ABOUT ME

STORIES

DIABLO 2

Arasiia Seberosa- The Devil Laid Before Us

Chapter 1 (Parts One-Three, Parts Four-Six, Part Seven)

Rain slapped the tin roof above me.  It was all I could hear, a steady thump thump thump sound.  Peering out, from underneath the top of my hood, I looked through the misty downpour, across the dark courtyard.  Clink clink clink.  Shifting my view, I peered out of the side of my eyes, as a form materialized from around the corner.  A knight shifted in his saddle, as his horse slowly plodded along the pavement towards the gate, stopping when an armored soldier appeared from the hidden guard box.  Bending down, the knight softly spoke to the guard, while nervously shifting the sword on his belt.  The guard nodded, and then moved back into his comfort, and began to open the gate.  Taking one last long look into the rain, the knight nudged his horse forward under, and through the gate, which slammed to a close.  Amused by his nervousness, I decided it was time.  Shifting my cloak, and pulling the hood down further, I left my little hole, and stepped into the rain.  Quickly becoming saturated, I sprinted into the line of trees besides the courtyard, and snaked my way through them, until I came to a large stone wall, the beginning of the castle boundary.  Peering up, I could barely see the top of the wall, as the rain slammed into my wide open eyes.  Taking a few steps back, I sprinted forward, and launched myself up the wall.  Scaling the wall with my hands and feet, I quickly reached the top, and pulled myself up.  As quickly as I got to the top, I was off, having rolled across the tiny parapet, and fallen to the ground.  Landing softly on my feet, I quickly moved into the shadows of a run down house.  Pulling my hood back over my face, after it came off during my little escapade, I began to creep along the shadows, avoiding the light from the torches. 

“Hehehehe”

Snapping back into an ally way, I heard the sounds coming closer.  Taking a peek around the corner, I could barely spot two men moving this way.  Patiently I waited for them to pass.

“Hehehe, I still cant get over that man.  You just stood there and ran your sword through them?”

“Didn’t move a muscle, but cry to their god they did.  HAHA, where was their god? Maybe it was my sword”

“Yeah, well just wait up, I gotta go.  I’ll just go into this alleyway”

“Well don’t take all night Guybrush, I have to get home to my lady, if you know what I mean” he said roughly while laughing.

Cursing my ill luck, I looked up, and leaped, catching onto the wall, and climbing my way up.  Upon reaching the top, I crawled to the edge, as I looked down, and saw the one named Guybrush, squatting in the alley way.  Licking my lips, I prepared to jump down, but at that moment, he stood back up, and walked out of the alleyway.  I scrambled to the other side of the building, as the pair began walking down the street, their voices fading into the distance.  Now was the time to make a decision.  I chose, the roofs.  Backtracking, I took a few steps forward, and then leapt across the gap separating the two buildings.  Taking a quick look around me, I spotted the castle, its twin spires, looming up into the air.  Quickly running off in that direction, leaping between buildings, I slowly made my way towards the centre of the city where he waited.

Thunder snapped, as I sat on the edge of the building and waited.  For four hours I had been sitting there, waiting, just waiting for the right time.  But the more I thought about it, I had waited for years for this, for this one moment.  This would be the decider of it.  Peering out of the courtyard, I took it all in.  Circular in shape, was a wide open clearing, laid bare of grass or trees, but rather just black, solid concrete.  From the last compacted house, to the bottom of the towering spire, was a wide open space, of 500 yards.  The ground was so desolate, that not even a weed grew between the cracks of the granite slabs.  Then I studied the spire itself.  Rising high up into the air, three times as high, as any of the buildings, it just sat there, as it had for centuries.   Devoid of any colour, unless you consider deep enamel black as a colour, it just sat there.  Fat at the base, and getting slimmer as it went higher, reaching towards the clouds.  Near the top of the tower, two spires protruded from its skin.  Branching out, and then up, the spires reached higher, even more so than the tower itself.  A deep glowing green, the spires sat there, unused for centuries, not since the last great owner of the tower.  Scanning the courtyard, one last time, I noticed something unusual.  On the far side from myself, I noticed a shadow scaling the walls.

“Sar cranita fara sulashama”

Leaping to my feet, I leapt across to the other building, putting the giant spire between me, and him.  Putting myself flat against the roof, I peered between two pillars.  Spying a movement, I looked into one of the many courtyard entrances.  Finally I thought to myself, as the knight slowly moved his horse into the courtyard.  Upon reaching halfway, I began to sense movement all around me.  From the deepest shadows, came wraiths, crawling from their hiding spots.  I pushed myself even further down, as they began to move about.  Hearing the slightest sounds behind, I only just managed to jack knife my body around as a form lunged at me.  Quickly pulling my feet up, I propelled the wraith, out of the balcony, and far down the ground below, where it hit with a sickening splat.  In two seconds the wraith was up, and sprinting across the courtyard toward the cloaked knight.  The knight, sensing the menace looming on him, and spotting the wraith sprint towards him, he spurred his knight forward, towards the gates of the spire.

Suddenly every wraith became to move as one, each flying off their respective heights, and hitting the ground running, quickly covering the distance to the knight.  Bending over, I too prepared to give to the chase, but quickly stopped myself, as something inside me warned me.  With sudden quickness, as the wraiths closed in on the horse, the knight, threw off his cloak, and bellowed forth from a great horn.  A shining light began to emanate from his body, as he blew the horn louder and louder.  Suddenly, bursting into a bright light, he stood up straight in his stirrups, and pulled a glowing sword from its scabbard.

“Alla cahai alosima” he bellowed with all his might.

The great doors of the spire swung open, as they pored out.

A great roar bounded off the walls of the house as a great army swept forth from the spires gates.  On foot, the army counted as many as 500 men.  Easily seen in the dead of the night, they charged forward.  Glad in full plate mail, which glowed a bright yellow, they charged as one.  Each wielding a massive sword in one hand, they shifted their shields, two times as big as them, in front of them, too the side, and behind, respective of where each was.  Charging across the open space they hit the first of the wraiths.  Cut down from behind, the wraiths feel beneath the onslaught of the champions swords.  The first champions, halted their advance, and brought their swords down in one swift motion, sending the head of the wraiths rolling across the courtyard.  Pressing forward, the champions surrounded the knight in a circle, a tight circle with no hint of penetration.  The wraiths, slowly, and deliberately, in the black of night, surrounded the champions in a circle of their own.  The knight with his uncanny vision and sense’s, drew himself up, and shouted in a commanding voice,

“Show yourselves demons of the night, for you cannot defeat the power of light”

Sitting back down in his saddle, he closed his eyes, and began a soft chant, but powerful, so powerful I could clearly hear the words from my point on the roof.  Slowly but surely there began a dim glow in each of the wraiths, as the chant became louder, so did the light in the wraiths become brighter.  At the end of the chant, he bellowed in a deep voice

“Arasiia Serberosa”

A blinding light ensued the courtyard, as each of the wraiths howled in pain.  From each a brilliant white light throbbed from deep inside them, lighting them up like bonfires.  Flinching back from the light, I covered my eyes with my hood, peering through the rough cotton at the seen below.  With a howl, the wraiths moved as one, charging the ring of Holy Warriors.  With the ability to see, the champions easily beat back the first wave of wraiths, but the ferocity and anger from within the wraiths, soon began to turn the tide of battle.  The first off the wraiths to reach the warriors, beat away their swords, and flung themselves onto the warriors.  Raking at their armor, their claws pierced the steel, and penetrated deep into their hearts.  The first row of warriors fell to the onslaught of the wraiths.  The second row, much more prepared marched forward, their swords held at the ready, advanced towards the wraiths.  Daring wraiths, lunged forward, and locked onto the necks of the warriors, drawing their blood out, weakening the soldier, and greatly strengthening the wraith.  As it fed, it was skewered by foe, until, it fell writhing to the ground.   Sensing opportunity, the other wraiths lunged forward, and began to draw blood from their enemies.  The ring of warriors, grew smaller and smaller, leaving individuals open to attack.  Before me, was a feeding frenzy.  Hundreds of corpses littered the ground, with hunched figures over them, breathing as one, and living as one.  Drawing their life, the wraiths grew bigger and bigger.  At once, all the wraiths left the corpses, blood dripping off their mouths, as they breathed heavily.  Retreating into a smaller ring around the knight, more were picked off by hungry wraiths.  Blood red eyes, and crimson teeth, the wraiths advanced on the small pack, instilling no fear.  Suddenly they leapt forward as one.  More than half were skewered on the swords of the warriors, who boldly fought back, against unbeatable odds.  The wraiths fell to the ground, pulling the warriors with them.  Rolling on top of the soldiers pinning them down, they slammed down on the necks of the soldiers, and began to be as one with them, taking their life force, and adding it to their own. 

From my vantage point, I had watched the entire battle unfold.  Calmly watching as the wraiths fed on the remaining warriors, I waited.  I chuckled to myself quietly.  Four wraiths against three soldiers and the knight.  This was an easy outcome to predict.  As expected, in a blind rage, the wraiths attacked the last remaining warriors.  Taking them down easily, they fed on the blood of the righteous.  But it was not their blood they wanted, but that of the knight.  Encircling the knight, who after casting the spell, had done nothing during the fight, but sat calmly watching.  As the wraiths surrounded him, he looked towards me, and shouted out,

“So, was this your concoction Eanna?  If so, why are you not here, battling me yourself?  Are you too weak to do so?”

Laughing, I replied “Do you think I would send fools to do my work?  I have waited to long for you, to hand you over to ones so unworthy of your flowing blood”

“Then why do you not come down and fight me yourself?”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to ask for that.  Are you sure you’re ready, to battle…o how do you humans say it? Woman?” I replied

“You are not a woman, you’re nothing” he spat

Laughing gaily, “But I was once a woman, a woman you knew did you not?”

The wraiths confused, but angry, once again pressed forward on the knight.  Twisting in his seat, the knight brought forth down his great sword and beheaded two of the wraiths in one motion.  Rearing his horse into the hair, he brought it down on top of one of the wraiths, pinning in to the floor, and crushing its chest.  Sliding off the back of the horse, the knight corkscrewed in the air, and hit the ground rolling, and pulling his shield beside him.  Standing his ground, the wraith approached warily.  After seeing its three buddies killed in a few seconds, was enough to scare it.  Looking around it, at the loneliness, and emptiness, it glanced back at the night, before turning around, and sprinting for the darkness of the houses.

“You shall not leave demon of the night”, and with this insult, he hurled his great sword with all his might.  Flying through the air, it landed square into the fleeing wraith.  Knocked down from the great force of the throw, the wraith lay impaled onto the concrete by the sword.  Standing back up the knight once again looked in my direction, only to see that I was no longer there.

Shifting on his feet, he attempted to piece the gloom.

“Come out creature of the night, you cannot hide from the light”

Hissing I replied “Ah, but I do, and I have, and I shall always. I believe it is you, who will not leave this night”

“I am much more powerful than you. Do you not remember that night?”

“Do not speak of her!” I hissed

Laughing loudly he taunted me “Hitting a little close to home am I?  Are you a little sad that she’s gone? I thought you and your kind had no feelings!”

Growing tired of this speaking match, I slowly circled the knight from behind, and coming to a stop in front of him.

“Where am I knight?” I taunted him laughing, “Cant your little eyes see in the dark?”

“Nay, but I can hear your screeching noise. Isn’t it a shame, that you don’t have a voice?”

“No voice? But I thought I had the voice of an angel? Isn’t that what you said?”

As I urged him on with questions, I slowly removed a dagger from my belt.  Running my hand along the hilt, my mind wandered to events past.  The handle, 5 inches long, was encrusted with glowing rubies.  Specially placed to fit the comfort of the wielder, the dagger’s rubies, moved and changed shape to accompany the hand.  After my hand had run the course of the rubies, it reach the cold steel blade.  With a touch like ice, my hand flinched back from the blade.  It brought back too many memories.

The fire cackled as I picked up my son, and sat him down in front of it.

“We don’t want you getting sick now do we Janus?”

“No mama. Where’s daddy?”

“Your father is just cooking tea. Stay here, while I go help him okay?”

Walking back into the kitchen, I moved around the large oak table, and up behind the man I loved.  Circling my arms around him, he jumped.

“Eanna, don’t do that again. You scared the life out of me”

Laughing I replied, “You’re my big strong man, you can take it”

Turning around, he kissed me, and mumbled through our touching lips, “Yes, but I could have spilt all our dinner”

Disgusted I pushed him away.  I was about to say  something, when I heard a scream.

“JANUS!”, he roared

Jumping up, I ran around the table, two feet ahead of him.  Sliding into the room, I crashed to the floor, as I saw the site before me.  Janus, lying in a pool of his own blood, looked at me, with his unseeing eyes.  For when I looked closer,  I realized they were unseeing.  His eyes weren’t there.  Screaming, I picked myself up off the floor, and ran to his body, and turned it over.  Deep in his back, was a dagger, a dagger…”

“A dagger of rubies and blood was it not Eanna?”

Snapping my head back up, I released my hold of the blade.

”Quiet fool, you know nothing. This is all your fault, and it is you who shall pay. I am sick of this talking, now you shall die”.  With that last comment thrown in his face, I pulled another dagger from within my belt, and spinning it in my hand, I flicked it at the knight, then turned around, and sprinted for the doors of the spire. 

The ground whisked by underneath, as I ran my fullest speed.  Turning my head slightly, I watched as the knight deflected the dagger, and then jumped onto his horse, and gave up the chase.  Closing the ground quickly, I was only 100 meters away, when a great voice shouted,

“STOP EANNA! You shall not breach these gates, as it was forsworn that none of your kind shall ever enter this holy land again.  You are creatures of the night, and unfaithful to our gods.  I swear to you Eanna, if you step inside these great doors, you shall be punished, along with your entire kind.  Will you be the one to sacrifice your kind? And for what? Anger? Jealousy?”

Coming to a quick stop, I looked all around me. 

“Show yourself Irasa.”

“Ah, you still remember my name. I thought it would have slipped the mind of one so unworthy.  Tell me Eanna, do you still think of him?”

Laughing, I asked him a question, “Tell me Irasa. What do you hope to achieve by…living with these people? Hmmm? Do you hope, maybe to enter my mind? Find the way I used to think?”

“You presume to know to much Eanna.  Let me ask you this. What do you hope to achieve by piercing these gates?”

“What I do, and what I plan to do, is none of the business of you, or your friends”

“Ah, but maybe it is the business of he behind you? Hmmm?”

Spinning around, I realized the knight was almost on top of me.

“You will pay! I’ve waited to long for this! I shall not let it go unfinished” 

Running full pelt towards the knight, I pulled the dagger out again, the rubies flashing in the moonlight.  Just before colliding with the knight, I sprung up, and somersaulted over the knight, and slashed down.  Unfortunately he twisted to the side, throwing off my aim.  Instead of the slash taking him in the head, the blow, gut a deep gash, across his shoulder.  Landing on my feet, and rolling, I sprinted towards the edge of blackness, the beginning of the houses.  Just before entering the blackness of night, I felt a sharp snap on my leg.  Looking down, I saw an arrow with its head lodged into the bend of my knee.  Struggling along on one leg, I made it to a brown thick wooden door, leading into a house.  Trying to push it open, I realized it was stuck shut.  Moving onto the next house, I tried to enter that as well.  Getting weaker and weaker, I finally gave up, and came to the last door that I could go to.  Trying the door, it pushed open quietly.  Dragging my injured leg behind me, I quietly entered the house, and walked up the thin flight of stairs.  Stopping at the first door, I looked in.  There, in a bed, was a mother and father.  Smiling to myself, I quietly stepped into the room, and moved to the side of the bed.  Leering at the two bodies, I slowly pulled my lips back, and then lunged.