Chapter 19
The valley near the Black Fire Pass was quiet. I saw only the crowns of trees trembling in the wind and mountain peaks rising to the sky. The cool air was pleasantly refreshing during the day, but bit to the bone in the evening. Several times we were caught in brief but heavy downpours or flakes of wet snow, yet everyone's mood was excellent. Mutants no longer bothered us. The only reminder of their existence was the partially dismembered corpses we encountered on the path. That was the work of the silent elf, who walked ahead of the detachment.
— Look! She has three tits! — exclaimed Stefan, pointing to one of five mutant corpses on the roadside.
Among them, indeed, lay the remains of an extremely dirty, semi-naked woman whose toothed maw was frozen in a silent grimace. Three breasts in a row could be seen on her thin body.
— Stop gawking at that heretical filth! — Marcus Schlossberg scolded him.
— No need to gawk, — Adora agreed. — But we should check if the Mute Woman left anything for us.
It was, of course, I who started calling the keen-ear the Mute Woman, and the others picked it up. Every time I heard it, I smiled slightly at the Metal Gear reference. Though only I understood it here.
The elf occasionally came to us to deliver some important news, but then always walked ahead. We marched behind her, like a flock of ravens after a lynx, finishing off her prey. We collected trophies from the mutants, and Magg would then reinforce himself with the corpses. Sometimes the Mute Woman left behind the carcasses of mountain goats or wolves. Ordinary people didn't turn up their noses at such game either. A kind of care on her part.
When we saw the tall figure of the Mute Woman walking towards us, we already expected a new batch of news. It turned out to be quite encouraging:
— Beyond this point, the valley is patrolled by humans, — the elf said in Reikspiel, addressing me. — Not servants of Chaos. Now I will walk with you.
— Good, — I nodded.
Our procession continued. The Mute Woman took the right flank, where she immediately became the object of Magg's attention.
— You killed the wolf-headed one, tall skinny girl, and I ate him.
The Mute Woman, living up to her new nickname, said nothing. However, Magg was a self-sufficient conversationalist. He did not require answers to continue the dialogue.
— You fight and hunt well, but you're too thin. Put some meat on your thighs, belly, tits, and you'll be beautiful.
The elf remained calm.
— When I get back, I want to get married, — Magg continued. — And in the meantime, maybe...
Who knows how far this conversation might have gone, but it was interrupted by riders appearing on the road. About two dozen cavalrymen, dressed in black and red, rode out from behind the rocks. There was no doubt—this was an Imperial patrol. Light cavalry, armed with pistols and swords. They were probably undecided about what to do next. From a distance, it was hard to tell which faction our motley crowd of armed vagrants belonged to.
Then Marcus Schlossberg, the other Sigmarites, and the rest of the former slaves started waving to them, crossing themselves with the sign of the Hammer, and praising the Imperial gods as loudly as possible. It worked. Perhaps the pistoleers weren't entirely convinced yet, but they refrained from an immediate attack. Five riders moved in our direction, drawing their formidable firearms from leather holsters, but holding them barrels-up for now. Closing to about twenty meters, the leader of the riders, with a bright red plume on his helmet, shouted:
— In the name of Sigmar, Emperor Karl Franz, and Countess Emmanuelle von Liebwitz, identify yourselves!
— We are simple folk! — Marcus rasped. — Refugees! Victims of greenskin barbarians and Beastmen.
We had agreed beforehand not to mention Ratmen in conversations with Imperials. Skaven, as everyone knows, do not exist. They are merely a silly tale that ignorant parents use to frighten children. There are goat-headed abominations of Chaos, there is a huge variety of mutants, even Daemons capable of materializing seemingly out of thin air. But giant rats? What nonsense!
— And how did you get here through hordes of enemies?! — the rider asked and shifted his gaze to the ogre. — Is he a refugee too?
Eric intervened in the conversation:
— We, Mein Herr, with the esteemed Magg Gut-Smasher, are mercenaries. We were escorting the caravan of the merchant Klarsfeld, may Shallya's mercy preserve him. However, we decided to leave the caravan to help retake a village captured by Goblins. We succeeded.
— We fought our way here with steel and faith! — Marcus spoke up again. — Adora, show him!
The girl had been waiting for her moment. Adora threw down two coarse cloth sacks in front of her. They were partially soaked with dried blood. Adora unfolded the fabric and first showed the riders the head of the werewolf, and then the sorcerer's head. The bronze mask was deliberately turned to the side, revealing a face distorted by horrific mutations. Purple, hairless skin, huge black eyes like a spider's, a lipless mouth full of needle-like teeth. A long, purple-hued tubular tongue hung about thirty centimeters down.
The sorcerer and the werewolf weren't even properly decomposing. Their flesh exuded not the stench of decay, but something unnaturally chemical with sweet notes of cheap perfume.
— Sigmar and Verena! — the rider exclaimed. — Did you kill them?
— The Wulfen was her work, — Marcus pointed to the Mute Woman. — And the vile sorcerer was finished off by Jurgen. I'm sure the Hammer-Wielder himself guided this brave young man's hand.
— Follow us, but don't come too close, — the rider commanded. — We will escort you to the camp.
The former slaves cheered even more. Even the wounded who hadn't fully recovered hobbled as actively as they could behind the Imperial detachment.
— Finally, we're returning home, — Marcus sighed. — From the icy Sea of Claws to the Black Mountains, the Empire stretches. Trouble awaits everywhere. Enemies surround our lands, but humans have proven time and again that we can overcome any trial.
I really wanted to believe that.
Closer to evening, we reached the Imperial camp. Several watchtowers, which previously guarded the pass, had been reinforced with fortifications made of planed pine logs and bags of stones. A simple but effective fort resulted. It occupied the commanding height, protected on both sides by sheer cliffs. Everything looked sturdy, built conscientiously. The black muzzles of cannons and the clustered barrels of organ guns protruded from special embrasures. Dozens, if not hundreds, of soldiers watched us from the towers and other fortifications. Several flying beasts circled over the mountains. Probably a Gryphon and a Pegasus.
I heard shouts of admiration among the former slaves.
— Finally safe, — one of the women said with tears in her eyes.
But I wouldn't rush to rejoice. These troops were gathered here for a reason. They were preparing to repel an invasion by the forces of Chaos. It was very important for me to understand who was leading this army of evil.
The pistoleers escorted us to the massive wooden gates, reinforced with iron. The doors opened, letting the riders through, and we were ordered to wait outside. However, we didn't have to linger near the fortress for long. Soon, an entire delegation emerged from the fort, gleaming with the steel of armor and the gold plating of sacred symbols. Besides soldiers, there appeared to be a Warrior Priest of Sigmar, several Witch Hunters, and some other priestess who held her right hand on the hilt of a sword, and in her left, clutched a pair of scales whose pans were made from half-skulls.
The Warrior Priest of Sigmar.
Now we were probably going to be checked for corruption. And so it happened. First, the priest began reciting his prayers, accompanying it with ritual gestures.
— Sigmar's wrath has fallen upon the land - the mountains tremble,
And His holy fury will deprive evil of its footing.
Ceaseless war rages in all the souls of frail mortals
And Him we ask for weapons against the countless hosts of Evil!
I also tried to repeat after the priest. I hadn't spent so much time talking to Marcus for nothing. I already knew a few basic Sigmarite prayers.
While the priest prayed, the Witch Hunters walked through our ranks with meticulous and suspicious glances. Sometimes they gestured for us to show a certain item or our hands. One of them spent a long time scrutinizing the severed heads of the sorcerer and the werewolf. They kept us stewing for about thirty minutes. Then we were allowed to enter the fort's territory. A more thorough check began inside.
First, we all had to surrender our weapons. Unpleasant, but expected. Only Magg was allowed to keep his club, as the people decided not to quarrel with the ogre.
The small courtyard, once a mountain road, was now filled with soldiers in the colors of Wissenland and Nuln. Arquebusiers, crossbowmen, swordsmen, artillerymen. Some were bustling about, busy preparing the fortifications, but most were examining us with curiosity.
— I sense no evil in you greater than what is inherent in simple folk, — the Warrior Priest declared. — But in these dark times, one must be vigilant. Therefore, Lady Adenauer and I will thoroughly vet you.
— Be careful with her, — Adora whispered, nodding towards the woman with the scales. — That's a priestess of Verena.
I think that was the name of the goddess of justice here. Clear.
Next, we were taken one by one into a round tower. First, our bodies were examined for marks of Chaos, then we were sent to an interrogation room. I was among the first. The priest himself inspected me, making flashbacks to the military enlistment office run through my head. Except the urologist didn't hold my balls. Then, dressed again, I appeared before the Priestess of Verena and one of the Witch Hunters.
A small room, a wooden table with an oil lamp, two pairs of attentive eyes trying to peer into my sinful soul.
"Be careful," Loam-Pia decided to delight me with obvious truths again. "The methods of these warm-bloods are primitive, but they could cause us trouble."
The Templar mostly remained silent. The priestess did most of the talking. She seemed to be acting as the interrogator, trying to get to the truth through cross-examination.
— My name is Helen Adenauer, — she introduced herself. — I was a councilor to the noble court of Pfeildorf. However, my service is required here now. People in your group named you as one of the leaders of the detachment. Is that so?
— Yes, madam. They consider me such, though I did not seek it.
— Modesty is an exquisite ornament, — the woman said kindly, and then added more warily. — The main thing is that this ornament is genuine.
And the interrogation began.
The counter-intelligence officer was very actively interested in our little adventure outside the borders of the Empire. I tried to answer truthfully, but without unnecessary details. I called the Skaven Beastmen and underground mutants, of course, omitting the negotiations with the sorcerer Gotthri.
— Beastmen keep slaves in a mine?! — the Templar exclaimed with a note of challenge in his voice. — Creatures barely capable of setting up a camp have mastered mining?
I could only play the fool.
— I don't know if they were Beastmen, mutants, or some other Chaos filth. I haven't been trained to tell the difference. I'm just telling you what I saw myself.
The Priestess of Verena stood up for me.
— Brother Günther, a long struggle with the forces of Ruin has taught us how many different forms the enemy can take and how unpredictably they can act. For hundreds of years, Kislev served as the northern shield of the Empire, but what now? The enemy is attacking from the South. Who could have imagined that an army of Northmen would advance all the way to the Border Princes?
I was very tempted to ask who was commanding the Chaos forces, but I restrained myself. It might seem suspicious. The priestess and the Witch Hunter were playing the classic good cop, bad cop routine in front of me. The woman spoke calmly, while the Templar sometimes started to pressure me. But overall, I was treated reasonably. They didn't punch me in the face, which was already good.
There were many questions about the elf. Who was she, where did she come from, what did she say? The episode of my fight with the sorcerer sparked even greater interest. The Hunter asked a lot of questions about this specifically. He pried into every detail concerning the sorcerer's magic.
I tried to stick to the line: everything was in smoke, I don't understand what happened. I think I ran up, I think I stabbed him.
I was held for interrogation longer than anyone else. Then they talked to Marcus, and after that, the elf was called. They interrogated us one by one until deep into the night. However, I, having already passed the check, was released from quarantine and even allowed to dine in the soldiers' mess hall.
It was an elongated tent where hastily assembled tables and benches were squeezed together. Cooking was done outside nearby.
I immediately attracted the attention of the Imperials who were not currently busy with duties. Several men of varying degrees of mustache sat down next to me and began fishing for gossip, sharing the information known to them with pleasure.
Wafting waves of onion and tobacco aroma over me, one of the infantrymen proclaimed:
— They supposedly call him Taramkhan or something like that. Although, who can understand these Northmen.
I assumed he was talking about Tamurkhan. So that's who is currently pushing into Sigmar's Empire. Grandfather Nurgle's favorite grandson. And the soldier continued to preach:
— He passed through the shitholes entirely. He defeated the Border Princes. They say there was a real slaughter there.
— And where did you find the keen-ear? Is it a man or a woman? — another infantryman changed the subject, looming over me.
— A woman, — I answered the second question.
— Oh come on, — he smirked. — You can't tell with them until you look in their pants, or did you...
— Don't mess with the keen-ears, — a third Imperial interrupted him. — A Dwarf friend from Pfeildorf told me in secret that they all have syphilis. They've been re-infecting each other for thousands of years. And their main king wears a mask because his nose fell off.
— Lars, Hans, Philipp, off to bed! — one of the passing commanders bellowed. — Leave the lad alone. Let him eat in peace. He hasn't had proper human food in a long time.
The "proper human food" turned out to be a thick mutton stew, the meat of which chewed slightly better than rubber, tasteless sticky dumplings, and dry bread that I didn't even want to eat with the soup. I fondly remembered Snotling stew with potatoes and goblin-mushroom fricassee with a side of Cathayan rice. I would gladly have traded the "proper human food" for those specific delicacies.
From the soldiers, I managed to learn that the fort was only a small part of the Wissenland and Nuln army camp. Further along the road, tents stretched for several kilometers. This army had been assembled and was commanded by someone named Margrave Olger Hock, with the permission of Electress Emmanuelle von Liebwitz. The army had been stationed here waiting for Tamurkhan's Chaos forces for several weeks now. However, the enemy was in no hurry to attack. Though Nurgle's followers are generally not known for their quickness, that was no reason to underestimate them.
If Tamurkhan turned out to be even 50% as unbalanced in reality as he is in Total War: Warhammer 3, we would all be weeping.
It was already dark. The filtering came to an end. We were led back into the courtyard in front of the tower. Halberdiers stood around us with weapons. This awakened less than good feelings. The Warrior Priest of Sigmar, the Priestess of Verena, and the Templars came out to us.
— We welcome you in this dark hour, brothers, — the priest said. — The Empire accepts you. You have endured bitter trials with dignity. Only two of you were tainted. Glory to Sigmar, we discovered these marks at the earliest stage.
The priest fell silent meaningfully. His face expressed sorrow. Unexpectedly, the silence was broken by Stefan. A man, to put it mildly, of not the greatest intelligence. With his characteristic naivety, he asked:
— At the earliest stage? Good. They'll be cured now, right? Sisters of Shallya, a couple of prayers, and they'll be good as new?
Everyone met his foolish smile with grim silence. Mutants are killed in the Empire. Even if the corruption has only just manifested, and the person themselves is still quite sane.
— Glory to Sigmar, we discovered these marks at the earliest stage, — the priest repeated. — Let us hope the gods will accept their souls after the cleansing fire.
The foolish smile immediately disappeared from Stefan's face.
— And to all the rest of you, we say: welcome, — the Priestess of Verena added more positively. — Some of you have expressed a desire to join the Electorate's army and even form your own small detachment.
The soldiers around us murmured with clear doubt. They saw us as a crowd of refugees, not comrades in arms. Then Helen Adenauer spoke louder, as if urging those present to first hear her position and only then draw conclusions.
— You stood firm in several clashes with Goblins, mutants, and other enemies. You managed to kill two very dangerous heretics. They had been sowing evil for years and would have continued to do so if not for you. Finally, among you are two exceptional warriors from peoples allied with the Empire. Their skills will certainly not be superfluous in the coming struggle. Margrave Hock will return from Nuln in a few days. I will convey the collected information to him with all the nuances, for the Goddess encourages the spread of truth, not prejudice. Herr Olger himself will decide your matter. In the meantime, your weapons will be returned to you, and you will be escorted to the outskirts of the camp, where temporary housing will be provided.
Phew.
It was done. I had entered the territory of Sigmar's Empire and practically joined the army of the most powerful state of the human race (in the modest, unbiased opinion of the Empire's inhabitants themselves). Now it remained to be seen: how much did I actually need to get involved in the fight with Tamurkhan? I had several days to figure that out.