“What do you think of Sister Lyria?” Iana asked innocently, she was never for reading minds or thoughts hidden away in expressions.

“That is what you choose to ask me? After our session of prayer?” Brielle cocked an eyebrow at her from the other side of the bed.

The medical chamber was a sleek stark white and sterile as one would expect. It was not a large area of space, only able to fit in a dozen beds at the maximum with enough space to work in. All of the patient beds were empty, save for one, a charming Cadian from the one of the famed Kasrkin squads sat in that one. His clothes were stripped save a pair of sky blue medical pants and he sported a number of wounds on his chest and ribcage.

Iana was sitting down by his side, spraying a healing agent that knit his wounds and covered the scars from where they had finished their work before. Brielle was standing over the surgeon’s apparatus controls, working a group of three bulky mechanical machine arms that drilled, severed, stitched, reconnected, and ultimately healed the wounds on his body.

“What else is there to ask?” Iana shrugged, motioning for the guard to remain as still as possible while she responded lamely.

“I am unsure,” Brielle said flatly. “Perhaps you should ask what kind of mission she must be going on to require an alien’s aid and why the alien requires full time protection from her and her comrades? I mean, the Inquisition must have their priorities in some kind of mess if this pointless show of cooperation is their state of affairs.”

“Indeed, I apologize, I did not think it too important to discuss, and he’s probably just a pawn in the Inquisitor’s eyes, though Ardaran is a bit of a radical.” Iana carefully observed one of the machine arms clench a piece of broken bone on his partially exposed ribcage and force it back into place. The Guardsmen winced.

“We’ll be proceeding to knit your bones back together shortly, John.” Brielle smirked at the Cadian before turning her attention partly back onto Iana.

“What do you think they’ll attempt to do? We’ve already pushed out the Thousand Sons, despite our planet still being in the midst of an uprising and demonic invasion. Maybe they’ll stop it somehow.”

“I can only hope. Try not to break the bone off or he’ll be in here for a couple of more months.” Iana sprayed the healing agent over a cauterized wound in his arm, making it vanish in mere moments.

“You two talking about that alien the Inquisitor hired?” John stifled a groan as the machine arms went to work on re-connecting his ribcage. “He’s been with us for a while now, you two must be new.”

“Are you a part of Operation Divinity? I wasn’t aware there was any Guard.” Iana placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

“Yeah, there are three thousands of us working under the Inquisitor. Only the most seasoned veterans are allowed to fight under his command, we also got a company of Space Marines and most of the Order of the Emperor’s Grace.” John clenched his teeth as the arms around him continued to work diligently.

“They don’t tell the new Hospitallers very much, now do they?” Brielle smiled warmly and Iana sighed in acceptance.

“I forget what we’re looking for, some kind of relic the Thousand Sons were originally seeking for or a way to stop this uprising of Chaos. We mostly go ruin delving somewhere in the under city, it’s pretty dangerous work. There’s all type of stuff down their now, but that’s what the xeno is: he’s an alien relic hunter.”

“Commissar Lriean?” Iana uttered with a look of skepticism, glancing at Brielle to see a look of intrigue in her eyes.

“I think his pain suppression medication dose is too high.” The blonde haired Hospitaller responded, who turned down the dose of the morphine equivalent forty thousand years in the future.

“That’s what they say he is.” John’s expression was completely stoic and serious. “We just know him and his team as one of the envoys of a Craftworld, he knows how to fight and he is pretty valued because he knows what to look for. He was raised on an Imperial world initially, second class citizen, the poor alien bastard. That’s about all I know of him though,”

“If that’s true then it’s no wonder he dresses the way he does, I wonder what he looks like in an alien suit of armor?” Brielle carefully worked the machine arm further up from the initial crack in his bones, working her way up to the next one when she was convinced it had been repaired.

“Oh Emperor, probably several degrees more foolish than he does now.” Iana answered with a strange sense of dread.

“That goes without saying. Hey Iana, perhaps they’ll reassign us to the standby medical teams on one of these missions.” Brielle showed a fraction of enthusiasm for once, a bounce in her work.

“We could use a couple of girls like you two to make our day brighter.” John smiled his wolfish grin, eyeing his wounds with a sense of relief to see progress.

“Don’t get your hopes up, John, if the next fight is anything like the Superiors mentioned before, soldiers like you will be pouring in here one after the other. How did you sustain injuries like this anyway?”Iana couldn’t help but interrogate him a little, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Oh this, just a few las-bolts and a giant mace, a cultist did it. He fought like the warp possessed him or something, his eyes were blood red and he was dressed in body armor and some strange robes. Bastard took a ton of shots before he finally went down. Ow!”

“Sorry.” Both of the medics mumbled apologetically. ------------------------

“The first words I breathed as a child cradled in my forgotten mother’s arms, the Gods first spoke to me then. I could hear their whispers on the edge of my mind, teaching to stand upright, to walk with pride or perhaps hubris even though they are one of same. I channeled power through this ancient vessel I have been gifted through genetics; I can still trace my blood line back to cities of Prospero.

... “Lyria!? Ameni!? Are you in there!?”

A sudden barrage of knocks on her door stirred her out of an all too brisk slumber and Lyria’s oceanic eyes eventually fluttered open. She found herself lying in a bed draped in the finest materials. Beside her was another empty one that looked undisturbed. Ameni was sitting at her desk, busy reading scripture and managing to pry her eyes away from it just as Lyria had awoken.

“Who the hell is this?” Ameni whispered to no one in particular, standing up from her desk and beginning to stalk across the barrack dormitory room with a disturbed look.

Glistening sunlight poured through a crystal clear window pane that took up the entire left wall, displaying only a very large portion of glittering Grixmanan and some of Aurelia’s tallest spires in the backdrop. The room they were in was not Spartan, not fashioned for a military existence fit for the common man. Three bookshelves lined the walls over a pair of desks fashioned from refined wood of the finest mahogany, filled with all sorts of knowledge on the Imperium of man, its heroes, and its foes.

Golden Aquila hung all around the room, pinning great banners and other symbols of heraldry in place so that they fluttered in the mild breeze caused by the air conditioning. Ornate weapons, those not meant to bring retribution to any given foe were held on large racks in between their beds, a sharp contrast to the auburn colored marble that comprised the floors.

Ameni pressed a sole button on the wall and there was a slight hiss of machinery in response. The door unlocked and soon slid open, revealing a bright and cheery face.

“Oh, Sister Superior! Uhh, Karyiake isn’t it?”

“Indeed Sister, if I may enter your dorm for a short while?”

“Of course, ma’am, right this way.”Ameni stepped aside for the veteran member of the Sororitas, who stepped into the room and greeted the two of them with a gracious smile.

“Sister Ameni and Sister Lyria, I bid you greetings on behalf of the Seraphim. You’re probably wondering why I came here today, especially on such short notice.” Karyiake cleared her throat and cast an expecting glance at Lyria, who was still sleep addled and lying in her bed as if she had suddenly taken ill.

“Forgive my manners, Superior, I was not expecting guests.” Lyria threw off the blanket and clambered up to her feet in her white gown.

“As I was saying, I know Squad Averticus has been diligent in their duties in protecting the Inquisitor’s guest, and that position holds no small amount of honor. Your Superior Meril has been telling me all about your latest exploits, nothing too interesting in the past months I see.” Karyiake took a moment to admire the view outside, watching the bulky structures of the fortress-complex radiate with a holy glimmer. “I was just wondering if you two would like to join me on a heretic hunt. Your Superior says you have talent, but she says your ability to kill is waning with the passing of each day. Perhaps you two had spent too much time with these aliens and though that is not your fault, maybe you could use a reminder of what it means to serve in the Emperor’s army.”

“What kind of heretic hunting?” Ameni appeared somewhat concerned at her officer’s words, taking in the information with a demoralized look. “Just a simple kill mission, capture a target?”

“It would be no different or more dangerous than a simple assault on an enemy held position and execute a high priority target. Keep in mind that it does pertain to our current mission, so it will be dangerous, your lives placed at great risk, but you two are still new and have not fought with army of the Adeptus Sororitas as a whole. It is time we assigned you to a full tactical squad, away from your fellow initiates.” Karyiake looked to Lyria with a polite small, but with no small amount of expectation.

“Why we would be honored to accept this promotion, Karyiake.” Lyria bowed deeply and Ameni followed suit, allowing Lyria to wisp the words out of her mouth.

“Very good, you are no longer part of Squad Averticus, we’ll be assigning you to duty with Sister Superior Koralia and her squad of thirteen, soon to be fifteen. Prepare to be tested Sisters, the coming days like these are rarely easy. Do well and we may assign you to more specialized roles, one can only know where one’s talents lie through endless testing. Anyway, we’ll be heading out in a day or two, if you would report to Koralia by then that would be good. You may find her in the training grounds from ten to twelve in the morning and noon. But I digress, I must take my leave now, Emperor bless you two.” The Seraphim Squad Commander left without another word, leaving the pair of dumbstruck new bloods to their own devices.

“Great.” Lyria’s friend hissed when the doors fixed shut. “Oh, would like join us in our own little hell pit we have burning down in the under city!? The only thing these types of crusades remind me of is endless death and burning corpses.”

“It is a pious woman who decides to burn the bodies of heretics; Emperor knows what kind of taint they have. That and it makes me feel a lot better about myself, you truly achieve victory when you round up the enemy dead and start a bon-fire.” Lyria blinked the tiredness out of her gaze, immediately throwing open her closet and beginning to scrounge through her wardrobe.

“You want to smoke outside?”

“Sure I could use one.” --------------

Somewhere deep within the Under City…

“My sisters, be brave in the face of death and it will give you two outcomes: either an honorable embrace or a glorious victory. May the Emperor choose your fate wisely in his wisdom.”

The Mataxis Highway cut a deep swathe into lower Aurelia, the assembled might of the Order of the Emperor’s Grace and the Imperial Guard Cadian Regiment dispatched by Inquisitor Ardaran crossed the grand bridge of Alusis, descending down a long and endless ramp until it had finally curved off into one of the outlying districts that sat above the usual murk and darkness of the rest of Aurelia’s founding quarters.

The highway was about ten lanes thick, split into two for ingoing and outgoing traffic. The armored column of the Ordos Militant was spread across the incoming lane in three separate convoys that stretched back toward the bridge of Alusis. Valkyries and other fighters swept ahead of the mustered military fist of the Imperium into the midst of the urban jungle that would soon swallow them whole in their flight forwards. Orbital bombardments coordinated by Imperial armadas above their target location had left entire swathes of the outlying buildings in smoking craters and ruins and yet much of the area remained unscathed by the touch of war; despite whatever may have befallen the populace in the open streets beforehand.

Lyria listened carefully to Sister Superior Anthanasia’s words over the loud speaker in the Rhino transport with a placid expression. Their squad leader was not actually among them, but among the other nine sisters in squad Angelikii. The group was forced to be divided into two vehicles of transportation, being a squad of fifteen and Rhinos only capable of holding ten passengers. That left Lyria and Ameni in with three other faces she did not recognize and one of them was up on the heavy bolter turret at the top of the Rhino hatch.

“They say that this area is ruled by a witch with a power of extreme magnitude, such myths should be put aside and simply said that they are real instead of fearing them in such a superstitious fashion. For today that witch is our target and she will die or be taken alive before the day is done.” Alexandra said dryly, waiting beside the hatch with a look of nervous anticipation. She was not Anthanasia’s second in command, but she fancied herself in charge of the small group while the ride lasted.

“I heard that she commands an army to protect her estate, one of the cults that had thrown their weight in with the Thousand Sons. Surely, they must’ve been reduced to rubble by now!?” Ameni shouted at Alexandra over the belching roar of the Rhino’s engines.

“Oh why Sister, that would ruin the whole point of the sport! There would be no need to mobilize an entire wing of the army if things were so simple!” Nomiki suppressed a yawn as the Rhino pressed on, the sound of bombs detonating and las-cannons and other heavy gear rattling in the background un-fazing her.

The two of them radiated a confidence that seemed to originate from within, appearing fearless and ready for battle in equal measure. Lyria had not heard them brag of their battles though if the past was anything to go by, sometimes there wasn’t much of anything to brag about.

The four Sororitas looked up at the sound of their Rhino’s heavy bolter opening up a torrent of fire and the speed of the armored column gaining in momentum. Not long after, a sharp whistle mostly blotted out by the thick steel plating of the transport was heard for a moment, followed by the crash of an impact then a thunderous explosion. Everyone grabbed their weapons and stood to their feet as Melina came clambering down the ladder a moment later, following the full stop of the Rhino.

“We spotted an enemy air-craft, we’re here! Alexandra drop the hatch!” A bright wave of sunlight swept through the cramped interior of the rumbling vehicle, hitting Lyria and her companion’s eyes with a blinding glare.

“Be careful, we have a short walk yet to go until we reach the gates of the target. Let’s go! Out of the vehicle!”

Alexandra was the first to storm down the ramp, followed by Nomiki, and then Ameni. Lyria strode out behind them, taking in the endless maze of structures boxing them in. When she stepped out into the sun’s embrace two groups of half-naked, crazed chain sword wielding Repentia Squads were rushing past her and her squad mates, being whipped into a fury beneath the lashes of their slave drivers. Their heads were mostly shaven and they were literally covered in rags, Lyria knew that cannon fodder such as them would not last the hunt, however mediocre their opponents may seem.

“Squad Angelikii, meet up on the other side of the highway!” A voice blocked off by their transport echoed over the commotion of the disembarking elements of both the Adeptus Sororitas and the Imperial Guard. Only the first hundred or so were amassing this closely towards their target, the rest would still have to be carried in when further progress was made.

The Exorcist artillery tanks were already beginning to pull up into position on the other side of the highway as a mass of troops being disgorged road work as well. Their guns were silent as there was no need for them until the real battle had kicked up in pace. Basilisk began to fall into formation behind them as Cadians, both Kasrkin and regular infantry began moving forward at a brisk jogging pace. They would have to move faster if they wished to catch up with the forces of the Order.

“Holy Throne, look at that!” Alexandra pointed up to a point in the sky, far off in the distance, where the clouds began to part and evaporate. A few moments later, large pillars of energy began to rain down from the gaping wound in the sky in a slow, yet relentless succession upon Aurelia’s fragile surface. There was a brief flash of unbelievably blinding light, followed by a backlash so strong that entire sky scrapers simply disintegrated in the fallout.

The earth quaked beneath the wake of destruction and soon enough, Anthanasia and the rest of the squad came striding out of the ash blackened air unaware of the force besetting them. She beckoned the rest of her team to come forward and they did, merging into the core of the first wave only beginning to move further into the off beaten paths leading away from the highway and closer to their objective.

“Let’s move, at a quick pace, but don’t tire yourselves too quickly.” Their Superior ordered, leading by example and running down the exit ramp leading into a series of splendorous palaces and estates of the ruling noble class that held this region of the hive city in their grasp.

Lyria and Ameni were moving forward side by side, watching even more of the Repentia squads rush past to screen them from any ambushes or assaults that may surprise them. Large hulking machinery in the form of skeletal Pentient Engines stampeded by them on hissing pistons to support the chafe of the Ordos Militant branch. Lyria carefully studied the white robed sinners chained to the body of the machine, each limb moving a larger, deadlier counterpart that could bring death to countless enemies if it were protected.

“These streets should be unoccupied or so our recon and intelligence say, but there will be a lack of fighting here anyway. I know you sisters are used to the merciless scraps in city streets, but our objective sits in the very middle of a recreational forest park. It’ll be nothing but trees, a few winding paths, and one fortified complex from here on out. Good luck to all of you, which extends especially to our newcomers.” Anthanasia inclined her head toward Lyria and Ameni with a gracious smile before she addressed the entire squad again. “Guide these lost souls to their most deserved judgment! Show no mercy, for there is no hope to those who freely give their souls to false, cruel gods! For the Emperor!”

“Rebuke the Heretic!” -----------

Teshkeran wood was glimmering in the midday sun, warming the dense foliage and nurturing it till it stood on edge to bask in its soft glare. The serpent shaped creeks and river banks were flowing gently through the endless miles of wilderness that had enveloped them

“Remember, silence is the key, they must know that we’re approaching, but if we mask our strike, it will still be unexpected.”

Lyria listened to the soft howling of the breeze, picking up feint whispers on its trail for only a second before they dissipated all together, carried away to other attentive ears. She carefully maneuvered through the bed of exotic flowers with an aura of stealth that seemed lacking due to her bulky armor. It was slender and tight fitting compared to a Space Marine, but for an average human it weighed her down far more than it would seem. The whining servos incorporated in her suit allowed her to move truly free and aided her in her attempt to creep through the wood with all lack of sound.

She weaved through the trees and dense foliage up a very steep hill, picking out the shapes of other Sororitas doing something similar as they moved at the tip of the spearhead. Aside from the occasional snap of twigs, only the sounds of flowing waters and chirping birds disturbed the serene backdrop that they now found themselves in.

Lyria listened to Anthanasia speaking to one of the other superiors in the battle group through her comm. bead. They made no attempts to keep their little chat private and appeared to have no qualms about doing so. They were exchanging words on how best to approach what would be inevitably awaiting their arrival at the very peak of the hillside.

“We should order an artillery barrage and send the guardsmen up there until they choke on endless dead: our own and theirs.”

“Oh hells fine, send the guardsmen up and we’ll follow on their heels.” Lyria cursed under her breath, not much was visible through the tree line, save the peaks of a few spiraling silver-white towers and a rather large barricade of unadorned steel that rose up to half the height of largest trees. The wall had many slits in it, firing points, which told Lyria that it was an advantageous position that could hold Cultists within and at the walls lip. The defensive structure was divided into small bulwarks by massive, closed pipes that bulged from the otherwise flat and uninteresting surface. There appeared to be no defensive weapon emplacements anywhere within sight and the entire complex seemed vulnerable if it was protected at all.

None-the-less, the decision was to exercise caution and for now they would have to carefully probe the outer defenses with a careful advance of Imperial Guard. A small battalion of men came rushing up the snaking trails and steps leading up through the woods and towards the undefended bulwark. They quickly formed loose rings around the entire proximity of the premises in front of the Adeptus Sororitas, commanded to move forward with a word echoed from their own chain of command.

“They’d be foolish to leave no guards to fend off an assault. What trickery is being played out here?” Ameni was suddenly by her side, crouching in the small undergrowth while Lyria pressed her back against the reassuring bark of a tall redwood.

“Perhaps they have too few to defend us off effectively. Either way, we still need to find a way through these barricades. They’ll have to send in an aerial strike force to open the way for us, that or we’re climbing up those walls.”

“Very observative, Sister Lyria, but if you would please close your frakking mouth!” Anthanasia shushed the pair of Sororitas with a vehement whisper, turning back towards the Imperial Guard and focusing her concentration of the defenses they were attempting to breach. “And don’t forget, we can always breach the gates with Krak grenades, we just have to see if anyone will object to us doing so.”

The Guardsmen camouflaged with their surroundings far more than the Sororitas did in their beige and khaki uniforms melding into the backdrop and making the Sisters seem alone in their emerald and snow white heraldry. There were about a hundred advancing on squad Angeliki’s side of the wall and they were quickly approaching the range to scale it or assault the gate.

“Let’s move in closer behind the guard, we need to be there in case all hell breaks loose.” Angelikii’s leader gestured her grunts to advance and so they did, they approached so close to the wall that they could easily pick off any foes that sought to take them by surprise within it. “Keep your weapons trained on that wall.”

The Imperial infantry began to relax the closer they moved towards the unmanned defense, practically striding out of the wood when they realized that there was no sinister ambush waiting for them.

At least one they could see.

The bulging pipes that had been so complacent beforehand immediately popped open and unfurled menacing twin-linked heavy bolter and missile turrets automated by either patient servitors or a calculating A.I. The anti-infantry turrets immediately opened up with a barrage of lethal fire that cut a bloody swathe through the unsuspecting guard. They ejected a hundred casings in a few seconds, rattling constantly as they tracked their deadly gazes back and forth. Those lucky enough to survive not being reduced to scraps hastily dashed back into the cover of the woods.

The missile turrets were tracking a different kind of prey, locking on to the still forms of the Sisters of Battle and sending a salvo of missiles into their source of cover. Some were caught out in the open, losing limbs to violent explosions as if shells had landed amongst them. Trees splintered and collapsed in the wake of the destruction, a vain attempt to force their targets out into the open.

Lyria peaked out from cover to spy mysterious figures suddenly materializing at the firing slits inside the wall. They were all masked with blank faced helms and were dressed in silver and sapphire robes outfitted with what seemed to be segmented Carapace armor. Their weapons spat a ripple of violet, withering las-fire and she could immediately classify them as modified hell-guns.

The Repentia came out of hiding to absorb the sudden tirade of muzzle flashes, driven by their cruel slave drivers into the fray. Small groups of them went down to the heavy fusillade before they eventually gritted their teeth and began to fall into cover in and around the rank and file.

“Heavy weapons, move to the front, I want those turrets out of commission! The rest of you, pick off those cultists!” Anthanasia raised her bolt pistol and fired at a clutch of cultists that had taken position at the very top of the wall, taking pot-shots with their snipers before disappearing behind the wall again. “We need more Guardsmen up here!”

One of the Repentia around Lyria sagged against what was now a shattered stump, leaking all manner of viscera and fluids from the gaping wound in her head. A stray bullet took a member of another squad through her exposed neck joint and exited through the back of her spine. She fell over paralyzed to do anything as her sisters exchanged fire with their assailants.

Missiles exited from large tubes carried by experienced guardsmen and streaked out towards the butchering turret weapons. Weapons were partially shredded and torn from their mounts and other weapon emplacements went up in a blaze as their ammunition cooked off. Grenade Launchers dispensed their deadly payload to explode against the bulwark defending their objective, taking out the occasional group of Cultists here and there only to be replaced a moment later.

“Suppressing fire, suppressing fire!” A hail of las-fire erupted from the surrounding trees and hit the wall like a deadly tide. Cultists lurched away from the open firing ports, reappearing again whenever the fire slackened and renewing their attack.

“We knew they’d be dug in deep! Send word for the Seraphim to mobilize!” An unfamiliar voice commanded over the comm-bead linking each unit in the Order into a seamless communication network. Only the Superior’s voices could be heard at the moment unless someone specifically tapped into the channel. The screams of the less fortunate were blotted out that way.

“Gates opening!” Alexandra shouted through her V.O.X. grill, amplified over the crescendo of war as she pointed to the massive double door gates of thick steel slowly creeping open.

“Canoness, this is Superior Diamantia Anthanasia of Squad Angelikii, reporting an opening at the gates! The enemy maybe attempting to sally out against us!”

“Understood, all squads keep an air of caution about you; prepare to annihilate anything that comes out beyond those walls!”

The gates were fully peeled back by the time of the Canoness’ words and the air was filled with a loud rumbling and the grinding of treads as a column of armored vehicles came pushing out into the loyalist formations. Spearheading the advance were three huge Leman Russ Demolishers outfitted with plasma cannons for main guns and sponsons followed by a convoy of Chimera transports eight deep. They drove out onto the winding path that the Imperials had followed up to this point, guns blazing as they penetrated the loose screen of infantry and sought to drive them out of hiding.

The plasma cannons on the battle tanks fired at different angles, unleashing a scathing blast of pure energy into the sparse woods, immolating dense foliage and burning away large gaps in the surrounding redwoods. Even power armor could stand little against the unstable energy and sloughed off their bearers in a molten river of admantanium, leaving the withering forms of sisters to melt away in split second flashes of sapphire light.

The Imperial Guard were fairing even worse against the tracking multi-lasers on either side of the Chimeras, scattering as they cut through the bushes they hid within and puncturing the tree line with deadly precision. They responded with a flurry of missiles that battered and tore through mechanical beasts with reckless abandon. The orange fire of the multi-meltas soon lit the air, parting armor like butter and immolating the crews within. One of the Demolishers had been reduced to a smoldering wreck while the other two battered the husk out of their path, firing with some degree of marksmanship. The four Chimeras left in the aftermath responded by dropping their ramps and disgorging a mass of heavily armored troops branded with the marks of Chaos.

“Contacts!”

“If you’re not in cover, find some quickly!” Nimiki lifted her melta and fired a stream of super-heated liquid energy at one of the Cultists diving into the forest. The blast easily punched through the tree he had leapt behind and in turn reduced him to atoms.

“Reposition, take out those Cultists!”

Las-fire rippled in great waves around the forest and Lyria could feel some of them honing in around her; she would have to tread carefully. She leaned out from the massive redwood she was stranded behind, drilling one of the arch-enemy with three bolter shells to the chest. Armor around his chest exploded into fragments, but the majority held and his wounds seemed minor. Finally becoming aware of the Sororitas, he raised his hell-gun and fired a couple shots off before approaching closer to Angelikii’s position.

“Throwing frag!” Ameni shouted, tossing a loose grenade amongst the squad of cultists coming into her range. There was a deafening cough, followed by a choir of screams that was music to her ears.

Sister Sofia went down with a shrill scream, body chewed up by another turret that had suddenly found her. Anthanasia gestured for Nomiki, Alexandra, and another sister Lyria failed to recognize to break off and deal with the defensive weapon emplacements themselves. Smoke screens went up towards the wall and the trio of battle nuns set off uphill until they dissipated in the grey wall of smoke.

“Get the Repentia into position and assault those cultists!” Anthanasia cursed through gritted teeth, drawing her chainsword as a foe suddenly leapt into her guard with twin sabers.

The masked assailant moved fluidly in his robes and carapace, slashing left to right with well-timed strikes that indicated practiced martial prowess. The Sister Superior easily ducked under a decapitating blow and parried the second with an upwards thrust, pulling her bolt pistol from its holster as her assailant instinctively stepped backwards. She pulled the trigger once and relished in the powerful recoil against her gloved hand, an arrogant smirk on her lips as she punched a small crater into the left side of his chest.

The Cultist cried out in outrage in alarm, lashing out with a sideswipe following a one-eighty spin aimed for the neck. Anthanasia’s death flashed briefly before her eyes before one of her sisters came to her aid, sparing her the decapitation by driving a knife through his neck. Her foe responded by hurling one of her grunts off of him with superior strength, falling upon her sprawled form knee first and sinking both of his blades into the joints around her waist.

“No! Damn Heretics! The sudden squeal of agony brought her out of her momentary daze and yet another bullet dispensed from her pistol’s chamber, striking her opponent in the back of his head and spilling his brain matter rather messily over the forest floor. She caught the strange combatant with her arm, holstered her pistol and proceeded to rip the helmet off to reveal the face of the one who had come so close to delivering her a death blow.

“Ugh, possessed, I should have known better!” The face was incredibly pale, but devoid of any emotion akin to physical pain whatsoever, his blood filled eyes stared back with anguish and a strange sense of = agony as well as utter hatred. His blood was as foul as it smelled and she dropped the corpse with disgust and turned back to the injured subordinate that had rescued her. “Sister Mari, get a medic up here and see to it that he cleans Chrysa up.”

“Yes Superior! Medic!!!”

“Cultists closing in around us!” Lyria exchanged fire with a pair of armed Storm Troopers, nailing one between the eyes and grazing the other’s shoulder. A few traces of laser fire punched into her superior armor and she fell back into the protection of the tree.

A revving of chainswords signaled reinforcements from the Repentia and the thunderous cracking of heavy bolters gave away the Retribution squads moving up steadily from behind as they fired away. There was strong breeze of wind, but not a natural one, Lyria suddenly gazed up to see figures flying on trails of flame above the sparse canopy of trees, eventually landing behind the great barricade that was keeping them at bay.

“Counter-attack, Sisters! I want to be one of the first behind the Seraphim into that palace!” -----------------------

“Oh do I enjoy the eyes of those who are naïve to the true ways of the Universe, constantly fixed in horror as they bear witness to the endless spiral of debauchery that consumes those that follow me. It’s so… elegant, the way that each act of the play hinges loose just a fraction of their sanity, opening their minds up to me in full transparency before it is said and done and the stage closes after one final encore. But the encore never ends, now does it? For every thousand souls transfixed on our every whim, born in madness, born in sadness, there is tenfold waiting to be shown… life’s true pleasures.

For it is through the eyes of the Seer that I shall fall upon the ilk that I so desire with tooth and claw!”

“Speak his name, Mistress, you have dabbled in the arts, but I find this strange! Your possessed do not worship, they do not sacrifice, but have paid the ultimate price for a sub par reward! Benefits you all the more, Mistress!” Xag’rish twirled on the tips of her toes on one leg in a fluid movement that reminded Theodora of an Ice skater, the other leg lifted parallel with the rest of her body as she danced so unnaturally it made the Priestess shiver.

The Demonette seemed very familiar in one aspect; she had a very minor appearance that made her seem like a whelp compared to most of her kin. The Herald of Slaneesh was very lithe and tall, her skin smooth lavender, but became increasingly scaly and horned around her facial features. She had a feral beauty to her, containing a grace and lacking in the horrid appearance that put most of her ilk to shame. If it were not for her crab claw hands, Theodora would have guessed she that she was an Eldar that had fallen to depredations of Chaos.

“Yes, yes, they are bit drab aren’t they? I believe you’ll find my Sorcerers much more colorful and appealing to your sense of worship.” The Sorceress reclined into the stony embrace of her sapphire throne, sparing a smile in Nyst’s direction as she spoke. “Oh, Hel’xata, I wish your tantalizing words had not tempted so much of my armies, now they’re just simply puppets. I had hoped some of them would prove more intelligent in that regard, but alas, the presence of the Arisen has set all of these souls onto the more fanatical course!”

“Why does she regard this one, “the Arisen”, as a pet?” There was no tone of mockery in the Herald’s voice, but something akin to a warning rose in Xag’rish’s tone, even as she smiled the most polite smile and bowed deeply to show apologies.

“That is because she is my pet! A gift, from our Overlords and supreme masters, those who serve Magnus the Red and the great eye in the warp! The Thousand Sons praised me for my faithful devotion and gave me a demon that they had culled through their most sacred rituals, to defend me from any threat that seeks to eliminate me, from within or without!” Theodora appeared awfully flamboyant in her luxurious robes, draped in all forms of magnificent golden jewelry that depicted the many symbols of Chaos.

Xag’rish decided that she loved it.

“Oh master, you are always one for the melodramatic!” Nyst stifled a yawn, lying down on her side as she observed the dancing Xag’rish as if watching an insect with apparent interest. “You must forgive her, but I am Hel’xata, leashed and bound as you see, by my patron God to have the ears of mortals and give them the words of the Gods. But I digress, master, you should go ahead and give her a name! She seems very excited to take one!” The Greater Demon giggled devilishly, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. “It is almost time!”

“His name Lriean, demon, but there are others. They are hunting for lost souls of their Eldar race, but I see now that the Eldar have decided to meddle in our affairs. I do not want you to kill Lriean until you have killed another, she is someone that Nyst has seen in her dreams and knows her name! Her name is Mae and she lives in a distant realm that is far from here!”

“Suffer the witch! Through their eyes is the eternal damnation that awaits the galaxy!” Xag’rish’s voice rose in shrill crescendo until she could reach no higher note.

“You see master!? This is why I do not like her; she views you only as a gateway, a meat puppet destined to do mischief upon the galaxy. Surely no meat puppet can truly rule why such baleful gazes seek to gain an advantage over you?”

“Do not worry, Hel’xata, I was promised that she could help us. I know space and time is not a hindrance to you demons, so go, Xag’rish, assassinate this marked soul and do with it as you wish. Also, I expect this “Council” of Seers to be similarly dismembered, understand?”

“Your bidding, eternal, Mistress!”

“But do not snuff this Lriean soul just yet! He will lead us to the true prize in this war!”

“Ah, little Lriean, I’d wager he’s forgotten all about me.” Nyst’s lips puffed into an exaggerated frown, and Xag’rish purred lustfully at the name.

“How will this soul serve without bending knee!?” Xag’rish suddenly fell on one knee, eyes fallen to the floor and asking the question with a sullen voice.

“He need not serve me, but simply open the way! His alien Gods seem to favor him, so he is protected, but only by fortune. He will provoke the wrath of one other patron God that I will need to slip by. Until he does so, do not focus on him.”

“Blessings of Excess go with you!” Xag’rish leaped to and fro among the hall of the Throne, twirling with inhuman grace and kindling an aura of screaming souls to swallow her up before she faded out of reality completely, ready for the hunt.

“You seem confident, Hel’xata.” Theodora chided slyly, looking up from her perfectly manicured finger nails to spare the Greater Demon a snide glance.

“Relax, master! She will do many wonderful things for you, just wait and see!” Hel’xata laughed at the Priestess’ uncertain demeanor. “By the way, I wonder what you will do with this entire rabble at your gates!”

“They are chafe, ultimately, and will not stop us; I shall allow them inside to visit! Do welcome our guests when they find themselves in our halls, Hel’xata, I would hate for them to get lost. I shall have Hesperion and my Sorcerers aid you as well.”

“Your bidding, eternal.” ------------------

“Wake up.”

The clearest voice uttered from nothingness, probing her outer mind with due care and careful not to push beyond invisible boundaries. She stirred ever so slightly, enough to rouse a pulse; she could feel the measured pumps of her heart with absolute clarity. It thrummed rhythmically in her ears and threatened to lull her back into a picturesque dream.

“Arise, I see you there.”

A faint breeze washed over pale skin and yet she did not awaken. Something was calling out, reaching out with something other than arms that tugged at her psychically. A groan of protest was uttered from her thoughts and she slapped the presence away with her mind.

“Awaken again… out of your war self, become who you always were. It is safe to open your eyes to the world, child, cruel as it maybe, wishing it away will not give you any solace in your trials to come.”

“Where am I?” A gloved hand that was not her own brushed aside her aurburn locks of curled hair out of her eyes and she winced from the brightness of the sun.

“Somewhere you were destined to be.” Kasilienesh cast a number of marked stones in the air, each one glowing with a white light and swirling around him at a fast pace. “You should not keep the mask on forever; it gnaws at your real, inner self, and can consume you.”

Taryi grimaced as she stirred upon the grassy hilltop, listening to the drowning roar of nearby waterfalls that fell into a placid lake so blue and green that it appeared that she were upon the shores of Teyl-Jhen. She was so close to the glistening body that she reached out to it and dipped her bare hand into the warm crystalline waters. The Howling Banshee, now a normal specimen of the Eldar, did not like waking up to a lecture as much any other youthful Eldar.

“I feel… satiated of my bloodlust.” Taryi searched her surroundings with an arm raised over her eyes to ward off the sun. They were deep within a valley, exactly where, Taryi could not tell and yet judging by the humans that were treading through the hills beneath them without a care in the world, and golden palaces in the backdrop, she could safely suspect that they were still on Tyrannus, somewhere in Aurelia perhaps.

“Good, child, very good.” The Warlock was dressed in robes of the deepest black and adorned with gems and runes of the most crimson red. White wraithbone on his helm glared back at her, but Taryi could feel the purity of his presence soothing her spirit. “You should rest for a few days; learn what is to be yourself again, perhaps.”

“What is there to do on a human world?” Taryi forced herself into a cross-legged position, just behind Kasilienesh. “Read their history?”

“Go watch their plays, see their places of tourism, and see what it means to be a human. The possibilities are only slightly fewer than if you were upon a maiden world.” Kasilienesh turned his attention back towards the palaces sprouting from the earth and raising untold kilometers up into the sky. “You are concerned?”

“I- what of Lreian and Qu’nalan? If I were to suddenly take leave for a few days and return, they would be going about without my aid. And my aid is something that they need.” Tayri looked down upon herself and suddenly realized that she was dressed in a flamboyant black and yellow dress of a high-gothic style. She suddenly ached and longed for her armor.

“Resist the call of your war-spirit; it will not serve you in this place. In fact it seeks you to serve it, master your calling, you are the master of yourself and no other.” The Warlock appeared lapsed in a trance, the glowing runes playfully whirling about him showing him the future. “Do not worry about your friends, Qu’nalan can wear his war-spirit well and Lriean has no need for such things. He has learned well from these short-lived humans. They will be departing soon for the tombs of Bel’atha and I too shall leave with them.”

“You would simply leave me out in this world alone?” Tayri’s sharp tongue suddenly resurged into her being though it was provoked by doubt and uncertainty.

Kasiliensh spared her a sideways glance and took in her hesitating and bewildered face and responded with soothing voice that sympathized with her. “There are others that will be here to tend to your needs and others still that you could walk with. Philemon and Drayana have been assigned to be near your quarters, seek them out and speak to them. I’m sure it will be enlightening.”

“I am the most experienced of the team, you do not think I can fight, but I assure you I am the deadliest blade of all!”

“Of that I have no doubt, but your spirit is worn thin and you are in not the right mental state to fight what is to come.”

“And what is it that is to pass, honored Seer?”

“Something that I cannot foresee, unless with my own eyes.” The Warlock from Ulthwe held no grim prophecy in his voice, but something akin to intrigue and interest as the runes slowly dropped to the ground one after the other. “I have been here far longer than you know and have seen many things, but this shall be a first, I shall see the things you see that I never thought to look for before. Soon, soon enough.” ----------------------

The halls of the palace were far from emptied, even as Taryi maneuvered through the grand halls; it was usually through a throng of servants or elite personnel. She cast a strange glance at the serf leading them further through the richly decorated atriums and chambers. It felt different to her to move in such heavy clothes, but she did feel an air of royalty being in such gothic attire.

“What is this place?” The Howling Banshee whispered, approaching a massive stone fountain depicting a writhing Hydra rising from the placid waters it held in its deep reservoir. A hundred snarling heads of the grand sea serpent emitted a steady stream to add to the pooling water and she wondered what manner of beasts dwelled on this primitive planet.

“This is the beginning of the tomb of the Honored, I see this serf must’ve brought you through the quickest way possible to end up here, as I expected.” Philemon suddenly emerged from one of the darkened paths and into the golden light coming off grand and ancient chandeliers. She strode forth in an elaborate dress across the emerald and stained bronze checkered tiles to draw very close the alien. “My apologies for startling you, but I heard you were coming so I thought I’d meet you half way.”

“No, it is alright, though I must say I am a little intrigued with how you mon-keigh bury your dead. You claim the soul is venerated through death, and yet make no place for it among your own halls?”

“Such places of devotion are worthless to us, you see? When the soul departs it is guided back to the Emperor’s side through the beacon of the Astronomican.” Philemon waved the serf away and gestured for Taryi to follow her deeper into the bowels of the extravagant crypt.

“How convenient.” Taryi purred satisfactorily, following the human down through the great ribbed passage ways and past row upon row of bone colored caskets.

“Surely it must be a better fate than being locked away in some corner of the galaxy for all eternity?” Philemon chided snidely before remembering her manners. “Forgive me, sometimes I forget myself, but this is not a conversation I’m sure both of us do not wish to be having.”

“Oh, it does not bother me… uh, Philemon was it?” Taryi pronounced the name as awkwardly as the Celestian had ever heard it, but showed no hint of annoyance. “You will not be leaving with the others?”

“Ah, no I do not believe so; there would be no one here to guide you around.” The Celestian smiled politely, leading her through a series of small statues tucked away along the passage way they were making their way through.

“Ah, and so here we are, to the resting place of Canoness Kari Olympia. I hope you forgive the detour, but I thought we may as well come now that we are here.”

The life-sized statue of the passed Canoness was that of Kari Olympia in her full armor, a helm cradled in her right arm and a large blade held over head in her left. Taryi could see long strands of hair falling across her back, being blown in an imaginary wind. Her youthful features, set in a darkened marble, depicted her ebony skin and the white marble between her lips showing a white set of teeth bore in a proud shout.

“Very elegant.” Taryi gently scrubbed her chin as she inspected the statue, silently observing Philemon bend on one knee before the suspended casket.

“Emperor, I am your humble servant, a proud warrior in your innumerable legions, and a faithful woman at heart. We honor the passing of our short-lived Canoness, Kari Olympia, the stalwart bastion that sought to stand between all of Tyrannus and the depredations of Chaos. It is through her sacrifice that we gained victory over the minions of your most hated foe.

Extend to us the flames of purity that we may extinguish the fires of war upon this world and keep watch over us as we bring honor to both the dead and the living through our deeds. This do I pray, benevolent father of mankind, give us hope in the days to come.”

Philemon stood, placing a gentle hand on the casket and shaking her head ever so slightly.

“You must have known her.” Taryi said with absolute certainty, which took Philemon back a little.

“Why yes, I was one of her bodyguards when she was alive, but after she passed, most of us were given over to serve the Inquisitor Ardaran and his forces.” Philemon couldn’t help grimacing as she remembered those days. “It’s actually been a lot easier on us than it sounds, we were not subjugated to interrogation or anything, well not much at least, given that one of our own was weak.”

“So sorry to interrupt, but Lriean is on my channel.” Taryi’s face was set in a disapproving frown as she answered the link.

“… Would you three be up for a drink?” Philemon suddenly smiled warmly, placing a firm hand on the female Eldar’s shoulder and turning her around the way that they had come. “I know a great little bar on the far side of the fortress monastery. If we take some transportation, we could all meet there.”

“I am uncertain if you Mon-keigh have anything that may fit my acquired taste, but lead on, and we shall see.”