There was something about the solemnity of Marius' character that made Oriana giddy. She had spent many years around these types of men, who took themselves far too seriously and seldom left time for enjoyment. His grip on her hand was firm, a fact she greatly appreciated. She hated being treated like an injured doe, and so often had she extended her hand in greeting to be met with a limp grasp or a flaccid hand.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the other man sit down. She'd not conjured enough interest in him to yet speak hello, but instead felt a sort of competitive edge. He was a demon hunter as well, this she conceived of his attire and gait - the careful, silent steps of a hunter and the grip of a bowman. Or was it so? All of the demon hunters trained in her order had been masters with bows and throwing knives and she hardly knew of a better way to slay. At any rate, the childish urge to prove herself more capable than he came bubbling forth, which she deftly concealed in her eyes and the sidelong glances she threw his way.
When finally she'd resigned to bid him to join her and Marius, the man named Archibald had stepped up and thrust his hand at her.
Her, not Marius, not the other. It was, to say the least, comical, and she'd perceived it as an attempt to undermine Marius' apparent seniority. Nonetheless, Oriana took his hand and shook it with the same firmness with which Marius had taken her own.
"Wonderful to meet you, Archibald. I am Oriana," she said, taking her hand from him and gesturing toward Marius, "And this is Marius. I suspect Deckard Cain will be here shortly to brief us all."
As if on cue, the Inn's door creaked open, and the elder came staggering in, a young woman at his side. She attended to him carefully, clutching at his elbow lest he fall, in spite of Cain's protestations. Oriana watched his every step, pained at the amount of effort he must issue to merely walk. The man had certainly tested the limits of human aging.
"Hello, travelers," Deckard Cain croaked, finally coming to sit near the hearth of the Inn's fireplace. The waitresses exchanged glances and retired to the kitchen. Even Bron raised his eyebrows and found somewhere else to be. The patrons in the bar seemed to become silent all at once, then idly ambled out.
"If you are here, it is because you have received word that the world needs your help again." The young woman next to him remained standing, her eyes staring into each of the traveler's faces, studying, calculating.
"A group of cultists believe they can harness Diablo's essence and control him. They are called the Skartara Few, and I am afraid they have already collected two of the seven artifacts."Deckard paused, breathing laboriously. At this, the young woman's face hardened.
"The cultists are wrong," she said.
"I've seen them - in my visions - and I've heard the whispers of the ancients. They cannot control Diablo; no one can." Oriana shifted in her chair uncomfortably. It was just as well that Deckard wasted no time in splaying out the problem at hand, yet she could not help but feel uneasily around this girl. "And who are you?" she demanded, an eyebrow arching.
The young woman glanced down to Deckard sadly.
"My name is Leah. I am Cain's niece, and the only person who can lead you to the artifacts."