The Mortal Son

by FreedomOfThinking

Entombed on the Golden Throne, the Master of Mankind has been near helpless to combat the dangers humanity faces. However against all odds, the Emperor decided to try to tip the scale in Humanity's favor no matter the cost. The Herd has lacked a Shepard for far too long. It's time for something new... well, new-ish.

7. Act 1 - 3: A Social Event

AN: Just trying to speed through this section lads, sorry its taking so long. My solution has been larger chapters in order to cover more ground.

---

"Why do I have to wear this again?" Lucian complained as he tugged at the buttoned collar of his brand new outfit. While it was pleasant enough to finally find himself outside of the grey confines of his regular digs while aboard the Tempests Advance, Lucian didn't like what his colorless clothes had been exchanged for.

The high collared black robe was pulled tight across the youth's physique, accenting what little musculature he was beginning to build. Not much, to be honest, but the clothing left nothing to one's imagination.

A pair of hands steadied his shoulders, reaching around a moment later to fix the crimson bowtie on his neck.

Vownus swept the boy's shoulders briefly, as if to try and tidy not only the body but the attitude as well.

"We are attending an event with notable dignitaries from Agrax. There is a dress code, kiddo. You can't just roll up in shorts"

The Aquila Lander had broken through the atmosphere earlier, letting Vownus make the final touches upon the outfit of his young charge. After all, they had a part to play, a condition mandated by Governor Chambaal.

This entire night and party had been brought into existence to serve Vownus' scheme. Something he had concocted with Governor Lula but a day before in order to get as many Nobles as possible within the same space. It was a baited trap for their royalty inclined killer. Hopefully a grand big bit of bait that this security slipping murderer could not resist.

If this individual did indeed only target Nobles, there was reason to believe they would not pass up the opportunity to sample such a smorgasbord of potential victims. The Governor had agreed, and the party was a go. As the Imperial head of this world, she had the resources, funds, time, and clout to bring such an event to fruition. An early celebration of the Tithe, plus some abstract statistics about how they had exceeded their mandated production expectations, was enough to entice as many notable names as possible.

Such events were rife with the subtle forging of opportunistic alliances, near invisible slights, polite insults, thinly veiled threats or just threats in general. It was an old game that the Nobles played, one that was as drawn out and worn thin as Vownus' patience for such politics.

Thankfully he and his cohort were not there for any of the conversation and two-faced word play. Under assumed aliases of a Rogue Trader and his retinue, Vownus, Lucian, Caius and Lynwood were entering the party with an invitation extended from Lady De Chambaal herself. Caius had remarked upon how this action would draw a lot of attention to themselves. If they were to appear favoured by the Governor, then they would be under a lot of scrutiny by the others.

Vownus had barely assuaged Caius' concerns with a sassy and direct, "you shouldn't worry so much my loyal Stewart, it messes with your wonderful complexion"

Upon being subjected to the venomous stare of his 'Stewart' Vownus had justified further, with an honest voice;

"My dear Agent. The ploy is so overt, it's covert"

Their roles would put them into the spotlight for as much time as necessary, and thus keep them from the shadows. A natural place for all spies to be hidden, and therefore far more observed.

And so their temporary identities went as such:

Caius was to be Vownus' stewart and assistant. He got to keep his original name and could act as discretely or directly as he wished. His conduct would only reflect upon Vownus, who would be carrying their presence at the party.

Lynwood, also allowed to keep his real name, was to be masquerading as Vownus' bodyguard. All he had to do was talk and look gruff. Lucian however, who hadn't even wanted to go to a stupid rich persons party, needed a valid explanation for his presence.

Vownus had just the idea.

Lucian got to keep his name, but as of this moment and until the killer was discovered, he was to be Lucian Kaede. Son and rightful heir to the Rogue Trader Jonus Kaede, Vownus' alias and current cover.

Very original.

Why Vownus had to only change his first name was anyones guess. Besides, he probably wasn't even going to be acting any differently than he usually did. Lucian just grumbled to himself.

But it all worked out in theory. As Caius pretended to be the Stewart, he would be constantly in the presence of Vownus or Lucian depending on the social situation. Lynwood would be with the Inquisitor in disguise, ready to pounce upon any threat that his master detected. And Lucian?

"I still don't get why I'm here" the boy huffed as he blew a strand of hair from his face. Vownus had talked the Governor into helping them appear the part. This had resulted in almost three hours of makeover and clothes fitting that Lucian had found to be exhausting. Caius as well.

The two of them had been envious of the stoic Lynwood, who merely had his armor adjusted to hide any and all Inquisitorial seals and emblems. Vownus had his own parlor aboard the Tempest, and outside of his hat and regular witch hunting garb, Lucian hardly recognised the man.

Like himself he was robbed in an outer layer of domineering black. But the inner white shirt, burgundy trousers, deep silver boots, the golden medallions that hung from his neck, and the pompous curls his hair had been grafted into…

He actually looked quite dashing. Far more than usual with a Roguish charm to the whole outfit.

But Lucian supposed that was kind of the point.

"You're here in case your latent ability manages to do something I cannot"

Lucian's upturned gaze shifted to one of quite startling confusion, leading Vownus to impart a good piece of advice. Not that Lucian would adhere to the words as such.

"It never hurts to have two Psykers hunting an elusive murderer" Vownus flickered away for a moment, his mind elsewhere. He did however share his thoughts aloud, "besides, I've got a nasty little hunch about this whole ordeal…"

Not the entire picture, but enough to let the other occupants of the Lander know they were to be suspecting some kind of foul play. Lynwood had commented as such when he and Caius had been selected for this mission.

Their vessel began to descend, snapping away Lucian's chance of bombarding his Psyker teacher with more questions.

"We are approaching the estate my Lord"

"Thank you Pilot," Vownus nodded, rolling his shoulders and adjusting his stance ever so slightly. He looked to his not so pleased minions. Well, Lynwood looked like that all the time, so it was really Caius and Lucian that Vownus smiled at.

"Everyone got their tickets?"

Two pieces of parchment were practically stabbed at him. Lynwood rolled his shoulders. Guards didn't need invitations, just that their master's provided identification.

Vownus clapped his hands together a second before the lander touched down.

"Splendid!"

---

While the view from space displayed the might of the Imperium, after passing through the security checkpoint attached to their landing pad, Lucian was finally able to gaze upon what could only be described as pure wealth.

Incredible wealth.

The guards at their gate to the palatial structure had briefly checked all four of them, told them to present their invitations. These were checked, re-checked and confirmed, before telling them to step into a small and enclosed box.

Vownus had explained to his 'son' what exactly had happened. They were being scanned for any and all hidden weapons that the guards' physical search had failed to upturn.

A moment later Lynwood had been asked to step out of the box to deposit the hold out Las pistol hidden near his leg, and the set of knives on his lower back. These weapons were added to the same collection that Lynwood's handcrafted bolt pistol was among. The guard managing this box of items had been tracked by the ex-Arbite's furious stare.

The group was then informed that their weapons would be returned to them upon their departure from the party.

Lucian wanted to ask questions, but under the fear of blowing his 'cover' had remained silent and contained.

Until the next set of doors before the security gate opened.

"Try not to look so shocked son," Vownus chuckled at the youth, striding forward elegantly.

Lucian was picking up his jaw off the floor as he followed his 'father', glancing around at everything. His eyes hadn't seen such color or grandeouise design before.

They were in a garden.

A luscious green garden, within a building.

Rows of stylized and trimmed hedges marked the obsidian and white marble pathways toward gazebos and gathering points. Imperial sculptures littered the grounds, the visage of Saints, Warriors and even the Emperor himself residing over many an alcove and hideyhole.

Waterways conducted themselves between bridges and breaks in the paths, the clear and pristine liquid home to fishes and sea creatures of exotic shades. Eddies changed into small currents and even a lone waterfall far off in the distance. Tree's casted their dark shade over great parks of grass and intentionally organised fields of flowers.

And the garden lay beneath… Lucian couldn't believe his eyes.

Stretched as far as the eye could see, the sky was filled not with smog and haze, but beautiful blue nebulas, gigantic gas giants, asteroids and flickering lights of the cosmos. Occasionally there was a shooting star or two.

This wasn't the sky of Agrax.

Throughout this grand space were hundreds of individuals, many of them forming into small groups and speaking with one another. Pairs stood before statues and upon bridges, gold rimmed glasses of the finest crystal held perfectly in their hands.

Their postures were upright and regal.

These were the nobles, and every single one of them looked so different from the others. All they had in common was the sheer wealth that all of their clothing reeked of. Between some of them Lucian could spot the occasional Imperial Officer, dressed in full Navis Imperialis attire. They were attached to many of the larger groups, standing alongside individuals that bore faces of a similar nature.

Children of the lords and ladies.

And what a variety there was.

Some of the men were pot bellied and covered in gold, opulent coats of fur hanging from their shoulders. Many of the women were incredibly beautiful and equally alluring, draped in smooth dresses accenting curves Luican wasn't aware of, their necks and fingers covered in diamonds and gems of colors Lucian had never known such rare stones could possess.

Attendants flocked around them all, taking their empty cups, refilling their drinks. These people were cloaked in identical suits and outfits, making it hard to ascertain their gender just by the look of their figure alone. They were darting between the nobles at an incredible pace, not a drop of sweat or fatigue showing anywhere.

Small notes of parchment as well flitted around, the powerful and wealthy individuals taking these notes before scribbling something down and sending the note away.

It was an ordered chaos, something that Lucian felt seemed very tense.

The way everyone regarded one another was both welcoming yet guarded.

'Some of them are aware of the killer on the loose,' Lucian reminded himself, justifying the strange attitudes of all the Lords and Ladies.

As they started to pass through the garden, Vownus taking a few drinks offered by the attendants and downing them in a heartbeat, a call came toward their group.

"Jonus! So glad you could make it!"

From a larger gazebo to their far right, the Governor emerged from a throng of ten people. The gazebo was made of white marble, trimmed with inscribed gold and miniscule sculpted figures. Raised above one of the many flowing paths of water, the Governor descended every step with a flowing grace, coming to stop right before 'Jonus' and his group.

Lucian felt his face burn ever so slightly as Lula De Chambaal stared down at him.

She was clothed in a red dress that let her perfect and pristine left leg bare to the elements. The red material revealed just enough to entice, but maintained the woman's modesty. A glance upward revealed a similar situation, the dress lacking shoulder straps and merely hanging ever so precariously around the woman's bust. A tantalising sight, one that Vownus had a small amount of difficulty looking away from.

She was raised ever so slightly off the ground in obsidian black heels, the smooth blackness of their design cracked up by lines of near glowing white.

The Chambaal's did love their white, as evidenced by the marble paths, gazebos and even the strands in Lula's hair.

She looked beautiful.

Something on Lucian's face must have given this away, as her face shifted away from quiet contemplation to a grand smile.

---

The boy?

Her servants had informed her that Inquisitor Vownus had brought a boy and a man to be fitted for outfits for the party… but she still couldn't help but wonder as to why.

As the youth looked toward her, Lula De Chambaal couldn't fathom the purpose of the boy. Nothing felt strange about him, nothing looked off about him. He had no air of danger, or threat… in fact he seemed quite normal.

But he had arrived with Inquisitor Kaede, he was present at the party within her family palace at that very moment, and that meant something. It must mean something. This youth served some kind of purpose for the Inquisitor, otherwise he would not have brought him.

The other two were obvious enough. Jonus' bodyguard was built like a soldier, and was probably armed even though they had passed through the security checkpoint. That, or the man was just as dangerous with his hands as he was with a weapon. The stewart was probably some kind of assassin. He seemed meek and mild mannered, but even dressed as he was Lula could see the clearly defined musculature of his form. Controlled power, in a way only someone of service could acquire.

But the boy… seemed to be just a boy.

And that is what terrified the Governor.

She pulled herself away from the distraction, more aware than ever of the eyes of the gazebo's occupants on her back. Even a few moments of silence had cost her some consideration.

"I had hoped you would get lost on your way here" Lula tittered toward the disguised Inquisitor.

Vownus proved he was an old hand at a game such as this. Lula had considered herself incredibly lucky to come into contact with a member of the Inquisition with such tact.

"My dear, that was one time" he chided with jest, a look and act so real, the De Chambaal heir could hardly believe it was a falsity, "besides, where are my manners"

He gestured to the man on his left, the one which stood behind the boy.

The Assassin.

"My Stewart and personal diplomatic representative, Caius Helix"

The man bowed to Lula, "an honor, Governor De Chambaal"

Vownus had already moved on to the next man.

"My Bodyguard, Lynwood Deculus"

The gruff warrior just nodded, "Governor" his eyes went back to surveying the crowd in its entirety. Not one to be so easily swayed from his duty.

"And last but not least" his gesturing hand descended upon the black head of hair almost like his own.

"My Son and heir, Lucian Kaede" he ruffled the boy's hair, earning him a protesting squawk from the youth. Releasing the boy's head, the child tried desperately to matt his hair back into its once pristine arrangement.

After releasing the futility of his efforts, the boy bowed his head toward Lula.

"Lady Chambaal"

Good manners for one so young.

"A pleasure" Lula smiled to the other three, fixing herself to Vownus once more, "since it's been a considerable time you rascal, there's some people I thought I might introduce you to"

Vownus grinned, understanding what Lula was saying.

She was introducing him to her competition, and potential priority targets of the killer. People to be near when or if the hidden assailant struck.

"Sounds wonderful" he marshalled himself and strode forward. But not before speaking to his entourage "Lynwood, please remain down here, I'll come collect you when I'm done" the bodyguard affirmed this order with a "by your will, My Lord"

Vownus looked at the boy and the Stewart.

"Go have a bit of fun, Son. Caius, make sure he doesn't get into any trouble?"

Lula felt the hidden threat of the words, and saw it on Caius' face that the other man understood this as well.

"Certainly my Lord. Come along young master"

Those two departed, and Vownus now stood beside the Governor, gesturing up the steps of the Gazebo.

"Shall we?" His smile was somewhat infectious.

Lula took the lead, and Vownus tread just a hair's breadth behind her, calmly walking up the steps in her wake.

---

Lucian, away from Vownus, was left to navigate the majesty of this enclosed terrarium by his lonesome.

Well, Caius was with him, but he was still acting in his capacity as a bodyguard, rather than an Inquisitorial Agent.

Lucian realised that for the first time in what felt like countless weeks stacked upon training and lessons… he had a fair deal of freedom to explore this new space. So long as he operated within the parameters of the mission. Any suspicious or strange sightings were to be brought to Vownus' attention.

This in mind, Lucian and his comrade strolled calmly past a set of angelic busts, ones that depicted images of the Adeptus Sororitas and their Saints, focusing on a large field before them.

A few people were congregated here and there, with many casting a few glances at the exploring duo that neared their personal conversational bubbles. Seeing that the boy was merely just exploring the grounds, these looks and glances faded away, many returning to the hushed words they shared with one another.

After a stretch of path led them to the beginnings of an empty bridge over a larger stream of water, Caius talked.

"These are the outer echelons of Noble society" his tone was quiet as they looked around. There weren't many people at all around, and those that were present kept to themselves, hidden by their corners and alcoves.

"Why are they here then?" Lucian wondered, stopping to stare down into the water, studying the rainbow colors of fish that swam pleasantly through the stream.

He glanced up to Caius.

"If this is the lower rung… why wait around here?"

"Many individuals simply don't possess the skill or wit to function within the inner circles" Caius explained with a tired smile. Lucian had heard only small tidbits of Helios' nobleite scene, something that Caius was familiar enough with in order to conduct himself correctly here.

It seemed as those the structure of Imperium Nobility and their conduct was similar enough that even different worlds held similar holdings.

Lucian supposed that was only natural. Everyone here was wealthy and rich, they were not left wanting or demanding… instead they were given everything they could ask for.

"But it's safer out here" Caius affirmed, "the people that Jonus is speaking with… they are the predators, constantly circling"

Lucian took a second to grasp the meaning.

Nobles were so rich that material needs were no longer a part of their concern. What they all coveted and desired was power. Power, which could be bought with wealth, on the off chance you were the only one with said wealth, or that it was you who the family had given that wealth to through inheritance. Influence, favours, schemes and plotting, all methods to ascertain power, and the only way to do so when surrounded by individuals as rich as yourself.

Lucian nodded, "I don't like it here" he mumbled.

The artificial tinge to it all, the now obviously fake smiles and conduct… It was disheartening. Nobles were the cream of the crop, the greatest of each Imperial world's society, yet they seemed so fickle and petty.

None of them were hard workers. Like Ostus.

None of them were truly pious. Like Ostus.

None of them, so powerful and rich, would lift a finger to help those in need. Like Ostus.

Lucian leant against the railing of the bridge, his hand gripping the balustrade with a tightening intensity.

'None of them were caring, or concerned about their fellow man, merely if they had power.

The strength of the people, the strength of mankind only shined when we stood together, when we cast aside our differences and designations and accepted that-'

"Lucian?"

Caius' hand came to rest on the youth's shoulder, obviously noticing the boy's blatant discomfort.

"Are you alright?"

Lucian stepped away from the edge of the bridge, mumbling an "I'm fine" before steadily walking off. He was still going to explore this place, even if it disgusted him.

Caius followed a step or three behind, a weary look in his eyes as he tracked the now reserved boy. He'd seen what Lucian could do when he was stressed, angry or distrubed. Lucian was dangerous, and Caius' only calming thought was how Vownus had begun to instruct the boy… even if he wasn't privy to what had been explicitly taught, it was a comforting reassurance.

Still.

The boy was dangerous, especially when he got moody…

Caius sighed to himself.

It was shaping up to be one massive headache of an evening.

---

As Vownus reached the top of the gazebo's steps, he took only the briefest of moments to glance over the intricate arrangement of individuals he was being introduced to. In that moment he knew that these were the big-wigs of Agrax. The top dogs of the world, the ones that essentially controlled the eb and flow of Imperial Politics. In their cut throat world they reigned supreme, a careful balance of both friend and foe to those that occupied the very same space as they did.

Lula De Chambaal was the Governor of Agrax, a pleasant reminder to the undercover Inquisitor as he so willingly walked into this venomous snake pit. Vownus' beautiful companion and associate was the only ally he had in this circle, especially as he was about to be identified as a Rogue Trader. A good cover, but one that wouldn't earn him many favours with this crowd on title alone.

He was, however, associated with the top of their pecking order. The Governor was the highest authority for this crowd, and served as the position that all of them wished to occupy at some point, or at least hold some kind of sway over. This meant they couldn't outright insult or bismerch him in her presence. Subtly was the name of today's game. A game that Vownus really wished he didn't have to play… but he was here on a mission.

If one of these people were associated with the killer, or maybe even the murderer themselves… Well that would make Vownus' job considerably easier.

Besides, as they served to be the man's bait, it was better to be observing the chicken coop before the fox got in. So to speak.

Lula's voice filtered into his ears, as she gestured to the pair furthest to the right.

The man was accompanied by a beautiful woman, both of them dressed to the nines in deep shades of blue and red. An interesting mix, but one that signaled them to be associated with one another. Both had deep brown skin and proud features. Old blood… their descendants would have served under the De Chambaals, as they did now.

"It is my pleasure to introduce you to Agrax's Master of the Port, Melaedon Al Mukaiji and his dear wife, Rostel"

"My Lord, my Lady" Vownus stepped toward them, his tone curt yet polite.

He shook hands with the man, his grip firm and respectful, his eyes meeting the man's dead on.

"Jonus Kaede, Rogue Trader from Segmentum Obscurus, the Calixis Sector"

Melaedon nodded at him, and Vownus turned to the man's wife.

Rostel presented her hand to Vownus, and the Inquisitor in disguise took it softly, raising it up as he dipped his head toward it.

He did not lay his lips upon the smooth skin, knowing the Port Master would see this as an insult of some kind. Vownus mimed the action, and stepped back, respectfully.

He tried to miss the little sparkle in the woman's eye, he really did, but it just tickled his ego so nicely.

Lula was already moving on to the next two individuals. The man was taller than those around him, likely from a pair of bionic legs that matched the man's obviously mechanised arms. He was fitted in a black vest and a white shirt beneath, a color scheme reminiscent of Vownus' own. The Inquisitor also noted the bald head scribed with what seemed to be the Imperial Creed.

Based on the look of this man, he had a feeling he was the one which dealt with the Mechanicus aspects of Agrax. The Lord of Munitions.

Lula was not the one who introduced this next individual, a deep and growling voice laying out his own introduction in High Gothic.

"Thaddeus Sabeder, Agrax's representative of the Departmento Munitorum. A pleasure to meet you" the man reached out to Vownus, a soft smile on his whiskered and wizened face.

It was a smile of humour, aimed at the Inquisitor.

Vownus had to admit, the man seemed more akin to a caring grandfather than the insulting bastard he was attempting to be. A moustache like that was too grand to be on the face of some Lordly prick.

Thaddeus was attempting to insult Vownus, testing his knowledge regarding High Gothic in a way to snub him before such a prestigious crowd.

If only he knew who he was speaking to.

Vownus kept his smile internal as he spoke to the man.

"With respect, Representative Sabeder..." the Inquisitor replied back in perfect High Gothic, taking the man's hand in a slightly firmer grasp. He enjoyed the wince he drew, not one from physical exertion, but from how Sabeder had underestimated who he was speaking to.

"The pleasure is all mine" Vownus released the man's hand, now ignoring him as he turned to the woman by the Representative's side.

In most cases Thaddeus Sabeder's slight would have been successful. High Gothic was a language synonymous with the upper Echelons of Imperial society and the Astra Militarum. A Rogue Trader with no notable family name or titles? Sabeder had seen him as an easy target.

Lula and the others watched on in silence. They were all astute enough to know what had just occurred, as well as the humour that could be found in the interaction. All of them were also aware that 'Jonus Kaede' the Rogue Trader, was no socialite slouch.

"My Lady" Vownus greets the man's wife with respect, taking the offered hand and mimicking the motion he did with the Port Master's wife, "a pleasure".

"Zariel Sabeder" was the woman's offered name.

Vownus released her hand.

She merely smiled at Vownus, her bright and perfect teeth complementing her large and welcoming expression, "Agrax welcomes you"

But she did not. She was loyal to her husband and was aware of the return slight from the Inquisitor. She did not like Vownus, even if her expression and attitude displayed the opposite.

That was not a house divided, unlike the Port Master's marriage. Vownus kept that detail to mind as he was guided by Lula to the next individual.

The lone individual, one who stood alone and without an obvious companion of any kind, was a woman.

She was surrounded by two aides and a servo skull. One of the aides held a data slate, the other, a tray of drinks. Vownus noticed how the one with the slate was plugged directly into the device, cords and wires tracing to the rear of the man's skull. His attention was actively focused on the device's screen.

The Servoskull hovered in the air by the woman's side, hardly moving or even surveying the entire space.

Vownus studied it for only a curious moment before Lula introduced this individual, dressed in an earthy green gown. It covered her entire form, hiding any detail from the watchful eye. The sheer width of the dress made Vownus wonder if there was someone beneath it, or some kind of concealed weapon.

"Lady Roza de Gisaal, head of the Agrax planetary Vox network"

Ah. Master of Civilian Communications.

A plump woman, responsible for the daily connections, relays and access to the many communication connections across the planet. Both the Civilian and Military sector would have dealings with Roza de Gisaal. Without her, no one would be able to say anything to anyone in a timely fashion.

She most likely also had the largest information network across the world. Nothing on the Vox would be communicated without her knowledge.

"Trader Jonus," the woman did not smile, reaching to shake with Vownus, rather than be greeted in custom and decorum.

He obliged her unspoken request. This was not a woman that needed to be doted upon or cared for. She enjoyed the luxuries of her life, but was entirely devoted to her business. The plugged-in aide at her side and the servo skull more than likely served the direct purpose of monitoring her business even as she attended such a party.

"Madam Gisaal" Vownus couldn't help the tipping of his head as they released hands with one another.

Regardless of how this woman wished to be treated upon, the Inquisitor was a naturally chivalrous man.

"Welcome to Agrax Trader Jonus" she eyed him curiously, her gaze quite blatantly tracing him up and down.

Vownus translated the simple statement and look she gave him, knowing what the lady meant.

'First time hearing of you'

Undoubtedly an occurrence that did not happen often for someone of her status and accomplishments.

"My thanks Madam Gisaal. Agrax is a new site compared to my last visit"

'As it should be. It's been a long time since I was last here'

A lie, most assuredly, but one that would lead any interested parties down a bit of a rabbit hole as to ascertain the truth of Jonus.

"I'm sure we would have noticed someone as dashing as yourself visiting our humble world, Trader Jonus"

That was a flirty voice, one that was equally enthused as it was sultry. Each word dripped with some kind of promise, one that Vownus was confronted with by the next member of this inner circle.

The woman that greeted his gaze was gorgeous. But not in a pliable way. Her femininity had been weaponized and brought forth. Curves tantalized the eyes and were accented by her pink and slim dress, revealing even more than Lula's promiscuous outfit had.

Vownus couldn't help the few sights he took in.

A temptress, if he'd ever have to give a definition for such a person, was what this woman was.

Her hair was colored as her dress, a shade brighter perhaps, but pulled behind her head in a large ponytail. Vownus was not expecting this dazzling individual to walk up to him and embrace him in a hug.

He was barely able to reciprocate the gesture before she stepped back, her hands lingering on a bicep and his side.

"Soniah Naum" she informed the man, giving his arm a slight squeeze before releasing him and stepping back to an appropriate distance.

Lula coughed, drawing both of their attention.

"Soniah is Agrax's holocast administrator. She provides to those that can afford her services"

Ah. The entertainment of the populace.

The Inquisitor turned back to the woman, studying her face even as she sent off a wink toward Lula.

Vownus smiled politely at the woman that had so blatantly man-handled him. He was in no position to retort to such an action, or respond in kind. It would be rude and unbidden of him. She was merely trying to influence him, assuming him to be some kind of asset to Lula.

"A pleasure my Lady" he nodded.

He couldn't help the slight crook in his mouth as he too received a saucy wink from the pink woman.

Lula gave him a long and hard look, one that Vownus only acknowledged with a meeting of her gaze.

She got the message and moved along, directing his attention to the last group of individuals. One that seemed to be a family of some kind. A large ruling party of the Agrax Nobelites?

Perhaps.

The family was composed of a large man, a lithe woman, a youthful man, and a child.

Vownus could see that the youthful man was a spitting image of the man, even down to the facial hair which they both displayed quite proudly. The boy stood by the woman's side, dressed as cleanly and clearly as she was. Their colour schemes were quite different, the man adorned in the common tones of the navy, as was who Vownus presumed to be his son. The lady and the child were wrapped in earthen browns and beiges.

All the men had heads of black hair, while the woman was a soft brown. Their features were aristocratic and sharp, even at such a young age as the child. Vownus could easily see their relation to one another in one way or another.

The uniformed man, dressed in a large open grey coat with a few emblems and military decorations adoring it, stepped forward. He had a cap held by his side, an Aquila dominating the front of it.

Vownus could figure out who he was moments before the man confirmed it.

"Trader Jonus. I am Marshal Mesbern Rhantz," he shook with Vownus, before directing his attention to the woman.

"This is my wonderful wife, Agrax's head of Rations and Provisions, Tabitha Rhantz,'' the lady curtsied at Vownus, but did not speak.

"And these are my boys" an arm of the man snaked around the older and taller one, "this dapper looking fellow is Vour, Captain of The Spear of Agrax"

The man, dressed in a very tidy and neat uniform of the Navis Imperalias, shook off his father's arm in order to shake Vownus' hand.

"Trader Jonus. Welcome to Agrax"

Vownus could already tell the younger man's ordeal. Pulled into military service due to his father's position, given command of a vessel never slated to leave the planet… prevented the glory of participating in any fleet activity, he would hold a ceremonial role in the Imperial navy until his Father passed away.

Then he would be expected to take up the title of Marshal, having never participated in the battles and wars all of his fellow Imperial members of the Navy would be shipping off to.

Unless of course Agrax was attacked, the boy would never be witness to any kind of action.

Vownus decided to complement the younger man as they shook.

"You command a grand vessel Captain Vour" he smiled at the Captain, "If I may speak honestly, I was eyeing your ship with a touch of jealousy. You do your world a great honor to be at her helm"

The boy was taken aback at the sudden complement. He was most likely inspecting insults, as many an individual would give to such a man. Most would view the Captain as a willing coward, but Vownus could see that the youth's heart was in the right place.

He yearned to prove himself.

Maybe tonight he would?

"Thank you, Trader Jonus," Vour smiled, "your words are most kind" he took the lead of the conversation, allowing his Father to study Vownus in abject silence.

He was probably seeing if Vownus was subtly trying to bismerch his son in some manner, even if his son had seen the words as genuine.

"My younger brother, Cantos" the Captain smiled, "our family's resident rascal"

"Am not!" the boy hissed to his older brother, before focusing on Vownus with wide eyes after his mother tutted at him.

"Trader Jonus" the boy bowed slightly, remembering his manners.

"Noble Cantos" Vownus nodded back to the child, who could not be older than twelve standard years.

Lula's hands clapping together drew everyone's attention, the Governor making herself present.

"Friends and associates" she declared to them all, "may each and every one of you feel free to wander and explore around my gardens at your own leisure, for the comfort of my home extends to you all."

She gestured past the gazebo, toward a far off direction of the gardens.

"My attendants have informed me that tonight's festivities will occur as scheduled. The ball room is open" she smiled to them all, "I however, must oversee some last minute changes and arrangements. I hope to see you all very soon"

"Naturally, Lady De Chambaal" Thaddeus affirmed, raising his glass to the woman, "I do expect a dance later tonight"

"Not if I get there first" Soniah chortled in apparent good nature.

The shock of Vownus' arrival had simmered down, and they were returning to their regular pointed conversations that the trader could care less for.

"We shall see" Lula smirked to them all, waving goodbye as she left down the steps.

Abandoning Vownus in this pit of predators.

"Trader Jonus" the firm tone of the Port Master called to him.

Vownus groaned internally.

And so it begins.

---

Lucian and Caius found themselves on a large white marble bench, idly observing the few people that were far and between the many hedges and artistic features of the garden.

After a particularly miserable line of thought, the boy had navigated himself to this spot in order to just think and observe.

Caius sat beside him, not necessarily near but not far away either.

The younger of the two knew that thinking about Helios… thinking about Alena or Ostus, or Titos and Vanella… he knew it would depress him. Lucian knew how he would feel if he kept allowing his thoughts to tread on a life he was no longer capable of leading.

But his wistful thoughts couldn't be so simply turned away from his home.

Even if Lynwood had taught him the Inquisitor would give him 'greater purpose'... whatever that meant, Lucian had only submitted to Vownus' authority on the very plausible consideration of Lucian being a threat.

That was something the boy also struggled with.

Knowledge of him killing people.

Bad people… but people nonetheless. Snuffed out with a power that he could not directly command or control.

Lucian couldn't help but sink into himself more, wondering the same thing he had the first time he had grappled with such a revelation.

'Why me?'

Between Lynwood and Caius' training and teachings, Lucian did not have enough time to spend thinking upon such things. Most of the time he studied he kept focused on what he had before him, drawing comfort from the acquisition of knowledge as he did when Alena or Ostus had tutored him all those years ago. And when he returned to his room from training, besides light amounts of prayer Lucian would mostly just fall asleep, exhausted from what the Arbite had pushed him to do.

It had clicked earlier, that this was what Vownus had probably intended. He aimed for Lucian to be distracted and completely consumed with the rigorous tasks of his new life, to prevent him from thinking about everything he had lost.

Lucian hadn't liked the notion, and even if the evidence was circumstantial, it seemed to be the obvious conclusion. But even as he disliked Vownus, and the man's apparent methods, a small part of Lucian thanked the Inquisitor.

Any distraction was a good one.

While the Tempest's Advance was within the Warp, Lucian's dreams had been tumultuous and heavy. Many a night he had woken with sweat on his face, or tears in his eyes. His mind did not give him peace so easily.

And as his waking hours failed to reward him with any time of contemplation, it was here at this party within a rich palace, on a mission Lucian wasn't even sure of his purpose for, that he found his time to think.

Why?

Why did Alena have to die?

Why did Ostus have to die?

Why had Helios fallen prey to the machinations of Chaos?

...why did the God Emperor not help? Where was his divine assistance when Lucian and the people of Helios so desperately needed it?

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Lucian was supposed to tend to crops and fields. He was supposed to… he was supposed to marry Vanella. They were supposed to take over Ostus' duties, and live in a humble home, at peace.

Lucian crunched his fingers into fists, the same anger so deeply rooted in his body coming to the forefront of his mind once more.

Why couldn't the forces of the Universe just leave him alone?

He was nobody. A child born to a dead mother and a father that had never been present.

It was all grox shit. All of it.

He'd never done anything bad, he'd never hurt anyone or anything until Archenemy and the Inquisition had come to Helios.

He didn't deserve this.

He-

Lucian felt before he saw. The feeling tickled at the back of his mind, the dullness reaching across his conscious thought as it settled around his head like an invisible crown.

He glanced up from the pavement he had been staring at.

Caius' head tilted toward him, but Lucian ignored his questioning gaze, instead focusing on…

The feeling, this odd numbness was coming from somewhere before him.

Beyond the pavement of the path his bench was attached to was a large grass field. It was bisected by a wide yet shallow artificial stream. On the opposite bank was a series of beautifully trimmed and displayed trees, each bearing fruit of many different shapes and colors.

Between the trees, was where Lucian could feel the strangeness.

It was like a line connected to the weight that had settled on his mind, the cord connected to the point between-

She appeared right where Lucian was staring. It was as if she just popped up out of thin air.

She had long blonde hair, ragged and dirty, draped over clothes that had certainly seen better days. A coat that seemed a size too big for her small form, and dirty, hole riddled black pants meant for a boy.

Her face was covered with dirt and dust, but Lucian could see the beauty of her youth through it. He could also tell that she definitely didn't belong at this party, wearing what she was, and looking how she did.

"What're you staring at?"

Caius' question did not draw his gaze.

"The girl" Lucian answered simply, still keeping his eyes upon the wide blue ones that regarded him, "the dirty one over there" he pointed.

Caius was silent for a moment.

"Where?" he replied, confused.

"There" the boy repeated.

"...where? I don't see her"

Lucian looked to his bodyguard, a dash of annoyance across his features, "really? She's right there" he gestured vaguely toward where the girl was standing as he watched Caius.

The ex-Arbite raised his hands up in defense, "I'm not messing with you Lucian. I don't see anyone over there"

Lucian huffed out in annoyance, turning to look at the trees again.

"She's between the trees, right-"

She wasn't. She was gone.

As was the feeling on Lucian's mind, the strange touch which had caressed his head.

In fact… It felt like a headache was building.

"Where?" Caius repeated, trying his best to spot the individual that no longer was there. Lucian rubbed at his head, a growl at the back of his throat.

"Never mind"

And so they sat once more in silence, Lucian's mind finally finding itself away from the topics he had been centered on.

Eventually, an attendant would come to the two of them, and explain to them how the ballroom was being opened.

The real party was just beginning.

---

Stepping into the grand De Chambaal ballroom, Vownus walked side by side with Melaedon Al Mukaiji and Marshal Rhantz. The Inquisitor had been to many Noble palaces on many different worlds. While all differed in the minute details of their opulence, he had to give it to Governor De Chambaal, she knew how to blow the competition out of the water.

Not that she knew Vownus would compare her palatial residence to every other he had visited, but her's certainly took first place in most expensive.

The entire space could comfortably fit around five hundred people. It was a two floor deal, with four grand staircases at every corner of the rectangular space leading down from the upper viewing deck onto the large tiled floor beneath. The upper floor had numerous seats and couches tucked away from the balustrade that overlooked the lower floor. Most had tables between them, gold and shining with encrusted jewels. Guests were free to go where they pleased on the upper rim. Four large doors, including the one they had entered from were made of what Vownus guessed was real wood. Nearly forty meters across and twenty in height, the doors were carved with the tales of the Imperium, still images of war and strife decorating their deep brown colors.

The ceiling of the grand ballroom was painted with murals and imagery of the Imperium's history. At its center, was a depicted image of Terra, a golden shine casting out its rays of light across the art that surrounded it.

Some of the images depicted Guardsmen standing against unseen threats, farmers toiling the fields, and workers within great factories. Men and women were all included in the art, each reverently dedicated to their craft and pointed toward the image of terra in the center.

Impeccable work.

Something that wasn't even ruined by the many crystalline chandeliers that hung from the dazzling roof. Each chandelier probably cost as much as a small voidcraft, let alone the large chandelier that dominated the center of the room.

It's flicker and glint of value catching Vownus' eye a moment after the painting had.

Vownus knew how much his suit had cost, and still couldn't shake the innate feeling of destitution and lack of wealth which suddenly gripped him.

Luckily, the two men by his side were still mid-swing of their conversation.

The two, and by association Vownus, had become engrossed in a ship based argument that the Marshal and Master of the Port seemed to have disagreed upon many times.

Vownus was stuck between the two of them, both attempting to pull the 'Rogue Trader' onto their side of the argument.

Guests of many noble families and standings wandered around them, clustering around tables or making their way down the staircases to the grand floor below.

Vownus picked up on a few conversations and words, but was mainly subject to the one happening from both sides of him.

"I say that all vessels of the Imperium should be grand and imposing! Smaller craft cannot accomplish what any warship can!" the Marshal bit out. He argued that every strength should have equal strength and power, a firm fist of dominance that mankind could use to strike any threat that presented itself in the void.

"A silly notion" Melaedeon retorted, taking a moment to sip his drink in quiet frustration, "not every situation is resolved through might, Marshal"

With a scoff the Marshal responded.

"Please. Any confrontation deserves to be solved immediately. The enemies of man should be given no respite" the last part of his statement had been directed with a look toward Vownus.

The three reached the nearest section of unoccupied balustrade, a few feet away from the nearest descending staircase. Many moved away slightly, recognising the prestigious two that Vownus stood with. They didn't wish to be accused of snooping in any shape or form. Even Lynwood kept a respectful distance, his back turned to the three as he surveyed all of the people around him.

"I believe" Vownus tempered himself, smiling at the near idiocy of the conversation, "that both ideals bear their own merritts gentlemen."

He plucked the drink off of a passing waiter.

"For instance, larger vessels mean more armaments, an excellent problem solver for military matters" he gestured to the Marshal, "but as Port Master Melaedon quite reasonably declares, 'not every situation is solved through might"

Vownus shrugged, knowing that his words failed to add any coherent support to either man.

"Should we only build grand warships? Perhaps if the Imperium sets out onto another Great Crusade" he scratched at his chin in an apparent deep line of thought.

"But for now, variety keeps the brave men and women of our Imperium alive and well. I would not sacrifice such conditions for a general demand of might"

Both men were equally annoyed at Vownus, a fact that the man ignored as he turned away from the two of them.

He had noticed the set of eyes that was staring at him, completely unashamedly undressing him with her site.

After downing his drink in a single pull, he respectfully bid his present company adieu.

"If you would excuse me gentlemen"

And swept away from them to go sit beside Soniah Naum. Lynwood followed only a few feet behind him. Vownus could imagine the sneer on the man's face.

Guests were beginning to flood into the ballroom. It would be here. If this killer was to reveal themself, if they were to strike… it would be in this room.

After all, this was the coop.

Now all Vownus needed to do was wait for the fox.

---

Lula De Chambaal watched as Vownus sat beside Soniah. That woman had an unquenchable need to dominate men, something that Lula appreciated at times, and detested at others.

Pointing her at the right target could destabilize a marriage, and by extension the individuals of said marriage.

Had this been any other party or affair she would not mind the tendencies of the holodrama mogul. Considering she was fixed upon Lula's guest and greatest hope at catching the killer amongst the elite, it was a more frustrating occurrence. She knew the Inquisitor would not fall for such obvious lures and charms, but she didn't like how he seemed to be so uncaring of the situation they found themselves in.

But this could not be helped.

He would operate how he saw fit.

Her eyes had shifted away from the flirtatious woman and her unwitting victim when another point of direct interest entered the room.

Lucian Kaede and the Stewart, Caius Helix.

An odd pair, and one that she had time to debate upon. One of her many pairs of loyal eyes and ears had informed her that they had just been sitting in the garden, silent and observing.

Whether they were waiting for something, or observing some kind of detail that Lula was unaware of, she would never know.

Like the other guests within the garden, they had migrated toward the Ballroom once the door had been opened, joining the large crowd which had funneled into the entrance.

Lula and her entourage had been the first to enter, taking seats on the farthest end of the room from its only open doorway. They watched, discussing and speaking upon the affairs of Agrax, as their guests flooded in. Many took to the upper ring in search of company and drink, while many descended down into the soiree below.

Just to the right and left of each grand staircase, a band was located, each instrument slowly dispensing only the finest of music into the air. Not too loud to drown out the conversation above, but also not quiet enough to just serve as background for those that moved below.

Everything was perfect.

Lula sat alone upon her single seat of the finest black leather. Her chair was raised slightly above the other seats at her alcove.

Unlike every other public place to sit and chat, her's wasn't open. The exclusivity was guaranteed by the set of four guards, two on either side of the one gap in the near invisible glass walls surrounding them.

Lula looked to her current entourage.

Thaddeus and Zariel Sabeder were speaking animatedly with Roza Gisaal. Obviously some kind of future deal the two of them wished to push forward with Agrax's unofficial intelligence source.

That, or some kind of way to get a backhand aimed at Vownus. Politics was always so petty. But one needed to keep up appearances, lest circling predators smelt weakness. Lula could understand it and knowing what it took to keep her seat as Governor made it very easy for her to understand the response to any slights.

It would be funny to see their reactions when the truth of Vownus was revealed.

That would be another can of worms she'd have to deal with, especially to see which of the people that surrounded her so closely would turn on her.

She'd be ready if or when that moment came.

So long as this murderer wasn't picking off her family and support, she'd be in the clear to act.

One step at a time.

Marshal Mesbern Rhantz and his political nemesis, close friend and most outspoken social opponent, Melaedon Al Mukaiji soon appeared before them, stepping past the guard and into the private space.

Both greeted Lula and sat down, ordering another round of drinks for themselves. Whatever conversation they had been in before resumed, their endless talk of regulations and spaceports being drowned out by the active part of Lula's brain.

The Master of the Ports would have been better off wondering where his wife was. Lula was a betting woman, and had she the luxury of privacy right now, she'd wadger Rostel Al Mukaiji was currently connected at the hips with another man in some part of the garden.

Such thoughts remained unspoken.

Lula could only wait.

And all this waiting was boring her. So Lula decided to do something interesting.

Raising a hand, an attendant stepped into their small glass dome within the next heartbeat, her head bowed toward Lula.

"My Lady De Chambaal" she did not look up.

Lula's command was simple.

"Bring me Lucian Kaede and his stewart, Caius Helix"

The attendant nodded and departed. Lula ignored the look that the Sabeder's gave her. Gisaal merely glanced her way before focusing her attention on the crowds beyond. The Marshal called an attendant over, asking that his son, Vour, come to join them.

The man was naturally opportunistic.

Melaedon just ordered another drink.

---

Rostel Al Mukaiji had her dress hiked up and pulled to the side while she bit back a moan. This was because the wife of Agrax's Port master was getting fucked in a small alcove between two hedges, and doing her best not to make a sound.

Not that the slapping of her partner's hips against her rear didn't make noise, nor did the man fail to grunt as he powerfully thrust into her.

Her lover was some pretty nobleman whose name she had already forgotten.

She'd gone out to search for someone while her Husband and the Marshal had left the garden for the ballroom.

Most of the large welcoming area was empty, only a few other guests hanging back. Most of them were of similar minds, but not all of them were committing acts of adultery.

It was times like this where Rostel could satisfy her needs. She didn't wish to cheat on her husband, merely the thrill of being caught. It was an addiction, but one she could go to no one to seek help.

So like many nobles with acquired tastes, she indulged in her desire to risk it all. Honestly, it made the sex more intense, both her and her partners aware of the fates which would befall them should they be caught.

Besides, she could always have someone remove her chosen lover at a later time. After all, accidents happened all the time. Such was their nature.

And two people can only keep a secret if one of them is dead.

"Yes baby" she hissed as quietly as she could, feeling the man increase his pace. His breathing was heavier and shorter.

She knew what was coming.

By the Emperor… she needed this.

Her pleasure-addled mind was just able to notice the approaching footfalls.

With a gasp the man pulled back, his voice stammering some kind of excuse to whoever had approached the copulating two.

"Hey! Look, I… who… who are you?"

Heart pounding, Rostel managed to gather her mental and physical faculties, coming to stand to look upon the odd duo that stood before them.

One was a man, or atleast what Rostel could tell was a man. The lower half of his face was covered in bandages and a dirty brown wrapping.

He seemed… dangerous.

It was the weary lines on the upper half of the face, the dirty marks under his eyes that spelt danger. That, and the nearly unfocused black pupils that stayed locked on Rostel's lover.

Nearly all of him was covered in baggy clothing, items that had seen better days.

His companion was just as strange.

A girl, dressed similarly to the man. She was young, at least fifteen or sixteen with blonde hair and slightly unfocused blue eyes.

Rostel was about to speak as she tidied herself up, dropping her dress and covering her nudeness. She figured she could broker some kind of agreement with the man for him to keep his mouth shut.

But then he spoke, a growl rather than a normal human voice and tone.

"Still hidden darling?"

As the girl nodded with an "mhm" to the man, a horrible series of thoughts entered Rostel's mind.

These couldn't be Nobles. Security would never have let such dirty and worn individuals in. Nor would any noble invited people incapable of procuring decent clothing.

"Good" the man growled again, and strode forward to the jabbering Noble that had no place to back up to.

They weren't Nobles, Rostel realised, as the man suddenly reached out and gripped her lover by the face.

It happened right in front of her.

As a deep part of her mind registered the very sudden appearance of an encroaching cold, a frost that licked at the edges of her skin and the space around her, Rostel was more focused on the sight before her.

She couldn't believe her eyes and what they were witnessing.

In an instant, the flesh of the man's face was burned from his skull. Then the muscle, brain tissue and everything else. A soft green glow was emanating from the dirty man's hand, the glow only growing brighter as he…

Rostel screamed in horror as the flesh and biological matter was burned away from her lover.

Her reaction drew the attention of the man, who released the now decayed corpse.

Only the skeleton of his upper half remained, the spread of rott having ceased halfway down the body's chest.

"Shut up"

The glowing hand of the man reached down to her…

And that was the last thing Rostel Al Mukaiji saw.

---

The attendant that led them through the crowded second floor was dressed in a smooth white, like all the others. Her head was shaved, like all the others. And she moved with nearly no sound, like all the others.

Lucian didn't know what it was specifically, but something about this silent uniformity scared him. Well, not scared, but it definitely distrubed him.

The woman had approached him and Caius, informing them that the Governor requested their presence. They had been about to just casually start walking round the ballroom, cutting through the crowds and trying to spot something that Vownus wasn't even actively looking for. Lucian and Caius had both shared a look when they had spotted their Inquisitor leader chatting up a very beautiful woman.

Being unable to call Vownus out on his unprofessionalism wasn't an option. Neither was refusing the summons from Lula De Chambaal.

As the density of the second floor crowd began to lessen, Lucian could finally see what he assumed to be their destination.

The one booth that had an armed guard and a glass dome which enclosed it.

As they got closer and closer, the beautiful figure of Lula De Chambaal became ever clearer to the approaching trio.

As did the many people that were seated within her private dome of luxury, the ones that Vownus had met at the gazebo. Some of them at least.

A man nearly made of metal with a woman by his side. Another lady in a gigantic green dress. Lucian was able to recognise the Marshal of Agrax, but not the two men that sat next to him. One was younger and dressed in an Imperium Naval uniform, and the other, the elder, was clothed in a formal yet rich looking wrapping of sorts. His outfit seems foreign, yet expensive.

The attendant stopped before the break in the glass dome, gesturing inside and drooping into a bow.

"Thank you" Lucian uttered, not creeped out enough by the Attendant to forget his manners. He stepped into the booth, Caius right behind him.

Most of the commotion and noise behind Lucian died away as he crossed over the threshold of the private bubble. Lula fixed the boy with an indecipherable glance, sending a chill of worry down Lucian's spine.

She was supposed to be their ally here, someone that Vownus and his retinue wouldn't have to worry about. Yet it seemed like she was about to do something the youngest member of the Inquisitor's team would not enjoy.

"Lucian Kaede, Caius Helix" Lula De Chambaal addressed them both in Low Gothic, spreading her arms wide in welcome, an elegant glass of champagne still in her left hand.

"Welcome to the party"

Caius was the one that answered her.

"I do believe I speak for both Kaede's as I say, that It is an honor to be here, my Lady" Caius bowed.

Lucian followed a second later.

Lula smiled. The boy had yet to learn proper manners when interacting with his betters. Tonight would be just as informative for herself as it would be a lesson for the boy.

"Do come sit" she gestured to the nearest set of available chairs. The ones practically right beside her. It would be between the Governor and the woman in the green dress where the two would find themselves seated.

Because while phrased as an offer, it was most certainly a command. Lucian and Caius obeyed, coming to sit beside Lula with very different expressions.

While the Stewart had adopted a straight back and well rehearsed posture, his face displaying a collected and calm expression, the boy seemed to be the polar opposite.

Lucian sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he fixed his gaze upon the small table that lay in the center of the circle of seats. He looked so distrubed for one so young.

Bothered by many things.

Lula could clearly see the boy's face, as he was the one closest to her. Her inspection of him failed to draw any kind of reaction. So she tried for a verbal prompt.

Low Gothic was the choice of language for tonight.

"You seem troubled Lucian"

The boy was snapped from his thoughts, his face unwinding into a much more peaceful display. But only by comparison to his prior expression. He still seemed on edge, even as he answered the Governor.

"I'm sorry Lady Chambaal" the boy sat back as he spoke, his eyes cast out into the crowds beyond, "my thoughts have been unpleasant as of late"

"A distressing thing to hear, from one as young as yourself" Roza de Gisaal commented.

Lucian snorted, quite loudly, drawing a disapproving look from more than one other individual. Caius looked like he was going to melt from embarrassment.

The youth directed his attention to the owner of Agrax's Vox networks.

"My Father can be a very… irritating individual" he explained, before noticing the baleful glare directed at him by Caius. The youth had failed to directly address the woman, let alone managing to be courteous or polite.

Lucian stammered out an apology before introducing himself, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. Lucian Kaede, my Lady"

The woman in green studied him in a terse moment of silence.

"Roza de Gisaal, child" she nodded to him, "and I speak for some of us when I say your candid words are most welcome here"

Lucian fumbled his thank you only slightly.

"Thank you, Lady Gisaal"

Another voice joined the conversation, weighing in their thoughts on the matter.

"Your father seems to be quite the individual young man" the Marshal spoke now, "he is as perplexing as he is unexpected"

"My master is a unique man my Lord Marshal," Caius cut through, attempting to pull Lucian out of the focus from these political predators. Lula could see how the boy couldn't be trusted not to make a fool of Vownus.

"His propensity for annoyance is only matched by his optimism"

The Marshal slowly shifted his gaze to Caius. An uncomfortable silence echoed out into the space, only the noise of the party beyond their private booth permeating the audible stillness.

Caius had spoken out of turn. But Lula knew that he had spoken correctly. He was attempting to defend his 'Lord', as any real Stewart worth their position would.

But the Marshal was speaking to the boy.

He did not want Caius to answer.

"Caius is right" Lucian scratched the back of his head, attempting to end the pointed silence that he was obviously uncomfortable with, "ever since I met him, Father's been nothing but a pain Lord Marshal"

Lula, and everyone else in the space, did not fail to note how Caius' eyes hastily snapped to the boy, a spike of worry settling across his features.

The words of the boy churned in Lula's mind.

'Ever since I met him…'

Oh.

"You've only come into contact with your father recently?" Thaddeus had a twinkle in his eye as the worlds left his mouth in a confident drawl. Lula knew what he wanted.

He was looking for potential fuel to light a fire under Vownus' ass.

Lucian rolled his head slightly, before addressing the most recently spoken individual of the group.

"I was born on Helios, my Lord. My mother… did not survive the birth. Eventually Jonus decided to finally show up and claim me as his" Lucian looked to Lula for a moment, before glancing back down at the table, "I can't tell if it was a blessing or a curse"

Lula didn't fail to note the odd look that Caius' face adopted for a heartbeat. The man's neutral expression had shifted back so quickly, Lula had almost considered it a trick of the light.

Caius' curious reaction aside, Lula retreaded what Lucian had just expressed to not only her, but the other nobles around him.

She wasn't a Psyker, but Lula could feel the weight of the words. The self consideration was a real feeling and question. But the facts he had given… Lula was accomplished at spotting lies and reading between the lines. Lucian was a new hand at this game, a fact which was painfully obvious. So because he had spoken so plainly and directly, Lula knew at least most of what he said was true.

An excellent way to cover a lie was to blend it with the truth. While Lula believed that Lucian was born of Helios, she did not believe Vownus was the father. She did, however, believe that his mother had died in childbirth. The boy's pregnant pause before he spoke upon that detail and the hollowed tone of his words, went a way's in convincing the De Chambaal Governor.

She did note Thaddeus' near silent sigh directed at the boy's slumped posture.

"A blessing, young Kaede. Your father is a sharp and learnt man, something not most Citizens of the Imperium are lucky enough to have"

Lula was surprised how genuine the man seemed. Not to mention that he too was speaking in Low Gothic. Thaddeus was the kind of man to ridicule those that spoke in the tongue below his stature.

Lucian looked at the bionic man with a small smile.

"Your words are kind and most welcomed my Lord"

Thaddeus actually reached across the short table, his hand extended for the boy to shake. This drew a shocked look from Melaedon, the Marshal and a curiously raised eyebrow from Lady Gisaal.

Zariel Sabeder's face was unreadable, even as her husband introduced himself.

"Thaddeus Sabeder. Agrax representative of the Departmento Munitorum"

They shook. As Thaddeus sat back, he continued his conversation with the boy.

"Helios? An Agri-world, from what I can recall. The world said to have an endless field of Gold" he reached for his drink.

Lucian smiled more at the man, "the sunrise was… well we Helios natives referred to it as the Emperor's light" the boy was fully engrossed in the memory, describing it for those around him.

"Something about the way the sun caught the grains, at the right hour, with the wind cutting through the fields, cooling your skin to the warmth of the morning…" Lucian's sigh was one of relaxation and relief.

"There isn't anything quite like it"

Lula could see the sight herself. Her eyes closed as she pictured it; the endless field of gold, sparking in the bright sunlight of a sun cresting the horizon. She could almost feel the wind, calming and serene, putting your very soul at ease.

"If it weren't for my duties, I believe I would have visited such a place" Melaedon raised his glass to the boy, "you are a fortunate soul, boy, to live upon such a planet"

Lucian smiled at the somewhat intoxicated man. But he didn't say anything else. There was a layer of sorrow that tinged the corners of his eyes and lips, a mournful sadness that the Governor could so clearly identify.

It was in the eyes.

Lula De Chambaal could tell in that exact moment that young Lucian was torn on the topic of his home. He had described a small facet of nature's beauty, yet did not verbally agree with Meladeon's decree.

Lucian did not believe he was truly fortunate to grow up on such a planet. To have been raised in peace and tranquility. This drew Lula's attention to the most likely answer as to why the boy would feel this way.

Something had happened, something that had affected the boy deeply.

And on a peaceful farming world, a world that lay on the farthest known edge of the Segmentum Tempestus, the only significant change could be the collapse of peace.

Either Xenos, Traitors or the Archenemy had come to Helios, and with it whatever life Lucian had known was now gone.

"You miss it"

Lucian looked up to Lula, the statement having come from her. A spark of shock settled in his soft blue eyes, calm as the ocean.

Coming to grips with what she was saying, the boy's expression shifted closer to neutrality and eventually he answered.

"I do"

It was a simple response on the surface. But the two words were filled with more conflicting emotions than Lula was willing to unpack at the current moment.

Yet the journey of this conversation was derailed by the arrival of three figures. One stopped and stood with the guards outside the booth, while the two entered.

"Hey there kiddo"

Lula and Lucian both looked at the arriving two.

Vownus stood at the entrance to the exclusive glass bubble. Soniah Naum was by his side in all her pink splendor, her arm hooked with his.

His eyes met Lula's, and he had the gall to send her an insufferable wink, even with the harlot practically dangling off of him.

"Hope I didn't miss much?"

---

Vownus couldn't help the cheeky grin on his face. Yes he was on the job, but he wasn't the kind of man who could so easily say no to a free drink or two. Or twelve.

Or a beautiful woman that was so painfully obvious, he didn't need his telepathy to tell she wanted to ravish him.

But Vownus was a responsible Inquisitor, one that was still going to do his best. He was still sober. Relatively. And that was all that mattered.

He'd be able to see this killer coming from a mile away.

This in mind, he decided to rejoin his host and her high class friends. These would be the high priority targets, the ones that this noble hunting murderer could just not say no to.

"Be a dear Lynwood, keep an eye out" Vownus ordered the bodyguard. Lynwood's gruff acceptance of the order was received as per usual, but Vownus was already directing his attention to the booth and its occupants.

Lula De Chambaal was on the far end of the private space.

To her left, Vownus' right, was the Port Master, Marshal and young Captain Vour. The opposite side was Madam Gisaal, the Sabeder's, and…

"Hey there kiddo"

Lula and Lucian, who had been speaking to one another, shifted their gazes to the newest occupant.

While Lucian just seemed annoyed at Vownus, the Governor seemed quite frustrated. The Inquisitor's responding wink wasn't very well received.

A new line of topic then.

"Hope I didn't miss much?"

He took a second to look around for an empty seat. He and Soniah obviously wished to sit together, but there was only a chair built for one individual to sit comfortably.

It was the seat beside the Sabeder's and close to the entrance of the booth.

And so he decided to do the only thing that his intoxicated mind deemed appropriate. He brought both himself and Soniah into the singular seat.

The lady let out a tiny feminine squeak as she was quite calmly deposited in Vownus' lap. Agrax's Holodrama mogul and sole media provider found herself nestled into Vownus' larger form, her figure almost draped across him. Soniah was still able to sit comfortably with her back supported by Vownus' arm, their shoulders touching.

She did not seem to complain about this position, and as Vownus felt the woman's rump grind ever so slightly in his lap, she seemed to be enjoying it.

He bit his tongue to hold in any exclamations.

Oh sweet Emperor, why did this have to be a mission, and not a social event.

The eyes of everyone else found this act to be abhorrent.

"Your son was regaling us with a description of his homeworld. Helios. A fabulous place" Zariel Sabeder's tone was as close to vicious as her propriety allowed.

Thaddeus stepped into the conversation before Vownus could reply.

"Why was it that you left him there?"

The Inquisitor in disguise felt a chill up his spine, and not because someone was using the warp so freely. He met eyes with Lucian, the boy giving him an unreadable expression. He had been talking to the nobles, and that was a terrible worry to the Rogue trader in disguise. Vownus could only hope and pray that the boy was not spilling too many details.

Otherwise, their company would quickly figure out their ruse and then there would be hell to pay.

Vownus didn't want to have to deal with that. It would result in more than just a few bruised egos, and plenty of deaths. Not to mention, any commotion or ruckus caused would realistically draw the killer's attention. They'd be a word in the wind should Vownus' Inquisitorial status be revealed.

So he decided to play it slow.

"I often find myself in situations where danger and death are more common than security and peace" Vownus ignored how Soniah's hand settled on his chest, her fingers moving back and forth ever so slightly.

Nobody missed how the woman's hand had moved to the 'Trader's' chest.

"Not exactly the best conditions to raise a child. Unless of course you believe differently?"

Thaddeus had molten fury coating his eyes. Even as his reply was so calm and direct, Vownus could note the vitriol just bubbling beneath the surface.

"And you believe it was better to just leave him there after everything that happened?"

Vownus could decipher the incredulity, but just not where it came from. Looking at Lucian gave him nothing, as the boy's head was bowed forward.

Caius looked like he was about to start sweating profusely.

...maybe they should have decided on some kind of official story. Vownus was beginning to see he'd been a bit hasty with this idea. Then again he hadn't known the upper crust of Agrax's noble society would take such interest in his 'son'.

This was a tense as any standoff Vownus had been subjected to.

And this was exactly why he hated when politics got in the way of his duties…

Maybe he shouldn't have accepted Lula's-

"It's not my Father's fault"

Everyone rounded to look at the speaker. Young Lucian had his head up, and his eyes settled on Vownus.

"By the time he left it was already too late. My mother was dead, and a woman called Alena took me in. She made no official declaration of my birth name, as I took her's" he glanced at the men and women one at a time. Each and every one of them were all far older, educated and powerful than he was.

"I was born a farmer, my Lords and Ladies. And I was prepared to live my life as such, harvesting the grains and wheats that feed our great Imperium. I never considered the life I could have led, until my Father brought it before me" Lucian smiled softly, toying with the fabric of the pants at his knee.

Vownus, along with everyone else were transfixed upon the boy.

Something about his words, something about his tone… it was ensnaring all of them. Just drawing them in and making them all want to listen.

"I just want to live a good life my Lords and Ladies… I want to help those that need it. I want to protect those that can't protect themselves"

The boy was channeling… something. There was a presence behind his words, but not one that could be identified as a thing of the Immaterium.

Vownus could feel the warmth that radiated from the boy. A strange opposite to the generated cold that happened when one so simply drew upon the power of the Warp.

But not an unwelcome opposite. Many in the booth felt themselves sit straighter, felt their anger and stress just slip away. Like a cleansing rain their minds and bodies were wiped clean of all malignant emotions and strain…

Vownus, being an individual that was intune with Warp energies, was probably the only person to notice this strange effect of the boy's words.

Maybe Caius and Lula would also be able to notice the odd effect of the youth's words, considering the former's training as an Arbite and the latter's family history.

But even if everyone was so naturally transfixed by Lucian, they would not notice such a strange reaction outright. Perhaps they never would understand why the boy's words just drew them in, and comforted them in ways they couldn't hope to comprehend.

And Lucian wasn't even done talking.

"Mankind need not suffer needlessly" his smile was bolder and more firm, a happy emotion in a place so rarely filled with such honest expression.

"And I'll do my best to make sure it never has to"

With that, Lucian stood, bit them all a good day even though it was evening, and walked out of the booth.

Caius was quick to follow, offering unheard pleasantries and excuses for Lucian's behaviour to those that remained in the booth.

They all ignored him, their eyes fixed on the boy who was making his way to one of the staircases.

Vownus got to appreciate every single dumbstruck look on the faces of every Noble around him.

It was glorious.

And even as the questions and comments began to sail across the room, Vownus couldn't keep the small smile off of his features. He hadn't known what exactly had just happened, but if the Prophecy had told him anything…

Well he had a few less questions now, that's for sure.

---

As the youth stepped from the booth, he nodded toward Lynwood. The gruff bodyguard politely nodded back before returning to his scanning of the crowd.

Lucian wasn't sure why he had said those things. He wasn't even sure why he felt so powerfully about his declarations, but it finally felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Something that he finally noticed was how relaxed his shoulders and chest felt. The constant worry and consideration that had boiled up in the garden earlier was gone.

Now there was peace within him, rather than the broiling turmoil that had settled beneath the surface of his consciousness.

It felt good to finally come to terms with who he was and what he wanted.

So he made for the nearest staircase to the dance floor, curious about the beautiful sounds and tones that lifted above the crowd of party goers.

Weaving his way through the crowd, Lucian tucked his hands in his pockets and adopted a casual gait. There were so many people, every one of them engaged in a conversation, drinking, laughing or just observing one another.

It was almost overwhelming. But the way everyone seemed to mostly ignore him as he reached the first step of the staircase meant that ultimately, Lucian was completely unbothered.

The descending youth didn't need to turn around to confirm the identity of the hurried pace that closed in on him.

"Caius" Lucian turned his head to look at his teacher and bodyguard, "sorry, I just needed-"

The man's eyes were wide with shock, his chest rising up and down ever so slightly. He seemed completely lost for words.

"Caius?"

"W-what was that?"

Lucian stopped his descent, moving slightly to the side to allow others to step by him.

"What was what?"

"That!" Caius hissed, gesturing back toward the private booth, his finger jabbing in its general area.

Lucian felt a little awkward now, especially with how Caius' words and movements were drawing a few eyes toward the two of them.

"I was just being honest?" he tried to answer, shrugging at the man, "I'm sorry… Lady Gismaal said she was alright with it"

Caius' jaw dropped.

Lucian blinked.

"You… you didn't notice any of that?"

Lucian's face was scrunched up.

"No?"

Caius gathered himself, standing straight as he brought a hand to his face, gently rubbing his temples. Lucian heard the whispered words beneath the man's breath.

"Now is not the time, or the place"

His hands dropped, and Lucian was left bewildered as he continued down the steps. After a moment's hesitation Lucian followed.

Caius could be so strange at-

There it was again.

That strange feeling. The invisible cord once again pulling itself taught around his mind, slowly but surely wrapping around Lucian's thoughts. It felt harsher than before.

He blinked away the sudden pain, and looked down at the mingling crowd of the lower floor.

Lucian followed the feeling, the thread of barbs that was embedded in his skull.

It didn't take him long to spot her. The girl in rags.

She was making her way through the very center of the crowd, aimed right for the staircase Lucian and Caius were on.

Next to her was a man in similar robes, the two of them walking side by side through a crowd that seemed to just naturally part before them.

It was like… no one noticed them, even if they stood out like an Ork during the Festival of Saints.

No one turned to stop and stare, no one spoke or pointed to them, everyone just seemed naturally inclined to move aside and grant them passage.

Lucian hurried down the steps, coming to Caius' side and grabbing the man's wrist.

"Do you see them?"

"Huh?" Caius blurted in confusion, but Lucian reaffirmed his point.

"In the middle, walking this way. They're in rags and just walking between everyone" Lucian's words inclined Caius to peer out across the people, his eyes narrowed.

"I.., no" the man looked down at the boy with an honest confusion, "I'm sorry, I just don't-"

Lucian tuned out Caius' apology, his eyes going back to the approaching two. The man's face was covered, his identity hidden. From here he could barely make out the visible details, but he could feel something…

Something inherently wrong about this man.

In a second, Lucian considered what he was witnessing and what this meant.

'These strangers that managed to walk through a crowd they did not belong to, going unnoticed and unbothered by all'

'A killer, which struck in seemingly impossible to infiltrate locations, murdering those that lived with the best of protections'

Lucian's heart skipped a beat.

'You can't protect yourself from what you cannot see"

"Get Vownus"

"Vownus? I don't-" Caius attempted to play off a false confusion to the name Lucian had used. But the youth didn't have time to explain what seemed very apparent to him.

Lucian rounded on Caius, anger in his gaze and a natural order shooting off the tip of his tongue.

"Just go get him!"

Lucian didn't elaborate further, taking two steps at a time down the staircase. A few people exclaimed at him and his rapid pace, and more than a few sets of eyes focused on him.

Caius had turned and darted up the stairs only a handful of moments before Lucian reached the base.

The boy was already slicing through the crowd, apologizing to people he bumped into or shoved as he made his way toward the approaching duo.

It happened without warning or prompt.

Lucian could only describe the feeling to be like breaking through a surface of water, a membrane that he hadn't even seen yet unknowingly crossed through.

And once he'd breached this threshold he was suddenly facing them. Only a few feet apart from one another, the crowd seemed to have drastically thinned around this unseen standoff.

Not really knowing where to go from here, Lucian tried to be direct.

"Hello there" he waved with a curt smile.

The ragged duo said nothing. They did cease their advance however. Both of them had their gaze fixed upon Lucian. The girl's seemed fearful, while the man… he seemed curious.

"Pretty interesting clothes you've got" Lucian commented, taking a quick glance around to confirm that no one was still paying attention to the three of them.

It was the girl's voice, raspy and quiet, that drew his gaze back to the invisible strangers.

"He can see us daddy"

The man reached out to the girl, gently patting her shoulder.

"I know darling, I can see that" he gripped her shoulder, his fingers curling around it in what seemed like some twisted act of comfort, "it's alright"

The girl sniffled, tears building in her eyes.

She was in pain.

"I'm sorry daddy"

The man hushed her as he released his grip on her. As his hand came away, he could see the tiny whisps of smouldering material from where he had held the girl.

Lucian drew upon the most sarcasm and calm he could, channeling his best impersonation of the most annoying person he knew.

"I'm going to guess" Lucian drawled with a cocked eyebrow, "that you two are responsible for all those strange deaths I've heard so much about"

The man shifted slightly, his body coiling as Lucian undoutedly assumed the man was preparing to reach for some kind of weapon. Yet he didn't speak. Not yet.

So Lucian continued to buy time.

"I mean, no one else can see you. Not even my bodyguard. I feel its only safe to assume that you two are the guilty party"

The youth shrugged in a false display of self doubt.

"Unless I'm wrong?"

Now the man spoke. He did not ask, but demanded of Lucian, "who are you"

The girl shifted, slowly moving into the wake of the man, trying to hide behind his large and mostly hidden form. She did not try to touch her burnt shoulder.

"Lucian" the youth answered simply.

"...how can you see us Lucian"

The boy shrugged at the man again, being as direct and to the point as he could possibly be.

"No clue"

The man snapped out at him, his ragged voice growling like some kind of violent beast.

"No one can see us, not when we don't want them too!"

Lucian smirked at the man's anger.

"Maybe I'm just special?"

And it seemed that was the last straw for the man.

He lunged for Lucian with an outstretched arm, a bed of frost slowly expanding at his feet. The youth, stumbling backwards at the sudden attack, could just make out the green glow that encased the man's palm.

His mind shifted, and time slowed to a crawl.

The sight before Lucian changed, his eyes registering an entirely different scene. Like a memory, it surfaced before him, reminding him of what he had tried to do all those many months ago.

Where the man stood, he now saw a cloaked man weilding a knife, the same knife that dripped with blood.

Blood that belonged to another.

'Alena'

Lucian, out of an instinct buried deep within himself, raised his own hand.

---

Vownus followed Caius to the staircase, his gaze transfixed upon the lower floor. Among the throng and crowds of people he couldn't see Lucian anywhere. His eyes raked the partygoers again and again, desperately hoping to spot the black haired youth.

Nothing.

This worried him as badly as Caius' sudden appearance and demand of "Vownus! Come quickly!"

The man didn't need it spelt out for him.

This was it.

Poor Soniah didn't even get a second of warning before Vownus practically flung her from his lap.

Bursting from the booth, Lynwood was quick to fall into step behind the hurrying two, a hand ghosting toward his side.

The formidable ex-Arbite knew something had happened and didn't need to be told what it was. Lynwood was ready for action at all times.

Vownus didn't care for who he shoved out of the way or those that he barged aside.

"Where's Lucian?" he asked, his regular layer of playfulness and joy now gone.

"I'm not sure! He said he saw someone in the crowd, but I couldn't-"

Caius' answer was too slow for Vownus' liking, and so ignoring the man, the Inquisitor took the faster route. A ring of frost burnt around his black boots, startling the people around them.

If the searching trio wasn't already under a lot of scrutiny from their mad dash to the staircase, the freezing temperature of Vownus' sudden use of his considerable ability.

The Immaterium was being dragged forth by his will, the forces of the Warp being utilised in one willing push.

'Locate Lucian'

He would divine the boy's location in but a fraction of a moment. Bending the forces of space and time in order to-

A thunderclap boomed out from the center of the dance floor.

More than a few startled screams were drowned out by it. Vownus nearly stumbled as the shockwave blew over him. Caius fell over, Lynwood didn't.

Getting his bearings in a instant, Vownus' sight snapped to the center of the grand De Chambaal ballroom.

From what could only be the center of the room, directly beneath the incredibly detailed painting of terra, a shockwave had emerged.

This wave had knocked away every single person in the ballroom except for two small figures.

The one with blond hair, crouched to the ground with her head in her hands, Vownus could not identify. But the other was Lucian.

Lucian in his now slightly tattered suit, his hair blown back and his eyes wild. He stood tall and proud, an arm extended toward the opposite end of the hall, pointed toward…

Vownus followed the line and spotted the anomaly.

A figure, male, wrapped in gaudy rags and coating in dirt and filth. He looked to have broken a few bones and was bleeding quite profusely onto the floor.

It only took Vownus' keen mind a short amount of time.

The strange looking man that did not belong in a prestigious crowd. A man that any attendant or member of Palace security should have spotted.

How he had gotten so far undetected was a question future Vownus would need to find an answer to, but for now he had the fact: this man had gotten this far without being noticed.

"Nice work kiddo" Vownus said to himself with a smooth grin, before hopping his butt onto the balustrade and sliding down the length of it on his rear. The fastest, and more fun way to the base of the stairs.

As he approached the ground, he drew his invisible shield to himself.

Time to deal with a murderer.

---

He didn't stand there with his hand splayed out because he was trying to look cool or anything. Actually it was two things that kept him so still and poised as he was.

The first was the complete shock of knowing he'd just intentionally sent about eighty or so people flying in every direction. Second, was the fact that he had consciously tried to kill the dirty man in rags.

And it hadn't happened.

The presence that hung around him, the weight that he felt power through his palm and outward… the force of it alone should have turned the ragged man into a fine mist of a former living thing. This effect should also have extended as well to nearly everyone within a fifteen foot radius of himself.

Yet it had not happened.

The dirty man had been flung away, his arm and leg shattered and bleeding even before he crumpled and tumbled across the ground, skidding in a growing pool of blood.

But he was alive.

Lucian could… could feel the mans life, and how he had been unable to snatch it away from him.

The youth felt muted, even as his heart pounded in his chest. The colors of the world seemed duller, the vibrance of life.

It was that thread again, the one in his mind and tugging on his consciousness. The barbed cord pulled his focus and his eyes toward the source of it all. Lucian's hand relaxed, as did his stance, the drain on his body not significant enough to really focus on.

Huddled into a small ball and still only a few feet from him, was the girl.

She… she was the source of the strange feeling. The bad feeling.

She was the one who pulled the wire through his mind.

And she was crying, her head tucked between her legs, her body shaking ever so slightly.

"Hey" Lucian spoke, the sound of booted feet on the floor behind him not really registering. His gaze and his focus was on this weird girl, who could only be a year or two older than him.

"Hey" he tried again, softer still, taking a step toward her.

She recoiled slightly, falling backward onto the ground as her blue eyes snapped up to him.

Blue eyes that were so very like his own, and yet different entirely.

"It's alright"

He didn't know why he said it, but the words had come from his mouth regardless. A quiet promise with a soft smile he had no way of explaining, in an effort to comfort a crying girl who he did not know in any way.

The girl who's 'daddy' had burnt her shoulder.

"Heya kiddo! Didn't think you'd…" the boot falls came to a skidding stop beside Lucian, and towering above the teenager was Vownus.

The man had immediately focused his keen eyes on the girl, the rest of his sentence spilling out with far less strength and focus.

"...start the party… without me.." he narrowed his eyes at the girl that Lucian was staring at.

Vownus chuckled, flinching ever so slightly as the girl looked at him.

"Well I'll be damned. You're a strange little-"

It was a screeching crackle, an unnatural noise to the human ear which pierced the air.

The bolt of green flickering lightning had been directed at Lucian, but with a swing and a slight adjustment of the young boy, Vownus had buffered the attack.

The energy rippled off the mans front, sparkling and cracking against the ground and sky, flashes of deadly energy lapping at the air above the Inquisitor.

Lucian stumbled back from Vownus' hasty rearrangement of their positions, nearly falling on his ass if it weren't for a strong pair of hands that caught him.

Caius helped the boy keep his feet while simultaneously pulling him away to where Vownus was standing.

All the guests from the floor above and those that were recovering upon the ground below were watching the standoff at the center of the grand space.

In the studden silence, only whispers, muttering and bootfalls of the Palace guard could now be heard.

The Security staff were coming into the room en masse, entering through the hastily opened doors of the ballroom with weapons drawn and their attention focused upon the commotion in the center.

None of them fired, but their las rifles were directed toward the six individuals in the eye of this watchful hurricane. More than most of them were pointed toward the limping man that had thrown the green lightning.

Vownus blinked a bit to clear his vision from the few white spots that lingered in it.

Warp lightning was as bright as he remembered it to be, this instance making its way onto his mental lists of 'really close calls'.

But the tinge and color of it.

Vownus got a good look at the Psyker across from him. For a man that had a shattered leg, he was surprisingly capable of finding his way back to his…

Vownus saw how the man's arm twisted and turned unnaturally, the torn rag that had kept his form hidden slipping away as the limb moved itself.

Torn and broken flesh mended before Vownus' sight, the pristine skin slowly covering over the destroyed limb in only a matter of moments.

"Biomancer" Vownus declared with a gasp of realisation. Only Lucian, Caius and Lynwood had heard the word, and none of them were able to make heads or tails of it.

Vownus wasn't concerned about whether his posse understood what he was talking about. Instead he drew in the attention of the killer.

After all, he was curious as to why a Psyker would be targeting Agrax's nobility.

"So you sucked them dry huh?!" he shouted out to the man.

The man didn't respond, but he did stop his limping approach. A dark gaze settled on Vownus, who was more than happy to keep speaking out loud and clear into the awestruck room.

"Pulled their very lifeforce out with your hand, didn't you?" Vownus started to walk, the man matching his steps as they began to circle one another.

It was a dirty and raspy voice that growled at the Inquisitor.

"They got what they deserved! Servants of the monster!"

Vownus tutted.

"That's no way to speak about Lady Chambaal my good sir"

The man didn't like that. Not one bit.

"She's a Traitor! A liar! Who are you, to protect her?!"

His bloody hiss of hatred and anger doubled him over in a coughing rage. He was drawing upon too much energy from the warp to sustain himself. His emotions were slowly but surely killing him.

Vownus continued to play his little game as the two of them finally stopped moving around one another.

"My name is Vownus Kaede, an Agent of the Ordo Hereticus from our Emperor's Inquisition" he bowed forward, mockingly, "I am here to exterminate you, as the parasyte you are"

That got a reaction. One filled with vitriol and spit as the man roared his deadly reply/

The reformed limb shot upward at Vownus, who felt the layer of frost that rushed out from the dirty man's feet far before the attack came.

The whispers of the warp were nothing compared to the green bolt of lightning that screeched through the air.

A destructive force that Vownus quite simply batted into the ground with an idle flick.

"When I heard that Agrax's nobility had a killer in their midst… I was curious" he inspected his hand as he spoke, his flair for dramatics coming to the forefront.

"But a killer that was unseen and undetected, who seemingly turned his victims to husks?" Vownus shrugged as he brushed away imaginary dust from the palm of his hand.

"Well I had to see this for myself"

The Inquisitor shifted his stance, now standing side on to the biomancer with his hands curled into fists.

A fighting stance. Ready to attack. No one could miss the ever growing bed of frost at Vownus' feet, or the fact that their breath now misted in the air.

"Name yourself, murderer. Or die forgotten to history"

Vownus was prepared to let the man have one last moment, one last chance to speak out before being granted the Emperor's mercy.

The Biomancer, and obviously insane Psyker, stood eerily still for a moment. He was able to recognise Vownus' as the stronger between them two. He also could see that even if by some fluke he was able to kill the Inquisitor… the palace guard that encircled the second floor would not be letting him leave this place alive.

His daughter couldn't hide them again. Not now.

So the killer did the one thing his opponent was allowing him.

He reached up to the garb on his head, and pulled it free.

The dirty yet long locks of black and white hair flowed free against the man's shoulders, back and chest.

His beard was grey and frazzled, having been given no care in the years that it had grown.

A face, scared with white lines and wounds healed poorly, was revealed.

The man's mismatched eyes, so filled with hate and rage, fixed upon Vownus.

And then he declared himself.

Loud and clear for the whole room to hear.

"I am Lorn De Chambaal"

A silence spread from that admittance, one unlike any that had permeated the large ballroom before.

The man rasped a brief laugh, his gaze searching for one person as he spat more blood onto the floor.

Then he raised his head with a roar, looking to a place high up and behind Vownus.

"And I want my sister to answer for her crimes against me!"

---

Lula met eyes with her brother, even as he screamed his bloody desire for every ear in the hall to hear.

She had expected this.

His hatred and his anger.

She had not expected to stagger back, seeing the face of her sweet baby brother so contorted in fury and spite, that it was hard for her to even recognise him.

Lula De Chambaal, standing at the very top of the staircase and flanked by her security guards, came to a horrible realisation.

She loved her brother. Still.

Even though he had murdered members of their family… even though he was now set upon a path that only ended in her own death…

She wished there could have been some other way.

Lula didn't care that the many guests close to her turned to stare between the brother, the sister and the revealed Inquisitor. She could not begrudge them their shock.

A deep part of her was furious that Vownus had not killed the man outright, but this feeling was smothered by her more emotionally turbulent mind.

A large part of her wanted to see him.

At least one last time.

And then the Witch Hunter sprung forward. The guilty had been identified, his peace was given, and now the sentence would be passed.

Time slowed to a crawl as Vownus charged the man, his rapid pace being reduced to a slow crawl by Lula's eyes.

She watched as he slowly gained step after step, the distance between Lorn and Vownus growing ever shorter.

She could not look away as the Inquisitor drew his arm back.

Lula De Chambaal could do nothing but watch as Vownus Kaede plunged his glowing white fist through the chest of Lorn De Chambaal.

The attack, which obviously was channeled with Psyker the Inquisitor's psyker powers, killed her brother instantly.

Vownus retracted his arm in the same motion.

And Lula watched in the slowed silence as her brother fell to his knees, and collapsed forward onto the ground.

Lorn De Chambaal was not only dead in that moment, but he was the closest to being at peace since his powers had manifested in the first place.

All those years ago…

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AN: So a few mix ups and confusions on my end. At times I have mentioned Servitors rather than Servo-skulls. I didn't know they were two different things. Sorry about that. I also did forget to include descriptions of Warp Phenomenon when Psyker's use their powers. From now on these facts will be corrected.

So thanks to those of you that read and review, y'all help me catch most of these mistakes pretty quickly. Next chapter will see The Tempests Advance finally leaving Agrax, and onto the next destination. Our training arc has officially JUST BEGUN!

Also: Orks B is now in the lead by one vote. By the release of the chapter after next, which ever is winning will be the final selection. For those of you that might be worried about the lack of War in Warhammer, that part is coming.

Just gotta make sure Lucian is a bit more a fleshed out character before he starts commanding Imperial forces and swinging a sword around. After all, he's a stupid little pacifist (for the time being)

I love all of you and hope to see you next time!

With regards,

Freedom.