Amor Vincit Omnia

(Love Conquers All)

Part Two: The Fragile Heart

"The word that would best describe this feeling would be 'haunted'.
I touch the clothes you left behind
That still retain your shapes and lines, still haunted
I trace the outline of your eyes
We're in the mirror hypnotized and haunted."
- Love and Rockets
"Haunted While the Minutes Drag"

Hey, everyone! Thanks once again for all the support I've gotten for this story, all the views and reviews and helpful, helpful feedback! And sorry, once again, for the long-as-hell time between chapters. I had a bit of writer's block this time around - honestly, I don't like it when Saiya and Baal aren't getting along, but the plot demands it, so I'll just have to suck it up and keep going.

One thing of note: this chapter starts out in Saiya's POV, and then switches suddenly over to Caesar's for a while (just 'cause) and then back to Saiya again. I hope this isn't too confusing. :) Please enjoy, and I would love to know what y'all think!

Chapter Fifteen: Desolate

Upon entering the aqueducts, they were greeted by the sound of rushing water, so loud and echoing that it sounded like thunder. Baal had to shout in order to be heard.

"Stay close together, everyone! We don't know what we're going to find in here."

About fifty yards in was a staircase that led them up to what Saiya assumed was a control room of sorts. A gigantic pipe on the far wall spilled forth a continuous cascade, which was redistributed into a series of trenches that carried water out in all directions. There were obvious signs of neglect in the building's infrastructure: the stonework was badly worn where it met with the brute force of the deluge, and a crack in the side of the arterial pipe released a cloud of spray. Moss and mildew grew rampantly.

"I must say," said Caesar, looking around in distaste. "I've seen some wrecks in my time, but this beats all. How could any self-respecting nation allow its vital organs to become so diseased? I know that the Emperor is a child and cannot be held accountable for this gross negligence, but surely his advisors are aware that if this place fails, their crops won't be far behind?"

"I believe they are far more occupied with preparing Kehjistan for Belial's conquering army," said Baal grimly. "Face it, mage: without us, Kehjistan is doomed. And when demons are marching over the land and slaughtering at will, I don't think starvation is going to be that large a concern."

Saiya, lost in her own thoughts, slowly became aware that every single member of the group had turned to her and were staring expectantly. She blinked, returning to the present with a jolt.

"What?"

"Well?" said Baal. "Doesn't your new friend have anything to say?"

She didn't miss the hostility in his tone, though whether it was directed towards Kulle or herself, she wasn't sure. "I'll ask," she replied, matching his icy demeanor.

-The path you need to take lies past the waterfall,- said the sorcerer, right on cue. -In order to access it, you'll have to operate two levers, one on either side of this complex.-

Saiya related this, adding, "Maybe we should split up into two teams."

"But then whichever team you're not on will be on their own," Eirena pointed out.

"We're not separating," said Baal, "and that's final. Now, which way should we go first?"

"It doesn't really matter, I don't think," Saiya said. "Let's just go straight."

A ladder directly ahead led into the Western Channel, as indicated by a helpful plaque fixed to the wall. At the top, a narrow metal walkway, supported by stilts, hovered precariously above the black, churning water. It produced a nerve-wracking creak when Baal stepped on it.

"Careful," Lyndon warned. "I for one have no intention of jumping in to save you if you fall through."

The aqueducts' builders had strung hanging lanterns from the low ceiling, and Baal lit these with his torch as he went. This proved to be their salvation, for the flickering light revealed several weak spots in the walkway which would surely have broken under their weight. As it was, they made it across safely and entered the cramped service tunnels on the other side. Not knowing the precise layout of the place, Kulle was of no help to them here, and they wandered for a while before they finally found a door marked Qerb Axini Nezaret: the Kehjistani words for Western Flow Control. It was locked, but the hinges were weak with rust, and a sturdy shove from Kormac's shoulder sent it crashing open.

The small room beyond overlooked the entryway. The lever was prominently placed, conspicuous among stacks of barrels and urns. It was stuck fast, refusing to budge, and in the end, Kormac had to hang on to the end and lean back, using gravity as an ally while Baal and Caesar shoved with all their might from the other side. The three of them working in concert were eventually able to shift the stubborn gears, and two things happened simultaneously. The first, which was expected, was that the cascade of water down below slowed to the trickle before petering out entirely. They were caught by surprise, however, as a section of the left-hand wall slid aside, revealing a passageway.

"Shall we?" suggested Lyndon. "It might be a shortcut."

This new area was different from the rest of the aqueducts – not in appearance (if anything, it was cleaner, drier, and better preserved) but in feel. The air was warm and foul, filled with a thick, cloying scent, alive with swarms of midges that clogged their eyes and noses, forcing them to constantly wave their hands in front of their faces. There was a strange noise in the background, a barely audible drone, like the hum of electricity through metal.

Before long, Eirena halted so suddenly that Saiya, directly behind her, couldn't stop in time. The two women collided, stumbling forward into Kormac's broad back.

"What are you doing?" Saiya snapped, fire gripping her wounded shoulder at the impact.

"Sorry," Eirena replied. "I thought I heard something."

By silent agreement, they all froze in place, listening. Water dripped steadily. The flies buzzed. The droning sound continued.

And then, so faint it was almost inconsequential, the pad of soft feet on stone, accompanied by raspy breathing.

"Ghouls," grunted Baal. "I'd recognize that smell anywhere."

"How many?" Caesar whispered.

"Hard to tell. A group, probably sizable. Ten or twelve. Ghouls always travel in packs."

Kormac reached back to undo the straps securing his spear, accidentally jostling Saiya again. She hissed in pain. As the Templar apologized, Baal's head snapped around and he jabbed at her with his finger.

"You," he growled, "can stay out of this. I don't care how overwhelmed we get, you aren't to get involved. Do you hear me? You're not in any shape to fight. Caesar, keep an eye on her. Freeze her if you have to."

The young monk gaped at him, too astonished to adequately express her fury. How dare he try to control her like that? Who did he think he was? The others may bow to him as de facto leader, she thought irately, but I don't have to.

"He is right, child," murmured Ghor, leaning forward so that only Saiya could hear her words. "Any strenuous motions right now might be enough to tear open your wound and start the bleeding anew."

"Trust us," said Caesar, misunderstanding the cause of her anger. "We'll look after you."

"I don't care about that!" she replied, struggling to keep her voice low. "I didn't come along on this quest to sit on the sidelines and watch my friends get hurt!"

"Give us a little credit, Schwesterchen," said Kormac. "We can handle a few ghouls."

"Besides," added Eirena, "if one of us was in the same situation, you would be the first person to insist that we stand clear."

"I'm not the only one who's been injured," Saiya argued, though she was beginning to feel the futility of resistance. "Lyndon's still healing from that arrow wound, but you don't have any problem letting him fight. Am I more important than Lyndon?"

"Don't answer that," said the rogue, cheerfully.

"The difference, Saiya," said Baal, "is that Lyndon has a weapon with range, and is more than capable of sitting back out of harm's way and picking off his enemies, while you must walk right up to them to do any damage. Also, to look at it from a coldly practical point of view, we can afford to lose Lyndon-"

"Thanks a bunch!"

"-but we can't afford to lose you. Without Kulle, we have about as much chance of finding the black soulstone as we would of pulling the sun out of the sky. So grow up and let us protect you for once!"

His words hurt, but not nearly as much as the look in his eyes. They were utterly cold, chips of sea-green ice tinted red in the dying light of sunset, and they regarded her without any sign of love or affection. Saiya felt her anger shriveling, and a realization, bare and lifeless as old bones, taking its place: whatever they'd had together, it was over.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and shrank back into a crevice in the wall, where she was well protected from all sides. Caesar took up his position directly in front of her, reaching behind him with one hand to pat her arm.

"They must be nearly on top of us by now," muttered Lyndon, chasing shadows with the sights of his crossbow. "Even I can hear them."

Baal held out his hand. "Eirena, give me your torch."

She obliged, and he tossed it ahead of them. It arced gracefully through the air, trailing flames, and clattered to the stone floor, rolling a few times. The revealing light showed nothing, not even a flicker.

"Wo zur Hölle sind sie?" muttered Kormac.

Caesar caught his breath as a few particles of dust drifted past his nose, dislodged from above. In an instant, he knew exactly where the enemy was, and it wasn't good.

"Above us!" he cried. Immediately, everyone looked up. The ceilings were shrouded in shadow, too high for the lantern light to reach fully, but they could clearly see dozens of malevolent eyes glittering down at them.

Baal and Lyndon opened fire, their bolts dislodging several ghouls. The others released their grips and dropped like stones in and around the small cluster of humans. Kormac impaled one on the tip of his spear as it fell, and the creature's own weight and momentum carried it down the haft. He flipped the weapon over and yanked it free.

Caesar felt someone grab his shoulders from behind – Saiya – and looked up to see a dark shape descending directly towards him. A flick of his wrist sent blades of ice ripping through the air, neatly dismembering the ghoul in the air. Unfortunately, the mage could do nothing about the spray of blood which drenched him; he regarded his soiled coat with a sneer of disgust. The worst part was that once they got out of here, he would have no way of washing it clean without wasting their meager water supply.

Grimacing, he turned his attention to the battle at hand. He was safe for now, having taken care of the only foe inside the protective circle formed by Kormac, Baal, and Lyndon. Ghor, left weaponless after the Imperial guards had confiscated her blowpipe and darts, was chanting a summoning rite. Eirena was also weaving a spell, and Caesar felt momentary pity for any magic-user who could not instantly make use of their arcane powers. It was so easy for him: a thought, a movement, and ice was his to control.

"To the right, one's scaling the wall!" Saiya cried in his ear. Evidently she was determined to participate in one way or another. Caesar turned fluidly, thrusting out a hand, palm open. A white beam lanced forth, freezing the ghoul in place. Seconds later, one of Lyndon's arrows struck it, shattering it into glossy chunks of meat.

Ghor had finished her ritual. With a wild ululation, she called forth two of her mbwa wa kuzimu, the skinless hounds of hell. They leapt into the fray, tearing the throats from their victims and savaging the corpses.

"Baal's in trouble!" Saiya gasped. A group of three had caught the Hunter reloading and were converging on him, clubs raised high. With little time to act, Caesar was forced to cast a powerful frost nova that engulfed the entire area, Baal included. With a clap of his hands, the spell fragmented, triggering smaller novas in a wide radius. Kormac and Eirena, on the fringes of the blast area, were trapped as well, but so was a vast majority of the ghoul army.

"Now!" Caesar gritted out, teeth clenched with the effort of holding so many lifeforms in stasis. "While they're vulnerable, kill as many as you can!"

Saiya shoved past him, headed straight for the nearest frost-covered statue. She knocked its head off with a solid kick and turned to the next, making sure to keep her injured arm tucked carefully against her body. Caesar shook his head. He would have preferred her to stay out of it entirely, but he could not spare the effort it would take to restrain her.

He held the magic until the edges of his vision began to darken, and the tell-tale throbbing in his chest warned of an imminent collapse. Gasping out a warning, he released the ice and sagged back against the tunnel wall. His companions had done their work well. Only three ghouls remained, and they were quickly dispatched.

"Nice work, mage," grunted Baal as he began to collect his arrows. "Though I do wish you could have done it without freezing half the group. Is anyone injured?"

Miraculously, no one was. They gathered themselves and kept going, stepping over the bodies that littered the ground.

Caesar said quietly, "This isn't the end, is it."

"No," said Baal, "it isn't."

"These things are just going to keep on coming, and the more we kill, the more they'll send, until finally, it won't matter how skilled we are. Seven people cannot prevail against an ocean of enemies."

Baal nodded. "Yeah, that's about the size of it."

"Good," said Caesar. "Just wanted to be clear where we stand."

The Eastern Flow Control was not too far ahead, a room with a very similar layout to the previous one. The lever here moved with much greater ease, perhaps since the decreased humidity in the air had not caused it to corrode as badly. They could hear the workings of ancient machinery, and a trapdoor opened up to let them back down into the main waterworks. The waterfall was dry, the door behind it ajar: an invitation to continue. Baal stopped in front of it and turned to face the rest of the team, arms crossed over his chest.

"Point of no return," he said. "If any of you don't feel like dying today, now is the time to leave. Chances are you can make it back to Caldeum without any trouble."

There was silence, no one moving or making a sound.

"Lyndon?" Baal pressed. "You barely know us. This isn't your fight. No one would blame you for walking away."

The rogue shrugged. "If you want me gone, you're going to have to try harder than that."

"Eirena?"

"I'm with you," she declared. "For the sake of my sisters, I will see this through."

Baal sighed helplessly. It was almost, Caesar thought, as if he wanted them all to go. He gave one last-ditch attempt. "Kormac, you've been with us from the beginning. No one's fought harder than you, no one could have been a better friend. You've done your part. Turn back."

"Forget it, Brother," said the Templar, staunchly. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say that there's no way we're giving up now."

Baal opened his mouth to speak, but something caused him to stop short. "Listen," he said. "Do you all hear that?"

A thin voice was calling out from further down the newly-opened passage, "Help! Help! Someone get me out of here!" Despite the nature of the plea, the speaker did not sound distressed or frightened as much as deeply aggravated.

The adventurers shared a glance, and Caesar could see the same thought in everyone's eyes: was it a trap? Was Belial, having failed to overwhelm them with brute force, attempting to manipulate their human decency? Personally, the mage was sure of it. After all, what normal person would be lurking in this cursed place?

"I know you're there!" cried the voice. "The sound of the waterfall has stopped, and I heard the gate rising. Please hurry! It's quite uncomfortable in here!"

Baal quirked an eyebrow and drew his favorite crossbow, motioning for the others to follow him. They moved as silently as they could, though their footsteps were magnified by splashes from the inch or so of water that covered the floor. Caesar could feel it seeping in through the cracks in his boots, a nasty cold crawl of liquid that numbed his toes and made the leather of his footwear unpleasantly soggy – as if he needed another reason to hate this environment.

They had no difficulty locating the source of the voice, as it never ceased, keeping up a constant stream of complaints. To everyone's surprise, it turned out to be a large barrel, which lay at an angle in a pile of debris. Baal stepped up to it and rapped briskly on the lid.

"Identify yourself," he commanded. "Who are you and what are you doing in there?"

"Kind stranger, my name is Shen," replied the barrel. "Most that know me call me Covetous Shen. I'm a jeweler by trade, a traveling merchant with the misfortune of having an eye for, ah, shall we say, valuables."

"A thief, in other words," Baal said flatly.

"Oh no, sir, not a thief. No, no. A bargain hunter, yes. Opportunistic, certainly, but I have never taken anything that anyone else claimed first."

"Right. And how did you end up in that barrel?"

A rueful sigh emanated from the waterlogged wood. "Oh, this? This was the work of my erstwhile assistant, Gavin. Really, the pains I've taken over that young fool! It saddens me to think of all that talent going to waste on petty crime."

"He seems harmless enough," Baal said to the others. Putting his mouth close to the barrel again, he said, "We're going to try and get you out of there, okay? Don't move around."

"Believe me, kind stranger," said the trapped man, "I couldn't even if I wanted to."

"Give me a hand, Kormac," Baal said. Grunting from the strain, the two men lifted the barrel from the refuse it was nested in and set it upright in the center of the floor. The Templar wedged his spear point into the edge of the lid and painstakingly levered it off, revealing its occupant. He looked up at them through damp grey hair straggling across his narrow, sunken face. His right eye was covered in a white film, but his left was as bright and sharp as a knife in the sunlight. Caesar guessed him to be around seventy years of age, and knew by his accent and overall appearance that he hailed from Xiansai.

"Oh, thank you," he said. "You have my eternal gratitude. Ah … would one of you strong gentlemen be so kind as to assist me up? My legs have gone quite asleep."

Kormac stuck his hands underneath the old man's arms and picked him up as easily as he might a child, depositing him on the floor, where he stood shivering like a half-drowned rat.

"My, there are a lot of you," he said, looking around. "How curious. Are you part of a tour group?"

Baal gave him an incredulous stare. "A tour- … um, no. We're here for, uh, work. You said that your assistant did this to you? Was he trying to kill you?"

"Oh yes," Shen replied carelessly. He did not sound at all shaken up at being the victim of an attempted murder. "We were at a dig site north from here, looking for gemstones, and we had just found a lovely rare piece of topaz when he suddenly bashed me over the head and stuffed me in this barrel. He must have thrown it in the river, because the current carried me all the way here. I don't know what I would have done if you fine people hadn't come along and rescued me."

"No need to thank us, mister," chirped Eirena. "We're all just glad that we happened to be here!"

"Where will you go now?" Ghor inquired.

"I'm not exactly sure," said Shen, sadly shaking his head. "My equipment is gone – I'm sure that Gavin has taken it all – and I really have no way of continuing with my work until I get it back."

"I'm afraid that we can't help you with that," Baal said. "Our mission is of crucial importance, and we can't afford even the slightest delay. The most we can do is give you some provisions: food and water, a knife, that sort of thing. The way back to Caldeum is clear. You can access the city through the sewer system located at the south point of the oasis. If you exit by the eastern gate and walk the cliff you'll find a secret path that will lead you up to an encampment. The people there are outlaws, but they are decent folk and will give you aid. Ask for Leah and tell her that Baal sent you."

A glimmer of interest entered the Shen's eye. "Baal, eh? Would that you be, then, young man?"

"That's what they call me, yes," said the Hunter.

"Well," said Shen, "you've done me a great service, and I won't soon forget it. Look me up when you get back to Caldeum. I'll give you a great discount on my wares."

They outfitted the jeweler with Caesar's pack, since all the mage's personal belongings had been confiscated by the Imperial Guards, and filled it with as much of their rations as they could reasonably spare, which wasn't much. Baal gave Shen his own knife, with the promise to return for it later. The old man shuffled away, turning around every few feet to thank them again.

"What an odd fellow," Caesar said, once their new acquaintance was safely out of earshot. "There's more to him than meets the eye, I'd stake my life on it. Think we'll ever see him again?"

"I certainly hope so," said Baal. "I would hate to lose that knife."

The passage ahead of them was fairly straightforward, and not more than ten minutes later, they were stepping out into sunlight that was blinding after several hours in the dark, cramped halls of the aqueducts. Kormac sneezed, and Saiya covered her eyes with her hands.

Caesar, noticing that Baal was glancing around and frowning, stepped close to the younger man and murmured, "What's the matter? Another ambush?"

"No," said Baal slowly. "It's just … Gawahir should have been waiting here for us. He's had more than enough time to deliver his message. It's unlike him to be late."

"Perhaps Adria is still working on her reply," suggested the wizard.

"Perhaps." He wasn't convinced. Caesar saw his eyes fix on Saiya's lanky form, agitation etched into every inch of his face, bleeding through in the staccato beat his fingers played out against his thigh.

"There's something wrong with her," he murmured. "This isn't her, Caesar, I know it. She wouldn't act this way, not without good reason. I wish I knew what to do." Then, so softly that Caesar thought he must have imagined it: "I'm afraid."

Awkwardly, he placed a hand on the Hunter's shoulder, wary of intruding too far. Baal tensed but didn't shrug him off or even glance in his direction. Caesar wasn't sure what to make of the tenuous new connection that bound them together – one part rivalry, one part respect, and one part something that he couldn't yet identify, but that he thought might be genuine camaraderie. It would be a strange turn of events, he thought, for them to end up as friends.

"Are the two of you ready?" Kormac called.

"Yeah," Baal replied. He strode away towards the trailhead, passing right past Saiya without any sign of recognition. Caesar saw the monk flinch, a brief spasm of pain that lasted only a moment before her features turned to stone. With a sigh, he wondered why the two of them were doing this to each other. It seemed so senseless.

Saiya's thoughts were as chaotic as a swarm of butterflies as she trudged up the winding stairwell that led to the inhospitable wasteland where they hoped to find Zoltun Kulle's remains. The temperature was rising with every step, the bare rocks absorbing the harsh glare of the sun and reflecting it back on the unfortunate travelers. Saiya was already perspiring, sweat beading on her forehead and running down her back, gathering underneath her bandages and causing the wound to sting. She felt dizzy, her mind disconnected from her body, as if she were floating above the world watching the struggles of the insignificant insects down below. There was a ringing in her ears that would not stop.

Scenes played out disjointedly in her mind, images of the past. Baal's face sliding beneath the waters of a river, his crimson eyes glazing over as consciousness deserted him. A church full of corpses, and Peter Rumford lying against the altar, sword in hand, teeth bared in a final snarl of defiance. Fire and heat and smoke, a chain swooping out of the darkness, so much blood –

She slipped, foot skidding through loose soil and stones, and threw out a hand to catch herself. The rough rock bit into her palm, scraping off skin. She stumbled upright again, aided by Ghor's supportive arms.

"Are you alright?" asked the sangoma.

Saiya nodded breathlessly. "Fine."

"Have some water," Ghor advised, passing her a full flask. "We are almost at the top."

They were falling behind. Saiya drank quickly, reveling in the sensation of cool liquid sliding down her throat. It helped to clear her state of fugue, at least a little bit.

Reaching the crest of the stairs, she caught her first glimpse of the place they were headed and felt black despair settle into her stomach. For miles, there was nothing but flat earth, hardened and cracked by the relentless heat. No rocks, no trees, not even a small shrub existed to break the monotony.

"Fuck me," Lyndon muttered. "We're going to be roasted alive out there."

Saiya glanced at Baal to find that he was staring right at her. "Which way?" he demanded.

-Kulle?- she asked, seeking the sorcerer out with her mind.

-To the north,- he answered. -Just keep walking. I'll tell you when you're getting close.-

"Kulle says to go north," she reported.

"North it is, then," the Hunter said grimly.

"At least there's no wind," Kormac remarked as they set out.

"I wish there was," Caesar replied. "It might do something to alleviate this hellish heat."

"What's the matter, mage?" Baal taunted. "Can't take a bit of sunshine?"

"I was raised in Xiansai, one of the most northern settlements in Sanctuary," Caesar said dryly. "Anything more than 'slightly warm' is too hot for me."

"Can't you use your ice magic to cool down?" Eirena asked. The wizard shook his head regretfully.

"No, it doesn't work like that. It's not actual ice, so it merely has the illusion of being cold. That's why people that I cast it on don't die unless I want them to."

"What's Xiansai like?" inquired Lyndon. "I've always wanted to go there."

Enthusiastically, Caesar began to describe his homeland. From there, the conversation drifted naturally to the Thaumaturgy Guild.

"Wait a minute," Kormac said, interrupting the mage in the middle of a tale of how a feud between the Guildmaster and the Head of Scryomancy had nearly ruined the Midwinter Festival.

Caesar blinked. "What?"

"Whenever you introduce yourself, you always say that you're formerly of the Thaumaturgy Guild. Right? Why formerly? If you loved it so much, why did you leave?"

"It wasn't my choice," the mage said. His tone was even, but the glint in his eyes betrayed his annoyance at the personal question. He continued, "There was an … incident … some years ago. I was exiled from the Guild as a result. I left Xiansai and haven't been back since."

"What sort of an incident?" Kormac pressed.

Caesar's jaw clenched visibly. "An experiment I was working on went awry. There was a death. Look, I'd rather not discuss it if it's all the same to you. It's not a very pleasant memory."

"Of course, Brother," said Kormac. "My apologies. I had no right to pry."

Saiya, who'd been silently listening to the conversation, frowned with the realization that the accident Caesar had alluded to was probably what was haunting him from his past. She wished that she could speak with him about it, but this was not the time. She would have to wait until later, when they could be alone.

-I could tell you what you want to know,- said Kulle, sliding serpent-like into her train of thought. -It's right there, floating at the top of his pool of thoughts like a rotting carcass, fouling his memories. If you knew what it was, you would know how to help him get over it.-

For a moment, she actually considered it. But then she imagined how she would feel if one of her friends delved into her innermost secrets without her permission, and she knew she could never do it, even for a good cause.

-No,- she said. -I won't take advantage of him like that. If you suggest it again, I'll have Ghor do that exorcism.-

-So hostile, when I'm only trying to help,- replied the sorcerer, sulkily. -Very well, have it your way.-

He didn't speak to her again until much later that day, when they had already set up camp for the night (in an entirely arbitrary place, since the landscape was invariable). After dinner, Saiya was sitting alone off to the side, having declined Lyndon's suggestion of playing cards. The others were grouped around the campfire, talking and laughing – even Baal – and absurdly she felt isolated and left out.

-I wonder,- said Kulle suddenly, startling her, -when you will accept your true potential.-

"What are you talking about?" Saiya muttered. She preferred to speak aloud when conversing with her unwanted guest; there was something unsettling about having a dialogue that existed only inside her head.

-I mean your Nephalem heritage, of course,- said Kulle. Saiya's mouth dropped open in shock.

"You know?" she exclaimed, a little too loudly. Several heads turned in her direction.

-Of course,- Kulle replied, his tone dripping with condescension. -It's obvious. Your blood practically sings with angelic power. Do you not feel it?-

"Not really. I mean, I guess I don't know what it would feel like compared to being a regular person, since I've always been this way."

-As a Nephalem, you are stronger, faster, smarter, and more powerful … superior in every way,- said Kulle. -You may not be aware of this, but my research on soulstones was intrinsically linked to studies of Nephalem, and how they are created. I believe that it may be possible to transform even normal human beings into Nephalem.-

"I thought you didn't like angels," Saiya pointed out.

-I don't. But Nephalem are not angels. They are humans with an infusion of angelic blood. A higher form of man.-

Saiya was quiet for a minute, thinking. At last, she said, "What did you mean, my 'true potential'?"

-My dear girl, you could be so much more than you are now,- said Kulle. -If only you knew.-

"I don't see how," Saiya mumbled. "I can't use magic like Caesar or summon spirits like Ghor."

-Magic is not difficult to use,- Kulle said dismissively. -Take a temporal displacement spell, for instance. Such a thing is easily within your range.-

Saiya recalled how Caesar had used his ability to instantaneously teleport over short distances to save her life during the fight with Araneae, and her heart leapt with excitement at the idea of being able to do the same. With a technique like that, she could be the Iron Wind in truth, dominating the battlefield, always one step ahead of her opponents.

"Could you teach me?" she asked, her voice flushed with eagerness.

-If you like.- Saiya thought she could sense a smile from the sorcerer.

"Now?"

-Why not? Your ability to meditate should serve you very well in mastering this. A lot of concentration is needed. Now, close your eyes and fix your mind upon a nearby location. For the first attempt, you should try no more than a few feet away. Ready?-

She nodded, knowing that he would understand her.

-Good. Unfortunately, I can only describe the feeling that you are aiming for. It is movement without motion, stepping outside your body and moving to a different place, then bringing your body with you. Give it a try.-

She did. To her surprise, she felt a strange sensation, as if she had moved a limb she didn't possess. She was so taken aback that she gasped aloud, her focus breaking apart like a wave on the rocks.

-I am impressed,- said Kulle. -It has been a long time since I had a student of your aptitude. Again.-

The next time she tried, she found upon opening her eyes that her perspective of the world had changed ever so slightly. While remaining in the same cross-legged position, not having shifted a hair's breadth, she had nonetheless traveled two feet.

Over the next two days, Saiya practiced temporal displacement every chance she got, though she tried to keep it secret from the others, imagining their surprise when she warped in front of them for the first time. She enjoyed the training immensely, feeling almost as though she was a child again, learning from the monks. It didn't cross her mind that the more time she spent with Kulle, the less she had to do with the rest of the group. Her interactions with Baal were limited to the strictly necessary: practical questions and curt replies. She missed him, especially late at night when she lay alone in her bedroll looking up at the stars, but it was the dull ache of a poorly-healed scar rather than the raw, fierce pain of an open wound.

Of all her friends, she talked with Caesar and Ghor the most. The sangoma kept a close eye on her shoulder, changing the dressings multiple times a day and encouraging her to do small exercises to facilitate recovery of the joint and muscles. Caesar, on the other hand, seemed more interested in speaking with Zoltun Kulle. He had several more conversations with the ancient sorcerer, and if Saiya found afterwards that she had trouble remembering the exact details of what was said, well – it just showed that she hadn't been paying attention.

On the third day, their water ran out, prompting a fierce debate about whether or not they ought to give up and turn back, or continue to an uncertain fate. Kulle was unable to tell Saiya how much further they had to go, or whether they would find water when they got there, and Kormac in particular was certain that their guide was leading them into the desert to die.

In the end, Baal solved the argument by saying, "Well, I'm gonna keep walking. You all are free to turn back if you want."

No one did.

Their faith (whether it was in the Hunter, Kulle, or simply in the triumph of good over evil) was rewarded, however, by a dark blot that appeared on the horizon around noon. Several hours later, they arrived at a sandstone formation. A narrow fissure at the base led them into a narrow canyon, the roof of which gradually closed over their heads even as the floor sloped downwards, leading them into the earth.

-It is here,- Kulle said, his voice a breathy rasp in Saiya's ear. -My blood lies within these caves.-

-Your blood?- she questioned silently. -I thought we were here for your body.-

-That is in a different location,- he replied. -The Horadrim took the extra precaution of exsanguination when they murdered me.-

The monk sighed. -Kulle, we don't have the resources to continue much further. If we don't find water here, we might not even make it back alive. I wish you had mentioned this earlier.-

-Would you have gone if I had?-

-Maybe not,- she admitted.

Even underground, the heat was sweltering, though fortunately frequent gaps in the stone made torches unnecessary. Saiya was surprised to note plants growing, hardy desert shrubs and patches of thin, dry grass. Scorpions and scarabs skittered over the sandy floor, and bats, disturbed by their passing, flew screeching ahead of them.

They passed through a bottleneck wide enough for only one person at a time, and found themselves in a vast cavern, the ceiling of which was supported by periodic pillars of stone, twisted into starkly beautiful designs. In one corner was a wealth of greenery, where seepage from the a crack in the rock had formed a shallow pool. Lyndon broke into a run, whooping with excitement at the sight of fresh water, and the others quickly followed suit.

"Who would ever have imagined that a place like this would exist in the middle of such a wasteland," Caesar remarked, filling his flask only to pour it over his head.

"A man could live happily here," said Lyndon. "Find a couple of women, start a family – you could have a regular bandit empire, and who would bother coming out here to find you?"

"Sure," said Baal, "as long as you don't mind dining exclusively on scarabs and bats."

"Well, I'd have to bring some livestock with me, naturally. Goats, chickens, maybe a camel or two. Horses for the raiding parties. It'd be perfect."

"Look at this," exclaimed Eirena. She had wandered several yards away and was examining a strange patch of stone on the wall. It was knotted and bubbled, like melted glass, and the blackish-green color stood out sharply from the red and yellow banded rock behind it.

"What a strange texture," the enchantress continued, reaching out to trail a hand along it. "It's soft!"

"Get away from it!" Baal cried, but it was too late. The patch of stone convulsed, expelling a glob of viscous material at high speed. Eirena barely managed to shield her face with a raised hand. At her scream of pain, the others leapt into action. Kormac planted himself between her and the wall, while Baal fired a round of bolts directly into the heart of the unknown creature. Trails of slime dripped down from the wounds.

The thing shuddered again, preparing another projectile, but Saiya unleashed a carefully controlled blast of the bell. When the dust settled, there was a smoking crater in the wall where the patch of living stone had been.

Ghor was attending to Eirena, who seemed to have gone into shock. She was hunched on the ground, shivering, eyes wide and fixed in a blank stare. Kormac hovered anxiously over her while the witch doctor gently wiped the acidic liquid from her hand. The soft, pale flesh was red and blistered, and already starting to crack and bleed.

"Is she going to be alright?" Kormac asked.

"It is too soon to tell," replied Ghor. "I do not believe it is life-threatening, but she may lose feeling in that hand. I wish that I knew more about the thing that attacked her."

"I've never heard of such an animal," said Baal. He dipped an arrow tip in the slime and examined it closely. "If it is an animal. It could be some kind of fungus, for all I know. It's not demonic, I can tell you that much."

Ghor emptied one of the newly-filled flask over Eirena's hand. The soothing water seemed to ease the pain somewhat, and the petite blonde gradually stopped shaking.

"She needs to rest," the sangoma said. "I will stay here with her. The area should be safe now."

"I'll stay too," Kormac said. "Just in case." He looked pleadingly at Baal. "If that's alright, Brother."

Baal nodded, setting aside the tainted arrow. "Right. Let's get going. And for Heaven's sake, watch out for more wall-dwellers."

They explored for another twenty minutes or so, including a few dead-end tunnels, before they finally found what they were looking for. It was in the deepest cave they had yet entered, where the shadows were thick. At the far end was a blue glyph, of the same sort that had imprisoned Kulle's head in the Horadrim ruins.

About to take a step forward, Baal stopped with one foot still raised, glancing warily around. "Godsdamnit,"he hissed. "This is bad."

"What?" said Caesar.

"Look around, mage."

"What am I – oh. Shit."

Saiya peered hard into the darkness, trying to figure out what they were talking about. Then she saw it: more of the living rock patches, many more of them, clustered so thick on the walls and even the ceiling that they overlapped each other.

"We'll never make it across," Lyndon said grimly. "We'd be covered in that burning gunk before got three feet."

"There are too many of them to destroy them all," Caesar added.

"What about your ice?" suggested Baal. "Could you cast a spell that covered the whole area, to hold them in check until I was able to get in and out again?"

The wizard considered for a minute, then shook his head. "Too large a space. The magic would be unreliable. I might be able to hold it, but I might not. I wouldn't risk your life on it."

"Well, it might be the only chance we have," the Hunter argued.

"Wait!" Saiya said. "I have another idea!" Her companions turned to look at her, and she elaborated, "Zoltun Kulle taught me how to teleport over short distances. I could warp across the room, grab the blood, and warp right back. Problem solved."

Three mouths dropped open simultaneously, and three sets of eyebrows creased in confusion.

"Kulle taught you how to what?" exclaimed Baal.

"You can do it without a wand?" Caesar demanded. "Even I can't do that!"

"Fuck me sideways!" said Lyndon. "It just might work."

"It'll work," Saiya said. "I'm sure of it. I'll go on the count of three, okay? Give me covering fire. One, two-"

Her voice stuttered and died as Baal unexpectedly grabbed her arm. His palm was excruciatingly warm, even through the thick fabric of her armored robe, and she felt as if jolts of electricity were running through her veins at his touch. It was the first physical contact they'd had since their argument several days before.

"You don't have to do this," he said.

"Yes, I do," she replied quietly. "Remember what we're here for, Baal."

"I know, but there's got to be another way. One that doesn't involve risking your life."

Her eyes narrowed. "So what, you'd risk yours instead? I have the best chance of getting this done, and you know it. Let me go."

His hand fell away, dropping to his side. Saiya resumed her count. "One …"

"Good luck," Caesar murmured.

"Two …"

Baal drew his crossbow, knuckles white and tense on the handle.

"Three!" Saiya cried, and warped, reveling in the brief moment of transparency, when she was neither in this world nor fully out of it, but somewhere in between. She had already fixed her destination, and materialized exactly on target. A decorative glass urn, filled to the brim with blood, was floating in the air over the seal. Her hands closed over it, and then she was teleporting again with only a second to spare. She mistimed her arrival slightly, dropping out of thin air into Lyndon's arms.

"Something's happening with the seal," Caesar warned. "Looks like we've got company."

Of course, Saiya thought. It's just like before – they must have placed a guardian in case someone unauthorized took the blood.

This time, instead of a single powerful creature, there were several long dead warriors, still clad in their armor and wielding weapons. They advanced at a surprisingly swift rate.

"Great," muttered Baal. "I despise skeletons. They're so hard to kill."

But the warriors never reached them. No sooner had they reached the middle of the room than the living walls began to bombard them. The acid was apparently just as corrosive to bone as it was to flesh, and within moments, all that was left of the guardians was a sticky puddle on the stone.

"Well," Saiya said lightly, tapping the urn she held, "two down, one to go."

* Kormac said, "Where the hell are they?" Thanks goes to the wonderful Chrissyleena, as always, for the translations. I'd be lost without you, dear!

Reviews are greatly appreciated!