Secret War: Upon Blood Sands

Chapter 41

'What?' said Attelus.

The daemon smiled, or at least it may have been a smile. 'Well...an ultimatum, to be more precise. You can either pledge your allegiance to the blood god, or I will just slaughter you, and you will become his servant either way.'

'W-why?'

Kharkartskar shrugged. 'If you give your soul, it will allow Him to grant you strength. Did you ever wonder why it was always cultists that could match you? That received his blessings?'

'No...not really. I was...too busy trying not to die.'

Attelus couldn't help wonder why in hell was he treating with this abomination?

The daemon's snarling maw grimaced.

'Then you are a fool.'

Attelus just shrugged.

'You may be a fool, but you do not mindlessly worship that corpse-like rest of your kind.'

'I worship no one and nothing,' said Attelus, defiance echoed through the white void despite the fear throughout him and the bemusement. 'And I prefer it stays that way.'

Much to Attelus' surprise, the daemon let out a chuckle as dry as the desert. 'Even if you will be given the power necessary to defeat your father?'

Attelus didn't reply.

'Even if you will be treated to a lifetime of slaughter? To be free from the constraints of your Imperium and free to kill and kill and kill. You enjoy killing-'

'I don't enjoy killing, daemon. Don't presume to know me.'

'Oh, but I do, little perpetual. The warp knows you. Knows you better than you know yourself. You are a murderer through and through. You fight nought for the anathema nor the foolish, transient realm which you call The Imperium of Mankind. You merely fight to sate your bloodlust for the joy of the fight. To test your martial prowess against a worthy opponent. Is that correct?'

Attelus couldn't help grimace as the words kind of swept through his mind.

'I fight to bring Etuarq to justice,' said Attelus. 'To make sure his conspiracy is ended!'

'And if you pledge your allegiance to my master, he will make sure you have the necessary power to accomplish that.'

'What?'

The daemon laughed again. 'You do not still think that he is in service to us? You truly are a fool. He is our enemy as much as he is yours. But that is just your ulterior motive. Once all have joined under my master's sway, they will leave unto the stars and spread slaughter and the Blood god's blessing and with you at the fore as His mortal champion!'

Despite everything, Attelus couldn't help scoff as he began to circle the daemon, and it started to circle in turn. 'Champion? If your "god" knows me more than I know myself: it'd know that I'm a shit leader, to say the very least.'

'Champion and leader are not the same thing, fool. The former general, Tathe, will act as the army's commander as well as his son, the commissar.'

Attelus straightened. 'Will they be immortal out there, too?'

'No,' said the daemon and Attelus hoped it would elaborate, but it said nothing more.

'So, if I pledge my allegiance now, I will be given enough strength to kill my father, right here? Right now?'

Kharkartskar grimaced, and the remnants of its wings kicked out in what may've been irritation. 'I explained that already. Your father humiliated you, defeated you with contemptuous ease. Wouldn't you love to inflict such agony upon him? Crave it?