Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Another day passed before Alexios returned. It was 2 p.m., so the training sessions were in full swing when he called his sister via cosmo to inform her that he was about to arrive at the Sanctuary and that he was bringing a companion with him. The Matriarch immediately informed Shion, and then the Gold Saints were notified. They gathered in the Main Temple, while Styliani stayed in Aries, waiting for him to open a direct portal upward.

“Alexios,” the young woman said, rising from the stairs where she had been sitting when she saw him arrive.
“Lyani, were you sent to get us?”
“You know it.”
“Let me introduce you to Lakshmi. Lakshmi, this is Styliani, Gold Saint of Gemini.”

The two women shook hands. Lakshmi was a slim young woman, dressed entirely in black, with short black hair and brown eyes. She carried a sort of backpack over her shoulder.

“They're waiting for us; shall we go?” Lyani asked, and both nodded.

The girl opened a portal that led them to the entrance of the Main Temple. Alexios had already warned Lakshmi that traveling this way might make her feel dizzy, but although she didn’t possess cosmo, she used a similar type of energy, so she had no issues.

The three entered the Throne Hall, but it was empty, as the meeting would be held in another room they had used before, where they could sit comfortably rather than stand while discussing.

They arrived shortly. Lyani entered first.
“Alexios and Lakshmi,” she announced before taking her place beside the Geminis.
“Please, take a seat,” the Matriarch said.

Alexios and Lakshmi went to the pair of empty chairs facing the others and sat down.
“We know you're eager to hear the news, so we won’t beat around the bush,” Alexios began. “Upon arriving in the Sanctuary's realm, I immediately headed to Khanduras to investigate and found that Diablo has already left the area, leaving a trail of massive destruction in his wake. The Rogues, who had their base in the Sisters of the Sightless Eye Monastery, were attacked, and the survivors set up a camp nearby. Lakshmi and I were able to speak with Akara, the Sisters' spiritual leader, and quickly helped them clear some of the surrounding areas from an overwhelming number of creatures that have been roaming those lands. But I’m not sure how long their defenses can hold. The situation is dire, and we urgently need to return. I told Akara we’d bring help as soon as possible.”

“Diablo is likely already nearing Lut Gholein, where Baal is sealed. The problem is that the path is blocked, as the Monastery is the only passage to those lands, and for now, no one has been able to return there. It seems Diablo left demons guarding the entrance,” Lakshmi added.

“What about Tyrael?” Kassandra asked.
“We don’t know. We assume he might already be in Lut Gholein, awaiting Diablo’s arrival, but there’s no news, as no one can get in or out,” Lakshmi replied again.

“The journey took us a couple of days, but we can reach the Sanctuary via portals or teleportation. However, once there, we’ll have to move on foot. We cannot go directly to Lut Gholein,” Alexios said.

“Why not?” Wren asked.
“Because the World Stone doesn’t allow it. You can use portals and teleportation there, but only for short distances. Some of us also have such powers, and even so, we can’t travel far with them,” Lakshmi explained.

“Have you even tried?” Aziel asked sarcastically. Lakshmi looked at him, about to reply, but Alexios was quicker.

“Things are different in Sanctuary. I must tell you that most of the enemies we’ll face have four basic types of attacks: fire, ice, poison, and electricity. The creatures roaming there aren’t too powerful, but the problem is that you don’t face just a few—they come in hordes. It’s not wise for one person to go alone; they can quickly be overwhelmed.”

“Very well, let’s decide who will go in the first group. As I said, I will go with Styliani. Who is willing to join us?” Shion asked.

“I must return,” Alexios said. “I promised I would.”

“Perhaps it would be wise for you to rest,” Kassandra suggested. “You too, Lakshmi. You have the Sanctuary’s hospitality. You can return later to relieve the first group. You only need to tell them exactly where to go.”

“I’ll go in your place, Alexios,” Aldebaran said with a smile. “You don’t need to worry about it.”
“I’m also ready to leave immediately,” Milo said.
“And me,” added Saga.
“I’m interested as well,” Kaia said.
“As I’ve already mentioned, I’m willing to go with the Pope and Gemini Saga,” Wren stated, and Saga had to stifle an annoyed sigh.
“I think it would be wise for me to go as well,” Camus said.

“Very well, so be it. Kassandra and the others will have time to discuss who will travel next. It’s still early; let’s take a couple of hours to prepare. I hope we can leave before nightfall,” Shion said. “Lakshmi, could you kindly point out on the map where we need to go?”

“I appreciate your hospitality and will rest, but I need to return immediately. Sanctuary is my home, and I’ve already been away longer than I would have liked.”
“If that’s your wish, we understand,” Kassandra said.
“And having a guide is always good,” Shion smiled at her.
“I recommend you bring camping gear and provisions. Resources are currently scarce at the Rogues’ camp, and if possible, I’d appreciate it if you could bring extras for them,” Lakshmi said.

"Of course," Kassandra replied. "My Saints, this meeting is adjourned. Those who are going, please take a couple of hours to rest and prepare. The rest, return to your activities."
"We'll meet right here at 6 p.m.," Shion added.

With that, the group rose from their seats and began descending. Once in Gemini, Styliani went to gather the equipment they would need. She planned to bring a couple of tents, along with basic tools for cooking, first aid supplies, and provisions for both themselves and the survivors. Saga was with her, helping to gather everything. The woman pulled out a pair of large backpacks to carry the items.

"It's a tradition to take the kids camping a few times a year. Sometimes they go with their teachers, other times with their parents. That’s why I have all this stuff, even though I’m a city girl, and the countryside isn't really my thing. But I’ve had to go along with Stefanos," she explained as they packed.
"And it’s going to be challenging to be there without any sort of technology."
"Yes, but luckily much of the medical equipment doesn’t need electricity or recharging. Around half a century ago, humanity figured out how to make batteries that essentially recharge themselves, so there’s no need for electricity for that. But it’s not like we can take an entire hospital. We’ll have to rely on what’s available there if something happens, and I have no doubt none of us will leave these battles unscathed."
"Let’s hope nothing terribly serious happens. What about the provisions? Have they invented entire meals in pill form yet?"

Lyani smiled.
"No, but there are very compact energy bars that provide all the calories and nutrients necessary for survival. That will be our main food during this time unless we manage to hunt something, but who knows what the wildlife is like in those lands."

"Am I interrupting?" Kanon asked, entering the room where they were.
"No, is something wrong?" the woman asked.
"Not really. I just wanted to say Stefanos can stay here. I heard you were going to send him to the Main Temple, but I swear that’s not necessary. We can look after each other, and I’m sure he’d prefer to stay in his own home."
"Kassandra has no problem watching over him, and I didn’t want to impose the responsibility of caring for a child on you."
"It’s no problem for me, really. I can cook too. We won’t starve, and I won’t just feed him pizza and hamburgers."
"I appreciate it, Kanon. I’m sure he’d prefer to stay here, where all his belongings are. I’ll tell him later."
"Where is he, by the way?"
"Downstairs with the apprentices, hanging out. He has several friends among them."

They soon finished packing, and then Lyani went down to find her son to tell him the news and let him know he could stay in Gemini. Kassandra, as always, would keep an eye on him regardless.

Meanwhile, Alexios spent time gathering more provisions and chatting with Aldebaran. The two hit it off immediately, their similar personalities sparking a mutual interest. They wished they had more time, but there would be opportunities later.

Finally, at 6 p.m., those who were leaving gathered in the Main Temple, where Shion, Kassandra, and Lakshmi were waiting.
"Since three of us have teleportation powers, it will be easy to get us to Sanctuary. Lakshmi has already told me where we can go. Saga, Styliani," Shion called, and they approached.

Lakshmi and Shion showed them a map and pointed out their destination. Once it was clear, they opened their portals. Lyani gave her son a hug, as he was there with Alexios to see them off.
"May Nike crown you with victory!" he shouted as the woman stepped through the portal.

Chapter Text

They appeared in a damp area. It was raining, and evening was falling. The air was cold. There were no mountains nearby, and the forest wasn’t particularly dense, but it obscured their view beyond a short distance. They could hear rivers not far away.
"Perfect welcome," Milo said, glancing at the overcast sky.
"You lead, Lakshmi," Shion told her.
"The camp is about two hours away at a good pace, but stay alert. While we didn’t encounter many enemies in these parts, there are some around. Ready?"

The group nodded, and Lakshmi began running, the others following closely. The traces of Diablo’s path through these lands were evident. They passed numerous destroyed cabins and came across corpses of creatures unknown to them, scattered here and there.

"What kind of warrior are you, Lakshmi, if I may ask?" Milo inquired, running not far from her.
"I’m a Viz-Jaq’Taar," she replied with a smile.
"Yeah, and now in a language we can understand?" Wren asked.
"An assassin," Lyani answered for her.
"Aren’t we all?" Kaia remarked sarcastically.
"Not like her," Shion responded.
"No. We’re also known as 'magical criminals.' We use elemental magic and reject demonic magic. Our role is to oversee magical clans and eradicate corruption."
"By killing them," Camus said.
Lakshmi nodded.

"We are taught to live in meditation so that we can keep our minds pure and focused. This is to ensure that the order does not become corrupted. We cannot use magical arts but rely instead on enchanted devices and objects."
"So, traps?" Saga said.
"Exactly. We also perfect martial arts, both physical and mental."
"So, you use traps and weapons?" Aldebaran added.
"Yes. Assassins like us specialize in the use of claws. One weapon in each hand makes both defense and offense more effective."
"One of the magical clans, the one that used demonic magic, was the one that started bringing demons into Sanctuary. That was how the Prime Evils learned of its existence. The Viz-Jaq’Taar were founded in response," Lyani explained.
"What kind of traps do you specialize in?"
"Electricity, though sometimes I use fire. It depends on the enemies—some are immune."
"Immune to what?" Milo asked.
"To the elements. As Alexios mentioned, the enemies here primarily use four types of attacks, aside from brute strength: electricity, poison, fire, and ice. They can also be immune to any of those."
"How are we supposed to figure out what they're immune to?" Camus asked.
"It's easy to deduce because they'll attack you with the element they are immune to. And just up ahead, I see a few of them."

The group stopped to look carefully at what the girl was pointing to. They were creatures that moved on four clawed limbs, resembling oversized porcupines about the size of large dogs.
"Spike Fiends," Lakshmi said. "They're not hard to kill, but they're very aggressive and will attack as soon as they detect you. They shoot the spikes from their backs and can be poisonous."

With that, the woman deployed a couple of traps, which quickly eliminated the small group of beasts.
"They're usually not a problem, but they often appear when you least expect them. As I said, keep your eyes open."

They continued their run. The rain gave them a brief reprieve, but now they were wet and cold, especially as the temperature dropped rapidly and the darkness deepened. None of them intended to stop until they reached the camp, and it became clear they were getting closer when they encountered more of those beasts, along with another type of enemy Lakshmi pointed out again.
"Zombies," the girl said. "They're slow and generally won't detect you until you're very close. Their attack is pure brute strength, and I must warn you—they're strong. Don't let them catch you off guard. They're immune to poison, so avoid being bitten or scratched by them."

Before Lakshmi could deploy another trap, Milo rushed toward the group of zombies and started attacking them bare-handed. He avoided using his cosmos because he wanted to see how tough they were to take down. The rest of the group watched. As soon as the zombies detected Milo, a group of seven or eight of them advanced at a relatively quick pace toward the Scorpio Saint. Milo had to strike each of them more than once to bring them down, but they were indeed very slow, and he dispatched them in just a few minutes.

Incidentally, the only ones not wearing their armor were Shion and Lyani. They hoped to find some basic equipment at the camp.
"They’re disgusting—I won’t even tell you how they smell up close," Milo said as he walked back to the group. "And even though they’re easy to take down, you still have to hit them with some force."
"We should be about fifteen minutes away now," Lakshmi said before continuing the run.

Sure enough, they soon spotted a fence made of tall wooden posts. The assassin led them to the entrance, where a pair of archers stood guard. They stopped running, and it was up to Lakshmi to approach the sentries.
"My name is Lakshmi. I was here a couple of days ago and promised to return with help."
"We didn’t think you’d come back so soon," one of them said. "Go ahead."

The group nodded politely at the women as they passed, except for Wren, of course. Once inside, they noticed that the area was at least spacious, with many tents arranged roughly around a large central bonfire. They also saw several wagons and, in one corner, some animals. Lakshmi led them to the bonfire, where a man waited for them with a smile.
"You’re back. I must admit, some doubted you’d return. Where’s Alexios?"
"He stayed in his Sanctuary for now, but his companions have come to help, Warriv. Has the situation worsened?"
"No, but it hasn’t improved either. Everything remains the same."
"The outlook will change soon," Shion said. "Where are the leaders? It would be wise for me to speak with them."
"Of course. Follow me."

"The rest of you, wait here for a moment," Shion told the group. They dropped the backpacks they had been carrying and moved closer to the bonfire.

Lakshmi guided Shion to a tent that was slightly removed from the others. Inside, a woman dressed in a purple robe observed them with interest. The assassin bowed as they approached.
"Priestess Akara, I’ve returned, as promised, with allies. Allow me to introduce Aries Shion, Pope of Athena’s Sanctuary. Pope Shion, this is Akara, the revered spiritual leader of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye."
"It’s an honor to meet you," Shion said.
"The honor is mine. I’m glad we have allies from outside. The situation has been very difficult lately, and much has transpired."
"Tyrael informed us, and we could not ignore the call for aid."
"We are grateful, and you have our hospitality, though it is regrettably limited due to the circumstances. Please, set up your tents and rest after what I’m sure was not a short journey."
"I’ll inform my people to do so, but I believe we have matters to discuss."

"That's right, follow me. This is my tent."
"Thank you very much. Lakshmi, dear, could you go and tell the others to set up their tents?"
"Of course."

With that, the young woman returned to the large bonfire while Shion entered with Akara.
"Did he send you back to us?" Milo asked with an ironic smile.
"That's how leaders usually are, I think," she replied. "He asked me to tell you he's going to talk with Akara for a while. In the meantime, we can set up our tents. Akara is the spiritual leader of the Rogues."
"Who is she?" Saga asked, subtly gesturing toward another woman who didn’t look very friendly and was watching them closely.
"That's Kashya, the military leader. Someone we need to win over. You see, when we first arrived, no one was too eager to accept our help. But Akara decided to give us a chance and asked Alexios and me to clear out a cave not far from here, which was causing trouble due to its proximity to the camp. There weren’t many enemies, but it was a gesture to show our goodwill. Because we did it, we gained their trust—they really need help. But Kashya is still a bit more skeptical. We should talk to her, but I think that's the Pope's job."
"He'll definitely want to speak with her before we do," Saga said. "Let’s set up the tents. We can distribute provisions later."

The group nodded, and each wandered around the enclosure, looking for a spot they liked. Lyani set up her tent near the fence, not far from Akara’s, reasoning she might need to speak with her about healing people.
"You've got a strategic spot to watch over the camp," Saga said, walking up to her.
"And it’s near the spiritual leader, who I assume also acts as the healer, judging by what I can see from here. It seemed appropriate."
"Do you mind having me as a neighbor?"
"We shared a roof for a week; I can share this patch of land with you."

The man smiled, and the two began setting up their tents. Lyani had to explain how it was done, as the Gemini Saint had never pitched a tent before—especially not one like hers, inspired by ancient designs with tall walls that allowed him to stand inside, albeit barely due to his height. It was beige, with a wide entrance, windows that could be opened or closed from the inside, and a smoke hole in case a fire was lit inside. He placed his sleeping bag near the fence wall. He noticed that Lyani’s tent was smaller but spacious enough for her. He assumed she used her son's tent and had given him the one they used for their camping trips together.
"You could’ve given me the smaller one, you know. I’m just a guest in your house."
"And you’re taller. I don’t see you being as comfortable in this one."
"Whatever. I was expecting to sleep out in the open anyway—this is luxury."
"Assuming we even get to sleep. Have you seen the fence walls? They need repairs."
"Yes, I noticed. Clearly, they didn’t have much time to set it up. They’ve got children here; I understand the urgency."
"I saw them too. I can’t imagine what they’ve been through. Should we put up Shion’s tent too?"
"That’s probably a good idea. There’s space next to mine."
"Let’s do it, then."

Milo set his tent closer to the center, near the bonfire, as did Kaia and Aldebaran. Wren went to the other end, near a merchant with a wagon, though no one knew how it ended up there. Camus set his tent farther from the center, behind the area where the camp's blacksmith worked. They worked mostly in silence, though they noticed the Rogues watching them. Some looked at them with suspicion, but it was clear that many others were relieved to finally have someone there to help.

Once finished, Saga and Lyani collected the provisions and brought them near the bonfire, waiting for someone to help distribute them. Afterward, they gathered there to warm up and eat something.
"I almost expected this to taste like those horrible protein bars they made me eat as a kid, but they’re actually not so bad," Milo said, taking another bite of the bars they’d been told would keep them nourished.
"Speak for yourself. This is awful for me," Aldebaran replied. "Nothing beats a home-cooked meal."
"They clearly need provisions, but I didn’t see any animals on the way here. I’m guessing they also fell victim to the beasts roaming the area," Kaia said.
"Still, it’s wise to keep an eye out—maybe there’s something left to hunt," Lyani suggested.
"Do you know how to hunt?" Camus asked.
"I know how to use a bow, so yes. Now I just need to find one."
"I’m sure the blacksmith can help you with that," Camus replied.
"I think I need to talk to her anyway. Excuse me."

Lyani had noticed the blacksmith was still busy working, so she decided it was a good time to approach her.
"Hello, my name is Styliani, but you can call me Lyani. I’m the Gemini Saint of Athena’s Sanctuary."
"My name is Charsi, and as you can see, I’m the camp’s blacksmith. If you need help, I’ll do whatever I can."
"Actually, I do need some equipment. The story is a bit long and complicated, but that young man over there is Gemini Saga, and he’ll likely be the one wearing the armor we share most of the time. So I’d like to get something for myself—you know, to avoid being completely defenseless."
"I understand. Do you need weapons or just armor?"
"Primarily armor, though a good bow and arrows would be welcome later on."

"Come, let me show you what I have ready."

Charsi was a tall, muscular young woman, her body marked by battle scars she carried with grace. It was clear she was strong, and Lyani wouldn’t want to face her as an enemy. She followed the blacksmith to the back of the forge, where a decent selection of equipment was stored.

"Try this one. For now, I only have basic armaments; we had to leave much of our gear behind when we were attacked at the Monastery."
"It’ll do for now."
"I hope you can recover more materials and, eventually, help us reclaim our home."
"What happened?"
"It all began when the Dark Wanderer appeared in these lands. I assume you’ve heard of what happened in Tristram. Some of our best warriors went there to fight Diablo and returned as true war veterans, but now it seems they’ve all been corrupted by Andariel."

Lyani raised an eyebrow and looked at her intently.
"Andariel, Maiden of Anguish. One of the Lesser Evils."
"That’s right."
"I didn’t know she had allied with Diablo."
"No one did, but she’s the one at the Monastery now, guarding the passage to Lut Gholein."
"I understand better now how you were driven from your ancestral home."
"Diablo’s corruption has spread far in these lands, and that’s with the Dark Wanderer passing through just a few weeks ago."
"We’ll do something about it, don’t doubt that. Charsi, we brought provisions. I can trade you some in exchange for this."
"Deal. You might also want to speak with Gheed, the merchant over there. Sometimes he has interesting weapons, though he’ll likely want more than provisions in return."
"We’ll see. Let’s head back to the bonfire to settle this."

The two women returned to the campfire, where the rest of the group remained gathered. They approached the provisions near Saga.
"Charsi has agreed to trade provisions for armor for me," Lyani informed him, and Saga nodded. "Is Shion still with Akara?"
"They just came out. He’ll probably join us soon."
"This is enough, thank you," Charsi said, taking her share. "And seriously, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to come to me."
"Thank you."

With that, the blacksmith returned to her tent. Not long after, Shion finally joined them. He took a seat, and all eyes turned to him.

"The news is as we expected. The Warrior, known as the Dark Wanderer, passed through here a couple of weeks ago, leaving a trail of destruction. He placed Andariel, one of the Lesser Evils, in charge of the Monastery. She’s not alone, of course, and we’ll need to spend some time here rescuing Rogues who managed to escape but are still missing, and clearing out the creatures Diablo has brought with him. Alexios and Lakshmi dealt with a nearby cave, but those creatures won’t stop appearing until we deal with Andariel. Saga, Wren, I’d like you to come with me to speak with Kashya. I also want patrols around the camp perimeter. Go in pairs—you can decide who goes first and with whom, but there should always be at least two of you guarding the area. The rest can rest; it’s late."

"Pope, may I speak with you for a moment?" Saga requested, and Shion nodded. The two moved a bit away from the group.
"Wren?" the Gemini Saint questioned, and Shion sighed.
"He’s the oldest and most experienced of the current generation."
"Still, Lyani is the one closest to the Matriarch."
"I know. But it’s not wise to antagonize Wren right now, especially under these circumstances. That’s exactly what would happen if I called Styliani to join us instead."
"I don’t trust him much."
"I understand, and Kassandra has voiced those doubts as well. But for now, the best we can do is keep him on our side, and I trust you to keep an eye on him. Besides, I’m sure you’ll keep Styliani informed."
Saga sighed.
"Do you want us to speak with Kashya now?"
"Yes. The sooner we gain her trust, the better."

The two returned to the group, and Shion gestured for Wren to join them. Together, they headed to Kashya, who was standing with arms crossed. She knew Akara wanted her to give these newcomers a chance and speak with them, but after the events of recent weeks, Kashya wasn’t in the mood to deal with strangers whose intentions remained uncertain. She had seen too many warriors pass through these lands, most of whom were never seen again.

"It’s an honor to meet you, Kashya. Akara spoke of you and asked us to come to you. My name is Aries Shion, Pope of Athena’s Sanctuary. With me are Gemini Saga and Pisces Wren."

The two men nodded, though it was clear Wren wasn’t particularly pleased that the camp’s leaders were women or that he seemingly had to ask for their permission to assist them.

"We’re aware of the problems that began with the arrival of the Dark Wanderer. I assure you, we’re here to help. We come at Tyrael’s request."

Kashya rolled her eyes. Where had Tyrael been when they were attacked? Where was his help when the Demon Queen appeared before them, without warning?

"My Rogues have reported the horrors taking place in the Monastery’s cemetery. Apparently, Andariel isn’t content with taking the dead—she wants the living too. Blood Raven, one of my best warriors and the captain who led the battle against Diablo in Tristram, was one of the first to be corrupted by Andariel. You’ll now find her in the cemetery, raising the dead as zombies. We cannot allow her to continue desecrating it. If you’re truly our allies, you’ll help us destroy her."

Saga and Wren exchanged glances, then looked at Shion.
"You can be sure I’ll take care of her," Gemini said.
"Where will we find this cemetery?" Wren asked.
"Follow the path leading out of the camp, and it’ll take you directly to the Cold Plains. The cemetery is just beyond that, about five kilometers from here."
"Go, my sons," Shion said to them.
"I can go alone," Wren offered.
"I’d prefer you always go in pairs, at least until we gather enough information about the area and the enemies."
"As you wish."

With that, both men bowed to Shion before departing. The Pope and Kashya watched them leave.
"Lakshmi and Alexios informed us that you need provisions, so we brought extra. They’re by the campfire, ready for distribution. I’ve also asked my men to assist with perimeter patrols."
"Do what you wish. There are enough demons for everyone. Akara can handle the provisions."

And with that, Kashya walked away, leaving the Pope alone. Shion watched her go; he couldn’t blame her. It was evident the past weeks’ events had left their mark on her. He returned to the rest of the group, who were currently speaking with Warriv.
"Pope Shion, I offer my help if needed. Once the passage to Lut Gholein is cleared, I can guide you on your way."
"Thank you. Do you come from Tristram?"
"Yes, but things weren’t as bad when I was there. I think I left just in time."
"So it seems."
"Where did Saga and Wren go?" Aldebaran asked.
"To their first mission—to deal with Blood Raven. Let’s wait for their return before speaking further with Kashya. I’d rather not have her on guard against us; she already has plenty to worry about. Have you decided who will take the first patrol?"
"Yes, we’ll go," Milo said, motioning to Camus. "We were just about to head out."
"Be careful. Lyani, help me carry the provisions to Akara’s tent."

The two gathered the supplies and took them to Akara, who thanked them profusely. Afterward, they returned to their tents to rest and attempt to sleep while waiting for Saga and Wren to return. Kaia and Aldebaran would relieve Milo and Camus on patrol when dawn came.

Chapter Text

Milo and Camus stepped out, clad in their golden Cloths. The air was growing colder, and they had no idea what time it was.
"Shall we start on the right or the left?" Milo asked, but Camus shrugged, scanning their surroundings.

Ahead of them lay a vast plain, scattered with crumbling stone fences in all directions. Milo began walking, moving several meters from the camp, and Camus followed in silence. At least it wasn’t raining anymore, but the clouds lingered, promising more rain throughout the night.
"How’s it going with Orson?" Milo asked, trying to spark a conversation, as he detested silences, especially ones as uncomfortable as this.
"I haven’t seen much of him. Seems like he’s not a fan of socializing."
"Oh, so like you."

Camus didn’t respond to the remark.
"He’s been spending most of his time with Aziel and Wren, as expected. Other than that, he hasn’t been particularly friendly with me, but at least he hasn’t been rude."
"Do you think he follows those two out of conviction?"
"No idea. It seems more like he’s just tagging along, but I can’t say what he’s thinking. He hasn’t even agreed to train with me. How about Larissa?"
"She’s an interesting girl, social. She’s a good warrior, but I’m noticing more and more what Saga and Lyani said. Her techniques are like mine, but not quite the same. They lack something, I’m not sure if it’s 'power' or 'precision,' but something like that. I would’ve liked to see her face a serious enemy. I think she likes me."

Camus exhaled sharply and rolled his eyes.
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"You think every girl is into you. That hasn’t changed."
"It’s not just me, Lyani hinted at it too. Yikes."

Milo suddenly stopped, and Camus raised his head to see what had caught his companion’s attention. Zombies were roaming nearby, close to what appeared to be the body of a Rogue.
"Leave them to me. I want to see how strong they are," Camus said, moving toward the group.

Like Milo, it didn’t take him long to dispatch them with a few well-placed strikes. He then knelt beside the body. It was indeed one of the Rogues. He shook his head as the Scorpion joined him.
"A shame, she was so close to making it back to camp, but she doesn’t have any weapons on her."
"Stay here. I’ll go ask where we should take her."

Camus nodded, and Milo ran back to the camp. He informed the two guards at the entrance of what they had found, and they called for another pair, as well as Kashya, to report the situation. The Scorpion returned with the small group to Camus. They watched as the body was placed on a stretcher.
"Where are you taking her?" Camus asked Kashya.
"We’ve dug some graves in that direction. For now, we can’t bury them in the cemetery. Let’s hope your companions complete their task soon," the woman replied before walking away.

Milo and Camus followed them a bit further; they wanted to know where the mass grave was, so they could keep an eye on it too. They stayed nearby, watching as the women buried the body. Once they were finished, the Rogues returned to camp, and the Saints continued their patrol.

They walked in silence for a while, maintaining a brisk pace to keep warm.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Camus asked at last.
"About what?"
"Anything you want."
"I don’t have anything to complain about, if that’s what you think. I gave you the punches I thought you deserved during the Holy War."
"Did I deserve them?"
"Some, yes. But that’s in the past now. I know you’re not a traitor. Is that why you’ve been so distant with me?"
"I wasn’t sure what you thought of me."
"You’ve always known. The war didn’t change that. Well, for a few hours, it did, but again, we know what happened and why. It’s not in my plans for us to be enemies or anything."
"Thanks, Milo."
"You don’t need to thank me. Why did you decide to come with the first group? I thought you’d prefer staying behind to study more about the Sanctuary and its inhabitants."
"I was interested in coming. I’ve read a lot about this place too. And I think I’m more useful here than Orson."
"Ah, so you do have an opinion on him."
"My only opinion is that I don’t know him, so I’m not sure how much he’s going to be able to help."
"He’s a Golden Saint. Kassandra wouldn’t have him in her ranks if he didn’t know what he’s doing."
"That’s true. Maybe it’s because of his connection with the other two, I don’t know. I’m also curious about Wren. Kassandra doesn’t think too highly of him, and while I know she doesn’t believe he’ll betray us or anything like that, I don’t know. I’d like to know more about him."
"Yes, me too. Let’s wait and see what Saga finds out."
"What do you think of Saga?"
"What I told him the day of the meeting. Nothing more. I think he’s very willing to help, and I have no doubt that he regrets what he did. What I want to know is what he’s going to do about it. I suspect he wanted to come first, also to distance himself from the Sanctuary."
"And I hope they don’t take too long to return, at least to calm Kashya down. We need to keep going."
"Let’s move a little further from the perimeter. It seems like everything’s clear around here."

They were right that the farther they moved from camp, the more beasts they encountered. This was good because at least the fence was safe, but it was bad because they were sure more would keep coming. They spent a while dealing with zombies and chasing small red demons that spoke in a strange language. They’d have to ask Lakshmi what they were about. It was difficult to catch them because as soon as they dealt with one, the rest would flee. They also saw the cave that Alexios and Lakshmi had cleared earlier and entered out of curiosity, but it was empty. Not far away, there was an abandoned cabin, which they also entered and gathered whatever might be useful to the rest, such as blankets and a few good seeds.

***

Saga and Wren walked out of the fence, and once outside, they saw the path that Kashya had told them to follow.
"Do we run or walk?" Wren asked.
"Let’s keep a steady pace. I suppose we’ll encounter beasts and I’d prefer to observe them a bit before taking them down."
"Studying the enemies of an unknown place."

They continued in silence for a while. The first area near the camp was fairly empty. There was nothing on the path, so each of them had time to get lost in their thoughts. But that ended soon. They reached a point where two half-collapsed stone fences nearly met, creating a kind of division between areas, and there was an archer planted there, shooting arrows with precision and speed. They ran closer to see what was happening.
Women, all wearing armor, swords, and shields, came running and fell to the ground one after another, thanks to the archer’s accurate shots.
"Finally, something to kill," Wren said with a smile, joining the battle.
He climbed onto the fallen fence, and from there, he began throwing roses, one after another, with the same precision and speed as the woman’s arrows. Saga stayed behind, not thinking they needed his help. In a few minutes, they had dealt with the group of women. The Gemini couldn’t help but notice that when they were defeated, a spirit left their bodies.

He approached the archer, who was watching them.
"Thank you for your help. My name is Flavie."
"Gemini Saga and Pisces Wren," Saga replied.
"Did you come to help us?"
"We come from the Sanctuary of Athena," Saga said again.
"Your leader kindly asked us to go defeat someone named Blood Raven. Do you know which direction we should head in?" Wren asked in a rather sarcastic tone that made Saga want to send him to Another Dimension, but Flavie smiled.
"That way, about 20 minutes on foot. But it will probably take you longer, since many of these enemies come from that direction."
"Were they Rogues?" Saga asked, pointing to one of the bodies with his gaze.
"Yes, corrupted by Andariel. But they’re not a big problem. The toughest ones, I’m sure, you’ll find further on. They were our novices. They were strong, but not fully prepared."
"Thanks for the warning. Shall we continue?" Wren asked, impatient.
"Thanks, Flavie," Saga said, and both men continued on their way, under Flavie’s watchful eye.

As her name suggested, the area was cold and completely flat, but a few trees, remnants of a forest, partially blocked their view.

"Did you want something to kill?" Saga asked with the same sarcastic tone Wren had used earlier, noticing several enemy groups ahead of them, like animals hunting prey.

Wren smiled again.
"I was getting bored, weren’t you? I suppose part of the mission is to get rid of them."
"Didn't you want to get to Blood Raven soon?"
"Let’s take this as a warm-up. Which side do you want to start on?"
"I’ll follow you."
"Perfect."

With that, Wren quickly walked toward a group that looked interesting. Small red demons were gathered around a campfire, and it was clear they were armed. Or something like that, they had crude wooden sticks with spikes tied to them. And they weren’t few. They moved almost like a pack. Saga would have stayed to study them a bit longer, but Wren wasn’t one for that kind of patience, so he quickly found a vantage point and began throwing roses, one after another.

It didn’t take long for Saga to notice that as soon as one of the demons fell, the rest scattered. He exhaled a mix of amusement and annoyance.
"Cowards," he muttered.

Saga watched him, figuring Wren didn’t need help, so he let him do as he pleased. That was until, out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the demons that should have been dead getting back up. Curious, he raised an eyebrow, and it didn’t take long for Wren to notice it too.
"What the hell?"
"Something’s reviving them."

They exchanged a glance, and those few seconds were enough for the fallen demons to rise again and charge at them. Saga took a defensive stance and shot short bursts of cosmo energy, but the result was the same: as soon as one went down, it was revived. Saga moved around, taking down a few along the way, while Wren kept launching roses.

Then he saw it. Behind a collapsed tent was one of the demons, slightly larger, holding a staff. And this was the one bringing the others back to life. He signaled to Wren, pointing at it, but without waiting for a response, he rushed toward the strange figure. The demon saw him and quickly fired fireballs, but it was relatively slow, so Saga had no trouble dodging its attacks.

Once he was close, he launched a cosmos-powered punch that, to his surprise, didn’t bring the demon down. This enemy was stronger than all the others. The speed of the demon’s attacks increased. While it still wasn’t difficult to dodge the fireballs, it seemed to have no fear of him, even after taking a hit. It attacked again. And again. And again. The force behind each attack kept growing. The demon stayed on its feet. Saga smiled, somewhat incredulously. Finally, he decided to use a stronger attack, not on the level of a Galaxian Explosion, but more powerful than he thought he would need. The demon finally fell, and Wren finished off the rest.

Saga took a moment to examine the place he was in. It was clearly a camp, no doubt, with bonfires and tents, but he never would have imagined that kind of demon would set up camp.
"The assassin forgot to warn us about the resurrection power of these things," Wren said as he walked toward him.
"I guess it’s normal for her. What else do you want to kill now?"

But before Wren could answer, an arrow whizzed by them, putting them on alert. More of those women were running in their direction, but this time, some had bows and arrows, and a rain of arrows began falling on them.

The men stopped some, dodged others, and without coordinating, they ran toward them. They kicked, punched, some charged with cosmos energy, others without. It took them about ten minutes to finish off all the women.
"This is starting to get interesting," Wren said, smiling again, and Saga shook his head.
"Oh, come on, you can’t tell me that wasn’t fun."
"I won’t deny it."
"I wonder what Blood Raven has prepared for us."
"Zombies."
"Zombies?"

Saga nodded toward the cemetery. The attack from the Corrupt Rogues had forced them to move away from where they had been, and now they were closer to the cemetery they needed to reach. They could see, through the bars, zombies roaming the area.
"Alright, I’m ready. And I like to go arms blazing. How about you?"
"I have no objections."
"Let’s go then."

Without wasting another second, Wren ran toward the cemetery, throwing roses and cosmos rays in all directions, looking for a way to get in. Saga followed him, also launching attacks. The cemetery wasn’t particularly big, but it wasn’t small either, so it took them a while to find a collapsed gate through which they could pass.

“Join my army of the dead!" they heard a woman’s voice scream, coming from nowhere but somehow everywhere at once.

The men exchanged a glance before continuing their attacks on the seemingly endless zombies emerging from all directions. As one fell, two more replaced it. They began to move, still keeping an eye on their backs, searching for their main target.
"There’s a path," Wren pointed, and both men jumped over tombs to reach it.
"Do you see her?"
"Not yet."
"I’m going to assume she’s the one still bringing zombies back."
"There she is."

Saga pointed to a spot after dispatching another pair of zombies. Wren immediately launched a couple of roses, but the attack was met with arrows and more zombies. Then, the woman ran off.
"Shit. She’s going to make us chase her," Wren groaned.

“Let’s start running, then,” Saga replied.

The Saints took off toward where the woman was heading: the center of the cemetery. But both came to an abrupt stop at the horrifying sight before them.

In the middle stood a massive tree that must have once brought life to the area, shade and, in general, a sense of joy to a place like this. Now, it was part of the terror Diablo and Blood Raven had unleashed. Hanging from many of its branches were Rogues, clearly victims of horrific torture. Blood dripped from some of them, while others had pools of dried blood beneath them. A few were mutilated. Saga glanced at Wren, who shook his head.

“I understand the leader’s attitude a bit better now,” Wren said. “There she goes.”

Once again, they took off running toward the center. But as they closed in, Blood Raven unleashed a relentless volley of arrows, many of which came dangerously close to hitting them. The endless wave of zombies she summoned didn’t make the task any easier.

“I’m getting tired of this game,” Wren muttered.

The woman was incredibly fast, and most of their attacks ended up taking out her zombies instead of her.

“We need to split up and flank her,” Saga suggested.

“Fine, I’ll take the right,” Wren replied, dashing off before Saga could say anything else.

Saga sighed and vented his frustration on the pair of zombies in his way before heading in the opposite direction.

The plan was working. Together, they began to corner her, dispatching zombies and driving her toward the entrance of a mausoleum with a solid iron gate. She had nowhere to run. Now that they were so close, she could barely summon more zombies, as she was too focused on firing arrows at them. She had just narrowly avoided some of the increasingly powerful strikes both Saints aimed at her.

Then, without warning or consulting Saga, Wren unleashed a cosmos-filled attack so forceful that Saga had to leap back to avoid it. The blow struck Blood Raven head-on. She had already taken several hits, but this one finally brought her down.

A deep, gut-wrenching scream echoed through the cemetery as the woman fell, defeated, amidst an explosion of light and electricity that blinded them for a few seconds.

When the light faded, the cemetery was eerily silent, with only the woman’s body lying motionless on the ground. Both Saints noticed that, just like the other Corrupt Rogues, Blood Raven’s soul had left her body.

Saga approached and picked up the bow that the corpse still clutched in its hand.

“Mission accomplished,” Wren said. “I figured you didn’t need a warning that I was about to attack, so I didn’t say anything. I was right.”

Saga looked at him but didn’t reply.

“Taking a war souvenir?” Wren teased.

“I imagine Kashya will want it,” Saga replied.

Wren rolled his eyes. “Let’s go. I’m sure we’ll have to kill more of these creatures on the way back to camp.”

“Let’s go.”

Wren was right, and they had to fight off numerous enemies on their way back. They also decided to clear as much of the Cold Plains as possible, knowing they would likely have to pass through the area again. The effort took a couple of hours, and by the time they returned to camp, dawn was breaking.

Shion and Stilyani were sitting by the campfire, sipping something warm as they waited. Both had managed to get a few hours of sleep, but not many. While they were confident Wren and Saga would return safely, they were still nervous and concerned. After all, this was an unfamiliar land filled with enemies they barely understood.

“They’re back,” Shion announced as he spotted them entering the camp. He quickly stood to meet them, with Lyani watching but remaining seated. “I see you succeeded.”

“She put up a fight, but it wasn’t too hard,” Wren replied.

“Let’s talk to Kashya,” Shion said.

“You go ahead. I’m going to clean off all this blood and filth those beasts left as a parting gift,” Wren said, walking away without waiting for a response.

Shion and Saga exchanged a look, with the younger man shaking his head. Shion smirked wryly. Together, they approached Kashya’s tent and called out. The woman emerged quickly, raising an eyebrow at the Gemini Saint.

“Blood Raven is dead,” Saga said, handing her the bow.

Kashya took it carefully and reverently.

“It’s hard to believe Blood Raven has been defeated. She was one of my closest friends. Her real name was Moreina, and she wasn’t just the leader of the Rogues who went to Tristram to defeat Diablo; I know she also faced him herself. She was a true war hero. I hope her tortured soul can finally rest and never return,” she said, lifting her gaze to meet Saga’s eyes. “You have earned my respect and the allegiance of the Rogues. You may keep her bow, I couldn’t bear to hold onto it after all that’s happened.”

“I’m sorry there was no other way to stop her,” Saga replied, taking the bow again.

Kashya nodded. “But this is just one battle won. There are many more to fight. I know Akara will want to speak with you again. See her when you can. And again, thank you, Gemini Saga.”

Saga and Shion nodded before leaving the tent.

“You should rest and eat something. Aldebaran and Kaia have started their patrol. I’m going to speak with Akara,” Shion said.

“I’m fine,” Saga replied.

“I know.”

Saga sighed, realizing Shion wouldn’t let him head out again just yet. He nodded and walked over to the campfire, where Lyani was still seated.

"How did it go?" Lyani asked as Saga sat down beside her.

"As well as could be expected in a place like this. Here," he said, handing her the bow. "It belonged to Blood Raven, and Kashya said I could keep it."

"Ah, already bringing me souvenirs from your adventures?" she teased with a smile as she accepted the bow.

"Don’t get used to it."

"Go clean up while I prepare you something to eat. You reek this time."

"Thanks. I appreciate the honesty," he replied with a wry smile before standing up and heading off.

He stopped by his tent to drop off his Cloth and grab some clean clothes before leaving the camp. A small stream ran just a few meters away, and since it was their source of water, he moved downstream a bit to wash himself. How he missed hot water and, more importantly, soap. Adjusting to their absence in these conditions was going to take some time.

Once he was done, he got dressed and returned to the campfire, where Lyani handed him a steaming mug and a plate.

"Eggs?" he asked.

"They have some chickens they managed to rescue from the Monastery and nearby abandoned farms. But don’t expect anything fancy, I barely managed to find some salt."

"Anything is fine right now."

"Don’t I get a warm welcome like that?" Wren interjected. "I just got back from the mission too."

Lyani pointed toward the fire.

"The plates are over there, and there’s plenty of food. Help yourself," she replied.

Wren smirked. "Is there coffee, too?"

"Go ahead."

They watched as Wren served himself and then took a seat on the other side of the fire.

"How did it go with him?" Lyani asked.

"About as well as expected. He’s not a bad warrior, but he lacks... finesse."

Lyani chuckled.

"Not to mention he was obviously analyzing my every move."

"Just like you were analyzing his."

"I won’t deny it."

"This one’s new," Lyani said, taking his arm and pointing to a red mark on the area left uncovered by his Cloth.

"Blood Raven’s arrows were fiery."

"Ah. Want a bandage?"

"I don’t think it’s necessary; it barely grazed me."

"Still, let me know if it starts to swell or anything. Get some rest after you eat. I’m going to talk to the Rogues to see if we can repair the gaps in the fence we saw yesterday."

Saga nodded and watched her walk away.

***

Shion headed to Akara’s tent once more. She invited him in, and the two sat at a low table, sipping tea.

"Kashya has agreed to let us help you. What else can we do right now?"

"That’s a difficult question, and one I can’t answer with complete certainty. We need help."

"That’s why we’re here."

"No, I mean we need the help of someone specific. A Horadrim. The last of them."

"The Horadrim... The order created by Tyrael to combat the Prime Evils when they were banished to Sanctuary."

"Exactly. The Order succumbed to time, but one of them remains, or so I hope. His name is Deckard Cain, and I believe he’s the one who can guide you in this fight."

"Where can we find him?"

"That’s what I fear. You see, Shion, the last I heard, he was living in Tristram. But I don’t know the town’s state now, nor whether he survived the Dark Wanderer’s passage."

"Then we’ll have to go look for him there."

"Yes, but it’s not nearby."

"Saga and Styliani can open portals, and I have the power of teleportation."

"But your powers and portals can only take you so far. For this, you’ll need a special portal, one that opens within the Cairn Stones circle."

"Where is it?"

"In the Stony Fields, not far from the Cold Plains."

"Then we’ll go there."

"It’s not that simple. The portal is closed and can only be opened by powering the stones in a specific order. The scroll with the instructions is in the Tree of Inifuss, located in the Dark Wood. Once you find it, bring it to me so I can decipher it."

Shion stifled a sigh. He wasn’t used to his teleportation powers being limited, nor to things being so convoluted.

"Very well. I’ll send a couple of my men to retrieve that scroll."

Chapter Text

Shion left Akara’s tent and the camp, searching for Aldebaran and Kaia. Not seeing them nearby, he called out to them via cosmos. Both responded, saying they’d be there shortly. He decided to wait, and was surprised to see them approaching with two women, more Rogues. One of them was injured and limping, supported by Aldebaran as they made their way forward.

"We found them near where Flavie is standing guard," Aldebaran said when they were close. 

"We ran out of arrows and lost the rest of our weapons," one of the girls said, who looked quite young. "Luckily, we reached the Cold Plains and managed to lose those chasing us." 

"I'm sure Akara and Kashya will be happy to see you back," Shion replied.

They reentered the camp, where the leaders came out to welcome them, and Styliani ran over to offer her help. Once they left the girls in their care, the Pope addressed his Saints. 

"You’ve only been on guard duty for a couple of hours, but I'm afraid I need to send you on a mission," the Pope said. 

"What’s it about?" Kaia asked. 

"You need to go to the Dark Wood, for a scroll that you will find in a large, ancient tree. We need it to open a portal to Tristram," Shion explained.

Aldebaran and Kaia exchanged looks. 

"I’ll go too, I know the way," Lakshmi said, who had approached upon seeing the commotion caused by the arriving girls. "It’s not too far, but you have to cross a tricky passage through the mountains." 

"I appreciate it, Lakshmi," Shion replied. "Go immediately; it’s crucial we reach Tristram as soon as possible." 

"We’ll do so," Aldebaran responded, and the three of them left the camp.

The first part of the journey was easy. Blood Moor, where the camp was located, and the Cold Plains were free of enemies for the time being. The trouble began once they reached Stony Field. They halted their run and crouched behind some rocks to observe the group of enemies ahead. 

"Those small, red demons are known as Fallen. They are minions of Mephisto. They’re not hard to defeat, but those over there are Fallen Shamans, and they have the power to revive the fallen," Lakshmi explained. 

"So we must take them out first." 

"Let’s flank them," Aldebaran said, and the women agreed. "Once you’re in position, the signal will be Lakshmi throwing one of her traps."

Carefully, each of them went in a different direction, hiding among bushes, rocks, and fallen trees, but without completely losing sight of each other. When they were in good spots, they looked at the assassin. Lakshmi took a moment to calculate where to throw her first trap, and once she had a pair of Fallen Shamans in her sights, she rose from her hiding spot and hurled her lightning trap.

Chaos erupted immediately, with the Fallen running back and forth, trying to figure out what was happening, but they had no time to react, as a barrage of cosmo-charged attacks rained down on them, along with a few more traps from Lakshmi. The attack was effective; they focused on the Shamans first, and once they were killed, it wasn’t hard to take care of the rest. 

"We make a good team," Aldebaran said. 

"I hope we can keep coordinating this well because we’ll have to deal with a lot more of these and others," Lakshmi said. 

"Kaia, by the way, I was thinking that your Sekishiki Meikai Ha might not be the best technique to use in this place," Aldebaran commented as they resumed their journey. 

"Yes, I had thought about that. Deathmask mentioned it to me too," Kaia said. 

"Why not?" Lakshmi asked, intrigued. 

"Because it basically opens a portal to the Yomotsu, and I don’t think it’s wise to bring these creatures into those places," Kaia replied. 

"I see. But I suppose you have other attacks, right?" Lakshmi asked. 

"Of course," Kaia answered. 

"Look, that’s the stone monument where the portal is opened," Lakshmi said, pointing to what Kaia and Aldebaran thought was Sanctuary’s version of Stonehenge. It was a circle of stones with runes carved into each one. 

"How far are we?" Aldebaran asked. 

"We need to reach the Underground Passage, which should be near the base of that mountain. Once we’re through it, we’ll be in Dark Wood," Lakshmi replied. 

"What the hell is that?" Kaia asked, astonished, when, not far off, she saw what looked like a herd of bipedal goats wielding weapons. 

"Goatman," Lakshmi replied. 

"Of course," Kaia said sarcastically as the three readied themselves.

They soon faced off against them, and after defeating them, continued their journey, only to be stopped again by a group of skeletons and later by corrupted Rogues. The enemies just kept coming. And while it wasn’t too difficult to defeat them, the two Saints remembered Lakshmi’s warning at the beginning of the trip: the problem wasn’t the enemies’ strength but their overwhelming numbers.

Finally, they reached the entrance to the underground passage. They had to fight their way through, and the darkness inside didn’t help. Their cosmos provided some illumination, along with a few torches placed by the Fallen who inhabited the place. The three of them were starting to get tired, as they barely had moments of respite before the next wave of enemies.

When they emerged from the caves, they were greeted by a landscape similar to the previous ones. The difference here was that the forest remained dense, giving the creatures plenty of places to hide.

They continued their path and soon came across a burning house near a destroyed corral. 

"I hope whoever lived here managed to escape in time," Aldebaran said, dispatching the Fallen that came to meet them, who luckily were without a Shaman. 

"Let’s hope so, but no one had time to prepare for what happened," Lakshmi said.

As they continued, the assassin had to stop. She needed to get her bearings. It was hard to know exactly where they were because the forest obscured much of their surroundings. 

"What’s that?" Kaia asked in a whisper, gesturing for them to stop and listen.

They heard growls, unlike any animal they had ever encountered. Instinctively, the three of them crouched to avoid being seen by whatever was nearby. They strained their eyes, trying to spot movement among the trees. Aldebaran was the first to see them. He pointed with his hand toward a spot, and the two women turned in that direction. At first, they couldn’t make anything out, until they noticed movement. It seemed as though the trees themselves were advancing, but soon they realized the truth.

Huge beasts, in a group of four or five, didn’t even try to hide. They were over two meters tall, and Aldebaran thought that if Bigfoot existed, it must look like these creatures in front of him.

"Brutes," Lakshmi said. "I was wondering when we’d encounter them. The good news is that they usually roam near the Inifuss Tree, so we’re almost at our destination. Be careful, as you can see, they’re enormous, and you don’t want to take a hit from them. Plus, they’re incredibly fast for their size."

"Should we surround them as well?" Kaia asked.

"No. That won’t work with them. We’ll have to engage with attacks."

"Stay back, Lakshmi. Kaia and I can draw their attention, and when we have it, you start throwing traps at them. Let’s try to keep them together."

"You want to herd them," Kaia said.

"Exactly," Aldebaran said.

"Alright, let’s go then."

And before Aldebaran could say anything else, Kaia stood up and ran off, shouting. That wasn’t exactly the idea Aldebaran had in mind, but it was too late, so he also got up and ran. Lakshmi shook her head but smiled. During the couple of hours she’d spent fighting by their side, she’d realized that Aldebaran preferred to plan things, while Kaia favored a more direct approach.

Kaia’s shout achieved its goal of drawing the beasts' attention, who immediately charged at the Saints. Both launched attacks and dodged blows, and when the time was right, Lakshmi ran up to place her traps, surrounding the beasts. And as she had warned, it was difficult to keep them within range, because they were fast.

At one point, Aldebaran heard what he had hoped wouldn’t happen. The shout Kaia let out when she was hit by a blow, sending her flying several meters before crashing heavily next to a couple of trees, which eventually stopped her. Two of those beasts had already died thanks to the traps, but there were still three left, and one in particular seemed like it would be a challenge, it was the one that had managed to hit Kaia.

Aldebaran didn’t have time to check on his teammate because he needed to finish off that beast. He signaled Lakshmi, who nodded. He would go after the strongest one, and the assassin would handle the other two. The woman now showcased her mastery in martial arts, and how useful the claws she carried on both hands were. Her punches and kicks were strong and precise, even managing to push the beasts away from her. Aldebaran focused on the other one, which didn’t give him a break, charging at him again and again. He had significantly increased the power of his cosmos-charged punches, but he was getting tired of this game.

"Great Horn!" he shouted, and Tauro’s most effective technique hit its target.

Aldebaran saw how the beast was thrown several meters back when it was hit by his technique. And then, it didn’t get up again. He looked at Lakshmi, who had already taken care of another and didn’t seem to be having problems with the last one, so only then did he head to look for Kaia.

The girl was still lying where she had fallen, unconscious. He adjusted her so she was lying on her back and applied some cosmos to the bleeding wound.

"Is she okay?" Lakshmi asked when she arrived running, after finishing her fight.

"Unconscious. She probably has a contusion."

"Stay with her, let’s see if she wakes up soon. The tree is right there, I’m going for the scroll."

Aldebaran nodded and watched her walk away. On the way, she had to eliminate a couple more enemies who had hidden in the forest, but the place was now quite calm. When she returned, Kaia was still not awake.

"We’d better start heading back," Aldebaran said. "We can’t help her here, and it’s not completely safe."

With that, the man picked up Kaia in his arms and they started their journey. Lakshmi was ahead of him, to detect any enemies that might still be standing, but fortunately, there were few in the Dark Wood, and the Underground Passage was clear.

Once they were back in the Stony Field, Kaia began to wake up. She opened her eyes slightly, confused, and looked up at Aldebaran’s face, focused on the path ahead.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You took a good hit from Treefist Woodhead," the assassin replied.

"How do you feel?" Aldebaran asked.

"Dizzy. Where are we?"

"Halfway."

"I can walk."

"I don’t think so."

"Wait a moment," Lakshmi said, and both turned to look at her.

The woman was walking quickly, so Aldebaran followed her. In part of a collapsed house, there was a lectern, and on it, an open book.

"...And so it happened that the Countess, who once bathed in the rejuvenating blood of a hundred virgins, was buried alive... And her castle, where so many atrocities occurred, quickly fell into ruin. Rising above the dungeons buried in that desolate land abandoned by God, a solitary tower, like a monument to Evil, is all that remains. The Countess’ fortune is believed to have been distributed among the clergy, though some say there is more to be found, buried alongside the rotting skulls that are silent witnesses to the creature’s inhumanity," Lakshmi read, and looked at the other two.

"Any idea what this is about?" Aldebaran asked.

"No, but we’re going to have to ask Akara, because it sounds to me like there’s a psycho loose, who might be looking for more Rogues to kill."

"Let’s keep going then," Aldebaran replied. Lakshmi nodded and they continued on their way.

***

Saga had managed to sleep for a few hours, and now he stepped out of his tent in search of Shion, to help with rounds or anything else. But first, he needed to make a technical stop at the bathroom, which, by the way, was outside the camp, since the only men were them and the two merchants: Warriv and Gheed. The Rogues hadn’t bothered to set up latrines for them within the enclosure. He stepped out, nodding to the two new sentries outside, and followed the path they had pointed out earlier, a bit far from the camp but within sight.

What he didn’t know was that someone else had seen him leave: Wren. So, without thinking, he followed him. And, as these men who have zero interest in following social norms tend to do, he didn’t hesitate to stand next to the Gemini, to relieve himself too. Saga stared at him, unable to believe what was happening.

"Lyani really has got the hots for you. Have you already slept with her? She won’t say no to you," Wren said.

Saga smiled ironically.

"No," he replied while adjusting his clothes.

"Come on, you can’t tell me she’s not your type. I saw you gave her the bow."

"She’s become a friend of mine, and she already said she wanted a bow. It’s no use to me."

"You should take advantage. She’s a pretty face in the middle of all this," Wren began adjusting his clothes as well. "Just don’t tell Aziel."

Saga tilted his head.

"Aziel?"

"He’s always had a thing for her too."

"Doesn’t he have more than ten years on her?"

"Everyone has their tastes. Don’t tell me you’ve never been attracted to a teenager."

"At one point," he replied, but omitted saying that, of course, he had been attracted to a teenager when he himself was one. Not after, not now.

"So, your thing was older women? There’s a lot said about you in those books written about you, even in ‘unofficial’ stories."

"Yeah, my thing was older women," he replied, stifling the exasperated sigh.

"Well, there’s Kassandra too, though as I said, Lyani’s not ugly, and I’m sure she won’t have a problem spreading her legs for you. It’s never been particularly hard, apparently," and with that, he winked at him before walking away.

It took all of Saga’s willpower not to hit that guy, but man, he really wanted to, especially when he heard him spit as he walked off. He didn’t even stop by the stream to wash his hands. He had to remember never to touch them. The Gemini, of course, did stop to wash his hands quickly and calm the murderous instincts that kicked in at that moment. He already knew that Lyani carried that reputation; she had told him herself, but he couldn’t quite believe that Wren had just gone to talk to him about the girl that way, as if he assumed he was on the same page. Now he was also wondering what kind of reputation they were painting for him in those books.

He made his way back to the camp, but before entering, he saw that Lyani was heading out, and she smiled at him.

"Hey, I was looking for you," she said.

"Is something wrong?"

"I’m going to look for something to hunt. We have the supplies we brought, and they have some stored, but it won’t last long. I want to see if I can find something, but Shion doesn’t want me going alone."

"Alright, let’s go," and with that, they left.

It was obvious they weren’t going to find anything directly outside, so the plan was to move farther away; maybe there would be some animals in the Cold Plains.

"Was Wren with you?" the girl asked.

"Unfortunately, he found me when I stepped out."

"How lucky. What did he say to you? Because by the look on your face, it couldn’t have been anything good."

"He asked me if we’ve slept together."

"Ah. What did you say?"

"That no."

"You should’ve told him I give you a blow job every night before bed," she said, smiling.

Saga rolled his eyes.

"Why feed his ideas?"

"To have him on your side. And I don’t care, I’m sure he said I’m really easy."

"He did."

"That’s what happens when you get pregnant as a teenager, guys start making assumptions."

"He’s a jerk."

"He is."

"And he thinks you wouldn’t say no to me."

"Ah, that’s no news either. Everyone knows my fascination with the old Geminis, and it’s not like the tattoo has helped. I think he expected me to name my son in your honor. And hey, I won’t deny that I considered it, I like your name, but that would’ve been too much."

Saga smiled and shook his head.

"I guess it helps that he likes me, but I don’t know how much longer I’ll stand his nonsense. What do those books say about me? Because I get the impression he thinks I’m just like him, or at least that I think similar things."

"Let’s just say there have always been stories about you, saying that you were all about parties in the Main Temple, always surrounded by women. That you had a selection of hetaeras, gossip like that."

She looked at him since he had gone silent.

"How much of it is true?"

"There were hetaeras, and there were a lot of women in the Main Temple, but not all of them were hetaeras, and I didn’t sleep with all of them."

"Just with most of them?"

"Ha-ha. No, not even with most of them. But yeah, there were several."

Lyani smiled.

"That’s all that’s believable about you. Then there are those stories that no one, other than the one who made them up, believes."

"Like what?" Saga asked.

"Extravagant rituals, sometimes what you drank was their blood and not wine. Some were locked up against their will," Lyani said.

"None of that is true, and that's disgusting," Saga replied.

"At least a couple of them tried to pass their children off as yours, but that was easily solved with DNA tests."

"Thanks for confirming there are no children of mine scattered around," Saga said.

"Well, by now they wouldn’t be your children, they’d be their descendants, but no, that wasn’t true. Though I love that you didn’t rule out the possibility."

"As I said, there were several. And the Pope wasn’t going to wear condoms."

Lyani laughed.

"Ouch! You really have a dirty sense of humor."

"Of course I do, but there are levels. And that’s one of the dirtiest things you’ll ever hear me say."

"Your secret is safe with me."

They continued walking in silence, passed the entrance to the Cold Plains, and dealt with a couple of Spike Fiends they found along the way. Suddenly, Saga stopped her by extending his arm. The girl looked at him.

"I think there’s a rabbit there, do you see it?"

Lyani turned toward the direction he pointed out, and indeed, she spotted it. Without hesitation, she grabbed an arrow and aimed. The animal was standing still, so hitting the target was easy. They both ran to the prey. Lyani picked it up and removed the arrow.

"Poor little rabbit," Saga said.

"It’s your fault, you saw it first. The bad thing is, one rabbit won’t help much."

"Something is better than nothing."

"And I haven’t seen any edible vegetation either. That’s going to be a problem."

"Let’s keep going. If we found one rabbit, there might be more around."

The sun was already high in the sky, and it didn’t seem like it was going to rain anytime soon, which they both appreciated. They passed close to the carcasses of the beasts Saga and Wren had dispatched the day before, and they couldn’t help but notice that no scavengers had approached. Then Lyani stopped and pointed.

"Is that a deer?" Saga asked in a whisper.

"Looks like it. And I think it’s wounded. Sorry, deer, but this is necessary," the young woman aimed and shot.

The animal fell without even realizing what had happened. Once again, the Saints went for it. It did have a wound on one of its legs, so Lyani examined it more closely, but it seemed like it was from a fall, not a bite, so she took out a knife.

"Are you going to skin it here?" Saga asked.

"Not completely, but yes."

However, before the woman could make the first cut, Saga saw a group approaching, so he tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up. The Gemini knelt next to her while figuring out who it was. A few seconds later, he smiled.

"It’s Aldebarn and company," he said, standing up again and waving his arm, which the group responded to, and they started walking in their direction.

"Is he carrying Kaia?" Lyani asked, somewhat concerned.

"Looks like it."

The group moved quickly. Besides Aldebaran, Lakshmi, and Kaia, there were a couple of Rogues with them, and they didn’t look in very good shape.

"What happened?" Lyani asked, approaching Kaia.

"Accident, I think she has a contusion," Aldebaran answered.

"I’m fine," Kaia grumbled.

"Did she lose consciousness?" Lyani asked, looking her in the eyes.

"Yes," Lakshmi answered now.

"We need to examine you. Are you all okay?" she asked the Rogues.

"A few bruises here and there, but we’re fine," one of them said.

"Did you go hunting?" Lakshmi asked, pointing to the deer.

"Yes. We’ll have to carry it all the way to the camp; at least we’re not far," Saga said.

Between Gemini, Lyani, Lakshmi, and one of the Rogues, they took the deer and lifted it. It didn’t take them long to get to the camp, and as soon as the sentries saw them, they alerted others, so more came out to help carry the animal.

Aldebaran took Kaia to Akara, accompanied by Lyani and Lakshmi.

"We found the scroll," the assassin said.

"Let me see it, this won’t take long," the leader replied, taking the item. She also knew that Lyani was already taking care of her companion. Shion approached.

"The energy of the Saints is somewhat different from ours, but it should work. You need to focus your cosmo on each of the stones in sequence," and he showed them the order. "Once you do that, the portal to Tristram will open."

"I’ll send someone right away," Shion said, taking the scroll and walking away, followed by Lakshmi.

The Pope approached the campfire, where the rest of the Saints were waiting for news.

"Akara has deciphered the scroll, Milo, Camus, this will be your mission."

"I can go too," Saga offered, and Shion nodded.

"I’ll go as well," Wren said.

"I should go too to guide them," Lakshmi said.

"It can’t be complicated to get there," Wren answered, who, in no way, wanted to go on a mission with that woman. Or anyone else.

"The road to the Stony Fields is already clear, right?" Shion asked the assassin, and she nodded. "I think it would be better if you stayed to rest. You’ve done your part in this mission."

The woman was going to protest, but something told her that Shion wasn’t asking her to stay because he didn’t trust her. Also, she remembered that she needed to talk to Akara about the book they found.

"Alright."

"Go right away, it’s important that you find Deckard Cain and bring him back," he said.

Shion gave the scroll to Saga before the rest nodded and dispersed to put on their Cloths. Then, he returned to Akara’s tent with Lakshmi.

“Ready?” Saga asked when he joined Camus and Milo by the campfire again. “Where’s Wren?”
“He said he’d wait outside,” Milo answered.

Saga stifled his millionth exasperated sigh. The three of them left the camp, where Wren was indeed waiting. As soon as he saw them, he started moving. The others followed, running.

The afternoon was falling, but there would still be daylight when they reached Tristram. There wouldn’t be any need to stop and fight along the way, so within minutes, they arrived at the circle of stones. Unfortunately, the Fallen had returned, and they had to get rid of them first. Once the area was cleared, Saga took out the scroll. He examined the runes on the stones and compared them to those on the document.

“Shion said they activate with a little cosmos,” Saga said, pointing out the order before heading to the first one.

He ignited his cosmos and touched the stone. It didn’t take long to feel it begin to resonate, a glow emerging from the rune engraved on it. He repeated the process with the rest, each stone’s sound intensifying until, with the last one, a dazzling display of light and electricity erupted from the ground and stretched toward the sky, surrounding them. Finally, a portal appeared at the center of the runes, and the lights faded. They exchanged glances. It resembled the portals of the Gemini, strange yet familiar to them.

“What are we waiting for?” Wren said, but he didn’t give them a chance to answer before stepping through.
“Be careful with him,” Saga said. “He’s impulsive and won’t warn you if he launches an attack in your direction.”

Milo and Camus looked at each other for a second before following him.

Tristram was never a particularly large, beautiful, or even pleasant town. It was founded simply because the Horadrim had placed the cathedral there to guard Diablo. The area was also wooded and very humid. It was almost always raining, leaving mud everywhere. But now, the town was completely ruined. The portal took them to the outskirts, and from there, they couldn’t help but notice the reddish glow rising into the sky. The houses were either burning or completely burned to the ground.

“Let’s hope Cain is still alive,” Saga murmured before starting down the path, following Wren, who hadn’t waited for them.

Once they were closer, the enemies noticed them too. They were greeted by a band of skeletons armed with shields and swords.

“You two go to the right. I’ll go to the left, and Wren will do whatever he wants,” Saga said.
“Good luck,” Milo said, starting to move off, followed by Camus.

On their end, the first thing they encountered was a group of Fallen and Shamans. They had been briefed on what they were, so they were prepared to take down the Shamans first. It took them perhaps longer than they would have liked, given the considerable numbers. But once they succeeded, Milo approached a corpse on the ground. It was a child, perhaps a teenager, missing a leg and wearing a wooden prosthetic. He knelt.

“I don’t think anyone survived,” Milo said to Camus.
“We don’t know that. Let’s keep searching,” Camus replied.

Meanwhile, the Gemini found himself surrounded by more skeletons, but they weren’t alone. A massive figure saw him and wasted no time charging at him. It was obvious he was dead, likely possessed by Andariel. He wore clothes very similar to Charsi’s, and Saga figured he might have been the town blacksmith. The skeletons were easy to take down, but when it came to the giant, it became clear it wouldn’t be as simple. A couple of cosmos-infused strikes weren’t enough, as he kept getting back up and retaliating. Though Saga didn’t think he’d have to use a Galaxian Explosion, this was the first opponent he faced who required more than a few blows. In the end, he prevailed.

Saga looked around, searching for his companions. However, the flames blinded him, and the smoke didn’t make things easier. He continued deeper into the town.

A corpse lay outside a burning building, another in the middle of a charred house, and yet another outside a different home, perhaps they had tried to flee but found death instead. Wren was tossing roses in all directions as he advanced through Tristram’s few streets. He eventually reached what seemed to have been the center of town, judging by the partially collapsed fountain there. But the area was swarming with Fallen and Shamans, so he began fighting the nearest one. He was surprised to find that this Shaman was stronger than the others he had faced before, and he smiled.

Saga arrived there too, having been momentarily delayed by fighting off skeletons. He saw Wren battling and then noticed a cage hanging near the fountain. He ran toward it.

“Deckard Cain?” Saga asked when he saw that the cage wasn’t empty but held an elderly man gripping the bars and watching Wren’s battle.
“Yes, that is me,” the old man replied.

At that moment, Camus and Milo arrived, running.

“There are two other Shamans over there. Go after them while I lower the cage,” Saga said.

It took the two a second to understand the situation. Without wasting more time, they went to face the remaining enemies. Like Wren, they noticed that these Shamans were tougher than the previous ones.

Saga dealt with a few more skeletons and a couple of Fallen before following the rope holding the cage aloft. With a quick motion, he cut it, making sure to hold onto the rope to lower the cage gently. Once it was on the ground, he approached. The door was locked.

“You are not a warrior of these lands,” Cain said. Saga met his gaze.
“No. I am Gemini Saga. We’ve come at Tyrael’s request on behalf of Athena’s Sanctuary,” Saga said.

The old man looked surprised at the explanation but nodded. Saga gripped the bars of the door and pulled, breaking the hinges. A couple more tugs, and he opened it enough for Cain to crawl out.

“Are you all right?” Milo asked as he arrived with the others. The fight was over. The town was now silent.

“Yes, yes. Thank you for coming to rescue me, friends,” Caín said.
“Let’s return to the portal,” Saga said.

And so, the four Saints guided the old Caín back to the portal through which they had arrived.

“Who told you where I was?” Caín asked once they were back in the Stony Fields.

“Akara,” Milo answered. “But she wasn’t sure you’d still be there or even alive.”
“I don’t know why they decided not to kill me like the others,” Caín said.
“You are the last Horadrim; I’m sure they had their plans,” Saga said. “But we’ll talk more when we get to the camp.”
“What camp?” Caín asked.
“The Rogues were driven out of their Monastery; they had to set up a provisional camp not far from here,” Camus explained.
“Things are as bad as I expected,” Caín murmured.

Chapter Text

At the camp, Akara and Lyani examined Kaia and concluded that she had a concussion and needed to stay in bed. As Lyani put it, she was "out of commission until further notice," something that didn’t make Kaia happy. However, it only took her standing up and feeling a searing headache to reconsider her situation. Akara ordered a tent to be set up for the injured, and that’s where Kaia ended up, alongside a couple of returning Rogues.

Once everything settled down, Lakshmi asked Shion and Akara to meet with her. Shion called Lyani to join as well.

“Besides the scroll, we found this book, which speaks of a Countess who apparently enjoys murdering young, virgin women,” Lakshmi said bluntly, handing the tome to Akara, who examined it.

“The Countess once ruled a small, autonomous kingdom within Khanduras’ borders from her castle in the Black Marsh. As she aged, she bathed in the blood of hundreds of captives to preserve her waning youth. It is said she bathed only in the ‘rejuvenating blood of a hundred virgins.’ Eventually, her evil came to an end. The Countess was buried alive in the castle tower by our sisterhood, as she could not truly be killed. With everything happening now, I wouldn’t doubt that her spirit has been released and has returned to her tower. It’s possible that more of our sisters have fallen victim to her,” Akara said.

“We should go and eliminate her,” Lakshmi said. “We can’t leave her there; she’s an imminent danger to any Rogues still out there.”

“I can go with you,” Lyani said.

“I’ll join you, my daughters,” Shion said, smiling. “I can’t be the only one who doesn’t go on a mission. It’s relatively early, the wounded are resting, and I don’t think the group that went to Tristram will return before we do.”

“Let’s go then. If you’re ready, we can leave right away,” Lakshmi said.

“Let me grab my bow, and we’ll go,” Lyani said, walking away.
“I’ll get the armor Charsi prepared for me. I’ll be right back,” Shion said and left as well.

It took them less than five minutes to be ready, and they set off. Once again, Lakshmi led the way, passing through the Cold Plains and Stony Field, where they saw the open portal and couldn’t help but stop for a moment to admire it. The Saints had never seen such power before and were somewhat fascinated, given their knowledge of Sanctuary. But it was quite different to read about it in books than to see it up close.

They finally continued their journey through the Underground Passage and the Dark Wood, which soon transitioned into the Black Marsh. The forest was less dense there, and the enemies were the same ones Lakshmi had described to her new companions. She didn’t mind acting as a guide for the Saints; she liked all of them, except Wren.

“That must be the tower,” Lyani said, pointing ahead.
“Let’s pick up the pace; we’re close,” Shion said.

It didn’t take long before they stood in front of the ruined tower, the only remaining structure of the castle that once stood there.

“Can you sense her presence, Styliani?” Shion asked as they entered.
“Yes, but not very close. I suppose she must be in the basement,” she answered.

There was only one staircase, so they began descending. It didn’t take long before they encountered a horde of Goatmen, but this was only the beginning. As they moved through the underground level, more enemies came at them, including many corrupted Rogues who attacked with arrows. Luckily, Shion’s Crystal Wall was very effective at stopping them and gave Lyani the space to counterattack with her own arrows.

Shion found it strange that the girl had taken up a bow as if it were the most normal thing in the world for a Saint to fight with weapons, but he didn’t see a problem with it. Besides, she was skilled.

“In my time as Pope, none of my Saints would have thought of using weapons,” Shion commented.
“Neither would those of my generation, but they’re not as forbidden to us as they were to yours. Many of us train with them, not only to know how to use them if needed but also to handle the weapons of the Libra Cloth, should it ever become necessary. We also take it as a sport. I hope it doesn’t bother you; I didn’t think it would be an issue for this mission,” Lyani explained.

“No, it’s fine. I just found it curious. Besides, we’re in other lands; I see no harm in using their weapons. Although I suppose Wren wouldn’t like knowing you brought it, would he?” Shion asked.
“Much less Aziel, but what else is new with them?” Lyani said.

They had to interrupt their conversation when a new group of adversaries appeared, creatures neither of them had seen before. Well, they hadn’t seen any of Sanctuary’s creatures before, but at least they had some idea of what they were. What they faced now was different. They resembled enormous birds with bright colors but were made of smoke. As they got closer, they realized the creatures had skeletons, almost like seahorses, but with bat-like wings.

“Wraths. They are ethereal beings that can pass through walls and steal the life force of people,”  Lakshmi explained, as she threw traps.

Though they weren’t very strong, the Wraths were fast and had the advantage of flight, making them difficult to hit. Nonetheless, it didn’t take long for them to be defeated.

New stairs appeared in their path, leading them to descend another floor. This level felt more humid, and the stench of blood, smoke, and burnt flesh filled the air. Turning a corner in the corridor, they came upon a scene none of them wished to see. A pair of Rogues had been impaled, and their bodies set aflame, now burning brightly.

Lyani covered her nose and mouth with her arm as she approached the scene, followed by Lakshmi.
“You were right. She’s still a danger to the Rogues.”
“If only we had known about this place sooner.”

A powerful glow caught their attention, drawing them toward its source, but not before they had to finish off a group of Fallen that appeared in their path. In the next chamber, they found a fiery pentagram covering the entire room.

“Milo would think this is quite the welcome,” Lyani remarked. “The path continues that way,” she said, pointing to the other side, where more stairs were visible.

Carefully, they crossed the fiery pentagram and descended further. This time, they found themselves in a long chamber with an altar at the far end. The room was lit by an endless number of candles and torches.

Fallen and Wraths emerged to confront them. Once defeated, an eerie silence fell over the room, which could only mean trouble. They raised their guard, and as they reached the altar, they saw at its center a sort of stone tub filled with blood.

“If there was any doubt, this clears it up. The Countess is still here,” Lakshmi said.

The only path forward led to the right, but before they could pass through the doorway, a large number of corrupted Rogues emerged to block their way. They immediately prepared for battle, Shion launching cosmic attacks, Lyani firing arrows, and Lakshmi setting traps. These Rogues wielded spears, while archers attacked from the back, leaving it to Lyani to eliminate them as Shion and Lakshmi fought the spear-wielders head-on.

After defeating them, they tried to continue, but a laugh stopped them. Suddenly, a wall of fire erupted, which Shion fortunately blocked with a Crystal Wall.
“It seems we’ve found her,” he said, glancing back at the two women, who were still holding their weapons, ready to attack.

Shion smiled and nodded. He lowered his Wall just long enough for them to launch their attacks and raised it again just in time to block the Countess’s counter. They began advancing through the chamber, forcing the Countess to retreat further and further. However, this also made her attacks more violent, as she tried to break the Wall.

When they finally cornered her with no more room to flee, Shion lowered his Wall one last time. At that moment, Lakshmi dashed forward and attacked with both claws, under Lyani’s watchful eye, though the prepared arrow wasn’t needed. A few more strikes ended the Countess’s life, her body erupting in light as her soul separated and drifted away.

Lakshmi turned to look back, smiling. The Saints followed her gaze as she walked toward a chest near the opposite wall. It didn’t take her long to open it, despite the lock, one of her skills.
“Is the treasure story true?” Lyani asked.
“There’s some gold here, yes, but this is the most important thing. A rune. They’re used to enchant weapons, making them more powerful. At least something good came out of this.”

“Let’s head back then. It didn’t take us long, but I’d like to return before the others,” Shion commanded.

The women nodded, and the three set off at a brisk pace.

When they arrived at the camp, the group that had gone to Tristram had not yet returned, but Aldebaran was outside, standing guard with a torch alongside Flavie at the entrance to the Cold Plains.

Shion and Lakshmi went to report to Akara about what had happened. Then they both headed to the campfire to eat something and wait. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long.

The camp’s attention shifted entirely to the entrance as the group of Saints entered, accompanied by Cain.

The old man was warmly welcomed by Akara and Kashya, who guided him to the campfire and quickly offered him something warm to drink and some food, which he gratefully accepted, sitting not far from Shion and the women.

“Cain, you must meet the Pope of Athena’s Sanctuary, who has come personally to aid us,” Akara said.

The two men locked eyes.
“I must thank you; you saved my life.”
“We are here to do what we can to help in this war. But there’s no need to talk now, you should rest, as should my Saints. Anything to report?” Shion asked, now directing his question to Saga, who stood alongside Camus, Milo, and Wren.

“As expected. Tristram no longer exists; its inhabitants are dead. We made sure to eliminate all the beasts we found,” Gemini responded, then tilted his head, raising an eyebrow as he noticed that Shion and Lyani were still wearing the armor they’d used. “Did you go out?”

“We had our little mission as well,” the Pope replied. “It didn’t take long.”

“Are you hungry? Let me get you something to eat,” Lyani said, standing up and winking at Saga, making sure Wren couldn’t see.

Saga subtly shook his head, suppressing a smile.
“I’m going to wash up first. Do I smell stink?”

"A little, yes, to tell you the truth."
"I'll be right back."
With that, he walked away with Camus and Milo. Not far from the campfire, several water containers were set up for drinking or cooking, and others for washing or cleaning utensils. There was also one with clean sand, for scrubbing dishes or hands.
"Lyani?" Milo asked in a whisper, but with a grin from ear to ear.
"Don't get any ideas," Saga said. "She's doing it just to humor Wren."
"I don’t understand," Camus said.
"Wren is getting strange ideas about Lyani and me, and Lyani wants to encourage them, just to see how far Wren's comments will go."
"What?" Milo asked, now more confused.
"It's nothing," Saga replied.
They soon returned with the rest, and Lyani handed them plates with food and hot drinks. Then she sat down as Shion began telling them about his little adventure. Akara and Kashya were also there. The only Saints missing were Kaia, for obvious reasons, and Aldebaran, who was still outside, accompanying the Rogues on their rounds.
"Deckard Cain, we’re interested in knowing what happened in Tristram," Shion said, and the old man nodded, taking a sip from his drink.
"A few years ago, a king arrived in Tristram: Leoric. He came with his whole family, including his two sons: Aiden and Albrecht, and his wife Asylla. But they also came with his advisor: Lazarous. They started using the old Cathedral as their castle. And for a while, things were fine. Leoric was a good king, who cared for his people. However, something that no one could have imagined happened. You see, Lazarous began to behave increasingly erratically, and no one knew why, so I went deep into the castle to look for information. That’s when I confirmed that all the stories of the Horadrim, forgotten for generations, were true. However, I didn’t really have real clues that this was causing Lazarous’ changes. Meanwhile, I was made Aiden’s tutor, and again, nothing happened for a long time. The problem came when the same behavior began to affect Leoric. He became more and more paranoid, thinking that the people no longer loved him, that they were planning to exile him, and it was his own prophecy, because the people did start to view him differently, calling him the Black King. Leoric then decided to wage war against Westmarch, because he was convinced that they were planning to attack us. Aiden went to fight, even though I told him that the most sensible thing would be not to do so, since Westmarch had never been at war with us. But he couldn’t disobey his father, so he went. And while he was away, Leoric, in his paranoia, thought that his own wife was also planning to betray him, so he locked her in the catacombs and then killed her. But what made things worse was the disappearance of Albrecht. Leoric was convinced that he had been kidnapped, so he sent everyone left to search for him. By this time, there were few of us left in the town. Despite Leoric’s behavior, the prince was still just a child, so many tried to find him. Few survived."
"Diablo was behind it," Shion said.
"That’s right. In my opinion, first he convinced Lazarous to serve him, and when he succeeded, they both tried to manipulate Leoric, and they did, but I suppose what Diablo really wanted was to possess him. However, for some reason, maybe due to Leoric’s will, he couldn’t, and that’s when he tried with someone else: Albrecht. Despite the search efforts, no one found him, and Leoric ordered the death of anyone he thought was responsible for his son’s disappearance. Until, finally, the warriors who had gone to war in Westmarch returned. There were very few, and the captain, Lachdanan, didn’t hesitate to confront Leoric, so he let them through, and to avenge those who died, he killed him himself and buried him in the cathedral crypts. Which was a mistake, because Diablo brought him back as the Skeleton King. The soldiers who helped Lachdanan were also possessed and ended up serving him. Except Lachdanan, who chose to die alone, there, before being possessed as well."
"And Aiden?" Akara asked.
"He didn’t go to that last encounter with his father because he was helping me in the town. He had to do terrible things, but they were necessary. And it was around that time that the news spread. You sent a group of Rogues to help, and the Vizjerei did the same. Albrecht was still missing, and Aiden wanted to rescue him, so he went into the Cathedral with Moreina and Jazreth. They spent days fighting inside, even defeating the Skeleton King, and emerged victorious. And when they reached the deepest part of the caves, they found Diablo. They fought him, defeated him, and when they removed the Soul Stone from his body, they realized that the person Diablo had been using was Prince Albrecht. There was no way to rescue him, there never was. The rest of the story you know. Moreina and Jazreth left Tristram shortly after, but Aiden stayed. He had driven the Soul Stone of Diablo into his forehead, and he hoped his strength would be enough to contain him. And we thought it could be, at least for a time. There was a great celebration in his honor, but Aiden became more and more withdrawn. He didn’t go out during the day, only at night, and always alone. That’s why he began to be known as the Dark Wanderer. I thought that what he had lived through had driven him into a state of depression, but his torment worsened day by day. He woke up screaming in the middle of the night, always saying something about going east. The last thing he told me was that he thought he could contain it. The next day, he disappeared, and it was then that the demons arrived, coming from the depths of the catacombs, and destroyed the town and the remaining inhabitants."
"That’s when Andariel came with a band of demons and other creatures. They attacked the Monastery, and that’s why we had to leave," Kashya said. "Now she’s there, blocking the path to Lut Gholein, and therefore, to the Dark Wanderer."
"If Diablo has completely possessed Aiden, I’m afraid he’s now more powerful than before," Cain said.
"Then that’s our next mission," Shion said. "We need to get to the Monastery and defeat Andariel, to stop Aiden. We leave tomorrow morning."
The group of Saints nodded. They needed to sleep for a few hours because the next enemy, Andariel, couldn’t be compared to those they had already faced. She was a demon, yes, less powerful than Diablo and his brothers, but still, defeating her wouldn’t be easy.
"Should we go all five?" Camus asked.
"I think it’s best," Shion said.
"Let it be so," Milo said.

With that, the group dispersed, but Lyani waited until nearly everyone had left to talk to Shion.
"Once you defeat Andariel and clear the way, we need to take Kaia back to the Sanctuary. She can’t fight right now, and I’m seriously worried about her. I’d like for her to be taken to a hospital."
"Yes, I thought the same. I’ll continue, but the rest can go back with her and bring reinforcements."
"I’ll stay as well," Saga said.
"Returning so someone else can take your place was never your plan," Shion said to him. "I know you."
"My plan is to go back to the Sanctuary with the group, leave Kaia there, and return," Lyani said.
"I expected that as well," Shion replied. "But we’ll decide the details after the battle. Go get some sleep, we’ll need it."

Chapter Text

In the morning, the group of Saints preparing to fight gathered, as usual, around the campfire to have some breakfast. While they were at it, Charsi approached them.
"I wanted to wish you luck in the battle. I hope everything goes well and that you return without major complications. I’d also like to ask you for a favor."
"What is it about?" Saga asked.
"When we left the Monastery, we barely had time to grab some of our belongings. Unfortunately, I couldn’t recover one of my tools, the most important one. It’s a Horadric Malus, and I use it to craft special enchanted weapons. I wouldn’t want it to fall into the hands of demons, who knows what they might do with it. If you could retrieve it, I’d be eternally grateful."
"Don’t worry; we’ll get it back," Milo said, and Wren rolled his eyes but held back his comments.
"Thank you very much."
"You’ve done so much to help us, and we can’t express how grateful we are," Akara said. "However, I think the assistance you’ve given us has only fueled Andariel’s fury. She won’t stop until she kills us all. You must kill Andariel before she can tip the scales in her favor."
"It’s said that while Andariel was created in hell, she isn’t particularly fond of fire," Cain commented.
"We’ll keep that in mind," Saga replied.

When they were finally ready, half the camp went to see them off at the exit.
"May Nike crown you, my children. We’ll be waiting for your return," Shion said.
"Be careful," Lyani added, standing beside Kaia, who had gotten up only to wish them good luck.

With that, the group set off. It was early, but a light drizzle accompanied them. Luckily, they already knew much of the path, and Lakshmi, who wouldn’t be left behind, would guide them through the rest. They also had the advantage that most of the terrain had been cleared of beasts and demons, so the journey would be swift, especially because they were running.

They soon reached the Black Marsh and continued to the Tamoe Highlands, where they encountered familiar foes: Goatmen, Fallen, and even corrupted Rogues. However, they were already getting used to such opponents, so they quickly dispatched them and found themselves at the gates of the Monastery.

The doors were shut, and an eerie calm dominated the atmosphere, but they didn’t lower their guard. They were right not to, for just as Lakshmi was about to pick the lock, the doors suddenly swung open, and a considerable number of corrupted Rogues armed with spears rushed out, attacking without hesitation.
"Looks like they were expecting us," Wren said with a grin, responding to the attacks with roses he flung in all directions.

Aldebaran and Camus engaged some of the attackers, while Saga and Milo rushed toward others armed with bows. Once they had dealt with them, they finally entered the Monastery.

The place was enormous, and they all realized how magnificent it must have been when the Sisters of the Sightless Eye lived there. However, now it was in a deplorable state. Not only were walls and statues crumbled, but they also noticed massive pools of both dried and fresh blood splattered across walls, floors, and ceilings.

They found themselves in the inner courtyard, surrounded by the rest of the structure in a rectangular layout.
"Should we split up?" Milo asked.
"Yes. Camus and you go to the right. Lakshmi and I will go to the left. Wren and Aldebaran, head straight ahead," Saga instructed.

For some reason, Wren didn’t protest but didn’t wait either and dashed off in the indicated direction. Saga rolled his eyes, and Aldebaran shrugged before following him. The rest split up as well.

Milo and Camus ended up in the barracks, where they had to face more enemies. Charsi had told them her Malus would be in the armory and forge section, but it didn’t seem to be on their side. Regardless, they searched every room and hallway, not just to find it but also to ensure no beasts were left alive if they could help it.

Saga and Lakshmi entered the armory, where they noticed the sheer amount of supplies the Rogues had been forced to leave behind. Barrels and crates were scattered everywhere, items that could have helped if only they’d had time to prepare.

Enemies appeared soon enough, the same as before, though the Shamans they encountered gave them a bit more trouble.
"We must be close," Lakshmi said, opening another door to ensure it was clear.

Besides the supplies, they noticed bodies, some intact, others not, strewn carelessly across the floor. The air was heavy, damp, cold, and filled with the characteristic stench of death and fire.

“They weren’t few in number; I can only imagine that Diablo’s followers stormed in here without warning, in the middle of the night, when they were most defenseless,” Saga remarked.
“They’re good warriors, but this whole situation unfolded so suddenly that we really didn’t have time to prepare. Maybe because we grew a bit complacent, forgetting the traditions and legends of the past.”
“I understand. Something similar happened to us.”

They continued along the path, dispatching enemies, opening doors, and navigating passages until, behind one door, they saw the glow of a powerful fire, and the smell changed, it now reeked of molten metal.
“I think we found it,” Saga murmured, and the assassin nodded.

When the Gemini Saint saw that she was ready, he opened the door. The woman threw traps inside before they both entered. Shaman and Fallen greeted them, but they were no longer a challenge. What they hadn’t expected to find right then was a giant, blue, and incredibly muscular demon. Saga could almost swear he saw a smile on its deformed face.

They charged at each other. The demon wielded an enormous hammer as a weapon, sparks flying every time it struck any surface near Saga, who deftly dodged the attacks. He retaliated with blows charged with cosmo, punches, and kicks, but it felt like hitting a wall, the demon barely faltered for a moment and wasn’t about to fall.

Lakshmi set her traps, but even those weren’t enough to bring it down. Once she had several in place, she joined the physical fight. Together, they managed to corner the demon, but Saga had to concentrate his cosmo to deliver the final punch. The giant fell to the ground, nearly bringing the wall behind it down.

“Here’s the Malus,” Lakshmi said as she found it and stored it away. “We’ll return it to Charsi later. Let’s keep going.”

Saga nodded. They opened more doors, clearing the last of the enemies, and returned to the courtyard, where Camus and Milo were already arriving.
“Wren and Aldebaran haven’t come out yet?” Gemini asked.
“No.”
“Then they must have reached the prisons,” Lakshmi said.
“Let’s go,” Camus said, leading the way.

They could indeed see the trail their companions had left behind. The prisons were an even colder and darker place than the areas they had seen before. Here, they found countless bodies, many of them tortured and left to bleed out on various surfaces or impaled.

“The demons can’t settle for just killing them; they have to be brutal and defile their bodies in the most horrific ways imaginable,” Lakshmi said, clenching her fists.
“We’ll put an end to this soon,” Milo said with a smile.
The woman nodded as they pressed on.

It didn’t take long for them to emerge into a central courtyard, where they saw the open doors of the Cathedral. They ran toward it, but when they entered, they saw Aldebaran and Wren already taking care of the last creatures.
“Ah, you’ve finally joined us. What took you so long?” Wren asked, noticing their presence.
“The Smith,” Lakshmi said as she passed him, heading for some stairs behind him.
“Did you find the Malus?” Aldebaran asked.
“Yes,” Gemini confirmed, following the assassin along with the others.

They entered the Catacombs, which were much like the Prisons, also filled with enemies and more slain Rogues.
“Andariel must not be far; I can feel her,” Camus said.
“I think she’s on the lower level,” Lakshmi added. “What better place for a demon of her rank?”
“I don’t think she’ll be too difficult, judging by her lackeys,” Wren said.
“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you,” the assassin replied without much interest, leading the way.

Milo stifled a smile. The woman’s patience for the man was clearly running thin. No one commented further; they simply followed her, clearing the path of enemies as they went.

Finally, they reached the stairs. The first thing they saw upon descending was an almost completely empty room, save for torches and burning objects. But they had to pause to examine the floor, what they saw wasn’t just pools of blood. It looked as if the floor itself was bleeding, the red liquid bubbling as though it were boiling.

A closed door blocked the way, and Wren was the first to approach and open it. Inside was a similar scene of burning objects, but this time also filled with Fallen and Shaman. Naturally, Wren launched into the fray without waiting for the others, and none of them even considered stopping him or rushing to help him, not yet, at least.

At the center of that decrepit room was a hole in the ground, much like one they had seen earlier, but this one was enormous, occupying nearly the entire space. It was filled with blood and piles of bodies in the middle, some whole, others in pieces. The smell of boiling blood was unlike anything they had ever experienced, and they were certain they’d never forget it.
“She must be behind those doors,” Milo said, pointing.

While Wren continued fighting the Fallen, Camus grabbed one of the double doors, Milo the other, and they looked to the others. Saga was at the front and nodded. That was the signal. Camus and Milo pulled the doors open.

A massive chamber, larger than the previous ones, stretched out before them. Here, they saw multiple columns that seemed to have mutated, with spikes protruding from them. More Rogues had been impaled and were burning; others lay mutilated on the ground.

The enemies inside included Fallen, Shaman, and Zombies. At another signal from Saga, the group entered, launching cosmo attacks and traps that quickly dealt with most of the creatures. But it also caught the attention of the largest demon they had ever seen.

Andariel had the body of a woman, naked, with long red hair. However, instead of feet, she had goat-like legs. Her arms were similarly distorted, ending in almost feline claws instead of hands. From her back, six appendages, resembling human arms, protruded, each ending in sharp points.

They thought she was smiling.
"Fear me, humans!" she shouted in a hoarse, deep voice.
"Oh, shit," Milo murmured.

The shock lasted only a moment; they didn’t have time to think before Andariel lunged at them, moving incredibly fast. Each had to leap aside to avoid her first attack. It was a barrage of energy clouds, which she hurled in every direction. When they finally managed to lift their heads again, they saw Wren standing his ground, showing no intention of moving aside. Immediately afterward, he was attacking with roses, many of which struck their target. Colorful expletives also burst from his lips.

"Do you know what her attacks are made of?" Saga asked Lakshmi, who was nearby.
"Poison," she replied.
"Cain mentioned she doesn't like fire. Start setting those traps," Saga urged, and the assassin nodded.

At that moment, Andariel was focused on attacking Wren, who, much to his dismay, was beginning to step backward but continued retaliating. Or at least he did until one of those poisonous energy clouds hit him, knocking him down. Aldebaran, who was closest, rushed forward to intervene, using a Great Horn to push Andariel back. She barely staggered, taking a couple of steps to regain her balance. She looked a bit disoriented, but it wouldn’t last long.

Camus then ran forward as Milo dragged Wren aside by the arm. The Aquarius Saint unleashed a Diamond Dust attack, not enough to defeat her but enough to buy time to get Wren out of harm’s way.

"Are you okay?" Milo asked once behind a pile of barrels.
"I’m fine. That bitch isn’t taking me down with one hit."
"She’s poisonous," Lakshmi shouted as she ran to them. "And I’m sure you’ll start feeling the effects soon."

With that, she threw her fire traps, surprising the demon and making her retreat to dodge them. Saga seized the moment to deliver several punches charged with cosmo. When Andariel recovered from the barrage, she launched a massive ball of poison directly at the Gemini Saint, who had to leap aside to dodge it.

With her attention diverted, Milo emerged from behind the barrels and unleashed half of his Scarlet Needles in one strike. A deep roar erupted from Andariel as she turned her focus to the Scorpio Saint.

Lakshmi also moved, seeking out the other two Saints to warn them about Andariel’s poison. Camus and Aldebaran thought that a Crystal Wall would’ve been fantastic for facing her. Lakshmi kept laying traps, and then she noticed something: far in the distance, there was a massive wall of fire. She had no idea what was burning, but it looked intense. She pointed silently, and Camus and Aldebaran followed her gaze and nodded. Saga lifted his head, looked at them, and then in the direction Lakshmi indicated. He smiled.

Before they could even start coordinating, Wren stood up again, returning to the attack with more roses. The good news for the group was that it caught her attention; the bad news was that he was leading her back toward the previous room with the blood pit.

If Wren kept doing whatever he pleased, he would cause them problems, Saga thought, already fed up with the strategies of this Saint. Every moment spent with him made him understand more and more the reluctance Kassandra and Lakshmi had toward him.

"Milo!" he shouted, signaling Andariel.
The Scorpio Saint nodded. Saga ran toward Wren, dodging a couple of the demon's attacks as Milo charged directly at her. The Gemini Saint tackled Wren, and both of them fell clumsily. Wren hadn’t even realized Saga was coming for him. Milo used that moment to strike again with more Scarlet Needles, pushing Andariel in the direction they wanted.

Camus, Aldebaran, and Lakshmi didn’t need further instructions. The three prepared to attack in unison. It was slow work because the demon was enormous, but they were gradually forcing her back.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Wren asked, shoving Saga off him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? This fight will be won as a team, even if your massive ego won’t let you see that you can’t do it alone. And I won’t let you die here despite your stupidity. Now, either help or stay back!"

Saga didn’t wait for a response. As soon as he was on his feet, he returned to help the others. Together, they attacked and dodged, making some progress.

Perhaps a couple of Galaxian Explosions would finish her off, but Saga didn’t want to use them. He was well aware of the power of his attacks, the destruction at the Sanctuary after he had unleashed them against his comrades was proof enough. The last thing he wanted was to bring down the ancestral home of the Sisters completely, so he would refrain unless there was no other option. Aurora Execution and Great Horn were precise and controlled enough to avoid excessive collateral damage, not to mention Milo’s needles. The roses would also be an effective attack if only Wren could aim them in the right direction.

Speaking of roses, Wren was back on his feet, throwing them. The problem was that when he decided to attack again, Andariel unleashed her poisonous energy clouds in all directions. This forced some of them to drop to the ground and others to take cover behind columns or barrels. Wren, however, who was just getting closer, didn’t notice until it was too late, and once again, a cloud hit him directly. It would have been funny if Saga weren’t so angry with him.

Camus didn’t fare much better; he had ended up behind a stack of barrels that couldn’t withstand the force of the attack. The pile collapsed, burying him underneath, and some of Andariel’s poison reached him as well.

The rest quickly got back up to face her, regrouping and taking turns attacking. When one finished, the next began. Lakshmi hadn’t stopped setting traps. They were close now, and Andariel was growing more feral. She knew where they were driving her.

“Now!” Saga shouted, and they unleashed their powers in unison, propelling Andariel the few meters left toward the curtain of fire.
Once again, the demon’s scream filled the air, but they didn’t stop. As soon as Andariel hit the ground, they combined their techniques again and again, giving her no chance to recover.
“Antares!”  Milo shouted, launching his technique.
“Great Horn!”
Lakshmi hurled electric traps, while Camus, a bit further back, had recovered enough to attack again with an Aurora Execution. Saga’s cosmo-charged strike was joined by more roses.
And then, it was over.
A blinding light enveloped Andariel, and the monastery’s foundations trembled just enough for some columns and parts of the ceiling to collapse. Luckily, none of the debris landed near them.
When the light faded, what remained was a sort of crater where Andariel’s body had been. The shaking stopped, and the place fell into a sepulchral silence. Milo was the first to smile.
“We did it,” he said, patting Aldebaran on the shoulder, who also smiled.
Saga turned to look behind him, where Camus stood, hands on his knees. Further back, Wren sat on the floor with his head between his legs.
“We should head back soon. They need an antidote, which I’m sure Akara has,” Lakshmi said.
The group nodded. Milo ran to Camus, slipping one of the Aquarius Saint’s arms over his shoulder to help him walk. Aldebaran and Saga went to Wren, each grabbing one of his arms and lifting him off the ground. The man couldn’t even protest.
“How do you feel?” Milo asked his friend.
“Dizzy, nauseous, like I’ve got the worst hangover of my life. I can’t imagine how he feels,” Camus replied, nodding toward Wren, who was dragging his feet rather than walking, supported by the two Saints.
“And that’s how he looks, like he just stumbled out of a bar. Although I suppose working with poisonous roses has made him less affected, despite the attacks he took.”
The path wasn’t going to be particularly short or easy for the injured. By the time they exited the monastery, Aldebaran and Saga were already tired of dragging Wren, who was nearly unconscious by then. Lakshmi and Milo took over, while Saga supported Camus, who didn’t actually need much help. The cold, fresh air outside made him feel a bit better.

***

It was late, and Lyani was with Paige, a Rogue, keeping watch at the Cold Plains exit. She knew the monastery was massive, and it would take time to search it, but by now, she had expected them to return. She was starting to worry.
Shion had asked her to wait for them, and she’d said she was already thinking of doing so.
The two women stood in silence, bows in hand, just in case. Paige shared some stories about the monastery and the probable location where Andariel might have built her lair, keeping Lyani distracted. She knew the Saint was worried about her companions, having experienced the same herself.
Finally, as the sun began to set, they spotted a group of figures in the distance.
“They’re back,” Paige said.
“But it looks like two of them aren’t doing so well,” Lyani replied, beginning to worry. From that distance, she couldn’t tell who the injured were. “I’ll run ahead to the camp to let them know they’re coming.”
“Of course, go ahead.”
Lyani slung her bow and arrows across her back and took off running toward the camp.
Shion, who was sitting by the fire with Cain, startled when he saw her running in. Both men stood up, and Akara, who wasn’t far, approached.
“They’re coming,” Lyani said. “But at least two of them aren’t well; they’re being helped to walk.”
“Let’s prepare a couple of spots in the medical tent,” Akara said.
“Do you know who it is?” Shion asked, feeling a pang of worry.
“No, we only saw them from a distance, and I ran back to prepare.”
“They shouldn’t be long. Go help Akara; I’ll wait outside.”
Lyani nodded and ran to the tent with Akara while Shion headed toward the camp’s exit.
“They’re back?” Kashya asked, having overheard a bit of the conversation.
“Yes, and it seems two of them are injured.”
Kashya paled slightly but nodded. She gestured to a nearby woman.
“Fetch two stretchers,” she ordered.
The woman hurried off. Within a minute, four women approached.
“We’ll meet them halfway,” Kashya told Shion.
“I appreciate it.”
The woman nodded, signaling to the others, and the five of them headed out of the camp at a run. They passed Paige, who pointed them in the right direction.
Milo exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw the group of Rogues approaching. Even more so when he noticed they carried stretchers. The women set them down and helped lift Camus and Wren onto them. They quickly picked up the pace back to camp.
“Is it done?” Kashya asked Gemini quietly.
“It’s done. The monastery is free of Diablo and Andariel’s influence. You can return home.”

“I appreciate it. I’m sorry your companions didn’t fare so well.”
“They’ll recover,” Saga replied, hoping it was true, as he was genuinely concerned about Camus. He didn’t wish Wren ill either. A couple of hits, maybe, Saga might even deliver them himself under different circumstances, but death from poisoning by a Hell Demon was too much.
“I’m sure Akara will know how to help them.”

They arrived shortly afterward and immediately took the injured to the designated tent, where Lyani and Akara were waiting.
“What happened to them?” Lyani asked Saga, who had also entered.
“Andariel uses poison in her attacks. Both of them got… doses.”
“Andariel’s poison is potent,” Akara remarked. “I’m surprised they’re doing this well. Did they vomit on the way?”
“Yes, Camus once, and Wren three or four times.”
“Their bodies are trying to expel the toxin,” Lyani said as they examined the men.

Wren was unconscious, but Camus wasn’t, although he didn’t have the strength to talk. Shion, who had also entered, commanded the Saints’ Cloths to detach from their bodies.
“Wren works with poisoned roses; I suppose that helped him,” Saga noted.
“He’ll still need a couple of doses of the antidote,” Akara said as she grabbed small vials.
“They have to drink it?” Lyani asked.
“No, it’s injected. One full dose for Camus and two for Wren. We’ll administer another dose in a few hours,” Akara explained, handing Lyani one of the vials along with a syringe that Saga thought looked enormous.

The two women administered the antidote to each of them.
“Is anyone else hurt?” Lyani asked when they finished.
“No. Some bruises and scrapes, but we’re fine.”
“We’ll clean them up a bit. You all should do the same; I’m sure even if you didn’t take the poison directly, it’s lingering on you,” Akara recommended. 

Saga left the tent to tell the others they should wash up.

The women cleaned Wren and Camus, changed their clothes, and finally, the Aquarius Saint fell asleep. Only then did Lyani and Akara leave the tent, leaving a couple of Rogues to guard them.

They joined the rest by the campfire. Lakshmi had already handed Charsi her Malus. The Saints had returned to eat a bit and were now recounting the story as they finished their drinks.

Lyani sat down next to Saga, who offered her the cup he held in his hand. She brought it to her nose and grimaced slightly at the scent.
“Moonshine. Warriv’s courtesy,” Saga said, noticing her reaction.
“Ah, so we’re drinking to celebrate the victory,” Lyani commented and took a sip. It was strong and tasted worse than it smelled.
“How are they?” Milo asked her. He was seated beside Saga.
“They’ll survive. Akara says they’ll feel like they have the worst hangover of their lives by morning, and we’ll give them a second dose of the antidote later, but for now, they’re stable. Still, I want to take them back home soon so they can be monitored.”
“Kashya has offered to accompany you, with some Rogues, to the place where we arrived, so they can be taken back,” Shion said.
“Who will stay?” Lyani asked.
“Saga, Milo, and I,” Shion replied. “The rest will return to the Sanctuary. Meanwhile, Warriv has offered to guide us to Lut Gholein. Lakshmi says she can wait here until you return with the next group.”
“Very well, that’s how it will be. How many Saints should I bring with me?” Lyani asked again.
“Four, one for each of those returning,” Saga answered.

“Now comes the hard question: Who do you want me to bring? Because, as we’ve seen, the Saints needing the most medical attention are from my generation. And that doesn’t reflect well on us.”
“The idea remains the same; anyone willing to come is welcome,” Shion replied. “We already knew Wren might be a problem.”
“What happened to him?”
“Let’s just say he intended to face Andariel alone, got overconfident, wasn’t vigilant enough, and that’s why Andariel managed to attack him,” Saga explained.
“Basically the same thing that happened to Kaia. Though I must say, I’m a bit surprised by her. I didn’t expect her to be so reckless in real combat.”
“Is there anyone else as impulsive in your generation?” Milo asked.
“Larissa and Orson, probably.”
“Well, Larissa has to stay for now anyway,” Milo noted.
“Alexios is likely ready to return. The rest, I’m not sure.”
“As I said, it’s their decision,” Shion said.

“But you didn’t answer what you think of my generation,” Lyani said, taking another sip of the Moonshine with an ironic smile.
“You’re a good representative,” Shion replied. “I’ve seen you in battle; you know how to work as a team, and it’s easy to communicate with you. So clearly, what Kaia and Wren did doesn’t reflect all of you. I don’t see Alexios behaving that way, am I wrong?”
“No. Nor Kassandra or Saskia.”
“We’re not going to judge the entire generation by the actions of two individuals,” Saga said. “Is that what worries you?”
“A little, I won’t deny it. I don’t want you to think we’re terrible at our job.”
“You’re not. You’ve maintained the Sanctuary, but it’s true that we’ve confirmed the doubts you and Kassandra expressed,” Shion said. “But for now, it’s late, and we need to sleep. We leave at first light.”

With that, the group stood and went to prepare for the night.

Chapter Text

As if by unspoken agreement, the Saints, along with Lakshmi and the two who stayed awake to guard, gathered back at the tavern for breakfast. They hadn’t heard from Cain, who hadn’t left his room all night, but they expected to see him soon. It was very early, so the place was nearly empty, except for a few who were still there from the night before.

They were almost done with breakfast when they saw Cain approach quickly. They motioned to him, and the old man entered and sat in the empty seat.
"I have good news for you," Cain said. "I managed to decipher the scroll. But I’m afraid the next mission will be long and tedious."
"What is it about?" Shion asked, already coming to terms with the fact that nothing in this realm was going to be easy.
"The Horadrim, after magically sealing Baal inside Tal Rasha, also sealed his Tomb in the mortal realm. These same Magi forged the fearsome Horadric Staffs and imbued them with the special power to open the hidden door to the Tomb. After almost losing one to a rogue sorcerer, they divided it into two parts: the wooden shaft and the metal piece. They hid them separately to protect them," Cain began to explain, smiling ironically. "The Horadrim foresaw our current situation. We’re going to need three elements: the Horadric Cube, the wooden shaft, and the metal piece."
"What is a Horadric Cube?" Deathmask asked.
"The Horadric Cube operates using the principles of transmutation and alchemy. The Horadrim preserved important artifacts and equipment by separating them into their component parts for future use. By using these elements in the cube later, they could reassemble the original object. The writings of the Horadrim are vague when it comes to explaining the origins of the Cube. However, it is known that it derives from a more powerful version. However, the original Cube was tainted by dark methods and disastrous results, which quickly led the order to determine that it was too dangerous for anyone to continue using it. The Horadric Cube was created in its place."
"So we need it to reassemble the Horadric Staff," Seren concluded.
"To open Tal Rasha's tomb. But we still don’t know where it is, do we?" Saga asked.
"I haven’t managed to decipher that yet. We’ll have to keep searching for clues," Cain replied.
"Alright, but finding the pieces is the most important thing for now. Two of you go for the Cube, two for the shaft, and the other two for the metal piece," Shion said. "Where do we have to go?"
"The Cube is in the Halls of the Dead, the shaft is in the Maggot Lair, and the final piece is in the Claw Viper Temple."
"Ah, they sound like incredibly welcoming places," Milo said sarcastically. "In the middle of the desert, I suppose?"
"Yes. None of them are too far," Lakshmi said. "But they aren’t particularly close either. I suggest we get moving soon."
"Do we have a map?" Deathmask asked.
"I’ll ask Atma," Lyani replied as she stood up to find the woman.
She quickly found her, and Atma, of course, had a map, so she fetched it and handed it to the Saint, then joined her at the table with the others. They made room to spread it out.
"We have to follow this path," Lakshmi pointed out. "Up to this point, the Dry Hills, we’ll go together, then the first two can go into the Halls of the Dead for the Cube. The rest will continue through the Far Oasis and can then follow their path to the Maggot Lair where the shaft is. The last ones have to go to the Lost City, then the Valley of the Snakes, and from there enter the Claw Viper Temple. How should we divide ourselves?"
"Seren and Deathmask, you two already made rounds all night, I’d prefer if you stayed here," Shion said, and the two mentioned looked like they were about to protest. "You can keep doing rounds, actually, it would be better if you did. I’ll stay too. Lyani, you can go out as well, but I’d like you not to go beyond the Halls of the Dead. I wouldn’t want you to take any more risks without your Cloth."
"Alright," the mentioned replied.
"I’ll go with you," Alexios said.
"No, I’ll accompany her," Saga said. "If something happens to me, she can use the Cloth ."
They looked at each other; no one had thought of that until that moment.
"You and I can go for the shaft, Alexios," Lakshmi said.
"We’re going to the Claw Viper Temple, Cat," Milo said, patting Aiolia's shoulder. "Thanks for leaving us the longest path."
"It’s the most sensible thing to do," Lakshmi said. "You’re better prepared."
"Alright, if everyone agrees, get ready, my children," Shion said, and the group nodded.
They returned to the Inn to put on their Cloths. After a bit of discussion with Shion, Seren and Deathmask finally agreed to sleep for a couple of hours while the Pope made rounds around town.
Once they were prepared, the group left, accompanied by the stares of every villager they passed. Action began the moment they entered the desert.
"Those aren’t ordinary vultures," Lakshmi said, pointing to the beasts flying in the sky. "Some are possessed, and others are dead. And what you see over there are Sabre Cats. They carry whips and armor."
The Saints thought they were some kind of large feline, bipedal, wearing not only armor but also helmets. Soon they were facing them, and the vultures, drawn by the commotion, also approached. Fortunately, even though the enemies arrived in dozens, they weren’t few at that moment, and it wasn’t difficult for them to push forward. The advantage of being such a large group was that none of them had to do much: teamwork was essential, and it made the way easier.
But enemies weren’t the only thing they saw. The desert was full of dry, bleached skeletons, many of which were from huge animals, whales, or creatures long extinct. However, they also found Diablo's passage, like in Khanduras. But this time, instead of dead Rogues, it was Greiz's mercenaries, impaled, along with several civilians. People no longer left the city because of this, not even the mercenaries, who now maintained vigilance in a very close perimeter to the city.
The sun was beginning to rise rapidly, and with it, the heat. That’s why they were grateful to be in a group, and that it took very little time to clear the way to the Dry Hills. It didn’t take them long to travel the area until they came across the entrance to the Halls of the Dead, which was an underground tomb, with only the entrance, somewhat ruined, visible on the surface.

A couple of torches were on either side of the stone entrance, which disappeared into the desert sand. Inside, only darkness could be seen. On both sides of the frame, there were runes and words in a strange language carved into the rock, but none of them had any idea what they meant.
"This is where we stay," Saga said.
"Good luck," Milo replied.
"Be careful," Alexios said, giving Lyani a squeeze on the arm and shooting a glance at Saga, who nodded.
They stayed there for a moment, watching them leave.
"So you decided to come with me to keep an eye on me?" Lyani asked once they began to descend the huge stone steps.
Saga smiled ironically.
"I don't think you need a babysitter, no."
"But?"
"There’s no ‘but.’ What I said is true. If something happens to me, you can use the Cloth. I think we both benefit. Plus, I trust you, and I know you trust me."
"That's true. Anyway, I don’t think this is the hardest part of the mission."
"What do you think will be?"
"The place Milo and Aiolia are going to. I’ve read a bit about the vipers, I don’t love the idea of facing them."
"Have you read anything about the enemies here?"
"Yes, Akara gave me a few tomes, not many, but basically the Sisters maintain a bestiary. I didn’t bring them, they belong to them, I just had time for a quick glance."
"What will we find down here?"
"The same as above, those armored cats, probably giant bats that attack with electricity too."
"Ready?"
By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, the first thing that stretched before them was a relatively wide corridor. The atmosphere was now hot, dry, and smelled of confinement and rotting meat. Lyani took out her bow as they began to walk.
They hadn’t even advanced ten meters when the first enemies appeared.
"Are they zombies?" Saga asked in a whisper.
"Similar."
"Let’s begin then."
Saga rushed forward to meet the creatures, delivering blows in all directions while Lyani shot arrows. The commotion attracted the bats, which were dispatched with quick arrows while he finished off the zombies.
"I have a feeling this is going to be a labyrinth."
"Yes. The idea is that it won’t be easy to find the Cube."
Indeed, one hallway led to a chamber, then to another, and another, and finally to a dead-end. All were filled with enemies. They had to backtrack and try a second passage. There were torches lighting their path, but in general, it was dark down there.
When they entered another chamber, they were met by Sabre Cats. Fortunately, Saga had already discovered their weaknesses, and Lyani let him go in first while she provided support from behind with arrows. The young woman had excellent aim and, more than once, took down enemies before they had a chance to get close to Saga. They then spent a few seconds retrieving the arrows to reuse them.
"Second level," Saga said, pointing to a new set of stairs.
They went down, and now the darkness was more pervasive, and the air felt heavier. One thing they didn’t find was human bodies. No one had dared to go that far.
They had to navigate a new maze, leaving dead enemies in their wake. The truth was, they were quite easy to handle, at least for them. Although they were already sweating and covered in sand and fluids from the creatures, they were still without a single scratch.
They were about to enter a new chamber when a horde of Sabre Cats came running after them, forcing them to take a few steps back from the surprise. They quickly recovered and continued with what they had been doing: Saga delivered the blows, and she covered him with arrows.
When they finished with the cats, they could enter the chamber, where more were waiting, including one that appeared to be a bit larger than the others. Lyani shot an arrow at it, but it was deflected, which surprised her, she hadn’t expected it to have such quick reflexes. She fired another arrow, but this one was to help Saga with a Cat that was about to jump on his back.
He gave her a quick thank you look, and when he finally finished with the last one, immediately focused on the bigger one. They sized each other up, neither throwing the first punch, while Lyani stayed behind, pivoting with them, never stopping aiming. Finally, the Cat made the first move, which Saga had no trouble countering, and Lyani shot an arrow that this time hit its mark.
Quick punches and kicks flew between the two. As always, Saga’s blows were charged with Cosmo, and the enemy’s were strong, fast, and precise. She barely managed to land any because Saga didn’t give him a moment’s rest. They were pushing it back. The enemy already had several arrows lodged in it, though not as many as Lyani would have liked, but she had to be careful, obviously, she didn’t want any of her arrows to hit Saga.
But the fight didn’t last long. Although the enemy was strong, Saga’s cosmo-infused punches were stronger, and he managed to finish it off with well-placed kicks.
There was no display of electricity or anything. It simply fell to the ground and didn’t get back up.
"Anti-climactic," Saga said, staring at it.
"I told you. And I’m going to assume it was guarding that chest."
They both approached, and in a corner of the chamber, there was a large golden chest. It had a lock, but Saga kicked it, breaking it. Inside, they found their objective: the Horadric Cube, which was exactly as its name implied, a Cube, about the size of a Pandora box for Cloths, but made of wood with strange motifs forged in metal. And fortunately, it also had leather straps, so they could carry it on their backs.

"Mission accomplished. Let’s head back," Saga said, grabbing the cube.
"We should make sure there's nothing left alive down here," Lyani replied, and he nodded.

On their way back, they combed through the labyrinth once more, eliminating a couple of creatures they’d missed.

Once on the surface, they sprinted toward Lut Gholein, ensuring no threats lingered in the surrounding area.

***

The rest of the group pressed on and soon reached the territory of the Far Oasis, which, despite its name, was as barren as everything else they’d encountered so far. What it did have, however, were new enemies: Swarms. True to their name, these were clusters of small but pesky insects. Lakshmi’s traps proved invaluable in dealing with them, although a cosmo-infused strike was also effective.

The next foes were more troublesome and resilient: Sand Maggots. Despite their name, they were massive insects, orange, shiny, and beetle-like. The assassin warned that defeating them required direct blows; arrows wouldn’t penetrate their tough exoskeletons. She also pointed out what looked like slimy, green-covered eggs scattered across the ground.

And that’s exactly what they were: eggs from which more Maggots would hatch if given enough time. Destroying them became an unpleasant but necessary task, leaving their boots coated in the creatures’ viscous fluids.

Eventually, they spotted what could only be described as a gaping hole in the sand.
"That’s the entrance," Lakshmi announced.
"I envy you," Milo said, clapping Alexios on the shoulder.
"Looks like it’s going to be a disgusting mission," the Taurus Saint muttered. "I’ll take the lead."
"The path continues over there. Good luck," Lakshmi added before following Alexios.

The descent was steep, forcing them to slide down carefully to avoid slipping. Soon they found themselves deep within a cavern clearly crafted by the Maggots. It was pitch black, with only their cosmo energy to light the way. The tunnel was narrow, forcing them to proceed single file until it opened into a chamber. Alexios halted and gestured ahead.

Before them stood a sizable cluster of Maggots. The assassin set traps before they both charged, striking and smashing the creatures. They weren’t difficult to kill, but Lakshmi warned that they were venomous, so they had to avoid scratches or bites.

Fortunately, the area wasn’t a labyrinth. It was a straightforward tunnel that widened periodically into chambers where the Maggots laid their eggs. They advanced quickly, despite the nauseating task of clearing out the eggs.

Finally, they reached the last chamber. Approaching cautiously, they peeked inside and froze. There, in the center, loomed the largest Maggot they had ever imagined.

Alexios grimaced in disgust but nodded. "No choice. Let’s do this."

Lakshmi deployed traps, but before they could attack, the massive creature responded, triggering its icy defensive shield. Though the freezing energy didn’t harm them, they could feel its oppressive chill. The commotion also summoned the other Maggots in the chamber.

They retreated a few steps and began taking out the reinforcements from the relative safety of the tunnel. Once the smaller threats were neutralized, they moved forward again, only to find yet more reinforcements arriving.
"Looks like Coldworm can reproduce rapidly," Lakshmi noted as they resumed the grim work.
"Set traps and handle anything that spawns. I’ll focus on it," Alexios instructed.

She nodded, and after dispatching the latest wave of Maggots, they moved into the main chamber. Lakshmi unleashed traps and fought off the smaller creatures with kicks and strikes, while Alexios focused on the massive beast. When she finished, she joined him.

Fighting Coldworm felt like trying to punch through a brick wall while being battered by a relentless snowstorm. The cold affected Lakshmi more than Alexios, who kept his cosmo burning bright and tried to shield her with it. The creature periodically unleashed powerful icy blasts, slowing their movements further.

It felt like they were fighting for hours with little progress, but eventually, Lakshmi noticed a weak spot in the creature's thorax. She pointed it out to Alexios, and they concentrated their attacks there. Coldworm writhed and let out horrifying, ear-splitting shrieks, but their strategy worked.

Finally, they broke through its exoskeleton. Lakshmi grabbed Alexios and yanked him back just in time to avoid the torrent of liquid entrails that gushed out, filling the chamber with a stench so foul it nearly made them vomit. They retreated into the tunnel, coughing and struggling to breathe.

Knowing the stench wouldn’t dissipate anytime soon, Alexios rushed back into the chamber, grabbed the chest they’d spotted earlier, and ran out with it. They didn’t bother opening it until they were safely outside.

Lakshmi dragged herself out first, and Alexios handed her the chest before climbing out as well. Both collapsed onto the sand, breathing heavily.
"Saga owes me big time. He should’ve taken this one. I asked for the other mission first," Alexios grumbled.

Lakshmi chuckled softly. "Is there something between Lyani and Saga? They’re always together whenever they get the chance."
"Not that I know of. They just met. But she does seem pretty fascinated by him."
"I think it’s mutual."

Lakshmi had recovered enough to sit up and quickly opened the chest. Inside, she found their prize.

"The Staff of Kings," she murmured, examining it.

Alexios leaned in for a closer look. It didn’t seem particularly impressive, just a carved wooden staff with no remarkable embellishments. To him, it looked more like an ordinary branch from a large tree.

"Well, we did it. Let’s head back. I need a bath," Alexios said.
"So do I."

They got to their feet, but before they could leave, an instant and total darkness enveloped them.

***

Milo and Aiolia continued on their path without much trouble, eliminating enemies as they encountered them. However, their progress was inevitably slower now that it was just the two of them. Before long, they entered a region called Lost City. It had clearly been a settlement once, with ruins of houses and other structures scattered in every direction, most of them half-buried in sand.

They decided to take some time to ensure no enemies were lurking about, and they found more than a few. Clearing the area took quite some time, but eventually, they cleared a path and moved on to another section of the Lost City, which, for some reason, was slightly separated from the rest.

It didn’t seem particularly remarkable. A few beasts attacked them the moment they stepped inside, but that wasn’t all that happened. As they ventured further, exchanging cosmo-infused blows, darkness suddenly engulfed them. They had no time to think about it, as they were under attack. Once they defeated their enemies, they looked at each other, then up at the sky.

"An eclipse?" Aiolia asked.
"Looks like it," Milo replied, scanning their surroundings.
"This can’t be normal."
"Nor do I like it."
"What should we do?"
"I don’t think there’s much we can do right now. We should continue with our mission. We still have to pass through the Valley of the Snakes to find the temple. Unless you’d prefer to head back to Lut Gholein?"
"No, you’re right. Let’s press on."

They resumed their journey.
"Ah, zombies. I missed them," Milo said, charging into the fight.

Up until that point, he hadn’t encountered many of those creatures, but they were, in his opinion, just as disgusting as ever. These, however, were stronger than the ones they’d faced before.

They had to retrace their steps, taking down every beast they encountered along the way, to return to the path leading to the Valley of the Snakes.

***

Saga and Lyani were close to Lut Gholein when the eclipse occurred. They both stopped immediately, looking up at the sky, then at each other.
"We need to find Cain," Saga said, and they took off running.

When they entered the city, the streets were almost deserted, with citizens either sheltering in their homes or rushing toward them, visibly apprehensive.

They headed for the tavern, where they found Cain, Shion, and Atma gathered.
"Did you find it?" Shion asked as Saga set the cube he had been carrying on the table. He nodded.
"I’m glad."
"What’s going on?" Lyani asked.
"We’re not sure. We were just about to consult Drognan," Cain replied.

Before they could leave, the elderly Drognan entered the tavern, clearly looking for them. Spotting the group, he approached.
"We were just about to come see you," Shion said with a smile. "We thought you might have some idea of what’s happening."

The old man took a seat beside Cain.
"If my memory serves me, I believe I read about something like this a long time ago. I think this is the work of the Claw Vipers."
"Late last night, two travelers arrived. They were speaking about demonic magic. They claimed to have witnessed a gathering of demons, large serpentine creatures, conducting some kind of arcane ritual. I’d say they encountered Claw Vipers," said Elzix, who was seated at a nearby table.

The group exchanged glances.
"The magic of the Claw Vipers is powerful and dark. It’s said they’ve kidnapped and killed travelers for their rituals," Atma commented. "Those travelers were lucky not to be seen."

"As I was saying, I remember reading about a similar eclipse occurring hundreds of years ago. The text mentioned that these demons, the Claw Vipers, constructed a demonic altar that caused the sun to darken. If that’s the case, we need to find this altar."
"And it won’t be enough to kill the Vipers. It must be destroyed as well," Cain added.
"Where is it?" Saga asked.
"In the Viper Temple," Drognan replied.
"Where Milo and Aiolia are heading," Lyani said.
"Yes, but they need to know they must destroy it," Shion added.
"I’ll go find them," Saga volunteered.
"And I’m going with you. You’re not going out there alone," Lyani said firmly.

Saga looked at her, then at Shion, who nodded.
"All right, let’s go."

Without further delay, the two of them set out again. At the entrance to the palace, a group of people had gathered, demanding answers. Jerhyn was doing his best to calm them, while Greiz observed from a short distance away.

"Heading out again so soon?" he asked.
"We’re going to end this darkness," Saga replied, and the man smiled.
"Go on, then. My men and I will keep the city safe. These people aren’t aggressive, just terrified. We’ll handle it."

The Saints continued on their way. Their return journey was swift, as no enemies remained in the area. Before long, they came across Lakshmi and Alexios. They quickly explained the situation and suggested the two return to the city in case things got complicated with the townspeople. Then, they pressed on, running toward their destination.

Once they entered the Lost City, they could clearly see Aiolia and Milo’s trail, thanks to the corpses of beasts scattered everywhere, guiding them to the Valley of the Snakes and directly to the Viper Temple.

The temple entrance was similar to one they had visited before, with grand staircases. This time, they descended without hesitation. Fortunately, the place was lit by torches, making it easier to navigate. Once again, they followed the trail of corpses.

"I guess this is a Claw Viper," Lyani said, pointing with an arrow.

On the ground lay the largest snake they had ever seen, as big as a person. Its head was enormous and, though reptilian in shape, was also more rounded. Upon closer examination, they noticed that despite having the body of a snake, it also had two forelimbs resembling hands, but with claws. Some were red, others a bright blue.

The temple was a labyrinth, forcing them to retrace their steps several times after encountering dead ends, much like Milo and Aiolia had. It was just as they were leaving one such dead end that they heard noise ahead. Peeking cautiously, they spotted their friends.

"Milo!" Saga called out, and the Scorpion immediately turned.
"Saga? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I suppose you noticed the eclipse before entering?" Lyani asked.
"Yes, we saw it," Aiolia replied this time.
"We learned that it’s caused by a ritual performed by those things," Saga said, gesturing toward a dead Viper. "And that the altar here must be destroyed to restore everything to normal. We figured you didn’t know, so we came."
"Oh, well, at least there’s a way to fix it," Aiolia said. "We’ve already been down those two paths; that one’s left. Shall we?" he asked, pointing.

The group nodded and continued on.
"They attack with ice," Milo said. "And they hit hard."
"And let’s not even talk about the other beasts, the mummy-like ones that attack with poison," Aiolia added.
"I’ve seen those," Saga said. "In the sewers. That’s what Radament was like."

Entering another section, they encountered those same enemies, Vipers, mummies, and a few zombies. This time, Aiolia and Saga charged ahead while Milo and Lyani provided support from the rear. The strength of the Vipers was evident; they could hear the creatures’ blows and saw them create holes in columns and walls when their attacks missed the Saints.

They reached a new section with stairs at the end of the chamber and descended. Expecting another maze, they were surprised to find a relatively open area with a central platform where the altar stood.

But the room wasn’t empty. The moment the Vipers noticed their presence, they attacked. The Saints split up, running in opposite directions to divide the Vipers, making it easier for each of them to take on a pair at a time. Lyani realized that her arrows wouldn’t be effective in this space, so she fought hand-to-hand, using her cosmo.

The others did the same. Though the Vipers were fast and strong, they couldn’t withstand many blows. It was relatively easy to take them down with cosmo, so long as their attacks were dodged.

Saga was the first to finish off his opponents. He scanned the area to see if anyone needed help, his gaze settling on Lyani. However, she was holding her own, so he stayed where he was, ready to assist if necessary, but it wasn’t. Lyani defeated her opponents, and when their eyes met, she nodded.

Milo finished soon after, and they turned their focus to Aiolia, who was fighting the leader. Though not much different from the others, it was larger and faster, giving Aiolia some trouble. Still, it wasn’t enough to withstand a well-placed Lightning Bolt.

They examined the room. In one corner, they found a cage filled with human bodies. The chamber was decorated with Viper sculptures, columns, and jars, likely containing human sacrifices.

They ascended the stairs to the platform where the altar stood, covered in fresh blood.
"Let’s destroy it," Milo said.
"By force, I assume?" Aiolia asked.
"We won’t know unless we try. Who gets the honors?" Lyani asked.
"I’ll do it," Milo volunteered.

The rest stepped back, and Milo struck the altar with a cosmo-charged blow. Nothing happened. He glanced at the others before striking again, harder and with more cosmo. Still, the altar remained intact.
"Of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy," he said.
"Should we attack together?" Aiolia asked.
"You and me, or all of us?"
"All of us. Let’s end this," Saga said.

Each positioned themselves at a corner of the platform. At Saga’s signal, they unleashed a combined cosmo attack on the altar.

This time, it worked. The combined powers hit the altar directly, sending up a cloud of dust, followed by what seemed like a smaller-scale Lightning Bolt. The energy swirled around the platform before converging at a single point above the center, then falling. A beam of light shot from floor to ceiling.

As they approached, they found a small metal piece lying on the ground. Aiolia picked it up to examine it.
"I think this is what we were looking for, the final piece of the staff."
"Then let’s go. Hopefully, it worked," Milo said.

They quickly left the chamber and the temple. Once outside, they noticed the eclipse had ended. However, it was already late, with the sun low in the sky. The mission had taken them the entire day. They broke into a run, heading back to Lut Gholein.

Chapter Text

The change in the attitude of the city's inhabitants was immediate once the eclipse ended. Some allowed themselves to return to their shops and daily activities. Others gathered to discuss what had happened, whether in the tavern, the main square, or at the foot of the Palace steps, where Jerhyn was calming the crowds.

Deathmask and Seren were slightly annoyed, having missed most of what had transpired while they slept. Shion had thought of waking them but decided against it since Alexios and Lakshmi returned shortly after Saga and Lyani left. There wasn’t much to do during the day beyond patrols and making themselves visible to the citizens, which always seemed to reassure them.

When Seren and Deathmask finally emerged, Alexios and Lakshmi took the opportunity to finally clean themselves of the fluids, ones they didn’t even want to identify, that still clung to them.

The missing group returned late at night, heading straight for the tavern, which had become their unofficial meeting point.

"Welcome back," Shion greeted them as they entered. "Did you succeed?"
"Here it is," Aiolia said, pulling out the metal piece.
"Good. You now have all three components. The only thing left is to combine them," Cain said.
"Is there anything special we need to do?" Milo asked.
"No. The magic works on its own," replied the old man.

Deathmask brought out the Cube, which already contained the other two pieces. Aiolia placed the last one inside, and they closed it. A bright light, intense but not blinding, illuminated the table for a few seconds. When it subsided, Deathmask opened the Cube again and smiled. He pulled out the staff, now finely carved with intricate details in both the wood and metal. It passed from hand to hand.

"What are we supposed to do with this?" Deathmask asked.
"When you stand before the hidden chamber in Tal Rasha’s tomb, you’ll find an altar where this must be placed to open it," Cain explained.
"But we still don’t know where the tomb is," Saga said.
"I think we need to speak with Jerhyn," Deathmask interjected, drawing everyone's attention.
"Why him?" Lyani asked.
"Do you see that man over there?" Deathmask pointed to a man in his fifties, clearly inebriated. "I had a chance to speak with him last night. His name is Geglash, a former warrior."
"And did he tell you anything interesting?" Seren asked.
"Yes. He said that shortly after Aiden passed through here, the harem girls, terrified, sought refuge with Jerhyn, and he agreed. You’ve heard about the 'problems' inside. Shortly after, he summoned all his guards, and no one has seen them or the girls since. Add to that what Lyani said about the Palace being a fortress of the Viz, uh…"
"Vizjerei," Lakshmi corrected.
"Right. The point is, we need to find a way in," Deathmask concluded.

"Is there any way to sneak inside?" Milo asked.
"I think it’s better to talk to Jerhyn. I’ll handle it in the morning. I’m sure we’ve earned his favor by now," Shion said. "For now, eat and rest. I’ll continue the rounds."
"I’ll go with you," Lakshmi said, standing alongside the Pope.
"I need a bath," Lyani announced.
"You all need a bath. I can smell you from here," Deathmask said.
"You’ll come back just as dirty once it’s your turn out there," Aiolia retorted.
"Go talk to the people and see if you can find another way into the Palace, in case Shion’s plan doesn’t work," Saga said before leaving with the others.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the inn’s rooms didn’t have private baths. There were only two shared ones for the guests. But at least there was hot water and soap. The men gallantly allowed Lyani to take one of them while they decided who would take the other in the only way they knew how: by shoving and tackling each other like children. Milo emerged victorious, managing to slip away while Saga and Aiolia wrestled. He secured the door and prepared to enjoy a long bath.

Lyani was about to exit the bathroom when she heard laughter outside and hurried to open the door to see what was happening. Aiolia and Saga were laughing as Milo’s head barely peeked out from the other bath’s door before quickly closing it upon seeing her.

"What’s going on?" she asked with a puzzled smile.
"The Cockroach with a Tail didn’t bring anything with him, just so he could beat us. Now he’s stuck in there, wet and naked, with nothing to wear," Aiolia explained.

Lyani shook her head while the other two continued laughing and teasing Milo.
"Is that why he shut the door when he saw me?"
"I have a reputation to uphold!" the Scorpion shouted, prompting more laughter.
"Why don’t you just come out like that, Milo? Since when are you so modest?" Saga teased.
"What do you think I am, like you?" Milo shot back, making Aiolia burst out laughing again.

Lyani raised an eyebrow at Saga, who shook his head with his best look of innocence.
"He used to strut around naked in the Main Temple’s baths all the time!" Milo yelled again.
"Was that not in his biography?" Aiolia joked.
"It does mention briefly that he had a fondness for the baths," Lyani replied, locking eyes with Saga, who now lowered his head.
"One can’t bathe fully clothed," he muttered defensively.

Lyani opened her door, reached inside, and handed out a towel.
"It’s damp, but it’s something," she said.
"Thanks," Milo replied, taking it.

Two seconds later, he came out with a towel around his waist. He looked at Aiolia, then at Saga, both ready to dash into the bathroom to beat the other. So he leapt to avoid them, prompting another round of shoving between the two. This time, Saga won, and Aiolia was about to sit down and wait when Lyani pointed to the other bathroom, which was clearly empty.

“Oops,” he muttered before going in.

Lyani went to her room to drop off her dirty clothes and belongings before heading out of the inn again. The night was slightly cool, likely due to the lack of sunlight during the hours of the eclipse, giving the atmosphere a pleasant feel. Despite this, it seemed most of the town’s inhabitants had decided to retire early, but the palpable tension from earlier was gone. She went back to the tavern since she hadn’t eaten anything since morning.

“May I ask you something?” Lyani asked when Atma brought her food and drink.

“What is it about?”

“This city, although relatively small and in the desert, has an inn and a tavern, along with several businesses. I was wondering why I haven’t seen other places like yours.”

“Oh, there used to be more. In addition to my tavern-home, there were several brothels operating here. When the trouble began in the desert, the harem guilds sought refuge inside the Palace. Jerhyn was more than happy to help. I bet they’ve found many ways to ‘thank’ him for his protection.”

“Brothels, huh. It did seem odd not to see them. But I thought I overheard someone say those girls haven’t been seen since.”

“That’s right, they haven’t left the Palace. If you ask me, I think that’s why Jerhyn hasn’t invited you inside. He usually doesn’t shy away from showing off to visitors, especially those who have proven themselves as much as you all have.”

“And doesn’t that seem strange to you? That just for that reason, he wouldn’t invite us in, not even the Pope?”

“Are you referring to the rumors about demons inside the Palace? I’m not sure how much stock I put in those tales, but what would I know?”

“Thanks, Atma, for satisfying my curiosity.”

The older woman left with a smile. Lyani stared off into the distance for a few minutes, so long that she didn’t notice someone sitting beside her.

“Looking for information?” a feminine voice asked, and as Lyani turned, she saw Fara, the blacksmith and weapons merchant of Lut Gholein.

“Anything that can help us in our search for Diablo and his brothers is welcome. Do you know something?”

“Drognan and I have theories, yes. Do you know who Horazon was?”

“One of the Vizjerei leaders during the Mage Clan Wars. He won by killing his brother.”

“Yes. During the Mage Clan Wars, when the Vizjerei were on the verge of losing, they decided to summon demons to help them win. Horazon believed they could enslave them, while his brother, Bartuc, sought to ally with them. Horazon realized that if demons entered the war, they wouldn’t just destroy the other Mage Clans but Sanctuary as well. This caused a rift among the Vizjerei, leading to Bartuc’s expulsion. However, this only prompted Bartuc to rebel, sending his demons to attack them. The brothers fought, and Horazon emerged victorious. After the Mage Clan Wars, Horazon found himself alone and without allies and began to wonder what would happen if the demons sought revenge against him.”

“I’m guessing he made a drastic decision.”

Fara sighed and crossed her arms.

“The truth is, we can’t know for sure, but there’s a rumor that he built a Sanctuary where he continued his old practices of summoning and enslaving demons… in an ‘ancient Vizjerei fortress.’”

Both looked outside at the beautifully lit Palace.

“No one knows where this Sanctuary is, if it even exists, but given recent events and the rumors about demons coming from the basements…”

“Do you think Jerhyn knows about it?”

“I have no idea. But there must be a reason he’s kept it closed, don’t you think? That’s all I can tell you, and of course, it’s just rumors. We don’t have concrete evidence, but I think you’ll need to uncover the truth. It’s also said Horazon knew the location of Tal Rasha’s tombs and which one is the real one. You should speak with the Sultan.”

“We will. Our Pope already plans to request a meeting tomorrow morning.”

“I wish you luck. Let me know if you need anything.”

With that, Fara made a farewell gesture and left the tavern just as Milo, Aiolia, and Saga were entering. They headed toward Lyani.

“Is something wrong?”  Gemini asked, noticing how quiet and pensive she looked.

“I just spoke with Atma and Fara. Both agree our next objective should be the Palace and whatever is happening inside, as Deathmask suggested. And that we need to find information about a powerful mage named Horazon.”

While they ate, Lyani recounted her conversations with the women in town, and by the time they finished, Deathmask and Seren had entered and approached them immediately.

“Did you find anything?” Saga asked.

“Yes and no,” Deathmask replied. “We patrolled the town, but there weren’t many people out, so we didn’t learn anything new. But Greiz told us part of the sewers runs close to the Palace, and we might find a way to sneak in through there. So we investigated. We found that if we break through some walls, we could get in, but that wasn’t the most interesting part. Down there, we heard many strange things, what I assume were demon summonings and creatures speaking in a strange tongue. But nothing human. Nothing.”

“The humans and the harem girls are probably no longer alive,” Seren said.

“Or maybe they’re locked up?” Aiolia suggested, but Milo shook his head.

“Humans are of no use to them. The sole purpose of those demons is to destroy everything in their path. We’ve seen it before,” he said.

"If the Pope can't convince him, then we'll go in first thing tomorrow morning," Saga said.

They finished their drinks and got up, needing some rest, or at least that was the intention. When they returned to the inn, Aiolia and Milo said their goodbyes and went straight to their rooms. Lyani, however, pulled a pack of cigarettes from the bag she was carrying and sat on a nearby stone ledge. Saga followed her, and she handed him the pack. He also took a cigarette and lit it.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"About what they told me and what’s happened. We know we're far behind Diablo. Honestly, I don't think we'll reach him before he awakens his brother. And you know that worries me."

"If we don’t get there before him, we’ll deal with it."

"If that’s the case, it’s going to be a tough fight."

"That’s something we’re all prepared for."

Lyani looked up at the sky, which revealed far more stars than one could currently see in Athens. She exhaled the smoke and then turned to meet his gaze.

"You worry me."

Saga smirked wryly.

"Me? Why?"

"You know what you have to do. You’re willing to accomplish it, no matter the cost. It’s true that you have the experience and the skill. You’re not impulsive like that idiot Wren, or worse, Aziel, but, "

"But…?"

"But that’s just it. You’re willing to do anything."

"I’m not going to let Diablo or his brothers kill me. That’s never been part of my plans. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, focus, as you’ve been doing, on finding useful information and taking care of the injured. I haven’t been one of them."

"Yet."

"I don’t doubt something will get broken at some point, but that’ll be the worst of it."

"I’d prefer that didn’t happen either."

"I’ll do my best to avoid it."

She also smiled wryly.

"Not even in your wildest dreams did you think you’d face one of the Prime Evils."

"No, honestly, I didn’t. I also never imagined waking up a hundred years in the future and ending up here, with the others, and with you all."

"If only the gods would stop playing with us."

"That would leave us without work. How did you end up at the Sanctuary?"

"I was chosen by the stars, apparently. Nora came for me, and my parents agreed, not like they wanted me in the first place. I was an 'oops baby.'"

"Do you keep in touch with them?"

"No. They don’t even know Stefanos exists. And I suppose they never will. I know I could find them if I wanted to, but honestly, I’m not interested, and neither is he. For better or worse, the Sanctuary is my family."

"What about your master? Do you stay in touch with him?"

"Yes. Although he’s retired, he still helps run a remote camp."

"Did you tell him we were coming?"

"Yes. He said I’d finally have the chance to see you in action and sent his regards. He hopes to meet you someday. He also teased me about the tattoo, and actually, it was thanks to talking with him that I decided to show it to you."

Saga chuckled softly, then stood and stubbed out his cigarette on the wall, exhaling the last puff of smoke.

"You are my fan."

"Of course not."

"You are."

"Tone down your ego."

"You yourself said the Golden Saints have massive egos. And I was Pope."

"Illegitimate."

"Details, details. I still was and ran the Sanctuary for thirteen years."

"Ah, pardon me, Your Eminence. What did Atma put in your drink? One of those strange potions they love so much around here?"

Lyani also stubbed out her cigarette.

"What kind of potion do you think I need?"

"The one that tones down your ego. Let’s head up, it’s late."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Do you want it to be?"

They exchanged glances, half-smiling. She raised an eyebrow and widened her grin.

"Does that ego of yours for battle skills extend to… other skills?"

Saga laughed again.

"Do you want me to prove it to you as well?"

"Unfortunately, or fortunately for you, they avoided writing those details in your biography, so I wouldn’t know. But I wouldn’t mind putting you to the test."

"I wouldn’t mind showing you, if that’s what you want."

She looked back up at the sky. She had no idea what time it was, but it couldn’t be too late.

"You’ve got a couple of hours," she replied as she stood up and began walking toward the inn entrance.

Saga followed her. The building was two stories tall and neither too big nor too small. It had 25 rooms in total, most of them simple. The walls were made of stone, and the rooms contained little more than single beds, a small table with a chair, and a nightstand.

The woman was perfectly aware that he was walking behind her, looking at who knows what, but she guessed it wasn't her head. Luckily they didn't run into anyone else, so it didn't take them long to reach her room. Saga leaned against the wall as the woman opened, and as she passed, she left the door open. He went in and closed it. That room had a window, which stood open, next to the bed, and from which the Palace was visible. There was no light on, but enough from the street came in.

Lyani turned to look at him and made a hand gesture that clearly meant: go ahead. Saga nodded, though she hardly noticed, because immediately, he closed the few steps that separated them, put one hand on her waist, the other on the back of her neck, and pulled her to him to start kissing her. She closed her eyes instinctively and held his arms.

The first contact was fleeting, she barely felt his lips sliding over hers, but she paid more attention to his warm body, to the feel of every muscle against her. She smelled one of the perfumes she had chosen for him and smiled, of course a man like that was going to bring something as mundane as perfume on a mission like that. She had brought it herself as well.

Then she felt him start to push her back, and she let herself go. They ended up against the wooden table, and he stopped kissing her long enough to lean over a little, hold her legs, and let her sit on top of it, legs spread, so he had room in between. And it wasn't a particularly low table, in fact, Saga thought it was the perfect height. He hadn't decided what he was going to do, but for the moment it served his purposes.

They kissed again, this time with more intensity. His hands began to move down delicately, but on top of her clothes, barely tracing the silhouette, the spine, the legs she had already wrapped around his waist.

Lyani also had her arms around his neck as if her mind was telling her body that she needed to make sure he was there. And suddenly she felt like a teenager, like that first time, when her child was conceived and she didn't have much of a clue what to do.

Now she knew what to do, but she couldn't deny that he intimidated her somewhat, even though his presence and everything about him had become familiar by now. She was used to seeing him every day, to talking to him, to the sound of his voice and the way he looked at her, always paying attention to whatever she said. She realized that few people in the Sanctuary did, no matter what she said, he always made sure to let her notice that what came from her lips mattered, and that he was listening to her. She pulled him tighter against her, and he noticed, so she held the back of his neck again and caressed his lips with her tongue, asking for entrance. Soon, they were also recognizing each other.

The woman was wearing a short dress, which came to above the knee, and closed in the front, thanks to a series of buttons. It was held at the shoulders by thin straps. Lyani felt the man's hands run down her sides to her legs and felt him pull her skirt up slightly. He then looked fleetingly into her eyes, before moving down and starting to kiss her neck. Now it was she who brought one of her hands to the nape of Saga's neck, and tilted her head slightly to give him space. Those hands moved up her hips, and further up her hips, across her waist, to the start of her ribs, and up to her breasts. The man smiled as he felt that the only thing covering them was the thin fabric of the dress. That gave him the good idea to start making delicate circles with his thumbs over her nipples, until he felt them harden.

At no time did he stop kissing her neck, going up to the ear, down again to the neck, the shoulder, slightly moving the strap with his teeth. Back to the neck, to get to the other to repeat the actions. He let his tongue leave wet traces. Then he opened the first of the buttons, which was just between the breasts. The dress opened slightly, presenting the suggestive view of cleavage. He opened one more, getting the fabric to cover only the nipples, which he found even more sensual. He ran his tongue between the breasts, from bottom to top, then returned to trapping the woman's lips, while his fingers were busy continuing to open buttons. He stopped when he reached the waist and looked down to admire his handiwork.

One of the straps had slipped and now rested midway down the woman's arm, the nipples were still covered, but now he could clearly see the shape of the breasts, down to the navel.

“It looks like you're seeing something interesting,” the woman said with a smile as she searched his gaze.

“I've been imagining for a while what would be under this,” he replied, tugging lightly at the fabric.

“And does it live up to your expectations?

“Beyond them.”

And without further ado he kissed her again.

It was then that she decided that enough was enough of doing nothing, so she began to put her hands under the shirt he was wearing, caressing his back, his waist and as high up as her hands could reach. He barely pulled away from her, and in one swift movement, grabbed the end of the t-shirt and pulled it over her head, then let it fall to the side. And she almost forgot to breathe at the sight of that movement, which she found incredibly sensual. She immediately pulled him in again, and now yes, she let her hands be free to explore every inch they met.

Once again, Saga returned to the task of undoing buttons, which seemed to take forever, but he avoided looking down to find out how many were missing. He must have been close, judging by how far down his hands were already going. And at last he succeeded. He felt that the garment no longer had any resistance, and now he couldn't stop the urge to pull away to look at her. Now he noticed that the young woman had another tattoo, on her right side that went from her hip to the beginning of her ribs. Flowers, though he had no idea of the type. He traced them lightly with his fingertips.

“It's kind of cheesy, yes, my son's birth flower, and mine.”

“It looks good.”

“I don't think you can see it very well in this light.”

“I guess it looks good, then.”

Saga's hands took the open sides of the dress, and opened it even more, and immediately took the breasts between them, while he kissed her again. But that kiss did not last long, because the man's mouth began to move down, determined, until it found a nipple, which he circled again and again with his tongue, while the thumb of his right hand did the same. Then he switched sides. He felt the woman's breathing quicken. He took a light bite, before sucking gently. He swapped sides once more, to repeat the motions. The woman's fingers tangled in his hair.

The chair was conveniently close, so he opened it with one leg, and as he made a kissing path down her body, he settled in to finish sitting. Once he did, he pulled her feet up to his legs, stroking them up and down a couple of times before reaching her feet, where he reached for the clasp that held the sandals in place. He removed them quickly, as she watched him, leaning back on her hands, which she held slightly behind her body.

He raised his head again, to look at her from head to toe. She was wearing her underwear, bikini type, black and small, but not tiny. He directed his hands to the edges now as he looked into her eyes and she understood, so she lifted her hips slightly, to allow him to remove it. Saga slid the garment off until he dropped it, probably next to his T-shirt. And without giving her time for anything else, he brought his mouth to that place between her legs.

Lyani immediately threw her head back. She felt Saga's hands grab her hips, to pull her further to the edge of the table, without her being able to stop him, though the thought didn't even cross her mind. At that moment all she could concentrate on was that delicious tongue exploring her, as if he had already wasted so much time before, and couldn't wait. She swung her legs up onto his shoulders, with his help, and leaned somewhat against the wall behind her back.

No idea who was in the next room, but she still tried to keep those sounds that were struggling to get out of her throat to a minimum. She was sure he could hear them, because he didn't hesitate to follow those wordless cues.

He started slow, acknowledging, barely grazing, but the involuntary movements of her hips told him he needed to put more pressure, and where. And soon he found himself immersed in the game of finding the most pleasurable places for the woman, to give them attention, before seeking another, and one more, then returning to the first and repeating it again and again and again.

Lyani knew that wasn't going to last long, she felt the wetness between her legs, and she was sure it was now wetting the dress under her. Yeah, it had been a while now without getting laid, but it's not like she needed someone with her to have an orgasm. But she couldn't deny that it was better when she didn't have to do the work alone. Especially since Saga seriously knew what she was doing, and while she fervently denied being his fan, of course she was attracted to him, from the first time she saw him head-on, and then from all those nights when she had the time to memorize every part of him that was left in sight. And she was more attracted to him when he woke up and could begin to get to know him.

She looked down, he wrapped his hands around her thighs, had his eyes closed and was 100% focused on what he was doing. She stroked his hair and their gazes fleetingly met.

“Saga!”

She wanted to close her legs, and he didn't let her, but he did slow down his movements, and also the pressure, he heard her moan, he felt her trembling slightly. He stroked that clitoris gently one last time before pulling away and looking up. She smiled and he rose from the chair to embrace her.

“Not bad.”

“Good thing my skills are still intact.”

“You haven't shown me all of them.”

“We can continue as soon as you like.”

“You want me to show you mine?”

“I would never say no to such proposal.”

The young woman pushed him back a little, then got off the table and continued to push him until they reached the bed. Once there, she turned him so that she had the bed behind her back. She pulled him to herself to kiss him. Saga couldn't help but think how good the female body felt, naked, pressed against his, and that he wouldn't mind, at all, throwing her right into that bed and....

The woman's hands distracted him. He felt her reach quickly for his pants, unbuttoning them in one deft movement and then those delicious fingers sneaking under his underwear to free his erection. He bit her lip lightly and she smiled, beginning a slow up and down motion.

But that wasn't going to last long either, because Lyani moved away from his lips to kiss his neck, his chest, lick the outline of the tattoo, and keep moving down, while tracing the muscles of his abdomen with delicate kisses, until she was sitting on the bed with him between her legs, and at the perfect height to take him into her mouth. Saga exhaled heavily and brought his hands to her hair. He smiled wryly, it had literally been over a hundred years since she had last been in that position. And she was doing it very well too. That mouth, tongue and lips wrapped around him, they knew just where to touch. As one hand joined the party, the other worked its way lower and lower into his remaining clothes until they ended up on the floor.

When she succeeded, that hand took on a life of its own, sliding all over the male body, fleetingly brushing a nipple, down the abdomen, barely tracing the outline of the muscles to go back up and outline the waist to the hip, back to the buttocks, further down to the thighs and back up to the testicles.

Saga realized that he had a clear view out the window in front of him, and that luckily the street looked pretty deserted, because whoever was passing by would be able to see him too. Although, it's not like it bothered him per se, but he had no idea what the girl in front of him would think. A moan escaped his lips at that moment, that last move had felt too good. Gently he brushed the woman's hair away from her face. He looked down and as she noticed, he released him completely and then licked from base to tip, as their eyes met.

“You're going to have to stop doing this if you want me to keep showing you my skills.”

“Ah, am I that good?”

“You're very good, but I assure you the last time you had sex was less than a century ago.”

Without another word, he grabbed her by the arms to get her to stand up and once they were standing, they started kissing again, while one of his hands went down quickly until it reached between her legs to start masturbating her. She moaned against his lips. Saga kicked off the clothes already around his ankles, as well as the shoes he was still wearing. Then he grabbed her around the waist and spun them around.

This time it was he who sat on the bed, made the woman put one leg up on it, next to him, and without wasting any more time he brought his tongue back to her crotch, making her moan. Lyani brought her hands to the man's hair, and also noticed the open window in front of her, but she didn't care either. Once again she let herself be enveloped by the sensations he knew how to provoke. The man's hands slid up her body, from her legs to her breasts, down her sides to her buttocks, back up her back. She was sure he would bring her to a new orgasm if he continued like this.

“Saga, do me now,” she moaned.

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes.

“Come here,” he said, and the woman understood.

She knelt on the bed, straddling him, and reached down with one hand to guide him. They both held their breath for the brief seconds it took for him to fully enter, her arms around his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her waist. They kissed again, before she began a slow movement, up and down, which he followed, thrusting his hips against her.

Saga kissed her neck, then her shoulder, used one of his arms for support, while the other hand moved up the female figure to one of her breasts, where it began circling again, and soon his mouth joined too, without her stopping moving. The muffled moans from both of them were barely loud enough for the other to hear, but that was all they needed to make their arousal levels rise higher and higher.

The man pushed firmly against her and stopped, it would have been so easy to let himself go at that moment. The friction, the warmth of the woman, the wetness between them and the excited moans she was uttering would have pushed him over the edge at that very moment, but that wasn't what he wanted. He held her neck with both hands and pulled her to his mouth. They kissed as if their lives depended on it, their tongues exploring when they could, biting not so lightly at each other's lips.

When they ran out of air and broke apart, Saga took the moment to wrap an arm around her waist, and the next thing Lyani knew he was lifting her up and spinning them around on the bed, then her back touched the mattress and she had him all over her, all without having gotten out. She saw him direct the sexiest of smiles at her and she shook her head.

“Unexpected?”

“Totally.”

“I don't want to keep giving a free show to whoever passes by,” and he nodded his head to the street, then resumed the movement they had interrupted.

“I thought you were more of an exhibitionist.”

“Not with just anyone.”

“With whom?”

“With you, for example.”

He sat up so that he was kneeling and held her hips to pull her closer to him. Once again he began to move in and out, slightly faster than before, but now he brought his right hand to her pubis to masturbate her again. She propped herself up on her elbows, to keep up with him and threw her head back. The room they were in felt warm from the day's sun, despite the eclipse, and they were both sweating, which only increased the sound of their bodies crashing against each other. Saga bit his lower lip as he felt that warm interior contracting around him, thanks to the arrival of a new orgasm that shook the woman, as she moaned his name. He slowed the intensity of the movement and leaned down to kiss her. She wrapped an arm around his neck and sighed before looking into his eyes.

“That was unexpected too.”

“A very pleasant surprise.”

Their lips met for a few seconds, but soon he sat up again, this time he did pull out of her to lie on his side, next to her. The woman understood immediately, and turned to the side as well. He slipped his left arm under her neck, while with his right arm he helped her lift her leg slightly on that side. He immediately entered her again, with a moan that, this time, neither of them bothered to stifle.

Not that she hadn't been having a great time before, but at that moment, she was really enjoying the feel of the man's warm, wet body behind her, and the way he was moving, and breathing heavily against her ear. She closed her eyes, concentrated on keeping up with him, using one arm on the mattress to propel herself. She noticed him stop holding her leg to touch her again and lost herself in the sensation. She heard him moan, she was sure he was close too.

Saga kept his eyes closed, focused on keeping up the rhythm, on continuing to touch her and causing more of those sounds of pleasure to come from her lips. But he also knew he wouldn't be able to go on much longer, his body was imploring him to let go already. The sensations were about to become too much, but on the other hand, he was liking being in that position more than he thought he would, and he was noticing the way the woman in his arms was responding to his every action. He also noticed that she liked listening to him, so he avoided trying to drown out those expressions and instead increased the volume and frequency.

“Saga... now…” she moaned before throwing her head back.

And the man almost exhaled a relieved sigh, increased the speed more and bit his lip. He felt her orgasm all around him again, and that delicious pressure pushed him over the edge. He moaned a few more times, wrapped his arms around her, and let himself go. He pulled her tight against him as he made the last movements. And when it was over, they lay still, holding each other, catching their breath.

“Approved?” he asked after a moment and heard her soft laughter.

“For the moment. We'll see later, if you want it to happen again.”

“I don't see why I would say no. Do you want me to go to my room?”

“Of course not. Unless it bothers you that we have such a small bed at our disposal.”

“Not at all.”

They lay there for a moment longer, not moving, until they finally decided to separate. They rearranged the bed a bit, then lay down again, with her using his arm as a pillow, and not long after they fell asleep.

Chapter Text

As if they had agreed on it, they opened their eyes just as the sun began to rise.
“We should go down,” he murmured.
“We should. Do you think Shion managed to get an audience with the Sultan?”
“I don’t see why not. When he wants to, Shion can be very persuasive.”
“Let’s go then.” The woman got up, and Saga quickly followed her.

When they stepped out of the room, they didn’t see anyone in the hallway. They were halfway down the stairs when they heard another door opening, but they didn’t stop. Once in the common area, they noticed that Seren and Aiolia were already there. When the woman saw Lyani, she gave her a sly smile, but Lyani pretended not to notice; so she was the one in the room next door. Everyone turned to look at the staircase when they heard more footsteps, it was Deathmask and Milo. Moments later, the door opened, and Shion and Lakshmi entered.

“I’m glad to see you’re all gathered here, my children,” said the Pope. “I have news.”

Shion approached them, and the group gathered around him.
“I was finally able to speak with Jerhyn last night, and our conversation lasted a while. He has agreed to let us enter and also told me something interesting. I’ve already discussed it with Lakshmi and Cain, and together we reached the same conclusion. The Sultan said that some time ago, a visitor came who was very interested in the Palace because of its history. Jerhyn allowed him inside and showed him around. Afterward, no one heard from him again, but it wasn’t long before strange noises started coming from the depths of the basements. Based on his description and what he told us about him, we think that man was the sorcerer who also fought Diablo in Tristram. Apparently, like Blood Raven, he survived but was never the same again. Cain and Dognan tell me that perhaps he managed to discover a way to enter the Sanctuary that Horazon created, and that’s why he stayed there.”

“We need to get to the basements then. Who’s going?” Milo asked.
“I assume that means you’re planning to go. I’ll go too,” Deathmask said.
“And me,” Seren added.
“Aiolia, Saga, Alexios, you go as well,” Shion instructed. “The theory is that if you reach that Sanctuary, then you’ll find the key to locating Tal Rasha’s true tomb because Horazon knew where it was. And if we’re lucky, you’ll find Diablo there, though that’s unlikely. Either way, it’s best if you all go together, just in case.”

“Make sure to eat one of the bars before you leave, please,” Lyani said. “It’s quick and easy, and I don’t want you going hungry down there.”

Shion agreed with her, so they had no choice but to grab the bars and eat them as quickly as possible. Then they donned their Cloths and came back downstairs. No one was in the common area anymore, so they headed straight to the Palace. Shion was there with Jerhyn, Lyani, and Lakshmi.

“You should also take the Horadric Cube and the Staff,” Lyani said, handing them to Aiolia.

“Go to the end of the main hallway. First, you’ll have to descend one floor, which is where the harem women used to stay. From there, you’ll find two more staircases leading to the basement. I wish you luck, Saints. We’ll be waiting for you,” the Sultan told them.

The group nodded and climbed the stairs to the entrance. The two guards standing there looked at them and opened the doors. They couldn’t help but admire the place. It was beautifully decorated with paintings and golden engravings on the walls, columns, and ceiling. Nothing seemed out of place, except for the complete silence.

“It’s incredible how much wealth there is in a city like this, lost in the middle of a vast desert,” Milo commented.
“It’s not so surprising if this is the most important port connecting the two halves of the continent. Especially since it’s the only gateway from Khanduras,” Deathmask replied.
“That’s true, but it’s still a desert,” Seren said. “Almost everything the merchants have here comes from elsewhere. It doesn’t seem like much is produced locally.”
“And that’s why it was wise to close the port. Too many people coming and going would’ve put the town at risk,” Alexios added.
“Not that they’re particularly safe here,” Deathmask said ironically.

At the end of the immense hallway, they found the staircases they had been told about. They stood on guard and descended slowly, alert to any sound, but there was nothing, just like in the rest of the Palace.

The first room was empty. It was decorated, and it was clear that the women of the harem had spent time there, given the belongings scattered around and the various seating and sleeping areas. But there was no sign of the women.
“It looks like they left here in a hurry,” Aiolia said, pointing to the spilled drinks and belongings.
“But they clearly didn’t leave through the upper floors,” Seren noted.
“Maybe they didn’t leave at all; maybe they were taken,” Deathmask suggested.

They passed through a door into another room, slightly smaller, where they found more of the same. They even saw a couple of rats scurrying about, indicating that the women had been gone for some time. The oppressive silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of their footsteps on the marble floor. They crossed two more rooms before reaching another set of stairs.

They exchanged glances, certain that this time they would find something. Once again, they stood on guard. Saga led the way, stopping at the bottom.

The scene before them was what they had feared, but they wished it wasn’t true. The first thing they saw was chaos, overturned furniture, bloodstains, collapsed columns. They ventured a bit further and found two of the harem women tied to a column, with grotesque wounds on their necks, and beneath them, large pools of blood.

"It seems Deathmask is right; they brought them here," Milo said as he knelt next to the corpses.

Further ahead, one of the royal guards lay impaled. Not far from him were another pair of women. They sighed. They would have liked to help them, but what had happened wasn’t their fault, and who knows how long they’d been there.

They advanced cautiously, knowing it was only a matter of time before they encountered enemies. They could already hear the faint sound of footsteps ahead. Without meaning to, they moved in pairs, exploring. Then came an arrow, followed by another, and what appeared to be a bolt of electricity.

They quickly became alert, dodging and blocking the attacks. As soon as they spotted their enemies, they began to respond. They were skeletons. Of course, that was Aiolia's specialty, and he had no trouble dealing with them, although some were immune. That’s what the rest were there for, so they quickly took care of the first wave of creatures.

In the next room, they found a similar scene, even with more skeletons. They were annoying, mainly because of how quickly they launched arrows, but otherwise, they were weak and easy to take down. At that moment, Deathmask and Seren began to understand why their companions had complained so much about their numbers and how they swarmed like pesky mosquitoes.

Soon, they found the last set of stairs, the ones that would finally lead them to the basement. Skeletons reappeared, but this time their attacks included fire and poison. They considered splitting up, but unlike other basements and labyrinth-like places they had been in before, this one didn’t seem very large. They decided to stay together.

Upon passing through the next door, they were attacked by a horde of Sand Raiders, including one that, due to its size and positioning, seemed to be their leader. They spread out in the room, aiming to divide the enemies and make it easier to take them down. The strategy worked, and soon they were immersed in short skirmishes, exchanging blows, kicks, and bursts of cosmo. Alexios managed to take down the leader. Silence followed.

"I expected more from these beasts," Deathmask said.
"Don't get cocky," Milo said, patting him on the shoulder.
"I think this is what we’re looking for," Seren said, who had wandered away a bit from the group.

They paid attention and went to where she was. She had opened a door, and behind it, they found a structure made of what appeared to be stone, shaped like a standing mirror. They surrounded it, curious. It was evident to them that this was a portal.

"Will it take us to the Arcane Sanctuary?" Aiolia asked.
"There's only one way to find out," Saga said and stepped through.

The others exchanged glances, watched him disappear, and followed.

Anything they might have imagined would not have come close to the reality before them. It was as if they had appeared in the middle of space. They could see distant points of light, like stars, and everything around them was an infinite black sky in every direction.

They descended a staircase that seemed to be made of stone, perhaps marble, leading them to a square platform engraved with symbols none of them understood.

"I’m going to assume this is where the beasts that reached the Palace came from," Aiolia said.
"The Arcane Sanctuary has been corrupted too," Seren said.

There were four paths they could take. Narrow walkways that seemed to float, with no clue as to what would happen if they fell. They saw staircases rising and falling in the distance, more portals, and paths that ended abruptly in the void.

"We’ll have to split up and hope someone reaches the right place, that is, where the Summoner is," Saga said.

Seren decided to go with Aiolia, and Alexios went with Saga. The others went alone. The enemies were similar; they encountered bird-like creatures that seemed made of smoke, goat-like beings standing on two legs wielding weapons, and a new foe. These could only be described as hellish mages wielding staffs and casting fire spells, a decidedly unpleasant surprise for all of them.

They ran, climbed up and down stairs, passed through portals in what were essentially floating labyrinths. In the distance, they could hear the cries of fallen enemies, the powers of their companions, fire, lightning, blows, and cosmo.

What they didn’t know was that the paths eventually led back to the starting point. One by one, they all ended up returning, except for Deathmask. Realizing this, they quickly ran in the direction he had taken. They followed the trail of destruction and death he had left behind.

In the distance, they could see him. He was atop a set of stairs that ended in another platform, more elaborate than the others they had seen. Decorated columns supported a nonexistent roof.

As they continued running, they saw Deathmask fighting a man who had to be the Summoner. The Cancer Saint attacked multiple times, deflecting blows and seeming to enjoy himself.

Just as they reached the base of the platform, a final blow, filled with cosmo, brought the mage down. They climbed the stairs to meet their companion.

"The son of a bitch wasn’t as easy to kill as I expected, but he wasn’t hard either," Deathmask said.

Floating among the columns were more unknown symbols. At the center, on a pedestal, lay a solitary open book. Saga approached it, picked it up, and began to read:

Seekers of the Tomb of Tal Rasha will find it through the Portal. But know that the glowing glyphs recorded here in my Arcane Sanctuary are the signs of the six False Tombs. The missing Seventh Sign marks the Tomb of Tal Rasha... Of the Horadrim he might be called the foremost.

It was a shining -but brief- moment for the Mage Clans when they set aside their differences and worked together against the common enemy. The Horadrim relentlessly pursued the Three across the desolate Empires of the East, and even into the uncharted lands of the West, leaving the Archangel Tyrael's hands unblemished.

Presuming the Three to be vanquished, the Horadrim's unstable fellowship began to dissipate. Abandoning their sacred charge to safeguard the three Soulstones, the disparate Mage Clans began to squabble amongst each other over petty differences.

Their conflicts not only dissolved their brotherhood, but strengthened the Evils which they had buried beneath the cold earth.

As soon as the passage ended, a red portal opened in front of them. They stared at it, and Saga closed the book.
"That must be the way to the Tomb. Go on. I'll head back to report what has happened and deliver the book to Cain," Seren said.

The Gemini Saint nodded and handed her the tome.
"Are you sure you don't want to see more action?" Deathmask asked.
"I'm sure you'll manage without me. Besides, people out there are waiting for news. It would also be good to get the bodies of the women and soldiers to give them a proper burial. Now they can do it."
"So be it, then. Ready?" Milo asked.

Seren waited for the other Saints to pass through the portal before running back at full speed. She encountered no enemies, so it didn't take her long to reach the portal, back to the Palace, and then out.

Shion and Lyani felt their hearts stop for a second when they saw the woman appear through the door, alone. They, along with those who had stayed behind, immediately surrounded her.
"It's alright," Seren said first. "We found the portal to the Arcane Sanctuary and Horazon's journal," she said, holding up the book and handing it to Cain. "A portal opened to what we believe is the location of Tal Rasha's Tomb. I told them to go through while I came back to deliver the news."
"The women of the harem?" Shion asked.
"Unfortunately, everyone who went in has perished. We dealt with the enemies inside, and in the Arcane Sanctuary. The Palace is safe again. The bodies need to be retrieved."
"The demonic forces emanating from the Palace have dissipated, thanks to you. It will be done; they will be given a proper burial as soon as possible," Jerhyn said before signaling his soldiers and walking away.

"We had no trouble reaching there, and for now, no one is injured," Seren said, looking at Lyani and then at Shion.
"Let’s hope it stays that way," the Pope said.

***

The portal they had gone through transported them to the middle of the desert. The good news was that from where they appeared, they could see the tombs. The bad news was that the small plateau was teeming with enemies. The creatures immediately noticed the group’s arrival and rushed toward the Saints.

This time, they were what could only be described as giant beetles, charged with electricity. At this point, nothing surprised them. They had seen two-legged beasts with spears and armor, giant serpents, and enormous worms. They attacked cautiously because whenever a hit landed, the beetles released electric shocks, which they then had to evade.

Once they were done with the beetles, Hell Cats appeared, keeping them occupied for several more minutes. Soon, they were able to continue their way toward the imposing entrances of the seven tombs. These seemed to be carved directly into the cliff face behind them. Each had an entrance flanked by a pair of eternal flames on stone columns, marked with symbols identical to those they had seen in the Arcane Sanctuary.
"The book said the missing symbol is the true tomb," Aiolia said. "And this one was there. Let’s keep moving."

The distances between the tombs were short; they could see them all from any point they were at. But this also made the enemies they would have to face along the way evident. They decided to split into two groups: one would go clockwise and the other counterclockwise.

They ran, taking down beasts, dodging pillars and fallen statues, and even stepping over the corpses of explorers who had reached this place only to meet their deaths.

Milo and Aiolia found the correct tomb and sent word to Deathmask, Alexios, and Saga through their cosmos. While waiting for them, they busied themselves slaughtering any demons that crossed their paths.

Once they regrouped, they finally entered what they hoped would be the final battleground. Though they were well aware it might already be too late. They weren’t surprised to find, after descending the stairs, a massive, empty, dimly lit hall with heavy, foul air. At each end, there was an exit.
"Four paths and five of us," Deathmask said. "Someone’s going to have a companion."
"Come with me again, Alexios," Saga said, and the other man nodded.
"Whoever finds what we’re looking for, call the others," Milo said.

Without further words, the men split up, each heading down one of the exits. They were sure the tomb would be a massive labyrinth, and that only one of them would find the correct path. Aiolia carried the Staff of Mages, so if he wasn’t the lucky one, the others would have to wait for him to catch up.

The beasts were the usual kind. The only one slightly surprised was Deathmask, who had only seen the ones on their way here but had heard the stories, so he recognized them and fought accordingly.

They noticed a pattern: every group of enemies seemed to have a leader, generally larger or at least much stronger than the rest. They could hear their companions’ battles in the distance. The passages taken by Aiolia, Alexios, and Saga eventually brought them back to the starting point, but both Milo and Deathmask found new staircases.

They split up again upon reaching the lower level, hoping the other three would catch up soon. The air grew heavier and more humid, reeking of smoke, burnt wood, and death. Saga and Aiolia soon joined them there and split off, each following the trail of destruction left by their companions.

As soon as the Hell Cats were defeated, Deathmask continued down the now-clear corridor, coming upon a relatively spacious chamber with an unmistakable altar at its center. He sent a cosmo signal to the others and began to curiously inspect his surroundings while waiting.

The altar was square, with three steps leading up on each side. At its center was an inverted stone cone emitting a beam of light that reached the ceiling. Strange symbols, reminiscent of those in the Arcane Sanctuary, adorned the floor. Apart from this, the room was vast, lacking any other exit save the corridor through which Deathmask had entered. The walls were painted but bore no additional decorations. He pondered what might occur when the Staff of Kings was placed in the cone.

One by one, the rest arrived, some more dirtied and battle-worn than others.

“Do these things call to you, or are you just exceptionally lucky today?” Milo teased as he entered.

“Let’s just say I followed my instincts. Besides, it was my turn to see some action.”

Finally, Aiolia arrived and immediately pulled out the staff.

“I suppose there’s nothing left to do but hope this works,” he said.

The four men ascended the altar, nodding to each other. Carefully, Aiolia inserted the staff into the cone’s hollow center, where it fit perfectly, as expected. For a moment, nothing happened, leading them to question if they had made a mistake. Then, in an instant, the entire room was bathed in the staff’s brilliant glow. A sudden bolt of electricity forced them to retreat, striking directly at one of the walls behind them.

The chamber trembled violently, as though on the verge of collapse, but only that wall crumbled. It’s task was done. The staff ceased its electrical discharge, and the light dimmed. The Saints exchanged glances.

“Are you looking for Baal?” mocked a voice from beyond the collapsed wall.

Milo took the lead, stepping through the debris into a smaller, half-ruined chamber filled with mud, puddles, and partially collapsed walls. At its center stood a grotesque figure beyond the limits of even their seasoned imaginations.

“Duriel,” Saga identified the creature beside him.

Duriel, one of the Lesser Evils and Andariel's sibling, appeared to the Saints as an enormous insect. Its rear resembled a segment of a centipede, with legs ending in claws. This grotesque torso was muscular and red, crowned with massive lobster-like pincers for arms. Its disproportionately small head bore a maw full of sharp teeth, set in a sadistic grin. Spikes, like those of a rhinoceros beetle, jutted from its back.

Despite its size, Duriel charged with astonishing speed, forcing the Saints to leap in various directions to avoid the onslaught. Alexios was the first to counterattack, only to be met with an icy blast in response. Fortunately, the others reacted quickly, shielding themselves with their cosmos.

Coordination was impossible, but their shared experience and mutual understanding carried them through. Deathmask struck first, drawing Duriel's attention. Saga followed with another attack, causing the demon to redirect its focus. But Duriel was no fool, when Milo landed a blow, the demon ignored him, maintaining its pursuit of Saga, who narrowly dodged at the last moment.

They noticed a troubling pattern: every hit they landed released a shockwave of ice, lowering the chamber’s temperature further and forming a thin, slippery layer of frost over the muddy ground.

Saga was now on his feet, with Duriel relentlessly advancing. He landed a few well-placed strikes while dodging the pincers. Alexios attempted to distract the demon to give Saga some respite, but Duriel refused to let him go.

Locked in one-on-one combat, the Saints waited for an opening. Catching Milo’s eye, Saga nodded subtly before delivering a series of attacks and sidestepping. Milo seized the opportunity, unleashing all 14 of his Scarlet Needles in a single strike. He rolled to safety, avoiding the ice blast that followed, while Deathmask moved into position.

The Saints felt as though they were hammering at a wall, but it seemed to be working. Deathmask, like Saga, refrained from using his specialized techniques, opting for close-quarters combat.

Duriel retaliated with a powerful ice attack, this time with the full intent of incapacitating them. The Saints were thrown back, their cosmos flaring to stave off freezing. Alexios, who landed nearest to Duriel, immediately reengaged. Together with Saga, they launched a coordinated assault, sending the massive demon crashing into a wall.

Taking advantage of the moment, Deathmask, Aiolia, and Milo unleashed another flurry of needles and electricity. Saga and Alexios closed in again, repeating the process several times. Finally, Duriel let out a last, bloodcurdling scream before collapsing.

The chamber shook, with rocks falling from the ceiling and cracked walls. Duriel’s corpse erupted into flames, scattering blood and entrails across the floor.

“A bit underwhelming for one of the Lesser Evils,” Aiolia remarked.

“The fight with Andariel was more exciting,”  Milo added.

“I suppose that’s the way forward,” Deathmask said, pointing to a mural.

The mural, positioned beside Duriel's remains, graphically depicted what awaited them: Tal Rasha’s bound form, chained hand and foot, with Baal’s immense Soul Stone embedded above him.

They hurried into the next chamber, the stench emanating from the demon spreading through the place like a poisonous gas that followed them, and they needed to get away.
They advanced through a short corridor, dimly lit by a few torches. It ended in a double doorway with stone arches. Once they passed through, they were met by a chamber much larger than any they had seen before. It had lit torches, but most of the illumination came from a central pit, burning so brightly that it took them a few seconds to get used to its glow.

When their eyes adjusted, they saw in the middle a small walkway, like a suspension bridge, connecting to an altar at the center of the burning pit.
They did not find Tal Rasha's body.
Nor the Dark Wanderer or Diablo.

Tyrael was there. Alone. They approached him immediately.
"I thank you, mortals, for my freedom. But I did expect you earlier. I am the Archangel Tyrael. I came here to prevent Diablo from freeing his brother, Baal. But I have failed. Now, Terror and Destruction roam free throughout your world. Even now, they head towards the Eastern capital of Kurast, to the very heart of the Zakarum Temple. There they hope to find their eldest brother, Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred who was imprisoned there ages ago. If the three Prime Evils unite, they will be invincible. Though it is unclear as to what their aims are, it is certain that they must be stopped at all costs. I am broken and the energies that tie me to this world are diminishing rapidly. You must take up this quest and prevent the Three Brothers from reuniting. You must cross the sea and search for Diablo and Baal in Kurast. Now hurry, mortals... Time is running out for all of us!"

Without giving them time for anything else, he opened a portal, and they asked no questions. They went through it, and the radiant sunlight greeted them on the other side. They were back at the palace entrance.

The appearance of the portal and the Saints caught the attention of those still on guard. They had finished removing the bodies, and all they could do now was wait for news.

Shion approached them with Cain. Saga looked him in the eyes and subtly shook his head.
"We went to the Tomb, but Baal was no longer there. Nor was Diablo."
The atmosphere grew tense as soon as those words left his lips. Some looked to the sky, others to the ground.
"Tyrael was there, though. He told us he was also too late, and that Diablo and Baal are headed to Kurast in search of Mephisto," Milo continued. "We need to get there as soon as possible, but it seems even Tyrael believes it might already be too late."
"In any case, it’s the only lead we have to follow," Aiolia said.
"Meshif will take you. I’m sure he can’t wait to leave here, and he must have everything ready by now," Jehryn said.
"Should someone return to inform the Sanctuary and Kassandra?" Alexios asked.
"I’ll go," Seren said.
"I’ll accompany her," Milo added. "We’ll see if I return or send two more."
"If you tell Meshif your plans, I have no doubt he’ll be willing to help," Jehryn said. "We owe you."
"So be it. Milo and Seren, you may go back. The rest, gather your belongings, and we’ll depart as soon as you’re ready. Meanwhile, I’ll talk to Meshif," Shion said.

They returned to the inn to pack and take a quick shower, as they were well aware that Baal’s stench had permeated their bodies. Despite hurrying, it took them at least half an hour to prepare. By the time they left, night was falling.

The group headed to the docks, accompanied by a small entourage, those they had come to know in recent days: Warriv, Elzix, Fara, Jehryn, and Lysander. On the way, Atma stopped them, taking Saga’s hands, who was at the front, and smiling at the Saints.
"You have proven to be the greatest heroes, and I am honored to call you friends. Thank you, Saints, for bringing peace to our lives once again."
Saga squeezed her hands briefly and nodded, as did the others. Then, the woman let them go.

At the docks, by the large ship ready to set sail, they found Cain, Shion, and Meshif.
"We’re ready," Saga said.
"Board, we were just waiting for you," Meshif replied.
"Warriv has offered to guide us back," Milo said. "And return here with whoever will come next."
The merchant nodded.
"Be careful, my children. Meshif is also informed and has agreed to transport you."
This time, the sailor nodded.
"So be it. Good luck wherever you go," Seren said.

There were brief goodbyes, and Seren couldn’t help but smile at Lyani while casting a discreet glance at Saga. Lyani rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Finally, the group finished boarding the ship, staying on deck to watch it depart while those at the dock waved them off. Some soldiers, merchants, and townsfolk had joined to see them off.

Once they could no longer distinguish the people, Milo, Seren, and Warriv returned to the center of the town to gather their things and the caravan. It was already night when they set out, but they didn’t expect any complications. For now, the area was free of Diablo’s influence and his minions.