#tevar

Later. They had to sound the alarm, though he doubted the sudden demon swell would go unnoticed by the other Nephalem. He cast a concerned glance back towards the tunnels before resuming his sprint to Tristram. Malthael could take care of himself, particularly if Imperius was with him.

What a cockeyed thought. Need to pester the dumbarse later and find out how he caught himself up in all of this.

“Wait, I can help!” Chith had finally found his footing and was jogging alongside them, more an awkward stumble than a true sprint. Ah well, Lyndon thought; the healer wasn’t exactly known for his dexterity. “Just need a moment...”

He drew a gem from a pouch, clasped it between his palms, and pulsed a Lightwave through it. The crystal lit, then keeled; distantly, the sound of other gems resonating could be heard.

Lyndon snickered. If the others hadn’t noticed the demons yet, they would now. “That’s supposed to be for emergencies.”

“This is an emergency!”

“Eh, I’ve seen worse.”

Chith glowered at him, a mannerism clearly borrowed from Malthael.

“Long as you’re ready to sunder some demons, no harm done,” he conceded, as he fired another round into the fiends that were scuttering behind them. “Are you ready?”

————————————————————————————

Malthael’s hearing faded to a high-pitched keening as the cavern exploded, throwing him and Imperius into the dirt. He groaned and pressed his index fingers to his temples, blinking through the disorientation as sound gradually returned.

“My thanks,” he muttered, when he saw the breaks in Imperius’ armor. “And yes, I can--” He was interrupted by Imperius wrapping an arm about him. Confused, Malthael glared at him. “What are you doing--”

--whhhhhhoooooooooomp--

His boots slammed into Tristram’s cobblestones. Beside him, Imperius called forth Solarion. A ream of flames exploded across the square as the spear fell from the sky into his grip.

Malthael exhaled a long-suffering sigh; so much for keeping the Archangel hidden. On cue, panicked shouts went up from around the town. Malthael’s own warning-gem flickered and sounded; Chith, probably.

“By the Light, someone get the arcanists over here, we have a prob--”

“Stop!” He side-stepped around Imperius, raising his blades in defense at Tyrael’s panicked shout, as the Horadric leader approached with his sword drawn. “He is no threat!”

El’druin wavered in the man’s grip, though only slightly. He looked between Malthael and Imperius with enraged incredulity, and more than a touch of confusion. “Brother. What in the Hells is this?”

“Complicated,” Malthael said dryly. Though, Tyrael probably wanted more information. “Demon infestation. Be here soon. Not your brother,” he cocked his head at Imperius. “Long story.”

“And I expect to hear it all later,” Tyrael glowered; his eyes hadn’t left the Archangel, though he did temporarily lower El’druin. “What are we dealing with?”

“Filth demon. Split. Keep the halves apart. Kill everything. Except,” he added, with a trace of resignation, “Rakanoth. Also helping.”

“By Diablo’s taint, why is the Lord of Despair also here?”

“Long story,” Malthael repeated. “Must we debate it now?”

Indeed, it was not the time. He felt the demon swell pulse and writhe towards Tristram. Reaching out into the surrounding essence, he drew from the well of Death and called its chill into his blades. Frost crept along the shotels, stopping just before it reached his fingers. His forearms ached preemptively.

Oh, enough.

The demons were feral, mindless creatures, most of them. But some would recognize him, if given reason. He considered fetching his armor, before deciding there wasn’t enough time. And he had other ways to project his identity.

He snapped a shotel out, tip to the sky, and let Death flow through him. The shroud ran along his flesh and along his back, before snaking out into the form of wispy, skeletal wings. 

If Hamorath were intelligent, he would fear two Archangels.

He absently sipped his coffee and swiped back curly locks from his face. Auriel laid the long vest she fetched in the crook of his elbow and leaned against his side, listening. Imperius, still hard at thinking, pulled his wings close to his back to give her room and propped her some with the closer one.

The name Ira had both of them perk up. Imperius felt the confusion wash over Auriel, the name was unfamiliar. And strange for an angel. Wrath... Hardly a virtue. They looked at eachother. Imperius... he had a suspicion but-

“From the depths I arise to unleash despair once more! Vengeance sneak attack!”

Both archangels jumped up and summoned their arms. Auriel hooked a wing in Imperius' to stop him. His snap back froze in his throat at Tevar's amusement. Fiery wings flared and rose with fury. Imperius forced out a sigh as he felt Al'maiesh twirl around his arm and ground him. This was no time for chatting, he angrily looked at his sister. She was shaking from tension... or coffee. "Stay calm" she resounded in his mind, firmly. It took her a few breaths before she too calmed down enough to stop shivering. Imperius growled.

They watched the video with varying levels of suspicion as they stood down. Imperius was dumbstruck at the familiarly glinting wings. Tyrael was whole and alive in their realm. Auriel, little too preoccupied with her own misgivings and the feed, didn't notice Imperius shaking off her tendrils. He graciously took the opportunity to whisk after his infernal double with a flash, before Tevar even offered it.

Auriel looked up just in time to see her Imperius' wings disappear in the rift too. She slowly sipped her pot of coffee. "Twenty bucks that he gets somehow more tangled in this," said Auriel, motioning toward Solarion and the empty mug her brother left behind. She set the pot down on one of the chairs.

"So young Tevar, tell me. Why do you call the Lord of Despair, Rakanoth... flirty fangs? And why is he -adopting- my little Moni?" Auriel's puzzled squint could be felt through her question. There was an edge to it, but it was clearly directed at the demon, not Tevar.

_____

The strange, new scents of an overgrown swamp flooded Ira's senses. She stood bestridden, head quickly turning about. This was new. Overwhelmingly maybe. Her core raced, flickering her wings with excitement. So many big trees, and water, and new smells and sounds!

She twirled after a passing alien dragonfly. The young girl stared after it, into the gaping shadows and light beams of the wilderness, captivated. When Rakanoth called to her she jumped and whipped back, claws extended in suprise. It took her a moment to process the words. She nodded.

"Not here. Right." She watched him disappear in the water, standing inert for a moment. She lunged toward the big tree's trunk next to her and held herself in place with claws and wings, staring at the water surface. Then jumped down. She paced around in a circle, holding on her spatula, clutching it close. Her wings pulled up and flapped out, once, twice, thrice. This is new, this is new, this is new. And so much more exciting. Concentrate Ira. Breath in. Breath out. She stopped. Then charged back at the massive tree, scaling it with claws and wings like an outlandish feline.

Perched above, she spotted Rakanoth's form slipping in and out of view. Curious. Bit further off, wooden structures and... tents? They speckled the bank near ruined buildings, gravitating around one in practicular. Who lived there? Is this still the Heavens? Could it be? She caught movement in the sky from the corner of her eye. Tyrael landed on a wharf, Moniqa behind him, gently rocking above the water, singing. Nerds. She tucked the spatula in her belt.

Moniqa watched the lights and shadows shift under the surface. Truly, this had to be the Pools of Wisdom. A more primal version of it. Full of life and... ruins? She fell silent and touched down near Tyrael. A pang of sadness came over her at the sight and looked up at the archangel. Did the water do ALL this damage? It couldn’t have. Something was amiss.

Her wings felt oddly bare. On the shore, she noticed, a stern woman stared them down. Panicked, she shrunk to Tyrael's arm. She remembered. They left Ira behind! She was alone! What is she going to do without that spunky moron? Or any of her siblings? Where is her twin-

From behind a familiar chime of a core pounced at her. She yelped in suprise. Ira! The two fledglings glided on wiht the momentum and hit the bank, sqealing, snickering and rolling around in a play fight. Their wings kicked up some broken twigs and dry foilage as they tried to pin the other down, giggling.

Suddenly spooked, Ira exclaimed and jumped back, away from the fight. Following in tow, Moniqa ducked behind her and under her wings. Ira had just noticed Oreliphus. She looked between her and the telephoning Tyrael. Moni peeked out.

"Hell take me, he is ratting us out!" Whispered Ira, alarmed. "Isn't that good right now? I'm starting to miss Migi. And pops is not-" A fearsome swamp monster blasted out the water, shouting. Startled, Moni took off, absconding to the top of the closest building's dome, Malthael's study. She shortly poked her head over the edge, recognising Rakanoth's laughter. Oh, so it was just a game?

Ira flared her wings, but stood calmly in place. Oh right, that was the suprise. Moni was alright too, now enthused about the commotion. She saw her consider diving down to join, but followed Moni's line of sight when she hesitated. The angel Ira recognised as Oreliphus was filming the brawl with a phone. Getting taped in a stranger realm wasn't on either of their lists. Their eyes met. Oh, Moni knew, Ira was planning again something. Alright, she'll entertain her scheme and distract again, but only because she wanted to get the muck out of her hair and play.

The peace of the countryside was destroyed suddenly. Light erupted within a meadow, bathing the trees in a hellish light and turning the forest into a sudden wash of black shadows.The rift opened wide, crackling before two figures crashed through, slamming into earth and struggling.  The larger figure was a massive demon, appearing like some sort of bony encrusted pig with the melded remains of humans into its hide and skittering limbs that seemed too long for its hideously obese form. The skull-like face was far too human with a set of tusks protruding from the face and two pairs of horns from the grown. The demon howled, managing to buck the other figure off, sending them flying across the ground.  Fire erupted from the fields as the fire from the second figure’s wings ignited the ground, managing to roll onto his feet and slide along the ground, one clawed hand grasping onto the earth. The demon snarled, rearing up, the hundreds of quills along its back clattering together. 

“You think you can stop my master’s plan, Imperius!? You think you can defeat me with these pultry attacks!?” 

The archangel scoffed, rising to his feet, spear in both hands, “I’ve slain more impressive demons than you...Hamorath. I’ll see this earth stained with your blood!”  The demon snarled, tensing as he looked aside to the rift as two more figures exploded through it, just before it closed. Tevar smirked, resting his shotgun against one shoulder while Rakanoth let out a low growl slamming his blades point down against the ground. The demon paused,looking between the three, tense before he let out a loud roar, ripping up the ground and sending up a suddne cloud of dust and burning sulfur. Imperius cursed teleporting forward and slamming his spear down to clear the cloud..

Nothing remained but the stench of the demon, the slow crackle of the burning grass as hit slowly smoldered to ash, and no sign of Hamorath anywhere.

“Looks like he slipped away...” Tevar murmured, coming up beside Imperius, “So we heading back?” Imperius looked about, wings spreading some. He was silent for a moment before he shook his head, gripping onto Solarion tighter, “No...that rift....it wasn’t one to another part of the world Tevar....” he let out a frustrated growl, “It was a rift in reality.” 

Rakanoth cocked his head before lifting it, taking a sniff of the air before tensing, “...is this....I feel the taint of Diablo, the cries of evil in these lands...”

“We are near Tristram.” Imperius murmured, looking in the direction of the town, merely a small blip of light in the distance, “And if that is the case, we are either back in time or in another reality of the past. However....if that is the case-”

“We got to clean up our mess because we accidentally let lose an evil future demon into the area,” Tevar grumbled, “And Hamorath is plague wherever he starts spawning.” 

Rakanoth lowered his head, turning it in the direction of Tristram, “...he will be attracted to large populations of mortals. Just like how we found him in the city. No doubt he will lay low and he will spawn under their noses.”

“We flush him out before that happens,” Imperius growled, already starting to stalk towards the glimmer of civilization among the dark rolling hills of farms and wild land, “Come. We still have a hunt to complete.” Tevar looked at Rakanoth before letting out a sigh, shoulders slumping, starting to follow after Imperius, “I’m getting a souvenir and taking so many pictures though. We are hunting, but I’m not officially a hunting tourist....” *He grumbled.

The three vanished into the night, leaving behind only the remnants of battle, far from where anyone would discover, their fiery arrival covered up for now. The hunt was on.

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The market of Tristram no doubt welcomed its share of strange visitors passing through on their way to the larger cities to the East or West. Yet even by those standards, the traveling trio that had entered the market that day were odd. 

The three had arrived in town just before noon and did not look like they were companions, although they talked to each other as such. 

The most normal of the three was a man of average height and rather unassuming appearance, clearly hailing form the Eastern continent from the cut of his facial features. His armor was more form fitting than usual for armor and had a rather Heaven-like design to it. A cloak akin to a demon hunter was pulled over the top and a long strange weapon was strapped to his back and two smaller ones resting in holsters at his hips. A large backpack was slung over one shoulder as he looked about, gawking as if he had never seen a market before. 

Beside him was a tall, hunched over dark figure, dressed in robes and a cloak that seemed to suck up the light. there was glints of steel armor beneath the robes. From the back of the hood, a long braid cascaded down his back. Whenever the dark stranger lifted his head, a glimmer of his face could be seen. He was far too pale, his teeth a bit too shark-like, barely fitting inside a twisted mouth. He wore a cloth over his eyes to hide them. His hands were gnarled, useless looking things, a s if he had suffered an injury that had left them permanently curled. A crippled spellcaster perhaps? Some noble who had come under a curse? It was hard to say.

However both were dwarfed by the larger figure behind them, wearing brilliant robes of an orange and gold coloration with a pattern and design very much linked to Heaven and a wrapped spear in one hand as he stalked forward. His face was half hidden by a cloth pulled over the nose, much like one of the horadrim, leaving only his eyes, a burning gold-orange revealed against dark sin akin to a native of Lut Gholein. He seemed to be constantly looking about, as if on the hunt for something and keeping close to his other two companions as he held up the rear.

They were odd but not terribly out of place, but the sort of travelers that would no doubt attract some attention were someone to spot them.  Tevar only hoped no one would stop them and they could figure out where the demon they had been looking to slay would be easy to flush out before well....things happened.  Not to mention the slow sinking misery starting to settle on him as he looked about at the town, letting out a soft groan, “....nothing here looks good to eat and I’m starving. And I need to use the bathroom but I’m pretty sure the restrooms here are a hole in the floor or a piss bucket.”  “It seems bigger. They might have basic plumbing,” the disguised Rakanoth rasped, “I wouldn’t count on the paper thing to be here though...”

“I’m going to die here...going to die in the Renaissance fair that is too hardcore from starvation and pit potties,” Tevar groaned, looking over at one of the stalls they passed and the small knickknacks on the table, “Why couldn’t Aladria be here instead of me? She would enjoy ye old timeless town. How am I suppose to find a good souvenir when everything here is just so....basic!?”

“Cease your complaints,” Imperius growled, “And remember why we are here. I want this over with as well.” He paused to look around, “We should probably ask the locals if they had noticed anything unusual...”

“You mean...other than us?” Rakanoth asked, grinning toothily, “Because they will probably say we are the oddest thing here....”

Tevar had figured taking a portal relic scroll thingy and going to Sanctuary and back for some additional ingredients for taco night would be fine. It may have been fine, if he hadn’t messed up the scroll. Thus instead of opening a portal, he was flat on his back, gawking at the dimensional rift that was crackling and sparking before him. “...Rakanoth....how do we....what do we do now??” 

The lord of despair looked up from where he had been busy trying to delicately open a bag of shredded cheese without spilling its delicious contents all over the floor, tone flat, “....kill whatever comes through if it is aggressive, otherwise, not our problem. I’m sure the rift will close...maybe.”

the demon lord growled softly, giving a tiny nibble to the side of the bag before turning his head towards the mortal picking himself up, “The bigger issue here is you not opening this bag!” 

Tevar gave Rakanoth a look, shaking his head before picking up a spatula and moving over to the rift, prodding the surface of it some before throwing the spatula through as if to see what would happen, “...I’ll open it in a sec. Still think we should just...find a way to close it or I don’t know...put a door over it? Just something...we don’t want Imperius or Tyrael hitting the roof because we opened a portal to some shit and let all matter of oogy boogies through...”