**Author's note: Yes, I wrote lore on each individual painted on this mural wall, and yes, it took a long time!**
"Stunning! A window to ancient mythologies of times past!" Null explained holding his light mechadendrite up to illuminate the first figures on the far left of the tall, very long mural. In another of his many appendages, he held what appeared to be a small recording device that resembled a complex steampunk-y video camera. We were looking at a rendering of a small boy of no more than six in a modest animal skin tunic, barefoot and with a mop of tousled dark hair. His bright gold eyes had an air of wisdom about him, and on his neck, he wore a familiar round pendant.
Lian and Alberich stood near as Null continued to vocalize his interest in our surroundings. This painted wall was a line of many heroic figures, and we had decided to start at the far left when the two masked women eagerly led us here. They stood nearby and silent as they watched us. Above, hanging lanterns bathed this area in a warm pleasant light.
Through the entire mural, I had immediately noticed that a long gold cord was held or supported by each figure, and each main subject wore a very familiar round stone around their necks. I reached inside my shirt, and pulled out the Key. Facilitating my examination, the chain conveniently lengthened. It was easy to forget that I wore it, and the longer that it stayed on my person, the more that it almost felt like a part of me. I compared it to what the little boy in the mural was wearing. It was very similar; a perfectly round white stone set in gold the size of my palm. Whoever this boy was, he had possessed the Key, or something that looked very similar. In one hand, he held one end of the gold cord, which I then noted seemed very similar to the same cord that I was depicted cutting with my scissors in the other room. This long thread extended all the way through the entire line of figures in this mural, and I was curious as to what it represented.
Behind the boy, I saw an image of a strong man, tanned and heroic with similar features to the boy, and I deduced that either he was the boy's father, or the boy himself. This Inheritor (if that's what they were called) had long shoulder length black hair, and tanned skin. He wore sandals, and simple fur robes. On his head was a simple band of gold, and his eyes were as bright as the halo that ringed his head. He reminded me of a heroic barbarian king. Below these two figures, I could see some unfamiliar writing that resembled cuneiform.
"Null, can you read this?" I asked.
"Not right now, but I am archiving all of this to study later."
"Erika, look. This one is a woman!" I heard Alberich explain a few paces away. I passed a figure of another tanned-skinned and dark-haired man with a glowing halo and fur robes. Unlike the previous man, I could see that this Inheritor was bent over and weeping as he clutched a section of the gold cord with filthy fingers. This unfortunate individual's fur robes were dirty, and he was barefoot, but the Key still shone proudly around his neck. Around his wrist, the gold cord was tightly wound, and it looked uncomfortable. Whoever that guy was, this depiction made me feel sorry for him.
After the disheveled man, there was a woman in colorful robes floating in the air. Her smile was a knife of mischievous intelligence, and her hair was long, black, and fell in multiple braids down to her waist. Like the two previous figures, she had tanned skin, sharp cheekbones, and voluminous dark hair. She wore her Key close to her neck in a style that was more like a choker than a pendant. Her gold halo and eyes were both particularly bright, and in her hand, she held the gold cord looped between two fingers.
"Another woman. Incredible," Null breathed in wonder. I noticed that the tech-priest was side-eyeing me. "I must say, it is rare for me to be surprised, but I am surprised by this. I have seen many of the secrets hidden within the depths of both Terra and Mars, but this," Null pointed his staff at the smiling woman. "This is... well... I'm going to have a difficult time explaining all of this should I reconnect with my contemporaries in the future."
Alberich was moving further down the hall with Lian, so I decided to follow him. "Your features resemble her, you know," the Tzaangor said. "Same shape of face. Maybe the body you inhabit is of a relation?"
"I have no clue. We have no idea if these people really existed or will exist in the future. We don't really have a guide on what all this means," I answered honestly as we now stood before the fourth figure. This Inheritor was another dark-haired young man, and he wore trim blue and white robes with gold jewelry, including his Key. His dark eyes lined with what appeared to be kohl, and he wore a gold headdress that resembled an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh's. The man wore an introspective expression as he studied the gold thread in his hand.
"It could be that this illustrates a holy bloodline," Lian remarked, now standing behind me. He motioned to his left and right. "Many of these individuals appear of a similar ethnic lineage."
"Not all," Null said as he stepped around me, walking ahead. We passed two more figures, the first being a colorful man that appeared to be dancing, and then, another pharaoh. The tech-priest halted before a strong man wearing what appeared to be armor from Ancient Greece or Rome. This man was riding atop a stout horse, and held a sharp sword in his hand. The Key was prominently displayed on his chest above his armor, and while he somewhat resembled the others, his facial features were markedly different, with features that were more olive and sun-tanned than the others. His hair was dark brown and short instead of black, and his skin was more weathered and scarred. This warrior held his portion of the golden thread high above his head. "This one is different. This figure is painted to communicate a different ethnicity. Perhaps not a bloodline? Hmm."
"Maybe over time it dilutes out?" I offered. No one responded, and we all walked ahead.
This next man was bearded, and wore ragged robes as he sat miserably on a boulder in the middle of a desert. This Inheritor didn't look related to anyone we had seen, and was much shorter and nearly starved in build. He, like the second man, wore an expression of misery, and clutched his Key firmly in his hand, his bright eyes obviously distraught. This individual obviously did not enjoy his role, whoever he was. His gold cord was actually wrapped around his neck, making him even more mysterious.
"A modest form to house incredible power," Lian said as he glanced at both me and the painting critically. Thanks Lian, I know I don't look buff and heroic. I kept walking ahead. Null appeared to be continuously recording this mural on his camera device, and his artificial eyes were rapt with bright pink attention.
Next, we saw an unremarkable man holding a book while pointing to a gathering of strange impossible creatures in the sky that resembled leering mythological devils. This Inheritor didn't even have a full head of hair, and he was attired very plainly in a long brown robe, with the only embellishment being the round Key around his neck. He held two fingers up, pointing to the sky and holding the gold cord.
"Daemons?" Lian asked, observing this figure. "Perhaps the closure of a Warp infraction?"
"I wish we could understand the writing below," I responded. Like all the figures here, there was a line of cuneiform writing below each subject. I wondered if all of these men (and one woman) had been Travelers like me. Some of them indeed appeared as if they could be related, but I wasn't sure anymore.
Alberich was already examining the next figure with great interest. This mysterious man's face was covered below his eyes in a dark, but colorful fabric, and in his hands, he held two long silver swords in a menacing manner as the gold cord looped around one of his wrists. His head was covered in a wrapped cloth that resembled a turban, and his clothes were dark and flowing. This Inheritor was clearly more dangerous and dramatic than most of the figures we had seen. His Key glowed hotly around his neck, and the background of his painting was rendered in fire.
"This one resembles a fighter from the east, an agile warrior. He carries characteristics from both Muslim and Hindu peoples."
"How do you know this? What are 'Muslim and Hindu peoples?'" Null asked Alberich.
Alberich seemed annoyed at this, and clacked his beak. "For all the brains you claim to possess, I tell you once again that I am also a Traveler. I came from a universe similar to Erika's, if not the same. In our far past, there existed warriors that dressed similarly to this. This painting is not exact, but there is a resemblance to men who actually existed in my time. My order studied them. I also recognized one of the first men in the line. Here..." Alberich turned around and walked backward past the figures we had already seen. "Come now. Look here."
The Tzaangor stopped beside the fifth figure, which I hadn't really stopped to study earlier. We followed him, and listened as he began to speak. "You see, this one is especially interesting to me. Here we see a man who resembles an ancient Indian raja, or a king, one of the Aryans from long ago. My mystical order studied these men. Maybe it is the same?"
This Inheritor did resemble an Indian king, I thought as I observed this intriguing figure. He was in an active pose, almost as if he were painted while dancing, his thin colorful robes falling about him artfully. He wore fine gold jewelry aside from his Key, which he held proudly in one hand. In his the other hand, he held a long jeweled sword wreathed in flames. His gold cord looped artfully around two fingers, which he held upward in a gesture of blessing. His smile was knowing, and behind him, I could also make out the shapes of slain monsters. What I had somehow missed was that this one's skin tone was not only different from all the other figures here, but also seemed to have a slight bluish tint. This man almost looked like an illustration of a Hindu god.
Null hadn't said anything to any of this, and had chosen to simply record on his device with an affirmative "Mmm hmm." The tech-priest then turned around and began walking quickly back down the hall. I hung back, still studying the painterly details on the wall as Alberich and Lian followed Null.
"Ah, and modernity reveals itself. Behold, the awesome destructive power of mankind!" Null explained as he now stood before a new figure. I walked to where he was standing. As I advanced, I noticed that the two masked Blanks were now walking ahead of us, and quickly trod on silent footsteps until they reached the end of the mural hall, which was still a fair distance away. In the dim light, I could see that they had kneeled again on either side of a dark shape I couldn't make out at the end of the hall. What were they doing?
Before I could be concerned about the masked women, I heard Alberich quietly observe, "Incredible to see. I had only seen atomic explosions in premonitions when I was a man. My government was researching this power, but I am saddened to see how it was used."
I walked to where my companions stood, and found myself looking at another young, tan-skinned man standing before a scene of apocalyptic devastation. I could make out that he was weeping, and that his eyes were closed. Mushroom clouds reached into the sky behind him, and his expression was one of anguish. What was especially jarring was that this man was wearing clothing that was from my time, just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a jacket. He even wore a pair of Converse. This guy, aside from his glowing Key, could easily be any man from my time. Even the skyline behind him was familiar.
"This looks like my present day. My reality did not experience a nuclear war like this though. At least, not yet," I observed, swallowing heavily. "This man is dressed like someone from my time." I studied the burning city behind the floating figure, and while it appeared to be faint, I was finally able to discern why it was so familiar.
It was the New York City skyline as seen from New Jersey, right down to the burning Freedom Tower. I hadn't immediately recognized it since there were a few new structures on the horizon, but the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building were both clearly recognizable there. "Oh my..." I said, feeling my heart fall as I confirmed what I saw to myself. Was this the near future?
"This building looks like New York City in America. Do you recognize this, Erika?" Alberich asked me, as he pushed his glowing glaive forward to further illuminate the mural.
I nodded. This was terrible.
"The future is grim, it seems," the beastman sighed, shaking his head. "Who, in your time, would have the resources and anger to commit war on the United States mainland? You told me the Soviet Union fell. I do not understand."
"No clue," I said. There was a heavy pause as I remained transfixed. "I don't know how this could have happened. This didn't happen where I was from." At least, not yet. An awful intrusive thought surfaced. Was I actually in the future of my own universe?
Null saw that I was upset, and spoke up. "Forgive me for interjecting, but I wouldn't take all of these paintings as accurate indicators of certain events. We still have very little context here. My theory is that this may be a depiction of our past, and not yours. You came from another plane of existence, so this may not be entirely relevant to you. Perhaps it represents a series of parables rather than absolute history and prophecy? With little context to go on, we cannot be sure. It is wise to remember that those who follow prophecies should do always do so with a skeptical eye, for predictions of what might come can be as slippery as the Warp itself."
That actually made me feel a lot better. I did have to remind myself that I wasn't native to this plane, so the likelihood of this being my precise past was very slim. We couldn't even read the jagged writing below each piece for an explanation, so I needed to relax. The writing may even just say "Here is a painting of a dream that a priest had when he had a fever."
"Shall we move on?" the tech-priest said, stepping away. We now stood before what appeared to be an older man who wore what appeared to be dark judge's robes. This Inheritor looked like many of the previous figures, once again with the similar tanned skin and dark hair. His face was harshly lined, suggesting a hard life, and he held two fingers up to the sky in a gesture of proclamation. Around those two fingers, the gold thread continued, and behind him, I could see the shadow of what appeared to be many stylized small grey aliens with wide black almond eyes and disproportionately large heads. Reptilian figures also lurked in the background behind the grey aliens, and they appeared to be arguing among themselves.
"Oh, look. Aliens. Wow," I said, not at all impressed. Basic boring aliens from UFO encounter stories from my time were super boring now, considering all that I had seen in the last week. I continued walking ahead, not giving a shit. I heard Alberich chuckle behind me as he followed.
You don't care about the entities from our time? My order saw beings such as those depicted in our astral projections, and this man may have come from a time similar to ours. Why don't you care? the Tzaangor asked me in mind as we stepped before the next figure.
Look at where you are now, Alberich. You've flown through Hell on a psychic spaceship, and you've seen greater daemons in all their terror, and what they can do. Tell me if these stupid boring aliens from the 20th century mean anything exciting to you now.
You have a point. Alberich laughed again.
We now stood before the painted figure of a heroic man in a futuristic silver spacesuit who held his helmet in one hand. He was another ethnic outlier, and had very dark skin, and wore long thin dreadlocks on his head. His black skin made his gold eyes appear particularly striking. This Inheritor's Key hung outside of his spacesuit, glowing brightly, and his portion of the gold cord was looped around two fingers on his right hand, which he held up at chest level. Beside him, I saw other people in space suits as they walked on a reddish, rocky landscape. Behind the figures, many sharp rocks reached toward the ruddy sky. From this painting, I felt the impression that he was a great leader.
"Mars!" Null explained happily behind me. He even clapped his metal hands in delight. "I recognize this series of rock formations! This is a patch of land that has been preserved for historic significance. These landmarks here-" the tech-priest motioned with his gear staff toward two tall jagged boulders many meters tall behind the group of people. "These are called the 'Twin Sisters', and it was rumored that this was where the first successful Martian colony took root after many failed colonization attempts during the Age of Terra!"
"What about this guy here? Do you recognize him?" I asked Null, pointing at the man in the spacesuit.
"Well, er, no. Unfortunately in our universe, Mars was stricken with war and conflict during its ancient past between the Age of Terra and the Dark Age of Technology. Much of its history is lost, even its heroes, sadly. But, I will definitely cross reference the image of this Martian pioneer to what knowledge I possess of Mars' ancient history. Perhaps we look upon Mars' first ancient leader. What excitement! Oh, what a glorious informational treasure trove this world is! A pity that it was blacklisted for any exploration."
Null actually danced a merry little jig as he stood before the painting of the Martian man. He continued to record each part of the mural with his camera device. Ahead of me, I heard Alberich say, "Hah! Erika, look. Null will love this one even more," with a small smile on his beak. The Tzaangor pointed at the next figure down the line.
"This one almost looks like a tech-priest," Lian rumbled as he stood next to the beastman.
"What?!" Null stopped his recording and immediately skittered ahead. I followed him. "Let me see! Let me see! Oh!"
We stood before a very tall man in sumptuous red robes that covered his bald head. The man was standing in a richly appointed study that was filled with many books and scrolls. With pale white skin and a single gold eye, he also wasn't of the same ethnic lineage as many of the other figures, and something else differentiated this man from all the others we had seen. This Inheritor's face and neck appeared to be replaced with mechanical parts. The left side of his face (and the entire left side of his body) appeared to be mechanical, and there, he had three perfectly round artificial lenses instead of a natural eye. The mechanical man wore a wry smile, and his expression was playfully enigmatic, as if he knew a secret joke about everyone around him. His robe, while not the same as Null's, was definitely similar. This man's robes were a rich crimson lined with what appeared to be stylized silver embroidery around each hemline. His right arm was flesh, and his left arm was entirely artificial. Unlike a typical tech-priest, this man lacked mechadendrites, nor did he seem to have any additional bodily implants aside from his extra eye lenses. Around his neck, he wore his Key, and around two of his metal fingers, the gold cord was loosely wound before trailing off to the next figure.
Null was so excited that he was nearly vibrating as he stood before the red robed man. "T-the origin of the Adeptus Mechanicus on M-mars is shrouded in mystery. It, like much of our precious history, has been lost to t-time. But, it appears that this person is very special, if he is a man at all. Likely not a man in a conventional sense. No, no! But one of our k-kind at the same time! P-perhaps, even a divine vessel for the Omnissiah to walk among the ancient p-peoples, spreading the knowledge and divinity of the machine!" The tech-priest was ecstatically tripping over his words. He then prostrated himself in front of the figure on the mural, lowering himself to the floor in worship and uttering praises. Alberich quipped "Told you!" as he started to walk ahead to the next figure, where Lian was already standing.
This man was a scientist wearing grey robes (or a medical coat) and black gloves while standing over a table filled with different vials of strange colorful liquids. He appeared middle-aged, and his hair was white, which was unusual considering that nearly all of the figures had dark features, even the individuals that didn't appear along the same ethnic group. Behind this Inheritor, a group of slender gold figures with handsome features stood impassively. They didn't appear quite human, but I wasn't sure if it was just the stylized way in which they were painted. In one hand, the scientist held the gold thread between his gloved fingers, which was also then clutched by two of the gold figures before it looped ahead.
"All this l-lost history! Is it true? Is it? Maybe, maybe not! I must study. It is a s-shame. Shame," Null said beside me, shaking his head as he looked at the jagged lines of cuneiform below the figure of the scientist and the gold figures. "I wish that there was a record that could be read here concerning these individuals. Perhaps there is an archive here that we can read?" The tech-priest's eyes found the kneeling Blanks, who waited for us at the end of the hall.
"At least we have this," Lian remarked as we walked further, motioning to the grand prophetic paintings. This mural really was fascinating. Was the title of "Emperor" simply passed from people who were bonded to the Key (and the Divine Retribution) over the years? How did the concept of interdimensional Travelers fit into this? There was still much to learn.
The next figure we saw was epic in his depiction. The gold cord looped its way over to a young man dressed in a short dark tunic and trousers that reminded me of a martial artist, and his Key blazed like a miniature sun on his chest. This Inheritor reminded me of heroic Jedi from Star Wars, with handsome features and messy dark hair. He stood smiling proudly with his arms raised in celebration above his head, and behind him, many starships blazed dramatically through a colorful stellar nebula. Around his ears, I saw a crown of golden laurels that accentuated his halo. Maybe this guy was an aviator, or some kind of inventor? Was this the discovery of Warp travel? Whatever the mural represented, it was very interesting to see the progress of humanity. The golden thread looped onward.
The following individual was another strong man with tan skin, this one with long voluminous hair. This one looked very much like some of the depictions of the Emperor that illustrators had drawn in my time, square-jawed and impassive. Like the previous Inheritor before him, a gold crown of laurels crowned his head. He wore fine red and gold robes as he sat on a red cushion ahead of a backdrop of the Milky Way galaxy. His Key hung low on his chest, and his gold thread was clutched loosely in his hand, and looped with a strange irregularity to the next painting had a sense of serenity to it. Looking further, I could see that there were a few spaceships behind him, and what actually appeared to be an elegant Aeldari vessel. Was this humankind's first contact with the Aeldari? Alberich was curious, and asked, "Aliens? Or human spaceships? How far humanity has come!"
"These are xenos. Aeldari I believe," Null informed us curtly.
I realized that we were nearing the end of the mural, and that there were only a few figures left. The two Blank women were still kneeling ahead of the the wall at the end of the hallway. I was able to see now that they knelt on either side of a tall black rectangular slab. Many of the motions these women performed had a ritualistic air to them, as if they had been practiced and perfected many times. Had we been expected? This place had been called the Museum of Prophecy, I recalled.
Another figure, and here, we saw another scientist figure wearing white robes. This Inheritor stood over what appeared to be a laboratory table surrounded by test tubes, glass dishes, and other scientific sundries. This man's expression was serious, but soft at the same time, and he held his Key nervously in the same hand that he held his portion of the gold cord. This man had dark features, with short, no-nonsense dark hair and tanned skin. His gold laurels looked out of place in such a sterile, scientific setting. This man seemed to have company in his laboratory. More idealized gold figures with handsome features stood nearby, perhaps helping him with his work. Also present were a handful of strange, not-quite-human figures with grey skin. These pale grey-skinned figures kneeled in praise before the scientist, with two of them holding the gold cord as it threaded away from the scene.
"Ah, I think this one and the other one before may be illustrative of the creation of both the Men of Gold, and the Men of Stone in humanity's distant past. If this is indeed true, then we have a rough timeline to work with here. From here on in, we will be witnessing reflections from the Dark Age of Technology. How exciting!" Null said, buzzing with interest.
"Gold Men? Stone Men?" Alberich asked in confusion. I shrugged. Null ignored our confusion, and walked ahead to the next Inheritor. The most I had heard about the Men of Gold and the Men of Stone was from a blurb I had seen in a 40k lore site somewhere, and that was it. All I knew is that they came before the Men of Iron. I wished that I could just point Alberich to a Warhammer 40k wiki site for an afternoon to help him get up to speed. Heck, that could really help me out here too.
"Oh, another scientist! Fascinating!" Null said happily as he stood before the next figure. This man was another person who had been partially altered with mechanical parts, but he did not wear a robe. Instead, he wore a trim formal black suit that almost looked like a bodysuit. He was bald and dark featured, and wore a scowl. Unlike the smiling man in the red robe from earlier, this person had a menacing aura, and his metal body parts appeared jagged and dark. He stood over another scientific table, but instead of chemical paraphernalia, there were bits and pieces of machinery. Behind him, many robots and androids of various makes and sizes stood, their eyes red and watchful. Unlike every other part of the mural, this piece did not possess an aura of mystery and grandeur (even the dirty early figures had held that). This man appeared to have major supervillain energy. He held his Key in his metal hand so firmly that it looked like he wanted to break it, and his gold laurels actually seemed to droop on his bald head. The gold cord looped around his fleshy wrist, and away from his hand to advance further. This painting gave me a sinking feeling.
"The rebellious Men of Iron," Lian observed. "Is this the inventor?"
"We do not know." Null said, reining in his earlier enthusiasm. "But this could be. If it is, we look upon a great betrayer of humanity."
We then walked to the next man, who was the last figure on this mural. We had reached the end of the hall where the masked women kneeled beside the black slab. The figure we now stood before appeared even worse than the previous Inheritor, and with a chill, I recognized the composition of this part of the mural as very similar to a classical art piece from my home reality. I recognized an interpretation of "The Creation of Adam" from the Sistine Chapel, but this rendition was much less holy. The handsome subject lounged on a pile of silken pillows, and was surrounded by symbols of opulence. A cruel sneer cut his tanned features, and his darkened eyes displayed bored intelligence. This man's vibe was definitely that of overwhelming egotism and greed. His robes were the wealthiest out of all the figures we had seen, and were covered in fine jewels and precious embroidery. Instead of laurels, he wore a gold crown that was literally encrusted in what appeared to be diamonds, and below it, locks of pure white hair cascaded like water around his shoulders. Behind him, tall skyscrapers and sleek spaceships further illustrated a state of extreme wealth.
"This looks a bit like 'The Creation of Adam', a mural from my time's past," I said, noting the figure's gesture as he pointed lazily to something in the sky. Alberich seemed to recognize this painting too, and nodded. I looked to where the painted Inheritor was indicating, and there, I saw a mass of blue and violet tentacles, teeth, and feathers all mashed together in some kind of abominable mockery of God Himself. When I looked closer, I was now able to see that there was a decipherable figure inside the tentacled mass in the sky, and it was familiar.
Very familiar. In fact, I had seen him lambasting Sebastian not even fifteen minutes ago. "That's Tzeentch. This guy's bad..." I quietly said under my breath, pointing at the figure of the man somewhat hidden in the center of the chaotic mass of flesh in the sky. He wore the very same dark suit that I had seen him wear before in most of my visions, and his skin was pale. His hair was long and blond, flowing as if he was mocking the part of God in the classic painting. Tzeentch, in his "human" form, was reaching out with a pale clawed hand to touch the atavistic figure laying below. The entity's expression was playfully evil. This Inheritor must have been very corrupt, I thought, studying the Chaos God and the lounging sybarite. At the very least, much care had been put into painting this particular part of the mural, and I distracted myself by enjoying all the little details that had been rendered, from the windows on the gold spaceships above, to the pointed tips of Tzeentch's teeth peeking out from his lips.
I was studying the Chaos God when the painting slightly shifted, and the god actually looked right back at me with a sly wink. I wheeled backward in fright, and was immediately caught by Lian before I fell.
"Another vision?" Null was beside me in worry. I pointed to the representation of Tzeentch in the sky. When I looked again, I saw that he hadn't changed in any perspective. Fuck, was I just seeing things now?
"I... I just got a bad feeling with that painting." I continued pointing at the mural. "If these guys are all Emperors, Inheritors, whatever, this one-" I indicated toward the lounging figure. "This one was really bad. I think he made deals with Chaos to advance himself."
Null turned around to study the painting again, and said. "And right after the introduction of the Men of Iron. Ominous that this figure is the last on this wall. The gold cord extends up and around the ceiling, and continues through the door we came through. Perhaps it is the same cord that the two figures in the previous room hold, and the mural simply ran out of space on the wall?"
"Which would mean the Emperor himself succeeded this foul individual, if indeed the man in the next room was representative of Him," Lian contemplated. I watched the Fallen think deeply on something, and then look at me. He began speaking again with caution, "It... is also curious that you were painted as the one who cuts the golden cord that runs through the entirety of this historical mural."
"Hey, I'm not Chaos corrupted, guys. Don't look at me; I'm not a bad guy," I said, defending myself.
Yet...
I heard a poison dart of a word strike within my mind, and I flinched. Tzeentch was never going to stop messing with me, was he?
Don't forget what we talked about... the god sniped at me again with a laugh, making it extremely obvious that he was constantly keeping tabs on me. Fuck, I had to get this under control!
"Ah, look!" Alberich said as he studied the cord. He pointed his glaive to another wall painting that was on the opposite side of the hall. In our examination of the mural, we had completely missed this section. It didn't look like it was a part of the main painting. Here, there were three powerful figures clad in wicked black and pink space marine armor. They held strange weapons that resembled screaming faces, and their heads resembled emaciated leathery skulls with large raving eyes and teeth like wolves. These monsters appeared to be the same sort of Chaos marines we had seen back in the outer halls of the museum. Wow, even their arrival had been foreseen.
"The Angels of Ecstasy..." Lian remarked. As the Fallen said those words, I felt a slight tremor push through the room, and the black slab that stood at the end of the hallway began to slowly loosen from where it was mounted. "Move back, quickly!" Lian lifted me up easily and leapt down the hall to safety. Everyone was able to get out of the way as it fell heavily to the floor in a cloud of dust. The masked Blank women did not move, and stood perfectly still on either side of the heavy downed slab. The Fallen gently placed me back to the floor.
I couldn't quite see due to the dust, but I faintly heard the rustling of fabric and the tinkling of bells, and right after, I sensed Lian drawing his weapon.
"No! Don't kill anyone!" I felt like I had to cry out. I somehow knew that there was something important behind that toppled slab. We stood in silence as the tremor stilled, and the dust began to settle. I stood back, waited, and observed. My companions stood near, looking to me for instructions with concern. Null brightened his light mechadendrite into the dust cloud.
There was a man was standing in a shallow coffin-like indentation behind where the black slab had fallen. He had been standing up in a position with his arms crossed. He held a long gold staff topped with an eagle with spread wings. As the dust settled, I could see that he was clad in rich robes of red, purple, blue, and gold, and wore a headdress of tinkling gold bells. Before I could even see him properly, I heard a voice gently speak to me in mind.
So, you've come to us at last, blessed Omega. Welcome. We have been waiting for you for a long time. I am Nabopolassar, last king of the Independent Empires of Nubua, and I welcome you to our end.