Her parents were in shock that Willis was rescued. Izarius informed Lorath of what was done in the past. Tyrael was informed before, but not in full detail. He was also in his chamber to keep his worrying over Anaurael down. He didn't want anyone to know how bad it was. But, Willis's father was soon sent for. He had made a well-established business in Westmarch from his stone carvings and wood work. He would be relieved to hear that his son was alive.
"We should get Xavian, too," Ilerael said. "They knew each other."
"I'll send a scout," Lorath nodded and did that quickly. It would take time for Xavian to get to them with a teleport warp. "Oh, there is something you need to know."
"What's that?" Lilaurael asked.
"There are more Nephalem out there. And, they are all coming out to help with the cleansing of demons," Lorath said with a small chuckle. "When the Worldstone was destroyed, it unlocked all of the possibilities for various Nephalem to start appearing. As we know, the Worldstone was first sealed by various Archangels to keep the Nephalem powers in check. Now, with the seal gone, nothing can stop humanity's true potential from coming forth again."
"Are you serious?!" Ilerael asked.
"Yes. We have a few Monks from Ivgorod that appeared to take some bounties. Witch Doctors from the far jungles of the Teganze have appeared, and they are from the feared Umbaro tribes. Demon Hunters also flocked to the call for a chance to hunt down their favorite prey. Even Wizards from Xiansai have heeded our call for help. And, you'll love this, the Barbarians from Mount Arreat sent down some of their best warriors to help, too. We've also heard rumors that Crusaders from the East have come out of hiding to help purge the evil that plagues us. It's amazing, really," Lorath said.
"At least we aren't the only ones," Ilerael nodded. "More help is always needed."
"How do you know that they are Nephalem?" Anaurael asked when she walked over.
"Their skills surpass all others. That is how I know," Lorath said. "Anyways, tell me about our newly acquired wounded. This one was someone that we needed to avoid?"
"I'll tell him. Can you get Tyrael? He was last seen in his chamber here," Ilerael said to his daughter. She nodded and moved to get him. When she knocked on the door, she was let in and crushed to his chest with a sense of relief. Then the door was pulled closed to give them some privacy. It was why Ilerael knew that she had to check on him. She would help Tyrael regain his senses.
"I guess you missed me?" she chuckled and hugged him back.
"Worried about you is more like it," he sighed.
"Lorath told me of the others that are appearing," she said.
"Yes. There are, definitely, more Nephalem now than I ever thought possible. A part of me is...a touch worried. But, they all seem to want to clear the demons away from Sanctuary. None of them know about you, though. Or your parents. The Nephalem with us is all they know of. I think there is some form of relief that our friend won't be the only one fighting off these bounties. Only time will tell."
"As they all say," she agreed. He tilted her face to his and kissed her softly before hugging her again. He truly did worry about her. "I am concerned about something."
"What's that?" he asked, as he cradled her.
"The Nephalem out there was the same one that killed Malthael. His physical body. Has word been given about Malthael living in my mind?"
"Not yet. Both Lorath and I feel that it may cause complications. It is known that you are possibly pregnant with my son."
"And the new ones that appear, should they question this, would want to know my status with you," she frowned. "I cannot say that I am your wife."
"I know that," he agreed. "All I will say is that this is part of a delicate agreement with Imperius. That you truly belong to him. I won't say anything more than that. If they ask for more information, you can let Imperius answer any questions that he wants to answer."
"Very well," she nodded slightly. "I am hungry, though."
"There's still plenty of meat left over from earlier. I'll join you," he said and led her to the table. He removed the small cover from the meat for them tackle the platter.
"That is far too much. Put some back," she said at the mound heaped on his plate.
"The more I eat, the less I worry about it," he muttered.
"And then you get an aching gut and are on the basin for more than you need," she mused. "Put half of what you have back. Trust me."
"And, if I get hungry later?"
"You take a break and eat later."
"Eating just takes up my time."
"It's either you eat, or you starve and hurt yourself. I would rather you take a small portion of time out of your day to eat small meals that will benefit you."
"Very well," he sighed with defeat and put a good portion of the meat back. Then he paused when she snagged a large, roasted slice off his plate. "Was that necessary?"
"I'm helping you, and I'm possibly feeding twins. I'm an exemption," she grinned. That got him laughing softly. At the knock on the door, he allowed entry to find Izarius walking in.
"Some new Nephalem are here to see you. I ducked into here just before they saw me. As for Willis...well, he regained consciousness. He would like to see you, Anaurael," the angel growled. "I distrust him. He deserves no such audience with you!"
"Demon filth..." Malthael seemed to hiss from her. "I should have aimed for him first..."
"Stop that," Tyrael glowered. "Not all humans are evil."
"They all contain demon blood. They are what they are," Malthael seemed to snort. "No matter. They will all die out when they do. Why should I even bother?"
"Exactly. Let them live as they need to," Tyrael said with a small nod.
"I hate to say it, but, when it comes to Willis, I do agree with Malthael," Izarius sighed. "Let me tell you all that this one tried to pull."
"I'm listening," Tyrael nodded and drank some water. For the next ten minutes, Willis's antics were talked about. Tyrael was in complete shock at how Willis had blatantly referred to Anaurael and Imperius as lovers in front of them. "I do agree that he is untrustworthy, but I do not believe in killing him. I will accompany her to meet with this youth. If he tries anything, I will stop it."
"How do you plan to do that?" Izarius asked.
"As much as I would like to say that I was the one she was meeting with, I can't do that. So, I will simply have to say that she is bearing my son and no longer subject to his prying eyes. But, we shall wait for Xavian. I did meet him once, if briefly, and I did find him a pleasant youth," he said. "And that reminds me. I need an ink quill and some parchment to write down the ingredients for that salve. We need to harvest these herbs. Quickly."
"I can get them," Anaurael said.
"No," Tyrael said. "Izarius, please go invisible and whisper to Lorath."
"That I can do," the angel nodded and did just that. He was even able to teleport out of the room. As much as he would use the door, he didn't want the door to suddenly open and close for no reason with others present. A short moment later, Lorath appeared with an invisible Izarius. He let the angel in first before closing the door behind himself. When the door was shut, the angel revealed himself again.
"Willis is asking to join the Horadrim. After what I was told, I informed him that it was doubtful. That I would speak with you about it," Lorath said and shook his head. "He has done far too much wrong when it comes to Imperius and the High Heavens."
"I don't want to see him," Anaurael said softly. "There is no reason for me to."
"No, there is not," Lorath agreed. "Anyways, Tyrael, what did you need?"
"Xavian had a very rare poultice oil that was passed down and preserved. It's ancient Horadric medicine. I was...attacked...by a rogue angel. Shoved into a wall with brute force. The move broke several of my ribs and gave me excruciating pain. The salve healed me over a course of several hours. Izarius, can you get it? So I can show an example?" Tyrael asked. Lorath paused in hearing that Tyrael was attacked. And no one told me?!
"Give me a moment," the angel nodded. He vanished and reappeared moments later with the small jar. Lorath was a bit amazed at the oily mixture.
"Cut your finger open. Just a scratch," Tyrael said.
"Okay," Lorath said and did that with his spear. When blood was drawn, Anaurael took a small dab of the oily ointment and rubbed it over his cut. There was a slight stinging sensation, but it was quickly fading out to nothing. When it foamed over, Lorath was amazed. After several minutes, the foam dissipated, and the cut was gone. "We need more of this!"
"I know. I can recall some of the ingredients. We need to find the book that holds the rest. There is a Horadric library somewhere. I just can't remember where," Tyrael muttered.
"Would Cain's book hold the location?" Izarius asked.
"It might! Itherael can help us search the pages. Write down these plants, Lorath. These are the ones that I do remember," Tyrael said and began to tell him of the few intricate plants needed.
"I'm sure a Witch Doctor may know of some of these. Quite a few of these plants grow in tropical heat. If we know where to look, we can harvest them. We may even be able to grow a greenhouse with the seeds we collect," Lorath said. "But...this ingredient is odd."
"Which one?" Anaurael asked.
"It says here that...from what you told me, Tyrael...an angelic authority is needed. What do you mean by that?" Lorath frowned.
"You are to say nothing about this," Tyrael warned. "None are to say a word."
"You have my vow," Anaurael nodded.
"The same," Izarius agreed. Even Malthael gave his vow.
"A drop of angel blood is needed to enhance the healing properties. Since it is not ingested, it is safe. And, because of the oils and plants, it is only absorbed into the plant matter. You could say that I, willingly, placed a drop of my essence into each batch of healing salves. Other angels that supported the Horadrim also did the same. It is something that we did not always have to do, but this jar is one of the most potent of them. It's also why it is so well preserved. The salve, on its own, is excellent for bruises and cuts. But...for wounds like mine...salves like this are needed."
"I will assist in this," Izarius nodded. "if I must."
"Only a rare few batches will need to be done, but that's if we can get the ingredients," Tyrael nodded back. "You have my thanks."
"If it will save my sister's life, then I'll do whatever I can," Izarius said sternly and rested a protective hand on her shoulder. "Even the lives of her parents. I see all of them as my family."
At a knock on the door, Izarius turned to stand in front of his sister protectively. Lorath moved to answer the door, though. Finding Xavian standing there, he was let in. "It's Xavian! Come, brother. I hope you're doing well?"
"The teleport went well enough. Ana! It's good to see you. Nice armor!" Xavian chuckled.
"It is good to see you, too, Xavian. You look well," she nodded with a small smile. Izarius moved to stand behind her, and he watched Tyrael's two guards come in to settle in their respective corners. "Think you'll need a larger chamber, Tyrael?"
"I was thinking about it," he mused and smiled softly. He gestured for her to sit in his lap, and she rose a brow at him. He gestured again, and she sighed as she gave in. Settling in his lap, he kept an arm around her and regarded Xavian. "Do you know one by the name of Willis?"
"Willis? Yes. Why?" Xavian frowned. He was puzzled at how Tyrael was holding Anaurael. "Um...don't you belong to Imperius?"
"She does, but I'm a special case. As you are trusted by Anaurael and her parents, I can let you in on a dire secret. But...only if you vow to say nothing," Tyrael said gravely.
"By my Horadric ancestry, my lips are sealed!" Xavian said sternly.
"I trust him," Izarius nodded. Now he was let in on the secret of Malthael's rebirth and Tyrael's need to assist in it. It floored the youth. Anaurael seemed a touch distressed by it, but Izarius squeezed her shoulder gently to show that all was well.
"But...Malthael is evil!" Xavian said.
"I am not evil, half spawn," Malthael growled from her.
"Malthael. Shut up," Tyrael muttered. Now Anaurael realized why Tyrael wanted her in his lap. "Yes, you believed you were culling demons. I saw innocents. Granted, quite a few could be culled, but many didn't deserve it. And you attacked Heaven! So, there is no need for you to speak on this."
"There are times that I want him out," she winced. "Granted, he saved me from my kidnapping. But...when it comes to this..."
"I know," Tyrael nodded and squeezed her.
"Kidnapping?!" Xavian gaped. Tyrael now explained what happened in Heaven. Lorath had no idea about this, either. When Izarius described the nature of the demons when he got there with Imperius, both humans were pale at what she did. She was starting to feel very upset, and her mark pulsed out in a heavy way. When Imperius appeared in the chamber, Xavian's jaw dropped.
"She's upset. She called me," the powerful Archangel said.
"We were telling Xavian about her kidnapping. Here," Tyrael nodded and let her go to him. She went to him in a rushed way, and Imperius was quick to gather her up in his arms to comfort her.
"I watched you cull the demon filth," he muttered in her ear, as he turned his back to the others. "I am very pleased with you. And, yes, I know of that disgusting, mortal fool. You should have left him in the fields where you found him!"
"Trust me. The thought did cross my mind," she mumbled. "He wants to meet me."
"No!" he growled. "I forbid it!"
"I was going to go with her," Tyrael said over his shoulder. Imperius growled, but Anaurael placed a hand on his armored cheek. Her hand was quickly moved to go under his helm to help calm him further. "If you wanted to, you could join us."
"I don't see why," Imperius muttered. "It makes no point. He will only irritate me."
"I'm irritated just by knowing he's around," Xavian sighed and shook his head. "I'll go see him first and see what he wants. If it's important, I will report back."
"Do that," Tyrael nodded. "Lorath, go with him."
"Should we use some of the salve?" Lorath asked.
"Only if certain wounds are dire. Leave it here. Examine him carefully," Tyrael ordered.
"I don't know why he wants to see me," Anaurael frowned and pressed into his chest. Imperius let his wings flick out and waver silently, as he held her. They would soon find out.