Disclaimer: What you are about to read is based off of Diablo, a game owned by Blizzard. It is not licensed or authorized by Blizzard.

Prologue

TRISTRAM; 10 YEARS AGO…

A small lad runs into a house, screaming "Brother! Brother! They're coming!" The one he addresses, a tall lanky boy with hollow-looking eyes, gets up from prayer.

"I know, Corwin. And I know what will happen." The boy smiles sadly at Corwin. "Take good care of mother for me."

Corwin blocks the door. "Dante, NO! They'll kill you!"

"If I don't go, they'll kill us all, Corwin. I could never let that happen." Dante looks past Corwin, then back down at his brother. Again, the sad smile. "If only you knew your destiny, my brother. If only you knew how much these people will need you." His face turns resolute. "I must go. Remember, Corwin. Remember who it was that turned the people against us." He pushes past Corwin.

"NO! Dante!" Corwin tries to run to his brother, try to stop him, make him run away, but cannot. All he can do is stand by the door and watch his brother walk into the mob that chased him home, the mob that wants Dante dead; the mob that will kill him. All he can do is stand, watch, and cry.

"There it is!" "The demon!" "The one who destroyed our crops!" "The killer of my baby!" "The demon!"

"KILL THE DEMON!"

Dante looks back at his brother. He mouths one word; remember. Then the crowd is upon him. Soon, Dante's beaten body falls to the ground, where a farmer runs a pitchfork through his back. Not once did Dante cry out. But Corwin did. Dante's body, now dead, is slashed, hacked, and beaten, until there is less than a bloody pulp left. Throughout it all, Corwin never stopped screaming. Crying out for his father, his mother, his brother, God, the devil, anyone, to make it stop. And then the people begin to leave. Soon, Dante's broken, battered body is all that lies in front of the house he once lived in. Dante's body… and Corwin, who is crying over it.

To be continued.

Author's Notes: I really can't seem to do an uplifting piece, can I? Anyway, this particular little nugget was the first in a series I had planned to do based on Diablo. Big shock, ain't it? Like a great deal of my other stuff, schoolwork began to pile up, so I had to place this one on the back burner. Maybe I'll actually finish it someday.

Lone Wolf

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: May 21, 2007