Chapter 8: Long Live the Prince of Lies

"Akarat's blood." Kormac cursed as they stood at the gates to Alcarnus. Blood streaked the path before them as homes burned, while heads were impaled on spikes and bodies were strung from the walls. Entrails were draped everywhere and dotted the red circles painted everywhere, with taunting messages written below them. Many of the villagers left lying half skinned were clearly dead.

At least, the lucky ones were.

"We must cleanse this city of the Coven completely." Valla said as she embedded an arrow in one of the less fortunate villagers, ending his suffering. "Until they're all dead, this place will never be able to rest." Her eyes, normally glowing with fire, were now ablaze with anger. Li-Ming winced as she realised where Demon Hunters come from. This was most likely bringing back bad memories for her.

"I agree." Serenity said. "This place has seen much suffering. The least we can do is make sure they all get their vengeance. But we might have to be quick, in case they or Magda run."

"Oh, we don't need to worry about looking for that. If Magda had anywhere else to go, she wouldn't be camped in a city waiting for us. I'll imagine that Belial made it clear that if she runs, she'll die by his hands." Ming replied. At least, that was the general picture they were getting from old messages from him to her. "And as for the Cultists, I'll be willing to wager that Magda will throw as many of them at us as she can."

"So we are agreed, then." Eirena said. "Let us go forth and cleanse this city of all evil and suffering." Her older and more formal style of speech made more sense now. From what she said, she was actually from the time of the Mage Clan Wars, 15 hundred years ago. She and her sisters were servant of a Vizjerei mage, and had learnt their magic from sneaking peeks at his spell books. But when they discovered that their master and his fellow mages were going to summon demons, they gave everything they had to slay them and their demon. At the brink of death, they were amazed to discover that they were healed by a stranger called 'The Prophet'. Amazed at their prowess, he offered to train them properly in the ways of magic, and to help safeguard the world against the demons. The sisters accepted.

Foretelling a great evil in the future, The Prophet placed the sisterhood in a magical slumber, to awaken in the future and stop this evil. For some reason, Eirena was the only sister to survive. Saddened by the loss of her sisters, she had been wandering Kehjistan for days until they found her, and she realised that they were the heroes she was meant to aid.

Ming hoped that they wouldn't let her expectations down.

Serenity raised her fist, stopping and listening. Ming could faintly hear a steady bang of wood on stone, similar to the sounds in the Halls of Agony. She grimaced. No doubt the cultists were sacrificing one of their own to summon a Dark Thrall. Serenity pointed two fingers round the corner of the house they were hiding behind, before counting down. Three… Two… One…

They ran as one, unleashing their power upon the startled cultists. They tried to continue the summon, but Korgaroth and Serenity broke the circle, leaving them cowering before they were burnt to crisps. But behind them was another ritual. And another behind them. And yet another behind them. "We need a new strategy." Serenity shouted as she smashed into a cultist trying to summon a Hellion. "Kormac, you take the left side. I'll take the right side. Ming, fire a disintegrator ray between us." They nodded, moving to their positions while Korgaroth cleaved through a Hellion summoned behind them. More Hellions screeched as they came across Valla's spike traps. Yelling at the top of their lungs, Kormac and Serenity charged as fast as they could, their shields slamming into any cultist that got in their way and very aware that a single misstep could send them careening into the fiery beam between them. Realising that it was becoming more likely with every step, they both angled their shields to cause the cultists and hellions to stumble into the beam, the flames searing right through them with ease. The dark thralls exploded as the beam pierced them, wailing in pain. By the time they had reached the other end of the street, every cultist guarding the way was lying dead and burning at their heels.

"Strangers." They heard a ragged voice say to them. They turned to see an old man locked in a cage, wearing nothing but his smallclothes. "You killed them. You killed all of them." He let out a wheezing laugh. "Praise be to Akarat. I thought we were left here to die. But He sends you to save us."

"Are there many survivors?" Serenity asked him as Valla started picking the lock on his cage. "Do you know where they are?"

"I don't know." He replied truthfully. "There were so many dead. So many dying. They took everybody, even the children. But there has to be others who have been left alive. Please, help them. Save them. We would rather die from exhaustion in the sands than trapped in these cages." Ming and Serenity looked at each other, before nodding in agreement.

"Beyond the bridge into town, you'll find an active Town Portal. It will send you to the cliffs above Caldeum." Serenity explained.

"Akarat bless you, travelers. Akarat bless you." He ran as fast as his frail body would allow him, stumbling over his own feet in his haste.

Ming swore they would kill every last cultist if they had to burn the ruins of Alcarnus to the ground.

The heavy gates boomed open as Korgaroth kicked them, banging against the walls and shaking the room. What few cultists hadn't been squashed were cut down before their might, their foul blood spilling everywhere. This was what a warrior lived for. To crush such weak monsters underfoot. To tear them limb from limb and make them pay for their evil ways. And to enjoy the feel of warm blood on their skin, he thought as he saw Ming practically skip over the blood and inspect the soles of her boots with disgust. Nevertheless, they cut an imposing image as they all stood in the halls, the sunlight streaming behind them and nearly blinding anyone before them.

The moment ended when some unseen cultist raised the bridge behind them.

"Looks like you've got nowhere to run, Magda. And no one left to cower behind. Face your death, and weep." He shouted at the empty room. The stirring of magical energy revealed Magda's form, glaring at them with scorn and hatred.

"It matters not." She replied haughtily. "While your group hunted me, your friends ended up losing poor little Leah. Belial's guards captured her with ease. Soon, her power shall become his."

"I doubt that. But you'll be dead either way." He let off a room-shaking roar as he charged for her, her magical barrier barely staving off his strike. She threw a cloud of locusts at him, their mandibles trying to tear his flesh away. He moved away as Ming burned them with an arcane orb, before he charged back in and sliced at Magda's backside. The witch screamed in agony as he magic tried to knit her wounds back together again, dodging to the side as Serenity blasted her with a beam of holy light. Portals started appearing around them, and cultists and demons came rushing out to defend their leader. Korgaroth jumped high and slammed into a group of them, their skulls crushed under his boots. He cleaved through them with such force that their remains were sent flying, knocking a demon over. Valla's turret fired arrows that pierced entire lines of foes, while she kept the pressure on Magda and forcing her to block the never-ending supply of arrows. One of Ming's hydras was burning scores of demons, leaving her free to unleash a chaotic field of arcane energy at anything within range. Strangely, the room got slightly fussier, a thin layer of cloud appearing everywhere. He could see the others as clear as day, but the demons and the cultists were stumbling around and attacking each other.

"Korgaroth." Eirena shouted at him as she approached. "I have an idea. I just need to cast an illusion on you."

"If it will allow me to end that witch, then I will allow it child." She nodded, waving her glowing hands over him as the others kept tearing through the cultists and the demons. He had to step aside as another of Magda's locust cloud came near, but it didn't seem to affect Eirena's spell. He looked down at his hands to seem them become slimmer and daintier, his axe turning into a staff. His heavy armour changed into long purple robes. An inkling of what Eirena had planned formed in his mind. It could work, if it didn't fail completely. Ming looked over, seeing what was happening, and hid behind a pillar. The cloud vanished, allowing Magda to glare at them over the corpses of her followers.

"Make your peace, Magda. Your reign of atrocities is at an end." He said. But instead of hearing his voice, he heard Ming shout it out. He charged forward, muttering pretend words as though he was working a spell. He hoped she would fall for it.

Magda cackled in her annoying way. "What pathetic display of magic is that? Let me show you real power." She threw another swarm at him, the bugs tearing away at him. He screamed as though it was agony, dropping to his knees and clawing at himself. He felt his body cool as ice formed around him, freezing the swarm with ease. He crawled as though he was too weak, panting in agony. Magda floated above, smirking at him. "My master will be pleased when I bring your lovely skin to him. He will enjoy hanging it in his halls.

"And… And I'll enjoy seeing yours… in the ground." He yelled as he swung his axe, the blade slicing her right arm off with ease. She stared at her stump in horror, before screaming in agony and shock as the pain took her. She moved to cast another spell, but the loss of such blood made her too slow. He had already taken her arm off at the elbow, before booting her in the stomach. Now, he stood over her as she floundered about on the ground. She looked up at him in pain and fear, as the illusion faded away.

"Please… Have mercy… Have mercy… on this poor soul." She begged. "Belial made me… do such evils. He would kill me… if I refused. What was I supposed to do? I only wanted to protect people."

"Enough of your lies." Korgaroth retorted, as he buried his axe in her skull. The two halves of her head flopped about as her body toppled, held up only by the handle of his axe. Blood splattered everywhere. He walked away from it, dragging his axe after him, and tousled Eirena's hair.

"That was brilliant work, little one." He said warmly. "You showed her that you were a stronger mage than she ever was."

"Oh, it was nothing." She replied. "Illusion magics like that are simple things. Meant more for fun than anything else. I was worried that someone as strong and skilled as her would see through them.

"She was so focused on power that she ignored the basics." Ming said as she stepped out from behind the pillar. "What a rookie mistake. My mentor always told me to remember the basics, just because they stay useful." She looked at Eirena in a funny way. "Strange that you were able to replicate my form so perfectly. I read that you had to visualise the illusion down to the last detail when you're making something that skillful."

Eirena blushed, and kept looking at the ground. "Well… I was always good at illusion and charm magic. Though I did once accidently cause one of my sisters to fawn over me." She looked up, worry on her face. "But what about your friend Leah? Do you think she was telling the truth about her?"

"I wouldn't put it past Magda to say anything to try and demoralise us during a fight for her life." Valla answered. "But every other time she told us something, it ended up becoming true. Let's return to base. I'd rather think that Leah is missing and be pleasantly surprised, than to be optimistic and learn the truth."

"But still." Korgaroth wondered as they prepared their portal back to base. "What were the others doing?"

(1 Hour Earlier)

"Well, now we know why the thieves aren't using the sewers anymore." Naziba said as one of his piranhas chomped down at a demon's skull. "This place is filled to the brim with monsters and undead. A perfect place for Belial's forces."

"Oh, the undead have been here for ages." Lyndon replied, wading through the waters for jewels. "But yes, the demons are making it difficult to get around. You doing alright back there, Tyrael? Your armour isn't so gleaming anymore."

"I never realised just how filthy the sewers would be. Are they all like this?" He had given up on wiping away the blood and filth that had accumulated over his armour, and made sure to not ingest it instead.

"Well of course they're all filthy. They hold hundreds of peoples' excrements. Don't the Angels have sewers?"

"No. Angels are incapable of such biological behaviour."

"Oh. Well good for you." Leah rolled her eyes.

"If we're done talking about how filthy it is down here, could we get back to looking for my mother?" She asked angrily, hands on her hips. Tyrael flushed red in embarrassment. He remembered the times he went looking for a brother-in-arms, and had scolded his fellow angels for wasting time on trivial matters. How they'd laugh if they could see him now.

"Apologies, Leah. Still, their increase in numbers implies that we are getting closer to their cells. A few more fights like this, and we will most likely be bashing down their door."

"And we will also end up killing the monsters that plague this city. And good riddance, too." Ishtar said as she punched open an iron gate in their way. They sloshed their way through the debris and the rats, raising their noses at the bloated bodies that floated past. But as they got further, they started noticing that it was getting mistier.

"I don't usually hang out in Caldeum, but I'm pretty sure that sewer mist isn't actually a thing." Lyndon said as he notched an arrow.

"It's demonic magic." Tyrael explained. "I can smell their stench in the air. Everyone group up and keep watch. El'druin's might can dispel this illusion"

"I can see someone." Leah said. Her voice came from outside the mist. "She looks so familiar."

"Leah, stop. It's an illusion." He shouted at her, his face bathed in the light of El'druin. "This is all a trap."

"She's getting closer." Leah continued, as though she couldn't hear him. He cursed. Of course she couldn't. The illusion must be blocking his voice. "I think she's…" She gasped. "It's my mother. She's… Wait. Stop! Mother, wait!" The heard her steps splashing through the water, getting fainter by the second. The mist was burned away as they were engulfed by holy light, barely giving time to blink the spots from their eyes before they ran after her. They couldn't see her anymore, but they could hear her steps. Naziba's Zombie Dogs followed her trail as best as they could in the water, their skeletal jaws panting as the chase sparked memories in the spirits possessing them. When they reached a crossroads though, her footsteps echoed from everywhere.

"There." Lyndon pointed at a fleeing red blur. Leah. They gave chase, splashing through rotted corpses and debris. Eventually, their chase ended at a chasm.

"Leah, that was a foolish thing to do." Ishtar scolded her. "That was obviously a demon trap. You shouldn't have just ran off after anything." Yes, it was a trap. But nothing was sprung. It served no purpose. All they did was just lead them astray. Was it a delaying tactic? Force them to try and find their way back to where they had been, so that they could continue interrogating Adria or move her?

But his nose was filled with the vile stench of demons. Warning bells rang in his head

"If only we had Cain's journal." He said, turning on the spot and watching the area for demons. "He once said he had maps of all the sewers of Caldeum, so he could find the temples and tombs buried under them. If only you hadn't burned them on his funeral pyre." The others looked at him strangely.

"Yeah well, those stories and legends were what got him killed." Leah replied. "As if they truly had answers for defeating the legions of Hell and the Prime Evils. I didn't want anything to do with them. They're just going to lead us astray."

"Yes, I imagine you wouldn't want to keep them. But Leah kept the journals, and is still studying them, demon filth." He charged forward, swinging El'druin as fast as he could. 'Leah' twisted to the side, but his blade sliced through her arm and down her leg. She shrieked an unholy cry as her form flickered, revealing one of Belial's Deceivers bleeding from a stump. He drove his blade through its chest, pinning it to the stone.

Before it died, it started cackling. "You're too late, Angel. We've taken this city from the wretched humans. Your pet bitch is now our prisoner, just like her mother. And none of you… will be leaving here… alive." It flopped back, dead and gone. But he could hear the shrieks of other Deceivers getting closer and closer.

Their group clustered together, weapons ready for the long and grueling fight to come.

(Near Present Time)

"So let's recap." Lyndon said as they started scrubbing all the filth and demon blood off later at camp. "Our group didn't achieve anything beyond learning that Leah's mother Adria was being kept in the sewers – and has probably been moved by now - , and we lost Leah to the demons, who were probably trying to figure out how to use her power and/or kill her. Meanwhile, Ming's group managed to track down Magda, learnt that the entire Imperial Guard has likely been replaced by demons, liberated what was left of Alcarnus from the Coven, and found themselves a beguiling young lady from the distant past. Is that everything, or does someone else have anything they'd like to share?"

"You forgot about the part where we met with the Emperor, found him under the thumb of Belial, rescued both Leah and Adria, and now have to go and find some evil mage from the past to aid us." Serenity retorted as she strapped armour plating back on.

"Well when you say it like that it does sound bad." Ming retorted from behind the curtain she was getting changed behind. "But I'm sure that once we get this 'Black Soulstone', things will get better. What I'm worried about is Zoltun Kulle. Even with most of the tomes about him destroyed, the surviving scrolls didn't paint a pretty picture."

"I'm afraid that they're all true." Tyrael explained. "Kulle was one of the founding members of the Horadrim, a master alchemist and one of the strongest mages of his time. It was why I chose him to help capture the Prime Evils. But the time he spent near the Soulstones warped his mind, convincing him to commit numerous evils and obtain immortality. But his main goal was to create a Soulstone capable of capturing all of Heaven and Hell, leaving all of creation free for humanity." Valla saw the way that Li-Ming started paying more attention when he said 'Immortality'. She could understand why Kulle would hate both groups, since anything Tyrael could do to help them would cause Heaven to destroy Mankind rather than let the demons win. "When the rest of the Horadrim learnt of the depths of his madness and depravity, they hunted him down and separated him into four parts. His head, his body, and two vials of blood. They then scattered them throughout tombs and rifts in the Kehjistan Desert, never to be seen again."

Lyndon scoffed. "And people say I'm bad. At least they never had to imprison me and dismantle my body parts. Maybe I'll tell them what this guy did and let them still try to judge me."

"So we have to go and find those parts to bring him back from the dead, and in exchange he will give us this Black Soulstone." Valla stated.

"Yes." Adria replied. "And with it, we can end the Seven Great Evils forever. According to the scrolls I found, you will find his head in the Dahlgur Oasis, not far from here."

"Wonderful. Where is that, exactly?" Lyndon asked.

"At the other end of the sewer system." Everyone groaned. "If we are to triumph over the forces of Hell, we will need to go to worse places than a mere sewer system. But I imagine that Belial's forces will do everything they can to stop you. You must head off at once, before he realises what we are seeking." Ming stepped out from behind the curtain, shaking out the last drops of water from her robes. Ishtar looked at her smugly as they stalked off back towards town.

"And you thought we needed to waste time being presentable." She said.

"No wonder the elders always told me to never visit the Oasis." Ming thought as she scorched another group of imps. This place is filled with demons and monsters. She always knew that attacks were common around Kehjistan, but she never realised just how many there were. They had spent ages combing the oasis for the prison, only to find even more monsters inside once they had done so.

"Is this all really to keep just one man in the ground?" Kormac asked incredulously. "Surely this is far too much, even for a mage."

"Apparently not." Lyndon replied, pulling an arrow free from an imp's face. "This Kulle had better be worth all this effort."

"If you two are done, I think we've found him." Korgaroth said, pointing at a cloth-wrapped ball sitting on a stone pedestal. It was left out in the open, with only shattered bones surrounding it. This had a trap written all over it. Ming rolled her eyes and used the wind to pull the head into her hands, grimacing as she felt it squelch in her hands. The ground shook as something large and heavy rose from the ground, a giant man made of stone. It had barely fully risen when it was surprised by having Korgaroth slam into its head with his knee, before slamming his axe into its face. Growling in anger, it tried to get up again. But Ishtar shattered its leg with a few well-placed strikes, causing it to collapse again. Korgaroth pulled his axe free before slamming it into the monster's neck, severing it and causing the creature to fall apart.

Ming handed the wrapped head over to Serenity, shaking her hands in disgust once she was done. Naziba chuckled as he summoned a portal back to camp, where hopefully they could commune with Kulle's spirit.

"Great. You found it." Leah said happily, grinning at them. "While you were gone, Adria and I found a spell that should allow us to pull his spirit back here."

"Be careful. Kulle isn't going to help us simply because it is the right thing to do. He'll want us to do something for him in payment. And even that wouldn't stop him from betraying us afterwards." Tyrael cautioned them.

"Yes. We get it, Tyrael. We can't trust him. But we don't have any other options. Serenity, place the head in the middle of the circle." She did so, unwrapping it to reveal a glistening skull. Even centuries dead it was still only half-decayed. Leah fired her magic at it, a familiar red stream engulfing the circle. And from the flames, rose a ghostly mage in long robes. His head was more fire than flesh, and he seemed as though made of sand. He looked around at the group, and chuckled.

"So, another band of heroes require my aid." He said in a gravelly voice. "How typical of the Horadrim. They're quite happy to leave me to rot until they have use of me. And you," he pointed at Tyrael, "I recognise you. I can feel your essence. I'm surprised that you, of all people, would want to see me again, Tyrael."

"Things have changed since the Horadrim sealed you away, Kulle. We need your Black Soulstone to capture and seal the last lords of Hell."

"Ah. Fate is… whimsical. It was abandoned in my workshop when I was killed, centuries ago. I am willing to show you the way, but first I require something of you."

"Of course you do. You couldn't just aid us for the purpose of good."

"And look at what 'good' has done for me. I tire of this half-formed cessation between life and death. I demand that you recover my body and bring me back from the dead before I even consider helping you. Do this, and I'll gladly show you everything you want to know."

"And how do we know you won't betray us when you're back?"

"That depends. What are you willing to give in exchange for beating Hell itself?"

"I would give anything and everything."

"As I thought. You're in no position to search for another way. It seems that I am your best chance. You will find my blood stashed away in the Desolate Sands, on the other side of the Ancient Waterways. I can open the door for you, if that helps." His spirit faded away in a burst of phantom sand, his skull crackling in the circle. Leah broke the circle and picked it up, wrapping it again in the rags.

"I've read about the waterways. They were originally used to divert water from the oasis to the original settlement of Caldeum. But they haven't been used in centuries."

"Long enough that anything could be living in those tunnels." Tyrael placed Kulle's head inside a pack before handing it back to them. "Just ignore Kulle's words for now and focus on getting him resurrected. As much as I hate to admit it, he is the only one who can open his chambers and activate the Soulstone. But if he tries anything afterwards, you're more than welcome to rip him apart again once he's served his purpose."

"I'm coming with you. Uncle Deckard practically dragged me down into the waterways once, to find some raggedy old tombs. I've mapped a lot of it as we went."

"It's great to have you along again, Leah." Serenity replied. "Come on. Let's get this over and done with already."

Even as they entered the secret passage behind the aqueduct, Ming's mind was spinning. Emperor Hakann had just spoken to them through a medallion, informing them that he was getting closer to finding Belial's disguise. He couldn't aid them before because the demons were watching too closely. But now Ming was worried.

The others weren't aware of this, but one couldn't just tap into magical items of such power. You could instinctly use magical weapons and armour, but enabling long range communication was something that had to be studied and practised. Even she had only mastered it barely a year before she left on this quest. There was no way a child could have used it, not even an Emperor.

"Belial and Hakann are one and the same." She said aloud, surprising the others. She was certain of it. Belial was a lord of Hell. There was no way he would settle for merely a high member of the Council, or the Emperor's right hand. To do so would be to place himself lower than anyone else.

"Well done, apprentice." Kulle replied, clapping sarcastically. "And here I was thinking that I was the only one to realise that. I'm glad to see that mages of this time haven't completely wasted all their talents."

"Be silent, Kulle." Valla retorted. "Ming, are you certain about this?"

"I am more certain than ever."

Valla nodded. "Then at least we know where to look for him once we've gotten this Soulstone. Let us continue, before Belial realises that we know." They kept sloshing through the water, until they were surprised to see a barrel in the middle of a crossroad. And it was shaking.

"Hello?" A voice echoed from it. "Is someone out there? I'm stuck. Could you help me get out?" He stopped shaking for a bit. "Unless you're a monster. Then in that case, keep your mangy claws off my barrel. I like it in here." The pile of corpses around him started quivering as Accursed pulled free of their fellow carcasses. Between the ten of them, the poor creatures never stood a chance. Many of them were burnt, or exploded, or frozen before they had even finished pulling free, their corpses exploding and releasing vile clouds of poison. "Hello? Is there someone fighting out there? Are you still alive?" The barrel grumbled. "Say yes if you are. Or you could at least clap." Korgaroth rolled his eyes and ripped the barrel in half, revealing an old, ragged man blinking up at them. "Oh, thank you. It was really getting stuffy in there."

"What were you even doing in that barrel? Or down here, for that matter?" Leah asked him.

"Oh, I heard that there was a valuable crucible down here for combining gems. I hired a nice guide to help me find it, and I woke up in that barrel. He must've decided to protect me by shoving me in there so that the monsters couldn't get me. Such a kind young man. I do hope he's alright." They all looked at each other. None of them had the heart to tell him the truth. "Say. Are you travelling through here too?"

"We are." Valla replied. "We are seeking the Desolate Sands on the other side of this tunnel."

"Why that's wonderful. I'm going the same way. You don't mind if I tag along, do you? Just until we find my young guide and/or crucible. Possibly until I get to the town portal that's probably waiting on the other side."

"I… suppose so." Leah answered. "Just stay away from danger, and we should be good. And don't touch anything."

"Of course, of course. You don't get to be my age by being stupid, you know." They kept walking, avoiding the rotting Accursed remains. "Oh, how rude of me. If forgot to introduce myself. My name is Covetous Shen."

"Sounds like someone out there didn't like you that much, Covetous." Ming replied.

He shrugged. "There are worse names out there. I once ran into a barbarian calling himself 'Bloodykiller 1337'. He kept going on about his 'leet skills' and how everyone else was a 'noob', and everyone else kept being 'hax' to him. Poor man died from a goat."

"A goat." Lyndon deadpanned. "Are you sure you don't mean a Khazra?"

"Hmm, no. It was definitely a normal goat. Mind you, he kept failing at farming them. He seemed to think that mean kill a lot of them and wait for a farmer to replace them, and then kill them all again."

"I've heard of that. We call it Gamer Madness. Those afflicted with it seem to believe that they are strange men from another world, and that they are immune to death. We usually just put them out of their misery, since they also seem to believe that rules do not apply to them." Korgaroth explained. They kept walking in silence, save for when they ran across monsters and demons.

"Oh, this place is so amazing." Shen said after a while. "You could walk all over the world and never see anything like it." He stopped and pointed at a crossroads. "Except for this part. I've seen this somewhere else before."

"I think that barbarian wasn't the only mad one around here." Kormac whispered to Serenity. Ming had to stifle her giggles.

"you know, I just realised. I'm starving. Do you suppose there's something to eat down here?"

"Well, there are decaying dead bodies everywhere." Ming replied.

"How do you think they taste? I've eaten food from all over the… Oh. You weren't serious."

"Enough." Ishtar interrupted. "Let us find your guide and be on our way. Our mission is too important to waste prattling." She stomped off ahead, the others having to try and keep up. Eventually, they ran into a room full of demons again. But there was a young man behind them, fiddling with a disc on a pedestal.

"Get away, old man. It's mine." He said angrily. This must be the guide Shen mentioned. He had all the hallmarks of a thief. No doubt he was planning on stealing it.

"Be careful, Gavin." Shen called out. "It could be cursed… Oh dear." It was indeed, as Gavin screamed while melting into a puddle. "Well, I did warn him." He moved ahead, ignoring the demons streaming past him to engage them. The Nephalem tore through them as Shen fiddled with the disc, humming pleasantly to himself. Ming waded through the demons with her magic, until she was standing with him again. "Hello, Wizard. It turns out that the curse has dissipated. That's a relief. That looked painful."

"Every minute I spend with you is another I spend wondering how you haven't died yet."

"Oh, good eating and fine breathing. Along with a healthy dose of luck." He snapped his fingers as a thought came to him. "You know, I've been searching for a dangerous jewel my entire life. I'll bet that given how you lot fight, you're sure to run into it at some point. Allow me to accompany you. I can use this crucible to combine gem fragments into better, stronger gems. With more magical power. Does that sound like a good trade?"

"It does sound very useful." Leah admitted. "And we'll need all the help we can get against Belial and Azmodan. "She held out her hand. "Welcome aboard, Shen."

"We need to talk." Kulle said as he appeared before Ming, startling her. They were now well within the Desolate Sands, searching for the gates to the tombs his blood was being kept in.

"We have nothing to say." She replied. "You've made yourself clear back at the waypoint about what you feel." He felt that they should take power for themselves instead of following orders from Angels or Demons. He spoke of how the Angiris Council had voted on whether or not to destroy Humanity. It was only stopped by vote, with Itherial, Auriel, and Tyrael voting against it. She felt a bit queasy knowing that they had come so close to dying, but Tyrael already made it clear that few angels actually cared for them. Or liked them.

"Oh, but we do. You see, I see a lot of myself in you." His eyes roamed up and down her figure, leering with lust. "When I was young, I was naïve once. Listening to the elders, letting them dictate what I could and could not learn. But then I realised that they were fools, too frightened by their power to do anything with it. Once I started learning the spells they warned me against, I felt my power growing stronger and stronger. I was not a mage, but a Wizard. Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

"So you ignored some crotchety old men. Big deal. I'm hardly the only one to do that in this day and age."

"But people like us are never satisfied with what we have. We must learn more, become stronger. That thirst for knowledge and power is why I was chosen to create the Horadrim. What if I told you that I acquired even more knowledge long thought lost to the ages after I left the order?" She stopped walking, looking at him properly. He smirked at her. "I could teach you so much. I could show you how to tap into the primordial forces of creation, to create and destroy with abandon. I could show you how to turn back the clock, or to speed it up. I could even show you the secrets of immortality." She longed for it. Oh Gods, she could feel her mouth watering at such possible wonders. "All you have to do is side with me when your friends decide they have no more use of me. Surely that's not too much to ask? Why should I die when my creation has become so important? And all I want in the end is to use my birthright – our birthright – to become a god. You could be the Eternal Empress of Caldeum, watching as it becomes greater and more powerful than any kingdom. More powerful than Heaven itself."

"I… I… I'm not… Interested, Kulle." She tried to stop herself from shaking.

"You say no, but I can see the longing in you. But, I'll leave you with your choice for now. My offer will still stand until the end. But consider this. None of them trust you. They fear you, fear your power. You could kill them all before they could raise a hand against you. In your heart, you know this. And so do they. And the dead told me such interesting things. Like how it was the Assassin who helped slay Mephisto and Baal that killed your dear mentor. How long would it be before they decide that you are too powerful to live?" His cackling echoed in her head as she trembled in rage.

She knew it. She knew that someone had killed her. It wasn't a backlash from her spell. It was an assassin. Her eyes lingered on the others, tearing their way through demons and monsters that plagued this land. She felt the air move as something came towards her.

It barely had time to scream before she reduced it to ashes.

"Hell's damnation, how many blasted tombs are there in this wretched desert?" Lyndon all but screamed as they tore their way through another group of enemies. Their original plan had been that Kulle would sense which tomb held his blood, and then they would split into two groups and hunt down the vials. Once they had them, they would meet up at the Northwestern most area, where the gate to Kulle's Archives would be waiting for them. But they had smashed their way through the entire area, and not found any sign of it. Except for a note that described how one particularly paranoid elder had moved the blood in case Kulle ever came back. So now, with no idea where the others were, they were forced to go from tomb to tomb in search of the real blood.

"I agree with Lyndon. This is most perplexing." Eirena replied as they stepped around crumbling steps. "I hope the others aren't too worried about us."

"If our journey is any indication, then they're still searching as we speak." Ishtar added. "My biggest worry isn't the tombs. It's Ming."

"You heard him too then?" Valla asked.

"Heard what?" Lyndon asked.

"Kulle was trying to turn Ming against us, promising her power in exchange for betraying us when he turns against us."

"What?" But she would never do that. We are her friends. We trust her." Eirena said.

"Do we? The magi seek control over power for a reason. Magic has caused so much pain and misery when used incorrectly. And Ming is the strongest Mage I have ever seen. If she went down the wrong path, there could be chaos everywhere."

"And he said that he knew who had assassinated Isendra. He tried to imply that she was killed because she refused to act like the other mages. The way she talked, she clearly idolised her. Who knows what's going on in her head?"

"So we're going to, what, kill Ming before she can betray us? You do realise that all that means in that we're proving Kulle right."

"No, of course not." Ishtar glared at him. "Despite her lack of control, she is still our friend."

"Then what are you suggesting?"

Ishtar sighed. "I don't know. Maybe we could knock her out. Or tell her something that makes Kulle seem like a liar."

"Right. I'll just call this Plan 'Blow Up in our Faces'. What could possibly go wrong with it?" Valla returned to the group, smiling under her heavy hood.

"Patience, Ishtar." She said. "Have faith in our friends. If you wait long enough…" She showed them the vial of blood in her hands, and pointed at the guardian running after her.

"…You might just find what you're looking for."

"Well. This is a… cosy place." Serenity said as they walked through the halls of Kulle's Archives. The whole area was bathed in shadows, with only red glowing crystals lighting up parts of it. Bookcases and statues hovered in the air, and pillars of sand erupted from time to time. Right now, they were standing in the Terminus, with two paths of sand leading them to portals.

"It's amazing." Ming replied, looking around excitedly. "So much knowledge thought lost to the ages. Those tomes over there, they bare the markings of Deshaad's Scriptures. They were said to have been lost for nearly a millennia. And over there are the scrolls of Tulaak Hoard. He was said to have found a spell that could turn lead into gold." Serenity smiled at her friend's childlike enthusiasm, but deep down, she was getting worried. Valla and Ishtar weren't the only ones to have been cautious about Kulle. When she realised that they were both whispering about Ming, she got them to give her answers in no time. Now, every time she looked at the young lady, she wondered what she was thinking. Like right now. Was she thinking about how amazing the fact that this knowledge survived was? Or was she planning on how she could use this herself, to grant herself greater power?

"All of you, take my blood and use it to power the devices inside these portals." Kulle commanded. "With their help, young Leah can finally restore my form, along with opening first locks on the gate. But you'll still need my help to get in."

"Yes, Kulle. You've reminded us of this all day. We get it." Leah sighed wearily. "I'll get the spell ready. Just keep doing what you guys always do." They split up again, Serenity making sure to stay by Ming's side as they entered the portals. She was relieved to see that Valla had decided to accompany them too. They weren't surprised anymore by the sheer number of demons and undead that stalked the halls. It seemed that every mage and their tribe had undead guards back in those days. They pretty much tore a straight line through them, something Ming was happy about. She kept going from bookcase to bookcase, quickly inspecting the scrolls and tomes on display. They had made considerable progress when Valla tapped on Serenity's shoulder plate. She was pointing at a bookcase, one Ming hadn't had a look at yet.

"Alright team. Let's take a short break and rest. We've likely got a lot more of fighting to do after this." The team sat down on various tables and stools, sighing as they took the pressure off their feet. They had been walking and fighting all night and day. She followed Valla over to the bookcase, making it seem that they were just looking around for any stragglers. "What did you want me to look at?"

"This scroll." Valla replied. "Something about it seemed off to me. It wasn't until I looked at it that I understood why." Serenity took the scroll in her hands, skimming through the contents. Bathe in the blood of virgin sacrifices, devour the flesh of humans, drink the blood of demons…

She looked up sharply once she reached the bottom of the notes. "This is about his immortality. Of all the places it could be, and we ran right past the one place it was being kept?" Akarat clearly had been guiding them. "No wonder the Horadrim tried to kill Kulle. It looks like in order to become immortal, you have to do everything you can to destroy your humanity. Ming has to see this."

"What? Why would she need to see this? Wouldn't it be better to destroy it?"

"But if she knew what Kulle did to obtain his power, I'm certain that she would refuse to follow him. Despite her quest for power, I know that deep down she is a good person. This kind of thing… It would horrify her."

"But what if you are wrong?" Serenity gave her a look. "Don't give me that. Your faith was corrupted by Mephisto. That hardly tells me that your trust is infallible. What if you are wrong? You'll have just given her the power to become an immortal tyrant."

"But how would you react if you found out your friends destroyed a chance at immortality simply because they didn't trust you? If we're going to work together, then we need to work as a team."

"Really? Then let's go and give it to her right now." Serenity's hesitation told the truth. "See? You're as worried about it as I am."

"…I'll keep hold of it, for now. If she does betray us, then I swear I will burn this scroll and all its secrets." She placed it in her pack, before heading back over. "Alright team. The time for resting is over. We'd better get those locks undone before Kulle gets antsy at us again." They all got back up, some more willing than others. They had to practically drag Ming away from the scrolls she was looking at. As they kept going, Serenity had an idea. One so simply and obvious that she was surprised she didn't think about it before.

"Ming, do you trust us?" She asked. The young woman jumped as she said that, looking at her with alarm.

"Of… Of course I do. Why would you even suggest that I don't?"

"Because Valla and Ishtar heard Kulle talking to you. And about his offer of power. Isn't power something you've said you're interested in repeatedly?" Ming looked at the ground, ashamed.

"…Do you lot trust me?" She asked quietly.

"I want to, Ming. There's little right now that I want more than to just be able to trust you. But surely you can understand our concern. You're barely concentrating on the fights, focusing instead on these tomes and scrolls. You command power that terrifies sound-minded people, and you want to do anything to become stronger."

"Not anything." She mumbled. Serenity placed a hand on her shoulder warmly.

"I have faith that you will make the right decision. But you still need to ask yourself something. What do you want most? Might? Or right?"

The way Ming kept looking at the ground, she wasn't sure if even she knew.

The pool of sand in the center of the Tribune spun around Kulle's skeleton, reforming flesh and blood like a sandstorm in reverse. It grew thicker and thicker, until he was hidden from view, and then it exploded with power. Before them, Kulle stood in the flesh.

"My blood… thunders within me! This fetid air fills my ravaged lungs… I am alive again!" Kulle shouted, waving his staff about and conjuring magical energies around him.

"You're welcome." Leah responded.

"We've fulfilled our part of the bargain, Kulle. Now it is your turn." Serenity said to him."

"Yes, yes. I remember. Follow me to my inner sanctum, and I will get you the Soulstone." He sank beneath the sand as it started billowing upwards, energy making it glow. They stepped into the sand and sunk beneath it, reemerging in another pool. They were now standing on a ring supported on towers. In the center of the ring hovered a black stone pulsating with power. Kulle was standing at the other end, guarded by two giant constructs. "At long last, I can complete my life's work. All will tremble at my power." He fired a red beam at the stone, but after a few seconds it started trembling. The whole room shook. "What is this? That can't be right. The souls of the dead Lords are already trapped within. Nephalem, abandon your quest. Your allies only lie and attempt to control you. Join with me, and we shall be our own masters. We could rule over all creation. Crusader, you could become the new god of your faith. Barbarian, your people could finally have a home. You could use the very demons of hell as target practice. Or the Demon Hunter could finally slaughter every last one of them. Monk, the Eternal Conflict disrupts the balance in the world. Would you just stand aside and let it continue, when you could end it for good? And Witch Doctor, you could control all spirits. An army of dead will obey you for all eternity."

"You are mad, Kulle. There is no way we would ever join you." Ishtar responded furiously as they took battle stances.

"A pity. But what of you, Li-Ming? My offer still stands. You could be more than just Empress of Caldeum. You could rule the entire world. You could have enough power to do the impossible, to change the very rules themselves. Join me, and we will become greater than any force in all creation!" Ming looked at him, before turning to the others. Tears welled in her eyes, before she took on a determined expression.

"I do not seek power over the wellbeing of others, Kulle. That is what is different about us."

"You dare? I offer you the world and more, and you dare spit in my face? No matter! I can still find a use for you, even as a corpse." He fired a powerful ray of flame at them, but Ming retaliated with her own. The beams clashed in the center of the room, neither making any progress. The others ran to engage the golems, only for more to spring up from around the ring. They had been hiding as statues.

Ming felt her arcane energy failing, throwing herself to the side as her beam failed. Kulle's blast thundered into the wall behind her, melting the stone and creating cracks. "Don't tell me that you're still limited by arcane energy." Kulle chuckled as he unleash tornados and Hydras after her. "Foolish girl. I figured a way around them decades before Tyrael recruited me. I can do this all day, while you have to wait for your energy levels to return. You cannot win against me." He flung his hand out, sending Kormac and Korgaroth flying. Ming ran as his beam seared the ground behind her, always one step ahead. She unleashed a storm of ice and froze his beam solid, before blasting back again. Their beams clashed again, but she could feel her levels decreasing rapidly. That was the price of being a Wizard. Incredible power, but if she used too much, it could destroy her. She dodged again as her beam faded, chunks of rock thundering against her shield. Even that was failing under his onslaught. She saw that the others had dealt with the golems, but were having trouble with Kulle. Serenity and Kormac were blocking his blasts, but she could see the innate magic of their shields failing as they melted. Valla and Lyndon were pinned behind rubble, his Hydras nearly frying them both. Korgaroth was pinned under a dead golem, trying to lift it off and failing. And Naziba and Eirena were doing all they could to stop his other spells. He was too powerful. They were going to die.

You are too weak.

Well, we'll see about that.

She drew on all the arcane energy she could muster, feeling it flowing through her body. She kept pulling on it more and more, until her body ached everywhere. Her blood boiled in her veins and her muscles were tearing themselves apart, but still she kept drawing more and more in. At last, when she couldn't take it anymore, she tapped into the power. Her body felt like it was being torn apart. No, it was being torn apart. Her power was destroying her flesh. The pain was getting worse and worse, until she couldn't handle it anymore. But then it stopped hurting. And she was still alive.

Her body was now made of pure arcane energy, shaped in her figure and robes. She felt a deeper understanding of how magic worked, of how energy combined together. Kulle fired his beam at her again, but she could see the flaws in its design. She fired her own beam, and watched as it pierced through his. He dodged to the side just in time, the beam shattering the wall behind him.

"What? Impossible!" He shouted. "The Archon is just a myth! There's no way you could've discovered it yourself!" He unleashed his magic at her, attacking with all his spells. Tornados, hydras, familiars and spectral weapons all lashed out at her. She slammed her hand against the ground and they all dissipated. He kept casting more and more spells, until they grew too weak to get anywhere near her. He was left with waving his hands, his arcane energy gone.

"No. No! Wait!" He begged. She raised her hand, and an arcane orb flew at him. By the time it was done, there was nothing left of his remains. But something flew at her. His spirit. It was still trying to hold on. "I can still live! We can still achieve our true potential! You will be my vessel, our future, until the end of time!" He screeched. She went to attack him again, but her body felt like it was aflame. She fell to her knees, screaming in agony. He was getting closer, closer. She had to do something, anything.

"Back from where you come from, Kulle." Serenity shouted, slamming the butt of her flail against the ground. A golden circle surrounded them, burning Kulle and sending him flying. He flew forward again, but he slammed against the circle and screeching pain as it burned him. His screams echoed as he faded away, leaving nothing. Ming felt Serenity's gauntlets touching her skin as she fell against her.

And then everything went dark.

"She… She turned into an Archon?" Adria asked them incredulously. "But that's impossible. The only source of knowledge about becoming an Archon was the Black Obelisk, and it was destroyed. How could she have done it?"

"I don't know. But we're very lucky that she even survived it." Serenity had carried Ming back to camp, where she, Ishtar and Leah had done everything they could to heal her. There was just so much damage, they thought they had lost her at points. But the danger had passed. She was now sleeping in her bedding, wrapped head to toe in wrappings soaked in healing potions. It would be at least another day before she could be moved, let alone ready to fight. The others were using this time to study the artifacts they had discovered, or place gems into armour and weapon slots, or even give junk to Haedrig to work with. It was going to be another day before any of them were truly ready to fight Belial. "What are we going to do about Belial?"

"According to the Thieves Guild, his demons are still scouring the desert, most likely looking for the Soulstone." Lyndon replied. "We'll let him keep looking and get angrier until we're good and ready, and then we march up to the palace and shove his soul where it belongs. Along with looting the palace vaults, of course." They all stumbled as the ground shook and the sky turned a sickly green. Rocks and fire fell from the sky above Caldeum. "Huh. Guess he's not all that patient, for a lord of manipulation."

"He's getting desperate. He knows we're getting closer. If we don't stop him now, all of Caldeum will be left in ruins." So much for their rest. "Quickly, everyone who can still fight, ready yourselves. We must destroy him at once." They ran down the path, aware that time was not on their side. They reached the gates to find the streets in chaos. Everything was burning, and bodies laid in heaps. There were Iron Wolves leading groups of civilians to the city square. They followed them to find Asheara directing people into the sewers. The Nephalem slashed at any demons who came close, while more and more people streamed towards them.

"That's the last of them." Asheara shouted at them. Everyone else is either under cover, or dead."

"We need to get to the palace. Belial is attacking from there." Korgaroth shouted. His deep voice made it easier to hear him over the falling sky.

"Understood. Iron Wolves, get these people to the palace gates!" Armed men surrounded them, covering them with shields and slashing out at the demons. They all got there quickly, Leah's hands already glowing.

"Ok. Here goes nothing. I really wish that Ming was here to help me out." She fired a beam from her hands, the chaotic energy shattering the gate like wood. The Iron Wolves kept guard at the gates, while the Nephalem charged through the remains of the demons waiting behind the gate. They barely paid attention to the nobleman cackling at him, Korgaroth burying his axe in his skull. They reached the inner gates in almost no time. Leah barely said a word as she melted the ornate gates to nothing. She nearly fell to her knees, panting from exhaustion.

"There. The way is open." Adria told them. "Go and slay Belial. I will tend to Leah and get her out of here."

"Understood. Come on. It's time to have words with Belial." Serenity ordered.

"Praise the Gods, you've arrived just in time." Emperor Hakann said to them. "Quick, show me the Soulstone before Belial destroys the entire city."

"You'll see it well enough from the inside, Belial." Hakann looked at them with shock, before leering with a grin far too big for his face.

"Clever. But know this, Nephalem. Azmodan is aware of the stone's existence, and it's power. Even if you defeat me, he will exterminate you and every last one of your misbegotten kind." The child vanished, revealing a tall floating demon with four long arms and ragged robes. His face was shaped with two mouths on either side, as though someone fused two heads together. "Deceivers. Destroy them."

"Now!" She shouted, the group charging for the demons. They were surprised as Valla destroyed them with spike traps she had laid, while Korgaroth charged through them and made the platform quake. And, Serenity noted with a smile, every dead demon made Belial angrier and angrier.

"I will not be undone." He cursed, sounding panicky. "This world is mine!" He reappeared by Naziba's side, slashing out at him. But Naziba erected a wall of dead to block him, while a Gargantuan appeared behind the lord. Its blows sent him spinning into Korgaroth's blade, where he was pinned long enough for Valla to pepper every part of him with arrows. He roared, and threw Korgaroth off just in time to get slammed in the face by Serenity's shield. He stumbled into Valla's caltrops, the spikes trapping his hanging robes. Stuck trying to pull free, he could only watch as Serenity used her power to launch herself into the air and slam into him with full force. The platform groaned again as cracks grew. He vanished from under her, and reappeared on his throne.

"I cast off these petty illusions." He said arrogantly. "Behold the true power of the Lord of Hell!" The platform shook and tore itself apart as they were encased in a swirling vortex of foul magic. Belial reappeared dozens of times their size, armed with massive spiked arms and gnashing teeth. He lashed out with his arms, nearly catching them under his spikes as they scattered.

"Thank you Belial, for making yourself a bigger target." Korgaroth roared as he grabbed hold of a spike, soaring through the air as Belial lifted his arm. When he landed, he started chopping away with his axe as Ishtar jumped onto Belial's back. She ran around his body, her fists breaking scales with every punch. His attempts to destroy them meant that he was wide open for the rest of them to attack. Valla placed turrets around the place, each one impacting his hide with every arrow. Lyndon, Kormac, and Eirena kept him distracted, shaving off more of his skin. And Serenity called down her own rain of light and fire, the beam causing his skin to bubble. He roared in fury, stabbing his arms into the platform and causing numerous spikes to rise up. Korgaroth responded in kind, burying an axe into his eye. Belial screamed in pain, his arms ill-suited for removing the weapon. But they were only doing a small amount of damage to him. There was still a lot of him to destroy.

And Serenity had the craziest idea of her somewhat short life. "Korgaroth, make him open his mouth to the sky!" She shouted. The barbarian nodded as Ishtar came to his side. They both wrenched at his mouth, pulling it apart and making him gag. When it was as open as it could, pointing straight upwards, she unleashed her power again. She jumped higher than she had ever gone before, higher than even the tallest towers of Caldeum. As she fell again, she called down more holy light from the sky, sending it burning into his gullet. He choked on it, trying to close his mouth. He finally pulled him jaws free, but only after she had already slipped through.

The sheer force of her landing ripping him in two.

Serenity laid there on her back, the blood and ichor fading away as the Emperor's throne reappeared beneath her. Ishtar and Korgaroth landed next to her, amazed as that entire throne room returned to normal.

They had done it. They had won.