Chapter 7: To Another Caldeum Night

The trip to Caldeum was long and arduous. The caravan made sure to stick to the long, winding safe roads that all travellers frequent, heedless of the fact that between all his passengers they could easily handle whatever was in their way. And while Serenity was used to long trip on foot, spending weeks at a time beyond civilised homes, her adventures usually weren't so boring. It had been over 2 weeks without any action (unless you count Lyndon getting thrown out of the caravan by Ishtar) and she found that the days continued to stretch on and on. Of course, part of that may have been because with nothing to fight, her thoughts were all on their objective.

Fighting a Great Evil. One of the Last Lords of Hell. Few have ever managed to get anywhere near such a daunting prospect. It took 7 heroes of unparalleled strength and skill to best the prime Evils, and it resulted in the destruction of Mount Arreat. She looked towards the Barbarian, walking outside to stretch his legs. He was most likely there 20 years ago, when they said the Worldstone was shattered by Baal's actions. What would've it been like, seeing your home crumble and explode so suddenly? How many of his brethren survived, and how many were standing with their gods? But such a personal matter was not to be questioned lightly. Perhaps once they have words with Belial – and survive the experience – she might ask him of how his people fare. Her thoughts now satisfied, she tried to find something else to take her mind off the coming battle. She looked round at all her allies, and what they were doing at this very moment.

Leah was sitting in the corner, holding Deckard Cain's book to her chest. The wounds of sorrow still ached within her, and she most likely held the book so as to convince herself that Cain had merely lent it to her until he returned. Ishtar was next to her, meditating and still despite the swaying of the caravan. Naziba was sitting on the roof of the caravan, mixing foul smelling concoctions that he said allowed him to truly commune with the spirits. She was merely thankful that the roof was made of wood. She had seen how easily his reagents could eat through cloth, and didn't want it to spill on anyone. Valla was in the furthest corner, taking apart her bow and checking all the components. Whenever she spoke, it was direct and to-the-point. Otherwise she was silent. But thankfully, she could brew a wonderful stew from whatever materials were given to her. Li-Ming was in the third corner, reading through several thick books on magic that allowed her to fine-tune her spells. Serenity just wished she wouldn't levitate when she did so. It was rather distracting. Kormac and Lyndon were outside as well, the Templar convinced that the scoundrel simply needed to occupy himself with some much needed exercise. A wise choice, since when they were in the City of Eastgate he had gotten himself into a lot of trouble. Though in hindsight, none of them realised that the lovely, curvaceous blond woman wearing clothing that threatened to fall apart at the slightest touch was a noblewoman. Much less that she was the daughter of a very powerful lord, or that she desired a man by any means. When he hadn't shown up at their due time, and three of them had gone to find him, they were very surprised to find him in her manor without even his smallclothes, chained to a bed, covered in honey, and having said woman licking every part of him and holding onto several whips. When they wrestled him free and left the city, she was screaming for half the guards to chase after them. That had been 12 days ago. And as far as Lyndon was concerned she was very well long gone.

And as for Tyrael? He was out front with the driver, observing the world as it passed. He was such an ancient and powerful being, and yet he was fascinated by their world. She smiled as she remembered him asking her about the children playing tag. To her, such an activity brought back warm memories of her childhood. But to him, such a thing was as foreign as flying was to her. According to him, Angels are born fully aged, missing out on childhood and all the wonders of it. Part of her felt sad for that. Being a child was a privilege that should be held on to for as long as possible, especially outside the cities.

When children stop being children out there, it is because their innocence was taken from them.

"Alright, we'll stop here for the night." The driver shouted at them as he pulled to a stop. Ming set herself back down as Ishtar woke up from her meditation. "We're running a little low on food, so maybe you lot could do some hunting later on. I've stopped her a few times on my travels, and the best game should be west of our position. And you'll be pleased to know that there's a few springs not too far away from here, next to a river. Always a good place to wash things in."

"Excellent. I can almost feel the odours wafting off our persons." Ming said as she hopped out of the caravan. "It made it unbearable inside that caravan. And I really need to get that stain out of my robes that Lyndon made." She glared at the scoundrel, who merely smiled.

"It was an honest mistake. I completely forgot that you only had one robe. Now, I need to just answer the call of nature. If Eastgate's guards show up, I split from you lot a week ago and headed South." And he hurried to the treeline.

"Make sure to tell him not to squat over a bush with red berries. It's a horrible little plant that causes horrible burning and itching in your nether-regions. The one time I found that out my privates felt as though I dipped them in the rivers of Hell itself."

"And yet demons apparently do that for fun. Truly a mystery for another time." Tyrael said as he circled the clearing they were in, looking for anything unwelcome. Serenity noted that as a soldier's instinct, with Valla, Korgaroth, and herself all tensed and ready. But between the four of them, they spotted nothing. Relaxing now, Serenity smiled as Naziba flipped off the roof with his cauldron, tipping the contents into a bush.

"The spirits say that our fair maiden of Eastgate was placated by a brave member of the guard. They knew that it would be unwise to send so many for one man, and so this man was meant to take her mind off such matters." He paused for a moment before continuing. "He will regret this to the end of his days."

"I'll say." Lyndon replied as he came back out of the bush, adjusting his breeches. "She was planning on using a branding iron on my nether-regions. And who knows what she'd do with the straps. I've run into plenty of deviants back in Kingsport and none of them ever meant well with straps. Of course, most of them were men, so you'd at least know where the straps were going."

"Enough talking about that vile temptress. She was obviously a demon in disguise. No right-minded woman would wander about in such lack of clothing unless she sought to lure good to the bowels of evil." Kormac said hotly.

"She must've been very skilled. You couldn't even look her in the face the entire time." Leah spoke up. Kormac blushed.

"Well… She was… I mean, that is to say… She was certainly… attractive. And I'm willing to admit that even with my vow of celibacy and devotion to the light I still suffer from… urges. And did I mention she was still a very attractive woman?"

"I don't care if she wanders about without a stich of clothing and a large rod of wood between her legs. I'm not going with her again." Lyndon said. Serenity sighed as she walked away. Sometimes it felt like men would go after any woman baring any amount of skin at them. She wouldn't deny that she'd appreciate a young, strapping man in a loincloth, but she at least remembered to put her mission first. They were trained to suppress their urges while on the crusade, lest a demoness tempted them towards death. Or worse, evil. As she pushed her way through a series of bushes, she found herself almost impaled on a wand as Li-Ming stood before her, her robe pressed against her chest. Ming relaxed as she saw who it was.

"Apologies Serenity." She said as she placed her wand back into her belt. "I thought that perhaps one of the men was blundering their way through to spy on me." She draped her robe over a low branch that already had her skirt and leggings hanging, before stepping back behind a tree. "So, how were things going in camp?"

"Rather well, all things considered." Serenity replied as she started undoing the strap on her heavy armour. "It turned out that Naziba was asking the spirits about whether Eastgate was going to chase after us. You'll be pleased to know that they chose to distract the Noblewoman instead."

"Ah yes. 'Spirits'. Come on Serenity. Surely you don't believe that he's actually talking to spirits in another plane of existence. Plenty of Magi have found conclusive proof that their potions and rituals are designed to induce madness in themselves, causing them to simply believe that they are speaking to someone when all they're really doing is speaking to their inner psychosis or their 'imaginary friend'." Serenity heard the sound of water splashing as Ming got into the spring.

"Why can't he be speaking to spirits? We've already encountered ghosts back in Tristram. And we have an actual Angel travelling with us. How much harder is it to make a jump from those to spirits?" By now she was unbuttoning her coveralls, wrinkling her nose at the smell. No doubt about it, these needed a thorough wash before she wore them again.

"Because we have irrefutable proof about ghosts and Angels. Ghosts are the souls of the dead, bound to our realm by unfinished business and emotions. And demon attacks are frankly far too common to dismiss. But there has been no evidence of the existence of spirits by any respectable scholar without them ending up running about in their smallclothes and saying that the pineapples are after his lucky charms."

Serenity frowned as she dipped her clothes in the nearby river. "So, if you were provided proper evidence by someone who is clearly not half mad, then you would accept their existence?"

"It would have to be some very good evidence. You'd be pitting the conclusions of dozens of well-known scholars against one person who only appears to not be insane." Serenity grunted as she lifted her now sodden clothes out of the river and wrung the water out of them before handing them over another branch. It creaked under the weight. That done, she finally removed her small clothes and stepped out from behind the tree.

"I still find is ludicrous that after all we've seen so far, a mage would find the idea of spirits to be laughable." She said sternly as she entered the spring. Days of dirt and odours were washed away, causing her to feel lighter by the minute.

"How does me being a Wizard make this even more laughable than anyone else?"

"You twist unimaginable power to your very will, causing all of creation to dance to your tune. Before I joined the Crusade, such things would've seemed impossible to me. Even now, it still does."

"Magic isn't some maddening force that laughs in the face of what you know. There are certain rules of the world that most beings obey without question, and Magi just learn how to bend those rules to their bidding. Simple."

"Yes, simple. Except for the part where these rules are most likely rules that cannot simply be 'bended' by normal people." Their argument was interrupted as Valla, Ishtar, and Leah all pushed through the bush.

"Oh, there you both are." Leah said. "We were wondering where you two went. Feeling better now?"

"Much better." Ming replied, cheerful again. "I suppose we are fortunate that this spring is big enough for all of us. How go things back in camp?"

"Tyrael had Kormac and Lyndon go and collect some wood for the fire tonight, Naziba's having a nap, and Korgaroth is going to train with some trees." Leah replied as she started wriggling herself out of her breeches. "You know, I thought I heard raised voices when we were getting closer. Were you two arguing?"

"Not really. Serenity and I were simply discussing how one needs solid proof before verifying an undiscovered entity before a crowd. It wouldn't do to make up some strange being simply because you had a bit too much ale and thought a beast has three heads instead of one." Ming shrugged, smiling. Sometimes her pride caused her to be very insensitive to others."

"So you will not believe in anything unless you see it with your own eyes." Ishtar summed things up as she pulled off her robes and unbound her hands and feet. She was looking at Ming very intently, causing her to wriggle under the stare. "Even though we have seen Angels and Demons, you would not believe gods exist unless you meet them."

"Well… Not exactly. I mean, back in Caldeum you'd find people worshipping the most bizarre things. Why, I once came across a group of people worshipping a small statue of a dark knight merely known as 'Darth Vader'. They were saying that he was in the service of a god named 'Lucas' and would arrive one day with an army of white, skull-faced warriors to cleanse the world of the unfit and the corrupt. But they would be challenged by an incestuous brother and sister team known as 'Skywalker' and 'Organa', who seek to destroy the righteous. And they would be aided by a large two-legged beast, a vizier in gold armour, a small goblin in white armour, and Organa's other lover 'Solo'. Does that sound like something that should be believed in?"

"Well no." Leah replied as she stepped into the water. "But just because a few people get religion wrong doesn't mean that you shouldn't just have faith in things. It just means that you need to be sure about what you believe in before you commit."

"That's what I said. I need proof about their existence before I believe in anything." The others sighed as their point failed to get across. Ming clapped her hands loudly. "So. How about we use this time to get to know each other better? Many of the other girls back home loved to gossip while bathing. I was usually too busy studying to take part, but I'm sure I can give it a try."

"Talking about ourselves? Now?" Leah looked a bit nervous, glancing at Valla and Ishtar. "I don't know if now's the right time."

"Of course it is. We've taken on a zombie attack, fought through Khazra dens, battled a cult and even slew the Skeleton King and The Butcher like the heroes of old. Surely you can't expect us to keep going without knowing anything about each other beyond 'we came to seek the Fallen Star'. Now if no one's against it, I'll go first." She cleared her throat for a few seconds.

"I was originally born in Xiansai, in a small village of Ardea located in the Heron River Valley. I first discovered my talent as a Wizard when I was 8 and the river dried up from drought. The others were content to wait for the gods to be merciful, but I was not so…" She stopped, glancing at Serenity and Ishtar. "I mean, I didn't feel like waiting when I had the power to help my village. I tapped into underground rivers I could sense with my magic, drawing them out and casting them to the winds. Everyone else thought me foolish, but I knew it worked. After several hours the sky darkened as storm clouds formed from clear sky. Thunder and lightning struck the earth as they came closer and closer. When they were directly over us, they finally released all the water I gave them, filling the river again and ending the drought. That was the sign of my immense power. Even today there are many Magi who say that what I did was impossible."

"And yet the villagers let you leave to train your skills." Serenity spoke up. "Our crusade came across many villages, and those who had the blood of mages in someone guarded them fiercely. The one time we needed to borrow a mage child for a few seconds to dispel a curse, the villagers nearly tried to lynch us for so much as touching her."

"They… The drought returned in the months after, and it was even worse than before. Their admiration turned into fear and anger, and they blamed me for the drought. They said that I had done this to lord my power over them, or that I angered the gods by meddling in that which only they can change. Everyone agreed that it would be best for me to leave the village in hope that the curse would be lifted. I was fortunate that my parents still cared enough to call for a sorceress to come and take me away for training. I was as surprised as anyone when Isendra herself came to collect me."

"Hold on." Leah interrupted. "You mean The Isendra? The Sorceress who was part of the group of heroes that defeated the Prime Evils? That Isendra?"

"The very same. But I believed her knowledge of magic to be too… limited for my training. Part of magic is based on what you believe you can do, and she believed she had learnt all she could. I had hoped to be trained by the High Councillor of the Vizjerei instead. But he found me too impetuous for his training, and so we were stuck together. Over the years, I learnt to respect Isendra, realising that in my pride I had thought her unable to teach me anything. It is thanks to her that I realised I hadn't even learnt the basic spells of all Magi. Sadly, I was right in that her knowledge was too limited for my tastes. It didn't take me long to learn everything she knew, and so I sought out ancient tomes in the libraries. After the High Councillor Valthek caught me looking through books that were 'forbidden', he chose to take over my training and keep an eye on me. His teachings were mainly designed to stifle me, forcing me to relearn spells I had mastered at a more gradual pace. I lost count of the number of times he told me to 'meditate on the nature of all things' before he would even let me try another spell."

"And what happened to Isendra? Rumours had it that she died not long ago."

"I'm getting there. As she was no longer bound to be at my side, she went out into the world to study it, keeping an eye out for any evils returning. The last time we met was during the massive drought near the beginning of Emperor Hakan's reign."

"I remember hearing about that." Valla finally spoke up. She had been cleaning the pieces of her crossbow in the water until now. "A great drought plagued the lands of Kehjistan, lasting for two years until the rains finally returned. Many died from the heat and lack of resources, even in Caldeum."

"Indeed. Valthek and I headed to the Borderlands to the town of Lut Bahadur in hopes of finding the cause ourselves. But I didn't believe that the high Councillor would find anything."

"Because he wasn't as smart as you? Or because the drought was natural?"

"Mostly because he placed so many rules on magic. I understand why some are needed, but he reprimanded me when I used my magic to draw water from an underground river into Lut Bahadur's well. I drew enough water to save the town, and he cared more about the potential consequences that could've resulted from my actions. It wasn't like I was changing the very shape of the river itself. I was just digging a little deeper to get water out. Isendra agreed with me, so obviously he was mistaken." Or perhaps because he was older than Ming he knew the dangers magic could possess better than she did. While Serenity wasn't against Magic being used to help others, it was something completely unknown to even the greatest Magi. Who knows what problems Ming might create by using magic for every little thing? "We did not find the cause of the drought out there, and we returned to Caldeum none the wiser. But months later, I awoke to the sense of great magic being cast in the east. The two of us returned to Lut Bahadur to find the entire village frozen, as still as statues. Every home we entered was cold and dead, the inhabitants stuck in their last acts. I studied the lingering spell energies to discover that Isendra had tried to remove the heat from the air as respite, but lost control of it. We found her later, dead from an attack. Valthek kept trying to convince me that it was backlash from her spell, but I knew it wasn't that. I realised that she was assassinated, but for what reason I still can't find. I studied all the scrolls and tomes I could, despite Valthek's dismal attempts to keep them from me. I kept at this until I heard of the Fallen Star, and realised this was the moment I was prophesised to return to the world. But Valthek believed me to still be untrained. He said that I would become the greatest threat to the world, and he forbid me from leaving. He was even willing to fight me if it came to that. But he refused to understand his gift, to limit it with rules and fears. It was all he could do to avoid my spells, and he was so busy defending there was no way he could attack. Well, except for the last moment. He launched a desperate attack that did manage to hurt me, but he didn't realise how resilient I was. I tricked him with an illusion of myself, and cast him down to the catacombs below the Great Hall. He kept believing that I was too dangerous, but I refused to stay hidden inside a dusty old building when I could be out here helping others. And none of the other mages dared to stop me. And that's how I came to be a part of this group." She clapped her hands sharply. "Anyone else?" There was only silence.

"…You managed to best the High Councillor of the Vizjerei?" Leah asked her, startled. "But… but he is the greatest of the Vizjerei. The greatest sorcerer. That should've been impossible."

"He was the greatest sorcerer." Ming stressed. "Do you know what the difference between a Wizard and a sorcerer is? A sorcerer limits their potential with rules and caution, spending time wondering about what could happen if they use their spells. To them, Magic should be studied for decades before it should ever be used. A wizard, however, believes that one should never limit what they are capable of just because there may be a chance of something going wrong. And so because of that, the greatest sorcerer is no match for the greatest wizard." She smiled at that. She went to speak again, but Ishtar suddenly placed her hand over her mouth. As Ming's voice was muffled, Ishtar and Valla suddenly sat ramrod straight, eyes glancing everywhere. Was it an ambush? If so this was a very horrible moment for Serenity. While her flail and shield stood not far from the edge of the water, she had nothing underneath. All it would take was a blow knocking her shield aside and she would end up with a blade to the gut. Ishtar suddenly got up from the water. Not the quick movement of an attack, but as though she decided she had been soaking long enough. She then walked away from her clothes, swinging her hips so much she was crossing her feet when she walked and nearly bumping her hips against the trees. When she had gone far enough, she stopped and turned sideways above the waist, stretching so that her large breasts pointed upwards and bounced.

And then like a snake, her hand whipped into the bush, causing it to yelp as she pulled Lyndon out. Everyone stared at him before they all started reacting.

Ming screamed and covered herself as best as she could with her arms, turning away from Lyndon. Serenity grabbed her shield to hide behind, finding Leah pressed against her for modesty too. Valla grabbed her scarf, wrapping around her chest as she glared at him. And Ishtar just held him, not even bothering to cover herself. Lyndon was alternating between looking very worried and staring at her lithe body.

"Sorry about that ladies." He said. "Made a wrong turn at that tree over there. Honest mistake." He tried to give them a warm smile, only for it to slide off at their anger.

"How dare you." Ishtar growled. "How long have you been spying on us for? Most likely long enough to see far too much. Well no more. I'm sure the others will wish to deliver your punishment." And she started walking off, pulling Lyndon after her. Leah moved from behind Serenity's shield long enough to pull her shirt and breeches on before grabbing Ishtar's robe and running after her.

"Wait! You can't wander back to camp naked!"

"I can't. Believe you Lyndon."

"Oh calm down Templar. It wasn't that bad."

"Wasn't that bad? You defiled them. You gazed upon their unprotected bodies against their will. You dammed them from the light, allowing sin to keep the light from their… their…"

"Nubile, sensuous bodies?"

"Do not twist my words to your own perversion Scoundrel. They trusted us. They are our allies against evil. And you betrayed them for lust. Tell me, do you think it was worth such shame?"

"Let's see. They all are very well-endowed; Li-Ming's skin is completely unblemished; Leah's complexion has a birthmark shaped like Khanduras on her lower back; Valla is incredibly supple; Serenity hides the largest breasts you'll ever see under her armour; and Ishtar shaves her whole body. Yep, I'd say it was definitely worth it."

"You disgust me."

"You're just jealous because you missed out on seeing their smooth, unblemished, alluring virgin…"

"Enough." Korgaroth said suddenly, silencing them both. "Both of you, cease your petty squabbling. While men seeing women undressed has been a challenge of the ages and is to be respected, you do not need to go on about our companions. Besides, do you really want Ming to try and see how long it would take to remove your nether-regions with fire? No? Then silence." Korgaroth settled down in the spring and closed his eyes. But he kept his axe well within easy reach.

"You know, I'm actually rather curious about you and your people." Lyndon said after a while. "We don't get many Barbarians down in Kingsport. I always thought that you lot were all about manliness, with big beards and muscles, pillaging villages and taking women. That sort of thing." Korgaroth sighed deeply.

"We do not do so. Those were lies told by those who do not understand us. Our founder, Bul-Kathos, realised that the Worldstone held great power, and there would be those who would seek to use it for their dark, twisted desires. And so Bul-Kathos gathered many like-minded, strong warriors that lived near Mount Arreat, and united them as one. They originally roamed all of the Western Continent, watching and killing anyone they believed would be a threat to the Worldstone. But then one day, Kehjistan tried to invade. We held them off bravely, long enough for them to decide that it wasn't worth it. But we had lost too many of our brothers and sisters. We had to return to Mount Arreat, and decided instead to close it off from Sanctuary. We regarded any outsider who entered our lands without permission to be after the Worldstone, and slew them where they stood. That dedication to our duty made people believe we were violent animals, invaders, cannibals and, yes, that we took women from their homes. Ridiculous nonsense. There are enough Daughters of Bul-Kathos that we do not need to steal more."

"And so everyone worked together to build Bastion's Keep in case you lot ever return. We all know what happened next. Baal managed to fight past all of you, corrupt the Worldstone, and then Tyrael had to destroy it to save us all. Now what about you? What's your story?"

"Why do you care?"

"Well, the women were having a nice chat about their past. I figured that if I agreed to tell your stories, they might let me in the spring with them next time." Kormac shook his head at Lyndon's unstoppable perversion.

"Bah. My history is not some sort of pick-up line. But I will still tell it, if only to watch as they chase you away in your smallclothes and on fire. My father trained me fiercely in the art of combat. He pushed me diligently, but not too hard, so that I will grow instead of break. When I was 15, Bastion's Keep began a battle with us again. My father and I were on the frontlines, forcing the soldiers away from our home. I watched as my father was cut down by a cowardly archer, safe at the very top of the Keep. Keeping my rage in check, I fought my way through till I reached the side, and then I climbed up to the top. When I got there, I fought more and more of them until I found the one that killed my father. And then I released my rage upon him. The fury was so strong that he was a mere bloodstain by the time I was done. When we chased the men off, I swore to keep training until such an end would never happen to me. And so I did, until Baal happened. With our home destroyed, many of us wandered the lands, lost and confused. Others reverted to animals from madness, even devouring the living when they found them. I chose instead to bring hope back to my people. I stayed near Arreat Crater, training as many young ones as I could. When I found another to replace me, I walked the lands, righting the wrongs I found on my way. And I always found work whenever I ran low on gold. People were always willing to have monsters cleared out. It went on like this until I heard of the Falling Star. And so now here I am, on a quest to kill the last Great Evils of Hell. And with any luck, I will go out in a blaze of glory, as Bul-Kathos did before me."

"Well…That got a bit dark. I think I'll go back and reminisce about the ladies being naked." Lyndon got out of the water and grabbed his clothing, moving behind a bush to get changed. It didn't take him long to return, grumbling as he rubbed his breeches. "Blasted bush. Hit me right in the privates. Strange that a green bush would have such red berries." Korgaroth, Kormac and Naziba all looked at each other in shock.

"What?"

"Here we are. Welcome to Caldeum, the Jewel of The East." Li-Ming said, standing on a cliff overlooking the great city. To her, this place was more home than her real home was. When she had first arrived, she thought this place was far too massive to be real. She had a few nightmares about getting lost in its winding streets and large crowds. But alas, she was kept inside the Vizjerei chambers at almost all times, never leaving the citadel without a guard. Her understanding of the city was… stunted by this. Why, when she left to go to Tristram, she got lost 5 times just trying to find the city gates. They would find her a much stronger woman now, adorned in items she gained from demons and monsters. She looked back at the others, smirking at their mismatch of different items of armour. It was common for adventurers to end up looking like that, as they found magical items that better empowered them. Korgaroth mostly wore leather armour but was still wearing his fur armguards and shoulders, along with Leoric's Crown. Valla brooded beneath her chainmail armour, easily the most professional looking of the lot. At her back was the legendary bow Longshot, a bow that allowed her to shoot demons beyond their sight. Ishtar wore the Heart of Iron, a cuirass that changed into a black armoured robe through its innate magic. Sadly, the black clashed with the bright blue gauntlets and greaves she wore, along with the green helmet. At her belt were her Fist weapons, one of which was a bronze knuckleduster with spikes; and the other was Rapid Strike, a circular claw glowing with poison. Naziba had somehow found an old voodoo mask called 'Quetzalcoatl' in amongst the Cultist loot. It was a large purple mask with lots of feathers and a grinning skull molded into the center. It was large enough to hide behind, a good thing since he looked faintly ridiculous covered in feathers and very small pieces of leather. If he was a woman it would considered indecent. And he also found a glass jar hanging on a chain and filled with eyes. He said it was the Gazing Demise, and it somehow increased how much mana he regenerated. Personally, she found it a bit fishy. And Serenity had found black Crusader plate on demon corpses, having made almost a complete set. She had found two legendary items, wearing the Vigilante Belt at her waist and holding the Butcher's cleaver in one hand. She was clearly far stronger than she look to wield such a weapon like that.

As for her, she had been bestowed by fate with strong studded leather robes, and festooned with dangling cloth. In her hands were the mythical weapons of Chantodo, forged by Haedrig from plans she found on their journey. While they were all certainly more capable of protecting her from harm than her original rags, it was the enchantments inlaid in them that were the most valuable. They boosted her power, her speed and allowed her to gain more power from fallen enemies. They were going to need every advantage they could get.

"I've missed this place so much." Leah said as she and Tyrael stood on the cliff edge. "I spent so much time exploring its wonders while Uncle Deckard searched the old libraries. He loved this place."

"He wouldn't now that it is under the spell of Belial, Lord of Lies." Tyrael retorted. "I can smell his stench on the air. Most likely he is heavily ingrained into the city and its people."

"We'll need to split up. Tyrael; you, Leah, Ishtar and Naziba will look for signs of Belial. The rest of us will go after Magda. We need to get revenge for Cain." Ming decided. While Belial was a threat to the world, she would not rest until she stuck a blade through Magda's skull.

"I'll go with them." Lyndon spoke up, hiding his lower face behind a scarf. "I've done business with the Caldeum Thieves Guild. If anyone would notice a Demon Lord taking root, it'll be them."

"I thought the Thieves Guild was after you." Serenity said. "Isn't it a bit dangerous to be going to see them for help?"

"Ah, but that was the Kingsport Thieves Guild. The Guilds hate letting other guilds in on their turf, and so it's practically unheard of for another city to report a thief. Well, as long as they didn't do anything too vile. And besides, I'm sure that if I do get captured then you'll all come charging in with your swords and your spells and wipe the whole blasted lot of them out."

"Very well then. But first we'll need to resupply and look for more powerful items. And quite frankly, Ishtar could use a dye for her clothes." Ming added. Ishtar looked at her strangely at that. "Oh don't give me that look. I know the Ivgorod Monks don't care about their appearances, but frankly you look a bit ridiculous. No one's going to take you seriously."

"She has a point you know. We can't exactly warn the Emperor about Belial if he won't even see us." Serenity added.

"Very well then. But I still do not feel we should waste time on appearances."

The hunt was on.

Ming's group hadn't gone far from the city gates before they ran across a young lady standing in the shade of a large cliff. She was dressed very lightly, with a short layered skirt and her top was about as covering as undergarments. Her blond hair was tied up like a bird's tail, keeping most of it out of her eyes. On her back was a tall staff, signifying she was a mage.

In short, she was everything Ming wanted in a woman.

"Travelers, I bring you warning." She said suddenly to them in a high, flowery voice. "There are cultists further along this road, and they have illusions to trick people with."

"We are aware of that." Korgaroth said to her. "That is why we are heading this way. We have fought them before, and will cover the desert with their blood." They had asked the guards while they were in Caldeum about any signs of the cultists, and learnt that they were certainly not acting subtly. They had attacked the village of Alcarnus, slaughtering the villagers for their twisted magic. It was clear that they were getting desperate.

"I doubt you have seen the illusions they use. But if you are determined to stop their evil, then I will accompany you." It was all Ming could do to not squeal like a young girl and clap her hands. This lovely lady was joining them. True it might not be for long, but maybe she could convince her to stay with them. Fighting the Lords of Hell was certainly an adventure, and it would be better to fight alongside this woman and her mysterious skills. And they'd get to know each other better, discussing magic and all its uses. And then one night after a long pleasing chat, she could lie closer to her, rest her arms on her dainty shoulders, stare into her bright, vibrant green eyes, and pull her closer for a deep, long, pleasant kiss before retiring for a blissful night of ecstasy…

Oh who was she kidding? She bet that this girl preferred big, strapping men like Kormac or – she shuddered – Korgaroth. Mind you, Kormac seemed as nervous around her as she felt.

"So… uh… What… What is your name?" He stuttered, stumbling about in his heavy armor and dropping his sword a few times. Yes, he loved her too.

"My name is Eirena. May I have your names in return?" She asked politely. Ming wanted to hit herself. Stupid. She was lusting over this maiden and she didn't even ask for her name. She was raised far better than that.

"Certainly." Serenity replied. "I am Serenity of the Crusaders, while the Barbarian goes by the name of Korgaroth. The Demon Hunter is Valla, Kormac here is our Templar, and this nice young lady is LI-Ming, a wizard with impressive power."

'How do you do?' She tried to say. She think it came out more as gibberish. She longed to have learnt the art of invisibility.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. Though I am curious as to why you seek out the cultists. Is it to free the villagers from their tyranny? Or something else?"

"It is partly to stop their vile ways. But mostly it is so we can get revenge for a friend who died to them." Valla finally spoke. Ming shook her head, freeing it from the murk she found herself in. This was not the time to be trying to get into Eirena's skirt. This was the time for action, a time to avenge Cain and all the others who died because of the coven. By now, they had reached the shade of the cliff heads, a path to the Stinging Wind's desert. Ming reminisced of the times she and Isendra rode out to those barren sands to find villages in need of help. Already she could smell the acrid scent of burnt flesh, feel the harsh wind and sand…

And hear the scuffling of things following them.

"We have Lacuni on us." Serenity shouted to the others, smacking one of them with her shield as it jumped down on her. Korgaroth grabbed another and started tearing it in two, before bludgeoning another with its remains. Ming unleashed a time bubble, slowing the Lacuni to a near standstill while the others moved normally, before unleashing a web of lightning around them. Given the Lacuni's love for throwing bombs at people, she found it amusing when Valla killed one with its own explosive. And as for Eirena…

She was like an angel, surrounded by a wave of arcane energy. As she spun around, time seemed to slow as the fury of the fight gleamed in her eyes and blood flowed like red rain. Her chest jiggled alluringly from the motions, setting Ming's heart on fire. Her skirt lifted just enough to bare her lustrous leg. As time sped up again, the last of the Lacuni fell apart from her magic. Everyone grouped around the most complete corpse. The one Serenity smashed with her shield.

"What is that?" Valla asked. "I've never really seen anything like it before." 'It' was a lithe, feminine feline, adorned with leather and jewels over the most vulnerable parts of her body.

"A Lacuni. Also known as panther-men. As the nickname suggests, they're a bunch of cat-people who terrorise the desert and all who live in it. They're smart enough to craft their own explosives and weapons too." Ming explained. As she lived most of her life in Kehjistan, she knew the horrid things on sight. A few villages had been found empty because of these things.

"And are they all like this? Tall and spindly?" Korgaroth asked, nudging it with his boot.

"No. These are the female. The prowlers. The male are larger and tougher than them. Much like a barbarian in that regard." Ming stood back up. "We should continue. These are not the only things ravaging the deserts of late."

"Like Sand Wasps?" Serenity asked, pointing further along the path. Ming looked up to see large spindled wasps flying around, their giant stingers nocked and ready. She sighed.

"Perfect. Alright, before anyone asks, Sand wasps are more dangerous than they appear. They attack by firing buzzing young at an enemy and unleashing a deadly poison before flittering further away to try again. Luckily for us, the young move in a straight line before the poison causes them to explode. As long as we keep moving, we should be fine. Now, attack on three. One…"

"Three." Korgaroth shouted, charging forward and yelling like an idiot. She swore she saw Serenity roll her eyes before charging after him, shield held before her. Valla started shooting arrows at the wasps, but they were buzzing around too much. If it wasn't for the special nature of her hungering arrows she'd be missing even more. Korgaroth dodged to the side of a stream of wasp young, lopping the wings of the parent as he ran. Serenity, as expected, simply charged through the attack and slammed the wasp against the wall. A scrabbling sound alerted Ming to the arrival of more Lacuni. She fired her disintegration beam overhead as she dodged, slicing three of them in half. Eirena unleashed an arcane field that slowed down the dozen others as they landed on the ground, allowing Kormac to cut them down. Valla dropped one of her turrets as she dodged away, leaving Ming alone as even more raced for her. She blasted them again with her beam, but they were smart enough to jump overhead as their sisters died. They were within reach when she unleashed a wave of force, slamming them against the cliff walls hard enough to splatter them. She panted, fear making her heart race until Eirena approached.

"Are you unharmed Li-Ming?" She asked, looking at her with worry. Ming started blushing as she realized she could see partly down her top.

"No. I mean yes. I mean… What I mean is… I'm ok. I'm fine. No harm, no…" She blushed even more, her words escaping her. She glared at Korgaroth before hitting him with a clump of ice. "What in the name of the 59 gods of Xiansai were you thinking Korgaroth?" She raged. "I specifically told you that they were dangerous, and not alone. And yet you went charging off without a plan of attack. We were scattered, vulnerable to our enemies."

"I did listen to you. I simply decided to get too close for them to escape instead of waiting from afar to be pricked by insects. Besides, no one was hurt."

"I was surrounded by a dozen Lacuni, eager to pick my bones clean."

"But you were not. You need to learn not to worry so much. It is bad for your health, and your appearance. And you need all the help you can get." He laughed as he walked off, leaving her glowing red in anger.

She refused to speak to him for a significant part of the journey.

"Look my friend, I'd love to tell you all about what's gone to shit in this city. And not just because you've got a goddamn Ivgorod Monk with you and I had a bad run-in with them a few years ago. But I can't. Belial's made it clear that he'll only tolerate us thieves for as long as we remain useful to him. A dozen members already went missing when they decided to try their luck at the palace. His men sent half of them back almost picked clean, and a note saying that we serve him now." The thief was skittish behind his door, as though worried that any second now demons were going to spring out of nowhere and devour him.

"I see." Lyndon said nervously, fingers drumming on his crossbow. "I don't suppose this is the part where you simply forget you ever saw us, and we'll be on our way?"

"As a matter of fact, it is. I'm gonna clear out of Caldeum as soon as you lot are clear and find work somewhere else. But I'm telling you mate, no one smart is willing to cross a Great Evil for you." And he slammed the door shut, the sounds of several locks echoing.

"Well, so much for that contact." Lyndon said as they walked away. "5 down, 23 to go. Hey, maybe next time we'll hear something different for a change. Like how they're turning us over on the spot."

"We can't give up." Leah was adamant. "There's got to be someone here who will take a stand. We just need to keep looking."

"And in the meantime, word will probably reach Belial that a bunch of morons is going about and asking about him. Yippee."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Lyndon on that." Tyrael said. "While those who are willing to fight are strong, many people are too frightened to even consider defying a Great Evil. Even I would be cautious."

"Then what else are we to do? Just let him win? Is that what you're saying?"

"Of course not Leah." Naziba stepped in before things got heated. "We will keep looking. But we must play this smart. He is the Lord of Lies, and has spies everywhere. We must stop him, yes. But we must also be cautious. We'll only get one shot at this." She sighed, but she seemed to listen to his words. He then thought of something that might help her focus instead of worrying. "I know. What about Magda's note?"

"That's right." Leah pulled out a worn note from her pouch, folded and creased from being read so often. "'My spies tell me that she is the child of witch Adria, who is hiding in the deserts of Caldeum'. If my mother is really alive after all these years, then we have to find her."

"You know, thieves don't like witches any more than they like demons. I doubt they'll particularly care if she went 'missing' somewhere deep and far away." Lyndon flinched under Leah's fierce gaze. "But then again, someone might've heard something about her."

"Where should we start?" Ishtar asked. She had spent a bit of time staring at her robes, now all golden in hue. The magic of the items attracted the dye splendidly, the cloth changing color in seconds. "Will we simply go from thief to thief, hoping that someone would know anything about her?"

"Perhaps. Or the spirits would have us follow those men over there." Naziba said, pointing at a group of miners walking through the crowd. They didn't look like they would know anything. In fact, they looked as if they wanted nothing more than to go drinking and sleep for three days. But Naziba and Ishtar had a peculiar feeling from watching them. As though there was something about them that disgusted them. The group quickly stole up behind them, keeping far enough that the miners wouldn't realise they were being followed. Leah noticed that Tyrael was taking a few sniffs of the air.

"They carry the scent of demons on them." He said quietly. "Either they have been working for demons recently, or they are the demons themselves."

"Just remember that we'll want some of them alive." Lyndon said. "First rule of information gathering: Dead men don't talk. At least not without having to hire a necromancer." By now, the miners had reached an alleyway, finally taking a glance at their surroundings. The heroes quickly moved to inspect a stall, just another group of customers in the bazaar. Leah held onto Tyrael's arm as though they were betrothed, while Naziba argued with the merchant over the authenticity of a shrunken head and Lyndon 'obtained' a few new items from the stand. When Ishtar saw that the miners had entered the alley, she tapped Tyrael's side before walking over. Leah and Tyrael followed right behind her, while Naziba left the nervous merchant with his fake head. It didn't take the group long to find the miners again, already in a heated discussion.

"…You sure no one will find her down there?" A guard asked them, hiding his ornate robes under a heavy cloak. The miner he was speaking to gave him a stink eye.

"Tathamet's Blood, yes I'm sure. Those tunnels stretch on for miles. Why these wretched mortals need so much for their filth is beyond me."

"Good. But make it clear to the torturers that they are not to touch her tongue. Lord Belial wants facts, not mere amusement."

"We got the chancellor talking, remember?"

"And if you hadn't ripped out his tongue and shredded it, we might've gotten something from him besides mumbling. This is far too important to mess up for sheer amusement. I don't think I need to state what Lord Belial will do to you if this is messed up."

"It won't be. We've nullified her magic. Without it she is fit only for food or pleasure." The miner suddenly started sniffing the air. "Wait. I smell angel." He turned to face back down the alleyway, straight at them. HE started walking closer until one of Lyndon's arrows impaled his leg. He gave an unearthly shriek as he fell, his disguise falling away to reveal he was a snake man with razor-sharp teeth.

"Spies." The guard said, stumbling away. "Kill them before they escape." The other miners dropped their own disguises, revealing them to be more demons. Ishtar summoned an ally made of water before sending it ahead of her in a stream. The cold aura of the water slowed the creatures down, allowing her to race towards them with her daibo. She spun it around like a fan, knocking the demons aside and shattering a couple who received the brunt of the attack. Naziba slowed them even further by summoning ghoulish hands to grasp scaly flesh, ripping it away at times. With most of the demons dead, the remainder scurried away and left their leader behind. He tried to slither off, but Tyrael stabbed El'druin through his tail.

"Talk, demon." He said angrily to it. "Or our friend here will have his creatures devour you alive. Who are you torturing?"

"No one you'd care about, Angel." The demon spat. Tyrael twisted his blade, causing it to shriek loudly. "A witch. We're torturing a witch. She knows about something Lord Belial wants desperately, and he's not too picky about how we get it."

"What is Belial seeking? And what does the witch look like?"

"I don't bleeding know. All these wretched humans look the same to me. And I'm just a messenger. I don't get told what the Lord desires."

"Where are you keeping her?" Leah asked the demon. It glared at her.

"What do I look like, a damn guide?" He shrieked again as Tyrael twisted. "She's in the sewers not far from the palace. But it's filled with traps and monsters. It was made to be impossible to break into."

"For monsters like you, perhaps." Tyrael said as he pulled El'druin free. "But not for us." And he ran the blade through the demon's head.

"Follow me." Lyndon said cheerfully. "You don't last long in this city without learning how to navigate the sewers."

Looks like this will take longer to do than I thought. After I did Act 1, I decided I had to make the adventure a bit bigger so it isn't just having all 6 of them go off on the same thing. That's why I separated them like this. And I also gave then a few legendary items to make them unique.

And yes, I am a hetero male. I like beautiful women. I like the idea of said women naked. But at least I followed Game of Thrones and gave us some 'sexposition'. That way it actually has some use besides fanservice. And this is totally in character for Lyndon.

And for those of you that haven't played Diablo 3, I will have some scenes going on that aren't in the game.