#primarch replacement

Nidus stepped out of the blood portal to what should have been an empty area under a hive city in the far future, but today it had a crowd of people. Yet they were too enraptured with one speaking to notice his arrival, though the speaker did. His light golden eyes hovering over Nidus a moment too long for his liking as Zo’edax mentally told him to just join the crowd. Interest and caution laced in their voice as he moved toward the back edge of the crowd. The speaker kept going, pulling his eyes off Nidus for the moment but it kept sweeping back to him. So far the crowd hadn’t seemed to notice this fact as Nidus looked around, noting the area had been redecorated for this event. 

Nidus wasn’t sure if it was an improvement or a detriment to the area as the crowd then echoed the speaker’s words for a moment. His golden scripture on his skin shining brighter as did the halo of light around his head. The horns seemed to hold it as if the speaker was a beacon of light in the dark and the cultists were like moths to it. Them surging forward before bowing fully to the floor. Nidus stayed standing, opposing the moment of the crowd. The speaker didn’t lose momentum though Nidus could tell it got under his skin as the cultists rose back up. Still clinging to his words as he went on.

Nidus had put together that the speaker was a Word Bearer by the scripture on his body already and most likely was the head of this cult here. He wasn’t sure about the horns or the unusual light halo coming from the astrate. Was it a gift, a thralled daemon or something else entirely. He was curious yet also was fine without knowing. Some mysteries were best left unsolved. The scarification marks were about average which made sense as there was a balance to the speaker. Nidus had caught all of the four known gods' names being said in the sermon. Which led Nidus to note that this cult was probably chaos undivided, which meant that predicting anything was going to be harder than a single lane cult. 

The cultist bowed once more to the floor as the speaker brought the sermon to the end. Clapping his hands together loudly as the cultist all rose in union. A bit too perfect for Nidus to like when the speaker then looked over the crowd before pointing to a woman next to Nidus. A squeal leaving her lips as she was pulled and pushed forward by the crowd to the stage. The speaker’s eyes hovering on Nidus, letting him silently know it was a choice not to choose him. Zo’edax chuckled as Nidus just kept his breathing even, watching the woman reach the edge of the platform. The crowd scrunched closer together when a small hand grabbed Nidus’. A child who looked up at the sea of bodies blocking the view, so without a thought; Nidus lifted them up and onto his shoulders to see. 

“Mama got chosen.” The child hissed to him with glee and excitement over sorrow, which Nidus wasn’t sure how to feel about.

<<This one is good with his flock. All seem to be fanatically devout to him. You should take notes.>> Zo’edax jokingly quipped as Nidus remained quiet due to what was happening on stage.

The woman had taken off her monk-like robe, revealing that she was nearly naked underneath. Scars and markings littered her body, most seeming to be self inflected if not done by another with care. The speaker then spoke in dark tongue, holding a dagger that was decked out with jewels and charms. The air chilled slightly as the taste of static filled Nidus’ mouth. It reminded him of the coming thunderstorms of his teen years. Yet here he was when the storm was beginning to take place. The woman had kneeled in what seemed to be the center of the platform, the speaker circling her as he carried on his chant; cutting his wrist and dripping blood over the woman. She looked elated to have the substance dripped on her as it crawled over her skin, making symbols and runes. Some Nidus recognized, others he hadn’t learned. Even the chanting was hard to follow, though he got an idea of what was about to go down.

The speaker then stood behind the woman before drawing the blade over the throat, spraying blood out and into a bowl that just appeared on a whim. Nidus glanced up to the kid, to see them engrossed in the ritual if not exhilarated at the sight. He looked back to see the speaker holding the bowl of blood overhead. He began to chant as the crowd echoed it, and soon the chanting became faster, more erratic yet in tune. The candles dimmed as the speaker’s nimbus of light became the shade of blood. The air began to chill more as Nidus could now begin to also taste blood in his mouth while feeling himself get agitated without reason. Zo’edax hummed a bit, seeming to lessen the effects for him as the speaker voice rose louder than the crowds which was already a fever pitch. Nidus wasn’t sure what the speaker had said, but he watched as the bowl of blood was lifted higher over his horned head before being released. The blood splattering the ground, seeming to freeze the crowd at first but as the bowl hit the ground and shattered; a frenzy for blood and battle started.

Before Nidus could react, the kid yanked on his hair hard enough to pull out a clump which in turn he grabbed them and tossed them off him, straight into a path of thundering feet. A fist then slammed his face as he felt the flesh buckled and break under impact as he back handed them, snapping their head around 180 degrees. Another charge with a knife that Nidus easily was able to steal and slash the current owner’s throat open, spraying blood over his face and chest. Zo’edax now cackled in delight over the carnage as Nidus did his best to stay to the edge of battle. Finding himself joining the dwindling number of survivors as the fight drew on, till Nidus found he was all that was left, next to the Speaker who then clapped. A radiant smile plastered on his face as blood began to move back towards the platform, to the woman’s dead body on the floor.

The Speaker’s hand was then raised out to Nidus, beckoning him closer but Nidus could tell it was not of good will. His other hand remained out of sight and the lack of the dagger in view heavily hinted to what was going to happen next. Zo’edax encouraged him to go though, whispering that this ritual would fail if he didn’t. He sighed, looking at the Speaker who took a step down from the platform. Nidus thought about running off to see if he would give chase, which Zo’edax chuckled at but requested he refrained from doing so. It wasn’t often Zo’edax pushed him to do something that didn’t benefit him or them directly as he felt the last the blood pull at his legs before it flowed away. Nidus then trudded after it as the Speaker beamed with a pleased smile, but kept a hawk’s eye upon him.

Nidus felt Zo’edax disappear from his back, but he could sense they were nearby out of sight to meet up with his reprinted, or saved, form that would appear after his death. Yet his attention was stolen back by the Speaker wrapping his hand over his shoulder as sweet affirmative words were softly spoken in his ear. If he had been one of the kool-aid drinkers, he probably would have believed the words spoken to him. But he knew better as he felt the dagger now at his throat. Dark tongue chants were muttered as the last droplets of blood pooled around the body, before his blood joined. The ground rushed to catch his dying form as he was shoved into the middle next to the dead woman’s body. Blood coiling over them now as Nidus felt his vision blur and dim before he was back in a tunnel, hearing something out in the cavern tear its way into reality. He shuddered at the bellow while Zo’edax just hovered next to him, staring at the direction the sound came from.

<<Oh, that’s a really good one he got summoned. Good for them.>> Zo’edax chripped as Nidus got a feeling he missed something now.

“Them?” He asked softly, throat feeling a bit tender from being slit.