Chapter 362 Sleepless Nights (1/2)

When he heard that were another two hundred Body Refiners waiting to be made citizens, the white-haired priest was sent into a near-panic

Despite the Knight's barely veiled threats, he insisted that he could not do as Rannoc had requested — not without per word to an Archon, he claimed, would take at least teeks

Yet where the Knight's threats failed, Kaleesh's reassurances proveda careful mix of flattery and persuasion, he spent severalthe priest that his other troops weren't nearly as unusual as Arran

Finally, the priest agreed to accompany them to the mines While he was obviously displeased with the prospect, with his biggest fear addressed — having to waste more of his ave in

The priest didn't co half a dozen acolytes and twice as uards in white uniforuards,” Kaleesh explained ”They answer to the Archons, rather than the Lords” He gave the group of guards an unfriendly glance, and in a lower voice, he added, ”They're huonize them In the Imperium, you don't want to roup took the better part of an hour, but still, that wasn't the end of it While Arran was anxious to leave the city behind, Muna spent another half-hour gathering an entourage of her own — Rangers and soldiers, to uards' nuht's actions with soh he couldn't be certain, he suspected she'd only decided to bring a party of her own because the priest had done the same

Either way, it was plain to see that there was little love lost between the church guards and the soldiers The two groups eyed each other with open suspicion, all but ignoring the outsiders a very well,” Arran said, careful to keep his voice low

”The church and the Lords can never quite agree who leads whoht here, I'd say the Lords take it this ties up a Paladin somewhere”

Arran frowned ”A Paladin?”

”That's what the church calls its Knights,” Kaleesh explained ”If you want my advice, avoid them at all costs Those fanatics could look at a tree and see a blaspheed As for outsiders…” He shook his head ”If you ever find yourself in the co”

At this, Arran could not help but sigh The more he learned of the Imperium, the less he liked it

It ell after dahen they finally departed the city, their s swelled to the size of a small army, complete several ox-drawn supply carts

Much to Arran's annoyance, the group's size ish speed of a sht be to return to the Wolfsblood Co the carts clearly didn't share their concerns

Still, although Arran had not slept a wink the previous night, he found hi he suspected was related to the strange liquid he'd been given by the priest

Although its power had faded from his body just moments after he'd taken it, he could tell that soor and vitality that seemed to pervade his body

Kaleesh and Sassun didn't share his experience, however While they felt soible

That wasn't er dose of the liquid — the diluted God's blood, as the priest claimed — than either of them, so it stood to reason that he would be affected far ly

Yet his curiosity remained If he had a neer, he needed to knohat it was — and, just as iht help hiet information froht, deciding which of them to ask for information was an easy choice The white-haired priest's eyes held resentlanced at Arran, and Arran very hts

Muna, on the other hand, merely looked at him with curiosity That still made Arran uneasy — he had plenty of secrets, after all — but it was better than the priest's barely veiled hostility

He approached the Knight after their ain areen, sunswept hills

”I have a question,” he said, deciding not to waste tiave ,” she replied, stifling a smile as he fumbled for words ”What about it?”

Arran hesitated for a moment, then asked, ”What does it do, exactly?”

”It marks you as a Darian,” she said ”In the eyes of the priests, at least”