Diablo II

Sisters of the Sightless Eye

Sacrifices

A heavy sheen of sweat covered Brigit's naked body. She lay upon her back, every muscle burning with exhaustion even as her lover, the young rogue girl Elayne, continued to grind against her in a wild frenzy of lust.

Elayne lowered her dripping body until she was stretched out over Brigit. She grasped Brigit's left breast hard and started sucking on it, her tongue pressing hard over the amazon's stiff nipple. Rubbing her crotch against Brigit's, Elayne maintained a steady massage of the prone woman's clit and bush of thick blonde hair.

"Haven't..you had..enough yet?" gasped Brigit, her pelvis shaking slightly from the rogue girl's stimulating caress.

"I'm still so hot!" panted Elayne, brushing sweat-damp red hair away from her feverish face. "Eat out my pussy again!"

"We've been making love for six hours! I have to clean up and go see Akara," groaned Brigit, gently pushing Elayne off of her stomach.

Elayne sat on her knees and watched Brigit wipe the perspiration from her skin. Fastening on her silver breastplate, then her snug chainmail skirt, Brigit tugged on her boots as she hopped toward the tent entrance.

"I'll be back in a little while," apologized Brigit half-way through the tent opening.

"Don't be surprised if I'm not here!" snapped Elayne.

Brigit left without a backward glance.

"Bitch!" snarled Elayne, jumping to her feet and sliding on a loose tunic that fell to mid-thigh.

Elayne stomped out of the warm tent and wiped sticky hair off of her forehead with an irritated swipe of her hand. The sun was just setting, rose red sky transforming to black velvet. Elayne wandered through the tent quarter, she ignored the other rogues who were sitting down to a late dinner, talking quietly in small groups, or caring for well-used weapons.

Walking down one of the paths between rows of tents, Elayne stopped when she noticed loud cries of passion coming from one of the tents to her left. A small group of three rogues was standing on the other side of the path, snickering and trading comments with each other.

"What's happening?" demanded Elayne from one of the standing rogues, a dark-eyed brunette.

"Kellie's been making those noises for four hours. We're wondering how long she can keep it up, and what her friend's doing," grinned the lovely rogue.

"Kellie," murmured Elayne, her crotch warming at the mere thought of her companion, of the time they had spent as the Countess's prisoners.

Ignoring the chuckles of the milling rogues, Elayne untied the door flap of Kellie's tent and crouched inside.

The interior was brightly lit by sweet, beeswax candles. Kellie was holding the same position that Elayne had held a few moments before, straddling a young, naked, rogue girl, fondling the girl's moist pussy while she licked and sucked hungrily upon her lover's pliant right breast. Unlike Brigit, the girl underneath Kellie was gagged with a strip of leather and bound with heavy iron manacles that pinned her wrists above her head. Kellie's chained lover had long, gleaming red hair like Elayne's, the girl's wide, green eyes stared at Kellie with a mixture of fear and arousal.

"Where did you get the manacles?" asked Elayne while she pulled off her tunic.

"Gheed sold them to me," panted Kellie, her hips thrusting forward, her large, sweat-soaked breasts shuddering as she rubbed her swollen cunt over her lover's.

Elayne sat down behind Kellie, resting her weight on the chained girl's legs. Elayne brushed her breasts across Kellie's warm back, she reached underneath Kellie's armpits and grasped the perspiring girl's jiggling tits.

"I missed you," moaned Kellie, leaning her head back over her right shoulder so she could kiss Elayne deeply, their tongues writhing like two amorous snakes.

Elayne sucked softly on Kellie's tender, moist lips, then broke away. Licking Kellie's bare right shoulder briefly, the rogue girl slid down the chained rogue's legs, lowered her head, and began to lick the sweet droplets of sweat beading across Kellie's smooth, golden-brown, curvaceous buttocks.

***

Akara and Deckard Cain were talking quietly by the rogue elder's flickering fire, sharing bowls of steaming rice with cups of wine. Brigit nodded a greeting to both of them and squatted near the warm blaze.

"Have you eaten, Brigit?" inquired Akara politely.

"I could use some food," smiled Brigit gratefully.

"You look exhausted. Have you been practicing on the training grounds?" asked Cain while Akara spooned rice from the black iron pot in front of her.

"Uh, yes, a little," grinned Brigit weakly.

Akara glanced at the blushing amazon with a knowing twinkle in her eye. She handed Brigit the warm bowl and a cup of wine without comment.

"What were you two talking about?" prodded Brigit before she took a mouthful of rice.

"We were discussing Andariel," replied Cain, leaning back slightly and taking a sip of wine before continuing.

"Andariel is a demon queen, one of the lesser demons who conspired against the Three Evils and helped expel them into our world. If Andariel is here, in the Monastery, I believe this is a sign that the lesser demons are now actively supporting the Three Evils they once banished from Hell. We must destroy Andariel before she can make the Monastery a permanent outpost of Hell, if that happens, this entire region will be consumed by death and flame."

"I should leave for the Monastery in the morning," said Brigit, setting down her half-finished bowl of rice and completely draining her cup. Akara raised the jug of wine and re-filled the amazon's cup.

"You should take brave companions if you can, the Monastery is sure to be filled with horrible guardians," suggested Cain, his worn face grave with concern.

"It..will be best if I go alone," murmured Brigit, remembering Elayne's last harsh words.

"Do what you think best, Brigit," said Akara sympathetically.

"Thank you for the food and drink," said Brigit wearily as she rose to her feet. Nodding farewell to the two elders, Brigit faded into the night.

"I hope she has the strength to survive the Monastery, she still has a long road to travel," remarked Cain, holding his cup out while Akara poured more wine into it.

"She does," smiled Akara sagely, lowering her body carefully onto the camp stool, then sipping lightly from her cup as she stared into the dancing flames.

***

Leaving her tent, Brigit sighed to herself while heavy, cold drops of rain splattered over her and turned the ground into a mushy mess. The amazon's boots were sucked deep into the muck as she left the tent quarter and approached the guarded camp entrance.

"Good luck, Brigit," bade the rogue guard from the left.

"Light protect you," smiled the guard from the right.

Brigit nodded an acknowledgment, walking past the cloaked guards and turning south. The tempo of the rain increased, Brigit pulled up the hood of her cloak and bent forward, warding herself from the torrent. The march to the pass seemed to go on forever, Brigit's boots were caked with sticky mud by the time she reached the cleft in the mountains called Rogue's Pass.

A flash of lightning brought the Monastery into relief against the mountainside. The immense structure was dark, it appeared to be completely abandoned. Brigit followed the trail that laced up the mountain face to the Monastery's enormous gates. There were sounds of movement behind creases of rock and small boulders, the skittering tread of quill rats and other mountain creatures. Brigit reached into her cloak and grasped the haft of the Lance of Yaggai, the enchanted weapon vibrated softly in her hand, eager to spill blood.

A second explosion of lightning lit up the tall, arched, iron gates of the Monastery when Brigit stood before them. The tall amazon grabbed a door-ring and pulled back with all her strength, the portal would not budge. Brigit fought with the door for several moments, cursing, yanking on the heavy door-ring until sweat dripped down her face, the gate would not open. Stepping back from the stubborn door, Brigit wiped her forehead with the back of her right hand and examined the tall iron portals. She glanced to the left and right, a few windows were set high in the Monastery's walls, but they were narrow and securely barred. Cursing again, Brigit followed the left-hand wall, searching for anything that might be used as an entrance.

Brigit smiled and shook her head when she found the servant's entrance, a small wooden door bound with iron set within a wall tower. The amazon braced her left arm and smashed it into the door, the wood shattered and fell into the darkness beyond. Brigit pulled back her hood, freed the Lance from its sheath, and stepped into the empty tower, the Lance glowing with a soft, golden radiance. A door opened into a long, arched hallway, Brigit followed it warily, Lance held before her. ***

The two guards who had wished Brigit well didn't make a sound when the barbed arrows sliced into their exposed throats. Vile Hunters advanced quickly, seizing the bodies and dragging them into the veil of rain. A burly, red-scaled man-creature approached the camp entrance, a powerful, gleaming gold hammer held covetously within his huge claws. More Vile Hunters surrounded the waiting humanoid, wielding their lethal bows or jagged-edged swords.

"Slay them all," growled the Smith, his bestial mouth curling into a cruel smile.

The Vile Hunters advanced into the camp like wraiths, eager to rend flesh with their wicked blades.

Kasha was in her tent, staying out of the rain and sharpening her sword when she heard the screams. Launching to her feet, the leader of the rogues burst out of her tent to witness a scene of horror. Vile Hunters infested the camp like locusts, slashing through tents and butchering the women within. A few of the younger rogues were bound with heavy chains and dragged away into the storm, Kasha grimaced when she contemplated their fate. Contemplation was broken when a Vile Hunter raced up to Kasha and slashed with her blade, attempting to disembowel the stunned rogue. Fighting instincts overrode Kasha's shock and seized control of her limbs, she parried the slash and spun behind the Hunter, turning her blade downward and impaling the Tainted woman in the back. The Vile Hunter screeched in pain, jerking free of Kasha's wet sword and spinning on one heel. When the Hunter faced Kasha, she only had time to wear an expression of surprise when Kasha's blade hacked her head from her neck.

Kasha leapt over the Vile Hunter's twitching body and lunged at another passing Hunter. She cut the Hunter down in one stroke, her hard eyes already seeking another foe.

***

Halting at the bottom of a long, spiralling stairwell, Brigit reached into a beltpouch and took out a vial of healing potion. She swallowed the thick, amber liquid, grateful when the potion's magic flowed through her and took away the dull pain of her wounds.  Brigit's last fight to reach the catacombs had been long and vicious, the Dark Ones had swarmed around the amazon, slashing with short, serrated black swords.  Brigit leaned against the Lance of Yaggai, levering herself back onto exhausted legs.  A long, dark tunnel led to the heart of the catacombs, the walls were rough stone, niches were set within them filled with the dusty bones of past rogues.  Heavy veils of silver webbing hung from the tunnel's arched ceiling, the light pulsing from the Lance made the silky strands glitter like a canopy of stars.

There was movement at the far end of the tunnel.  Brigit pressed her back onto the left-hand wall, Lance clasped tightly with both gloved hands, a thin sheen of sweat covering her nervous face.  Licking dry lips, Brigit followed the wall, her boots shuffling quietly over the stone floor.  Brigit spied movement in the darkness again, there was an outline of an immense creature scuttling across the tunnel's mouth upon long, spidery legs.

"Andariel," murmured Brigit, recalling Cain's description of the demon woman.

Brigit pushed away from the tunnel wall and charged the doorway.  The tall amazon hurled through the arched opening, rolled across the stone floor, and uncoiled to her feet, Lance surrounding her with a golden sphere of light.

A stream of sizzling green poison shot down from the ceiling.  Brigit jumped out of the stream's path, she searched the canopy of webbing until she discovered Andariel hanging upside-down from the network of silver strands.  Andariel hissed with rage and spat another stream of poison at Brigit even as she scuttled across the ceiling towards her foe.

Brigit dodged the poison spittle again, racing forward and thrusting up with her Lance.  The golden weapon slipped deep into Andariel's belly, the demon woman screamed with rage and pain.  Unlocking her jaws so that her mouth opened unbelievably wide, Andariel expelled a large cloud of dark green vapor.  Brigit jerked her Lance free and stumbled back, covering her nose and mouth with the back of her left glove.  Acrid vapors still found their way inside Brigit's lungs, she coughed violently, her throat and chest burning from the lethal gas.

Andariel pressed her advantage, lashing out with one long leg, the razor-sharp claw at its tip slicing between Brigit's armored breasts.  The silver breastplate parted like wet paper, Brigit's torso was quickly drenched in her own blood.

Brigit's legs quaked and collapsed beneath her.  She fell heavily to the dust-draped floor, Andariel twitching with glee above her.  Andariel dropped heavily from the ceiling, her many limbs outspread, mouth dripping with poison.  Brigit smoothly brought up the Lance of Yaggai.  Andariel screeched as she impaled herself upon the enchanted weapon, the glowing blade punching up through her back.  Foul, dark blood sprayed across Brigit.  The amazon gritted her teeth and twisted her Lance, shoving it deeper into the quivering demon.  Andariel lunged towards Brigit, poison-drenched fangs eager to taste the amazon's flesh.  Brigit pulled her head to the right, avoiding the demon's cruel bite.  Andariel's head grew heavy, her eyes slowly closed, then her body became limp, a crushing dead weight pinning Brigit to the floor.

Brigit levered Andariel's corpse away from her and let the body slide off of the glowing Lance.  The amazon coughed for several moments, her lungs still burning from the demon's poison gas.  She fumbled in her pouch and took out several potions, pouring them into her open mouth, just lying still upon the floor while the magic restored her.  When she felt able to stand again, Brigit rose, brushed the dust from her legs, and took a moment to regard Andariel's dead body.  Brigit left the dark chamber and began the long walk out of the Monastery.

***

Orange fire poured across the rogue camp, devouring several groups of Vile Hunters.  Akara stood near her tent, arms outstretched, wrinkled face intent as she sent yet another wall of flame before her, engulfing a pack of Hunters who were butchering her sisters.

One invader did not flee from the intense flames.  He strode forward without fear, hefting an enormous, golden hammer.

Akara scowled at the advancing Smith and chanted another spell.  There was a sharp crack of thunder, heralding the arrival of a long bolt of azure lightning.  The lightning licked across the Smith's wide chest, he roared in fury, his scaled red skin crisping from the bolt's touch.  The demon lunged into a heavy-footed run, the ground underneath Akara trembled as the Smith came towards her.  Akara pointed her hands at the Smith and began chanting again.  Before the rogue elder could complete her spell, the Smith raised his enormous hammer and brought it down, crushing the old woman's skull.  The Smith howled with laughter, bringing down his weapon again and again, reducing Akara's body to a bloody, mangled mass of muscle and bone.

"Akara!" screamed Kasha, sprinting across the burning camp, cutting down any Vile Hunter who got in her way.

The Smith turned slowly, his heavy, bare arms rippling as he raised his gore-stained hammer.

Kasha dipped underneath the Smith's swing, thrusting out with her sword and catching the demon just below his left knee. The Smith roared, bringing his hammer around for a swing in the opposite direction.  Kasha took the opportunity to stab at the Smith, her blade slipping smoothly into his large stomach.  The demon shuddered, but his aim remained true, the golden hammer crashed into Kasha's left arm, shattering the limb and hurling the rogue woman off her feet.

Kasha collapsed to the blood-soaked ground in a heap, moaning in agony, her left arm limp and useless.  She reached out with a trembling hand to recover her lost sword, her outstretched body darkened by the Smith's shadow.

The Smith raised his blood-splattered hammer, a lustful gleam in his reptilian eyes.  Kasha wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her sword and swung it in front of her, cutting an ugly gash across the demon's abdomen.  The Smith shuddered, his upraised arm stiffened.  Kasha pushed herself forward with the last of her strength, driving her sword to the hilt into the Smith's thick torso.  The Smith threw back his bald head and choked, black blood frothed out of his slack mouth.  The muscular demon released his hammer and collapsed onto his back, blood bubbling past his lips until his gaze darkened and his body grew still.

Kasha fell to her knees, letting go of her heavy sword, her limp arm aflame with pain.  She looked out across the rogue camp.  Most of the tents and wagons were in flames, rolling, black columns of smoke boiled into the gray sky.  There were bodies everywhere, rogues and Vile Hunters sprawled in their own blood and the blood of their enemies.  The stench nearly made Kasha retch, the reek of burning canvas, the heavy, coppery smell of blood.  Hot tears slid down Kasha's dirty cheeks, she lowered her head and wept silently.

***

Far away from the burning camp, Elayne stood and watched the smoke ascend into the sky.  Kellie stood to Elayne's left, holding a chain leash linked to their rogue lover's collar.  The naked rogue girl watched the camp burn with an expression of horror and shame.  Elayne glanced at the wide-eyed rogue, she should feel shame too, shame for surviving and fleeing the camp while her sisters fought and died against the Vile Hunters.  Elayne regarded Kellie.  The short, brown-haired girl was adjusting her new Vile Hunter leathers and stroking the hilt of her new sword with her free hand.  Kellie's bow and arrows lay broken upon the ground at her feet, the last remnant of her rogue's life was destroyed.  A surviving Vile Hunter approached the three young women.

"Time to return to the Tower," prodded the woman with a toss of her wild, raven hair.

"Wait till I get you chained to the whipping pillar!" giggled Kellie, stroking the naked rogue girl's small ass before she jerked on the chain leash and led the submissive rogue away.

Elayne removed her hunter's bow from her shoulder and brought it down over her right knee.  The bow snapped loudly, falling apart in the young woman's hands.  Elayne let the shattered weapon fall to the ground, then she dropped her quiver across the broken pieces.  Looking at the smoking ruins one last time, Elayne turned her back and followed the departing Vile Hunters.

***

Brigit found Kasha resting in Warriv's wagon.  The merchant had organized the survivors and led them away from the burning camp into a grove of trees a short distance away.  A glittering stream provided clean water to wash wounds and slake thirsts.  Three other wagons remained, charred but still intact.  A few large tents had been salvaged to shelter the wounded.  Rogues who could still stand and wield bows warded the tiny camp.

"You made it back," smiled Kasha, stretching out her right arm to clasp the amazon's hand.

Brigit avoided looking at the stump that was once Kasha's left arm, she held the rogue leader's remaining hand tightly, smiling bravely.

"Where's Elayne?"

"We couldn't find her," replied Warriv, handing Brigit a cup of cool ale.  "I checked all the bodies, but she wasn't anywhere to be found."

"Could they have taken her?" demanded Brigit.

"Yes," answered the merchant somberly.

"You slew Andariel, but there are still the Three Evils to contend with.  If Zara is truly possessed by Diablo, she was heading east, across the Aranoch Desert to the city of Lut Gholein," reminded Deckard Cain, who sat in a corner of the wagon wrapped in his soot-stained white robes.

"Why Lut Gholein?"

"Because that was where Baal was imprisoned by Tal Rasha, a brave Horadrim who sacrificed his own body to imprison Baal.  He was sealed beneath Lut Gholein, and that is where Diablo will go, to free his demonic brother."

"I can't abandon Elayne!" exclaimed Brigit, torn between her quest to destroy the Three Evils and her concern for her friend and lover.

"The remaining Sisters of the Sightless Eye will search for Elayne.  She is one of us, we will not give up on one of our own," swore Kasha.

"Thank you," smiled Brigit, squeezing the rogue's hand.

"My caravan was heading for Lut Gholein before the Monastery was taken over by Andariel.  I will resume my journey, and you are welcome to travel with me across the Aranoch," offered Warriv.

"My thanks," nodded Brigit.

"I will travel with you," added Deckard Cain.  "You will have need of me, I think."

"Your wisdom and knowledge of the Horadrim will be invaluable," agreed the amazon.

"Allow me a day to leave enough food and medicine for the surviving rogues.  Kasha will need some more time to rest as well," said Warriv.

"You will be rewarded, my friend," promised Kasha resolutely.

"Akara was my friend, my aid is my farewell gift to her," murmured the merchant sadly.

Everyone within the wagon lapsed into respectful silence, honoring the rogue elder's memory.

*****