Leaning against the window of the limousine, I watched the landscape of this bustling colorful cityscape pass beside me as we sped along a long highway. Looking into the sky, I was surprised to not see any flying vehicles, which I felt would be more appropriate in this sprawling futuristic resort city. Curious, I asked Talbot, "Does this city only have ground transportation aside from bigger ships like mine? I would think that it would have air shuttles, or whatever they'd be called."
Tall silvery towers and what appeared to be decorated hotels began to appear as we drew closer to the city center. Talbot answered me: "Oh yes, we have smaller airborne craft that is typically used. Usually, the sky is filled at this hour. Today is unique, though. The planetary governor grounded all sky craft for your flyover, and likely, the flight restriction has not yet been lifted. It may be that another VIP was flying in today, or it could be that our fair governor wanted to enjoy the sunset with a clear sky."
"The planetary governor knows about me?" I blurted out before instantly remembering that the masquerade ball was being held at the governor's palace. I had been invited, so they would likely know all about me. This was probably one of the Sinclair family, but probably not Evring. "Who is he, anyway?"
"She, actually. And she knows a great deal about everyone!" Talbot informed me. "Her name is Lady Langwidere, and she officially holds the position of governor of Tar Vigaz, and the entirety of the Conglomeration of Ev. Despite this, the Sinclair family usually handles most affairs here, as Lady Langwidere is often occupied with other interests."
"Langwidere," I tasted the name as I spoke it.
"Unfamiliar to me," Null spoke up. "The Sinclair family is also unfamiliar. Has there been much upheaval in the past thousand years, Talbot?"
"Only the typical amount for this wild world, my lord, may-gos, eh..."
"Null," the tech-priest bluntly replied. "Simply Null. No honorific."
"That certainly makes it easy," Talbot said with his ever present polite grin. "Honestly, I get a little mixed up with all the titles and names the Imperium has for its people. I like to think we're more carefree here on Tar Vigaz."
Alberich and both masked witnesses were occupying themselves with gazing out the windows, and both Ennoia and Morai seemed excited as they pointed out different features of the city. I overheard them as they spoke in ancient Nubuan that this city reminded them of one of the "Holiday Lands" back on Nubua, which seemed to be what they described as resort cities.
The beastman spoke to me telepathically as he continued to observe the landscape: The future of mankind seems to be more degenerate than I thought it would be, my leader.
Don't complain, I spoke up. We don't need any trouble on this world after what we've been through.
Alberich sighed, and flicked his new pierced ear.
The rest of the ride took about thirty minutes, and I noticed that we had been diverted to a sort of express road as we raced down a freeway at a very high rate of speed. A few turns later, and we were now in the city center of Evna. We passed through a wrought iron gate that felt more decorative than anything, and now, we were idling in front of Sinclair Plaza.
Our limo door opened automatically, and Talbot emerged first, whistling to himself. Alberich stepped out, followed by Ennoia and Morai, and then, Null. I was last, and Talbot extended a hand to help me out of the limo, which I took.
Sinclair Plaza was a tall hotel that vaguely reminded me of a typical casino hotel on the Las Vegas strip, but topped with towers of irregular heights with jagged gold conic roofs. Sinclair Plaza itself wasn't as tall as the various towering buildings around it, reaching up to about the height of a typical casino hotel. The exterior of the hotel definitely reminded me of the mood of some 40k art I had seen, with finely carved bas reliefs of flowers and soaring birds interwoven with brutalist jagged lines. This building appeared to be old-ish, but well maintained and modernized.
"Welcome to Sinclair Plaza," a female servitor in a slick black dress said to us as the large automatic doors swung open.
"I won't ever get used to the altered slaves," Alberich said, walking beside me into a tall marble lobby lit with flaming torches. "They dressed that one up in a tawdry outfit. There's something very unnatural about that."
"Servitors have many uses," Null responded to Alberich's observations. "She was likely a criminal when she was properly alive, which is why she was servitorised. I can assure you that she thinks and feels nothing."
Yeah, just like how all those people you servitorised felt nothing, I thought bitterly, suddenly getting angry again. Feeling a warm flush begin to form around my head and neck, I took a deep breath, and suppressed my Corona before it could light up around my head. No more being angry, Erika. Might as well enjoy this little vacation as we wait for our contacts to deliver food and supplies to us.
"Welcome to Sinclair Plaza! Checking in?" the pretty concierge lady asked us.
"Hello, Rena. I've got the younger Justinian Sinclair's VIP party here. Is everything in order?"
A few taps on her decidedly normal and typical looking computer. Or were they called cogitators? I wasn't sure. "The party of Erika Romanov? Penthouse, North Tower. How many guests? Any special requirements?"
Talbot motioned for me to step forward, and I waved a greeting. "Hi. That's me. This is my party, but we're got a Space Marine with us. He's off on an errand at the moment, but he'll join us later."
I declined to give out the rest of our names to the concierge, and I was relieved when she didn't ask. The woman simply looked over at my small group, and even studied Alberich critically for a moment, likely looking for his gold earring.
"Alright, we have you down for five days with an option for ten. The penthouse will easily sleep all of you. And for your special friend, there is an attached room I will give you that has larger beds for our rare angelic lords of significant size." The concierge then produced a six small white card keys, and each had a king's crown decorating one side. "Here are your card keys. In each of our rooms there are all purpose cogitators for your requirements. Our servitors will help carry you luggage. Is it outside?"
"We don't have luggage beyond what we carry here," Null responded.
"Very well, then I will simply let Talbot guide you upstairs to your room. Thank you for staying with us here at Sinclair Plaza, and enjoy your stay!"
After an elevator trip, we were taken to our private floor in one of the towers, and with a swipe of my keycard, we entered a large vaulted living room. We were in the hollow conic part of one of the towers, it seemed. This penthouse was huge! Directly ahead, a broad balcony hung outside a pair of glass doors, which were currently open to the air outside. The sun was now down (and it appeared that we were facing west), and the sky was banded with shades of indigo. Tiny stars had begun to emerge, and I also finally started to see small flying craft buzzing around the area.
To our left I could see three bedrooms which opened into the nouveau-Victorian-styled living room. One bedroom was located up a short flight of stairs, which I assumed was the master bedroom. To our right, a dining room with a long ebony table and eight seats stood waiting for me to enjoy a glorious dinner after eating mostly paste since coming into this universe. In the same space as the dining room, two sectional couches with the same interesting modern antique styling stood before what looked just like a large plasma television from my universe. Soft futuristic jazz was playing through the penthouse, offering a high class vibe. This place was amazing!
"This is quite a penthouse!" I heard Alberich speak behind me, his voice echoing.
"The Sinclairs treat their personal guests well," Talbot said as I saw him walk to me on the balcony.
We were given a proper tour of our giant penthouse. The upstairs bedroom had a huge bed with an emerald velvet blanket, and the three smaller bedrooms had similar furnishings. No one fought me when I immediately claimed the master bedroom, placing my pack down next to the bed. Each room had a private bath with gold and green furnishings, and my room even had a white marble hot tub! One of the bedrooms was conveniently furnished with two beds for the sisters, who continued to be absolutely fascinated by everything we saw. In the main living area, Talbot showed us how to use the cogitator-television, turning off the jazz music and flicking through a few channels before settling on a news broadcast covering a desert drag race that had happened earlier today. It was operated by a small keyboard and a handheld remote. In the far right corner of this open living space, there was a large door that led to a room with a very large, very heavy bed, which I guessed was to accommodate any larger guests, which included space marines.
After our penthouse tour, Talbot then left us, but not before giving me another small vox transmitter. He instructed me to call him without hesitation if we needed help with anything whatsoever, and that he'd be staying in the hotel with us in another room for the duration of our stay. Alberich claimed one of the downstairs bedrooms for his own, and set his pack down there. Null had begun offering Ennoia and Morai another Low Gothic language lesson as I flipped through the cogitator-television, looking up all the amenities of this hotel, and local things to do here in Evna. We were very centrally located, it appeared, and there were numerous casinos, theaters, clubs, and restaurants within a few kilometers of walking distance. The hotel itself had a casino, a spa, a swimming pool, a wine bar, and a restaurant that looked like a fancy steakhouse.
My stomach growled as I highlighted the "dining" tab on the cogitator-television, looking into what the steakhouse downstairs had on the menu. Pictures of various artfully presented and perfectly seared steaks tantalized me. Clicking it, I even found a menu for room service, which I was very grateful for.
"Hey, look everyone. Room service! It's like we're in civilization again!" I said, pointing at the screen. Null and the two sisters walked up behind me, and Alberich emerged from the room he had settled in. The tech-priest translated what I had said in ancient Nubuan to the women. I was very hungry, and I briefly looked through the menu before making my decision. "I'm starving! How about we get this nice roast grox and vegetables platter for the room? I'm hankering for food that isn't paste!"
"A grox? Like the steak we had on Kolch? I will agree!" Alberich said happily.
Null briefly explained what a grox was to the two women, who both responded that they would enjoy eating that. After a few inputs into the cogitator, our food was on its way, along with another bottle of what sounded like vodka from the description.
We all continued to relax as we waited for our food, watching the cogitator-television until a movement out of the corner of my eye in the direction of the closed balcony made me jump.
Seeing me flinch, both Alberich and Null immediately stood to attention. It was probably just a bird, and I was probably being too twitchy again.
Null made a strange noise that almost sounded like delighted surprise, and quickly advanced to the balcony to open the doors. After he had opened the doors, a pleasant breeze wafted through the room. Null stepped outside, and then started to quietly chuckle, which was a very interesting noise with his synthetic voice.
"You can come on in. No use being sneaky. I know who you are, and I have caught you," Null said warmly to the night air. He then turned back to us, his green eyes smiling happily.
"Am I missing something?" Alberich asked, looking at me in confusion.
Null continued standing outside, and with his back turned to us, said, "Come on now. I've caught you, Nimmie. You are invited inside."
I was definitely surprised when a flying skull outfitted with blinking red and green lights and metal plates hovered into the room. Alberich was even more surprised, and cried out, wheeling backward and almost falling in his fright. Ennoia and Morai stood up, and brandished their fists, ready to confront this new terror.
Remembering my lore, I was pleased with myself that I was able to recognize what a servo skull was. It was exceedingly creepy in person, and simply resembled a skull plated with various bits of metal, and one of its eyes seemed to have some kind of focusing lens accentuated with a red laser, which darted about the room.
"Relax, silly fleshlings," Null tutted to us as the skull hovered in the penthouse. "I'd like to introduce you all to a remote-controlled representative of magos Nimmie Amee. This is her personal servo skull, still in use it seems after a thousand years of tireless operation. Nimmie, your craftsmanship is stunning."
"You do flatter," a mechanical vaguely female voice rasped morbidly out of the skull as it observed the tech-priest. "It is good to see you again, old friend. It is also a relief, as last I heard from you, you were on Levant, and as of recently, Levant has been torn asunder by a Warp rift. But, I do wonder how I find you here, and without your skitarii and flying such strange archaeotech. Most curious for you, Ogun."
"I now go by Null," the tech-priest informed the skull.
"Very well. What a peculiar designation for such a decorated individual. Null means nothing, a void, which you are certainly not, wise archmagos maverick. I wonder if you have come to me here out of want for a simple holiday, Null. And you being here with no prior notice is even stranger. Have the comforts of Tar Vigaz finally become desirous to you in your advanced age?"
"I'm as old as you are, Nimmie," Null said with another light chuckle.
The skull laughed back. "Indeed, and I know this sentiment well. Now, we are done with pleasantries. I say it is unusual that you are here, and more unusual still the company you keep. A mutant? I am concerned for you, old friend, and we shall speak of these topics soon. I understand you received a Writ of Confidentiality from a renegade astartes chapter as well. Curiouser and curiouser."
"Is everything okay here, Null?" I asked the tech-priest, who was still smiling.
The servo skull then turned to critically regard me, and it paused. I watched as its lights brightened, and it did not say anything as I saw its red laser eye focus on me. I got a vague sense of outrage from somewhere far away, and wondered why I felt that. Between the strange Navigator on the Shower of Gold and this servo skull, I was definitely not making friends today. I swallowed, and said "Hi, I'm Erika," with a sputter, confused by the negative psychic echo I felt. It really felt as if the skull recognized me.
The flying skull turned away from me, and put its attention on the tech-priest again. "Null, we have much to discuss it seems. I question why you travel with the infamous witch Evanora. Perhaps things have changed in the thousand years since I last saw you?"
Evanora? I thought, confused.
Null blinked his green animated eyes into an expression of bewilderment, and then turned to me. He then brightened to a realization. "Nimmie, there is much to explain. Much has taken place, and I have many stories to share with you."
"Indeed," the skull turned to balefully regard me once again. "Perhaps the wicked Evanora of the East has turned a corner, no? I would have thought forgiveness for such a... creature would be impossible."
I continued to be confused by this confrontation until I remembered that I was currently in someone else's body. Evanora had been a perpetual living on Levant for a very long time, and it wasn't that much of a logical leap that she would be known locally. Someone infamously known as the "Wicked Witch of the East" would probably have a reputation in the local galactic area, and probably not a good one. "Oh, wait. I get it," I exhaled, relieved. "Listen, I'm not Evanora, I'm sorry for the confusion," I started to try to explain. "I'm just-"
Null immediately interrupted me, a stammer in his voice. "Ah, this is an in person conversation, I am very much afraid. Nimmie, when can I meet with you to speak in private and to witness your majestic personage?"
"Not Evanora?" the skull asked skeptically, and then turned back to Null. "Curious, curious. We have a lot to discuss, old friend. Meet me at the Tower of Reason tomorrow afternoon. I will send transportation for you. Come alone. Whoever or whatever that is beside you can fend for herself, or walk with that bird mutant you travel with, which I find repugnant."
Evanora really had a nasty reputation, it seemed. I didn't know what to say to the floating skull that hated me, so I just let Null keep talking.
"Nimmie, this woman's name is Erika. She is not quite Evanora despite her physical similarities, and my dear, will you follow me out on the balcony for a moment?" Null requested as he bowed deeply to the floating skull.
The servo skull glanced at me, and I could definitely feel hate rippling from the morbid little machine. It then floated out on the covered balcony. Null closed the door behind him for privacy.
"Our party is getting split up. First Lian goes away, and now Null has been requested in a private meeting elsewhere," Alberich observed, seated on the sofa. "At least no one wishes to see me. I know no one."
I jumped as Ennoia gently nudged me on my shoulder, asking me what all this was all about. Sometimes, these women were so quiet I forgot they were there. I gave them the rundown of what happened, and Morai responded with, "It is the nature of Inheritors to inherit both their stations of power, and their bodies. It is part of our teachings that your soul energy came from another universe, and was implanted in your body. We are not surprised by this."
We waited around for Null to finish speaking to Nimmie until a knock at the door surprised us. Room service was here, I thought happily. The door opened and a large metal cart appeared. It was being pushed by a very unexpected creature, and I couldn't help but stare as our food was wheeled inside. Our food delivery guy was actually a tall mutant with light blue feathers, long curving horns, and a vulture's head. His legs bent backwards, and appeared to terminate in feet that were somehow both clawed and hoofed. His left ear was pierced with a large red tag a few centimeters long.
"A... a Tzaangor?" Alberich responded with shock as two servitors dressed as formal waiters also filed in. The door closed.
"I need a signature from an Erika Romanov," the new Tzaangor spoke to us in a guttural deep voice. He began to glance around at our party, but kept his horned head down as if very submissive. He then caught Alberich's eye, and paused, lifting his beak to regard him. The Tzaangor's expression was unreadable, and he had strange violet eyes that appeared more intelligent than his twisted body would suggest he was.
"That's me," I said to the new blue mutant, who turned his head toward me as he retrieved a piece of paper with our food order.
"Sign here," he instructed me as he passed me the notepad. The Tzaangor immediately turned to Alberich again, and stared at him with what appeared to be great curiosity.
As I checked our food order to make sure everything was in order (we had ordered a party-sized feast of grox and vegetables in wine sauce, and I was beginning to heavily salivate) the Tzaangor took a cautious step toward Alberich, who did not move and continued to stare at the newcomer. The Tzaangor then said something in a very strange and twisted language, and it sounded like a question.
"I'm... I'm sorry. I do not understand you," Alberich responded, shaking his head.
The Tzaangor nodded as I handed him the invoice with my signature. With a blue feathered and clawed hand, he reached into one of his pockets, and retrieved what appeared to be a small blue and gold matchbook. "White-Feather," the mutant said. "Please come and visit us sometime, lost little brother."
"White-Feather?" Alberich asked. "My name is Alberich."
"Whispers of Change in the Warp call you White-Feather. He who travels the spheres and changes his body under the omen of the gold eagle. Please visit us if you can. My name is Kulukik." The mutant offered Alberich the matchbook, and then, bowed in a respectful greeting before turning to open the door to leave. The serving servitors began to take the plates of food out and arrange them on the dining table for our enjoyment.
"What is all this?" Null scolded as he walked back in from the balcony, watching as the Tzaangor bellhop departed. The servo skull had apparently flown off, and was no longer here.
"He was delivering our food, Null," I said. Alberich sat down at the dining table as one of the serving servitors poured him a small glass of liquor, which he downed. The beastman was observing the small item he had been given.
White feather? I asked Alberich in mind.
I do not know what he meant, the beastman responded, both confusion and excitement in his telepathic voice.
"How do you know that creature can be trusted?" the tech-priest scoffed, even before the front door was closed. Alberich turned and scowled at Null as he drank his liquor. The servitors uncovered the giant platter of roast grox, which steamed deliciously on the table. One of them began to cut the juicy slab of meat into long strips for us.
"Look, you want me to use Sight and see if the food is okay?" I asked, igniting my Corona in irritation. I didn't know if I could do something like this, but it was worth a try. Not waiting for Null's answer, I stood over our table of glorious food, and pushed my Sight into it, searching for any taint or poison. When I "activated" my halo this time, I noticed that I felt a strange ache in my chest, probably from anxiety or from the strain of flying the Divine Retribution for the better part of the day. Using my magic superpowers to study our food, I couldn't sense anything off, and with a shake of my head, I pulled my halo back inside. "There, it's fine. Let's eat."
I translated what was going on for the two witnesses, who sat down beside me to my left. How would they eat with those masks, anyway? Did they have to take their masks off for that? If they did, we were about to have a really unpleasant dinner. My question was immediately answered when Ennoia hit some sort of release switch near the chin of her placid gold mask, which caused the lower part of her face to be exposed. Oh.
"We just have to be careful here, Scion. Speaking with mutants can be dangerous. They are aligned toward degeneracy and Chaotic taint."
Hearing this, Alberich began to growl across the table, and said, "I do not appreciate you speaking this way. You do not remember, but I saved your life, you metal fool."
"This is the trend of mutants. I simply tell the truth," Null replied, staring Alberich down.
Two big pieces of perfect steak were placed on my plate with some marinated vegetables. Couldn't we all just get along tonight? I held my hands up and said. "Oh, for fuck's sake, no one is allowed to fight or bitch right now. We need to eat. Get drunk if you want if that'll help you two relax, but no fighting."
My two ornery crewmembers then angrily stared at one another for another few moments before Alberich shrugged, dropping his irritation. Null finally sat down directly to my right with some awkwardness as he repositioned his mechadendrites away from the chair back.
"We're all good?" I asked, taking my knife and fork in hand. "Of course we are. Let's eat!"
The grox was absolutely delicious. It tasted like a rare (and slightly gamey) filet mignon seared with a red wine mushroom marinade. The vegetables were fantastic too, and it seemed that at least the humble potato had made it to the far future. I had a few glasses of vodka, which didn't do much, but I recognized that this vodka was very clean and dry, and I felt classy drinking it.
Partially through the meal (and the bottle of liquor), tensions began to evaporate. I wanted to diffuse the situation further, so I walked over to the cogitator-television to find something we could have on in the background as we continued our dinner. I discovered another news channel, and went back to enjoying my food. This channel was apparently the "Sinclair News Network" channel, which displayed a network reporter talking head that looked like a chubbier Tucker Carlson.
"...with the Tzaangor migrants that now roam our streets. Is the threat really contained? How can we really be sure that these bird-headed mutants aren't bird-brained when it comes to their morality as well? Evna needs to keep its children safe, so we're here asking the tough questions on SNN," space Tucker Carlson said with a confused look on his face. "So, with that out of the way, we have a real treat for you tonight, folks. As some of you may have noticed, your evening commute home may have been disrupted by an 90 minute long inner-Evna flight restriction, but if you happened to be watching our beautiful skies, you probably couldn't take your eyes off of what soared above our heads. We've got an exclusive clip here, in case you missed it!"
I smiled, knowing what he was referring to as the camera switched to a recording of a reporter somewhere in Evna's city center. People were gathered on a street corner, and held what appeared to be cameras at the sky. The camera then panned upward, and above the tall buildings of Evna, the Divine Retribution was turning in a low flyover. The light of the setting sun reflected brilliantly off its mirrored gold hull, and people marveled as my ship soared over them. I heard space Tucker Carlson whisper "look at that!" under his breath as the clip continued for a few more moments before cutting back to the reporter.
"You seeing this everyone?" I asked, sipping my fancy vodka. "We're on TV!"
"Now, here's something even more astonishing. This gold craft, despite flying low and close, was witnessed to not make any sound. No roar of an engine was heard! The incredible gold machine is, from the information we were able to collect, a spacecraft of beautiful craftsmanship, but any information as to who owns it or what business they have in our fair city has been elusive. We will keep you posted if we are able to uncover any more mysteries concerning this beautiful gold vessel!"
"Probably not good for our Writ of Confidentiality to do that flyover, I'm thinking," Null sighed into his grox. "The entire planet probably knows about our ship now."
"Like they wouldn't have found a way to gossip about it when we flew into the airport," I answered Null. "People are going to talk about a ship that's in the shape of a giant eagle. As long as they don't figure out that we're the ones who own it, I think we'll be fine."
"Just a concern, Scion. We should not be teasing fate like this. I worry as we get into Imperial space. While Mars' records on the Divine Retribution may appear to be lost, another researcher on Travelers could piece together bits of old information and discover what this ship is. I don't want to draw the Imperium's attention, or anyone else's, for that matter."
"Well, what's done is done. We've got a lot of money now, and you and Lian have your contacts, so we can resupply and get out of here."
"Please just tell me you will be more careful when in Imperial space," Null requested of me. He was actually making a lot of sense here, I had to concede.
"Alright, fine, you do have a point," I admitted, drinking what had to be my fifth cup of vodka, but barely feeling anything. "But, at least for tonight, can we just enjoy ourselves and not worry?" I turned to Alberich, who had been quiet since growling at Null. He was currently studying the matchbook in his hands again. When the beastman saw that I was watching him, he put the matchbook away into one of his trouser pockets.
What is that, Alberich? I asked the beastman. What did that Tzaangor give you? Tell me.
A matchbook. It says Dream of Tizca on its cover. What is that in reference to?
I turned to Null again, who was now occupying himself with enjoying another cup of vodka, and watching the news.
Show it to me when we're done with dinner and we're somewhere more private. Don't bring it up in voice, I said telepathically, and Alberich nodded in response. Whatever "Dream of Tizca" was, it sounded exceedingly Tzeentchian. So much for the whole "No overt religion stuff and no daemons allowed" rule. I remembered what Null had said earlier about how the rich can do whatever they want on this world, and sighed. Rules were for poor people.
We all continued enjoying our meal as we watched the evening news. Most of the news clips were of local stories we were completely ignorant of, but then, near the end of the broadcast and as we ate a dessert of what tasted like a spice cake, we heard something that was somewhat familiar.
"We end our broadcast tonight with another update on the formation of the Great Rift. Imports and travel from the Imperium of Mankind continue to be disrupted, but as of yet, there have been no interstellar dangers cropping up near the Conglomeration of Ev. Astronomers are still examining the new rift far to the northeast beyond the Malefactus rift, and the apparent brightening of the Deadly Desert to the north. The events appear to be Warp-related, as they are apparently already visible despite their vast distances from us. We'll keep you updated as soon as we hear more information, so, from all of us here at SNN, we-"
The broadcaster paused, and held his ear, as if getting a new piece of information. His expression shifted to that of worry. "Ladies and gentlemen, I've just received word that the world of Rhadabus has suffered some sort of an attack. Available details are sparse, but I'm getting word that any natives of that world who hear this are urged to visit the Rhadaban Embassy in Evna for further instructions. We urge any-"
I telekinetically switched off the cogitator with a gesture, not wanting to hear any more bad news right now. Null turned to me, his green eyes concerned. A chill passed over my soul. Poor Rhadabus. Was this a new attack or did this world just learn about what the Inquisition had done?
The serving servitors had begun to clear our table, and I stood up with a yawn. I had eaten a lot, and I realized that I was physically and psychically exhausted from today's activities. "So, I think I might turn in early. I'm tired, and I just want to sleep in a bed. I've been looking forward to this for awhile."
"Very well," Null said, watching the servitors clear the plates away into the serving cart. "I do not sleep, so I will make certain that no ill falls before us." The tech-priest then spoke to the two witnesses in their language as he stood up, "Come, ladies. It is time for your language lesson." The three then went to sit down on one of the gold couches.
Alberich also stood up, making pointed eye contact with me. I heard him speak to my mind, The matchbook? Can you tell me anything else about it?
Follow me, and don't say anything in voice, I said with a short belch as I stretched after standing up.
The beastman nodded, and held the mysterious item in his claws as he walked next to me.
I began to speak with Alberich in mind, explaining what I knew from the lore: Tizca is a city that was, once upon a time, a haven for sorcerers that existed on a magical world named Prospero. The primarch that landed on the world, Magnus, ended up turning traitor against the Emperor of Mankind. Tizca was magically transported to a daemon world in this cursed area of space called the Eye of Terror as part of a bargain made by Tzeentch and Magnus. It's still there, sort of. I don't know what the matchbook means beyond that. I took the bottle of liquor which still had a small amount of liquor in it, and began to wander off to my fancy room.
Alberich followed me, and he tugged my sleeve. Could you at least examine this for me?
What? I asked, cranky and sleepy.
The beastman quietly showed me the matchbook after we were inside my giant room. The matchbook was royal blue, and a pattern of stylized gold eyes decorated its back. It felt very suspicious.
He handed me the item, and I realized that it felt strangely warm to my fingers. For a brief moment, I felt the eye of Tzeentch pass over me again, his mood as cheerful as ever. I then was struck with a sudden intuition, and a vision of sorcerers and mutants congregating in what appeared to be a nightclub. Flashing lights and dancers cavorted under synth music that reminded me of some kind of futuristic new wave. Honestly, it looked like a very cool place.
I knew immediately then. It was a nightclub. I opened the matchbook up, and to my eyes, a few lines shimmered into existence. An address.
It's a nightclub, Alberich. The address was inside, I informed the beastman. Were you invited to go clubbing?
What? the beastman said as he took the book back. But, I opened it, and did not see any sort of address. He opened the matchbook again, and said, I don't see anything. Where is it written?
Could be some kind of psychic writing. I have a book like that. Some of its words can only be seen by psykers of a certain strength.
Oh, Alberich responded, somewhat dejected, his ears down.
I'm guessing you're interested in going there, right?
He turned to me, and nodded. It would be interesting to speak with more of those who share my faith.
That sounded like an absolutely terrible idea. Going to a Tzeentchian nightclub was bound to cause us trouble, even if I was in the favor of the Lord of Change. Probably a bad idea, man, I said to the beastman. Like I keep telling you, this sort of shit is dangerous, even if that god likes us right now.
Understood, Alberich said, holding the matchbook in his hands and looking disappointed.
I yawned. With my full belly and psychic exhaustion, I was already ready for bed. I switched to speaking in voice. "Alright, I'm going to bed. We can go exploring tomorrow if you want as we wait for these contacts to go through. You should rest up too."
"Yes," the beastman said with a yawn triggered by watching me yawn. "I will now retire also. I vowed my loyalty to you, my leader, and I trust your wisdom. Goodnight."
Alberich stepped out of my bedroom, and I closed my door. Fuck me, Alberich still thinks I'm a new Hitler. What was I going to do about him? I sighed wearily. The misguided beastman had saved both my life, and Null's life. While I was grateful for his help, he couldn't keep leaning into Chaos like this. Eventually, something would have to change, and he would need to drop his fascination with Tzeentch.
My bed was huge, and covered in a plush green velvet blanket. In my large bathroom, I could see shiny gold fixtures and a big marble hot tub. I should probably make use of that some other evening, I thought, undressing myself and climbing into bed. Feeling my calming chain pinch me on the neck, I removed it, and bundled myself up. Before I knew it, I was asleep.
And, then I was somewhere else.
I was floating through a burnt forest in a land devoid of life at a tall height of about three or four meters. The hiss of burned wood and charred bones filled the air, and the scent of cooked meat once again filled my nostrils. I drifted along a current of thoughts and found myself drawn to a cloud of prayers as they sang through the air like birdsong through the boughs of this blackened and dead forest.
There was a celebration occurring somewhere. I could hear cheers from jubilant human souls as they sang their happiness to the heavens. For a moment, I felt happy for them. The prayers continued to coax me along. I was distantly aware that I didn't quite feel like myself, but I didn't mind so much right now, and I continued floating through the blasted forest.
I was pulled along the remains of a farming village. Large craters of blackened ruin carved wide depressions in the earth, and the remains of destroyed houses smoked miserably. Something terrible had happened here, but the people I sensed nearby still remained in good spirits, which I found myself feeling positive about. I let my halo fall along my head, shoulders, and even the rest of my body in a warm glow as continued onward.
My Sight told me that this was once a thriving village located outside the planetary capitol, and that the blackened forest it bordered used to be verdant and healthy. Once, it had been place of bucolic serenity, and high born nobles would spend afternoons touring the various well tended gardens and lush glades. That is, until monsters had come from the stars.
My powerful intuition offered me the monster's name. It was Verpestyn, and there were actually many monsters. Something distant inside of me recognized that name, and my intuition confirmed that they were as vile as I suspected. My Sight then told me much more:
First, the monsters had shelled the planetary capitol from the air, burning it to the ground when they were not well received. The lush forest and the villages surrounding it also burned, along with most of the innocent people who lived nearby. To further make their point, the monsters landed their spacecraft, and set about interrogating the survivors of the terrible fiery holocaust, looking for evidence of heresy, punishing the people for not being as they were supposed to be.
The last thing many of the unfortunate souls witnessed as they painfully expired were the hidden satisfied smiles from their tormentors. In one village, "heresy" was easily discovered in the presence of a small boy who was known for his intuition. His bones broke easily when he fell, but his family and his people loved him and cared for him as he shared his precognitive dreams.
For his crimes, he was chosen to be publicly executed by the monsters, and, his death was to be broadcast across the entire planet as a warning on what happens to heretics who deny the absolute Imperial Truth. Something unexpected occurred then, for as the boy lay on his dead mother and father in the pyre, he summoned his last bit of strength, and cursed the monsters who had destroyed his village.
An avenging angel appeared out of the flames. She was a giantess wreathed in golden light, and with a halo brighter than the sun. A God-Empress, the rumors whispered. She delivered divine justice to those who would harm the innocent as she stepped out of the fire, towering over the beasts who would harm the children of Rhadabus. The monster burst into flames, and died screaming. This event was broadcast live across the entire planet, and the fiery miracle was witnessed by almost every single soul here.
This caused something to snap in the collective unconscious of Rhadabus, as nearly instantly, the populace violently revolted against the monsters that had been left behind to control and brutalize them. The pacifistic people that had lived in peace for thousands of years in this area of remote space broiled over with anger, and every single oppressor was burned to death in furious retribution.
And now, the Rhadabans celebrated their mysterious figure of deliverance in the blasted remains of this once beautiful town. The survivors of other population centers had wandered here, following their dreams of the gold woman. Needing something to pray to, they hastily created one.
There was a tall figure covered in flowers and blood at the center of the devastated town. It was about my eye level, and it had been cobbled together from vegetation, clay, and whatever other materials that could be found. It was crude, but surviving artisans were already drawing up plans for a proper statue. For now, this messy structure would have to do. People were celebrating around it, and cheering.
One man was not cheering.
"Blasphemers!" the man who had been tied to the base of the sculpture screamed. Firewood had been laid at his feet. They were intending to burn him as an offering to their new god. "Vile heathen pigs! May the Emperor rain fire down upon you for your actions!"
The prayers I heard were growing louder as I drew closer, and beckoning me forward with soft caresses and welcome. Crafting a ghostly form to represent myself, I stepped into the center of the blasted town, and brought my form to further coherence.
"Daemon worshippers! Worshippers of a daemonic whore! A wicked bloody whore of Chaos!"
That wasn't a very nice thing to say, I thought, walking toward this burning scene. The little children were the first to see me, and they ran to me to try to hug me, but became upset when their arms were not able to hold my ethereal form. Instead, they clustered around me as I stepped forward in long strides, telling their confused parents that I was here, and that now, everything would be alright.
A sensitive young woman weeping the loss of her husband then saw me, and she stood, looking upward to witness me. And then, a teenage boy whose parents had been tortured to death. Many now saw me, and they all began to gather around, almost seemingly forgetting the bound man. They were all very small. I felt an urge to protect them.
I felt their hands reach for my wispy form as they cried for me, but I still advanced toward the screaming condemned man.
"Back, whore of Chaos! Back, spawn of evil! I am protected under the Emperor's light!" the raving man shouted as he also saw me. He was obviously confused, so I decided to get closer.
The closer I walked toward the man through this ruined town, and the more prayers and people that surrounded me, the less frantic the man's cries became, and instead, his condemnations came out as whimpers.
The multitudinous prayers around me loudly whispered like the susurrus of a thousand burning trees, beautiful and destructive, much like I was.
I now stood directly before the bound man, and I stared down at him at the base of the idol from my significant height. He had no more accusations or anger, and instead of condemning me, he asked, "W-who are you?" in a voice of small madness.
"I am the Inheritor, I am revelation," I said. "I am divine retribution."
Behind me, cries and exultations to the "God-Empress" rang through the air. Why were they saying that? I wasn't a god. I simply existed as I was, which was an imperative for justice and unity for the race of humankind. Empress may be an accurate descriptor, but God-Empress was not.
This sentiment was transmitted wordlessly to the condemned man, and his skin was now beginning to burn as if exposed to a bright light. There was a moment where we both regarded each other, and then, two very unexpected words came out of his mouth.
"I'm... sorry..."
I looked down at him, and then, I looked through him. His mental defenses fell like burning tissue paper up against my Sight. I discovered that this man had protested against the building of the woman-idol in the destroyed town square, arguing that the figure in their dreams was not a god. The man had decided that foul witchcraft had descended through their planet. He was a good man at his core, but he was frightened.
But now he knew. He knew that I wasn't a daemon. And he was sorry. "Forgive me," he said again in a very small voice. "I did not know."
"Forgive him," I commanded to the gathered populace. "Free him," I said, as they all began to fade away. I felt as if I was being pulled somewhere else, but I had not moved. All around me, I listened to the burning forest and the prayers as everything became quiet. Strangely, I then heard the sounds of crinkling ice or crystal. I looked, and I saw that the ground below me was transmuting into a glassine blue substance, rich with magic and hope.
Natural trees transformed into replicas made out of blue crystal, and the prayers I had heard became the adorations of laughing daemons. As if reality skipped, I now found myself back in my more normal size, and I was now standing inside a forest of blue crystal trees as the sky above me writhed and laughed with obscene joviality.
A familiar wicked voice sang through the strange crystal place as I felt my consciousness come fully back to myself. Had I just been on Rhadabus? Had that really happened? What the-?
"You know, I wonder about you and your stupid older brother sometimes. This whole 'I'm not a god' thing you both seem to want to clarify to everyone. And then, you do shit like what you did on Rhadabus. You're confusing the poor pathetic little creatures, my dear! At least it makes for an entertaining watch, and my entertainment is the most important of all."
I turned around, and he was there again, smiling as always. Tzeentch was dressed in his familiar black suit, and floated slightly off the ground as if in water, his white-blond hair flowing behind him. I was about to object to seeing the Chaos God, but then, he glued my mouth shut with a quick gesture. I felt an odd intuition that the god had to expend more energy into messing with me than he used to, which was gratifying. In response to that thought, he rolled his feral gold eyes.
"Oh, hush. You're still just an insect compared to me. An entertaining insect, but an insect nonetheless. Anyway, I'm just checking in with you, sweets. Seems you've picked up some worshippers! Isn't that just precious? And my little stupid baby is learning about how yummy souls can be." Tzeentch folded his hands and looked down at me as if he was looking at a very cute puppy.
I couldn't say anything because my lips were glued together. With a wave of Tzeentch's clawed fingers, a legion of horrors of many colors abruptly appeared around us, each of them holding knives and forks as they eagerly drooled. Above us, a multitude of Screamers circled like carrion birds, also hungry. And, if I looked further, even more blasphemous giant humanoid vulture shapes flew in the writhing sky. I was able to see that one of them even wore a napkin around its neck like a lobster bib. The lobster was replaced with an image of screaming human faces, because of course it did.
A knife and a fork had also appeared in Tzeentch's pale hands, and he smiled hungrily at me. A tiny humanoid soul appeared before him on a floating plate, and I watched in horror as the god cut the screaming little creature into pieces and quickly ate it in front of me, clearly relishing in the act. The daemons around us continued to gnash and gibber before me as I watched the god finish up his snack, and regard me again. "So Erika, my childer and I can't wait for the next meal you produce for us. We all thank you for the absolute banquet at Rhadabus. The hope those poor deluded people are throwing off is sublime. Unlike stupid boring Khorne, I do not need blood and skulls and all that bullshit to have a good meal."
My lips remained glued together, so I still couldn't speak. Since when was any of this crazy shit in The Wizard of Oz, I suddenly thought with anger as the god smiled nearby. Some crossover this was. Oz was supposed to be a happy place. Where was my Emerald City and my singing and dancing? Last I checked, legions of hungry daemons and sadistic Chaos Gods weren't in the Oz universe.
The god easily read my mind, and playfully pouted at my indignance, and then instantly smiled again. "Well, I like to mix it up a bit, you know? Inject a little chaos into the story. Yeah, so it's not exactly Wizard of Oz, but if it just followed the story plainly, it would be boring! Like I said before, I'm an artist! But, I can change things up to make you happy, if you want!" Tzeentch then waved his hand. The god vanished in a puff of smoke, and the landscape turned into a bright and colorful rendition of The Wizard of Oz's Emerald City. The legions of daemons transformed into perfect people that cheered and laughed around me. Startled, I then also found myself in the body of Dorothy Gale!
"Better?" the god boomed at me from everywhere at once, his stentorian voice blasting through my very being. "That certain air of savoir-faire in the Merry Old Land of Oz!"
I didn't move, and stood tall, holding myself stalwartly against the daemons that now sang and cavorted with obscene hunger just out of sight behind the curtain of what I could perceive. This was clearly meant to intimidate me, and I wasn't having it. If Sebastian could be strong, I could be strong too! Wolfie was now at my side again, and in the body of Toto, he barked protectively at the fake scene around me.
As quickly as the Emerald City had come into existence around me, it began to fray at the edges, and the voice of the Chaos God spoke to me in millions of mad whispers around me in an animate whirlwind: "You are so fun! Very chaotic good, so I can't stay mad at you! Since I like you and your brand of chaos, I'll let you in on another little secret. You're on a collision course with another Traveler, and unlike my little bird pet that you travel with, this one is grander and more dangerous. That's all I'll let you in on for now. Always keep your eye out for the man behind the curtain, and I'm sure you'll do just fine!"
I abruptly woke up in my bed with a yelp, covered in sweat. In the living room, I could vaguely hear that someone was watching a newscast. Listening, I discovered that it had been confirmed that the Imperium had assaulted Rhadabus, and that the Inquisition was responsible. A plucky lady reporter voice then callously observed, "Honestly, that planet has always had problems so this was expected, don't you agree Bob?"
Standing up, I made my way to my bathroom, already knowing what I would see in the mirror after a night filled with visions and nightmares.
I wasn't surprised as I observed my spooked and bed-headed reflection. More of my hair had turned white.