**Author's note: For anyone who is impatient, we're nearing some serious drama very soon, as you folks can probably guess by the looks of things.**

After dropping Alberich off at our hotel, and briefly apologetically speaking to Ennoia and Morai about what I was doing, Magos Nimmie Amee and I were speeding along in a shuttle to another location within Evna. There were no others with us presently in this flyer. This oblong shuttle was outfitted with four strangely opulent red cushioned chairs of large size, and it seemed to be meant for very important personages. Each chair had a viewing window, and an above, an informative dataslate hung from the ceiling detailing the local time, weather, and general current location within the city. The pilot was a servitor, and the Magos seemed to command it through one of her mechadendrites, which she latched into the body of the shuttle before we took off.

Departing the hotel, we turned around, and began flying off in the opposite direction. After a few minutes, I became curious, and turned to the Magos woman seated opposite me. Nimmie Amee was an absolutely monstrous sight, resembling a tall humanoid metal spider clothed in a thick red robe. Making small talk always helped diffuse awkward situations back home, so I began with a, "I take it you knew Null and Virgil before?"

"Not so much astropath Virgil, but I knew Null quite well when he was Archmagos Nemo. He and I share many interests, and we both studied ancient technologies on Mars together before our assignments sundered our partnership." The Magos' voice was whispery, buzzing, and interesting to listen to at least behind her metal-masked lower jaw that had been decorated to look like she had fangs.

"Oh, that's neat," I replied, not knowing what else I could add.

Magos Amee didn't offer anything else to continue the conversation, so I tried to relax as I leaned against the seat of this luxury flyer. The window offered a view of the passing city, and I briefly watched the skyscrapers and tall uniquely-shaped structures of the sprawling megopolis of Evna pass by. This city was huge! It managed to make New York City look like a basic small town. A few more minutes passed before I got the sensation that I was being watched. I turned, and became aware that the spider Magos was now staring at me with wide eyes, looming above and nearby like some kind of frightening eldritch metal beast.

"Uh," I mumbled, now uncomfortable.

"Inheritor, I apologize for any rudeness. I do forget myself sometimes in regard to more fleshy beings," Magos Amee quickly buzzed out before bowing her head low in a submissive posture. "To see one of your kind, living and breathing among us. It is as if I am gazing upon a mythical creature. That I gaze upon an avatar of the Omnissiah sent to our material universe, why, it is a living dream!"

I looked away. Even after saying that, she continued to stare at me with all eight of her eyes. Still feeling wildly uneasy, I decided to try to make more conversation. "So, I have a question here. From my universe, I know a little bit about the Fallen. But, you're loyal to the Imperium, right?"

"That is correct, Inheritor. My loyalty belongs to Terra and Mars alone."

This didn't really compute, I contemplated. "Maybe I missed something, but the Fallen are renegade marines though, am I correct?"

The Magos seemed to know where I was going with this, and took a deep breath. She then slowly nodded. "In a conventional sense, yes. But there are some occult teachings that only the wisest of us have knowledge of, and there are only few of those who possess the strength of mind to handle such things. These particular Evian Fallen Dark Angels, you see, are entirely devoted to rejuvenating the Imperium of Mankind and finding forgiveness with their legion. I find that to be an admirable goal, as they often work behind the scenes to subvert Chaos activity here."

"None of these particular Fallen are into Chaos?" I asked. This was interesting.

"This offshoot of their order does not tolerate Chaotic Astartes within in their organization, even though they have, in rare occasions, cooperated with darker sources. Being out here in the wilds necessitates difficult alliances from time to time, especially on this planet." The Magos, after saying this, sighed sadly.

"From what I can understand, the Fallen here are essentially Dark Angels that have been excommunicated? Have they tried speaking to the Imperium at all?"

Nimmie Amee shook her head. "It doesn't work that way, I am afraid. They made a lethal mistake a very long time ago in siding against their Primarch ages ago. Some made their alliance out of ignorance, and others coercion. Many reasons, actually. But as it stands right now, the Fallen of The Great Brotherhood of Light are in eternal penance for their sins, and have searched for more desperate measures for the forgiveness of their legion. This includes looking for someone, or something that can change impossible fates for the better, which explains their interests in beings such as yourself."

"I don't know what I can really do to help them, though," I replied with a shrug. "I'm pretty sure that if I went to Terra and told everyone in charge that these Fallen should be forgiven, I'd be laughed at and then killed." Actually, something like me would be put in a Black Cell forever, and tortured ceaselessly, but whatever.

Nimmie Amee chuckled lightly, her many eyes twinkling in amusement. "Not right now, no. From my studies, someone like you has the capacity to warp fate, to bend reality, to make the impossible possible. However, you will need time to become stronger, and soon, if it pleases you, the galaxy will be at your feet, just as it was for your predecessor as he lead humanity across the stars. These Fallen wish to witness you and pledge themselves to your service so that when you become stronger, their loyalty will be rewarded, and fate will smile upon them eventually."

I swallowed nervously. "No pressure, right?" Would I tell these renegade marines that my plan was actually to run the hell away from this universe as soon as I could? That was what Sebastian had initially told me to do, anyway. "But, wait. I'm sorry, but wouldn't you doing all this and talking with these renegades get you in trouble with the Imperium? I still don't get it."

The Magos' eight eyes all flashed a warm expression of mirth. "My answer to that is somewhat complicated, Inheritor. These Fallen, through their knowledge of time and the far dimensions of reality, are sometimes secret allies with the rare few of us in the Imperium who yearn for a new dawn for humankind. I do admit that I am somewhat rogue here, as I am not acting under any official Imperial capacity in regard to my interest in interdimensional beings. But, I suppose this is somewhat of a perk of my position being somewhat outside of Imperial space. I give Mars periodic updates concerning the local happenings in this remote area of space, but I omit certain observations, you see." Nimmie Amee winked three of her eyes cheekily at saying that.

Thinking about it, it sounded like this Magos was using her position here to research Travelers, while at the same time, serving the Imperium in a superficial way. "So, it sounds like there's actually a few people around the periphery of the Imperium who study people who are like me?"

"Mostly unofficially, yes. From what I understand, Ordo Chronos clandestinely studies the secrets of the Travelers, the souls who come from beyond our reality. While there are many universes, some Travelers originate from the creator-realms that construct our realities, and they are chosen to mete divine will, to rewrite the pages of our destinies. You are an exceedingly rare breed, and your symbiosis with divine technology confirms your station and purpose to me. There could be no more perfect synthesis of human and machine than you, in my humble opinion. But, I am told you do not like being addressed as Omnissiah, and so thusly, I respect that."

"No," I said, quickly looking away as the spider Magos began to bow again. I shook my head, and reached up to tug at my laurel crown, which was probably making me look extra Emperor-esque to everyone I met on top of my gold eyes. I should have worn a scarf over my head. Being thought of as some kind of living god was absolutely not what I wanted.

Nimmie Amee continued to beam beside me, almost glowing with excitement. I felt that the flyer had begun to slow down, and was descending in altitude. "My knowledge of such things comes from rare dark places deep inside the history of Mars. One of the reasons I was transferred here was because I had..."

The Magos paused, and closed all of her eyes before speaking again. "What I will say here, I do not want repeated. I respect your judgement, of course, but what I will mention now could be supremely damaging to both myself and the Tower of Reason's adepts."

"I can keep a secret," I said. "I might even know it, considering that I read all about this universe where I came from."

"Ah, yes, Null did tell me that. You originate from a universe that sees our tribulations as material for entertainment." Nimmie Amee breathed deeply, and I could tell that even entertaining this thought was difficult. "To repeat, please do not speak of this to anyone."

I nodded. It felt as if we were pretty close to Angel's Respite, as I felt that we were now slowly descending to a near hover.

"Over a thousand years ago, I came across some dangerous information in my quests for old technology deep within Mars. And, I discovered something incredible. Tell me, are you familiar with Kelbor-Hal?"

"I, I think so?" I replied. "He was a traitor Tech-priest, I think, but I'm not sure. Horus Heresy age, I think?"

"Mmm," Nimmie Amee hummed, the sound a deep thoughtful buzz. "Kelbor-Hal was the Fabricator General of Mars during the Horus Heresy. He sided with Horus, and history has punished him forever for it. And rightly so, but..." The shuttle bumped as it landed, and the Magos' words became quick and hushed:

"Kelbor-Hal managed to uncover extensive knowledge of Travelers, and the sciences of dimensional travel. He studied Plane Walkers, and their natures. Over time, it is said he went to great lengths to categorize their names, their fate-turning strengths, and to hide this forbidden wisdom in dark spaces deep within Mars. After siding with Horus, it was rumored by scarce heretical whispers that the Fabricator General had experienced a change of heart concerning his alliance with the traitorous Warmaster. After the Siege of Terra, he fled into the night, never to be seen again."

The Magos then paused, and took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for what she would say to me. This sounded very juicy! Her voice was low and barely audible when she spoke to me again. "I have reason to believe that Kelbor-Hal may have left a repository of his hidden collective knowledge of Travelers somewhere in the galaxy. It would have incalculable value to you, as you are what you are. You could even use this information to traverse the spheres, should you desire. There are even some rumors spoken by the hereteks he may actually still live, but-"

The door of the shuttle opened, and the Magos immediately stopped speaking. Her eyes cycled through a multitude of rainbow colors in her furtive excitement. "It is a secret, Inheritor," she said to me, bowing her head. "Repeat it with no one, and we will speak on this later. I will offer all that I know."

"No problem," I replied. Before either of us could stand up to disembark, a very large man wearing a white shroud over dark fatigues stepped partially within the shuttle. His head immediately turned to me, and within a second, he was now kneeling and saluting me. "You, you don't have to do that," I hesitantly said to the deferential marine. Was there a formal procedure for how all this worked?

"Magos Amee, we will now inspect your craft. You know the drill," the large man spoke as he stood up, turning toward the Magos.

"Yes, go right ahead. The Inheritor and myself are the only ones aboard," Nimmie Amee replied in a friendly tone to the shrouded Astartes. "They are inspecting this craft for any irregularity. Surveillance, bugs, hitchhikers, that sort of thing. They use a Librarian, so you will probably feel his eye pass over you. Pay no attention, it is-"

I felt a strange shiver as I somehow felt that I had been perceived by a psyker of trained power. Intuitively, I actually somewhat recognized this presence. I wondered if this was one of the Fallen that met us at the port when we first flew in.

Nimmie Amee apparently noticed me shiver, and she replied with a short chuckle. "Ah! That would be him!"

I felt a very formal psychic voice contact me. Greetings, Inheritor. I am Librarian Rezel. I have just finished my observation of your vessel, and your light is quite distinctive. And-

"-I never thought I would see something like it in person," a mellow voice spoke outside. Another Fallen pushed his head through the shuttle door, and from under his shroud, I could see that he was smiling. "And greetings to you as well, Magos Amee. You are always welcome here."

"You boys are always so gracious," Nimmie Amee spoke in her pleasant whispery voice as she stood from her chair, and disembarked the shuttle. "Lovely to see you again, Rezel. Today, we traffic in gold, rather than lead."

I had no idea what that meant, but the Librarian politely chuckled at that, and watched as she stepped off the shuttle. I then stood up, unsure if there was any weird procedure to what I was supposed to do. Rezel remained standing in the craft, and beckoned me forward.

Disembarking, I realized that we had parked under an overhanging structure on what appeared to be the roof of a building. The sounds of a city could be heard around and somewhat below my location, but could not be seen. A brisk wind buffeted my drying long hair, but my laurels actually stayed perfectly fixed onto my head, which was convenient.

The landing pad we stood on was about twenty meters squared, and two other smaller crafts lay parked here, each grey, small, and unremarkable. Two sturdy stone and metal walls held up a very tall roof in the shape of a large stone pyramid that hung twenty or so meters above us. The morning air was pleasantly breezy up here, and as I observed this wide area, I could also see that three giant bronze bells over twice my height hanging from high above on the overhanging roof, almost as if this was a sort of bell tower. I could also see a handful of normal humans wearing nondescript grey robes chatting and smiling with Nimmie Amee nearby as Rezel stood next to me. The mood was casual and friendly this morning.

"Welcome to our aerie, Inheritor. Below lies Angel's Respite, our home," the Librarian said to me in a friendly rumble from above like a comforting thundercloud. "This is our personal port. It exists on the roof of one of Evna's decorative skyscrapers which has a permanent no-fly zone to all other craft aside from us within a large radius. It was generously donated to us by the first members of the Sinclair family to build on this site long ago. To everyone, this is a decorative bell tower that offers music on holidays and special events, and we are its mysterious keepers."

Having a lair of Fallen Angels living under a bell tower was perfectly in vibe with the 40k universe, I thought with intrigue. It was admittedly very cool, but when I looked around, I could not see any doors, ladders, hatches, or entryways. If the shuttles weren't parked here, you'd think that this was a completely normal bell tower. "Forgive me, but I don't see any doors or hatches or anything. Where do you-?"

My own question was answered when I witnessed two chapter serfs appear from somewhere along one of the metal-beamed stone walls that I had sworn had been solid before. Curious, I studied that particular wall, I watched as it slightly shimmered as another shrouded marine stepped through it as if it were smoke. A hologram! I could spy that the Librarian was also grinning when I realized this. "Sorry. I haven't had my breakfast yet, so I'm not on my game."

Rezel chuckled warmly again. "We use a sophisticated hologram donated by the ingenious Magos Amee to conceal what needs to be concealed here. And, this is simply where we keep our shuttles. Our monastery lies below. Come," Rezel offered with welcome as a marine appeared on either side of me, almost as if I was being guarded. Behind me, I could hear Nimmie Amee speaking happily with two human serfs, making friendly conversation. It seemed the Magos was a familiar sight here.

I was led to the shimmery fake wall, and guided through it. The hologram felt like a strange buzzing lash of heat against my exposed skin, and after a step, we were now in another large room, this one about four meters cubed and lit from above by a lantern. We all piled somewhat uncomfortably within, leaving the normal serfs up on the launchpad under the giant bell. Being in here felt like I was a child, as I was much smaller than all of these Astartes in this enclosed space. It was more than a little intimidating. Before I could ask where the elevator was, I heard a slight grinding sound, and it felt as if we were descending. Oh.

No one spoke in here, and while it was intimidating to be the smallest person crowded in an elevator with a group of renegade marines and an inhuman-looking giant metal spider woman, the mood around me was very genial. My intuition informed me that all of these white-shrouded Fallen Angels were very contented to be here. Rezel, in particular, seemed very pleased, so I turned to him, and asked in mind, How long has Angel's Respite been here?

The Angels have been in attendance on Tar Vigaz for over nineteen hundred years, give or take a few, considering temporal aberrations in the region, the Librarian responded, looking down to me with a smile. This situation really made me feel like a small child in a crowded elevator.

Too awkward to use voice right now to break the silence, I telepathically asked, So, is Lian with you?

Yes, Rezel responded. You will be pleased to know that he has been elevated to Paladin to better officially serve in his capacity as your Honor Guard, Inheritor.

Oh, I said in back in short acknowledgement. I have an "Honor Guard" now? And they had to elevate him to do that? I seriously still did not quite understand the intricacies of Space Marines and their societal organizations, so I just added a telepathic, Good. He's a good fighter.

Indeed. Young, talented, admittedly a little inexperienced, but eager to prove his bravery. I am glad he goes with you, Inheritor. He will serve you well, no matter what form or shape you take.

That last line made me a little uncomfortable, but before I could reply, the door to the elevator slid open, and we were now looking down a long wide hallway that was lit softly by lanterns hanging from chains from the ceiling. It gave the appearance of a gloomy dark catacomb, and I wondered if we were now actually underground.

Follow, please, Rezel helpfully spoke to my mind as the group of white-shrouded Fallen began to file outside of the elevator.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and nearly jumped out of my skin! I turned around, and became terrorized once again by the sight of a giant red-robed metal creature with eight eyes and eight arms looming over me! My Corona burst to light and I jumped backward, and right into the side of one of the nearby Fallen, who then also spooked to life, and instantly pivoted, looking for danger.

"Ah!" I said before catching my breath, my voice heightened. From the awestruck stares around me, I could tell that my Corona was up. I immediately pulled it back, and apologized. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm on edge after running into Raula earlier."

"There is no reason for anxiety here in Angel's Respite," Nimmie Amee's warm sibilant voice spoke to me as she cautiously extended one of her mechadendrites down to pat my shoulder. "These Astartes are of good, strong hearts. I am even certain that if you wish to psychically examine them to ensure their loyalty, they would be willing to do so."

"I would agree to it, if it would ensure trust," Rezel replied nearby as he pulled his shroud away from his face, revealing slightly gaunt, wiry features that were a little uncanny on a large Space Marine body. "We've been waiting for you for a long time. You've bridged universes to come to us, and now, we are all pleased that our efforts have borne fruit. Come. We have a meal prepared for you, one specific to psyker requirements of your caliber."

Finally, I thought, feeling my stomach growl in anticipation as I was led down the spooky hallway. Two Fallen now stood before me, and two behind. As we passed certain open rooms, I spied some human serfs standing at a respectful attention. I still didn't know what was expected of me here, and it caused me anxiety. I didn't want to mess this up.

The Librarian beside me began to offer me a history lesson as we walked through this dark place. "Angel's Respite is hidden deep inside other Evian structures, and is centered around an Imperial chapel that was built during Evna's early history, far back when this world was named Ev instead of Tar Vigaz. This is but one base of operations we have in the galaxy. Other hidden Fallen Angel monasteries are scattered through the galaxy, but very few are devoted to The Great Brotherhood of Light, which is what we are a part of. Not all who are fallen are lost, as we say."

"What is The Great Brotherhood of Light?" I asked. This felt like yet another lore gap in my knowledge.

"Our Brotherhood is devoted to the mysteries of the multiverse as it branches eternally through time. Alternate realities, timelines, the splintering of the eternal into different separate parts, we study these teachings. This means that we often do not see eye to eye on many things with others, even within our own chapter. The most intriguing subject we study are the stories of the Plane Walkers, and even a rare ancient machine that may be piloted by the most potent of them, the rare beings known as Inheritors."

"And that would be you, of course," an Astartes still wearing his white shroud replied in a mellifluous baritone voice as he stood before an open doorway leading to a long dining hall. I actually hadn't seen him until we had walked very close, even with that white shroud. Even so, his body still seemed to be partially hidden in shadow as he stood before me. Rezel stopped before this mysterious Fallen, and offered him a brief nod in greeting. This new individual then added: "Whispers tell me you do not feel comfortable with lofty titles at this time, Inheritor. Humility is an excellent quality for one of your kind to possess."

"Inheritor is just fine. It's just the other 'E' word that makes me a little uneasy," I replied as we stood before this shadowy figure.

"Others in your position would revel in it. In my travels, I have heard sayings from many realities that those who thirst for leadership of this sort should not be rulers, but I digress. Welcome to Angel's Respite. I may actually be someone who you've read about in your reality. Brother Lian has told me that you read all about us in your universe," he said with a small glimpse of a crooked smile.

I looked up, and did not recognize him. Was he famous? He continued to grin knowingly as he stepped further into the light, and then, I saw something that I definitely recognized.

He had the Lion Sword on his back!

"Oh!" I exclaimed as my jaw dropped.

Librarian Rezel then spoke as the shadowy figure actually bowed before me, lowering his head beneath mine! "It is my pleasure to introduce to you Lord Cypher, the greatest of our Brotherhood. He traverses hidden paths within hidden places for the benefit of all humanity."

I was actually too stunned by this to say anything besides, "That's the Lion Sword!"

A short dark rumble of laughter alighted through all the Fallen around us. I noticed that our little group had grown. Around ten or so marines were all crowded nearby, and now, all except Cypher had their shrouds lowered.

"Yes, and you've had the rare glory of seeing it wielded in combat, I have been told. I have also been informed that it was through both your and Paladin Lian's efforts that the infernal Chaos Champion Grikk'ahn of the Angels of Ecstasy met his final end." Cypher then turned his head in an expression of amusement. "That you did not fully see or recognize me even with your gift of Divine Sight gives me great satisfaction."

Feeling a little embarrassed, I shrugged. "I'm a little slow this morning, I guess. But, if you want to see me use it..." I gently allowed my Corona to wreathe me in gold light. With a gentle push of Sight, I felt elation filter through the souls of all in attendance here, and whispered private thoughts of God-Empress echoed through the gathered Astartes. Once again, hearing myself referred to in this manner caused me to feel strange gratification. I even found that I was unconsciously grinning as I sensed their nearly-religious deference. Catching myself having these unusual thoughts, and dropped both my grin and my halo. This wasn't the first time I had felt odd satisfaction at sensing others perceive me as an Empress, even though I didn't enjoy it. Or, I didn't think I enjoyed it. Clenching my jaw, I briefly wondered if the ship was doing this to me as part of my mental change, and I felt a wave of loathing.

I was led inside the dining hall, and offered a seat at the center of a long heavy table, which was conveniently a smaller human-sized chair. Nimmie Amee even had a large space set aside for her across from me on a bench so her mechadendrites wouldn't get uncomfortable leaning against a chair back. Before everyone else, I sat down. Cypher then sat to my right, and Rezel sat to his right. A bald and dangerous-appearing Fallen with a scarred face walked in, and sat next to the Magos with a polite head nod in greeting to her. All of the other Fallen filed in, and the last marine to enter was a familiar and welcome sight.

"Hey Lian!" I said with a bright smile as I saw the young new Paladin walk into the room, mild apprehension marking his features. There was a new long sword lain across his back, and while it wasn't the Lion Sword, it definitely appeared dangerous by its roaring lion pommel alone.

Lian made brief eye contact with me before his eyes found my laurel crown. The Paladin's eyes brightened in surprise before he composed himself. He then sat beside me to my left.

"How's it going?" I asked my newly appointed Honor Guard. "You like my new crown? It's great! Psychic modulator and amplifier, worn by some other Inheritor before the Emperor," I said, reaching up to touch its warm gold leaves.

"Yes, I-" Lian muttered nervously as everyone began to settle into their seats.

"Brother Lian has yet to acclimate to his new lofty position, but it is through him that we are receiving you this blessed morning, Inheritor, so all honors must again be given to him," the scarred marine announced to the room. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, blessed Inheritor. I am Master Foras, and I watch over those in Angel's Respite. I can personally vouch for Lian's stalwart bravery, and have absolved him of any past sins that he may have accumulated elsewhere. Through his destruction of Grikk'ahn, he has brought us all honor."

"He found an Inheritor even before I did. I'm actually somewhat hurt," Cypher said with a light-hearted chuckle, which caused a ripple of laughter to pass through this room. I noticed that Cypher still wore his shroud over his head, and was still not lowering it. "And for that incredible accomplishment, praises to Paladin Lian. May he serve in wisdom and glory!"

"Hail, Paladin Lian!" All the Fallen in the room spoke, and poor Lian looked as awkward as I was to be here. I really had not paid attention to enough Space Marine lore to understand what the proper social etiquette was in this situation. I noticed that Rezel was watching Lian with his light piercing eyes, and I was somehow able to perceive that the Librarian was psychically reassuring the nervous new Paladin in his role of being my official Honor Guard. It really seemed like this whole group cared about Lian in a familial way, which I found very wholesome.

"This morning, a special repast has been prepared. Gourmet grox steaks from Tallarn! We will dine and discuss with our new Inheritor," Master Foras clapped his hands, and the dining room door opened again. Two human serfs in plain robes were wheeling in a large metal-domed platter of something that smelled absolutely delicious. I was definitely becoming a big fan of grox!

Cypher tapped my shoulder and rumbled down at me from beneath his shadowed white hood, "They have accounted for your unique psyker metabolic requirements. Just as we Astartes have different diets than typical humans, we understand that a being of your potency has certain dietary needs."

Just as the famous marine had said that, a young serf walked to me holding a small silver bowl that appeared to be custard, and placed it ahead of me. Dessert already?

"This will supplement your nutritional needs. Rezel gets a similar bowl, but his is laced with ceramite," the Fallen informed me as I saw another serf put a larger bowl filled with a similar custard ahead of him. Rezel didn't look thrilled at this special meal, and instead kept his eyes on the big juicy grox slab that was now being carved ahead of us. I noticed that the Librarian did not pick up his spoon to eat just yet, so I also waited.

Soon, metal cups of both water and wine were being poured, and cuts of tender meat were being dished out to each guest, with the exception of the spidery Magos, who now had some kind of tall elegant glass with a straw filled with a translucent red fluid. When everyone was plated and served, the entire room turned to me.

"Alright, let's eat!" I eagerly said, digging into my smaller, more human-portioned slice of grox steak even before touching my psyker custard.

As I ate, I took another moment to appreciate just how strange my life had become in the last few weeks. Around me, the gathered renegade marines joked and laughed as they enjoyed their meal, which was also supplemented with some kind of nutritional loaf for whatever kind of vitamins space marines required. After quickly finishing my steak, I dug into my custard, which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It resembled a very sweet vanilla pudding. Across the table, I saw Rezel wincing as he also ate his psyker custard. Apparently, ceramite didn't taste too good. I wondered if his was like a tapioca pudding filled with gravel?

"So, how are you enjoying our fair city so far, Inheritor?" Nimmie Amee asked me in her pleasant synthy voice.

"Evna is very interesting, and not quite what I expected, but beautiful regardless. Back where I came from, I had read that the Imperium hates xenos and mutants and all that, so it is interesting to see aliens walking around. I know that you're outside Imperial space and all, but it is still surprising." I replied.

"And this reality, our universe. I'm curious. How do you find it compared to your own native dimension?" Cypher asked me, drinking a cup of wine.

I paused, and my expression fell, betraying my opinion. The Fallen was not offended, and offered an amused, "I do suppose that is certainly fair."

"This reality is a terrifying place. Everything that you guys have to go through to just keep your heads above water is incredible. All of this crazy stuff involving Chaos, xenos, everything." I shook my head, and tried to will myself to relax a little, which caused my halo to leak out in a slight golden ripple around my head. "In my reality, all this is just stories and games that people enjoy for fun. They paint miniatures and play tabletop games in game stores of the different factions!"

The Fallen Angels here all leaned forward in rapt interest at what I was saying, and I heard Nimmie Amee remark, "Ah, you see, I told you the truth!"

"Incredible," Foras murmured in awe as he listened to me speak from across the table. "And, you did not know that we all exist, and that our plights are our reality?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. I just used to write stories based on this universe. It was all just for fun, nothing more."

"Forgive me, Inheritor, and help me to understand this. Why would anyone find our troubles to be amusing? To read about what we go through for mere entertainment?"

This sounded like I was essentially being asked, "Why do you like 40k?" by natives of that universe.

"I like reading stories about strength in impossible situations, I guess. This is probably one of the most brutal universes anyone could find themselves in. And, it's like, I like seeing that people fight for survival even against incredible odds. The human spirit really is beautiful," I replied as I finished off my psyker custard. All the eyes in the room were on me, and instead of being nervous and awkward about that, I experienced an unexpected sense of satisfaction from being the center of attention. I wasn't even nervous about my halo being partially up. I smiled, and started to relax as I took another cup of wine from a serf's tray. "I mean, everyone enjoys seeing people being strong, fighting hard even when the odds are against them, right? The Great Rift opening up made everything worse too, and even with Guilliman waking up, humanity is still fighting an uphill battle for survival."

The room immediately became dead silent. It seemed that each marine had even stopped breathing.

"What?" I asked, my halo shimmering in confusion. The room remained silent. Great job fucking this up, Erika, I thought.

Cypher was the one to break the silence. "You are speaking of Primarch Roboute Guilliman?" he cautiously asked.

All eyes were on me as I began to slowly nod. Oh. Oh. Did that... not happen yet? Or not happen at all in this reality?

"You come from a reality that scribes our fates," the Librarian said in whisper to me. "When does this occur?"

Oh man, I now wish that I had payed more attention to my Gathering Storm lore, I thought with a cringe. "So," I began, all the Fallen leaning inward to listen to me with rapt attention. "I- I didn't follow the lore religiously, but sometime after the Great Rift happens, Guilliman wakes up in Macragge. These Aeldari known as the Ynnari have one of their kind who is the herald of their god of death. Eevrane or Yvraine, I think her name is? Well, my information might not be perfect, but a group of them go to Macragge when it's under attack, and this herald Aeldari woman Yvraine somehow heals Guilliman and he's able to wake up from stasis, all healed up and everything."

The mood in here was now saturated with incredulous wonder, and I could feel it washing through my soul like warm waves of sunshine. My Corona brightened with my emotional response, which in turn caused the incredible awe in here to amplify even more. "And, uh, let me see here," I mumbled, now feeling slightly under pressure. "I remember that Magnus messes up the Fenris system and brings his Eye of Terror daemon planet all the way over to realspace for revenge against the Space Wolves. Guilliman ends up getting captured by traitors on a Blackstone Fortress, and uh-"

I turned to Cypher, my Corona fully brightened in my realization! Was I remembering this part right? An intuition deep within me said, You are, tell him.

I took a deep breath, and turned to the infamous Fallen Angel by my side. "You are the one who frees Guilliman from the traitors on a Blackstone Fortress. I- I don't remember how you do it, but you do. Or, at least I read that you did. I remember thinking how the fuck did Cypher just roll up on that ship and rescue Guilliman? Like, how did he know? I just..."

Cypher turned from me catching his breath. He gently placed his metal cup down, and began to lightly tremble. I could see that my gold light was reflecting off his eyes, which were now lightly wetted with emotional tears.

"This is what you read. You are certain, at least, of Primarch Guilliman's healing?" Master Foras quietly asked me. The Fallen around me were now overflowing with emotion, and actually, more than a few of these men had tears in their eyes.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm absolutely certain on that. And that Cypher was written as rescuing Guilliman from the Blackstone Fortress. It all happens pretty soon after the Great Rift forms, which just happened. I don't know exactly when. If you guys didn't know, already, Cadia was destroyed by Abaddon during all this. Like, actually destroyed. And Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade is going on too."

The Fallen here all glimpsed at one another with eyes that gleamed with both apprehension, and amazement.

I turned back to Cypher. His eyes were searching and his brow was deeply furrowed, as if attempting to calculate a complex problem. Then, he looked back down to me. "Thank you," he said simply, his voice in a quiet hush. He then turned and observed all of the Fallen in attendance as he straightened his back. They all watched him in silent awe.

"It seems you have a new destination, Lord Cypher," Foras spoke cautiously across the table.

Cypher nodded. "It would seem so." He turned to me again, and gently asked. "Do you know anything else that could help us at this time? Any information whatsoever would be invaluable."

I began to frantically dig through my memories. I even pushed into my Sight, and desperately tried to remember the events of the Gathering Storm as written in my universe. Fuck. My more casual knowledge of the lore was not helping me! "I-I remembered that Mortarian shows up and gets into a confrontation with Guilliman, but Guilliman ends up safe, and not killed or anything. I think the Emperor even somehow shows up as a projection or something and burns a part of Nurgle's garden during all this, I think? I'm sorry. I'm not certain on this part. This is all I can remember."

"It is helpful," Cypher said slowly, even reaching behind his back, and clenching the pommel of his sword nervously as he continued to think.

Master Foras then spoke up to the room. "We deduced that Cadia had been destroyed during the recent formation of the Great Rift. On top of these woes, temporal difficulties from recent galactic events have been plaguing this region as of late. We believe that this is also connected to the new rift to the northeast that formed months ago, at the exact same moment as the Great Rift."

"Months?" I asked. I shook my head. "If you're talking about the rift on Levant, it tore open only a few weeks ago. I know this because I was on Levant right before it happened. I escaped because I had the Divine Retribution, the gold eagle I rode in on."

"Ah, this makes sense," Magos Amee buzzed sadly. "Timekeeping out here has been difficult as of late. It is playing havoc on my machines and Wheelers."

"Temporal irregularities are also a harbinger of a coming Chaos incursion as well," Rezel replied gravely. A quiet murmur of worry passed through the crowd. The Librarian then added, "Which is also why we wish to speak to you here today."

"Does this have to do with the big statue outside of Evna?" I immediately asked. That statue, by itself, was a million times worse than any Raula White problem, considering what I had seen before. "Levant had one of those statues. Almost the exact same one! It ended up being a vessel for this greater daemon named Amnaich the Golden. It was built to house a Keeper of Secrets, and right after I came into this reality, that particular daemon tried to tear me from my body." I took a breath, relieved that I could finally talk about this with people who could actually intervene with this dangerous problem standing right outside of Evna. "That Keeper of Secrets is extremely dangerous, and she managed to get a few shreds of my soul. Now she's obsessed with eating the rest of me. She's so obsessed that she changed her name to Am'Erika in 'honor' of me, somehow."

The Fallen then all began to glance knowingly at one another. Master Foras slowly nodded to Lian, who had been sitting quietly. The new Paladin took a deep breath, and turned to me. "Inheritor, you will be in attendance at the Sinclair masquerade party this evening. Am I correct in remembering this?" Lian asked unexpectedly.

"Uh, yeah, but it's honestly starting to sound more and more dangerous with that Raula White cult leader running around. Why hasn't she just been arrested for all this? Isn't it obvious what she's doing? And that statue, I don't even want to think about if there's a connection! Is anything being done?"

Nimmie Amee spoke up. "I control the police force of Evna with my Wheelers, and what you say is indeed true, we have discovered. Raula White is the leader of a Chaos cult, and on any normal occasion, she'd be arrested immediately. However, an uncomfortable complication has arisen."

Nothing is easy with bureaucracy, I grumbled. The spidery Magos then continued: "As I organized my forces to arrest her just yesterday, I was contacted by Grand Advisor Grigori acting under planetary governor Langwidere's authority. I am now explicitly forbidden to arrest Raula White, nor to act against her in any capacity."

What, really? I began to get upset. "Well, can't you just kill the bitch?" I said, feeling my Corona brighten again. A bloodthirsty part of me definitely wanted to see this woman die. Her association with Chaos and her willingness to publicly send cultists after me caused an abrupt murderous urge to roil inside of me. I felt like a caged lion that was being taunted, and I wanted to tear her to pieces in retribution for her behavior.

"We would all like to, honestly, but..." Nimmie Amee replied with difficulty, and glanced nervously around the room. "We are not certain, but Langwidere is rumored to be a secret daughter of someone very important in the Imperium. That is an entirely new discussion, and since it is unconfirmed, I will leave it at that."

I rolled my glowing eyes, not caring how rude I appeared. Fucking Imperium at it again.

Foras saw my reaction, and added, "Yes. Because of this, should any 'accident' occur with Langwidere, unwelcome scrutiny may fall upon us from Terra. Her passing would certainly not be grieved, but it would be less than ideal for many parties in Evna. We need an alternative solution."

"And so, we ask a great favor of you, Inheritor," Lian said to me, bowing his head. "You will have close access to the planetary governor in a relaxed setting this evening. She is not readily seen, and when she does appear, she is always under very heavy guard. During her parties, though, she lessens her security. Your ability in bending minds and adjusting memories has now been witnessed after an incident at a restaurant that you had frequented last night."

"You guys saw that?" I asked, amazed, and then, worried. "That woman was possessed! She had a Herald of Slaanesh in her! I didn't start that fight!"

Nimmie Amee tapped many of her metal fingers on the table. "I have prodigious surveillance around this city, and my eyes see much, so I was able to witness and record this event. But, fear not. You will not be penalized. In fact, you did us all a favor. You managed to strip the memories of the event from everyone in the Catachan Cafe, which has actually saved its reputation. None of the public remembers the daemonic event. But, on behalf of Evna, we have a plea for you, Inheritor."

Lian turned to me, and again, submissively bowed his head. "When you go to the costume ball, we would greatly appreciate it if you could change Langwidere's mind concerning the Chaos cult. Evna and all of Tar Vigaz itself is now in a dangerous situation, and since you are of unique talents, we request you to find a way to... influence the planetary governor to allow Magos Amee to make this arrest, and to prosecute the cult. From there, we can interrogate the cultists and discover any plausible connection they have with the Statue of Libertine, which we still have not been able to officially investigate."

"You want me to brainwash the planetary governor," I replied, catching on to what was being asked of me. Wow. "At the party at her own palace." My heart dropped. Holy shit.

"For you, her will should be easy enough to subvert," Rezel said casually. "I'd do it myself if I could ensure that I could get close and private enough to enact it, which I can't. That you were able to flawlessly publicly strip the memories of a daemonic possession from an entire restaurant filled with baseline humans has proven to me that you are more than capable of this. May I remind you that-"

"-the Emperor had this ability, yeah. And he did it all the time," I finished the Librarian's sentence, somehow knowing exactly what he had been thinking.

"See? I have full faith in your talents, Inheritor," Rezel added with a small smile.

I sighed, and briefly placed my hands over my face. "I have to say, this definitely sounds dangerous, but if I do this, Chaos gets investigated and taken out by this planet's police? You guys can stop Am'Erika?"

Everyone cautiously nodded toward me, their expressions hopeful. Yeah, no pressure. No pressure at all. Yikes.

"I guess I've already been through worse," I said, conceding as an inner voice urged me to accept this task, welling up inside me like a wave of warm promised satisfaction. What was even scarier was that I didn't even know if this instinct was the result of the Divine Retribution's influence on my moral compass, or if I just wanted to do the right thing for these people, even if it was dangerous. "Fine," I reluctantly conceded. "Just make sure no more assassination squads or daemons get sent after me, and I'll do the best I can tonight."

"Thank you again, Inheritor. We will arrange covert surveillance of our own to make sure no harm comes to you and your crew in the meantime," Foras gratefully replied, his fist over his heart, and his soul filled with relief that I could almost see shining from him.

"I will personally oversee the Wheelers watching you, as well," the spider Magos added. "You do the Conglomeration of Ev a great service. Praises to you."

Okay, great. I had a new "quest", it seemed. Two whole days after flying in to Tar Vigaz, I'm now being asked by a group of renegade marines (which somehow included Cypher) to Jedi mind rape the planetary governor at the fancy party being held in her palace. And, I'd be doing this while dressed as the Empress of Mankind. I started to laugh so I wouldn't cry. I didn't even know what this woman looked like yet. Again, at the very least, my life wasn't boring anymore, I conceded.

Through the corner of my eye, I then saw what appeared to be a tiny blue bird as it flew through the open corridor in a flash. As it passed, I could almost see that it was smiling.