Chương 32: Unexpected Guest

Golden light emanated from my figure and enveloped the entire space of the church. It was very easy to control; I merely had to wish it, and it moved wherever it was needed. It shifted with every thought and acted as an extension of my will. But I did not stop at just a light show and continued the performance, enhancing the effect with the right words. With the slightest touch of telepathy to improve the effect.

Just a tiny bit, so the influence could not be noticed; I would simply amplify the necessary emotions slightly and drown out any doubts. We are talking about millions of lives on the station and billions on the worlds dependent on shipments from Pry, so it is acceptable to step slightly beyond the bounds of what is permissible.

"Let those who believe see the truth. For His light brings forgiveness and healing to all who are worthy of it. I see your souls, and they shine with the light of true faith..." I carefully monitored the reaction of the audience as I delivered grandiose speeches in a powerful, practically inhuman voice. My words resonated with the Warp, and therefore each one would be burned into their memories, continuing to echo in their heads.

It is actually amusing how similar telepathy and ideological conditioning turned out to be, perfectly complementing each other. The effect of my words was like the detonation of a vortex bomb, largely because they clearly did not expect such actions on my part. Living Saints are an incredible rarity, and therefore even the highest-ranking representatives of the Imperial clergy rarely get to witness such miracles in person.

Let alone an ordinary Cardinal, who froze in shock with wide eyes, while the Sororitas fell to their knees, beginning to recite a prayer unknown to me. The Black Templars behaved with more restraint, although I could see through their souls just how impressed they were. Only the High Marshal maintained his composure, looking at me even now with merely a spark of interest. Sweeping my gaze across the room, I noticed something strange. Behind all the clerics and the Astartes stood a man unknown to me.

He was quite tall, matching the Space Marines in that regard. He was clad in grey knightly armor and was staring straight into my eyes, which is why I noticed him. He had no hair, but all my attention was focused on his eyes. His gaze blazed and clearly could not belong to an ordinary human. I felt a great power that was roughly equal to my own. The man stood silently, and the longer I looked at him, the more my consciousness blurred. My emotions seemed to fade, leaving nothing but icy serenity...

"This is... quite curious." I sharply shifted my gaze and looked at the High Marshal, who was watching me and my light with interest. I shook my head slightly and looked back to where the unknown man had stood. Strangely enough, there was no one there now. The entire delusion vanished instantly, and instead of serenity, my mind was flooded with anxious thoughts. I was not a fool and knew that if a psyker begins seeing incomprehensible visions, it is a very bad sign. Very bad.

This was especially bad for me, an Alpha-Plus psyker who had never before met anyone capable of bypassing my mental defenses. My mind was closed right now, so I could not pick up any telepathic messages, which is what made this so strange. I closed my eyes for a second, banishing the extraneous thoughts, and then returned to the conversation with my potential allies. Whatever had happened to me, I would figure it out later. Right now, I needed to play the role of a good saint and messenger of the Emperor.

Fortunately, judging by their auras, everyone here was impressed, so the negotiations would proceed without a hitch. And besides, how difficult could it be to convince the church and religious fanatics to help protect the station from heretics and a cursed star threatening the foundations of the entire Imperium? But I would definitely have to think more about that strange vision. For some reason, that gaze seemed familiar to me... I leaned back in the chair, closing my eyes for a moment.

The negotiations had lasted for hours, even though they agreed to help almost immediately. And so we spent a wonderful time having a theological discussion on the interpretation of the Imperial Creed and the impact of Saint Drusus on the image of a true saint. Furthermore, I had to tell the story of a little boy from Scintilla who, ten years ago, proved his faith and the purity of his convictions by slaying a vicious daemon.

After which he was almost immediately found by an Inquisitor Lord and sent to train with the appropriate, right people. Then followed a brief recounting of rigorous training under the stern supervision of righteous believers, after which the current me emerged. I also spoke of my visions regarding the coming catastrophe and the arrival of Komus. This information greatly interested the Marshal, prompting him to question me about details, which I generously shared.

He realized the scale of the impending threat and agreed to help, promising the support of the Black Templars. Having concluded the negotiations, I took my leave and headed to Soldevan's mansion, where I practically collapsed onto the bed immediately. My head was splitting, and I was ready to kill for a couple of hours of sleep... But right in the middle of my well-deserved rest, I was interrupted. Of course, I had noticed Jaya's aura long ago.

Except it was a knock at the door that finally woke me, followed by my mentor's cheerful voice. Interestingly, one could even hear chuckles in it.

"I do not advise relaxing, because you might be interested in who decided to visit us. I admit, in all my career, this is the first time I have seen something like this. And that says a lot." With titanic effort, I opened my eyes. I got up, stretching my arms and neck, while simultaneously plunging into the Warp to check the situation. Something was wrong, but I couldn't name the specific reason for my unease.

And I knew well that one must always listen to their intuition, as in this world it is not some superstition, but a hidden manifestation of psychic abilities triggered by the subconscious. Therefore, I exhaled deeply and opened my mind to feel the ripples in the Sea of Souls... I instantly froze in place. A hundred meters away from me was a very powerful psyker. I suspect somewhere around the Beta level, which was quite significant. Except the sensations coming from them were somewhat strange.

First, I was clearly dealing with a master of stealth, for I could barely detect them. The guest clearly did not want anyone to discover their psychic capabilities and was therefore seemingly hiding in the folds of the Warp. Second, this someone was a very strange kind of psyker. Very unusual sensations... of wrongness, perhaps. It is difficult to describe, as they differed from anything I had ever encountered in my life.

If daemons were the embodiment of the Warp's chaotic nature, and the deity represented its calm and neutral nature, then humans were a mixture of the two worlds. Chaos woven into order, which worked more or less successfully and even harmonized. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. But right now, I felt as if this mysterious psyker was a much more stable entity, practically the embodiment of order, enveloped by something very bad.

As if the Warp was preparing to snatch and hook them like a fish taking a worm. Alright, I suspect things are about to get interesting... The short walk did not take much time, but with every step, I felt the mysterious psyker more clearly. And with every meter, the sensations became more and more unpleasant. Not Chaos, but something much less dangerous. But still, it was like swallowing a spoonful of pure sugar in one gulp. Stepping into Soldevan's study, I immediately surveyed our guests.

Leaning back in a chair sat a red-haired man in his thirties, who clearly did not like where he was. He tried to maintain a smile, but you could tell it was strained and that he was extremely nervous. I can understand him; few people like dropping by an Inquisitor's house, even a temporary one. Regardless of whether it's by their own volition or not. The man, however, was an ordinary human and was not the one who interested me so much. But his companion... First of all, she was the powerful psyker I had detected.

But up close, that was obvious anyway, because she was not human. Sitting in the chair was a woman, if you could call her that, with pale skin and pitch-black hair. It was also impossible not to notice her pointed chin and cheekbones sharp enough to cut yourself on. But what stood out the most were her eyes. They seemed too large for such a face and literally shone with a lilac light. And of course, her long, pointed ears caught the eye, definitively confirming the theory of who had come to see Soldevan.

And I must admit, she must be a very brave Aeldari to dare come to the house of an Inquisitor from the Ordo Hereticus himself. Or not the smartest one. The Aeldari... you could write entire books about them and still not cover everything. On the one hand, they are incredibly powerful xenos psykers who effectively ruled the entire galaxy for tens of millions of years. They were created by the Old Ones, a race of practical gods who needed servants for the greatest conflict in history.

During the War in Heaven, gods walked the earth while billions of worlds burned. It was a conflict spanning several galaxies, the consequences of which were felt across the entire universe. And the Aeldari were the ones who benefited from it the most. The Old Ones died out, leaving their inheritors the remnants of their great empire, along with boundless sources of information and artifacts capable of forging reality itself.

And considering their entire race was effectively immortal, possessing the ability to reincarnate, they spent the next sixty-five million years in a relaxed state, engaging in an endless orgy. Paradise ended when, as a result of this prolonged party, their entire race birthed a new deity that devoured practically all the Aeldari upon its birth. Essentially, only a fraction survived, hiding to this day from Slaanesh, the Prince of Pleasure himself and the fourth Chaos God.

All because it remembers the long-ears and hunts for their souls in every corner of the galaxy to torture and devour them. And they seem like decent folks who also dislike Chaos, so why doesn't the Imperium particularly like them, to put it mildly? It comes down to the very nature of the Aeldari. They treat practically every other race as inferior stock, unworthy of life. And therefore, for example, they are willing to sacrifice entire human worlds just to save the lives of a few Aeldari.

And that is to say nothing of the Drukhari, or Dark Eldar, a splinter of the former empire who have truly earned their reputation as the most deranged maniacs who have ever lived. Which, considering the competition in the form of the Ruinous Powers, is a very significant achievement. And that is why it is so unusual to see a lone representative of these xenos risking coming here. As soon as we appeared, the man snapped his head around, nodded to me, and turned back to Soldevan.

The Inquisitor was watching them with a cold, unreadable gaze that held everything imaginable. And judging by the red-haired man's nervousness, he perfectly understood the situation he was currently in.

"Good evening. I understand the situation may look bad, but I ask that you hear us out first. I am Marcus Uruusalin, a Rogue Trader who ended up here purely by chance. Here is the charter confirming my words. We came here on an extremely important matter and absolutely did not mean to disturb Your Grace..." The Inquisitor examined the document in silence for a while, then unhurriedly took it and began to read.

I, meanwhile, began to move slowly forward, observing the first representative of a xenos species I had ever encountered. It was so strange looking at a living creature that practically resembled a human, yet remained infinitely distinct from one. From a distance, she could be mistaken for an ordinary human woman, but getting closer, I saw all the differences. She was significantly taller than the average human and was my equal in height.

However, everything was spoiled by her unnatural proportions, consisting of overly long limbs and skull, strange movements, and inhuman facial expressions. Furthermore, I never ceased to feel the strange movement of the Warp around her.

"It is you. I have been seeking a conversation specifically with you." The speaking Rogue Trader was forced to break off the moment his companion spoke. The Aeldari's voice was soft and even velvety, meaning you could listen to it for hours. But again, something was off about it. Humans do not speak like that; the tonality was too strange. Nevertheless, despite my attitude, I stopped and began to look at her intently.

"Uhh, please forgive my companion. You see, highly esteemed Inquisitor, she is merely a foolish xenos who does not yet know how to behave around people of your standing. But she works for me legally, here are the documents..."

"Shut up, Marcus. You, Devourer. It is unpleasant for me to address you, but there is no other choice now. You do not understand what threat is coming, and therefore..." I raised an eyebrow questioningly as I listened to her, then sighed wearily. The Aeldari spoke with undisguised disdain, and towards everyone in this room, even me and the Inquisitor. And when she turned to me, I saw a mark on her neck depicting an inverted trident with a triangle at the end.

Jaya and Atreus had told me about them, but only the bare details. As far as I recalled, this is how they branded those who walked the Path of the Outcast. These renegades rejected the foundations of their society and rebelled against conventional norms, abandoning their homes. Or they are driven out in disgrace. And I believed more in the latter theory, considering how insolent this Aeldari turned out to be. With a single exertion of will, she instantly began to choke, clutching at her throat.

Every representative of their kind was an artificially engineered weapon for a great war that ended long ago. But despite this, they were still living creatures who needed to breathe. Furthermore, if she is stupid enough to be insolent a meter away from an Inquisitor... I am doing a good deed by teaching her a lesson in manners. Because otherwise, her words could bring down a much greater disaster for both her kind and humanity.

A second later, I stopped crushing her throat with telekinesis, after which she began to cough, looking warily in my direction. I shook my head in disappointment, stepping even closer. I clasped my hands behind my back and stopped a meter from the desk, right next to the Aeldari and the completely bewildered Rogue Trader, who was currently swiveling his head frantically from side to side.

"I apologize most profoundly for my companion's actions, she is just..."

"There is no need. I apologize, I behaved inappropriately. One who has walked the Path of the Warrior is changed forever. And the art of diplomacy was never my strong suit, even in the best of times." I simply shrugged at her words.

"It's fine. I hope no one is offended by what happened? Excellent. In that case, I wouldn't mind hearing you out." She began to stare into my eyes, as if searching for something in them. A few seconds later she spoke, casting a wary glance toward the Inquisitor.

"Very soon, an old weapon will strike here. I cannot say exactly when it will happen, but the threat is criminally close to us. The darkness is already a step away from us all, and only a miracle can avert catastrophe." Although I did not trust the Aeldari's words, she looked genuinely concerned and even alarmed. However, that was not enough for me.

"What is your motivation for helping us? The Aeldari never do anything without a reason." The xenos representative jerked her head slightly, as if my words displeased her, but she answered anyway.

"Even though I left my home, I am still ready to fight to my last breath to protect it. And in this case, we are dealing with the same enemy. I suspect you also do not particularly like the damned pantheon? Then I suspect you might be interested in information about a weapon of old enemies, about whom your kind has long since forgotten?" I raised my gaze and monitored Soldevan's reaction. He also looked extremely serious right now, but I felt a flare of interest when she spoke.

Well, I can understand him; it interests me as well. Furthermore, it is interesting what she meant when she called me the Devourer. Whatever it means, I doubt it bodes well.