Nareth watched as Mortarion gave him a slight nod, then walked towards the stone pillar at the center of the camp.
The Barbarans lit fires, letting out excited cries.
Nareth frowned slightly, thinking to himself.
'Mortarion brought these psykers to the camp to burn them at the stake, like the witch-burnings of ancient Terra.'
He looked again at the children. They clearly also realized the grim fate awaiting them.
The Death-Son brought death not only to xenos but also to psykers he encountered.
Nareth's gaze finally settled on the child with the strong will and outstanding psychic talent. A thought stirred within him.
'Should I save him?'
Nareth's eyes swept over Calas Typhon standing nearby. Typhon opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Nareth knew Typhon was a psyker. He was the offspring of an Overlord and a human, inheriting the psychic talent of his xeno father.
Typhon would not use his powers before Mortarion, but in secret, he had not abandoned his innate gift.
Guided by whispers, he honed his psychic skills.
In the future, the Death Guard would be one of the few Legions without a Librarius, but Typhon, as First Captain, would use his authority to gather a group of psykers.
But during the Barbarans' preparations to judge the witches, Typhon clearly had no means to save these psykers. That would bring him into direct conflict with Mortarion.
Nareth's gaze fell upon the child who did not beg for mercy.
He knew that if he wanted to save this child of high psychic potential, he had to decide before Mortarion reached the stone pillar.
Once the child was bound, making a request later would be met with outright refusal from Mortarion. Saving him would then be impossible without resorting to force.
Nareth's mind raced, weighing the considerations.
'The friendly trade conducted earlier provided significant aid to Mortarion. Among the Primarchs who support psychic use, I would have a more friendly relationship with him than Magnus, Sanguinius, or Jaghatai.'
'Saving these children will certainly affect my relationship with Mortarion.'
'But how important is this so-called friendship to me, anyway?'
Nareth shifted his gaze to Mortarion.
'Once Mortarion joins the Imperium and discovers the Shadow of Order has numerous psykers, and learns I am a key figure advocating for the Librarius, he certainly won't be my friend.'
'Moreover, Mortarion will most likely turn traitor in the end.'
'Although I used trade instead of direct action to eliminate the resentment he felt towards the Emperor for interfering and preventing him from completing his mission, that's only part of the reason for his fall.'
Nareth knew Mortarion's dissatisfaction with the Imperium's harsh policies, his feeling of being underutilized and unable to fully apply his abilities, were also significant factors.
These were things he could not change, or rather, was unwilling to expend great effort to change.
'Among the traitor Primarchs, Mortarion isn't worth expending great effort to change.'
'My favorite is Magnus, but he and his Legion are deeply entangled in Tzeentch's woven plots, making his redemption far too difficult.'
Nareth reviewed the traitor Primarchs. Since he could cultivate beyonders, combat power wasn't his primary consideration. Absolute loyalty and unique abilities were more crucial.
'Perturabo seems the most worthy of saving. After his fall, he isn't truly loyal to any of the Four Gods.'
'He possesses unique technical abilities. His binary coding skills are so advanced he can program Titan machine-spirits from scratch. He has good abilities in architecture, organization, and more.'
'If, during the Great Scouring, the Kingdom of Disorder can ensure a Primarch's absolute loyalty to me, it might be worth the effort to recruit him.'
Nareth reined in his thoughts, refocusing on Mortarion.
He considered Typhon, Mortarion's most trusted individual, who would become Nurgle's chosen herald. It was nearly impossible for Mortarion not to fall with such influence.
Having thought this far, Nareth made his decision.
'Since Mortarion and I will ultimately be at odds, I might as well save these children now and gain a talented individual.'
'Moreover, Mortarion is ultimately a rational being, capable of communication.'
'Just as he weighed his options before embracing Chaos, his so-called hatred of witchcraft is not absolute for Mortarion.'
Thinking this, Nareth moved, appearing before Mortarion. He spoke:
"Mortarion, I want these children."
Mortarion halted, replying coldly.
"All witches must be judged."
"Death is the fate they deserve."
"Step aside!"
Mortarion's ashen hand rested on the wooden haft of his scythe.
Instantly, the entire camp fell into an eerie silence. The elite warriors behind him tensely gripped their weapons.
Though aware of Nareth's power, they were willing to follow Mortarion even onto the path of death.
Mortarion had saved them from the xenos and brought them liberation.
The Barbarans were gripped by fear, their filters making their breathing labored.
Nareth remained composed, speaking in a "lawyer's" tone.
"Nothing is absolute."
"I will take these children. They will have no impact on Barbarus."
"If what you can obtain in exchange brings liberation to Barbarus, allowing you to kill all Overlords, would it not be worth it?"
Mortarion, his face mostly obscured by white cloth, betrayed no expression.
Typhon stepped forward, standing beside Mortarion, breaking the strange silence.
"He speaks truth. Exchanging these children for Barbarus's future is worth it!"
Mortarion's hand moved away from the scythe. After another moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"I want armor and weapons custom-made for me."
Mortarion remembered the power of the xenos who raised him, the Pale King Necare. He had no certainty of victory.
The weapons he forged, and those currently provided by Nareth, could not fully unleash his capabilities.
With powerful weapons and armor, he was sure he could kill Necare.
"Agreed."
Nareth stepped forward, taking the chain from Mortarion's hand. He clenched his fist, and a section of the chain shattered.
He walked towards the children. Links of the chain crumbled in succession.
The youth stared dumbfounded at the approaching giant, having understood the conversation between him and the Death-Son.
He knew he was saved. The golden wings, illuminated by the flame's light, seemed to shine into his heart.
He knelt on one knee and spoke.
"You saved me. My life is yours."
"Ithan, forever loyal to you."
"Come with me," Nareth said with a slight nod, his voice deep.
Ithan rose, following the black-armored giant as they walked through the crowd of pale-skinned people.
Fifteen days later, Mortarion, clad in a suit of ceramite armor and carrying a three-meter-long scythe, stood before Nareth.
"You have kept your promise."
Watching Mortarion turn and leave, Nareth thought to himself.
'Hmm, the trade wasn't wasted. Besides the flora, fauna, and potion ingredients, at least my relationship with Mortarion isn't hostile. If he falls, he probably won't specifically target my domains.'
'Most importantly, I didn't become the scapegoat for the Emperor.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu