As We Tensed

Tyrael's P.O.V

Auriel and a handful of her best maidens had been fussing over Imperius constantly. While he was in no immediate danger, they kept finding not entirely healed wounds. And he wasn't waking up. It was making everyone anxious.

I was sitting beside the archangel, in a secluded area of the medical ward. To anyone who didn't know better, Imperius looked to be only asleep. His hands rested atop his chest, and his wings were relaxed. No doubt his hidden eyes were closed. He was very still-even his wings did not stir.

Never before had I felt so afraid for another, especially not Imperius. In my mind, he was unshakable, and would never be toppled. Even when Diablo had attacked, Imperius had not fallen. Despite his terrible wound, the archangel had pressed on, throwing himself into trying to save the rest of Heaven.

It still eluded me why Imperius had been so violent towards the Nephalem. I knew he had no taste for them, but surely he could see that they were trying to help? The only plausible answer I could come up with was that Imperius hadn't been thinking straight-he had been ran through by the Prime Evil after all. Even stranger was their disappearance a few days later.

I wasn't blind to the fact that the Nephalem, their companions, and Imperius had all left Heaven at the same time, on very short notice. At first I had thought it merely a coincidence, but when no one heard from or saw any of them, I began to have my suspicions.

What I could not fathom, was what in the world they could all be doing. Imperius and the Nephalem? The only thing I could think of was that they, the Nephalem, were going to fight, with Imperius. But that just made no sense at all. The Nephalem would not attack Imperius unless he struck out against them. While it was very much possible for Imperius to start a fight, that didn't explain why they all disappeared.

Then Imperius just reappeared. And he was acting more friendly than he had in so many years. Our conversation, however brief, had been one of the most favorable to date. It had felt so...normal, to be able to speak with him like that once again. Even being dragged off a ledge hadn't felt truly dangerous-just surprising.

What didn't feel quite right, was the Council's meeting. Everything was so backwards; Auriel seemed far more aggressive than she usually was, Imperius had been the one to sneak off, Itherael was silent, and I had to try and get around flaring tempers.

And then there was the incident with the Black Soulstone. What had driven Imperius to act, no one knew. What had happened to him, no one could say. It scared me, not knowing these things. Not knowing in general was terrifying to me, though I had never admitted this to anyone.

There were things that I didn't need to know, but wanted to know. These frustrated me. Things that didn't matter, that wouldn't really change anything, but that I wanted to know anyway. It seemed that this need to know had grown when I took on mortality. Things that had crossed my mind once or twice as an angel now would not leave me alone.

Things like Imperius. In particular, his face. I had sometimes wondered what it looked like. It was an angel's choice to reveal their face to another, and as far as I knew, Imperius had never done so. Were his features sharp and stern? Or were they soft, and compassionate? While the latter might not seem very likely now, back before Sanctuary, it was very much possible that this was the case. I personaly thought that he would be a mix of the two.

As these thoughts danced around my head, I had unconsciously been tracing my fingers around the 'eyes' and 'nose' of Imperius' helm. I could not feel them through my armor, as I once could, but my mind supplied what my fingers could not; I had memorized all the different ridges and notches long ago. It was very unique, even among a race of beings who wore either helms or hoods.

I had rarely ever worn a helm. They just didn't suit me. None of the others really had either. Just Imperius. He himself was unique in many ways to the council.

Where most angels were calm and generally unexcitable, Imperius was a storm of emotion. Where other angels decided enough was enough, Imperius pressed in for a final blow. Where other angels laid their weapons down to rest, Imperius was as ready to fight as he was before, during, or after any battle. Where most angel's wings were smooth, and calm, Imperius' raged like fire. He was proud, powerful, fierce, passionate, and cared much more than he showed. He was...interesting.

As caught up in my thoughts as I was, I didn't realize I was no longer alone with Valor until someone poked me in the shoulder. It was a good thing I was no where near as strong as I was as an angel, otherwise the one that prodded me would be sprawled on the floor. As it was, he barely took a step back when my elbow connected with his stomach.

"I-I'm terribly sorry about that...you startled me." I blinked up at the tall angel standing awkwardly beside me, and he tilted his head to one side. Wait...

"No need to be sorry. I shouldn't have interupted." Two appendages, much like the ears of a feline, twitched back. I grinned at the angel.

"It is good to see you again Nyllius."

"Pleasure is mine." Orange wings fluttered, and the seraph relaxed out of his alarmed state. His armor - a lovely copper-rose color - flared out slightly, as an angel's does when they are at ease.

"I heard you were in the med-ward, but I knew not why. I wanted to be sure you hadn't been harmed." Nyllius then glanced behind me. "Though I am surprised-what could have possibly put Imperius here?"

I grit my teeth. "The Black Soulstone. There was... an incident, in the council chamber." Nyllius' 'ears' flicked back, and his wings raised at mention of the stone.

"Damn thing. You still haven't decided what to do with it?"

"We are dead-locked."

"That's never good."

"I know. But so far, we haven't been able to come up with a favorable solution..." Nyllius looked me in the face, down at Imperius, and around at the rest of the med-ward.

"You say that, but you have an idea." He stated.

"I have...a theory."

"Well? Let's have it. There's no one around who isn't passed out." I had the angel's full attention. But was it truly safe to speak out in the open...? I asked him as much.

"It's safer here than anywhere else. Other places can be watched, but the med-ward has a privacy spell. Someone would actually have to come in, and you know I'd 'hear' them." As if to solidify this, the two appendages twitched backward slightly.

"Alright. Although before I say anything, I must ask, where are your siblings?"

"Bullra's playing mind-games with Balzael. I haven't seen Nepherah in a little while, but she tends to go over to...you know. She's spent months there a few times. It really upset her when they were closed...I mean, it upset a lot of people, but...Oh I'm getting carried away. " Nyllius shook his head, and I had the feeling that he was more worried about his sister than he let on.

"I hope she turns up." The angel nodded curtly, and I decided to get back to the subject of the Blacksoulstone. "Now I had been thinking on what to do with the stone, and I feel it should be hidden. But what I do not know, is where..."

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Inarius' P.O.V

We had to wait a few moments for everyone to come back. I was really quite touched that they were all looking for me in some way or another. It was nice to have people who cared.

It was also nice to have people who weren't enraged that you disappeared (even when it wasn't your fault). Tyrael was always mad whenever he couldn't find me. I could never really figure out why. Imperius had told me he was just worried, and I guess that means he probably was, but that doesn't mean I understood it.

Each of the mortals had greeted me in various ways, and it made me feel oddly shy, being the center of attention like that. The Nephalem, myself, Nepherah and Lenedial were now all in the main living area of the house. Lenedial was checking over the areas she'd been tending over the past week or so, and everyone was surprised to find them healed for the most part.

"It just makes no sense." She kept muttering.

"So, what exactly happened when you fell in the water?" Qui, always the one to get things moving, spoke up. Fen would barely look at me, no doubt blaming himself for the whole thing. I'd have to talk to him about it later.

"I'm not exactly sure." I began. " I know I fell in, and I remember not being able to swim, but then everything got dark. I think...I think someone came in after me. Someone that I know...or knew." I could not, for the life of me, think of anyone with a presence like that one.

"So someone managed to get to you while underwater, and drag you away without anyone seeing? That's impossible. There were ten of us!" Crow protested.

"They may not have necessarily 'dragged' him away." Nepherah spoke up. "Plenty of mortals, angels, and demons alike have the ability to teleport."

"In and out of water?" Qui asked skeptically.

"If it were a mortal or demon? Unlikely. But if it were an angel, or something like an angel? It's more than possible. One might go so far as to say it's probable." We all considered the pixie's words. It was possible, or even probable, that my rescuer had been an angel. After all, the one who had come to me was-

"The Maiden!" My shout startled even myself.

"A maiden? What kind of maiden?" Terra asked.

"An angelic maiden. She appeared to me, just on the rocks. I couldn't tell what aspect..."

"Wait! You mean that thing on the rocks was an angel?" Crow demanded.

"That thing nearly killed each of us on one occasion or another." Lynara muttered. Every one shared uncomfortable looks.

"She...there was something wrong about her. She was so cold, and had no wings." I shuddered just thinking of her. Yet, there had been more to the maiden, more that I could just barely sense...

"Well great." Qui grumbled. "So there's an angry angel woman who was, for some reason, even tougher than Diablo! And she is still out there, probably going to come back and murder us in our sleep!" At this, an argument of sorts broke out between the mortals.

"Inarius?" Lenedial poked me in the back, "You're sure you don't remember anything else?"

"Not immediately. Maybe if I slept on it, I'd remember more. Why do you ask?"

"Your wounds are almost completely healed! Someone with a very strong affinity for magic would have had to do this. It took me a week and a half to get you to be able to just walk around, and you still had to lean on someone most of the time. So whoever they are, not only are they a good healer, but they can teleport in and out of water, undetected. We believe they are an angel. The maiden you saw is, or was an angel. Does anyone else think it's possible that there's a connection?" The Nephalem had gone silent, and were all listening intently to the courier's words.

"That..the idea has merit, but it doesn't exactly make sense." I responded. "I mean, the maiden and her forces attacked the Nephalem. She was probably going to attack me for all we know. It wouldn't make much sense for an associate of hers to save me."

"Well..." Ehrie spoke up, "This is only assuming she meant to attack you. What if... maybe they thought we were holding you captive or something? And that's why they attacked us?"

"If that were the case, why bother leaving him in the woods to find his way back?" Terra asked.

"You know, we're all assuming that these angels or whatever they are came in with a plan. I mean, it seems perfectly logical to us, thanks to Imperius, but when you think about it, this seemed more like an accident than anything else." Nepherah made her points known.

"But I felt them coming to attack us." I was more puzzled than anything. This was a very confusing event.

"You felt them coming. But who knows if they meant to attack?"

"They dropped down with swords drawn. Pretty sure they were looking for a fight." Crow reasoned.

"Hm. Okay, so maybe the first things that came were out for blood. But what about the maiden? From what I gathered, she only attacked after Fen's mis-fire. Maybe she thought it was intentional?" Everyone gave Fen a sympathetic look and/or pat on the arm.

"Okay, that actually makes a bit of sense." Qui began. "But what about the angel that healed Inarius? Why would it bother with teleporting away if it were only going to let Inarius go?"

After a beat of silence, Rehn gave a frustrated growl. "Does anyone honestly think we're going to figure this out tonight?"

"He makes a point." Ehrie backed the large man up/ "We should probably be resting."

"With the possibility of angry angel maidens coming after us in our sleep?" Demanded Qui.

"We can stay up and keep watch." Nepherah offered. Lenedial nodded in agreement.

"Though Inarius should probably still try and sleep." The angel of Hope added, with a tone that brokered no argument.

I snickered at her; "I was planning on resting anyway. I wanna see if having an eyelid affects my sleep at all."

"Oh, shoo. You all have beds, now go use them." The angel's tone was a mix of demanding and playfulness. I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tristram was having a party. Some man or another had been, or was going to be, elected mayor. I wandered through the crowd of drinking mortals, wondering exactly how i'd gotten here, and where all the Nephalem were. Had they left without me? Where were they headed?

Two mortals talking quietly in a secluded area got my attention. One looked as if he had been trying to drink away some problems, and the other seemed more or less disapproving.

At first, I didn't want to invade their privacy. But then, I realized there was nothing better to do, and I couldn't seem to leave the tavern. Orr...inn? Was it an inn? Did that really matter right now?

With nothing better to do, I ...scurried, for lack of a better word, over to the table where the two humans were conversing. Neither seemed to realize I was listening in on them. The first one I quickly decided I didn't care for. He was full of self-pity, and desire for something he had no right to. I wasn't sure what exactly it was, though I could tell the other man had it.

The other human was far more interesting than the first. He was having trouble with his emotions, an unsure about what he had to do about...something. Yet I knew he was here because he was going to try. Try what, I didn't know, or why. But this man-made me strangely proud. It was as though he were someone I had known and had held hope for. I wondered who he was.

Then the scene changed. The second man was with a group of mortals who greatly reminded me of the Nephalem. He seemed to be leading them. They were in a great, underground city. It seemed rather familiar to me. Kind of like the man.

The scene changed again. And again. Again. Again, again, again. They began to change to quickly for me to understand all of what was happening. Flashes of these mortals, now turning themselves into angels, fighting with other angels, the man battling with another seraph, Imperius saving him. The man left Heaven, and rejoined his mortals.

The man was with other mortals. They were somewhere outside Westmarch. I was unsure how I knew that, but I knew. I felt a presence, and for a moment I was convinced the Maiden had returned, now far stronger. This feeling turned the thing that entered the chamber and began killing the humans some strange fusion of the Maiden, and an angel I didn't quite recognize.

I watched, oddly fascinated, as the angel (for what else could it be?) attacked the man. I saw him reach for the stone. I saw him turn to the man, now fallen and clearly injured.

"No one can stop Death."

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The end part is a dream sequence. I was going to include a bit more on both Tyrael and Inarius' parts, but then thought against it. Mores stuffs for the next chapter.

Now that school's out, I'll hopefully get back into this story. I have already written it out in my head, I just need to get typing.

Comments? Questions?