destiny is a mystery to me. Even the Scroll of Fate cannot tell us what might result from such an attempt—”
“It must be hidden!” Tyrael said .
His words rang out, stronger than he might have intended. The others stopped, their attention returning to him. He cleared his throat again, hating how weak it made him sound. A throat made of flesh and blood was not a trustworthy vessel for such a speech. “Itherael is right,” he said. “The Black Soulstone’s power is unknown to us. The Horadric mage Kulle forged it using magic the nephalem alone possess. We cannot risk trying to destroy a thing like this; it may even release the Prime Evil upon us once more.”
“Hide it where?” Auriel’s tone had grown cautious, as if she knew what he might say. “We have already discussed shrouding it but could not come to an agreement. It cannot stay in the Council chambers forever.”
Tyrael looked at his fellow archangels, sadness washing over him. He imagined that they viewed him with suspicion, perhaps thinly veiled hostility. Even Auriel’s aura had changed, her wings pulsing softly with a light that mirrored the taint he had seen in the gardens among the trees .
He was not Justice or Wisdom, nor was he a man; he was a mortal angel, and this did not fit with the world they knew or with any other. His vision of peace with the land of men and a new life ending in eternal sleep was swiftly fading .
He had never meant for it to come to this .
“In Sanctuary,” he said finally. “We must hide the stone in a place neither angel nor demon can reach.”
“Are you mad?” Imperius roared, his voice crashing through the Council chamber like the crack of thunder. “You want to return it to the very place it was forged, where the Hells can use human souls against us? Darkness will find a way to rise once again, and the stone will become the weapon that destroys us all!”
“I have hidden soulstones in Sanctuary before,” Tyrael said. “I have bound them with nephalem magic and kept the Prime Evils imprisoned—”
“And they have always found a way to corrupt humankind enough to escape,” Auriel said. “I, too, cannot condone this, Tyrael. Imperius is right: Sanctuary must never be allowed to know the Black Soulstone still exists. It is much safer here, where we can provide protection by the Luminarei.”
“Can you not see what the stone is doing to you?” Tyrael’s own voice grew louder. He stood from his seat and began to descend to the Council floor, steps infused with the energy of the Heavens materializing before him. “You sit here in judgment of me while all around you grows colder and darker each moment. It must be removed from here, or we risk the corruption of everything we hold most holy!”
Imperius pointed down at where Tyrael now stood in the center of the chamber. “You accuse us of growing lazy and blind in our duties to uphold the laws of the Heavens, while you, as archangel of Justice, chose to abandon your post willingly and assume mortal status?”
“Rage is a symptom. The stone feeds upon your light, drinks from your essence, and waits for you to grow weak enough for the very stars to fall—”
“Ridiculous. You do not think we are capable of sensing such danger?”
“Your pride blinds you to the truth. You cannot feel it as I can. You are not . . . mortal.”
In a blaze of righteous fire, Imperius exploded from his throne,launching himself to the floor, where he landed in front of Tyrael and stood looming over him. “As well we are not,” he said. “You have insulted the Council enough. We should have acted much sooner. I will not listen to your impudence any longer!”
Silence descended, the moment frozen in time. Not long ago, they had met on this very same spot and had come to blows .
“I will not raise a weapon against you, Imperius,” Tyrael said. “Not this time.”
He stepped around the archangel of Valor, who did not make a move to follow. Tyrael’s heart
“It must be hidden!” Tyrael said .
His words rang out, stronger than he might have intended. The others stopped, their attention returning to him. He cleared his throat again, hating how weak it made him sound. A throat made of flesh and blood was not a trustworthy vessel for such a speech. “Itherael is right,” he said. “The Black Soulstone’s power is unknown to us. The Horadric mage Kulle forged it using magic the nephalem alone possess. We cannot risk trying to destroy a thing like this; it may even release the Prime Evil upon us once more.”
“Hide it where?” Auriel’s tone had grown cautious, as if she knew what he might say. “We have already discussed shrouding it but could not come to an agreement. It cannot stay in the Council chambers forever.”
Tyrael looked at his fellow archangels, sadness washing over him. He imagined that they viewed him with suspicion, perhaps thinly veiled hostility. Even Auriel’s aura had changed, her wings pulsing softly with a light that mirrored the taint he had seen in the gardens among the trees .
He was not Justice or Wisdom, nor was he a man; he was a mortal angel, and this did not fit with the world they knew or with any other. His vision of peace with the land of men and a new life ending in eternal sleep was swiftly fading .
He had never meant for it to come to this .
“In Sanctuary,” he said finally. “We must hide the stone in a place neither angel nor demon can reach.”
“Are you mad?” Imperius roared, his voice crashing through the Council chamber like the crack of thunder. “You want to return it to the very place it was forged, where the Hells can use human souls against us? Darkness will find a way to rise once again, and the stone will become the weapon that destroys us all!”
“I have hidden soulstones in Sanctuary before,” Tyrael said. “I have bound them with nephalem magic and kept the Prime Evils imprisoned—”
“And they have always found a way to corrupt humankind enough to escape,” Auriel said. “I, too, cannot condone this, Tyrael. Imperius is right: Sanctuary must never be allowed to know the Black Soulstone still exists. It is much safer here, where we can provide protection by the Luminarei.”
“Can you not see what the stone is doing to you?” Tyrael’s own voice grew louder. He stood from his seat and began to descend to the Council floor, steps infused with the energy of the Heavens materializing before him. “You sit here in judgment of me while all around you grows colder and darker each moment. It must be removed from here, or we risk the corruption of everything we hold most holy!”
Imperius pointed down at where Tyrael now stood in the center of the chamber. “You accuse us of growing lazy and blind in our duties to uphold the laws of the Heavens, while you, as archangel of Justice, chose to abandon your post willingly and assume mortal status?”
“Rage is a symptom. The stone feeds upon your light, drinks from your essence, and waits for you to grow weak enough for the very stars to fall—”
“Ridiculous. You do not think we are capable of sensing such danger?”
“Your pride blinds you to the truth. You cannot feel it as I can. You are not . . . mortal.”
In a blaze of righteous fire, Imperius exploded from his throne,launching himself to the floor, where he landed in front of Tyrael and stood looming over him. “As well we are not,” he said. “You have insulted the Council enough. We should have acted much sooner. I will not listen to your impudence any longer!”
Silence descended, the moment frozen in time. Not long ago, they had met on this very same spot and had come to blows .
“I will not raise a weapon against you, Imperius,” Tyrael said. “Not this time.”
He stepped around the archangel of Valor, who did not make a move to follow. Tyrael’s heart
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