When she did appear, she was dressed in a sparkling gown of gold and silver thread. The edges had diamond accents stitched in. She was still glowing a bit from what Imperius did to her, but it was also wearing off. Izarius had moved right to her side to guard over her when Darius contacted him. She hugged her brother to show him that she had recovered. She was a touch hungry, though.
"Did you eat what was brought?" he asked.
"I did...but...I got sick again..." she shivered. He sighed and hugged her. Pressing an invisible kiss to her forehead, he led her over to Tyrael. He kept an arm around her waist to help comfort her. Her three other brothers remained invisible to trail behind her.
"Reveal yourselves," Izarius muttered to them. "The mortal angels are here, too. The ones that removed their wings for false pretenses. I don't want them to think that I'm the only one guarding her."
"Agreed," Mithus said and dropped the invisibility with the others. She surprised her other brothers now by moving to hug each of them.
"I am very relieved that you are all with me," she smiled.
"It is an honor, sister," Darius chuckled and hugged her back.
"We would like nothing else," Azarius agreed.
"You should all get your weapons upgraded in time," she said.
"We shall do so the moment we know we can," Mithus promised.
"It may be needed," Izarius said sternly. "I wasn't sure why she wanted me to upgrade mine, but it would make sense. We are her honor guard. And her true brothers. We need to show that we are different. It will benefit her status."
"With your hoods, the three of you should also be Archangels now. I feel it is needed," she said. "So, if Tyrael has me safely away somewhere, you three need better weapons."
"I understand," Darius said in his deep, echoed tone. Mithus and Azarius suddenly formed a wall of angelic steel in front of her at the sight of one of the angelic mortal men coming over to see her.
"I wish to ask something of you," he said.
"Oh?" Izarius said lightly and regarded him. "What would that be?"
"I wish to be culled," the man swallowed.
"For what purpose?" Anaurael frowned and moved to get a better look at him. The man had shoulder-length light red hair and pleasantly green eyes. Even his face looked rather handsome and noble with the way it was clean-shaven and lightly squared at the jaw. His voice was pleasant, but trembling with carefully controlled strain. That usually went with a severe lack of sleep. Even his eyes showed it from how red and baggy they looked.
"I can't...do this anymore..." he winced.
"Your name?" Mithus asked.
"It's Sithus," he said.
"I do not think that you need to be culled," Anaurael said sternly, as her mark flared out from within her circlet. "When was the last time you slept? Or even ate?"
"I...keep forgetting..." he winced.
"If I had my weapons, I would cull him. Gladly," Malthael muttered when he appeared. "But, you are correct. He is overworked. He needs rest."
"Can you inform Tyrael of this?" she asked Malthael softly. Sithus couldn't see Malthael. It was just as well. Malthael didn't want any of the new ones to see him.
"I can. Remain where you are," he said. She nodded, and he vanished away. A short moment later, Tyrael was seen rushing to her side to keep any others back. Malthael reappeared with a small chuckle. Anaurael was now pulled tight against Tyrael's chest, and he was glaring mildly at the man before them. The moment Malthael told him that the man wanted to die and said something to her put Tyrael on complete edge from Myriam's warning.
"She is not allowed to attack or be around any form of death," Tyrael said sternly. "By you coming here and telling her to kill you...it's crossing a line!"
"He did not ask her to kill him," Izarius said. "Only that he is tired of his torment. As it is, he has not eaten or slept in some time."
"Malthael, please inform Ilerael," Tyrael said now.
"Done," Malthael nodded and vanished. Anaurael's parents soon rushed over to protect her. Much to Anaurael's surprise, a couple of angelic guards were with them, but mainly for her mother.
"You with me. Now," Ilerael ordered Sithus. The man winced, but nodded and followed him. When Imperius appeared, it was too late. They didn't leave in time.
"He would dare to jeopardize my offspring?!" Imperius thundered. He had sensed her distress and had to appear. He had no choice in it. The moment he felt she was in any form of pain, he had to see to her complete safety.
"He did not know," Malthael said lightly.
"The situation is taken care of," Tyrael said. "You should go back to Heaven before you are seen by any others. I have everything under control."
"I do not want her to get ill again," Imperius growled. Anaurael moved to his side to let him rest his hands on her shoulders. "If anything happens, I want you to come back straight to my side."
"I vow," she nodded. He lifted her up to kiss her and squeeze her before setting her back down. He looked over at Sithus and snorted his disgust. At the pat she gave his hands, he nodded to her and vanished away. Tyrael sighed and pulled her back to him. Ilerael calmly gestured for Sithus to follow once again. Lilaurael moved to hug her daughter and make sure she was well before letting her warrior escort take her back to her chamber to rest. She was getting ill lately, too.
"I wanted to show you something," Tyrael said gently.
"What is that?" Anaurael smiled.
"First, I want to know one thing," he said and regarded her carefully. "Would you like to become a Keeper of Horadric artifacts and secrets? I can trust no other with the task."
"Oh! Of course!" she blinked. "Um...would I need to be out of Heaven for a long time?"
"No. Just be here when I need you to be here. Then you are kept safe. If meetings do happen, you may be required, but you will be protected. You can help archive what we find. But, in order to do that, you will need to access various parts of this library. With this."
She paused at the sight of the felt bag being opened to display the powerful necklace. He was able to place it over her neck gently and clasp it in place. Even she could sense the power in it. Izarius looked at him now and asked, "Does she need to wear that at all times?"
"Only if she needs to be in the library here and at meetings. That would be the time for her to wear it. There are still locked places here that we need to open. I want you to help me open them. Yes, I know the risks if there are places still inhabited by other things. But, this is important," Tyrael said.
"Why would you entrust such a position to me, though?" she asked, as they walked.
"Because you are my wife, and I would trust no other," he said softly. She blushed at that, and he squeezed her lightly. Izarius chuckled with his brothers, as they followed. Malthael followed in his own thoughts and turned to find the Vecin seer glancing over at him. He easily made his way over to her.
"You have thoughts about me?" he mused.
"There is something here that you need to be wary of," Myriam warned. "Not all places are safe. Even you know this."
"I do. Even your dreams are not safe," he seemed to smirk. She growled, but he only nodded. "I am aware that even secrets do not have to be good. Many can be just as dark as the places they hide in. This I know all too well. As do you."
"That I do," she nodded. "But, there is a power here. Can you not feel it?"
"I have no flesh. What I do not sense, I do not know."
"There is something here. It's waiting. That is what I am feeling. As to what it is waiting for, I am unsure. But, I do warn this. Make sure the girl is not near it."
"Oh?"
"The necklace she wears now. It will open many secrets. Not all of them will be helpful."
"Thank you. I will ensure you rest well for tonight."
"You should still remove yourself from my mind."
"And you are a seer. If you cannot see how to remove it yourself, then why should I teach you?" Malthael chuckled in a taunting way, as he walked off. She muttered to herself and trudged off. But, she did say something that had him concerned. If something was waiting, then I need to find out what it was. He went to Tyrael. "I had a discussion with the seer."
"Did you?" Tyrael frowned. Anaurael was now curious of this.
"I was warned...that something is...waiting. That not all secrets are beneficial. We must be cautious. Also...if we find out what is waiting...Anaurael needs to be gone from here. There is no other choice. We need to keep her away from all dangers. Can Lilaurael wear this trinket?"
"Hmm. Maybe it would be safer," Tyrael said. But, when he went to remove the necklace, the clasp was gone. "What's this?!"
"Where is the clasp?" Izarius asked now.
"Ah. That's right," Tyrael winced. "The only way to remove it now is at the altar."
"Altar?" Darius asked. Mithus and Azarius didn't like the sound of that.
"We just need to perform a small ritual. The necklace chose her. That's...what it does," Tyrael muttered. "I had forgotten that it was mildly sentient."
"Wait," Anaurael said. She put her hand on the Horadric brooch that decorated it and whispered, "Do you mean me any harm? If you do, you will be destroyed. Please show me that you mean well."
When her mark flared out, the Horadric piece seemed to respond with a small flicker of its own within the amber sliver. What Anaurael sensed now was kinship. A form of trust. I am the true Keeper. At her soft smile, she nodded with complete understanding. Then she sensed that she was being pulled. She looked over at a wide expanse of bare wall to her left and studied it intensely.
"What are you looking for?" Malthael asked.
"I feel drawn here. The necklace truly has chosen me. It was...waiting for me. I think that is what the waiting was. Or it could be another, but I was the one truly destined for it. So, now I can feel something that it wants to show me. That it's important. There is something about this wall," she mumbled. Tyrael thought hard. Then he remembered. This was what I was trying to remember. This was one of the doors that lead to what I want to show her. He moved to the middle of the wall and carefully brushed off the dirt that caked over a very specific brick. There was an imprint for the Horadric piece there. Smiling, Anaurael gently touched the necklace to it. Then the wall seemed to pull back in and slide out of the way by an unseen force.
"We don't know what is down there," Tyrael said and had El'druin ready in his hand. "I can recall what is down there now. But, I want it to be a surprise for you. I also don't want anything to surprise us. Izarius, form a front line with me?"
"Done," Izarius said and pulled his massive spear off his back.
"Wait. Before we go down there, I want my brothers to get new weapons," she said.
"Yes. Let us do so," Azarius nodded, and he vanished with the other two. A short while later, Mithus reappeared with a giant, gilded gold two-handed axe. Azarius was quick to follow with an elaborately engraved two-handed sword. When Darius appeared, he was holding a regal two-handed mace. Her honor guard was ready to protect her.
"Imperius is watching. Ah. There are her parents. And Lorath," Malthael mused.
"We need to be with her," Ilerael said. "Sithus is now sleeping deeply. So are the others. Xavian is here, too. We didn't say anything to Willis. Oh. There's the Nephalem with Lyndon."
"I must see any new places," the Nephalem nodded.
"I can understand that. But...you wish to join?" Tyrael asked Lyndon.
"What? Someone has to carry out all the riches we find!" the scoundrel bragged.
"And that someone will be me," Greed said when Gurzick appeared.
"I should be holding my weapon," Anaurael muttered. Her parents were armed. She wasn't.
"I am your weapon," Tyrael muttered back to her. He was still holding her. That actually had her blush. "As much as I would be honored for you to fight at my side, we cannot risk it. Let us guard you."
"Imperius is watching. Just so you know," Malthael cautioned.
"That's fine," Ilerael said.
"Maybe she should watch from Heaven?" Lilaurael asked.
"I don't think that's necessary," the Nephalem said. "only because nothing is going to get through to her. If we keep her in the center of us, we'll be fine."
"And there are the two guards for Lilaurael," Ilerael chuckled. He nodded to his angelic brethren, as they made a rear guard. Then, much to his surprise, two more angelic guards appeared to form more protection. "Imperius takes no chances."
"Nor should he," Tyrael agreed. "Shall we go?"
"Yes! Let's see what awaits us!" Lyndon said.
"And you still didn't bathe? You'll lead anything down there straight to us!" Greed snickered from Gurzick's crown. "What's wrong? Afraid you'll find something under your armor? Or, don't tell me! Ah! Nothing at all?"
"You can shut up!" Lyndon scowled. Tyrael cleared his throat to retain his composure, but the Nephalem was already grinning a touch wickedly. Anaurael was giggling softly with her parents.
"You said you wanted to witness something?" Anaurael managed to whisper in Tyrael's ear.
"You're right. I did bring this on myself," he mused and kissed her softly. "Just stay behind me. I'll protect you. Okay?"
"Of course," she smiled and let him kiss her again before letting her get in a protective circle. After that, they went down into the depths of the library.