Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny of a Hero ❯ An Unexpected Meeting ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: Wow I had nearly forgotten to update this story! It's been a long time since I even wrote on it. I've been busy editing and revising the chapters I have written (revised up through 11). It's been rough going. For some reason there's weird symbols on every chapter and I have to change the POV from 1stto 3rd.

But I have major plans for the story itself, so don't worry too much my fans. I have fans! Weeeheee! Ahem…where was I? This story carries on for 25 chapters and I will apologize in advance for the evil things I do to the characters in the not so distant future. I also plan on making a sequel and a prequel. But I'm sorry to do this, but it will probably have to do with a universe of my own creation. I think it's about time I stopped ripping Diablo 2 and Legend of Zelda off. So then comes the great task of changing the names and places and events. It's going to be hell.

Well hope I didn't bore you too much. Here's chapter 5 for your reading enjoyment.

Chapter 5 - An Unexpected Meeting

A lone figure rubbed his hands together anxiously, trying to rid himself of the cold that plagued him. He vainly tried to breathe life into his frozen hands, then seeing his futility, placed them near the fire.

Link sat alone beside the campfire. He had been awake since before the sun had risen, brooding over the thought of the fate of his friends at home. They must think I've abandoned them, he thought, frowning.

A cough from behind him brought Link out of his daydream. He turned to see Haze standing behind him. The sun had now raised, its golden rays attempting to mask the horridness of land about them.

"Link, I bring bad news. We will be leaving on another mission soon. Kashya believes that the next offensive on the camp can only be prevented if we take action now," Haze said. "Somehow I don't think by `we' she means the Rogues," Link grumbled.

"We are here by the Rogues humble generosity Link. Never forget that," Haze scolded. Link sighed in resignation and motioned for Haze to continue. "She has sent scouts ahead to probe the enemy and learn what they can. They will be back within days to report how we might be able to stop them."

Fine, thought Link, at least we'll have a few days rest. Haze continued talking, "I have also decided that you are ready to learn the next level of Zakarum skills. You will find today's training will be a great deal tougher." Haze said.

"What do you mean by 'a great deal tougher'?" Link asked, suppressing the creeping fear at Haze's chilling words. "You shall soon see. Now it's time to train." Haze responded cryptically.

*****

Link lay on his bed groaning. He had learned first hand that Haze was not one for embellishment. Fire coursed though his body, causing every slight movement to bring about intense pain.

Zelda appeared in the tent carrying jugs of red liquid. "Here are the healing potions Haze asked me to get for you," she said. She gave one of the small jugs to Link, who proceeded to quaff the draught in one quick swallow.

Suddenly, Link's face turned green and he clutched at his throat. Tears came unbidden to his eyes. "It tastes like drinking a sewer," he managed to cough out.

Zelda held a cup of water to his lips. "Drink this. It should take away the bad taste." Link did so, drinking deeply from the cup. As he finished, he looked deeply into Zelda's beautiful azure eyes. They stared back at him. Their faces neared their lips ready to touch.

"Aww, will you love birds give it up?" Biluk broke in. Link and Zelda pulled away, their faces reddening. "I came to tell y' two that we're leavin' soon."

As Biluk turned to leave, Link spoke. "Do you have a girl back home Biluk?" Biluk stopped, frozen. He didn't look back as he said softly, "Aye." Link let the subject drop as Biluk left.

*****

"All right Link, just focus," Link said quietly to himself, his sword held tightly in both hands in front of his body, his eyes squeezed shut, "just focus your power."

Suddenly he felt a slight tingle in his arms and he smiled inwardly. Link's eyes snapped open and his sword smoked through the air. In seconds, he left the hay stuffed practice dummy in shreds. "Such speed," he whispered to himself as he sheathed his sword.

"Link!" he heard the harsh voice behind him. "What are you doing here? We've been waiting on you," said Francine, tapping her foot. Link muttered an apology and followed Francine to the center of the camp where the group was gathered at the shimmering portal.

"You all must step through the portal before I. When I go down, the spell will break and the portal will be lost," Menadar explained.

The party went through and arrived back at the burial grounds. The undead that had once plagued the sacred place were no more, turning into nothing more than bad memories. Even the sky above seemed to be lighter.

Francine turned quickly, her bow ready with an arrow, and yelled, "Halt and reveal!" The rest of the group turned and drew weapons, waiting for demons to come crashing out of the darkness. To their relief, two human figures stepped slowly out. Nevertheless, weapons were not lowered.

One was a male, the height and build of Biluk but with lighter features and a full head of blond hair. He was clad in heavy red-dyed armor lined with white animal fur. At his side was a mace. A giant wolf followed silently in his footsteps.

The other was a female with short-cropped black hair with equally dark eyes. Attached to her wrists were two wicked blades. She was in black leather armor and was followed by what appeared to be a lifeless version of her. Aside from the second being's eyes were completely white, it was an exact duplicate. The party looked on at them, unsure about where their loyalties lied.

The man spoke, his voice low, "Do my eyes deceive me? What brings such a well-armed group such as you out here? Surely not a midnight stroll though the country?"

Haze was quick to respond, "We might also ask why only you two are out here alone. Surely you know of the dangers of traveling alone in these dark days? You must be fools to be out here, or you are confident in your abilities, or even worse; you are allied with the darkness. Which is it?"

The man chuckled to himself and said in a voice with an edge of sarcasm, "We have not been properly introduced. I'm Nordan, a druid from the north. I am kin to the people of your big friend there."

"So the druids have finally come to play a part in this? You finally got board with your nature magic and want to get into a real fight?" Biluk responded, his words biting.

Nordan once again laughed to himself. "Your kind still makes me laugh after all these years barbarian. All of you are the same; loud, boorish fools." Biluk glared at him, a fire igniting in his mind.

Nordan continued talking. "This is Trina," he said, motioning to the girl, "I found her stranded and left for dead in these godforsaken lands. By calling upon the forces of the Earth and using my `nature magic' as the barbarian calls it, I was able to save her life."

"She's a heathen assassin!" Haze hissed. "She scares me Link," Zelda whispered into his ear.

Before Link could answer Nordan spoke defensively. "The men of Zakarum know no respect for the martial arts and shun those that practice them, calling them heathens. Some nerve to speak ill of those who hunt down the corrupted mages. Even now they fight Hell itself to save your corrupt country," Nordan said.

Haze grabbed Nordan by the fur of his armor. The wolf let out a low growl of warning as it crouched waiting to pounce, but Haze paid him no mind. "What do you mean 'your corrupt country'?" Haze snarled, holding the man up, ready to strike him.

"If you would be so kind as to unhand me, I would tell you." Haze grudgingly complied, allowing Nordan to speak. Nordan cleared his throat and spoke. "While you have been away serving the light, Mephisto's influence tainted the Council. The first to fall under his sway was the Archbishop Lazarus, the keeper of the Soulstone - Diablo's prison. The Que-Hegan of the Zakarum, his name escapes me at the moment…" Nordan trailed off.

"Sankekur," Haze answered through gritted teeth. "Thank you. Sankekur began to suspect that Lazarus had turned from the Light when the Archbishop began to disobey orders. He called the Archbishops together to a council. Lazarus betrayed the priest and forfeited him the power of the Lord of Hatred. He then fled west to Tristram. There it is rumored that he freed Diablo, though I can not prove that for a fact."

"That is treachery at its most foul," spat Haze, "How could one that was once so close with the Light fall so far into Darkness?" Nordan shrugged. "The power of the Three is very powerful indeed."

"How 'ave you come across this knowledge, druid?" asked Biluk. "I have traveled the far East. I had been there a decade, but since the betrayal of the Council, I have taken my leave of the more civilized land," answered Nordan

"What of Lazarus? What of Kurast?" asked an obviously distraught Livia.

Trina spoke, her voice was cold, as if a darkness swirled about it. "Lazarus is dead. I was hunting him, but received word from a wandering traveler that Lazarus had been killed deep within the earth."

"The traitor deserved worse," spat Haze, "still, it is a victory for the Light."

"A battle won, but a war lost. Kurast is all but destroyed. The survivors are defending the docks, but all looks bleak. The forest grows to the edge of the docks. Soon the defenders will tire and be overwhelmed by the evil," Trina said.

"Then our path is set. We must reach Kurast before Hell itself overwhelms it," said Haze.

"If you went overland, you would never reach Kurast in time. You must take the pass guarded by the Rogue Monastery to reach the city of Lut Gholain. Even if you were to reach it, Lut Gholain too is under siege by the minions of Hell. Every passing day only adds to their strength," Nordan said, his voice hard.

"Evil has deeply taken root in our world," mused Menadar.

"I can't stay here for long," said Link, "I have a duty to my country. My nation is under siege by evil! I can't let them down!"

"You imprudent boy!" Nordan barked. "You have no idea of the power you face. The Prime Evils are a threat to life as we know it. If ever they were reunited, they would be able to travel across worlds, destroying everything in their path. With their power combined with the power of the mortals that contain them, not even the entire legions of Heaven would be able to stop them."

Link quieted, shamed by Nordan's harsh words.

Nordan spoke again, his voice once again calm. "Please excuse my outburst. First Andarial's armies must be defeated. They control the passes to the East. Nothing passes through. Defeating the Maiden of Anguish herself might cause the moral of her armies to crumble as her demonic influence fades."

"You're a fool!" shouted Biluk. "We have nowhere near the number of warriors needed to accomplish such a thing!"

Nordan laughed. "There you are wrong my friend. As you know, Andarial is massing her forces; her attention is turned else where. With stealth, a small group could slip into the monastery unnoticed. She would be caught unsuspecting, and without her forces, Andarial would pose little problems for a group of warriors."

"Surely Andarial is the least of our worries," said Menadar, "after all, we do have to stop a Lord of Terror from reaching his brother in the desert of Aranoc. Even if Diablo is in a weakened state, his power will surely overwhelm our pitiful magic and steel. With his brother, we will be obliterated."

"All is not as hopeless as you make it sound, necromancer," said Nordan, "The Three were defeated once before by mortals, in mortals once again shall they find their bane."

Countless thoughts swirled in Link's mind, his mind digesting the information set before him. He saw Hyrule as a burned out husk, a forgotten and painful memory. He envisioned the worst deaths that could befall men, ruthlessly committed by demonic soldiers. He saw these soldiers laugh as they drank the blood of women and infants. He saw Zelda, her torn and bloody body fallen limply to the dark earth.

Haze spoke, banishing the dreadful thoughts from Link's tortured mind. "How will we be able to infiltrate the monastery? That place is a fortress."

"Simple my friend, we will take the passages into the monastery that even the rogues don't know," answered Nordan.

"We?" asked Haze, one eyebrow raised.

"It is my duty to this world to restore the harmony that once existed. The mere presence of the cursed demons is enough to make the world cry out in pain. Nature begs me to fight for her. I am afraid that you are the last hope our world has. I must join with you."

Haze leaned to Biluk and whispered into his ear. "Do you trust him?"

"Nay lad, but what choice do we `ave? We'll rightly `ave a merry band of soldiers. To lead an army again!" Biluk whispered back.

"Welcome to our group. Now we have a maiden to slay."

*****

The screams of terror and pain echoed over the battlefield, near the western coast of Hyrule. The warriors Hyrule still surviving were locked in combat with Ganondorf's monsters. Though the warriors fought valiantly, they were no match for the sheer number of the monsters.

The stalfos, moblins, and iron knuckles marched forward, bringing their wicked weapons to the ready. Ganondorf's lesser demons coward away from their powerful brethren; regrouping behind the moving wall of the attackers.

The weary Hylian archers tried in vain to halt the advance. Most of the arrows fired were deflected by the heavy armor the monsters wore. The Hylian fighters readied themselves. Many said prayers to the Goddesses to give them the strength to defeat the monsters.

Suddenly the monsters charged into the ranks of the fighters, and all was broken into chaos. Sword met shield and flesh as fighting erupted everywhere. Shouts and curses mixed with the deafening sound of steel clashing.

It had been apparent from the first that the Hylian fighters were no match for Ganondorf's hordes. Slowly the fighters were ground down. The call for retreat once again sounded only hours after the battle had started.

*****

Ganondorf watched as his monsters swarmed over the rock formation the Hylians had picked to defend. Wave after wave crashed against the defenders, breaking them. Men screamed and broke formation to be hacked down by demonic claws. Finally the call to retreat had sounded.

"Why must these pitiful Hylians continue to fight? What do they have to prove? Bah! With their hero and princess gone, I've broken their spirit. These men have been demoralized. Throwing themselves at my armies. Have they gone mad?"

Ganondorf wave his hand, as if to dismiss the thought. "No matter, now phase two of my great plan will commence. The genocide of all the races of Hyrule! I have let the foul beasts live for far too long. They are too much of a hassle. Soon I can rule this world without question and pursue greater power." Ganondorf laughed evilly to himself.

Ganondorf made a motion with his hand and his monsters began their bloody victory feast. Ganondorf was an evil man, but he wasn't a cannibal, at least not in this form. He turned away to his castle. He leapt on his horse and rode off, leaving his iron knuckle general in charge.

"Tomorrow the world will tremble!" Ganondorf yelled to no one. He looked back, and saw his minions in the middle of Hyrule's field, feasting on all the races of Hyrule. The trampled and bloodstained earth made the site a spectacle of pure horror. Ganondorf paid it no notice. He just continued riding, the plans of murder and death swirling in his head.

*****

Daruina held his head in his hands. He couldn't believe it. Almost his entire army had been killed. Now only three hundred soldiers remained.

This hell had begun once again since Link and Zelda had never returned from their fight with Ganondorf. Without their two heroes, Hyrule was once again thrust into the darkness. This time there was no hero to save them from Ganondorf's revenge.

"Remaining soldiers of Hyrule," Daruina called to his men, "Take heed to my words! We have failed for now! We must travel west across the sea and hide there. You know that we had no chance against Ganondorf, we were just buying time to prepare our journey."

A murmur ran through the crowd and Daruina raised his hand for silence and continued. "Brothers, we must bide our time and then strike! Now let's move out!" The remaining soldiers packed up their gear and readied themselves for a long boat ride west.

*****

The now expanded group had followed the trail through the stony field when Francine saw something strange in the distance. "It looks to be some sort of rock formation. We had better go in for a closer look," she stated.

A twig snapped from nearby. A flock of birds flew from a cluster of trees. A band of goat men attacked from all sides. It happened so fast, no one had time to react.

The creatures were hideous; they had the head and lower quarters of a goat, but had the mid-section and the poise of a man. All carried wicked looking pole axes.

The heroes pulled together in a defensive circle and prepared to defend themselves. Link met a goat head-on. The goat swung his massive weapon down at Link, looking to sever him in two. Link raised my shield and used all his strength to hold the creature at bay.

It was a blow that should have broken his arm. Link looked at goat, their eyes locking. All Link could see was intense hate pouring forth from those beady black orbs.

Link tried and all-or-nothing shot. He pushed up with his shield and knocked the goat's weapon from his hands. He stared at Link, stunned. Link grinned and plunged his sword deep into the goat's breast.

Link spun around and saw two more heading for him. They moved toward him with more caution then their fallen brethren had.

Link used this to his advantage. He made a mad dash in between the goats, held his sword to the side, and spun in a circle. Both were cut down. They let out an unnerving goat cry of anguish, fell to their knees, and died.

Menadar watched as a goat moved to attack him. He moved his hands in a circle, mustering his dark necromantic powers. A face began to appear in the white energy that he had created.

The ghastly face within the energy gnashed its teeth and shrieked. Tentacles of energy sprouted from its back. It used these to drive itself toward the goat.

The goat turned to flee from the vile spirit that had been recalled from the dead. The spirit was far too quick, and with a shriek, dove into the back of the goat.

Ripping teeth tore through the sculpted body of the goat. Once inside the body, the spirit exploded in a blaze of white light. The upper and lower extremities were ripped away from one another.

Goats lay sprawled out everywhere. Another battle had been won by the heroes. Menadar stopped and began chanting over the dead bodies of the goats. Slowly it came back to life. It tested its limbs and shook off the sluggishness it had at first.

"Come on you scrawny bastards; get your bloated asses moving"! We 'ave a long day ahead of us and you fools are giggling like a bunch of lasses! Let's get the hell moving!" Biluk screamed at the party. The group let out a collective groan and marched on.

*****

The afternoon sun hung high in the sky. The rain clouds that had plagued the adventurers earlier had been dispelled, and more temperate weather had moved in. On the outskirts of a grouping of stones, the group scouted.

They approached the stones cautiously. A group of blue skinned fallen were guarding the stones. A fallen with a deeper blue skin tone led them in a chant. When he finished speaking his foul words, the others screamed, "Rakanishu!"

Francine counted ten carvers and Rakanishu. Haze knelt to the ground and began praying. An aura of dazzling silver surrounded him as he chanted holy prayers. He opened his eyes and looked at Rakanishu.

The party gasped back as a bolt of lighting flashed and sped directly at Rakanishu. It hit its target and exploded in a glorious flash. The tight mass of carvers was reduced to three that survived the holy blast. Those nearby were knocked to the ground.

Link leapt from the brush he had been hiding in and charged at them. They yelped in fear at the warrior bearing down upon them. They raised their swords in a futile attempt to defend themselves.

Link mercilessly hacked away at them, sending blood and gore through the air as if being gifted with flight. Link stopped to catch my breath as the adrenaline rush left him. His sword fell numbly from his fingers.

Nordan and Livia were examining the five stones. Livia fetched a scroll of town portal as Nordan walked over to the group and simply stated, "These are Cairn Stones that can open a portal over long ranges. They usually need some sort of key or triggering device to operate them though. Livia has gone back to Akara to find out exactly where the portal will lead to."

*****

Hours passed. The sun sank slowly into the mountains. Link noticed that the stony field was the border of the lands around the camp, for mountains blocked any possible way into the next area.

Livia appeared after dark with a big smile on her face. "What news Livia?" Menadar asked. Unspoken communication passed between them.

"Akara said that these stones lead right to Tristram, the village of Deckard Cain. All we have to do she said is: find the scroll of Inifuss in the dark wood, bring it back to her, then touch the stones in the right order after casting a spell on the scroll." She said.

"But there is just one problem; we have to go through the underground passage to get to the dark wood." Haze stated, with an edge to his voice. "What is wrong with the underground passage?" Link asked.

"You must pass though the darkness with demons surrounding you the entire time. I had to pass though it coming here, I loathe to repeat the experience."

"The demons might also find a way to destroy these stones if they figure out what we're after," Trina added.

"We must split up. Three people will stay here, and the others will go into the dark wood," Menadar suggested. "Ok, Menadar, Francine, and Trina will stay here, and the rest will follow me!" Biluk roared and started running down the trail. Link groaned and Zelda sighed as they followed the best they could.

*****

"The hike wasn't that bad!" Biluk yelled at us. The rest of the group was sitting on the ground, rubbing their sore feet and muttering curses to Biluk under their breath.

As they had jogged through the stony field, small bands of goat men and some race of blue skinned fallen had attacked, but they had been dealt with.

They were now in front of a cave with a sign near it that read: Underground Passage - Leads to Dark Wood. "Biluk, just because you have lived your life hiking, you can't blame others for not having your stamina. I mean some of us have been asleep for seven years!" Link yelled at him.

"Quit your whinin' girly!" Biluk shouted back. The others laughed at Link's expense.

A low growling sound issued from the cave. The group immediately fell silent. They readied weapons and Biluk led them through the opening.

As they rushed through, huge creatures attacked from all sides. They were akin to huge, malformed dogs about seven feet in height. They were slow and lumbering and had inner electricity that spread across their bodies.

They group braced for the attack. The creatures rushed at the party. Link raised his sword high and with a cry, ran at the first creature. Power surged through his body as he swung at one of the hideous creatures head. The blade bit deep, killing the demon.

Link had only a second to react as he had to quickly turn with the mirror shield ready. A ball of electricity hit and bounced off. The ball sailed through the air back at its original sender making a crackling sound as it flew.

It hit the creature, but rather than hurt it, it absorbed the ball. It let out a guttural laugh. Link yanked his sword free, and ran forward at the monstrosity and as it readied for his attack, Link jumped and flipped over its head, landing softly behind it.

It never had a chance to realize that it was going to die before Link delivered the finishing blow to its spine. Link jerked his sword out of its back and turned to see four blue skinned fallen itching for battle.

They made the first move and attempted to encircle Link. Link eyed each of the creatures, waiting for them to attack. Suddenly, one of the fallen's head exploded in blood as its skull was caved in by Nordan's mace. The other three ran off and attempted to regroup.

Link gave chase, his eyes searching the darkness of the cave. Link caught up to the slowest and swung. His blade lifted the fallen's head off its shoulders.

The remaining two bum rushed Link. Link stood still, waiting for their attack. He swung in horizontally and cleaved both in half.

He was amazed at the pure craziness of what these creatures do. They only won because of their superior numbers, not their fighting ability.

Link stopped, breathing raggedly. The other heroes had bested the demons, but they were to have no rest. It was far too dangerous in the cave.

*****

They followed the winding maze that was the Underground Passage for what seemed like eternity. Stealth failed them often, and each time, they were forced to battle with a mob of demons. Each time the demons were routed totally.

Light trickled into the rough hewn cave from above. The warriors ran to it as moths to a flame. Biluk, being the fastest, was in the lead. As he reached some stairs up, he was tackled from the side by one of the dog creatures.

The creature turned and shot a ball of electricity at Haze, which took him straight in the chest. He was thrown back six feet, his body convulsing from the shock.

It then shot at Link, who had ample time to prepare for the attack. Link waited and slashed and struck the ball to the ground, the magic of his sword protecting against the electrical shock.

As the giant dog demon was charging up another ball of energy, Link quickly closed the small gap between them, and plunged his sword deep into the creature's brain. It stiffened under Link's sword and died.

Zelda and Nordan had administered aid to Haze and Biluk, who had been inflicted with shock more than any real damage.

The party looked at the light from above. They nodded to one another, and took the short walk up the unnatural cave steps to the dark wood.