The Inquisitor

Chapter Three

The fire's alone made my skin burn with an intensity that made my throat release a scream beyond anything I had ever imagined. Agony coursed inside my veins akin to acid eating its way through my body, I wanted to scream and never stop this unending purge of my body's natural state. Why in the name of the Emperor did I suffer so violently, so inexplicably pain wrenching that I felt my brain nearly imploded upon itself! Every confining second blistered and crushed the organ within my very skull. Blood trailed down my scalp from a wound sliced into my side. For I didn't dare move for the terrible agony alone made tears swell up.

Smoke clogged my nostrils as I gagged due to how thick it's potency rang into the air.

My hand clutched around my abdomen to the point where I felt warmth trickling past the cracks of my fingers, I looked down panting heavily. Red stains formed a small pool as I gagged trying to breath when I noticed how clean this slash had been given to me. Despite this feeling of a terrible agony, I felt an unnatural temptation of relief and it made my stomach implode upon itself. Vomit surged past my lips to spew over the ground to mix with your own life liquid in front of my eyes.

I wheezed in air when I struggled to raise my gaze.

To witness in what was around to see what was happening...

The screams started to rise in earnest when I looked upon scores of various forms of people! By the golden throne they were being impaled through stakes and being cut down by what seemed to be swords with chains along their lengths. Intestines were ripped out from bodies of various genders, I could hear women, men and children all scream in a ungodly agony as laughter surged around my ears. Laughter not naturally aligned to any human I could ever imagine, so cruel yet so utterly appeased. I felt my gaze distort when the explosions rocked my kneeling body.

Tremors racked my skeleton beneath my flesh, I chanced a glance towards one of the many statues of the Emperor as it shattered into thousands of pieces. It fell like a predetermined blasted as dust and ashes reined over the air when I gagged yet again on the deteriorating air quality. Buildings were ablaze as bodies were thrown from the roof tops on a fiery crash to splatter over the pavement of the streets. I watched as people of all ages were sent to their doom from the blistering fates of those flames which snaked ever more twisted into the skies. Praises in some sort of twisted mockery came around this madness of destruction, I felt my vision grow dim for a moment when a searing pain racked my mind.

Skies which were red almost dipped in blood and the lack of any sunlight made it a bleak existence.

"Watch."

That whispering word ordered in the recesses of my own head.

I blinked when my vision turned hazy to have stare up at a shadowed figure in front of me. It was here I watched as a sword or a weapon of some kind entered the center of my forehead. The blade seemed to be dripping in consistent droplets of blood, I could see a trail of corpses leading up behind this figure in the looming visage of this destruction. Explosions and bolter fire could be heard around myself in this never sending hellish landscape of a world that probably had never seen such an end. My throat constricted when the figure in front of me raised the weapon almost signaling an advance for whatever was out there in this hellish nightmare.

"Embrace it."

My body struggled to rise as I watched with widening eyes when this figure of sorts shrouded itself to stand over me. I gagged when a sense of rotting sickness and adrenaline surged into me as I looked on with my pupils straining to take in the coloration of the rising flames. Screaming appeared around me as people of various shapes or sizes were being cut down by other figures in a shrouded darkness to make my stomach uplift whatever was within. My arms became so strained to lift myself, I fell to my knees trying to make sense of this carnage erupting at my very eyes. It couldn't be as statues of the Imperium, the Emperor and the many other distorted icons were reduced to dust in seconds.

Buildings began to tremble as they collapsed one after another, the clouds of metal and stone becoming nothing more then rubble...

"Do you fear perfection?"

I felt tears drip down my cheeks when I looked up at this faceless entity that stood over me. For I didn't dare to respond for I inwardly dreaded what malice would come next. In my blurring vision I could make out a brief outline of this figure, a bulky appearance at best and I allowed my head to fall. A half broken shotgun that looked eerily similar to the one I used to banish that daemon lay used with shells lying around my body. Pieces of metal and shards of gemstone were lying around in a mocking circle of beauty on a tragic note of sorts.

Water dropped down my face to stain the earth, the liquid hissed as it evaporated form the heated surface that I looked down upon.

Laughter echoed in my ears when something overly crushed my will to breathe, I looked up to see that shrouded outline of a sword cut into my face cheek briefly. The owner whose darkened mask merely started to laugh in open earnest at the despair that my mind contributed to this maddening infested landscape of fire and death. Nothing made sense when the smell of burning flesh and saturated blood strained the ground I knelt upon. Liquid dripped down from my nostrils, I absently raised a finger to wipe away the blood slowly trailing down due to the stress of the vessel within my flesh. Whatever was happening to me had practically crushed all notions I could resist, or fight back against this ungodly pressure of malice alone.

I snarled when something gripped the back of my head to force my gaze to the landscape! It hissed in a whispering devolution akin to bliss, "Embrace perfection for it is what you crave. Do not look away for you have drawn my gaze upon your desires to wage perfection." That whispering crushed my mind as I yelled out of reflex, the painful resistance refused to be broken. I inhaled deeply doing what I could to ignore whatever details came to my senses as I refused! Yelling out I refused to bend to whatever this shrouded monstrosity demanded and I'd never enjoy this destruction because of what had happened to me.

Weakly my voice came to life, "Go feck yourself."

Chuckling came to return when I got forced to the ground with what I assumed to be a limb crushing the small of my back. My teeth gritted when an all crushing force made me scream out in pain as deliberate motions to crush my spine came to pass. It felt like fire coursing inside my veins, it felt like being squeezed alive and all my heart could do was pitiful extend my life to the point where this crushing feeling became all consuming. I gagged when a strong force caved one of my ribs inwards as I yelled out in a terrible agony to feel my lungs being pierced by its own skeletal bones.

"Such a naughty little child. Perhaps you're more familiar then you realize, pain can be a pleasure, as long as you accept its embrace. Are you not afraid of what you can achieve?" I reached forward desperately trying to crawl away, I saw a shard of metal glimmering in the falling fires of this hellish landscape. Statues of the Emperor, the Imperium and various others were crumbling as the destruction echoed its potency with the screams of the dying. I witnessed a figure being pulled apart as wicked laughter sang into the distant horizon. Distantly a series of bolter weaponry fired erupted as resistance came in form of a distant group, I watched this with watering eyes. I had to survive, I had to survive and I had to survive for not my own sake but what happened to my friend.

Jane.

I couldn't die and fall to this twisted monstrosity of whatever it deemed itself to be in this time.

"Oh how very sweet, your friends are coming child, they come to end their lives at my will alone. Such a wonderful little tool you're going to become, I must say you caught my eye on that day! A shame you tried so hard to avoid what I will delightfully always shall give to you." I gagged when the force lifted me upwards with what it had be a hand of sorts, I felt my neck constrict in trying to suffocate my very existence. Desperate I gripped the offending darkened appendage while kicking futilely at whatever held me above the ground. All for that effort, all for naught as I got nothing but a sickening cruel giggle of sorts to make me wheeze in air.

I knew for sure I was going to die.

I was going to die painfully.

And I was going to die without anyway to stop it.

"Marcos!"

My eyes looked over as tears smeared my vision into a watery mess, I noticed a figure with a loaded bolter in hand. The weapon held a scope of sorts as its wielder lay encased inside a reddish yet darkened power armor that looked oddly familiar. No face could be recognized as the distortions erupted around me in a flash of red and white, I couldn't see at this point. The grip around my throat had gotten worse and I prayed to the God-Emperor for a sign of help, I couldn't get free at all! Muscles tensed inside my arms trying in vain to pry this vice like darkened limb off my person.

The result was a cooing laughter echoing inside my ears and onto the surrounding area. Various forms arose around the perimeter encroaching upon my struggling form, "Ah what a pleasantry that is truly a gift, I have not seen such a sight in many nights. Does this little one belong to you my dear?" A scream escaped me when nails suddenly grew to lightly encroach into my neck's skin. Blood started to seep past the wound as I kicked wildly at any part of my would be captor, I needed to break free and I had to do it somehow!

"Let him go! Or face the wrath of the Emperor in a fiery retribution you foul heretic!" The declaration was met with a peal of twisted laughter. Amusement yet restrained hatred could be felt even with my lack of air suffocating my existence to the mortal coil of life. Movement shifted when I got held over in front of the arrival of whoever this was and my back blocked the forefront of this shrouded figure who held me captive. I gasped when the pressure released itself a bit teasingly, I felt tips of fingers brush against the side of my face to make me shudder in a disgusted manner.

"Oh so you use that pitiful corpse Emperor as a means to threaten, yet he is nothing! You use his wretched existence as a means to threaten me? So what would you do if I did, per say, this to the little one?" I felt something slimy lightly skim my cheek down across past my lips. I clamped down hard to avoid whatever such a foul sensation it held over my body, I resisted any means to show anymore weakness. The laughter didn't cease when another creeping feeling of limbs brushed my hair back as if in a mocking gesture of affection. I almost wanted to vomit at how inhumane the actions were compared to any other imaginative moment in my life.

This wasn't even remotely close to human at all.

A loaded shell from the bolter made my eyes glance behind me in vain to ignore this sensation, I heard a chuckle in response to that mechanism. "Oh dear! Dare I say that this little one is your own? Or rather are you..." The voice whispered tantalizingly deceptive as I gasped out in shock, I felt one of the sharped appendages cut down into my neck. I wheezed out for air when agony ripped into my lungs, I could scarcely hear the next words, "...afraid for him? Do you care so much that he is yours to claim my dear? Don't those vows dissuade such notions?"

My eyes burned when I heard a snarl in response to those painfully barbed questions, I allowed my hand to drop to my waist. I felt no strength, no hope and sense of will to struggle as it got harder to breathe even lightly now. This vice that surrounded my neck shifted to the point where I felt fingers mockingly releasing and squeezing in a pattern as if debating to end my life alone. It became so hard to stay awake, so hard to remain living and it became so much easier to sleep, I blinked to feel that oncoming urge to just rest.

Why did I want to sleep when my grip started to slacken against my captors shadowed limb?

Why...

"Look at how he struggled, this little one definitely tried admirably, yet he can't resist the will of my own. So what will you do now? Shoot me? Curse me?" Laughter from other sources around in my blurred sight arose out of nowhere. It became akin to a group of whatever laughing at my plight, I had to do something or else this sleeping urge would be my death! As I dropped my hand next to my a waist, a cold feeling poked my lower ribs when my hand brushed against something sharp, I'd wager it was a knife of sorts. How in the Emperor's name and the golden throne did I ever have such a weapon hidden away on my frame despite this agony I suffered?

"I will purge your soul back to the Warp and may the Emperor himself burn your wretched existence in holy fire. I swear I'll tear your spine out when I get my hands on you." I heard that vehement threat which even made me shiver in how potent that promise of retribution came about. The grip on my person slackened briefly as if to humor the words alone, I found strength when my palm slipped under my torn shirt and vest. The pommel of the small dagger, or improvised shiv felt ice cold yet the fire inside my heart grew ever more all consuming. I waited when a deceptively sweet cooing answer echoed to the one with a bolter on hand, I didn't want to imagine what would be next, I had to remain strong in my position.

The cooing started, "I don't doubt it my dear. I sense that beautiful desire to maim myself, a shame you will resist me but I can't say it'll be as long as this little one. Perfection is potential for you both, do you not want to see what power can be at your finger tips?" Temptations were growing ever so forwardly yet the subtly implied at what was offered made my spine tingle. My captor literally started to move in a small circle deliberately using my body as a small shield to the one with a bolter, I resisted so hard to draw this shiv inside my vest but I prayed for strength. I didn't need the hope to remain alive anymore but merely something more sweeter.

I needed an opportunity...

I needed a chance to free myself and I'd fight for my own chances to survive or not.

My eyes closed when I felt that fire growing within my mind for sure now. Oh I felt that burning sensation akin to banishing that daemon on my home world, so beneath my eye lids I swore my very organs would boil themselves into a mist. Every tear seemed like solid magma, I could cringe or cry out due to how hot this fire burned inside my very core and yet I embraced it in a manner to grasping at my lost chance of resistance to this unholy vice crushing my throat. It took so much fortitude to remain idle, to remain so passively and so very patient that it nearly got my last remnants of air to see like an eternity to take into my lungs.

The movements stopped when I gripped the shiv inside my vest, I waited as a retort came back to those offers of temptation.

"If you think I'm the only one who desires to maim you, well you'd be rather surprised to know that someone else is just as eager as I." A finger like motion teased in a circular motion on my cheek, I held my instincts back to shiver as the shrouded captor giggled. "Oh? Who else besides, you, I or the little one is what you speak about? Surprise me." That taunt was met by a screeching shriek as I felt the grip slacken in where I dropped to the ground, I rolled away quickly and fast as I could to get some distance. Bolter fire erupted when it struck against something metallic or perhaps it had been flesh because I barely could stand on my own.

"On your feet! Quickly!"

Someone's limb got me onto my feet, I stumbled in my hazy vision to see a massive figure looming above me. The power armor frame masked the face of the individual as bolter fire flashed near my forehead, I felt the heat of the ejected rounds and how the air split from the weaponry's own intentions to destroy an enemy of mankind. Ejected casings of the rounds briefly fell around me when I took in the environment slowly as if caught in a trance, I blinked once to see something akin to a flash of purple course through the air to strike the person in the armor. It felt so surreal to a streak of light smash into armor alone and have it cave like a crinkling paper before my very eyes.

A scream of unholy rage filled the air as the armored figure knelt right in front of me reeling from that light's hit!

I tried to reach for the person's face...

Yet a sword punctured the person's body from behind to have my face become splattered in a red crimson spray.

Tears went down my eyes as pain exploded inside my heart.

My hands reached out as a flash of light revealed someone's face...

I roared out when I saw the features!

"NO!"

I gasped out in shock to shoot up from my bed with sweat drenching my entire body, I could feel droplets running down my face to stain the sheets. I felt so sick right now as my stomach convulsed and I immediately ran to the bathroom, I threw up into the sink trying to get the vile taste of this latest nightmare to be purged from my mind's confines. I allowed my stomach to uplift anything remaining from last nights dinner into the sink itself, I coughed violently before exhaling sharply. Tears were running down my face when I looked to the mirror to see my own reflection within it's frame alone.

"Another nightmare. This one was so different from all the others, why in the Emperor's name am I suffering from these things." I whispered when I saw the pale complexion of my skin which had an unnatural sheen of sweat layered. Shuddering violently a chill ran up my back when I rinsed out the contents in the sink to see it spiral down the drain, when that was cleansed, I cupped water onto my hands and had myself splash the cold water onto my overheated face. I remained supported against the frame near the wall for several minutes, I didn't want to move until I regained some sort of control over my core functions apart from breathing.

And with time came the return of my strength to my limbs.

"I'm starting to fecking hate being a psyker, Tartarus says 'dreams become more vivid' due to my connection to the warp. She never said how real it seems, Emperor's blood, what a load of shit." I snarled when I moved back into my room to see a bundle of folded clothing neatly prepared near my doorway. Skit probably had delivered them when I was asleep, my servo-skull familiar and companion literally had remained plugged into an outlet to be upgraded at my teachers own whims. Wiping any moisture away off my forehead, I moved to change into clothing for a new day and I certainly welcomed the change into my routine.

One week if not a bit more passed then my introduction to training and tutoring Sister Anora of the Adeptas Sororitas. My mind inwardly shivered and my body ached from the combative sword training sessions alone, "If I ever thought Jane was a taskmaster, well Anora puts her to shame hands down! Praise the God-Emperor for Skit's audio recording and hologram player to memorize all the lessons. I'd be knee deep in my own blood if I messed up on the week ending graduation examination. I swear Tartarus intentionally messed with me when she said, 'use whatever assets to attain progress' and sent me off afterwards."

Rolling my shoulders to ward off any potential stiffness that I had gathered during my restless night of sleep. Placing those thoughts aside, I started to change into my normal attire that had been provided and selected for whatever reasoning. Wearing black pants with a pair of steel toe boots that were somehow crafted for my size along with a simply gray undershirt to keep my appearance less then friendly. A small leather vest that could be adjusted had been given to me on top of a pair of gloves that I wanted to remove the fingers for more of a natural feeling for whatever I had to pick up. Overall the amount of dark clothing just screamed archaic to my mind and it wasn't quite as clear to imagine in a hive city during the day.

But the most interesting piece of my clothing came in the form of a necklace of sorts.

A singular rectangle like blue rosette with a skull in the middle, I felt really put off at how simply detailed it got compared to the full rosette I saw my Inquisitor teacher with on her body. Curiosity got the better of me to ask my would be source of any information. I checked over to see him in an idle state of power recharging, or conserving for whatever tasks he'd be needed for in the future. I knew he was all set to go, so I didn't hesitate to get the answers I wanted and needed right now.

"Skit. What am I holding here?"

I voiced that out to the servo-skull whose sensors picked up my request.

Skit immediately came online when I palmed the small piece of steel in the middle of my palm, he floated over before scanning my limb. I waited for a moment due to the fact I hadn't seen this type of rosette at all when I was with Tartarus, "Confirmed. Acolyte Eius recognized as official Inquisitorial Apprentice of Inquisitor Jalena Tartarus. Seal of Apprenticeship acknowledged." Well now I knew what I was holding when I placed it around my neck, I tucked in the chilling metal close to my chest and it never got warm. Exhaling deeply I adjusted all the clothing to my best needs and managed to at least prepare myself for a new routine since ending my tasks with Sister Anora.

I still planned on visiting the chapel whenever I could to learn anything else besides training.

"Any messages during the night Skit? Think Tartarus wants to spring another surprise me at the last minute, or what?" I asked the servo-skull as it hovered in front of chiming while scanning for any latest updates. I adjusted the vest and my boots in the meantime to wait as Skit responded in his usual monotone level of a voice module, "Acknowledged Acoylte Eius. One message from Lady Inquisitor Tartarus marked exactly one hour ago, she requests your presence in her private study when you had awoke." My shock hadn't really been that strong this time around but I accepted the information with a good head at the least. Adjusting the rest of my clothing I placed the rosette necklace around my neck one last time and so got the rest of myself situated.

"Alright Skit. Lead the way, please."

The servo-skull merely chimed in accordance to my order, I followed him out of the doorway when I had to lock my personal quarters.

Keeping up with Skit wasn't as hard as it had been when I initially got him from the Inquisitor. Due to the week of progressing and doing basic physical workouts I did see the effects of such a rigorous reign of routines. Even though I was merely a child, I had to develop what little improvement into lean muscles for speed since it was practically a waste until I grew up to develop bulkier muscle for strength. Sister Anora had stated that as a child, I had to deal with what I had to do, so I had to run or just do a lot of stretching in order to keep myself physically ready for whatever reasons. Personally I just wanted to eat more grox burgers when the time came, I always felt a lot more at home in order to deal with this new life of sorts.

I moved down the hallways and corridors to see the occasional storm trooper in full gear, I had to assume they were training or something along those lines. Every now or then I witnessed the soldiers like them outside of their uniforms in a casual attire. Normally I hardly could tell people apart at least when it came down to when they were fully geared up. More then once people gave me a wide berth as Skit led the way to my master, or teachers private study once again. This part of the ships living quarters were only for what I assumed to be Tartarus's retinue of assets, myself included, so it wasn't very lively for a better lack of a word.

However today it wasn't as dead, I witnessed small squads of troopers both in gear and not walking around the corridors.

"Hey Skit, what's the deal with everyone running today? Any particular reason?" I asked my servo-skull familiar who didn't reply at first. The usual chime of processing the question made him speak in his monotone while leading me onwards to the private study, "Question acknowledged. Inquisitor Tartarus has deemed parameters involving crew and Inquisitorial troopers to be deemed on a need to know basis. Apologies Acolyte Eius, information is restricted until further notice, please continue proceeding to follow this unit." I shook my head at the lack of information, I just wanted to know if anything strange was happening today because I had never seen so many people moving about. More so on a ship like the Glowing Sabre, Emperor's blood I just wanted to be ready for anything!

I started to grumble due to being genuinely annoyed at realizing I had been strung along yet again.

"Being conscripted by the Inquisition is one thing but being kept in the dark is another thing entirely! Like the fact nothing in the data slates Sister Anora gave me aren't anything more helpful about Inquisitors, I think I know half the Saints of the Adeptas Sororitas though." My only consolation of a consciousness was that I had started to learn more about the Imperial Truth. I knew Saint Mina and her martyrdom by heart because of how close it meant for Sister Anora who had trained me over the week. So I had a personal motivation to at least make my mentor and friend happy to know I wasn't throwing away any information given to me willingly to say the least.

And that was what the good came up too.

The negatives of being consistently tested, being pushed and just flat out being beaten down made my nights blissfully tormenting when nightmares came around. I did what I could to block them out but they always returned no matter how much effort I contributed. Lately these nightmares were getting more vivid yet vague to see so much destruction that it terrified my own sanity. I had no idea in what I could do to prevent them and I became all the more willing to ask Tartarus about such tendencies. Although I had a growing instinct she'd just dismiss the nightmares as meager nuisances for whatever reasoning, so it left me with the option of baring through it and try to remain positive. Even though it took a lot out of me to get onto my feet time and time again for experience.

It all seemed to never end.

Eventually I made my way to Tartarus's private study, I witnessed two stormtroopers guarding the entrance as Skit hovered directly over my right shoulder. Absently I felt the heat of his propulsion systems keeping him afloat and I spoke up a bit apologetic to disturb the troopers. "Excuse me. I got a message through Skit that Tartarus wants to see me, is it alright if I can go in, I don't want to interrupt her if she's busy." My uneasy smile made one of the two Inquisitorial troopers glance down at my small frame as if a bit curious. His compatriot on the other hand started to open the module to unlock the door as if my request were a direct order and I heard snickering for whatever reasons why.

Neither of them held any red outlines to indicate anger.

But merely a light gray as if they were not offended by my request.

"No need to state your intentions kid, Inquisitor's orders are for us to always allow you entrance to her study. Throne we're just a bit surprised you're asking us to let you in." I shrugged helplessly as I didn't have a clue to the man who snorted at my bewildered expression. I guess the both of us were a little shocked for one reason or another, so I just offered a thankful nod. "Thanks. Now I feel like I just screwed you guys over in doing your jobs properly." Both Inquisitorial troopers laughed at that as if finding my uneasiness amusing, I just rolled with it as the hive gangsters all did during a fight that got out of control. I figured I had no reason to think they were laughing at me, I mean I found the situation kind of amusing as well and that said a lot about how well I took things at first mentioning.

The door slid open within moments as I stepped through with a small sheepish smile forming.

And it closed within a second.

I stepped through with Skit floating past me to go scan other data slates that were within the libarium's own internal storage's, I noticed a few more servo-skulls doing similar tasks. My eyes lingered for a second before returning to my Inquisitorial mentor herself, she was wearing a casual attire that looked incredibly striking to make her seem more humane that I had ever seen her at any point. Her eyes barely left the console on her desk. Absently she commented without even glancing at myself, "I see you've found your clothing finally. It took a fair bit of time to requisition sizes for yourself, but it's good to see a proper Acolyte under the Inquisition."

I gave a weak smile in return, "It's a start. So what did you summon me for Tartarus? I thought I'd be down at the Chapel continuing my combative and education like you assigned me too."

My questions weren't pointless as the Inquisitor hummed almost contently. "Indeed but your tasks have been completed much to my knowledge. The Adeptas Sorortias are impressed at how well you took to their tutelage under them this past fortnight, so be at ease, I'm not disappointed Marcos." I resisted an urge to grin, I didn't like praises that much and to be fair it seemed awkward to accept them. I just wanted to learn, to grow stronger and to do what I dreamed in doing to make sure I didn't have to witness something like Jane's death all over again.

I wanted to learn more regardless of how the odds were stacked against my meager self.

"Praises aren't given lightly by those who don't issue them." Tartarus stated rather amused as I rolled my eyes, "Still it's good of you to remain humbled and to always know humility for your time amongst the Inquisition Marcos." I had seen arrogant gangsters back when I was living under the hive city, I saw how bad they got and when the time came for them to be jumped. They got knocked down hard and sometimes fatally, I remembered a few pieces of people acting like asses to get their own flesh cut off quickly.

"The reason why I summoned you here to my study, is not out of a personal satisfaction, but out of mutual concern to be dropping down onto another planet in this sector's many systems." My teacher informed me sternly as I looked up at her wide eyed, "You mean we're traveling to another planet already? I thought we were next to my home, ever since that day but still..." I trailed off suddenly as the Inquisitor merely raised an eyebrow at my realization since that day. The reason why I had been dreaming so vividly of these nightmares wasn't because of a random, or a subconsciousness instinct that plagued my thoughts.

We had been traveling through the warp.

And as a pskyer the proximity of being near it made the vivid nightmares make sense.

Yet that wasn't the mind shocker to get me thunder struck.

My teacher revealed the true bomb shell, "Yes. We've been traveling in the warp for about a day, or two. This morning per Holy Terra's local time we arrived within the orbit of a Shrine World. Within the next few hours you'll be reporting back here to meet with me and a small retinue to search the planet itself for a developing Warp-Rift. My sources have indicated that such an incursion is well on its way, the only matter we as the Ordos Malleus have to determine, is whether this planet is salvageable or not." She finished gauging my reaction as I stuttered like an absolute fool, I had no way to imagine that this was truly happening. It'd only had been a week, or so since leaving home and she wanted me to go to another planet to start hunting daemons?

Did I hear that right?

The woman didn't immediately calm myself down as I managed to ask a weak yer very relative question, "A warp rift? What in the feck is that supposed to mean?"

Tartarus gestured to the chairs in front of her desk, I took one without hesitation to know what in the name of the golden throne we'd be doing. Already a fortnight into a new forced life and I'd be putting my neck on the line for the Imperium as an agent of the Inquisition, so no pressure at all. "A warp rift is what it means, a bridge between our physical realm and those of the Immaterium where daemons alike fest in waiting. More so you could call it a Warp-Gate, I've seen numerous texts on what names could be but the intents are as clear as blood." She said this with a calm yet very informative narration as I tried to understand the scope of we'd be accomplishing on this planet.

Slowly I started to speak up while musing as my teacher waited patiently.

She folded her arms to hear my thoughts and to grasp in what the mission would be soon enough. "So we're here to stop daemons from crossing over? Crossing from their side onto ours and we have to find the source of how it'd be possible?" I struggled to understand just how it'd be physically possible for anyone to literally bring them over. I might as have well been asked what it took to become a Patron Saint of the Adeptas Sororitas since I technically didn't understand the process in that sense either. It really became a challenge to understand a concept that I had no idea in how it'd be plausible for me to accept it.

So color me confused as a grox to the slaughter.

"All it takes is one heretic of a cult to spread discord and the will of Chaos on a planet Marcos. It happens to a lot of them and even your own home world had sects of them running a muck. We as the Ordos Malleus are to intervene when a cult, or the taint of Chaos has reached a tipping point in where they'd summon daemons into our realm to further spread their vile faith. It saves resources and we can respond a bit quicker when the indicators all point to a daemonic incursion on the horizon" She elaborated when I started to take in the reasoning behind it, I had to assume that the Imperium was so vast that there had to be limits. It was like taking over one street block as a hive gang and it got difficult to maintain control over it when the amount of members were needed to hold the ground. At least it's what mattered to me in order to justify what her explanation meant.

It still didn't make feel any less easy to know I'd be on a new planet for the first time ever.

"So we're going down there to combat this potential daemon summoning? If we're supposed to do that then how?" I asked nervously as the woman gestured to the far wall. I turned around to see a table set up with a variety of weaponry, a variety that I saw beforehand. Oh I recognized the insignia of the Imperium and a few other liquids meant to be blessed of the Rites of Purification via the Chapel on-board. I even reconfirmed the glyphs and a few various other assortments meant by the Sororitas as a means to bless their own weaponry due to their Order's Patron Saints.

Bolt pistols, swords, flamer units meant to be attachments to bolters and a few other misc like items littered the surface.

"I don't need to explain those weapons Marcos, I'm sure Sister Anora has taught you the basics to bless any weapon and for which I'm grateful of her to show the methods." I turned back to her when she stood up to over towards the table, I witnessed her pick up a familiar weapon. My eyes widened as my Inquisitorial teacher lifted a cleanses and clearly remodeled shotgun that became all too apparent. In fact my heart almost clenched in which I knew what weapon that was in the first place.

That was the very same shotgun rebuilt and blessed when I banished that monstrosity.

A daemon that killed Jane.

"Yes. I had to bargain with a tech-priest whose aboard our ship to rebuild and redesign your formerly crude weapon for it's new purpose Marcos. Blessed shells are fed into the chamber directly and you can switch it from semi to automatic on the side, so remember to stock up on holy ammunition." Tartarus wore a simple yet very practical casual set of clothing. A robe of sorts covered her frame while she walked bare foot to place the weapon in front of my trembling form, I had to focus on her bringing her hair back to ignore the phantom pains of seeing that object. I didn't respond but my hands numbly traced the new model of weapon and it still seemed to be stained in blood.

Blood that would never cease to plague my mind.

"You'll be using that as your primary weapon, I'll have one of my troopers give you a knife for good measure and a las-pistol that will do yourself some insurance. Make no mistake you'll have a bag to carry that weapon but a cloak to conceal the other secondary means until the time is right to storm the Warp-Rift's conception within it's discovered area." I looked up at her with a pained grimace in seeing another detail of what made my heart hurt terribly. It did little good when she spoke directly into my mind.

Her tone wasn't comforting at all.

"As I said on the first day I encountered you. Your feelings are a moot point for myself to consider, so strengthen that resolve and simply accept it. I will accept nothing less as an Acolyte of the Inquisition and more so one under my own will. Is that understood Marcos Eius?" The woman's eyes narrowed onto my face as I bit my lip trying to ignore an urge to refuse. I didn't want to remember what I had tried to move on from and using that thing would only keep that pain fresh. It fecking hurt to the point where I clenched my hands in where I actively felt my own knuckles pop.

Inhaling deeply I stared right back at her, "Understood mam."

"Good. Now you'll be deployed under a pretext of a cover to be assigned under the Adeptas Sororitas who will visit this Shrine-World on an official pilgrimage. You have prior knowledge and experience in knowing their ways, so stick with Sister Anora's superior as your consultant. I will be leading another retinue of troopers. Officially we're under the orders of a High-Lord of Terra in inspecting a certainly sub-sector planetary bodies his control, we'll be given free reign to inspect whatever. However this does not mean we shall flaunt out status as members of the Holy Inquisition Marcos." She warned me near the end of this explanation as questions were forming inside my mind. I wanted to know a few things when we hit down onto the ground, I wanted to get these doubts out of myself in order to be ready for whatever was going to happen.

"Speak your mind Marcos."

I heard that request with a firm implication of obedience.

"What if I get separated and I can't prove I'm with them. Doesn't seem like anyone will believe a person like me whose lived in an under city for all my life, a kid and one under the Sisterhoods as a what? A scribe plus I mean taking a word of a street rate whose a second rate hive gangsters isn't exactly legit." My bitter questions rung out as Tartarus easily countered that scenario with something to make my gasp out loud. I nearly jumped to my feet at how seriously fecked up this would be if things got that bad, "Then you'll be my child. I can pass you off as my own and it won't matter much, since few dare to question such tendencies under the High-Lords themselves. It's a minor issue to be honest"

I looked at her and then to a mental picture of myself. I almost started to shake my head and the idea of this woman being a figurative parent of mine, I nearly cried. To cry out in utter comical madness that such an excuse wouldn't work. So I dared to ask the legit streak of such a folly, "No way in the Emperor's own divine ways would you and I be related Tartarus! Feck that, we don't even look alike and just how would that be right?"

The Inquisitor merely used a word to send my mind to screeching halt.

"Adoption."

I stared at her as if she were joking.

And she merely stared right back.

Holy Throne of Terra did I sadly realize she wasn't even close to that type of humor.

It came to crush my skull when she elaborated almost truly amused at my disbelief alone. "Adoption is a just a front Marcos, trust me, I know how to subtly infiltrate any Imperial World's bureaucracy give the resources at my disposal. Besides with the way you react to even any implied notions will be even more of a legitimized result of myself as a trouble mother to scold her son. Not too different from being a master and an acolyte no less I'm afraid." She said this with a straight face that got me almost irritated to issue a scathing retort at such an implication. By the Emperor's own holy will did I resist and it nearly killed me to accept the realism in such a cover.

"I don't even want to imagine why you'd use me as such a thing. I don't understand and I don't even have a choice except to accept it. Right?"

Tartarus merely offered a small grin while gesturing to the shotgun. Her tone wasn't as cold but merely expectant of my resignation, "Indeed so. To put you at ease one again my apprentice, this mission isn't as nearly as dangerous, so it's relatively manageable. At least compared to what I've done in the past as an agent of the Holy Inquisition for the Imperium." She became a bit more serious with a grim smile forming as I blinked owlishly at what she was implying. Apart of me wanted to accept what she had done yet I had to ask in vain.

"What's the worst thing you've done?" My question was met with an immediate answer with a grim full blown smile.

The woman didn't do anything other then shake her head, "Things that will make you consider your own nightmares to seem like sweet dreams Marcos."

At the time I didn't consider in what that meant.

Yet in that same time, I knew already I had the answers.

It's just I'd learn something in the future about when I dreamed within my mind.

Apparently some dreams weren't always what they seemed.

End Chapter Three

Author's Note: I'm desperate for reviews, please for the love of god, if you're reading this then simply tell me what you think of this story. Come on people, I'm not asking for a miracle but merely something to show if I'm writing this type of thing right or wrong for that matter alone. Please I'm kind of paranoid I'm messing around with something that shouldn't be plausible for anything in the Warhammer 40K setting.

So I ask yet again (please) to leave reviews.

And I'll continue to not have an anxiety attack in the lack of them in the coming days.

That's all I have to say.