967.M30.
Lorgar reached the end of his pilgrimage, the dead world of Xalyal'sa.
His gaze swept across the horizon, filled with tortured clouds.
Thunderstorms raged, forming a tide of shifting colors.
The Warp had subsumed the world's entire weather system, the tides crashing across countless star systems.
"Lorgar." A voice, impossible to gender, sounded behind him. There was no one there.
"Ingethel, I have sailed into the very maw of madness. Now, tell me everything."
Ingethel the Ascended slid into view. Her lower body had become a ribbed tail, like a serpent's or a worm's.
Four arms extended from her shoulders, like a deity from ancient Terran Indian mythology.
"Lorgar." Her fine, feminine face had become a gaping lion's maw, filled with malformed teeth.
Lorgar took a deep breath of the clean air provided by his armor's filtration. The scent of ritual purification oils mixed with the coppery stench in his nose.
"The air of this world is unbreathable. But you are unaffected."
"You are unique among the sons of the Accursed One."
"You were once lost."
"Your mastery comes from understanding. When you comprehend your purpose, the gods will bless you."
Lorgar shook his head. "I was born of the mightiest human. I am a Primarch. But I am still a man."
He looked out over the dust-choked world. The ruins of Monarchia came to mind.
"What is this world called?"
"The Aeldari once called it Ikrexa. After the birth of She Who Thirsts, Slaanesh, it became known as Xalyal'sa."
Lorgar gave a soft laugh. Shortly after his departure from Colchis, he had encountered an Aeldari fleet.
During his meeting with a Farseer, he had learned the Aeldari language.
"Never forget."
"The Imperium has encountered the Aeldari many times. My brother Magnus is always lenient with them."
"Another brother, Nareth, shows no mercy. He recently destroyed a craftworld, Magc'Sithraal."
"Magnus and Nareth. The gods know them." The Ascended One's two eyes blinked simultaneously.
One eye, swollen and bloodshot, bulged from its socket, unblinking.
The other, sunken, was buried deep in her skull.
"They, like you, are names that often travel the threads of fate."
The Ascended One's body slid towards the west. "These ruins, the graveyard of a craftworld, are also the place where the Soul-Shatterer escaped Slaanesh's birth."
Lorgar stared at the red, bone-like ruins, the protrusions from the ground resembling the ribcage of some dead monster.
"How many died here?"
"This was the craftworld Zu'lasa," the Ascended One raised her four limbs. "At the moment of Slaanesh's birth, two hundred thousand souls were shattered."
"Two hundred thousand." Lorgar echoed softly.
"How many Aeldari are there in total?"
"Countless billions." The Ascended One's shoulders rose in the wind.
"Slaanesh was born in the mind of every Aeldari, tearing apart their bodies, shattering their souls."
Lorgar gripped the Illuminarum tighter. Suddenly, he strode towards the ruins.
The Ascended One vanished without a sound.
Lorgar inhaled, releasing the psychic gift he had been suppressing.
He followed the presence of a raging entity across the red sand.
Lorgar stopped, looking down at the ground before him.
It was as majestic as the statues of the God-Emperor... no, of his father, that had stood in Monarchia.
But it had clearly suffered some supernatural decay. It was a crawling husk.
A heart of molten lava pulsed within its blackstone bones. Its skin had turned to grey charcoal. Smoke rose from its ancient cracks.
"I am Lorgar."
The god looked up, revealing black teeth and grey gums.
It tried to speak, but only sand poured from its mouth.
The Ascended One, her black wings spread, appeared. "Lorgar."
"That is an avatar of Kaela Mensha Khaine."
Lorgar shrugged. "I have not heard the name."
"The Bloody-Handed God of the Aeldari." The Ascended One's voice was sardonic.
"Look behind you."
Lorgar turned, seeing shadows drifting through the sand and wind.
"Mon-keigh," the wind whispered. "Sha'eil. Sha'eil. Sha'eil."
Lorgar knew the Aeldari word, hell. A place of purest evil.
"Lorgar, this is a lesson." The Ascended One's warning voice echoed.
"Even gods can be as foolish, as stupid, as mortals."
"Their obstinacy has imperiled the truth."
"Now, it is dead. This world is no longer tainted by false idols. Do you understand?"
The Ascended One saw Lorgar lost in thought. "Even gods can die. Remember these words before the end comes."
"Show me the end."
Scenes flashed rapidly before Lorgar's eyes:
Before a gate of the End, the Eternity Gate of the Imperium, a creature of smoke and wings of fire tore apart Imperial Fists in yellow armor.
Humanoids in unfamiliar red armor, their gauntlets like claws ending in black barbs.
Their armor was covered in prayer scrolls. Twisted faces leered from their pauldrons.
Word Bearers.
What had his Legion become?
"What you see is the future, forty-seven years from now," the Ascended One's voice cut in.
"The galaxy will burn."
"This war will be started by you. But it will not be led by you."
"This war will bring Truth to humanity. You came seeking gods. Now you have found them. This is the destiny the gods have set for you."
The Ascended One leaped before Lorgar.
"Humanity must accept the truth of the divine's existence, or suffer the same fate as the Aeldari."
Lorgar shook his head. "Humanity will not accept such horrors."
"Will they not? These things are only horrible because they are seen by mortal eyes." The Ascended One soared, dancing.
"Without faith in the True Gods, humanity will descend into faithlessness. They will lack the strength to survive in a cruel galaxy."
"Your race will fade away. The gods will crush all who turn from the true faith."
"Even if I believed all this..." Lorgar felt a chill. "I have only one hundred thousand warriors. I cannot bring light to humanity."
The Ascended One laughed softly. "As you liberate world after world, you will attract more."
"From now on, you will not spend years building perfect worlds for the Accursed One."
"You will crush resistance. You will welcome new human believers into your fold."
"You will lead them towards enlightenment. Many will be nurtured into Legion warriors. Some will become slaves in the holds of your warships. Still others will become your faithful."
Lorgar clenched his teeth. "Why me?"
The Ascended One's two eyes fixed on Lorgar. "The warriors of other Legions would die for their Primarchs. But only the Word Bearers will die for Truth, and sacrifice themselves for humanity."
...
Lorgar returned to Xalyal'sa, defeating the guardian of the Skull Throne, the Great Bloodthirster, Ka'Bandha the Unfettered. He lay wounded in the red sand, having passed the test.
A cawing cry. A winged monster flew overhead.
A bizarre, ugly bird. One of its two vulture-like heads spoke. "Lorgar." It said. "I bring the chance to learn the final truth."
A foul smell wafted from its wings. "Aurelian," said the other head. "I bring the final lie you will hear."
"I am Kairos," both heads spoke in unison. "The mortal world knows me by another name. The Fate Weaver."
"I am the emissary of Tzeentch. I am bound to speak a truth and a lie simultaneously."
"But in this great and sacred moment, a convergence of all things, a pivot point."
"This moment is critical. For the first time, the endless, Great Game of the gods is united."
"And the Unfettered one?" Lorgar demanded.
"Khorne has violated the accord. But the Blood God is still bound. His oath holds."
"The gods, like the Primarchs of your race, will war with each other. Just as you will wage war against your brothers."
"Conflict is eternal. Struggle is survival."
Kairos shook his dry wings. Several blue-black feathers fell.
"In this critical moment, the Great Gods command me to speak only truth. I have sworn to offer a choice before the chosen of the gods."
"Only this once, there is no lie in me. I will not speak deception from one head while speaking truth from the other."
"Lorgar, I bring you a choice." Kairos's four watery eyes held a serious expression.
"Speak then." Lorgar struggled to his feet.
"The future is not yet entirely written. But all things converge."
"War will come to the Imperium of Man. You will face one of your brothers again."
"Nareth. He has stolen the artifact meant for you." One head spoke.
"Guilliman. The brother you despise and reject." The other head spoke.
"This is the prophecy," both heads spoke in unison.
"Lorgar, you will not always be on the losing side."
"You will find strength in faith. You will find fire and passion. You will find the soul you were meant to have."
"Victory will be yours."
Four gleaming eyes. "Lorgar, choose. Nareth or Guilliman."
"I do not do this for myself," Lorgar spoke.
"I seek enlightenment for humanity. Not my own glory."
One of Kairos's heads bowed, showing a strange respect. "Where your race needs you most, is Ardium."
His other head bowed. "You still have a chance. Though Nareth is mighty, he is still far from perfect."
....
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