Abdiel walked past me unmoved, but Patches gave my shoulder a pat. Were he anyone else, I would have smiled. But I hated him more each time he touched me, so I turned silently and formed up behind him and Abdiel, considering what ways I might sabotage his pegasus when we reached V's stable.

Why didn't you?

We needed him.

Is that the only reason?

Yes. No. I never had the chance.

You had several.

He was often with Abdiel. Had I the right advantage, or plan in place, I might have been able to beat Patches in a fight. You'd be surprised how little good undeath can do you against a strong enough opponent.

It was Abdiel you feared, not patches.

Yes. Abdiel terrified me.

Why do you revere him so much? He seems to have cared nothing for you.

We had a few moments, towards the end. But I revered him because of who and what he was, not because of friendship. I know I meant little to him, but if times were different, we might have bonded.

He saw you as a tool.

Yes. He saw all of us as tools, even himself.

Even Turk?

Turk was a tool that operated itself. Abdiel respected that.

Everyone respects Turk. He has that way about him.

Its true. Even Blitzkrieg admired him.

What was Blitzkrieg like?

Unknowable. Fighting the Devils was not like fighting the targs, or the good doctor's servitors. The Devils were alien, even more so than the ennui, and they weren't degenerate vermin, or violent thugs. They were creatures of awe. They were transcendent. They were, well, Devils.

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And it took Angels to defeat them. I wonder if I could have helped Blitzkrieg.

He was a monster. He only kept us alive to see if we could give him any trouble as prisoners, and that was only because of Turk's reputation, and maybe his hatred for Abdiel. It seemed he hated Abdiel so much it became a form of love, and his hate made it hard to kill Abdiel. But he wouldn't give you even a passing thought. All surface life was meant to be exterminated. He'd have crushed you as you crush insects without even knowing.

You seem distracted. Are you alright?

No. Not even remotely. But I was broken long before I met Blitzkrieg. Talking about him isn't upsetting me. I think I'm falling apart because the world is falling apart. I feel that I am meant to be a part of Tarthas, and that when it is gone, I should be too. You're staring at my eyes again.

You really do remind me of him. I miss the man he was when he was young and still believed.

I think belief is what broke him.

Why do you say that? I would have guessed the Dolomites broke him.

V believed when someone showed him mercy, but that mercy was a smokescreen, and the belief he was given then was poisoned. I think since then he could never believe for long in anything. As for the Dolomites, yes. They broke us all. But could it have been any different? Could you imagine them sending healthy, heroic young warriors into battle against the horror of Tarthas?

I don't want to. The purpose of the still Batch makes me sad. But what you said just now is interesting. You think belief killed our lord because it was poisoned early? But have your beliefs been taught to you in any better a way?

My belief trancends the mundane experiences of this vessel.

But your vessel is itself transcendant, is it not? To house such a spirit as yours, a mortal shell would never do. That is why you hear the call.

The bells.

Yes. Now, tell me how you robbed the stables.

Jadus had undercover agents who gave us maps of the underworks.

I figured that, but I want to hear you tell me the story, Victor.

Why?

Because, I can tell you felt better back then. I love the way you talk of your days with the Cataphracts. You were much more alive. And, I like adventure stories. I don't hear them any more. Not good ones, anyway. All our lord allows is propaganda.

He has nothing to do with that.

Ah, you've noticed.

The people deceive themselves.

Yes they do.

All our 'lord' does is-

Shush! Tell me the story. I'm sad, and I want to hear of Turk and Abdiel and Zulu and Goth.

Goth was boring.

I think that was the point. Now no more stalling. Tell me the story, Victor. Tell me how you stole our lord V's mighty pegasus.