Ithrika Daughter of Malthael

Chapter 1

Several years later found the young woman training to battle the demon hordes; she was still in training when the Archangels came to watch. She did not notice their gazes as she dodged and lunged; practicing all the moves she needed to learn for when she would join the battle between the Angels of the High Heavens and the demons of the Burning Hells. She leaned back as another trainee lunged trying to slash at her, turned the odds around and pinned him to the ground. She swiftly leapt away as another angel trainee lunged forward; as this patterned seemed to never end, she continued with her pattern of dodging and attacking. She was truly proving that she was very well ready for battle as she dueled this small amount of angels. Pinning the last one down she held her greatsword to his throat then pulled away, and proceeded to walk away, returning to the teaching warrior angel, only to lower her gaze as she had learned. "Excellent Ithrika, maybe all of you can learn something from her." He moved forward to the others. "She may not be one of us but if none of you grow stronger or train harder your fate lies in staying here in the heavens." He turned to Ithrika, "Go get your armor on and you can go. Tomorrow I have a stronger challenger for you." 

Ithrika nodded and walked away. She managed to get into her night colored armor with its crescent moon on the chest and walked out of the training halls to be met with Malthael and the others. "Greetings." She told them as she walked towards them her helmet covering her face as she looked to the Archangels, one of whom was silently impressed with the way her skills were growing.

"Greetings, my daughter." Malthael greeted her in return as she stopped before them. "You grow stronger every day, my child." He smiled at her wondering what was going on behind her helm.

"Yes I know father, but the others I train with are starting to question why I am growing stronger than they are." She told him as she moved closer only stopping a few feet away. "I can tell that none of them like me and I feel it every time I step onto the training grounds."

"Do not worry too much about it my daughter, soon you will beside the others and I in the battle against the demons. Just be patient." He calmed her warring fears, at least for now.

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After three weeks of uneasy peace, Ithrika joined the Angelic host in the battle against the horde of demons. They had cut every one of the unholy creatures down and had finally stood before the Prime Evil of Terror himself who laughed. "Ithrika, you carry such tasteful fear and such powerful terror. Why do you stand against me?" When Ithrika looked over to the Archangels, they were trying to stand but remained kneeling down in the traps that had been waiting for them, all watching as she remained the only one standing. "Then why do they all fear you?"

"SILENCE!" Ithrika snarled in rage as she cast her spell that destroyed the bonds he held around her.

"You carry the ability to take over the Heavens; come join me." 

Ithrika only gave a growl at the Demon Lord, "You are a fool if you think that I will ever aid the cause of darkness!" She then let out a wail as darkness covered her sight to reveal her own fears to her.

"What a shame." He grinned as he watched her fall to the ground in her own terror. 

"ITHRIKA!" Malthael and Imperius, the Archangel of Valor, both cried out her name but she didn't hear them.

Diablo laughed, "It truly is such a shame, you carry the promise of being such a powerful Mistress of the Hells."

Now it was Ithrika's turn to laugh; she stood and dragged her sword against the groundbreaking the grip of the demonic circle under her own feet. "You think you can show me any fear that I do not know of within my own heart?" Diablo and the Archangels turned to her surprise written on Diablo's face and showing with the wings of the Archangels. "Can you even begin to comprehend that I am aware of such fears?" As she stood she took off her helm revealing that her hair was now as dark as an abyss and when she looked up her eyes had changed color from their usual blue to a deep blood red. "You do not understand that I was born in the heart of darkness, a time that many from another world would call Winter. I know the feeling of true Terror, the true feeling of fearing that one day I will lose everyone and everything." She leapt forward, and using her sword to pin him back, she smiled a dark smile. "You say my terror is strong but yours is stronger! I have fought long and hard against the might of my fears, both in my own heart and while in my waking hours to protect the others from feeling the hurt it causes me. You cannot show me any terror that I have no knowledge of El'Diablos. You may be a prime evil but I fear only the ultimate evil. I need no help from anyone to show the true power of the Darkness within my heart to those like you." She stood back her sword now having a jagged-edged blade as she raised it and pointed it at him.