Part C: Khalim's Will and Gidbinn
As they returned back to town, they were greeted by a very serious looking Deckard Cain.
"Never forget your true purpose here is to destroy Mephisto. He was imprisoned in the Guardian Tower in the temple of Zakarum in the city of Travincal." Heero's grip tightened around his weapon. "The only way for you to get to his lair is to destroy the compelling orb. To do so, you must assemble Khalim's Will. Of the Zakarum, Khalim was the lone incorruptible priest, and the Que-Hegan of the high council. The remainder of the council dismembered Khalim and scattered his remains to the four winds."
Duo winced. Yeah, I work with the undead. But that's just... gross.
"Your task is to find the three most important of Khalim's remains: the Eye, the Heart and the Brain. Combined in the Horadric cube with Khalim's flail, Khalim's Will will smash the compelling orb and give you access to Mephisto."
Heero couldn't speak, his throat was clenched with grief. His order, the one he'd been so proud of, the one who's example he'd been following, was corrupted collective puppet of the Lord of Hatred! He had been so wrong, and treated Duo so unfairly, for what? Dare he even mention to Deckard that he was Zakarum?
Heero began to walk away, and he didn't really notice what direction he was going in until the scent of heated steel hit his nostrils. He found himself in front of Hratli's workspace.
The older man greeted him pleasantly enough, then said "As I told your friend earlier, I cast the protective spell on the dockside, though lately it seems to be weakening. There is something that could reinforce the magical barrier on the dockside. There is an ancient Skatsimi blade called Gidbinn out in the Flayer jungle. Find it, and this place will remain safe."
Heero nodded. "We will find it," Heero reassured. Slowly, he felt a measure of confidence enter him. Perhaps they would be alright. He nodded to Hratli and returned to his friends.
Hratli smiled quietly. "Perhaps Khalim was the only uncorrupted Zakarum here, but that young man is an uncorrupted Zakarum from elsewhere..."
Heero explained about the Gidbinn. Trowa had taken to mapping to occupy himself, and so had a rough sketch of the dockside. There was writing on the other side, which indicated their first objective, the Eye of Khalim, was in the Spider Cavern. When they were ready, the group took their portal back to the jungle.
Several minutes of wandering and fighting had Duo muttering "Thorned hulks and Flayers and Suckers, oh my."
From what they had noticed, a river ran through the jungle and, following it, they had a path that took them deeper and deeper into the jungle. In several places there were small wooden bridges, though they crossed none. At some point, the river seemed to hem them in, forcing them to cross a bridge.
Duo wiped the sweat from his forehead, fluffing out his sticking bangs. He thought longingly of Quatre's hydras and teleport. He cast a look at Trowa, who was taking advantage of their pause to make the map up to date. Duo had a hunch that Trowa was blaming himself for Quatre's abduction. Duo shot another look, this time to Heero. The paladin seemed lost in his own thoughts as well. That left Wufei. Wufei was leaning on a nearby tree, his shadow self not far from him.
"Hey, Wufei, how ya holding up?" Duo asked cautiously. Duo wasn't sure how to gauge the Assassin, and wasn't all that close to him.
"I am well, Duo," Wufei said. "I am thinking that you want to talk to someone, and since your normal conversation victim is absent, and Heero and Trowa are occupied, that you decided to talk to me."
Duo ducked his head. "Yeah."
"I don't mind," Wufei said honestly. Duo grinned quickly.
"Great. I've been meanin' to ask you, where are you from?" Duo asked. He saw Heero signal to proceed and fell into step with Wufei.
"Far to the West. Almost at the edge of the world." Duo made a face. Everyone knew the world was round, thus having no 'edge'.
Their conversation was interrupted by Heero and Trowa encountering several large thorned hulks, one of which struck heavy blows that Heero could barely see coming. Wufei's firetraps and Trowa's volcano seemed to be most effective against the creatures made of wood and plant material.
When the thorned hulks collapsed, they took a moment to rest. Heero summoned a soothing healing aura which slowly but surely replenished their health. Duo found himself wishing, once again, that Quatre was there.
Trowa sketched in another part of the map, and pointed North. Their walking seemed to lead into one fight after another with Cloud Stalkers, though they were not dangerous enough to warrant too much rest. In addition, it had started to rain.
Duo muttered something uncomplimentary about Mephisto's parentage and personal habits and continued along. Trowa paused to place one hand against a tree. The others stopped to watch him.
"What is it?" Duo asked. Trowa sighed.
"The jungle is very sick," Trowa said, though refusing to elaborate further. This, too, was not his home. His home consisted of the thick, northern forests and the rolling plains in between the forests where his people made their homes. Strangely, this place reminded him of the forest of his final training exercise, when he had first summoned his ravens.
*flashback*
Trowa nodded solemnly to the older man dressed in animal skins. He was his instructor, and one of the most powerful Druids around.
"Trowa, in the forest, you must find yourself, and your familiar. To do this, you must be alone, carry no weapon and be unclothed. Do you understand?"
Trowa nodded again. With a nod of his own, the instructor signaled him to go into the forest. Trowa broke into a run, darting through the trees.
How far can a druid run into a forest? Trowa asked himself mentally, recalling a joke someone had told him. Only halfway, because then he's running out of it Suddenly, he stopped. He craned his neck to look around, but saw nothing.
He noticed a flat rock to sit on, and sat down, feeling the cold stone bite into his bare flesh. He sat in the meditative position, ignoring the great, sweeping cold. Goosebumps crawled up and down his skin as his heartbeat thundered in his ears. Finally, he took a great, shuddering breath of cold into him, and blew out gently. He noted now his breath came out as an Arctic blast.
*Think of the cold, and remember,* he heard in his mind. Knowing he couldn't stay where he was, he moved on. As he walked, the trees seemed to move closer, closing in on him. He focused his mind and pushed the trees away.
Suddenly and without warning, vines wrapped around his arms, legs and neck. The vine around his neck began to tighten. He fought to breathe, then pulled an arm free, pulling on the vine around his neck, tearing it from the tree. He managed to free the rest of himself, and the vines pooled around his feet.
*Call the vines, for you have tamed them,* he heard from the same mind voice. Tentatively, he called to the vines which immediately came to awareness, though he found it most difficult to have more than one active at a time, so he decided one at a time would suit him well.
*Now, call your familiar from the forest,* instructed the mind voice. Trowa closed his eyes and concentrated hard. All he could hear was his own heartbeat. He slowed his breathing, but the heartbeat seemed to grow louder, not quieter.
Wait, the trees... Trowa thought, and he was suddenly aware of the deep, pulsing beat of the earth. The beat melded into his own, and he began to lose his identity. At once he was the entire planet, all the trees, animals, plants and soil.
He hurt. He could feel people digging into his flesh, parts of himself becoming polluted, other parts seething with corruption. Some parts of him even felt... violated. He wept.
*You see the problem you must fix?* the mind voice asked. *There will be others to help you. Go here, though not for several years yet to come.*
Slowly, Trowa came back to himself as the pain faded. Sitting on either shoulder were two ravens, a male and a female, both glossy black.
*We will be your familiars,* the female raven said. *I am Deimos, and this is my mate Phobos.*
*But... I am only supposed to have one,* Trowa told them, startled. He stroked Deimos' beak. She fluffed her feathers.
*Well, you are supposed to be two,* she said reflectively. *I don't suppose there is another of you about.*
*No, just me,* Trowa said, stroking Phobos' soft feathers.
*Don't worry, you'll find your other,* Deimos said, launching herself into the air with a cry. She wheeled once and flew away, and Trowa followed her, all the way out of the forest.
*end flashback*
"Very sick," Trowa added, drawing his hand away from the tree. "Let's go."
To Be Continued... *insert demonic laughter here*
Back to Act IIIb
On to Act IIId