, master." Tilka pointed out.
She was very keen to reading people, even him. He was a rock and he was cold. Only she was able to know what and when it was he was thinking even when he tried to hide it from her. He had trained her well and she was able to read the most stoic of people. How it is she came to acquire her hyper sensitive perception was unknown to him but he knew she took her training to heart. She must have devoted a great deal of her meditations on this skill. Watching and listening to people as that crossed her path and silently reading them. Looking at their expressions, paying close attention to the subtle details of every facial feature she could recognize and relating them too whatever emotions they were expressing at the time. He believed that one day she will surpass him. He wanted her too, but she still had much to learn.
His tongue was still and for a moment he listened to the clumps of their camel's hooves as they marched on. He expected her to follow up on her statement but she instead waited on his reply and would probably wait until he spoke next. That was how she was; very direct.
Zhota closed his eyes and sighed. He opened his eyes back up and said, "Tilka, your ability to observe in impressive, but you need to look beyond the physical." She did not understand and waited for him to continue. "You can since the hand that looms over this place, and since its evil. Your hearing is wide and you can hear its taunting as it cowers behind its illusions but you do not feel the uncertainty in the winds of fate."
"An uncertainty? Perhaps the Gods of Order have finally decided to reveal themselves to these lands and are making an attempt to shift the balance."
"Perhaps." The Gods of Order were among them but they decided to leave their hands on their faces, masking themselves so as to not make their identities known. He could not find a reason why they would do this. Why they would decide to sit back and watch behind a veil, but who was he to try and dissect the reasoning of the Gods. "But, for whatever reason they have, they are in hiding. I do not believe they are seeking to purify these lands from the Gods of Chaos. No. Whatever is causing this uncertainty is not of the Gods."
"Maybe it would be wise for us to search in the inner city of Caldeum? We haven't turned our gaze their once and this uncertainty you speak of may be hiding there." When they arrived in Kehjistan; Caldeum was not their top priority.
"No. The God of Chaos that has made its home there is slow. We have time. As much as this uncertainty bothers me, our attention is needed in the borderlands where a more a "active" evil is permeating the air with its stink."
"The godless witch you spoke of."
"She is not godless, Tilka. She has given her dedication to the Gods of Chaos," That in of itself was not an offense to him. Better to worship a God of Chaos then no god at all. "But, she has crossed the line and must be put to death. She tips the balance without thinking of the consequences and it makes me nauseous."
"I see. Please forgive my ignorance master." Zhota had wisdom that she had never seen in anyone else. She was grateful for being the one for whom he passed his wisdom onto. During her training she worked hard to let him know, through her accomplishments, that everything he did for her was noticed. If she disappointed him, she would train herself to exhaustion as a form of personal punishment and she would not stop until she felt satisfied which would go on long into the night and sometimes to the next day without sleep, rest or food. He had told her many times that her doing that was not needed but she needed to prove that to herself first. He had saved her life and so failure to meet her master's standards was not an option.
He stared at his apprentice once more, the tones of her clothing matched her perfectly. The dominate orange of her robes and the underlying lair of silky red was a symbol of her passion. Her dedication to her training and to him was clear her loyalty was strong. The blue, silk sash she wore around her waist had many meanings. Blue was the color of the ocean and like the ocean, her moves and thoughts flowed smooth and calmly until a storm brews and turns the pleasant waves into an unstoppable tsunami. She was both. Calm and unstoppable.
"You need not apologize my apprentice. You are still young and so your mind still has more room for knowledge not yet learned."
He saw for the first time in a long time, a slight indication of a smirk on her face before it vanished. He couldn't see her eyes from where he was because her hair was swayed to the side and it prevented him from seeing them, but he knew that if he could them that there would be a bit of a shine before they turned back to stone.
"Master, I…"
"Shhh!" He hushed her. They both soon felt something hiding within the canyon walls. There were caves that lead into tunnels all over this canyon and they have traveled deep. There was a deathly silence and as they looked around they saw nothing but they knew something was watching them. Zhota grabbed onto his bo staff and held it tightly. To others it would be a simple stick of wood, but to Zhota it was an extension of his body and if his will was strong and if he showed no hesitation, then the staff will not splinter. He had fought his master with a similar staff once, but it was ruined by the battle and no longer of any use to him. He had hesitated. He was facing his master, the one he strived to be, so how could he not. After that day, he never again made that mistake.
Rocks tumbled off of the canyon walls and they heard footsteps running all round them, above and out of site. "Remember Tilka. When the ill wind blows, the tree that bends will break." Tilka heard his words and nodded. They were the same words that his master had passed onto him and now they had been passed to her many times, and she never tired of hearing them. It was a reminder, a brief summary of everything she was trained for. To show no fear, or hesitation; lest she desire to be vulnerable. Unlike her master, Tilka fought with no armaments. She did not see it as pure; no disrespect to her master. Hand to hand combat was her choice and her master accepted that to which she was glad. She had trained with weapons but rarely ever utilized them.
The camels were uncomfortable; they whined with concern and Zhota dismounted. Tilka followed his lead and the camels ran back along with their luggage.
A small red orb with a lit wick popped from the side of the canyon, the sun reflected off of its shiny surface and it was heading for the space in between the monks. Tilka jumped and grabbed the small glass vile. She twirled in the air and threw it back to where it was thrown from the and the canyon ledge exploded when the vile made impact with the canyon. Black, humanoid, cat like creatures ran to safety, three running behind the monks, after the camels and two running in front of them and each one was holding a primitive weapon of some variety.
"Master! What are these creatures?" The cat like humanoids were jumping up and down, roaring with bared fangs. They slapped their hands against the ground like wild primates. Tilka could see these creatures, whatever they were, were female. Both of them had the features of a human feminine body but their bodies were covered in black fur. Their torsos were at least twice the average length of a humans and their ribs were pronounced, like they hadn't eaten for a while. Their hands had only four skinny fingers with sharp, curved claws that could cut clean through a man's skin.
They were also wearing some sort of leather on their chests, fore arms and legs, with some kind of tribal decorative novelties. Thin cloths wrapped around their bracers with thick, damaged, fur or feathers sticking out from the back matching the length of their arms up to their elbows. One had its hair pulled back and braided near the end, wrapped with some kind of metal hair tie but both had at least one or two smaller braids nearer to their faces.
"They're Lacuni, be vigilant!"
One of the Lacuni was holding a spear made simply of a stick and a sharp rock tied to the end with a tendon. It held its arm up and high standing on its hind legs now instead of all fours. It got a running start and ran to the edge of the wall before it threw its spear with great speed. Lacuni females were expert hunters. Having a great deal of experience and knowledge that was not to be toiled with and the spear was hurling toward Zhota with master accuracy. It would have hit him in the chest if he hadn't simply shifted his shoulder to the left and the spear missed him. It hit the ground and stuck out diagonally, slightly vibrating from the force of impact.
Tilka looked behind her and saw the camels they were riding that had run away were being torn apart by the other three that followed them. They tore their ribcages apart and shoved their hungry maws with clumpy handfuls of dripping, red, meat. She ran to deal with them and Zhota stayed to face the other two but there was something not quite right here. There was one missing. Females never hunted alone, not without their alpha. So where was the male? He didn't know but he didn't have much time to think about it as the other female threw another red vile with the same volatile substance and Zhota summersaulted out of the way. It exploded and he ran. He ran up and jumped from edge to edge of the canyon wall until he was level with the two that challenged him.
The two females charged at him, one jumped in the air, hands clenched and open with her claws ready to tear into his flesh and her mouth roaring with rage. Zhota focused on a point on the tip of his bo and lunged it upward, striking the Lacuni under the chin. Zhota heard the Lacuni's lower jaw crack as it broke and she was hurled upward from the hit until she hit the roof of the canyon tunnel. Before she landed the other Lacuni jumped, attempting to grab his torso and force him to the ground but missed as Zhota jumped, spread his legs and the Lacuni missed him. The dead lacuni hit the ground and the other sank its claws into the rock so she could pull herself towards the monk quickly.
There was a small rock, one that could fit perfectly in the palm of someone's hand near his foot and Zhota kicked it at the Lacuni and it struck it in the cheek bone. The Lacuni flinched and held onto its now broken cheek. Zhota got a running start and with immense focus on his fist, he punched the Lacuni in the stomach. Its insides were scrambled and its ribcage shattered. It vomited blood as it fell to the ground and died.
Zhota wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned his attention to where his apprentice was. There were three of the Lacuni left and they were all engaged in combat. One of the Lacuni swiped its open, clawed hand at Tilka's face and missed as she bared left with little effort and the Lacuni tried again with its other hand but missed again. Tilka grabbed the Lacuni's wrist and pulled so that Lacuni was closer and with an open palm, Tilka struck the Lacuni's elbow, snapping it backward and the Lacuni twirled and rolled around on the dirt in agonizing pain.
Another Lacuni came from behind her and Tilka ducked as it swung its claws at her. Tilka raised her elbow and hit the lacuni in the chest and the creature was forced back and landed on its stomach. The last one tried throwing its spear at her, but Tilka caught it, turned it around so the tip was facing the lacuni and ran. The Lacuni grabbed the spear but was lifted off its feet as it held on. Tilka ran as hard as she could before the Lacuni was shoved into the canyon wall and the spear went straight through and into the solid rock.
The Lacuni was still alive for a little as it tried to pull the spear out of its torso but the spear would not move. The creatures blood, trickling down the spear and spilling on to the sand. The creature slowly stopped moving until it hung limply, showing that it was finally dead. The one that Tilka had broken its arm was still alive but it was whining and unable to fight. It was now too weak and Tilka finished it quickly. She stood above it, and wrapped the top side of forearm under the creature's neck, lifted and squeezed. There was a popping sound as the Lacuni's neck broke and Tilka let it down after.
From way at the top of the canyon wall, laid a young blonde girl who watched in amazement at the display of the monk's strength. She could not tell if these people were friend or foe and chose not to make her presence known. She also did not believe that these people were the ones she was looking for as she couldn't since any arcane energies within them. Neither of them were the wizard that the cultists had barked at her about the night before.
Zhota approached his apprentice who slapped her fist in her palm and cracked her knuckles. He slapped his hand on her shoulder and said, "Good work my apprentice. You have certainly learned much from your training." His mustache lifted as he gave her a smile. Tilka gave a small smile herself as she closed her eyes and bowed her head at her master, feeling lifted by his words. "Come! Let us salvage what we can from our camels before anymore show up."
"Are we expecting anymore?"
"It is likely. As you could no doubt tell, these Lacuni were all female and females never hunt alone. There is always a male to fight along with them." Males were much larger than the females and certainly more dangerous. While female Lacuni chose to fight from a distance, males were the ones who handled all of the close up combat. "I imagine we would have a more difficult time fighting these creatures if a male were here to fight alongside of them. And, it is strange that they would be the ones to pick a fight anyway."
"Why, master?"
"Lacuni tend to not pick fights unless they are threatened or starving. We did not threaten them and look here." He knelt down to one the Lacuni that Tilka had killed and said, "Observe." He pointed to its torso where its ribs were clearly able to be seen and its body looked to skinny for its height. Tilka saw what he was getting at. These Lacuni were desperate which would explain why three of the five of them fled for the camels and ate them as savagely as they did. "That may explain why the male isn't here as well. It is possible that these females overpowered and killed him for his meat."
"If that's true then it must have been some time ago, master. These Lacuni are too skinny to have eaten recently."
"Then we must keep our eyes open and our minds focused. If these females were desperate enough to kill their own alpha, then who knows how many more roam this canyon."
They rummaged through the destroyed carcasses of their dead camels. A lot of it was covered in blood and Tilka felt disgusted going through it. She had blood on her hands and it stained the wrappings around her hands and arms. Zhota was indifferent having had to do much worse than this many times in his forty years of life. They collected what they could carry which wasn't a lot. Most of their stuff was covered in blood or scratched up and destroyed by the Lacuni.
The blonde was about to move away and continue her search for the wizard but she accidentally knocked a few rocks off of the edge and the noise instantly gathered the attention of the monks. They looked up and they saw the silhouetted head of something they couldn't see and Tilka swiftly took action. She grabbed the Lacuni spear that was stuck in the canyon wall and pulled it out, the Lacuni that was hanging from it dropping to the ground with a thump. She pulled her arm back and with a mighty hurl, tossed the spear into the air.
The spear went through the rock and the tip protruded through, and the blonde gasped. She held her hands on her mouth to prevent herself from making any sudden noises and she closed her eyes tightly, thanking her lucky stars that she was not hit. She would not have survived such an attack. No normal man or woman could throw such a simplistic weapon through solid rock like that. She opened her eyes, backed up and slowly pushed herself away from the canyon edge. When she was far enough away and feeling comfortable enough to stand, she got up and ran. Maybe she would have better luck nearer to the city of Caldeum.
Tilka kept her eyes on the edge where they saw the silhouette and waited for something to happen. Zhota could feel that whatever it was that was watching them had been scared away by Tilka's assault and he grabbed his apprentice's arms and said, "It's gone, Tilka. Come, let us finish collecting what we can and continue our way to the borderlands."
Tilka nudged but then looked back up to the canyon edge. At first she had thought it was the male Lacuni that they weren't seeing, but she didn't think it would have simply run away after being attacked. Whatever that was, was a person. She didn't like that someone knew that they were out here and she didn't like not knowing if they were friendly or not, even more. She took a deep breath and relaxed herself. She couldn't allow for any kind of anxiety to cloud her mind and her judgement. She needed to remain calm and clear. They will deal with whatever came their way accordingly. She had no reason to be anxious.
Xxxxx
Li-Ming was wetting her hair near Haedrig's forge and splashed some over her face and dabbed some on her neck, feeling a little bit of it leak down her back. Lyndon, Kormac and Malachi were pissing and moaning about the heat since she had woken up that morning and Lyndon was complaining over the aspects of getting sunburnt. Li-Ming silently laughed to herself. Being Xian, she's been used to warm temperatures her whole life and she hadn't been sunburnt since she was a child. Plus, it wasn't like the fact that it was hot would bother her much anyway. Not when she was going to be casting a thin lair of frost to provide her with some more, favorable temperature conditions; and, the best part was there was no longer a certain someone around who could tell her what she could and could not do.
She stopped what she was doing for a moment the instant she thought about that. Valthek was dead now and it was hard to believe. The man was as stubborn as she was when he wanted to be and he was still pretty spry for a man as old as he was. Had she really injured him so badly that he succumbed to his wounds. At first she didn't want to believe it because they may have had their disagreements, but she still called him master, although rather begrudgingly. She wondered how the Yshari Sanctum was maintaining itself. The three most powerful mages, Isendra, Valthek and herself, were no longer there so who was there to lead it. She searched the depths of her memory palace and started going through all the names of all who were there and none she believed had the fortitude to lead the sanctum.
One the last things he told her before she left, after their duel, was that he believed that it would be her that would go on to succeed him. If she had chosen to that, she would have become the first woman to lead the Yshari Santum in its history. As she thought about it she supposed she didn't really want that. What she was doing now, was all she ever wanted to do and she never held leadership of the Sanctum as an idea for her future, as secure as it would have been. What she was doing now was worth losing that position.
She grabbed a brush and ran it through her hair, feeling and hearing all of the nots being pulled out with each stroke of the brush. It was the only thing she hated about having hair that was as long as hers. When it was up in her pony tail it was hardly ever a problem, but when it was down it reached passed her back and was a mess to handle, but she thought she did a good enough job.
"Hey!"
Li-Ming craned her neck and saw Leah walking up to her and Li-Ming almost didn't recognize her. She was wearing a thin, white, button up tunic covered with a brown corset. Her pants were a light brown and they matched her boots. Li-Ming thought that outfit made her look lovely. She always thought that Leah was an attractive young woman, no matter what she wore. Not that Li-Ming would ever admit that out loud to her or anyone for that matter. She didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea, most of all not the people who she spent most of her time with every day. There were very few secrets to be kept between them when it came to what they all did on their free time anymore. They knew when Lyndon would secretly sneak a drink of his favorite alcohol because they would smell it on him. Kormac was caught trying to learn how to play cards by himself despite him saying that he didn't care much for it, though he really wanted to beat Lyndon at his own game. Very little privacy between them all. So Li-Ming kept her thoughts to herself most times. Just as she always had done from the start.
"Hey, Leah!" She gave a small smile. "How are you?"
"Here, let me help you." Leah grabbed the brush from Li-Ming's hand and started brushing her hair for her. Li-Ming sensed something odd about her. Leah seemed distant like something was bugging her, but what it was Leah hasn't said. Li-Ming was a little relieved however, because she hated having to brush her hair especially when it came to the back. Leah brushed slowly over the same spot for a few strokes, smoothing out Li-Ming's hair and Leah said, "You know, you have very pretty hair. How do you keep it so healthy?" Li-Ming's black hair was smooth and thick. The sun shined off of it brilliantly and Leah kind of wished that she had hair like hers. But, she didn't know if she wanted it to be as long as Li-Ming's. Leah didn't know much of anything about Xian culture and wondered if all Xian girls had their hair like Li-Ming had hers.
Li-Ming laughed. "It's a tedious task, but maintaining good hygiene is basically how I do it."
"Do all girls in Xiansai have hair like this?"
"No, of course not. It's simply a common hair style among my people. There are plenty of Xian men that have long hair as well."
"As long as yours even?" Leah couldn't imagine a man with hair that long. She has seen plenty of men with long hair but it hardly got passed their shoulders. It was funny that of all the places that she and her uncle have visited and explored, they never once turned their sights on Xiansai. She knew nothing about it, its people, or the culture. All she knew that it was an isolated nation that developed completely free of foreign influence. Maybe when all of this was over, she would make plans to visit Xiansai. She could maybe even take Li-Ming with her. From what she knew it sounded like it has been a very long time since Li-Ming was last inside of her own homeland.
"Sometimes, yes. My father had pretty lengthy hair and my mother's was as long as mine is now." Leah tried to imagine what Li-Ming's parents looked like. She couldn't put any features on her father but imagined that Li-Ming took after her mother. Her mother having the same pretty hair, the same soft and gentle facial features expect for their eyes. Li-Ming's sharp, emerald green eyes were like daggers and they made you feel small when she glared at you with contempt.
"Hair braid?" Leah asked and Li-Ming handed the little rubber strand to her. She gathered all of Li-Ming's hair together and banded it together with the braid.
"There, all done."
"Excellent." Li-Ming stood up and stretched. "Now I suppose I should head to the bazaar and search for Asheara. She told me that I needed to talk to her before we headed out."
"Don't bother." Kormac said walking up to them and pointing to the commander as she approached the camp with two of her men following behind her.
"Commander." Li-Ming said with lack of respect.
"Li-Ming. I am assuming that you will be on your way into the borderlands, yes."
"Yes, but if I may ask commander; how is it that you found us?"
"Well these refugees are many and their eyes see all. When you travel with a big man adorned in golden armor with a sword that glows with brilliant light even in the day time. It's kind of hard to miss." Asheara noticed on all three of their faces a look of apprehension and smiled. "You need not worry. I will make sure that the imperial guard never find your camp. I also doubt that the refugees will tell them anything as well. The imperial guard give them no reason to be trusted. Your secret is safe with the Iron Wolves."
Lyndon walked out of his tent, his green trench coat wrapped around his arm and his shirt once again stained with his sweat. He wiped his brow and sighed. Curse this heat. He heard the mumbling of a conversation and when he lifted his head, he saw Asheara talking with Li-Ming, Leah and Kormac. He rolled his eyes and figured that this was somewhat important if she was here to talk with them personally and headed over to join in so he was up to date on anything that would be good to know.
At the forge, Haedrig stopped working and listened in as well. He thought it all as well that he should also know what was going on. He may not have been in the front lines like they were but he didn't like being kept out of the loop.
"What do you want commander?" Li-Ming asked impatiently.
With a snap of her fingers, Asheara held her hand out to one of the guards who handed her a few sheets of rolled of paper. "I hold in my hand a star chart for you guys to navigate when it gets dark out. We still do not yet know where Maghda is hiding, but we know from our scouts that some of her men our held up in the desert passed the Sundered Canyon. We also know that she is passed the Khasim Outpost as well and it will take you at least a week and a half on camel back to get there from here."
"Why do we need a star chart?" Lyndon asked.
"Because," Li-Ming answered. "It is wiser to travel in the desert at night when it is not so hot. The star chart will guide us to our destination, but it will make little difference. Leah and I have lived here before. We know how to travel through the desert and I know how to get to the Khasim Outpost from here. I have been there a few times."
"We also have the best map we could find of the surrounding landscapes should you guys travel during the day, and lastly," Asheara unbound one of the sheets and unfolded it. "A contract that I need you to sign, Li-Ming. In exchange for us letting you go."
"What?" Li-Ming said grabbing hold of the paper. It read:
In accordance of the will of the Iron Wolves; I, Li-Ming, here by agree to follow and serve the word of the Iron Wolves and should I deviate, or rebel; I forfeit all rights and will respectfully hand myself over the authorities for my crimes against the Yshari Sanctum and the empire of Kejistan. By signing this agreement, I am declaring that I have read and understood all terms and conditions provided by the Iron Wolves until further notice.
"You wrote this up yourself." She said holding the parchment up in front of Asheara, who said and did nothing. "You can't honestly expect me to agree to this."
Asheara produced a quill pen from a pouch around her belt, held it out and said, "Sign it or I will have you locked away faster than you can blink. I want to make sure that you are on and stay on our side. It may not be an official document but as soon as it is signed I will have the courts approve it so that this remains legal."
"Ummm…Commander." Lyndon chimed. "That's all very well and all but it may be best that you leave Li-Ming's name as well as all of our names out of the ears of your courts or what have you. At least until you can regain control of your city again."
"Why is that?"
"All in good time, commander." Li-Ming said.
"No!" The commander said firmly. "What did I tell you yesterday? You are going to keep me and my men informed on any updates you and your company make. I will not have you, a wanted murderer, out and about in the desert while you keep us in the dark. You obviously know more about what is going on here than we do and I suggest you cooperate."
"Do it, Li-Ming." Tyrael said joining the group now.
"Please." Asheara had a desperate look on her face and she wanted Li-Ming to help them. She was tired; so damned tired of seeing her people suffer and starve while that witch was out there, slaughtering people at her leisure and pleasure. Had the emperor not changed the guard, she had no doubt that the Iron Wolves would know more and would have the ability to do more about what was going on, but they didn't. They had hardly anything to go on and it sickened her. The Imperial guard taunted them at every turn, saying and assuring them that they were doing everything they could to hunt the witch down but they never turned up any results. The Imperial guard didn't care about what was happening. They turned a blind all to it all and they delighted in every second of it. How could the emperor hire them, what did he see in them that she wasn't? It wasn't fair.
"Please, Li-Ming." Asheara asked again.
Leah placed her hand on Li-Ming's arm and said, "Li-Ming, maybe we should. I understand why we need to keep this between ourselves but can't you see what all of this is doing to them?"
Li-Ming sighed. "Come with me commander. Leave your men here. You can explain this to them when we're done. It will be better that way."
Asheara nodded to her men and they stayed with the others as she and Li-Ming went near Li-Ming's tent where Li-Ming told her only what she felt Asheara needed to know and there were some facts that Li-Ming wished weren't relevant. Like, Tyrael falling from the sky in a streak of fire. She told her about the sword and how they first encountered Maghda. She didn't tell her anything of Kormac, or Lyndon or Leah. She didn't tell her about Deckard Cain or Captain Rumford. But, she told her about the Drowned Temple, leaving the word that she refused to acknowledge out because that truly wasn't important. She explained what happened in Wortham and what happened in Leoric's castle all accept she didn't tell her about Constantine or Valla.
Everyone watched as Li-Ming told her their tale and they saw Asheara's expression drop and her eyes grow wide with despair. She knew why they were here now. She knew about Belial, the demon lord of lies. Her hand went above her heart and she felt weak at the knees. When Li-Ming was finished, Asheara had nothing to say. She didn't know what to think and she found she was unable to move. Li-Ming took her by the arm and guided her back to the rest of the group. Her men never saw their commander in such a state of shock before and neither of them were looking forward to what they would soon learn about what was happening to their beloved city and kingdom.
The commander rubbed her suddenly tired face and held the parchment out in front of Li-Ming for her to sign. "I still need you to do this." Li-Ming made no argument this time and quietly took the quill and parchment from her hands. She laid it down on Haedrig's wagon and signed her signature on it and Asheara did the same, signing her name next to Li-Ming's. "Witnesses." Asheara said and Leah, Lyndon, Kormac, Haedrig, Tryael and Asheara's men passed the quill as they each signed their names underneath Li-Ming's and Asheara's. The agreement having been made official.
Asheara blew on the scroll and then wrapped it back up. "I will hold on to this until we…if we, find a way to resolve this matter. You have my word, all of you. I will not share with anyone your names or your current hideout and I will personally see that my men turn away anyone who gets too curious." Before she left to head back to the back where her attention was needed because she didn't want to be away for too long in case the imperial guards get to nosy, she turned back to Li-Ming and the others and said, "I hope you all know what you're doing."
"Wait, Asheara!" Kormac shouted. She turned and Kormac went up to her. "Do you think you could mail this for me." He revealed a small sheet of paper. "It's to be sent to Westmarch. My order has been expecting my return and this is my explanation for my prolonged absence."
With a small smile Asheara took the paper and said, "I will see that it gets sent."
"Thank you." He smiled back and Asheara went back on her way.
"What was that?" Li-Ming asked as Kormac walked back.
"Oh, it was just a letter I need sent to my brothers in the Templar Order. My explanation for being late." His brothers were probably very worried about why he had not returned yet. He was expected back a while ago and he felt guilty for making them worry. He wrote everything they needed to know in that letter to clear out any confusion they may have had. He hoped though that they didn't believe him to be dead. He would expect his brothers to know better of him, even if he had come close to dying a few times since his journey.
"Uh-huh! I see. If you don't mind, Kormac; I would like to talk to you about that later." There was something about the Templars that has been bugging her ever since she and Kormac talked about how he became a Templar. "As a farmer weeps his wheat, so must the Templars harvest and purify the weeds." There was something about that phrase alone that seemed, off. It almost sounded, prejudiced. "Obviously however…," Lyndon made some racket from near his tent. Li-Ming and Kormac turned and saw Constantine hugging onto Lyndon's leg with a look of delight in his face as Lyndon dragged his foot across the dirt trying to shake him off and sputtering curses at him as he did so. "Now is not the time." Li-Ming finished saying to Kormac.
"Okay. If you insist." He wiped the sweat from his forehead and then his mouth with his shirt. "I need to get ready. See you in a bit." He gave Li-Ming a small tap on the shoulder and walked to his own tent to pack what he needed.
Xxxxx
The bazaar was still crowded with people, and while they still protested near the gates with the imperial guards till keeping watch it was not nearly as hostile as it was the day before when they arrived at the city. The riot and the consequential massacre of the people by the imperial guards did but only quell the rage of the people for now. Many homeless sat near the water fountain that sat beautifully in the center of the bazaar and drank from it what they could, but little did they know that the water was filthy and could make them sick; thanks to Belials corruption and the imperial guards secretly dumping dead bodies into the sewers to rot and be eaten by the rat infestation.
The place stank of body odor, piss and human excrement and flies buzzed freely form person to person. Leah's overwhelming empathy made her heart feel heavy with guilt and wished she could find a quick and easy solution for these people, but that was impossible. Their best-and so far-only option was to hurry up and destroy Maghda and Belial so that way these people could return from wherever it was that they all came from. No one should have to be forced from their homes like these people was, it just wasn't fair. It made Leah feel useless and she hated it. She didn't want to feel useless. She spent too much time doing nothing in Tristram and she would be damned if she did so now.
"Hey." Li-Ming said to Leah gently. "Are you alright?" Leah didn't say anything and she didn't want too. She was caught up in her own thoughts and the image of that baby being trotted on by an unknowing runner was still fresh in her mind. She didn't think she will ever be able to forget that. She loved children. She loved them with all her heart and she hoped to one day have one of her own when she was finally able to settle down to a nice quiet life of peace and happiness. Seeing that irked her and she was unable to sleep well during the night because she couldn't stop thinking about it. She thought about sneaking into Li-Ming's tent and confide in her but she thought that was the last thing that Li-Ming would want to hear from her.
She didn't want to disappoint Li-Ming or be a burden to her. She wanted to be strong and fearless like she was, but she didn't know how, but she tried. She thought that if she just kept her thoughts to herself and be strong then maybe they would stop bothering her, but her thoughts only brought her further and further into a deeper state of melancholy. How did LI-Ming and the others do it? How were they able to face such horrible tragedies and not feel troubled about what they saw? She knew that they have seen much worse then she has. Wortham had many terrible and horrific things happen to It the night it was attacked and Tristram almost suffered a similar fate. As she gazed at her comrades and Tyrael who was dragging their camels behind him, she had no idea how they could still act like their old selves after witnessing what they have.
"Leah?" Li-Ming said and Leah looked up at her. "What's wrong?" Li-Ming grabbed hold of Leah's hand to give her some comfort and show her that she was attentive and ready to listen to whatever it was that was on her mind.
Leah ran a hand through her hair and said, "I'm just troubled right now." She didn't want to say anymore. She thought back to what Li-Ming told her yesterday when she saw the baby. "I'm trying not to think about it."
Right then Li-Ming knew what it was that was bothering her so. She tightened her hold on Leah's hand and Leah squeezed it back. Li-Ming wasn't wrong when she told Leah it was best not to think about what she saw yesterday. The truth was that dwelling on it would not save that child or the mother. There came a time when one had to accept that which could not be changed and move forward. Li-Ming saw the baby too and yes her heart went out to it but there was nothing that could be done. Li-Ming couldn't turn back time, that was impossible. If Li-Ming could she would have saved that child but she had to accept that the child's death was just another little grimy fact of the harsh life that they lived. Leah would soon learn that the sooner she accepted that there was nothing that could have been done, the better she will eventually feel.
Li-Ming hoped that Leah could learn this skill better and more efficiently than she. Though Li-Ming practiced this talent actively, she still had not mastered this skill herself. There was still one death she couldn't stop thinking about and it pained her every day.
"We should gather some more supplies while we're here." Lyndon suggested. It couldn't hurt. What little money they had came from Haedrig from him selling his wares where in where he could and he just so happened to feel generous enough to give them a fair bag of gold. Haedrig was a little hesitant to trust Lyndon with a bag of gold no matter how big or small but Lyndon assured him that he wouldn't "misplace" it and would use it wisely. It would also be hard for him to lose it anyway since everyone else knew that he was in possession of it. There would be no way that they wouldn't notice later on when they didn't have any money. He would be the first to get blamed.
"That actually sounds like a great idea." Leah replied.
Tyrael, Leah and Kormac went one way together so Li-Ming was left with Lyndon who she wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to because of what happened last night. She had hardly spoken too or even looked at Lyndon all day and neither of them spoke of what happened and for that she was glad most of all. At least he had the common decency to keep his mouth shut. She had a hard time trying to sleep last night because her mind was constantly flipping through the aspects of how it would have felt had she let it happen and how far it would have gone. Not very far she imagined. She respected Lyndon, she really did. She saw something in him that was much different than what he offered openly to people and their last conversation in Tristram verified that belief.
Why her though? Of all of the women he chose to focus on it was her. He didn't come onto Leah nearly as much as he came onto her and she couldn't fathom why. She gave him strong reasons that she thought were clear as to why he shouldn't continue. She tried being rude to him, she tried being cold but it didn't seem to have worked. For crying out load he was easily past ten years older than she was and she was sure there were women his age who were far more experienced in what he wanted than she was and that she would admit to quickly. Sure, she herself believed herself to be attractive with an air of mystery that has attracted people to her before and she was smart, cunning and eccentric, but she wasn't qualified for any kind of…closeness; to anyone.
Silently, they walked from market stall to market stall and it honestly felt awkward for Li-Ming. Lyndon seemed oblivious about it and smiled politely at the merchant as he bought eggs? Li-Ming raised her eyebrow and wondered just what the hell he needed eggs for.
"Lyndon, what utility will those serve?"
"What, these?" He held up one of the eggs.
"Yes. Those."
"Ah, these aren't just ordinary eggs my dear. You see, these eggs are special. Inside these egg shells sits powdered glass." Li-Ming was intrigued. She had never heard of this before and Lyndon went on to explain. "Say you were being chased and you wanted to lose your pursuers quickly or you just wanted to give yourself an advantage in battle. All you need do is throw one of these at their face, the egg shell will break and the glass will get into their eyes and cause them a, uh…. Well let's say a significant amount of pain."
"Sounds cheap if you ask me."
"That's because it is. But, it has saved my neck a few times. These are a very common tool in the Thieves Guild and we almost never went without them."
"Right. Come on, let's go." Li-Ming lured them away from the stall and they kept their eyes open for Leah and the other two. Tyrael won't be too hard to spot amongst the crowd. The man stuck out more than a sore thumb would. As they searched Li-Ming needed to know something that way she could finally quell the curiosity that stirred within her mind. "Lyndon." She got his attention. "About last night, what exactly were you thinking?"
"Why does it matter to you? You said so yourself that you do not think about such things did you not?"
"I don't, but I would still like to know. You know how I feel about that and you still proceed to try. Why?"
"I am a man, Li-Ming. A man who has needs and desires just as any other man and woman for that matter. When I woke up last night I saw you barely dressed and looking far too desirable for a man like myself to resist." Li-Ming blushed. "I notice a lot of things about a lot of woman and you have many noticeable qualities that I find very attractive." Li-Ming listened. "You're enigmatic and your magical capabilities are a wonder to behold." Her stomach felt this odd fluttery feeling. She never felt this before and wondered what the hell was happening. "Not to mention you're simply one beautiful young woman." He truly did think Li-Ming was beautiful and he meant everything he just told her.
He couldn't tell what was growing through her mind. She was wearing her neutral expression which made her look tired, bored and uninterested. Usually when he said things like that to women they would be flustered or giggling or at least say something back but no, not LI-Ming of course. Always the unique one. Li-Ming on the other hand didn't know what to make of all of that. She never really knew just what men thought about her and she never really cared. She was touched by his words and felt flattered by how much he paid attention to her, but it also made her feel uncomfortable, and for different reasons.
"So I when I saw you last night I thought why not give it a try and if not then better luck next time." Lyndon finished.
Li-Ming looked at him and she did her best to hide her confusion and he didn't seem to notice. "So, all you're looking for is sex then?"
"Yeah. I've never been much to commit to any woman as you know. Not like you really care much anyway. You don't strike me as the kind of person who will commit to others either."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, you said you've never given thought about the wonders of sex and you don't seem to have very many friends or care to have any for that matter."
An embittered smile spread across Li-Ming's face and she shook her head. "You know what Lyndon?"
"What?"
"Don't talk to me for a while." She quickened her pace and left him behind and he tilted his head, confused about what he did wrong.
Li-Ming kept her cool but there was a blur of emotions going through her mind and that warm fuzzy feeling she was feeling in her belly was gone and all that was there now was, aching. She didn't know what else she should have expected from him. He was a person who would never change. He only saw her and Leah or any other woman for that matter as things to have sex with and he had the downright nerve to try and tell her what she did and did not care about! She cared about a lot of things. She cared about Isendra. Hell she "loved" Isendra. She cared about Leah, though Li-Ming would never be able to voice that out loud. She cared about a lot of things. Even things she wished she didn't.
Tyrael, Kormac and Leah were talking to one of the Iron Wolves and it didn't look like good news. Leah looked urgent while Kormac stood and nodded as he listened. Tyrael was quiet and still. Leah bowed her head at the Iron Wolf and he left before Li-Ming and Lyndon could catch up with them. The Iron Wolf nodded at her and smiled and accidentally brushed against her shoulder as he passed. Nemesis! The word whispered itself brightly and her eyes grew wide. She turned to look at the Iron Wolf but he disappeared into the crowd and Li-Ming could not catch a glimpse of him anywhere.
The word was a curse and it followed her here. Whatever the entity was that called itself by that name continued to allude and taunt her by letting her know that it was watching. She didn't know why it followed her what it wanted, but she had a feeling that man that was just talking to Leah and the others knew something about it. Why else would "the word" just suddenly appear into her mind and brand itself into her memory palace like a flame catching the wind when that man made contact with her.
Lyndon heard the word too, but he didn't say anything. He was the only other one who was haunted by its voice. Its painful voice. Though he was only exposed to it once when the skeleton in the Festering Woods almost killed him as it shifted its way out of that ruined temple, it still floated in the back of his mind like a malevolent apparition from the grave. He even saw it in his dreams. Not just the word but something else as well. A terrible and ferocious monster that drooled with hunger and was filled with sadistic cruelty. In his dreams he would sometimes find himself walking through an unknown road made of brick. The sky was blotted out and he was frightened. Very frightened. He could hear something too. A girl. Screaming at the top of her lungs and the monster laughing at her pain. He would run and try to find this girl only to keep running in circles with nothing but the sounds of crying to fill his mind.
He would wake from those dreams panting and covered in sweat. He wouldn't know what brought the dreams or he didn't want to admit it. That word was more than it appeared to be. It was sentient and that was all he was able to figure out but he could not guess anything else. He thought about telling someone but he didn't know that Li-Ming saw the word too and he thought everyone would just call him crazy. Which he was starting to believe. Until now when that word resurfaced from his mind and at a time when facing a demon lord was very possible.
"Leah!" Li-Ming said. "Who was that? What did he tell you?"
"Whoa, whoa, Li-Ming! Calm down! That was one of Asheara's men. He was telling us that they believe Maghda is heading to Alcarnus passed the Khasim Outpost."
"You should dedicate your efforts there to start." Tyrael suggested
"But, it gets worse." Leah added. "He also told us that ever since the Iron Wolves have been out in the desert fighting Maghda, the emperor replaced them with these imperial guards who bar all from the inner city."
"We suspect that the Iron Wolves were sent out to die. This also leads us to believe that the emperor had somehow fallen victim to Belial's corruption. We must find a way into the inner city so we can see if theirs is a way we can reach him."
They were all quiet for a moment as they all thought of something. Leah held her finger up and said, "I know!" They all looked at her. "As a child I explored Caldeum while Uncle Deckard studied here. I can get in through the sewers."
"Leah…I-I don't know about that." Li-Ming didn't like the thought of leaving Leah alone to explore the filthy sewers of Caldeum. Who knows what could be skulking around down there. For all they knew Belial had minions patrolling around down there right now, waiting to take advantage of whoever they saw intruding.
Leah grabbed Li-Ming's hand and said. "I'll be fine. I know my way around the tunnels. If I spot any trouble, I promise you I will back out immediately."
Li-Ming placed her hands on Leah's temples and pulled her closer to kiss her on the forehead. Leah was putting herself in harm's way like the rest of them did and Li-Ming didn't very much like but she didn't think she would be able to convince Leah to change her mind.
"You stay safe." Li-Ming said.
Leah gave a return kiss to Li-Ming's forehead and said, "Hey, I made a promise, didn't I?"
Tyrael stepped up and said, "I will go with her, Li-Ming. And, rest assured I will do my best to keep her safe."
"Be sure that you do." Li-Ming looked back at Leah and the two hugged each other tightly.
"You come back safe too, you hear me?" Leah was worried about these three going out to fight Maghda. She wanted to be there with them, but it seemed the current turn of events wouldn't allow it. There was so much that needed to be done and Leah wasn't a fighter. She wouldn't stand a chance against Maghda and that's why she thought it would be better if she stayed behind to investigate a way into the inner city. She pictured, Li-Ming, Lyndon and Kormac coming back, standing tall with news of Maghda's defeat. She will keep this image in mind to keep herself motivated during the time that they would be apart.
"You needn't worry about me, Leah. I will come back and I will come back with Maghda's head."
"While I hate to interrupt, we should get going. The longer we stand around. The longer Maghda has of killing more people." Lyndon said.
Kormac, Lyndon and Li-Ming headed for the gate leading to the desert; Tyrael having handed them the reigns to their camels; where they would make their way to the Khasim outpost. Li-Ming looked back and Leah was waving at them as they left. Li-Ming held her hand up and turned back around and Leah could no longer see them through the crowd of people.
Tyrael stood next to her and said, "They'll be fine, Leah. They have been through a lot already and its best for them this way."
"I know but, it is getting harder to separate with them as time goes on."
"I know." They too left and secretly entered the humid and rank sewers to begin their investigation. Or so they thought. They did not know that they were secretly being watched by the Iron Wolf that feed them the information that would lead them straight to Maghda, with red, malicious eyes. The Nemesis may have been in a different world, but because he wasn't there physically didn't meant that he still couldn't use his powers of possession. He wanted his freedom so badly that he was going to do whatever he could to make sure that Li-Ming got to him.
Like I said, ladies and gentlemen. So much stuff. Lol. I hope I portrayed the new characters well. I know that some of you are big fans of them and I hope I captured them well. And, they will be seen again soon. They have a role in the fold of things and I have plans for another character to come back and play a bigger part too.
I also have a big scene planned between two certain demons that I hope you all will like when I get too it and there is the final fight with Maghda closing in. It's close people. So close I can smell it and it smells like battle and ashes. Lol.
I'm signing off now. Ta-ta and I hope you enjoyed this LOOOONG chapter. PEACE!