Ch10: Fiery City and a Tearful Loss
Once we returned the sword piece to Deckard, we then got the run down of the last piece from the Stranger. "I remember a bright light... heading towards... a fishing village," the Stranger recalled. "That sounds like the nearby village of Wortham," Leah gasped. "Good thinking, Leah. So how do we get to Wortham?" I asked. "You must ask the ferryman. He will take you... now I must get back to my studies. Do me proud, Lisa, Janet, and Serena," Deckard said as he went back into his house and I looked at Leah and the Stranger. "We'll go on ahead. You guys should stay with Deckard this time," I spoke to the two. "Got it. I'll protect him with my life," Leah said with grit.
Mom and I then went to the other side of New Tristram and went to the ferry boats. "Excuse me, mister ferryman? Could you take us to Wortham?" I asked him with a smile. "I will take you. But beware: smoke rises from the village," the ferryman warned as we loaded onto his boat and I saw the smoke and fire on the other side of the large river. "I hope we're not too late," Serena gulped. "Me too..." mom said worriedly as the zombie dogs began to swim after us.
Upon reaching Wortham, the heat of the flames was very intense on the ferryman, but not so much on me, mom, or Serena. It was also at this point where we saw that the town was under attack by the cultists and that the civilians were running for the river. "They're destroying the town! Get out while you can!" one of the villagers exclaimed at our group, not even caring about our green skin.
Our trio and our zombie dogs made quick work of any cultist or hellion that came in our way, making it to the chapel in less than 20 seconds, Maghda's visage appearing in front of us after we destroyed the cultists surrounding the chapel. "You will not interfere with me again, zombie bitches!" Maghda exclaimed. "Me and my servants will burn this town to ashes!" she exclaimed loudly as more cultists came out, none of them lasting long against my disintegrate or mom's puke, and some being sliced in half by the combo of Serena's claws and spear.
After all of the cultists were destroyed, we were met with the last hurdle with the Fallen Overseers, though they lasted only for 10 seconds as mom spat bubbles of acid on them and evaporated them into bones. "Whew! You saved us! We can't thank you enough," the priest said to me, mom, and Serena. "You're quite welcome. Now do you know where we could find a glowing sword piece?" I asked the priest, his reaction to me and mom's green skin and Serena being a demon not there at all. "We found such a sword hilt just yesterday and it is in the basement of the chapel... though I didn't expect how much destruction it would cause," the priest frowned.
"Thanks for letting us know," I smirked as I led our trio and our zombie dogs into the basement... only to find that the sword piece was nowhere to be found. "Damn. Not here," I frowned as Maghda soon appeared over us. "While you were on your hero's quest, I stole the sword pieces and captured your friends!" Maghda cackled at us. Upon hearing those words, I immediately activated the Town Portal and our group all reappeared in New Tristram. "Let's get going to Cain's house, now!" I exclaimed as our group ran for Cain's dwelling and were met with Maghda and her cultists attacking the Stranger, Leah, and Deckard at the same time.
"Now, Cain! Repair the sword, or your daughter will die," Maghda growled lowly at Cain. I already began my attack and shot the cultists with my disintegrate ray as Leah let loose her power at the same time, all three of them looking exhausted from the attack. "How'd you get here so quickly?!" Maghda exclaimed at me and my group. "You explained your plan literal seconds before coming here and you're surprised? Idiot," Serena sneered at her. "Very well then. If I cannot have the sword, I will simply claim the one it's bound to!" Maghda growled as she cast a spell and warped the stranger to Leoric's manor.
Maghda then disappeared and Leah went up to Deckard with a worried frown on her face. "Uncle Deckard! You can't die!" Leah exclaimed at him. "Rgh... m-my time has come... Leah... but... before I die... I must... repair the s-sword..." Cain gasped in pain as he used his Horadric powers to reform the angelic sword. "Now... I understand... the Fallen Star... w-was... the Angel... Tyreal..." Cain gasped as he collapsed on the ground in front of us, a single tear trailing down his old eye. "Uncle... NO!" Leah exclaimed as she collapsed into a crying mess on the ground.
It took a good five minutes of crying before Leah finally got up and came out with our group, a face of pure anger on her eyes right now. "If only I could control this power... I may have been able to save my uncle..." Leah seethed as she clenched her fists tightly. "We're not going to let this stand idly by, Leah... we will find Maghda and make her pay for Cain's death," I seethed with her. "When my power erupted... I could see into Maghda's mind for a second. She took the Stranger to Leoric's manor to the Highlands north of Wortham... you should know that she'll be waiting for you," Leah warned.
"She can set up all the traps she wants, but it won't be enough. We will destroy her and her coven completely," Serena growled as she sharpened her spear with her claws alone. "Though I'm against murder, this cannot go unpunished... I will go with you, but only if one of you two will deal the final blow," mom sighed at us. "Very well, mom. You have our word. Now let's go," I frowned as I had us all enter the portal I made for Wortham and we were off to rescue the Stranger... Tyreal.