A Brotherhood Lost…
Brother Caleb eye's snapped open.
The summons came at the eleventh hour with a banging upon his chamber door that reminded him of nails being driven into a coffin, he shuddered at the thought as he donned the coarse homespun robe crossing the cold stone slabs towards the heavy wood frame door. He took a deep breath and prepared to meet his fate.
The Archonvists sanctuary was bare save a sleeping pallet, a single chair and the large writing desk stacked high with parchments, scrolls and other assorted oddities. Brother Caleb stood silently for what seemed more than an hour, his head bowed as he awaited judgment.
I'll bet the old Grox fekker is enjoying every damn minute of this, Caleb thought bitterly. Why doesn't he get this over and done with.
The sound from behind the desk made him flinch, at first Caleb wasn't sure the old man had sneezed or just woken up until he heard soft laughter.
"Yes young scribe, I am in fact enjoying this particular moment" he chuckled. " You would do well to guard your thoughts in the future", Caleb looked up confused, another breach of protocol, but the archonvist mentioned the future? He thought he'd been summoned for banishment.
"I have held this honourable position for nearly two hundred and seventy years, did you know that?" Sitting forward, the old mans withered face appeared more akin to the parchment he wrote upon in the faint candle light.
He waved a skeletal hand dismissively cutting off any response, "Yes yes of course you know, you are one of the finest Catalogins to ever walk these halls" despite the confusing situation, Caleb looked ridiculously pleased at the complement, "But!" the archonvist snapped, "you are constantly rebelling against the elders, disputing the knowledge we have spent millennia compiling, and if this was not enough" Caleb steeled himself before the old mans tirade, knowing what was coming next, "You were discovered in the prohibited archives, what in terra's name were you thinking. Knowledge is power, guard it well, have you already forgotten you oath!"
"I understand perfectly" the scribe retorted angrily. "Knowledge is power, but what good is it hidden?"
"Don't be so damned naïve boy." The archonvist laughed harshly, "you know as well as I the Imperium would burn this world to ash, because the secrets compiled here would destroy them a dozen times over. Some things must remain hidden least we open panjorah's box."
"It's you who doesn't understand," Caleb clenched his fists, frustrated. "knowledge IS power, but our guiding motto for the last ten thousand years are the words of heretics. The arch traitor Magnus himself wrote those very words, I am assuming you knew that". The old man calmly nodded, but Caleb could see anxiety in his eyes.
1
"You are correct of course, scribe," the archonvist shrugged, relaxing back in his chair. "Those words were spoken by Magnus the Red and through them his sons remember his folly." he said, almost as if reciting a prayer.
Caleb began pacing the chamber. "But if his knowledge was tainted, who's to say everything built upon shares that same poison".
The archonvist eye's suddenly bulged and he clutched at his throat, he began gurgling as white froth foamed from his mouth.
"Speaking of poisons", Caleb said almost casually, lowering his hand, the smoke wafting up from the finger implanted digiweapon.
The old man struggled to stand but tumbled to the floor convulsing as the bio toxins dissolved his nervous system, he stared in mindless horror as the scribe he'd known for over a decade began altering before him.
The lithe feminine callidus stood over the still twitching archonvist, savouring the kill, one ten long years in the coming.
"Death to the heretic, the witch and the mutant" she snarled spitting at the corpse.
Fingering a sub dermal patch on her neck, the assassin ended the recording of the recent conversation before stalking into the dark labyrinthine tunnels, time to make contact.
"Rites of war" she intoned the code phrase into her sub dermal, " begin final liberation." The Emperors inquisition would soon arrive and deliver its purifying fire to purge this unholy den.
"Their dead , assassin." instantly the assassin spun on her heel to face her attacker but found the tunnel empty. Agony erupted through her body as she saw a power sword, rippling with energy protruded from her chest and she knew no more.
"Apis, this is Haji," the warrior spoke in a deep voice into his com.
"Ground secure. Over."
The old man stared up at the towering space marine, resplendent in his red and gold power armour and midnight blue hooded robe.
"Forgive us archonvist, there was no other way" the old man only nodded, fully aware he would be the last.
"We must know this Imperium, what it has become and to lure this, inquisitor" he spat the title, "will be a fine prize.
Seeing tears welling in the old mans eye's the towering Astarte gently rested an oversized glove upon his frail shoulders. "Fear not, the Brotherhood of Mhotep will welcome you and yours.
For there is much the scions of Prospero can teach one another".
2