Xanthippe (Act V)

Template:Xanthippe nav After smashing Diablo's soulstone, Xanthippe walked to the waypoint. She was sure Cain and the others in the Pandemonium Fortress would want to see her, but she had to do something first. During the fight with Diablo, she'd lost control of a couple of basic bodily functions, and cleaning up was a priority now that her business in Hell was done. Fortunately, there was a river near the Rogue monastery with nobody nearby, and she could make herself presentable. Back in the Chaos Sanctuary, she took stock. There were a few items on Diablo's corpse -- adventuring gear for a warrior, it looked like, but nothing noteworthy.

Then, there was Kasim. After the fire waves, lightning blasts, and physical abuse, not much remained of Kasim's body. About the only things she could recognize were his feet. Damn, she was so lucky Diablo didn't just go for the kill. Now what was she going to do? Leaving him here in Hell would be wrong. Maybe it didn't really mean anything... if the eternal soul finds its own level, the fate of the body wouldn't matter. She'd left dead mercenaries here and there, regrettably. But leaving Kasim lying around like so much meat just wasn't right. So Xanthippe returned to the fortress, hauling about 80 pounds of scorched flesh and shredded metal in three separate pieces. If Kasim's relatives asked, she'd say he'd lost a lot of weight. Cain and Tyrael greeted her.

"Mortal, you have accomplished the impossible. You have banished two of the Brothers forever to the burning hells. But there is still more to be done."

"Yeah, Baal," Xanthippe said. "You said he'd found his soulstone and was invading the Barbarian highlands. Why do the demon lords want the soulstones, anyway?"

"The corrupted stones retain their power to hold souls. It may be possible to use them as a source or conduit for magical energy."

Cain was scratching his head, and seemed very puzzled by something. "Was there anything unusual about the River of Flame?"

"Apart from being a river with flame in it?"

Cain looked sidewise at Xanthippe. "I am wondering how your hair came to be wet..."

"While determining Baal's whereabouts," Tyrael interrupted, "I returned to Lut Gholein. It seems to me that you ought to have this." A triangular pendant floated from Tyrael's hand to Xanthippe's. The silver gleamed brightly, and the diamond glittered with every shift of the light. It was smaller than she remembered... but it was beautiful. "This was the gift your father gave to your mother, before your birth. He was an itinerant mage named Xanothon, who journeyed to Tristram to battle Diablo, and died there a short while ago."

Xanthippe lifted the pendant, staring into it. "He was nobody special, then."

Cain nodded sadly. "Did you imagine he might be high-born? Perhaps a prince of the east?"

"I would have been disappointed if he was." Running her fingers around the pendant's edges, Xanthippe said, "You shouldn't need big relatives to be somebody. Um... could I ask you something, Tyrael?"

"You are worried about finding Baal."

"No, I'm worried about Kasim. He's kind of dead. No, he's extremely dead. I was just wondering, what more can I do for him?"

"This is unexpected, mortal." Tyrael looked at the lumps of meat Xanthippe had left leaking on the floor of the fortress. "There is little time to locate his family. It is unfortunate that he was cut down while only beginning to approach enlightenment."

"Do you mean... he's going to Hell?"

"The life he took for himself was hardly exemplary. Though you may have grown fond of him, his path has taken him to his destiny."

Blinking, Xanthippe stared at Tyrael. "But..." she said, lips trembling. Then she balled her mother's pendant up in her fist. "NO!"

"I am sorry, child," Cain said. "It is a cruel blow, but --"

"NO!! I do NOT accept this!" Xanthippe put the pendant on, tucking it under her armor. "This is NOT FAIR, I am NOT going to just accept it! I have left too many dead people behind me, I am not going to leave another one!"

"If that is their fate," Tyrael intoned, "who are you to cast judgment?"

"I WILL cast judgment, I WILL decide what I want to do!" Xanthippe stormed down the steps that led to Hell's outer steppes. "Never leave a man behind! That's the mercenaries way! He couldn't have sunk too deep! I WILL find him!"

Tyrael was waiting at the bottom of the steps. "Have you any idea of Hell's vastness? You could search a hundred years, and not see more than the smallest fraction. You who have condemned Heaven for casting judgment on mortal's lives, know that is it no better for you to do the same yourself." Xanthippe snarled, "Get. Out. Of. My. WAY!"

"If Baal is not destroyed, all of your world will suffer his fate, or worse."

"He couldn't have gone far. This is so totally not fair! How the hell are we supposed to know what the right thing to do is to satisfy you, anyway? You're not there to tell us, the old books get rewritten, history becomes myth, lies find their way in! WE CAN'T SEE WHAT YOU SEE!! And right when we start to see it, SPLAT! IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!!"

"MORTAL." Voice booming, Tyrael's response actually had some emotion in it. He even crossed his arms over his chest. "DO NOT PRESUME TO TAKE THE UNIVERSE TO TASK FOR FAILING TO MEET YOUR STANDARDS OF FAIRNESS." The force of his presence actually forced Xanthippe back; she fell on her butt on the steps. Quickly, the sense of his anger faded, and the blaze of light softened. "A soul may be leaden with the weight of its own corruption; should it fall, how is it the fault of Heaven? When we were with you to guide you, you remained as children. Do not be angry if we no longer hold your hands, it would be far worse if we did. Suffering and death will come to you. There is no avoiding it."

Clenching her eyes shut, Xanthippe stood up. Determined not to cry, she said, "He died just when he was starting to get it... whatever 'it' is. He even said he wanted to be a priest. Yeah, ok, we all die. But he never had a chance! It was just ZAP! SPLAT! SQUISH! and that was it. How can you learn anything when the first lesson is fatal? It's just not right..." Then the tears came, trailing down her cheeks while she struggled to hold them back.

After a lengthy pause, Tyrael said, "Mortal, return to the fortress. Perhaps, given the nature of your quest, I should take action on your behalf. If Heaven disagrees, then let me be damned. We must continue on our course."

With a wave of Tyrael's hand, a golden light sprinkled down like falling leaves over the rear of the fortress. Watching, Xanthippe turned, and slowly walked back. The pieces of Kasim's body were rejoined, and he was whole again. As she approached, a ghostly vapor trailed in over Xanthippe's shoulder. Kasim breathed, and the ghost was drawn in through his nose. Blinking, he slowly sat up, looking stunned.

Kasim began to say "Uh... oof!" as Xanthippe dropped to her knees and hugged him tight. "You bastard. Don't ever get killed like that again."

"Killed like what again?"

"Don't you remember?"

"Uh... no. We were going to get Diablo, you hit a shrine, and then..."

Nodding, Xanthippe gave Kasim his poleaxe back. "That's all the important stuff. Diablo is smashed; that's two down, one to go. I think we take that gate there."

Kasim looked back at the red gate, glowing next to Tyrael. "Sounds good. Man, I'm confused..." "Of course. You've been mostly dead all day. What's through the gate, Tyrael?"

"The city of Harrogath, the last bastion of order on Mt. Arreat. This is as close to your true destination as I can reach now. Baal is laying siege to the city, and hopes to crush even that hope."

"Fine. That'll be a good base of operations. Mt. Arreat, huh? What's up there?"

Tyrael responded, "With luck, you will not need to know."

"Yeah, right." Xanthippe smirked, then bounced on the balls of her feet. "Wanna go kick Baal's butt, Kasim?"

"Sure..." Kasim staggered towards the gate, and they both went through.

As they left, Cain turned to Tyrael, smiling. "Thank you, great Tyrael. Should nothing else come of this, I am grateful that you could make one person happy."

"That happiness will be short-lived. The city of Harrogath is in grave danger."

"Yes, but I feel sad for her at times. One so young should have a happier and more carefree life. Her worries should be her studies, and perhaps boys... not the fate of the world."

"The workings of fate are beyond us all," Tyrael said. "If this fate falls on a child, so be it."

Xanthippe and Kasim arrived in the city of Harrogath. Or perhaps the town of Harrogath, it was much smaller than Lut Gholein. In other lands, this would be considered a border fort, not a city. The walls, high and very thick, enclosed a small collection of extremely solid buildings. At first, they couldn't see any people, but then noticed two exceptionally large men sitting against a wall. Both had very pale skin, shaggy black hair, and many tattoos. They were heavily bandaged, but wearing little else, even though it was very, very cold.

"Hi there," Xanthippe said. "Who's in charge here?"

The two men stared at them in horror. "Och! Outlanders, invading the city!"

"How'd yoo get past the walls?"

"We were sent," Xanthippe explained. "I need to talk to your... chief, or whatever."

One man, looking very indignant, turned to the other. "Talk to the chief? A woman?"

"We've no need for a seamstress... or whatever services yoo be selling."

"Here now, lad," one said to Kasim, "Why are yoo lettin' yoor wife do all the talkin'? And why are yoo wearin' a dress?"

The other shook his head in disbelief. "He's in a dress, she's wearin' the pants."

"I suppose he's big enough... almost."

"That wee laddie? Have yoo gone blind?"

The first one looked again. "Yoo're right! Standing next to her, I thought he was a giant!"

The two laughed, big hearty laughs. Xanthippe and Kasim were starting to feel annoyed. Finally, they stopped. "Ah... feels good to laugh."

"Not much to laugh at but wee little outlanders."

Xanthippe cleared her throat. "Is there anyone FOR REAL up here we can talk to?"

They looked at her. "What, yoo haven't run squealing back to yoor mummies yet?"

Kasim smirked. "Killed my last mummy a while ago."

"Forget these guys," Xanthippe said. "Let's find somebody else."

"What are those spatulas they're haulin' about?"

"Och, little outlanders carry those to poke demons with, so they don't have ta go near 'em."

"They're bundled up tight, aren't they? They must think it's cold!"

As Xanthippe and Kasim walked away, one called after them, "What, can't stand a little snow? Gonna have a rough time of it up here!"

They didn't have to go far. The building the men were sitting against was some kind of hospital, run by a very old woman, bent with advanced age. As they walked in, the groans of the many wounded turned to laughter.

"Aw, look! We've got a cute lil' couple of darkies here."

"Och, don't they look fancy? Look at all that armor and them jewels."

"Hey, cloth-head! Why are yoo wearin' a nightgown?"

"He looks like he should be a wet-nurse."

"Yoo all be quiet!" the old woman said. "Don't yoo lot know a Sorceress when yoo see one? She's a great mage, from the look of her, and don't yoo forget it!" Smiling, the old woman hobbled over to them. "Please, don't them worry you. This is a hard land, and makes for hard men with unforgiving natures. Ah, a Sorceress! When I was much younger, I wanted to study with your clan. But my powers never developed beyond the simplest levels, so I stayed here with my people, tending their wounds and illnesses."

"That's very good of you," Xanthippe said through gritted teeth. "These pale, sickly men must need your services for every little boo-boo."

"Do you make them warm cocoa when they get the sniffles?" Kasim asked.

Xanthippe giggled. "With tiny marshmallows."

"Yoo're the only tiny one around here!" one man called out, and tried to get up. After a heroic effort, he collapsed back into bed. "Well, maybe yoor husband there is. If yoo ever need yoorself a real man, just about anybody'd be better."

"If you can ever get up off your butt," Kasim said.

"Just give me a day or so, little man," the Barbarian said. "Just to get back on me feet..."

"Yoo shut up, and don't tear yoor stitches, or I'll sew yoo to the bed!" the old woman shook her head, and smiled gently. "I am sorry, my manners escape me. I am Malah. I hope you brought good news with you, for there is very little to share here. The demon lord Baal is laying siege to our city, though you must know that. How you entered our city through the walls of his legions, I cannot imagine."

Xanthippe was starting to notice that Malah's accent got stronger when she was yelling at her patients, but disappeared almost entirely when speaking with them. She must have spent time in distant countries at some point in her life. "We've come here from Hell, where we killed Diablo, the Lord of Terror."

Ah... the whole room was now gratifyingly silent. Malah shook her head. "I beg yoor pardon, my hearing is not what it was... could yoo repeat that?"

"Sure," Xanthippe said. "After we trashed Mephisto, the Lord of Hate, we found a gate to Hell he'd opened. We went down to Hell, found Diablo, and kicked his ass. Now, we're here, to find Baal and make him wish he'd never been born. Or whatever demons do."

You could have heard a pin drop. Finally, one wounded man spoke up: "Yoo're lyin'!" Quickly, other declarations of skepticism burst out. "Can't be!" "Don't yoo talk like that!" "Stupid outlanders, thinkin' we'll believe such tales!" "Should cut you for sayin' that!"

"SHUT UP, ALL O' YOO!" Malah still had a good set of lungs, that was obvious. "As for yoo two, yoo shouldn't be tellin' stories yoo can't prove are true! But, on the other hand... you have gotten here, somehow. Unless this is some deception, designed to smash our hopes... but the Lord of Destruction has shown no capacity for subtlety thus far."

"We want to talk to someone who's in charge."

Malah sighed. "I fear that almost all of our elders sacrificed their lives to place a protective dome around Harrogath... all save one. Perhaps you would prefer to speak with Qual-kehk, our senior man-at-arms. You will find him by the gates."

In the town's central square, near the only gate, a huge man with white hair, clad head to toe in barbaric finery, was looking over a group of warriors. Outside the gate, Xanthippe and Kasim could hear the clash of steel, snarling demon voices, and the screams of the dying. The number of warriors looked pitifully small. As they approached, the great old warrior looked them over.

"Hmmm... yoo two look like yoo're trying to be warriors. I don't know how yoo got in here, but any extra man in a fight. Why is yoor wife all in armor?"

"You got me all wrong, man." Kasim said. "We're not married."

"Why does everyone think we're married, anyway?" Xanthippe asked.

"Don't ask me, I do NOT know how these people think."

Qual-kehk looked offended. "What, an unmarried woman, traveling by herself!? Without her family to protect her, a woman should never set foot out of her house. Up here, a woman knows her place. And so does a man!"

"I'm not traveling alone, I'm traveling with him."

"And yoor not married to him! What other improper things are yoo outlanders up to?"

Kasim smirked. "I'm only the hired help."

"Yeah," Xanthippe said. "I'm the boss. You talk to me."

None of these explanations seemed to assuage Qual-kehk. If anything, the more he heard, the more offended he was. "And WHAT would YOO want, then?"

So Xanthippe explained, from the killing of Mephisto, to the killing of Diablo. Qual-kehk grunted. "Things have gotten so bad in the southern lands, that their girls go out to fight?"

Xanthippe smiled sweetly. "Yep."

"We are a sturdier people. Our warriors are worth ten of the ones yoo are accustomed to seeing. They must be, for our women could outfight any two of yoo! If the Prime Evils fall so easily in battle, defeating Baal should be a simple matter, once we can reach him."

"Having trouble with that?" Xanthippe was still smiling.

"The hellish troops arrayed against us form a living wall, separating us from their master. Yoo cannot imagine the like; demons that crawl through the earth beneath yoor feet, or the catapults, flesh and steel bound together to hurl death for miles. They've trapped us in our city to starve." Qual-kehk looked up and down Xanthippe's delicate from, and laughed. "For one who can defeat a Prime Evil, breaking the siege should be child's play."

"Sure. What's a few more demons? Let's go, Kasim."