Ch18: Megan, Not Maghda
When we all arrived back at the camp with Adria in tow, I smiled at how Maghda had changed her clothes just as I asked her to. She was now wearing some armor on her body with a helmet that had a cloth cover on the face part. I could see in her mind with her siphoned powers that she was able to see through the cloth on her side, but not on ours, which I guessed was important. "So who is this?" Tyreal asked, playing the acting game very well. "My name is Adria. I am Leah's birth mother," Adria explained to us as Maghda walked over to our group, Adria's gaze falling upon her in confusion.
"Excuse me, but are you with this group? And why is your face covered?" Adria asked Maghda, suspicion all throughout her face. "My name is Megan..." she said, the name usage actually surprising me, though I kept it hidden. Adria didn't question her voice yet, so that was good. "And I keep my face covered because of my hideous appearance. Any who sees my face are turned to stone," she said, Adria's eyes going a bit wide at that. "I see... then make sure to keep that face covered," Adria frowned at her.
"And you still need to tell me about you and your... um... unique group," Adria frowned at us. "Well, my name is Lisa Farthing, fencer-in-training turned Zombie Nephalem," I smiled, Adria's eyebrows raising when I said 'Nephalem'. "I am her mother, Janet Farthing. Stay-at-home mom turned Wretched Mother Nepha- BLURGH!" she actually vomitted mid-sentence, making another zombie dog in the process. "Guh... Nephalem..." she finished after puking and grossing Adria out.
"And I am Serena, the Imp Nephalem and daughter to Janet's stomach acids," Serena frowned at Adria. "Hmm.. I know that I have sensed your blood somewhere before, but I can't quite put my finger on it..." Adria frowned as she looked at Serena with studying eyes. "Maybe because I have been reincarnated as 5 different demon types in the past, 6 if you include what I am right now," Serena frowned. "Six? You must really have a bad time listening to directions then," Adria frowned.
"I hate to break up the meeting that yer all havin', but we need to get back to the business of Belial at hand," said Haedrig as he approached us from his forge along with Tyreal. "That reminds me, mom," Leah frowned, her anger keeping in check in front of the betrayer herself. "We overheard that one guard talking about something called a Black Soulstone. Could you please tell me what it is?" "It is an item that can destroy all evil forever," Adria said, my new powers from Maghda... er... Megan now allowing me to talk to Serena about this in thought. "Is she truthful?" I asked her in my head. "So far, yes. But I can smell a stench of lies anywhere, and she is faking all the kindness she's giving to us," Serena frowned back at me in thought.
"So where can we find this Black Soulstone? It sounds important," Tyreal asked. "Well, mister..." Adria said, waiting for Tyreal to respond. "Tyreal. The Archangel of Justice, but now mortal," Tyreal said to her, the words actually making her jump. "Well, looks like that's the only thing you've been surprised by this far! It's so cute!" Mira Haedrig smiled, her zombie visage also confusing Adria. "Okay, how many damn zombies are with you lot?" Adria asked. "Well, if you include all the residents of New Tristram that we were able to turn into sentient zombies through the power of electricity, thanks to this young swordswoman here, I would say about 50 different zombies," Haedrig smirked.
"Well... that is very strange..." Adria frowned, her face looking conflicted. I could see in her mind that she was afraid and unwavering of our group, especially since 3 of us were zombies. "Well, the Black Soulstone's resting place is definitely in the area around Caldeum, but only one person can reveal it to us: Zoltun Kuelle," Adria explained. "I've heard about Zoltun Kuelle before during my time as a Soul Lasher," Serena said. "Apparently he was one of the original Horadrim that was driven to madness with his quest to defeat evil. He apparently made the Black Soulstone to hold not one spirit, but many spirits, even the spirits of the 7 Lords of Hell."
"The Imp is smarter than I thought. Yes, Zoltun Kuelle is the only one who can show us where the Soulstone is. And in order for us to get it, we need to retrieve his head from the Dahlgur Oasis. Zoltun Kuelle must live again if we are to destroy all evil forever," Adria said. "She's truthful for everything so far except saying that she will destroy all evil forever... that means she plans on using that stone to resurrect the Prime, huh?" Serena asked in thought. "Right on the money, hon... we need to get the jump on her the moment we kill Azmodan," I frowned.
"Okay, so the way to the Dahlgur Oasis... don't tell me we have to go through the sewers to get there," mom groaned. "Sorry, but that's the only way," Leah frowned. "I'll need to train Leah in how to use her power while you go ahead and search for the head of Zoltun Kuelle," Adria said. "Okay then... I will go along with your group as well..." Megan said as she walked along with us, her gaze still not meeting Adria's as we passed her by on our way to the town. "Okay, so... Megan... how did you decide to come up with that name and story?" I smiled at her.
"Heh. It's because your mother said it would be the most logical one to use. Use a fake name and give an excuse as to why she couldn't see my face. I didn't expect it would work to be honest," Megan frowned at us as we proceeded through the town and we soon found a manhole that led to the sewers in the slum area. "We just need to keep the act up. If you haven't discovered it yet, Adria is full of evil and is actually the wife of Diablo," I frowned at her.
"Hmph. I knew that much by the time she left the coven behind. She said that she was in love with Diablo and that she was pregnant with his baby, so she needed to find a safe place to birth the kid and put it in someone else's care... how ironic that Leah has gained control over her powers before she met her mother... how did that happen again?" Megan asked. "It happened because of me and her being in love. The first time she was able to control my power is when she fixed my right arm permanently," I smirked as I showed her the hell-forged steel that held my shoulder in place to my arm. "Huh... did not expect that to be honest..." "You must always expect the unexpected when plotting the downfall of the 7 Evils," mom frowned as we descended the ladder and appeared in the musty sewers beneath Caldeum.