"You don't have to call me lord."
Curze frowned in response. He was anxious, but still maintained his composure. His right hand was tense, and a constant icy cold emanated from it.
"That is the etiquette," replied Aquilon in purple and gold armor.
He held the controls of the "Thunderhawk." Outside the cockpit window, an absolutely black planet was visible, with only a few dim lights on the surface.
Konrad Curze did not reply to Aquilon. He sat in the first passenger seat behind the pilot's cabin, securely fastened with double seatbelts.
He remained silent, not wanting to say anything more.
Anxiety gripped his heart, forcing him into silence, casting aside all other emotions, leaving only that one…
With every slow breath, even his thoughts froze.
Konrad Curze involuntarily tightened his grip on his blade.
"…Lord Konrad Curze."
After some silence, Aquilon spoke again. His voice was soft, but by no means weak.
Curze raised his head and looked at him. From his seat, all the details were clearly visible. He had deliberately chosen this seat to distract himself from his anxious thoughts.
He noticed that Aquilon had an ancient warrior's hairstyle: the hair on the sides was braided into intricate braids, and the back fell in long strands.
"And what next?"
Konrad Curze pursed his lips, realizing that his attempt at distraction had failed.
"What, Aquilon?" he asked.
"Nothing, my lord, I just thought you seemed troubled by something."
Curze almost smiled.
"Is it that noticeable?"
"No, no…"
The "Thunderhawk" plunged downwards, entering Nostramo's orbit. A jolt and gravity hit simultaneously, and Curze was sure that if not for the seatbelts, he definitely wouldn't have stayed in his seat.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Konrad Curze asked.
"It means I dare not say it's very noticeable, my lord," Aquilon replied with a slight smile.
His little joke made the pale giant smile too. For some reason, Curze was not offended by his joke; on the contrary, he felt a liking for him.
"Just a joke, what's the big deal?"
The anxiety still remained, but it no longer gripped his heart so tightly. Konrad Curze sighed and admitted Aquilon was right.
"Yes, you are right, Aquilon of the Emperor's Children. Something is indeed troubling me."
"If you don't mind, I could listen to you instead of Fulgrim."
"Fulgrim already knows everything."
"Then I won't listen," Aquilon said lightheartedly. "But, if you don't find me intrusive… I would still like to say something."
"Speak, don't hesitate," Curze smiled.
Aquilon spoke as if he were placing himself below others, and although Curze disliked being treated that way, he understood that it was just a mask Aquilon had put on to cheer him up.
Neither the Night Haunter nor Konrad Curze would ever neglect another's kindness.
They valued it.
So he smiled and continued,
"Only if you don't mind giving me a ride."
"Oh!"
Aquilon, skillfully maneuvering the "Thunderhawk" through the dark clouds, exclaimed theatrically:
"I don't often get the chance to fly this beauty, my lord! I should be thanking you!"
This time, Konrad Curze laughed genuinely. The anxiety was still there, but it no longer pressed so hard.
"Alright, my lord… I wanted to warn you about something."
Aquilon pressed a button on the "Thunderhawk's" controls and turned around. There wasn't a single scar on his face, and he didn't look like a warrior, but now his gaze was extremely serious.
"Speak, Aquilon," Curze said quietly.
"The Adeptus Custodes obey only the orders of the Master of Mankind, the Emperor."
Aquilon said seriously,
"Therefore, they never act without reason… I've seen them in battle. Frankly, my lord, no one would want to become their enemy."
"Not even you?"
Aquilon maintained a serious expression, but a spark of laughter flashed in his eyes.
"…That's a dangerous joke, but it's funny enough, my lord."
Curze smiled and shook his head.
"In short, be careful down there. The Adeptus Custodes, while carrying out orders, pay attention to no one…"
"And if you don't like what they are doing, I hope you will come back and contact me. Then I will take you back, and we will discuss what to do. My Primarch will not allow anything to happen."
"You're staying on Nostramo?"
"Yes, my lord," Aquilon returned to the controls, took the steering wheel, and grinned. "Otherwise, how will you get back?"
***
Constantin Valdor could almost hear his own scream – his hearing was gone, but he felt the vibration in his throat.
"Am I screaming?"
He frowned: "Why?"
Constantin found no answer, and something prevented him from thinking further.
The pain intensified; his whole body groaned and protested against this torment. A cold and cruel illusion appeared in his mind, but the Chapter Master did not care.
"I am dissolving," he realized indifferently.
But it didn't matter.
He just gripped the spear of light tighter, the Master's command still echoing in his ears.
The unbearable heat had almost completely destroyed his hands, his armor melted, his muscles burned, contorting and clinging to his bones, but he didn't let go.
In the surrounding darkness, the Adeptus Custodes solemnly watched this scene, and silent respect hung in the air.
As for the impaled giant…
"Continue," Kariél said quietly. "Continue, Constantin Valdor…"
He extended his hand, placed it on the blade of light, and pressed harder, making the spear penetrate deeper into his flesh. The Chapter Master's strength was not enough to pierce his heart.
His face reflected a complex range of emotions: pain, astonishment, regret, self-flagellation… but most of all – anger, an ancient anger, from an unknown source.
The dim bloody hue disappeared from his eyes, but the anger remained. Constantin looked into those dark eyes and, with his own will, pushed the light in his hands.
The spear let out a sharp hum and plunged deeper into the flesh, almost reaching the heart.
But no blood flowed from Kariél's wound; only golden lightning danced along its edges.
Kariél Lohars sighed.
He took a few steps back, staggered, and fell to one knee. After a few seconds, he lowered his head and fell silent.
"When Konrad Curze descended from the heavens, he saw precisely this scene."
***
Lightning.
No, not lightning – what was that? Fire? Or something similar?
Kariél clenched his fists, opened his eyes, and the pain receded for a moment.
"He's not here…"
A quiet laugh and a malicious whisper echoed in the darkness.
"He won't help you anymore, traitor, this time no one will help you… you thought you could escape?"
"You thought we wouldn't find you, and you could do whatever you wanted?"
"You are too foolish, traitor, this knife is the most foolish gift you have ever given… you thought you could save him this way?"
Kariél ignored their words; he remained deaf to them, just breathing calmly – again and again, until the ancient anger subsided for a while.
Then he began to remember.
Every detail of that night, every person killed…
How they died, their expressions… the place, even the force with which he struck…
He remembered everything.
Then he looked around.
The darkness was boundless, with distorted shadows writhing in it, glaring at him maliciously through the Veil.
Kariél looked at them calmly, and a cold blue light ignited in his eyes again. The ancient howl sounded again, filled with rage, and somewhere in his subconscious, he heard a quiet laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Kariél asked calmly. "What are you laughing at, cruel false god?"
"Rumble!"
A scarlet lightning bolt flashed in the darkness. Anger seethed, the rage was unbearable. Kariél looked into the darkness, and a pair of scarlet eyes looked back at him through the dense Veil.
"Accept it," the owner of the eyes said hoarsely. "You have seen your true nature."
"Yes, I know who I am, but what business is it of yours? Hiding in the darkness, afraid to even show your face, monster…"
Kariél sneered coldly.
"He drove you back into the darkness countless times, not even leaving your names… pathetic jesters."
The creature behind the Veil roared, and its voice echoed through the unreal space, stirring up a storm of destruction. Its roar was terrible, but the smile on Kariél's face became even colder.
"Yes, that's all you can do, roar in the darkness, have a fit," he said quietly. "This Veil holds you, preventing you from moving further… what ridiculous gods you are."
He laughed, and the creature behind the Veil glared at him furiously, but could do nothing.
"But…"
Kariél stopped laughing, all other emotions vanished from his face, leaving only primal rage and hatred.
The terrible howl sounded again, piercing the Veil and reaching the ears of the monsters.
The hatred of the innocently murdered, their anger… the ancient enmity…
At that moment, they began to slowly boil.
Kariél said quietly, as if proclaiming:
"…Remember."
He looked at the creatures behind the Veil, looked at them, and spoke word by word:
"I will not rest."
"You will pay for your blood yourselves."
***
Read the story months before public release — early chapters are on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Granulan