Authors Notes. As mentioned this is the sequel to Realm of Madness. Sister Insane is a short 12 part story of horror and violence. This story is finished and my plan is to release 2 parts combined into 1 every week after re-reading and refining it, meaning a total of 6 full chapters. As it was written in segments rather than chapters some may be slightly longer or shorter than others. This story contains some grahpic descriptions of violence so be warned. Anyways hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.
It was an uneventful trip to the surface, one spent in silence as each Sister and perhaps Valten himself, contemplated the gravity of the situation. No one moved, even Sister Ella barely flinched when the Storm Raven hit turbulence, despite her conditioning and training she'd never quite gotten over the fear of flying. Damasious kept her head down and her eyes closed. Her hands remaining clasped in her lap to stop them from shaking. Shuddering memories came and went, she clenched her teeth as waves of sorrow and regret broke against her subconscious. In the quiet of the cabin with nothing to occupy her mind, her thoughts had once again fallen upon Kai. She could see her smiling face the day they taken the Oath. How happy they had both been. Damasious found her thoughts drifting to the same night.
Tears were falling down Kai's face when Damasious opened her door late into the evening. Before Damasious could speak Kai pushed her inside and closed the hatch behind them. Kai wiped her sapphire eyes, pushing a strand of white hair from her face.
"I...I need to tell you something." She whispered.
Damasious opened her mouth to reply but Kai raised her hand.
"No, don't say anything not yet. Damasious I..." she looked away. Damasious could see the pain in her eyes.
It made her stomach knot, she hated seeing Kai upset. What could have possibly happened in the short space of time since taking her Oath?
"I've needed to say this for a long time and I never could." Kai sighed, "Now I have to, today we became Sister Militant and one of us could die on any mission in matter of weeks."
Damasious' fingers came up to touch the fresh black rose tattoo on her own cheek. It still stung. She had no fear of death, no Sister did. Dying for the Emperor in combat was the most glorious thing she could imagine.
Kai continued, gulping audibly, "I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I never told you that...that..."
Damasious reached out to take Kai's hand. Her heart hammered in her chest, her mind working overtime to figure what Kai was trying to say.
"That I love you." Kai finished finally looking Damasious in the eye.
Elation exploded in Damasious' heart. She grinned involuntarily. For so long she had longed to tell Kai the very same thing. Since they had been children they had been friends, training, studying and praying together. Never apart from each other. In her teens Damasious had become attracted to Kai but she never had the confidence to say anything and fear of retribution should anyone find out made it all the worse. She had known in her own mind back then however that Kai did not feel the same and telling her would have brought an awkward end to a friendship she cherished. It seemed Damasious had been wrong and here Kai stood, admitting the same feelings. Damasious felt a tear of joy run down her cheek. Before Kai could say another word Damasious leaned in and kissed her.
It felt like an explosion of white light in her soul. As she pushed her fingers into Kai's hair and felt hands sliding down to her hips in response Damasious knew she would never experience such happiness again. She pulled Kai closer, enjoying the close proximity of their bodies. She felt a hand rest on her neck as their kiss became more passionate. In the pit of her of her stomach a new sensation overwhelmed the butterflies she had just moments before. It grew the closer they became, Damasious realised her hands had begun to wander, as had Kai's. She felt Kai pushing her gently towards the bed and her robes fall away from her flesh. Kai's soon followed suit. Damasious could feel her blood rising, her desires overpowering all else. Suddenly years of pent up lust surged forth in one ferocious wave.
Damasious lifted Kai from her feet, turning her in the air she threw her Battle Sister on to the bed, a wicked smile on her black painted lips. Kai moaned, her excitement obvious in her eyes. As Damasious clambered alongside Kai grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her close. They kissed again this one more intense than that last but Damasious broke it, her lips travelling down Kai's neck and chest in slow deliberate movements. Kai responded by sinking her teeth in Damasious' shoulder causing a gasp of pleasure to escape her lips. She felt Kai's finger tips as they trailed lightly down her abdomen and lower...
With a thud the Storm Raven touched down on Dessinisima. Damasious' eyes snapped open, barely aware of how much time had passed. Her thoughts returned to the present but now a great weight of anguish had settled on her shoulders. She undid her harness, fighting back tears as she did so. She turned briefly and caught Amendera watching her. There was a moment, their eyes locked, Amendera half smiled and nodded knowingly. Damasious looked away, feeling a tear break free and dampen her cheek. A hand touched her arm. Damasious looked around to find Sister Mira stood at her side.
"Are you alright Sister?"
Damasious nodded, embarrassed that someone else had noticed her discomfort.
Mira smiled sweetly and looked away to begin unloading her equipment.
Damasious reached up to take Storm Fang from the locker. Her fingers wrapped around the weapons hilt and she felt it shudder in her grasp. In her mind she heard a canine whimper of sympathy. Perhaps it knew what she felt. Storm Fang had exorcised a demon from Kai's body, it had helped Damasious save her. Damasious had often wondered about that, wondered if Storm Fang was indeed sentient as she had begun to suspect, she dared not imagine the implications if anyone else found out. But had it saved Kai's soul as well as her body from corruption? Damasious strapped the frost blade across her back and punched the hatch release switch. She would likely never know either way, she hoped Kai had been forgiven her and she hoped the Emperor would forgive her too. She swallowed, biting back the pain for the moment. In her mind she heard a reassuring growl.
She had a job to do.
As the hatch lowered and the soft morning light spilled in the first thing Damasious noticed was the smell of Dessinisima. It was not bad, rather empty... she searched for the right word and found it surprised her. Fresh. Setting foot on any Imperial world usually brought with it the scent of industry, fumes from factories, body odour or insecticide chemicals from agricultural land. There was always the smell of life whether it was food from cafes or alcohol from local bars. Not here though, the air was clean and cool. It was strange. Not in any way unpleasant, just alien.
Amendera came to stand next to Damasious, her hand resting on the pommel of her sheathed power sword.
"I want you next to me at all times." She said quietly.
Damasious nodded though she was unsure why Amendera required her close presence.
Valten exited the Storm Raven first, his boots hitting the concrete before the ramp had fully lowered. Amendera said nothing but she didn't need too, her squad was already lined up behind her.
They emerged side by side again, two rows of five into the shadow of a mountain. Damasious breath caught in her throat at the vision laid out before her. Dellimya was truly a magnificent sight; nestled in the shadow of tall lush green trees, it had been built onto the side of the mountain itself. Each building was a dull iron grey but stood tall, some leaning, with blue tiled roofs. Its streets were narrow and winding, weaving their way up the slopes in seemingly random directions with only a few open plazas. Even these seemed filled with market stalls. It was not madness of the streets that amazed Damasious the most however. Splitting the city in half was a river, broken here and there by waterfalls of crystal clear water that sparkled in morning light. Her eyes followed the shimmering water to its source, a cathedral bigger than any Damasious had seen outside of Terra. It had been carved into the mountain, most of it hidden from view beneath tonnes of rock and earth. Great iron doors stood open and it was from here the river flowed. Above the doors a gigantic stained glass window showed the Emperor in his full glory, dressed in his glittering golden armour, flaming sword in hand. He stood at least fifty feet high and even at this distance Damasious could make out every detail of his exquisite armour. She felt her heart stop; his eyes seemed to bore into her soul. There was a swell of pride deep in her chest.
Only three men waited for them. All of them dressed in grey robes, hoods raised. Valten approached the first man.
"You must be Deacon Emmanuel Jyanheist."
"That I am my Lord. Cardinal Valten then, I presume?" he asked in a thin voice.
With a nod the man lowered his hood to reveal a thin aged face. His eyes watery blue and his skin carried a similar texture to parchment. His skull like Valten's was shaven but no tattoos adorned his thin flesh. He bowed deeply, his accomplices did the same but did not lower their hoods.
"Take me to the chamber, time is short." Valten said stiffly. He turned and gestured to his own entourage as they disembarked from the Aquilla transport. "Wait here. I will not be long. Amendera with me."
"Of course Cardinal." Amendera nodded, "Sister Grace, Sister Ava, remain with the shuttles but maintain contact."
Damasious noted that both rookie sisters seemed disappointed but did not complain, instead they took up guard stances either side of the Storm Raven ramp.
"Ah the presence of the blessed Battle Sisters is not required." Jyanheist waved his hand dismissively.
Amendera shared a bemused glance with Damasious. Sister Mira muttered something under her breath but Emilia nudged her quiet.
Valten's eyes narrowed, "I require them. Given the circumstances I'd assume you'd agree."
Jyanheist eyes widened, "Then it is as we suspected?" he asked excitedly.
Valten nodded, but his expression changed to one of suspicion, "The High Lords believe so yes otherwise I would not be here."
"Marvellous." Jyanheist replied. For a moment he seemed lost in thought, his eyes growing distant. A second later the look was gone. "Please follow me then."
Damasious could not shake her unease. Despite the beauty of the place there was something wrong. She could not quite put her finger on what it was.
Damasious was lost, they had walked a long time, it was the only way to travel according to Jyanheist.
"On Dessinisima we do not like to pollute our atmosphere the way many other Imperial worlds do. We walk here. Using transporters is only for necessity and nothing more." He had explained.
Walking here however was almost like a nightmare. Despite is beauty and ancient grandeur Dellimya was a maze. Damasious had been to places like this in the past, cities built in an intentionally confusing manor, designed to trap invaders in dead ends and bottle necks. It was an ancient and effective method of countering sieges. She wondered what events in the planets past had required the need for counter siege warfare. Despite her best efforts Damasious couldn't remember the way back to the landing field. There was something else too. She felt like she was being watched, like there was always something in the corner of her vision. Impossible, she reasoned, this was a shrine world. What could possibly go wrong here? Storm Fang grumbled quietly.
After what felt like an eternity of winding cobbled roads and narrow lanes they reached the towns highest point where the walls of the Cathedral towered above them. They ascended a wide stair case where the river split the path in half and fell away into a deep plunge pool below. Damasious marvelled at the interior of the place as they passed over the threshold. All sound from outside was suddenly muffled and dulled even the flow of the river, which cut through the centre of the vast hall, was limited to a pleasant trickle. Wooden benches lined either side of the vaulted chamber facing a podium standing before a statue of the God Emperor, once again resplendent in his battle amour. His pose this time had his arm out stretched, palm upwards as if offering his hand so that they could join him. There were no windows save the one at the front of the building so the place was lit by braziers and their pungent incense filled the air. Damasious noted the stillness of the place, where people prayed quietly and even the echoes of their foot falls seemed strangely muted.
"Through here." Jyanheist gestured to a smaller wooden door at the rear of the chamber. "This path leads down into the burial chambers deep under the mountain."
Jyanheist paused, his eyes glazing again, one of his attendants stopped beside him to whisper something in his ear. Jyanheist nodded and carried on into the dark tunnel beyond the door.
Damasious watched this brief moment with narrowed eyes. Jyanheist seemed off somehow. That troubled her. She touched Amendera gently on the arm to get her attention. The Sister Superior had seen it too she shook her head a fraction. A tiny movement but one that conveyed all that it needed to confirm Amendera was suspicious.
They travelled down and down. Jyanheist had taken up a lamp to light they way and he lead them into a maze of twisting passages, dark winding staircases and corridors where the walls were lined with the dead. All of them so wrapped up in cloth and bandages they only vaguely resembled human shapes. This ancient ritual seemed almost barbaric, the smell too, musty and stale was particularly unpleasant. Damasious could feel the hairs on her neck standing on end, she was utterly lost in this bewildering place. How could anyone remember where they were down here? Valten appeared as determined as ever, he did not flinch or falter, he followed Jyanheist without complaint despite the palpable tension of the Battle Sisters behind him. Damasious had to admire that but she kept wondering if his total acceptance of the situation might be his undoing. Another thought crossed her mind of course, that this was indeed just a pickup of an ancient and important artefact and that nothing would go wrong at all.
Finally Jyanheist stopped before a set of iron doors, featureless and dull with dust.
"Beyond these is the hall in which we found the secret chamber. Are you ready Cardinal Valten?" Jyanheist asked his eyes glittering with excitment.
"We've wasted enough time finding this damn place, show me and we can be done." Valten replied quietly.
"Right this way." Jyanheist pushed open the doors and entered.
Damasious realised immediately the size of the chamber dwarfed all of the others they had been through so far. In the dark she could not see the ceiling or the walls either side of her but the echo of boot steps seemed to go on forever. She followed Jyanheist's bobbing lamp amazed at the how the man navigated his way so easily down here.
Damasious stumbled a sudden nausea washing through her, Amendera shot out her hand to steady the Sister, emerald eyes sparkling for a moment in the lamp light, her expression one of concern. Damasious retched, buzzing filled her brain, she could hear Storm Fang howling in anger, fighting against a psychic assault she had not expected. There was something down here. It hit her like a tank shell blasting into her subconscious and slamming her to the ground like a ragdoll. Everyone stopped now, Emilia and Mira raising their Bolters to Jyanheist, forming a defensive ring around Damasious and Amendera who crouched at her sisters side.
Valten drew his plasma pistol. "What is this?"
"Welcome." A loud yet soothing voice echoed across the chamber. Damasious felt as if her blood was boiling, her skin searing.
There was a flash of light and thunder clap of sound Damasious could only imagine was like that of an exploding star. She felt her skin move as the shock wave spread across her body turning her world into white noise and pain. She'd experienced something similar before when a tank shell detonated to close. She cried out in agony but could not hear her own voice. Storm Fang howled on in her subconscious battling with whatever was invading her brain.
Amendera's eyes rolled in their sockets and she collapsed, unblinking to the ground. Valten's gun clattered from his grasp and he sank to his knees, clutching at his head. Mira stumbled and vomited before she too fell into a heap on the cold stones. A second later everyone had either fainted or collapsed in pain. Only Sister Olivia stood her ground, teeth clenched and defiant as always to the last. She aimed her Boltgun at Jyanheist who stood, unharmed, his lamp still clenched his in his fist, his two companions at his back.
Damasious watched, helpless and raging, Storm Fang roared and whimpered but she could do nothing, her limbs leaden. Olivia shouted something but Damasious heard nothing. Jyanheist nodded respectively and spoke a single word. Olivia began to burn. Damasious watched in horror as her comrade's flesh melted from her bones, pinkish fire tore through her exposed organs and muscles until she was nothing more than a pool of molten armour and ash. It had taken only seconds. Slowly Damasious felt her hearing return, the whine subsiding. She still stared in shock at the remains of Olivia but heard Jyanheist's mocking tones echoing in the chamber.
"You have been tricked Cardinal Valten. Only the purest of faith and blood are worthy of my master."
In the space of about thirty seconds everything had gone wrong. One sister killed the rest incapacitated and likely to be dead soon too. Damasious gritted her teeth so hard it hurt, her fingers balled into fists so tight she'd have cut the palms of her hands were it not for her gauntlets. She still couldn't really see anything except Jyanheist, it was too dark but she could hear that voice. It was so soothing yet so malicious, arrogant but pleasant all at the same time.
"Bring him to me."
Jyanheist gestured to his lackeys and they strode forward to haul a limp Valten to his feet. They dragged him off into the darkness; Jyanheist followed illuminating more of the room as he walked. Damasious could see more priests waiting near some of the vast chambers pillars. They were all hooded and cloaked in grey, faces obscured in shadow. So now they were outnumbered. It was just getting better and better.
Damasious willed her limbs to move, her foot twitched, finally getting somewhere. Storm Fang was still battling another presence she could feel it burning in her subconscious, trying to get past Storm Fangs vicious claws. She wondered how her Sisters were faring without the aid she had. Had they all gone mad? Were they even still alive? She managed to roll her head the other way to where Amendera lay, she was breathing. Damasious was relieved but realised that even if she broke free of this oppressive force she couldn't drag six Battle Sisters to safety even with Storm Fang enhancing her strength. She turned back to where Jyanheist had taken Valten. She felt her muscles tense, then another wiggle, it was like being buried in sand.
Valten was on his knees, head bowed in front of an altar, Damasious couldn't make out much detail in the lamplight. She saw something glimmer, it looked like a goblet or chalice. She could smell perfume now too.
"Fill it." There was that voice again, Damasious wished she could see who it was.
Jyanheist produced a wicked looking knife, its sharp edge glinting as he lowered it to Valten's throat. They were going to kill him! Damasious snarled, she had to get free. She couldn't let them finish whatever sick ritual they were performing. With another grunt she forced her arm to move, barely an inch but it was enough, it got the ball rolling. Storm Fang renewed its offensive and Damasious lifted her shoulders from the ground. She could feel the other presence effects wearing off, she could hear it screaming in agony, she was winning, thank the Emperor!
"Wait!" That voice, urgency and confusion filled it now. "There is something else in here."
Storm Fang unleashed a triumphant howl. Damasious felt as if a great weight had lifted from her entire body, leaden limbs suddenly filled once more with blood and strength. Yelling with effort she hauled herself upright, snatching Storm Fang from her back, activating it as she did so and its throaty growl echoed in the chamber. She stood defiant and gasping for breath as Jyanheist stared on in horror.
"I know her!" screamed the voice. "I want her body, this one is not worthy of me anymore, bring her to me!"
Jyanheist blinked furiously at the sudden turn of events, he looked from Valten to Damasious then back again and shook his head, eyes filled with rage.
"Alright, get her, bring her here!" he finally ordered.
His guards moved in, las guns concealed in their robes brought to bear.
Damasious had registered everything that had been said and she was surprised and frightened that this unseen voice somehow seemed to know her but she couldn't dwell on that now. Valten's and her Sisters safety were more important. She glanced over her shoulder, Amendera and Mira were stirring the spell seemed to have been broken. When she looked back around twenty priests had descended upon her weapons raised and ready.
"I want her alive! I need her alive!" roared the voice.
Damasious grinned savagely. How did they possibly hope to bring her down if they couldn't kill her? This would be too easy. Her veins pulsed beneath her flesh as Storm Fang sent a burst of energy through her gauntlets. She felt her heart beat quicken, adrenaline surging. She let loose a wet wolfish snarl, baring her teeth at the priests. They seemed to falter uncertain of what she would do next. Damasious sprang forward, Storm Fang whipped out in front of her in a horizontal arc that cut three priests down before they even realised she'd moved. She emerged from the blood cloud howling with fury.
"I want her now!" the voice we beginning to sound like a spoilt child.
Damasious didn't care anymore, her blood was up and it with was filling her with ice cold rage. All she wanted was to kill and kill again, to butcher and maim. Storm Fang rose and fell, frozen blood crystals trailing and clattering against her armour with each strike. She lashed left and right, hot gore spouted across her cheek, another downward strike spilled intestines on her boots. She stepped in, blinded by anger, Storm Fang scythed through flesh and screeched through bone. Red steam filled the air and with it came the acrid stink of ruptured bowels. Damasious ran a man through the sternum, his blood drenching her arms to the elbow. She tore the weapon free and decapitated another, arterial spray leaping into the darkness. Las guns were cut apart and fell smoking, bodies slammed wetly onto the tiles the screams of the dying drowning out everything. Damasious rammed Storm Fang down, in a reverse handed grip, through the neck of the last man then tugged it towards her to open his body like a set of swinging doors. He crumpled soundlessly spilling his ravaged insides down her legs. Damasious stepped aside and advanced on Jyanheist. She spat a gobbet of someone else's blood and pointed Storm Fang at him. A wicked smile crept across her blood smeared lips.
"No, no, no! Jyanheist do something, this is not what I want!"
Jyanheist threw himself at her his knife flashing in the soft light as he tossed his lamp away. Damasious turned Storm Fang aside and head butted the traitor priest on the nose. He staggered back yelping and clutching his face as trickles of blood oozed between his fingers. His knife clattered to the floor. Damasious smiled again and flicked Storm Fang out to cut his right arm off at the elbow. Before the limb had even hit the deck she kicked him hard in the middle of the chest and sent him crashing onto the floor. She heard his skull thud against the stone and he lay unmoving.
"Damasious get Valten we are leaving!" that was Amendera shouting, Damasious looked back and saw her Sisters were all on their feet. Though they all looked a little worse for wear, Emilia was still heaving her guts out onto the tiles.
"No! Jyanheist stop her! Kill them! Do something I'm not strong enough to hold them down anymore!"
Damasious hoisted Valten onto her shoulder .
"You can't leave, that's not fair come back!"
Damasious turned away from the mad voice and ran back down the hall.
"Contacts rear of the chamber!" Mira yelled firing a storm of Bolter shells passed Damasious. Damasious didn't look back but she could hear the thuds of shells smacking into flesh and the satisfying bang of detonation.
"Fall back to the way we came in!" Amendera ordered her own Bolt pistol roaring in her left hand.
"Don't let them get away! I want her! Do something you idiot's!" It was desperate now, the voice, Damasious took some satisfaction in that.
Las bolts whipped over her shoulder but she kept running. Sisters Ella and Rebecca kicked the doors open and Damasious staggered through setting Valten down to one side. Carla and Emilia came next, then Amendera and Mira.
"Close them!" Amendera yelled.
"It locks from the outside." Mira noted as Carla and Emilia pushed the heavy metal beam across the doors and jammed them shut.
"Probably to keep whatever that thing is inside." Rebecca replied, re-loading her Bolter.
"We need to get back to the surface." Amendera stated, she tried her Vox link. "Static, we're too deep. Alright ladies, helmets on at least we can see where we're going."
"True but we don't know where we're supposed to be going." Mira replied absently.
"We'll find the way back." Amendera said flatly. To Damasious it didn't sound as if the Sister Superior believed that herself. "We just have to head upwards."
Damasious locked her helmet in place and her auto senses activated bathing the chamber in an eerie green glow. As Mira had quite rightly pointed out, being able to see wouldn't make any difference. Every passageway looked the same, brick walled and narrow. She gave Storm Fang a couple of revs to dislodge any frozen gore from the teeth and slung it back across her back. Valten was coming round and she helped him sit upright. When his eyes opened he recoiled from her before realising her glowing green eyes were in fact lenses. Her blood drenched armour probably hadn't helped either.
"What happened?" he asked wearily.
"Damasious broke whatever spell that thing had on us and we fought our way free." Mira replied helping Damasious get Valten to his feet.
"Yes, how exactly did you do that Damasious?" Emilia snarled accusingly, "That's not the first time I've witnessed one of your rages..."
"We'll talk about that when we get out of here." Amendera snapped cutting Emilia off, "For now keep your opinions to yourself."
"Aye Sister." Emilia muttered.
Amendera nodded at Damasious who returned the gesture, slightly bemused by Emilia's reaction. She could feel her sisters gaze even through the helmet lenses.
"Let's move." Amendera growled, heading towards the only set of stairs that went upwards.
They ascended into the maddening corridors once more. Every once and a while their helmet's auto senses would flicker and burst with static as if something was interfering with them. Losing the night vision wouldn't stop them but it would drastically slow them down. Damasious felt the same sense of oppression on her shoulders as she had on the way down. It was claustrophobic and unsettling. It was as if she could feel the mountain itself on her back. Valten was having trouble keeping pace with the Sisters too. It seemed the ordeal below had affected him more than the Sororitas. In fact the only thing the Sisters really felt was sorrow, they had lost a companion and friend. Of all the squad Sister Rebecca had been closest to Olivia and Damasious could hear her stifled sobs from the rear of the group. Damasious herself was saddened but the pain was numbed. She had lost the most of all of them. Olivia was a casualty of war, an inevitable death. They'd all die in battle at some point. It was the way of the Adepta Sororitas. Sister Kai had been so much more to her than anyone. Damasious swore at herself, this wasn't the time.
Amendera called a halt. She gestured for readiness. Scuffles and low voices could be heard above and ahead. Damasious realised that in these tight stair cases even Sororitas power armour would be little helped against a barrage of las fire. There wasn't enough room to move. They'd have to catch the Priests off guard. Sound it seemed travelled differently in the tunnels, they waited a good ten minutes before the faint flow of lamplight appeared from a bend in the stair case ahead.
"No grenades," Amendera whispered, "We don't want to bring the ceiling down on us."
Amendera and Mira hunkered down, giving Ella and Emilia room to fire over their heads. Further back Damasious, Carla and Rebecca formed a protective wall in front of Valten.
Amendera glanced over her shoulder, "Auto senses off, they'll see the lenses glow. Wait till there's a group of them, we'll have a few seconds before they realise we're here."
Damasious did as ordered and her world went dark, save the dull glow above. They waited with bated breath. No one moved or made a sound until the first priest appeared and Damasious felt everyone stiffen. She held her breath not daring to make even the tiniest noise. Just six more priests appeared behind the first. Amendera waited a few seconds longer than Damasious would have before she gave the order, probably to make sure no more were following.
"Open fire!" she yelled.
In such a confined space the roar of Bolter fire was horrendous. Damasious' helmet sound dampening system kicked in automatically but it didn't really help that much. They were too close. Valten covered his ears, his eyes screwed shut. All seven priests were obliterated, only one managed to loose off a shot. It clipped Sister Ella's shoulder pad and turned her one hundred and eighty degrees but she sprang back and continued her salvo of gunfire with barely a hiss of annoyance. Each Sister emptied their magazines and there was nothing left but smoke and pulverised flesh. As one the sisters reloaded filling the suddenly silent tunnel with metallic clicking.
"Move on, that sound will echoed along every corridor down here." Amendera barked and began her ascent once more. "Don't slip."
There really wasn't anything remaining of the seven men Damasious noted as she clambered up the ruined section of stairs, just pools of steaming meat and ragged strips of cloth. Here and there were some recognisable pieces, a hand, part of a face, a foot still in the shoe. She had seen what a Bolter could do at close range many times, it never ceased to amaze her.
"We're really lost aren't we?" Mira said pretty much what everyone else was thinking almost an hour after the encounter with the priests. It had been their only run in so far.
Valten who had finally recovered his senses, shook his head. "No the air is much fresher now. I think we're closer than we realise."
"Well let's hope so because I'm getting tired of this maze." Mira muttered darkly. "I feel like a lab rat."
"How do we even know we'll come out in the Cathedral?" Rebecca asked. "We don't even know how many ways there are in and out of this place."
"I don't care where we come up as long as I get some air in my lungs that isn't full of dust." Mira retorted.
"Quiet both of you!" Amendera snapped. "What's that?"
There was a door ahead, on a small landing to the right hand side of the passageway. It was wooden with light spilling in from the gap at the bottom. Amendera approached it carefully, her Bolt Pistol held ready. Mira followed, her own weapon braced in her shoulder. Amendera gestured for everyone else to wait. She tested the door handle, just an iron ring, and turned it. More light spilled in as she pushed it open.
Mira sighed with relief. "It's a way out!"
Rebecca's prediction rang true as Damasious emerged into the daylight. They weren't in the Cathedral. They were on the side of the mountain. She took off her helmet, as did everyone else, and breathed deep. It felt good, despite the alien nature of the planets overly clean air. They stood in a small clearing with a path leading away down the mountain that clearly hadn't been used for years. Tall pale blue leafed trees surrounded the clearing and behind them the door had been built into a cliff face of dark rock.
"It must have taken some incredible engineering to build this." Valten noted gazing up the cliff. "Such a shame its purpose has clearly changed."
Amendera took several deep breaths, her eyes closed. Then she was alert again, her helmet now secured to her waist. She touched her ear, "This is Battle Sister Amendera to the Fidem et Ignis do you read me?" She paused, "Nothing, long range Vox is being jammed by the sounds of it. Let's see if we can contact Grace and Ava on short range."
Damasious noticed Emilia was staring at her distastefully. Damasious averted her gaze to Amendera but could feel the other Sisters gaze prickling the hairs on her neck.
"This is Amendera do you read me Sisters? Ava do you copy? Grace come in?" Amendera's gaze lowered. "Nothing. Their link is active but I'm getting no response."
"So their dead." Emilia grumbled.
Sister Mira frowned. "We don't know that. What's the matter with you?"
Emilia gave Mira a hard look. "With me?" Emilia stalked across the clearing and right up to Damasious. "It's her you should be asking whether something's wrong!"
Damasious met her Sisters gaze evenly. She had known this would come.
"Stand down Sister." Amendera said calmingly.
Emilia ignored her. "What was that in their Damasious? First you manage to resist whatever power that thing held over us, despite our mental conditioning we were all affected by it but not you!" she was getting angry now.
Behind her Damasious could see the other Sisters looking on nervously. Amendera's frown deepened.
"Emilia I said stand down!" she yelled.
"No! She needs to answer for what happened in there! How did that thing know who you were? Why did it want you specifically, what's so damn special about you?" Emilia demanded.
Damasious stared her down, her fists clenched. What exactly was Emilia accusing her of? Being in league with the arch enemy? Damasious didn't understand what had happened in the chamber, she was actually ashamed of her actions and her emotions during the brief fight with the priests. She had killed, no slaughtered, because it felt good. It had felt very, very good. How that thing, that voice had known who she was as much a mystery to her as anyone else.
"Say something to me Damasious! It knew you and then you went wild. I've seen it before, that damn chain blade it turns you into a monster? Who gave that to you, was it that thing in there, is that how it knew you?" Emilia spat, "Throne damn you and your silence, answer me!"
The blow was sudden and it stung, Damasious' head snapped sideways and she fell to one knee realising Emilia had back handed her across the cheek. Damasious felt her anger rise again and she rounded on Emilia with her teeth bared, a savage snarl escaping her lips. She grabbed Emilia by the neck and hoisted her off her feet. Amendera was suddenly by her side, she struck Damasious hard in the gut, forcing the wind from her lungs. She doubled over dropping Emilia in the process, who staggered away choking and retching. Amendera hauled a winded Damasious to her feet.
"Enough!" she roared, "Both of you!"
Damasious gritted her teeth but did not retaliate.
"My apologise Sister Superior." Emilia coughed.
"And you?" Amendera stared into Damasious' eyes.
Damasious nodded.
"Good, this ends now. Damasious will answer for her actions but our priority is getting off world or contacting the Ignis."
"Do you have a plan Sister?" Valten, seemed unfazed by the row between Damasious and Emilia.
"We head to the landing field, if one of the ships is still functioning we take it. If not then we find and disable whatever they're using to jam the long range Vox and call in support."
"That'll do me." Mira remarked.
Valten nodded his agreement and checked the charge on his plasma pistol.
"Alright then, let's move." Amendera began to follow the over grown path.
Damasious caught Emilia watching her intently, rubbing her bruising throat. Damasious was sorry she'd hurt a fellow Sororitas but something inside her stirred, making her guts churn. She'd have throttled Emilia to death if Amendera had not intervened. It was a sickening realisation.