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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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            When they reached the Great Span, it was a vast change from the place they had just come from. There was almost no corruption present. The walkways were practically untouched. Alert and immediately further on guard, Killashandra and the others continued. As they moved swiftly along the walkway, Tyrael frowned and began to scan the area around them. He slowed, causing Lyndon and Eirena to do the same.
            "Wait..." he called to make the hunter and templar stop and look back. "There is something different here."(1)
            "We know, Tyrael. But we cannot stand here and wonder. If it is a trap--and we know it is--then we need to spring it and keep going. Diablo has not slowed his advance. We must not," Killa said as she turned to continue.
            Kormac sighed suddenly. "Poor Leah. If anything like that ever happened to Eirena..." He did not miss the sharp look he received from those glowing eyes. "By the Light, I don't know what I'd do."(2)
            "I do," Lyndon suddenly spoke up behind them. "Because we're doing it now. Diablo is going to die. If not by the hand of a demon hunter, then by the hand of one of us!"
            The ferocity in the normally cheerful and smooth tone made almost everyone stop to stare at him. Only Killa and Eirena were unsurprised.
            "Lyndon?" Killa asked gently.
            The scoundrel shrugged, refusing to meet anyone's eyes as he glared out over the city. "I can't believe Leah is gone. I keep thinking of her laugh, her smile..." His voice trailed off, softer than any of them had heard it before. "I'll never see her again."(3)
            The enchantress had blushed at the way the conversation had turned before she went over to give Lyndon a hug. It seemed to snap him out of his melancholy a little as he smiled and took a deep breath. They followed the hunter as the other two men stared at one another. Tyrael broke away first with Kormac following a moment later. And the templar started to look between Lyndon and Eirena...but kept his peace.
            "Look, Tyrael...your old lieutenant,"(4) Diablo's voice thundered.
            Ahead of them was another large patch of corruption. But it was different than anything they had encountered before. Strange crystals were clustered about the bases of the columns. They were...unusual things strangely beautiful in their corrupted shapes. A group of angelic warriors had gathered around the largest cluster of them. They had grown over another large hole in the floor, sealing it closed.
            Suddenly, the crystals trembled, raising a nerve-jangling tone. The formation exploded outward, catching the angels in the lethal circle of razor-sharp shards. Glowing silver and icy blue liquid sprayed over the corrupted surface of the floor as they fell to the ground. It was clear they would never rise again. And the creature responsible landed heavily before them in a crouch.
            "Izual," Tyrael breathed.
            "It seems we've both fallen from grace, Tyrael," the demonic creature said. Its flesh was a deep purple while its body was massive with heavily toned muscle. The wings were skeletal and several of the sharp fingers were crowned in gold. More gold decorated the twisted mockery of angelic armor about its great body. "Come, embrace your former lieutenant!"(5)
            With a roar, the demon-angel attacked them. The group scattered as Kormac charged in to provide them a distraction. Tyrael did the same although he had no shield and instead, let Kormac do his task while he struck at the massive weapon Izual used against them. As the two worked to keep the demon's attention, both Lyndon and Killa flanked him, firing into the massively muscled body. Eirena kept her distance as she wove her spells and released several hexes at the creature.
            More angelic warriors arrived on the scene but they held back as if uncertain whether they should join the battle or not. Suddenly, Izual unleashed an attack that the hunter was all too familiar with. Spiked spheres of that strange crystal flew from the sweep of a massive arm, spreading over the ground around them. Vaulting upward, Killa flipped over the one nearest her to land in a clear spot. Lyndon had also been wise enough to move.
            "The chill of Hell will sap the life from your bones!"(6) Izual called with laughter in his deep tone.
            The spheres exploded, catching Tyrael and Kormac in the blast and freezing them solid. Before the demonic angel could shatter them, Eirena surrounded them both with a magical shield. Killa fired into the soft spot bared to her with the lifted arm and the creature roared in pain. His arm fell--and drove the other two bolts that had struck him under his arm deep into his side, puncturing something that caused blood to spurt from his fanged mouth.
            He turned toward her as the enchantress worked to thaw the two men and free them of their prisons. Lyndon was doing his best to weaken the demon with a deluge of poisoned arrows but it seemed Izual was impervious to it. Killa merely backed up, sending her bat in to strike the thing's head. It caught the bat in its free hand and she felt the magic shatter as the conjured creature was pulverized.
            Suddenly, Izual reared back with an agonized howl. Tyrael had been freed and brought his sword in to slice through the tendons in the back of one of his former comrade's calves. It pulled attention back to him as he withdrew, letting Kormac move between him and the giant. Izual only laughed before bringing his free arm up to point at the hovering angels still debating whether they should join or not.
            "You've failed again, Tyrael," Izual said. The angels suddenly twisted and thrashed, screaming--before transforming into the very same type of creature that had managed to beat the hunter's body up a bit. "The corruption cannot be stopped!"(7)
            "But you can!" Killa called.
            Distracted, Izual turned toward her. Kormac caught a glimpse of her as both crossbows rose skyward. Backing into Tyrael, he lifted his shield and used his other arm to yank the mortal angel close enough to be positioned under the bulwark. Then the hunter fired as crimson bled from her eyes. The rain of arrows struck the demon-angel. Anywhere they struck, they burst into flame, consuming his flesh and burning the corruption at his feet so there was nowhere he could avoid the flames.
            Roaring in pain, he reared backward as those lethal wings flared. Lyndon was suddenly there, somehow reaching the demon's shoulder. He threw something about the size of a fist into Izual's open mouth and delivered a blow to the jaw powerful enough to shock the creature into closing it. The swallow was automatic. But the scoundrel was already jumping away, landing hard and tumbling as he tried to gain distance.
            Izual's head and torso exploded into a shower of bone and gore. Tyrael and Kormac managed to miss most of it although it struck the shield. The light burned it away. Killa vaulted backward to avoid the stuff as well and saw that with Izual's death, the newly corrupted angels fell as well. The remainder of the body fell and collapsed upon itself in typical demonic fashion. It left the group to pull together and push onward.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
            Finally, they reached the second level of the spire. However, when confronted by the third specter, the demon truly chose a poor form to take. Killa had no recollection of anyone named Marius. He seemed to focus more upon Tyrael than her however so it was of no trouble for her to destroy the deceptive demon that had tossed the ex-angel into past memories. They pressed on once more.
            More corrupted angels met them as they proceeded through the hellish transformation of the heavens. Each time Tyrael grew more grim. No longer did he let his feelings slow him down or make him hesitate. It was saddening but also reassuring to the hunter. She ceased paying such close attention to him and more attention to her hunt. As they pressed on, she almost missed some of the talk her friends shared. Almost.
            "It is good to have you with us again, Tyrael,"(8) Kormac said.
            The mortal angel nodded. "I am sorry to have worried you. There was much I had to overcome."(9)
            "Yes," the templar replied. "We all have our regrets, don't we?"(10)
            Something in Kormac's voice made her look at him. His eyes met hers and locked as they continued to walk. When she said nothing, he looked away. It was Eriena who spoke up.
            "What do you regret, Kormac?"
            "I have thought on it for quite some time. Perhaps I did misjudge Lyndon. He is not quite the villain I thought he was."(11)
            No one had ever looked as shocked as the scoundrel did upon hearing those words. The enchantress merely smiled though.
            "You impress me, Kormac," Killa said. "You don't strike me as the type to admit his mistakes."(12)
            "Even a templar can err, Shandra,"(13) he replied.
            Again their eyes met and locked. She understood he was trying to say something. But this time, she had no clue what it was he was trying to communicate. It was not the same as the way they fought with looks or shouts or signals. This was different. And it left her feeling oddly lost. Just as it was clearly starting to frustrate him.
            "As long as you live, it is never too late to make amends or make things right," Tyrael was saying. "The only way it is too late is if you refuse to summon the courage to do it before the end."
            They lapsed into silence for a ways more. Then more demons met them and they set to fighting their way through the second level of the spire. All the while, Killa was turning over the words spoken by the group to try and find what remained unspoken. It proved to be elusive in a way that would have annoyed her had she time to indulge in that emotion. As it was, she found herself pressed to focus on the attacks being thrown at them with increasing numbers. Diablo was getting nervous.
            What truly made her pause was yet another vision of bound angels. They were adhered to the very columns supporting the second tier, their glowing wings locked in vile corruption pinned like butterflies in a collector's display case. Liquid light flowed from their wounds as they thrashed and struggled against the demonic magic binding them in place. To see them thrashing vainly to free themselves was somehow just as bad as coming upon the angels impaled on the lesions like trophies.
            Tyrael and Kormac were the ones to take over releasing the bound spirits as Lyndon, Eirena and Killa provided adequate cover. But it was not that easy to remain detached from what she saw. When another swarm of shades and corrupted angels swept down to ambush them, it scattered the entire group as they set up a cross-fire that had proven effective against the lost angels before. It left Killa a little further from the rest as one of the fallen creatures pursued her.
            Just as the first to appear had, it slammed into her bodily, sending her flying further from the others. Unfortunately for the corrupted one, she had also learned how to take their circling, diving attacks and still find their weak points. In a few shots and another tackle, her attacker crumbled. It had driven her into a corner during the fight. And as she picked herself up once more, she discovered she was not alone.
            One angel was stuck to the wall. The black taint that held him was fresh with hints of smoldering red embers still present in it. His wings were bent, pinned in a broken spread against the stone. Half of his lower body was completely gone, covered in the corruption trapping him in agony and torment. When she drew near, he lifted his head with a groan that made ice form in her stomach. One arm rose, hand reaching out to her as it shook with the pain the effort caused. Her hand grasped the gauntlet before she was aware of moving.
            "Nephalem..." the angelic warrior gasped and she recognized the voice. "...I should...have helped you...like my brother did. Please...forgive me..."
            Her eyes stung for a moment as she looked at the angel that she had seen so alive and fighting so fiercely not long before. That he was here, trapped, tormented, made her wonder what had happened to the others that were with him and the one that had loaned Kormac the armor. But, she did not ask. It mattered little. Bringing her other arm up, she brought the crossbow in to hover near his chest.
            "There is nothing to forgive. You were doing your duty. I swear, I will make them pay for this."
            There was a sense of something as the angel's helm fell forward. A rushing sigh escaped him as he squeezed her hand. "Thank you," he gasped and her finger squeezed the trigger.
            The bolt struck his chest and shattered his armor. Bluish-white light splattered over the weapon and her arm, striking her face and marking her armor. The metal plates crumpled, breaking apart as the angel's soul slipped free of the corruption to become light rising through the darkness toward the ceiling above. Her hand closed on the empty air, curling into a fist where it had held a solid hand just a moment before.
            Without a word, she turned to head back toward the others. Tyrael took one look at the slowly fading light splattering her armor with icy blue and said nothing. They moved onward, and finally, they reached the final conduit that would send them to the pinnacle. It was there, as Tyrael checked the device and activated it, that Kormac spoke once more.
            "I do not fear death," he said almost softly. "But sometimes...I wish I had seen more of life.(14)
            Tyrael looked up as light flashed and grew in the conduit. "What do you mean?"(15)
            But Kormac's gaze was fixed on the hunter. Feeling the weight, she turned and again found herself staring deep into the rich emeralds there as they were lit from within by holy light. "I wonder if love is as evil as the order claimed."(16)
            She felt her heart skip a beat as she finally understood what he had been trying to convey. Because once again she saw that warmth in his eyes, felt it wrap around her. Only once before in her life had she felt the sensations before and it again made her eyes tear up as she remembered. It was love. Love, that had been torn away from her and replaced by terror and hopelessness. Love that she had been given in the cave and seen in his eyes. Love, that she had been years without feeling with only hatred to strengthen her.
            "Well..." he sighed and looked to Tyrael "It's not important now."(17)
            The painful lump in her throat bound her to silence. Taking a slow, deep breath, she sought to calm her sudden chaotic emotions. But the warmth was still there, aching deep in her heart as she finally felt all the years of self-delusion shatter. It was like broken glass shredding her heart...while the warmth filled its cold shell and healed it once more. That was what hurt more than anything. And for just a moment, she could not remember how to hate.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
            They arrived at the pinnacle in once piece. Ahead she saw the tell-tale light of angelic wings. But it was not cause for relief. Something in the very air alerted her to trouble. But as Tyrael went forward, she followed. Sharp eyes scanned the area to see six warriors marching forward, forming a column facing one another at attention. Then...Imperius spun and saw her.
            "Nephalem, I see you did not heed my warning. Or perhaps you think yourself strong enough to face me?"(18)
            Her eyes narrowed as rage and hatred returned to her like old friends. Warmth in her heart or not, it was not so easy to lose nearly twenty years of hatred in a few moments. Red flashed in her glaring eyes as she regarded the head of the Angiris Council. "If I weren't pressed for time, I just might consider it."(19)
            Tyrael moved forward as he sensed the fight brewing between the two. Placing himself in Imperius's line of sight, he spread his hands. "Imperius, stop this madness! Diablo is the enemy here, not the nephalem!"(20)
            "Tyrael, I will deal with you soon enough. I will--" he broke off as there was a sudden quake within the ground and shadow flared around them. "What is this? No! Diablo has reached the Arch!"(21)
            Suddenly, every angel present cried out, thrashing and crashing to the floor. The light of their wings went out, as all light in the chamber was snuffed save for the corrupted glow of the tainted water spilling to either side of the walkway. The angels still breathed, moving feebly on the ground like flies that had been sprayed out of the air with poison. Tyrael stepped forward through them.
            "No! Diablo has begun extinguishing the Crystal Arch; that's why the angels have fallen! If its light should go out forever... We must defeat Diablo before that happens!"(22)
            "Even the angels cannot help us now, Tyrael. You were wise to shed those wings of yours,"(23) the hunter said as she moved forward to step over Imperius's crumpled form.
            "Diablo's vile corruption bars our path. Stand back--El'druin's light shall clear the way!"(24)
            Turning, the mortal angel brought his sword up as he faced the doors. In a mighty swing, the weapon unleashed a shaft of light that tore across the ground to strike the doors. Black corruption was burnt away, falling like ash from the barriers. The crystal symbol stretching across the middle of them flared and the doors opened. Breathing heavily, Tyrael turned back to the hunter and her friends.
            "The gate has been opened, nephalem," Tyrael said. There was a strange resignation to his voice that made her stare straight at him. "This last trial is yours alone."(25)
            Then she understood. He would not follow her. Perhaps he could not. While that was all right, to suddenly have it spelled out that she would be on her own without any guidance...made her uncertain. Then she berated herself. Twenty years a demon hunter, twelve of those on her own without guidance or mentors. She could handle less than an hour more.
            "I never thought I would fight alongside an angel. Now I can scarcely imagine going on without you."(26)
            A smile touched the weathered face before he stepped forward--and pulled Killa into a tight embrace. "It was an honor." Pulling back, he released her and backed away. "But this is the moment you were made for--this is the hour of mankind's victory!"(27)
            Nodding once, she turned toward the open doorway revealing stairs beyond. Just a few stairs away, one of the original Prime Evils--now THE Prime Evil--waited. Not only that, it was Diablo. The one demon lord she had desired to face since learning that he was the one behind the demon attack that slaughtered her parents and drove her sister into madness. Only then did she realize another reason Tyrael was not accompanying her. He had been the archangel of Justice. And now she would be facing the very source of her own injustice.
            Heart racing with new emotions forgotten or abandoned since that nightmarish night, she started forward. Eirena had already gone to see if she could do anything for the angels on the ground and Lyndon was lingering near her protectively. She did not need to look back to know Kormac was following her. He was a warm beacon of sunlight amidst a world her darkness passed through. Warmth drove away any lingering chill of doubt as she climbed the stairs upward...
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The Hunter and the Templar