Diablo II

Sisters of the Sightless Eye

Blood Trials

The Cold Plain was a stretch of desolate land that ran south of the rogues' camp, following the line of mountains to the east. The air was cool as Brigit and Elayne walked across the bare, ragged ground, the faint sunlight providing no warmth while chill winds grasped at the young women's cloaks and clothing. Elayne held her hunter's bow tightly, her eyes scanning the horizon for signs of ambush. Brigit grasped her battle spear, her short, blonde hair ruffled by the cold wind.

"There it is," said Elayne softly, pointing south.

Brigit squinted in the weak sunlight, she spotted the outlines of tall grave markers, mausoleums, and ancient crypts in the distance. There were no undead milling around the cemetery, the graveyard appeared to be completely deserted.

"We must move quickly before nightfall," advised Brigit, hefting her spear and quickening her pace towards the waiting rogue cemetery.

The female warriors reached the fence of the cemetery just as the sun began its descent. The headstones and statue markers cast long, deep shadows, Elayne imagined them as perfect hiding places for zombies and skeletons. She drew a war arrow from her quiver and settled it in her bow, she stayed three paces behind Brigit, eyes and senses alert while they walked closer to the arched gateway of the cemetery.

Brigit pushed the rusted gates open, metal screamed in protest, the tall portals slowly parted for the warriors. Leveling her short spear against her outstretched right arm, bladed point aimed at the cobbled path beneath her boots, Brigit slowly followed the stones past rank after rank of weather-worn grave markers. A flock of black crows cried out and flapped clumsily into the darkening sky, startling Elayne.

"Easy," soothed Brigit, never dropping her guard for a moment, her breathing smooth and measured as she walked deeper into the quiet cemetery.

Full night cloaked the cemetery by the time that Brigit and Elayne discovered the inner fence warding the heart of the graveyard. A marble mausoleum rested in the middle of the fenced-in courtyard, two female angels with outspread wings guarded the sealed iron doors.

Brigit stopped at the fence gate. She examined the chain and lock that had secured the gate, the lock was twisted and broken, as if crushed by a powerful hand. The amazon was pushing the bar gate open when the iron doors of the mausoleum shuddered and began to part.

"What do we do?" asked Elayne nervously.

"Hide behind that headstone!" hissed Brigit, sprinting away from the open gate to find shelter behind another marker.

The mausoleum completely opened and disgorged a tall, lithe woman dressed in a gleaming silver breastplate, chain-skirt, and black leather boots. She wore a glittering silver helmet with flared dove wings, a visor covered her nose and mouth. The woman tossed her silky, black hair and slid an ornate silver bow over her right shoulder. The rogue beckoned with one pale white hand, and a group of shuffling zombies followed the warrior, spreading out to fill the courtyard.

Blood Raven narrowed her milk-white eyes. She sniffed the chill night air, her head slightly upraised.

"I smell blood, warm, sweet blood," purred the Tainted rogue.

Blood Raven reached down with her left hand and raised her chainmail skirt. A drooling zombie shuffled forward and kneeled in front of the alabaster-skinned woman, nuzzling his ruined face between her creamy thighs, slurping loudly upon her shaved pussy. Blood Raven sighed with pleasure and beckoned to another of her undead minions. When the zombie was within reach, Blood Raven grasped the corpse's flaccid cock with her right hand, massaging the limp member to hardness.

Brigit nodded sharply to Elayne, then rose swiftly and charged the evil rogue. Elayne popped up from behind her gravestone and launched a flight of arrows, the missiles slapped into Blood Raven's breastplate, staggering the woman and propelling her away from her zombie lovers.

The amazon scythed her spear through the swaying zombies, stabbing rotting torsos, decapitating moaning heads with powerful swings of her weapon's haft.

Blood Raven recovered quickly, loading her silver bow from a quiver at her hip and snapping two arrows at Elayne's position. One glittering arrow snapped against Elayne's protective headstone, but the second punched into the girl's right shoulder. Elayne staggered and groaned as she felt intense cold spread across her chest and down her right arm. She fell to the stones, shivering as ice formed around her paralyzed arm.

Brigit dispatched the last of the zombies and faced Blood Raven. The Tainted rogue moved so fast her body blurred, arrows seemed to come from everywhere, cutting at Brigit's limbs, slowing her own movements as ice locked around her legs. Brigit shook her legs and shattered the thin film of frost, stumbling forward to engage the lightning swift rogue.

Blood Raven cackled with glee as she sent arrow after arrow into Brigit's leather breastplate, cracking the hardened material, sheathing it in blue ice. She summoned her infernal magic, calling more zombies from their graves. Headstones shuddered and fell, the hard earth cracked and burst apart as flesh-less hands reached out toward the night sky.

Elayne reached into a belt pouch with her free left hand, drawing out a vial filled with amber liquid. She popped the wax seal and swallowed the healing potion, the ice melted from her stiff right arm, she could move easily again. Shifting into a kneeling position behind her sheltering headstone, Elayne kept the emerging zombies at bay with a steady bombardment of arrows.

Anticipating Blood Raven's attack pattern, Brigit swung her spear and stabbed the unnaturally swift rogue in the stomach. Blood Raven howled in agony, swinging her bow and catching Brigit across the face. Brigit spat out a mouthful of blood and jabbed down with her spear again, punching through Blood Raven's silver breastplate, crushing the rogue's black heart.

Blood Raven's bare legs trembled then went limp. The dead woman fell onto her back, milk-white eyes wide and glazed.

The newly arisen zombies collapsed like broken puppets. The reek of death and decay filled the air around Brigit and Elayne. The rogue girl entered the corpse-laden courtyard while Brigit examined Blood Raven's still body. The amazon found a large purse of gold, a potion of speed, and two vials of healing elixir. Brigit unsealed one of the healing potions and eagerly drank its contents. The many bleeding wounds upon Brigit's arms and legs sealed shut and disappeared, new strength flowed into the woman's body. Brigit evaluated her own broken breastplate, then discarded it upon the blood-slick cobbles. She unfastened the silver breastplate protecting Blood Raven's large, ivory- blue breasts, the rogue smith Charsi could repair the spear damage that Brigit had inflicted upon it.

Collecting Blood Raven's armor in her arms, Brigit stood up and regarded Elayne, who was waiting patiently and guarding them with her loaded hunter's bow.

"Can we leave now?" prodded Elayne uneasily.

"Yes, we've done our job," nodded Brigit, allowing the rogue girl to lead the way out of the cemetery.

***

Upon returning to the rogues' camp, Brigit and Elayne washed and ate, then took a moment for a quick tryst within Brigit's tent. Exhausted and gleaming from their lovemaking, Brigit left Elayne in her tent to sleep, gratefully accepting a cup of cold ale from Warriv who stayed near his wagon to conduct business.

"I wanted to wait until you and Elayne were done to tell you that Akara left a message. She wants to see you as soon as possible to talk about your next quest."

"My thanks, Warriv," smiled Brigit, finishing her ale, handing back the clay cup, and leaving the dying campfire to see what the rogue mystic wanted to discuss.

Brigit passed the other tents of the rogues, then walked by the training grounds where a group of women practiced with bows and swords. The training rogues nodded respectfully when Brigit passed, the amazon had become something of a hero to the displaced women warriors after the defeat of Blood Raven.

Akara's black silk tent was set apart from the others. A large fire snapped in front of the tent's doorway, an immense black iron pot was suspended over the campfire, bubbling softly. Brigit peered into the steaming pot, it appeared that Akara was brewing more healing potions, understandable with the constant attacks suffered by the rogues.

"Akara?" called out Brigit, turning away from the bubbling pot.

"Come inside, Brigit," beckoned the elderly rogue.

Brigit tentatively entered the candle-lit tent. The scent of incense and beeswax filled the pavilion, there were several wooden racks filled with rolled up scrolls. A small table held a collection of potions and ointments, there were slender vials, squat jars, and multi-colored bottles each filled with a magical elixir.

Akara sat upon a stool near another table, stirring the contents of a small copper pot that hissed and steamed beneath her hand. She was reading from a slim leather-bound book as she stirred, she looked up at Brigit's approach, smiled in welcome, and closed the book upon her lap.

"Warriv said you had another task for me?" asked Brigit, sitting on an empty stool facing Akara.

"Yes. To ultimately defeat the Three Evils, we will need the wisdom of the Horadrim. Are you familiar with them?"

"Aye, the Horadrim were the ancient wizards who first imprisoned the Three Evils within the Soulstones," replied Brigit.

"That's correct. One Horadrim Sage remains. This man has devoted his life to studying the lore of the Horadrim, only he will be able to tell you how to destroy the Three Evils once and for all."

"Who is he? Where does he live?"

"His name is Deckard Cain. He is the wise man for a village called Tristram."

"Where is Tristram?"

"It is many leagues from here. You could not travel to Tristram on foot without wasting much precious time. There is a faster way to reach Tristram, you must unlock the magic of the Cairn Stones."

"The Cairn Stones?" frowned Brigit.

"An ancient site of power in Stony Field. The magic of the Stones can transport you to Tristram instantly. Unfortunately you must know the key to the Stones in order to activate them properly. The key is inscribed upon the Bark Scroll, which is warded by the Tree of Inifuss. You must travel through the Dark Wood, find the Tree, and recover the Scroll. When you return I can decipher the Scroll and tell you how to activate the Cairn Stones."

"Very well, I'll depart immediately."

"May the Light protect you, Brigit."

***

Brigit entered her tent quietly, intending to collect her weapons and gear without disturbing young Elayne's sleep. She was surprised to find Elayne awake and making the final adjustments to her leather tunic and new chainmail skirt.

"I had hoped that you would still be sleeping," said Brigit, shouldering her satchel before hefting her spear from the ground.

"I'm going with you," replied Elayne, settling her quiver of arrows against her hip, then checking the tautness of her hunter's bow.

"You almost died in the cemetery, I don't want to see you hurt again," murmured Brigit, moving close to the rogue girl.

"You can't fight the Three Evils alone. You need someone to watch your back," protested Elayne fiercely, matching Brigit's hard stare.

Brigit caressed Elayne's sleek red hair, then planted a soft kiss on the girl's warm lips. Elayne hugged the amazon tightly, her cheek pressed between the tall woman's breasts.

"Let's go," smiled Brigit, kissing the top of the rogue girl's head.

***

The brute roared when Elayne's barbed arrows ripped its furry throat open. The gurgling cry ended abruptly, and the huge, muscled creature fell, joining its motionless pack mates.

Brigit smashed her right boot into another brute's belly, the blade of her spear slicing through the air before it slashed through the monster's stomach, spilling dark blood and greasy intestines. The dying brute clasped his ravaged belly and collapsed forward, almost crushing the exhausted amazon.

"Any more?" wheezed Brigit, leaning on her gore-splattered spear while she caught her breath.

"That was the last one," reported Elayne, her eyes piercing the thick shadows between the gray-barked trees for outlines of more attackers.

"Scavengers will be attracted to these bodies, we better keep moving," said Brigit, rising stiffly and resuming her march along the winding forest trail.

Elayne remained a few paces behind Brigit, bow held before her loaded and ready should another brute or quill rat try to take their lives.

The ever-present shadows of the Dark Wood were broken when Brigit and Elayne emerged within a large clearing, the blue sky visible and welcome after days of overhanging branches and black leaves. The Tree of Inifuss dominated the clearing, it rose strong and tall, its bark smooth and golden, its leaves shimmering green, luminescent with life-magic. The two young women respectfully approached the Tree. Brigit stroked the warm wood, a section of bark came away, the inner side was covered in writing, strange symbols and glyphs that Brigit didn't understand, but seemed to radiate with hidden power.

"The Bark Scroll?" whispered Elayne from Brigit's right.

"Aye," sighed the amazon in relief.

***

After Akara had translated the Bark Scroll, Brigit and Elayne traversed the Stony Field to find the Cairn Stones.

It had begun to rain again, a steady downpour of chill droplets that soon had the two young women shivering in their cloaks. Brigit followed an old trail that supposedly led to the Cairn Stones. They had walked all day without rest, eager to find the Stones and use their magic to reach Tristram and the wise man Deckard Cain.

The Stones came into view through the glittering sheet of rain. Five tall, slender shafts of rock, set in a rough pentagram pattern. Brigit and Elayne quickened their pace, drawing closer and closer to the waiting monoliths.

The chittering of Fallen gave the women a moment of warning before a pack of the foul creatures emerged from the Stones and set upon the warriors. Brigit stabbed down at the axe- wielding vermin, pinning one to the hard earth, then kicking another in the throat, snapping its weak neck. Elayne back-pedaled and raised her hunter's bow, snapping out a wide arc of arrows, dropping three in a span of three heartbeats. A swift Fallen managed to duck beneath Brigit's hissing spear, it plunged its hand-axe into the amazon's right calf. Brigit grunted in pain, jabbing the butt of her spear against the back of the Fallen's skull, crushing its head like a ripe fruit.

The pack of Fallen were nearly slain when lightning crackled from the depths of the Stones, raking lethal fingers across Brigit's body. The amazon screamed, her short hair standing on end while the lightning ravaged through her quivering limbs.

"Brigit!" cried out Elayne, dispatching the last Fallen with an arrow through its forehead.

A single Fallen appeared from the Stones. It was larger than its pack mates, with thin, wiry limbs and arctic-blue scales. It licked its lips with a long, black tongue, then raised its claws and released another blast of sizzling lightning.

The last thing Elayne saw was a blinding flash of white light, agony ripped through her small body, and she knew no more. ***

Elayne dragged her mind out of unconsciousness. She moaned softly, prying her eyes open to discover that she was bound to one of the Cairn Stones, held upright by coils of rope that bit into the flesh of her arms and legs.

The disoriented rogue girl bit her lip and tried to clear her foggy mind. She stared ahead with bleary eyes, confused at first, then realizing she saw Brigit outstretched in the center of the Stones, her body naked and covered with bruises, her breathing ragged and harsh as Rakanishu crouched between her open legs, licking her cunt with his writhing, black tongue.

Elayne watched in horror as the wiry Fallen thrust his small, erect penis into Brigit's moist pussy, hissing with obscene pleasure, his small claws digging into the helpless amazon's thighs. Brigit's limp hips shook from the impact of Rakanishu's thrusts, he bent forward to lick her flat belly with his agile tongue, his claws drawing lines of red across the young woman's smooth skin. The short Fallen climaxed quickly, squirting his cum across Brigit's legs and stomach. He turned his head to regard Elayne and bared small, sharp fangs. He licked his lips, hopping over one of Brigit's legs and advancing on the bound rogue girl.

"Get away from me!" screamed Elayne, struggling to break the thick ropes that held her to the Cairn Stone.

Rakanishu cackled, caressing Elayne's slim legs, slowly raising her chainmail skirt until her loincloth was revealed. Elayne struggled and spat at the creature in front of her. The blue-scaled Fallen lowered his horned head underneath Elayne's skirt, tearing her loincloth to shreds with his claws, nuzzling his small snout against the tied girl's young sex.

Elayne closed her eyes, gasping as the squat Fallen licked and sucked her pussy, its serpentine tongue slipping inside her vagina, caressing the pink folds of her slit. Rakanishu squeezed Elayne's thin thighs as he tasted her cunt, his sharp claws bit into her flesh, his wet snout pressed against her clit, deeply inhaling the sweet musk wafting from her cunnie.

"S..stop," moaned Elayne, her belly clenching while honey oozed free from her pussy, running down her legs in thin, gleaming rivulets.

Rakanishu eagerly licked the juices pouring from the rogue girl's trembling cunt hole. The Fallen's long tongue was clammy and slick as it collected the droplets of nectar beading upon Elayne's engorged clit. Elayne bit her lower lip until her teeth pierced the skin, blood trickled down her chin as an unwanted orgasm exploded between her legs, her scratched thighs shuddering while yet more honey flowed from her pussy into the ravenous Fallen's maw.

The aroused Fallen's cunt lapping was cut short when a rock wielded by a staggering Brigit smashed into the foul creature's skull, cracking his head open like a coconut. Blood and brains splashed across Elayne's cum-drenched legs, she opened her eyes and sobbed gratefully when she identified her rescuer.

***

After several healing potions and a thorough scrubbing and cleaning, the two young women used the knowledge of the Bark Scroll to activate the Cairn Stones. The five rock pillars burned with blue fire, runes of magic throbbing across their surfaces. With a sharp crack of thunder, five lightning bolts leapt from the Stones and coiled together in the center of the structure. A crackling portal of azure energy spread open, the air felt charged and smelled thickly of ozone.

Elayne took a step back and eyed the portal distrustfully. Brigit looked over her shoulder at the hesitant girl, then offered the rogue her right hand.

"Come on," smiled Brigit.

Elayne stared at Brigit for a moment, smiled uneasily, and took the offered hand. The two warriors were sucked into the tumultuous portal, devoured by a vortex of untamed power.

***

The first thing to greet Brigit and Elayne when they emerged from the portal was the rank, cloy stench of death. Brigit gazed around with wide, astonished eyes, Tristram was in ruins, the entire town was covered in a pall of black smoke, the air filled with ash and flickering embers of flame.

"What happened?" murmured Elayne in shock before she started coughing from the ash and heavy smoke.

"Evil got here first," replied Brigit, brandishing her spear as she left the glowing portal to advance deeper into Tristram.

With Elayne trailing, Brigit passed ruin after ruin. No building had been spared, all that remained were smoldering piles of debris and corpse-filled streets. Flies buzzed around bloated, rotting bodies, the cracked cobblestones were soaked in blood. Brigit felt sick to her stomach, she had to fight to keep from vomiting at the sight of half-eaten children and fire-blackened corpses. The amazon was almost grateful when she heard a scream of pain.

"It came from the town courtyard!" reported Elayne.

"Hurry!" urged Brigit, sprinting down the rubble-choked street.

The two young women stopped at the edge of the courtyard. A crude scaffold had been erected for a single iron cage. A half-starved old man lay in the cage, his once clean, white robe tattered and stained with blood. A burly man dressed in a leather apron stood before the cage, jabbing a long spear at the moaning prisoner.

"Have mercy, Griswold," groaned the old man, wiping blood from his mouth with a trembling, wasted hand.

"You were our headman! You were supposed to help us!" accused the heavily-muscled blacksmith, stabbing the old man in the leg and twisting until the prisoner screamed raggedly.

"Stop it!" shouted Brigit, raising the bladed tip of her spear.

The blacksmith turned, regarding the two warriors with glowing, damned eyes. Griswold bared his teeth and swung his spear around, the weapon flashing as tongues of lightning danced around its length.

"The Lance of Yaggai thirsts for fresh blood!" spat Griswold, charging Brigit wildly. Brigit parried Griswold's thrust and slammed the haft of her weapon into his stomach. The breath was forced out of Griswold's mouth, but that didn't stop him from backhanding the amazon, hurling her from her feet.

Elayne shot two arrows into Griswold. The shafts punched through his leather apron, he staggered while blood poured down his torso.

"Bitch!" snarled Griswold, marching towards Elayne with murder in his glowing eyes.

Elayne quickly fired two more arrows at the blacksmith. One embedded deeply within Griswold's stomach, another slapped into his left thigh.

Griswold grunted, and kept advancing, moving with a heavy limp, but determined to slay the offending rogue girl.

"S..stay back!" warned Elayne, aiming another arrow at the wheezing blacksmith.

"I'm going to cut your heart out, you little bitch!" leered Griswold, raising his spear high.

Elayne released her bowstring. The war arrow slammed into Griswold's throat. Griswold choked, dropped his spear, and clasped his gushing throat. Eyes wide with terror, blood vomiting from his mouth, Griswold stumbled backward and fell, his body twitching until death finally took hold.

Brigit staggered to her feet and went to Elayne. Elayne simply leaned against Brigit for a few moments, drawing strength from her tall friend.

"Will you be alright?"

"Aye," nodded Elayne, sniffling softly.

Brigit brushed her lips over Elayne's red hair before she turned to free the wounded old man.

"Deckard Cain?" inquired Brigit as she broke the cage's lock with Griswold's enchanted spear.

"Aye," nodded the old man weakly, gratefully accepting the amazon's help out of the cage.

"Will you come with me? The Sisters of the Sightless Eye need your help to reclaim their monastery, and I need your help to defeat the Three Evils."

"I will offer you whatever help and poor wisdom I can," smiled Cain wanly.

Elayne walked forward to help Brigit support the weakened old man. They walked silently through the ruins of Tristram, eventually reaching the open portal that would take them back to the Cairn Stones. The trio entered the swirling portal without looking back at the burning ruin, and when they were gone the portal closed with a loud crack of finality.

*****