The banquet hall of the governor's palace was, like the rest of this location, a stunningly extravagant display of wealth. After some minutes of walking through the sun room, and the main ballroom, we came to a majestic space with vaulted ivory ceilings and crystal chandeliers. Round tables with ten seats filled out the main seating areas, and a large U-shaped formal dining table embraced the rear of the hall. Behind this table on a raised mezzanine, a small orchestral group of formally dressed musicians performed pleasant jazzy music, accentuating the wealthy ambiance here. Of particular interest, a beautiful dark-skinned woman in a violet and gold gown played an alluring melody on a massive gold harp that had to be two meters tall.
"Such wealth," Alberich observed with a whisper. As we both walked further into the room, a butler servitor asked us our names, and the beastman and I were then guided to one of the round tables in the center of the space. "Even during Germany's most dissolute times of greed, it did not approach the level of decadence I see here."
"You should probably keep that to yourself," I whispered back. "Someone just tried to murder me, so I don't want to make any more enemies by being rude."
"Understood," Alberich replied curtly.
The two of us were the first people to find our seats at our particular round table, which was labeled as table nine. I pushed my red cloak aside, and settled into my seat. A servitor offered me a glass of what appeared to be champagne, and I began to people watch as the rest of the costume ball filed into this room. I really wanted to talk to Langwidere and get out of here. It was obvious that this party was dangerous.
Judging by the large amount of tables in this room, and the fleet of servitors all guiding partygoers to their places, I estimated that this party, at least in this space alone, hosted approximately 500 attendees. The vast majority of the people here appeared to be human under their costumes, but I was able to spy a few very lean figures that could be Aeldari filtering through the crowd. Amusingly, I spied a trio of small figures that appeared to be ratlings dressed as munchkins from The Wizard of Oz. It was still so incredibly bizarre to see anything related to that movie from my home reality, and I guessed that this was, again, all done for Tzeentch's amusement.
Unfamiliar strangers ended up sitting beside me, and I watched one couple have an argument because no one wanted to sit next to Alberich. Annoyed and embarrassed, I covertly decided to make the decision for them with a push of my Sight, and forced the man (dressed as some kind of bear) to concede the argument. The woman (dressed in an all red gown and wearing a heart-shaped necklace) was also psychically coerced to not bicker as she sat down next to what I assumed was her husband. Both were then silent and stared into space. Much better.
As most of us found our spaces, I studied the dining hall. I found Word Bear and Rasputin seated together at the large U-shaped table, which still had a few empty spaces. A large empty chair at the center of the table presumably would seat Langwidere. Strangely, I did not see Evring, Justinian, Mombi, or even Talbot in attendance. I still wondered where Evring had wandered off to after the dubious "tour" he had given me, and anger stirred inside of me like an angry serpent. I then remembered that Mombi had also suggested that tour, so I made a mental note to go after them both later after I was done brainwashing the governor.
After a short amount of time, Evring and Justinian finally appeared at the front of the hall, and sat down. The two Sinclair brothers appeared disturbed, and Evring even held his arms crossed before him as if cold. Before both siblings could sit down, Justinian tapped his brother on the shoulder, and asked him a question. Evring slowly shook his head, and his eyes appeared greatly troubled through his purple cat mask. I could not hear what was said, but it didn't look good. For his sake, I really hoped that it wasn't something like, "did you succeed in killing that lady?" since I was apparently on a war path this evening. Talbot and Mombi were still missing, and I became very curious at what was going on.
After Evring and Justinian tensely settled in, the music then paused, and the lights dimmed, which gave me the impression that someone big was making an entrance. The orchestra then began to softly play an interpretation of "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz.
A soft noise from above, and my attention was drawn to the ceiling above the U-shaped table at the head of the ballroom as a round spotlight of pale pink light illuminated a widening aperture. At the same time, a soft rainbow light filled the dining room.
Slowly, and serenaded by the notes of a virtuoso harpist, a figure began to descend from the ceiling on a thin cable.
She was dressed in a diaphanous pink gown of jewels and silver, and a luminous wreath of shining diamond laurels rested upon her long honey-colored curls. In her right hand, she held a long silver sword. Her left hand was adorned with a long bladed lightning claw glove similar to mine, and was raised in a (somewhat ridiculous) dramatic gesture. Around her pale throat, she wore a thick diamond choker that flashed in the light. While I couldn't immediately place what this costume was, I guessed that it was some kind of an interpretation of Glinda the Good Witch. It was almost like she pulled her inspiration from both The Wizard of Oz's Glinda, and Warhammer 40k's Emperor of Mankind. Sort of like what my entire life was now if it was a fanfiction somewhere.
As she descended, my intuition informed me that this woman possessed a powerful soul, one that had at least some psychic potential, and one that beheld incredible willpower. Curious, I gently fixed my Sight on her. Images of beings in red robes and long mechadendrites flickered in my mind, and in a flash, I witnessed one particularly altered individual with monstrous metal alterations speak warmly (but with exasperation) toward this woman. As quickly as the images appeared in my mind, they vanished, but now, I also knew who this person was.
And here she is. You now look upon planetary governor Langwidere, Word Bear's dark telepathic voice whispered to me from across the hall as the pink figure continued slowly descended into the dining area. New hair, new look once again. Flatter her when you see her, and do not upset her. Like Glinda from The Wizard of Oz, her motives are mysterious and manipulative.
The other Empress has the superior costume! Langwidere will not be pleased! a stray thought alighted from somewhere in the dining hall, and I realized that a large amount of people were covertly watching me as I observed the governor descend to her seat. It also appeared that my Corona was brighter than normal from my usage of Sight. Embarrassed, I quickly withdrew my light. Was I also committing a social faux pas to be dressed like this, upstaging the planetary governor? It appeared that Langwidere's costume was more "Glinda" than "Empress", so I hoped my costume would not piss her off. No one had told me how the governor would be dressed, so it was an innocent mistake. I could only hope that deep down, Langwidere was a sensible woman, and not the Chaos-influenced mess I had come to expect.
I sighed. Forget Ven Tristan, the real fireworks of this party were yet to come.
"Exalted attendees, welcome!" Langwidere's clear voice rang out into the hall, amplified and easily heard somehow as she unhooked herself from her cable, and stood before us. Her voice was actually somewhat familiar, and I wasn't sure where I could have possibly heard it. "I welcome you all to our masquerade ball! To those unfamiliar with my presence, I am planetary governor Langwidere of Tar Vigaz and I am the leader of the Conglomeration of Ev. It has been nine years since our last ball, and now, we celebrate a new era of promise in this blessed region of space."
Don't like her, Alberich warned me telepathically. Something is wrong with her. Dark soul.
Hush, I admonished the beastman as Langwidere continued to speak.
"With us today, we see an ideal society drawn from all walks of life. Many species now trade with us across the galaxy, and charity groups bring joy and stability to all. We enlightened happy few of the Conglomeration of Ev are free from Imperial subjugation, able to live our lives in peace and artistry. It appears that we are truly blessed by fate!"
Langwidere paused and held out her arms, which was some sort of cue for everyone to begin applauding, which I did as well. Stray thoughts continued to whisper me in the hall as others glanced my way. Some wondered if I had dressed in this fashion to upset the governor, and some wondered if I was a scorned rival. Luckily, I only heard one person reference Evanora with a curse. One individual thought of The stranger does the Empress much better. Why a pink Empress, anyway? Absolute tawdry rubbish! made me smile, at least. Yeah, my costume was definitely better.
After the applause had subsided, Langwidere smiled broadly and gestured to the room again. "After the feast, we have a very special event planned. The ever resourceful Justinian Sinclair has arranged a rare performance from a Harlequin troupe, which is comprised entirely of Aeldari dancers. Here-" the governor snapped the fingers of her lightning claw hand, and a familiar figure dressed in black and wearing a horned mask stepped gracefully out of a hidden shadow behind her at the rear of the room. The Harlequin Solitaire walked to stand beside Langwidere, and waved at the dining hall, his horned mask grinning maniacally. If only any of these people knew what that creature could do, I thought. That guy could probably kill this entire party in two minutes. "To those unfamiliar, this is an Aeldari Harlequin. He and his people are to be afforded respect at this party. They have traveled far to be here, and rudeness will not be tolerated."
The governor has noticed you, Word Bear then psychically whispered to me, and I could see that he was glancing my way as Langwidere spoke. I see her eyes fix upon you. I can smell her distaste. Watch yourself.
At hearing Word Bear, I heavily flinched, and went back to listening to the governor speak.
"-do not typically perform for human audiences; this is a special gift for us all. Since we are a tolerant people, I will remind all of you to keep any racial observations respectful. After their performance, please return to the main ballroom, and dance the night away! Again, I am ever so grateful for the prosperity of the Conglomeration of Ev, and the reconstruction of the city of Evna after it's latest difficulties. Rest assured, we are committed to making Evna great again."
Langwidere smiled as she swept her gaze across the gathered hall. Her eyes met mine, and she looked away before speaking again.
"And finally, before we feast, I must give credit where credit is due. The Family of Liberty and the governing body have both been working tirelessly to clean up our streets, and they deserve our praise and thanks. Unfortunately, the lovely Matriarch of this group, Raula White, had an unexpected personal issue arise this morning, so she cannot be here to receive your gratitude in person tonight. She tells us that the Statue of Libertine, as of yesterday's quality check, is now officially finally complete after centuries of construction! The scaffolding is being removed, and soon, Evna will now have a new brilliant attraction to inspire all in beauty and wonder."
Wow, that didn't sound terrifying at all, I thought, my heart in the throat. This planet was basically really fucking screwed if nothing changed here. Now that the statue was complete, would they start sacrificing people to it? I gasped again when I remembered being told that there were groups of people going there in the middle of the night! Maybe it had already begun?
Did you hear that? Alberich telepathically asked me.
Oh yeah, I replied.
Alberich said nothing else, and I saw him nervously tapping one of his clawed fingers against the table.
"Without further ado, my friends, I implore you all to eat, drink, and be merry this evening. We of Tar Vigaz and the Conglomeration of Ev stand before a bright new dawn and a hopeful future, our wealth and happiness ever increasing! Fate truly smiles upon us!" Langwidere said with a broad smile as she raised her arms again, causing cheers and applause to cycle through the room. This time, people then stood, giving the governor a standing ovation.
"Praises to governor Langwidere!" someone shouted out.
"Long may governor Langwidere reign!"
"Make Evna great again!"
After the applause had abated, I was able to then notice that both Evring and Justinian were having a tense conversation with Langwidere at their table. Justinian then abruptly stood up, and removed what looked like a cell phone, placing it to his ear as he hastily walked out of the ballroom. Evring then sat down, and held his head in his hands. Something was definitely wrong.
I was extremely curious as to what was occurring, so I reluctantly pointed my psychic eye over to where Word Bear and Rasputin sat at Langwidere's table. I telepathically asked Word Bear, What the hell is going on with the governor and Justinian? Is there a problem?
Word Bear turned my way, and said, I'm trying to figure it out as well. My hearing caught that they are having problems with the servitor police force. The Wheelers, they call them here. The wheeled servitor creature you saw after I dealt with the troublemakers outside my shop. The problem must be substantial to cause Justinian to risk social insult by running out of the dining hall.
Didn't Rezel say that a few Wheelers malfunctioned near the Divine Retribution? I hoped that this wasn't a big deal. A tap on my shoulder caused me to startle, and a menu was placed before me. Relax, Erika.
"She's one of those psychics, I tell you. All psychics have that halo about them. I bet she's talking to the spirits!" I heard an older woman dressed in a gown of all white and wearing a mask with two goatlike horns speak in a loud whisper to her husband, who wore an all black inversion of his wife's costume. I made eye contact with her from across the table, cleared my throat nervously, and began to read my menu. She immediately stopped gossiping.
"Your halo has been especially bright, my leader. You draw attention to yourself," Alberich quietly informed me.
"Yeah, well, it's a part of my costume," I replied.
The one thing that I could definitely enjoy about this world was its food. I ended up ordering some kind of flavorful whitefish with some greens. It was absolutely some of the best fish I had ever eaten, with perfect notes of lemon, pepper, and rich herbed butter. I kept my psychic ears open, and periodically checked in with Word Bear as I ate, but it appeared that no more news had come. Justinian returned to the table after about ten minutes, and he and Evring silently ate, their cheer more appropriate for a funeral than a party. Interestingly, both Mombi and Talbot never appeared, or if they did, they were seated where I couldn't see them. As I glanced toward their table, I was able to catch Langwidere watching me again, and I looked away. I was going to need to find a way to get that woman alone, somehow. Now that the statue was finished, that cult needed to be stopped!
I covertly removed the photo of the planetary governor the Fallen Angels had given me, and studied it. The photo showed a woman with green eyes and long dark hair. I studied Langwidere again, and realized that she looked like almost like a different person. Even the governor's facial features appeared slightly different. Langwidere had substantially changed her appearance. Word Bear hadn't been kidding about that. I quickly put the photo away before anyone could notice as a dessert of ice cream arrived.
Dinner passed without much fanfare, and I decided to keep my usage of Sight to a minimum in order to minimize my halo brightening and drawing more attention to myself. While I possessed Warp-based psyker abilities, using these strengths always felt somewhat gross. Using Sight felt a lot "cleaner" somehow, and I never felt any kind of slimy energetic whiplash from its usage. Using Sight even made me feel pleasantly warm when I utilized it too, so my preference was clear. The only drawback was that my Corona would brighten, which would sometimes draw unwanted attention to myself, especially if I was emotional. The laurel crown I wore greatly helped to modulate my energy, and it really helped to balance me out.
After dinner, we all stood, and began to make our way to the performance hall. As we walked, I felt the distinctive psychic tickle of someone trying to contact me. This time, it was Librarian Rezel, and his rushed words sounded worried.
Inheritor, I regret to inform you that Wheelers from across town are experiencing malfunctions. It appears that someone is trying to assault the security grid originating from the Tower of Reason. On top of this, we have received two reports of daemonic activity in the last hour. In response, Magos Amee tells us that your Tech-priest is hastily working on technology to dampen the Warp around Evna and hopefully all of Tar Vigaz using the blackstone pylon within the Tower of Reason. This should not cause any Wheeler malfunction. We are searching for the source of the problem. I can sense that the Warp has also become somewhat perturbed around Evna, which worries me.
Understood, I responded quickly. I just had dinner, and will find a way to get Langwidere alone as soon as I can. And Rezel, I just heard that the Statue of Libertine was officially completed as of yesterday. That same statue in Levant was possessed by a greater daemon and was actually able to animate and go after me. I'm still really worried about it. Please find a way to keep an eye on that statue, I quickly informed the Librarian as I entered the performance hall. Alberich and I were led up a spiral staircase, and to a small booth overhanging the stage. It was at least somewhat private. I'm getting ready to watch a Harlequin performance. There is a Solitaire here. From what I know about this universe and these aliens, they don't usually have full performances like this for non-Aeldari, especially one with a Solitaire. I don't know why they're here, so that's also abnormal.
I sensed worry emanating from the Librarian's soul as he informed me that he would pass this information along. This whole damn planet felt like it was ready to blow up, I thought. Thinking about my current situation again caused my heart to flutter. Aside from meeting the displaced soul of Grigori Rasputin, this location had at least two Chaos cults, and one giant suspicious Statue of Liberty that may or may not host a greater daemon! And aside from that, someone had just tried to murder me, and I had fought back with a ruthless voracity that I did not know I possessed! I had even enjoyed being violent to the point of attracting Khorne's gaze!
"Are you alright?" Alberich asked me as I stood next to my assigned seat in the balcony, apparently staring into space. People have been noticing your distant nature and your glow. I know the mercenary's death upset you, but in my advice you must put on a normal outward appearance, lest you be investigated later!
Okay, okay, I replied with a deep breath as I sat down.
Your servant speaks the truth, an unexpected resonant voice whispered through my very soul. Calm yourself. You are the sword that cleaves the darkness. You are divine retribution. May nothing escape your light, and may no foul god impose their will upon you. You can do no wrong for you do not know what it is.
Despite my anxiety, I then found myself greatly soothed as a breeze of spiritual warmth moved through me like a wave of sunshine. I closed my eyes as I sensed the draining of my urgency. When I opened my eyes, I felt much better. A deep and true intuition informed me that the voice was somehow an echo of the Divine Retribution. I had been hearing it with more frequency as time went on, and hoped that it would continue to be helpful and calming, even if the things it said were sometimes alarming.
After a short wait, the lights began to dim. Applause rose from the performance hall, and a spotlight focused on the stage. A slender masked female figure stood before the red curtain, and she wore a motley costume of green, black, and gold. Her arms were outstretched in a gesture of welcome before the audience. "Greetings, oh wealthy and powerful Mon-keigh of the Conglomeration of Ev! We are a troupe of Aeldari Harlequins, and we welcome you to our performance! It is not typical that we perform for races outside of our own, but our attention was drawn to this world, as it appears very... special to us! My name is Zerine, and I am your Shadowseer and guide for our performance this evening!"
Zerine bowed flamboyantly (and somewhat mockingly) before the audience. "Before we begin, we have a few things to discuss! Do not interrupt or heckle us in our performance, for that is rude! Do not engage in naughty corruptive Chaotic behavior, because then we would have to destroy you!" The Shadowseer then performed an effortless backflip. Watching the effortless grace of Aeldari movement was fascinating. When these aliens were still, you could almost mistake them for very lithe humans, especially if they wore a mask like Evoray had been wearing earlier. When in motion, however, Aeldari moved with such perfect precision and agility that it made them impossible to see as human. The Shadowseer spoke with a musical giggle: "Now with that out of the way, we are pleased to perform for you this evening!"
The Shadowseer bowed again, and twirled in a whimsical pirouette.
"Our dance tonight to you is unique, and its steps span not only the galaxy, but all of existence. It is a tale of mystery and myth, and may or may not have truth! Consider this, Mon-keigh, what would you do if you discovered that your universe was not the only one, and that other realities view this one with curiosity and entertainment? What if your life only existed as paragraphs on a page, as lines of text in a book to offer satisfaction to twisted unknowable gods? Tonight, we dance the tale of two such gods from two such universes. This is the tale of the two lost divine creatures from beyond the borders of our reality, the elder brother and the younger sister, as they find themselves taken away from their homes, and brought to our universe to fulfill their destinies!"
As I gasped in surprise and recognition at what the Shadowseer had said, a preternatural chill breezed over my skin, causing goosebumps to alight. Around me, my entire world was then drained of color as time slowed. The Shadowseer then plainly turned her grinning masked head up toward the balcony, and I knew that she was smiling behind her mask.
"The children of Cegorach greet you, fetal godling. We are all so delightfully flattered that you are present!" Zerine called out to me in this stilled moment. With an incredible bounding leap, the Shadowseer was now in the balcony box with me! Standing up, I recoiled in surprise.
"Do not fear us, godling child," Zerine said to me. "We only wish to express happiness that you are here, little sister to the elder brother. Even though you are Mon-keigh, the Laughing God finds you interesting. Chaos threatens to devour both our races, and that simply won't do! No, no! We assure you that we will not interfere with any judgement you take on this doomed world, and when the corrupted ones finally show their faces, we will know to happily cut them down! The followers of She-Who-Thirsts slither like worms, and we eagerly await the appropriate time for their slaughter!"
"You knew I was here?" I quickly asked. "Is your performance about... me? Why are you here? What's going on?"
Zerine laughed dreamily. "Ah, mysterious mysteries! Cegorach speaks in dreams, and has led us here to see a new dawn. Great inspiration for new dances come from first hand experiences, and so, the Laughing God wishes us to witness you! And, we wish to show you what we have seen from his divine visions! From the old laws of the time before time, we formally request that you show yourself, Revelation, Omega, Divine Inheritor! Cegorach seeks your audience!"
In response to the request, I recognized the warm gold strength of the Divine Retribution washing through me once again. Something inside of me recognized this formal request, and it felt as if I had to respond. With a blink, I then found myself observing the Shadowseer from a very tall height, and I gazed downward to observe her. She smiled widely up at me, and with a slender hand, she reached out to touch my glowing form. Raucous laughter then passed through my mind, and I felt the eye of a god fix upon me! Flickering moving visions began to ignite within my mind's eye!
A giant, powerful man was waking from a stasis chamber, fury in his blue eyes. Around him, the souls of Harlequins and other Aeldari cheered with glee, both physically present and somehow, viewing this event in the Warp. The motley clothes that some of the Aeldari wore matched the green, gold, and black attire that this Shadowseer wore.
Deep within, I then understood that the name of this troupe was the Masque of the Veiled path, and I knew instantly that these particular Harlequins would be instrumental in the resurrection of both the slumbering demigod, and the fires of hope through this galaxy. They needed to be somewhere, I knew instantly! They needed to go to the giant! Far away, I felt Cegorach smile in approval.
I see you... a musical voice of uncountable laughing creatures spoke through me. I again felt its approval at my existence, and I felt a desire to see me succeed. While I was not Aeldari, the interests of the power behind the Divine Retribution were in alignment with their people.
As the god looked within my soul, more visions then assailed me. I saw maddened Wheelers, cavorting and laughing through the street as they cut down fleeing citizens. I saw lines of weeping people as they were brought to the base of a large gold statue, and the cut throats of innocent children. The lascivious gaze of Slaanesh was reaching through the Warp to this world, caressing many with thoughts of murder and debauchery. Langwidere laughed as she danced alone in her parlor of mirrors. In her hand, she held what appeared to be the head of a beautiful woman, and she spoke to it!
But wait, there's more! the presence of the Aeldari god seemed to speak to me, its tone jolly and filled with good humor. I then distantly felt another darker eye fall upon me in the Warp as Cegorach observed my thoughts. This new presence was unwelcome, and had been attracted to the whispers of prophecy and magic, and it was curious about what I was doing.
My visions continued. In terrible surprise, I now knew that there was a new foe that threatened this world! A nightmare in bejeweled silver was racing at a breakneck speed through the stars. It was moving with such velocity and recklessness that stars were being damaged by its passage! And then, the nightmare was here, darkening the sky above Evna. Metal creatures with bladed claws assaulted the beleaguered populace which had been weakened by the invading corruption of the Dark Prince. These metal monsters wore the bloody skins of their victims across their backs and screamed their hunger endlessly as they hunted. The scene shifted, and now I beheld an image of a skeletally thin metal alien wearing a tall jeweled crown and a cape of tinkling rubies. He was pointing his staff at Langwidere, his eyes blazing with insanity. The ravening eyes of this metal creature frightened me, for I had seen them before!
"The Nome King!" I cried out, standing from my seat. Heads below turned upward from their seats below, their expressions annoyed. The red curtain of the stage had just begun to rise. I realized that I had experienced another vision, and it was terrible!
Luckily, the applause somewhat drowned out my startled voice, but I heard a few people angrily think to themselves that I was being rude. Swiftly searching the area, I could see no sign of the Shadowseer that I had seen in this booth. What? Had that actually happened?
As Alberich reached to pull me back to my seat, I reached up to discover that my nose was bleeding. This was a damned inconvenient time for a vision, I thought, embarrassed and unbalanced. I took a deep breath, and concentrated on relaxing myself. Alberich was trying to speak to me in mind, but I was not listening to him. Did I really just talk to Cegorach? What was all that? Why did I see the Nome King with Langwidere? Why was the Nome King all the way out here anyway, and why was Langwidere holding a decapitated head?
My head began to swim! Was this what the Emperor went through when he was in my position? Endless terrifying visions and the eyes of literal fucking gods watching you all the time? This was awful! I just wanted to go home! Fuck this universe!
The second Warp eye remained observing me, amused. I turned away from it, refusing to engage.
Music began to swell, signaling the beginning of the performance. The first scene was of a masked man with long black hair in a gold bodysuit seated at a desk. In his hand, he appeared to be sculpting a model of a tiny humanoid figurine. After a few moments, he then dropped the object, and his body stiffened. He gripped his head in a gesture of what appeared to be pain. Light ignited around him, and incomprehensible whispers sounded through the performance hall. I couldn't even be interested in this because I was still reeling from what I had seen. I couldn't shut it off!
People were being sacrificed to the Statue of Libertine, and the maddened Wheelers were doing the bidding of terrible new masters! A hijacked servitor police force! Necrons on their way here to kill everyone! If this was all true, then this world was in even worse trouble than I had anticipated!
"Our story begins a long time ago in a reality far, far away," the voice of the Shadowseer filtered through the hall as I struggled to pull myself back to sanity. The second Warp eye remained fixed upon me, delighting in my torment. "The humble beginnings of a reluctant hero summoned to our universe to bring order out of Chaos. In his premonitions, in his writings, he saw much, and his divine sight tortured him so! We see him now troubled by his foresight once more by probable futures. A humble craftsman, a writer, a player of games, and a vessel for a force that is anathema to Chaos. This is the story of the Elder Brother Basteen, who saw tortured visions of a future he could not escape, and the story of the Little Sister Rikka, who came after at the turning of the wheel!"
"...a future he could not escape," I whispered, holding my head down. I barely acknowledged the familiar name I had just heard. I gripped my head, and began to shake. This was too much! "Could not escape. Could not escape..." I mumbled under my breath.
Another final unwelcome vision, this one brought to me by the second Warp power that had been watching me. I was floating in mid-air above the wasteland of some unknown blasted world, and a halo of supernaturally hot psychic fire burned around my head. Gold flames blazed around me, burning my hair and searing my skin, but the pain did not bother me. Before me, a horrific tear in reality burned. It reached up into the sky of this damned world, screaming in colors, tastes, and nightmares all impossibly at the same time. The rift was growing. No one could stop it. I looked into the tear, and saw the depthless insanity of the Warp. The Warp then looked back at me, and it smiled as it felt my despair. In somber resignation, I watched as reality came asunder as I levitated. My flesh blistered and cracked as the flames rose higher, and the laughter of the Warp grew louder. I could not escape this, I realized with sadness. They would always chase me. They would never stop. In my shaking burned hands, I held the Nemeses Argentum. It was larger now, about as long as a short sword, and it glowed with a heavenly light against the fire. Whispers of strange familiarity surrounded me as both my body and soul were immolated together. The exposed unburned skin under my torn sleeves revealed small droplets of shining fluid on my arms. I knew what I had to do, and my entire being wailed in agony at the thought. It was what must be. A future that I could not escape.
...But maybe I could escape it?
I turned the Nemeses Argentum around, and angled its point at my chest, and over my heart...
With a pinch on my arm, Alberich blessedly brought me back to reality once more. He put an amber bottle in my hands, along with a short glass. "What's this?" I quietly asked with a shaking voice. My cheeks were wet, I and realized that I had been crying.
The usher brought it to me. It is a gift from an admirer, I have been told. Are you feeling any better? Has the vision passed?
I-I think so, I responded with a shiver. This planet is in big trouble, Alberich. I-I...
"...and lo and behold, the drink from the beautiful lady contained a deadly poison!" the Shadowseer's voice echoed through the performance hall. I looked down at the stage, and saw the masked man with the long black hair clutch at his throat, and fall dramatically to the floor. The stage lighting then shifted to a bright blue, and a masked woman with voluminous white hair danced forward to the fallen man, helping him up. Another spotlight fell on a short honey-colored bottle of what appeared to be liquor sitting atop a tall bar. "The scheming Architect of Fate had decided to play a game with Basteen, one that would encompass multiple universes! And this, dear Mon-keigh, is how his story began!"
"Sebastian had the same origin story as me, I guess," I muzzily whispered to Alberich as he poured me a large cup of amber liquid. It smelled amazing, and I then realized that it reminded me of bourbon. I paused, now suspicious.
Oh for fuck's sake, I thought angrily, looking down at the scene before me as it played out on stage. The bottle being used in the performance was the exact bottle I held in my hand! Fucking Tzeentch! the thought blazed inside of me, causing my halo to brighten once again.
The observing Warp presence then chuckled, delighted with my outrage. But, at the same time, I could almost sense that it had flinched at my anger.
The amused laughter continued to echo loudly in my mind. Thought you'd enjoy a little drink, Erika. This one is not poisoned; I had Word Bear send it to you. Consider this a friendly reminder that you, and everyone around you, are all pawns on my stage, puppets dancing on my strings, and ornaments for my amusement. As you watch this performance, know that if you dare to push against me in the future, you'll end up as poor Sebastian ended up. I don't care what worthless clown gods you speak to, but know this: your fate belongs to me, and your future is inescapable. Go against me, and your suffering will be legendary, even in the depths of the Immaterium!
I sighed in relief as I felt the presence finally depart, and I held the cup of bourbon in my hand. Alberich was watching me with concern. With a quick glance of my Sight, I confirmed that the bourbon was not poisoned. With an exhausted shrug, I began to drink. Fuck it. We're all doomed anyway.
Blearily, as I leaned back in my chair, I realized that the Nemeses Argentum was hot inside my cloak as it pressed against my side. This was really terrible. The realization that this world was probably doomed made my heart ache. I was tired. I never signed up for this, I thought as I tried to watch the performance. Hopefully, the crazy visions weren't completely accurate, since any visions connected to Cegorach or Tzeentch have a good chance at being a lie or a joke. Deep down, however, I could tell that there was at least some truth to what I had seen with both those entities. At least Cegorach seemed to like me, so I at least had that going for me now.
An angry hiss escaped my lips as I drank my Tzeentch bourbon. I continued mindlessly watching the Harlequin performance. I was so tired, and I just wanted to go home. This universe was exhausting, and if I thought about everything too much, I would break down into hysterics. I'm the world's worst Mary Sue, I thought with a snort. Almost as if on cue, the dancer playing Sebastian was now miming that he was sobbing heavily after seeing himself in a mirror, apparently just figuring out that he had been transplanted to a new body.
There has to be an escape from that terrible future where I was on fire, I found myself thinking in defiant worry. A small crack appeared in my glass of bourbon. This was just Tzeentch trying to get a rise out of me again, right? Why would I be standing right next to a fucking giant Warp rift while on fire and holding the Nemeses Argentum to my chest?
I drank the rest of my cup of bourbon as I tried to swallow my burgeoning dread. What was I going to do?