Chapter 6: Origins
Serenity prayed at the church shrine to Akarat, so that Dresden and their newfound allies would emerge victorious. Normally, she would be fighting alongside them against the darkness of the Denarians. But she and her fellow Nephalem are having difficulty being subtle. It wasn't needed back in Sanctuary, with every turn in the road bringing more and more demons. But such things were madness in this world, where technology had replaced magic and few were still strong with faith. And so Dresden, Michael and the female guard Karrin all asked them to remain in the church unless asked otherwise.
After Korgaroth and Ming devastated a city block almost singlehandedly, she had to agree with them.
"It is a wonderful sight to see someone so deep in prayers." Father Forthill said as he walked over. He was a true believer in his faith. He had the unshaking will of a Crusader, never surrendering his faith in the face of adversity. Kormac and Serenity enjoyed their time with him.
"Thank you Father." She replied. "Though I'm still worried how your God will respond to my prayers."
Forthill shrugged. "Well from you description of the Zakarum faith, it sounds almost exactly like the faith of the Catholic Church. I doubt He will mind at all." They sat down, Serenity finally noticing the plate of food in his hands. With thanks, she started eating. They sat there for a bit before Forthill spoke again. "I have been rather curious as to how you and your allies met up. You don't seem to be the normal band of adventurers."
"A tortured Templar, a repentant rogue, an ancient enchantress, a monk of Ivgorod, an Umbaru witch doctor, a Child of Bul-Kathos, a Xiansai wizard, a Zakarum Crusader and a Demon Hunter. I see your point."
"I must admit, I did not truly understand some of those titles."
She laughed. "I completely understand. After having listed us all, I'm not too sure how we are still alive. Lyndon became a scoundrel to acquire enough funds to woo a lady. But she ended up falling for his brother in the guard instead. But he got along fine with his brother. Lyndon would inform him of thieves to arrest, and I imagine the guard turned a blind eye to his actions. But one day, the brother arrived too early. The other guards were suspicious, and had him arrested for corruption. The wife thought that Lyndon had set him up intentionally, and now he spends his time earning enough gold to look after her family."
"Kormac was inducted into the Templar order. His memories were removed through torture, and he was told he had been a criminal made to relive his sins. But on our travels, he remembered that he had been a simple soldier of Westmarch. When we arrived at his home city, he confronted his leaders about the torture. They were unwilling to atone, and tried to kill us. Now his goal is to adventure, telling any Templar he finds the truth."
"The Barbarians are also known as the Children of Bul-Kathos. He was the archetype of all Barbarians, just as Akarat was for the faith. They stood guard over the Worldstone at Mount Arreat, defending it from everyone. But to outsiders, their territorial and violent behaviour made them seem monstrous. The king of Westmarch had a Fort constructed to stand against the horde, occasionally sending armies in to conquer them. But they had been guarding the mountain for generations against all things. No army came close. Or was ever heard from again. But 20 years ago, the Prime Evil Baal managed to enter the mountain and corrupt the Worldstone. The angel Tyreal was forced to destroy it, and the Barbarians were without a home."
"A shame." Forthill said. "If only people had been willing to talk. Perhaps Baal would never have gotten in."
"I'm not really complaining. With the destruction of the Worldstone, we were finally able to stop Diablo and the Evils for good."
"Ishtar is a follower of the Sahptev faith, which believes in over 1001 gods split into order and chaos." She continued. "Their monks are among the deadliest of warriors, who have trained every day to act as protectors of their faith and their homeland. All that training has allowed them to move faster than possible, and even defy gravity. We are blessed to have one as our comrade."
"Naziba is a witch doctor of Umbaru. I must confess, I do not truly understand his power. I think he communicates with the realm of spirits and summons them for power. What I do know is that he can field a small army of ghouls to overwhelm enemies for us."
"Li-Ming is… proud. While I love her like a sister, I fear what she might be capable of doing."
"You are wary of magic?"
"Magi in Sanctuary are taught restraint. To use their powers wisely. Too many magi commune with demons for power, and only by caution can they remain untainted. As a cost of this safety, they are weaker in terms of power. Magi like Ming call themselves Wizards as a sign of disregarding these restraints. To a Mage or Sorcerer, a Wizard is what a tiger is to a cat. She is capable of so much more, but it is uncontrolled. Many times, we have to keep one eye on her as much as on the demons. Luckily, she has refined her power with use. But she ignores anyone telling her to be more cautious, saying that power is needed to fight the demons."
"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"That is something I fear."
"What of Eirena. Are you not wary of her too?"
"No. She is not as strong as Ming. And her spells are more focused on confusing or charming the enemy, tripping them up so that we can kill them more easily. She was originally from ancient times, when the clans of the Magi waged war against one another. She and her sisters learnt magic from old tones belonging to their master. One night, they came across the master and his allies summoning a demon. The sisters slew all of them, before being saved by an angel. They were sealed away, to be released in this day and age to aid us. Sadly, for Eirena to survive it, the others had to sacrifice themselves."
"True courage isn't just standing up to evil. Sometimes it is putting others before yourself."
"Yes."
"When you spoke of Valla, you merely called her the Demon Hunter. As if that is alone is proof of some darker troubles."
"All demon hunters have lost loved one to demon attacks. Their hatred and need for vengeance drive them to become strong hunters to wipe them out. As expected, she is a master of killing. But she can appear curt, terrifying. Almost as bad as the very creatures she hunts. But we know that she is just worried about having to lose another friend."
"What about you?"
"The Crusaders were formed to find a way to purify our faith. The Prime Evil, Mephisto was sealed away deep underneath our main church. Our Vatican, if you will. But he managed to send out whispers, corrupting the new generation of believers. It didn't take him long to ruin the entire church. So our forbearers set out to find out how we had fallen so low and find a way to remove his influence. Each Crusader had a squire, who would take up their armour, their mission and even their name. Even my name has been passed down through two other before me. And one day, I will find a squire of my own, to carry on my mission when I can no longer continue." They sat there in silence, Forthill thinking of all the pain these adventurers had suffered in their lives.
"So, how did you all meet up?" She smiled at that, thinking so long ago. It was like they were completely different groups.
"It all began when we had each heard of the dead rising in the town of New Tristram, caused by a falling star…"
"Fall before the light, foul dead!" Serenity shouted as she beheaded a zombie with her rusty flail while blocking another with her battered shield. She grimaced as she heard the squeal of nails on metal. Damn that armour! Of all the times it would fall apart, why did it have to happen a mere 3 days from Tristram? She had to scour everywhere to find a replacement shield and flail, and they were barely holding together as it is. She clocked the zombie with the handle of her flail, before crushing the skull under the weighted ball. As she gasped with breath, she heard something crawl out of the ground behind her. She turned to block, but her tired body was a fraction too slow. The zombie bowled her over, sending the shield flying. She raised her flail in a futile attempt to attack, worried that her mission would never pass on. But it stopped moving, green mist leaking from its neck, before toppling to the ground. Walking up behind it was an Umbaruan man, wearing only a tattered loincloth and bandages on his wrists and legs. He was bald, and had large hoops hanging from his lips and ears. She was slightly unnerved by his stooped posture and shaking. She recalled hearing that it was a sign of devouring people. She mentally prepared herself for battle, in case he preferred his victims alive and fresh.
"Pleasure meeting you milady." He said in a gentle tone. He even gave her a small bow. "I am Naziba, a witch doctor of the Umbaru tribe. Tell me, are you here because of the fallen star?"
She mentally sighed in relief. "Indeed. I am Serenity, a crusader of the Zakarum faith. As you can see, I can use some assistance against the restless dead." He gave a warm chuckle.
"Indeed. It appears that we are both woefully unprepared to face monsters. Our combined strength should compensate until we can acquire some more protective armour." The shout of a human distracted them. As they looked further on, they spotted a famed barbarian fighting alongside an Ivgorod monk against more zombies. Without a word, she grabbed her shield and rushed in to help. Naziba killed several with his blow darts, while she grabbed their attention with a yell and smashing them aside with her shield. The four of them stood alongside several battered guards, the dead swarming to meet them. As she battered them with her shield and flail, she stopped just in time to avoid being bowled over by the barbarian. While he smashed some with his wooden club, a zombie head smacked into him as the monk tore several apart with her bare hands and feet. It did not take long for them to clear out the dead, though she found to her annoyance that her new allies were more of a threat to each other than the zombies.
"I've never seen anything like that." The captain said. "Am I to assume you're all after the fallen star?"
"I know we are." Serenity said. "So then yes."
"Good. You need to talk to Leah about it. She's helping out at the Slaughtered Calf Inn." He waved to some men, who opened the gates for them now that it was safe. As they all walked or limbed back to safety, she got a better look at her allies.
The barbarian was also wearing nothing but a loincloth, though his was even more tattered that Naziba's. His muscular chest was slick with the blood of the zombies and his grey hair and beard were matted with teeth. Evidently, he must've head-butted several of them. Looking past him, she noted that the monk looked better off than him. She had short white hair that showed off her harsh eyes and cheekbones. She was also wearing a matted loincloth, but at least she had a tattered shirt to cover her breasts. She felt over-dressed next to the others, having managed to get her official crusader suit out from the armour. All but her head was covered by tough black leather clothes, with the Zakarum cross emblazoning the front and drawing notice to her chest. As the older women told her, if men were going to stare at them they might as well be seeing something useful.
She looked around at the town, seeing despair everywhere. Bodies were being thrown onto a fire, most likely to keep them down. Several homes were boarded over, or ravaged by claws. Looking further on, she saw a finely-dressed fat man standing by a broken-down cart and arguing with a woman.
"Well then." She said. "If we are to work together, we should start with introductions. I am Serenity, and this is Naziba."
"I am Korgaroth." The barbarian said with a deep grunted voice. "And my dour companion is Ishtar of the Ivgorod Monks. She doesn't talk much, but prefers to let her fists speak for her as a great warrior should." He gave her and Naziba a fierce stare. "You both fight with true honour, your enemy's blood splattering against you as you send his life to the next world as a true fighter?"
"Serenity does." Naziba spoke up. "But I prefer to attack from out of their reach. The spirits are kind enough to stop my enemies for me."
Korgaroth gave a contemptuous spat. "You are a coward, hiding behind your spirits instead of fighting like a real warrior should. Stay out of my way in battle, weakling, and see how a true man should fight. And maybe we will find your manhood somewhere along the way." He walked faster, pulling ahead of the others. Serenity gave Naziba a shrug, but he didn't seem saddened by his words. Ishtar said nothing, merely entering the Inn behind Korgaroth.
It was a dreary sight inside. There were several people lying on sheets, groaning and moaning as their wounds pained them. Villagers stayed away from them, sobbing in sorrow. As they looked at all of this, it was then that she realised no one told them what this "Leah' actually looked like. Korgaroth tried to solve this by grabbing someone and shouting at them.
"Leave him alone." A young lady said, standing up from helping one of the wounded. She fixed him with a glare, a brave thing to do against a barbarian. "I'm the girl you're looking for. So stop threatening him."
Korgaroth grunted, dropping the villager like a sack of potatoes. The four of them crowded around her, explaining their reason for wanting to see her. Before they could keep talking, the wounded screamed as green ooze leaked from their bodies. As villagers ran screaming, they rose up as zombies. Without a word, Ishtar and Korgaroth charged in with gusto, while Serenity stood between the dead and the innocent. It did not take long to kill them, the body parts dripping on the floorboards. Korgaroth growled as he removed one of Naziba's darts from his arm before glaring at the witch doctor. Naziba gave him a bashful smile as he threw a potion at the barbarian.
"The dead will overwhelm us all if we don't do something about them." Leah said sadly, holstering her bow.
"We will deal with this infestation." Ishtar said in her thick accent.
"Thank you. Captain Rumford will be able to point you in the right direction. But you should probably find some more protective gear." They nodded, before heading out to the local shopkeeper. Unfortunately, his selection was very small after so many attacks. Serenity at least found a better shield and flail that won't break at the slightest touch.
Now they just needed to wade through a small army to find the source.
She cursed as she blocked off another zombie while Korgaroth gave a loud yell. This was absurd! They found out that the undead were being made by 'wretched mothers', but by the time they could close the distance she would've spat out more undead. It took a combined strike and luck to deal with the first one, and this mother had back-up.
"Another approaches!" Naziba shouted. As she risked a glance, she saw that the third mother was creeping up from behind. At this rate they will be overwhelmed. But she planned on taking as many of them with her when she died.
The mother they were currently fighting gave off a loud gurgle as something thunked into her. Serenity spotted two bolts sticking from her eyes as she thrashed and fell apart. While she cleaved through the row of dead before her, she looked back to see the other group being frozen by a beam of frost. As their bodies turned to ice, their momentum caused them to fall apart. The four of them turned to see two women running down the path from town towards them. As they got closer, she could see them better in the moonlight.
They both were slim and curvy, with black hair and pale features. But the shorter woman was clearly from the far-off lands of Xiansai, while the taller was most-likely a native Khanduran. They were both wearing very little and baring a lot of skin. The Xiansain wore a top that barely covered her small breasts, along with a short skirt and long boots. One arm was partially covered by an elbow-band.
The Khanduran wore very similar clothing, but her top was a corset, covering more of her stomach while flaunting her chest. Instead of a skirt, she wore some very short pants while her boots were even longer than usual. Armbands covered her lower arms, while a short scarf adorned her neck.
"Greetings." The Xiansain said. "You must be the fellow adventurers seeking the fallen star. I am Li-Ming, while my dour friend is Valla of the demon hunters." They introduced themselves as well, Serenity's mind on Valla. Having a demon hunter on this quest would be a blessing. They are trained for years in the art of demon slaying, but found that their techniques worked well on almost any target. "Splendid. Then shall we continue our quest together? The six of us can surely overcome any threat we face."
"I only work with warriors." Korgaroth replied. "Not with cowards that hide behind spells and shadows. We do not need your help, Sorceress." Completely ignoring the fact they would've died if Li-Ming and Valla hadn't helped, he stalked off along the path with Ishtar not far behind. Ming gaped at him for a moment before getting angry.
"How dare you, you ignorant brute!" She shouted as she rushed after him. "I am a Wizard, and I will not be spoken to in such a manner!"
"I apologise for his behaviour." Serenity said to Valla. "I imagine he might grow to like you once he sees you…"
"I am not here to make friends, Crusader." Valla interrupted. "I am here to slay the monsters that plague this town. Once we have done that, we can go our separate ways and never have to pretend to act nice ever again." She walked on after the others, leaving Serenity and Naziba behind. She was flabbergasted. She had heard the rumours. How they were little better than the monsters they hunted. How death follows in their footsteps. But they never mentioned how rude they were.
They were probably all going to die long before they saved the town.
They managed to kill the Wretched Mothers, and returned to Tristram through an old portal nexus to find Leah ready to strike out and find her uncle Deckard Cain. Unwilling to let her go alone, Serenity and Ming had volunteered to go with her. The others agreed, if begrudgingly, and they all headed out past Old Tristram to her Mother's old home. Adria the Witch. A supposed witch who helped against the demons that befell Old Tristram and helped the Heroes fight back against the forces of Hell. But she vanished, presumed killed by the demons for her actions. This news caused Valla to feel a bit on kinship with Leah. She knew what it was like to lose someone close to the demons.
She still missed her family.
"Captain Dalton! Please stop!" Leah shouted to the former Captain of New Tristram Militia, even as she fired another arrow into his skull. But the undead refused to be bothered by such attacks. Valla, having fought such monsters before, aimed for the joints. It howled as it suddenly lost and arm, wasting time picking it up again and the blade attached to it. The Barbarian easily knocked the tattered weapon aside, leaving it open for a blow. But he stepped forward just as the Crusader charged the fiend with her shield, causing her to crash into the Barbarian instead. She screamed as she got her arm in its jaws, while the Barbarian grabbed her heavy shield and smashed the edge of it into its neck. Now blind without its skull, it didn't see when the Wizard fired a slow-moving orb of magic at it. When the blow struck, it glowed before shattering into fragments. The captain was finally at peace.
"What did you call that?" The Barbarian complained as he dropped the shield and picked up his weapons. "You tried to kill me."
"I was aiming for the monster, until you decided to charge it without checking whether we were going to attack." The Crusader retorted as she pulled her glove off. Her arm was bleeding messily, but after the Witch Doctor cleaned it off, they saw that the bite itself was not much. He cleaned it out and bound it, just to be safe. "This is exactly why we'll fall. You can't just attack like you're a lone warrior; you need to remember about your allies."
"My 'allies' are those who know to get out of my way when I fight."
"Don't bother Serenity." The Wizard said. "You can't really expect a brute to know much beyond hitting things."
"I know much, witch. Perhaps you will understand when I show it to you."
"Enough, please." Leah pleaded with them. "You're our only hope. Please stop fighting each other." Everyone else grumbled, but they pulled away from each other to different corners of the room. "Thank you. Now, time to see if there's anything useful. Li-Ming, could you help me?"
"Of course. It's good to speak to a fellow intellectual." They both started sorting through the pile of books rotting away down here, while Valla started recovering all the arrows she could. Most had broken under the assault, showing how cheap they were. But she still had enough to last a while longer. And she kept a few swords in her bag just in case. She made sure to keep one eye on her 'teammates'. The Crusader and the Witch Doctor were checking over her equipment, repairing any damage as best as they could, while The Barbarian and the Monk were focusing. The monk had been a lot like Valla. She had been on her own during the fight, handling the last of the lesser undead. She was one of the least likely to be a hindrance in the future. Valla could handle fighting alongside her.
"We found something." Leah shouted, holding aloft a book. "This is all of Adria's notes. There's sure to be something in here about stopping the undead."
"Very well then. You take that book back to Tristram, while we continue with finding your uncle." Serenity said. Leah looked worried though. "Don't worry. I'm sure there will be enough fiends for us to spread out for."
If there weren't, only corpses will be around to save Cain.
They found him easily enough, minor arguments aside. In the end, they had split into two groups and spread out through the cathedral, unable to stand the presence of others for long. But when they regrouped and saved Cain, they found the Skeleton King too. Originally the fair King Leoric, he slowly became insane after setting his court in Tristram. This was due to his traitorous advisor, Lazarus, who sought power from the prime Evil Diablo. Allowing him to try and possess Leoric, he proved too strong-willed to succumb. Instead of becoming a vessel, he was driven mad over time. He thought there were spies and traitors where there were none, and that the Kingdom of Westmarch desired his lands. He wasted good men fighting a senseless war, and was broken entirely when he learnt that his youngest son Albrecht had gone missing, possessed by Diablo instead. When his loyal knights returned from a hopeless battle, they found only a raving dog for a king. They put him out of his pain, only for his hate to cause him to rise as the Skeleton King. Leading an army of undead, he attacked Tristram time and again until three great warriors came and forced him to rest again. But now he had awoken again, and he also stood in the way of the fallen star.
They just had to find his old crown to gain entrance to his inner chambers.
"Stop them. They cannot be allowed to disrupt the ritual!" A dark cultist shouted as they six of them tore through a near unending stream of undead. By now, Naziba was getting sick of the undead. The ancestors should be allowed to rest, not brought back time and again like a dog on a leash. He fired his darts through the gaps cleared by his fellow adventurers, striking down a cultist with every dart. The man chained in fire in the centre struggled harder with every loss.
"Your foul magic is failing." He said as he pulled his way free. As Korgaroth cleaved a man's head with an axe, the chains exploded with light. "Now face the Light!" And the man started breaking the cultists under his fists. With their summoner distracted, the flow lessened with second, until they charged right through the fleeing men. They all fell easily to their combined strength, shattering under blows and magic. It didn't take them long to wipe them out. "Thank you strangers. I am Kormac, Templar of Westmarch."
"A pleasure to meet you Templar." Serenity said warmly. She then introduced them, but Kormac seemed most interested in her. "We seek passage to the Skeleton King."
"Then our goals align. I was sent here to find a fallen brother, and to find out about the fallen star. But when I got here, he betrayed me to the coven. Even now, he waits further in for anyone who dares to threaten his new masters. Once we find my armour, I will assist you in reaching this monster, Crusader."
"Agreed." They shook on it, and then Korgaroth and Serenity led the way. Undead met them at every step, but his own spirits rose to the challenge. Li-Ming seemed a bit surprised when he summoned exploding toads and flaming bats from nowhere, grumbling about 'strange Umbaruan magic'. But he found her magic just as strange, creating beams of ice and fire and waves of force far too strong for a woman her size. Clearly, they were just unused to each other, something that will hopefully pass. It didn't take them long to find an area Kormac recognised, helped by the shouts of more cultists. They too fell with ease against them, allowing Serenity to help Kormac equip his armour again. Now that the blood and dirt was partly cleaned off, they could see his appearance better. A weathered, older man in practical ornate armour, he had an inner glow that blazed away all darkness. But Naziba could tell that he had to be careful, for such light could easily burn all around him in its fury.
They worked together to clear a path big enough for Kormac to use his training to dispel the jagged spikes that blocked their path. They found the fallen Templar Jondar, adorned in black armour and wielding a wicked mace. As he tried to give off a monologue and Kormac asked why he'd betray him, they charged at the Templar and his evil forces and attacked. Ishtar smashed through them with ease, while Valla vanished time and again, striking from the shadows. Ming's magic was forcing Jondar to defend himself, his shield growing brighter under her blows. He redirected the blast towards them, forcing them to duck under it until his shield shattered under the strain. Without it, he was faster but weaker. He cried out as Korgaroth's axe imbedded itself in his shoulder, while Serenity cracked his side with her flail. Knocking them aside just in time for Ishtar to smash him to the ground, he could only plead that his mind was clouded by the coven's magic. Kormac, accepting no apology, slew the wounded man once and for all.
Now all that was in their way was the Skeleton king himself.
The nerve of those women! Fighting from afar. Easy to be so arrogant when your opponent is in the next room over. The strongest wait until the see the spit flying from the enemy's teeth and the colour of their eyes. And it seems as though the mage need a lesson in humility. He is not ignorant. He knows far more than some whelp that just came into womanhood. And at least he was careful enough not to strike his own allies. Several times Serenity or Ishtar had to push him aside to avoid the mage's blasts. Sooner or later she was going to kill them.
That was if she acted faster than the Skeleton King.
"You, who is already one foot into the grave," The King yelled at him. "You will become a worthy lieutenant in my army. We will crush all the living under my banner."
"Bul-Kathos take you!" He retorted, scouring another cut into the king's armour. Serenity blocked his strike, but the mace was too big for her. She was knocked aside while another skeleton distracted Korgaroth. Dammit. The witch doctor was supposed to be taking care of them. While he struck the skeleton, the king grabbed him with one hand and prepared to smash his skull in with the mace. At least he was going out in combat, as Bul-Kathos expected of his children.
But the blow was knocked aside as a bola wrapped around his arm. In a second the whole thing exploded, showering them with bone splinters and causing the mace to crash down with a boom that shook the floor. While the Skeleton King yelled in anger, Valla appeared behind him and threw her knives into his back. They pierced the armour easily, shattering yet more bone. He struggled to grab her, ignoring all the others. Korgaroth capitalised on this foolishness, and grabbed the mace by the handle. Even with his strength it was still very unwieldy. But he could still swing it, which was good enough for him. Ishtar charged from the front, knocking the king several steps back in time for Korgaroth to charge in. He turned to attack the barbarian just in time to catch the mace head in the chest. The ancient armour shattered from the blow, while his bones scattered everywhere. What was left screamed in pain as he glowed with a blue light, turning brighter and brighter until he finally exploded. Loot fell in a neat pile at his feet, glowing with blue and yellow light. He even spied the orange glow of a legendary artefact. He had been slightly confused by this when it first happened, recalling the mage go on and on about how these were demon-crafted items imbued with magic. If they were so foolish as to let this stuff run wild, he wasn't going to stop them. Everyone moved in to grab anything most suited for them. He reached for the artefact, but threw it aside once he saw it was a bow. Hopefully, something more suited for him would pop up. Once everyone had decked themselves with the new gear, he walked up to the demon hunter and gave a loud cough.
"This is not something I expected to ever do, but I am smart enough to admit when I am wrong. Without your aid, I would've died this day. So then." He struggled a bit before giving in. "Thank you, Valla."
"Just doing my job, barbarian." She replied, walking off to the staircase that opened up underneath King Leoric's throne. He shook his head at her actions as he followed.
Hopefully, he'll never have to do that again.
A man. That was what they found. The fallen star was a dark-skinned man of Caldeum. But they could all tell that he was something more. And he mentioned he carried a message, one about a coming darkness. Unfortunately, he lost almost all his memories. But he remembered a sword, one that could restore it. Korgaroth had seen many older Barbarians who could barely remember to take a piss become great warriors again once they reclaimed their weapons. It would be no different this time.
They located the first piece of it not far from Tristram, in the hands of the Khazra. The 'Goatmen' were being driven into a frenzy from its presence, just as the man himself woke the dead again. When they fought their way into their den, they ran into dark cultists again. The men were most likely using the beasts to gather sacrifices. Well, they fell easily enough to refined magic arts (and some brutish muscle). But when they got to the fragment, they were approached by an apparition of a witch. She claimed it belonged to her, and that they will die. She was, of course, wrong on both accounts. She then taunted them about how the second piece lay 'only where the ancients may tread'. Armed with those words, Leah led them to the Drowned Temple to reclaim it. Along the way, they ran into a new traveller. Lyndon the Scoundrel. They rescued him and his woman from thieves that sought a relic of a kind. Lyndon, against all reason, chose to travel with them to find someone interested in buying it, only to find out it was a fake. He promptly showed that he was only interested in the girl for the money the relic would've brought him, and decided to join them for treasure. Kormac didn't like the scoundrel, a feeling Ming shared after he tried to keep getting into her skirt. It took a threat of a fireball to get him to shut up. Alas, he then promptly decided to try his luck with the other women of the group, of which there were several. Some, like Serenity, brushed him off with a laugh. Others, like Ishtar and Valla, threatened bodily harm if he kept trying. Realising that she wasn't as capable of killing him in an instant, Lyndon devoted the remainder of his time flirting with Leah, who kept trying to brush him off. Fortunately for him, his skill with a crossbow was worth putting up with his advances. After recovering two sacred stones for the spirit of the Temple to prove themselves as Nephalem, they finally got the second piece. Strangely though, the witch Magda implied that Adria was still alive, not dead like everyone thought. And the spirit still believed that they were Nephalem, who have been legend since time began.
Oh well. They just had to recover the last piece from Wortham and they would find out who the stranger was.
The townsfolk shivered as the barbarian's roar echoed throughout the nearby land. Birds took to the sky while families hid inside their homes. Naziba prayed for Deckard Cain's safe passage to the Unformed Lands, but he had to stop at times when his rage threatened to disrupt the prayer. Ishtar meditated, appearing emotionless if not for her failure to calm herself. Valla and Li-Ming had crafted crude models of the witch Magda, peppering them with arrows and spells till they fell apart.
And Serenity? She prayed to Akarat that Magda would burn in the Hells themselves for what she did.
They may not have known him for very long, but something about Cain gave them a sense of ease. He had been determined to stop the return of the Burning Hells by any means, a brave feat for one so old. And to have lasted as long as he had entering dark tombs and monster infested realms was nothing short of incredible. And yet while they were busy fighting Magda's coven in Wortham, she stole all three fragments and captured their friends. She inflicted fatal damage to Cain trying to get him to repair the sword, but when Leah's magic killed her acolytes, she instead escaped with the Stranger. Cain's last act had been to repair the blade, revealing both it and the Stranger to be of the High Heavens. An Angel.
"If only I could control this power, Uncle Deckard might still be alive." Leah said as she paced. Ming and Naziba had warned the others that her power was bubbling inside her. Though it was in no danger of escaping like it had before, it would just keep building until she willed it free.
"You did everything you could." Serenity placated her. "Magda is the one to blame."
"Magda." Leah spat her name. "Uncle Deckard called the man an angel. We have to get him back. When I used my power, I saw into her mind. They've retreated to Leoric's old manor in the Highlands."
"We will fill their halls with the blood of the Coven." Valla said as she collected her arrows and traps. Korgaroth stalked back to them, his rage now simmering instead of being a full-blown inferno. Ishtar and Naziba were helping Ming put out her latest fire she made in her haste. While they collected themselves and had Haedrig craft them new gear to empower them, Serenity went to collect their latest allies. They looked at her with determination in their eyes and vengeance on their lips.
"So." She said. "Who's ready to make the Coven pay for their evil?"
After having fought their way through the Highlands and Leoric's torture chambers, they finally found the stranger. He was in the next room, suffering from Akarat-knows-what. All they had to do was fight their way past their enemy and chase Magda to whatever hole she crawls into.
But unfortunately, Butchers are not easy foes.
"The light take you!" Kormac yelled from its back, smashing overhead with his shield, the demon's size keeping him on there. Korgaroth had been keeping it distracted, aided by Naziba's newest powers. A giant made of flesh and bone was wailing on it from one side while a large spider queen slowed it with webbing. It managed to lift a step, only to step in one of Valla's spike bombs. Even Serenity winced as dozens of spike skewered the demon between the legs. With a loud, high-pitched roar, the Butcher smashed the lot of them aside, throwing Kormac off his back in the blow. Everyone quickly moved before the demon could crush them underfoot, but he had a different prey. He charged straight for Lyndon, who wasn't able to pepper him with enough arrows to stop the advance. On either side the floor grating was alit with fire, leaving him nowhere to go. Ming teleported in front of him, her skin turning to diamond as she fired a beam of ice. Serenity cursed. She'd never get there in time, and the Butcher would cleave them in two. But she was amazed to see that Ming was fine. Admittedly, the demon's blow swatted them aside, but it failed to leave a mark upon her skin. His feet were tangled by chains as Valla attacked from the shadows. She vaulted in fast enough to place one of her caltrop at his feet before disappearing in a haze of smoke. While the demon roared at the loss of his prey and the spikes imbedded in his feet, Ishtar unleashed a seven-sided strike. She moved so fast it was like she was teleporting, her fists splitting the demon's skin. It fell to the ground as Valla's bola severed his leg, while Korgaroth threw several axes at him and Naziba dropped a tower of dead on top. Finally, with power of the light imbuing her, Serenity flew through the air to land flail first on top of the Butcher. The holy energy seared what little skin was left. With a defiant roar, the Butcher raised its cleaver to fight back. Everyone stopped as one of Ming's magic orbs sailed down the demon's throat. It squealed like a pot on the fire, flesh rippling as wounds opened up all over. Everyone ran back to a safer distance as it expanded from the energy, before exploding in a powerful – and messy – explosion. Loot fell like rain around them along with the blood and guts of the monster. Everyone was silent for a moment.
Then Korgaroth laughed. It wasn't a quiet chuckle or a laugh of polite company. It was a loud, bellowing laugh that could probably be heard from back in Tristram. "Once again, I have been proven wrong. To stand between such a powerful blow and a comrade shows you have the spirit of a true warrior. And that explosion was magnificent." He slapped Ming on the back, heedless of the fact she started coughing as she slammed to the ground. "I am honoured to fight alongside such a little spitfire, Wizard. Come. Once we have rescued this angel, we shall go to the tavern and drink till we can no longer tell up from down." Still laughing, he wandered off to search the loot left behind. Naziba helped Ming back to her feet.
"I think I preferred it when he called me a coward." Ming gasped. "I'm not sure I can survive his praise a second time."
"Wizard!" Korgaroth shouted.
"Zei's luck." Ming groaned, until she caught a robe and legendary wand the barbarian had thrown at her.
"Those will fit you well. Only fitting you should have the prize after landing the killing blow." She placed the older, weaker items in her pack, before wearing the new items. She used a burst of magic to shake off the gore from the Butcher before wearing it, but resolved to give them both a good clean when they returned to town.
"Well now. If we're done waiting, there's an Angel that needs rescuing."
The angel was Tyreal, the Archangel of Justice. He had abandoned his brothers and sisters when they tried to charge him for aiding Humanity, and removed his wings. Such an act sent him down to Sanctuary, now a mere mortal. He warned them of how the last Lords of Hell, Belial and Azmodan, were marching onto Sanctuary with the intent of conquering it. As Magda worked for Belial, and he was active in Caldeum, everyone agreed to stop there first. They would gain revenge for Cain, and everyone else that suffered because of the Coven.
Soon, they will find the last of the Great Evils, and free their world from them forever.
There we go. This was pretty much Act 1 as told with my characters. I wanted to do this to show how they turned from a bunch of people ready to kill each other, to the band of comrades they are in Prime Evil. Each chapter will cover an Act, except for the final one which should hopefully be Act 4 and 5 together. And like the present fights, the monsters in this story are tougher than usual.
Hope you guys enjoyed that.