Chapter 54:

Chapter 54: Doing what you were meant to be doing is always enjoyable.



The treaty between Humanity and the Eldar was made more favorable in the favor of humanity for two reasons. The first is that we need it to work, so we are generous and the second is that what we actually offered helps our plans.

We offered the Anathema some STC prints we kept as bribes for specific missions, promised them we'll do our best to curb the slave raids of the Empire and stop the taking of human slaves by all Eldar governments we can convince to do so too and do our reasonable best to send any human slaves we do find to the Imperium assuming they were not forced, indoctrinated and/or coerced into staying, and if they do choose to do so, they can't be made slaves unless they do something as freemen and women to earn it.

We got the last concession because humans would make an excellent tool for our plans shortly after the Birth of Slaanesh and it's not like the Emperor of Mankind did not get far more than he gave us. The help of a properly trained Eldar priest to give his Imperium more Narrative Momentum more than made up for what we requested of him, the rest were really there to stop him from complaining about it.

It's not like we want to keep the humans in our service permanently, albeit that would be hilarious. We really just need them to help us set up some things and are perfectly happy to allow them to return to the Imperium or their homes if they do decide to help us. It is my mission for the Cult of Strife to return them once they mature enough anyway and if they wish to stay even after we're done?

I can work with that. The Anathema may not like it but he agreed to it and we bribed him to not complain to us about it.

"Lieutenant Marcus Aurrus and Lady Irina Zan, I hope looking after your people has been going well? No issues with the latrines or showers?" I asked the two as they spoke in fron of their bunk house.

I convinced Lieutenant Marcus Aurrus to let me learn his language from his mind and things had been going smoothly since then as thankfully all of them can speak it.

The Siccaran Confederacy is a minor nation stuck in its own star system and numbers something around 12 billion people in it and have been facing Eldar raids for some time and they are quite spooked, but thankfully a military officer and a noble lady can keep the 59 individuals from causing a mess.

The 61 humans in my barracks are the only humans on this world, 30 women and 31 men from what the songs said used to be thousands a few years ago.

"They have been going well, holy one." The human lady said.

She adapted the fastest to her circumstances and I liked her the least for it, for I could feel her thoughts and she was already thinking how she could turn this situation into a political arrangement and cared little for those she is meant to protect.

My concubines were already wishing to kill her for it too, but I asked them not to and just wait for her to leave as I am not interested in what she can give me.

At least my left eye stopped glowing now.

"Idiots are not causing a problem sir." The man I did like said and it was almost a growl.

He was having the appropriate reaction to my presence, open distrust and distaste but he also knew that it was in his interest to help me in my and my concubines' goals for now. He certainly wasn't planning to marry anyone to see if it'll make them a ruler of their people.

"Excellent." I said happily in their own tongue.

It was something that descended from Italian I think, but I never learned it in my past life and there's few words I can match to what I can remember of it.

"The Cult of Strife have found the last one of your people on this world just as I have promised, please follow me now as I need to discuss your options to you and the rest of your people." I told them.

The man in question had been brought back through the other entrance and was busy being introduced.

The two leaders of these refugees were having a conversation before I came here but they stopped when they saw me and decided that greeting me was far more important.

My concubines sang to me and they have told me that they have also killed the last of those that they had to as well as found the last human on this world, and I am glad I put that behind me.

I still need to walk with a cane but now I don't feel I'm one stiff breeze from dying and I'm far less wrinkled.

They followed without words even as their minds are busy calculating what they should be doing. I promised them I would explain the situation and my deal to them once I could find all of the humans on this world so I can make sure everyone hears what they should be hearing.

I was right about humans and what to expect. The mind says one thing, the mouth says another and the soul does whatever it wants with the other two being none the wiser as it does so but it generally speaking gets its way which is why they are civilized. No uncivilized species can act so much against its instincts when content and happy as it is only when they are miserable and lonely that the soul shuts up and Hairless Ape starts looking for things to devour.

We entered the sleeping quarters, and they were only half full. I purchased this bunkhouse from a man that wished healing for his family. I provided it to them, and granted them a Ward of Darkness each to keep them safe and a Burning Blade filled with the flames of Khaine they need someone that can remake them to refill and a Sword of Light to make sure they are not sick.

The youngest son could provide the flames and I had taught him how to refill them and the family was perfectly happy to give this bunk house in return for what I had offered, not like they needed it anymore either now that they would be leaving as they are no longer ill and thus will be received anywhere, and the Cult of Strife will need a place to regroup and call their own as they grow and their own home will no longer fit them.

"Please stand near them, they need someone with authority near them to feel safe." I spoke to their minds.

They did as I asked, even if the woman complained to herself. The soldier knew well why it was needed and just did as ordered. I could feel the others calming down slightly as they felt protected by being near those they looked up to even if it was an illusion. They were as safe regardless of what any of them did but the illusion of control and safety counted for a lot in helping scared individuals.

Apparently, knowing I am technically a military officer made things easier on him. I was throwing on him no political nonsense nor did I subject him to any theological tip toeing, just one officer having to deal with foreigners and being accommodating was a balm on his scarred and tired soul.

Humans don't think like Eldar and they don't feel like us too, but I've learned how to bridge the gap between others and speak mind to soul in a way others can understand. This is not a unique skill or something I've invented, but I'm glad I've developed it and tested it on the Skin Walkers and it seemed to work as I intended.

Telepathy normally happens in two ways, Mind to Mind and Soul to Soul.

Mind to mind is useful when you just speak and transmit information and it works best when you both have the same native language and it's telepathy as most people with even a passing awareness of it know it, and Eldar don't use it because we use Soul to Soul telepathy where our emotions are words and our opinion on a given thing sentences.

I learned to do Soul to Mind telepathy where people learn what I wish to speak with them by listening to my emotions and making sure they reach their minds as words, because if I contacted someone's soul without a psyker's gift that made them fully aware of their soul, then they wouldn't understand what I try to speak to them as speech, but as a complex jumble of emotions. I am quite proud of it too, as it is a skill one would need experience with others to develop, and I did it by myself.

I wanted to learn to speak with my old people and so I learned to do it with my human soul to make my thought process feel like words and not an avalanche of words, then sending it to my mind to check if it works. I use soul to mind telepathy because it transmits what I wish other to know much better and because getting in the habit will be useful when I deal with humans that won't let me plunder their minds for their language.

The cult of Strife, be they adults or children are here too. Excellent, this means that I can start without delay and I connected my soul to their minds. Thankfully none were infected with Chaos among those I found as I am not sure they can survive or recover from Khaine's flames.

They are not made to allow other people but Eldat to survive them after all.

They all gathered in front of me, some stood, some sat but all were listening to me be they Human or Eldar.

I stood in front of them as I spoke. This shouldn't be taking long, I could hear their souls and minds and knew they were more interested in going home than caring about anythign I had to say to them.

"Greetings everyone, I would like to begin by sincerely apologizing for all that you have been through and beg for your forgiveness and let you know that this world and what you have experienced is not how my people normally are. The Empire of Ten Million Suns has suffered from the effects of a weapon for which the closest equivalent in your language is the term 'bioweapon' albeit we call it something closer to a 'spiritual pandemic'. It is a disease that we have called Boredom, and no I am not talking about the actual emotion, we didn't just get bored and decided to eat and torture people to feel some excitement as we are not that cruel. It is the name of an actual Malady that cause effects reminiscent of the emotion called boredom but amplified to such an obscene degree it cannot be explained to those that have not experienced it and I would like to ask you to relax as it only affects Eldar. Those that made it, made it specifically to try and kill us off, but they failed and now probably regret it assuming they haven't finished dying.

This diseases hollows an individual, erasing memories, feeling the ability to act and so much more until one is left with a shell of themselves and most of those Afflicted desperately try to stave it off by experiencing the most extreme of emotions and eventually the most obscene. We've been struggling with it for a long time, longer than your people had spaceflight actually, and we have only recently found a cure that works and provides immunity as opposed to treatments that leave us even more vulnerable to it and it takes years of training to train one individual to create it, and months of preparations in most cases to administer it. There are to my knowledge, exactly three individuals that know how to prepare it and I am one of them and we can't automate it and I don't have the time to do it more than I already am as I am meant to deal with another issue now and said issue relates to the deal I wish to make to you. If you refuse it, such is fine as you will not be punished, or have it be held against you and you can just wait for me to prepare a transport to your homes. It should take a week to arrange it at most." I sang to them.

They went through a lot of emotions, from anger to stupefaction, to horror and fear and then relaxation. They did not care what we went through they just wanted to go home.

"If you have questions, please ask them as I welcome questions, for I have gotten this habit from my caretaker in an orphanage and he loved when I asked questions and I loved him and wished to be like him. I will tell you the deal I wish to make with you and its implications after the questions. Please raise your right hand if you do wish to ask one and I will select you." I continued.

Nine hands went up, five from the soldiers and one from the lady that really wished to marry me for political gain and the others from other civilians.

"Yes, the man furthest to the right." I spoke.

I already knew their questions as they thought them out and had my answers ready, none of them needed me to sing to make myself heard and understood clearly beyond a shadow of doubt.

"Why are you aging backwards, and so fast?" The man asked.

I could feel his superior officer cussing the idiot in his mind but I laughed at it for a few seconds and I could feel the men relax as I spoke.


"My four new concubines decided to be… very enthusiastic… on our nuptial activities. Our first lasted four days and the daughter, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother quartet left me drained of life and liquids if you understand my meaning and left me drained and I still need time to recover as they were quite thorough. I am actually quite young by my people's standards." I told them with amusement.

Said women laughed as well, which was the only noise they made since we started. They were here just to observe and to see if any would take my deal.

The men whistled at that and there were now four hands up and only one came from the soldiers.

'Your men are hilarious Lieutenant, please don't punish them or discourage them from such questions in the future as I needed a good laugh.' I whispered to the man through telepathy.

He nodded at me but grumbled. He thought it funny too. The civilians not so much as they have lost people during that time but the soldiers were better at compartmentalizing.

I continued.

"As there is only one soldier with questions I'll take theirs, then we can go to civilian concerns." I said.

The soldier in question was a woman, a star-fighter pilot among marines and felt a bit isolated for it and something else I hadn't managed to figure out yet.

"The cult of strife talked of an Emperor of Mankind, what's that all about?" She asked.

That again was easy to answer.

"He is the Ruler of the Imperium of Man, the only human political entity that is legally recognized as such by the Eldar, and to preempt the follow-up question I suspect some have, the Omnissiah is the religious entity the Cult of the Machine venerates as the Source of all Knowledge and Savior of Humanity. They are the only human religious organization we recognize as well, and they are the state religion of various Machine Cults and forge worlds. We have agreed to enter a temporary alliance to deal with a common threat I will explain later as it pertains to the deal I have for you." I revealed.

None of this information was in any way shape or form important to them or what they had to deal with.

Only one hand remained up and it was that of the woman I really wished would just leave me be.

"Yes, Lady Irina Zan?"

"Would you be willing to assist the Confederacy in its issues or the details of our repatriation? Such as negotiating with this Imperium of Man? We don't even know where it is." She asked.

She really just wanted me to come with her and have her try to seduce me away from other woman, but the question itself was a reasonable one.

"I am afraid not, you will just be left on your world near a population center and you'll figure things out from there. My duties pertain to Eldar to Alien diplomacy, not Eldar to Eldar or human to human and I do not have time or really a reason to do so. When the Imperium finds you, you or most likely your descendants will just join up through diplomacy and compromise, or you will be bombed into submission until you stop saying no as they have city districts with a larger workers population dedicated to making lasguns than your society has people in it. Me being here to help you is thanks to to a treaty signed with them and I don't want to bother with your government. No such treaty needs me to handle how you deal with one another." I told those gathered.

They did not like that answer and I could feel her hope deflate as I spoke until it turned into fear. Most did not care, they believed the Confederacy will just say yes or they'll die long before that becomes an issue.

They just wanted home and I could understand that, at least a part of me could.

The lieutenant rose his hand, it seems a question came to him while we talked and I didn't notice.

"Yes Lieutenant Marcus Aurrus?"

"What exactly is your organizations purpose? I'm trying to figure it out now that you know so much about others and it got me curious." He asked.

A fair enough question.

"I am a priest of Hoeth which is now called Cegorach, a dead god whose domain is related to Diplomacy with Aliens and the hoarding of knowledge and Wisdom, it is my job to know such things. My organization formed from consolidating various groups into one as time went on and our civilization started crumbling and our infrastructure and numbers dwindled as there have appeared organizations that oppose our means by which we try to deal with the infection. Our current primary goal is dealing with the Virus, it's consequences and the Civil Strife that's not call a Civil War due to legal technicalities, which is why I dedicated quite a lot of my life to developing a cure, but our wider purpose is just regulating our relationship with other civilized peoples and keeping the uncivilized from bothering us by either extermination, threats or friendly dialogue.

Also please don't worry about us not being able to fulfill our end of the bargain, for we have the legal and political backing of royalty, divinity and most of the other religious orders in the Empire for this, and even the guaranteed non-interference of the local religious authorities on this world for my operations here. Does this answer satisfy you?" I answered.

It was really as much as I would reveal to him.

"Yes, thank you for answering me sir." He responded.

He did not like to hear the word 'extermination' but it was really what we were meant to be doing. If we can talk with someone we will try it, if they get too annoying they get a friendly warning, if they continue a not so friendly orbital bombardment… or a thousand… then if that doesn't stop their nonsense, then they can go live outside the Great Wheel because they are no longer welcome here and we like stabbing those that are not welcome in our garden until they leave or they die..

"Excellent, I will now begin explaining you the deal I wish to provide to you, do any of you have anything you would like to talk about?"

None did but it didn't hurt to ask. Being open about accepting questions meant people would ask them and prevent misunderstandings and set them at ease.

"Very well, how many of you are aware of the orks?" I asked

The fighter pilot and the Lieutenant lifted their hands.

"Not that many, but I will give a short summary of the species and the threat they represent to your species. To those unaware, the orks or more commonly known greenskins are a barbaric race of aliens whose mentality is centered around violence and war. They are in a way kin of the Eldar if only by the loosest interpretation of the word and I only like saying that because the way Eldar look at me when I tell them that is hilarious, but we don't actually share any genes. They were made by the same race that heavily modified us to be as we are today a long time ago and could be considered our younger brothers by that definition, and they are greatly reduced from their height.

They are fast breeders as they breed through spores, extremely aggressive and Violent and capable of obscene levels of what you would call Magical Nonsense and they wish to use that nonsense to turn humanity into an orkish subtype species. Our people's temporary Alliance is an attempt at stopping this nonsense and I would like you to assist me and my organization as mercenaries for a specific task in relation to it and another related issue.

The reward for it is not money, but the knowledge that you are doing good work, rejuvenation treatments that will allow you to live until 1000 years old minimum, equipment that will make your old kit seem like rusted junk, biological and cybernetic augmentation that would bring you somewhere close to our physical standard and good living conditions and respect, as well as excellent medical cover for your entire mind, body and soul.

If you are interested, please rise and follow me as we will discuss details, for they are only for those that actually want to take this deal. The rest of you can stay here and you will be safe, as this is a threat that will take thousands of years before it becomes something noticeable." I said and left without waiting for their questions

Questions and answers on this topic are for those that wish to help with it, and If they wanted them answered, they would have to come join me in a private room near the bunk room.

Seven of them rose, including the Lieutenant which was surprising, but I suppose having his entire command coming meant he had to make sure they didn't do anything stupid. No civilians joined them which was disappointing as support staff would be useful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The damned priest of Cegorach came for me and my temple with seven of the bipedal animals called humans he purchased which were armed with splinter rifles. The priest came unarmed and he was the most dangerous individual on this planet.

The animals were barely worth mentioning, they were loud, stinking and didn't even taste that good an I doubt they could use those guns well but at least Bessar Agail muzzled them so they don't make a cacophony of noises and songs.

It was hard not to be the most dangerous thing on a world when you could separate someone's soul from their body before they noticed and did so without losing pace or looking at them and with the same ability or tool keep others from being afflicted with the Wasting Disease.

We have been trying to find a cure for it and that which afflicted most of the Empire and it was not the faithful of the god meant to be born and solve but that of Cegorach that solved it and it caused a crisis of faith as many temples of the New Divine converted to those solely dedicated to Cegorach in heartbeats as they started trying to praise the deity for assistance and thought up rituals to see if it would be provided.

I have not done so because even if the New Divine is not a solution to the Wasting Disease I will still praise her, for it was in her embrace I had found purpose and my service is not so easily given out of convenience.

The man coming for me made me think if I should be reconsidering my position.

The gods are a sea in which we exist, this I have started to be able to see and I could see the influence of the New Divine and of Cegorach on this world clashing and fighting like two waves, but they did so almost cordially as if they were two seas meeting and not mortal rivals which is what gave me hope that the birth of the New Divine would be celebrated and not something to fear.

They couldn't fully come here thanks to the song of this world but their influence could still seep through like water through cracks.

The priests created waves to help push and prod things around and I had rarely seen things that would be particularly impressive but everything helped when it came to dealing with the Wasting Disease. The man in front of me came like a giant wave and it drowned a world in his waves as everything mixed and I could see it in his waves.

Screams, death, begging for mercy and Apocalypses that frightened the Divine and more hidden beneath the surface.

Bessar Agail is not what the elder priests call 'Pretender Priests', for he is of the same caliber as the old monsters that drowned worlds in Excess, Pleasure and Chaos and he was coming right for me and he was doing so, for I was awaiting him even as the rest of the priesthood ran for the hills.

"Speaker of Apocalypse and Grandmaster of the craft of Murderous Medicine for the Souls of Eldar, Bessar Agail, it is an honor to receive you in the temple of the New Divine." I said as I gave a bow to the senior priest and healer.

"Hierarch, I would love to say it is a pleasure, but it is not. I respect your willingness to stand your ground compared to the rest of the vermin and for this I will be brief on my purposes for coming here then I will leave in peace." He said as he gave a slight bow.

At least I will still live, Bessar Agail has found a way to circumvent the laws by just killing you as he walked and many priests died as he walked.

"Then please tell me what is needed of me." I replied as my back rose.

"Two issues, first and least important please burn the statue at the entrance, for it is a Greater Blasphemy against the Eldar and the Divine. The second is that I have been sent here for an individual of the name of Asdrubael Vect and I am to receive him and this has been something the True priests of the New Divine have allowed me to do." He said.

That's a statue of how we imagine the new Divine to look like upon being born? How is that a blasphemy? What even is a Greater Blasphemy?

"Asdrubael Vect and his remaining family can be easily procured senior, but I am confused as to how a statues of the unborn divine could be Blasphemy." I replied.

I had already sang to the slaves to bring Vect and his younger sister here.

"Family? I was not aware he had any family but they can come as well and I will deal with this nonsense later. Yes a Greater Blasphemy and not merely a normal one, for that which you have made a statue of is Everqueen Morathi who has raven black hair and not silver hair and called it a Divine and by mixing the identity of the Divine and Mortals parts of the Eldar, your temple has committed a Greater Blasphemy against all that we are. If you tell of this to the other true priests, they will butcher anything that ever served this temple for it and they'll take their time doing it." He continued.

I was once again very scared and I bowed deeply again as I spoke.

"It will be done, Vect and his sister are coming." I said. The servant were already dismantling it as I spoke.

Nobody wanted those monster's attention on this temple. I have done things in this life I would have found abhorrent in another life, ranging from child sacrifices, cannibalism and so much more. I do not want to know what those things would do to me if they thought I blasphemed.

The two slaves came quickly at the very least. Vect is a slave born out of a priestess that did not wish to bother with child rearing so she just left the boy among the slaves to be raised by others and the young babe in his arms was his half-sister from the same mother who did the same to her.

His mother died by the hand of Bessar Aggail as she tried to get a cure for herself and died as she could not survive it.

He wore robes inscribed with the motifs of the new divine and in black and purple robes fit for his station.

Asdrubael Vect bowed to Bessar Agail as he held his sister in his arms but remained silent as he should.

"Asdrubael Vect, you are to be my apprentice in the art of deceit, which is a more advanced form of speech. Do well and you will find power, respect and all that your heart desires. Do poorly and death is the least of you concerns." He told him.

"Yes holy one." The man said with a meekness he did not possess but could pretend well to having.

Bessar Agail now looked at the small bundle in Vect's arms

"Now give your younger sister to me, she had ran from her training in her past life and thought death would save her from it, isn't it so Former Older Sister?" The thing in Eldar skin said.

The Old Soul started crying as Vect handed her to him and the True Priest cooed at her.

"Don't worry young one, you will receive a training that you will find more appropriate for your talents at running and finding yourself in danger everywhere you go." Bessar Agail said with kindness he too knew well to pretend to having.

Kind words don't normally cause souls that are thousands of years old to start crying and begging for death and trying to end herself as the one holding her stopped her attempts at doing so.

I am leaving this world. I can be a priest on a world that doesn't have true priests of Cegorach on it.