The Dead Tree

The Dead Tree

(part 3 of 3)

"New strength is forged through destruction"....... hidden shrine

Shadowfax, that great horse of a man, was filled with joy at the sight of his two friends on the road before him. Shad had set out the day before to find Palantiri and Agarwaen. And now, scarce a days ride away from Tristram, he had found them. Oh, great indeed was his joy at seeing his fellow guild members!

Palantiri and Agarwaen had left the guild about a month earlier in search of Dragluin of Westmarch, a fellow guild member that had gone on a quest and had not sent word back to the guild at the appointed time. They had searched along Drag’s trail for some sign of what had happened, but the trail had suddenly vanished at a solid rock wall high in the mountains and as they had no other choice they had set course for home and the Guildhall. About three days ago they had been filled with a urgency they had never known to return home, so they had slept little (just enough to rest the horses) and rushed towards Tristram with an ever growing fear with each mile closer they got to home.

“Shad, my friend, ‘tis good to see again.” Pal said as Shad rode up to them. The three guild members were in a densely forested section of the road. Great oak and elm trees were all around them and they could scarce catch a glimpse of the sky. “Yes, I am very glad to see you Shad.” Said Agar. “We have found no trace of Drag and feeling a great need to come home we have hardly slept in our haste to return to Tristram and our Hall.”

“You can not know the joy I have in my heart at seeing you, my friends. I have terrible news of the guild and Dora has sent me in search of you both. I had hoped and prayed that I would find you with friend Dragluin, but perhaps he is better off wherever he is now.” Shad quickly told Pal and Agar of the deaths in the Guild at the hand of Tree the Dark. Both weary men were appalled to hear of such deeds by their fellow guild member and vowed that this madness would end.

As the three men rode along on their journey back to Tristram, Pal suddenly looked up and shouted

“ Look there, a great smoke cloud fills the sky!” The three had just come out of the forest and could see the sky above them again. Agar and Shad looked up, and all three knew without doubt that it was the Hall being burned that caused the smoke they saw. “We must hurry, or there will be nothing left to return home to.” Shad said. And so they spurred their horses ever faster…

Dora, MordorBound, and Sting were still standing there watching the last of the fire that had burned the Guildhall to the ground, when they heard riders coming towards them at breakneck speed. “Praise be given!” Dora shouted as she saw Shad, Pal and Agar riding towards them. “ Our salvation is at hand!”

All six guild members took some few minutes to bring each other up to date and then turned as one and headed straight for the crack that had opened behind the healers home. Standing there, breathing the brimstone that rose from the opening to Hell, they decided that they would find Tree and end this now. The Guild could not survive any more of these attacks. It was decided that they would stay together in their search; for Tree had become so powerful that they feared that even there combined effort might not be enough to end the destruction of the Guild.

Pal and Sting took the lead, Dora and Shad in the middle, with MordorBound and Agar coming last as they went down the crack in the earth that led straight to Hell and Diablo. They were sure that they would find Tree there also. They were also sure that Tree knew they were coming and he had laid a trap for them.

They prayed that they would have the magic and strength to overcome this trap whatever it may be and either somehow save Tree from Diablo’s mastery over him or (and they knew that this was the most likely to happen) have the ability to kill Tree forever.

Without warning huge serpent like monsters surrounded them! Monsters that spit glowing fireballs and lunged at them with huge swords gripped in their clawed hands. Swiftly they all stood back to back and using magic and swords quickly delt with the vile creatures. “Well, now we know we are expected.” Shad said with a small grin on his bearded face. “Yes, and let’s hope that is the worse we face in this evil place.”

MorderBound replied. They all knew that the way would get much harder the deeper they ventured into Hell.

The six guild members suddenly stopped near the edge of the steps that lead down to the next level of Hell. Pal turned to the others and said, “I know how to end this. When we face Tree I am sure that the only magic power we have that will work against him is Holy Bolt. Tree is a pawn of Diablo. I have read in certain tomes of power that Holy Bolt, cast by a powerful enough mage, has the power to destroy Diablo himself. If we all use our powers to cast the Holy Bolt spell at Tree, when we find him, I am sure that this will defeat Tree the Dark.” And without another word they all started down the steps.

Agar agreed with his friend. He too had heard that Holy Bolt had such great power over evil. His only concern was how were they to make sure that Tree stayed in one place long enough for them to hit him with the spell. He knew from what Shad and the others had said that Tree had the magic of teleport. If they were not lucky enough to drop Tree with the first spell cast, would they get a second chance?

The six of them had spread out a little in the walk down the steps. There was now some five to ten feet distance between each of them. Except for that first attack they had not seen or heard any sign that there was anything else alive (or dead, for that matter) down here with them. Pal was still in the lead and had just rounded a corner in this cavern of hell, when Tree struck.

Suddenly walls of flames separated them all! Instead of waiting for his wall of fire to burn away, Agar charged through it and wrapped his great armored arms around Trees chest! Tree, caught completely by surprise, hesitated for just a moment unsure of what to do and that was his undoing. For Sing, Shad, Dora, MB, and Pal cast the Holy Bolt spell in unison straight at Tree. They knew the spell would do no harm to Agar, but hoped that it would either cleanse Tree or destroy him! Tree did not have a chance to move or try to teleport away as the Holy fire tore at his body. For one brief moment all he saw was a blinding white light and then Tree the Dark was gone…

Agar now held only a very small and unconscious young mage! The Holy Bolt had destroyed the hold that Diablo had placed on Tree. They all could feel that Diablo was no longer in control of the unconscious mage that was in Agar’s arms. It would take a great deal of work and prayers to heal the young mage of all that had been done to him in the last few days, but his guild mates were very glad that they would be able to be there to help Tree grow strong in the goodness and honor of The Keepers of The Fellowship.

Dora, tears streaming down her face, reached out and took Tree from Agar and they all returned to Tristram to rebuild the Guild and to grow strong enough to someday destroy the evil of Diablo forever.

They were sure that with the trials that the Guild had undergone in the attack of Tree the Dark, the day of the end of Diablo would not be that far off…