"And why the hell did you bring him here, asshole?" the first thing I heard as I came to my senses was a scream.
- What should I have done? This is one of the imperial dogs! They have arrived here! They are deciding something with the governor!
- THAT'S EXACTLY IT!!! WHY THE HELL DID YOU DRAG HIM HERE⁈ THEY'LL KILL US ALL!!!
- He came to my library and asked for books about Tzeentch!
"He knows? Your mother!" Another scream was accompanied by the sound of breaking glass, as if someone had thrown something against the wall. "What else does he know?"
- That's why I brought him here. We'll sort it out if you stop yelling.
- Sorry, just...
- I understand, it happens. Let me drag him in and interrogate him?
- He's already regained consciousness. Go ahead and drag him, but be careful.
And a second later there was the sound of a door opening, after which I was lifted up and dragged into another room. There I was seated on a chair and only after that the bag was removed. My hands and feet were tightly bound with ropes. I sat in front of the table and looked at the screaming man. Tired, pale, bald, with a flat face and gray eyes, he was quite thin. The librarian remained standing behind me, whom I did not see, but recognized by his voice.
"Well, hello," I said, after which I immediately received a stun gun to the shoulder.
"Shut your mouth and speak when asked!" the librarian barked as I groaned in pain and twitched nervously from muscle contractions.
"Who do you work for?" asked the apparently flat-faced leader of the gang.
- I'm just a mercenary, but for the fact that you kidnapped me, you all, your families, your friends and...
I was shocked again, this time in the neck, causing me to lose consciousness, but soon water was poured on me and I came to.
— Who do you work for?
— Mercenary. Protecting Vindoriya Kilor, a diplomat who arrived on this world. Although I am more of a toy in her hands than a bodyguard.
"That's true," the librarian interjected. "He doesn't look like a professional soldier. And such important people are usually protected much better."
"How do you know about Tzeentch?" the gang leader continued asking, not reacting to the comment.
- And you are, like, from the Inquisition?
"Listen to me," the librarian growled and came up to me, then leaned over and grabbed me by the throat. "If you're slow, I'll start breaking your fingers. If you try to dodge or lie, I'll start peeling the skin off them."
"I know him personally," I answered, swallowing, realizing that no one would believe me, but I couldn't resist being interrogated under the gaze of this bald man with a flat face, nor could I lie.
"You have made a choice," the librarian said, turning pale from incredible impudence.
"Wait, he's not lying," the leader said in surprise.
- What?
- But we need to check.
"I swear there's no need to check," I tensed up, but the table in front of the bald man had already begun to become covered with a strange frost.
I was already prepared to die, because this damn sorcerer clearly planned to burn out my brains and then mentally rape me. Even from his ugly mug it was clear that nothing good could be expected from him. He was clearly one of these or those, but definitely not one of our normal ones. And what a pity that my stub-revolvers were taken away, then he would have at least tried to shoot himself.
But a second passed, then another, and I continued to be scared only because I was winding myself up. I didn't even have a migraine, but the bald man suddenly began to turn even paler. Fear gradually appeared in his eyes, and he himself began to sag in his chair. His mind was carried further and further away, until a thousand voices began to sound in my head. No, Tzeentch did not personally protect me, but I was under his influence and spell.
And when the psyker began to look where he shouldn't, they looked back at him.
"Untie him, Mals," the bald man said quietly, then covered his eyes with a trembling hand.
The librarian was even more surprised, because he had never seen the head of not just a gang, but a cult, so weakened and... pathetic.
"What is your name?" the bald man asked, still covering his eyes with his hand so that no one would see the fear that filled his heart.
— Lex.
— Surprisingly... I did not think that with the arrival of the Imperial Rogue Trader we would find a friend, not an enemy. My name is Detrius, I am a Zeta-level psyker, the head of the Tzeentch cult. We have been working in this world for a long time, but... preparing the population is difficult. The authorities only love money, the xenos do not trust us, and we ourselves are few in number and weak. For now, weak. Change is coming, and you are the first sign that everything will soon be turned upside down.
"Unless you start telling everyone you meet about Tzeentch," the librarian muttered and only now cut my ropes.
"So I knew that one of ours worked in this library," I immediately said confidently, stretching my swollen wrists.
- Where?
"Tzeentch said," I replied, raising my hands and lifting my head slightly. "He sees our every move. He is a god."
- Give him back his things, Mals.
Mals frowned and left. He apparently still didn't trust me, but he listened to his leader. Such mistrust was understandable, because I was acting strangely, but that's how it turned out. Luckily, at least that bald Detrius trusted me unconditionally, having communicated with Chaos through my soul or whatever he did there.
- You are a psyker, what level?
- What? I'm not a psyker.
- I saw your reaction to mental influence.
— Maybe it's because of Tzeentch's patronage?
- No, that's different. However, I'm inclined to believe that you are a psyker. For now, you can be classified as an ommicron level, since you apparently didn't even suspect that you had abilities. However, if Chaos itself has paid attention to you... perhaps your potential is much higher. I'm a bad teacher, but I'll tell you everything I know.
And with that Detriy smiled, after which the frost appeared again and I felt a push in my chest. Quite a strong one, because I moved back on the chair about twenty centimeters, being of a very dense build.
- Telekinesis. I don't have it perfectly yet, but it helps a lot in battle.
At that moment, Mals returned and gave me back my equipment.
- Well then... if that's the case, then it's time to act. Either now or never, - meanwhile, Derii stood up from his seat while I was still putting on my double holster.
- What?
- You came to help us. The Imperium's Rogue Trader has arrived here to subjugate the governor and enslave our world, to impose tribute on him and take people to war. We don't need this, we are tired of dictatorship, of the tyranny of the nobles, of the lawlessness of the military and all kinds of oppression. The time for change has come, which means it's time to make a statement.
- So you just said that your cult is weak.
- Yes. Because we acted as covertly as possible. But the people will support us. No one liked the governor, and his groveling before the diplomats who arrived is not liked even by some nobles. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, yes? So they will see us as a friend. And the very fact of your arrival is a sign to begin. Tzeentch wants us to act.
I slowly took out a cigarette and lit it. Derius was clearly crazy, since he saw some signs and thought he knew what Tzeentch wanted. Then again, he was a psyker and the head of a cult. All cultists were crazy. Just like they worshiped some higher powers, so why should I be surprised by their belief in some signs? But most of all, I was now worried about saving my ass and living longer. Or maybe shoot myself before it was too late? Oh no, I might end up in the body of a swineherd from a feudal world, well, that's it. Things weren't that bad yet.
"So… what's the plan?" I asked, putting one hand in my pocket and holding a cigarette with the other and looking down at Deriy, trying to demonstrate my complete confidence.
"We'll blow up the weapons factory, brother," said Deriy with a mad smile and put his hand on my shoulder. "We'll shake up this rabble and make them afraid of us. And even though there's a high probability that we'll lose, it's better for Dreikernor to burn in flames than to continue to drag out its hopeless existence.
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