Chapter 42 - Primarchs

Stepping out of the puddle, as if coming out of nowhere, were two people, a man and a woman. 

The woman was an angelic beauty with an obvious edge. Her hair, the colour of blood, cascaded down her short frame, reaching her heeled feet. She would maybe reach to Damian's shoulder, but he would never dare underestimate her. 

This woman was Sanguina Morta: the queen of queens among the Bloodkin, the absolute ruler of their homeworld, Bealith; the primarch of their kintype; and their representative on the Eldkin council. 

Her purple eyes shone with the mischievous cunning and malice she was known for, causing a shiver to travel along Damian's spine. Her modest curves were tightly wrapped by an intimidating leather outfit, making Damian gulp and wonder if the whip was sold separately or not. 

Next to her stood a square-shouldered man who was almost a head taller than Damian. His grey hair was short and unkempt, framing intense amber eyes that shone with power. His square chin was covered by a medium-length beard, decorated and well-maintained with knots and beads. 

This man was Leif Raskulf, the king of kings among Moonkin, the absolute ruler of their homeworld, Ulfgard; the primarch of their kintype; and their representative on the Eldkin council. 

He exuded an aura of untamed strength and wild ferocity that would make anyone think thrice before facing him, yet his expression was surprisingly calm and measured. Unlike Sanguina, his outfit was simple and unremarkable, completely counter to his actual position within Eldkin society. 

"What the shit are they doing here…" Damian muttered to himself in disbelief, feeling well and truly shocked. Compared to the cooperative as a whole, Eryndor was relatively small and unimportant… people like these wouldn't normally even know Eryndor existed. Ever since the disappearance of the primogenitors, the elected primarchs were now the highest rulers of each kintype. 

"T— That's Primarch Raskulf!" the Moonkin next to Damian muttered with wide eyes. "Dammit! Just as my kin's idol comes to Eryndor, I'm supposed to leave?!" he cursed under his breath, nose practically squished against the glass. 

Many more gasps and exclamations followed throughout the observation room as most people recognized the two intergalactic travellers. None had ever seen them in real life, of course, but images of the Eldkin primarchs, rulers of the council, were everywhere across the web. 

Suddenly, Lex's parents appeared next to Damian's side, and looked down at the spectacle with him. "What… do you think they're doing here…?" the man whose name Damian had already forgotten muttered. 

Damian didn't answer. Rather, his eyes were locked on these two titans of both political and personal power, his mind racing. "It must be a coincidence, right…?" he muttered, seemingly in an attempt to convince himself more than anyone else. 

Meanwhile, down by the gate, commander Yellowmane gave the new arrivals a stern, yet respectful salute by pounding his fist against his chest and bowing his head slightly. 

His lips moved, as did those of the two primarchs, but none could hear what was said. For a moment, all six of their eyes glanced at the viewing room, and Damian worked harder than ever before to keep himself calm and show no more than the expected level of shock at their presence. 

Whether or not they were actually there for him, he couldn't allow himself to draw any attention whatsoever. His nerves were tauter than ever before, and he couldn't help but imagine they were looking directly at him, no matter how true that actually was. 

The moment seemed to stretch beyond realism… until their gazes finally moved on. Yet, Damian felt no relief. He held his breath. 'Go on, just move on,' he muttered in his mind, eternally grateful for the nanite mask he wore to make him look like Lex. 

'You're not here for me.' he continued, knowing how vain that hope was. 'How would you even find out about any of this? Unless it was Marcus…?' 

His mind continued spinning out, seemingly forever, and Damian called on every technique his mother taught him to keep a straight face at difficult times… until a few moments later, his prayers were answered. 

The gate shut down behind the primarchs, and they stepped down from the ramp to follow Victor deeper into the facility. Soon, they disappeared from view, with every person in the viewing room following these idols of personal and political power with their shocked gazes. 

When they were well and truly gone, Damian finally breathed the sigh of relief he'd been holding in. Unable to stop himself, he closed his eyes and leaned forward until his forehead and hands were pressed against the glass as tension left his body. 

'Thank fuck,' he muttered in his mind, softly punching the glass to alleviate some of the emotions he felt… unaware of how much this glass had just done to completely change the course of his fate… 

* * * 

A few minutes later, the viewing room had turned into a chaotic murmuring of voices as everyone shared their opinion on what these primarchs were doing on their planet. 

The topic of Damian's supposed death and Elias' actions came up most often, as that was the most recent and impactful event involving both the Blood- and Moonkin, at least on Eryndor. 

Lex's parents also tried to engage Damian about this, but his responses were half-hearted. He remained distracted by what their arrival could mean, not only for him but also for his family… 

If everything still continued as planned, then he'd be off-world soon, but his family would remain, and that terrifying woman just now would surely pay them a visit… 

'I can't even ask Mom for her opinion,' he muttered to himself in distress. 'Any signal sent from my Nova would definitely be flagged, and I'd be basically giving myself away.' 

Suddenly, Nadine, the military representative who would accompany them on their mission, interrupted his thoughts. 

Sternly, she stepped into the viewing room and immediately locked on to the youths, "The emergency has been resolved, and our departure is back on. Gather in the embarkation room now, or be left behind." 

Immediately, the youths jumped into action. Despite what just happened, none of them wanted or could return to their families empty-handed. 

At the same time, Damian looked up at Nadina with a difficult expression. Despite still being full of doubts, he knew he had to make this choice on his own… and likely affect the lives of his loved ones in the process.