Lordt, The Diablo Chronicles. “Reaching for the Door”

I write these words only by the grace of a good healer.

~

I had made my way into he deep depths of a dungeon with an assassin companion of mine. She was strong, brave, and dependable; all the qualities I consider a hindrance.

We were in search of a Horadric artefact, by the guidance of olde man Cain. The daft sod must have lost his marbles for if there was a Horadric artefact down this deep in the shit, I’d be damned.

Still, we ventured on as my companion said she had a hunch. As a spell user myself I merely let her lead the way whilst I counted the coins in my purse until the next batch of skeletons presented themselves. It was a fairly repetitive jaunt and I suppose I could have got a little more involved, but I really couldn’t be bothered. Besides, I didn’t want to mess up my hair, or my codpiece.

As we progressed through the deeper levels of the dungeon I found myself drawing upon mixed emotions. We found more lewt, but also more creatures of the night. I began to get unnerved as my companion took a few deep wounds and I had to weave a few spells to back her up.

After the next group of enemies had been dispatched she stopped abruptly and held up a hand.

We could hear a good deal of shuffling and scratching from the next room.

“Behind that door” she whispered, “Dozens”.

I concluded that they must be guarding the treasure and that if we wanted it, we’d have to open that door.

My companion was in the middle of saying something bout backing her up when I blew the door off its rusted hinges with a fireball.

I shoved her hard in the back into the room as I stood in the doorway hosing the area indiscriminately with chain lightning. Gods, there were a lot of creatures, clawing, rending…shrieking.

My companion then hurled herself forwards, confident that between her skill and my spells we could best the horde and unveil the treasure.

I suppose that sometime during the party she lost track of what I was doing as I had teleported into the next room and emptied the collection of chests within. I could still hear the carnage going on down the corridor as I crammed gems and coins into every pocket and fold of my robes. If I’d had easy access to my anus, I probably would have stuffed a few up there too.

Minutes later I was laden, carrying more weapons that I could ever hope to master and more lewt than I could conceivably spend in the next town. I decided it was time to open a portal and get back to town.

I spared a thought for my companion. She’d be fine…

Just then the door burst open and enemies piled into the room I had just emptied.

Shit.

I had just completed my town portal spell when I heard a harrowing scream from down the hallway. My companion had bought it.

But I was panicking now.

Sack on my back, I looked over my shoulder, ready to step through he portal when I was reamed from all angles by the horde.

~

Back in town I awoke at the healers. Beside me sat my companion. She did not look happy. “Where were you?”

“I was there, I was backing you up. I was overwhelmed”, I offered sincerely. She seemed to calm. I’d gotten away with it. All I needed to do was regain the loot that I had dropped back down there.

After a surprisingly revitalising potion the pair of us ran pell-mell back down into he dungeon where we retraced our steps and it was then that my number was up. There for all to see was my skeletal remains, sack still in hand, reaching for an open portal.

I cleared my throat as my companion stared at me in disbelief. Reaching down I picked up the sack of lewt, throwing it back over my shoulder.

Calmly, yet self-consciously I stepped through the portal.

 

~ Lordt