Admu breathed a sigh of relief as she removed her hands from the last of the men and women who had come seeking her healing. This last was a veteran who had been injured in defense of the hive-sprawl in the last Chaos invasion. A stray piece of shrapnel had caused a spinal injury which left him without the use of his legs. There were conventional treatments such as tissue regeneration and bionic prosthetics, however they were far too expensive for a poor hiver and the local PDF would rather discharge the soldier with a medal and forget about him. Luckily, Admu was able to use her powers to expel the shrapnel shard from his body and "convince" his body to repair itself, with her energy as a catalyst. Even Admu couldn't quite explain how her power worked, so she simply followed her instincts most of the time.
The weary veteran lifted his upper body from the spare bed that Joshua's family had allowed her to use. He furrowed his bushy eyebrows as he felt a curious sensation, then looked down to realize it was the feeling of his toes wiggling underneath a blanket. His eyes shot open with an expression of astonishment, as he threw open the covers and swung his feet onto the floor in one swift motion. His toes curled up in response to the unfamiliar feeling of the cold, wooden floor.
"I believe I have repaired the damage," Admu said. "however, I would advise you to recover for a few hours befo-"
The man rose shakily to his feet, wobbling back and forth on legs unaccustomed to walking with a look of pure glee spread across his face. He broke out into an awkward and ungainly dance, hopping and skipping while laughing like a giddy schoolboy. A misplaced step sent him tumbling backwards with his hands flapping in the air. Luckily, Admu swooped in just in time to catch him and set him back on his feet.
"As I was saying…" Admu said, laughing with the man. "It will probably take some time for you to get used to walking again. Start with something a bit easier than dancing, alright?"
The man thanked her repeatedly, tears welling up in his eyes as he offered her anything he could give in return. Admu gently refused, assuring him that she sought no reward. After bidding farewell, the man departed with a smile on his face.
Admu exhaled deeply, leaning back into a chair with an exhausted look. She had spent the last few hours healing a wide variety of illnesses and injuries, though curiously none of them had been as difficult as David's mystery illness.
"Come on Fen, we've got to go before more people get here looking for me. As much as I would love to help everyone, I don't think Leman would be happy if I ended up becoming famous down here." Admu said, rising to her feet.
After saying goodbye to David, Joshua, and Cassandra, Admu made her way down the dark streets of the underhive with her hooded cloak on. Luckily, it seemed that whatever newfound celebrity she had garnered was nullified by the cloak's enchantment, allowing her and Fen to travel undisturbed. They walked down damp alleyways, their path beneath the shadow of the immense superstructures of the hive-sprawl illuminated only by buzzing, artificial lights.
This could be dangerous. Fen said.
"Maybe, but I'm worried about what could have caused a disease like that. If I had trouble curing it, imagine how difficult it would be for a normal, not-magic doctor! I want to track down the source and purify it, so no one else has to suffer like that. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? Actually… what would happen if you got hurt? Since you're a god and everything." Admu said.
If this physical vessel sustained too much damage or I were to expend too much energy, I would simply return to the warp; drawn back to Leman's soul, to which I am anchored. It would likely take some time for me to regain the psychic energy needed to manifest myself like this. However, this is but a minor inconvenience. Have you ever considered what would happen if you were to be mortally injured? Fen said.
Admu was silent for a moment as she considered the wolf-god's words. She hadn't given much thought to the issue, even though she had come rather close to finding the answer back on Leprus. Perhaps it was simply something she wished not to think about.
"I… don't know." Admu said.
You may not be a fully-fledged god, but you are no mere mortal either. I doubt that the destruction of that vessel would be the end of you… perhaps you would end up manifesting back in your father's garden… or worse… Fen said.
"Oh no! If I ended up back in Papa's forest, Leman would have to go all the way back and get me! I wonder if he would have to do all those trials again… either way, we definitely can't let that happen! Fen, let's both agree to do our best to not die!" Admu said.
This is a sound strategy. Fen said.
At the edge of the sprawling, maze-like shanties of the underhive lay the immense scrap heap that acted as the refuse dump for both the industrial machinery that kept the hive-sprawl operating, and the upper crust of the hive that consumed most of its resources. Immense piles of discarded industrial waste, mostly in the form of slag, scrap metal, and broken machinery, stretched out underneath the metallic sky like rolling foothills. They were arranged in rows around an immense, empty shaft that stretched up and down for miles, allowing a faint amount of natural light to seep in from the surface. Heaps of refuse would occasionally fall down from the surface, either piling on top of the accumulating mounds of scrap or falling deeper into the central pit to an uncertain destination.
"This is all… garbage?" Admu said. "These mounds are as big as monuments!"
It is a kind of monument… to mankind's more avaricious tendencies. Fen said.
"Well, Mr. David said that he was attacked by something sneaking around here, so be on the lookout for anything suspicious." Admu said.
Fen raised his nose to the air, taking a few tentative sniffs before recoiling in response to the foul, toxin-filled dust that permeated the air.
This industrial smog is noxious enough by itself… are you sure he wasn't simply poisoned by it and hallucinated the rest? Fen said.
"When I was healing him, I sensed something strange about his illness. It was some kind of infection, but it was responding to me as if it knew what I was doing. It resisted me, and when I pushed back against it, it almost felt as though it were… calling for help." Admu said.
Fen's ear twitched, and his attention was drawn to a nearby piece of sheet metal lying against a broken voidship engine. He silently approached the source of the disturbance, his yellow eyes trained and his footsteps making no noise as he stalked the unseen target.
"What are you-" Admu said.
Suddenly, a blurred figure shot out from the refuse and darted across the field of scrap. Admu and Fen gave chase, following their target as it weaved through the mountains of discarded scrap at a rapid pace. They pursued the creature to the edge of the immense pit at the center of the scrap heap, running along a massive piece of a dismembered voidship jutting out from the rim of the large circular chasm.
Admu, wait! Fen said, skidding to a halt as he realized the precariousness of the ground beneath them.
Admu, determined to catch the creature before it could harm anyone else, continued to chase it along the metal platform to the very edge. Running out of ground to run along, Admu expected to corner it on the precarious ledge - until it flung itself from the edge of the metal platform and into the abyss below. Admu slid along the metal surface, halting her momentum just in time to prevent herself from falling along with the creature. She breathed heavily, both from the exertion of chasing the lighting-fast creature and the fear she felt upon realizing her precarious position.
"I'm sorry, I was just-" Admu said, before the platform beneath her buckled suddenly.
The metal groaned and jerked for a moment, before large cracks erupted along the platform between Fen and Admu. Fen lunged forward to try and reach her, but before he could make it the ground beneath Admu gave way completely. The immense shard of torn metal plunged into the darkness below, taking the girl with it.
That's not good. Fen said.
The wolf looked around, spotting a large pair of yellow doors labeled 'maintenance' on the side of one of the large structural columns that lined the garbage pit. Not sparing a second, he barged through the industrial doors with enough force to tear them from their hinges, revealing a spiraling set of stairs that descended far below. He ran down the maintenance shaft as quickly as his four legs could carry him, fairly confident that the girl was durable enough to survive the fall… though possibly not whatever lay at the bottom.
Leman rubbed his forehead as he made his way along the streets of Hyperia, bothered by a strange, nagging sensation that he could not rid himself of.
She can fend for herself, even without the wolf. Leman assured himself. That isn't what I am worried about… then what am I worried about?
This was a sort of test run, he supposed. He could not spend every waking moment with Admu at his side, and they would likely be traveling a great distance in the time to come. She would need to be somewhat independent. She was only going to the market, and the cloaks had demonstrated a sufficient ability to disguise them amongst the crowds of the hive sprawl that he was not worried she would be discovered… yet still, the nagging feeling remained. Pushing his worries aside, he made his way to the transport station so he could retrieve his ship and bring it closer to their current lodgings. He had spent a great deal of time in Admu's peaceful realm without his armor or weapons, but that was different. Here, there were any number of threats to look out for, known and unknown. He was not even sure he could trust the Imperium, not this incarnation of it at least. Maybe once he met with Guilliman and let the "Imperial Regent" explain himself, he could let his guard down… but until then he would treat them with great suspicion.
Leman's musings were interrupted by the sound of a commotion in the street ahead of him. A gathered crowd blocked his path forward, surrounding an unfolding scene. A group of men in dark brown garbs adorned with religious symbols were wrestling with another man, trying to hold him in place. Before him stood the raven-haired sororitas from the parade, dressed in battle armor and looking down on the restrained man with a stern glare. The man looked bloody and beaten, his long, dark hair hanging down from his face.
"Get off of me! Where did you take Melinda!?" The restrained man said, struggling against his captors.
"Quiet!" The sororitas shouted. "Your wife has been detained under suspicion of witchcraft, and you are being taken in for questioning. If you continue to resist, it will only confirm your guilt in the eyes of the Emperor!"
"There… there has to be some mistake! My wife is no witch!" the man shouted.
"The cardinal does not make mistakes. Frateris, bind his arms and legs so he cannot escape!" Ophelia said.
The restrained man, summoning all of his remaining strength, struck one of his captors with a fierce headbutt. He wrenched his right arm free, delivering a swift hook to the other zealot's jaw and freeing his left arm. He grabbed one of his captors and flung him at the sororitas, knocking her backwards and allowing him to escape through the crowd of onlookers.
This man is no mere civilian. Leman thought.
Sister Ophelia shoved the dazed man off of her and quickly rose to her feet, turning to her retinue of flummoxed frateris militia.
"What are you all just standing around for? Go after him!" She shouted.
The fugitive man sprinted past Leman and down the street, with the cloaked goons following close behind.
It's probably best not to get involved. Leman thought.
Leman looked ahead at the way to the transport station, now unobstructed by the earlier commotion. He stood there for a moment in silent contemplation, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply before turning around to follow the wanted man and his pursuers.
The cloaked zealots chased the man into an abandoned warehouse, armed with makeshift clubs and shock mauls. They pursued him through the expansive building cornering him against a wall of empty shipping containers. The militiamen attacked all at once, overwhelming the man and wrestling him to the ground despite his apparent combat experience. They began beating him within an inch of his life, ensuring the fugitive would be unable to escape a second time.
"That'll keep him from runnin'!" One of the zealots said. "I'mma go tell the sister that we caught 'er fugitive."
The cloaked man turned towards the exit, walking straight into what felt like a solid brick wall. He stumbled backwards with a slight daze, rubbing his head before looking up and seeing a tall man standing in front of him.
"Oi, what're you doing 'ere? Don't you know who we are?" The zealot said.
The tall man stared silently at him from behind his hooded cloak. The zealot sneered.
"You may be a bigg'un, but there's a lot more of us than there are of you." the zealot said.
The frateris militiamen surrounded the hooded man with their weapons bared, shooting venomous looks at the stranger who dared to interrupt their holy mission.
"We'll see how quiet you are when you get a taste of shock maul!" the head zealot said.
He charged at the tall stranger with his electrified power maul, putting all of his strength into a mighty swing straight towards the stranger's head. Leman caught the head of the power maul with a single hand, stopping its momentum instantly. The shock maul discharged a lethal amount of electricity into his body - at least, lethal to an ordinary human. To Leman it was no more than a light tickle. The zealot let go of the maul's handle and watched in astonishment as the weapon poured electricity into Leman's hand for several seconds. The weapon's battery began to sputter and overheat as the output exceeded its normal operating parameters, eventually failing in a burst of sparks and smoke. Leman then crushed the pronged head of the shock maul into a crumpled piece of scrap, allowing the remains to drop to the floor.
What followed could scarcely have been called a "fight." The injured man leaning against a wall watched as his former assailants were smacked, bashed, and thrown like a bunch of gretchin attempting to take down a fully-grown ogryn. In an instant, the mob of armed zealots were reduced to a pile of barely conscious crooks moaning and groaning from their prodigious beatdown. Their attacker walked towards him without a hint of fatigue, as if he had simply brushed an insect from his shoulder. For a moment the injured man was simply too awestruck to react, however he was soon filled with a distinct fear as the imposing man approached him. Leman removed his hood and looked down at the beaten man.
"Are you hurt?" Leman said, kneeling down to eye level with the injured man.
"Wha- uh, a little bit." He said. "I… I think I might have a broken rib or two… but that's nothing compared to those guys. I'll be fine."
"You fought those zealots pretty well before they all ganged up on you. Do you have combat experience?" Leman said.
"Aye, I served with the Scions after being raised in the Progenum. Served under an Inquisitor for a few years and after saving his life in battle he offered me a favor, no matter how large. Told him I wanted to retire, settle down and start a family… that's how I ended up here, with Melinda.
"What's your name? Why is that cardinal after you?" Leman said.
"The name's Lucas, Lucas Volkov. As for why those goons were after me, your bet is as good as mine. I just came home one day to find those bastards had kidnapped my wife, and then they tried to take me in, too. Thanks for the help, by the way." Lucas said.
Leman turned away with a contemplative look.
"Hey, if you don't mind me asking… why did you help me?" Lucas said.
"Let's just say I don't exactly trust this 'Cardinal' of yours." Leman said.
Lucas scoffed.
"Well, you wouldn't be the only one." Lucas said.
"Really?" Leman said.
"You must be with the Inquisition. Rumor is they've been investigating the Cardinal but can't get too close to him because of how popular he is among the people and the local clergy." Lucas said.
It seems I'm not the only one with suspicions. Leman thought. If even the madmen of that Inquisition have their reservations about him, perhaps there is something deeper going on here. This world is of extreme importance to the Imperium… maybe I should investigate this further.
"Yes… the Inquisition." Leman said. "What can you tell me about the Cardinal? Why is he so beloved?"
"Well, a few years back, right after the Rift first opened, this world was the target of a brutal campaign by that Warlord, Abaddon. It was… real bad. Lots of folks were saying it was the end times, that the Emperor had abandoned us. There was death and destruction everywhere, the night sky was splitting apart… it was hard not to believe it was the end, sometimes. People started to lose hope, until Cardinal Bogomil appeared. He rallied the people with his sermons, keeping faith in the Emperor strong as the Warmaster's bombs tore apart the city around them." Lucas said.
"So, he has a way with words?" Leman said.
"That would be one thing… if he was just good at speaking, he probably would've earned a cushy role in the Ministorum. What really solidified his cult of personality was when he banished a daemon in front of an entire crowd of people." Lucas said.
"He did what?" Leman said.
"I wasn't there so I can't tell you exactly what happened, but hundreds of people swear that they saw the Cardinal face down one of those horned bastards and made it just… disappear." Lucas said.
He's either an extremely powerful psyker… or a very good liar. Leman thought.
"Since then, he's been the de-facto leader of the local clergy and a hero among the people, though a lot of the off-world authorities don't seem to trust him. After what's happened today… I'm with them." Lucas said.
Leman rubbed his chin in contemplation.
There's something bigger going on here… he thought.
"Well, thank you for the help, but I need to go hunt down the sons of bitches that took my wife." Lucas said, struggling and failing to get to his feet despite his injuries.
"You can barely stand, let alone save your wife. You'll just get yourself killed." Leman said, holding him by the shoulder.
"You don't understand, mister. My wife… she's pregnant. We found out two weeks ago. I don't know what they'll do to her… I have to save her." Lucas said.
Leman paused, a conflicted expression flashing across his face.
"Do you know where they're keeping her?" Leman said.
"If I had to guess… I'd say in the central spire just downtown from here. It's the Cardinal's personal headquarters. Why?" Lucas said.
"Stay here." Leman said, rising to his feet.
He looked around and found a pile of discarded rope.
"And tie those goons up before they come to." Leman said, tossing the rope to Lucas.
"H-hey, what are you doing?" Lucas said.
"I'm going to find your wife." Leman said.