Chương 20: Truths and Lies

Thoughts raced through my head at incredible speed. My consciousness had accelerated to such a point that the world around me had practically frozen. But no matter how much time I had, the choice didn't get any easier. Right now, in essence, I was choosing between two extremes. Listen to Jaya, who was suspiciously fixated on the idea that secrets needed to be buried and forgotten, or dig into the secrets of the strange and clearly aggressively inclined spawn of the Immaterium?

On one hand, there was no sense in trusting the words of this "god." He could be lying to me, and I wouldn't even be able to tell. But on the other hand, I've known my mentor for a long time... But that was exactly the problem: over ten years, I had gotten to know her too well. Of course, I respected Jaya and was ready to listen to the opinion of the elderly Inquisitor, but I was also one hundred percent certain that this story involved something dirty and inappropriate, even by Inquisition standards.

She belonged to the Thorian faction and was therefore clearly ready to step slightly beyond the bounds of what was permissible for her grand goal. And in the worst-case scenario, this could be connected to heresy and Chaos. I genuinely would never have accepted such a deal. You cannot negotiate with daemons. Never, under any circumstances. Before you can blink, you'll end up a mere shadow of your former self, driven by primal instincts.

Even the greatest of men couldn't handle the temptation of the Ruinous Powers, so what chance did I have? Furthermore, I had a bit of a hang-up regarding secret knowledge. It was obvious that I was connected to Magnus the Red, whose history epitomizes the importance of knowledge. If he had known what Chaos was, the fate of all humanity would have changed drastically. Perhaps he wouldn't have fallen into the hands of the Lord of Change, and the Horus Heresy would have ended differently.

Therefore, the absolute last thing I wanted was to repeat his mistake and cause another galactic-scale apocalypse. I doubt the Imperium could survive a second event of such magnitude. I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes for a moment. This was merely one of the first difficult choices I would have to make, so I couldn't show any doubt. I had decided a long time ago that I planned to at least try to help humanity, which meant making tough decisions. And although Jaya was my mentor, the truth was more valuable.

"I... have to know. I need the truth." The entity gave a barely perceptible nod, after which the darkness around us instantly expanded several times over. It hid the Inquisitor from my sight, but I could feel she was fine. He had merely isolated her somehow, without causing harm. So now, only the two of us hovered amidst the impenetrable darkness. Most likely, Jaya would immediately start trying to break out, which meant we had to hurry.

Putting her to sleep or paralyzing her would be quite difficult, as such tricks worked poorly on psykers. No matter how strong this skeleton was, the old woman had many powerful tricks up her sleeve. The god understood this too, so he spoke without delay.

"I knew you would make the right choice. But I had to test it. You are but a shard, yet you still carry his legacy, even if you have clearly forgotten it." His voice had become significantly calmer, sounding more like a quiet sea breeze instead of a storm. Despite this, I rolled my eyes, holding back my irritation. Maintaining my composure in such a tense situation was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Don't take this as rudeness, but I'm starting to get tired of these vague speeches and conversations about my peculiarities. I ask for the truth, and only the truth. Furthermore, we need to hurry if you don't want to deal with the fury of a powerful psyker." The skeleton did not react, merely looking at me in silence. Even in the Warp, he didn't change at all, continuing to speak in that same calm tone. However, I could feel my mentor had already begun attacking the barrier with something serious.

She had many artifacts, so she could cast spells all day long.

"Undoubtedly. For you are him, and therefore you crave knowledge. I will answer you. But to do that, you must learn exactly what we are. You have forgotten, but I will remind you." He waved his hand, and the darkness transformed, becoming much more colorful. All sorts of colors began to surround us, constantly shifting with every passing second. Even after years, I still remembered the maddening beauty of the Sea of Souls.

I wouldn't risk looking into it now, but I had already seen enough during the times I wandered through it without a physical body.

"Those like us have existed for eternity and will live as long as the Immaterium remains tethered to this universe. We are the embodiment of concepts, born alongside the very first thoughts and desires of mortals. Infinitely lesser than the true Gods, but equally greater than the rest. We are the minor gods of the Warp, and we are countless, yet at the same time, each of us is unique and the last of our kind. We were born with the Sea of Souls, and we will fade alongside it."

I raised an eyebrow in bewilderment as I listened to him. I knew a lot about the Warhammer universe, but I had absolutely no idea what this was. I remembered the gods of various xenos, like the Ork patrons, but this was the first time I was hearing about something like this.

"As far as I recall, there are barely any gods at all, and if you don't count the extinct Eldar pantheon..." I didn't get to finish, as he quickly interrupted me.

"We are not tied to Chaos, nor to any creations of the Old Ones. Every concept and idea has its embodiment in the Immaterium, and we are the extension of those thoughts. Humanity did not create us, no, but every sentient being of any race inhabiting the galaxy. And you are a shard of one of us, the minor gods of the Warp."

"Uhhh..." Honestly, I didn't even know what to say to that. That was... somehow unexpected. I had barely come to terms with the idea that I was somehow connected to Magnus, and now this... I continued to stand there, staring at him silently as I listened to the deity. I had no reason to trust the skeleton in any way, but logically, he had no reason to lie to me either.

"I don't quite understand. I've never crossed paths with any... gods." The entity answered almost instantly. The impact on the Warp beyond the darkness intensified manifold, and maintaining the barrier required significantly more psychic energy. Although the skeleton was dozens of times stronger than Jaya, defending is much harder for a psyker than attacking. That is the very nature of the Warp, which isn't particularly suited for building anything stable or reliable.

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"Once, there were significantly more of us. But as the influence of Chaos grew, the risks increased, and our numbers dwindled. The damned pantheon and their spawn were a threat even to the greatest of us. Many sided with Chaos; others died fighting them. Some found their fate eternally buried in the garden of the Plague Father, and some are still lost in the Impossible Labyrinth. We were dying out while Chaos gradually grew, consuming the cosmos itself. And then everything changed, for the Anathema arrived."

The moment he mentioned one of the Emperor's names, the Warp around us stirred slightly. For just a second, I saw the light of the Astronomican illuminating the world even in this place. The minor god seemed to feel it too, judging by the way he flinched slightly. I didn't dwell on it and simply continued listening. Interestingly, this entity seemed to fear the Emperor. He spoke as if the Emperor were right around the corner and might pop out at any moment.

Another point for the Master of Mankind—who do you have to be to make even gods fear you?

"From his own flesh and blood, the Anathema created the greatest representatives of the human race. You know one of the golden guards, yet that was not enough for him. Your god was never satisfied with little, nor did he limit himself to it. He wished to move forward, attempting to use the Immaterium to fight the Immaterium. Therefore, he did what no one else dared risk."

"Seeing the threat of Chaos, he came to us, and the Warp itself trembled from his actions. Your Emperor strode across the entire Sea of Souls, taking dozens of the most powerful minor gods with him. He made deals with some; he forced others. But in the end, it was the Anathema who emerged victorious, doing what no one had ever achieved before. A being from the material realm, in no way connected to the Great Old Ones, stole the very essence of the Great Ocean." The Warp nearby shuddered violently.

The barrier of darkness was covered in cracks, but they healed after a few seconds. The skeleton began speaking even faster, simultaneously beginning to weave some particularly powerful spells from psychic energy.

"We must hurry. It was for this theft that the all-consuming gods recognized your Emperor as their greatest enemy. He took what was ultimately meant to belong to them. But the Anathema never feared the vengeance of the damned pantheon, and he used all his powers, forging the greatest weapon of your race. Every one of the gods became a part of his children. That is my truth, human. Every single one of your demigod Primarchs is as far removed from humanity as any xenos." It required time to process this information.

Except we didn't have any, as Jaya attacked more fiercely with every passing second. The Immaterium was practically storming, but the defense held. It was obvious the god found it uncomfortable working with the Warp while in the material world, but I was in no rush to help him. His spells were so different from everything I knew that I didn't want to risk breaking anything. So I simply continued asking questions.

"What about me? What shard were you talking about?" Although I could have figured it all out myself, I still needed confirmation.

"I feel a shard of one like me inside you. Something vastly more powerful than myself, mixed with a human soul. You are strange. You are a breach in the tapestry of fate and a dark well for psychic energy. Like a black hole, endlessly consuming the Warp. You process the Sea of Souls itself and make it a part of you. But as long as you limit yourself to a mortal body, you will never be able to unlock your full potential..." He stopped when the barrier shuddered again.

I suspect he could have tried to stop her with telekinesis or some other discipline, but it was too risky. She is an experienced lady and definitely has something prepared for that eventuality. As for his speeches... thanks, but I definitely have no plans to lose my body just yet. I existed without one for far too long as it is. But the information was still useful and very interesting. Incredibly heretical—so much so that I would be killed for it without hesitation—but I'm used to it.

Since time was ticking away with every second, I had to hurry and ask one more thing.

"And what about the people you killed? Everyone who lived on the base didn't cause you any damage or harm you in any way, did they?" The entity tilted its head slightly. Apparently, it was genuinely surprised.

"I didn't kill anyone. It was a gift and payment for my work. Part of the contract I forged with your mentor." This was where I was truly surprised, frowning as I heard his words. She had never mentioned any contracts, and had even personally taught me never to forge anything of the sort with Warp entities.

"What do you mean?" I felt something begin to puncture the barrier at a specific point. The skeleton instantly turned his head toward the breach, beginning to "stitch" it up, but the impact was too strong. However, he continued answering me.

"Your mentor struck a deal with me. I prevent Chaos from influencing this world, as long as she pays. I am neither a killer nor a thief; I merely took what rightfully belongs to me."

"What? What payment?" I couldn't help but ask. He waved his hand, and sparkling, multicolored orbs ignited next to him. They shimmered with different colors, but I felt they were no simple illusions. I felt they were actual souls.

"A true sacrifice. Souls for my assistance. I calmed the Warp on this world, eliminating the chance of a breach, but payment is necessary. Every ten of your years, she was supposed to bring me souls. It was specifically for them that I agreed to tolerate humans on this planet. That is the deal." He didn't have time to finish, as waves of incredible size rolled through the Warp. It wasn't Jaya, but something an order of magnitude more powerful. A three-meter wild wolf with four red eyes burst out of the darkness.

It seemed to consist of shadows and looked like an immaterial ghost. But what was most terrifying was its reflection in the Warp, for I had never seen anything like it before. It wasn't a daemon, but you couldn't call it a neutral entity either. Something akin to Chaos, only even stranger. The Ruinous Powers could at least be comprehended; the thirst for change or depression were human emotions. But this... was something entirely beyond.

And this something was incredibly strong, significantly surpassing Zerbe and Jaya combined several times over.

"I told you, Gabriel. Knowledge is too dangerous. And some secrets are better off dead." My mentor stepped slowly out of the darkness and stood behind the monster. Her right hand was currently wrapped in a red thread leading to the wolf's neck. Most of her artifacts had already been expended, resulting in a much weaker impact on the Warp. And only now did I realize why she had needed them—their reflections prevented anyone from sensing this dark creature.

"I asked you. Knowledge is fundamentally dangerous and poses a threat to all of humanity." Surprisingly, she didn't look particularly angry right now. More disappointed, even smiling slightly. And that was bad, because I knew where that confidence might be coming from. I doubt it was just a bluff.

"Is it true that you struck a deal where, in exchange for souls, you get a perfect place to train psykers?" I decided to take the initiative in the conversation. However, she wasn't fazed and merely shook her head slowly from side to side. I tried to determine if she was lying to me or not, but nothing worked. Jaya was still concealed in the Warp, and she controlled her facial expressions with incredible mastery.

"Are you really going to believe some spawn of the Warp over me? Have you forgotten what I taught you? Never trust the creatures of the Immaterium." The skeleton she was talking about didn't remain silent and decided to answer her.

"I have no reason to lie to you. I do not need your lives, and if you wish to leave this world, I will not hinder you in any way." Jaya scoffed slightly upon hearing that.

"They always say that. A simple play on words, necessary to deceive humans. You're smarter than this, aren't you? This beast wants to pit us against each other to finish off the survivor. After all, if we unite, we can leave this planet and then scorch the entire surface to ash. And once the local biosphere is destroyed, this 'deity' will lose practically all of its power. That is exactly how they survive—by turning humanity against itself."

I moved my head from side to side, looking at the Inquisitor, then at the god. Honestly, I thought she would confess to all her crimes like a good villain. But as it stood, the situation was becoming very complicated, because I didn't know who to trust...