Scions of the Forgotten Gods

It was written in web of fate, that there would be time when hope would be dead drems filled with war and miracles hollow. Time when only war would rule this universe and perverse gods would feast on souls, not belonging to them.
It was also written that Heroes would rise to challenge this universe of despair and they would bring power of Legend with them.

-Blind Seer- unknown place, nonexistent time.

Chapter 1: Dream Before the Darkest Dawn

Run like Frak!

-Ciaphas Cain

Elteria. An unimportant world in Grand Imperium of Man. Just a small agrarian colony without any strategic or economic importance. One of tens of thousands similar worlds in archives. But to the Planetary Defense Force garrison fighting this strange incursion of metal clad warriors and abominations... it is home. Unfortunately, they are losing, badly.

"Oh shit, this is going to suck so bad," said Lerena as she tried to duck the big and primitive sword coming her way.

She was tall slender woman with blond hair and strange onyx eyes, who was currently scared witless by sight before her.

"Foolish mortal do you really believe you can oppose Dregen Bloodtaker? Your suffering will be Legendary! There will be whispers of your fate even millions of years in future," declared the strange horned being as an unearthly ruddy glow began to spread from it.

"I think it is time to vacate the field squad," Lerena, sergeant of PDF forces, called out. "We need bigger guns to take this thing down. Move it! Move it quickly, dammit!" Lerena and her squad begun to run from demon, which seemed to be slowed by many hits from autocannon guarded by squad.

Unfortunately, the Demon was getting quicker with every passing second. It seemed that it would catch with them with every moment as the glow grew stronger.

Lerena thought about what the hell happened here. Just a few weeks ago she had normal life as member of PDF garrison on Elteria. Then those heretical dreams begun and few days after that first attackers have come. They quickly massacred main city and moved on to smaller settlements. There were only messages of bloodshed and destruction.

This was last big city and as far as Lerena knew, this was also last place on whole planet where were still living humans. And it seemed they won't hold much longer. There was no help coming, even through some ship in orbit was able to escape into warp to give warning to imperial guard of this attack. There just wasn't enough time for help to arrive.

The sudden screeching of the horrid, vile thing behind them, that was pursuing them while gibbering non-stop brought Lerena back to reality. "Keep running! I'll try to slow it down. Quickly, as they still need you in fortress. Go! GO!" she shouted her orders to her squad, a tinge of desperation that filled her voice. Her subordinates kept running away as she grabbed her lasgun and readied herself for fight, as the demon was coming closer.

"Soon I will eat your soul little human and I will be content," declared the demon as it slowed to a slow tromping gait.

"What are you doing on this planet? Why did you slaughter everyone?" demanded Lerena with her last bravado. "Why bring so much suffering?"

"Because we can and we were bored and soon you will give cure for my boredom for a small, little while!" the fanged, monstrous thing said as its mouth curled in a hideous approximation of a smile

"Oh, shut up," Lerena shouted in frustration and anger. She took a few shots at it, knowing that this was going to be her final stand. The rays hit demon and the smell of burnt smell and strange energy leaked out of the wound.

"You dare to wound me human die?" screeched demon in surprise as he (or it?) summoned warp energies, which expanded in form of balls of concentrated, purple-red destruction that shot towards Lerena.

The whole world hiccuped for moment and Lerena was suddenly able to dodge all the balls of energy in strange blur of unnaturally quick motion while charging towards the body of demon. 'By the Emperor!' Lerena thought in shock at the sudden change in the world as everything seemed to slow down.

She saw an opening and she smote the demon with keen bayonet on her lasgun. As she struck the demon, she could feel a strange power or energy forming in her body. Her blade tore into the demons flesh with a power far greater than the autocannon fire only few moments before.

Unearthly screech of terror came out of the demon as it was set ablaze with here weapon. "pAiN NO This IS not possible I cannot be hurt I AM demon of warp I cannot die By hand of Mortal I AM ImMOrtal!" screeched that wretched being as those strange flames consumed it.

Then something even stranger happened. Lerena could see every fighter on the field of battle grasping their head and screaming as if they heard something terrible in their bones, their blood and

their soul.

What they heard was death cry of the Demon of Khorne as life left him and his soul was ripped apart by warp.

"What the hell just happened?" Lerena asked at the wondrous sight.

The terrible, iron clad warriors were stopping in confusion and now falling back... as if they were running from something too hideous to comprehend. The demon line fell apart and remainders of PDF were able to push them back, the will renewed by the sudden defeat of the champion of Chaos. Lerena took all this in and wondered if Emperor of Man had shown his grace to this battlefield.

She started her way back to city, to have her wounds tended. Wounds that she could not even remember having taken during the desperate battle.

Somewhere in deep recesses of the warp, an Ancient mind full of malice and loathing stirred while trying to understand the wrongness, which had irritated it for more than 10 millennium and had suddenly gotten much, much stronger.

It could feel that great change was coming to the Universe. And it would benefit from this change for it was Tzeencht Lord of change and it would master this new development into his plots.

Chapter 2: Dimly Conscious

The material world and Warp. Two interconnected places. World of mortals,where things change, and world of pure emotions, where energies of universe are given form, but there is something missing. What is energy without application, what is life without meaning? Can you tell me that small inquisitor?

Dialogues with Eternal Liar -for inquisitorial use only

Lerena felt deadly tired as she sat at the back of the group. She was able to got into garrison in post battle confusion very easily. Unfortunately, her luck has run out when she runs into the local priest calling for sermon in thanks for today's victory. Some civilians hiding in garrison were listening to him as he had a captive audience in the holy chapel.

"Praise the emperor for today's victory, for thanks to his favour we have achieved victory in our hour of need. This is great day. Praised be emperor and his wisdom," the old man called out in a strong voice

Lerena trying to sneak away from sermon to get into bunk and get some sleep, though unfortunately the priest stopped her and she registered that priest was speaking about her.

"And lo and behold, the victorious soldier of humanity returning from holy battle against the foul Xenos which attacked us. Praise her. Praise for she who is our shield and she who will smite enemies like the heroic Imperial Guard like Ciaphas Cain and even like mighty Adeptus Astartes. Praise her, people of Imperium," the priest called out, hand up in supplication and to give weight to his words as the congregation took up the chant; Praise Her!

Lerena was trying to be inconspicuous, but when she see those faces the downtrodden people with only despair and fear showing in their eyes, she suddenly let in to her urge to help these people... to give them hope. So she raised her head looking directly at them and and loudly proclaiming, "We will be are God Emperor of Mankind is watching over will defend our home world. We will defend it beacuse of our children! To protect their dreams and hopes! To protect their future, we will be ever victorious!" she called out with a strange, unknown eloquence that she did not know she possessed.

And in their of worshipful gaze she could feel that strange power again slowly enveloping her and changing her on some basic level, growing stronger.

The priest tried to get back his spotlight, which she very effectively stolen. "Thank you, brave soldier for your grand speech and let us give the Emperor prayer for this victory," he called out in middle of Lerena's declaration.

That was when Lerena felt her wounds and aches from the battlefield overcome her. It seemed that blissful unconscious was waiting for her.

That sleep was not as big a relief from the strange day as she hoped, because for some reason she was able to dream. And her dreams were again heretical. Strange demons spoke to her in them and proclaimed she was the daughter of a god and her mission was to prepare the universe for their return. The figure that greeted her wore some strange armor and oblong shield of impossibly ancient style.

"Not you again demon. I won't listen to your lies. My faith in Emperor is strong. Leave!" proclaimed Lerena as she readied herself for attack.

"Not this again. Listen to me. You are daughter of a god. Why do you think happened when you fought that demon? The Emperor has shown his divine power to someone of your blood and heritage," the armored figure declared

"I doubt that. Shut up demon I am not heretic. I am not. Just go away!" Lerena shouted almost hysterically.

"You can't ignore call of your divine blood, young fool. It will haunt you in your dreams and in your waking hours. It will become stronger and you won't be able to hide it from others. What do you think they will do to you then? You must accept what you are or it will destroy you," the figure spoke with overwhelming command that filled every vibration of the air.

"Get away! I have enough of you!" Lerena tried to silence strange figure, but it continued its monologue.

"So I will leave for now but I will come again and you will have no choice but to hear and weep, for you have taken the harder path!" With the argument finished for now, the figure begun to slowly dissipate into darkness and returned Lerena back to waking world.

"Hey, Lerena, are you okay? You seemed to have some kind of nightmare" asked the blurry figure leaning over next to her bunk.

"Martin what are you doing here? And where is here?" asked confused Lerena her best friend.

"Calm down Lerena we are in the base hospital. You were taken here after you collapsed. How do you feel, you were out for whole day?" asked Martin looking really quite worried.

"Drained. How did the battle go?" the non-commissioned officer asked her subordinate. She really must have not been thinking clearly after the demon died, as she should have taken a stim and gone back to rally the troops.

"We won but rumours say that they are regrouping and will attack in few days. But tell me something. Some of the guys from 18th squad said that you took one of those horned creatures down. Is that true?" wondered Martin with expectant gaze on his face.

"Yes, but it was already wounded by the autocannon." Here Lerena paused as she tried to figure the best way to broach this to her friend. "Martin, it told me that it was Demon. Could it be true? Could ruinous powers get here?" Lerena asked her friend.

"I do not think so," said her old and trusted friend. "What would ruinous powers wanted with this world? And besides our faith in Emperor is strong. Something like that just couldn't happen here," Martin said in assurance to his commanding officer, but there was something in his eyes that told Lerena he is not really believing things he was saying to her.

"When will I be released,"asked Lerena suddenly, tiring of this place.

"They are going to let you out tomorrow, if something bad doesn't happen. So take this as nice day off and have some fun, but have to be off. My guard duty begins in few minutes. Bye," Martin called out as he quickly left before she could ask any uncomfortable questions or worse, reveal any more terrifying things.

When he left, Lerena took better look at her surroundings. She was close to the garrison hospital laying on field bed. There probably wasn't enough place for all the real wounded. There were so very many wounded, but nearly all of them were awake and mumbling with terrible terror deep in their eyes.

Sometimes a screech was heard as some of them tried to sleep. They all looked broken and drained. It saddened Lerena, but she didn't know what to do. A new attack would come soon and they could be all dead. There was nothing she could do to change it.

And this thought enraged her. She wanted to change this coming doom, but the only thing she could do was to pray for a miracle. It was infuriating, but there was nothing to do, so she taken her old family's medallion in her hands and begun to pray to Emperor.