They found themselves standing in front of a massive building that was elaborately engraved with chiseled stonework, inlaid gold filigree, and ancient, runic carvings in the stonework. It looked like a single, spiraling network of towers shooting up from the ground towards the Heavens, but it also reminded one of a many-tiered pagoda of archaic design. The more powerful mages lived in the upper parts. Lower ranking ones lived in the lower sections. Of course, various powerful artifacts were in rooms scattered around the tower with protective wards. Below the tower lay a maze of traps for any that dared to get beneath it. That section was considered forbidden to enter and was filled with ancient books and tomes. Very few ever got to glean its secrets.
It was actually a small town-like setting with various smaller pagodas all around the main, spiraling building in a circular pattern. The barricaded wall was neatly breached from Gurzick's portal. The gate guards never even knew they arrived for a formal greeting. The occupants inside the main tower were quickly notified, but they sensed Mai's energy pattern. However, it was now a touch of a problem. They were not expecting help so soon. That would be proven shortly.
"Tobirael, I need you to put me down. Only those with true arcane potential can open the doors. I have to show that I'm here with help," Mai said. He didn't like that, but he set her on her feet carefully. She pressed a loving kiss to his invisible mouth to show she would be fine. When she turned to face the spired structure, the doors suddenly opened of their own will. Then she smiled. "I see that the Yshari Sanctum was expecting us. The Vizjerei mages have foreseen us coming."
"So we think," Jozin nodded.
"I'll scout around and see what I can find," Greed said from the crown. Gurzick vanished shortly after to do just that. When they walked into the main chamber, several mages were in shock at the sight of the angels with them. There were at least seven of them in the circular chamber to regard them. They were not expecting this. They actually appeared to be in the middle of preparing some form of a ritual.
"The moment I got the message, I sped here. I brought help, as you all can see. Are others returning, too?" Mai asked. There was an aura in the room that gave a sense of confusion. It was a very odd thing to sense in a place that asked for help.
"None have reached us here so fast," a mage admitted from within his purple and gold cloaked form. "We sensed that something was odd just a few days ago."
"I see," she frowned. "And the rest of you? Where is my Master?"
"He is trying to contain the problem down below," another said.
"So, the problem is below us?" Tobirael asked.
"You could say that," a cloaked female said.
"Then let's go," Kalgor grunted. Vincent whistled for his wolf to leap out of the shadows to join his side. Zynaurael notched her bow, and her bluish-white tendriled wings wavered. The other angels were clearly eager to do their fair share of battle.
"The Heavens are here to help us assist in your plight. Even more may come down, if they must," the Nephalem said. "We have a very unbalanced edge in this fight."
"That may be so..." one of the mages said with a sensation of nervous indecision.
"Wait..." Izual said. "I sense something. From you."
"What?" the indecisive mage asked. He was a slender male and now seemed very nervous.
"You're nervous. Why?" Izual pressed. Now the mage's peers looked at him curiously. Now an odd sensation that something slipped was felt. Something gave way in the acting. Malthael was still up in Heaven when he watched in the viewing pool. He looked at Anarius with a small glance from within his dark hood. What the angels sensed was easily felt by those watching the pool.
"THEY ARE IN A TRAP!" Anarius said quickly. "MALTHAEL, I, ANU, GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO ASSIST! GO, MY ASSASSIN OF THE HIGH HEAVENS! CLEANSE THE FILTH!"
"What?!" Anaurael gaped. "It was a set up?!"
"It seems to be that way. That one is giving off a vibe. I can also sense it from Izual's thoughts," Malthael said. He was a touch surprised at what Anarius called him. It actually made sense now. He truly was Heaven's assassinator for Sanctuary's corruption. Ilerael smiled softly. His old title was transferred to him, and it was a worthy thing, too. Mal had fallen asleep in Izarius's arms to let his spiritual part be given a full form. Malthael's weapons returned to him, and he had his weapons gripped in his hands. Then he nodded and said, "I shall oversee this now down below."
"Anaurael, I need to oversee this from up here until I can give back control," Imperius muttered to her. "This may be too much for you."
"I know," she nodded and let him kiss her. He did lift her up to settle her into his lap to sit before the pool with her. Tyrael was only watching everything carefully. Even his Wisdom senses were advising him that something was seriously wrong. The angels being present had clearly upset the careful planning that something, or someone, did. Then he got an idea.
"I think they need some Heavenly assistance in the form of a spell caster. Agrius, can you join them?" Tyrael asked. His hovering guard nodded and vanished to assist.
"I'm going, too. They can't have all the fun!" Imperael smirked and vanished. He also felt a hidden need to impress Anaurael for some odd reason. He simply had to join them.
"I think we just won this fight," Ilerael grinned ruefully. Lilaurael seemed to tremble with her own hidden laughter. The moment Imperael appeared with Malthael and Agrius, the guilty mage went deathly still. The battle had easily turned in the outcome. The Nephalem cleared a throat and tried very hard not to smile. Jozin simply crossed his arms over his chest. Mai pressed her lips together and managed to smirk behind Tobirael's wide back. Kalgor was busy studying the different doors and wondering which one was the easiest to kick in. Vincent was still eyeing each mage carefully, as though waiting for them to move. Even the Witch Doctors were ready to call on whatever undead assistance they could muster if provoked. Byden coughed a little to show that he was ready to do an all-out attack now.
The mages in the room had a sense of complete stunned shock go through them all. They all seemed to be in on this. Then Malthael was in front of the nervous mage with his scythes out. He wasn't one to delay the inevitable any further. Death came to all, and he had to prove that point.
"Tell me...carefully. Or I'll rip your soul out from your flesh..." Malthael growled at him. "I am Malthael. I was once the Archangel of Wisdom. Formerly the Angel of Death. I am now the Assassin of the High Heavens. I have been given life once again to wipe your face from your skull. What is going on? And please...be truthful. Or don't. It gives me a reason to kill you...maybe all of you..."
"Malthael?! You're called an assassin now? I guess it would make sense," the Nephalem grimaced. "Well, in any case, he can't answer if he's dead."
"Better him than you..." Malthael muttered out without glancing behind him.
"Remember your place!" Izual growled. "And remember who is watching."
"Um..." the cowering mage cringed. "I..."
"Let me handle this," Imperael said and took two steps forward. His massive, two-handed sword was gleaming with a form of joy at possible bloodshed of half demon filth.
"Now you get all the fun?" Zynaurael sighed.
"Let the big angel play," Vincent muttered.
"Ah, yes, let him," Lyndon winced. "I wonder if tile like this is easy to clean. It's hard to tell if this is stone or carpet these days."
"Demon blood can stain," Eirena agreed. "and it can corrode."
"Don't provoke the situation. Although, I do admit, this is a form of cheating," Kormac sighed with a small chuckle. "Just save something for me?"
"Maybe," Imperael chuckled back. The two did become friends from the sparring matches they did on occasion to amuse other would-be fighters. And to discourage those that would dare to attempt to join in. "Just don't slow me down."
"What?! I would never slow you down!" Kormac growled.
"Your age is showing," the massive Archangel taunted lightly.
"Enough," Malthael growled. "Don't delay the inevitable. Tell us now. Or die."
"You'll get nothing from me!" the mage in front of him spat when something vile took over. The other mages in the room held up their hands to start conjuring their spells. "We expected others to appear within weeks. Not instantly! You may have kept us from preparing what needed to be done, but we'll still prevail! We'll-!"
He got cut off when Malthael gutted him open from groin to throat in a single, seamless movement. Then he turned and leapt at the next caster in line. The slaughter was quick after that, but one mage, the female, held up her hands when a blade was aimed at her to pierce her through. "Please! Spare me! I'm not controlled anymore!"
"What happened here?" Mai asked, and Kalgor withdrew his weapons from the freed mage.
"A strange stone was delivered to us a few days ago..." she whispered. The Nephalem paused at first before hissing with disbelief.
"Containing the issue down below. Now I see," Tobirael said. "Your master may be in trouble."
"Oh, please! Let that not be the case!" Mai cringed. "We need to find him!"
"These robes almost remind me of a Cultist," the Nephalem muttered. "Mai, are these natural?"
"What?" she blinked. When she studied the outer structure of the robes, they were fine. When one was flipped inside out from a corpse, they all paused. The etched runic markings of Hell were all through them. "I can't...believe this..."
"We're running out of time," Jozin muttered. "If one of those vile stones was sent here..."
"And if the soul within was this strong enough to taint..." Kalgor continued, as he caught on.
"We're dealing with a Prime Evil. Or something just as strong. Great..." Byden sighed. Nikauriel rested her hand on his shoulder with understanding. "You can't fight. Go up to Heaven."
"Ah, no," she said. "That is not what I do. I fight alongside you."
"As do the rest of us," Zynaurael nodded. "We are fighters. We don't cower in safety."
"Just stay back," Malthael said. "Play as support."
"I can do that," Sylauriel nodded. Agrius now chanted lightly to cast several powerful supportive spells over them all to enhance their speed and strength.
"This will last an hour. Let us continue. You. On the ground. Where is the corruption?" Agrius asked the stunned woman on the floor. She had shed off her fouled robe to show she had short, black hair and traditional brown eyes. Her olive-toned skin looked rather healthy, but that was on the surface from what they saw. She was wearing a set of traditional mage shirt and skirts of a rather flattering Oriental design with colorful flowers, but she was far from comfortable from her new ordeal.
"I can take you," she said. Then she blinked when Gurzick appeared from his portal.
"You. Ah, here!" Gurzick said and bounded up to Mai to hand her an intricate helm.
"Tal Rasha's helmet!" she gasped. "This will help us!"
"I did not expect to find it in a hidden chamber here. A number of other things were found, too. I'll give them over when we leave here. I sense a force that I have not felt in quite a while. A powerful one, but I'm sure you all know by now. Ah. Before I forget, I do have this that was found, too," Greed mused. Then Gurzick handed over an amulet that went with the helm. She quickly donned them and felt a significant boost in her elemental energies. The helmet resembled a golden, horned face-mask with the lower jaw missing to allow her to talk. The amulet resembled a circular pattern with a cross over it with red circular lines within it. It almost resembled a target, but it was for inner energy focus.
"You are not wearing that when you're resting with me," Tobirael said to her.
"I know," she chuckled and looked at Gurzick. "But, there's five more pieces of his armor. One of them consists of his focus, like what you gave me. As much as I only need five, it would be crucial to get the complete armament. I'll need the rest in time."
"There are parts of old armors for all of us that would be beneficial. Would the libraries here have records of such things?" Kalgor asked. Mai gave a stern nod at that.
"We shall research after this," Agrius nodded. Malthael was impatient. He wanted to kill the corruption. Izual had Azurewrath in hand, and its chilling aura clearly sent a warning to the cowering woman in their midst.
"My mind was in a haze. Once the others were killed, the influence left me," she whispered.
"I can believe that," the Nephalem said. "However, you were wearing a false robe. You can become a hindrance again, so you will come with us. It's to ensure that you won't slip."
"That's fine. I know where it all started. Follow me," she nodded. "For as long as I'm in control of my mind, I vow I won't go against you all."
"I don't think I recognize you. Are you new?" Mai asked, as they prepared to follow her.
"Huh? Oh. I was still apprenticing when you left. I had just gained my rank a week ago," she said. "My name is Darania. My specialty is lightning enchantments. I was given the robe as a gift for my hard work. I had no idea of what it was. I doubt that any of us did."
"So...all of the ones out there..." Izual said.
"Were all new like me," she trembled. Mai cringed now. As Malthael passed by the discarded robe, he paused and moved to pick it up with a scythe.
"I recognize this symbol. From long ago," he mused. "You should know this, too, Izual."
"Hmm?" Izual asked and walked over. When he looked at the symbol that was pointed at, he stiffened with instinctive rage. "That's Belial's mark."
"Close. But not quite. It's a crude attempt to recreate it. So, yes, it is him. But it's not him. Someone is trying to pretend to be him. We need to find the pretender," Malthael mused. "And, if they are trying to feed him to make him stronger...we need to slice off that hand that's giving the offerings..."
"Belial?! Did I hear you right?" the Nephalem stormed over. "I killed him!"
"You may need to kill whoever is trying to feed him," Izual said. "The answer may be in what was delivered to this place. With his soul free, anything can happen. We need to go."
"That we must," Malthael muttered out and dropped the robe. Imperael stepped on it on purpose, as he walked out of the room. Darania led them to one of the doors and opened it with a glowing wave of her hand. She led the group down an elaborate hallway with golden arching spires and pillars. The walls reflected the colors of deep burgundy, rich dark purples, and intense shades of red. Splashes of blue seemed to arch along from behind the pillars to the marble tiled floor. Soft, magical lights glowed softly from their golden sconces on the walls to guide them along. Mai only sighed at the memories that flooded her mind. She did miss the place.
"Mai," Tobirael said and pulled her close. He noticed the pause in her stance. "What is it?"
"Personal thoughts," she whispered.
"Okay. We'll talk later," he nodded. She smiled, accepted his kiss, and let him keep his arm around her as they walked down the hall with the others.
"So, he's your husband?" Darania asked.
"You can say that. No ceremony, but we are together," Mai nodded.
"How strange! I never thought that angels could be with us," she laughed.
"It's true," Sylauriel chuckled softly.
"But, how is that?" Darania asked with complete curiosity.
"We will explain all after this is seen to," Jozin said wisely. He didn't want to share too much information about such a thing yet. Kalgor spat out something in his mouth and charged on ahead. When they reached another large door, Darania tried to open it. Now that her taint was gone, it didn't open. When she frowned in confusion, Imperael rushed forward and simply kicked the door down completely.
"Always one to make an entrance," Lyndon grinned.
"Stand in the way next time," Greed suggested. Mai bit back her laugh at the look on the scoundrel's face. Malthael gave out a small sound to show his approval at the suggestion, but they moved forward all the same. As they continued to break down doors, Anaurael was watching everything with the others in Heaven. She was very concerned over what was being discovered.
"Belial may be doing this?" she asked.
"No," Tyrael said. "He could be coercing others. Remember how Baal's soul was trapped? Belial could be the same. He could be trying to spread his influence outwards. Mephisto did the same thing with the Travincal. He had heavily corrupted the Paladin order that guarded over his Soulstone. I'm glad the Crusaders formed when they did and split off. From what I hear, the Paladins try to kill off the Crusaders when they meet, but they are always outmatched. Their inner rooted hatred completely corrupted them. I witnessed a couple skirmishes between a Paladin and a Crusader once. It wasn't pretty. The Crusader won. Of course, this was when I was still an Archangel. I watched from afar."
"How did the Paladin die?" she asked.
"Now that you mention it, Imperius's Heavenly attack to teleport and crush those beneath him was used. It was the same move. Hmm. We may need to ask our new friend some questions," Tyrael mused. Imperius didn't like this bit of news, but she had her hand on his invisible cheek within the helm. That kept him calm. Looking back into the pool, the large group had reached the stairs to go down.
"I remember that the odd stone was taken down here to be locked away. That was the last I saw it," Darania said. "A week later, we were given the robes."
"I see," the Nephalem nodded.
"The spirits here are enraged," Moolara said. "They cannot leave."
"They wish for vengeance. We will help them get it," Sohar nodded.
"I don't understand why there's two of them and only one of everyone else," Lyndon mused.
"The others seek to work with the bounties. That's why," Vincent said. "Now shut up and get ready to fight something."
"Oh, really?" Lyndon smirked. Kalgor, Imperael, Kormac, Jozin, and Byden sudden charged forward to show they saw something. The Nephalem was quick to react and darted between them neatly to lead the charge. The angels swarmed together and spread out to block any attempts at escape. Malthael had already neatly cornered something cowering down. Izual and Agrius were quick to assist.
"You are holding something. Drop it!" Izual ordered.
"No! I can't!" the man cringed.
"Master?!" Mai gasped.
"If I drop it..." he grimaced. Then he saw Mai Ling. Tobirael moved quickly to stand in front of her. He was far too protective of her right now.
"I need to talk to him!" she hissed.
"Not when he has that stone in his hand!" he growled protectively. "I saw how he looked at you. He is planning something, and I won't let you become his target."
"Oh..." she frowned and pressed into his back. Her old Master was already frail. It was easy for Belial's soul to corrupt him the moment he picked up the odd Soulstone. He was already getting ideas of how to force his old apprentice into taking the stone from him. That it would be good for her. When he curled his lip back, his eyes widened when Malthael loomed over him.
"Demon filth!" Malthael seethed. "You are heavily corrupted! There is no more Light within you. Belial, the Lord of Lies, is within your grasp as you hold that stone. If you drop it, he may relent. If you don't, then I'll simply severe off your limbs."
"I..." the man hesitated. He wanted to drop the stone, but he no longer had control over his arm. In a rather slow motion way, the old man moved to push the Soulstone at Malthael, but it was easily dodged. Then a scythe came down and lopped off his hand at the wrist. The man screamed at the pain, but the demon's hold was gone. Zynaurael fired her bow at the hand to cement it to the floor. One never knew what could happen.
"Master!" Mai cried out and moved to help him.
"Mai..." he gasped and let her pull him away. Izual had a small jar of salve on him, and this was handed over to Eirena to let her help heal his missing limb. Jozin was able to cast a healing mantra to help with the pain. Much to their surprise, the salve let the missing hand grow back as though he never lost it. The stuff was clearly a miracle at work. "Now I have blood everywhere..."
"Don't worry about that. You're safe now," she smiled and nodded respectfully. "My friends here will help take care of that thing. What happened?"
"An odd box came to us. It was delivered to me, as it had my name on it. When I picked it up, I had...blacked out," he sighed. "I don't know the time or date of the current day."
"It was a week ago that everything really started. You had received that stone a few days prior," Darania said softly. "Of the new ones that graduated, all of us were corrupted by the robes we were given. They all...are no more..."
"I see..." he grimaced at this. "And the others? Their teachers?"
"I think they were ordered to be confined," she said.
"Were they also given robes?" Jozin asked.
"I..." the old man blinked and smoothed out his long, grey beard nervously. "I don't know."
"Then we need to find them and get those robes gathered up and burned. Quickly," Byden muttered. "You're not wearing one, but that's because the stone used you. How fast can this be done?"
"It depends on who's wearing them, you would think," Kalgor said. "and if they don't want to give them up. That is the main concern."
"The spirits say there are several still in danger. All above us. We must make haste," Moolara said softly. "Their lives are slowly slipping into the unformed lands."
"It is true," Sohar frowned. "As long as they wear the robes of a demon, their life forces are draining. We must find them."
"I am too weak to go," the old man said.
"I can stay with you," Mai said.
"No. You must help them. This is a part of your destiny," he said. Then he recognized the helmet she wore. "And...how did you come to receive Tal Rasha's parts?! They were well guarded!"
"Oh. Ah...well..." she winced. Gurzick was wisely remaining hidden, as a precaution.
"No matter. Use them well. It is apparent that these parts have chosen you, if they cause no discomfort to you," he said. "And...do be safe."
"I will watch over her," Tobirael said. "She is always safe with me."
"And...you are?" he blinked.
"Her mate," the angelic male chuckled. "She's pregnant with my offspring."
"I..." he blinked at this knowledge. The foul Soulstone was already being placed in a spare bag to be taken away. When Izual went to take it, Malthael stopped him.
"Don't. Anaurael worries," he said. "Let the Nephalem handle it. That one appears to be immune. Don't touch what we don't know."
"Understood," Izual nodded. Malthael knew that Anaurael worried for his mental health in truth. She mended his mind. She didn't want to do it again.
"I am curious," Tobirael said to his partner.
"Of what?" Mai asked.
"Did you have chambers here before?" he asked. "That you lived in and called your own?"
"Oh! Yeah, I did. Still do," she smiled.
"I would like to see them when this is done," he chuckled. At the blush that happened on her face next, he squeezed her. When she frowned, he said, "Don't worry. We'll rescue who we can."
"I know," she nodded. A large, protective hand was placed over her belly, and her master sighed.
"You should not delay. We shall talk more after," the old man said. She nodded and Tobirael rose up with her to move off with the others. A couple extra angelic guards from Heaven were able to appear to stand guard over the weakened man. Now that his corruption was gone and his mind was sane, everything was well with him. That was Anaurael's idea, and Imperius had agreed to it.
"How many can you sense that are in danger?" the Nephalem asked Sohar.
"Hmm," he thought with a heavy, furrowed brow. "The spirits say less than ten, but more than five. We must make haste."
"Mai, where are the other chambers we need to find?" Byden asked.
"We need to get to the upper floors," she said. Malthael started to get impatient, but he felt Anaurael's mind lean into his to calm him. He seemed to nod to himself, and he moved with the group.
"I know a shortcut," Darania said and led them to a room that was designed to help teleport them to various levels quickly in the form of a magical elevator. It was just off the main room they originally appeared in, and she led them straight to it from the stairs to the main chamber.
"They fixed it?" Mai grinned.
"From what I know. It's either this, or we take some stairs," she shrugged.
"How about something faster?" Imperael asked. "We can fly."
"Let's do that," Malthael nodded.
"How? There are layers of floors!" Mai said. "Nothing is open."
"I hope this place has fast ways to repair. The walls look thin enough," Imperael mused. Now she paled at how they were going to reach the upper levels.
"Let's try this way first," Kormac said. "As much as I'm all for going about differently, maybe this could be faster. We don't want this place to fall apart with us in it."
"Fine..." Malthael growled out. Anaurael calmed him again, and he sighed irritably. He saw all of this as a waste of time. He'd rather level the whole building down. As he waited in the odd, circular chamber to be transported, he sought out her mind. Once his mental side had her in his arms, he muttered, "I grow weary of this."
"I know," Anaurael smiled and rested her head against his chest. "Just a bit longer, and you'll come back home. Just think of this as doing my bidding."
"Your bidding?" he asked with a touch of amusement.
"Yes. You are finding demon filth that's trapped away. And ensuring that it remains trapped and unable to feed off of the Light that the humans currently have. If all of their Light is extinguished, then they would need to be culled. Until then, you are showing me a new place that I've never seen before."
"That I am," he found himself chuckling. She pressed a mental kiss to his invisible mouth. "I miss you. I'll do what I can to get back to you quickly."
"I'm watching you carefully. Don't get hurt. Don't do anything reckless. Be on the defensive at all times," she said carefully.
"Spoken as Imperius would say," he mused. "However, I do agree. I shall remain vigilant."
"Good," she smiled and let him squeeze her. When he came back around, he realized that the teleportation had worked. Angels were used to teleporting and shifting their body. They didn't actually have flesh. The mortals with them were a touch in pain from the shifts, but they endured.
"Are you well?" Tobirael asked Mai.
"I'm fine," she nodded. "I'm used to this."
"I don't think I want you to do that anymore with you bearing our offspring," he said and caught her before she stumbled. "I thought you said you were well."
"Sorry. Teleporting like that seems to disorient me. If I teleport, I can handle it. I can control it. This was something a bit different," she admitted. Then she blinked when he turned his back to her.
"Hop on. I'll carry you until I know you can focus," he said. She actually blushed at this, but she nodded and got on him in a piggy-back way neatly between his wings. He was free to fight like this, and she could still use a hand to cast the odd spell. The hallway they now faced was lined with various doors. The Witch Doctors were able to discern which door led to someone they had to help. Imperael was able to break down each door that gave them problems. When the stricken humans in their robes were found, they were able to quickly remove the offending garments. Only then did they come around.
"Gather all of these up and set them ablaze," Byden said when the robes were piled outside the tower. Nearly twenty robes were confiscated. There were others that were found and quickly added to the pile. Then the Vizjerai's best fire mages were able to set them to torch.
"We will mourn for the ones that were killed when they were corrupted. We will heal from this," the wizened man said, as he watched the offending cloth burn. All could smell sulfur and brimstone in the air when the cloth charred away. The Nephalem held the bag with the Soulstone, and now the champion turned to speak with the old man.
"Was this the only stone that you saw?" the Nephalem asked.
"Yes. I saw no others," he vowed. "If another is sent here..."
"You let us know," Izual said. "Belial had possessed you. A Lesser Evil from Hell. He may not have been a Prime Evil, but he is no less dangerous as any other. The High Heaven's only knows what else is out there now!"
"So, we have Baal and Belial trapped. We'll need to see what else is out there for us to find and confiscate," the Nephalem muttered. Imperael and Malthael were simply watching the mountain of robes burn away. Agrius was helping with the occasional wind spell to further ignite the flames.
"I am worried now," Kalgor said. "That stone was sent to a prime location for heroes to train. Who is to say that these stones were sent to other places?"
"Shut up!" Lyndon warned him.
"Oh..." Vincent seemed to pale. "We need to send out our own messages!"
"How about this," Agrius said. "inform me of places that can be reached. Many of my brethren are still able to silently scout. Even Greed's goblins can do this, too."
"I also have an idea," Greed said from Gurzick's crown when the Greed Goblin appeared. "If I see any boxes that have that aura of vileness around them, I can simply take them and deliver them to another area. My goblins are immune to such things."
"And you are being so helpful...?" Malthael let the question hang.
"That girl possesses a voice that I never want to lose. That and, well...I never liked the ones that ruled the Burning Hells to begin with. I'll cause as much havoc as I can!" Greed crowed.
"Do you have the package the stone came in?" Jozin asked the old man.
"I think it's still in my chambers," he said. "Ah...I do have some questions..."
"About what?" Kalgor asked.
"The angels with you...?" he started.
"I'll talk to him," Izual said. "You all find that package."
As this now happened, Tyrael was deep in thought up in Heaven. Everyone was still around the viewing pool, and his Wisdom made a jolting recognition. "I think this is all a plot from Azmodan."
"What?" Imperius asked.
"He's a strategist. If his soul was trapped, and he reached out to someone..." Tyrael started and grimaced. "That means that it has to have been another scribe. Why did we infiltrate Kulle's rooms?!"
"Because it had to be done," Anaurael frowned. "What I don't understand is how such powerful souls were able to be caught and confined."
"It happened before. The souls may have still had marks from that witch," he sighed hard. "It's the only other explanation. It's easy to draw in marked souls."
"But, Azmodan's and Belial's souls were never marked, from what you told us!" Izarius said, as he supported a sleeping Mal. "How could that have happened?"
"They were caught before. It counted," Tyrael said. He felt tired and very weary now. A whole new threat was laid bare. A whole new dilemma. When he glanced over at Imperius, he knew the golden Archangel was reflecting his thoughts. "What do we do?"
"Hunt down the stones," Anaurael said softly. "Confiscate them. Hide them. Whatever we must do. I only fear if Diablo's soul was caught and used."
"I would say the same thing," Imperius nodded. He looked over when Malthael and Imperael returned. Anarius could only nod to them both, but he didn't leave. He was waiting to ensure that the other angels down below were well.
"MOTHER, SHOULD I GO DOWN TO ASSIST?" he asked.
"No, dear. That's not required of you. And I really would feel uncomfortable with you being around such a vile artifact," Anaurael frowned. He nodded and looked over at her parents.
"We'll send some Horadrim in to study what information they can. We'll get our answers," Ilerael said. She smiled at that and felt Imperius rest his hand over her belly. There was no way she could leave Heaven anymore. But, even then, she had a lingering form of silent doubt in her mind that even Heaven wasn't truly safe for her anymore, too. At least not until this new threat was brought under control. Imperius was going to be monitoring her even more closely than before. He had no choice.