Chapter 60: Lorgar Gives Too Much
"Lord Erebus! Good morning!"
There was no true time within the Warp.
But there were still… routines.
And irritations.
Erebus stared at the figure before him.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Khârn.
Smiling.
Brightly.
Erebus almost reached for the nearest relic just to pin him to a wall.
"Khârn," Erebus said cautiously, "are you…well?"
Khârn's grin didn't falter.
Not even slightly.
For a fleeting moment—
Erebus thought he saw something else layered beneath it.
Something… blue.
Shifting.
Watching.
Without warning—
Bang.
Erebus struck him across the head.
Khârn blinked.
Then looked back, confused.
"My brother," Khârn said earnestly, "what troubles you?"
Erebus felt something rare.
Unease.
"Lord Erebus!" Khârn suddenly dropped to one knee.
"Please—save our Primarch."
A pause.
"I will," Erebus said.
"Do not abandon him."
"I won't."
Khârn leaned forward, voice filled with conviction.
"Then I invite you to join the World Eaters. Stand beside our Primarch. Become his right hand!"
Erebus closed his eyes.
Counted.
Once.
Twice.
"…I will have Lorgar beat you unconscious."
Something had gone very wrong.
This was worse than hatred.
Worse than rivalry.
Khârn was being reasonable.
"This is the work of the Warp," Erebus muttered. "It has to be."
Before Khârn could continue—
A shadow fell across him.
Lorgar Aurelian.
In one smooth motion, Lorgar covered Khârn's mouth and restrained him.
"Erebus," Lorgar said coldly, "this is heresy."
"…It's a suggestion," Erebus replied.
"It is heresy," Lorgar repeated.
Their eyes met.
For a moment—
Erebus actually considered arguing.
Then he sighed.
"…Fine."
Lorgar nodded once.
Then dragged Khârn away.
"Lord Erebus—mmph—this arrangement—mmph—"
A dull impact.
Silence.
Lorgar didn't look back.
"There are ways to correct such deviations," he said calmly.
Erebus watched them go.
"…I preferred him when he was trying to kill me."
Beyond Reality — The Great Game
Far deeper within the Warp—
Beyond mortal comprehension—
A chamber formed.
Not built.
Not created.
But imposed.
Five presences gathered.
Red.
Endless rage.
Green.
Rotting eternity.
Blue.
Shifting infinity.
Pink.
Perfect excess.
And—
Gold.
"I require an explanation."
The voice of Khorne shook the void.
"Deliver Erebus."
The Warp trembled.
Even fewer daemons scattered from the echo.
The golden presence—the Emperor—remained unmoved.
"You presume much," he said.
"Do not provoke me," Khorne replied.
A ripple of laughter broke the tension.
Tzeentch, the Architect of Fate, spoke with amused curiosity.
"Oh, let us not be hasty. The threads are already so… entertaining."
He had seen possibilities.
Many.
In some—
Erebus fell.
In others—
He rose.
And in all—
Chaos followed.
"You all place too much faith in rumor," Tzeentch continued. "A new god? Truly?"
Silence.
Then—
A soft, indulgent voice.
Slaanesh.
"Perhaps not a god," the Prince of Excess mused, "but something… delightful."
The Emperor spoke again.
"You want him."
It was not a question.
Khorne answered.
"Yes."
The Emperor considered.
Then—
He smiled.
"You may try."
The Warp shifted.
"You will not act directly," he continued. "You will not strike at him yourselves."
A pause.
"But you may tempt him."
Tzeentch leaned forward.
"A game."
"Exactly."
Khorne growled.
"And if we succeed?"
The Emperor's voice was calm.
"You may claim a Primarch."
Silence fell instantly.
"…Which?" Khorne asked.
"If you succeed," the Emperor said, "you may take Sanguinius."
The Warp shuddered.
Tzeentch laughed softly.
"I will participate."
Slaanesh smiled.
"How could I refuse?"
Nurgle said nothing.
But his presence lingered.
"And if you fail?" the Emperor added.
Khorne snorted.
"We do not fail."
The Emperor said nothing.
Because he knew—
That was the point.
Aboard the Conqueror
"Achoo."
Erebus frowned.
"…Someone is plotting something."
Nearby—
Angron sat cross-legged, unusually quiet.
And Lorgar—
Had not slept.
For three days.
He stood beside Erebus now.
Eyes burning with intensity.
"Erebus," Lorgar said, "I have made a decision."
Erebus immediately felt uneasy.
"I will elevate you."
"…That sounds dangerous."
"You will act as my voice. My authority. My equal in all matters of doctrine and command."
Erebus blinked.
"I will handle all administrative burdens," Lorgar continued. "For the next thirty years."
Silence.
Thirty.
Years.
Erebus felt something inside him break.
"…You're serious."
"Completely."
Erebus looked away.
He had considered leaving.
Briefly.
Now?
Impossible.
Who would abandon this?
"No paperwork?" Erebus asked carefully.
"None."
"…Done."
Angron glanced over.
"…You sold yourself quickly."
Erebus shook his head.
"No. I saved myself."
Arrival
A Word Bearer entered and knelt.
"My lords, Terra approaches."
Lorgar's expression lit up.
"Excellent."
He seized Erebus by the arm.
"Come. We will present this to the Emperor."
"…Present what?" Erebus asked.
"Your appointment."
"…You didn't say anything about—"
"I will request it personally."
Erebus stared at him.
Then, at Terra, glowing in the distance.
Then back at Lorgar.
"…I can still refuse, right?"
Lorgar smiled.
"No."
Erebus sighed.
"…Of course not."
And somewhere—
Far beyond sight—
The Great Game began.
End of Chapter
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