"Keseph!" Kain yelled as he brained one of the Fallen Ones, "there's a chieftain, he's healing the others, find him!"

Keseph scanned the ranks of the beasts, noticing one carrying a banner on a staff.  This one stood taller than the rest, and was resurrecting a few of his fallen brethren.  Keseph waded through the ranks, swathing a bloody path with his sword, until he reached the chieftain and his protectors.  Kain was quickly being overwhelmed by the small demons, and also quickly running out of endurance.  The chieftain looked Keseph in the eyes, its eyes slowly widening with comprehension.

"You warrior?  You kill me?"

"That's right."

Keseph plunged his sword into the chieftain's chest, watching the thing slowly die on the end of his blade.  As soon as this happened, the other Fallen Ones broke the ranks, running into the shadows to protect their lives.  Keseph said a quick prayer from the lives that he had been forced to take, but he felt no remorse for them.  These were dark lives, and holy vengeance had found them and they were not worthy to go on.

"Keseph, we must go!"

"Yes… you're right, but where?"

"To the East, where the Hero fled to.  We must find him and stop Diablo."

They left Tristram, knowing full well that the minions of darkness were following them, watching them from the shadows of the forests.  Kain was quickly fading; the combat had taken a heavy toll on his old frame. 

"Kain, we have to find a place to rest, you're not going to make it if we don't…"

The old man coughed, "I know… the Sisters of the Sightless Eye… their monastery is nearby…"

"Where?"

Kain pointed towards the East, his breathing was raspy and labored.  Keseph gave the old man a healing potion to heal his wounds, but it would do nothing for fatigue.  They walked for another five hours, Kain more asleep than awake, but still walking onward.  Keseph could see lazy trails of smoke coming from a settlement ahead of them, most likely the monastery since there were no charted settlements in this forest.  But he could feel darkness here as well, something waiting for them.  Darkness was everywhere now, it seemed, and there was no escape from it.

"Is that the monastery, Kain?"

"Yes…"

The archers on the guard's wall saw them, but seeing the Paladin's symbol on his shield they took their bows down.  A woman in black robes ran out of the gates and towards the two.

"Woman!  This man is in need of healing." Keseph said as she approached them.

"Greetings, holy one, I am Akara, a healer."

She took hold of Kain, who nearly collapsed in her arms. 

"Will he be alright?"

"I don't know, Paladin, bring him into the encampment."

Keseph pick the old man up and carried him into the fortified walls of the Rogue's encampment.  Kain felt light, like a bag full of dried twigs, and his breathing was shallow.  He brought Kain to Akara's tent and placed him in bed, letting the medics under Akara's charge tend to him.

"Where did you come two come from?" she asked.

"Tristram… what was once Tristram."

"I see, I am sorry to hear it."

"I have been on errantry for two years… I came back to this…" Keseph looked away from her, his face was stony.  She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I knew that a holy man would come, it was destined…"

"Destined?  All this suffering and pain… destined?"

"There is always pain, Paladin."

"My name is Keseph, healer."

"And my name is Akara, Keseph."

"Heal him… he is all I have left of Tristram…"

Keseph left the healer's tent, looking out at the rising sun of the coming morning.  His fine armor was covered with blood and caked mud, and his shield dented by the blows of the Fallen Ones.  His face was like stone.

"Keseph?" Akara again.  Keseph did not turn to face her.

"Yes?" his voice was grave.

"Charsi can mend your sword and shield, but no one but you can mend what you feel…"

He turned to her, his face slowly softening.

"I don't know what's happening to the world, nothing makes sense anymore Akara."

"You must have faith, surely one of your holiness knows that."

"I know that… but that knowledge can sometimes be hard to see."

"There is a shrine here if you wish to pray for…"

"His name is Kain, Deckard Kain the Elder."

"Deckard Kain?"

"Yes, do you know him?"

"The Light be with us… the path to redemption opens ever wider."

"What do you mean?"

"Our monastery had been invaded with evil, a demon."

"Diablo?" Keseph's grip tightened on his sword.

"No, not Diablo, the demon known as Andariel."

"Then it must be slain, destroyed outright…"

"You can't do it alone, Keseph, but they are others… the Light is gathering five warriors to fight the Darkness that is running rampant in this land."

"Where are the others?"

"Four of them, including you, have already arrived, we are waiting for the fifth and final one."

"By the Light, by Zakarum, we will finish this…" Keseph said as he watched the rising sun clear the eastern horizon.