Amor Vincit Omnia

(Love Conquers All)

Part Two: The Fragile Heart

"And if the night is burning
I will cover my eyes
For if the dark returns
Then my brothers will die
As the sky is falling down
It crashed into this lonely town
And with that shadow upon the ground
I hear my people screaming out."
- Ed Sheehan
"I See Fire"

About damn time for another update, right? Sorry about that! I've had a busy month. I'm going to stop promising that I'll try to cut down on the time, 'cause it doesn't seem to be working. I can promise that I'll keep writing, though! :)

By the way, everyone, this chapter may seem like filler, but I think that some very important things are going on behind the scenes, mostly in the realm of character development. I hope you enjoy this little lead-up to the grand climax! Only two, or possibly three, chapters left until we move on to the mountains! :)

Chapter Nineteen: A Ruinous Rain

Adria wanted to return to the Hidden Camp without delay – a proposition which had the backing of most of the group, except for Saiya, who insisted the body of Zoltun Kulle deserved at least the semblance of a respectful burial. It was a controversial idea, and at first it seemed that everyone was against it, but then Ghor and Eirena sided with the young monk, which in turn persuaded Kormac (though it obviously pained him greatly) to say that he would assist.

They teleported to the surface via Adria's portal just as the sun was rising, lending some color to the bleak environment. With a pink tinge to the soil and the heat waves already beginning to warp the horizon into bands of gold, the wasteland took on an unexpected beauty.

The ground proved to be too hard to break for a grave, so they piled scraps of brush and cloth under Kulle's corpse and cremated him. Watching as flame slowly consumed flesh, Saiya thought of all the deaths she had witnessed since the beginning of her quest, and could not find it in her heart to be glad for another one. She mourned, not for Kulle, but for the man he once was and perhaps could have been again: a brilliant, eccentric man full of wit and charm and ambition. She imagined that he had not been too different from Caesar.

"We have delayed quite long enough," said Adria presently. "I am going to leave, and if you don't want to walk back, you had better come with me."

Saiya nearly fainted going through the portal a second time; fortunately, Baal was on hand to catch her on the other side. He slung her arm around his shoulder, and before she knew it, she was being deposited in a chair by the bonfire, and a bowl of goat curry and rice was thrust into her hands.

A strange thing happened then. Her stomach cramped with gnawing hunger and she couldn't stuff the food into her mouth fast enough, choking several times on bites that were only half-chewed. She got the vague impression that someone was talking to her, but nothing seemed to matter except eating as much as she could. The bowl was empty in seconds, and she thrust it blindly forward to be refilled, but the old woman in charge of dispensing the meal shook her head, saying, "Xeyr, usaq. Cox xeste edecek."

"Your body is starving," said Baal. "You must acclimate it to the food gradually, or you'll make yourself sick."

"But it feels like I didn't eat anything at all!" she complained.

"Have some coffee," he suggested. "It's an appetite suppressant. It'll help stop the hunger pangs for now, and you can eat more later."

The bitter beverage did indeed help calm her raging need for food. As she sipped it, the camp healer came tottering around to examine each of them in turn. He gave Baal a potion to ease the pain of his wound and facilitate healing, and reported that Caesar was sleeping heavily but appeared to be in acceptable condition.

Adria had kept her distance while they replenished themselves, but now she approached, in her graceful sweeping stride, and stood before them. "You had all better take the chance to rest while you can," she said, "for the final hour is upon us. I am going down to the city to find Asheara and summon a council of war. Together, we will formulate a plan of attack on the palace."

"We're with you there," replied Baal, "but what happens once we've successfully imprisoned Belial's soul?"

"Belial is but the first of many," said the witch. "I have dedicated my whole life to eradicating the Lords of Hell, and with the black soulstone, I may finally have the chance. I will hunt them down, one by one, and defeat them. And once I have them all, I shall shatter the stone, and the great Evils of our world … will be no more." She smiled, but it was a strange, secretive smile, and Saiya didn't like the look of it. The woman was hiding something, she thought.

"How humanitarian of you," said Baal dryly.

"I have my reasons," she said. "I wouldn't expect the likes of you to understand them. My daughter knows the truth, and that is enough for me."

She departed soon afterwards, and Saiya immediately headed for the shower tent, unable to stand even one more minute of being filthy. As she stripped down, she examined her body in the cracked piece of silver-mounted glass that acted as a mirror. What she saw horrified her. Her body was emaciated, ribs clearly defined, the skin on her stomach loose and rubbery from her sudden loss of weight. The bruises Baal had left on her hips were livid. But the worst of all was her left shoulder, where the serpent demon had bitten her. The flesh there was puckered and red around two scars placed a hand's breadth apart, each about four inches long. Saiya wondered gloomily if Baal would still find her attractive without her clothes on.

The hot water was extremely soothing, and as she stood beneath the faucet, allowing a week's worth of grime to stream from her body, her depression began to lift somewhat. She had lost track of time when Eirena stepped through the door, towel in one hand and a bowl of soft soap in the other.

Saiya yelped in surprise, covering herself with her arms, while the other girl politely averted her eyes. "Oops, sorry!" she exclaimed. "I didn't realize anyone was in here."

"The water's running," Saiya pointed out. "Didn't you hear it?"

"Well, yes, but it's been going for so long that I thought someone had left it on."

Reluctantly, Saiya stepped out and began to dry off. "I guess I've been hogging it," she said. "You can have your turn now, if you want."

"Thanks," chirped Eirena, with her eternally cheerful smile. She pulled out the pins that kept her hair tamed, and it dropped around her shoulders. Saiya's hand subconsciously went to her own hair, which was hopelessly knotted, and she decided that now was as good a time as any to cut it.

"By the way," Eirena said, as the young monk was turning to leave. "It's good to see you and Baal back together again. You two make a really nice couple."

"You think so?" Saiya asked, feeling absurdly pleased at the compliment.

"Certainly. It's obvious how much you both love each other." Suddenly her face fell, and she murmured, so quietly that Saiya could hardly hear her, "Sometimes I wish I could be close to someone like that."

"What's stopping you?"

Wide, doe-like eyes blinked at her in consternation. "I would hardly know where to begin! How did you and Baal become lovers?"

Saiya sighed. "It wasn't easy. Baal's very … cautious. He's had bad experiences in the past, and it's made him wary. But I guess eventually we just couldn't ignore our feelings any longer." She didn't mention the paralyzing doubt that still lurked in the deep corners of her mind that one day he wouldn't want to be with her anymore.

"I wonder if anyone will ever feel that way about me," Eirena said.

Saiya almost blurted out, "Someone already does,", but she bit her tongue just in time. It was not her secret to tell. She said, "I have no doubts about that, Eirena. Any man would be lucky to have you. Or woman, for that matter," she added, remembering that first assumptions about a person's sexuality weren't necessarily true.

"Ah," said the enchantress. "You are talking about qadin sevgi." At Saiya's inquisitive eyebrow raise, she clarified, "It means love between two women. In my past life, one of my sisters had a love like that for me, but … I did not feel the same way. I had to tell her so, and I think that it hurt her quite a bit. I didn't want to hurt her."

"Of course not," said Saiya. "So, you do prefer men?"

Eirena frowned. "I suppose so. I've never had a chance to find out."

Saiya's memory dredged up a very similar conversation that she'd had with Sasha. It was strange, she reflected, that now she was the one with insight into a secret world, while Eirena stood on the outskirts and peered vainly over the fence. The thought occurred to her that she needed to choose her words with care.

"Do you want to?" she asked. Eirena gave her a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, is there anyone that you're interested in? I mean, several of our male companions are eligible."

"Oh!" the blonde exclaimed. "I … hadn't really thought about it, to be honest. I think that Caesar is the most handsome, but I find him a little intimidating. He's always so … serious."

"That's a new development," remarked Saiya, thinking of how flirtatious the wizard used to be, before his captivity at the palace.

"Lyndon is very charming," Eirena continued, "but I'm not sure how dependable he is."

"Not very," said Saiya. "It's better to be his friend than his lover, trust me. He has no qualms about using a girl and then dropping her when he's gotten what he wants." She hesitated, then decided to take a chance. "Um … what about Kormac?"

"Kormac?" Eirena's tone was discouragingly surprise-ridden, as if the Templar was outside consideration entirely. "He's very sweet. The kindest man I've ever met, except perhaps for my dear Prophet. I trust him completely. He makes me feel … safe."

Those are great qualifications, Saiya thought, nodding in agreement. "But …?"

"I don't know, it just seems strange. He's such a perfect gentleman that I would feel embarrassed even to bring it up. Besides, just because I sometimes wish I had someone to be intimate with doesn't mean I'm going to jump into bed with the first person who comes along."

Sensing that the topic was beginning to stray into a danger zone, Saiya quickly said, "I never meant that, Eirena, and please don't think I was trying to pressure you. I was merely throwing ideas around."

Eirena shrugged. "It's fine, Saiya. Thanks for listening."

"Sure. No problem. Anytime." Taking the hint, she left, hoping that she had not offended the petite enchantress in any way. They were not the closest of friends, but she still valued the other girl's good opinion, and would hate to form a rift in the group out of her own nosiness. She had hoped for at least some small glimmer of interest, however. 'Strange' was hardly a compliment when it referred to the idea of a relationship.

Returning to the main camp, she heard raised voices, and found Baal engaged in a shouting match with I'tidal, the stone-faced woman in charge of camp security. She could not understand, as they were speaking in Kehjistani, but from Baal's aggravated gestures and I'tidal's firm stance, it seemed to be about supplies. After a few minutes, he apparently gave up, and stormed over to sit down beside her, shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Baal snorted. "That bitch refuses to sell me any more arrows. Says her people need them – for what? Last I checked, we're the ones putting our lives in danger to save this country, not them."

Saiya put a soothing hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure Asheara will see that you're fully armed before we head into battle."

"You're right, I'm sure," he said, "but that doesn't make me any happier about it."

Something about the sullen scowl on his face reminded her of a little boy who'd been denied the toy of his dreams. She smiled, and when his frown darkened, her grin grew even wider until she was actually giggling.

"What?" he snapped. "Do I have something funny on my face?"

"Nope," she said, still chuckling. "You're just cute when you pout."

The Hunter looked utterly baffled. "Huh. Never heard that one before."

"Hey, do you mind if I borrow your knife?" Saiya asked. He handed it over without question. The young monk took a fistful of wet hair, held it away from her head, and slashed though it. The blade was sharp enough to make a clean cut, with very little painful tugging.

"Am I really?" said Baal. Saiya blinked at him.

"Huh?"

"Cute."

"Oh, unbelievably." It occurred to her quite suddenly that she had never told him how attractive she found him. She said, "But you already knew that."

"Well," he mumbled, "it never hurts to be reminded."

"Handsome," she teased, poking him in the shoulder. "Stunning. Dashing. Sexy. Cute."

"Alright, stop!" A blush was beginning to color his olive cheeks. "You're going to give me a big head, in more ways than one."

It took her a second to get the off-color joke, and then she was turning crimson as well. They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into gales of laughter. It was the first time Saiya had really laughed since she first encountered Zoltun Kulle, and the emotional release it granted her was exhilarating. She felt human again.

She had just chopped off another hank of hair when a horrified squeal right in her ear made her jump. The knife point nicked her ear, drawing blood, and she cursed, glancing over her shoulder to see Squirt.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," she scolded.

"What are you doing to your hair?" the girl screeched, ignoring Saiya's scowl.

"I'm cutting it."

Squirt shook her head. "You're mangling it. It's going to look all clumpy and uneven if you do it that way. I'm sure your mister here won't want that. Tell you what, I can do it for you. I cut my own hair all the time."

With a resigned sigh, Saiya handed over the knife, with the admonishment, "Don't hurt yourself. Or me, for that matter."

"Four dracham, please," said Squirt, holding out an expectant hand.

"I might have known," Saiya grumbled, and the child shrugged, saying, "Hey, I got to eat, don't I?"

"Two dracham. You're the one who cares whether my hair is ragged or not."

Squirt's mouth settled in a firm line. "You can't even get a full meal in town for two dracham. Make it three."

Saiya fished around in her depleted purse for the money, because she genuinely liked the girl, and admired her shrewdness. Squirt tucked the coins away in a secret pocket and began to trim Saiya's hair with deft movements. Little white-blonde tufts soon blanketed the ground.

"So, how're those knuckles doing for you?" Squirt inquired.

"They work great," said Saiya. The little merchant made a pleased sound.

"I thought they would. All my wares are top quality, even if some people won't admit it."

"Someone giving you a problem, kid?" asked Baal. Saiya glanced at him in surprise; she hadn't even realized that he was listening.

"Oh, not really," said Squirt. "It's just, I thought that I'd hit a spot of good luck when that gem seller came to the camp, but he refuses to buy anything from me. Says my prices are too high."

"A gem seller?" The Hunter's eyes expressed keen interest. "Not an old man, by any chance? Looks like he's from Xiansai?"

"You know him?" Saiya and Squirt had spoken simultaneously.

"Sure do. Bastard's still got my knife." To the monk, he said, "We met him in the Aqueducts, but you probably don't remember that." Her baffled expression must have told the truth for her. Baal stood, stretching, and announced, "I'm going to leave you two lovely ladies to your beauty treatment, and go fetch my knife back. See you later."

"I like him," Squirt said, once he was gone.

"You do?"

"Oh, yes." She gave Saiya one of her unexpected mature looks, the eyes of an adult gazing out at her from a child's dirty face. "You should hold on to him, you know. He's the sort of man you don't want to lose."

Saiya could have said, "What do you know, you're just a kid." She could have smiled and shook her head and murmured, "You'll understand when you're older." But something in Squirt's advise rang true.

"I know," she said. "I'm going to try."

"Good," said Squirt. "Your haircut's done, by the way. What do you think?" She produced a broken shard of mirror, wrapped in cloth to dull the edges, out of nowhere. Scrutinizing her reflection, Saiya decided that the girl had actually done a far better job than she herself would have been capable of. The result was short and practical, yet tailored to fit the contours of her skull in a flattering way.

"Thanks," she said, and handed over an extra piece of gold. "Here's a tip."

Now that all of her immediate needs had been sated, Saiya wandered somewhat aimlessly around the camp, feeling a bit lost returning to society after so long in the desolation of the wastes. She stopped in the healer's tent to visit Caesar and found him still sleeping, his pale skin nearly grey in color and his hair loose about his shoulders. She stroked a hand over his forehead, bending to whisper, "Rest well, dear friend," and thought she felt him stir ever so slightly.

Kormac was sitting beside the fire, nursing a bottle of the potent desert wine and wearing a dark scowl. Saiya didn't understand why until she followed his line of sight and saw Lyndon and Eirena standing close together, laughing over some apparent joke. A stab of sorrow punctured her light mood. She had never realized before how much she wanted the enchantress to reciprocate Kormac's feelings, and struggled not to feel as though Eirena had personally let her down. She wondered if this was how her friends had felt when Baal initially refused her.

It wasn't long before Adria and Leah returned, and in their wake, Commander Asheara with a small guard of Wolves, including Asiya. The young healer yelled with delight when she saw Saiya, but was prevented from running to greet her by a cumbersome object that she was carrying, shrouded in black cloth.

"I was worried about you!" she shouted. "You've been gone so long that Auntie was ready to declare you dead! You'll have to tell me all about it over drinks later."

"I would," Saiya replied, "but I don't remember very much. It's … complicated."

Asiya looked slightly hurt, as though she thought Saiya was deliberately putting her off. Asheara said, "Where is the Hunter? His presence is required for this council."

"I'm right here," said Baal, materializing from the crowd of interested people who had gathered in the center of camp.

"We have something of yours," said the commander. "No doubt you'll want it back." She gestured to Asiya, who removed the cloth with a tug to reveal a bamboo cage containing a familiar black bird. The raven was apparently sulking; at the sight of Baal, he turned around and stuck his tail feathers in the air.

"Gawahir!" Baal cried. "What in hell – how did you find him? I thought he'd been killed."

"He nearly was," said Asiya. "A palace guard shot him out of the sky only a few days after you'd left, but fortunately, one of our men found him and brought him back to our headquarters. I was able to treat the wound, though I've kept him confined. He hasn't been very grateful about it, either."

"Well, I am," Baal said. He took the cage from her and poked a finger through the bars, ruffling the feathers of Gawahir's neck. The bird gave an indignant squawk, then submitted and nibbled Baal's finger in a friendly way.

"You should keep him out of the air a little longer, no matter how much he complains," Asiya advised.

"I will," said Baal. "And thank you, truly. You have no idea how much it means to me that you saved him. If there's anything I can do-"

"Kill the demon that plagues our city," Asheara interrupted, her tone grim. "That is what we ask of you now."

Baal said, "Menim heyat, men söz verirem."

"Hesab edirem ki, lazim deyil ümid edirik," replied Asheara. Then, glancing around at the gathered crowd, she said, "Let us begin our council. Summon your companions."

Ghor, Kormac, and Eirena were duly found and brought to the bonfire. Saiya looked for Lyndon, but he was nowhere in sight, and she concluded that he had no interest in the proceedings, and had gone off on his own business. She wondered briefly if she would ever see him again, and decided that she hoped she would.

"Where is Tyrael?" Baal asked once they were all seated.

"In the city," Leah replied, "rallying the people to our cause. We will need all the support we can get."

"So what is our plan?" demanded Kormac.

Adria regarded him coldly. "Patience. We are waiting on one more person."

"Who?" said Baal.

His question was answered when the air trembled and a small form appeared, rather transparent and misty in the harsh sunlight. Hakan bowed his head in greeting, his large eyes sweeping curiously around the group before fixing on Adria – or, more particularly, on the satchel which held the unmistakable lumpy form of the black soulstone.

"You have found it, then," he said. "This is glad news indeed."

"Yes, your Majesty," Asheara said. "The Hunter and his friends recovered it from the cöl at great risk to their lives."

"Then all of Kehjistan is in your debt," said the boy. "You will be amply rewarded."

"If we survive, you mean," Baal said. "Which is be no means a certainty."

The great, luminous eyes blinked slowly at him. "I hope and pray that you will."

"So, your Majesty," said Leah, "is everything set, as we discussed?"

"Yes," Hakan answered. "There is a small group of officers still loyal to me inside the palace, and on my signal they will open the gate for you and fight by your side."

Asheara's grin was sharp and dangerous, reminding Saiya of the expression Baal wore going into battle. "Excellent," she said. "I knew we could rely on your Majesty. For my part, my men are prepared. The Wolves number two hundred: five score of foot soldiers, including my captains, seventy archers who will support our invasion from the rooftops, and another thirty in cavalry men."

"Two hundred!" Saiya exclaimed, impressed. "With that sort of force behind us, we might really stand a chance!"

"Don't get overconfident, girl," warned Adria. "Belial's minions outnumber us by ten to one. It will be a hard fight."

"And Belial himself?" inquired Baal. "Is he still in Fahkri's guise?"

"Yes," said the emperor. "I have been keeping an eye on him. Find me once you're in the palace, and I will lead you to him."

The council continued for quite some time, with talk of strategy and troop deployment and other similar topics. Saiya had little to contribute, never having commanded soldiers, and after a time she began to fall asleep, the strain of the past week finally catching up with her and draining the last of her energy. She woke much later to Baal's hand shaking her shoulder. The fire had burned low, the flames made redder by the light dying in the sky, and the others had gone away.

"Umph," Saiya groaned, pulling herself stiffly into a sitting position. She had a terrible crick in her neck, and her arm was on pins and needles. Her face, which had been near the fire, was uncomfortably warm and flushed. "How long was I out?"

"About six hours," replied Baal. "I didn't want to wake you, but we're about to have dinner, and I knew you'd still be hungry."

"Gods, yes." With his assistance, she stood up, and they joined the line of people waiting for their meal. A goat had been slaughtered and roasted on a spit, and the gamy meat was served alongside a spiky green vegetable called an artichoke, and sweet potatoes, the outer skin of which was charred black in the coals while the inside remained succulent and soft. Saiya struggled quite a bit with the artichoke until Baal showed her how to peel the leaves off from the stem and eat only the fleshy part at the base.

Afterwards, the young monk retreated to their corner of the camp to set up her bedroll. Baal accompanied her, with an uncharacteristically silent Gawahir perched on his shoulder.

"Hey," Baal said as she was settling down under her blanket. "Are we alright?"

"What do you mean?" Saiya murmured drowsily. He didn't answer for a moment, and she sat up again to gaze at him in concern. "What's bothering you, Baal?"

"I feel like things aren't back to normal between us yet," he admitted. "We never really got a chance to talk. Everything happened so fast."

"I know," she said. "You told me you were angry with me."

"You shouldn't have let Kulle possess you." His tone was calm, rather than accusing. Saiya nodded.

"You're right. I shouldn't have. It was naïve of me to think that he would keep his word."

"Why didn't you talk with me about it, instead of hiding what had happened and how severe it was?" he burst out. "I could have helped you, Saiya. We could have figured out a solution together, but you shut me out!" Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. "Sorry, it's wrong of me to question you about something you don't even remember."

"No, it's okay." Saiya reached out and took his hand in her own, squeezing gently. "Baal, I'm really sorry about Kulle. I made a terrible mistake, and I paid for it – we all did – and I've learned my lesson. Next time, I won't be so quick to trust, and I will talk to you. I'll be honest with you. That's the best I can offer."

"It's enough for me," he said. "I forgive you, of course I do."

"I can tell that something is still bothering you," said Saiya.

The Hunter grimaced. "I'm not sure I want to talk about it."

The line of her mouth grew hard, and she said, "Why? To spare me, or yourself?"

"Both of us, perhaps. I don't know. Like I said, you don't remember it, and … and I'd rather try to forget."

"Baal," she said firmly, "that's hardly good tinder to rekindle our relationship with. If I'm going to be truthful with you, I'd like the favor returned."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." His face was suddenly very vulnerable and very young. "We had, uh … an encounter while we were out in the desert that was … um, kind of strange."

"You and I?" Saiya clarified.

"Yeah."

"Well, what happened?"

"You had pretty much stopped talking to me at that point, but you approached me one night while I was on guard, and … ah, gods, this is really awkward. You wanted me to have sex with you."

Saiya could feel her cheeks heating up. "I did?"

"Yeah."

"And … did you?"

She was not prepared for the horror that flashed across his face, and felt as though she'd been slapped. "No!" he exclaimed. "You think I would … no!"

"We have before," she mumbled, unable to look at him. Was the thought of her body really that repugnant to him?

"Saiya, you idiot, I didn't mean it like that. But the state you were in … it would have been wrong. You didn't even know what you were doing, you weren't yourself."

"I was possessed," she said flatly. Baal nodded, his discomfort palpable.

"What happened when you said no?" Saiya asked at last, when it became clear that he wouldn't continue without prompting.

"You … you tried to, ah, convince me. Physically."

Saiya's stomach turned over. Of all the things she had thought he might say, that wasn't one of them. "I tried to rape you?" she cried.

"What? Why would you think-"

"Baal, when someone tries to force another person to have sex against their will, that's called rape. I don't care if it's a man doing it to a woman or the other way around, that's what it is. I tried to rape you," she repeated, nausea causing bile to rise in her throat. "How can you even look at me?"

"Stop turning me into a victim, Saiya," he growled. "I wanted it just as much as you did, but it just wasn't right."

"Did I hurt you?" she whispered, too consumed by self-disgust to listen. And Baal hesitated a fraction of a second too long.

"Oh, gods," she moaned. "I did. I hurt you. Don't lie to me, I can see it in your face."

"You bit me." His voice was low and rough, as thoughhe felt as ashamed of it as she did.

"Show me," she pleaded, and he pulled aside the collar of his shirt. There, high on his shoulder, were the scabbed-over marks of teeth. Saiya brushed them with a shaking finger, eyes blurred with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Baal," she sobbed. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"You weren't in control. It isn't your fault."

"That's no excuse!"

"Would you feel the same way if our positions were reversed?"

Saiya wanted to say 'yes!', but it would have been a lie, so she said nothing. Baal fixed her with a level stare.

"Be reasonable, Saiya. Don't be harder on yourself than you would on me."

"Easy for you to say," she grumbled. "If our positions were reversed, you would be the one feeling awful." But she didn't argue with him any further.

"There is one more thing, though," the Hunter said after a minute. "Once it was all over, as I was walking away, you yelled after me that you knew all about me and Leah, and that you hoped we were happy together. I've thought and thought about it, and I can't for the life of me figure out what you meant."

Leah … Saiya gasped as memories suddenly flooded her brain, as potent as if she was living them for the first time. A dry, raspy voice saying, "Unlike your lover, I have no reason to lie." A whirlwind of pain, confusion, and bitter fury.

"Kulle was a telepath," she said, "and at times he told me what our companions were thinking. I think he did it to gain my trust. He said that Leah is constantly on your mind, that you-" She gulped. "That you wish you were with her instead of me."

Baal's face had the look of a man for whom puzzling events have finally fallen into place. He said, "And you believed him?"

"It was convincing at the time."

"How could you think that of me?" Hurt was heavy in his tone.

"Well …" Saiya trailed off, unsure if she wanted to delve too deep, but feeling that she must know the truth once and for all. "Where did he get that from, if not from you?"

Baal's eyes flashed crimson, his teeth bared in a snarl. "He got it from your own head," he snapped. "Can't you see that? He probed your mind, found what you were most afraid of, and used it to turn you against me. Your own insecurities were to blame for this, Saiya: every feeling of unworthiness you've ever had, every suspicion, every jealous inclination. Why can't you just accept that I love you? I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, but more importantly than that, I love who you are." Abruptly he reached out, and Saiya flinched away from the movement, still reeling from his diatribe, but he only tapped the side of her head with gentle fingers. "You're so strong and fierce, but so soft-hearted. You're proud, but not afraid to be silly. You're stubborn, but not blind to reason. I'm yours, body and soul, and I'll be damned if some dusty corpse with a vendetta is going to make you think otherwise."

Tears boiled up in Saiya's eyes, blinding her. Baal noticed and, with a guilty expression, tried to put his arms around her, but she held up a hand.

"Th-thank you," she choked out. "Truly. I don't … no one's ever been as kind to me as you have. I appreciate what you've said more than you can ever know. If you don't mind, I'd like a minute by myself just to … just to think."

Baal got to his feet immediately and walked away, saying over his shoulder, "I'll be by the bonfire if you need me for any reason. And Saiya, please don't be grateful. You deserve to be treated well."

She cried for a little while after he'd gone, mostly to relieve the pressure that had been building in her chest. When she no longer felt as though her heart would burst any second, she leaned back against the smooth rock, crossed her legs, and sank into meditation. It was welcome oblivion, a soothing anodyne for her weary soul.

First she dealt with her horror at the effect that Kulle's influence had had on her behavior, by stowing the knowledge away alongside her feelings of responsibility for Deckard Cain's death, and other things that she regretted but could not change. She would always carry those terrible mistakes as scars on her self-image.

But that in itself led her to contemplate Baal's words, specifically how he had accused her of sabotaging their relationship with her own doubts and fears. The more she thought about it, the stronger her conviction became that he was right. She had compared herself to Leah, come up wanting, and assumed that he must feel the same way. She was blind to her own virtues while exaggerating every one else's, or at least ranking them as more important.

Curious, she tried to see herself through another's eyes, and came to the bizarrely humbling conclusion that she was someone worth loving. She may not be as cute as Leah, as sweet as Eirena, as sexy as Sasha, or as wise as Ghor, but then, no one else was her, either. She was the only Saiya, and for the first time in her life, she was whole-heartedly glad of it.

From now on, I'll be more confident in myself, she thought determinedly. I won't second-guess Baal's feelings for me, and I won't let petty jealousies get in the way ever again. I'll prove that I'm the woman he thinks I am!

Some time later, Kormac stumbled past her on his way to bed, weaving ever so slightly from side to side. He paused to pat her clumsily on the head. "Better get some sleep, little sister," he mumbled. "We attack at dawn."

"Are you going to be alright?" Saiya asked. "A hangover isn't the best thing for fighting."

"Oh, I'll be fine." The Templar wobbled off, promptly banishing any credence his words might have had by tripping over a fallen log and sprawling headfirst into a nearby shrub. Saiya, going to check on him, found him out cold. She rolled her eyes and covered him with a blanket.

Baal was still sitting beside the dwindling bonfire, talking animatedly with Caesar, who had apparently woken from his slumber. As Saiya approached, the wizard burst into a startlingly genuine laugh, causing her to stop and stare. She hadn't really believed Baal when he'd told her they'd 'come to an understanding', thinking that he was probably referring to a truce preventing them from murdering each other at a moment's notice. It looked, however, more as though they'd struck up an actual friendship.

Caesar spotted her lurking on the edge of the firelight and waved her over, calling out, "Saiya! Come and join us! Baal was just telling me about how the two of you met. Did you really clobber him on the head with a rock?"

"Not nearly hard enough," Saiya replied, and both men chuckled. She sat down between them, giving Baal a reassuring smile, and stretched her feet out towards the warmth of the blaze. The burns that she'd gotten fighting the Butcher had all but vanished, though the skin of her soles was still a little sensitive to heat.

The three of them sat for quite a while, swapping stories and telling jokes as the flames burned lower and the coals sizzled and popped. Eventually Saiya fell asleep with her head on Baal's shoulder, and was vaguely aware at some point of being lifted, carried, and placed on her bedroll.

She dreamed of walking with her lover in the mountain meadows of her homeland. The stiff breeze from the snow-capped peak above brought the hint of pine needles with it, tangling her hair, which was long and flowing free down her back. The sunlight was so strong and golden that she could hardly see Baal's face as he presented her with a bouquet of wildflowers that he'd picked. His smiling lips formed words, but they were whisked away by the wind.

"What?" she yelled. "I can't hear you!"

Far above them, a great spear of rock broke off from the summit. It sent up clouds of snow and ice and it fell, crushing everything in its path, leaving a trail of broken trees as it careened towards them-

"Saiya, wake up!" An urgent voice. Baal's. She opened eyelids swollen with sleep and blinked groggily at him. He was half-dressed, his shirt only partially buttoned, one boot on and the other lying off to the side. The mountainside was still falling.

"Wake up, damnit!" the Hunter yelled. "It's happening! We have to go, now!"

"Wha-?" Saiya mumbled. Baal grabbed her head and turned it forcefully to the side, so that she was looking out over the Caldeum.

The pre-dawn sky was a roiling mass of black-green clouds, churning like an angry sea. The smell of brimstone filled the air, harsh and choking. And the sound – the sound that had penetrated Saiya's dream as an avalanche – was caused by great chunks of stone, each bigger than an ox, that were raining down on the city.

"Oh, gods!" she gasped. "What's going on?"

"Belial has begun the attack."

Saiya joined him in a mad scramble to prepare: struggling into her armor, lacing up her sandals, grabbing her bladed knuckles from beside her pillow. All around them was chaos as people milled around, shouting at each other in Kehjistani. Saiya saw I'tidal, standing tall and proud like a stone pillar in the midst of the turmoil, hands on her hips.

"Come on!" Baal urged, grabbing her hand. Together, they ran towards the camp entrance, shoving their way through the panicked crowd. Caesar and Ghor were already waiting for them, and moments later, Kormac appeared with Eirena tucked safely behind him, reminding Saiya of a bird sheltering from a storm behind a boulder. The Templar was armed with a crude broadsword which he had evidently borrowed from someone, since his spear had been broken by Caesar in his possessed state.

"We have to get down there and find Asheara," Baal said. "Adria and Leah should already be there; they returned to the city last night."

"We're with you, Brother," said Kormac, and the wizard nodded in agreement.

"Where's Lyndon?" Saiya cried.

"Couldn't find him," replied the big Northerner. His expression said, Probably hiding, the coward.

"Everyone armed?" Baal asked. "We can expect a fight. The streets will be swarming with his minions, and gods know what else."

Saiya squeezed his hand one last time before letting go to slip her knuckles on. "Let's go," she said.

Baal started down the path, and she was about to follow when small arms slipped around her waist from behind, and a child's voice, shrieking to be heard over the tumultuous noise, wailed, "Please come back alive!"

Gently, Saiya disentangled Squirt from her robes and crouched down so they were eye to eye. "Listen," she said. "You know a lot of hiding places, don't you? I want you to think of the best one and then go there and don't come back out until it's over. No matter what, okay? It might take some time: hours, or even days, so make sure you have something to eat. But I promise – look at me, Squirt, I promise – that I will come and find you. I will come back."

The girl nodded, sniffing, and stood back. "Good luck," she mumbled.

"Thanks." Saiya grinned, ruffled Squirt's hair, and then turned and followed her companions down the rocky trail towards Caldeum.

* Baal said to Asheara, "With my life, I swear."

Asheara replied, "I hope that will not be necessary."

Cöl is a word meaning 'wasteland' or 'desert'.