‡ Essence of Evil ‡
By: Matt and Phil
Prologue
By: Phil
Tyrael watched as Ezra entered the portal the Archangel had prepared for him. Ezra looked back one more time, and overlooked the Cavern. He would be the last mortal to lay eyes on it. Ezra stepped through, and emerged in Harrogath. Tyrael saw the Portal condense into nothing. The angelic being turned his body to the fallen Baal's body. The twisted creature had wasted so many lives, but no longer. He knew Baal was watching from within the recesses of the soulstone that rested upon the corpse he once inhabited, but he cared not. Tyrael bent down on one knee, and reached for the stone. The only way to eliminate the Prime Evil forever was to destroy that stone where his soul remained.
Slowly he reached out his gauntlet covered hand to touch the soulstone, as his fingers closed down upon it. Instantly, he felt a burning as the Soulstone glowed a sickening blue hue. Before he knew it, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he lost all consciousness of his surroundings – swept into nothingness. Tyrael's body tensed, and as it lay collapsed beside Baal's, a red glow emitted from within the holy being's hood. A sinister laugh echoed out around the chamber, as the Angel's body stood. He reached out a hand, a deathly white glow covering his hands, as word flowed from his mouth. To the listener, it would seem as though he was using an Angelic tongue, but to the skilled, he was speaking the language of the fallen. The glow spread from his hands out to the soulstone, and covered it. The green light that seemed to irradiate from its core gave a final burst of brilliant colour, and faded. The stone returned to its dull yellow colour.
Tyrael's mind came into focus, as he quickly realized his soul was entombed in the soulstone. But he did not look from the soulstone. He had an overall view of what was occurring; he had no physical standpoint to look from.
"Finally."
Tyrael recognized the voice instantly; it was that of Baal. The creature reached down his hand and grasped the soulstone. Tyrael hoped he would be returned to his body, but nothing happened. Tyrael gazed on without words as he saw his face peer into the depths of the crystal his soul resided in.
"How do you suppose, a mere angel is to stand up to one of the Prime Evils? I had the soulstone enchanted, to lock whoever touched it inside, and release its current captive."
Baal's face twisted, his own image merging with the features that were long carved into the angel's face. The lord of destruction tossed the soulstone off to the side, and reached for Tyrael's runeblade, grasping it tightly. He turned then, to the Worldstone, and grinned.
By: Matt and Phil
Prologue
By: Phil
Tyrael watched as Ezra entered the portal the Archangel had prepared for him. Ezra looked back one more time, and overlooked the Cavern. He would be the last mortal to lay eyes on it. Ezra stepped through, and emerged in Harrogath. Tyrael saw the Portal condense into nothing. The angelic being turned his body to the fallen Baal's body. The twisted creature had wasted so many lives, but no longer. He knew Baal was watching from within the recesses of the soulstone that rested upon the corpse he once inhabited, but he cared not. Tyrael bent down on one knee, and reached for the stone. The only way to eliminate the Prime Evil forever was to destroy that stone where his soul remained.
Slowly he reached out his gauntlet covered hand to touch the soulstone, as his fingers closed down upon it. Instantly, he felt a burning as the Soulstone glowed a sickening blue hue. Before he knew it, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he lost all consciousness of his surroundings – swept into nothingness. Tyrael's body tensed, and as it lay collapsed beside Baal's, a red glow emitted from within the holy being's hood. A sinister laugh echoed out around the chamber, as the Angel's body stood. He reached out a hand, a deathly white glow covering his hands, as word flowed from his mouth. To the listener, it would seem as though he was using an Angelic tongue, but to the skilled, he was speaking the language of the fallen. The glow spread from his hands out to the soulstone, and covered it. The green light that seemed to irradiate from its core gave a final burst of brilliant colour, and faded. The stone returned to its dull yellow colour.
Tyrael's mind came into focus, as he quickly realized his soul was entombed in the soulstone. But he did not look from the soulstone. He had an overall view of what was occurring; he had no physical standpoint to look from.
"Finally."
Tyrael recognized the voice instantly; it was that of Baal. The creature reached down his hand and grasped the soulstone. Tyrael hoped he would be returned to his body, but nothing happened. Tyrael gazed on without words as he saw his face peer into the depths of the crystal his soul resided in.
"How do you suppose, a mere angel is to stand up to one of the Prime Evils? I had the soulstone enchanted, to lock whoever touched it inside, and release its current captive."
Baal's face twisted, his own image merging with the features that were long carved into the angel's face. The lord of destruction tossed the soulstone off to the side, and reached for Tyrael's runeblade, grasping it tightly. He turned then, to the Worldstone, and grinned.