Under cover of night, avoiding patrols, I trotted across another street. I tried to navigate my way through dark places, but the closer I got to the Bonte skyscraper, the fewer such places there were. At some point, the density of patrols reached its peak and I actually ran into a wall of checkpoints. There were even Mologost guards here, trying to control the situation and monitor the loyalty of individuals.
But they couldn't control everything. Drakernor was too big a world with too many people. And even though Mologost led an entire fleet, he couldn't throw all his forces into the garrisons. The situation was rapidly escalating, and rumors were spreading among the people that the capital would soon be engulfed in flames. And even though no one shared their plans with these people, rumors don't just appear. Hard times are coming.
Meanwhile, I went out at the appointed time, to the appointed guards of Bonte. They recognized me immediately, after which they led me through the checkpoints into the skyscraper. I entered through the back entrance, so that no one would know about our meeting.
Bonte met me in the same office. He was as white as death itself, and had also lost weight due to stress. The last few days had been extremely difficult for him. His family had come under attack from cultists, his troubled but beloved daughter had been captured, and he was losing control of the situation faster and faster. The governor was tightening the screws, Mologost was demanding obedience and compliance, the other aristocrats were thinking only of their own benefit, and the alliance with them was not as productive as he had planned.
I even felt a little sorry for him. However, this pity belonged to Father Bonte. However, he was not only a father, but also an aristocrat who built his well-being on someone else's blood. Therefore, I also despised him, hated him and wanted him to go through everything that he made others go through, directly or indirectly. And I had such an opportunity, which I had to consciously refuse.
"This is for you," I said and threw the envelope on the table, I really did throw it, after which I remained standing and looking at the broken Bonte.
He grimaced, but opened the envelope and his face immediately changed. The fact that I had humiliated him with such a throw was immediately forgotten, and he himself looked at me with incredible hope.
- Send a team right now. Act quickly, ask the guard for help. Tell them that your intelligence worked. Ms. Kilor decided that it would be better to pass this information through you.
— I heard that she was locked in the cabin after... ahem... her prank.
"You heard what was to her advantage, Mr. Bonte," I replied without showing any emotion, happily noting that Mologost had isolated this crazy bitch, on whose name I had based my entire plan. "This gift to you will be a gesture of goodwill. Not everything is going according to our plan, but the Kilor family still believes in you. The governor is scared, he is losing control, you must become the head of the nobility. In the indicated place, in addition to your daughter, there are other prisoners. With their help, you will gain support, increase your reputation and oblige your allies.
- I will do everything. I will do everything in the best possible way.
"I have no doubt, Mr. Bonte," I said and smiled. "Go to work."
Fear made people predictable. Despair killed their initiative. Weakness of will deprived them of the opportunity to take risks. All this allowed them to be twirled as they pleased. I, on the other hand, slowly and surely put roots into other people's souls, penetrated their thoughts, put on leashes and, although I did not set the stage yet, I expanded the area of my possibilities.
Of course, I didn't know what would happen tomorrow, what god would turn my luck around. And yet, while cultivating Bonte, I enlisted his support. And if everything works out, then I will have an extremely strong figure, and if not... well, who cares, I didn't put anything into it except lies. It was the same with the cult, which I didn't like, but for now it was valuable to me.
Playing for both sides at once gave me more control over the situation and increased my chances of survival. In addition, such a strategy allowed me to maintain a relative balance of power. I needed a protracted conflict, ideally for them to wear each other out. True, it will be difficult to weaken Mologost, not only is he strong, but he is also extremely careful. I also don't understand what exactly he has planned and what he constantly talks about with the xenos and the governor.
Soon I moved away from the center again, went into the dark alleys and stopped. I looked at my watch, started measuring the time, lit a cigarette. I had to wait ten or fifteen minutes. Mals wanted to talk about something, so I waited for him. He showed up only half an hour later.
- Sorry, I'm late. Let's go quickly, - Mals suddenly came out of the shadows towards me, who, although he was late, immediately went further down the alley.
"Where to?" I asked him, breaking into a quick walk to catch up with him.
— To the shelter.
- Is there a shelter here? I saw the maps and...
— Until today, only Detrius and a few other cultists, who had already become dead, knew about him.
- And why such a cover-up? What is he planning?
"Changes are coming and you'll see them soon. You'll like it," Mals said, and then we went out into the dark street and climbed into a manhole.
We walked for about half an hour, and met another group of cultists on the way. And then we found a whole spacious stone hall. When this place was a purification center, there was a giant reservoir right in the floor, but it was empty long ago and the place itself was abandoned when the water supply system was modernized.
And here already several hundred cultists had gathered. Chosen for today's special meeting, they were all waiting for Detrius to arrive.
"Let's go forward," Mals said and began to push his way through the crowd, leading me behind him.
And we approached the reservoir, at the bottom of which I suddenly saw the captive nobles. I was very surprised, and then froze in shock. I immediately saw Bonte's daughter, who should not have been here. My intuition immediately screamed. I sensed danger, the situation instantly got out of control, and all my plans were rapidly collapsing. Detrius was playing his own game and did not warn anyone about it. I underestimated him.
And then Detrius himself appeared, descending on a platform from the ceiling. The platform was secured with chains and thanks to it everyone could see him. The head of the cult himself began to give a typical speech, praising his followers, praising them for their successes and telling what a huge ransom we had already received for the captives who had not yet been returned.
The aristocrats did not give money, they shared weapons, medicines, released captured cultists and even agreed to make concessions in the maintenance of slaves. The latter, of course, was a temporary measure, because as soon as the aristocrats got what they wanted, they would immediately return everything to normal or crush the faces of the scum even more tightly with their boots. And Detrius understood everything, but continued to talk, smiling more and more often and sometimes stopping his gaze specifically on me.
Coincidence? Accident? Maybe I was just winding myself up? But he really did look at me longer than the others, sometimes boring into me with his gaze. I felt sick, every action he took seemed to be aimed at showing me his superiority. At some point, I glanced sideways at Mals.
He just stood there and looked at his leader, but it suddenly seemed to me that everyone around, all these hundreds of people, were in cahoots. It wasn't a panic attack, but it was hard to compare this feeling to anything else. The anxiety was growing, and the understanding was rapidly decreasing. I even wanted to leave, but the cultists behind me were pushing me to get a closer look at Detrius hanging on the platform.
- And we will indeed return these prisoners, as we promised! - Detrius exclaimed and smiled so kindly, looked down from the platform, straight at the prisoners, who raised their eyes to him. - You will all live, don't worry! You will be handed over soon!
At that moment I realized that Detrius was lying, and his kind smile turned into an evil grin. The other cultists understood everything too, but the prisoners below... such hope lit up in them that it was hard to imagine. After imprisonment, long days alone with terrible thoughts and fear, they suddenly saw a ray of light. Everything will be fine, they will be ransomed, they will return home... such a wonderful feeling.
And one by one the prisoners began to lose consciousness without even noticing it. They did not see the gas, did not smell it, they simply fell, and the dying mind continued to concentrate on the last feelings. At that moment the runes became clear and the warp began to play. Detrius stood on the platform and directed this sacrifice intended for the dark god.
"I want to leave," I said, feeling like I was running out of oxygen.
But no one heard me, everyone watched as Detrius slowly began to change. Different colors began to shine around him, his hair changed color, but the most frightening thing was his aura. Detrius' psychic abilities seemed to increase. For his services, Detrius received gifts from Tzeentch, who was glad that another world was beginning to be torn apart by change. These souls of ambitious nobles full of hope were just an additional delicacy, but Detrius' intrigue was most marked.
- Ha-ha-ha, these nobles gave us their wealth, thinking that we could be bought! - he laughed and his voice rumbled like thunder, while his hair began to shimmer with all the colors. - This showed their weakness! We no longer need negotiations! Soon we will strike such a blow that the governor will shoot himself in his office after it, and the sky will cry with steel rain! Change has come, friends! Nothing can stop us!
And at that moment the platform lowered, after which Detrius came down to the same level as us and confidently approached me. This time he definitely looked me straight in the eye and smiled. Then he came closer and whispered in my ear:
- You thought you were the most cunning here? I knew about your every move, Lex. But even though Tzeentch marked you, but... - Detrius laughed quietly. - Now it is clear who his favorite is. Unfortunately, your ambitions turned out to be too far removed from your capabilities. We will not see each other again.
And at that moment, Detrius's will invaded my mind and I simply lost consciousness. The other cultists did not react to this at all. They were completely subordinate to their leader, who could point to anyone and accuse them of treason. His power in the cult became absolute, and I... I really was very wrong when I dared to underestimate Detrius.
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