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The Hunter and the Templar	By : BurneHazard Category: +A through F > Diablo III Views: 6471 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Diablo III (3) and all content therein is the property of Blizzard Entertainment. This story is for entertainment purposes only and I make no money from writing it.

Chapter List
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            The fires had been lit. The catapults had been raised. The demons then attacked from below the keep, ripping their way through the bowels of the man-made fortification. Not one to sit by, Killashandra had met every challenge. Although her head still hurt as much as her side did, she fought on. The templar was with her every step. So when they finished clearing the lower levels of the demons and the foul beast named Ghom, it was he that supported her limping figure back into the keep.
            A great commotion had risen from the wounded and healthy guards. Refugees and villagers that had sought safety within the walls watched the demon hunter make her slow way toward the corner that the group had more or less claimed as their own. Although a few of the wives of the soldiers came forward, the stench of the putrid bile clinging to the two kept them at bay. Instead, they began to heat water to have both wash up. With the close confines of the keep, the smell had to be purified immediately.
            Killa was more tired than really hurt. The limp was caused by a stitch in her healing side and the deep bruises gained from being stepped on by the disgusting blob of flesh. Kormac had his shield arm around her, gripping the uninjured side of her waist as her bent arm rested over one of his shoulders. The familiar form of the bat circled them before taking a perch up in the rafters out of the way.
            Lyndon and Eirena were immediately there, even if the scoundrel made a big production of stepping back and pinching his nose closed. Sinking down on the stool provided, the hunter almost sagged from fatigue. Kormac straightened and immediately unfastened his shield to set aside. He was going to get his armor clean. Neither said anything. It was Lyndon who stepped forward to start helping Killa remove her armor.
            The familiarity was not lost on the other two. But what surprised everyone was when Killa looked up and gave the enchantress a faint smile. "Eirena, would you help me clean up? I'll need help getting this...slime...out of my hair."
            "Of course! I would be happy to help," the girl replied as her face lit up.
            Stacking her armor aside, Lyndon considered the other three while peeling a slime-coated tunic off Killa's shoulders and back. He noticed the bile had eaten clear through most of the leather that had been exposed. Only the plate had remained whole and it was...in very poor condition as well. Leaning in, he murmured near Killa's shoulder where the other two would not hear.
            "I'll see if Haedrig has any spare for you, Killa."
            His response was another tired smile. Then--to yet another shock of the other two--she reached up with one hand to grab his vest. Even as he hesitated, she tilted her head back to steal a kiss that he immediately leaned into. There was no actual hunger or lust, their lips met and pressed together, their tongues met. But it was brief as he could tell she had little energy. Pulling back, he watched her head fall and withdrew.
            Kormac locked eyes with the scoundrel for a moment, glaring darkly. Quickly, Lyndon fled as the enchantress shook her surprise off to help the hunter up and toward the small curtained alcove that the women folk used to get clean. Already there was a tub half full of steaming water courtesy of the other women. It left the templar alone for the moment, struck by what he had seen.
            Making a decision, he followed the scoundrel. After all, he still did not trust the man. And what he had seen...meant there had better be some laws laid down quickly before he aided her further on the downfall she was so certain lay before her. In fact, as he thought about that, he realized a few other things about how the two had been treating one another. Things he had missed or paid no mind to that now made sense.
            Lyndon was already with Haedrig but that did not stop Kormac. In fact, he now had exactly what he needed to justify putting the scoundrel in his place. He waited until the thief had finished speaking with the smith and started to turn around before he moved. A bile-covered gauntlet caught Lyndon by the throat and he slammed the scoundrel's back hard against the wooden column forming one corner of Haedrig's forge.
            "I knew there was a reason you were sticking around," the templar growled as he leaned in to glare at the man's wide brown eyes. "I don't know what you're playing at, but I'm telling you this right now. If you betray Killashandra, if you hurt her, if you treat her the way you treat every other woman...I will forget that I am a templar and I will make certain it is the last thing you will ever do. Do you understand?"
            "In case you hadn't noticed, she kissed me! Not the other way around," Lyndon managed around the hand squeezing his throat.
            It was the wrong thing to say if the narrowing of dark green eyes was any indication. Lyndon swallowed as Kormac got nose to nose with him.
            "You had something to do with it. I've been watching you. Somehow, you always manipulate things to run how you want them. But you will not play your sinful games with our friend. This entire battle is taking its toll on her and she does not need your type of distraction."
            Something changed in the scoundrel's eyes. In fact, it changed his entire persona. Kormac was unprepared for the fist that caught his jaw and sent him stumbling backward, releasing Lyndon. The second managed to catch him unprepared as the rogue pressed his advantage and actually managed to send the templar down in a clatter of armor. Then, he winced as both hands complained at the hard blows. Not that it stopped him.
            "You listen to me, Kormac," he said. When the enraged green eyes met his, Lyndon kicked the templar's arm out from under him when he went to rise, sending him back to the floor. Dropping, he reached out and shoved the armored man down. "LISTEN!"
            Kormac hesitated at this new side to the normally shady and flighty man and Lyndon again took the opportunity to glare at him.
            "You don't know Killashandra as well as you think you do. And contrary to what you've decided to believe about me, I am not going to hurt her. She has needs, Kormac! She's a woman. And she's one that knows herself. Unlike you and your utterly idiotic vows, when the needs are too great she satisfies them. And it worked. For both of us. That's it."
            Although everything inside him shouted to get up and give the scoundrel the thrashing he had been long overdue in receiving, Kormac listened. Since he had not yet been pummeled to a stain on the floor, Lyndon continued.
            "She knows what she wants and she is not afraid to get it when she wants it. That goes for needing something too. But you've been so damned blinded by your vows and your order you don't even see what is tearing her apart! You don't even listen when she tries to tell you about it! So if you have a problem with her coming to me and taking up my offer, you'd better go confront her about it because she's a big girl!"
            Rising, Lyndon thrust himself away from Kormac, still glaring. He was also ready to be pummeled but this time he did not try to sneak or run away. Not this time. And as the templar began to push himself up and climb to his feet with the aid of the post, he decided he had held his tongue long enough.
            "Do you even realize what she's doing to herself?"
            "Of course I do! This last stunt of going out alone proves that she's not thinking straight!"
            "And of course, it's my fault somehow, right? Wrong! She might be in control of her fear, Kormac, but she's tearing herself apart to stay in control."
            "What would you know about it?"
            "More than you do. You've been so obsessed in mooning like the pitiful calf you are after the lovely enchantress you haven't paid her a single moment of thought. Why do you think she really took me along in Caldeum?"
            Blinking, the templar thought back to that moment. As he thought, the dark frown grew. It had been after they encountered Eirena that suddenly Killa chose to have the scoundrel accompany her. After that, he had only caught a glimpse of her once or twice when she did return to camp for supplies or repairs only to leave again.
            "She was right. I would have been a liability in the sewers--"
            "Gah!" Lyndon exclaimed and clapped one hand over his face to viciously scrub before looking back at the dimwit. But if he just gave in and blurted out the things he had read...he knew that Kormac would never believe him. And it would betray Killa completely rather than help her out.
            "You don't need a helmet. Your skull's too thick as it is!"
            "Why you filthy coward!"
            Suddenly both found themselves thrown backward by an explosion of magic between them. They hit the floor and sprawled before glowing purple chains rose to snare both, trapping them where they had fallen. Eirena, hands raised and glowing with purple-blue, was standing there glaring at the both of them.
            "You two are behaving worse than two spoiled children! End this now, before I have to separate you. I can promise, neither of you will enjoy where I will send you either."
            "But he--" Kormac began.
            "Now!" the enchantress said sharply.
            Then, Lyndon had an idea. Looking between the two of them, he sighed.
            "Tell me something. One thing...and I'll let you kick my arse to the crater and back without protest."
            Kormac glared at him but could do little being bound as he was. Eirena had turned her attention to the scoundrel as well.
            "What would you sacrifice to save the world?"
            They were silent. Eirena was clearly thinking that over while the templar bristled.
            "Anything!"
            "Anything, Kormac?"
            "Why do you think I became a templar? Whether by my blade, my will, my blood, my pain, or my life, I will give whatever is necessary to defeat evil and bring peace!"
            Eirena was quiet, still thinking over the seriousness of the question as she studied Lyndon. This new side of the scoundrel had surprised and intrigued her. She wanted to see just how deep this new, good man went.
            "What if, to save the world, you had to live. And you had to go against everything you believed in...for it to happen?" the rogue continued with eyes locked on Kormac's.
            Puzzled, he lay there and just thought about that. "What do you mean?"
            "Would you, a warrior of the templar order, sacrifice your honor...your nobility...your...purity...to save the world from evil? Would you surrender your morals and your pride to do what must be done?"
            Now the templar was silenced as well. Lyndon was satisfied with the response and found his gaze straying to Eirena. Since they had both calmed, she relaxed and dispelled the magic chaining them down. Standing there, she was at last able to nod.
            "I think I may understand what you are trying to ask. While the Prophet trained my sisters and I to use this magic to fight the daemons, you are asking more about...what parts of myself I would give up to save the world."
            "Yes, exactly," he said as he rubbed a few spots the chains had been too tight.
            Kormac pushed himself back up to sit there and think it over. Looking to Eirena, he frowned, still not understanding. Seeing his confusion, she tapped her lower lip with one finger.
            "Kormac, if you had to sin in order to save the world...would you do it?" she finally asked.
            Eyes widening, he at last understood. Looking between the enchantress and the scoundrel, he was rendered speechless. The latter moved to rise once more, dusting himself off and straightening his garb.
            "As a demon hunter, Killa has done just that. In order to save the world, she has taken sin and used what it gave her. Look at what she has been able to accomplish. If she needs to indulge her darkness from time to time to remain in control and remain sane...then how can I not accept it? How can I not give something in return for that sacrifice."
            "That is the true nature of what it means to sacrifice. Something no cultist or daemon-follower could possibly understand."
            Lyndon nodded and bowed to Eirena.
            "I gave up my life and all I knew to follow the Prophet," she continued. "But even before that, as a servant, I understood and accepted I would also have to...give up my purity and parts of myself in order to ensure my world and that of my sisters would be saved. None of us remained pure for long, but it did save our lives in the end. From what I understand, this is considered sin as well. But I do not regret committing it. It has brought me to this time to fulfill a greater purpose. Saving the world and all within it from destruction."
            Noticing the clear distress, the scoundrel moved over to give the enchantress a hug. For once, there was no reaction from Kormac. He saw the hug for what it was: comfort. And sitting there, he found that although he could have answered the question, he was not certain if he was able to do anything that Eirena was describing.
            "Think about it, Kormac. Once she's bathed, fed, and re-armored I'm certain she will push forward again. And we'll need to know if you're going to go with her or not, so that I can get ready to go if you aren't," Lyndon said before turning to walk away, heading for their bedrolls and his things.
            Eirena stepped forward and offered her hand to the man. Flushing, Kormac cleared his throat and shook his head before slowly getting his armored body back up onto his feet. Seeing no insult in his refusal, she smiled gently at him. Then her nose wrinkled. "Perhaps you should wash as well. I fear you truly stink more than she did."
            He only nodded and turned to move after Lyndon. Although the scoundrel was alert and kept an eye on him, the templar found all desire to lay into him had fled. There was too much for him to think about as he set to cleaning his armor and finding clothes that were not half-dissolved to wear beneath it.
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The Hunter and the Templar