The Brotherhoods Arrival

A short distance from the unholy cathedral where Diablo’s last breaths were taken, a blue sliver of light appeared. It slowly widened to theheight and breadth of an average-sized man, but the apparition that first appeared through the doorway was far from the figure of a man… 

The first tendrils of the holy Archangel Tyrael’s wings came through the portal first, followed by his massive body and sword, AzureWrath. Wings shining with the lights of Heaven, his figure dwarfed the heroes who followed him, great as they were. Arkaine and Crusher joined him in looking over the wasteland that had been Tristram before them, sadness upon all their faces. 

The Heaven’s Strike squad was the first group through, Strongmind in the lead. Laughing and joking at first, they quickly stopped on sight of the spectacle of mass destruction before them. Tristram, the quiet but beloved town that they had all once fought, gambled, and played jokes on each other in, had become a funeral pyre. The buildings burned with fires set by enemies, and the roofs of some were completely gone, torn down and rendered useless. 

Stunned, they fell to preparing their weapons for battle, as silent as they had been cheerful before. Llane and DoGG especially, had two of the grimmest looks that any had seen on their faces. No doubt was left in anyone’s mind that these two would stop at nothing to avenge Tristram. 

Gladstone, Lothrien, and Najj Raven were the second group through, and their reactions were much the same as the first had been. As
wizards, though, they could do much less than their comrades in the way of physical combat, so instead of preparing their weapons for battle, they instead started using their arts to search for remaining signs of familiar and well-remembered faces in the town. Khadgar joined them to help supervise and assist their efforts, saying softly, "Looks like we have a lot of work to do, people; Tyrael’s going to be bent on revenge after this. Let’s get started." 

They looked up at Tyrael, Arkaine, and Crusher, who were talking softly among themselves, and wondered how soon it would be before they would have to move on again, to abandon Tristram to those who had taken it. Gladstone finished first, and started to trudge up the hill to talk briefly with Crusher. 

*************** 

"Tyrael," Crusher whispered. There was no response, and Tyrael’s face remained unchanged from the bleak, saddened expression that he had affected ever since they came through the portal. 
"Tyrael," Crusher repeated, louder this time, and Tyrael  shook himself, coming out of the trance to look at him. 
"Yes old friend?" 
"Our army will soon be completed, high leaders." Crusher looked from Tyrael to Arkaine and back again. "The portal that we created to come here is stable, but Gladstone thinks it would be much safer to create a portal to the Sightless Eye camp outside of Tristram." 
"I agree Tyrael," Arkaine concurred. "I think this is a trap. I can feel them all around us. They are hiding, and I think the Rogues may also need a hand out there. If the hordes of Andariel ventured here, they may also try to take the Rogue camp…." 
"Talish?" Tyrael looked to his third advisor. 
"I agree," said Talish, glancing at the burning houses. "Let’s start in the Rogue camp. I don’t like the idea of getting ambushed by a horde of zombies." 
Tyrael nodded. "Decided then. Let’s go." 

When all the heroes had been assembled again, Tyrael bowed his head, and the portal opened once more. The image on the other side was of the Rogue encampment, where many waited to greet them. Slowly, Tyrael stepped through, followed by the members of the Brotherhood of the Light. They were greeted on the other side by a small man dressed in blue robes. "Ah, greetings strangers!" he said. "I’m not surprised to see your kind here…" 

*************** 

Back at the well in Tristram, a tall but old man wearing a slightly more faded robe woke up from the near-coma he’d been in. "Oooooh… where am I?" Deckard Cain asked himself. The last thing he remembered was a small goblin-like creature hitting him over the head with a club and he must have passed out after that. He slowly opened his eyes… only to find the same type of creature standing over him, a dagger pointed at his nose. "Rakanishu! Bigugly lives!!" It called. Cain started to get very nervous...