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The Hunter and the Templar	By : BurneHazard Category: +A through F > Diablo III Views: 6473 -:- 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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            Yet another soul with their family stripped away. But Haedrig is not as I am. Or was. He is in the prime of his life rather than a child without hope. He has already chosen his way of dealing with his grief by throwing himself into work. I have gained a skilled ally with the ability to not just repair any of my damaged equipment, he knows secrets to forging new armor and weapons that I had not dreamed of. Already he has nearly completed a new set of armor to replace my old one.
            The templar...confuses me. One moment it seems that we of the same mind. Then he says or does something that completely... I am not so certain just what to make of him. Regardless, I am upholding our deal. While my armor is being finished, I have begun to work with the templar to get us used to one another. We each have different fighting styles and skills. Even if it means that the trees near Tristram suffer a little, I will not enter the hunt again until I am certain we have a decent grasp on how we can work together.
            Although I still feel restless, Cain assured me that someone is on the trail of the sword pieces. The wizard--naming himself Chaende--came here as I did, drawn by the star. Since he was hale and healthy, he proceeded on the task I left waiting. Part of me chafes at that. But I am honestly relieved that this setback has not become a problem. In fact, something curious was discovered while I sat with Cain one day.
            My arm was almost fully healed. After the cellar purging, I permitted the templar to try his hand at healing it. He would not let the subject go and it was either agree or injure him permanently. When he did lay his hands on my arm, it was a sensation I had felt before. Warmth. Sunlight. Power. The full opposite of evil. But it was far weaker than the first time I had felt that same sensation. When the stranger touched my arm.
            Now I have my own suspicions about just who--or what--the stranger is. Just as Cain has kept his suspicions to himself, I find no cause or reason to voice my own. Although it was rather amusing to see the templar so puzzled as to why the bone was mostly healed when he tried to heal it. I was honest enough with him though. I have always been a fast healer, so saying such was no lie. But here as well as to myself I admit it was not the full truth either.
            The wizard retrieved one of the sword's pieces. He has suffered some serious injuries as well and has been left weak from whatever magics he used on his quest. Given my own returned health, I again took up the hunt with the templar following. At least this time I do not have the sense of dread I did at the first encounter. The wizard warned us of a strange encounter with a witch that claimed to be the leader of a coven.
            He said she seemed very interested in the sword piece and it was almost more than he could handle. Due to his injuries, he has elected to return the task to me. Although it pleased me, I do hope that he recovers swiftly. Nevertheless, he has crafted a few useful items for us on our way. The most useful item I've found are the small gem-like orbs he calls wizard-lights. They are simple things enchanted to drift through the air and create a soft glow to light our way. He taught us the words to snuff or intensify the light.
            He strikes me as an intelligent sort at least. These baubles are small and useful. The templar has not been able to break his either. I'm certain it was not his intent to try, but it did make me wonder anyhow.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
            "Maghda said something curious about the next piece. She believes it fell where only ancients may tread,"(1) Chaende said to those near the chair he rested in.
            Leah thought for a moment. "That makes me think of the Drowned Temple near the Festering Woods. I remember you telling me about it, Uncle."(2)
            "Exactly, Leah. The temple was home to the nephalem," Cain said as he bowed his head in thought before pointing to his niece. "Leah, your knowledge could be invaluable. You must go and help our friend retrieve the sword piece."(3)
            Leah rose from her own chair with a nod. The hunter regarded her intently, looking skeptical even though she had seen the girl use a bow before. Still, a guide was better than wasting time being lost.
            "The nephalem were ancient humans with fantastic power. Legend holds that they waged a terrible battle near the temple and that their ghosts still war with one another,"(4) she said as she headed for her room to pack her things.
            It left the rest of them to wait for a few minutes. Naturally, Killa turned her attention to her weapons and double-checking that everything was in order. Chaende was starting to doze off once more, his head gradually drifting down toward his chest. It was Cain and the templar that seemed almost awkward in the moment of idle. At least, until Kormac spoke up.
            "How are criminals treated in your land?"(5)
            Blinking, brows rising with surprise, Killa looked up to find he was staring at her. Looking back to her examination of her bowstring, she shrugged one shoulder as her healed arm was still quite tender. "They are given three days' food and water, then banished."(6)
            "How odd. In the order, they're just executed."(7)
            "We are all survivors. And if one of us is guilty of a crime, since they are not a demon, they have a right to live or die as happens," she said as she tested the string, listening to the sound it made.
            "And if they commit the same crime elsewhere?"
            "Then it's someone else's problem. But where we live...it's unlikely they'll survive long enough to do so. Either a demon will find them, or they'll be bait for something we hunt."
            That seemed to silence the templar for the time. Finally, Leah emerged with her pack and crossbow. Glancing up, Killa simply rose and turned to head for the door while the rest worked out the details. All that she was concerned with was which direction to go for this temple and the next step of her quest.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
            They were making their way through the Fields of Misery. Despite the name, it was rather dull with only a few twisted and mutated things to slow them down. The goat-men were oddly quiet and kept themselves scarce. Not that any of the three minded. So it did come as a surprise when they neared an old mill upon the road only to have a man trussed up like a holiday roast run toward them.
            "You there! Please help: they're going to kill my friend!(8) he called as he came close.
            Kormac brought his shield up at the ready and even the hunter's eyes narrowed. The sudden encounter struck both as too convenient. Leah wisely stayed behind both of them as they considered the possible trap this might be.
            "Thieves are going to kill my friend if we don't do something!"(9) the stranger panted as he stopped near them. Seeing the suspicious looks, he twisted around and jerked his head up the road toward the mill they had been heading for. "Help me break these bonds, and see for yourself!"(10)
            The hunter continued to regard the man with narrowed eyes. At last though, she decided to risk it. Stepping forward, she motioned for the templar to free the man. It took a few moments before he finally relented and used his polearm's head to slice through the ropes. The stranger immediately started back toward the mill, leaving them to follow.
            "What do they want with your friend?"(11) Killa asked.
            "She's just a farmer's daughter--Sasha...but she has a relic that the thieves are after,"(12) he replied as he reached over the fence to unlatch the gate from the inside.
            As they entered the mill's fenced yard, they heard another man's raised voice before they saw the source.
            "Where is the relic?"(13)
            "I'll never tell you!"(14) said a girl--young from the sound of her frightened voice.
            They came around the trees to see three men in rough garb each holding weapons in their hands surrounding a girl. A fourth had her arms held behind her, trapping her at the mercy of the entire gang. It was apparently the farmer's daughter. Since she and the templar had worked out signals to avoid further accidents in their efforts, he moved around to the left at Killa's nod.
            "Release the girl," she called as she drew her bow. "The relic belongs to her."(15)
            The bandits turned. They looked to the three newcomers before the apparently leader sneered as he looked to the stranger that had been bound. Motioning to the man with his blade, the bandit spit to the side.
            "You actually believe what this scoundrel tells you?" he asked. The hunter only tilted her head to sight along her arrow at his left eye. "Fine, you fools. We'll kill the lot of you!"(16)
            It was no battle. It was a slaughter. The bandits were poorly trained to fight battle-tried soldiers let alone a templar and a demon hunter. Leah's arrows also felled a couple. More bandits burst from the house only to fall to either arrows or the templar's spear. The stranger had found a crossbow somewhere as well and aided them. When the true leader revealed himself, he fell just like the rest.
            "This isn't over," the dying bandit said as he struggled to drag himself closer to the stranger, grabbing his boot. "The rest of the Thieves Guild...will...find you..."(17)
            Killa was listening and took note of the dying warning. Regarding the man intently as he jerked his foot away from the corpse and turned to meet the rush of the girl, she considered. Kormac and Leah had checked the house, freeing the girl's mother who had been tied up in the kitchen. There was no sign of the father or any further bandit troubles.
            "--travel away with my friend here to do so."(18)
            Realizing her attention had wandered off the conversation about marriage and children, the hunter blinked and looked back to the stranger in surprise.
            "You wish to join me?"(19)
            "Yes, yes! You look like you know a lot about markets. Now, lead the way!"(20)
            Her eyes narrowed, able to smell a lie when so blatantly exposed to one. She looked nothing like a market-goer. And she was not the only one giving the man such a look as the templar slowly followed him to the far gate leading back to the road. Once more, there was the urge to just cover her face at the sheer absurdity of the situation. But, they had wasted enough time.
            Leah finished bidding the girl--Sasha--farewell and the silly thing went inside the house to see to her distraught mother. It left the three of them to trail after the man just in time to hear:
            "Wait--the relic is a fake! Gods, I should have known,"(21) the man lamented, throwing the object into the brush.
            Paying him little mind, the hunter turned to Leah.
            "Just where do we need to go from here to reach the temple?"
            The red-head tugged her map free and studied it.
            "Ah, you're looking for that old temple just up the hill? Say no more."
            Waving for them to follow, he started along a nearly invisible trail through the trees. Skeptical, Killa drew another arrow and readied her bow before following. Leah, at a loss, folded the map and followed as well with the templar behind.
            "Well, you seem like you could use a helping hand," the stranger said to the hunter--turning to walk backwards and purposely looking the templar up and down with clear insinuation. "And I sure as hell don't want to stay around here!"(22)
            Kormac was not so thick he missed the implied insult. "Please tell me that you're not considering this criminal's proposal."(23)
            Shaking her head, she remained silent as they followed him along a trail through the trees that led directly onto the old ruins they sought. Had they followed the map it might have taken them another day. They continued until they reached a circle of stone deeply carved with a specific design marking a waypoint for travelers to make a safe camp. Typically a spot sheltered and defensible.
            "Ah! There you are!"(24) their impromptu guide announced with a grand flourish of his hands.
            "But you made a promise to your betrothed..."(25) Killa began, already eager to be rid of yet another stray-in-the-making.
            "Betrothed?" he chuckled. "Do I look like the marrying kind to you?"(26)
            Spinning agilely, he caught Leah's hand. Taken by surprise, she tensed as he bowed forward to place a kiss to the back of it.
            "By the way, my name is Lyndon."(27)
            And Killa could no longer hold off the urge that had possessed her earlier. Her free hand came up and covered her face with a sound muffled by the leather of her glove. She missed the utterly confounded and aghast look upon Kormac's face. And Leah was left blinking at the grinning scoundrel as she drew her hand back, utterly lost as to how to react.
            "Let's just get the second sword piece," the hunter growled.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
            We encountered the one that the wizard told us had attacked him. She calls herself Maghda and indeed, appears to lead the very coven we came up against within the Cathedral. The templar almost made a fool of himself in his anger, but I cannot really blame him. She taunted him during our encounter. Apparently she had made Kormac's betrayer, Jondar, one of her inner circle. Most of what transpired was beyond me as I am not a templar.
            However, the stench of demons was too strong to brand her merely a witch. She is something far...more than any mere witch I have encountered before. Rather, I think she is one of the more powerful followers of a greater demon. No lesser demon could bestow any such gifts upon a human. Unfortunately, it seems to have made the templar believe he has to stay with me longer--to kill her if nothing else, for turning a revered member of his order into a cultist. I feel there is something more he is not telling me but don't feel like worrying about it.
            Something about what occurred within the drowned temple... I shall not write about what transpired out of respect for the sacred place and its spectral guardians. Needless to say, if anyone should happen to read it, do not attempt to venture into that temple yourselves. The only reason that I was able to enter and pass through was...well, even I do not know for certain. But, what are--or were--the nephalem?
            I know very well that I have power. I have survived and surpassed all others in my training and abilities. That was why I was given the task of seeking the meteor at Tristram. But how can I be nephalem? Cain and Leah both told me tales of the ancient race and the more they speak of, the more I find certain mysteries in my past make more sense. My curiosity is limited however. I don't care what I am. All I care about is killing demons. If being nephalem aids me in this, I see no reason to bother digging more.
            We retrieved the second piece of the sword in the temple. As we left, I sensed an easing of tension that was nearly gratitude. The spirits there are again able to rest and be at peace. For that much I am glad. Although...I have wondered...if they are--were nephalem, could it also be my fate to become a spirit wandering this world once I die? So long as I can kill demons, I don't think I'd mind that one bit.
            The third and final piece is believed to have fallen in Wortham. The templar and I are currently on the ferry headed there. Only the blind would be unable to see the smoke choking the skies from the village. Even then, they would be able to smell the burning flesh and buildings. The witch Maghda is ahead of us yet again. I only hope we are not too late...

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Author's Note:
            (6-8-14) I'd initially intended to skip over this part as I had no intention of including the Scoundrel into my tale. Since it more or less took a life of it's own though, I realized that it was key I go back and include him as well as a vital part of the idea about Maghda. So, this chapter has become longer.
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The Hunter and the Templar