Chapter 9
A Hall, large and vast. Spanning distances as far as the eyes could see, perhaps as far as one could even imagine. In them were large pillars that seemed to support the very structure itself, large and thicker than the entirety of a human.
The most glaring thing was its gold color, brightly golden light that seemed to illuminate the very essence of one's soul. Whilst their sheer size and length seemed more than enough to block all light from whatever was behind them.
Their numbers and perhaps closeness must have been the reason for the unnatural way that the darkness has formed, almost like a path hidden behind those pillars or perhaps a veil covering something.
Still that was that and none of his concern. A quick glance to his back and he could see that the hall was still stretching for as far back as he could see. Upon closer look to the ground, he could see patterns inscribed onto it.
Careful intricate patterns that seemed to intertwine with the very ground itself, life it was always meant to be there…like it had always been there. Even the pillars had a similar pattern though theirs were more of carvings, fine carvings unto a fine surfaced pillar.
They looked so smooth and intricate, so carefully placed like perfection made manifest. Then there was the sweet calm melody that constantly called to one, a low soothing voice that seemed to calm the very essence of your organic being.
Added into the feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment that this place simply instilled into you, like your very soul had reached a place it had longed for since its creation. Almost like an enlightening feeling that draws you in.
A few steps more and there was a blinding light, it appeared unexpectedly since there were no signs of it ever being there. It was an enveloping light that formed a circular barrier around the very end of the hall.
Then a voice called out, a smooth glorious voice that seemed to touch your very soul. It was calm yet burning, its touch was freezing yet warm. It sent a shiver down one's spine, down that very soul of your being. It was unexplainable with words, untouchable with thought, unblemished by the impurities of the galaxy.
" Null " The voice said, it was a word that he had never heard before yet it felt like it had always been a name he knew. A name that belonged to him.
He wasn't sure it was referring to him, perhaps there were others here besides him…but the pull, the existential feeling that it was none other than him that was being called could not be imagined.
He tried to breathe, his respirator seemed to be working but not his lungs. Air refused to be accepted, his muscles felt weak…screaming in anger. His mind worked against him, questioning why he dared delay a response to the being that summoned him.
His mind raced, pain, agony, joy, regret, shame, reverence, respect, confusion all assaulted him at the same time. What was he to do? His legs seemed to want to give out yet they seemed incapable of doing so.
His mouth longed to speak, but his breath held it prisoner. His mind wanted to respond but the chaos that ensued left it in shambles. The word echoed through his ears like it had just been said, becoming impossibly clearer with each passing echo.
It was mind filling, mind numbing and incredibly painful. So painful that his throat began to ache not from any physical pain but from the pain of not being able to scream out for his mouth was clamped shut lest he sully the beings presence with his unworthy voice.
" Speak" The voice said, seemingly gaining awareness of the predicament fallen upon the frail soldier. It was like a dam had been broken for 53897-7119-01, all his pain, emotions and mental fatigue all threatened to flow all at once.
But he couldn't allow that, he couldn't waste this chance given to him. He had to do right, do right for all the souls that couldn't, for all his people for who sacrificed all that they had in hopes that such a moment as this would come.
He was no fool, he knew he had died and he saw the horrors that awaited those who fell. The only one capable of pulling him from such a place, the only one capable of enacting this feeling his body was currently going through was only the….
" Emperor " 53897-7119-01 whispered through a shaky breath, he didn't know what else to say to him. His body was shaking, trembling with emotions he could not possibly begin to unravel.
What was he to do, kneel? Beg? Stand?
Every option that seemed right only appeared to be one that disrespected this being, every thing he could and would do would only serve to tarnish his very presence so perhaps the only thing he could do.
The only thing he had ever done, had ever done was to offer up his pitiful life.
" I….My….Life " He managed to say, his words shambling before they could be presented. His mouth shook in fear and unwillingness to speak without permission. He felt fear, he had sinned and failed to present a face that could be seen as the face of their centuries long sacrifices.
But the being itself seemed not too worried about this, rather it smiled or at least that was what 53897-7119-01 believed it was doing.
" Null " It repeated, cutting the thoughts of 53897-7119-01 before he could finish. The chaos that was beginning to unfold in his head simply vanished, all traces of it gone.
" That is what you shall be referred to as….or do you not like it? " The being said and asked.
There was a certain oddness in the situation, a certain unfamiliarity to it that couldn't be put into words. 53897-7119-01 calme-
" Null " The being said once more causing 53897-7119-01 confusion to turn silent, he did not understand what was happening - I quite do not either.
Perhaps the option or rather the illusion of choice was all there was to it, being nothing more than an illusion.
" Why is your order, Emperor " Null said, falling to his knees as he dared to speak.
" 53897-7119-01 now Null, Son of Krieg and My hand. You have given your life to me but I shall ask of more from you. Child before our time, before the fall of your race " The voice spoke out, each part of its words seemed to posses power of their own.
Power that convinced you of the rightness in them, that they were the way and the true path. Only the blind and ignorant would dare go against such a being.
Null did not answer, rather he waited. Choosing this time to speak only when spoken to or allowed to, there was no chaos in his head, no unsurety in his will. Only a firm determination to fulfill his purpose in his.
" I ask you now, will you give everything to fulfill my dream " The voice asked, but it didn't feel like a question. No, it felt like a statement and one that already had an answer to it.
" I will " He said, a brief short answer that enveloped all that he had ever known.
" I have a dream…a dream to see Humans returned to their rightful place as rulers. A dream where humans will no longer kill other humans as it was always meant to be. Will you help me achieve this dream, Null - son of Krieg, last remnant of #$%#* " The voice said, its will caused the air to shudder and the grounds to shake in response.
Perhaps the Emperor was simply that perfect that he would see the wrongful soul of Null as one deserving of choice and his words. To even think of refusing his word was impossible, there was only one answer and it was an answer each and everyone born on krieg would say.
" I will Blessed Emperor " he replied, his eyes shaking as he felt wetness upon his cheeks. He felt so weak now, so frail and unworthy.
" Then swear it " the voice said
" I swear on my life, on the life of krieg that I shall see your will done " Null replied swiftly without hesitation
" Swear your soul to me " The voice continued.
Once more, without stop nor hesitation. He did.
" I swear my soul to you, blessed Emperor " he said aloud, his voice shaking with righteous disbelief. He still couldn't comprehend what was truly happening, he was before the God Emperor of man, before his Master.
" Stand and step into the light " The voice requested, its soft and calm nature quickly causing Null to refocus his fleeting thoughts that were trying to question this situation, to question this…dream. Was he not so unworthy that such a mighty being would never even think of him?
Why….him?
But he stopped them, raising himself up as he walked straight into the blinding light. He expected some sort of pain if not from inside the light then from the light itself as they tore into his eyes. Yet nothing happy, even as he stared into a light as powerful or maybe even more so than the sun. He felt nothing.
" Outstretch your hand " The voice continued, guiding his actions with a calm demeanor. Null obeyed without question, his hands laid hanging in the air at the orders of the voice.
" Now repeat after me. I - Null, hereby swear my self and soul to this being before me-" It began
" I - Null, hereby swear my self and soul to this being before me " he repeated, strangely feeling a tug within him. Like a pull towards his organs or perhaps his skeletal frame…no, it felt even deeper.
" Thus we are bound through life, death and faith for all eternity - "
" Thus we are bound through life, death and faith for all eternity " Null repeated as he felt a strange weight across him body, one that pulled and seemed to bind him in place yet he knew he could still move
" It is done Null, for now you must leave so I can prepare. Climb the ranks of your comrades and claim power, I shall guide you as best as I can " The voice said to him
" Understood Emperor " He replied
Then he felt it, another different kind of pull that began to drag him away. It was a calm and relaxing pull that saw him close his eyes in wait.
If not for the breifest moment he saw something, perhaps a trickery of the warp or his mind. As he travelled through 'reality', crossing the gates of the unliving, he saw a glimpse….blink that changed the majestic hall into something else.
Something he could not explain…something that should not exist and as the image seemed to press into his skull, tearing its way into him….it vanished. He could not remember what he saw nor what he felt, for it might have never even been there before.
He made a mental note to pray and cleanse his mind with the teachings of the God Emperor after he returns, this trips through the warp seemed to be messing with his head.
[_[]_]~Changing Tides~[_[]_]
Silent
The air was silent, still beyond imagination. All around was the birth of destruction and war, the marks of pain and the trail of death remained ever present.
The air stunk with the decay of bodies, smashed, broken, burnt and half rotting. The battle here had been over for a long while, not many had passed through here.
Then a rattle amongst the corpses, bodies were pushed over causing the was dead place to liven up briefly if only because of its movement.
Little by little, more corpses were pushed over as people began to search through them…no, not people.
Amongst the many corpses that laid upon the floor, a singular one suddenly jerked up. It was violent yet brief, its fall soften in a cushion of other corpses. The sound made from it startled a few from the group that currently moved through here.
It laid still after this, seemingly returning to its lifeless state. More and more of the creatures moved upward, one of them in particular taking an interest to the body that had moved.
Perhaps there would be some cause for it and not just improper placement, secretly the creature hoped this was the case for it could only imagine the delicacy that could come from it.
It vaguely remembered a similar situation previously and how it had managed to feast upon warm juicy meat from the animal it had killed. Its tails served as a sort of snack to him, very chewy and tasty.
The creature moved forward with careful steps, slowly approaching the body that had moved. Its hands were already positioned for a catch as its eyes scanned around in hopes of finding something.
Suddenly the believed dead body shot up, its hand gripping the creature by the neck. It screamed in fear and surprise as it attempted to break away.
But the body did not let go, quickly it pushed itself unto the creature. Hands already reach for a choke hold and then- Crack.
The creature fell lifelessly to the floor, its necks shattered killing it instantly.
Upon seeing and hearing this, the other creatures quickly fled the area. Running for their measly lives, most likely hoping for another better opportunity next time.
Null looked around him, dead bodies everywhere. Most were soldiers like him, Krieg soldiers.
Some looked to be eaten into, others were already rotting though he couldn't smell it. His gas mask was luckily still on his face.
Last he remembered, they had assaulted and claimed the citadel. His last task was sweeping for survivors where he encountered enemy Ogryns which most likely killed them all.
This place didn't look like the citadel, neither did it seem to look like any place he had been before. Either there was no sky or it was just that dark.
He did not know, the little lighting in this place did little to illuminate his environment much less the 'ceiling'
Null flexed his arms, stretching them and his body to see if they were missing anything. Perhaps injuries or pains he should take note of but miraculously there was none.
Now, he had a few things to do.
As a lone soldier in the midst of a war, the chances of him surviving for long is nigh. Even less when dealing with the usual enemies they encountered which required numbers to deal with.
So, his mission is to reach command and rejoin the main force.
To that goal, he needed to survive until then. Water, rations, a weapon and ammunition were a must for him.
A vox unit would also be good but he'd hardly have the space for it. Hence, he busied himself searching through the mass of bodies here.
Making sure to turn over each corpse that wore his uniform since they would most likely be the only ones who had any decent supplies.
There was also the problem that those creatures could come back if they decide that they are far too desperate to give up on this or maybe even worse creatures he could not fathom.
There was little time to lose.
Most of the bodies seemed looted already, missing their lasguns and equipment in them. Some that still had bags which were torn in various places had little contents in them.
His bag was gone, along with everything except his respiratory gas masks, clothing on his back and body along with his belt.
Luckily he did find a lasgun, 3 actually. 1 was stuck inside the body of some fortunate guy, the other was bent alongside the owner's arms.
The last seemed mostly intact save for its barrel which seemed on the verge of getting destroyed and its damage stock.
He got to work fixing up the last with parts from the other two as best as he could, surprising many still had their tool kits with them.
Next was ammunition which was very available to a certain degree, las packs were indeed scattered everywhere but which had decent power in them remained to be seen.
Any food and water were already taken as he couldn't find much of anything. Not even the empty canteens were left behind.
He took some spare canisters for his mask, scavenged a usable rucksack, a chipped but usable knife and a decent sleeping kit.
He tried out as many las packs as he could, storing any that he could. He then took a few spare parts from a few other damaged las guns that he found.
Once he was set and ready to go, he retrieved as many dogtags from his fallen brethren. Storing them in a small pocket back he tied to his leg and then said a short prayer in hopes the Emperor would receive them as he received him.
Then, he began to move. While he couldn't tell the direction he was meant to go, he did know that up was his best bet.
So he headed out but not before taking the already dying lamp that had illuminated the place. It would serve better if it was with him.
He moved for about 3 solid hours before he encountered noise, mostly ruffles and voices. But they were a good sign since it meant more life.
Another hour in and he began to understand where he was…another battle front. Occasionally, he would hear screams and shouting. People running around and the gun shots.
Mostly wild but it means these people were fighting somewhere and they didn't look Imperial.
He contemplated trying to kill them but understood that he was now alone and he couldn't risk dying….again.
So he snuck past them as best as he could.
5 hours after he woke, he had finally seen progress in his journey up. A long deep tunnel that seemed to go up, on its walls were ladders.
Rusty old and broken ladders merged directly with the wall but they seemed able to support his weight, so he took the risk and began climbing up.
A little over 5 hours after he woke up, he began to feel ill. Like there was a certain sickness overcoming him, which further weakened his already tiring body.
He couldn't find anywhere to rest, going down would make his previous struggles a waste. So he tried to rest with minimal movement on top of the stairs as frequently as possible
Hour 6 after he awoke, he was at the top of the tunnel which led to more…tunnels, vast and dark as all previous ones. He hadn't heard or seen anyone after the previous people he had seen.
The tunnels were a confusing thing for him, a lot of them seemed to go on hour miles with no end and they were spread out in all directions.
Plus his lamb was soon to be out, practically already out with how little he could see things. He decided to stick to the walls and keep moving, hoping that he would find a way out.
Hour 11….there was no more light. It was pitch black with nothing to tell if he was going the right way.
Worse still was that he was still in the tunnel without any idea of where he was. He had met several dead ends of which he decided to move back lest he truly doom himself by going too far.
Hour 13, he saw light. Parts of the tunnel were illuminated like there was a large source of light nearby, it seemed far but it was something to look forward to. He decided to sit and rest for a few minutes before continuing on his mission.
But those thoughts were cut short as he heard people screaming and dying, guns were going off every second that passed. He couldn't wait behind and risk missing this chance so he raised his las gun and raced to the exit.
Upon approaching the end of the tunnel, he saw destruction. It had seemed that he was now on the surface and truly was on the front lie as he saw dozens of traitors and heretics moved past him. Most seemed oblivious to him and he planned on keeping it that way until it was doable to move through.
He lowered himself to the floor and executed a technique few amongst his kind could even dream of learning. It was one that allowed him to survive his early less monitored training, it was the act of deceiving the enemy.
And it worked.
A few of them threw glances to the tunnel, probably on a whim or just out of curiosity. One of them actually approached it and stared at him for a good 10 seconds before trying to take his las gun which was held firmly against his chest.
He looked him in the eyes, staring straight into the blood ridden sleep deprived eyes that reminded him of a commissar. The heretic hands touched his lasgun as a grip formed on top of it, he felt the hands try to pry them away from him.
But his cold dead hands refused to let go.
" Hoi!!!, what ye doing ? " A voice called out to him, which caused him to loosen his grip on the gun. The heretic turned with a slight frown as he answered in a frustrated voice.
" I found a dead gas freak, trying to get myself a new gun "
" Then, what's taking so long? We have to join the assault on those damned sisterhood before we miss all the fun " The voice replied, a loud chuckle following after.
" The gas freak won't let it go " He screamed in reply as he used both his hands to try and pry the gun away from the 'dead' body when suddenly it shot up, spun around to land on its knees and aimed at him.
" FU-" The heretic attempted to shout before a las shot went through his head. Without stopping, Null changed his aim and fired once more, hitting another heretic.
Another successful execution of his skill…Null said within his own mind before hurriedly climbing down the tunnel and running. He knew that the sound of las fire could attract the attention of more even with all those other shots ringing out.
More importantly, he now knew where to head in the definite sense. These heretics were attacking a sisterhood, most likely those of the Ecclesiarchy. He would rejoin that force and see where things would lead from there.
[_[]_]~Changing Tides~[_[]_]
[ I am getting bored ]
The Great City of Asborg, responsible for the lives of over 12 million people and home to one of the many headquarters of the SisterHood of the Ecclisiarchy. Its citizens are great believers in the Imperial faith, collectively raising up great tithes in the name of the God Emperor of which the Ecclisiarchy makes great use of.
It is also one of the many grounds where unfortunate souls are given the chance to join the ranks of the Adepta Sororita, young girls are taken, tested and prepared to be sent off world for further training and induction into their new life.
It is also a city that is currently in the process of getting destroyed as the forces responsible for destroying task force Imperialis 3 headed by the Emperor's angels redirected their sights to this place.
Currently there was a heavy battle going on in the Sacred Chapter Commandery of the blessed Saint Iawalose, protector and defender of a great many words. He was a minor saint compared to the many well known saints but still a saint regardless.
Canoness Commander Beneshiom was well aware of their current predicament, the noble in charge of this city attempted to strike a deal with the enemy and while he was executed as soon as they found out.
It was too late
The city's defenses soon fell with enemies already inside and the inhabitants were already getting slaughtered. Worse still, huge amounts of cultists began pouring in from long abandoned tunnels and hitting them at their backs.
Her little commandery of sisters were unable to hold for long and they were quickly pushed back into their home.
While she would have loved to rally her sisters in a last stand in glory for their Emperor, they had something to protect here. Something far more valuable than their lives, relics from saint Iawalose.
She ordered her sisters to fall back into the chapel as quickly as they could but the heretics were hot on their tail, they were turning desperate.
" Arm the chosen with knives and order them to delay the enemy, this is a test of their faith to the God Emperor. Sister Jerasim, lead your squad to extract the relic. We shall hold for you " She ordered.
While she doubted that the children would slow them long enough, it would help with their number problems. Plus any who survived this ordeal is sure to be blessed by the God Emperor.
" Canoness Commander, they have broken through 36th street. We collapsed the bridge as ordered but it will not hold for long. " A sister reported, running through a destroyed building as remnants of her squad trailed behind her.
" That will do, rally behind Sister Superior Neras. We must delay them for as long as possible, the relic must not fall into the hands of unbelievers " She said as she dismissed them, switching her vision to the row of sisters behind her.
They stood in a neat row, disciplined and ready to sacrifice their lives for the Emperor. She knew each one of them, she had practically lived with them for the past 25 years. She had personally selected all 8 of them herself, trusting their faith, zeal and skill that they had shown in their long years of service.
" Today Sisters, we bloody these halls like our patron saint did 500 years ago. Do not let the vermin cross whilst you leave, take their souls and their blood. For the God Emperor " She roared to them and they replied with a loud vigorous roar of their own.
They were each ready to die today and so was she.
As they moved to meet the incoming traitors, she saw to her side the Chosen that she had ordered to come fight by their side. Each of them was equipped with a knife that will channel their fury to the enemies of the God-Emperor.
" They will make fine Sisters" One of her guards commented as she too took notice of them.
Beneshiom nodded in agreement before turning her attention to them, looking to give a word of her own to boost their morale.
" Sisters!, today the God-Emperor tests your faith in him. The unbelievers and traitors look to desecrate this holy ground but we will not let them. If you see a sister fall, pick up her gun and avenge. If the enemy screams, then scream louder than them. I want to see you all bloody those blades of yours by the end of this battle "
" Yes, Canoness Commander!!! ".