Chapter 2

For almost any creature in the known universe, a shot from an imperial meltagun at less than twenty feet would be an instant death sentence. The only beings with any chance of surviving would be those able to dodge the beam. The list of organisms capable of such a feat is short, but includes eldar Harlequins, tyranid genestealers, certain kroot shapers…

And Space Marines.

Lukas threw his body backwards, gaining precious moments. He twisted his body to the side, trying with all his strength to dodge the beam. But he was moments to slow. The superheated energy caressed the front of his combat helm, melting through the ceramite in moments, and completely ruining the helm. Lukas let out a bellow of pain at the heat of the beams passing, and tore at the helmet, yanking it off his head. It took a few moments for his eyes to re-adjust to regular light after the blinding passage of the melta beam, and the ensuing darkness as his helm lenses melted. Just as his vision returned, his superhuman ears picked up the noise of a body moving towards him. Lukas spun to see the sorita lunging at his throat with a combat knife. Acting on decades of training and combat experience, Lukas blocked the knife with his armored forearm, the blade screaming as it scraped across the metal. The unexpected move caused the sister to lose her balance and stumble past the librarian, running into the wall of the alley. She wheeled around, hate burning in her eyes.

"For the Emperor!" She screamed, charging Lukas again.

The marine felt anger fill him at the sister's words and her assault on him. He had risked himself, diverted from his mission, to help this woman, and this was how she repaid him? Well, if she wanted a fight, a fight she would get.

The sister came at him headlong, unknowingly mimicking the overseer's attack. She slashed at Lukas' face, the only part of him she had any chance of harming. The librarian, moving with superhuman speed, caught the sorita's wrist and twisted, causing her to drop her blade. She grimaced, and struck at him with her other hand. He caught that arm with his other hand and pinned the sorita against the wall of the alley. He tried to speak, but the woman spit in his face before he could get any words out.

He was shocked for a moment, and then his rage, which had been building since her first attack, burst through the wall of control he maintained around it. He pulled back his right arm and the bone blade shot out of his forearm, the tip pressing into the soft flesh of the sister's throat. He let out a snarl and looked the sister directly in her violet eyes. What he saw there made him pause.

The woman stared back at Lukas, her eyes showing her conviction, and betraying her fear. Despite being held at the mercy of an enraged space marine, she did not cower, or plead for her life like some of the cultists. She looked death in the face and did not blink. Lukas felt some of his anger begin to ebb away.

Then she spoke, her voice full of scorn, but wavering slightly from fear. "Do your worst, monster!"

Monster

That word snapped Lukas out of his battle-rage. He released the sorita and backed away, his bone blade retracting with a snap. He leaned against the wall; his strength sapped, he could not even meet the woman's surprised gaze.

Amanda was quite confused. The marine had, to her dismay, dodged the melta blast, and disarmed her when she attacked with her blade. She had been helpless, with the mutant's blade at her throat, and terrified by the animalistic rage she had seen in his face. She had given voice to her challenge simply so that her resolve would not break before this monster, but it seemed to have brought about a fundamental change in the marine. The anger and rage had drained from his face, and he had released her. Now, she regarded the marine like she would a dangerous animal. As she gauged him, looking for some opening to take advantage of, she noticed for the first time, the Aquila displayed proudly on the marine's chest. She was taken aback by this. She never heard of traitor marines retaining the holy symbol of the emperor on their armor, so that meant that this rage-filled mutant, this monster, was...

"You're a loyalist?"

The marine looked up, and she got a good look at his face. He would likely have been considered handsome before his ascension, with a close-cropped black beard and piercing green eyes. But, years of war had obviously taken their toll. A wide scar cut across his face, from his left brow to his right jaw, the scar tissue flushed red from the heat of the melta beam. His skin was weathered, and he had two steel service studs set into his brow. But the worst thing was his mutations.

His bone growths were not limited to his blades. A trio of bony ridges jutted from his bare scalp. The middle one was the largest, running from his forehead to the top of his neck, and rising around a half inch above his skin. The other two were much smaller, and rose only a quarter inch over his skin. His teeth were pointed as well, like that of a predator. But now, those teeth were hidden, as the marine looked at her with confusion.

"Of course I am. Why else would I have slain the cultists?" He said.

"The forces of the great enemy often fight amongst themselves." She scoffed, as if he did not already know this.

He regarded her with a strange look on his face. "True, but cultists almost never challenge traitor marines. They worship them as physical representations of their dark gods. And" he said, his voice taking on a sarcastic tone, "I am additionally 'blessed' with my mutations and psychic abilities. They would have done whatever I asked them to."

Amanda was at a loss for words. She had never heard a servant of the emperor speak so lightly of the forces of the great enemy, or the curse of mutation. The marine must have interpreted her feelings from her expression, for he chuckled mirthlessly. "I am a Black Dragon, sister. We learn very quickly not to dwell on our curses, for down that path lies damnation." His eyes glazed for a moment. "We know that all too well." Then they returned to normal. "Well, I have been un-courteous. I am Lukas Ryzle, Lexicanum of the Black Dragons third company. May I ask your name?"

Amanda had recovered from her shock at the casual manner of the marine to respond. "I am sister Amanda Williams of the Order of the Burning Wreath." She paused and spat "My lord."

Lukas grunted. "I am no lord, sister, and I know it rankles you to address me such. Either Lukas or Librarian will serve." The marine turned and began to walk down the alley towards the main road, calling over his shoulder. "I will vox for a valkyrie to come and take you back to imperial territory. I would transport you back myself, but the fight left me somewhat drained."

Amanda stood there for a moment, then hurriedly collected her melta and combat blade (Her bolt pistol was nowhere to be found) and ran after the librarian, whose long strides had already taken him out of her sight. "Wait!" she called after him. "Librarian! Don't call the ship, I can't leave yet!"

Lukas stopped and turned to face her, puzzled. "Why not?" He asked.

Amanda stopped beside him, looking up at his craggy face. "My squad, squad Calida, and another, squad rose, were deployed to this district with orders to recover a relic, a chainsword used by the missionary Wallhek Masp that was buried in a forgotten crypt beneath a manufactorum. We got in and out with no trouble, but as our extraction craft took off, my squad's ship got hit by a missile. It took out the engine, and we crashed. Thankfully, the other squad was able to escape with the relic, and my squad only suffered minor injuries in the crash." She paused, and hatred burned in her eyes as she continued, "Then, swarms of cultists poured out of the buildings. My sisters and I fought like daemons, but we had no flamers, and they were too numerous. I was separated from my sisters and I…" her voice faltered for a moment, (was that guilt in her voice?) and she dropped her gaze before she continued "I was forced to flee by the group that you eliminated. I was able to escape, but before I lost sight of them I saw my surviving sisters subdued by the cultists." She looked back at Lukas' face. "I...I have to save them."

Lukas regarded her for a moment, and then nodded. "I would do the same for my brothers." He thumped his fist I against the Aquila on his chest. "I offer my strength, both marital and ethereal, to help you either rescue your sisters, or avenge their deaths." He looked skywards. "My brothers have scouted out a cultist encampment roughly five kilometers from here. That's likely where your sisters were taken. I will vox my brothers a rendezvous point between here and there. If we move quickly we can arrive in around a hour." He looked back at Amanda, and extended his arm. "Let's go."

She was confused. "What?"

"We'll move faster across the roofs." He said.

She caught on to what he was suggesting, and, after a brief moment of hesitation, allowed the marine to wrap his arm around her waist. After a nod that she was ready, Lukas triggered his jump pack and they shot to the heavens.

Amanda had always aspired to be a Seraphim, one of the order's elite jump troops. She desired the rush of flight, the joys of soaring through the skies on wings of fire to bring death to the foes of mankind. She had expected that she would have to wait years before she would first experience this rush, if she ever did.

Now, she was getting a taste early.

The wind whipped through her hair, and her heart filled with joy as they rocketed upwards. She could feel her heart pounding with excitement, and adrenaline pumped through her body. She had to restrain herself from crying out with joy. She would not lose her composure in front of this mutant, no matter that he seemed rather civil. To be honest, she appreciated his lack of formality and his seemingly easy manner. It was a nice break from the usually strict social doctrines of the order. But still, he was a mutant and a witch, and even though she was one of the Emperor's chosen, she would remain cautious around him.

She had seen the beast that lurked within, and honestly, it terrified her.

They reached the rooftops and Lukas set her down. She glanced at him. "Now what?" She said.

He grinned. "Now, we run." And he took off across the roofs, with the sister in hot pursuit.

Calida's head was throbbing. A great thumping noise reverberated in her skull, and she could feel wetness on the back of her head.

What happened? She thought. Where am I?

With great effort, she pried her heavy eyelids open, and saw that she was in a cage. Outside, she could see tents and crudely built metal structures. Standing guard outside the cage was a pair of cultists, armed with lasrifles and wearing flak armor splattered with heretical runes in brightly colored paint. PDF deserters she thought with disgust.

She still could not recall how she had gotten here, but that did not matter. She reached for her plasma pistol, planning on searing a hole in these heretics, only to touch skin. She looked down at herself and realized she was naked, striped of her armor and weapons and her body on display for the seeking eyes off the cultists.

She was so shocked that she did not even move to cover herself with her hands. Then, she saw a large shape move through the shadows towards her cage. It stopped in the shadows of a building, and her groggy eyes could only make out a pair of glowing red eyes. Her guards bowed their heads to the creature respectfully, but it ignored them. It had eyes only for Calida.

Awake I see whispered a voice inside her head. That won't do. You need to conserve your strength, little bird. She could practically hear the evil grin in the voice's tone. We like our toys to have some fight to them. So, sleep, sleeeeeeep, and let your worries rest for now…

Calida tried to remain conscious in defiance of the creature, but her head was pounding again, and her eyelids began to droop. Within a few moments, she had sunk back into a dreamless sleep.

The creature smiled and walked away from the cages. When his brothers returned, these soritas would make a wonderful surprise. He could barely wait. Oh, what they will feel, and how they will scream he thought wistfully, and disappeared into the shadows.