Breathing.
Calmly—breathing.
A scream full of terror rang out beside him, mixed with the stench of urine. Karyl wasn't surprised. He simply walked over and gently snapped the man's neck.
As usual, corpses littered the floor.
Only, this time, things were a little better. At least there were no severed limbs. Most of the bodies were intact; they had either died from broken spines or suffocation. There was much less blood, but it had still inevitably formed pools on the carpet.
Human bodies were terribly fragile, especially against Karyl now.
The blue wall lamps in the corridor flickered. Blood smeared their surfaces, but what had nearly put them out of commission was a sudden burst of extreme cold that lasted only half a minute. Crackling electricity sounded from inside the walls—the lament of the conduits carrying power.
Karyl turned around and slowly lowered the body in his hands.
There was no need to desecrate the dead.
He wasn't one of them.
Slowly, taking care to avoid the blood and bodies as much as he could, he made his way to the door at the end of the corridor. He crouched behind it and waited.
The corridor had been made as grand as possible. Its designer hadn't simply imitated the decor of the Upper Hive's nobles. Whether by design or not, he—or she—had given the place an eerie splendor while sparing it the loathsome ornamentation.
But now, Karyl still had to crouch.
His enormous size brought more than improved strength and agility. It came with other problems, too.
For instance, the stealth methods he preferred. Climbing through windows and slipping into eerie, narrow alleyways were no longer options for his current body.
Before undertaking this mission, he had even spent twenty minutes getting used to his new body, making sure he could still use his customary "gliding" technique.
The answer had delighted him, though there were still problems to solve.
His two blades.
Well, to be honest, they could hardly be called weapons at their current size.
But Karyl had no intention of going back to the way things were.
He had entered into an alliance. Along with certain rights he hadn't wanted, he had also gained responsibilities.
Though he couldn't yet see the full scope of those responsibilities, Karyl knew he had to be prepared. The potential consequences of wielding such great power had made one thing clear: he couldn't afford to make mistakes.
The Milky Way. What a terrifying name, he thought with a touch of wonder. Just then, slow footsteps sounded outside the corridor. There was only one person.
He could tell, just as he could hear the man's breathing, the rhythm of his heartbeat, and the steady flow of blood through his veins.
The crouching giant slowly straightened until his head pressed against the ceiling. Without a sound, he reached out and gently pushed the door open a second before the person outside did.
The flickering blue wall lamps intermittently illuminated the bodies strewn across the floor, as well as the somber face of a giant.
A second before the man outside could scream, Karyl spoke softly.
"Good evening, Director Cummins. Could you please hold off on screaming?"
The muscles in Cummins's trembling face answered for him. With a sigh, Karyl reached out and gripped his jaw, forcibly turning the scream into a pained moan.
Then he dragged him into the darkness.
The door closed silently.
--
Karyl returned to Sanctuary amid the fierce, icy wind. The roof was empty. The Rainwater Filter was still there, but the figure that had crouched on top of it was gone.
He looked up at the deep-purple clouds.
I wonder how well he's learned.
Shaking his head, Karyl pushed the thought aside for now.
He had no intention of returning to that enormous, lavishly decorated ship for the next two weeks.
For one thing, he really disliked its decor. For another, the Night Haunter might be able to rely on Kael Lohars, but Konrad Curze had to learn to make every decision on his own.
Besides, he was running out of time.
The Eighth Legion would arrive in two weeks—fourteen days, or thirteen days and eight hours. He had no idea how many of them there were, but a legion couldn't be a small force.
Konrad Curze's blood ran through their veins. By blood, they were his sons. But Karyl knew something else, too.
"The Emperor" saw the Primarchs as tools.
Tools for what?
Killing.
Then what were these genetically enhanced warriors, whose blood was mixed with that of a tool? Lesser tools?
Karyl didn't want to use that word to describe people he'd never met. Besides, they truly did fight for humanity under "The Emperor's" command.
That meant they deserved Karyl's respect.
That meant he would call them "warriors," for now. And if Konrad Curze had to face a group of warriors—
The current Quintus probably wouldn't make them like him very much.
He didn't know how the other Legions felt about their Primarchs, but Karyl doubted they were particularly close.
He imagined a group of strangers calling someone "Father" and felt a chill run through him.
In any case, he should do what he could to improve Quintus's surroundings.
Tonight, he had killed three factory owners, along with a large number of gang members who had lain in wait, planning to start the Great Purge early.
In three hours, he would head to the Upper Hive and find the noble he'd personally let go earlier. He would wipe him out, along with a whole band of lesser nobles fighting over territory like hyenas.
His partner had acquired a new identity, so the rules he'd followed until now needed updating, too.
Still...
"Hyenas," he murmured with a faint smile. "How amusing. Almost as amusing as you, Lorgar Aurelian."
"..."
A golden-skinned giant emerged silently from the darkness behind Sanctuary. He still walked with a limp. His lips were pressed tightly together as he stared at Karyl, but there was no anger in his eyes.
"Hyenas?" he asked in a low voice.
"Yes. An animal found only on Ancient Terra. They live in packs. Fierce, sinister, cunning—and yet they have a strict social structure."
Karyl smiled and shook his head. "How long have you been waiting?"
"Four hours."
"Then you came after Rogal Dorn."
Lorgar nodded calmly. "I noticed the door he repaired for you."
"He's an excellent craftsman." Karyl looked at the sturdy door and nodded in admiration.
It was an incredible talent, turning something so broken into something this sturdy without using a single tool from start to finish.
"He's one of the Emperor's sons," Lorgar said sharply. "You shouldn't describe him with that word."
"Then how should I describe him?"
Karyl sighed. "Do you think putting 'craftsman' and 'excellent' together insults him?"
"I'm sure my brother enjoys architecture and design, and he is indeed excellent—but you still shouldn't describe him that way."
Lorgar shook his head stubbornly, then brought up something else. "You beat me badly today."
"I know," Karyl said calmly. "I did it on purpose."
"You used your strength to overpower me," Lorgar said in a low voice. "A debate should be decided by victory in words, not by strength."
"Why should I debate you?"
Karyl shook his head with a smile, though there was little amusement in it. "I can tolerate your judgment of me because I don't care what you think. But you shouldn't describe Konrad Curze as a weak child who would meekly let others control him."
"He is still a child."
Suppressing his anger, Lorgar said, "Even by our standards, he's far too young."
"So what?"
"So you shouldn't be forcing your theories on him."
Lorgar Aurelian frowned. He didn't speak with his usual gift for impassioned speeches. Instead, he sounded startlingly earnest.
"These dark theories of yours might have a purpose on Nostramo, but do you know how vast the Milky Way is? Not every planet needs cruel punishments and executioners in the night. Not every planet is like this one."
"This one? Like this?"
"Corrupt."
Lorgar spat the word out, his voice thick with hatred. He didn't hate the planet itself, but the darkness upon it. It had tormented his brother until he'd become a pale, frail, gloomy child.
Karyl narrowed his eyes.
Lorgar was acting very differently from before. He no longer mentioned his imaginings or accused Karyl of being a despicable villain. There were two possibilities.
First, he had spoken to Konrad Curze and received an answer from him.
Second, he had finally understood something.
Could even a Primarch, stubborn to a frightening degree, react so keenly? Karyl smiled to himself without a sound.
Meanwhile, Lorgar continued.
"I apologize for what I said to you earlier, Kael Lohars."
Lorgar opened his eyes wide and spoke slowly but calmly. His expression was so solemn and grave that it was almost like a proclamation.
"I don't know who you really are, or where your power comes from. But I can tell you that I don't care about those things."
"Father has granted you an immense honor. Do not waste it. My brother loves you, so you'd better cherish that affection. Of course, you may treat my words as embers in the wind, but I swear—"
The golden giant slowly clenched his fists. "If you betray my father or my brother, I will—"
"Will what?" Karyl asked calmly.
He was eager to hear Lorgar's answer. He wasn't lying; he really was eager.
"I'll kill you," Lorgar Aurelian said. "I will."
Karyl smiled.
He opened his arms.
"If that day ever comes," he said softly, "you won't have to do it yourself."
I got home very late, and my back was killing me, so this chapter was nineteen minutes late.
Night Lords, huh? (feeling guilty)
There's one more chapter. I'll write it as soon as I can.
P.S. I did consider making Lorgar completely brainless. That would make him much easier for me to write, but it wouldn't be very good.
Lorgar Aurelian really does love his brothers.
Before you continue