Rated PG-13: Vivid description of graphic violence.

Loosely based on Diablo II gameplay.

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The Path

My order was clear: investigate the demonic presence and eliminate all
resistances.  I knew not how I got here nor if I ever made it back
home.  Home ... What was home?  My family was taken away from me when I
was too young to remember.  Matron had taken me in for the past fifteen
years.  This had been my home ever since.  Few could I recall from my
ancestral land.  Matron and my sisters had been ever so kind to me, but
I knew I was different than them.  Their skins were very pale white
compared to my light purple.  My eyes shone briliantly after the sun
set, as green as emerald.  While my sisters had been training their
senses to see in the total darkness, my eyes could instantly adjust as
if they emanated their own light.

Blood everywhere, mutilated body parts, rusted broken weapons, and
decomposing bodies.  I certainly did not expect such scene.  Looked
like a great battle was fought here, hundreds of Hellspawns and mutated
animals for every one human corpse.  I always thought I was the child
of great fighters. Matron and her champions only pushed me in certain
directions, and the rest came very naturally to me.  I knew the day
would come when I would have to defend my guild's honor, I just never
expected it would be this day and that the smell of battle was ever so
real.  As matron's prized warrior, I felt a great sense of pride that
she had sent me over the senior sisters.  I pushed on the bloody field
while dispatching the occasional undeads that rose up from the scores
of bodies.

I came to a heavily fortified area with sentry guards at all entry
points.  "State your order of business," one of the guards demanded
with a bow steady.

"I am not an enemy.  I am to investigate and to eliminate the demonic
sources that have been plaguing the land."

"Lower your weapons," a second guard barked, followed by more guards
from beyond the gate, all with bows ready.

I was immediately surrounded by six guards as I holstered my weapons,
all were eyeing my suspiciously.  "Great," I thought, "First human
settlements after miles of undeads, and I was greeted with six arrows
on my neck."

"Take me to your leader."  I was met with cold eyes, before I was
beckoned inside.

"Stranger, you are neither human nor undead.  Tell me who or what you
are and what business you have in the Sightless Eye domain."

I decided it was not time to sit down by the bonfire and chat with this
all too friendly woman.  "Who I am is not of a concern to you.  We are
on the same side and I am sent here to rid of your ... our ... common
enemy."

"The Sisters of the Sightless Eye are perfectly capable of defending
ourselves.  Stranger, you are welcome in our land but know that I'll
personally watch over you.  One mistake, stranger, and you will find
this arrow in your skull."

"That's enough, Kashya.  This stranger is not a threat to us, I can see
that her words are true.  We have other manners to attend to."

"We are all tired, stranger.  The Prime Evils have unleashed wave after
wave of hellspawns upon us.  For every thousand we slayed, two
thousands would come to take their place.  But as long as you stay in
our domain, we will guarantee your safety.  You may rest here."

The next day I saw another traveller at the Rogue camp.  "Well met."
He snickered at my direction and muttered some words under his breath.
A creature of fire and 3 skeletons marched merrily behind him.  A
Necromancer.  I had learned of these Priests of Rathma, strange wizards
of some kind.  The necromancer walked past me and toward Charsi.  I
watched him for afar, deciding my next move.

"No, for the tenth times, I have no use for a slab of bone," I could
hear Charsi yelled.

"I only forge fine steel.  STEEEELLL, understand?  Just bring your
skeletons outside with you and play hide and seek or whatever it is
that you play."

I laughed to myself, that necromancer must have been trying to sell
bones he had found outside for some gold pieces to Charsi.  What an
idiot, I thought.  But it was no time to amuse myself, I came here with
a strict order and I intended to accomplish it.  "Bah", I thought, "How
can Kashya think she is tough if she can't even raise her own weapon to
face Blood Raven.  Former friend?  She doesn't look friendly at all to
me."

"Join my army of the dead!"

She literraly built a fort by raising zombies all around her.  I could
take down the zombies easily.  Their decayed bodies moved too slowly to
parry any of my attacks.  The only problem was Blood Raven was not shy
about shooting her arrows through the zombies either, through the
zombies and right at me.  I found that almost too late as I deflected
her ice enchanted arrow.  My hand felt numb from the chill.  I couldn't
risk charging her line of zombie defense like that again.  I took a few
step back and thought my plan of attack.  A stray skeleton tried to
land easy shots at me.  I easily dodged its attack to the side and
immediately counter attacked.  I intentionally struck non fatal areas
and scored three quick hits.  The fleshless creature snarled at me and
readied another attack.  I smiled, this was my chance.  I caught its
sword with my two claws and twirled it to its left.  It lost its
balance and stumbled.  With the sword still trapped between my claws, I
Dragon Tailed the critter toward Blood Raven's zombie defense,
separating its hand from its shoulder.  Moment before it fell to its
demise, I launched another attack releasing Lightning charges that
travelled from one zombie to the next.

The zombies crumpled down, few that left standing were stunned.  A
Burst of Speed later and I was within striking distance to Blood Raven.
I saw it in her eyes and anticipated her move.  Even before her arrow
left her bow, I side stepped to the side.  Zzzzing, went the arrow
harmlessly on my right.  I ran behind her, toward the last line of
zombies who were still stunned by my earlier attack.  Three slashes on
three zombies to severe their heads from their torsos.  And there she
was.  Blood Raven backed out to regain her distance and fired another
arrow to slow my pursuit.  I wasn't going to let my advantage
dissipated easily.  I braved her arrow, deflected it with my double
claws, and quickly closed my distance again.  With the momentum from
Burst of Speed, I Dragon Taloned her with all my might.  I splintered
her armor and could hear the sickening sound of her crushed rib cage.
Without their mistress, all the zombies dropped dead by themselves.

I knew I was being watched all these times.  I acted normally in an
attempt to catch him off guard.  I could feel his presence up by the
trees somewhere.  I pretended to look at the ground for more zombies
who might still be moving while trying to pinpoint his exact location.
On one quick move, I flipped toward my back and threw a Blade Fury high
in the tree above.  'He' turned out to be a crow.  The crow disappeared
into thin air as my Blade Fury struck it, it was not a real crow.  That
was almost like druidic magic, but I could not tell for certain.  I
decided to keep this incident to myself, I wasn't sure who to trust in
this foreign land.

"Well done Assassin," said the voice in a distant place.

                           * * *