{possible picture/in progress.}
As I walked through the city, I could hear the cries, see the horror on their faces… as an unknown disease ran rampant in the lower regions, as a rebellion of our archenemy stirred at the noble houses… while the screams of children of mortal men ran through our gates... from bugs hidden in men skin… A once thriving city is now reduced to terror!
The guardsman maintain their bowing positions, while their commissar looks sternly through walls containing their nightmares… decision must be made, to see how far the rot goes… while the mechanicus keeps reminding us of no artifacts worth taking…
Yet I see one… sleeping, coldly and unprepared for what is to come… a human, a mortal… A sister… one whose birthright is even kept from us… yet…though we guard her, I could feel the weight of Sanguinius's hand on my shoulder… and though we prepared to leave with her… the way is shut… our enemies are all around us… And so, with banner in hand… WE FIGHT!
→Excerpt by Akios←
"The universe has many horrors yet to throw at us. This is not the end of our struggle. This is just the beginning of our crusade to save humanity."
→Excerpt By the Emperor of mankind ←
[Brother Akios, why do we not take the sleeping child and leave? The time is right!]
[Because brother… the hand of Sanguinius is telling me not to, why I do not know, but I know it's important…]
[Hmm, what of Gabriel? Does he agree to this "feeling of yours"]
[Yes... as he too has felt "his" hand…]
[sigh, brother this does not sit well with me, but as you command…]
Through the demigod's conversation, Layla's sisters' dared not intervene and kept to themselves as they watched over Layla's sleep. Silently discussing what to do next…
[I don't like this Mary… why hasn't the Canoness come for us yet? What's taking them?]
[Well, Molly maybe the Canoness is just too busy at the moment… I mean the world is under attack, honestly, I don't understand why they didn't just cancel this so-called "training" because I'm starting to doubt this had anything to do with it!]
[well, I don't know about you Mary but I learned a lot from this… I think…]
[I guess that's true, and we did make it within the time allowed… but still, this doesn't feel right…]
[yeah, but Mary, we already knew that a week ago… no fuss getting upset by it now.]
[I know its just… sigh emperor protect…]
Seeing Mary disheartened, Molly puts her arm over her shoulders, and while looking at his angels, she says:
[Mary… look at the bright side, At least we get to meet a chapter of his angels! Right…]
[yeah…] replied Mary as she looked up into the sky to see it burning! With live fire at flying monsters, to hear the screams of innocent people getting gunned down for quarantine purposes. From the sights over the wall of people vomiting..killing… looting… becoming the worst of themselves…
Watching people rebel in a seducing manner, to the bugs in human skin raging the front line in every direction, and friends to no one.
As her gaze slowly falls back down, to cast themselves over at Layla, Mary wishes she could hear her sing one more time over these horrid sounds of battle, taking place all around them.
The innocence she should be saving, but knowing there was not much she could do for them… trying to distract herself, Mary turned her thoughts to the moments when she met his angel for the first time…:
Mary's POV: moments after Layla passed out on the train:
While the train passed the destroyed gates and a heavy thud slammed itself on top of the train, Mary felt the shock, and the vibration, she could see the fires! The raging image of a demigod in green! A disgusting man who had fallen from "his" grace! A diseased bull who mocked a seductress in purple!
While they clashed, Mary heard the warnings on her monitor's screen! Turning the turret around, and getting her aim just right… with lovely sweaty fingers, she went to press the ignition! But when nothing happened! Confusion hit her with its fursation! The guns showed all green in the ammo department, but despite continuous presses, still, nothing came out…
Cursing at her luck, and figuring the turret must have received some damage from the gate destruction, something that even the screen in front wouldn't or couldn't show…
[blasted Machine spirit! Please! Why aren't you helping…]
[...]
No words replied to Mary as she screamed, only met with the silence of the engine… but then… like hope had read her heart, the screen in front of her lit up! But not for the turret, but for the wall that was vastly approaching! The city of Absodon!
An artwork of a mechanical wonder, with gates as large as a warship! With murals that made all others seem trashy… with gun emplacements that could equally sink space fairing ships! Guns and more guns lined every other inch of space! And seeing them turn their barrels her way… to Layla's way…
Scard Mary to her core! Hailing messages left and right, pleading in hope, that those guns don't fire… Mary received only one message…
[Battle sister of… this mining train… we have received and reviewed your message and we have concluded that you are too much of a liability to allow entrance into the city… as such we must decline your request! But note that your bravery will be remembered in the service of his majesty! That is all…]
[damn it!] screamed Mary as she kept sending messages out! While praying for a miracle to happen. But when that miracle didn't come, she looked to the hatch above her…
Inside the city control room…. 4th floor:
Stood a mechanicus in red, an older man dressed in ceremonial robes, with robotic eyes zooming in and out, reading and comprehending at a frighting pace! The man bored from his years of knowledge, simply clicks the ignore function on all of Mary's transmissions!
[commissar! I have done as you asked…even if it's against my better judgment…]
[what was that? Did I hear you right… 'tech priest'! That you would allow a train covered in demons to enter our city! My city!]
[normaly.. No… but the spirits... They are restless… it's like they don't want us to attack…by Omnissiah's will, they are refusing!]
[what! You can't get them in line! "Tech priest"! Get them to shoot down that train! Now, or what good is having you here?]
[I dare not challenge the machine spirit, Commissar! And I recommend you do the same!]
[take care "tech priest" Your words are treasonist! Are you sure you won't reconsider!] replied the Commissar with his bolter gun pointed at the tech priest's head.
Seeing the tech priest only nod to his inquiry, the commissar didn't waste another moment with him and shot him clean through the head! With blood and machine mixing on the computer monitors, the commissar went to press the buttons himself…
And while walking down the steps… one foot at a time, the remaining tech priest glared at the symbols he wore, debating in the language of their god… but not caring about the death glares, the commissar reached his hand out… when the technical servitors' in the room… spoke as one… as if a golden light shined in their eyes!
[Traitor! TRAITOR!]
Pausing for a moment, the commissar looked around from servitors to the servo skulls that recorded everything and anything…
[Who's the traitor!] commanded the commissar as he pointed his gun at the nearby servitor.
[...]
With silence as his response, the commissar grinned and smiled…
[Ha! Stupid machines'…] he replied under his breath when the lights suddenly went out!
Feeling nervous, but not showing it, the commissar screamed profanity at the servitors! But after a few minutes, of constant yelling, within the shadows of the dark room, two bright golden lights shined… with a heavy thud it got closer… and closer…
Revealing itself to his face! In what remains of the dim light glowing off the servitors around, their eyes exposing a cryptic feeling inside the commissar… with a big body in red and greys, with the musculature of an Ogryn! Drenched head to toe in a suit and symbolic relics of the emperor! Armed with a power axe the size of a demigod, while on his back and over his brawny shoulders, he carried an electro gladius! While held within his body at his very core, the components for a protective shield generator!
Matching the rhythm of his heart, his free hand was a drilled claw, while around his neck and through it, he carried the very symbol of the mechiancus! Harden metal and tubes, with a crazy look, the very rare type of Clipaseus servitor stared into the very soul of the commissar!
Unable to speak but matching stare for stare, the commissar bravely stood his ground while inching his hand closer and closer to the firing commands! Noticing the commissar movements, the servitor growled as he said in a mixed language of gothic and machine:
[you…]
[what was that?]
[You!]
[what??? Speak up machine! I can't hear you…]
[YOU!] replied the servitor leaning in closer, with his head bearing down at the commissar.
[you? What? Damn machine! At least speak our language!] replied the commissar with much arrogance as he was about to reach the command button, while simultaneously looking at the other tech priest for aid.
But not surprising to him in the slightest, the other tech priests weren't even looking his way, it was like he didn't exist anymore, as they were absorbed in their prayers and praises of their god. A hymn they even song in pure gothic!
While they sung, the Clipaseus looked at the commissar one last time! With drill in hand and what sounded like a haul breach, the Clipaseus silenced the commissar with one motion! Blood and brain matter, skull bones, and an eye landed to mix with the fallen tech priest!
Through hymns and child laughter through cherubs, the Clipaseus stared at the screen that showed the train, and by pressing the commands for the gates to open, the Clipaseus looked back at the body of the commissar and said in the emperor's voice!
[Traitor!]
Mary short POV
Opening her eyes, from deep within prayer, from a blinding light between two sword clashes, she saw the impossible! The gates were opening! A mural of twin statutes carrying lanterns cracked down the middle to bear them entry into the city!
Overcome with joy, she raced to Layla's aid, and when she got there and was by her side, holding her… worried, but as she pressed her ear to Layla's chest… to hear her heartbeat, she relaxed as she heard the voice of Miss A in her head:
[child... though I am happy for you… What are you doing here?]
[what do you mean, "What am I doing here" Can't you see I'm trying to help her! But then again what can I expect from an unfeeling alien…]
[harsh child, but for Layla's sake I will ignore that hostile tone of yours… She is after all… only sleeping! So, shouldn't you be saying thank you?]
[thank you?]
[Yes, thank you… As without me, she would have been dead for sure! So, I believe child you owe me a thank you!] pressed Miss A with a visual manifestation of her body, in a serious tone.
Knowing Miss was right, and not having a way to refute it, Mary could only bite her tongue as she said to bitter teeth:
[thank you…]
[I'm sorry what was that? I didn't quite hear you. Say again…] replied Miss A with a smugness that could kill.
[ugh! I Said THANK YOU!... okay… thank you…]
[well I'll be damned… never would I image you of all people would thank an alien…] interrupted Molly seemingly out of nowhere.
With eyes that could scream, since when have you been there by Mary, Molly, like Miss A said with a huge smug smile:
[since the beginning! HA!]
Riddled with blushing cheeks, Mary wanted to scream, when Miss A interrupted her chance to vent:
[girls.. I know this is fun and all, but hmm… if all of us are here… who's bringing the train to port?]
With eyes wide, Mary turned to leave Layla to Molly, when to her shock, the train brought itself to port! Slowing down and adjusting its own speed…confused but getting used to the weird happenings that surround her best friend, Mary just looked to Molly and Miss A with a smile and said:
[Thank you… machine spirits!]