Fan fiction:Bane The Writings of Sanett/Chapter 2

Bane The Writings of Sanett is a fan fiction piece by Bane (Mark C. Dunstan), originally posted on the The Dark Library. The fiction series was the sequel of Bane Hero of the North which was also recovered on April 14th 2010. On September 17th 2010 the rest of the lost stories and books were found including artwork. You can find more information on Bane:The Writings of Sanett article.

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Note: The following events happen when Bane is around 50 years of age. The years are around 1250 to 1255 (approximately 18 years before the events portrayed in Diablo 2).

Chapter 2: The Destruction of a Demon

'I remember the day that Bane, the hero of the north returned to us after the war we waged against the Prince of Confusion, Melphine one of the secret lesser evils in the sands of Aranoch. The children of our fair city were being stolen from us during the cold nights, and I remember how I felt the night my son, Baln was taken from me. Bane came to us and offered help and eventually destroyed the demon beneath the city of Lut Gholein and found out what exactly did happen. A part of me never wanted to find out the truth in which we recovered.'

The torch held against the wall by his small companion flickered violently as a hot wind blew through the tunnel. Bane could hear the wailing sound of the creature he had been sent to hunt. The howling sent no shiver down the warriors spine, for he lived for combat and he brandished his double handed axe with a grin on his face.

Sanett did not really know what to make of the situation he had placed himself as he volunteered to be the barbarians guide and what it was going to lead too, for he had only seen the creatures shadows up against the towns walls and buildings when it came every night to take the children of Lat Wahlin. Now he stood, in a tunnel no wider than a few feet across and smaller than the barbarianís full height with a blinding wind and assailing scream coming from the tunnel ahead. The torch shook wildly about in his hand.

How could the barbarian stand there smiling like that? For surely what he had already faced had spent him? Bane stood, covered in a multitude of blood from the creatures he had fought to get here, a full twelve miles from the town. Small cuts were visible scattered across his chest and open arms that looked like tree trunks from his position. The axe he carried was deadly, able to split a man in two in one swing and had certainly done that against the denizens of hell.

He turned to look the barbarian in his eyes, and could almost ësenseí that the barbarian was enjoying himself. 'Come friend, we have work to do and he is very close now.' Sanett made an attempt to swallow the mounting saliva forming in his mouth, and sent a silent prayer to the gods as he followed the barbarian towards their goal.

Not more than fifty yards into the hall past the tunnel did they meet up with more resistance. However, the monsters that rushed them he had not seen before, or hoped to again. They were tall, muscular in frame and bore weapons that looked damaged but no less dangerous. The body and arms were the same size as the barbarians, but the head was that of a dog. Bane stood by the large broken doors leading into another large hall preventing the creatures from passing through the doorway slaying Sanett, who now stood a few paces behind the barbarian, shaking while bearing a knife. The creatures were hideous to look upon, but Sanett found himself gazing into the eyes of the enemy, seeing the mad way their eyes lit up as blood was spilled. Arms, heads and legs were cleaved apart as the dog-headed men fell one by one to the might of the barbarian.

With the walls seasoned in a light spray of blood, and the barbarian soaked from head to toe with gore they continued, through the halls and tunnels ever nearing the screams of rage from the creature.

The hall was vast and for some reason, unlike the rest of the huge and spanning tunnel system it was cold. The stench was overpowering too, forcing Sanett to empty his stomachís contents on the stone floor. Large black cages hung in the air from black chains connected to the rocky hallís ceiling containing what the creature had been feeding on for the past few weeks. The sight had seemed to release a great anger from the barbarian, who seemed to gain in power as he screamed out a challenge to the form of the resurrected Melphine. The Prince of Confusion was without true form, more liquid mass than flesh, but it had giant swinging limbs in the form of pinchers and its head rolled from side to side, saliva dripping from its open maw.

'DO YOU NOT LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, HAHAHA. FOOLS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE STUMBLED UPON.'

As Sanett looked at the cages Melphine was indicating to he could see the dangling lifeless arms of the cities young children. Tears started to form around his eyes, and his vision became blurry as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He had never seen something like this is his whole life. He knew his son was among the dead.

'I will rip out your heart creature for what you have done to these people.' The voice was calm and powerful but Bane seemed to be shaking with rage as he spoke the words. The creature rose in height, and the liquid mass formed into large power legs with giant cloven feet. It stood now, a clear three-foot taller than the barbarian who smiled and ran his hand across the blade of his axe, spilling his own blood. A large roar came from The Prince of Chaos as it took a swing with its outstretched arms.

Sanett watched the barbarian stand and deflect the blow with his double bladed axe and make a counter of his own so fast that if you blinked you would have missed the action. The blade sank deeply into Melphineís forming chest causing the beast to scream out in pain. The barbarian was hit as well during the confrontation but Bane refused to give ground after being knocked a full ten feet into the wall. Sanett remained barley visible and cringed as he could hear something break on impact with the wall. Bane slid to the ground with a grown but stood up, blood running from his mouth and charged back into the fray using his huge shoulder as a ram as he collided with Melphine.

Sanett was sweating violently now, and he was forced to wipe his brow with the long robe he wore. He had never seen a man so possessed and so spirited before in battle. What Bane had taken would have surely killed a normal man, but the barbarian seemed to be able to walk and indeed fight with more speed.

It was not till Bane had landed a blow squarely into the creatures glowing soul stone did Melphine collapse, shooting out bright light from its separating chest. The hall shook wildly as the room was filled with Melphineís dying screams. Sanett took cover behind a round wooden framed cage filled with broken bodies as the light was blinding. As he stood up after the light show had finished and the screams had died down to nothing more than a whimper he could see Bane striding away from the pile of ash that was once the powerful frame of Melphine

References

• Bane
• Posted on the Author's Website
• Archived Post from The Dark Library